in time such a heap,
as I found it difficult to remove when I went in search of those precious
relics.

What I have here related of the death of Don Christopher de Gama I was
told by an old man, who was an eye-witness of it: and there is a
tradition in the country that in the place where his head fell, a
fountain sprung up of wonderful virtue, which cured many diseases
otherwise past remedy.

CHAPTER VI

Mahomet continues the war, and is killed. The stratagem of Peter Leon.

Mahomet, that he might make the best use of his victory, ranged over a
great part of Abyssinia in search of the Emperor Claudius, who was then
in the kingdom of Dambia. All places submitted to the Mahometan, whose
insolence increased every day with his power; and nothing after the
defeat of the Portuguese was supposed able to put a stop to the progress
of his arms.

The soldiers of Portugal, having lost their chief, resorted to the
Emperor, who, though young, promised great things, and told them that
since their own general was dead, they would accept of none but himself.
He received them with great kindness, and hearing of Don Christopher de
Gama's misfortune, could not forbear honouring with some tears the memory
of a man who had come so far to his succour, and lost his life in his
cause.

The Portuguese, resolved at any rate to revenge the fate of their
general, desired the Emperor to assign them the post opposite to Mahomet,
which was willingly granted them. That King, flushed with his victories,
and imagining to fight was undoubtedly to conquer, sought all occasions
of giving the Abyssins battle. The Portuguese, who desired nothing more
than to re-establish their reputation by revenging the affront put upon
them by the late defeat, advised the Emperor to lay hold on the first
opportunity of fighting. Both parties joined battle with equal fury. The
Portuguese directed all their force against that part where Mahomet was
posted. Peter Leon, who had been servant to the general, singled the
King out among the crowd, and shot him into the head with his musket.
Mahomet, finding himself wounded, would have retired out of the battle,
and was followed by Peter Leon, till he fell down dead; the Portuguese,
alighting from his horse, cut off one of his ears. The Moors being now
without a leader, continued the fight but a little time, and at length
fled different ways in the utmost disorder; the Abyssinians pursued them,
and made a prod