Our quarters here were so bad that we were impatient to depart,

but came to a water just below Chergué, which quickly made us wish

ourselves back in the village; this is a torrent that has no springs in

the hills, but only great basons, or reservoirs, of stone; and, though

it is dry all the year else, yet, upon a sudden, violent shower, as

this was, it swells in an instant, so that it is impassable for man or

horse by any device whatever. This violence is of short duration; we

waited above half an hour, and then the peasants shewed us a place,

some hundred yards above, where it was shallower; but even here we

passed with the utmost difficulty, from the impetuosity of the stream,

after getting all possible assistance from four people of the village;

but we stood very much in need of some check to our impatience, so

eager were we to get forward and finish our journey before some

revolution happened.

We had not many minutes been delivered from this torrent, before

we passed two other rivers, the one larger, the other smaller. All

these rivers come from the north-west, and have their sources in the

mountains a few miles above, towards Woggora, from which, after a short

course on the side of the hills, they enter the low, flat country of

Dembea, and are swallowed up in the Tzana.

We continued along the side of the hill in a country very thinly

inhabited; for, it being directly in the march of the army, the

peasants naturally avoided it, or were driven from it. Our road was

constantly intersected by rivers, which abound, in the same space,

more than in any other country in the world. We then came to the river

Derma, the largest and most rapid we had yet met with, and soon after

a smaller, called Ghelghel Derma. In the afternoon, at a quarter past

three, we passed another river, called Gavi-Corra; these, like the

others, all point as radii to the center of the lake, in which they

empty themselves. A little before four o’clock we encamped on the

side of the river Kemona. Upon the hill, on the other side of the

river, stands the village of that name; it was full of cattle, very

few of which we had seen during the fore-part of the journey; we had

all that day travelled six hours and a quarter, which we computed not

to exceed 14 miles: the reason of this slowness was the weight of my

quadrant, which, though divided into two, required four men to carry

it, tied upon bamboo, as upon two chair-poles. The time-keeper and two

telescopes employed two men more. We pitched our tent on the side of

the river, opposite to the village, and there passed the night.

On the 29th of October, at seven in the morning, we left our station,

the river Kemona; our direction was W. S. W. after, about an hour, we

came to a church called Abba Abraham, and a village that goes by the

same name; it is immediately upon the road on the left hand. At the

distance of about a mile are ten or twelve villages, all belonging to

the Abuna, and called Ghendi, where many of his predecessors have been

buried. The low, hot, unwholesome, woody part of the Abyssinian Kolla,

and the feverish, barren province of Walkayt, lay at the distance of

about fourteen or sixteen miles on our right. We had been hitherto

ascending a gentle rising-ground in a very indifferent country, the

sides of the hill being skirted with little rugged wood, and full of

springs, which join as they run down to the low country of Walkayt. We

saw before us a small hill called Guarré, which is to the south-west.

At half past ten we rested under the before-mentioned hill; it stands

alone in the plain, in shape like a sugar-loaf, and seems almost as

regular as if it had been a work of art. At a quarter past eleven we

resumed our journey, our course always nearly west south-west; we

passed the small village of Bowiha, at the distance of about a mile;

and, on the left, about six miles, is Gorgora, a peninsula that runs

into the lake Tzana for several miles.

There was one of the first and most magnificent churches and

monasteries of the Portuguese Jesuits, in the time of their mission to

convert this country: Socinios, then king, gave them the grounds, with

money for the expence; they built it with their own hands, and lined

it elegantly with cedar. The king, who was a zealous Roman Catholic,

chose afterwards a country-house for himself there, and encouraged them

much by his presents and by his charity; it is one of the pleasantest

situations in the world; the vast expanse of the lake is before you;

Dembea, Gojam, and Maitsha, flat and rich countries all round, are in

view; and the tops of the high hills of Begemder and Woggora close the

prospect.

The lake here, I am told, has plenty of fish, which is more than can

be said for many of the other parts of it; the fish are of two kinds,

both of them seemingly a species of what the English call _bream_. I

never could make them to agree with me, which I attribute to the drug

with which they are taken; it is of the nature of _nux vomica_, pounded

in a morter, and thrown into streams, where they run into the lake;

the fish, feeding there, are thus intoxicated and taken; however, it

would admit of a doubt of this being the reason, because the queen

and all the great people in Gondar eat them in Lent without any bad

consequences.

The great elevation of the peninsula of Gorgora makes it one of the

healthiest, as well as beautiful parts of the country; for, out of this

neck of land, at several different seasons of the year, the inhabitants

of the flat country suffer from malignant fevers. From Gondar hither we

had always been edging down to the lake.

At a quarter before noon we halted to rest upon the banks of a small

river called Baha; the country was rich, and cultivated; great part

of it, too, was laid out in pasture, and flocked with an immense

quantity of cattle. At one o’clock we resumed our journey, going west

south-west as before; we were apparently turning the north end of the

lake as short as possible, to set our face due south to the country of

the Agows. At a quarter before three we pitched our tents at Bab Baha,

after having travelled five hours and three quarters, which we computed

to be equal to twelve miles. The first part of our journey this day was

not like that of the day before; the road was, indeed, rough, burled

through very agreeable valleys and gentle-rising hills; it appeared,

on the whole, however, that we had ascended considerably since we left

Gondar.

The country about Bab Baha is the richest in Abyssinia; this on the

south, and Woggora on the north, are the two granaries that supply

the rest of the kingdom. Bab Baha is a parcel of small villages, more

considerable in number and strength than those at Kemona, and is near

the lake Tzana. The queen and many of her relations have here their

houses and possessions, and these, therefore, being respected by

Michael, had not been involved in the devastation of the late war.

The villages are all surrounded with Kol-quall trees, as large at the

trunk as those we met on the side of the mountain of Taranta, when we

ascended it on our journey from Masuah to enter into the province of

Tigré; but the tree wants much of the beauty of those of Tigré; the

branches are fewer in number, less thorny, and less indented, which

seems to prove that this is not the climate for them.

The 30th of October, at six in the morning, we continued our journey

from Bab Baha still rounding the lake at W. S. W. and on the very brink

of it: the country here is all laid out in large meadows of a deep,

black, rich soil, bearing very high grass, through the midst of which

runs the river Sar-Ohha, which, in English, is the Grassy River; it is

about forty yards broad and not two feet deep, has a soft clay bottom,

and runs from north to south into the lake Tzana.

We turned out of the road to the left at Bab Baha, and were obliged

to go up the hill; in a quarter of an hour we reached the high road

to Mescala Christos. At seven o’clock we began to turn more to the

southward, our course being S. W.; three miles and a half on our right

remained the village of Tenkel; and four miles and a half that of

Tshemmera to the N. N. W.; we were now close to the border of the

lake, whose bottom here is a fine sand. Neither the fear of crocodiles,

nor other monsters in this large lake, could hinder me from swimming

in it for a few minutes. Though the sun was very warm, the water was

intensely cold, owing to the many fresh streams that pour themselves

continually into the lake Tzana from the mountains. The country here is

sown with dora, which is maize, or millet; and another plant, not to

be distinguished from our marigold either in size, shape, or foliage;

it is called Nook[118], and furnishes all Abyssinia with oil for the

kitchen, and other uses.

At a quarter past nine we rested a little at Delghi Mariam; the village

called simply Delghi, adjoining to it, is but small, and on the S. W.

is the hill of Goy Mariam, where the queen-mother has a house. All the

habitations in this country were burnt by Ras Michael in his return

to Gondar after the battle of Fagitta. The mountain Debra Tzai above

Koscam, was seen this day at N. E. and by E. from us.

At a quarter past ten we again set out, our route being S. W. at eleven

we left the small village Arrico, about two miles on our right. At a

quarter past eleven we halted to rest our men; we passed the church of

St Michael on our right, and at a quarter past one we passed two small

islands in the lake, called Kedami Aret; and, half an hour after, we

passed a small river, and came to Mescala Christos, a large village

upon a high mountain, the summit of which it occupies entirely; it

is surrounded on both sides by a river, and the descent is steep and

dangerous. We thought to have staid here all night; but, after mounting

the hill with great fatigue and trouble, we found the whole village

abandoned, on intelligence that Waragna Fasil was on his march to

Gondar, and not far distant.

This intelligence, which came all at once upon us, made us lay aside

the thoughts of sleeping that night; we descended the hill of Mescala

Christos in great haste, and with much difficulty, and came to the

river Kemon below it, clear and limpid, but having little water,

running over a bed of very large stones. This river, too, comes from

the north-west, and falls into the lake a little below; we rested on

its banks half an hour, the weather being very sultry; from this place

we had a distinct view of the Nile, where, after crossing the lake, it

issues out near Dara, the scene of our former misfortunes; we set it

carefully by the compass, and it bore nearly S. W.

We began our journey again at three quarters after two, and at half

after three we passed a river, very clear, with little water, the name

of which I have forgot; by the largeness of its bed it seemed to be

a very considerable stream in winter; at present it had very little

water, but a fine gravelly bottom; here we met multitudes of peasants

flying before the army of Fasil, many of whom, seeing us, turned out

of the way; one of these was a servant of Guebra Ehud, brother to Ayto

Aylo, my most intimate friend: he told us it was very possible that

Fasil would pass us that night, advised us not to linger in the front

of such an army, but fall in as soon as possible with his Fit-Auraris,

rather than any other of his advanced posts; he was carrying a message

to his master’s brother at Gondar. I told him I had rather linger in

the front of such an army than in the rear of it, and should be very

sorry to be detained long, even in the middle of it; that I only wished

to salute Fasil, and procure a pass and recommendations from him to

Agow Midre.

Ayto Aylo’s servant, who was with me, presently made acquaintance

with this man, and I trusted him to learn from him as much as he knew

about Fasil; the result was, that Fasil pretended to be in a violent

hurry, from what motive was not known; but that he, at the same time,

marched very slowly, contrary to his usual custom; that his speech and

behaviour promised peace, and that he had hurt nobody on the way, but

proclaimed constantly, that all people should keep their houses without

fear; that Ayto Woldo of Maitsha, a great robber, was his Fit-Auraris,

and never distant from him more than three miles; that the troops of

Agow, Maitsha, and Damot, were with him, and with some Galla of Gojam

and Metchakel composed the van and center of his army, whilst his rear

consisted of wild lawless Galla, whom he had brought from the other

side of the Nile from Bizamo, his own country, and were commanded by

Ayto Welleta Yasous, his great confident; that these Galla were half a

day generally behind him, and there was some talk that, the same day,

or the next, he was to send these invaders home; that he marched as if

he was in fear; always took strong posts, but had received every body

that came to him, either from the country or Gondar, affably and kindly

enough, but no one knew any thing of his intentions.

About half past four o’clock we fell in with Woldo, his Fit-Auraris,

whom I did not know. Ayto Aylo’s servant, however, was acquainted with

him; we asked him some questions about his master, which he answered

very candidly and discreetly; on his part he made no inquiry, and

seemed to have little curiosity about us; he had taken his post, and

was advancing no farther that night. I made him a little present at

taking my leave, which he seemed surprised at; and, very much contrary

to my expectations, had some difficulty about receiving, saying, he

was ashamed that he had not any return for us; that he was a soldier,

and had nothing but the lance in his hand and the goat’s skin on his

shoulders, neither of which he could be sure to possess for twenty-four

hours; he then told us that Fasil had, by that time, pitched his tent

at Bamba, within a mile of us, and was to dispatch the wild Galla from

thence to their own country: he gave us a man who, he said, would take

care of us, and desired us not to dismiss him till we had seen Fasil,

and not to pitch our tent, but rather to go into one of the empty

houses of Bamba, as all the people had fled. We now parted equally

contented with each other; at the same time I saw he sent off another

man, who went swiftly on, probably to carry advice of us to Fasil: we

had staid with him something less than half an hour.

