AND THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE. 427 



geographical situations, quite at variance with that 

 betokened by the dark colour of their skin, and 

 more particularly upon the elevated plateau of 

 Abyssinia, the natural country of the pale yellow 

 Gonga, where their appearance presents an ap- 

 parent anomaly, which, fortunately, history enables 

 us to explain. The first intrusion of the Amhara I 

 have in another place endeavoured to show was in 

 the time of the Egyptian king, Psammetichus, and to 

 trace their history, in connexion with the changes 

 consequent upon their colonization of the left banks 

 of the Abi and the Abiah, would be most easy and 

 interesting ; for the present generation possess 

 sufficient documentary evidence, to supply the 

 necessary materials ; but until some indefatigable 

 scholar takes upon himself this task, I have no hope 

 of seeing that obscurity dispelled which hangs over 

 the earlier history of mankind, and which is intimately 

 connected with the earlier history of Abyssinia. 

 With this part of my subject, however, at present 

 we have nothing to do, and must call attention to 

 the fact, that the first recorded appearance of the 

 Galla in Abyssinia, as hostile invaders, was in 1537, 

 during the reign of the Emperor David, otherwise 

 called Onag Segued. By this must be understood 

 that it was at that time they first found themselves 

 able to assert their independence. A more favour- 

 able opportunity could not have been afforded them 

 than that offered, when the Mahomedan King of 

 Adal, Mahomed Grahne, conquered and overran 



