344 
CHELICUT. 
some justice, have been supposed to have compromised my own 
opinions from the dread of his numerous advocates, or from a 
culpable desire of sheltering myself under his acquired reputation. 
I am perfectly aware how much Mr. Bruce has accomplished ; 
and no man can more truly admire his courage, his perseverance, 
his sagacity, or his genius than myself ; and I confess that, from 
the pleasure I still take in reading his work, I shall never cease 
to regret that any weakness of character or unfortunate vanity 
should have induced him in a single instance to have swerved 
from the plain and manly path of sincerity and truth which lay 
before him : since the ground which he occupied was far too 
elevated for him to stand in need of any such unworthy and ad- 
ventitious aid. 
During the latter part of March, we experienced at Chelicut 
very moderate weather, and for some days a heavy fall of rain. 
As such an occurrence, at this season of the year, was very unusual, 
though extremely beneficial to the country, those very Abyssi- 
nians, whose opinions had been most against us before our arrival, 
now attributed the unexpected blessing to our influence. The 
thermometer during this time kept pretty steadily at 70. 
As the continuance of Lent rendered our stay at Chelicut not 
particularly agreeable, I was induced to gain the Ras's permis- 
sion to make a tour to the Tacazze ; thinking, that by crossing 
this line of the provinces, I might materially improve the geo- 
graphy of the country, and ascertain some other points of consi- 
derable importance relative to its general history. With such 
views, on the 5th of April I left Chelicut, accompanied by Mr, 
Pearce, Mr. Coffin, Ayto Debib, and a young chief named Che- 
