It was plain to be read in everybody's countenance, that this resolution was agreeable to them all. I confess, however, that I thought the measure a very dangerous one, considering how much blood the king's army had so lately spilt, and the ordinary prejudices universally adopted in that country, allowing to every individual the right of retaliation. Before I struck my tent, I called Yasine to me, and told him that Ayto Confu, being wounded and a prisoner, myself necessarily obliged to attend the king, and the event of that night's retreat unknown to any body, I thought he could do neither himself nor me any further service by staying where he was; that therefore, so long as the road to Azazo was open to him, he should march thro' Dembea, as if going to Fasil, then turn on the right behind the hills of Koscam, and make the best of his way to Ras el Feel, in which government he should maintain the strictest discipline, and be particularly careful of the intrigues of Abd el Jeleel, the former governor, whose application I should defeat if I had any interest, or if the king remained, both which I thought very improbable. I annexed, moreover, this condition, that on his part he should be active and unwearied in procuring information concerning the properest way of my attempting to reach Sennaar; I enjoined him also to be very circumstantial in all the advices which he sent to me at Gondar; that they should be written in Arabic, and sent directly to me by my black servant Soliman, who was with him, and told him that I myself should join him as soon as possible. Yasine, with tears in his eyes, protested against leaving me in the dangerous situation of that night; he said we should be all cut to pieces as soon as we were in the plain, and that there was not a man of the troops under him who would not rather die with me, than abandon me to be murdered by the hands of these faithless Christian dogs, who never were to be bound by oath or promise. He said, it would be incomparably safer, as they were all under my command, that I should put myself at their head, and continue my march to Ras el Feel, where, if I was once arrived, Ayto Confu's troops, being behind me at Tcherkin, (that is, between me and Gondar), I might, at my own leisure, solicit a safe conduct to Sennaar. I confess this proposal at first struck me as extremely feasible; but reflecting on my solemn promise to the king, not to leave him without his direct permission, that Gusho had assured me of safety if I kept close to his person, that it would be a breach of trust to leave my Greek servant unprovided at Gondar, and that forsaking my instruments would have the effect of making my return through the desert imperfect,--I rejected this proposal, and dismissed Yasine, with orders to adhere inviolably to the instructions I had given him.