62 PERSONAL NARRATIVE. 



falls back to the eastward, leaving a wider plain of meta- 

 morphic rocks in that direction. 



At Adab^gi my progress was very nearly brought to a 

 stop by all my mules knocking up. The Otago saddles 

 which I had, though fairly adapted for horses or very 

 large mules, were quite unsuited to the little Abyssinian 

 animals, and galled their shoulders and hips fearfully. 

 Hundreds, if not thousands, of mules were utterly ruined 

 by these saddles during the campaign. One animal of 

 mine was so lame from a shoulder-gall that I was obliged 

 to leave him behind, and the others were unable to carry 

 their loads for a day or two. In this emergency I 

 loaded my horses, and Captain Eoddy, having some spare 

 animals in his train, very kindly carried a load for me 

 for a day or two until my mules recovered. I subse- 

 quently procured Punjab packs, consisting of two 

 cushions, united by a band over the back, and on which 

 the loads, first packed in canvas bags, called saletas in 

 India, are lashed with a rope ; and with these the mules 

 got on well enough. Unfortunately the loads had a 

 great tendency to shift, and required constant adjusting 

 on the road, but my men soon became fairly expert at 

 mule-loading.^ 



* I believe that every one who had experience in mule-carriage utterly 

 condemned all the various saddles used in the Abyssinian expedition. My 

 own experience was the following : — 



The " Otago " saddle, though heavy and cumbersome, is suitable for roads 

 without many steep ascents and descents, provided it be fitted to the animal 

 carefully; those sent to Abyssinia were, as a rule, too large for mules. 

 On steep roads, from being hard and stiff, it presses too much against the 

 shoulders and hips. The Bombay pad was simply ridiculous. The Punjab pad 

 was by far the best form used, for small animals especially, but it was difficult 



