SFOR T nV ABYSSINIA. 1 1 3 



for the " tej " and beer they had been drinking, as 

 they boasted and were very impudent. At last they 

 got a little too "cheeky," saying, "You are a Rass " 

 (which means a lord, in Abyssinia), " and ought to 

 know better than let your servants do this." This 

 rather annoyed me, so I jumped across the stream, 

 snatched one of the sticks out of their hands, and gave 

 them two or three cuts across the back, as hard as I 

 could, and told the interpreter to tell them that was 

 the way a Rass was accustomed to treat people 

 who were impudent ; so they went away rather 

 frightened, amid the jeers of the servants and coolies. 

 My readers may think this was rather a summary 

 proceeding, especially as our servants had been 

 robbing the people of their bread ; but it is a thing 

 always taken for granted, as people are supposed 

 to be hungry when they are travelling, and those 

 that were robbed took it as a very good joke, 

 and laughed and chaffed, especially when they were 

 searched and found to have no victuals of any 

 description concealed on their persons. My grey 

 mule, which K. gave me at Gindar, had a sore back, 

 and I was afraid he would only just be able to take 

 me into Adiaboo, where I should have to give him u[) 

 and get another. 



