124 PERSONAL NABBATIVE. 



and hail storm came on soon after we arrived, which 

 penetrated through it, and we were obliged to take refuge 

 in an iiiher room covered with mats, — a larger specimen, 

 in fact, of the usual Bedouin beehive. 



Keren Ues at the foot of a fine range called Zeban, 

 consisting of highly granitoid rock. AU the metamor- 

 phics around are more highly crystalline than ustial; and 

 the hills, as usual, in consequence of the peculiar mode 

 of weathering, appear to consist of gigantic rounded 

 blocks piled upon each other. 



We returned next day to Bejuk. Wald Michele, the 

 ruler of Hamazen, had threatened to march upon the Bogos 

 and " eat up " the country, because Rassai, the Prince of 

 Tigrd, had appointed a M. Ren^, a Frenchman in his 

 service, to receive the revenue instead of Wald Michele. 

 Mr. Munzinger wrote to Wald Michele, and induced him 

 to put off hi^ raid, and to refer the matter in dispute to 

 Kassai, as the superior ruler. This was an admirable 

 instance of the influence which Mr. Munzinger has' 

 acquired amongst these people ; an influence which, it is 

 scarcely necessary to say, was of the very greatest impor- 

 tance during the progress of the expedition, and to which 

 indeed no small portion of its success was due.^ 



Although Wald Michele was perfectly friendly to us, 

 we judged that in the event of disturbances it would be 



' I believe it is not too much to say that the march of the army upon 

 Magdala would have been delayed by at least a month but for Mr. Munzinger's 

 assistance. It will scarcely be credited that the only recompense made to 

 that gentleman for his services has been the abolition of the consulate at 

 Massowa, and his consequent dismissal from the'' British service, with a 

 formal letter of thanks from the British Consul in Egypt. 



