i2 4 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



At Adowa, and all the neighbourhood, they have three 

 harvefts annually. Their firft feed time is in July and Au- 

 guft ; it is the principal one for wheat, which they then 

 fow in the middle of the rains. In the fame feafon they 

 fow tocuffo, teff, and barley. From the 20th of November 

 they reap firft their barley, then their wheat, and laft of all 

 their teff. In room of thefe they fow immediately upon the 

 fame ground, without any manure, barley, which they reap 

 in February ; and then often fow teff, but more fre- 

 quently a kind of veitch, or pea, called Shimbra ; thefe are 

 cut down before the firft rains, which are in April. With 

 all thefe advantages of triple harvefts, which coft no fallow- 

 ing, weeding, manure, or other expenfive proccfles, the far- 

 mer in Abyffinia is always poor and miferable. 



In Tigre it is a goodharveft that produces nine after one, 

 it fcarcely ever is known to produce ten ; or more than 

 three after one, for peas. The land, as in Egypt, is fetto the 

 higheft bidder yearly ; and like Egypt it receives an addi- 

 tional value, depending on the quantity of rain that falls 

 and its fituation more or lefs favourable for leading water 

 to it. The landlord furnifhes the feed under condition to re- 

 ceive half the produce ; but I am told he is a very indul- 

 gent mafter that does not take another quarter for the rifle 

 he has run ; fo that the quantity that comes to the fliare of 

 the hufbandman is not more than fufficient to afford fu- 

 llenance for his wretched family. 



The foil is white clay, mixed with fand, and has as good 

 appearance as any I have feen. I apprehend a deficiency of 

 the crop is not from the barrennefs of the foil, but from 

 the immenfe quantity of field-rats and mice that over-run 



the 



