52 MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 



hending mischievous designs on the part of his uncle; 

 promised to accompany him part of the way, and 

 take upon himself his safe convoy. On the I5th 

 of November, after a detention of nearly two months, 

 Bruce left Arkeeko, thankful at having escaped from 

 a series of troubles, vexations, and perils beyond 

 what he had ever experienced, and prosecuted his 

 route to Gondar, the capital of Abyssinia. The 

 road lay through deep ravines, dreary plains, and 

 valleys thickly covered with acacia trees, in which 

 the travellers encountered violent storms of thunder, 

 and were exposed to imminent danger from ele- 

 phants, hyenas, and other beasts of prey. 



The most striking object was the lofty mountain 

 of Tarenta, which rose above all the others, towering 

 to the clouds, and sometimes completely enveloped 

 in mist and darkness. Over this they passed with 

 much difficulty, their clothes being torn, and their 

 hands and feet lacerated with climbing up the rocks. 

 Descending the other side, they found the natives 

 busy with their harvest, the cows and bullocks being 

 employed in treading out the corn. The first town 

 they reached was Dixan, which was built on the 

 pinnacle of a hill resembling a sugar-loaf. Leaving 

 this place on the 25th of November, they entered 

 the province of Tigre, the boundary of which they 

 found to be marked by an immense daroo tree, 

 seven and a half feet in diameter, with the head 

 spreading in proportion. At this spot Bruce got 

 quit of that part of his retinue belonging to the 

 Naib of Massuah, whose presence had been a source 