CHAP. IX.

_Interview with Fasil--Transactions in the Camp._

We found Bamba a collection of villages, in a valley now filled with

soldiers. We went to the left with our guide, and got a tolerable

house, but the door had been carried away. Fasil’s tent was pitched

a little below us, larger than the others, but without further

distinction: it was easily known, however, by the lights about it,

and by the nagareet, which still continued beating: he was then just

alighting from his horse. I immediately sent Ayto Aylo’s servant, whom

I had with me, to present my compliments, and acquaint him of my being

on the road to visit him. I thought now all my difficulties were over:

for I knew it was in his power to forward us to our journey’s end; and

his servants, whom I saw at the palace near the king, when Fasil was

invested with his command, had assured me, not only of an effectual

protection, but also of a magnificent reception if I chanced to find

him in Maitsha.

It was now, however, near eight at night of the 30th before I received

a message to attend him. I repaired immediately to his tent. After

announcing myself, I waited about a quarter of an hour before I was

admitted; he was sitting upon a cushion with a lion’s skin upon it,

and another stretched like a carpet before his feet, and had a cotton

cloth, something like a dirty towel, wrapped about his head; his

upper cloak, or garment, was drawn tight about him over his neck and

shoulders, so as to cover his hands; I bowed, and went forward to kiss

one of them, but it was so entangled in the cloth that I was obliged

to kiss the cloth instead of the hand. This was done either as not

expecting I should pay him that compliment, (as I certainly should not

have done, being one of the king’s servants, if the king had been at

Gondar) or else it was intended for a mark of disrespect, which was

very much of a-piece with the rest of his behaviour afterwards.

There was no carpet or cushions in the tent, and only a little straw,

as if accidentally, thrown thinly about it. I sat down upon the ground,

thinking him sick not knowing what all this meant; he looked stedfastly

at me, saying, half under his breath, Endett nawi? bogo nawi? which, in

Amharic, is, How do you do? Are you very well? I made the usual answer,

Well, thank God. He again stopt, as for me to speak; there was only one

old man present, who was sitting on the floor mending a mule’s bridle.

I took him at first for an attendant, but observing that a servant

uncovered held a candle to him, I thought he was one of his Galla, but

then I saw a blue silk thread, which he had about his neck, which is a

badge of Christianity all over Abyssinia, and which a Galla would not

wear. What he was I could not make out; he seemed, however, to be a

very bad cobler, and took no notice of us.

Ayto Aylo’s servant, who stood behind me, pushed me with his knee, as

a sign that I should speak, which I accordingly began to do with some

difficulty. “I am come, said I, by your invitation, and the king’s

leave, to pay my respects to you in your own government, begging that

you would favour my curiosity so far as to suffer me to see the country

of the Agows, and the source of the Abay, or Nile, part of which I have

seen in Egypt.” “The source of the Abay! exclaimed he, with a pretended

surprise, do you know what you are saying? Why, it is, God knows where,

in the country of the Galla, wild, terrible people. The source of the

Abay! Are you raving! repeats he again: Are you to get there, do you

think, in a twelvemonth, or more, or when?” “Sir, said I, the king

told me it was near Sacala, and still nearer Geesh; both villages of

the Agows, and both in your government.” “And so you know Sacala and

Geesh? says he, whistling and half angry[119].” “I can repeat the names

that I hear, said I; all Abyssinia knows the head of the Nile.”--“Aye,

says he, imitating my voice and manner, but all Abyssinia won’t carry

you there, that I promise you.” “If you are resolved to the contrary,

said I, they will not; I wish you had told the king so in time, then

I should not have attempted it; it was relying upon you alone I came

so far, confident, if all the rest of Abyssinia could not protect me

there, that your word singly could do it.”

He now put on a look of more complacency. “Look you, Yagoube, says he,

it is true I can do it; and, for the king’s sake who recommended it to

me, I would do it; but the Acab Saat, Abba Salama, has sent to me, to

desire me not to let you pass further; he says it is against the law of

the land to permit Franks like you to go about the country, and that he

has dreamed something ill will befal me if you go into Maitsha.” I was

as much irritated as I thought it possible for me to be. “So so, said

I, the time of priests, prophets, and dreamers is coming on again.” “I

understand you, says he laughing for the first time; I care as little

for priests as Michael does, and for prophets too, but I would have you

consider the men of this country are not like yours; a boy of these

Galla would think nothing of killing a man of your country. You white

people are all effeminate; you are like so many women; you are not

fit for going into a province where all is war, and inhabited by men,

warriors from their cradle.”

I saw he intended to provoke me; and he had succeeded so effectually

that I should have died, I believe, imprudent as it was, if I had not

told him my mind in reply. “Sir, said I, I have passed through many of

the most barbarous nations in the world; all of them, excepting this

clan of yours, have some great men among them above using a defenceless

stranger ill. But the worst and lowest individual among the most

uncivilized people never treated me as you have done to-day under your

own roof, where I have come so far for protection.” He asked, “How?”

“You have, in the first place, said I, publicly called me Frank, the

most odious name in this country, and sufficient to occasion me to be

stoned to death without further ceremony, by any set of men wherever

I may present myself. By Frank you mean one of the Romish religion,

to which my nation is as adverse as yours; and again, without having

ever seen any of my countrymen but myself, you have discovered, from

that specimen, that we are all cowards and effeminate people, like,

or inferior to, your boys or women. Look you, Sir, you never heard

that I gave myself out as more than an ordinary man in my own country,

far less to be a pattern of what is excellent in it. I am no soldier,

though I know enough of war to see yours are poor proficients in that

trade. But there are soldiers, friends and countrymen of mine, (one

presents himself to my mind at this instant[120],) who would not

think it an action in his life to vaunt of, that with 500 men he had

trampled all yon naked savages into dust. On this Fasil made a feigned

laugh, and seemed rather to take my freedom amiss. It was, doubtless,

a passionate and rash speech. As to myself, continued I, unskilled in

war as I am, could it be now without further consequence, let me but

be armed in my own country-fashion on horseback, as I was yesterday,

I should, without thinking myself overmatched, fight the two best

horsemen you shall choose from this your army of famous men, who are

warriors from their cradle; and if, when the king arrives, you are not

returned to your duty, and we meet again, as we did at Limjour, I will

pledge myself, with his permission, to put you in mind of this promise.

This did not make things better.”

He repeated the word _duty_ after me, and would have replied, but my

nose burst out in a stream of blood; and, that instant, Aylo’s servant

took hold of me by the shoulder to hurry me out of the tent. Fasil

seemed to be a good deal concerned, for the blood streamed out upon

my clothes. The old man likewise assisted me when out of the tent; I

found he was Guebra Ehud, Ayto Aylo’s brother, whose servant we had

met on the road. I returned then to my tent, and the blood was soon

staunched by washing my face with cold water. I sat down to recollect

myself, and the more I calmed, the more I was dissatisfied at being put

off my guard; but it is impossible to conceive the provocation without

having proved it. I have felt but too often how much the love of our

native soil increases by our absence from it; and how jealous we are

of comparisons made to the disadvantage of our countrymen by people

who, all proper allowances being made, are generally not their equals,

when they would boast themselves their superiors. I will confess

further, in gratification to my critics, that I was, from my infancy,

of a sanguine, passionate disposition; very sensible of injuries

that I had neither provoked nor deserved; but much reflection, from

very early life, continual habits of suffering in long and dangerous

travels, where nothing but patience would do, had, I flattered myself,

abundantly subdued my natural proneness to feel offences, which, common

sense might teach me, I could only revenge upon myself.

However, upon further consulting my own breast I found there was

another cause had co-operated strongly with the former in making me

lose my temper at this time, which, upon much greater provocation, I

had never done before. I found now, as I thought, that it was decreed

decisively my hopes of arriving at the source of the Nile were for

ever ended; all my trouble, all my expences, all my time, and all my

sufferings for so many years were thrown away, from no greater obstacle

than the whimsies of one barbarian, whose good inclinations, I thought,

I had long before sufficiently secured; and, what was worse, I was

now got within less than forty miles of the place I so much wished to

see; and my hopes were shipwrecked upon the last, as well as the most

unexpected, difficulty I had to encounter.

I was just going to bed when Ayto Welleta Michael, Ras Michael’s

nephew, taken at Limjour, and a prisoner with Fasil, though now at

large, came into the tent. I need not repeat the discourse that passed

between us, it was all condolence upon the ill-usage I had met with. He

cursed Fasil, called him a thousand opprobrious names, and said, Ras

Michael one day would shew me his head upon a pole: he hinted, that he

thought Fasil expected a present, and imagined that I intended to pass

the king’s recommendation on him in the place of it. I have a present,

said I, and a very handsome one, but I never thought that, while his

nagareet was still beating, and when he had scarcely pitched his tent

when he was tired, and I no less so, that it was then a time to open

baggage for this purpose; if he had waited till to-morrow, he should

have had a gratification which would have contented him.

Well, well, said Welleta Michael, as for your journey I shall undertake

for that, for I heard him giving orders about it when I came away, even

though he expects no present; what does the gratifying your curiosity

cost him? he would be ashamed to refuse you permission; his own vanity

would hinder him. This assurance, more than all the quieting draughts

in the world, composed my mind, and brought me to myself. I went to

bed, and falling into a sound sleep, was waked near mid-night by two

of Fasil’s servants, who brought each of them a lean live sheep; they

said they had brought the sheep, and were come to ask how I was, and to

stay all night to watch the house for fear of the thieves in the army;

they likewise brought their master’s order for me to come early in the

morning to him, as he wanted to dispatch me on my journey before he

gave the Galla liberty to return. This dispelled every doubt, but it

raised my spirits so much, that, out of impatience for morning, I slept

very little more that night.

It was a time of year when it is not broad day till after six o’clock;

I went to the camp and saw Guebra Ehud, who confirmed what Welleta

Michael had said, and that Fasil had given orders for bringing several

of his own horses for me, to choose which he was to present me with;

in effect there were about twelve horses all saddled and bridled,

which were led by a master-groom. I was very indifferent about these

horses, having a good one of my own, and there was none of these that

would in this country have brought 7l. at a market; the servant, who

seemed very officious, pitched upon a bright-bay poney, the fattest of

the whole, but not strong enough in appearance to carry me; he assured

me, however, the horse had excellent paces, was a great favourite of

Fasil’s, but too _dull_ and _quiet_ for him, and desired me to mount

him, though he had no other furniture but the wooden part of a saddle

covered with thin, brown leather, and, instead of stirrups, iron rings.

All the Abyssinians, indeed, ride bare-footed and legged, and put only

their great toe into the iron ring, holding it betwixt their great and

second toe, as they are afraid of being entangled by the stirrup if

their horse falls, should they put their foot into it.

I consented to try him very willingly. A long experience with the

Moors in Barbary put me above fear of any horse, however vicious,

which I had no reason to think this was; besides, I rode always with a

Barbary bridle, broad stirrups, and short stirrup-leathers, after their

fashion; the bridle is known to every scholar in horsemanship, and

should be used by every light-horseman or dragoon, for the most vicious

horse cannot advance a yard against this bridle, when in a strong hand.

I ordered the seis, or groom, to change the saddle and bridle for mine,

and I had on a pair of spurs with very long and sharp rowels. I saw

presently the horse did not like the bit, but that I did not wonder at;

my saddle was what is called a war saddle, high behind and before, so,

unless the horse fell, it was impossible to throw the rider. I had also

a thick, knotty stick, or truncheon, of about three feet long, instead

of a whip, and well was it for me I was so prepared for him.

