t*a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



culture, and is in a ftate of wafte. The reafonof this is, an in- 

 veterate feud between the villages here and thofe of Serawe, 

 fo that the whole inhabitants on each fide go armed to 

 plow and to fow in one day ; and it is very feldom either 

 of them complete their harveft without having a battle 

 with their enemies and neighbours. 



Before we entered this wood, and, indeed, on the pre- 

 ceding day, from the time we left Hadawi, we had feen a 

 very extraordinary bird at a diftance, refembling a wild 

 turkey, which ran exceedingly fall, and appeared in great 

 flocks. It is called Erkoom * in Amhara ; Abba Gumba, 

 in Tigre ; and, towards the frontiers of Sennaar, Tier el Naci- 

 ba, or, the Bird of Deftiny. 



Our guides afFembled us all in a body, and warned us 

 that the river before us was the place of the rendezvous 

 of the Serawe horfe, where many caravans had been entire- 

 ly cut off. The cavalry is the beft on this fide of Abyffinia. 

 They keep up the breed of their horles by their vicinity to 

 Sennaar whence they get fupply. Neverthelefs, they be- 

 haved very ill at the battle of Limjour ; and I cannot fay I 

 remember them to have diflinguiihed themfelves any 

 where elfe. They were on our right at the battle of Ser- 

 braxos, and were beat by the horfe of Foggora and the Galla. 



After palling the wood, we came to the river, which 

 was then Handing in pools. I here, for the firft time, 

 mounted on horfeback, to the great delight of my compa- 

 nions, 



* .See the article Erkoom in .the Appendin, 



