SPOR T IN ABYSSINIA. . 1 8 1 



Feb. 27. — Our own flour did not appear till the 

 afternoon of to-day, and I never felt more pleased 

 than when I got it. They gave me a note from H., 

 which was written in pencil on an envelope, and ran 

 as follows : — 



" Barrakee's Village, Friday, zdih, i r.M. 

 " Thank Heaven we have just this moment arrived ! 

 You never saw such a journey : it was sixty, if not 

 seventy, miles. We waited for two hours in the heat 

 of the day to rest the donkeys, and then went on as 

 hard as we could, and arrived at the river that Barrakee 

 had spoken about at 6 P.M. The rest of the donkeys 

 came up about an hour after. We stayed till the 

 moon got up about ii or 12 P.M. We had to leave 

 the donkeys behind ; they will, I hope, be here some 

 time to-night. I have been marching ever since, and 

 have just this moment arrived. The mules are regu- 

 larly done up : mine and Fisk's cannot move. I shall 

 keep the things licrc till you come up. You will find it 

 two good days' march from Coom-Coom-Dema to this 

 place. The river B. spoke about is a beastly place ; 

 the water is bad, but you will be able to catch fish. 

 We caught some. Three of Barrakee's villagers are to 

 take the flour. I brought one of ours on, intending to 

 send him back, but it is impossible, for he is dead beat 

 and has been walking for twenty-four hours straight 

 off; he could never walk back sixty miles, for I quite 



