written at the same time to Mr. Nathaniel Pearce, the person whom I had left in the country on my former expedition.
In July 1809, Captain Rudland received a very satisfactory answer from Ras Welled Selassé through Mr. Pearce, who in a very simple, clear, though singular narrative, gave a general account of the adventures he had encountered. He mentioned the diappointment which the Ras had unceasingly expressed at not hearing for so long a time from the English, and strongly confirmed his anxiety to encourage an intercourse with our nation. Mr. Pearce also added many useful observations on the description of articles likely to answer for the Abyssinian market.
In consequence of these letters, Captain Rudland soon afterwards had sent over his assistant, Mr. Benzoni, in a country boat, with some articles of commerce, and a few presents, to Madir, a village in the Bay of Amphila on the Abyssinian coast, to which place he had appointed Mr. Pearce to come down and receive them. The difficulties which Mr. Benzoni met with, and the dangers to which this ill-concerted expedition exposed Mr. Pearce, will be given in a subsequent narrative of transactions, which the latter related to me at Chelicut.
In a short time after this the Ras had sent over one of the Mahomedan traders in his employ, named Hadjee Hamood, who had returned with a few other articles by way of Massowa, but of his arrival at Chelicut no intelligence had been received, and Captain Rudland seemed to entertain the opinion, that he was likely to meet with serious obstacles in passing Massowa, owing to a Sirdar, named Omar Aga, having arrived at the latter place from Jidda, who had dispossessed the Nayib of his authority, and taken upon himself the command. It may be necessary to observe, that at this time our relative situation with Jidda was extremely precarious, owing to the unprincipled character of its chief, who had very lately committed an act of great injustice against the British, in detaining some goods belonging to them, which had been landed under particular circumstances in his port.
This state of affairs rendered it incumbent on me to obtain, if possible, a communication with the Ras pre-
