My message to them was, that if they shewed the smallest appearance of further insolence, either by approaching the tent, or flinging stones that night, the next morning, when the horse I expected were come up, I would burn their town, and put every man of them to the sword. A very submissive answer was sent back, with a heap of lies in excuse of what they called their mistake. My two servants coming soon after, both of whom, hereafter, were to be in the service of Ayto Confu, went boldly one to each village, to bring two goats, some jars of bouza, and to prepare fifty loaves of bread for next morning. The goats were dispatched instantly, so was the bouza; but when the morning came, the people had all fled from their houses, without preparing any bread. These villages were called Gimbaar. They were three in number; each situated upon the top of a pointed hill, in a direction from east to west, and made a very beautiful appearance from the plain below. They belonged to my great enemies, Guebra Mehedin, and Confu, late sons of Basha Eusebius.
On the other hand, as my servants told me that a messenger of the king had passed that morning without taking any notice of us, I began to suspect that it was some stratagem of his to frighten me from pursuing my journey; which, after the letters I had received from Sennaar, and which he himself had heard read, he never thought I would have undertaken. This I still believe might be the case; for these peasants did not shew any forwardness to do us harm; however, it turned out as unfortunately for them, as if they really pursued us for vengeance.
As soon as we found the villages deserted, and that there were no hopes of a supply of bread, we struck our tent, and proceeded on our journey; the pointed mountain Gutch bore north from our tent, at the distance of about two miles.
On the 29th, at ten in the forenoon, we left the inhospitable villages of Gimbaar, not without entertaining some apprehensions of meeting the inhabitants again in the course of the day. But though we took every precaution against being surprised, that prudence could dictate, our fears of the encounter did not rise to any great height. I got, indeed, on horseback, leaving my mule; and, putting on my coat of mail, leaving the fire-arms under the command of Hagi Ismael, the old Turk, I rode always about a quarter of a mile before the baggage, that they might not come suddenly upon us, as they had done the night before.
In a few minutes we passed three small clear streams in a very fertile country; the soil was a black loomy earth; the grass already parched, or rather entirely burnt up by the sun. Though this country is finely watered, and must be very fertile, yet it is thinly inhabited, and, as we were informed, very unwholesome. At three quarters past ten we came to the river Mahaanah, which swallows up these three brooks, its course nearly N. W. it was (even at this dry season of the year) a considerable stream.
Here we rested half an hour, and then pursued our journey straight north. We passed a large and deep valley called Werk Meidan, or the country of gold, though there is no gold in it. It is full of wood and bushes. We had left it six miles, at least, on our left hand, and the baggage near half a mile behind, when I met two men very decently dressed; one mounted on a mule, the other on foot; both of them armed with lances and shields, and both seemed surprised to see a man on horseback alone completely armed. The rider passed by at a very quick pace, apparently not desirous of any intercourse with me. The man on foot at passing saluted me with a Salam Alicum; by which I knew him to be a Mahometan, and we were about to enter into conversation, when his neighbour called to him, with seeming impatience. He immediately left me, saying only these short sentences, "He there before is a Christian, and a liar; don't be afraid, Ayto Confu will be at Tcherkin as soon as you."
Upon this we parted, I passed on something more than a mile further, and at ten minutes after twelve stopped for the baggage. The Mahaanah is here about a quarter of a mile to the N. E. and the sharp-pointed mountain of Gutch S. E. and by east, distance about three miles. It was some time before our baggage came up, when our companions who escorted it exhibited some small marks of confusion.
The Turk was blustering violently in Turkish, and setting all at defiance, wishing to be attacked by a hundred that minute; the others seemed to be much more moderate, and not to agree with Hagi Ismael, either in time or in number, but were very willing to be exempted from attacks altogether. I asked them what was the occasion of all this warlike discourse from Ismael, who scarcely spoke Arabic so as to be understood? I could learn nothing but threats against the Christians. At last, the servants told me, that the Abyssinians who passed had informed them, that, at a certain pass, called Dav-Dohha, which we should arrive at next day, above a thousand men, Christians, Pagans, and Mahometans, all armed, were waiting for us, resolved to cut us to pieces rather than let us pass: that the Shangalla were expected to burn Tcherkin, and Ayto Confu's house; and that his Billetana Gueta, Ammonios, had come with a multitude of mules to carry away all that was valuable in it. He added, moreover, that Abba Gimbaro, chief of Sancaho, was sent for by Ayto Confu, and entrusted with the defence of Tcherkin Amba, the hill upon which Ayto Confu's house is situated. He then called the Mahometan who spoke to me, to witness the truth of all this, which he did with repeated oaths; and concluded, that nothing remained for us but to return to Gondar. They all, in anxious expectation, awaited my resolution. One of the servants said, that, by going out of the way about half a day, we could avoid the pass of Dav-Dohha altogether. I told them, this was neither a time nor place for deliberation; that we should make the best of our way to Waalia, where we were to sleep that night; as that was a town where there was a market, and people came from every part, we should there hear news, after which I promised to tell them my opinion. We accordingly set out for Waalia, and at half past four in the afternoon encamped in the market-place.