76 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



in crossing some very steep sugar-loaf hills, covered with dhurra 

 stubble ; then we met some Dembela girls, staggering under 

 their heavy water-skins, a welcome sign of the proximity of the 

 village, which, after turning a sharp corner, at last lay before 

 us weary travellers. On meeting the ladies, Wasa, to show 

 that we were friends with the best intentions, had at once 

 commenced singing Abyssinian love-songs at the top of his 

 voice, to the no small astonishment of the fair ones, who 

 evidently seemed greatly puzzled at our sudden appearance. 

 In a few minutes we reached the houses, somewhat doubtful 

 as to the kind of reception which awaited us. 



" A collection of about twelve substantially built low stone 

 houses lay before us, very different from the gipsy-like mat 

 habitations of the Beni-Amer Arabs. Wasa immediately 

 entered into conversation with some of the villagers who 

 flocked out on our approach, and who seemed exceedingly 

 surprised at the to them novel sight of a white man ; they 

 could not make out where we had come from, and stared at us 

 as if we had dropped from the skies. We were told to go on 

 to another village where the shoum-in-chief lived, and one of 

 the natives was given us as a guide. We toiled on for about 

 a mile over a very stony path, and seeing a village a little way 

 before us, I asked if that was our destination ; the guide said no, 

 that the shoum lived much farther off. As, however, we were 

 both tired and hungry, I insisted on being conducted to the 

 nearest village. Arrived there we were told to wait and to sit 

 down under a big tree just outside the little cluster of houses, 

 until some one could be found willing to receive me into his 

 house. After a few minutes' delay I was taken into the house 

 of an old woman who was busy spinning, and who, by way of 

 welcome, gave me a bowl of delicious sour milk. Soon after- 

 wards the chief man of the village appeared, and conducted 

 me and my horse into the one room of his house, and quickly 

 a basket full of freshly-made black cakes of Abyssinian bread 

 was put before me, to be washed down with more sour milk, 

 while a good feed of corn was not forgotten for the pony. 

 The house was a roomy one, and reclining upon a mud platform 

 covered with cowhide, I held during the remainder of the day 

 a continual levee, all the inhabitants of the place coming to 

 see the strange being, male as well as female, for Abyssinian 



