398 A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



comfoL'tless niglit ^ve asceiided the steep side of the Woresa, 

 this time to 3000 feet, camping on its farther slope in another 

 dehige of rain^ in which we were thoroughly drenched. The 

 Alefurus extemporised for themselves elegant shelters Ly 

 piling a thatch of extra branches on the tied-together tops 

 of neighbouring bushy shrubs. These, dotted about round 

 our larger bark-made huts, formed, w^hen lit up by our large 



central fire, quite a picturesque camp, which w^e were too wet to 

 be in a humour to enjoy much. . 



We proceeded next day in a very unfit state from the chill 

 of the previous night, but we had not gone far when some 

 anxiety was caused by finding the ;^round set with bamboo 

 spikes. Not knowing whether this was a sign of hostility 

 towards us or against some former enemy we kept the bairgage 

 back a little and went on onrselves ahead, with loaded arms ; 

 but finding no other traces we descended without further 

 thought of ill to the AVai Gelan, another large river, making, 

 as all the streams we had yet crossed, to join with tributaries 

 of the tributaries of the Apu. Except at a few spots, the 



paucity 



:h 



a bad reputation but of which we had not seen a single 

 specimen, surprised me very much. Froni the AVai Gelan the 

 ascent — each height exceeded the one before it all the w^ay to 

 the coast — w^as very steep and slippery, which the Aldfurus, 

 inciting each other with cries of Gossa, gossa (good, good), 

 required all their strength to get our baggage up. At 2400 

 feet, coming on a few houses called Wasilale in the middle of 

 a forest garden, the first signs of life we had seen since leaving 

 the river Bloi, we decided to halt for the night, and press 

 forward to the lake next day. 



We took up our quarters in a rest-house of the most abject 

 description, but quite in keeping with their own miserable 

 dwellings. Three or four men, who had shortly after our 

 arrival started off evidently to their gardens, returned carrying 

 between them a large pig which they had killed to mark the 

 rare event of European visitors in their midst. The women and 

 girls hurried ubuut briniiiug blocks of stone, with which they 



formed a large paved area to serve as an oven, whereon they 

 piled a roaring fire till the stones began to burst from the heat 

 in loud renorts. As soon as the stones were heated to the 



