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 and on its being placed nearly in the centre of the room, eager expectation sat on the countenances of all who were present.

At length the match was brought and the fuse lighted, when such a deluge of sparks and fire balls were almost instantaneously showered down upon us, that its effects struck the whole party with consternation. Several of the chiefs cried out, that "the destruction had come upon them which they had expected to ensue from our arrival in the country;" others, more alarmed, crept under the couches; and some ran, frightened and screaming, into the corners of the room: while the Ras and a few only of the more resolute kept quietly on their seats. At the instant that I perceived the confusion which was likely to be produced by this exhibition, I jumped from my couch, stood immediately before the Ras, and, with open arms, kept off the sparks of fire that fell towards him; assuring him, most solemnly, at the same time, that no danger could be apprehended. His natural courage was strongly displayed on this occasion; for he sat perfectly collected, smiling at the alarm of his followers, and, though several of their garments afterwards caught fire and the uproar continued to increase, did not evince the slightest agitation. Fortunately, his own dress was one of the few that escaped unsinged, which was considered as a good omen, especially as that of Kasimaj Yasous, the King's brother, did not meet with the same good fortune. At length, to my great relief, the shower of sparks began to abate, and when it had all subsided, the face of things took a different turn; the Ras expressing himself greatly delighted with the exhibition, turning the whole affair into ridicule, and rallying most unmercifully those chiefs who had expressed their fears on the occasion; though he afterwards observed, apart to me, "that for the future it would be better to exhibit these things when we were by ourselves." In this manner the affair terminated, which, though it appeared likely to have taken a serious turn in the first instance, was nevertheless mixed with such a portion of the ridiculous, as afterwards to afford our party a constant subject of merriment, and a celebrated jester at the Ras's court subsequently worked it up into a very amusing representation.