great difficulty; that he doubted whether the horfes or loaded mules, could crofs at any rate; but if it were refolved to make the trial, they should do it immediately, without flaying till the increase of the river. He faid both banks were compofed of black earth, flippery and mirý, which would become more fo when horfes had puddled it; he advised, above all, the turning to the right immediately after coming afhore, in the direction in which he had fixed poles, as the earth there was hard and firm; befides having the advantage of fome round ftones, which hindered the beasts from flipping or finking. Instead, therefore, of refting there that night, it was refolved that the horse should cross immediately. The first who paffed was a young man, a relation of the king, brother to Ayamico, killed at the battle of Banja; le walked in with great caution, marking a tract for the king to pass. He had gone upon rather solid ground, about twice the length of his horse, when he plunged out of his depth, and fwam to the other fide. The king followed him immediately with a great degree of halte, Ras Michael calling to him to proceed with caution, but without fuccefs. Afterwards came the old Ras on his mule, with feveral of his friends fwimming both with and without their horfes on each fide of him, in a manner truly wonderful. He feemed to have loft his accuftomed calmness, and appeared a good deal agitated; forbade, upon pain of death, any one to follow him directly, or to fwim over, or, as their cuflom is, holding their mules by the tail. As foon as thefe were fafely a-fhore, the king's household and black troops, and Mr. Bruce with them, advanced cautiously into the river, and fwam happily over, in a deep ftream of reddish coloured water, which ran without violence almoft upon a level. Each horfeman had a mule in his hand, which swam after him, or by his fide, with his coat of mail and head piece tied upon it. It is impoffible to def cribe the confufion that followed; night was hard upon them; and, though it increased their loss, it in a great measure concealed it; a thousand men had not yet paffed, though on mules and horses; many mired in the muddy landingplace, fell back into the fream, and were carried away and drowned. Of the horse belonging to the king's household, one one hundred and eighty in number, seven only were miffing; with them Ayto Alo, vice chamberlain to the queen, and Tecla Mariam the king's uncle, a great friend of Ras Michael's, both old men. There was no baggage (the tent of the Ras and that of the king excepted) which had as yet come over, and these were wet, being drenched in the river. The Fit-Auraris had left, ready made, two rafts for Ozoro Efther, and the other two ladies, with which fhe might have eafily been conducted over, and without much danger; but the Ras had made Ozoro Efther pass over in the fame manner he had croffed himself, many fwimming on each fide of her mule. She would have fain ftaid on the east fide, but it was in vain to remonstrate. She was with child, and had fainted feveral times; but yet nothing could prevail with the Ras to truft her on the bank till morning. She croffed, however, fafely, though almoft dead with fright. The night was cold and clear, and a strong wind at north-west had blown all the afternoon. The river had abated towards midnight, when, whether from this cause, or, as they alledged, that they found a more favourable ford, all the Tigré infantry, and many mules lightly loaded, paffed with lefs difficulty than any of the reft had done, and with them feveral loads of flour; luckily alfo Mr. Bruce's two tents and mules, to his great confolation, came fafely over when it was near morning. Still the army continued to pass, and thofe that could swim seemed best of. Ayto Aylo, the queen's chamberlain, and Tecla Mariam, were probably drowned at the first attempt to pass, as they were never after heard of. Before day-light the van and the center had all joined the king; the number that had perifhed was never distinctly known, for those that were miffing were thought to have remained on the other fide with Kefla Yafous, at leaft for that day. On the 28th, Kefla Yafous croffed Amlac Ohha with fome degree of difficulty, and was obliged to abandon several baggage mules. He advanced after this with as great diligence as poffible to Delakus, and found the ford, though deep, much better than he expected. He had pitched his tent on the high road to Gondar, before Welleta Yafous, the enemy, knew knew he was decamped, and of this paffage he immediately advised Michael refreshing his troops for any emergency. About two in the afternoon, Welleta Yafous appeared with his horfe on the other fide of the Nile, but it was then too late. Kefla Yafous was so strongly posted, and the banks of the river fo guarded with fire arms, down to the water edge, that Fafil and all his army would not have dared to attempt the paffage, or even approach the banks of the river. Ras Michael, having received this intelligence, difpatched the Eit Auraris, Netcho, to take poft upon the ford of the Kelti, a large river, but rather broad than deep, about three miles off. He himself followed early in the morning, and paffed the Kelti just at sunrise, without halting; he then advanced to meet Kefla Yafous, as the army began to want provifions, the little flour that had been brought over, or which the soldiers had taken with them, being nearly exhaufted during that night and the morning after. It