312 Toii7'nal of Travel and Natural History 



fined to people of the first rank. On the other hand, Teff is used by all sorts of 

 people, from the king downwards ; and there are kinds of it which are esteemed 

 fully as much as the wheat. The best of these is as white as flour, exceedingly 

 light, and easily digested. There are others of a browner colour, and some 

 nearly black ; this last is the food of soldiers and servants." 



Michella is largely grown, and offers innumerable varieties. 

 Another grain extensively cultivated is the Tocusso. The meal 

 of this is also used for making bread and cakes, but Tocusso is 

 chiefly employed in the preparation of beer. Previous to being 

 used for the latter purpose, it undergoes the same process as barley 

 in this country. Barley is grown in considerable quantities in the 

 highlands, and is also employed both in making beer and as food 

 for man and beast. According to Bruce, their Bouza or beer is 

 made in the following manner ; — 



"A jar of Tocusso contains as much as is sufficient to make two loaves, 

 that are a tenth part of the whole jar ; besides which, they use about half a 

 votol of "Ghesh" leaves (Rhanuus sp.). The first part of the process 

 is to grind the Tocusso, after which they take a fourth part of it, and knead it 

 with water and leaven, as if to make bread. This they put in a jar to ferment 

 for two days ; at the end of which they make a good many thin large cakes, and 

 dry them on the fire until they become as hard as stone, then break them down 

 into crumbs, and put them into a large vessel full of water, capable of holding 

 six times the volume of the grain. The remainder of the meal must be put into 

 a hollow oven, over a fire, with a small quantity of water, and constantly stirred 

 until it becomes a black paste, which, with the bruised ghesh leaves, is put into 

 the jars containing the crumbs and water, let alone for a day, and then poured 

 off, and preserved in jars well stopped. At the end of seven or eight days this 

 liquor begins to be too strong, and is best when fresh, two or three days old." 



Sedges, or Cyperacere, are numerous, and employed in various 

 ways. The Papyrus, according to Bruce, is a native of Abyssinia, 

 and boats made of the stalks were the only ones in use at the time 

 he resided in that country ; but subsequent travellers have not 

 met with, or have neglected to collect it, and make no mention of it. 



Palms are rare in tropical Africa, or rather the species are iQ\f 

 in number, and three only are reported from Abyssinia — namely, 

 Phccnix dactylifera, the Date, Hyphsene th aica, the Doum 

 and an unnamed species, described as stemless. The Date is 

 cultivated. The Doum or Doom is indigenous, and is found in 

 the vicinity of Gondar, up to an elevation of 6000 feet above the 

 sea level. This Palm is remarkable on account of its stem being 

 often two or three times branrlicd, deviating in this resi)ect from 

 all other known members of the family ; the normal state being a 

 simple or undivided tnuik. There arc five species of the Yam 



