1 24 SFOR T nV ABYSSINIA. 



After a deal of persuasion I got one of them to stay, 

 a man named Philookus. I think most of them 

 thought that they had had enough of marching, and, 

 if the marches in future were to be anything like the 

 two former ones, they were quite right in turning back. 



It is a great mistake, during travelling in rough 

 countries, to force your marches ; it not only tires 

 yourself and harasses your coolies, but also wears out 

 your beasts of burden, a most important considera- 

 tion. The Italian proverb, Che va piano va sano, is 

 daily exemplified when you are away from civilisation 

 and railways. The best method is to start early in 

 the morning, make a short march, and then rest 

 during the heat of the day. After everybody and all 

 the beasts are well rested start again, and get into 

 camp in good time before the sun goes down, so as to 

 get everything comfortable and snug for the night. 

 By the bye, one is very much struck, on first arriving 

 in the East, by the astonishment with which the 

 natives receive an Englishman's protestations that he 

 is in a hurry — that he must go on at once. I believe 

 Arabs have a saying, in the spirit of which they cer- 

 tainly act, that " haste is devilish." 



A number of little sand-grouse, early in the morning, 

 had come circling round the tent and settling on some 

 ploughed ground close to us ; I went out and killed a 

 brace and a half These little birds are very good 



