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Jourual of Travel and Natural History 



country is apparent at a glance of its scenery. Fig. i, copied 

 from the chromolith frontispiece of Heuglin's work, is a striking 

 example of it. When the traveller once reaches the lofty plateau 

 he finds that the road keeps as much as possible along the ridges. 

 If it were to go as the crow flies it would be constantly plunging 

 down precipices on one side only to ascend them on the other. 

 It therefore maintains a high level as much as possible, and in 

 doing so has often to wind along the edge of precipitous crags 

 leaning over the gulf below. These form the sides of natural 

 cuttings (like the canons in Mexico), which are often looo feet in 

 perpendicular depth, and are, moreover, so narrow that a gunshot 



0^ S 



Fig. 1. A sketch of Absyssiuian scenery. 



would reach across. Wherever in these twilight defiles they can 

 find space and footing, such plants as the Colqual, the Dodonsea 

 viscosa. the tall shrul)by Fvchinops and Andropogon grow clustered 

 together. Before dismissing the allusions to geology we may 

 merely add, by way of parenthesis, that there are in the Dammerde 

 some places where gypsum and a dolomitic limestone occur, which 

 is l)urnt by the natives and used to make mortar. The mineral 

 products are described by Von Heuglin as few in number and 

 of little commercial value. There is gold in the Gala country in 

 small quantities, and iron is also widely spread or disseminated; but 



