CHAPTER XVIII 



A curious ruin — One man's meat is another man's poison — The head-waters 

 of the Moguer — Grand scenery — I weigh my men — Somalis' acute 

 sense of smell — Crossing Salali — Shoot a couple of klipspringers and 

 foil a leopard — Long-haired monkeys and hyrax — Trouble with 

 my Abyssinian servants — A rich country — A natural fortress — A 

 petty headman — The Blue Nile — A splendid panorama. 



Next morning the mules were so fresh that quite half 

 the number took four to five men each to hold and load 

 them ; but when once the packs were secured only one 

 animal succeeded in getting free from his burden. For 

 two hours we were crossing a grassy, undulating plain, 

 and while we were doing so a mounted man overtook 

 us with the news that Nasser and Adarar, who had 

 stayed behind in Adis Ababa, would catch us up that 

 evening. The horseman, having delivered his message, 

 tried to sell me his mount. He exhibited its paces, and 

 Hyde gave it a turn ; but when I had the saddle taken 

 off we found the poor beast's back in a shocking state, 

 and so declined the deal. Soon after, we reached a 

 highly cultivated plateau and passed a large square 

 enclosure, divided and subdivided, the outer walls 6 feet 

 high and 8 feet thick, built of stone without mud or 



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