SALT. 101 
a st, where brinde was copiously served up. Our 
traveller declining this food, was supplied with 
curry, and with round balls made of wild celery, 
curds, and ghee. The Ras, in sign of peculiar fa- 
vour, fed him with his own hand, thrusting the 
balls into his mouth in the same manner as boys 
among us feed their magpies. In the outer hall, 
meanwhile, the attendants were scrambling vio- 
lently with drawn knives for the pieces of brinde. 
Welleta Selasse, in Mr Bruce's time, was a 
young man about four or five and twenty ; he 
was of some consequence at court, and is enu- 
merated by that traveller among his friends. The 
first important place to which he was appointed, 
was that of protector of the salt caravans. Hav- 
ing quarrelled with Ras Michael, he was obliged, 
on that chief's return to power, to take shelter in 
the mountainous districts, where he maintained a 
predatory warfare. At this time he challenged 
any two chiefs of the army to fight him in single 
combat ; and two of distinguished bravery having 
presented themselves, he killed them both with 
his own hand. This exploit, which was rendered 
more conspicuous by his slender and delicate 
form, raised him to high consideration throughout 
all Abyssinia. On the death of the old lion," as 
Ras Michael was called, he openly contended for 
the government of the provinces east of the Ta- 
cazze, of which a succession of victories render- 
