nuns of Waldubba, who said | favourable to our friend Yasine they had been at market. Both and his companions: but in men and women, but especially the latter, had large burdens of provisions on their shoulders, bought that day, as they said, at Dobarke, which showed me they did not wholly depend upon the herbs of Waldubba for their support. The women were stout and young, and did not seem, by their complexion, to have been long in the mortifications of Waldubba. The men seemed very miserable, and ill-clothed, but had a great air of ferocity and pride in their faces. They are distinguished only from the laity by a yellow cowl or cap on their head. the evening, the son, who seemed to be the active man, came to our tent and brought us a quantity of bread and bouza, which his father had ordered before. He seemed to be much taken with our fire-arms, and was very inquisitive about them. I gave him every sort of satisfaction, and, little by little, saw I might win his heart entirely, which I very much wished to do, that I might free our companions from bondage. we The young man having been in several actions under Ras Michael as a fusileer, had brought his gun, and insisted on shooting at marks. I humoured him in this; but as I used a rifle, he found himself overmatched, especially by the greatness of the range, for he shot straight enough. I then showed him the manner shot flying, there being quails in abundance, and wild pigeons, of which I killed several on wing, which left him in the utmost astonishment. Having got on horseback, I next went through the exercise of the Arabs, with a long spear and a short javelin. This was more within his comprehension, as he had seen something like it; but he was wonderfully taken with the fierce and fiery appearance of my horse, and, at the same time, with his docility, the form of his saddle, bridle, and accoutrements. He threw at On the 8th we left Dippebaha and reached Lamalmon, which is the pass through which the road of all caravans to Gondar lies. It is here they take an account of all baggage and merchandise, which they transmit to the Negade Ras, or chief officer of the customs at Gondar, by a man whom they send to accompany the caravan. We had obtained leave to depart early in the morning of the 9th, but it was with great regret we were obliged to abandon our Mahometan friends into hands that seemed disposed to show them no favour. The persons whose right it was to levy these contributions were two, a father and son; the old man professed a violent hatred to all Mahometans, on account of their religion, a sentiment which seemed to promise nothing last the sandals off his feet, twisted his upper garment into his girdle, and set off at so furious a rate, that I could not help doubting whether he was in his sober understanding. of our baggage, and dues thereon, were as low as could be wished. Our friend likewise sent his own servant to GonIdar with the billet to accompany the caravan. But the news brought by his servant was still better than all this. Ras Michael had actually beaten Fasil, and forced him to retire to the other side of the Nile, and was then in Maitsha, where it was thought he would remain with the army all the rainy season. This was just what I could have wished, as it brought me at once to the neighbourhood of the sources of the Nile, without the smallest shadow of fear or danger. It was not long till he came back, and with him a man-servant, carrying a sheep and a goat, and a woman carrying a jar of honey-wine. I had not yet quitted the horse, and when I saw what his intention was, I put Mirza to a gallop, and with one of the barrels of the gun, shot a pigeon, and immediately fired the other into the ground. There was nothing after this that could have surprised him, and it was repeated several times at his desire, after which he went into the tent, where he invited himself to my house at Gondar. There I was to teach him everything he had seen. We now swore perpetual friendship, and a horn or two of hydromel being emptied, I introduced the case of our fellow-travellers, and obtained a promise that we should have leave to set out together. He would, moreover, take no awide, and said he would be favour-blame his own indolence, and able in his report to Gondar. not the soil, if he has not Matters were so far advanced, three harvests. We saw in when a servant of Michael's arrived, sent by Petros (Janni's brother), who had obtained him from Ozoro Esther. This put an end to all our difficulties. Our young soldier also kept his word, and a mere He of awide was given, rather the Moor's own desire than demand, and the report On the 9th of February we took leave of the friends whom we had so newly acquired at Lamalmon. We began to ascend what still remained of the mountain, and found when we arrived at the top of Lamalmon, that it consisted of a large plain, part in pasture, but more bearing grain. They plough, sow, and reap here at all seasons; and the husbandman must one place people busy cutting After having suffered, with infinite patience and perseverance, the hardships and danger of this long and painful journey, at forty minutes past ten we were gratified at last with the sight of Gondar, according to my computation about ten miles distant. The king's palace (at least the tower of it) is distinctly seen, but none of the other houses, which are covered by the multitude of wanzey-trees growing in the town, so that it appears one thick, black wood. Behind it is Azazo, likewise covered with trees. On a hill is the large church of Tecla Haimanout, and the river below it makes it distinguishable; still further on is the great lake Tzana, which terminates our horizon. The Tchagassa has very steep, rocky banks; it is so deep, though narrow, that, without this bridge, it scarce would be passable. We encamped at a small distance from it, but nearer Gondar. Here again we met with trees (small ones indeed), but the first we had seen since leaving Lamalmon, excepting the usual groves of cedars. It is the Virginia cedar, or oxy-cedros, in this country called Arz, with which their churches are constantly surrounded. On the 15th, at ten minutes past seven, we began to ascend the mountain, and, at twenty minutes after seven, passed a village on our left. At seven and three quarters we passed Tiba and Mariam, two churches, the one on our right, the other on our left, about half a mile distant, and near them