50 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
cultivated fields; there were hundreds of acres planted in 
Indian corn and durrha, in all stages of growth, as well as 
fields of beans and pumpkins; and it was not uncommon 
to see oxen yoked to a rude wooden plough. This country 
would delight the heart of a’ European farmer ; for, besides 
the fertility of the soil, the climate is most agreeable and 
equable. The mean temperature for the twenty-four hours 
was only 70° Fahr. 
On the 17th of September we met an Abyssinian who 
was stationed ata large settlement a short distance ahead 
to watch over the grain and live-stock. He was the first 
Abyssinian I had seen, and he impressed me most favor- 
ably: Six feet in height, and of a massive, powerful 
build, he was a finer specimen than the majority of the 
Abyssinians, although I found them generally to be large 
sized. The man, whose name was Gabr Amaria, told me 
his people belonged to Curague, which ts a country to the 
southwest of Abyssinia, and that he had been captured by 
the Abyssinians when a boy, and taken to Harar as a 
slave. After this he had been sent to Luku as an inspec- 
tor. He said that the general of this country, and his 
army, were far to the south, waging war on the natives, and 
that we would have no difficulty in making friends with 
the few petty Abyssinians who were left about Sheikh 
Husein. Accordingly we marched on, under the guid- 
ance of Gabr Amaria, to Luku, and camped. Here we 
found quite a little settlement of agricultural people, 
governed by a most intelligent chief called Sheikh Ali. 
They were all Mohammedans, and were far superior to the 
Gallas I had previously met, being a branch of the Sheikh 
Husein people. We remained at Luku the next day to 
talk to the natives and to give Gillett a chance to hunt 
elephants, of which there were many in the neighborhood. 
Sheikh Ali and crowds of natives were in the camp all 