was found too that the men had but little powder, none of them having recruited their quantity fince the hunting of the deer; but what they had was in perfect good order, being kept in horns, and finall wooden bottles, corked in fuch a manner, as to be fecured from water of any kind. Kefla Yafous, therefore, being in poffeffion of the baggage, the powder, and the provifions, a junction with him was abfolutely neceffary, and they expected to effect this at Wainadega, about twenty miles from their last night's quarters. Between twelve and one they heard the Fit-Auraris engaged, and there was fharp firing on both fides, which foon ceafed. Michael ordered his army immediately to halt; he and the king, and Billetana Gueta Tecla, commanded the van; Welleta Michael, and Ayto Tesfos of Siré, the rear. Having marched a little farther, he changed his order of battle. It was not long before the Fit-Auraris's two meffengers arrived, running like deer along the plain, which was not abfolutely flat, but sloped gently down, declining not a fathom in fifteen. Their ac-. count was, that they had fallen in with Fafil's Fit Auraris ; that they had attacked him smartly, and, though the enemy were greatly fuperior, bei ng all horfe, except a few mufquetteers, had killed four of then. The Ras, having first heard the meffage of the Fit-Auraris alone, he fent a man to report it to the king; and, immediately after this, he ordered two horsemen to go full gallop along the east fide of the hill, the low road to Wainadega, to warn Kefla Yafous of Fafil's being near at hand; he likewife directed the Fit-Auraris to advance cautiously till he had feen Fafil, and to pursue no party that should retreat before him. Fafil foon appeared at the top of the hill, with about 3000 horfe. It was a fine fight, but the evening was beginning to be overcast. After having taken a full view of the army, they all began to move flowly down the hill, beating their kettle drums. Fafil fent down a party to skirmish with these, and he himself halted, after having made a few paces down the hill. The two bodies of horse met just half way, and mingled together, as appeared at least, with very decifive intention; but whether it was by orders or from fear, (for they were not overmatched in numbers) the Abyffinian horfe turned their backs, and came precipitately down, fo that they were afraid they would break in upon the foot. Several shots were fired from the center at them by order of the Ras, who cried aloud in derifion, "Take away these horses, and fendthem 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 Fafil's were carried in along with them, and flain by the foldiers on the fide of the hill. On the king's fide, no man of note was miffing but Welleta Michael, nephew of Ras Michael, whose horse falling, he was taken prifoner, and carried off by Fatil. The whole army advanced immediately at a very brifk pace, hooping and screaming, as is their custom, in a moft harsh and barbarous manner, crying out Hatzé Ali! But Fafil, who faw the forward countenance of the king's troops, and that a few minutes would lay him under neceffity of risk. ing a battle, which he did not intend, withdrew his troops at a fmart trot over the fmooth downs, returning towards Bofkon Abbo. This is what was called the battle of Limjour, from a village burnt by Ras Michael last campaign. The name of a battle 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, easily penetrated his reasons, and no fooner was he gone, and his own drums filent, than he heard a nagareet beat, and knew it to be that of Kefla Yafous. This general encamped upon the river Avoley, leaving his tents and baggage under a proper guard, and had marched with the best and freshest of his troops to join Michael before the engagement. All was joy at meeting, every rank of men joined in extolling the merit and conduct of their leaders; and, indeed, it may be fairly faid, the fituation of the king and the army was desperate at that inftant when the troops were separated on different sides of the Nile; nor could they have been faved, but by the speedy refolution taken by Kefla Yafous to march without lofs of time, and pass at the ford of Delakus, and the diligence and activity with which he executed that resolution. The army marched next day to Dingleber, a high hill, or rock, approaching so close to the lake as fcarcely to leave a paffage between. Upon the top of this rock is the king's houfe. As they arrived very early there, and were now out of Fafil's govèrnment, the king infifted upon treating Ras Michael and all the people of confideration. As the king fat down to dinner, an accident happened that occafioned great trepidation among all his fervants. A black eagle was chafed into the king's tent by fome of the birds of prey that hover about the camp; and it was after in the mouth of every one, that the king would be dethroned by a man of inferior birth and condition. Every body at that time looked to Fafil: the event proved the application false, though the omen was true. Powuffen of Begemder was as low born as Fafil, as great a traitor, but more successful, to whom the omnious prefage pointed; and, though we cannot but look upon the whole as accident, it was but too soon fulfilled. In the evening of the 29th arrived at Dingleber two horsemen from Fafil, clad in habits of peace, and without arms; they were known to be two of his principal fervants, were grave, genteel, middle-aged men. They had an audience early |