72 RETURN FROxM ANGOLAHLAH. 



nomen afterwards amongst them. My mule being 

 saddled, we started early in the morning, as I was 

 desirous of getting as far on the road as possible 

 before the sun had ascended so high as to render the 

 ride unpleasantly warm. Walderheros trudged along 

 on foot by the side of my mule, carrying my carabine 

 behind his' neck, with his two hands resting upon 

 the projecting portions on either side. He talked 

 incessantly, and it did not seem to matter the least, 

 that I could not understand a word he said. To 

 check him, I repeated, with a very grave face, the 

 whole of "My name is Norval." He listened 

 patiently to the end, and it then seemed to strike 

 him that we should amuse ourselves much better, if 

 he were to teach me in his own language the names 

 of surrounding objects, rather than listen to such 

 another long rigmarole I was also about to treat him 

 with. Thereupon commenced my first Amharic 

 lesson, and as I was a willing pupil, and Walder- 

 heros an untiring teacher, I made great progress 

 during the ride. 



In this manner we travelled at a slow pace along 

 the undulating broad highroad that, nearly in a 

 direct line, conducts us from Angolahlah to the 

 edge of Tchakkah. We met some few travellers, 

 who, as we passed, exchanged loud and long-conti- 

 nued salutations with Walderheros, kept up until 

 they were out of all convenient speaking distance 

 of each other. A moor, or extensive downs, would 

 convey the best idea of the country around ; but 