For the first two minutes after I mounted I do not know whether I was

most on the earth or in the air; he kicked behind, reared before,

leaped like a deer, all four off the ground, and it was some time

before I recollected myself; he then attempted to gallop, taking the

bridle in his teeth, but got a check which staggered him; he, however,

continued to gallop; and, finding I slacked the bridle on his neck,

and that he was at ease, he set off and ran away as hard as he could,

flinging out behind every ten yards; the ground was very favourable,

smooth, soft, and up-hill. We passed the post of the Fit-Auraris like

lightning, leaving him exceedingly surprised at seeing me make off

with his master’s horse. He was then going to the head-quarters, but

said nothing at passing; we went down one hill aukwardly enough; and,

when we got to a small plain and a brook below, the horse would have

gone easily enough either a trot or walk up the other, but I had only

to shake my stirrups to make him set off again at a violent gallop,

and when he stopt he trembled all over. I was now resolved to gain a

victory, and hung my upper cloak upon a tree, the attempting which

occasioned a new battle; but he was obliged to submit. I then between

the two hills, half up the one and half up the other, wrought him so

that he had no longer either breath or strength, and I began to think

he would scarce carry me to the camp.

I now found that he would walk very quietly; that a gentle touch of the

spur would quicken him, but that he had not strength or inclination to

gallop; and there was no more rearing or kicking up behind. I put my

cloak, therefore, about me in the best manner possible, just as if it

had never been ruffled or discomposed by motion, and in this manner

repassing the Fit-Auraris’ quarters, came in sight of the camp, where a

large field sown with teff, and much watered, was in front. I went out

of the road into this field, which I knew was very soft and deep, and

therefore favourable for me. Coming near Fasil’s tent, the horse stopt

upon gently straitening the bridle, as a horse properly broke would

have done, on which my servant took the saddle and bridle, and returned

the groom his own.

The poor beast made a sad figure, cut in the sides to pieces, and

bleeding at the jaws; and the seis, the rascal that put me upon him,

being there when I dismounted, he held up his hands upon seeing the

horse so mangled, and began to testify great surprise upon the supposed

harm I had done. I took no notice of this, only said, Carry that horse

to your master; he may venture to ride him now, which is more than

either he or you dared to have done in the morning.

As my own horse was bridled and saddled, and I found myself violently

irritated, I resolved to ride to compose myself a little before another

interview, for I thought this last piece of treachery, that might

have cost me my legs and arms, was worse than what passed in the tent

the night before; it seemed to be aimed at my life, and to put a very

effectual stop to the continuing my journey. My servant had in his

hand a short double-barrelled gun loaded with shot for killing any

uncommon bird we might see by the way. I took the gun and my horse,

and went up the side of the green hill about half way, in fair view

of the camp, and considerably above it, I galloped, trotted, and made

my horse perform every thing he was capable of. He was excellent in

his movements, and very sufficiently trained; this the Galla beheld at

once with astonishment and pleasure; they are naturally fond of horses,

sufficiently perfect in the useful part of horsemanship, to be sensible

of the beauty of the ornamental.

There was then, as there always is, a vast number of kites following

the camp, which are quite familiar and live upon the carrion;

choosing two gliding near me, I shot first one on the right, then

one on the left; they both fell dead on the ground; a great shout

immediately followed from the spectators below, to which I seemingly

paid no attention, pretending absolute indifference, as if nothing

extraordinary had been done. I then dismounted from my horse, giving

him and my gun to my servant, and, sitting down on a large stone, I

began to apply some white paper to staunch a small scratch the first

horse had given me on the leg, by rubbing it against a thorn tree:

as my trowsers, indeed, were all stained with the blood of the first

horse, much cut by the spur, it was generally thought I was wounded.

Fasil on this sent for me to come immediately to him, having just got

up from a sleep after a whole night’s debauch. He was at the door

of the tent when I began riding my own horse, and, having seen the

shots, ordered the kites immediately to be brought him: his servants

had laboured in vain to find the hole where the ball, with which I

had killed the birds, had entered; for none of them had ever seen

small-shot, and I did not undeceive them. I had no sooner entered his

tent than he asked me, with great earnestness, to shew him where the

ball had gone through. I gave him no explanation; but, if you have

really an inclination to kill me, said I, you had better do it here,

where I have servants that will bury me, and tell the King and the

Iteghé the kind reception you have given strangers whom they have

recommended. He asked what I meant? What was the matter now? and I was

going to answer, when Welleta Michael told him the whole story, greatly

in my favour, indeed, but truly and plainly as to the trick about the

horse. The Fit-Auraris Woldo said something to him in Galla, which

plainly made the matter worse. Fasil now seemed in a terrible fury,

and said three words to the Fit-Auraris in Galla, who immediately went

out; and, as my servants told me afterwards, after sending for the

seis, or groom, who had brought me the horse, the first salutation that

he gave him was a blow over the head with a bludgeon, which felled him

to the ground, then a dozen more strokes, and ordered him to be put in

irons, after which he returned into the tent.

Fasil, who heard I was hurt, and saw the quantity of blood upon my

trowsers, held up his hands with a shew of horror and concern, which

plainly was not counterfeited: he protested, by every oath he could

devise, that he knew nothing about the matter, and was asleep at the

time; that he had no horses with him worth my acceptance, except the

one that he rode, but that any horse known to be his, driven before me,

would be a passport, and procure me respect among all the wild people

whom I might meet, and for that reason only he had thought of giving

me a horse. He repeated his protestations that he was innocent, and

heartily sorry for the accident, which, indeed, he appeared to be: he

told me the groom was in irons, and that, before many hours passed, he

would put him to death. I was perfectly satisfied with his sincerity.

I wished to put an end to this disagreeable conversation: “Sir, said

I, as this man has attempted my life, according to the laws of the

country, it is I that should name the punishment.” “It is very true,

replied Fasil, take him, Yagoube, and cut him in a thousand pieces, if

you please, and give his body to the kites.” “Are you really sincere

in what you say, said I, and will you have no after excuses.” He swore

solemnly he would not. “Then, said I, I am a Christian: the way my

religion teaches me to punish my enemies is by doing good for evil;

and therefore I keep you to the oath you have sworn, and desire my

friend the Fit-Auraris to set the man at liberty, and put him in the

place he held before, for he has not been undutiful to you.”

I need not say what were the sentiments of the company upon the

occasion; they seemed to be most favourable to me; old Guebra Ehud

could not contain himself, but got out of the dark corner, and squeezed

both of my hands in his; and turning to Fasil, said, “Did not I tell

you what my brother Aylo thought about this man?” Welleta Michael

said, “He was just the same all through Tigrè.” Fasil, in a low voice,

replied, “A man that behaves as he does may go thro’ any country.”

They then all begged that I would take care of my wound, looking at

the blood upon my trowsers. I told them it was already staunched; and

turning to Fasil, said, “We white people, you see, are not so terrified

at seeing our own blood as you supposed we were.” He then desired that

the tent might be cleared for a short time, and we all went out.

About ten minutes after, I was called in to partake of a great

breakfast; honey and butter, and raw beef in abundance, as also some

stewed dishes that were very good. I was very hungry, having tasted

nothing since dinner the day before; and I had had much exercise of

body as well as of mind. We were all very chearful, every one saying

something about the Agows, or of the Nile; and Fasil declaring, if it

was peace, he would carry me to his country across the Nile as far

as the kingdom of Narea. I thanked him. “You are at peace, said I,

with the King and the Ras, and going to meet them at Gondar.”--“At

Gondar, says he, no; I hope not this time; the Ras has work enough on

his hands for the rest of his life.” “What work? said I.” “Why, the

mountain,” replies he. “The mountain Aromata!” “The same, says he; you

never saw such a place; Lamalmon, and all the mountains of Abyssinia,

are nothing to it: he was, when at the prime of life, fifteen years

in taking it from this Netcho’s father.” “But he has been luckier

this time, replied I, by fourteen years.” “How!” says he, with some

amasement. “Pardon me, said I, if I have unawares told you unwelcome

news; but the mountain is taken, the garrison put to the sword, and

Za Menfus, after surrendering, slain, in cold blood by Guebra Mascal,

in revenge for the death of his father.” Fasil had in his hand a blue

cut-glass goblet, gilt round the edges with gold. I had bought it at

Cairo, with several other articles of the same kind, from a merchant

who procured them from Trieste. I had given it to the king, who drank

out of it himself, and had sent it as an honourable token to Fasil from

Dingleber, the day when they made peace, after the battle of Limjour.

Upon hearing what I said, he threw it violently upon the ground, and

broke it into a thousand pieces. “Take care what you say, Yagoube, says

he, take care this be not a lie; tell it me again.” I told him the

whole circumstances from beginning to end; how the news had come to the

Iteghé--who had brought the intelligence--how it had come from the Ras

to Ozoro Esther--and how Kefla Yasous had surprised the mountain by

treachery, having first lulled the besieged asleep by a negociation,

and a proposed mediation of the priests and hermits. On this Fasil

observed, it was the very way Michael took it last time; and, putting

his forefinger in his mouth, bit it very hard, crying, Fool, fool, was

he not warned? We all were again dismissed from the tent, and staid

out about a quarter of an hour, when we were again called in.

I cannot say but I enjoyed heartily the fright I had visibly given him;

it seemed to me that Aylo’s brother, Guebra Ehud, was the only person

whom he consulted, for it was he alone that remained with him in his

tent when we entered; he had changed his dress; a man was combing his

hair, and perfuming it; and he had a new, white, fine cotton cloth

thrown about his middle loosely, which covered his legs and feet, his

breasts, neck, and shoulders, being quite naked; he rose half up from

his seat when I came in, made me sit down on a cushion beside him, and

was going to speak, when I resolved to have the first word, for fear

he should engage me in more discussions. “Your continual hurry, said

I, all the times I have seen you, has put it out of my power till now

to make you the acknowledgment it is ordinary for strangers to present

when they visit great men in their own country, and ask favours of

them.” I then took a napkin, and opened it before him; he seemed to

have forgot the present altogether, but from that moment I saw his

countenance changed, he was like another man. “O Yagoube, says he, a

present to me! you should be sensible that is perfectly needless; you

were recommended to me by the King and the Ras; you know, says he, we

are friends, and I would do twenty times as much for yourself, without

recommendation from either; besides, I have not behaved to you like a

great man.”

It was not a very hard thing to conquer these scruples; he took the

several pieces of the present one by one in his hands, and examined

them; there was a crimson silk sash, made at Tunis, about five yards

long, with a silk fringe of the same colour; it was as beautiful a

web of silk as ever I saw; it had a small waved pattern wrought in

it; the next was a yellow, with a red narrow border, or stripe, and a

silver-wrought fringe, but neither so long nor so thick as the other;

the next were two Cyprus manufactured sashes, silk and cotton, with

a sattin stripe, the one broader than the other, but five yards long

each; the next was a Persian pipe, with a long pliable tube, or worm,

covered with Turkey leather, with an amber mouth-piece, and a chrystal

vase for smoking tobacco through water, a great luxury in the eastern

countries; the next were two blue bowls, as fine as the one he had just

then broken, and of the same sort. He shoved them from him, laughing,

and said, “I will not take them from you, Yagoube; this is downright

robbery; I have done nothing for this, which is a present for a

king.”--“It is a present to a friend, said I, often of more consequence

to a stranger than a king; I always except your king, who is the

stranger’s best friend.”--“Though he was not easily disconcerted, he

seemed, at this time, to be very nearly so.”--“If you will not receive

them, continued I, such as they are offered, it is the greatest affront

ever was put upon me; I can never, you know, receive them again.”

By this he was convinced. More feeble arguments would indeed have

satisfied him, and he folded up the napkin with all the articles,

and gave them to an officer; after which the tent was again cleared

for consultation; and, during this time, he had called his man of

confidence, whom he was to send with us, and instructed him properly.

