351 



CHAPTEE XXIV. 



Visited by Ibrahim. — Map of the Hawash. — Its effect upon table- 

 land of Abyssinia. — Future juncture with the Abi. — Its early 

 tributaries. — Effects of denudation. — Zui lake. — Popular tra- 

 dition. — Abyssinian geographical work. — Galla tribes. 



August 16th. — Ibrahim, the retired slave-merchant, 

 who had not called since I had made the improve- 

 ments in my house, came in to-day. He was rather 

 astonished at the transformation I had effected, 

 gave the table a good shake, sat down in my chair, 

 and tabored with his fingers against the parchment 

 window. " Alikeem e moot," said he at la^f, " may 

 the doctor die! if it is not good ; you are a tabeeb, and 

 the house of your Queen is not furnished so well." 

 The old gentleman had brought his work with 

 him, a piece of blue sood, which he was embroider- 

 ing with green and red silk in a large cross-bar 

 pattern, and which he told me was intended for a 

 holiday guftah for his wife. Here I must observe, 

 that although the Islam women in Shoa usually 

 wear clothes of some common material dyed red, 

 upon festival days they display very rich head- 

 dresses of foreign silk, or embroidered cotton cloth, 

 such as Ibrahim was now working. 



