They dig up gold among reddish earth, which they burn in the fire, and gather it as it runs out in small pieces like shot. They put it next into a small purse, or rather sort of bag. Every individual is free to search for it. They are flat-nosed and flat-lipped, very black, best shaped in the upper parts, but with bad knees and legs.

"The Bure way to Narca is W. in the country south of Amoro, The nearest way is by Gojam and Gooderoo, performed in thirty days with loaden asses, about eight or nine miles aday.

"Harar is a very large town, has five gates, and is constantly at war with Habbesh, or the Galla. The ridge of hills continues from Masuah to Cape Gardefan. Harar, Adel, and the Gibberts, all hate Franks and Christians. Their prince is an Imam. The road north to the Toluma Galla is nearest by Harar; to the Woolo by Aussa. There runs the large river Hawash. There is no communication with the sea at Harar, which is surrounded on the south and east by multitudes of Galla through all that country to the interior of the continent of Africa.

"From the Toluma Galla, which is one day south of Amhara to Gu rague, is seven days of an ass from morning to night, I suppose fifteen to sixteen miles per day. From Gurague to Narea, four days; in their way they pass the Bashilo, but not the Kibbee, which passes through Narea. The Bashilo falls into the Abay before they pass Angheree, and they meet with it past Gerramidre, before they enter Gurague.

From Raheeda to Aussa, five or six days. From Aussa to Ha. rar six days moderate journey; in Four a strong man can accomplish it. From Raheeda to the Woolo, fifteen

days; from these to Ambara, three days. From Raheeda to Woolo all the country is plain; the journey is performed with camels, I suppose ten miles per day. They carry water with them in girbas, and at one time are three or four days without any supply. Aussa is now no separate kingdom, but dependant on Harar; this race of people was from Harar, and therefore they are not subject to strangers. They are called Mellassua, and still preserve their language, which is the same with that of the Gibbertis. They count up 317 kings. From this city was Mahomet Gragne. The whole country is Adel; from Zeila to Harar is eight days journey; but Zeila is now little inhabited, on ac count of the faithlessness of the natives in robbing the Jelalib. Soomal is governed by a chief at peace with Adel. Harar, the capital of Adel, has ninety-nine villages, all govern. ed each by a vizir, and pay tribute.

"Goutta is not in Damot, though depending on it. A small peaked hill, pointed with rock, is called Geesh, or Gutch. Southward, scarce a quarter of a mile from the fountains of the Nile, the plain ends in a precipice, planted with very tall sambucs, and other trees. In this is a cavern called Washa, which they say communicates with the fountains, and that when it rains violently, the water overflows and comes in hither. The Shum Kefla Abay told me, that in the constant rains of Naasse and Hamulie, it never overflows at the springs, not do the fountains seem larger. He remembered the accession of Hatze Yasous to the throne, and was about eighty years old. The east side of the Nile is less barren than the west side. Aformasha is not barren.

Singular

"Singular Custom. The Betwudet (in Habbesh), upon the death of any Wiziro, is obliged to pay the expences of the ceremony, called Misle, which amounts to 100 oxen, 3000 loaves of wheat bread, 20 jars hydromel, wood, &c. the whole about sixty ounces of gold. The ceremony is this:-A sort of figure resembling the defunct is placed upon horsehack, in his usual dress, and so carried in procession about the outer court of the palace, with the royal standard (sendick) carried before it, and the nagareet beating. This is called in this country, 46 burying with sendick and nagareet; for which the Betwudet has 1200 ardeb of wheat yearly out of the Attekolla.

The route of the Islam merchants S. is by two ways, with loaden asses, eight or nine miles per day. The way by Gojam is performed in thirty days to Sebou, and thence for other ten to Narea, The Kibby or Zebee rises in Narea. Coffee of different kinds grows there in abundance, and the Galla feed on it. They use the lex talionis, but their internal justice is strict. They are very scrupulous of oaths: Wauke Laftan, by heaven and earth, is one of the most solemn. There are three races of Galla, the Anangoul in Angot, north-east of Begemder; Mahomet - Ali, another farther west than the Guangoul, towards Amhara; and a third, Mahomet, brother of Lubo, west of Amhara. The rest are pagans; but when converted are said to be better Christians than the native Abyssinians.

"Mahabar Selasse is four commodious days journey from Gondar, in the line of Tchemmera and Tenkel. Near it pass the rivers Shimfa and Gandova, the last of which has several very high cataracts; it joins to the Shaukala, and is about two

days journey from Tchemmera. Both rivers fall into the Nile.

