392 
CHELICUT. 
the subject. Both the administrants and communicants always 
abstain very strictly from eating and drinking during the whole 
of the morning previously to their partaking of the holy rite, 
for the easier accomplishment of which, it is generally celebrated 
at an early hour. The marriage of more than one wife was con- 
sidered, formerly, as a disqualification from receiving the Sacra- 
ment ; but in this respect, the church has in some instances 
relaxed in its practice, where the wealth and power of the par- 
ties place them above its censure. The altar on which the bread 
and wine are prepared, is called Tabot, and the Abyssinians at- 
tach to it a strong degree of reverence, regarding it as a kind of 
sacred ark,'* arid connecting with it certain traditions relating 
to the stealing of the ark of the covenant by Menilek," which 
was supposed to have been lodged in the church at Axum. 
During our stay at Chelicut I took a considerable number of 
observations for the purpose of determining its position; the 
results of which were as follows : 
By meridian altitude of the moon, April 23d, 13° 21' 19'' 
Ditto. ditto. 24th, 13 21 49 
2 )2tj 43 8 
Mean Latitude of Chelicut 13 21 34 
Longitude per lunar observations. 
April 26th, 1st. set - - 40° 32' 20" 
2d. do. - - 40 44 45 
3d. do. - - 41 3 45 
* April 27th, 1st. set ^ - 40 38 0 
2d. do. - - 40 7 37 
5) 203 6 27 
Mean longitude of Chelicut 40 37 17 
* An error in two dates has ocxiurrcd, a few pages back, which I here wish to correct. 
