The Portuguese Expedition to Abyssinia in 1541–1543/Chapter XXII

by Miguel de Castanhoso

Of how the Preste began to march with the Portuguese and found the King of Zeila encamped on the Lake of the Nile; and of the method the King of Zeila adopted to kill the Captain of the Preste's Camp.

Forming our ranks, we began our march on Shrove Tues-day, February 6th, 1543, with eight thousand footmen with bows and bucklers, and five hundred horse, all very fine and well-found men, and one hundred and twenty Portuguese, – some maimed, with wounds still open, who refused [76] to stay behind, as they were bent on vengeance or on death in the attempt. We bore before us the banner of Holy Compassion; the Preste had sought to appoint one of us Captain, but we desired none save the banner or himself to lead us, for it was not to be anticipated that we should follow another, having lost what we had lost. Thus we marched, leaving the Queen, his mother, on that hill, to have no incumbrance. On our way we heard that a Captain of the King of Zeila was on the road by which we must travel, in a lordship called Ogara, who had three hundred horse and two thousand foot; the Captain of them was called Miraizmao. We reached the place one morning early, and the Preste fell on with fifty horse in the van. By this attack the Moors were defeated, the Captain and many of them slain, and many [77] prisoners captured; from them we learned that the King of Zeila was with his wife and sons on the bank of the lake whence the Nile springs, about five days' march, at our speed, from where we were. We continued marching until we caught sight of it; – it is so large that we could see it from a distance of six or seven leagues. When we came in sight of the Moors we pitched our camp opposite theirs. They were amazed to learn that the Preste and the Portuguese had came in search of them after the great defeat; this put them in some fear. They began at once to prepare as best they could; they understood well that we had only come to avenge the past. And because we had news of the Portuguese who had been to Massowa, but had not found shipping, that hearing of us and the Preste, they were marching after us, with all speed, the Preste decided in council of all not to join battle until their arrival, as they were near us; and in that country fifty Portuguese are a greater reinforcement than one thousand natives. In the days we were awaiting them we had daily skirmishes on the plain between the armies. There were [78] now sixty mounted Portuguese, as the Preste gave them all the horses he had; they had very good fortune in the skirmishes, for there continually came out a certain Moorish Captain, who was greatly famed among them, and in whom they trusted, with two hundred horse; he was so unfortunate, that in one of his skirmishes with the Portuguese, he and twelve of his companions were killed, which was a great loss to them. The Abyssinian horse also made many sallies, seeking to impress us; the Captain-General of the camp, by name Azemache Cafilao, did marvels with his horse on these days, for nothing could show outside the King of Zeila's camp without being raided by this Captain; in this the Moors always had the worst, losing both their flocks and their lives. When the Moor saw how brave our Captain was, he determined to make a great effort to kill him by treachery. He sent for one of his cavaliers, and told him to send the Captain a message bearing the air of a challenge: a message to summon him to one side of the camp where was a small stream, he remaining on one bank and the Abyssinian on the other; in some thickets on his bank four or five Turks were to conceal themselves by night with matchlocks, that, while the message was being delivered, they might fire their matchlocks at him and kill him. And thus it was: at early dawn the Turks hid in the thickets, and at daybreak two horsemen, with a white flag, rode to the edge of the small stream, and called for the Captain of the camp by name. Our men ran up to know what it was, but the Moors would not say aught, save to call the Captain of the camp, as they had something of importance to tell him. When the Captain, who was already mounted, heard this, he came towards the stream with a large following, but when he saw there were [79] but two Moors, he ordered his men to halt, thinking the men wanted to come over to us, or else give some useful information, and that to deceive their own side they had come through the thickets; he went forward with but two horsemen in whom he trusted. When he came within speech of them, he asked what they wanted, and while the Moors were feigning some tale, the Turks all fired their matchlocks at him; when they saw him fall over his saddlebow, they turned and went off at full gallop. The Turks had saddled horses hard by, and on them they escaped. When our horsemen saw that the Moors were galloping off, they came up fearing treachery; and, when they saw the Captain dead in the arms of his two companions, they started to pursue the Moors, who were going off untouched; but so many came out to assist them, that our men had to return with the dead Captain. At this they made great lamentation, the Preste above all, both as he had married one of his cousins, and because he was a very brave man. With him the Abyssinians began to lose their courage, so much so that many advised retreat, victory seeming impossible. When the Preste heard of this, and found it true, he sent for them, and determined, as the Portuguese delayed so long, to give battle the next day, as he felt that if he waited longer, all his men would disperse through fear.