from the mountains, two of these animals were swept away, before there was a possibility of removing them, the people saving themselves with difficulty by clambering up the rocks which bordered the stream. When the fury of the torrent had subsided, the party went in search of the camels, one of which was found jammed in between two rocks, and the other entangled, about a mile and a half lower down, among the boughs of a tree, and before both could be released, the evening came on, and compelled them to leave the bales, which had been cut away to extricate the camels, in the bed of the stream.
In the morning, the water having resumed its natural course, a great portion of the articles was discovered on the dry bed of the torrent, and among others the bale of velvets, though soaked completely through, was fortunately found entire; but Mr. Pearce did not dare to open it, for fear of Alli Manda and his people seeing its contents, as it was supposed merely to contain paper ornaments and pictures intended for the Ras's church. Before the party could proceed, however, it became necessary to hire another camel, one of those which had been washed down being in consequence disabled from continuing the journey; a circumstance, which, of course, required another draft on Mr. Pearce's nearly exhausted fund. Being now pretty well drained, Alli Manda permitted him to pass on without further annoyance, and, on the 30th, they reached the district of Hurtoo, commanded by Shum Ishmaiel.
Here Mr. Pearce felt himself once more in security, and therefore on the following morning about mid-day, thought it right to open the bale of velvets, for the purpose of drying them. At the sight of these articles Alli Manda and his party became almost frantic; and, as Mr. Pearce learned from his interpreter, were heard to say, that, had they been earlier acquainted with the contents, neither man nor goods should ever have passed beyond the bounds of their country. At three o'clock the velvets being repacked, the party proceeded forward to a village, belonging to Hamood, the brother of Shum Ishmaiel.
On the 31st, during their stay at this place, a relation of Alli Manda joined the party, when the latter began to
