THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 71 



Hamhammou is a mountain of black (tones, almoft cal- 

 cined by the violent heat of the fun. This is the boundary of 

 the diftricl; Samhar, inhabited by the Shiho from Ham- 

 hammou to Taranta,is called Hadatta ; it belongs to the Ha- 

 zorta. 



This nation, though not fo numerous as the Shiho, are 

 yet their neighbours, live in conftant defiance of the Naybe, 

 and are of a colour much refembling new copper; but are 

 inferior to the Shiho in fize, though very agile. All their 

 fubitance is in cattle ; yet they kill none of them, but live 

 entirely upon milk. They, too, want alfo an original word 

 for bread in their language, for the fame reafon, I fuppofe, 

 as the Shiho. They have been generally fuccefsful againft 

 the Naybe, and live either in caves, or in cabannes, like ca- 

 ges, juft large enough to hold two perfons, and covered with 

 an ox's hide. Some of the better fort of women have cop- 

 per bracelets upon their arms, beads in their hair, and a 

 tanned hide wrapt about their moulders, 



The nights are cold here -even in fummer, and do not' 

 allow the inhabitants to go naked as upon the reft .of the 

 coaft ; however, the children, of the Shiho, whom we. met 

 firft, were all naked, 



The 18th, at half paft five in the morning, we left our 

 ilation on the fide of the green hill at Hamhammou : for Tome 

 time our road lay through a plain fo thick fet with acacia- 

 trees that our hands and faces were all torn and bloody 

 with the ftrokes of their thorny branches. We then re- 

 fueled our ancient road in the bed of the torrent, now near- 

 ly 



