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this does not hold good with the lower class, who devour, rather 
than eat, whatever they can get, at all times. They are charitable 
in assisting the distressed ; our servants often saved bread to give 
to beggars, which at the time that we returned from Adowa, were 
very numerous, sitting by the highway. Even to dogs they are 
humane, though they dislike them, permitting them to have free 
access to their houses. 
We had several strong instances of their honesty to us, which 
might however have been caused by fear ; for we witnessed many 
instances of their roguery, in attempting to convey away articles 
belonging to the houses we stopped at. They are also exceedingly 
suspicious of each other; which pretty strongly proves that the 
lower classes are addicted to pilfering. All are eager for presents, 
which they frequently rather demand than request. 
" When I found that I must give up all hopes of penetrating 
beyond the Tacazza, I took every occasion to make enquiries of 
such persons as were likely to give me any intelligence respecting 
the Nile. Their accounts generally agreed with each other; but it 
appeared to me that they spoke from what they had heard, and 
not from personal knowledge. Its situation near the village of 
Geesh; the marshiness of the plain, the elevation of the spot 
whence it flows above the surrounding country, its circuit from 
Gojam, its course being distinguishable through the lake Dembea, 
were points familiar to them all ; but they differed considerably as 
to the number of fountains from which it springs, some speaking 
of three, others of four, and one person of five ; but this, they said, 
depended on the seasons ; for if much rain fell, the accumulation 
of water would force open fresh passages. Hadjee Hamed had been 
