mr. airston's grave. 485 



garden for the accommodation of myself and suite. 

 At last we were taken to the same house in which 

 I was informed all previous travellers had stayed, 

 and where also poor Mr. Airston died.* The good- 

 man was absent at Aliu Amba market, but his two 

 wives (he was a Mahomedan) shewed me every 

 attention, spreading a large ox skin upon the 

 raised earth or platform, two feet high, which 

 occupied half the apartment. The women made 

 signs to me to take off my boots, lay aside my arms, 

 and lie down whilst they prepared some bread for 

 my evening meal. The Hy Soumaulee sat on 

 their heels very patiently, in the little compound, 

 surrounded by a high stick fence, in which the 

 house stood. The entrance-gate, by the by, was 

 of a very singular kind, its upper edge being 

 attached by hide hinges to the lintel. When 



* This gentleman, after having passed through all the dangers of 

 the Adal country, was suddenly attacked with inflammation of the 

 brain at Farree, where he was awaiting the permission of the negoos 

 to enter Shoa. He died after a few days' illness, during which time M. 

 Rochet d'Hericourt and Mr. Krapf rendered every available assistance. 

 Some months after I had lived in Shoa I visited the Wallasmah, on 

 purpose to see the state prisons of Guancho. I remained all night, 

 and in the morning was taken to a ridge opposite, towards the 

 south-west, where stood a small " Baity' Christian," the church of 

 St. Michael's in Ahgobba. I felt pleased, when I reached the spot, 

 that the object of my attendants was to point out the grave of my 

 deceased countryman, which, with .natural good feeling, they had 

 supposed would be interesting to me. To give Mr. Airston 

 Christian burial, the kind-hearted people of Farree (Mahomedans) 

 must have carried his corpse more than six miles over the roughest 

 road imaginable. 



