ANTALOW. 
35 
with the Ras. At night, however, some of those who favoured his 
party, gave him a wretched hovel to shelter him from the rain. 
The thermometer was 64°. The length of our day's journey was 
about eight miles. 
" August 58. — Having prepared ourselves as well as circum- 
stances would permit for going into the presence of the Ras, we left 
Chelicut at an early hour, and were joined by Subagadis on the op- 
posite side of the brook which runs through the village. Between 
this place and Antalow is a lofty mountain, for the purpose of 
avoiding which, we continued to wind round the eastern and south- 
ern sides of it for nearly ten miles, over hills which skirt its base. The 
small vallies which we passed were wet and swampy with the last 
night's rain, which much impeded our progress. We passed a large 
village called Afgool, belonging to Ozoro Ambeah, another of the 
Ras's wives, the principal inhabitants of which came out to pay 
their compliments. At length, after our patience was nearly ex- 
hausted by mounting hill after hill, we came suddenly in sight of 
Antalow, distant from us about a mile. As we approached, our 
train increased very rapidly, and before we reached the Ras's resi- 
dence, we had to pass through an assemblage of at least three 
thousand of the inhabitants.* They pressed so hard to get near 
us as we were going through the first gate, over which were sitting 
some of the officers of state, that it was with great difficulty we 
could force a passage. We were not allowed to dismount from our 
mules till we had got into the entrance of the great hall, at the 
farther end of which was seated the Ras, on a couch with two 
* The great number present was, as we afterwards found, partly owing to its being 
market-day. 
VOL. HI. F 
