10 
A B H A. 
" I walked up to the church in the evening, which is partly ex- 
cavated out of the side of the rock: the road to it is windin<y and 
steep, and so difficult of access, that I fear it has but few visitors ; 
unless the inhabitants of the place are more devout than they 
appear to be. The view from it amply repaid us for our trouble, 
as we thereby gained a distinct prospect of the valley which we 
had passed in the morning, beyond which was a fine range of rugged 
rocks and mountains, rising behind each other at a great distance, 
until they were lost in the clouds. The opposite side of the hill 
was thickly covered with houses, rocks, and trees, and formed so 
very interesting and characteristic a scene, that I sat down on a rock 
to sketch it, but had not time enough, before the evening came on, 
to do it justice. 
" Our fare this day was abundant, having been provided by this 
nobleman," as Bruce terms one of his predecessors, with five sheep 
and plenty of maise, of a much superior quality to what we met 
with at Dixan. Maise is a liquor made of honey, fermented with 
barley, and strengthened with a bitter root called taddo ; it is called 
hydromel by Bruce, and meadby Poncet : the latter has accurately 
described the process of making it. (Vide note page 218 in Lock- 
man's translation, published at London 1743.) Mussulmauns as well 
as Christians seemed to enjoy this beverage, and some of the 
former found it necessary to sleep away the rapid effects of it on 
their senses. 
August 17.-— -Early in the morning the Baharnegash brought 
me a cow and some honey, hinting his expectation of my making 
him a present in return: this I evaded on the plea, that, as I was 
going to the Ras, I w^s not furnished with presents for any other 
