228 VISIT THE MARKET 



safed, the soil will not be found unfruitful of the 

 good seed that may be scattered upon it. This 

 struck me the more forcibly, from my previous 

 sojourn in Adal ; for with what different feelings 

 did I witness the busy restlessness, and the not 

 inharmonious murmur, of the multitude of smiling 

 contented beings that were gathered in the market- 

 place to-day, from those I have experienced, when 

 startled by the sudden cry, the confused rush to 

 arms, and the silent squatting of my Dankalli 

 associates, either in the sullen muttering calahm 

 circle, or else, as with loud yells of defiance, they 

 formed the line of immediate fight ; either of which 

 characterized the only public assemblies I ever 

 witnessed among them. 



Putting on my Arab cloak I followed Walder- 

 heros, who had been long engaged, previously to 

 our starting for market, selecting the kind of dollar 

 most in reputation among the Shoans. We pro- 

 ceeded along a narrow winding lane, between high 

 hedges of the kufah bait, and senna shrubs, that 

 assisted in forming the enclosure belonging to each 

 little cottage, that stood upon the banks on either 

 hand ; playing about the wickets of which children 

 without number attested the peace and plenty 

 enjoyed by the people of Shoa. Population is the 

 criterion of human happiness ; wherever is real 

 enjoyment of life, the offspring of man will always 

 be most abundant. 



A very short descent led us to an equally wind- 



