TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
51 
them that they might consider this country as their 
own. When they drew forth their present, how- 
ever, he scornfully rejected it, as inadequate to his 
dignity ; though, on declaring that it was utterly 
impossible to give more, he was fain, with a very 
bad grace, to accept it. From that time they ex- 
perienced much ill-treatment from the inhabitants ; 
and provisions were even withheld ; all which they 
easily traced to the king's anxiety to extract 
from them gifts to the utmost possible amount. 
Th y judged it necessary, therefore, to make a 
warm remonstrance, and to threaten making a re- 
port of this treatment to the emperor. This pro- 
duced the desired effect ; — they obtained provi- 
sions, and were enabled to proceed on their jour- 
ney. The track lay, for a great distance, through 
an arid and desolate plain, where Lobo considers it 
as solely owing to a miraculous interposition that 
they did not perish, either by thirst or the bites of 
serpents. An opening in the mountains then 
brought them to a delightful and refreshing spot, 
whence they found cooling breezes, clear streams, 
and forests blooming with perpetual verdure. 
This, however, proved only the approach to an- 
other dreary track through the great plain, whence 
Abyssinia is supplied with salt. Our author gives 
a very unsatisfactory account of its formation, as 
derived from the water flowing down from the 
mountains, and congealing into that mineral. This 
