AND ITS TERMINATION. 123 



to this river, and I could wish to see the attention 

 of our geographers and politicians directed to its 

 examination. All the red Abyssinian slaves, after 

 a month's journey through the country about the 

 upper part of its course, are then embarked and 

 conveyed down this river to Lamoo, to be carried 

 away and disposed of in the Asiatic markets. It 

 is by this channel also the Abashee colonies on the 

 Malabar coast, of which Major Jervis has written 

 some notices in a late volume of the " Bombay 

 Geographical Society's Journal," are recruited. 

 Those of the native Christians on the same coast I 

 have seen myself are decidedly of Abyssinian origin, 

 and perhaps that religion may have been introduced 

 into India by missionaries from that country. It 

 was singular that when an important and expensive 

 Political Mission was about being sent into Abys- 

 sinia, some inquiries were not made respecting 

 this southern route, along which a considerable 

 intercourse at the present day exists between India 

 and Abyssinia. 



Independently of the table land to the south of 

 the Gibbee increasing considerably in elevation, 

 every other circumstance connected with its name 

 and situation tends to show that the direction of 

 its stream cannot be towards the south to join the 

 Kalli. The stream of the Gibbee, in fact, is a 

 large and navigable river, crossed immediately by 

 slave Kafilahs from Enarea and Zingero during their 

 journey to Lamoo, and they have then to proceed 



