A y t o C o n f u ’ s fervants, who heard this mefiage delivered,
and who were as deiirous o f getting over this journey
to Ras el Feel as I was, adviied me to go with him up the
h ill to the town, and expoftulate with the Erbab, who, he
faid, would be afljamed to refufe. Accordingly, I armed
myfelf with a pair o f piftols at my girdle, with a fufil and
bayonet in my hand ; and took with me two fervants with
their piftols alfo, each carrying a large fhip-blunderbufs.
We mounted the h ill with great difficulty, being feveral
times obliged to pull up one another by the hands, and entered
into a large room about fifty feet long. It was all
h u n g round with elephants heads and trunks, with Ikele-
tons o f the heads o f fome rhinocerofes, and o f monftrous
hippopotami, as alfo feveral heads o f the giraffa. Some
large lion ikins were thrown on feveral parts o f the room,
like carpets ; and Gimbaro flood upright at one end: o f it,
naked, only a fmall cloth about his middle; the largeft
man I ever remembered to have feen, perfedlly black, flat-
nofed, thick-lipped, and woolly-headed; and feemed to be
a perfeit picture o f thofe Cannibal giants which we read o f
as inhabiting enchanted caftles in fairy tales.
He did not feem to take notice at my firft entering the
room, nor till I was very near him. He then came auk-
wardly forward, bowing, endeavouring to kifs my hand,
which I withdrew from him, and faid in a firm voice, “ -I
apprehend, Sir, you do not know me.” He bowed and faid
he did, but did not conceive, at the time, it was me that encamped
at the brook. “ You did know, Sir, when you fent
your fon with Yafine’s fervant, and you know that you ,are
confiderably in my debt. Befides, ,if you had any gratitude,
•you would remember the arrears I remitted you, and the prefents
fents I made you when at Serbraxos, even though you mif-
feehaved there. Your mefiage to me while below at the'river
was the language o f a rebel. Are you w illin g to be
declared in rebellion?” He faid, “ By 'no means ; he had
always been a faithful fervant to Ayto Confu, Ras Michael',
and the king, and had come to Serbraxos upon receiving the
firft order, and would obey whatever I ffioukf command.”
“ Then pay me the meery you owe me, and begirt firft by.
bringing two camels.” “ He faid, he never refufed the camels,
and the mefiage he fent was but in fport.” “ And was
it fport too, Sir, faid % when* you faid you would fend me
the fleih o f elephants to eat? Did you ever know a Chriftian
eat any fort o f fleih that a Mahometan killed ?” He anfwer-
edj.No and begging my pardon, promifed he would fend
me bread and honey, and the camels ffiould be ready in the:
morning.” They muft be ready to-night; faid I, and before^
night too; for I.am to difpatch a fervant this evening to Ay-
to Confu to complain o f your behaviour, as I do not k n o w
what you may meditate againft. us in our way to Ras e l’
Feel.” He begged now, in the moft earneft manner, I would
not complain ; and faid, he would have all his fpifesout to-
the eaftward; that not a Shangalla fhould pafs to moleft us,,
without our; being informed o f them; Some o f his principal
people now interfering* I confehted to forget and fo r give
what had paffed. We then ate bread, and dran k beer,,
to fliow the réconciliation was fincere, and fo the affair-
ended:.
A b o u t f i x in the evening came two ftrong camels, and!
about thirty, loaves o f bread made o f Dora; two large w h e a t
loaves for me, as alfo a jar o f w ild honey* o f excellent flavour,
and with thefe a. prefent to Ayto. Gonfu’s fervant.
4v Om