ble o f command or fervice. Whether this was really his
opinion, or only faid with a view o f forwarding a fcheme
already laid, I will not fay ; but certainly it was the foundation
o f a quarrel which, hy its coflfequences, did greatly
weaken the rebels, and contributed much afterwards to
maintain the k in g upon the throne ; for Guiho, who, upon
the defeat o f Ras Michael, was deftined by all parties to take
the lead, was a sla v ifli in praifes o f Powufjen for his behaviour
that day, as he was bitter in condemning his uncle,
which created a violent mifunderftanding between tliefe
two chiefs, infomuch that Afahel Woodage, with his troops
o f Maitiha, left Ayabdar, and joined Powuffen. Confu,
moreover, fo'n o f Baiha Eufebius, and brother to Guebra
Mehedin, who had fruftrated my firft attempt to difcover
the.fource o f the Nile, endeavouring to promote a revolt a-
mong the troops o f Foggora, to which he belonged, was
put in irons by Ayabdar, from which he was but too foon
releafed to meet, a few days afterwards, a fate that put an
end to his profligacy and follies.
Powdssen in this conflict had retreated, i f not beaten,
with a confiderable lo fs ; nine hundred o f his beft troops
were faid to have been flain that day, and a great many
more wounded, molt o f whom (thofe I mean that had gun-
ihot wounds) died from the want o f furgeons, and the ignorance
o f thofe who undertook to cure them. On the part
o f Michael about 300 men, all o f the cavalry, were faid to
have perifhed that day, including the troops o f Netcho the
Fit-Auraris. Of the k in g ’s divifion about twenty-three were
killed, feven o f thefe being his guards, I believe moftly by
the unfortunate fire o f his troops, arifing from his own impatience
in attacking the Galla unadvifedly, o f whom about
2 fixty
fixty were left upon the field, all flain in the attack, fo r they
were not purfued, but joined their main body immediate*
ig
Ras Michael fell back upon the army, which had encamped
on the hill o f Serbraxos ; and it now was believed
more than before, that the fate o f the empire was to be
determined on that ipot. Another thing, however, appeared
plain, that whatever belief Michael pretended in the
prophecy, he would not have preferred fighting at Serbraxos,
i f he could by any means have given the rebels the
flip, and marched his army into Begemder. The k in g was
exceedingly pleafed at the pan he had taken that d a y ; it was
the firft time he was engaged in perfon, nor did any body
venture to condemn i t ; he fhewed, indeed, very little concern
at his brother’s wound, which was only a flight one
in the fleihy part o f his thumb, nor did the young prince
trouble himfe lf m uch about i t ; on the contrary, when I
went to drefs and bind it up, he faid to me, I wifh, Yagoube,
the fliot had carried the thumb o ff altogether, it would have
made me incapable o f fucceeding to the throne, and they
would n ot’then fend me to the hiJl o f Wechne. The k in g,
Upon hearing this, faid with a fmile, George forgets that
Hatze Hannes, my father and his, was called to the throne
many years after his whole hand had been cut off. Everyone
agreed that Ras Michael had that day ihewn a degree
o f intrepidity and m ilitary ik ill fuperior to any thing which
had appeared in many former engagements in which he
had commanded. No fooner had he refrefhed him fe lf
with a meal, than he called a council o f his officers, which
lafted great part o f the evening,-notwithftanding the fatigue
he had undergone throughout the dav.
Voi" IV’ T T ats