THE SOURCE OF THE NIL'E. 421
As I have mentioned the name of this perfon fo often, it will be neceffary to take notice, that he was by origin a ©alia, but born in Damot, of the clan Elmana, or Denfa, two tribes fettled there in the time of Yafous I. that he was the mod intrepid and active partizan in his time, and had an invincible hatred to Ras Michael, nor was there any love loft betwixt them. It is impoilible to conceive with what velocity he moved, fometimes with 200 horfe, fometimes with half that number. He was conftantly falling upon fome part of Michael's army, whether marching or. en- camped ; the blow once (truck, he difappeared in a minute. When he wanted to attempt fomething great, he had only to fummon his friends and acquaintance in the country, and he had then a little army, which difperfed as foon as the bufmefs was done. ; It was Ras Michael's iirft queition to the fpies ; Where was Woodage Afahel lafl night? a queftion they very feldom could anfwer with certainty. He was in his perfon too tall for a good horfeman, yet he was expert in this qualification by conftant practice. His face was yellow, as if he had the jaundice, and much pitted with the fmall-pox ; his eyes flaring, but fiery; his nofe as it were broken, his mouth large, his chin long and turned up at the end; he fpoke very faft, but net much, and had a very my, but ill-defigning look. In his character, he was avaricious, treacherous, inexorable, and cruel to a proverb; infhort, he was allowed to be the moft mercilefs robber and murderer that age had produced in all Abyffmia.
Wearied with thinking, and better reconciled to my ex- pedition, I fell into a found fleep. I was awakened by Strates in the morning, (the 21ft of May) who, from the next room, had heard all the converfation between me and Negade Ras,
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