A Voyage to Abyssinia | Page 9

the utmost dread
to seek his comrades, and we were in one moment almost covered with
Galles; we thought it the most proper course to decline the first impulse
of their fury, and retired into our house. Our retreat inspired them with
courage; they redoubled their cries, and posted themselves on an

eminence near at hand that overlooked us; there they insulted us by
brandishing their lances and daggers. We were fortunately not above a
stone's cast from the sea, and could therefore have retreated to our bark
had we found ourselves reduced to extremities. This made us not very
solicitous about their menaces; but finding that they continued to hover
about our habitation, and being wearied with their clamours, we
thought it might be a good expedient to fright them away by firing four
muskets towards them, in such a manner that they might hear the
bullets hiss about two feet over their heads. This had the effect we
wished; the noise and fire of our arms struck them with so much terror
that they fell upon the ground, and durst not for some time so much as
lift up their heads. They forgot immediately their natural temper, their
ferocity and haughtiness were softened into mildness and submission;
they asked pardon for their insolence, and we were ever after good
friends.
After our reconciliation we visited each other frequently, and had some
conversation about the journey I had undertaken, and the desire I had of
finding a new passage into Aethiopia. It was necessary on this account
to consult their lubo or king: I found him in a straw hut something
larger than those of his subjects, surrounded by his courtiers, who had
each a stick in his hand, which is longer or shorter according to the
quality of the person admitted into the king's presence. The ceremony
made use of at the reception of a stranger is somewhat unusual; as soon
as he enters, all the courtiers strike him with their cudgels till he goes
back to the door; the amity then subsisting between us did not secure
me from this uncouth reception, which they told me, upon my
demanding the reason of it, was to show those whom they treated with
that they were the bravest people in the world, and that all other nations
ought to bow down before them. I could not help reflecting on this
occasion how imprudently I had trusted my life in the hands of men
unacquainted with compassion of civility, but recollecting at the same
time that the intent of my journey was such as might give me hopes of
the divine protection, I banished all thoughts but those of finding a way
into Aethiopia. In this strait it occurred to me that these people,
however barbarous, have some oath which they keep with an inviolable
strictness; the best precaution, therefore, that I could use would be to
bind them by this oath to be true to their engagements. The manner of

their swearing is this: they set a sheep in the midst of them, and rub it
over with butter, the heads of families who are the chief in the nation
lay their hands upon the head of the sheep, and swear to observe their
promise. This oath (which they never violate) they explain thus: the
sheep is the mother of them who swear; the butter betokens the love
between the mother and the children, and an oath taken on a mother's
head is sacred. Upon the security of this oath, I made them acquainted
with my intention, an intention, they told me, it was impossible to put
in execution. From the moment I left them they said they could give me
no assurance of either life or liberty, that they were perfectly informed
both of the roads and inhabitants, that there were no fewer than nine
nations between us and Abyssinia, who were always embroiled
amongst themselves, or at war with the Abyssins, and enjoyed no
security even in their own territories. We were now convinced that our
enterprise was impracticable, and that to hazard ourselves amidst so
many insurmountable difficulties would be to tempt Providence;
despairing, therefore, that I should ever come this way to Abyssinia, I
resolved to return back with my intelligence to my companion, whom I
had left at Pate.
I cannot, however, leave this country without giving an account of their
manner of blood-letting, which I was led to the knowledge of by a
violent fever, which threatened to put an end to my life and travels
together. The distress I was in may easily be imagined, being entirely
destitute of everything necessary. I had resolved to let myself blood,
though I was altogether a stranger to the manner of doing it, and had no
lancet,