382 OTHER TRIBES COMBINE. 



people had some communication still with the 

 kingdom of Shoa. They were, however, obliged 

 to move with their camels along the sea-shore 

 to the head of Goobat ul Khhrab, then, during 

 the night, pass rapidly over the five or six miles 

 which intervene between the sea in this situation 

 and the salt lake. Loading their camels with the 

 salt, they then returned to Tajourah. From this 

 town they proceeded to Zeilah in bogalows, or native 

 boats, and by a circuitous route through the country 

 of the Issah Soumaulee, at length reached Shoa. 



It was not likely such a palmy state of things, 

 for the Assa-hemerah people, would be allowed to 

 flourish long, without exciting some envy and 

 jealousy, especially among the inhabitants of 

 Tajourah and Owssa, who had not forgotten the 

 great advantages that accrued to them when an 

 uninterrupted road allowed them to carry on a 

 direct trade with the populous countries to the 

 west of the Hawash. Accordingly, through the 

 machinations of some of the wise men of Tajourah, 

 the braves of all the Dankalli tribes in the interior, 

 consented to combine their forces under one leader, 

 and Lohitu, the Debenee chief, was unanimously 

 chosen to fill that post. Owssa is inliabited by a 

 Muditu tribe, but on this occasion they assisted 

 the Tajourah people, because of their dependance 

 upon that port, to enable them to communicate with 

 foreign markets, as the Owssa Muditu carry on 

 a considerable trade with Gondah and Central 



