240 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



The Abbai, where it flowed past the old Mohamme- 

 dan's village, was a clear stream, some lo yards 

 wide and i8 inches deep, with stepping-stones across. 

 Further down, in the direction of Lake Tana, it ran 

 through thick jungle, a place I often went to after bush- 

 buck, but without much success. 



One day, when hunting on this ground, I went some 

 three miles further down stream than usual, and came 

 upon a fine waterfall some 150 feet across and 90 feet 

 high, facing due north. For some distance above, 

 the river is deep and sluggish, and I could not make 

 out where the roar came from, till close to the fall. 

 On our return, a man offered me a number of fish 

 12 inches long, which he said he had caught with 

 line and hook in the river below the fall. Another 

 fisherman we saw casting a long fine net from the bank 

 and drawing it in ; in one cast he took four small fish. 

 In several places the river had been pardy dammed 

 across, and wicker fish-traps set. 



In anticipation of the receipt of the Emperor's letter, 

 I sent off a couple of men towards the shooting-ground, 

 to see if the reports of elephant and other big game 

 were correct : but they came back on the following day, 

 saying they had been stopped and asked for their pass- 

 port. They told the officials some yarn about hunting 

 for strayed donkeys, and were sent back with a caution. 

 That night, after dusk, another couple of my men were 

 brought to my tent, both terribly bruised and knocked 

 about ; one had a 3-inch cut on the head, the bone 

 being laid bare ; the other a smaller cut. They said 

 they had taken a sack of red chillies to be pounded at 



