WITH OHMED MAHOMED. 289 



under colour of payment for these cattle, I con- 

 sidered at the time was being levied, to make 

 up for the heavy expenditure incurred, by the 

 consequences of the quarrel of yesterday. I never 

 doubted but that his comparison, between my 

 expenses and those of the Embassy, was like his 

 usual statements, founded upon untruth. I was 

 determined, therefore, not to be imposed upon by 

 Ohmed Mahomed, without letting him know that 

 in the end, he would be a much greater loser by 

 his present system of extorting a few dollars from 

 me, by my withholding all commendation for care 

 and attention upon our arrival in Shoa. 



Accordingly, towards evening, when the men came 

 again demanding the bullock, I accompanied them to 

 the hut of Ohmed Mahomed, and asked him, as if I 

 had consented to their demand, what was the price of 

 the animal. As I expected, he asked a most unrea- 

 sonable sum, no less than nine dollars, two being the 

 fair market price. I told him in reply, very quietly, 

 that he was no friend to the English, and that I 

 should consider him, therefore, no longer my Ras 

 ul Kafilah, but that for the future Ebin Izaak 

 alone should transact all business with me ; I also 

 gave him to understand that I should represent to 

 the proper quarter the treatment I had received, 

 which would occasion a considerable diminution in 

 the amount of boxeish, or present, he would receive 

 in Shoa. On hearing this, he got immediately into a 

 dreadful rage, stormed away, and pushed by me out 



vol. i. u 



