1 92 SFOR T IN ABYSSINIA. 



gave me as a present two large pear-shaped fruit with 

 a green velvety shell ; the inside Avas filled with seeds, 

 covered with a sort of white spongy pulp, which 

 was deliciously acid. The servants called this fruit 

 Habbaboo. I find Mansfield Parkyns says that this 

 fruit is called Dema, the scientific name being 

 Adansonia digitata. I gave these honey-hunters two 

 hanks of beads, with which they seemed very well 

 pleased. 



March 5. — I was not nearly so well this morning, 

 having drunk some brandy and water the night 

 before. The rice-water which I . had been drinking 

 during my illness had been made at Coom-Coom- 

 Dcma before I started, but it was in one of the tin- 

 pots that galloped off on the back of All's mule. 

 The servants again put me up a capital " das," and it 

 was very dark and cool. The cook's mule was found 

 to-day, but minus the stock-pot and some plates. I 

 informed him I would shoot the brute if he did not go 

 out and find the plates, etc., and wonderful to relate, 

 they appeared in the evening all right, but rather bat- 

 tered. The mule had gone back to Coom-Coom-Dema, 

 and was found close to where we had before camped, 

 cropping the grass by the side of the water. I went 

 out in the evening and shot one of the little sand- 

 grouse for dinner as it came down to drink. I felt 

 very poorly, and almost too weak to walk about. 



