220 ROOF NEW THATCHED. 



We continued to be highly favoured by the weather, 

 only a slight shower or two interrupting the other- 

 wise bright sunshine in which I lay basking on my 

 straw couch all clay. A thick mist enveloped the 

 whole length of the Ankobar range in front, which 

 seemed to attract all the clouds, or at least con- 

 densed the moisture in the atmosphere to the west 

 of Aliu xlmba, leaving the more favoured country 

 to the east beneath a clear and beautiful sky. The 

 heavy bank of fog, however, prognosticated rain to us, 

 and every time it caught the eye of Walderheros, he 

 seemed to move as quickly again, as he supplied with 

 fast filled arms the bundles of cimbyllal to the two 

 workmen upon the roof. So expeditiously, indeed, 

 did all proceed, that before sunset the whole was 

 finished, although, for farther security and ornament, 

 another day's labour was required, which w^as pro- 

 mised w T ith much self-gratulation by Goodaloo, who 

 confidently asserted that had the house been thatched 

 for the Negoos himself, it could not have been done 

 more quickly or more scientifically. 



It being too late, and the men too tired to kill 

 and dress sheep, Tinta's servants partook, as last 

 evening, of a plain repast with Goodaloo and Wal- 

 derheros, consisting only of dry teff pancakes, and 

 a sop or two in a shallow earthenware vessel of 

 the cayenne soup. To improve this very poor 

 dinner, I gave Walderheros an ahmulah to get 

 some " tallah," and he bought for that sum about 

 fifteen gallons of excellent ale. This he and two 