I saw plainly that I had gained the ascendant; and, in the expectation

of Ras Michael’s speedily coming to Gondar, he was as willing to be on

his journey the one way, as I was the other. I had ordered my servants

and baggage to set out on the road to Dingleber before me, sending Ayto

Aylo’s servant along with them, leaving me only my horse and a common

Abyssinian servant to follow them: all had been ready since early in

the morning, and they had set out accordingly with very great alacrity.

It was about one o’clock, or after it, when I was admitted to Fasil:

he received me with great complacency, and would have had me sit down

on the same cushion with himself, which I declined. “Friend Yagoube,

says he, I am heartily sorry that you did not meet me at Buré before

I set out; there I could have received you as I ought, but I have

been tormented with a multitude of barbarous people, who have turned

my head, and whom I am now about to dismiss. I go to Gondar in peace,

and to keep peace there, for the king on this side the Tacazzé has no

other friend than me; Powussen and Gusho are both traitors, and so Ras

Michael knows them to be. I have nothing to return you for the present

you have given me, for I did not expect to meet a man like you here in

the fields; but you will quickly be back; we shall meet on better terms

at Gondar; the head of the Nile is near at hand; a horseman, express,

will arrive there in a day. I have given you a good man, well known in

this country to be my servant; he will go to Geesh with you, and return

you to a friend of Ayto Aylo’s and mine, Shalaka Welled Amlac; he has

the dangerous part of the country wholly in his hands, and will carry

you safe to Gondar; my wife is at present in his house: fear nothing, I

shall answer for your safety: When will you set out? to-morrow?”

I replied, with many thanks for his kindness, that I wished to proceed

immediately, and that my servants were already far off, on the way. You

are going to dismiss those wild people, I would wish to be as clear of

them as possible; I intend to travel long journies, till we part (as I

understand we shall do) from the rout that they are taking.

You are very much in the right, says Fasil, it was only in the idea

that you was hurt with that accursed horse that I would have wished you

to stay till to-morrow; but throw off these bloody clothes, they are

not decent, I must give you new ones, you are my vassal. I bowed. The

king has granted you Geesh, where you are going, and I must invest you.

A number of his servants hurried me out; Guebra Ehud, Welleta Michael,

and the Fit-Auraris, attended me. I presently threw off my trowsers,

and my two upper garments, and remained in my waistcoat; these were

presently replaced by new ones, and I was brought back in a minute to

Fasil’s tent, with only a fine loose muslin under garment or cloth

round me, which reached to my feet. Upon my coming back to the tent,

Fasil took off the one that he had put on himself new in the morning,

and put it about my shoulders with his own hand, his servants throwing

another immediately over him, saying at the same time to the people,

“Bear witness, I give to you, Yagoube, the Agow Geesh, as fully and

freely as the king has given it me.” I bowed and kissed his hand, as is

customary for feudatories, and he then pointed to me to sit down.

“Hear what I say to you, continued Fasil; I think it right for you

to make the best of your way now, for you will be the sooner back at

Gondar. You need not be alarmed at the wild people you speak of, who

are going after you, tho’ it is better to meet them coming this way,

than when they are going to their homes; they are commanded by Welleta

Yasous, who is your friend, and is very grateful for the medicines

you sent him at Gondar: he has not been able to see you, being so

much busied with those wild people; but he loves you, and will take

care of you, and you must give me more of that physic when we met at

Gondar.” I again bowed, and he continued,--“Hear me what I say; you

see those seven people (I never saw more thief-like fellows in my

life),--these are all leaders and chiefs of the Galla--savages, if you

please; they are all your brethren.” I bowed. “You may go through their

country as if it were your own, without a man hurting you: you will be

soon related to them all; for it is their custom that a stranger of

distinction, like you, when he is their guest, sleeps with the sister,

daughter, or near relation of the principal men among them. I dare say,

says he archly, you will not think the customs of the Galla contain

greater hardships than those of Amhara.” I bowed, but thought to myself

I shall not put them to the trial. He then jabbered something to them

in Galla which I did not understand. They all answered by the wildest

howl I ever heard, and struck themselves upon the breast, apparently

assenting.

“When Ras Michael, continued he, came from the battle of Fagitta, the

eyes of forty-four, brethren and relations of these people present,

were pulled out at Gondar, the day after he arrived, and they were

exposed upon the banks of the river Angrab to starve, where most, I

believe, were devoured by the hyæna; you took three of them up to your

house; nourished, cloathed, protected, and kindly treated them.” “They

are now in good health, said I, and want nothing: the Iteghé will

deliver them to you. The only other thing I have done to them was, I

got them baptised: I do not know if that will displease them; I did it

as an additional protection to them, and to give them a title to the

charity of the people of Gondar.” “As for that, says he, they don’t

care the least about baptism; it will neither do them good nor harm;

they don’t trouble themselves about these matters; give them meat and

drink, and you will be very welcome to baptise them all from morning

to night; after such good care these Galla are all your brethren, they

will die for you before they see you hurt.” He then said something to

them in Galla again, and they all gave another assent, and made a shew

of kissing my hand.

They sat down; and, I must own, if they entertained any good-will

to me, it was not discernible in their countenances. “Besides this,

continued Fasil, you was very kind and courteous to my servants while

at Gondar, and said many favourable things of me before the king; you

sent me a present also, and above all, when Joas my master’s body was

dug up from the church-yard of St Raphael, and all Gondar were afraid

to shew it the least respect, dreading the vengeance of Ras Michael,

you, a stranger, who had never seen him, nor received benefit from

him, at your own expence paid that attention to his remains which

would have better become many at Gondar, and me in particular, had

I been within reach, or had intelligence of the matter: now, before

all these men, ask me any thing you have at heart, and, be it what it

may, they know I cannot deny it you.” He delivered this in a tone and

gracefulness of manner, superior, I think, to any thing I had ever

before seen, although the Abyssinians are all orators, as, indeed,

are most barbarians. “Why then, said I, by all those obligations you

are pleased to mention, of which you have made a recital so truly

honourable to me, I ask you the greatest favour that man can bestow

upon me--send me, as conveniently as possible, to the head of the Nile,

and return me and my attendants in safety, after having dispatched

me quickly, and put me under no constraint that may prevent me from

satisfying my curiosity in my own way.” “This, says he, is no request,

I have granted it already; besides, I owe it to the commands of the

king, whose servant I am. Since, however, it is so much at your heart,

go in peace, I will provide you with all necessaries. If I am alive,

and governor of Damot, as you are, we all know, a prudent and sensible

man, unsettled as the state of the country is, nothing disagreeable can

befal you.”

He then turned again to his seven chiefs, who all got up, himself and

I, Guebra Ehud, Welleta Michael, and the Fit-Auraris; we all stood

round in a circle, and raised the palm of our hands, while he and

his Galla together repeated a prayer about a minute long; the Galla

seemingly with great devotion. Now, says Fasil, go in peace, you are

a Galla; this is a curse upon them, and their children, their corn,

grass, and cattle, if ever they lift their hand against you or yours,

or do not defend you to the utmost, if attacked by others, or endeavour

to defeat any design they may hear is intended against you. Upon this I

offered to kiss his hand before I took my leave, and we all went to the

door of the tent, where there was a very handsome grey horse bridled

and saddled. “Take this horse, says Fasil, as a present from me; it is

not so good as your own, but, depend upon it, it is not of the kind

that rascal gave you in the morning; it is the horse which I rode upon

yesterday, when I came here to encamp; but do not mount it yourself,

drive it before you saddled and bridled as it is; no man of Maitsha

will touch you when he sees that horse; it is the people of Maitsha

whose houses Michael has burnt that you have to fear, and not your

friends the Galla.”

I then took the most humble and respectful leave of him possible,

and also of my new-acquired brethren the Galla, praying inwardly

I might never see them again. I recommended myself familiarly and

affectionately to the remembrance of Welleta Michael, the Ras’s nephew,

as well as Guebra Ehud; and turning to Fasil, according to the custom

of the country to superiors, asked him leave to mount on horseback

before him, and was speedily out of sight. Shalaka Woldo (the name of

my guide) did not set out with me, being employed about some affairs of

his own, but he presently after followed, driving Fasil’s horse before

him.

CHAP. X.

_Leave Bamba, and continue our Journey southward--Fall in with Fasil’s

Pagan Galla--Encamp on the Kelti._

At Bamba begins a valley full of small hills and trees, all brush-wood,

none of them high enough for timber. On the right hand of the valley

the hills slope gently up, the ground is firm, and grass short like

sheep pasture; the hills on the left are steeper and more craggy,

the lower part of the valley had been cleared of wood, and sown with

different sorts of grain, by the industry of the inhabitants of the

village of that name--industry that had served them to very little

purpose, as the encampment of this wild army destroyed in one night

every vestige of culture they had bestowed upon it.

Shalaka Woldo was not, to all appearance, a man to protect a stranger

in the middle of a retreating army, disbanded as this was, and

returning to very distant countries, perhaps never to be assembled

again; yet this man was chosen by one that perfectly knew he was above

all others capable of the trust he had reposed in him; he was about 55

years of age, was by birth an Agow, and had served Fasil’s father from

his infancy, when Kasmati Eshté succeeded to the government of Damot,

upon old Fasil’s death[121]; he had been his servant likewise, as had

young Fasil, so they were both at one time fellow-domestics of Kasmati

Eshté.

When Fasil had slain this nobleman, and succeeded to his father’s

government of Damot, Shalaka Woldo was taken into his service as an

old servant of his father; it seemed his merit had not entitled him

to further advancement; he had no covering on his head, except long,

bushy, black hair, which just began to be mingled with grey, but no

beard, the defect of all his countrymen. He had a cotton cloth thrown

about his shoulders in many different forms, occasionally as his fancy

suggested to him; but, unless at night, laid it generally upon one

of the mules, and walked himself, his body naked, his shoulders only

covered with a goat’s skin in form of what the women call a tippet; he

had also a pair of coarse cotton trowsers that reached to the middle

of his thigh, and these were fastened at the waistband by a coarse

cotton sash, or girdle, which went six or seven times about his waist,

and in which he stuck a crooked knife, the blade about ten inches

long, and three inches where broadest, which was the only weapon he

wore, and served him to cut his meat, rather than for any weapon

of offence or defence; for a man of consequence, as he was, could

not suppose a possibility of danger while he was in the territory of

his master. Sometimes he had a long pipe in his hand, being a great

smoker; at other times, a stick of about three feet long, something

thicker than one’s thumb, with which he dealt about him very liberally,

either to man, woman, or beast, upon the slightest provocation; he

was bare-legged and footed, and without any mule, but kept up with

us easily at whatever pace we went. With all this he was exceedingly

sagacious and cunning, and seemed to penetrate the meaning of our

discourse, though spoke in a language of which he did not understand a

syllable.

As for Shalaka Welled Amlac, he was a man whom I shall hereafter

mention as having been recommended to me by Ayto Aylo soon after my

coming to Gondar. I did not, however, choose to let Fasil know of this

connection, for fear he might lead him to some gainful imposition for

his own account in the course of my journey through Maitsha.

At a quarter past two o’clock of the 31st of October we halted for a

little on the banks of the river Chergué, a small and not very rapid

stream, which coming from the south-west, runs N. E. and loses itself

in the lake Tzana. At three o’clock in the afternoon we passed the

small river of Dingleber, and in a quarter of an hour after came to

a village of that name situated upon the top of a rock, which we

ascended; here the road comes close to the end of the lake, and between

it and the rock is a very narrow pass through which all provisions

from the Agows and Maitsha must go; when, therefore, there is any

disturbance in the south part of the kingdom, this pass is always

occupied to reduce Gondar to famine.

