Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/130

 of five days. "Allah!" said he, with a look of surprise, "can it be possible!"

This gave rise to a fresh difficulty. "The Ras was at war with a tribe on the road under a chief called Subegadis." This I told him I also knew, and mentioned the particulars of the family quarrels related in my former journey into Abyssinia. My knowledge on this subject seemed to make a considerable impression upon him, and he desisted from making any further attempts to deceive. The subject of presents was next discussed, on which point it requires an uncommon share of patience to listen, even with seeming attention, to this people. A demand for an additional piece of cloth for an attendant, payment for a bullock, which they pretended had been lost on its way to the ship, and many other such miserable subterfuges, succeeding each other for nearly two hours, protracted our coming to any arrangement. At length I had the good fortune to satisfy him with regard to these important matters, and it was finally settled, that, for adequate remuneration, he should do all in his power to promote my views.

To confirm the agreement, I consented, by the advice of Wursum, whom I found to be thoroughly acquainted with the customs of this tribe, to go through a ceremony, said to possess great effect in binding these people to their engagements, which consisted in respectively laying our hands on the Bible and the Koran, and mutually promising a lasting friendship. From this moment Alli Govéta declared, that the Dumhoeta considered themselves and the English as brothers. On his going away we saluted him with three guns, which seemed to afford great satisfaction.

On the 19th I had found it necessary to send the super-cargo of our vessel in Wursum's boat across the sea to Hodeida, for the purpose of procuring an additional supply of coarse cloth, which forms an indispensable article of barter on this coast; but on the 23d, I had the disappointment to see it return without accomplishing the object in view. After leaving us two days, the winds had been found to blow directly contrary to those we experienced; and on attempting to get across the sea from