278 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
divers figns, which we could not, neither did we endea- 
vour to underftand. Another fhot, ‘aimed at the trees a- 
bove them, fhewed they were ftill within our reach, upon 
which they difperfed, or fat down among the buthes, for 
we faw them no more, till pitching our tent upon the 
plain below two of their villages; it feemed they were un- 
eafy, for they had difpatched a man naked, and without 
arms, who, ftanding upon the rock, cried out in the lan- 
guage of Tigré, that he wanted to come to us. This I 
abfolutely refufed, that he might not fee the fmallnefs of 
our number, crying out to him to get farther off, or we 
would inftantly fhoot him. There was no occafion to re- 
peat the admonition. From the rock where he ftood, he 
flid down like an eel, and appeared again at a confider- 
able diftance, ftill making a fign of wanting to fpeak with ~ 
us. ee 
Waite refting on the banks of the river Mogetch, we had _ 
been overtaken by two men, and two women, who were 
driving two loaded affes, and were going to Tcherkin; they — 
had defired leave to keep company with us, for fear of dan- 
ger onthe road. I had two Abyflinian fervants, but they 
were not yet come up, attending one of the baggage mules 
that was lame, as they faid; but I believe, rather bufied 
with fome engagements of their own in the villages. We 
were obliged then to have recourfe to one of thefe flranger 
women, who underiftood the language of Tigré, and un- 
dertook readily to carry our meflage to the ftranger, who 
was {till very bufy making figns from behind a tree, Waebe 
out coming one ftep nearer. : 4 
4 ) , My. 