The village itself belongs to the office of Betwudet, and, since that

office has been discontinued, it makes part of the revenue of the Ras;

the language here is Falasha, though only used now by the Jews who go

by that name: it was anciently the language of all the province of

Dembea, which has here its southern boundary. The air of Dingleber is

excellent, and the prospect one of the most beautiful in Abyssinia; on

the one side you have a distinct view of the lake Tzana and all its

islands; on the north, the peninsula of Gorgora, the former residence

of the Jesuits, where too are the ruins of the king’s palace. On the

north of the lake you have a distant prospect of Dara, and of the Nile

crossing that lake, preserving distinctly the tract of its stream

unmixed with the rest of the water, and issuing out to form what is

called the second cataract at Alata, all places fixed in our mind by

the memory of former distresses. On the south-east, we have a distant

view of the flat country of Maitsha, for the most part covered with

thick trees, and black like a forest; farther on the territory of

Sacala, one of the districts of the Agows, near which are the fountains

of the Nile, the object of all my wishes; and close behind this, the

high mountains of Amid Amid, which surrounded them in two semicircles

like a new moon, or amphitheatre, and seem by their shape to deserve

the name of mountains of the moon, such as was given by antiquity to

mountains, in the neighbourhood of which the Nile was supposed to rise.

At Dingleber I overtook my servants, who were disposed to stop there

for that night. They had been very much oppressed by troops of wild

Galla, who never having seen white men, could not refrain indulging

a troublesome curiosity, without indeed doing any harm, or shewing

any signs of insolence; this, however, did not hinder my servants

from being terrified, as neither I nor any protector was near them. I

resolved to avoid the like inconvenience, by proceeding further, as

I knew the next day the main body of these savages would be up with

us at Dingleber; and I rather wished to be at the point where our two

roads separated, than pass a whole day in such company. It is true,

I was under no sort of apprehension, for I perceived Fasil’s horse

driven before us commanded all necessary respect, and Zor Woldo had no

occasion to exert himself at all.

At four o’clock in the afternoon we left Dingleber, and at seven passed

a great river; at eight in the evening we crossed two inconsiderable

streams, and came to a collection of small villages, called Degwassa:

here we entered into some narrow defiles between mountains, covered to

the very top with herbage, and brushwood; it was a delightful night,

and we were resolved to make the most of it. On every side of us we

heard Guinea fowls, of which the woods here are full. At half past nine

we halted a little, just leaving the narrow passes, and entering upon

the plain. The district is called Sankraber. I found myself exceedingly

fatigued, and slept a good half hour upon the ground.

At half past ten we began our journey anew, passing immediately the

small village of Wainadega, famous for the decisive battle fought

between king Claudius and the Moor Gragnè, where the latter was slain,

and an end, for a time, put to the most disastrous war that ever

Abyssinia was engaged in. At half after eleven we passed Guanguera on

our left hand; it is a collection of many villages, at about ten miles

distance; and at mid-night we had Degwassa on our right, and Guanguera

on our left. At half past twelve we again rested at the side of a small

river, of which I know not the name: we were now in the flat country

of Maitsha, descending very gently southward. At three quarters past

one in the morning of the first of November I alighted at two small

villages, whose huts were but just finished, about 500 yards from the

two trees that were in the front of our army, when, after passing the

Nile at that dangerous ford near the Jemma, we offered Fasil battle at

Limjour, which was the place we were now again come to, but in better

health and spirits than before.

Shalaka Woldo, upon my observing to him that I was happy to see the

people again raising their houses which Michael had destroyed, said,

with a barbarous kind of smile, “Aye, and so am I too; for if those two

villages had not been built, we should have had no fire-wood at Kelti

to-night;” by which he meant, that the Galla, who were behind him, and

whose next station was the banks of the river Kelti, would pull down

all the new-built houses, in order to carry fire-wood along with them;

and indeed we saw traces of some houses which had been newly built,

and still as newly destroyed, the wood of which, partly kindled, and

partly lying on the ground, served us for our fire that night at Kelti.

I found myself exceedingly indisposed, and could scarcely force on a

couple of hours further, when we came to the banks of the river Kelti,

at a quarter after six in the morning.

The Kelti here is a large river; at the ford it was four feet deep,

though now the dry season: it is here called the Kelti Branti, because

some miles higher up it is joined by a considerable river called the

Branti, which rises to the westward in the high lands of the Agow’s

Quaquera, and both these streams, when united, fall into the Nile

a little below. The banks of this river are exceedingly steep and

dangerous, the earth loose, falling in great lumps down into the

stream; it is a red bole of a soapy quality; the bottom, too, and

the ascent on the other side are soft; the water, though troubled

and muddy, is sweet and well-tasted. We saw lights and fires on the

opposite bank, and had begun to unloose the tent, when we received a

message by two Galla on foot, armed with lances and shields, that we

should not encamp there, as our horses and mules would probably be

stolen, but desiring us to pass the river forth-with, and pitch our

tent among them.

I asked Shalaka Woldo who these were? He said, they were an advanced

post of Welleta Yasous, who had taken up that ground for the

head-quarters to-morrow; that they were all Galla, under a famous

partisan, a robber, called the _Jumper_; and, by the bye, he added,

speaking softly in my ear, that there was not a greater thief or

murderer in all the country of the Galla. I paid him my compliments

upon the judicious choice he had made of a companion and a protector

for us: to which he answered, laughing, The better, the better; you

shall see how it is the better. As it was necessary to load the mules

again, the tent and baggage having been taken off before we could pass

the river, we all set to work with very ill will, being excessively

fatigued with a long journey and want of sleep. No sooner had Shalaka

Woldo perceived this, than by two whistles upon his fingers, and a

yell, he brought above fifty people to our assistance; the baggage was

passed in one moment, and in another my two tents were pitched; which

is a work these people are very dexterous at, and well acquainted with.

As soon as we had encamped, we found that the reason we were not left

alone on the other side of the river was, that those of the Galla who

returned pulled down all the villages for fire-wood, and plundered the

houses, though they were Galla like themselves, and of Fasil’s party;

and these again, driven from their houses, robbed of all they had

except their lance and shield, followed the stragglers, and wreaked

their vengeance upon those whom they could surprise, or were not too

numerous for them.

I was scarcely laid down to sleep, when a servant, and with him Zor

Woldo, were sent to me from the Jumper: they brought us a bull of an

enormous size, but not very fat; though we were all pretty keen in

point of appetite, the stock of provision sent us seemed to defy our

utmost endeavours, but we were sure of assistants enough; so the bull

was immediately killed and skinned. In the mean time, I took a short,

but very refreshing sleep, being resolved to resume my journey with the

same diligence till we had got to the point where we might separate

from the army, which is at a place called Roo, where a large market is

kept by the Agows, in whose country it is, and resorted to by all the

neighbouring inhabitants.

About ten o’clock I waited upon our commander in chief the Jumper; he

seemed very much embarrassed at the visit, was quite naked, having only

a towel about his loins, and had been washing himself in the Kelti, to

very little purpose as I thought, for he was then rubbing his arms and

body over with melted tallow; his hair had been abundantly anointed

before, and a man was then finishing his head-dress by plaiting it with

some of the long and small guts of an ox, which I did not perceive had

ever been cleaned; and he had already put about his neck two rounds

of the same, in the manner of a necklace, or rather a solitaire, one

end of them hanging down to the pit of his stomach, Our conversation

was neither long nor interesting; I was overcome with the disagreeable

smell of blood and carrion: he did not understand one word of Amharic,

Geez, or any other language but Galla; he asked no questions, and

shewed no sort of curiosity. Woldo, on the other hand, informed himself

from him of every thing he wanted to know.

This Jumper was tall and lean, very sharp faced, with a long nose,

small eyes and prodigious large ears; he never looked you in the face,

but was rolling his eyes constantly round and round, and never fixing

them upon any thing: he resembled very much a lean keen greyhound;

there was no sternness nor command in his countenance, but a certain

look that seemed to express a vacancy of mind, like that of an idiot.

With this he was allowed on all hands to be the most cruel, merciless

murderer and spoiler of all the Galla. He was very active on horseback,

and very indifferent about food or sleep. I made him a small present,

which he took with great indifference; only told Woldo, that if I meant

it to pay for the bull he had sent me, it was needless, for it was

given me by Fasil’s order, and cost him nothing.

There we learned, that on our way we should meet a party of about 200

men, who had been sent by Fasil to take possession of a post before

we came to Roo, left, having intelligence of us, some of the Maitsha

people, whose houses had been destroyed, might follow us when we were

parted from the army. The jumper told us that his brother had the

command of that party, that they were all Galla of Fasil’s own nation,

under his brother, who was called the Lamb, and who was just such a

murderer and robber as himself. I was just rising to go out of his tent

when Zor Woldo, who was sitting behind me, informed me, there were news

from Gondar. I asked him how he knew that? He said, he heard the people

say so from without. A sudden trepidation now seized me, as I was

afraid of some new trick, or obstacle, which might impede the journey,

the accomplishment of which I so much longed for.

Upon going towards my tent I was met by Strates, and another Greek,

with a servant of Ozoro Esther, with whom I was well acquainted: they

had left Fasil at Bamba, whose wild Galla were not yet all dismissed,

and he himself seemed not determined whether he should go to Gondar

or not. They told me that all was in confusion at Gondar; that Gusho

of Amhara, and Powussen of Begemder, had been there, and brought some

trifle of money, for a mere pretence, to that wretch Socinios, whom

the Iteghé unadvisedly had consented to make king; having called

Fasil, Gusho, and Powussen together to reconcile them, that, united,

they might attack Michael. The queen herself had been reconciled to

Socinios, who led the life of a drunkard, a ruffian, and a profligate,

but her chief fears were that Michael should return, the probability of

which increased daily.

As for Fasil, he had hitherto answered the queen’s invitation to Gondar

evasively, sometimes by complaining that Gusho and Powussen had come to

Gondar before him, and that Gusho was made Ras; at other times sending

peremptorily to them to leave Gondar, and return to their provinces, or

he would burn the town about their ears: and the last message, the day

before they left the capital was, that he was then on his march towards

Gondar, and consented to Gusho and Powussen’s staying; but as these

two chiefs had great reason to suspect that he was in correspondence

with the king and Ras Michael in Tigré, as it was known to them that he

had fomented disturbances both in Begemder and Amhara, they had gone

with Socinios to Koscam, without drums beating, or any sort of parade

whatever, and, after taking leave, had the next day set out to their

respective provinces. Upon another message from Fasil, they had agreed

to return to Gondar, and leave their army at Emfras; but their troops,

finding themselves so near, had disbanded, and returned to their homes,

leaving Gusho and Powussen attended only by their household servants,

who, finding themselves in danger, and that Fasil was actually

advancing secretly, left Gondar and separated.

Ozoro Esther’s servant (Guebra Mariam) likewise told me, that Michael,

as he believed, waited for nothing but some arrangement with Fasil,

for that he had no enemy remaining on the east of the Tacazzé; that

his intention was to return by the way of Lasta, not willing to risk

the many difficult passages in Woggora, a country full of hardy

troops, inveterate enemies to the Ras, and where Ayto Tesfos of Samen

had occupied all the defiles, and was resolved to dispute every post

with him; it was well known, however, that the passes through the

mountain of Lasta, were more dangerous and difficult than those of

Woggora and Lamalmon; in a word, Guigarr, chief of the clan of Lasta

(called Waag) possessed a strong-hold in those mountains, where many an

Abyssinian army had perished, and where it was absolutely impossible

to proceed but with the consent and connivance of that clan, or tribe;

and tho’ this Guigarr had been Michael’s enemy ever since the war of

Mariam Barea, peace was now concluded between them, the Ras having set

Guigarr’s brother at liberty, who had been some time a prisoner, and

was taken in an incursion which the people of Waag had made into Tigré:

excepting this pass in the mountains of Lasta, all the ground was even

from thence to Tigré; the territory of Gouliou, indeed, through which

the army was to march for four days, was very ill-provided with water;

it was inhabited by Galla, whom Michael had suffered to settle there,

to be as a barrier between Tigré, Lasta, and Begemder; but this clan

was perfectly at his command, so all was easy and secure if Guigarr

only remained faithful.

