76 
TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
like a hearthstone ; some resemblingpyramids, others 
obelisks or prisms ; some even, he asserts, being 
like pyramids pitched on their points. The party 
then arrived at Dixan, a considerable town, form- 
ing the frontier between the Naybe's territory and 
that of Abyssinia. A little beyond, he came up to 
the Baharnagash. The first sight of this prince im- 
pressed him with little reverence, as he and his 
seven followers had an appearance equally beggarly. 
He proved, however, to be a person of greater con- 
sequence than might at first sight have been sup- 
posed. After spending two days with him, Mr 
Bruce went on and arrived at Adowa, the capital 
of Tigre. From thence he went to see the mo- 
nastery of Fremona, which had always been the 
chief establishment of the Jesuits. It was about a 
mile in circumference, surrounded by walls flanked 
with towers, and pierced for musquetry. It ap- 
peared to him by much the most defensible place 
he saw in Abyssinia, and to have more the air of a 
castle than a convent. 
Mr Bruce next visited the ruins of Axum, which 
will be noticed more particularly under Mr Salt's 
travels. After leaving that place, he overtook three 
soldiers driving a cow, which* they suddenly stopt, 
and threw down upon the ground. Mr Bruce sup- 
posed they were about to kill the animal ; but was 
much surprised, when, having cut out two beef 
steaks from the buttock, they applied some clay to 
