144 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



for me. The country we had been travelling through 

 from Adiaboo to Azho was very lovely, and the sides 

 of the low undulating hills were highly cultivated. I 

 have no doubt, in the valleys, the natives reaped a 

 rich harvest. The village of Azho itself was a good 

 specimen of Abyssinian dwellings ; the people seemed 

 well-to-do, and the houses carefully and neatly built. 

 There was a custom-house here, where cotton from 

 Walkait and other distant provinces paid tribute. 

 Before I go on, I must say that the transport of my 

 guns from the village of Ailet to where we were at 

 Azho cost 46 dollars, and the coolies considered 

 themselves well paid. 



Feb. 6. — I started off, before H., with a guide to 

 show me the way, but we chanced, somehow or other, 

 to lose our road, and I was greatly annoyed. This 

 march I did on foot, as my grey mule, which had a 

 very sore back, had to be left behind at Adiaboo. K. 

 procured me another, but it w^as a sorry brute, and 

 always kicked when being mounted, so I got rid 

 of it After wandering about some little time in the 

 jungle, trying to find our way, we at length hit upon 

 the path, and saw some of our own donkeys, under the 

 care of Hadji Mahomet, travelling along. We were 

 to camp at a place called Maidarou, the usual camping- 

 place on this road for all caravans. There were two 

 very large trees close to the pools which supplied us 



