Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/485

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would break in upon the foot. Several fhots were fired from the center at them by order of the Ras, who cried out aloud in derifion, " Take away thefe horfes and fend them to the mill." They divided, however, to the right and left, into the two graffy valleys under cover of the mufquetry, and a very few horfe of Fafd's were carried in along with them, and flain by the foldiers on the fide of the Kill. On the king's fide no man of note was miffing but Welleta Michael, nephew of Ras Michael, whofe horfe falling, he was taken prifoner and carried off by Fafil.

A few minutes after this, arrived a meflenger from Fafil;, a dwarf, named Doho, a man always employed on errands of this kind ; it is an intercourfe which is permitted, and the meffenger not only protected, but rewarded, as I have before obferved ; it is a fingular cuftom, and none but fhrewd fellows are fent, very capable of making obferva- tions, and Doho was one of thefe. He told the Ras to pre- pare immediately, for Fafil intended to attack him as foon as he had brought his foot up : Doho further added a requeft from his mafter, as a mark of his duty, that the king might not change his drefs that day, left he might fall in- to the hands of fome of the ftranger troops of Galla, who might not know him otherwife, or fhew the proper refpect to his perfon. The Ras, I was told afterwards, for he was too far before us to hear him, laughed violently at this com- pliment. " Tell Fafil, fays he, to wait but a few minutes where he now is, and I promife him that the king fha!l drefs in any way he pleafes." When Doho's meffage was told to the king, he fent back anfwer to Ras Michael, " Let Doho tell Fafil from me, that, if I had known thofe two trees had been where they are, I would have brought Welleta Ga*.

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