2i8 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



parting, I gave him a packet of wax candles for his 

 church, and a few dollars for the poor ; he seemed much 

 pleased with the candles, and said he should use them 

 at some approaching ceremony. As it had grown quite 

 dark, I sent him back to his house at the top of the hill 

 on my mule, with a lantern to light him on his way. A 

 little later, he very kindly sent further provisions, con- 

 sisting of gombos of tej, piles of bread, and red chilli 

 cakes. 



Next day's march took us over the Gourlar stream, 

 and later on we crossed the Tamchar valley, the sides of 

 which were steep and covered with luxuriant vegetation, 

 palms, creepers, ferns, and orchids being in profusion. 

 A three hours' journey brought us in sight of Dembatcha, 

 the chief town of the province of Damot. It is a large 

 place, situated on the lower slopes of Mount Agiasfatra, 

 which rises steeply behind the houses. Our approach 

 lay over a wide stretch of meadow-land, till we came to 

 the market-place to the south of the town. It was 

 market-day, and there was the usual big crowd of 

 country folk, buying and selling. I became at once 

 the object of much curiosity, and was apparently looked 

 upon as a huge joke, people going into shrieks of 

 laughter on catching sight of me. My two guides and 

 escort seemed much concerned, and feared I should 

 resent not being treated with proper respect, but when 

 I laughed too, they also joined in, and we became the 

 centre of a huge crowd all laughing hysterically. There 

 was hardly such a large selection of goods for sale as at 

 the Thursday market at Debra Markos, but I bought a 

 good mule and a donkey, besides ghee for the Somalis. 



