3M - CH EL I CUT. 
improvement which the country afforded, it appeared to me sur- 
prising, how far he had advanced in his art, for, as he himself 
remarked, I am like a man blindfolded : I go on muddling in 
the dark, until I produce something, but under such circum- 
stances, it is not likely to prove very good/' All classes of people 
in Abyssinia, it may be observed, are fond of pictures ; the inner 
walls of their churches being filled with them, and every chief 
considering himself fortunate, if he can get one painted on the 
wall of his principal room. As I felt desirous of bringing home 
a specimen of Abyssinian art, I engaged the person above 
mentioned to paint me one of his best pictures during my stay 
at Chelicut, which he completed in about six days ; and it 
afforded me considerable amusement to watch its progress. 
He first suspended the paper against the wall ; then, made an 
exact outline of his design with charcoal ; and afterwards went 
carefully over it again with a coarse sort of Indian ink ; subse- 
quently to which he introduced the colours. As I consider this 
production to be, in some respects, better than might have been 
expected, I have given an exact outline of it for the amusement 
of the reader. 
The subject represented is that of two Abyssinian horsemen 
engaged in battle with the Galla. The dress of the warriors and 
the accoutrements of the horses are very faithfully delineated, and 
there appears to me something very characteristic in the expres- 
sion on the countenances of the retreating Galla, who, notwith- 
standing they have witnessed the extraordinary prowess of their 
eompanion, (who keeps his post perfectly disregardless of the spear 
