ANTALOW. 
153 
that our friend Subagadis had been put in irons by the Ras, for 
some hasty words spoken to Belgaida Welleta Hannes, who enjoyed 
great consequence at the court. We had also a visit from the keeper 
of the Ras's cows, who was daily in the habit of bringing us milk, 
in return for some physic that Captain Rudland gave him, to drive 
out, as he expressed it, " a devil in his inside;" which most fortu- 
nately succeeded. We were fully occupied with preparations for 
our departure. Guebra Welleta Selasse, at my request, obtained 
permission from the Ras to attend us to Massowah, and anticipated 
much delight from seeing the ship, the guns, the great men, kc- 
I used to call this fellow the Devil (at which he always laughed), 
for in cunning, deceitfulness, and perversity, I never have seen his 
equal ; yet in travelling he was very useful to us, though difficult 
to manage. This man was originally a Mussulmaun, but has been 
converted to the Christian faith, and is now employed by the Ras 
as a messenger : for his pay he receives forty dollars and as many 
pieces of cloth per annum, and a mule ; besides which, there is a 
piece of land assigned him, which yields forty gerbuttehs of grain, 
six of which sell on the spot for a dollar, and only four, if carried 
to Adowa. This, with what he gets on his mission through the 
country, which we are told amounts to much more (especially 
when he is sent to settle any dispute about tribute), enables him to 
keep four servants ; to three of whom he gives five pieces of cloth, 
and to the other, two, besides their food. We had repeated solici- 
tations from many persons, and from some of considerable conse- 
quence, to take them with us to England ; and, in fact, I believe 
that there are few who would not be very glad to go with us. The 
chiefs, it is true, fare well ; but as for the lower class, I believe that 
