ANTALOW 
159 
Mr. Bruce describes as following a brinde feast, I firmly believe ex- 
isted only in his own imagination. His account of the flesh cut out of 
living animals was repeatedly enquired into by our party; all to 
whom we spoke, denied its ever being done. Raw flesh had been 
observed by all travellers, before Mr. Bruce, as the common food of 
the Abyssinians, but Mr. Bruce makes no distinction between the 
two, or rather wishes to confound them together, that he may 
seem to have the countenance of Poncet and the Jesuits; but none 
of them ever mentioned the eating of flesh stripped from a living 
animal, though Mr. Bruce is impudent enough to say that this was 
the ordinary banquet of citizens, and even priests, throughout all 
the country. The feast given by the Ras on the grand review of 
his troops, at which we were present, was a most convincing proof 
to the contrary. 
Calves and lambs are not eaten; but I doubt if this be not done 
from the prudential motive of keeping up the stock of cattle, the 
consumption of which is enormous. Wild-fowl is also a prohibited 
article, which seems to be the adoption of a Jewish custom. Hogs 
are not kept tame; but in opposition to the Jews, they seem to 
have no objection to them wild ; a quarter was presented to Captain 
Rudland while residing with the Ras at Muccullah. With Mussul- 
mauns they will neither eat, drink, nor smoke, but have no objection 
to do so with strangers, when convinced that they are Christians. 
They are least particular with respect to drinking, as I have re- 
peatedly seen them drink out of the same cup. The Mussulmauns 
will eat of the bread and fish from the Ras s table, and even in his 
presence. The higher orders are extremely regular in attending to 
the established fast days, which take up one third of the year, but 
