THE ASSA-HEMERAH MUDITU. 381 



Medina, who himself was not there, but who took 

 as much interest in the relations as I did. 



It appears that for some years previous to 1839, 

 the road to Shoa had been closed to the merchants 

 of Tajourah and of Ambabbo, who previously had 

 carried on an extensive trade with that countrv, 

 taking up salt from Lake Assal, and receiving in 

 return Abyssinian slaves, who were sold to great 

 advantage in the Mahomedan ports on the shores 

 of the Red Sea. The Assa-hemerah live on the 

 north side of the more western portion of the road 

 through Adal, and although speaking the same 

 language, deny their nationality with the Dankalli 

 tribes. This was their plea for extorting exorbitant 

 duties for many years previous to 1839, but having 

 at length fully established an intercourse with 

 Shoa through their own country, by another 

 passage of the river Hawash, north of Mulkukuyu, 

 they endeavoured to monopolize the trade in salt 

 and slaves. To effect this, they seized the whole 

 country to the north of the road to Bahr Assal, and 

 allowed no Tajourah Kafilah either to load with 

 salt at the lake, or to proceed for slaves to Shoa. 



For several years the Assa-hemerah had thus 

 excluded all but their own Kafilahs from entering 

 Shoa by the direct road, attacking and plundering 

 all other Kafilahs that attempted it. I make 

 the observation " direct road," for we learn from 

 the journal of Izenberg and Krapf, published by 

 the Church Missionary Society, that the Tajourah 



