150 
BAY OF AMPHILA. 
piece of cloth for an attendant, payment for a bullock, which they 
pretended had been lost on its way to the ship, and many other 
such miserable subterfuges, succeeding each other for nearly two 
hours, protracted our coming to any arrangement* At length 
I had the good fortune to satisfy him with regard to these impor- 
matters, and it was finally settled that, for adequate remunera- 
tion, he should do all in his power to promote my views. 
To confirm the agreement, I consented, by the advice of 
Wursum, whom I found to be thoroughly acquainted with the 
customs of this tribe, to go through a ceremony, said to possess 
great efiect in binding these people to their engagements, which 
consisted in respectively laying our hands on the Bible and the 
Koran, and mutually promising a lasting friendship. From this 
moment Alii Goveta declared, that the Dumhoeta considered 
themselves and the English as brothers. On his going away we 
saluted him with three guns, which seemed to afford great 
satisfaction. 
On the 19th I had found it necessary to send the super-cargo 
of our vessel in Wursum's boat across the sea to Hodeida, for the 
purpose of procuring an additional supply of coarse cloth, which 
forms an indispensable article of barter on this coast ; but on the 
23d, I had the disappointment to see it return without accom- 
plishing the object in view. After leaving us two days, the 
winds had been found to blow directly contrary to those we ex- 
perienced ; and on attempting to get across the sea from Ayth, 
the weather in mid-channel became so tempestuous and adverse, 
that the boat, owing to its being in danger of swamping, w;as 
compelled to put back. 
