

INIA. 



herd, of castle, sxopi towards the west, where the 



fa Migiuw wHh jungle ; MM traoU produce only aloes and 

 an-t" Tb. steep *So of Uio vlley l are usually clad 

 cU. J^oil M mila* from the bank* of the Jamma the table- 



(CM farm which 1* sxprssMd by this term. There are a 

 d over H, bat in general it stretche* away to the 

 i the Hawfah and the Jamma, either in a level plain 

 or with as. anHalsling sorboe. Near the waterabed itaolf. or upon it, 

 Inlilil high hill* and abort ridge* again make their appearance, but 

 lasy os> not r to a great devation. except the Oarra Uorpha ridge 

 and Mount Fmnani. Bat toward* the source of the Hawash and 

 bHwesatt and the mouth of the Jamma, the country is more broken. 

 The greater part of the sstern ditrict of the table-land is destitute of 

 tns* and bosbsa. Some tract* are partly cultivated and partly used 

 ss assign siuuiid. bat other* are entirely left to the herds and flocks, 

 aluvatton being hunted to the hilU and the higher tracts surrounding 

 tasirbaea*. Is these part* also many of the riven are dry for two or 

 three month, in the year. The western districts of the table-land, 

 which bar* a more uneven surface, are well watered, as the rivers 

 tow all the year round. These district* are covered alternately with 

 fcrssl* of high tree* sod by grasjy plain* without bushes. In 

 approaching the source* of the Hwi-h the whole country is almost 

 oa* forest, the haunt of elephant* and buffaloes. 



Oar reformat** respecting the southern declivity of the table-land 

 of Bouthsro Sboa i* vary scanty. But it is known that near the 

 watanhed bslnssu the Jamma and the Hawash rivers, it descend* 

 with a gentle elope resembling a slightly inclined plain. It is however 

 not improbable that near the bank* of the Hawash a steep descent 

 may exist, when it i* considered that the river at Melka Kuya, where 

 H i. traversed by the caravan road from the harbour of Tajurra to 

 AnkoW, i* Is** than 2200 feet above the sea-level, and certainly from 

 MOO to 0000 feet below the watershed on the table-land. There are 

 a few high hill* or mountain* dispersed over the slope, among which 

 Ike most derated are Mount Enloto, Mount Sekuola, and Mount 

 Pamr. Considerable tract* are well cultivated and studded with 

 villages, bat more detailed information is still wanting, as this part 

 of Us **Mshnd ha* hardly been seen by Europeans. We do not 

 ran know if the mountains which extend southward from Ankobar 

 into the province of Bulgs constitute only the edge of the table-land, 

 or are a ridge which on both sides, on the west and east, is bounded 

 by a low country along it* base. The course of the rivers favours the 



Th eastern edge of the table-land of Shoa, from the town of 

 -IT northward to a distance of about 50 mile*, is well known ; 

 ria** with a stssp ascent from the low country west of the Hawash 



**! taut irum uie low country wen 01 toe tiawaan 

 river, which i* only about 4000 feet above the sea-level, to an elevation 

 of from 8000 to 9000 feet The whole ascent does not appear to 

 occupy more than sight or ten mile* in width; to the west of it the 

 saoDtry continue, for a considerable distance at the same elevation. 

 Tfcs town of Anp-UlU, which is several mile* from the edge, i* 8504 

 fast abov. the *ss-lvsl, sad surrounded by a plain intersected by hills 

 rhrvlsft*. The ascent I* best known between the Melka Kuv.i and 

 ^W;J-*sUnos fa a straight line i* about 30 miles. In th, 

 Usa, from the river the country contains several plains ol 

 W from one another by low hill* ; the level 

 rcorrally destitute of gnu* and water, and the higher parts 

 th jungle, in which sheep and goat* find pasture. At 

 laotrti th. country begin, to riss, but in the next ten mSes it hardly 

 - aneUvaUoa of more than 3000 foot above the sea. This tract 





_ 

 ' * 



_ 

 of a 



~ ""J^ oww**ujj iuvrc tasuiifHiMZiY 



Ths lower tract, between the hill* are cultivated 

 IB the last tea mils* the country rise* to more than 

 - .f Anko-bar being 8198 feet above it, 



-"- which is 7408 feet 



i 



part of the ascent i* very broken am 

 of valley* and steep hills, which arc 

 cultivated ; the soil must be rich consider 

 which it showa. The villages are small 

 ~ of a few house., which have a circular 

 roof, sad are perched on the .idc* or summit* 



ar. Mrs wsstw ; they are generally more Icve 



^*. '^I "~/S "*" i 7 * fensrally more Icve 



** *> and covered wTth buane* and h.-r 

 2* 1 ' ta some place* there are forort* o 

 ""Us. when tbSM levd tract* are at a 

 ^ *; **-7 at the bass of the descent, they 



- 

 < and bttsnpsiMd with swamps. 



froai wsatef 



he edge of the table-land U hilly, riling and descending alter 

 n the depression* the ground i* swampy or springy, and here are the 

 source* of the riven which descend to the east and west In 

 lUcus this edge U much higher than the town of Ankdbnr. u I. 

 roved by the difference in the degrees of cold, and by the vegct. 

