376 A NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 



clan, except he wear the matab for the occasion of 

 the muscal, or the expeditions against the Gallas, 

 is expected to appear as a soldier before the 

 Negoos ; the Wallasmah Mahomed having all claim 

 upon military service from those inhabitants of Shoa 

 who profess that religion. 



With Tinta came a gunman of the Negoos' body 

 guard, named Karissa, with whom I was previously 

 acquainted, and who, having injured the lock of 

 his new musket, now came to solicit me to set it to 

 rights, under the full impression that I had been 

 brought up to the business. Finding on examina- 

 tion that a small fragment of the catch of the 

 trigger was only broken off, which prevented it 

 being held properly in the groove of the tumbling 

 portion of the lock, I promised to do it for him, 

 but as I had then no spring vice, or files, I told 

 him he must stop until Tinta could procure them 

 for me, which the latter promised to do in the 

 course of the day. 



Karissa was a very intelligent Galla, wore his 

 hair in their usual wild manner, in a series of long 

 plaited elf-locks, hanging on all sides of his head 

 and dark brown face. His features were regular 

 and well denned, which is not very usual among 

 those considered to be true Galla, but as he came 

 from Cambat to the south and east of Zingero, and 

 as I have seen others from the same country who 

 resembled Karissa very much, future discoveries 

 have yet to determine to what is owing this differ- 



