LOBO'S JOURNEY. 
61 
cies of worship, they defended it by quoting the 
words of the Psalmist, " Clap your hands, all ye 
** nations." 
In regard to the food of the Abyssinians, 
Lobo entirely confirms their passion for raw flesh. 
" When they feast a friend, they kill an ox, and 
" set immediately a quarter of him raw upon the 
" table (for their most elegant treat is raw meat 
" newly killed) with pepper and salt ; the gall of 
" the ox serves them for oil and vinegar." By 
those who wished to entertain well our missionary, 
this treat was liberally offered to him ; and he 
could not decline it with grace, unless by saying 
that it was too good for him. Beer and mead are 
their favourite liquors, and are used to excess ; 
" nor can there be a greater offence against good 
" manners, than to let the guests go away sober." 
The common people are very poorly apparelled ; 
but the rich use splendid dresses. They love 
bright and glaring colours, and wear commonly 
silks covered with gold and silver embroidery. 
In 1673 there was published in London, by 
the printer to the Royal Society, a " Short Re- 
" lation of the river Nile, by an eye-witness, 
" translated out of the Portuguese by Sir Peter 
" Wyche." This has been generstlly supposed to 
be an extract from Lobo's manuscript, and bears 
some marks of it ; but it differs from the account 
found in his travels. In this relation, the two 
