444 
MASSOWAH. 
that he had forwarded Lord Valentia's letter to Ras Welleta Selasse. 
This latter assertion, however, was not quite correct, as we knew, 
from private information, that it was still remaining at Arkeko in 
the hands of the Ascari. In the afternoon the Banian himself came 
on board ; but w^as able to communicate to us little more than a 
confirmation of what we had heard before. All our present diffi- 
culties have arisen from the Sirdar of the Ascari, now in Massowah ; 
we however declined haying any communication with him, being 
determined to transact business only with the Nayib in person. 
" June 30.— The Nayib came over in the morning from Arkeko 
to Massowah, and immediately sent Hamed Ghamie to us, with his 
salaams, and an excuse for not having come sooner ; fixing twelve 
o'clock for our public visit. Accordingly, I and Captain Rudland 
went^ on shore with Captain Court, under a salute of eleven guns, 
with which the latter was kind enough to honour us for the pur- 
pose of giving importance to our mission. On landing, we were 
saluted with all the guns, both great and small, that they could 
muster on the island ; and then proceeded to the divan, or hall of 
audience, attended by a havildar's guard of the Bombay marines. 
The ceremonies were precisely as heretofore, except that our sepoys 
were marched up and ranged along the lower end of the hall. The 
divan was crowded ; the Nayib, the Sirdar, and the Dola of Arkeko 
being present. After the usual compliments, coffee was handed 
to all, not omitting even the sepoys. 1 and Captain Court then 
received caftans of blue cloth lined with satin, after which we 
departed, in the same orcjer as we came, to the house of Abou 
Yusuff, Secretary to the Nayib, which had been prepared for us 
by Currum Chund. 
