156 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



when this is completed. The inside bands are often 

 covered with coloured cotton, red, white, and blue, which 

 gives the ceilings an artistic appearance. The rafters are 

 then sawn off even all round, and the roof thatched with 

 bundles of fine grass tied to the rafters and finished at 

 the apex with a bunch. The thatching is much thinner 

 than what we should consider necessary, being not over 

 6 inches thick, but when well done, and at a good pitch, 

 it is wonderfully waterproof. Then comes the fitting of 

 the door and window frames. The walls, inside and 

 out, are daubed with a mixture of puddled mud and 

 chopped grass. The great secret in preparing this is to 

 have it made some time before and left in a pit to 

 ferment. It used to amuse me to see the workmen 

 carrying little pats, not over five or six pounds in weight, 

 of this compound over 200 yards from the pit, hand it 

 over to the "dauber" and leisurely saunter back. It 

 reminded me of the pleasing nonchalance with which the 

 British workman sets about his task at home. This 

 mixture was then daubed on both sides of the wall, till 

 the bands were covered, and the surface left quite 

 smooth. A hut built in this way would last twelve 

 to fifteen years, but required repairs after each rainy 

 season. In the picture on page 155 may be seen what 

 the completed hut looks like. While some men were 

 building, others were bringing in piles of grass-rope, 

 withies, thatching grass, and little bundles of the split- 

 match-like poles, so that the compound presented a busy 

 scene all day long. 



On the evening of the last day of January Mr. Baird 

 rode in, having left Zoquala at early dawn. He told me 



