“OLD KING. COLE” —AT ARGASSA. 251 
the Aseba, Abal Gal Gallo by name, who visited me here, 
I never saw. A regular King Cole was he, fat and jolly, 
and continually cracking jokes. It took an extraordinarily 
stout donkey to carry him, while he was supported in his 
saddle by a man on either side. Not content with his 
four hundred pounds of fat, he thought it necessary to 
weigh his body down with huge brass rings, — some of his 
bracelets alone weighing a pound apiece. His son, a 
youth of about sixteen, accompanied him, as well as sev- 
eral chiefs, bringing presents of milk and honey. Besides 
the ordinary cloak and short trousers, some of the Aseba 
wore turbans, also made in Amara and Konso. These 
were good specimens of native manufacture, made of 
cotton, with a blue-and-black stripe woven across. Four 
oxen had not yet been returned to us, so I decided to wait 
at Argassa a few days, as Abal Gal Gallo assured me that 
Abofilato would not only return me an equivalent of 
everything that was lost, but would also send me a hand- 
some present. The old chief did all he could to enter- 
tain us, sending many gallons of milk to the camp every 
morning, as well as pots of honey. He even went so 
far as to offer me one of his wives. Three days after 
our arrival at Argassa, Abofilato’s son came to camp, 
bringing with him seven sheep. This youth was about 
seventeen years of age, of enormous size, with a well pro- 
portioned body, and an oval and handsome face without 
the projecting cheek bones of the negro. He said that 
his father had commanded all the villages ahead of us to 
provide us with food and guides, and that if we waited two 
days more he would be able to send us a good present of 
cattle and sheep. On the 18th of April the present came 
in the shape of five oxen and a half dozen sheep; but 
this was very little, considering that four of my oxen had 
not yet been returned. 
