364: 
CHELICUT. 
Englishmen attending me to stay with Mr. Pearce, assigning as 
a reason for the request, the necessity of having some one to 
manage the guns, for, as he remarked, my enemies have all 
heard of their arrival, and have already expressed great alarm at 
the intelligence, but, unless some one remain to direct them, they 
(knowing our ignorance in such matters), will soon get over their 
fears ; leave me only another ' jagonah' like Mr. Pearce, and 
they will never dare to meet me in the field/' 
I was perfectly aware, at the time this conversation took place, 
to whom it referred, as Mr. Coffin had before spoken to me on 
the subject, expressing a wish that he might be permitted to stay 
with Mr. Pearce. In consequence of this, I told the Ras, that if 
any one of those belonging to me felt inclined to remain in the 
country, I should certainly not endeavour to dissuade him from 
it ; at the same time I took the opportunity of explaining to 
him, that the personal freedom which British subjects enjoy, left 
every man perfectly at liberty to act as he might think proper on 
such occasions. During this interview, it was settled that our 
party on its return should visit Axuni, a circumstance which I 
had been anxious to secure, for the purpose of once more examin- 
ing its ruins. 
On my leaving him, he presented me with one of his favourite 
mules, richly caparisoned with trappings of red velvet, and the 
skin of a black leopard, which is extremely rare, and worn only by 
governors of provinces. He also gave me two small manuscripts, 
one of which he assured me contained the true doctrines of the 
faith, as believed by the orthodox part of the Abyssinians, which 
I have since found to be a pastoral letter, addressed by the 
