Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/265

 modes, and other warm dishes, made of various grains, mixed up with an immoderate quantity of garlic, which, nevertheless, the guests seemed to devour with a keen and ravenous appetite. This last circumstance could not excite much astonishment, when it was considered that this unconscionably long fast had already lasted upwards of a month, and that the Abyssinians, during its continuance, never touch a morsel of food till after sunset, so that many of the stoutest, at this time, began to look pallid, and to express an anxious desire for its conclusion.

I have before omitted to mention, that at the commencement of Lent, the priest Guebra Mariam, who attended us from Massowa, had proved of great service, owing to his having kindly absolved the whole of our party from the necessity of keeping it, a privilege which it appears the priests of the country are entitled to grant to all persons engaged in travelling, or similar pursuits. Some little difficulty had been experienced in persuading Ayto Debib to accept this indulgence; but, after seeing us eat meat for a few days, his inclination got the better of his scruples; though I subsequently observed, that he was rather ashamed of having complied with our solicitations, when any person of rank spoke to him on the subject; and I believe that the circumstance was carefully concealed from the knowledge of the Ras.

Several of the principal chieftains in the country at this time visited me, particularly Palambarus Toclu, Ayto Guebra Amlac, and Shum Michael, of Temben, which latter appeared likely to possess great weight in the country, in the event of any accident occurring to the Ras. As all these chiefs had sent me presents of cattle on my arrival, I felt it necessary to bestow upon them some trifling gifts in return, with which the seemed highly gratified. The Prince, Kasimaj Yasous, was also constant in his visits, whom I found to be very superior in accomplishments to most of the young men in the country, as he both read and wrote the Geez with unusual facility. The young men attending him, who were all natives of Gondar, appeared likewise to be more careful in their dress, and more polished in their manners, than the inhabitants of Tigré; and indeed I have