35S A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



four to six feet high and crowned by a bunch of leaves, 

 from the centre of which the seed-cone grows in a long 

 spike sometimes as much as 5 feet in height. When this 

 spike has ripened, numbers of birds may be seen plucking 

 out the seed, and the tree gradually decays and dies, 

 seedlings soon springing up around the place. If the 

 stem or leaves are cut, a thick, white, sticky fluid exudes, 

 which is used by the priests for writing charms to ward 

 off the evil eye. The dead trunks are almost useless 

 for fuel, as, when dry, only a thin bark and a little fibre 

 remain. Plants in every stage of growth may be seen at 

 all seasons. The natives gravely informed me that this 

 tree invariably gave headaches to strangers who saw it 

 for the first time, although it had no effect on the in- 

 habitants — a popular explanation of the effect of the 

 high elevation and rarefied air on a man coming from 

 a lower level. A few days later, when I was photo- 

 graphing some ibex heads, I slashed off the top of 

 a short gibarrar, and was surprised at the evident dis- 

 pleasure of a native standing by. Thinking the juice 

 might be poisonous, I questioned him through the 

 interpreter, and learnt that they believe each tree to 

 be the abode of an evil spirit, who has been cast out 

 of a human being; that he will do no harm so long 

 as the tree is left uninjured ; but, if his retreat 

 be assailed, the spirit will revenge himself by once 

 more taking possession of a human being, and most 

 likely the perpetrator of the outrage or some one 

 dear to him. 



For an hour we marched over fairly level ground, 

 passing round the head of the Serracum. To our right 



