138 
ANTALOW 
up what fell from the guests ; but if any one be discovered there 
who has not permission, he is beaten severely by blows given with 
the elbow. There were also one or two men with small crosses in 
their hands, which they held out, intimating thereby that they were 
at that time obliged to fast. 
There were present at this feast many chiefs that I knew, espe- 
cially Nebrida Aram, Basha Tokla, Basha Guebra Eyut, Ballam- 
baras Guebra Amlac, and Welleta Gabriel, all of whom were very 
polite in paying their compliments to us, and seemed to be very 
anxious to attract our notice. I afterwards gratified them highly by 
distributing some snulF and cherry -brandy among them, of which 
they are all exceedingly fond. Of the former the Ras partook ; the 
latter he could not be induced to taste, though all his chiefs much 
commended it. 
" September 57. — I was waited upon at an early hour by Basha 
Abdallah, who had come from Adowa at the Ras's desire, in a great 
measure for the purpose of settling the arrangements between us. 
I had not seen much of him at Adowa, but was given to understand 
that he was a man of considerable ability, and much in the confi- 
dence of the Ras, holding a place under him of great importance, 
and being considered as at the head of the Mussulmauns in Tigre. 
Through him all correspondence with the Court and the different 
chiefs of the country is carried on ; and all interior arrangements of 
trade are entrusted to him. As, however, he was attended on this' 
occasion by Hadjee Hamed, whom I knew to be particularly inimi- 
cal to us, and completely in the interest of the Sheriffe of Mecca, I 
did not think it advisable to enter into any full discussion about the 
purpose of our coming, of which they still pretended ignorance, and 
