36 PERSONAL NARRATIVE. 



producing the exhilarating effect peculiar to a mountain 

 atmosphere, and which is nowhere felt so thoroughly as 

 within the tropics. 



At the commencement of the ascent from the ravine, 

 trachytic rock, approaching claystone in mineral cha- 

 racter, appears, and continues nearly to the top of the 

 scarp, where basalt replaces it. The trachyte is so much 

 decomposed that it resembles argillaceous sandstone, and 

 it was not till afterwards that I distinguished its real 

 character. The opposite side of the ravine consists of 

 metamorphic rocks, with, in one spot, an isolated block 

 of sandstone. 



I soon reached the top of the scarp, and found myself 

 fairly on the highlands of Abyssinia. A broad flat open 

 valley with some fine isolated hills on each side led to 

 Senafd, and I cantered pleasantly along a good even road. 

 The ground around had been recently in cultivation. 

 No villages were to be seen at first, but soon under the 

 precipitous sides of the hills a number of flat terrace-like 

 projections became visible, and these on a nearer approach 

 proved to be flat-topped huts, the walls built of stones, 

 and so closely resembling the hill-sides in colour that 

 they might easily be taken for a portion of them. About 

 two miles from the top of the pass the valley expanded 

 into a plain dotted over with the white tents of the 

 British camp. To the right hand, west of the camp, 

 were a number of barren craggy hills of most singular 

 form, apparently of sandstone, but reaUy of claystone 

 and trachyte. These hills will be described in a subse- 

 quent page. 



