132 PROCEED TO ANGOLAHLAH. 



what with cooking and expostulating with some 

 imaginary evil destiny that pursued him, he kept 

 me awake nearly the whole night. 



As Hadjji Abdullah, after it was dark, had 

 brought me his own mule, it was stabled for the 

 night in my house, and long before cock-crow the 

 next morning we were carefully descending in the 

 dark the step-like road of rough stones which leads 

 from the top of Aliu Amba into the direct road to 

 Ankobar. We were obliged to be very cautious in 

 our progress along the steep slippery bank, and the 

 edges of deep muddy pools produced by the first 

 showers of the rainy season, which had fallen the 

 few days previously, and had not at all improved 

 the condition of the road. 



The sun had risen before we reached Ankobar. 

 On this occasion it was unnecessary to go through 

 that town ; so having surmounted the long ridge in 

 front, instead of continuing along it, we crossed 

 directly over, leaving the little wooden cross and 

 church of Goodis Gorgis (St. George) in its en- 

 circling grove of quolqual and wild fig-trees, on our 

 left hand. The road we followed was exceedingly 

 narrow, and fell very gradually in a prolonged 

 sweep down the steep descent into the valley of the 

 Airahra. Half way down is a broad terrace of con- 

 siderable extent covered with immense boulders 

 from the destruction of the ridge above, and which 

 appears to be more rapidly denuded upon this face 

 than upon the opposite one looking towards Aliu 



