Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/232

 very cloth (belonging to one of his servants,) which had been laid as a covering on his bed; leaving nothing behind but the garments which he wore, and his musket, which he had fortunately placed under his pillow.

Happily, on the same day that this occurred, some of Ras Welled Selassé's soldiers passed through Inchetkaub, who kindly interested themselves in his cause, and immediately set out in pursuit of the fugitives. On the following day the girl was apprehended, and being taken before Ras Gabriel, confessed the whole affair. By this means Mr. Pearce recovered a few of the articles, but the journal, compass and papers were irretrievably lost, owing to her brother having effected his escape, and, in consequence, the lady was compelled, by Ras Gabriel, to forfeit her "alwe," or silver ornaments, worn round the ancles and wrists, which were given to Mr. Pearce's servants, in compensation for the cloth which had been stolen.

This untoward circumstance, together with his illness, removed in a great measure Mr. Pearce's desire of advancing into the country, and as he learnt soon after from some of his Tigré companions, that the Ras Welled Selassé was in danger of being attacked by the Galla, who had advanced, as was reported, to the very neighbourhood of Antálo, he determined at once to return: for, in spite of the treatment he had experienced from the Ras, he still felt a considerable degree of personal attachment to him; and with the true spirit belonging to the followers of a feudal chief, which he had imbibed by a residence in the country, could not bear the idea for a moment of his being overpowered by his enemies. In consequence of this resolution, in December 1807, (the disorder in his eyes having abated,) he took leave of Ras Gabriel, for whom he entertained a great respect, and who, in return, had been so much pleased with his conduct, that he presented him, at parting, with a mule, a quantity of powder and ball, and five wakeas of gold, and sent with him one of his confidential messengers, to speak in his favour to the Ras.

On the 24th he reached Mishekka, where they met with another fall of snow, which lay so thick on the ground that it was with difficulty that they made their