230: 
FOOT OF TARANTA. 
a trick of one of our Hazorta gaides, we had obtained at Ham- 
hammo only three ; the last of which was now killed for the 
Christians: the Musselmauns in consequence grew very clamorous, 
and, in the course of the altercation which ensued, Solimaun, 
speaking of the Hazorta, made use of the following strong ex- 
pression. Pray supply us with food for your own sake ; for, 
when our stomachs are empty, we go prowling about like hyeenas, 
devouring every thing on which we can lay our hands/' 
On the following day we remained in our encampment waiting 
to hear of Baharnegash Yasous from Dixan, as it became neces- 
sary, before we proceeded further, to come to some final arrange- 
ment respecting our passage over the mountains. About half 
way up, the road divides into two tracks, one of which leads to 
Dixan and the other to Halai. The former is situated in a dis- 
trict, through which I had formerly passed, commanded by the 
chieftain above mentioned, who at this period was at enmity with 
the Nayib and connected in friendship with Kantiba Bocinius 
and Baharnegash Subhart ; and the latter lies in the district of 
Baharnegash Isge, leading by a separate route through the ter- 
ritories of Kantiba Ammon and Shum Ayto Woldo, friends of 
the Nayib, two of whom had come down to attend us to Antalo. 
A quarrel had recently broken out between these parties which 
had been suspended for a month only, to wait the decision of some 
head men, appointed, by joint consent, umpires between them: 
though, in spite of this variance, both parties considered them- 
selves equally subject to the jurisdiction of the Ras. 
As no positive direction had been given to our guides which 
road they were to pursue, it became somewhat difficult to form 
