II 
30 ABUHASUBHA. 
of which is a tomb. One of the most curious circumstances in this 
excav^ation is, that water continually issues from one of the pillars, 
which deposits a ferruginous sediment, that seems not in any 
degree to have corroded the stone. On the outside are several 
tombs excavated in the sides of the rock, and only covered over by 
loose stones. The priests who attended us were all neatly dressed 
in white, with light turbans or rather wrappers round their heads. 
I gave them two dollars for their attentions to us, with which they 
were well satisfied. 
ic ^i^Q which this temple is excavated is of a very 
hard consistence, so that much labour must have been bestowed on 
the work. We observed nothing from which we could form any 
opinion as to the period when it was undertaken. It is certainly 
more antient than the time of the residence of the Portuguese in 
Abyssinia, and is probably one of those that were formed at the 
command of the Emperor Lalibala, by w^orkmen sent for, for that 
purpose, from Egypt.* 
" Resuming our journey, we passed through a luxuriant copse, 
and observed growing on the rocky sides of the pathway several 
beautiful species of Filices, of which I procured specimens. We then 
mounted successively many high and rugged hills, our road turning 
at times to every point of the compass, till after a most laborious and 
fatiguing day, we reached our halting place for the night, at the 
top of one of the loftiest hills. It was some time before we were 
joined by our attendants, with the baggage, who had gone by an- 
other route, in the course of which they had visited a mosque held 
extremely sacred by the Mussulmauns. We had a miserable hut to 
* Vide Ludolf. Lib. ii. ch. 5. 
