518 BARRADDO. 
was absent,* but we were furnished with bread by Baharnegash 
Yasous, who here overtook us. He informed us, that as soon as the 
Ras had received Lord Valentia's letter, he ordered him to accom- 
pany us as far as Massowah. 
October ^9.— We left the Baharnegash's village at an early 
hour, and after evading all demands for money, passed into the 
Serawe plain ; but instead of turning oflp eastward, we kept more to 
the northward, for a considerable way along the edge of a gully, 
through which flows a torrent in the rainy season ; and after a march 
of about four miles and a half we arrived at the wells ofHaddadin, 
formed in the bed of the torrent. A number of shepherds, spear 
in hand, were busily engaged in watering their cattle, and it was 
with difficulty we got a scanty supply for our mules. The cattle 
were all of them in health, and most of them were fat. I was told 
that they belonged to a hundred different owners, some of whom 
had brought them several days march, no water being procurable 
on the eastern side of the country. These shepherds were Mussul- 
mauns, and of the tribes below the mountains : most of them spoke 
a little Arabic. The wells at this place must bring in a very con- 
siderable income to the owner of the land, as a tribute is paid for 
all the cattle watered here, the rate of which is regulated by the 
dryness of the season. Hence we proceeded to a village above 
the wells, called Barraddo, the residence of Kantiba Socinius, the 
chief of this district, who was a man of good person, and had all 
the appearance of a warrior. He received us with much attention, 
and treated us with a quantity of maize. We were put into a 
* We afterwards discovered that his absence was merely a trick, to prevent supply- 
ing our retinue with food. 
