LAST VISIT TO THE WALLASMAH. 45 



full speed along the tortuous, but easy sloping 

 descent across the market-place and up the low 

 bank to my residence, shouting as they came, 

 " Ahkeem, ahkeem," to give me notice of their 

 approach. On entering, four or five of them, with 

 their usual impetuosity, would extend their hands 

 for the sliding contact with the palm of mine, at 

 the same time calling out together the oft-repeated 

 expression, " jNTegarsee," or " Myhisee," which re- 

 spectively characterizes the evening or morning 

 salutation. 



It was after sunset of the last day we were 

 at Farree, before the Wallasmah sent for us to 

 communicate the pleasure of the King, or Negoos, 

 as I shall call him for the future. We were 

 ordered to proceed to Angolahlah ; and whilst we 

 were talking, our mules were brought up and 

 delivered over to Mr. Scott's servants, that we 

 might start as early as we pleased the next morning. 

 The Wallasmah also was ordered to attend at 

 Angolahlah, which was one reason of his having 

 withheld the information of our departure from us 

 until the last moment. The summons which he 

 was obliged to obey did not exactly accord with his 

 wishes, and a two days' journey for an old man of 

 sixty years of age, we admitted was a sufficient 

 reason for the increased ill-temper with which he 

 received the causers of so much trouble when we 

 visited him on the last occasion. I took with me 

 another pound of gunpowder and some more 

 coloured cotton cloth; and these had the good 



