508 
DIXAN. 
we have yet seen are two faces at the head of the couch on which 
I sleep. 
The duties arising from the merchandize that passes through 
Dixan are collected by the person, at whose house the travelling 
merchant chooses to put up. Travellers are housed and fed during 
their stay, for which the landlord is recompensed either in goods 
or money. The rate at which they pay on these occasions is said 
to be so very exorbitant, that I could give no credit to the report. 
" The Baharnegash seems to preside over Dixan and six or seven 
adjoining villages ; these appear to have agreed among themselves 
to continue in peace with, and faithful to, each other. If at any 
time an offence be committed, the whole body assembles, and the 
affair is discussed ; but punishment is seldom inflicted, because the 
offender has an easy mode of evading it, by joining another hill 
tribe. It has been repeated to us by many of them, that they pay 
no tribute to the Ras; and they asserted more than once that they 
were entirely independent of theTigre government. This, however, 
from several circumstances that occurred, we did not believe to be 
strictly the case ; they may not pay him any revenue, but it is 
evident that they stand in awe of his authority. 
The Baharnegash carries on the affiiirs of his government en- 
tirely by verbal messages. Judging from the little attention that 
the Geesh characters in Bruce's book excited when we shewed them 
to him, I do not believe that he is himself capable either of writing 
or reading. 
" There are no schools for the education of youth, in any lan- 
guage, that I could find out, at Dixan : we met with only a few 
persons who could read the church Bible, which I apprehend is the 
