i 4 a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The laft part of the journey made ample amends for the 

 difficulties and fatigue we had fuffered in the beginning. 

 For our road, on every fide, was perfumed with variety of 

 flowering mrubs, chiefly different fpecies of jeffamin; one in 

 particular of thefe called Agam (a fmall four-leaved flower) 

 impregnated the whole air with the mofl delicious odour, 

 and covered the fmall hills through which we paffed, in fuch 

 profulion, that we were, at times, almoft overcome with its 

 fragrance. The country all round had now the mofl beau- 

 tiful appearance, and this was heightened by the fineft of 

 weather, and a temperature of air neither too hot nor too cold. 



Not long after our lofing fight of the ruins of this an- 

 cient capital of Abyflinia, we overtook three travellers dri- 

 ving a cow before them ; they had black goat fkins upon 

 their moulders, and lances and fhields in their hands, in o- 

 ther refpects were but thinly cloathed ; they appeared to be 

 foldiers. The cow did not feem to be fatted for killing, and 

 it occurred to us all that it had been ftolen. This, however, 

 was not our bufinefs, nor was fuch an occurrence at all re- 

 markable in a country fo long engaged in war. We 

 faw that our attendants attached themfelves in a par- 

 ticular manner to the three foldiers that were driving the 

 cow, and held a fhort converfation with them. Soon after, 

 we arrived at the hithermoft bank of the river, where I 

 thought we were to pitch our tent. The drivers fuddenly 

 tript up the cow, and gave the poor animal a very rude fall 

 upon the ground, which was but the beginning of her fuf- 

 ferings. One of them fat acrofs her neck, holding. down her 

 head by the horns, the other twifted the halter about her 

 forefeet, while the third, who had a knife in his hand,-to my 

 very great furpriic, in place of taking her by the throat got a- 



! ftride 



