Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/486

 462 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

bricl, Ozoro Esther's lie ward, to him; by which he very arch- ly alluded to the battle of Fagitta, where that drunkard, mooting from behind a tree, and killing one Galla, made all the reft fly for fear of the zibib.

Dono being thus difmiiied, the whole army advanced im- mediately at a very briik pace, hooping and fcreaming, as is their cullom, in a mofl harfli and barbarous manner, crying out Hatze Ali ! Michael Ali ! But Fafil, who faw the forward countenance of the king's troops, and that a few minutes would lay him under neceflity of rifking a battle, which he did not intend, withdrew his troops at a fmart trot over the fmooth downs, returning towards Boikon Abbo. It feems, as we heard afterwards, he was in as great anxiety about the fate of Welleta Yafous, of whom he had no intelligence, as we had been for that of Kefla Yafous ; and he had got as yet no intelligence till he had taken Welleta Michael prifon- er ; he had heard no firing, nor did he confequently know whether Kefla Yafous had palled the Nile with the Ras or not ; he had, therefore, left his camp, and marched with his horfe only to take a view of Michael, but had no fort of in- tention to give him battle ; and he was now very much ex- afperated againfl both Gufho and Powuffen, by whom he law plainly that he had been betrayed.

This is what was called the battle of Limjour, from a village burnt by Ras Michael laft campaign, which flood where the two trees are ; the name of a battle is furely more than it deferves. Had Fafil been half as willing as the Ras, it could not have failed being a decifive one. The Ras, who faw that Fafil would not fight, eafdy penetrated his rea- fons, and no fooner was he gone, and his own drums fxlent, 3 than