66 
MUCCULLAH. 
but comfortable hut in appearance, within the first wall surround- 
ing the church. I recognized in my conductor, Debib, chief of 
Negashe, who was come up to attend the Ras. 
I computed our course this day to have been nine miles, in a 
direction nearly N. N. E. The stone, of which some of the unculti- 
vated hills that we to day passed over is formed, lies in horizontal 
strata, and is divided by vertical fissures into square blocks, when 
exposed on the sides of the hill, which often gives it the appearance 
of ancient ruins. 
September 10. — After passing an uncomfortable night from the 
swarms of vermin with which the hut was infested, and a continual 
noise kept up by the priests, I arose and paid a visit to the church, 
where I understood the Ras had been in the course of the night. 
I was received with much attention by the priests, the greatest 
part of whom were engaged in singing, and jingling keys, one of 
which was in the right hand of each ; they accompanied this with 
most violent gestures and grimaces, performing rather the part of 
antics on a stage, than of persons employed in devotion. After 
complying with the custom of the country in kissing the threshold 
of the door, I was admitted into the inner circle. The church, how- 
ever, presents nothing particularly worthy of observation : it is or-' 
namented with paintings, like those at Chelicut ; and the only dif- 
ference that I observed was, that on a cross was written I N R I. iii 
Roman characters, the meaning of which the priests seemed per- 
fectly to understand. I afterwards proceeded to the Ras's house, 
where I found a long table set out, and a great quantity of bread 
cakes piled up : I was seated on the couch beside him, and had the 
honour of being fed from his own hands. There were present thg 
