being well acquainted with
the country. Don Christopher sent immediately to bring back the queen,
as her flight was entirely ruinous, occasioning the disbanding of all
the Abyssinian troops. But at length, seeing that all was lost, he
grasped in despair a sword in his left hand, saying, _Let who will
follow me to die like heroes in the midst of the enemy_. He was carried
however from the field by mere force, with only fourteen men,
accompanied by the queen and Baharnagash, seeking some place of safety.
The night being excessively dark they lost their way and separated, the
queen and Baharnagash being fortunate enough to get up a mountain as
they were better acquainted with the country; but Don Christopher
wandering with some companions, fell into the hands of the enemy, who
carried him to the tyrant who was quite elated with his prize. The
victors used their good fortune with the utmost barbarity, cruelly
cutting down every one who fell in their way, which occasioned one to
set a quantity of powder on fire that was in one of the tents belonging
to the queen, by which all who were in or near it were blown up.

The king of Zeyla was quite elated by the capture of Don Christopher,
whom he caused to be brought into his presence, and questioned him as to
what he would have done with him, if defeated and made prisoner. "I
would have cut off your head," answered Don Christopher, "and dividing
your body into quarters, would have exposed them as a terror and warning
to other tyrants." The king caused him to be buffeted with the buskins
of his slaves; his body to be immersed in melted wax, and his beard
interwoven with waxed threads, which were set on fire, and in this
manner he was led through the army as a spectacle. Being brought back,
the king cut off his head with his own hand, and caused the body to be
quartered and exposed on poles. Where the head fell, it is said that
there gushed out a spring of water which cured many diseases. On the
same hour, a tree was torn out by the roots in the garden of a certain
convent of monks, though the air was at the time perfectly calm.
Afterwards, at the same hour, the emperor of Abyssinia having vanquished
the tyrant and caused his head to be struck off, the tree which was then
dry replanted itself in the former place, and became covered with
leaves.

Most of the Portuguese who were taken on occasion of this defeat,
perished in slavery. Alfonso Chaldeira followed the queen with thirty