Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/179

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ARKEEKO.
171

suffered all this on a sandy beach, under a broiling sun. At length, what with coaxing, menacing and bribing, every thing, except a few of the heavy packages which were to be carried in a boat to Arkeeko, was satisfactorily adjusted, and I formally delivered the whole over in charge to Ayto Debib and Hadjee Hamood, the Ras's agents. On the evening of the 22nd, the Kaimakan sent me a parting letter to solicit another hundred dollars, which I positively refused, at the same time to soften my non-compliance, I made the messenger, Abba Yusuph, a present of twenty dollars.

On the 23d, the Ras's people left the coast and proceeded to Arkeeko, and on the same day, at eight o'clock in the morning, after having parted with Captain Weatherhead, I took leave of the Marian under a salute, and proceeded on shore, to pay my farewell visit to the Kaimakan. He received me at the public Divan, a circumstance of which I endeavoured to avail myself, in the hope of escaping all further notice of the letter he had sent me on the preceding evening. He was not however to be so eluded, for he openly asked if I had considered its contents. I answered, "fully; and as I had already exceeded my orders in making him presents, it was impossible for me to comply with his request." After he had ascertained, by a few additional questions, that I was in earnest, he desisted, and said, very good humouredly, "it is well, let it not alter our friendship?" From the Kaimakan's house, I went for the first time to pay a visit to the Nayib, at which he was evidently much pleased, as it was a compliment he did not expect; and agreeably to my request he consented to depart immediately for Arkeeko.

A few hours carried us down to this dreadful place, where we encountered a second series of plagues, which rendered the annoyance we had suffered on the two preceding days comparatively trifling, when put in competition with what we had now to endure. At Arkeeko the Nayib continued in full power, the Kaimakan having only a deputy there, called the Kiya, who possessed as little influence as the Nayib when residing at Massowa. It now remained for me to satisfy the Nayib, his two brothers, his sons, the Kiya, the head men of the