332 
CHELICUT. 
cattle on my arrival, I felt it necessary to bestow upon them some 
trifling gifts in return, with which they seemed highly gratified. 
The Prince, Kasimaj Yasous, was also constant in his visits, whom 
I found to be very superior in accomplishments to most of the 
young men in the country, as he both read and wrote the Geez with 
unusual facility. The young men attending him, who w^ere all 
natives of Gondar, appeared likewise to be more careful in their 
dress, and more polished in their manners, than the inhabitants 
of Tigre ; and indeed I have reason to believe, that, in general, 
the latter are much ruder in their habits, and fiercer in disposi- 
tion than the people of Amhara. 
The Ras's wife, Ozoro Mantwab, whom I have before men- 
tioned as the sister of the Emperor, did not, on any occasion, make 
her appearance in public ; but she frequently sent us compli- 
mentary messages and presents of bread and maiz, besidesvarious 
dishes, drest in a superior style of cookery, from her own table. I 
was given to understand by Mr. Pearce, as well as his wife, who 
was a great favourite of this lady, that she made frequent enqui- 
ries respecting the English, and often expressed a great desire 
to converse with me: but the extreme jealousy entertained by 
the Ras on these points, rendered such a meeting impracticable. 
She afterwards, however, ingeniously contrived to afford me an 
opportunity of seeing her person, on my return one day from 
visiting the Ras, who was then busily engaged with some of his 
chiefs : her form, though small, was very elegant, her features 
were regular, and having fine teeth and coal-black hair, she 
might, in any country, have been esteemed handsome.* 
* Botli this lady and her brother, Kasimaj Yasous, have since my return fallen victims 
to the small-pox. 
