Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
At this time Powussen's whole army was distinctly seen; they came
riding backwards and forwards with great violence, more as if they
were diverting themselves, than advancing to attack an enemy, of our
consequence, that was waiting them. They seemed like two wings, and a
main body, each nearly equal in numbers, as far as I could guess, and
are described in the plan by the letters L L, but they were sometimes
all in one croud together, and in such perpetual motion, that it was
impossible to ascertain their precise form.
Four men, upon unruly, high-mettled, or at least ill-broke horses,
rode galloping a small space before, conversing together, as if making
their observations upon us: they were now arrived at about six hundred
yards distance, but it was not a time to make accurate calculation;
they then made a stop, and began extending the left of their line to
the westward, as described by M M. I suppose, too, their horses needed
to breathe a little, after they had so imprudently blown them to no
purpose.
In the middle of their cavalry, or rather a little more towards their
right, than opposite to the place where the king was, a large red flag
was seen to rise, and was saluted by the drums and trumpets of their
whole army. An accident happened at this moment, which endangered
the discovery of the hidden part of our disposition, and which would
thereby have destroyed the sanguine hopes we had of victory, and
endangered the safety of the whole army. Upon displaying the red flag,
two musquets were fired from the post in the face of the hill where
Guebra Mascal lay in ambush. Luckily, at that very instant, all the
king's drums beat, and trumpets sounded, a kind of mock alarm, (such
as the posture-masters and mountebanks use,) in ridicule of king
Theodorus, and his red flag then flying before us.
Immediately upon this, as on a signal for battle, the whole army of
Begemder set out full gallop, to charge, as at N N, and a long hundred
yards before they joined, they received, through the very depth of
their squadron, a close well-directed fire from the whole musquetry of
Guebra Mascal, and from the king's line an instant after, which put
them into the utmost confusion, so that they in part came reeling down
upon our line, half wheeled about to the left, as men that had lost
their way, with their right, that is, their naked sides exposed as
they turned, their shields being in their left. The fire from Guebra
Mascal was the signal for our line to charge, and the heavy-armed
horsemen, with their pikes, broke thro' them with little resistance,
the line in the mean while, with horse and foot, closed with them,
after the musquets had given them their fire, and then staid behind to
recharge. Part of their left did not engage at all, but wheeled about,
and fled southward over the plain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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