THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 561 



in circumference. They have, when ripe, the appearance 

 of fmall canes. The inhabitants make no fort of life of 

 this grain in any period of its growth : the uppermost thin 

 hulk of it is beautifully variegated with a changeable pur- 

 ple colour ; the tatle is perfectly good. I often made the 

 meal into cakes in remembrance of Scotland. 



The Abyflinians never could relifh thefe cakes, which they 

 faid were bitter, and burnt their ftomachs, as alfo made them 

 thirfty. I do, however, believe this is the oat in its original 

 Hate, and that it is degenerated everywhere with us. The 

 foil of this country is a fine black mould, in appearance like 

 to that which compofes our gardens. The oat feems to de- 

 light in a moift, watery foil ; and, as no underwood grows 

 under the fhadow of the trees, the plough pafTes without 

 interruption. As there is likewife no iron in th«dr plough, 

 (for is it all compofed of wood) the furrow is a very flight 

 one, nor does the plough reach deep enough to be entang- 

 led with the roots of trees ; but it is the north part of Mait- 

 fha, however, that is chiefly in culture ; fouth of the Kelti 

 all is paflure ; a large number of horfes is bred here yearly, 

 for it is the cuftom among the Galla to be all horfemen or 

 graziers. 



All Aroofii is finely watered with fmall flreams, though the 

 Aflar is the largeft river we had feen except the Nile; it was 

 about 1-70 vards broad and two feet deep, running over a bed 

 of large flones ; though generally through aflat and level 

 country, it is very rapid, and after much rain fcarcely pafC 

 able, owing to the height of its fource in the mountains 

 of the Agows ; its courie, where we forded it, is from fouth 



Vol. III. 4 B to 