several small villages inhabited by Falasha, masons and thatchers of houses, employed at Gondar. At half-past eight we came to the village Tocutcho, and, in a quarter of an hour passed the river of that name, and in a few minutes rested on the river Angrab, about half a mile from Gondar. Tchagassa is the last of the many little districts, which, together, compose Woggora, generally understood to be dependent on Samen, though often, from the turbulent spirit of its chiefs, struggling for independency, as at the present time, but sure to pay for it immediately after. In fact though large, it is too near Gondar to be suffered to continue in rebellion, and, being rich and well cultivated, it derives its support from the capital as being the mart of its produce. It is certainly one of the most fruitful provinces in Abyssinia, but the inhabitants are miserably poor, notwithstanding their threefold harvest; whereas in Egypt, beholden to this country alone for its fertility, one moderate harvest gives plenty everywhere. Woggora is full of large ants, and prodigious swarms of rats and mice, which consume immense quantities of grain. To these plagues may be added one still greater than them all, bad government, which speedily destroys all the advantages they reap from nature, climate, and situation. CHAPTER VIII. Residence at Gondar. WE were much surprised at arriving on the Angrab that no person had come to us from Petros, Janni's brother. We found afterwards, indeed, that he had taken fright upon some menacing words from the priests at hearing a Frank was on his way to Gondar, and that he had soon after set out for Ibaba, where the Ras was, to receive his directions concerning us. This was the most disagreeable accident could have happened to me. I had not a single person to whom I could address myself for anything. My letters were for the king and Ras Michael, and could be of no use, as both were absent; and though I had others for Petros and the Greeks, they, too, were out of town. I had Janni's letters to Negade Ras Mahomet, the chief of the Moors at Gondar, and principal merchant in Abyssinia, who was absent likewise with the army. But one of his brethren, a sagacious, openhearted man, desired me not to be discouraged; that, as I had not put off my Moorish dress, I should continue it; that a house was provided for Mahomet Gibberti, and those that were with him, and that he would put me immediately into possession of it, where I might stay, free from any intercourse with the priests, till Petros or the Ras should return to Gondar. This advice I embraced with great readiness, as there was nothing I was so much afraid of as an encounter with fanatical priests before I had obtained some protection from government, or the great people in the country. After having concerted these measures, I resigned myself to the direction of my Moorish friend, Hagi Saleh. We moved along the Angrab, having Gondar on our right, situated upon a hill, and the river on our left, proceeding down till its junction with a smaller stream called the Kahha, that joins it at the Moorish town. This situation, near running water, is always chosen by the Mahometans on account of their frequent ablutions. The Moorish town at Gondar may consist of about 3000 houses, some of them spacious and good. I was put in possession of a very neat one destined for Mahomet Gibberti. Flour, honey, and suchlike food, Mahometans and Christians eat promiscuously, and so far I was well situated. As for flesh, although there was abundance of it, I could not touch a bit of it, being killed by Mahometans, as that communion would have been looked upon as equal to a renunciation of Christianity. By Janni's servant, who had accompanied us from Adowa, his kind and friendly master had written to Ayto Aylo, who was the constant patron of the Greeks, and willingly took the charge of white people of all communions who had hitherto been unhappy enough to stray into Abyssinia. About seven o'clock at night, on the 15th, Hagi Saleh was much alarmed by a number of armed men at his door, and his surprise was still greater upon seeing Ayto Aylo, who, as far as I know, was never in the Moorish town before, descend from his mule, and uncover his head and shoulders, as if he had been approaching a person of the first distinction. A contention of civilities immediately followed. This being got over, the first curiosity was, What my books were? And he was very much astonished at seeing one of them was Abyssinian, and the European helps that I had towards understanding it. He understood Tigré and Amharic perfectly, and had a little knowledge of Arabic. The beginning of our discourse was in Arabic, and embarrassed enough, but we had plenty of interpreters in all languages. The first bashfulness being removed on both sides, our conversation began in Tigré, which is lately, since Michael had become Ras, the language most used in Gondar. Aylo was exceedingly astonished at hearing me speak the language as I did, and said after, The Greeks are poor creatures; Peter does not speak Tigré so well as this man.' Then, very frequently, to Saleh and the bystanders, Come, | come, he'll do if he can speak ; there is no fear of him, he'll make his way.' He told us that Welled Hawaryat had come from the camp ill of a fever, and that they were afraid it was the small-pox; that Janni had informed them I had saved many young people's lives at Adowa by a new manner of treating them; and that the Iteghe desired I would come the next morning, and that he should carry me to Koscam and introduce me to her. The next morning, taking Hagi Saleh and Yasine with me, and dressed in my Moorish dress, I went to Ayto Aylo, and found him with several great plates of bread, melted butter, and honey before him, of one of which he and I ate; the rest were given to the Moors, and other people present. There was with him a priest of Koscam, and we all set out for that palace as soon as we had eaten breakfast. We alighte and were shown into a low room in the palace. Ayto Aylo went immediately to the queen to inquire about Welled Hawaryat, and his audience lasted two long hours. He returned to us with these news, that Welled Hawaryat was much better, by a medicine a saint. from Waldubba had given him, which consisted in some characters written with common ink upon a tin plate, which characters were washed off by a medicinal liquor, and then given him to drink. It was 1 1 1 |