pense, through a power which the African Association vested in me to draw upon it for a sum not exceeding five hundred pounds, and fortunately, there was a young man named Stuart, on board the Marian, who had joined us at the Cape, who appeared to me well qualified for such an employment. I accordingly engaged him to undertake the enterprise, and drew up a detail of instructions for his guidance, which has since been approved of by the Society in a manner highly gratifying to my feelings.
On this occasion I addressed letters to the Sultaun of Hurrur and the Murd'azimaj of Efat, which were confided to Mr. Stuart's care. An Arab servant was engaged to attend him, (who spoke English very fluently) and they were supplied with every requisite for their journey out of my own store. It also happened at this time that Hadjee Abdelkauder himself was about to return, and he agreed, at my request, to take charge of the party on its way as far as Hurrur. The result of this expedition, and the information obtained in the course of it, will, for the sake of a clearer arrangement, be given to the reader on my return to Mocha.
As November passed away, and we received no intelligence respecting the messenger sent to Abyssinia, (excepting a report that Yunus Baralli had been imprisoned by the Nayib) I began to feel extremely impatient and somewhat alarmed, till at length, all my preparations being completed, and the Marian waiting my orders, I resolved at all hazard to pass over immediately to the African coast, where it was my intention to enter Abyssinia by the way of Amphila rather than by that of Massowa. To this determination I was led by the decided opinion of Captain Rudland on its eligibility, and my own experience of the difficulties attending the other route, which were not likely to have been decreased by the circumstance of a Turkish Aga being in command of the Island. The reasons which afterwards induced me to alter this determination will best appear in the regular narrative of subsequent transactions.
On December the 7th, we took leave of our friends at the factory, and went on board the Marian.