"The river Bashilo separates Amhara from Begemder; the Mashilla, a river of Gojam, and the river Nefasse, fall into the Nile at the same place. In the country of the Galla west of Damot, across or west of the Abay, there is little water, and near the banks of the river the coun try is desert.

"Damot pays 800 ounces (wakea) of gold; formerly 1000. Gojam 80 ounces and 70 mules. Lasta 1000 ounces; these last years it pays no more, being at present annexed to Begemder. Tigre pays 400 ounces in salt and cotton cloths. Walcait 1500 ounces in cotton cloths.

"The latitude of Adderghey is 13° 24' 50'; of Maccara, on Lamalmon, 13° 6' 9"; of Gondar, 12° 24' 30'; of Emfras, 12° 12′ 35′′; of the fountains, 10' 58′ 58′′.

"Note at Loheia. The Arabs are fond of music, especially vocal; for they have no instrument but a kind of flute, of the size of a Ger man flute, which gives a wild and not unmelodious sound, and the cymbal or drum, with ten pieces fixed to its sides, which is chiefly used in cadence in dancing, or for symphonies. Their vocal music, or songs, are upon first hearing disagreeable; but it rarely happens that one who has a good ear is not soon fond of them. They are all upon love; at least I never heard any that had war for their subject; some have religion, and are sung by their Shekhs, or saints. The former have effects upon their hearers nearly as extravagant as the ancient music produced. They have no mcsic in parts, and have absolutely no idea of harmonical composi tion."

› CUSTOMS

"Constantinople, 1906.

"D DURUNG, in calence

URING my absence in Russia, his excellency Mr. Arbuthnot, our new ambassador at the Porte, arrived in Constantinople; yesterday he had his audience with the sultan, which, as the mode of conducting it was somewhat singular, I shall describe to you.

"Yesterday morning, by five o'clock, the whole of the British at the time in Constantinople repaired to the palace of the Swedish envoy, where his excellency our ambassador waited for them, to proceed to his audience with the sultan: before six the whole procession was in motion; the ambassador was carried in a chair by six men in red robes, with high hairy caps on their heads; on each side of the chair walked one of his excellency's armed attendants, namely, his hussar and his sportsman; the chair was followed by another, which was empty, and then by the secretaries, dragomen, and gentlemen and factors, who happened to be then in the country.

"In this manner we proceeded to the water side at Tophana, where boats were provided for us by order of the Porte, to carry us across to the Golden Horn, where, when we arrived, we found horses from the stud of the sultan waiting to convey us to the seraglio: after some little ceremonies, we again set forward for the Sublime Porte; before entering it, we all alighted, and proceeded onward between the gates; the, outer and inner ones were shut and information was then sent to the divan, that an infidel ambassa.

dor was without, who wished to throw himself at the feet of the great sultan. The place in which we were inclosed is that where criminals are decapitated, and where the heads of traitors are exposed for the satisfaction of the sultan. Af ter a short time, the inner gate was thrown open, and an exhibition truly novel presented itself; a great number of dishes of pillau and cakes of bread were strewed on the ground at appropriate distances, which, at à signal given, a troop of janizaries ran in the nimblest manner, and carried off. On enquiry, I found that this grotesque spectacle was intended to shew to us infidels in what manner the Turkish troops are fed, and also how active they are.

"At length we were permitted to advance, and after crossing an exterior court of the seraglio, arrived at the entrance of the divan, near the door of which were exposed on the ground the presents brought by the ambassador, in order to gain or se cure the friendship of the Turks, amongst these were several pieces of fine cloth, some of rich silk," a table clock, and many other articles.

"Here his excellency presented his credentials to the vizir, who, by some gentleman of the long robe, sent them to the sultan to know his pleasure. The interval between this and the arrival of the answer was employed by us in examining and admiring the magnificence of the apartment in which we were, and which was richly gilt and painted on the roof and columns; the floor was of variegated marble, around the room were sophas covered with

Costly

costly stuff; in the middle of the side opposite the door, upon a cu shion more elevated than the rest, sat the vizir; over his head we observed the little window covered by a thick grating, at which, it is said, the sultan sits to hear what passes on occasions of this kind. It was evident to perceive, through the grating, that some person sat there, bat conjecture alone could lead us to conclude that it was Selim.

