STOPPED BY A FLOODED STREAM. 131 



deep, and almost, if not quite, impassable from its 

 violence. The rain soon ceased, and we started again, 

 congratulating ourselves on having been on the right 

 side of the stream. However, we had only progressed 

 about a quarter of a mile, and the roaring of the waters 

 behind us was still audible, when we became aware of 

 the unpleasant circumstance that there was another 

 stream in front ; and, on reaching it, our disgust may be 

 conceived at finding that it was broader and deeper than 

 the last, and that crossing it was out of the question. 

 We were in the position of Horace's rustic, and had to 

 wait till the river ran down ; however, rivers in Abys- 

 sinia do run down in time. But there was no change 

 untn nightfall, and as soon as it was dark our guide 

 professed ignorance of the road, except in daylight. There 

 was no help but to bivouac. "We found a small cave, the 

 bottom of which consisted of soft sand ; a fire was soon 

 procured by the help of our guns, and a brace of guinea- 

 fowl, which we had fortunately shot on the road, cut in 

 pieces and grilled on a stick, supplied us with supper. 

 The night, as usual, was fine, and next morning the 

 stream had greatly subsided, though water was stiU 

 running in it. We soon reached our destination, and 

 learned that Munzinger and Mockler had also lost their 

 way, and had passed the night at Af Abed, in no greater 

 comfort than ourselves. 



At Eairo we found a very large encampment of Be- 

 douins belonging to the Habab tribes, with sheep, oxen, 

 and goats. They had brought their flocks from farther 

 north, where no rain had fallen, and where pasture 



K 2 



