106 THROUGH UNKNOWN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. 
water, the banks of which contained much salt, which is 
carried off by the natives for their camels. Continuing 
across a fairly level country, covered with dense jungle, 
through which we had to chop our way, we reached on the 
third day after this a broad river-bed called the Laga, and 
camped very near the Mohammedan villages before men- 
tioned. Many of the Reitu came to the camp, and I suc- 
ceeded in exchanging a cow and a calf for a fat camel, and 
buying a donkey for two pieces of cloth. These people 
were more Somalis than Gallas, as the men had been - 
accustomed to marry Ogaden wives. 
The next morning, just as we were starting for the 
south, two Abyssinians arrived with a message from Wal- 
da-Gubbra that we were not to go on, and that he himself 
was very near. The Emperor Menelek had evidently 
acted treacherously toward us, and had given orders to 
Wal-da-Gubbra to stop us at all hazards. There was noth- 
ing to do but to stop and wait for the general. The 
disappointment was great. We were now in the same 
position as before I received Emperor Menelek’s diplomatic 
letter, and we should be obliged to go back to the Shebeli 
River, cross it, and after going a long way south make a 
rush west again for the river Jub. 
Wal-da-Gubbra soon appeared with about three hun+ 
dred soldiers. I went over to where he camped, while 
Fred, with Dodson and all the boys, remained some dis- 
tance away. The general read me a letter from Menelek, 
as I had expected, forbidding me to do anything but return 
the way I had come. The old man had had a hard time 
of it, riding all the way from Ginea. We kept a very strict 
watch during the night; but no human beings disturbed 
our peace, although some fourfooted creatures managed to 
make night hideous. A lot of hyenas made a terrific noise 
in the bushes near our camp, fighting with one another, until 
