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Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on Birds 



lowest terrace, through which the river has in the course of 

 ages cut its way. This sheer cliff, probably of Silurian 

 origin, confines the river on either side with scarcely a break 

 in its nearly perpendicular walls ; and the descent has to be 

 made over slippery, polished boulders, worn smooth by the 

 constant traffic of hoofs. After crossing the Blue Nile great 

 difficulties were again encountered in surmounting the first 

 terrace. Half the mules had to be unloaded and the baggage 

 carried up through a funnel-like passage in the rock by natural 

 steps five or six feet in height, and some of the frightened 

 animals had even to be lifted up bodily by the men. An 

 ascent of about 5,000 feet brought the weary members 

 of the caravan at last to their camping-ground overlooking 

 the junction of the River Mug a with the Blue Nile. The 

 panoramic view from this camp is described by Mr. Degen 

 as being the most magnificent that it has ever been his 

 lot to behold, and an ample reward for one of the hardest and 

 most anxious days experienced during the expedition. 



Another morning of stiff climbing and the high northern 

 plateau was once more reached. After a detour made to 

 avoid the deep channel of the Betchet River, the route passed 

 for days over grassy plains and prairie country, no river of 

 any size or importance being met with till the Godeb, Tamtcha, 

 and Birr Rivers were successively reached and forded. The 

 gigantic Amedamid mountains now lay immediately in front, 

 stretching across the valley like an impassable barrier and 

 rising for 7,000 feet above the level of the plateau, with a 

 real altitude of 16,000 feet. The steep track crosses this 

 chain at an elevation of 13,000 feet and thence gradually 

 descends across minor ranges and streams to that great 

 inland sea, Lake Tsana, which was reached on the 10th of 

 May, 1902. 



Three weeks were spent at the south end of the lake, the 

 camp being first fixed on the Zigi peninsula and thence moved 

 to Bahar-Dhar, where the Blue Nile leaves the lake. 



On the Gth of June, the rainy season having now set in 

 in earnest, the journey south was commenced, with a series 

 of forced inarches. A more westerly course was followed to 



