ROUTE TO MUGHAIE. 
105 
side of the same stream where we had before refreshed ourselves, 
an old priest, named Allula Lucus, came to pay his respects to me, 
having been formerly, as he said, well acquainted with Yagoube 
at Gondar. On my questioning him, he told me that Bruce lived 
at Koscam, and made two attempts, the first of which failed, to 
visit the Nile. It was supposed that he went to stop the source of 
that river; and as they believed he could make gold, and turn any 
waters, they thought him capable of accomplishing this project ; 
that he never went to war, but staid during those times in the house 
of the Aboona ; that Yusuff, the Aboona's interpreter, whom I had 
before seen at Adowa, often interpreted for Bruce, as he understood 
well neither the language of Amhara nor of Tigre; but that he had 
also an interpreter of his own, named Michael ; that he never had 
any command of cavalry, the Koccob horse, in particular, being at 
that time under one of the Sultan's servants, whose name he had 
forgotten ; that a man named Kuara was Governer of Ras-el-feel 
under Netcho, in whose province of Tcherkin it was included ; and 
the same Kuara held it afterwards under Ayto Corfu, who succeeded 
to the province on his father's death. Finally, that Bruce was a 
great favourite of Tecla Haimanout, with whom, however, he had 
once quarrelled, on account of the Sultan's taking ojBT his hat or 
turban, which he indignantly resented. 
" Barrambaras Tocklu having marched with his troops into An- 
talow, we were under the necessity of passing the night at a small 
shed, which was capable of keeping out neither wind nor water: 
the master, however, presented me with a sheep, and bread and 
booza for our bearers. 
" September ^3.-* We set out with the earliest dawn of day, hav- 
