THKOUGH SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA TO THE SUDAN. 785 



mention that the Abyssinians call Shankala not only the tril)e called 

 Beni Shonf^ul ])y the Arabs, living on the western banks of the river 

 Dal)us, but all the Sudanese and black people living in the countries 

 round Lake Rudolf and near the Omo. That is all dark-colored people 

 with the exception of the Sonial and the Galla. 



There is a legend that, when the Abyssinians conquered this country 

 a])outseven years ago, two elephant hunters were descending from the 

 '' Katama" Gardulhi to the large plain to the west. They had tiie luck 

 to kill one of the large pachyderms near a small hill, and called on 

 their patron saint, when suddenly the hill ])egan to dance and sing. 

 "Adoshe])ai, Adoshebaif. " 80 they now look upon the plain as the home 

 of this spirit. The Abyssinians had also told me of a dangerous disease, 

 which would kill all our nudes and horses, by which this plain is haunted. 

 Nevertheless, I determined to cross it, as otherwise I should have had 

 to follow" hence, as far as the Omo, the route taken by Captain Bottego. 

 But 1 marched straight on without spending much time in hunting the 

 game, which was abundant here. Elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, large 

 herds of zebras, and hartbeests of a species new to science, were 

 seen. In the night we were disturbed by the roaring of the lion. 



After two da3^s' marching we came to a river called Shambala by 

 the Abyssinians of our escort. (3n the other side we saw natives run- 

 ning away from their cotton fields in terrible fright. We were here 

 in the country of the Male, which may be identical with the Mela 

 mentioned by Donaldson Smith. The Male are not yet absolutely 

 subjected by the Abyssinians. I gave presents to some old men and 

 women, who were not quick enough to run away, and sent them back 

 to their fellows, but I was not able to have any intercourse with the 

 people, as the next da}^ nobody appeared. Here I found, for the first 

 time, bows and poisoned arrows, while in all the countries passed l)efore 

 the spear and sword were the only arms. Crossing the Barsa, another 

 river flowing, like the Shambala, into Lake Stefanie, we came to Uba, 

 a part of the equatorial province given by the Emperor Menelikto the 

 Abyssinian count and Dejasmach Leontiefi'. There is a good fort in 

 Uba, built by the brothers Seljan, now officers of Count Leontieff, 

 formerly nuisicians and professional pedestrians. Neither of the two 

 brothers were here, as they were recalled to Adis Abeba by the 

 p]mpei-oi- on accoinit of some differences they had had with the natives. 



In Uba the illness which the Abyssinians had feared in tiie plain of 

 Adoshebai" broke out among the mules. I had thought before that it 

 might l)e the tsetse^ (ly disease, ])ut it now became clear that it was (he 

 giand(M's. This disease seems to be endemic on all the northern aflluents 

 of Lake Stefanie, as is shown by the experience of the late Captain 

 Weilby, who lost most of his animals after passing th(> same ri^gion. I 

 descended into the beautiful valley of the river Zenti, covered with 



