CHELICUT. 
313 
chiefs by the presents he had made them, he was reluctantly in- 
duced to wave his objection. 
In consequence, a number of hides were procured, and Mr. 
Pearce went on board the dow to make up some of the more 
valuable packages, that their contents might not be ascertained by 
the natives. While he was thus occupied, he heard a strange kind 
of outcry on shore, which he knew to be the war-shout of the 
Bedowee, and at the same moment, he observed about two hun- 
dred of the Dumhoeta advancing from the north-west, towards 
the village ; in consequence, he immediately hastened on shore, 
impressed with an apprehension that Mr. Benzoni might be 
alarmed at so unusual an occurrence. On reaching Daroro, he 
found that the party, which had come down, consisted of AUi 
Goveta, Alii Mukain, Aysa Mahomed, and other chiefs of the 
Dumhoeta, who, by the time Mr. Pearce reached the spot, had 
assembled, according to the usual practice, in compliment to 
Mr. Benzoni, dancing, and quivering their spears in front of the 
house where he resided. A conference ensued between these 
parties and Mr. Benzoni ; when, after a distribution of cloth, 
tobacco and other trifling presents among the chiefs, it was 
arranged, that the road to Abyssinia should be opeoed, and that 
camels should be provided by the natives for the carriage of the 
goods into the country. 
Mr. Pearce, however, was by no means satisfied with this 
arrangement, for, observing that Alii Manda, whom he knew 
to be his enemy, had private conferences every day with Alii 
Goveta and the other chieftains, he felt assured that mischief was 
intended him, and therefore requested Mr. Benzoni to give up 
