320 VARIETIES OF COTTON. 



thronged to pass judgment upon his purchase. 

 Tufts of the down-embedded seed were taken out, 

 and pulled to pieces, handsful were extended in the 

 light, and after a deal of examination it was 

 decided " that he might have made a better 

 bargain, had he taken more trouble about it." The 

 cotton was good, but slightly discoloured, which 

 was attributed to the late rainy weather, as they 

 asserted its yellowish tint was produced by 

 moisture, and that it had been allowed to remain 

 too long upon the tree. Specimens of two very 

 different kinds of cotton were taken out and shown 

 to me, one very frizzly, with short fibre, was called 

 Efatee tut, Efat cotton ; the other, with a longer 

 fibre, and more like unspun silk, was called 

 Gondaree tut, Gondar cotton, and is by far the 

 most superior, and none known to America or 

 Europe equals it in excellence. 



Cotton is brought to Aliu Amba, chiefly from 

 the country around Farree, and appears to flourish 

 best at an elevation of between three or four 

 thousand feet above the level of the sea. This is 

 in latitude 10° north. Some small plantations may 

 be found, even so high up the scarp of the Abys- 

 sinian table-land as six thousand feet, but these 

 are not productive, and yield very indifferent 

 cotton. The young plants require to be from three 

 to four years old, before they bear available crops 

 of pods. During this time, the cotton nurseries are 

 cultivated with jowarhee, though I should think 



