Ras Michael, on the contrary ¿-believed that it had been taken
out hy Petros with a view to fell it, and for this.reafon he had
eonftantly refufed him liberty to leave Abyffinia, and had
kept him always in fear that fome day or other he would
ftrip him o f all that he had faved. While Michael was be-
fieging the mountain Haramat, Petros befeeched me to tak e
L. 300 o f him, and give him my firft, fécond, and third bill o f
exchange upon Meffrs Julian and Rofa, my correfpondents
at Cairo, payable a month after fight, to the Maronite Bi-
fliop o f Mount Sinai, after which he fet out for his own
country, in Jormâ pauperis, and thereby efcaped the rapacity o f
both Ras Michael and the Naybe ofMafoah. As for the bill,
it came duly to hand, and was paid to the bifliop, who would
very fain have received for each o f the duplicates, and was
near being baftinado’d for infilling upon this before the Bey
at Cairo.
A B i l l drawn from Gondar is a- very great curibfity when
arrived in London ; it fliould be now upon the file in the
fhop o f my very worthy and honourable friends the Meflrs
Drummond and Company at Charing-Crofs. It was the only
piece o f writing, o f any kind which found its way to its
intended, deftination, though many had been written by me
on different occafions which prefented for Arabia ; fo that
I w ill recommend to all travellers, for the future, to tack bills
o f exchange to their letters o f greateft confequence, as a fore
method o f preventing their mifcarriage.
I h a d made a ihew, and with fome degree o f oftentation,
o f fending my gold chain to Cairo by the hands o f Metical
Aga’s fervant, declaring always that it was the only piece o f
Abyflinian gold I ihould carry out o f the country, which I
was
was to leave, both in fa f t and appearance, a pauper. Mules
are the only beafts for carriage commonly ufed in Abyffinia,
though bulls and cows, o f a particular kind, are bought for
the purpofe by carriers, merchants, and fuch like, in that
country, efpecially near the mines or quarries o f fa i t ; they
are very flow, however, and capable o f no great burden,
though very eafily maintained. I had abundance o f mules
o f m y own for carrying m y inftruments and baggage^ and'
the k in g and Iteghe fumiffied me with others for my own
riding. I had, befides, two favourite horfes, which I intended
to attempt to carry home, fooliihly enough ; for though 1
thought in my own mind that I was fufficiently informed
of, and prepared for all forts o f hardlhips, I had not forefeen
the hundredth part o f the difficulties and dangers that were
then awaiting me.
On the 6th o f Augufi meilengers came from Fafil, and the
day after from Powufien, Begemder, Gojam, Damot, and
Maitffia, which provinces, b y their deputies, defired that Gu-
Q10 might be fet at liberty. This the k in g agreed to, but
upon condition that the Ras fhouldinftantly pay him 1000
ounces o f gold, and 5,00 mufquets, which, on the other fide,
was as pofitively refufed. Upon this Gulho was put into
clofe confinement, and heavier irons. than b e fo r e a n d ,
what was the moft unjuft, his two fons, who had left their
own country to affift their father in diftrefs, were confined
in chains with him. All thefe violent meafores were attributed
to Ayabdar, Billetana Gueta Tecla, Guebra Mafcal, and
Baffia Hezekias, officers connected with Ras Michael, whom
the k in g had permitted to return from Tigre, and very much
confided in their councils..