166 ARRIVE AT ANKOBAR. 



the projecting shoulder of a low ridge, along the 

 base of which our road lay, his burden was trans- 

 ferred to the crupper of my saddle, and relieving 

 me of my carabine, the respectful bearing of a 

 servant was changed for the familiarity of a tutor, 

 and one long lesson in Amharic again occupied the 

 way. 



We reached Ankobar late in the afternoon, and 

 as I was completely worn out, and the mule was 

 tired also, I agreed to the proposal of "Walclerheros 

 that we should stay for the night at the house of a 

 married sister of his, the husband of whom was 

 the "ullica," or the superior of those slaves of the 

 Negoos, whose duty it is to cut and carry wood 

 for the use of the royal residences. 



The house was very conveniently situated at the 

 junction of the lower road, around the base of the 

 ridge of Ankobar, with the steep ascending one 

 that leads to the town on its summit. 



Walderheros found his sister at home, with a fat 

 slave-girl, Mahriam, as her attendant and companion. 

 Musculo, the husband, was absent upon some duty, 

 but he appeared in the course of the afternoon, and 

 all endeavoured to make me as comfortable as they 

 could. 



Their house was of the better sort, built of 

 splinted ted, and consisted of a central apartment, 

 with recesses formed by the division of the space be- 

 tween two circular walls, which were placed at about 

 four feet distant from each other. In one of these 