After giving time to Guebra Mariam to refresh himself, I took him alone

into the tent to hear Ozoro Esther’s message: she had been ailing after

my leaving Gondar, had had a slow fever, which very much affected her

nerves, and was now alarmed at a symptom which was but the effect of

weakness, startling, or involuntary contraction of her legs and arms,

or a kind of convulsion, which frequently awakened her out of her

sleep. This she thought was a sure forerunner of death; and adjured

me, by every claim of friendship that she had upon me, to return ere

it would be too late, She, moreover, pledged herself that her nephew,

Aylo of Gojam, should immediately carry me to the head of the Nile

the moment she was recovered. Upon closer interrogation, I found

that, being abandoned as it were entirely to Fasil’s discretion, by

the retreat of Gusho and Powussen her friends, and the absence of her

husband Ras Michael, she dreaded falling into the hands of Fasil, who,

she well knew, was acquainted how active she had been in instigating

Michael to avenge the blood of her late husband Mariam Barea, by the

effusion of that of every Galla unfortunate enough to fall into his

hands. Besides, the part her mother the Iteghé had acted in settling

that wretch Socinios upon the throne, gave her the very best-founded

apprehensions that Michael’s resentment would have no bounds; and he

had declared so by frequent messages, (the last a very brutal one)

that he would hang Socinios, and her mother the Iteghé, with their

heads downmost, upon the same tree, before the king’s house, the very

day that he entered Gondar. It was well known, besides, to his wife

Ozoro Esther, and to the whole kingdom, that his performance upon these

occasions never fell short of his threatenings. From all this, and a

great sensibility of mind, Ozoro Esther, worn out by her late sickness,

and by want of sleep, exercise, and nourishment, had fallen into a very

dangerous situation, and of a very difficult cure, even though the

cause was perfectly known.

I shall not trouble the reader with what passed in my mind at this

juncture. I do believe the pursuit I was then engaged in was the only

one which I would not have instantly abandoned upon such a summons.

Besides the sincere attachment I had myself to her, as one of the most

lovely and amiable women in the world; she was the mother of my most

intimate friend Ayto Confu, and the wife of Ras Michael, over whom

she had every day more and more influence, and I had long suspected

that the young king, my constant benefactor, had contracted a decided

tenderness for her. To have returned, would have been nothing had the

danger or trouble been much greater; but it was obviously impossible

another opportunity should offer: the country was now on the point

of being plunged into a degree of disorder greater than that which

had occasioned the retreat of the king to Tigré. I therefore resolved

to run the risk of continuing for a time under the imputation of the

foulest and basest of all sins, that of ingratitude to my benefactors;

and I am confident, had it been the will of heaven that I had died in

that journey, the consideration of my lying with apparent reason under

that imputation would have been one of the most bitter reflections of

my last moments. Having, therefore, taken my resolution, I acquainted

Guebra Mariam that an immediate return was absolutely impossible; but

that I should endeavour, with the utmost of my power, to make a speedy

one; in the mean time, I sent word to the Greek priest (who was a sort

of physician) how he was to proceed in the interim during my absence.

We had now left Maitsha by crossing the river Kelti. I shall only add,

to what I have already said, that it is a very fruitful country, but

so flat that the water with difficulty runs off after the tropical

rains, and this occasions its being for several months unhealthy.

Several tribes of Galla, from the south of the Nile, were settled

here by Yasous the Great, and his son David, as a defence for the

rich countries of the Agows, Damot, Gojam, and Dembea, against the

desolations and inroads of the wild Galla their countrymen, from whom

they had revolted; they consist of ninety-nine families; and it is a

common saying among them, that the devil holds the hundreth part for

his own family, as there is nowhere else to be found a family of men

equal to any of the ninety-nine. It has been sometimes connected with

Gojam, oftener with Damot and the Agows, who were at this time under

the government of Fasil.

The houses in Maitsha are of a very singular construction: the first

proprietor has a field, which he divides into three or four, as he

pleases, (suppose four) by two hedges made of the thorny branches of

the acacia-tree. In the corner, or intersection of the two hedges, he

begins his low hut, and occupies as much of the angle as he pleases.

Three other brothers, perhaps, occupy each of the three other angles;

behind these their children place their house, and inclose the end of

their father’s by another, which they make generally shorter than the

first, because broader. After they have raised as many houses as they

please, they surround the whole with a thick and almost impenetrable

abbatis, or thorny hedge, and all the family are under one roof, ready

to assist each other on the first alarm; for they have nothing to do

but every man to look out at his own door, and they are close in a body

together, facing every point that danger can possibly come from. They

are, however, speedily destroyed by a stronger enemy, as we easily

found, for we had only to set the dry hedge, and the canes that grew

round it, on fire, which communicated at once to the houses, chiefly

consisting of dry straw. Such is their terror of the small-pox, which

comes here seldom more frequently than once in fifteen or twenty years;

that when one of these houses is tainted with the disease, their

neighbours, who know it will infect the whole colony, surround it in

the night, and set fire to it, which is consumed in a minute, whilst

the unfortunate people belonging to it (who would endeavour to escape)

are unmercifully thrust back with lances and forks into the flames by

the hands of their own neighbours and relations, without an instance of

one ever being suffered to survive. This to us will appear a barbarity

scarcely credible: it would be quite otherwise if we saw the situation

of the country under that dreadful visitation of the small-pox; the

plague has nothing in it so terrible.

The river Kelti has excellent fish, though the Abyssinians care not for

food of this kind; the better people eat some species in the time of

Lent, but the generality of the common sort are deterred by passages

of scripture, and distinctions in the Mosaic law, concerning such

animals as are clean and unclean, ill understood; they are, besides,

exceedingly lazy, and know nothing of nets; neither have they the

ingenuity we see in other savages of making hooks or lines: in all

the time I staid, I never saw one Abyssinian fisher engaged in the

employment in any river or lake.

At Kelti begins the territory of Aroossi: it is in fact the southmost

division of Maitsha, on the west-side of the Nile: it is not inhabited,

however, by Galla, but by Abyssinians, a kindred of the Agow. When

therefore we passed the river Kelti, we entered into the territory of

Aroossi, bounded on the north by that river, as it is on the south by

the Assar, the Aroossi running through the midst of that district.

My anxiety to lose no time in this journey had determined me to set

out this afternoon. I had for this purpose dispatched Ozoro Esther’s

servant, but when we began to strike our tents, we were told neither

beast nor man was capable of going farther that day; in a word, the

forced march that we had made of 29 miles without rest, and with but

little food, had quite jaded our mules; our men, too, who carried the

quadrant, declared, that, without a night’s rest, they could proceed

no farther; we were then obliged to make a virtue of necessity, and

to confess, that, since we could go no farther, we were in the most

convenient halting place possible, having plenty of both food and

water, and as to protection, we had every reason to be satisfied that

we were masters of the country in which we were encamped. It was

generally agreed therefore to relax that day. I set aside an hour to

put these memoirs in order, and then joined our servants, who, on such

occasions, are always our companions, and who had provided a small horn

full of spirits, and a jar full of beer, or bouza, by offering some

trifling present to our commandant _the Jumper_, who was much more

tenacious of his drink than his meat: we swam and dabbled with great

delight in the Kelti, where are neither crocodiles nor gomari; slept a

little afterwards, and retired into the tent to a supper, which would

have been a chearful one could I have forgot that Ozoro Esther was

suffering.

We now began to discuss the motive that had induced our friend Strates

again to tempt the danger of the ways. This singular fellow, as we

learned from Guebra Mariam, as well as from his own confession,

repented of his resolution as soon as we were gone, and had determined

on foot to follow us, when he heard of this opportunity of Ozoro

Esther’s servant being sent on a message, and that princess was so well

pleased with his anxiety that she gave him a mule that he might not

retard her servant.

This Greek had known Fasil intimately, both when he was a private

man in Kasmati Eshté’s time, and afterwards, when he was governor of

Damot, for he was a servant in the palace when Joas was king, as all

the Greeks were; had a company of fusileers, and one or two other small

appointments, all of which were taken from him, and from most of the

other Greeks, upon the death of the dwarf, who, I before mentioned,

was shot on the side of Ras Michael by an unknown hand upon his first

arrival at Gondar. He now lived upon the charity of the queen-mother,

and what he picked up by his buffoonery among the great men at court.

We found that in Shalaka Woldo we had got a man of more understanding

than our friend Strates, but much about his equal in mimicry and

buffoonery.

CHAP. XI.

_Continue our Journey_--_Fall in with a Party of Galla_--_Prove our

Friends_--_Pass the Nile_--_Arrive at Goutto, and visit the first

Cataract_.

On the second of November, at seven in the morning we pursued our

journey in a direction southward, and passed the church of Boskon Abbo;

ever memorable to us as being the station of Fasil in May, when he

intended to cut us off after our passage of the Nile. This brought on a

conversation with our guide Woldo, who had been present with Fasil at

his camp behind this church, and afterwards when Michael offered him

battle at Limjour, he was there attending his master. He said, that

the army of Welleta Yasous was above 12,000 strong; that they were

intending to attack the king at the ford, and had no doubt of doing it

successfully, as they imagined the King and Ras Michael, with part of

both horse and foot, would pass early, but the rest with difficulty and

danger; it was at that instant Welleta Yasous was to fall upon those

that remained with Kefla Yasous, on the other side of the Nile, in that

confusion in which they necessarily must be. Fasil then, with above

3000 horse, and a large body of foot, was ready to inclose both Ras

Michael and the King, and to have taken them prisoners; nothing could

fall out more exactly, as it was planned, than this did; the king’s

black horse, and the other horse of his household, had taken possession

of the ford, till the King, the Ras, and the greatest part of the Tigré

musqueteers, under Guebra Mascal, had passed.

On the other hand, Kefla Yasous, who had the charge of the rear, and

the passing the mules, tents, and baggage, finding so many stragglers

constantly coming in, had determined to wait on that side till

day-light: this was the moment that would have decided the fate of

our army; all was fatigue and despondency; but Welleta Yasous having

lingered with the army of execution, and in the mean time the priests

having been examined, and the spies detected, the moment Kefla Yasous

began his march to Delakus, the favourable instant was lost to Fasil,

and all that followed was extremely dangerous to him; for, before

Welleta Yasous arrived, Kefla Yasous had passed the Nile, and was

strongly posted with his musquetry, so that Welleta Yasous durst not

approach him, and this gave Kefla Yasous an opportunity of detaching

the best or freshest of his troops to reinforce Michael, whom Fasil

found already an overmatch for him at Limjour, when he was forced to

retreat before the king, who very willingly offered him battle: add to

this, that Welleta Yasous was not acquainted how near this junction

of Kefla Yasous with Ras Michael might be, nor where Fasil was, or

whether or not he had been beaten. Woldo pretended to know nothing of

the spy whom we had left hanging on the tree at the ford when Kefla

Yasous marched; but he laid all the blame upon the priests, of whose

information he was perfectly instructed.

At three quarters after ten in the morning we passed the small river

Aroossi, which either gives its name to, or receives it from the

district through which it passes: it falls into the Nile about four

miles below; is a clear, small, brisk stream; its banks covered with

verdure not to be described. At half an hour before noon we came to

Roo; it is a level space, shaded round with trees in a small plain,

where the neighbouring people of Goutto, Agow, and Maitsha hold a

market for hides, honey, butter, and all kinds of cattle. Gold too is

brought by the Agows from the neighbouring Shangalla; all the markets

in Abyssinia are held in such places as this in the open fields, and

under the shade of trees: every body, while he is there, is safe under

the protection of the government where that market is kept, and no

feuds or private animosities must be resented there; but they that have

enemies must take care of themselves in coming and going, for then they

are at their own risk.

