GUNDUFTCH. 
^07 
people were in want; and then drew forth the bridle from a corner 
of the room where he had himself hidden it, and laughed to their 
faces at the dexterity with which he had outwitted them. 
" October 2,4, — I took a view this morning of the mountains of 
Samayut and Assor, from the top of one of the houses of the village. 
The head men of the village presented us with a cow and a sheep, 
and about three in the afternoon we received a message from Ozoro 
Tishai, at the village of Gunduftch, requesting our company in the 
evening. This message was accompanied with a horn full of maize, 
and a small quantity of green wheat for parching. 
" It was accordingly arranged, that Hamed Chamie and theMus- 
sulmauns with our baggage, should go forward to another village, 
while we ourselves proceeded about sunset to Gunduftch. This 
village is situated on the north-east side of a small, beautiful, and 
fertile valley, divided only by a moderately sized hill from the 
plain of Samayut. It is built on the first ascent of a steep mountain, 
the summit of which is terminated by pyramidal masses of bare 
rock. It is interspersed with cedars and wanzah trees, and makes a 
very picturesque appearance from the valley below. 
" We were received with much attention by the chief, Gusmatie 
Ischias (a son of Ras Michael by Ozoro Galadait) who is much ad- 
vanced in years, as also by Ozoro Tishai, who was there on a visit. 
We spent the evening in the true Gondar style, the conversation be- 
ing extremely free. After drinking each a glass of arrack, the maize 
was handed briskly about ; something like a supper was in the 
mean time introduced, consisting of one fowl curry, with which the 
ladies crammed themselves so speedily as to leave our party only 
a few bones, some half, and some entirely, picked ; which, with some 
