PREPARE FOR A BANQUET. 487 



jars of ale upon their shoulders, to give me an idea 

 of what I might expect in that happy land. 

 Laughing girls in dark red gowns, and staid 

 married women similarly attired, but, to mark the 

 difference, with a guftah, or three-cornered double 

 kerchief cap of the same colour, firmly fastened close 

 under the point of the chin, came trooping down, 

 each with a shallow saucer-like basket of variegated 

 red and yellow straw balanced upon her head. The 

 high conical covers being taken off as the baskets 

 were placed at the feet of the misselannee, or steward 

 of the governor of the town, they were found to 

 contain the two required cakes of a very light 

 bread, yet warm and steaming, and which were, 

 only much larger, exactly like the crumpet or 

 pikelit of England. These were made of the 

 flour of teff, the small seeds of a grass, which 

 makes much lighter bread than wheat. 



Sufficient of these for the supply of nearly 

 forty men were soon heaped high in two large 

 receiving baskets ; but as meat did not seem to be 

 forthcoming, I gave a dollar privately to Adam 

 Burrah, who came and whispered the name and 

 that of bullock in my ear, a sufficient hint, which 

 I readily took. He and Moosa were absent but a 

 short time before they returned with a young cow, 

 which was killed, and a requisition for wood being 

 made to the misselannee, that functionary gave 

 orders for a quantity immediately to be brought 

 to cook the meat. Everything seemed to be 

 conducted with the greatest quiet and order, even 