In the dry bed of a river, at the foot of a small wood before you

ascend the market-place at Roo, we found the _Lamb_, our friend the

_Jumper’s_ brother, concealed very much like a thief in a hole, where

we might easily have passed him unnoticed; we gave him some tobacco, of

which he was very fond, and a few trifles. We asked him what questions

we pleased about the roads, which he answered plainly, shortly, and

discreetly; he assured us no Maitsha people had passed, not even to the

market, and this we found afterwards was strictly true; for such as had

intelligence that he and his party were on that road, did not venture

from home with their goods, so that the day before, which had been that

of the market, no one chose to run the risk of attending it.

Woldo was very eloquent in praise of this officer the _Lamb_; he said

he had a great deal more humanity than his brother, and when he made

an inroad into Gojam, or any part of Abyssinia, he never murdered any

women, not even those that were with child; a contrary custom it seems

prevailing among all the Galla. I congratulated him upon this great

instance of his humanity, which he took very gravely, as if really

intended; he told me that it was he that attacked Michael’s horse at

Limjour; and added, that, had it been any other, Ayto Welleta Michael’s

life would not have been spared when he was taken prisoner. That want

of curiosity, inattention, and absolute indifference for new objects,

which was remarkable in the Jumper, was very plainly discernible in

this chieftain likewise, and seems to be a characteristic of the nation.

I asked Woldo what became of those 44 Galla who had their eyes pulled

out, after the battle of Fagitta, by Michael, on his return to Gondar.

Not one of them, said he, ever came into his own country. It was

reported the hyæna ate them upon the Angrab, where they were turned

out to starve. I saved three of them, said I. Yes, answered he, and

others might have been saved too: and then added, in a low voice, the

hyænas eating them at the Angrab was a story contrived for the Galla;

but we that are Fasil’s servants know they were made away with by

his order in Maitsha and the Agow country, that none of them might

be seen in their own provinces to terrify the rest of their clans

by the mangled appearance they then bore; for this was Ras Michael’s

intention in disfiguring them, and yet leaving them alive; to prevent

therefore the success of this scheme, Fasil put them to death in their

way before they reached their own country. I confess I was struck at

the finesse which completed Waragna Fasil’s character in my mind.

What, said I, kill his own people taken prisoners whilst fighting for

him, merely because their enemies had cruelly deprived them of their

sight! indeed, Woldo, that is not credible. O ho, says he, but it is

true; your Galla are not like other men, they do not talk about what is

cruel and what is not; they do just what is for their own good, what

is reasonable, and think no more of the matter. Ras Michael, says he,

would make an excellent Galla; and do not you believe that he would do

any cruel action which my master Fasil would not perpetrate on the same

provocation, and to answer the same purpose?

It now occurred to me why the three Galla, whom I had maintained at

Gondar, had constantly refused to return into their own country with

the many safe opportunities which at times had presented to them,

especially since the king’s retreat to Tigré; neither had I observed

any desire in Fasil’s servants, who occasionally came to Gondar, of

helping to restore these unfortunate men to their country, because they

knew the fate that awaited them.

Although the _Lamb_, and the other Galla his soldiers, paid very little

attention, as I have said, to us, it was remarkable to see the respect

they shewed Fasil’s horse; the greatest part of them, one by one, gave

him handfuls of barley, and the _Lamb_ himself had a long and serious

conversation with him; Woldo told me it was all spent in regretting

the horse’s ill-fortune, and Fasil’s cruelty, in having bestowed him

upon a white man, who would not feed him, or ever let him return to

Bizamo. Bizamo is a country of Galla south of the Nile, after it makes

its southmost turn, and has surrounded the kingdom of Gojam. I was

better pleased with this genuine mark of kindness to the horse, than

all the proofs of humanity Woldo had attributed to his chieftain for

not frequently putting to death pregnant women. When I remarked this,

Bad men! bad men! all of them, says Woldo; but your Ras Michael will be

among them one of these days, and pull all their eyes out again; and so

much the better.

At Roo we left the direct road which leads to Buré, the residence of

the governor of Damot, towards which place the route of the army was

directed; so I took leave, as I hoped, for ever of my brethren the

Galla, but still continued to drive the horse before me. We turned

our face now directly upon the fountains of the Nile, which lay S. E.

by S. according to the compass. At a quarter before noon we saw the

high sharp-pointed mountain of Temhua, standing single in the form of

a cone, at about 18 miles distance, and behind this the mountain of

Banja, the place where Fasil almost exterminated the Agows in a battle

soon after his return to Buré, and to revenge which the king’s last

fatal campaign was undertaken in Maitsha, terminated by his retreat to

Tigrè.

Here Strates, whilst amusing himself in the wood in search of new

birds and beasts for our collection of natural history, fired his gun

at one of the former, distinguished by the beauty and variety of its

plumage. I stopt to make a rough sketch of it, which might be finished

at more leisure: this was scarcely done, and we again moving forwards

on our journey, when we heard a confusion of shrill, barbarous cries,

and presently saw a number of horsemen pouring down upon us, with

their lances lifted up in a posture ready to attack us immediately.

The ground was woody and uneven, so they could not make the speed

they seemed to desire, and we had just time to put ourselves upon our

defence with our firelocks, musquets, and blunderbusses in our hands,

behind our baggage. Woldo ran several paces towards them, knowing them

by the cry to be friends, even before he had seen them, which was,

Fasil ali, Fasil ali--_there is none but Fasil that commands here_.

Upon seeing us without any marks of discomposure, they all stopt with

Woldo, and by him we learned that this was the party we had passed

commanded by the _Lamb_, who, after we had left him, had heard that

five Agow horsemen had passed between the army and his party, and from

the shot he had feared they might have attempted something against us,

and he had thereupon come to our assistance with all the speed possible.

Thus did we see that this man, who, according to our ideas, seemed

in understanding inferior to most of the brute creation, had yet, in

executing his orders, a discernment, punctuality, activity, and sense

of duty, equal to any Christian officer who should have had a like

commission; he now appeared to us in a quite different light than when

we first had met him; and his inattention, when we were with him,

was the more agreeable, as it left us at our entire liberty, without

teazing or molesting us, when he could be of no real service, as every

Amharic soldier would have done. On the other hand, his alacrity and

resolution, in the moment he thought us in danger, exhibited him to

our view as having on both occasions just the qualities we could have

desired. We now, therefore, shewed him the utmost civility, spread a

table-cloth on the ground by the brook, mixed our honey and liquid

butter together in a plate, and laid plenty of teff bread beside it.

We invited the Lamb to sit down and breakfast with us, which he did,

each of us dipping our hand with pieces of bread alternately into the

dish which contained the honey; but Strates, whose heart was open, for

he felt very gratefully the Lamb’s attention to save him from being

murdered by the Agows, pulled out a large piece of raw beef, part of

the bullock we killed at Kelti, which he had perfectly cleared from all

incumbrance of bones, this he gave to the Lamb, desiring him to divide

it among his men, which he did, keeping a very small proportion to

himself, and which he ate before us. Drink we had none, but the water

of the brook that ran by, for my people had finished all our other

liquors at Kelti after I was in bed, when they were taking their leave

of Guebra Mariam, Ozoro Esther’s servant.

It was now time to pursue our journey; and, to shew our gratitude

for the real service this Lamb intended to have rendered us, I gave

him four times the quantity of tobacco he had got before, and so in

proportion of every other trifle; all these he took with absolute

indifference as formerly, much as if it had been all his own; he

expressed no sort of thanks either in his words or in his countenance;

only while at breakfast said, that he was very much grieved that it

had been but a false alarm, for he heartily desired that some robbers

really had attacked us, that he might have shewn us how quickly and

dexterously he would have cut them to pieces though there had been a

hundred of them. I mentioned to Woldo my obligations to the Lamb for

his good wishes, but that things were quite as well as they were;

that I had no sort of curiosity for such exhibitions, which I did not

however doubt he would have performed most dexterously.

We were now taking leave to proceed on our journey, and my servant

folding up the table-cloth, when the Lamb desired to speak to Woldo,

and for the first time ventured to make a request, which was a very

extraordinary one; he begged that I would give him the table-cloth

to cover his head, and keep his face from the sun. I could not help

laughing within myself at the idea of preserving that beautiful

complexion from sun-burning; but I gave him the cloth very readily,

which he accordingly spread upon his head, till it covered half his

face; he then got upon his horse and rode quietly away. Before he went,

he detached fifteen men, Woldo said he did not know where, but by

what he had gathered, and the route they had taken, he was sure that

detachment was meant for our service, and to protect us on the right

of our route, not having yet sufficiently quieted his own mind about

the five Agows that passed between the army and his post the night we

were at Kelti; these, however, being poorly mounted and armed, would

not have found their account in meddling with us, though we had no

wishes to shew our dexterity in destroying them, as our friend the Lamb

was so desirous of doing, and we after discovered they were not quite

so despicable as they were represented, nor were they Agows. All this

passed in much less time than it is told. We were on horseback again in

little more than half an hour; our friends were, like us, willing to

meet and willing to part, only I ordered Strates to suspend his firing

for that day, lest it should procure us another interview, which we by

no means courted.

We had halted by the side of a small river which falls into the Assar;

and a little before one o’clock we came to the Assar itself. The Assar,

as I have already said, is the southern boundary of Aroossi, as Kelti

is the northern; and as Aroossi is the southern district of Maitsha on

the west side of the Nile, it follows that the Assar is the southern

boundary of Maitsha.

On the other side of this river begins the province of Goutto, which,

according to the ancient rules of government before Ras Michael

destroyed all distinctions, depended on the province of Damot;

whereas Maitsha belonged to the office of Betwudet since Fasil had

appropriated both to himself by force, as well as the whole country

of the Agows, which he had possessed by the same title ever since the

battle of Banja: the inhabitants of Goutto are the ancient natives of

that country; they are not Galla as those of Maitsha, but much more

civilized and better governed. The language of the Agow and the Amharic

are the two chiefly spoken in Goutto, though there are distant places

towards the Jemma on the side of the Nile, where they speak that of the

Falasha likewise. The people in Goutto are richer and better lodged

than those of the neighbouring Maitsha; their whole country is full

of cattle of the largest size, exceedingly beautiful, and of all the

different colours; there are some places likewise where their honey is

excellent, equal to any in the country of the Agows, but the greatest

quantity of it is of low price and of little esteem, owing to the

lupine flowers on which the bees feed, and of which a great quantity

covers the whole face of the country; this gives a bitterness to the

greatest part of the honey, and occasions, as they believe, vertigo’s,

or dizzinesses, to those that eat it: the same would happen with the

Agows, did they not take care to eradicate the lupines throughout their

whole country.

All this little territory of Aroossi is by much the most pleasant that

we had seen in Abyssinia, perhaps it is equal to any thing the east

can produce; the whole is finely shaded with acacia-trees, I mean the

acacia vera, or the Egyptian thorn, the tree which, in the sultry

parts of Africa, produces the gum-arabic. These trees grow seldom

above fifteen or sixteen feet high, then flatten and spread wide at

the top, and touch each other, while the trunks are far asunder, and

under a vertical sun, leave you, many miles together, a free space to

walk in a cool, delicious shade. There is scarce any tree but this in

Maitsha; all Guanguera and Wainadega are full of them; but in these

last-mentioned places, near the capital, where the country grows

narrower, being confined between the lake and the mountains, these

trees are more in the way of the march of armies, and are thinner, as

being constantly cut down for fuel, and never replanted, or suffered to

replace themselves, which they otherwise would do, and cover the whole

face of the country, as once apparently they did. The ground below

those trees, all throughout Aroossi, is thick covered with lupines,

almost to the exclusion of every other flower; wild oats also grow up

here spontaneously to a prodigious height and size, capable often of

concealing both the horse and his rider, and some of the stalks being

little less than an inch in circumference. They have, when ripe, the

appearance of small canes. The inhabitants make no sort of use of this

grain in any period of its growth: the uppermost thin hulk of it is

beautifully variegated with a changeable purple colour; the taste is

perfectly good. I often made the meal into cakes in remembrance of

Scotland.

