^8 
ABUHASUBHA. 
received my apology with great good manners, saying at the same 
time, that her only wish, in trying to prevail upon us to stay, was 
to have the pleasure of our company; but as the end of this would 
have been only a general drinking bout, we resisted even the en- 
treaties of the lady, and taking leave of her, mounted our mules, 
and rode on some miles with good speed to the mansion of Debib, 
Chief of Negashe. It had been the intention of our guides, however, 
that we should have taken up our quarters at a village much 
nearer to the one we had last quitted, so that when we .arrived, the 
Chief was unprepared for our reception, and had to get out his 
holiday clothes: he received us however, very kindly, though we 
were at first unable to enter into any conversation, having left our 
interpreter behind with the baggage. A second feast was soon 
prepared for us, and four hundred cakes of bread of the usual size 
were given to our people, together with bullocks, honey, ghee, kc, 
" August ^5. — The master of the house rode on with us this 
morning, as had been the general custom since we left Abha. He 
sat his horse firmly and gracefully, like most of his countrymen 
of rank, who make by no means an unhandsome figure on horse- 
back, with their white dresses, and black sheep skins thrown loosely 
across the left shoulder. They wear nothing on their heads, but 
consider it as a mark of dignity to cover the lower part of their face 
with the loose part of their dress ; and are generally attended by 
eight or ten followers, with matchlocks and spears. 
" About five miles on the road, after ascending and descending 
some steep mountains, we were taken to visit a church or convent 
cut out of the solid rock, called Abuhasubha. This place is situated 
on thp side of a rock which commands a view of a large and beautiful 
