152 
BAY OF AMPHILA. 
At last, on Saturday the 6th of January, intelligence arrived of 
the return of Alii Manda, and shortly afterwards he came off 
with the Dola, bringing a packet of letters addressed to me from 
Mr. Pearce. An h >ur nearly elapsed before 1 could prevail 
upon them to deliver up these letters, the Dola striving with 
singular cunning to obtain a sum of money previously to their 
delivery, with which I peremptorily refused to comply, till at 
last by raising my voice, and affecting great irritation, I prevailed 
upon Alii Manda to give them up. These letters are written in 
a manner so strongly characteristic of the writer, that 1 shall 
without hesitation lay them before the reader in his o^n words. 
Sir, 
*^ I received your letter by the hand of Alii Manda, and 
I can assure you that it gave me the greatest happiness to 
hear you are well. 
I shall now tell you the best and safest way into this 
country : the road you mention by Bure is impracticable 
for any goods or person to travel safe. It is under no 
government. What little baggage I brought up by that 
road was almost totally destroyed, and it was by the help 
of God that I came safe off with my life. 
The only road into this country is by Massowa, which 
is frequented by the cafila. Bare was formerly the road of 
the cafila, but many of the people were killed by the Arata 
Bedowee. The Ras has no powerwhatever lower than where 
the salt comes from, which is Upper Bure. Massowa is at 
present on ver) good terms, and the best road that can be 
travelled. 