The Abyssinians never could relish these cakes, which they said were

bitter, and burnt their stomachs, as also made them thirsty. I do,

however, believe this is the oat in its original state, and that it

is degenerated everywhere with us. The soil of this country is a fine

black mould, in appearance like to that which composes our gardens.

The oat seems to delight in a moist, watery soil; and, as no underwood

grows under the shadow of the trees, the plough passes without

interruption. As there is likewise no iron in their plough, (for is it

all composed of wood) the furrow is a very slight one, nor does the

plough reach deep enough to be entangled with the roots of trees; but

it is the north part of Maitsha, however, that is chiefly in culture;

south of the Kelti all is pasture; a large number of horses is bred

here yearly, for it is the custom among the Galla to be all horsemen or

graziers.

All Aroossi is finely watered with small streams, though the Assar is

the largest river we had seen except the Nile; it was about 170 yards

broad and two feet deep, running over a bed of large stones; though

generally through a flat and level country, it is very rapid, and after

much rain scarcely passable, owing to the height of its source in the

mountains of the Agows; its course, where we forded it, is from south

to north, but it soon turns to the north-east, and, after flowing five

or six miles, joins the Nile and loses itself in that river.

Immediately below this ford of the Assar is a magnificent cascade, or

cataract. I computed the perpendicular height of the fall to be above

20 feet, and the breadth of the stream to be something more than 80;

but it is so closely covered with trees or bushes, and the ground so

uneven, that it needs great perseverance and attention to approach it

nearly with safety; the stream covers the rock without leaving any part

of it visible, and the whole river falls uninterrupted down with an

incredible violence and noise, without being anyway broken or divided;

below this cataract it becomes considerably narrower, and, as we have

said, in this state runs on to join the Nile.

The strength of vegetation which the moisture of this river produces,

supported by the action of a very warm sun, is such as one might

naturally expect from theory, though we cannot help being surprised at

the effects when we see them before us, trees and shrubs covered with

flowers of every colour, all new and extraordinary in their shapes,

crowded with birds of many uncouth forms, all of them richly adorned

with variety of plumage, and seeming to fix their residence upon the

banks of this river, without a desire of wandering to any distance

in the neighbouring fields: But as there is nothing, though ever so

beautiful, that has not some defect or imperfection, among all these

feathered beauties there is not one songster; and, unless of the rose,

or jessamin kind, none of their flowers have any smell; we hear indeed

many squalling noisy birds of the jay kind, and we find two varieties

of wild roses, white and yellow, to which I may add jessamin (called

Leham) which becomes a large tree; but all the rest of the birds or

flowers may be considered as liable to the general observation, that

the flowers are destitute of odour, and the birds of song.

After passing the Assar, and several villages belonging to Goutto, our

course being S. E. we had, for the first time, a distinct view of the

high mountain of Geesh, the long-wished-for end of our dangerous and

troublesome journey. Under this mountain are the fountains of the Nile;

it bore from us S. E. by S. about thirty miles, as near as we could

conjecture, in a straight line, without counting the deviations or

crookedness of the road.

Ever since we had passed the Assar we had been descending gently

through very uneven ground, covered thick with trees, and torn up by

the gullies and courses of torrents. At two o’clock in the afternoon of

the second of November we came to the banks of the Nile; the passage

is very difficult and dangerous, the bottom being full of holes made

by considerable springs, light sinking sand, and, at every little

distance, large rocky stones; the eastern side was muddy and full of

pits, the ground of clay: the Nile here is about 260 feet broad, and

very rapid; its depth about four feet in the middle of the river, and

the sides not above two. Its banks are of a very gentle, easy descent;

the western side is chiefly ornamented with high trees of the salix, or

willow tribe, growing straight, without joints or knots, and bearing

long pointed pods full of a kind of cotton. This tree is called, in

their language, Ha; the use they have for it is to make charcoal for

the composition of gunpowder; but on the eastern side, the banks, to a

considerable distance from the river, are covered with black, dark,

and thick groves, with craggy-pointed rocks, and overshaded with some

old, tall, timber trees going to decay with age; a very rude and awful

face of nature, a cover from which our fancy suggested a lion should

issue, or some animal or monster yet more savage and ferocious.

The veneration still paid in this country for the Nile, such as

obtained in antiquity, extends to the territory of Goutto, and I

believe very little farther; the reason is, I apprehend, that to this,

and no lower, the country has remained under its ancient inhabitants.

Below, we know Maitsha has been occupied within these few ages by Pagan

Galla, transplanted here for political purposes; at Goutto, however,

and in the provinces of the Agows, the genuine indigenæ have not

emigrated, and with these the old superstition is more firmly rooted

in their hearts than is the more recent doctrine of Christianity; they

crowded to us at the ford, and they were, after some struggle, of great

use in passing us, but they protested immediately with great vehemence

against any man’s riding across the stream, mounted either upon horse

or mule: they, without any sort of ceremony, unloaded our mules, and

laid our baggage upon the grass, insisting that we should take off our

shoes, and making an appearance of stoning those who attempted to wash

the dirt off their cloaks and trowsers in the stream. My servants were

by this provoked to return rudeness for rudeness, and Woldo gave them

two or three significant threats, while I sat by exceedingly happy

at having so unexpectedly found the remnants of veneration for that

ancient deity still subsisting in such full vigour. They after this

allowed us, as well as our horses and mules, to drink, and conducted me

across the river, holding me on each side very attentively for fear

of the holes; but the want of shoes was very inconvenient, the pointed

rocks and stones at the bottom giving me several deep cuts on the soles

of my feet; after this the beasts were led all to the same side with

myself, also one servant was passed with the greatest care by these

poor people. Woldo had tipt me the wink to cross as they desired me:

except my single gun, all the fire-arms and servants remained with the

baggage and Woldo; and now we soon saw what was his intention, and how

well he understood that the country he was in belonged to Fasil his

master.

There were between twenty and thirty of the Agows, old and young, some

of them armed with lances and shields, and all of them with knives.

Woldo took his small stick in one hand, sat down upon a green hillock

by the ford with his lighted pipe in the other; he ranged my people

behind him, leaving the baggage by itself, and began gravely to exhort

the Agows to lose no time in carrying over our baggage upon their

shoulders. This proposal was treated with a kind of ridicule by the

foremost of the Agows, and they began plainly to insinuate that he

should first settle with them a price for their trouble. He continued,

however, smoaking his pipe in seeming leisure, and much at his ease,

and, putting on an air of great wisdom, in a tone of moderation he

appealed to them whether they had not of their own accord insisted on

our crossing the river on foot, had unloaded our baggage, and sent the

mules to the other side without our consent. The poor people candidly

declared that they had done so, because none are permitted in any

other manner to cross the Nile, but that they would likewise carry our

baggage safely and willingly over for pay; this word was no sooner

uttered, when, apparently in a most violent passion, he leapt up, laid

by his pipe, took his stick, and ran into the midst of them, crying

out with violent execrations, And who am I? and who am I then? a girl,

a woman, or a Pagan dog like yourselves? and who is Waragna Fasil;

are you not his slaves? or to whom else do you belong, that you are

to make me pay for the consequences of your devilish idolatries and

superstitions? but you want payment, do ye? here is your payment: he

then tuckt his clothes tight about his girdle, began leaping two or

three feet high, and laying about him with his stick over their heads

and faces, or wherever he could strike them.

After this Woldo wrested a lance from a long, aukward fellow that was

next him, standing amazed, and levelled the point at him in a manner

that I thought to see the poor peasant fall dead in an instant: the

fellow fled in a trice, so did they all to a man; and no wonder, for in

my life I never saw any one play the furious devil so naturally. Upon

the man’s running off, he cried out to my people to give him a gun,

which made these poor wretches run faster and hide themselves among the

bushes: lucky, indeed, was it for Woldo that my servants did not put

him to the trial, by giving him the gun as he demanded, for he would

not have ventured to fire it, perhaps to have touched it, if it had

been to have made him master of the province.

I, who sat a spectator on the other side, thought we were now in a

fine scrape, the evening coming on at a time of the year when it is

not light at six, my baggage and servants on one side of the river,

myself and beasts on the other, crippled absolutely in the feet by

the stones, and the river so full of pits and holes, that, had they

been all laden on the other side and ready, no one could have been bold

enough to lead a beast through without a guide: the difficulty was

not imaginary, I had myself an instant before made proof of it, and

all difficulties are relative, greater or less, as you have means in

your hands to overcome them. I was clearly satisfied that Woldo knew

the country, and was provided with a remedy for all this; I conceived

that this pacific behaviour, while they were unloading the mules, and

driving them across the river, as well as his fury afterwards, was part

of some scheme, with which I was resolved in no shape to interfere;

and nothing convinced me more of this than his resolute demand of a

gun, when no persuasion could make him stay within ten yards of one

if it was discharged, even though the muzzle was pointed a contrary

direction. I sat still, therefore, to see the end, and it was with some

surprise that I observed him to take his pipe, stick, and my servants

along with him, and cross the river to me as if nothing had happened,

leaving the baggage on the other side, without any guard whatsoever;

he then desired us all to get on horseback, and drive the mules before

us, which we did accordingly; and I suppose we had not advanced about

a hundred yards before we saw a greater number of people than formerly

run down to where our baggage was lying, and, while one crossed the

river to desire us to stay where we were, the rest brought the whole

over in an instant.

This, however, did not satisfy our guide; he put on a sulky air, as if

he had been grievously injured; he kept the mules where they were, and

would not send one back to be loaded at the river-side, alledging it

was unlucky to turn back upon a journey; he made them again take the

baggage on their shoulders, and carry it to the very place where our

mules had halted, and there lay it down. On this they all flocked about

him, begging that he would not report them to his master, as fearing

some fine, or heavy chastisement, would fall upon their villages. The

guide looked very sulky, said but very little, and that all in praise

of himself, of his known mildness and moderation; as an instance of

which he appealed (impudently enough) to his late behaviour towards

them. If such a one, says he, naming a man that they knew, had been in

my place, what a fine reckoning he would have made with you; why, your

punishment would not have ended in seven years. They all acknowledged

the truth of his observation, as well as his moderation, gave him great

commendations, and, I believe, some promises when he passed there on

his return.

Here I thought our affair happily ended to the satisfaction of all

parties. I mounted my horse, and Woldo went to a large silk bag, or

purse, which I had given him full of tobacco, and he had his match and

pipe in his hand, just as if he was going to fill it before he set

out; he then unloosed the bag, felt it on the outside, putting first

his three fingers, then his whole hand, pinching and squeezing it both

withinside and without; at last he broke out in a violent transport of

rage, crying that _his gold_ was gone, and that they had robbed him of

it. I had not till this spoke one word: I asked him what he meant by

his gold. He said he had two ounces (value about 5l.) in his tobacco

purse, and that some person had laid hold of them when the baggage

lay on the other side of the water; that the Agows had done it, and

that they must pay him for it. The despair and anguish that he had

counterfeited quickly appeared in true and genuine colours in the faces

of all the poor Agows; for his part, he disdained to speak but in

monosyllables--So, so, and very well, and no matter, you shall see--and

shook his head. We now proceeded on our journey; but two of the eldest

among the Agows followed him to our quarters at night, where they made

their peace with Woldo, who, I doubt not, dealt with them according to

his usual mildness, justice, and moderation; a specimen of which we

have already seen.