that tlie Abyffinians w h o . pafled had informed them, that,
at a certain pafs, called Dav-Dohha, which we ihould arrive
at next day, above a thoufand men, Chriftians, Pagans, and
Mahometans, all armed, were waiting for us, refolve.d to
cut us to pieces rather than let us pafs : that the Shangalla
were expected to burn Tcherkin, and Ayto Confu’s houfe ;
and that hi's Billetana Gueta, Ammonios, had come with
a multitude o f mules to carry away all that was valuable
in it. He added, moreover, that Abba Gimbaro, chie f o f
Saneaho, was fent for by Ay.to Confu, and entrufted with
the defence o f Tcherkin Amba, the hill upon which Ayto
Confu’s houfe is fituated. He then called the Mahometan
who fpoke to me, to.witnefs the truth-of all this, which he
did with repeated oaths ; and concluded, that nothing res-
mained for us but to return to Gondar. They all, in anxious
expe&ation, awaited- my refôlution. One o f the fer-
vants faid, that, by going our o f the way about h a lf a day,
we could avoid the pafs o f Dav-Dohha altogether. , I told
them, this was neither a time nor place for deliberation ;
that we Ihould make the beft o f our way to Waalia,.where,
we were to fleep that n ight; as that was a town where there
was a market, and people came from every part, w e ihould
there hear news, after which I promifed to tell them my.
opinion. We accordingly fet-opt for Waalia, and at h a lf
paft four in the. afternoon encamped in the-market-place-.,
W a a l i A-is a colle&ion ofvillag es, each placed upon the top
o f a hill, and inclofing, as in a circle, an extenfiye flat piece.
®f ground about three miles over, on w hich awery well-free
quented market is kept. The name is given it, from a fper
c ie so f fmall pigeons*; with yellow breafts and variegated
backs,
* S e e the article W aalia in the Appendix».
hacks, the fattèft and beft o f all the pigeon kind. Waalia
lies due N. W. from Gondar.
H a v i n g finiflied our dinner, or rather fupper, about feven,
for we made but one meal a-day, after taking care o f our
beafts, we entered into confultation what was next to be
done. I told them, the firft ftep we were to take was to fend
and call, thé Shùm o f one o f the villages, and after him another,
and if, knowing me to be the k in g ’s ftrangér, feeing
the fmallnefs'of our number, and being informed that we
were going to Tcherkin, to the hoüfe o f Ayto Gonfu, their
matter, they did not tell us there were dangers on the road,-
we might be fure the intelligence we had received was
void o f foundation. “ Sir, fays one o f the ftrangers that drove
the afles, it is a lie. No man but A yto Confu, not even-Ayto
Confu himfelf, could raife 500 men in this country ; no
not even 300, Pagans, Mahometans, and Chriftians altogether.
Where is he to get his Pagans ?, unlefs he means his own
Chriftian fort, who, indeed, are more Pagans than any thing
elfe; and capable o f every mifchief ; but there is not a Mahometan
on this road that does not know who you are, and
that you was Yafirie’s matter, and gave h im Ras el Feel. Stay
here but a few. days till I fend to Ras el Feel, and to Tcherkin,
and i f you do not.take the houfes and wives, and all that
thefe five hundred men have in the world from them; with
the helpyou may find atWaalia, fpit.upon me for a liar, ormÿ
name is not Abdullah.” “ Abdullah, faid I, you are a fenfi-
ble fellow, though I did not know you was fo well acquainted
with me, nor do I with that you fpeak o f me in
that manner publickly. But what convinces me o f the
truth o f what you fay is, that the man on foot had no more
time but to fay to me, in Arabic, while palhng, that his com-
N n 2 panioh