50 
TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
whom his life would not for a moment be in safety* 
He gave up, therefore, all idea of proceeding in 
this direction. Before leaving the coast, he was 
seized with a violent fever, which required blood- 
letting, and thus afforded him a specimen of Moor- 
ish surgery. The operator laid bare his side, to 
which he fastened three large horns ; then draw- 
ing out a species of rusty poinard, made successive 
wounds with it, till a sufficient quantity of blood 
had flowed. Our traveller recovered from that 
moment ; but whether from the natural effect of 
the operation, or from the violent agitation of fear 
into which it threw him, he was unable to deter- 
mine. 
The next attempt was made by the way of Dun- 
cali, a small kingdom on the south-east of Abyssi- 
nia, not far from the Straits of Babelmandel. Here 
Lobo was led, in a few days, though by a some- 
what difficult track, to the residence of the king, 
who had been instructed by the Abyssinian mo- 
narch to give him a good reception. The mission- 
aries found him in his capital, being a village of 
six tents and twenty cabins. His residence, which 
stood at a little distance from the rest, consisted 
of a single apartment ; on one side of which 
dwelt the monarch, and on the other his horse, 
which, in this country, is considered as always en- 
titled to the same roof with its master. He pro- 
fessed the most friendly disposition, and assured 
