ABSTRACT
The powerful peoples of ’Adal and Mora and their allies then rebelled against ‘Amda Seyon, and set out to raid the eastern and southern countries of his kingdom. In Tfat they surprised an Abyssinian company asleep at midnight and fell upon them and massacred them all. Emboldened by their success, the Arabs, or Moors (as Bruce always calls them), attacked a second company, and later on a third company, of Abyssinians, and in each case were victorious, and they succeeded in retreating in safety with much spoil. When the king came up with his main army his soldiers set out in pursuit of the Arabs, and when they came up with them a great battle took place, and the Arabs were massacred in large numbers, and the Abyssinians carried off their tents and other spoil. A little later the king’s soldiers captured a body of spies, who were promptly slain. The following day the captains and officers of ‘Amda Seyon’s army came to him, and pointing out to him that the rainy season was nigh, they asked to be allowed to return home. The king told them that he would never go home whilst the Muslims continued to make war upon him, and commanded them not to utter such words to him again.
