DIXAN- 493 
Ras Welleta Selasse, with their safe arrival. The Ras commands 
that all care may be taken of them ; that you will provide them 
with houses, with meat, and with drink of the very best, as your 
head must answer for it. In short, take as much care of them as 
70U would of Ras Welleta Selasse, and so soon as they arrive, send 
me instant intelligence thereof.' 
" In consequence of the receipt of this letter, I thought proper 
to make remonstrances about the high price that we were charged 
for provisions. The Baharnegash told me that he would very 
willingly give whatever he had of his own, but that the articles 
which we wanted, were such as they themselves did not consume ; 
and, owing to a late scarcity, which had been felt very severely so 
far as this place, they were extremely difficult to procure ; it was 
not therefore in his power to afford us any relief in this particular ; 
a representation which, from the poverty of the place, I had after- 
wards reason to consider true. 
" The day w^as tolerably fine: about eleven in the forenoon, how- 
ever, there fell a smart shower, during which an alarm was given of an 
hyaena being seen near our cave, by Mr. Garter and Pearce. Captain 
Rudland went out with his gun in pursuit of it, but was unsuccess- 
ful. I was myself too unwell to stir out, and was therefore engaged 
in drawing. More rain fell in the evening. 
" August 1. — This morning the messenger who was dispatched 
with my letter to the Ras from Massowah, arrived hither on his 
way back from Antalow. He reported, that on the receipt of the 
letter the Ras issued immediate orders to a chief at Adowa, to have 
in readiness the same number of animals as we had engaged from 
the Nayib ; and to send them to meet us at this place as soon as he 
