4^4 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
refpecl, being on a flat on the lee-fide of a hill, and flicker- ed from the ftorm ; but, on the other hand, the water ran fo plentifully from above as quite to overflow it on the infide till a trench was dug to carry it off.
Ras Mk;hael had burnt nothing at Tfoomwa, though there was a houfe of PowufTen's in the place, built by his fa- ther. But that diflembler, to prevent the worft, and carry on the farce to the uttermoft, had fent many bags of flour for the ufe of the King and the Ras, which were to be diftributed , tp th,e array in cafe they wanted*
From the paffage to Tfoomwa, all the country was for-- taken ; the houfes uninhabited, the grafs trodden down, and the fields without cattle. , Every thing that had life and ftrength fled before that terrible leader, and his no lefs terrible army; a profound filenee was in the fields around us, but no marks as yet of defolation. We kept Ariel: watch in this folitude all that night. I took my turn till twelve, as I was the leail fatigued of: any. Netcho had picquets about a quarter of a mile on every fide of us, with fire-arms tg give the alarm. .
On the 23d, about three in the morning, a gun was heard em the fide towards the paflage. This did- not much alarm us, though we all turned out. In a few minutes came Ayto Adigo, (not the Shum of Karoota, already mentioned, who left us at the Gomara,) but a young nobleman of Begem- der-ef great -hopes, one of the gentlemen of the king's bed- chamber, and consequently my colleague. He intended to have brought four horfes to the king, one of which he had drowned, or rather, as I afterwards underflood, throttled in
pafling ;
