But this is not all. Of the eight discharged servants, instead of the whole of these men showing any abhorrence of the country, the greater part of them took to themselves wives, and upon what little they had saved lived near me in Aliu Amba. Three of them however (Hadjji Ohmed, Mahudee, and the Indian boy), were induced to attempt a passage to the sea-coast. The Kafilah they accompanied was attacked on the eastern bank of the Hawash by the Takalee tribe. The Indian boy was slain, but Hadjji Ohmed and Mahudee, being mounted, fled different ways; the former fortunately found protection and shelter for more than a month with Omah Batta’s sub-division of the Sidee Ahbreu tribe, whilst Mahudee contrived to reach a much more distant portion of Adal, the country of Chur-Chur, on the road to Hurrah from Shoa. Here he also remained several weeks, receiving the greatest attention and kindness, and finally was restored, as was also Hadjji Ohmed, to the _Negoos_ of Shoa, who rewarded their _Adal_ entertainers for their hospitality to British subjects. It may be naturally supposed that the author of the “Highlands of Ethiopia” was ignorant of these facts, but this is impossible, for Mahudee, who had visited Chur-Chur, was reinstated in his situation as horsekeeper to Major Harris himself, in return for the interesting information it was supposed he could give of the little-known country where he had been living. CHAPTER XXIX. Conversation on medical matters with the Negoos.--Of Guancho.-- The State prison.--The construction of its defences.--Good medicine for captives.--Its probable effect.--Of the Gallas.-- Their invasion.--Of the Gongas.--Abyssinian slaves.--Conclusion. A very singular circumstance connected with our conversation respecting the health of the brother of the Negoos was, that neither Bethlehem or myself recollected at first, that all the near relations of Sahale Selassee were incarcerated in prison, according to ancient Abyssinian custom, and which, I believe, was also practised in the kingdom of Judea, to secure, by this cruel policy, the monarch from personal danger, and the country from the evils inflicted by civil war, that might otherwise arise by the ambition or simplicity of the other branches of the Royal family, either acting itself or admitting of being acted upon by the arts of others.