Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/320

 nearly blind; so that it was with some difficulty that he could be brought up, on a mule, into the room in which we were sitting. On being seated, he expressed great anxiety to examine my features, and repeatedly enquired whether I was any relation of Yagoube (Mr. Bruce.) He afterwards conversed with me for some time respecting that traveller, and in almost every particular confirmed the account I have already quoted upon the authority of Dofter Esther. He related in addition, that the Emperor, Tecla Haimanout, never paid much attention to Mr. Bruce, till after "his shooting through a table with a candle," (a fact which I had never before heard mentioned in the country,) when he became a great favourite, and was called "Balomaal." He added, that on a particular occasion, the Emperor took a fancy to his watch, and asked him for it; but that Mr. B. refused, and said abruptly: "is it the custom in this kingdom for a king to beg?" which answer made a great noise throughout the country. Sydee Paulus had been fifty years in Abyssinia. Apostoli had never seen Mr. Bruce, but said he had often conversed with Janni respecting his visit to the country, who had always spoken of him with great respect.

On the 9th of May we left Adowa on an excursion to Axum, probably about twelve miles distant, in a due west direction. The road to this place passes through some fine valleys which intersect several lofty ranges of hills, on one of which, to the right, stands the celebrated church of Hannes; and, within a few miles of Axum, lies an extensive and highly cultivated plain, on the surface of which numerous specimens of different coloured spars and agates were found. The town of Axum itself is very agreeably situated in a corner of the plain sheltered by the adjacent hills. On approaching it, the first object which excites attention is a small plain obelisk, at the foot of a hill, on the right hand, at the top of which stands the monastery of Abba Pantaleon, and immediately opposite is found the large square stone with the inscription in Greek which I had before deciphered. After passing between these, the town and church begin to make their appearance, and, upon inclining a little to the northward, leaving a number of broken pedestals on the left hand, a full view of the large obelisk is presented, standing close