THROUGH SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA TO THE SUDAN. 779 



inhabited by Mohammedan pilgTims. In one of these we found a 

 stool, a mortar with pestle, and a wooden pillow. Not far otf is the 

 grave of KSheikh Abulkassim, a descendant of Sheikh Husein, made in 

 an artiiicial bower situated in a wonderful tropical forest full of lianas 

 and palms. The g-rave is cov^ered with glass beads and ornaments of 

 copper and brass. Similar ornaments are also to be seen on some 

 trees in the forest, and no visitor would dare touch these holy objects. 

 Round the mountain there is no settlement whatever. 



From Abulkassim we proceeded west for aljout three da3's on the 

 hills situated on the northern bank of the Wabbi. Near a place called 

 Jaffa we were stopped by a largo body of Abyssinians sent by the 

 dejasmach Lulsagit, through whose countries we had now to pass. It 

 took us some trouble to get permission to proceed farther, as the 

 dejasmach had had no notice of our arrival. Here we had to ascend 

 the last step of the plateau, and found ourselves on a large grass- 

 covered expanse, absolutely Hat and without any trees, called Didda by 

 the inhabitants. On old maps this plain is called the Arussi i)lateaii. 

 The Northwestern Arussi, who live here, are a pure Galla tribe, show- 

 ing no mixture of Arab blood, as do the inhabitants of the Sheikh 

 Husein district. The sight of these dirty, long-bearded men gallop- 

 ing their small ponies, covered with })rass and iron rings, over the 

 wide plain, reminds one of Mongolian or Tartar tribes rather than of 

 an African people. Their huts are scattered in small groups of three 

 to five all over the plain. The}^ do not cultivate much ground, l)ut 

 have large herds of fine cattle. Just as we arrived here the rainy sea- 

 son broke out with terrible vehemence, and the plain was soon changed 

 into a large swamp, so that we here lost nearly half our camels. The 

 crossing of this plain took us twelve daj's, after which we descended 

 into the valley of the Hawash, which had overflowed its banks and in 

 some places changed the valle}- into a large lake. I will here mention 

 the church Georgis, in the district Sire, which was formed}- a Moham- 

 medan mosque, but is now changed into a Christian church by the 

 Abj'ssinians. It might have been supposed that the country between 

 the Hawash and the Abyssinian capital was absolutely known, as many 

 explorers, including the Italians Traversi and Ragazziand the German 

 Stecker, had visited it. We were all the more surprised to find here 

 a magnificent waterfall unknown before. The river Modsho, a small 

 northern affluent of the Hawash, Avhich is here about 500 feet broad, 

 falls over a precipice 40 feet in height.. We called this waterfall, 

 which I consider to be one of the most bt^autiful in northeastern Africa, 

 Menelik Falls. Passing by Lake Buchoftu, one of a group of five 

 small crater lakes called the Adda lakes, we arrived in Adis Abeba on 

 August 14. 



The Emperor Menelik |)romised us free permission to travel in his 

 countries, and any assistance we might require. Owing to the fact that 



