162 



CHAPTER X. 



Stay with Tinta — Proceed to Ankobar. — Remain for the day at 

 Musculo's house. — Fever. — Abyssinian supper party. — Honey 

 wine. — Importance of salt as an article of food. 



When my " balderabah" Tinta, gave toWalderheros 

 the parchment order for durgo, he also told him, 

 as the tent was insufficient shelter for an invalid, 

 to take me to his house, which was not many yards 

 distant from where I was previously lodged. 



Here we found his mother and sister sitting upon 

 the ground busy spinning cotton. The right thighs 

 of each were completely bare to the hips, for the 

 purpose of rolling swiftly with the palm of the hand, 

 along the smooth surface, the small light reel, winch 

 hung revolving, whilst the hand bearing aloft the 

 light white cloud of cotton, slowly diverged to arms' 

 length, and the other as gradually drew out in the 

 opposite direction the slender thread that was formed 

 during the operation. 



Within the hearth circle, that occupied the 

 centre of the apartment, a huge wood fire was 

 blazing away, the most comfortable looking thing 

 I had seen since leaving Aliu Amba. On the 

 farther side from the door was a raised couch, built 