"A gracious answer from the sultan at length arrived, which was received with a shout of "Long live "the King of Kings, Selim the Sultan of Sultans." Here every one arose, even his highness the vizir slipt from his throne, and met the bearer half way to the door; the order was delivered into his hands; he first kissed it, then placed it to his forehead, kissed it again, and then, and not till then, presumed to break the seals; the order was to feed, wash, and clothe the infidels, and then admit them to his presence. In a short time, some little stools were arranged in different parts of the divan, on the top of which were placed large trays of gold and silver, about four feet diameter, and of a circular form, from which we were to be fed at the expence of the Turks. A most sumptuous entertainment was served up; first, a kind of blancmange, next, different kinds of roasted and baked meats; sweetmeats followed, and to conclude, a delicious cooling sherbert was handed round in gold and silver basons.

We experienced one grievous want at this feast, for we were not furnished either with knife or fork, and were obliged to tear in pieces whatever was set before us; for the articies of a liquid kind, spoons of tortoise-shell studded with gold, were handed to us.

"The eating part of the farce being over, perfumed water was poured on the hands of his excellency, and a napkin of rich embroidery was thrown to him to wipe them with; he was further perfumed with aloes wood and ambergris.

"The usual ceremony of paying the janizaries takes place in general after this part of the audience, but his excellency had, I suppose, expressed himself sufficiently satisfied of the riches of the Sultan, and it was dispensed with.

"I happened to be in Constantinople at a former period, when two senators of Ragusa came to pay their tribute to the Porte, and was present at their audience, when the usual entertainment for the ambassadors, of paying the janizaries, was gone through, a description of which may perhaps amuse you. On quitting the divan, the senators and suite were conducted to a place in the court immediately opposite to the door of it, where seats were pre pared for their reception; the servants of the Porte then brought out a number of leathern purses, which were strewed on the ground, and supposed to contain the pay of one company; the colonel of the company then gave the word, upon which the men came running forward, snatched up the purses, and carried them to some other quarter, where they divided them; this they repeated again and again; at the audience of the Ragusans it lasted upwards of an hour and a half; at that of Lord Elgin, this farce continued some hours, when his lordship, with just indignation, declared, that if it was not concluded immediately, he would return home. ...

"We were now marched to a kind of open room under the piazzas, where coffee was served, and where the infidels were clothed in a manner

suitable

suitable to their making their appear. ance before the sublime sultan; this dress consisted of pelisses; that of his excellency was lined with samour, worth no small sum; those for the secretaries were very good; the dragomen, who generally take care of themselves, having in some measure the arrangement of this part of the business, were served with a pelisse each, little inferior to that of the ambassador; the others were of trifling value,

"To the presence of the sultan only fourteen can be admitted, and they must be unarmed; so here his excellency, and those who wore swords, unbuckled: we now passed to the gate of the second court, where we encountered the first guard of eunuchs. This guard was composed of the ugliest monsters that ever wore the human form; their features were horrible, with the flesh depending from them; their faces were of the most deadly hue. Each infidel was now adorned with two eunuchs, who laid a paw on each shoulder, to signify when he was to bend before the king of kings, and also to prevent outrage in his presence; in this manner we promenaded the second court, and were soon ushered into the august presence.

"The sultan was sitting on a bed, for his throne has the appearance of a large four-posted bed, indeed it is exactly of that shape; the posts were inlaid with precious stones; the cushion on which Selim sat was composed of a massy embroidery of pearls; before him stood his boots, beside him lay his sword, and some turbans of state with rich aigrettes in them.

"Selim is a man of about fortythree years of age, his beard is become grisly, his countenance is attractive, the tout ensemble of his

physiognomy benign; he never lifted his eyes, nor even gave a side glance; the ambassador made a polite speech to him, which the Prince Marwze, first dragoman at the Porte, translated to the vizir, who repeated it to the Sultan; he made his reply in simple, kind, and elegant expressions; it was likewise spoken to the vizir, who passed it to the prince, who then repeated it to the British Company's dragoman, and he to the ambassador. Our au dience being finished, we turned to depart, still in our humiliating condition, like criminals; the sultan, just as we were leaving the room, desired the dragoman to inform his excellency, that he had ordered him a horse, which he hoped would turn out a good one: his excellency thanked him, and we departed A strong guard of janizaries attended during the whole of the procession.

"Our return from the audience was nearly the same as our entry. We passed over the outward court of the seraglio, and without the Porte found our horses in waiting, where we had left them. As we crossed the water, several British and Maltese vessels saluted us; indeed they had done so in the morning. We conducted the ambassador to the Swedish palace, and were refreshed with lemonade, sweet cakes, &c. : the party then broke up to meet again at Tarapea, the residence of Mr. Arbuthnot, where we were invited to dinner. In the evening we had a ball.

"The audience upon the whole was grand, and came up in a great measure to my expectations It was humiliating to be sure, to be kept sa long like prisoners in that horrible place the Porte, and had we understood the language, the being treated with infide at every corner would