THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 443
riaffes, likewife for the king ; each of the mules was covered with a carpet, and alfo the panniers ; and upon the pack-fad- dle between thefe panniers, did Strates and Sebaftos ride. The mules as well as the loading belonged to the king, and they only were permitted to ride them becaufe they were fick. Strates went firft, and, to fave trouble, the halter of Seba- ftos's mule was tied to Strates's faddle, fo the mules were fattened to and followed one another. Upon firing the gun fo near it, Strates's mule, not ufed to compliments of this kind, ftarted, and threw him to the ground ; it then tram- pled 'upon him, began to run off, and wound the halter a- round Sebaftos behind, who fell to the ground likewife a- mongft fome Hones. Both the mules then began kicking at each other, till they had thrown off the panniers and pack-faddles, and broke every thing that was brittle in them. The mifchief did not end here, for, in ftruggling to get loofe, they fell foul of the mule of old Azage Tecla Haim- anout, one of the kings criminal judges, a very old, feeble man, and threw him upon the ground, and broke his foot, fo that he could not walk alone for feveral months after- wards. As foon as I had pitched a tent for the wounded, and likewife dreffed Tecla Haimanoui's foot, I went to Kefla Yafous, while the two Mahomets proceeded to the Ras with .their money.
The moment I came into the tent, Kefla Yafbns rofe up end embraced me. He was fitting alone, but with rather a chearful than a deje£©d countenance ; he told me they were all in great concern, till Ayto Adigo's arrival, at a re- port which came from Gondar that we had fought with Guebra Mehedin, and had.all been {lain. I informed him every thing I knew, or had heard, but he had better intel-
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