 rbich near the highest part of the rocky masse* consist* only of fir, 

 loath, and iVrn. Some high mountains rise above the ascent, among 

 which Mi-lint Kmmamret, a few miles N.N.E. of AnkcJbar, rim- 

 considerable elevation, but probably not above Uio line of trees, which 

 u about 11,000 feet above the sea-level 



It is not known how far this steep ascent of the table-land cont 

 to the north. It certainly extends from Ankobar to Kok Kara, 

 anoe of about 50 miles, and probably to 

 but in the parallel of Lake Haik (10 25' N. lat 

 country lowers on both sides of the watershed with a long and g 

 slope. Krupf, who passed over this country, does not speak 

 difficulties. It cannot be urged against this supposition, thai iC 

 watershed lies on the table-hind, and that the descent from it i 

 considerable distance from it farther to the east; for Krapf <-\] 

 states that the climate grew much wanner as he dewvnd.d from tli > 

 watershed eastward; but he also says that several lofty iw.lut-'d 

 mountains were observed on or near the watershed, among vim U 

 Mount Sako rises above the rest 



The country which lies contiguous to the steep ascent of the tnl>lr- 

 and (from 9 30' to 11 N. lat.) on the west continues for a short 

 iistance to preserve the elevation of the edge, nnd then nlo]H' gi-ntlv 

 M the wc.it. The surface is generally level, forming plainn interspersed 

 with small hills or short low ridges; these plains how 

 elevation as they proceed northward, and as they approach Autxioki-i 

 their surface is rather hilly than undulating. The most reinai 

 features of this northern table-land of Shoa are the deep d.']n< 

 in which the rivers run; for n distance of several mill ' from i|,,- 

 watershed they run in deep valleys, but farther on they fall down in 

 cataracts several hundred feet high into deep basins, and below these 

 basins they continue to flow between steep and lofty baukx : tin- 

 descent to them is frequently 500 or even 1 000 feet. The valley through 

 which the Kachena, an affluent of the Wanchit, runs is 300 1 

 below the upper edge of its iwnks and the general level of the count rv, 

 according to the estimate of Krapf. How far this i>eculiarity of th 

 river-valleys continues westward is not known, as the whole country 

 to the banks of the Abiii river, which is about 80 miles distant from 

 the region just described, has never been visited by any Km 

 but as the country near the banks of the Abtti is also several th< 

 feet above its bed, it ia probable that these deep valleys ecu 

 through the whole width of the region. These valleys are generallv 

 well wooded ; but the table-lands between them arc destitute o! 

 and bushes, and ore only used as pasture-ground, though they 1: 

 deep black soil of great fertility, which is proved bythca'bi^ 

 crops obtained from the fields at the base and on the deilivi: 

 the small hills, which occur everywhere, and in some places in 

 oooaidsrabla numbers. The grains and pulse which ore ]>rinri|.;i]l\ 

 cultivatcdare wheat, barley, peas, and hogs' beans. Cotton. 

 many other plants do not succeed on account of the cold, whieh ; 

 the great elevation of this part of the table-land. No do-. 

 animals are so well suited to this country as a kind of black 

 of which there are numerous flocks. 



North of 11 N. hit. the table-land, as already observed, slopes 

 to the east and west. The scanty information which wo possess i 

 this country is not sufficient to give us a general idea of it 

 It was traversed under very unfavourable circumstances by Krapf, 

 who informs us that several high mountains rise on the \\ .it 

 but where he crossed it there were two valleys separated at 

 tipp.-r extremities by a ridge of no great elevation. The. v. 

 valley, called Totola, from a celebrated market-place there, is inter- 

 sected by the river Gherddo, an affluent of tin- I!a>hil>, and on l>o(!i 

 ides inclosed by a range of hills partly covered with jnniju-i 

 On these hills there are many hamlets and villages. The \:\' 

 wide and well cultivated; the surface is irrigated artificially from tin- 

 river, and as the elevation above the sea is considerable, th> 

 even in summer. The eastern valley is watered by 

 affluent of the Hawash; as several hills arc dispersed over th. 

 cent country, it does not form a regular valley; the soil IH Mi 

 great fertility, rich in wood, and grass for cattle ; in many 

 wi-11 cultivated, and a* maize and cotton are grown, it is evident that, 

 it must be much lower than the country on the other side of the 

 watershed a fact which i* expressly stated by Krapf. 



The country west of the watcrxhcd on both sides of the river Bashilo, 

 an affluent of the. Aluii, and extending to the high rangcii that sur- 

 round the sources of the Takkazzie, is prolbly the most el. 

 portion of the table-land of Abyssinia. It comprehends the a- 

 province of Amhara, and is now in possession of the i 

 tribe* of the Wollo Oallas. Though there are, according to Kmpf, 

 mntninoiis regions among the Wollo tribes, the countn 

 : level; tliiM-i- :ir. rable. extent OB which 



only :i liilln are found, whilst in other places ridges of hills 



traverse the country, i i mnitH rise to a coimidiTjiMi 



lion nlxivc the base. 1 run through lioltoniK which arc 



bounded by steep rocky mosses, but it does not appear that their 1 ,1 . 



