220 AFRICA 



mountains, and is continued by the hilly ranges which join 

 the Eritrean coast with the northern part of Abyssinia. 

 An increase of rainfall during the wet season, a greater 

 diversity of soil, and the occurrence of clouds and mists 

 in the upper reaches go to make the vegetation of this 

 hot belt much more varied than that of Somaliland 

 proper. A large development of the grassy thornbn^li 

 and acacia scrubs, a wealth of orchard-like woods against 

 a background of grass-lands are the specific features 

 of this scenery, which, on the whole, repeats that of the 

 Brazilian sertao. 



A number of strange plant-forms imparts a peculiar 

 character to these dry grass- and scrub-lands. Among 

 them, the candelabra euphorbias, the stiff-leaved aloes, 

 the compact, low and rounded crowns of the dragon- 

 trees, and, strangest of all, the barrel-shaped adenium- 

 trees with their bodies swollen and smooth, and their 

 crowns of short stout limbs ending in small bunches 

 of leaves, arise solitary or in loose clumps on the slopes : 

 gum acacias are also abundant. 



In the north of this region the scorched hills of Eritrea 

 support forests of balsam-trees, leafless, except for a 

 few weeks in the year; shadeless, without grass or 

 undergrowth of any kind. Such woods look like copses 

 of dead young oak-trees, left standing on naked stony 

 wastes. The cloud-belt favours the growth of more 

 regular forests of tall junipers, podocarpus and tree- 

 heaths interrupted by pastures, identical with those of the 

 Abyssinian highlands. It was principally on the slopes 

 of this transition belt that the Sabean herbalists found 

 the gums, resins, and aromatic products, myrrh and 

 frankincense among them, which were the objects of an 

 extensive trade in ancient times. 



Yemen. Across the Red Sea, the hilly margin of 



