528 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
at the wild people you fpeak of, who are going after you, tho' it is better to meet them coming this way, than when they are going to their homes ; they are commanded by Welleta Yafous, who is your friend, and is very grateful for the medi- cines you fent him atGondar : he has not been able to fee you, being fo much bufied with thofe wild people ; but he loves you, and will take care of you, and you muft give me more of that phyfic when we met at Gondar." I again bowed, and he continued, — " Hear me what I fay ; you fee thofe feven people (I never faw more thief- like fellows in my life), — thefe are all leaders and chiefs of the Galla — favages, if you pleafe ; they are all your brethren." I bowed. " You may go through their country as if it were your own, without a man hurting you : you will be foon related to them all ; for it is their cuftom that a ftranger of ditlin&ion, like you, when he is their gueil, lleeps with the filler, daughter, or near relation of the principal men among them. I dare fay, fays he archly, you will not think the cuftoms of the Galla contain greater hardlhips than thofe of Amhara." I bowed, but thought to myfelf I Ihall not put them to the trial. He then jabbered fomething to them in Galla which I did not under- ftand. They all anfwered by the wildeft howl I ever heard, and flruck themfelves upon the breaft , apparently aflenting.
" When Ras Michael, continued he, came from the battle of Fagitta, the eyes of forty-four, brethren and relations of thefe people prefent, were pulled out at Gondar, the day af- ter he arrived, and they were expofed upon the banks of the river Angrab to ftarve, where moft, I believe, were devoured by the hyaena ; you took three of them up to your houfe ; nouriihed, cloathed, protected, and kindly treat- ed them." " They are now in good health, faid I, and want
nothing
