Serbraxos. Orders, very ibon arrived from Ras Michael,’ ,
which did not alter the difpofition ■; and Kefla Yafous with
the rear arriving at the fame time, juft joined and doubled
the feveral-pofts as they had been taken ; our pofition was
to the utmoft o f our wiih ; but it had not been fo with
Michael, fo r he no fooner had got into the plain, where he
had the hills no longer either.on his ,right or left, than he
was attacked by Powuflen, with the whole force of-Begem-
der, who cut off the troops o f his J it-Auraris to a man, he;
and two or three common foldiers, only efcaping, This was
owing to Michael’s retreating inftead o f fupporting him ;
for he had fcarcely given time for . Powuflen to come up
with his horfe, who fought more defperately than was their
ufual cuftom, than he himfelf again, took ppflelfian, o f the >
entrance o f the valleyy a n d : lined-: the- h ill on both fides
with fire-arms. A very general and iharp fire from Gue+
bra Mafcal, and the mufquetry, (who had occupied the
fouth end o f the long hill) foon obliged: Powuflen to leave -
Michael’s cavalry, .which:,he would elfe have inevitably de-
ftroyed, and ihelter: himfelf in the plain from the violent
effeff o f the ihot, which rained upon him alternately from .
the h ills on each fide. o f . the valley. ,
A t this time w e were in the greateft anxiety, from the i
report o f the muftquets always coming nearer us, though,
by the contrary winds, the fmoke was carried from us. The
day was far advanced, and exceffively h o t : the foot foldiers ;
were bufy in giv ing our horfes drink out o f our own helmets,
which they filled from Deg-Ohha. A ll the troops
were impatient, however, to come to an adtion upon that
ground. A t this time an officer from Michael came to
Kefla Yafous, who was on horfeback near the king, order-*
m g .
fng him to fend a body o f frefli horfe to fupport the Cavalry
of, his divifion, with an intention, i f poifible. to bring on
a general engagement. In the mean time he ordered Kefla
Yafous to keep firm, as he then was, in the poft o f Serbraxos,
and not to advance, till he was fure that Gufho
and Ayabdar had left their ground, joined-Powpflfen- and
were engaged with him at the fouth end of.the valley. .
Thefe inftrudions were p e r fe a iy underftood by that faga-
cious and, veteran general. He detached 500 Shoa,. with
near the fame number o f horfe belonging to Engedan, and
commanded by him, and thefe, joined to the cavalry already
in the van, again attempting to pafs the plain, were attacked
by Powuflen and the troops o f Begemder, who- had
been hkcwifc reinforced, and after ail obftinate engagement
they had retired into tire mouth o f the valley, not
from being ariually beaten, but by direaion- o f Ras Michael,
in order to bring the enemy purfuing them under
the fire o f the mufquetry, on. each fide o f the entrance o f
the v a lle y ..
I -w a s exceedingly curious to havefeèn this engagement
and I begged Kefla Yafous to fpeak to the k in g to permit me'
to go fingly. with Engedan. To this, however, I had a flat
refufal, not without fome marks o f peeviflmefs and difplea-
füre, which Kefla Yafous qualified by faying, “ Don’t be dif-
mayed,. you ihall fee and-in that inflant the word was
given to march to the right, whilft the troops left the valley
between the long hill and. the mountains, and took poft on
th e fd e o f the river Mariam, with their faces fronting the
weft The mufiquetry/was placed upon the eminences to the
north and fouth, as i f to defend the ford o f the river, thro’
which the entrance was, to the north end o f the valley. Mic
h a d ,,