CHELICUT. 
who about two years previously to my arrival, had come into the 
country, and for a time done Mr. Pearce serious mischief, by 
declaring, that England was a petty state under the rule of the 
Turks/' and, that all the manufactures we had sent were made 
by the Greeks ! The inconceivable effrontery with which he 
asserted these things had made it difficult for Mr. Pearce to prove 
the contrary ; and on one or two occasions he had been so much 
enraged by such insinuations, that, as the Has told me, it had been 
found exceedingly difficult to keep him quiet. Latterly, however, 
he had contrived so eiFectually to frighten Nus'r Alii, who 
was not very remarkable for his courage, that he had kept 
with great caution out of his way. This man, on my arrival in 
the country, was completely abashed, and for some time did not 
dare to shew his face ; but, as I discovered afterwards that he was 
really an ingenious fellow,* and was in some respects to be pitied, 
I persuaded Mr. Pearce to make it up with him, and they were 
afterw ards very good friends. 
On the morning of the 20th, notice was given of the near 
approach of a cafila which had been for some days expected from 
the salt-plain, and in the afternoon we had the pleasure of wit- 
nessing its arrival in the town. It consisted of several hundred 
mules and asses with their loads, which had been escorted from 
Assa Diirwa by Ay to Hannes, a nephew of the Mas, who held at 
this time the important office of Balgudda, and had gone down 
for the purpose with about two hundred of his followers. As they 
* During my stay, he was busily engaged in making a horse-mill for grinding corn : 
his success was not very great, but the attempt excited great admiration among the ~ 
Abyssinians. 
