_ 137 _ whilst at one end it was two hundred and sixty and at the other two hundred and fifty. There was a great amount of cattle-raising in the land and many gazelles, and so many hares that our men were hunting them on foot. There was a dispensation to allow one to do what one wished. When the governor had returned to the galleon he saw a man on land riding along on horse-back, with four oxen in front of him. It seemed to him that there was some message for him, so he ordered the skiff to take him to the shore. The horseman approached, shouting: "Christians, Christians, Jesus Christ Son of Holy Mary," He was bringing a large piece of parchment on which was painted an image of Our Lady, with the infant Jesus on Her lap, an angel on each side and the Apostles below. On presenting the oxen to the governor he came aboard the skiff with two others with so little fear as if he had always been with us. The governor received them hospitably, and kissed the image, happy to see the respect and veneration the Ethiopians had for it, and asked who had sent it to him, and the reason. The man replied that it was as a testimony of their Christianity and that the governor of Arguico had ordered him to bring it, and he also gave the
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