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TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA, 
95 
a mission in 1809, and as, on both occasions, he 
went nearly over the same ground, we shall in- 
corporate together the information which he col- 
lected during these different excursions. 
Mr Salt first landed at the port of Massuah. 
Here the usual conflict began with the Nayib, 
as to the amount of the presents to be given, in 
return for protection granted. Five hundred dol- 
lars, though very inadequate to the original de- 
mand, were at length reluctantly accepted. Ex- 
cept this extreme anxiety to extract as much as 
possible, the party had no particular cause of com- 
plaint against the Nayib. Mr Salt spent two days 
at Arkeeko, of whose inhabitants he draws a most 
unfavourable picture. They seem to unite the 
worst vices of civilized and savage society. Even 
those of Massuah, who are far from ranking high 
in the scale of morality, view with abhorrence the 
people of Arkeeko. After dark, while they were 
retiring- to bed, the Nayib came to warn them of 
the absolute necessity that the door should be care- 
fully fastened ; and the centinel who guarded it 
put on his hat and shoes, lest they should be stolen 
from him in the night time. Mr Salt felt there- 
fore considerable satisfaction in being able to com- 
mence his journey. It lay for some time over that 
chain of lofty and barren mountains which separates 
the province of Tigre from the sea coast. The 
most difficult part of the track was through the pass 
