In 1622 Father Jeronimo Lobo left Lisbon and proceeded to Goa, whence, after staying for more than a year, he started for Abyssinia. News had reached the Portuguese at Goa, from such of the missionaries as remained in Abyssinia, that the Emperor of that country had decided to join the Roman Church. A pressing demand was made for more Portuguese missionaries to strengthen this conversion, and the missionaries were advised to enter Ethiopia by way of the river Nile, through Dongola and Sennar. Unfortunately the secretary to the missionaries in Abyssinia mixed up the word Dancala (Dongola) with the country of the Danakil (on the Red Sea),[19] and advised the Jesuits at Goa to land at Zeila (Somaliland), and make their way through the Danakil country to Abyssinia. It was attempted to carry out this unfortunate advice. The eight missionaries who started from Goa were to divide into two companies, one to go to Zeila, and the other to land at Melinda (Malindi) on the Zanzibar coast, and thence make their way overland to Abyssinia,--rather a “large order” at that date (to use modern slang). Those that went by sea to Zeila were seized by the Turks, though finally released at the intercession of the Emperor of Abyssinia, who bribed the Turkish Pasha with the present of a zebra.[20] The other four missionaries, among whom Lobo was one, were again divided into two lots. Two of the fathers that were to attempt entering southern Abyssinia from Somaliland were duly landed at Zeila. A Muhammadan chieftain who was styled king of the country (probably in the neighbourhood of Tajurra Bay) seized these unfortunate missionaries and threw them into prison. In spite of the entreaties of the Emperor of Abyssinia, this Muhammadan chieftain (some relation of the Muhammad Granye who had been killed by the Portuguese when he invaded Abyssinia seventy years previously) finally had the Jesuits beheaded. Father Lobo and a companion were conveyed by a Portuguese ship to the island of Lamu on the Zanzibar coast. Thence with great difficulty they made their way in a boat along the coast to the mouth of the Juba River, where they came into contact with the “Galles,”[21] probably the existing Ogadein Somalis. These boisterous people soon made it apparent to the missionaries that any journey overland from Kismayu to Zeila and Abyssinia was an impossibility; so, after many hardships, they eventually made their way back to Mombasa and India.