SFOR T IN AB YSSINIA. 8 5 



beer we started again. He accompanied us to the 

 verge of this large table-land we had been going over, 

 and seemed very particular about the exact boundary 

 of his province and the spot where to leave us. We 

 got off our mules and said, " Good-bye," shaking 

 hands with him. He wished us a pleasant journey 

 and abundant sport ; and so we parted with the most 

 civil Abyssinian I had yet met. The ground fell very 

 suddenly here, and we began to descend a rocky 

 road. If I could only make the reader appreciate the 

 beautiful scenery that now lay spread before us ! but 

 I am afraid that words would convey but a poor idea 

 of its grandeur and beauty ; so we must continue on 

 our road. Some parts of the descent were so steep 

 that I had to get off my mule and walk. We had 

 thoughtlessly omitted to bring cruppers for our saddles, 

 so we often found ourselves nearly astride of the mule's 

 head instead of his back ; the only way to remedy 

 this was to get off and shift the saddle, which was 

 tiresome work. K. told me that this was a fearful 

 hill to ascend during the rains, the mules slipping 

 about and tumbling down. We got to our camping- 

 place about two hours before sunset — a pretty spot 

 with plenty of grass, and the water came from 

 deep pools close by. I took my gun and went 

 for a stroll but saw nothing, and I only heard an 

 old cock grouse calling. H. had gone in an opposite 



