424 THE MOOMEN TREE. 



The moomen, or toothbrush-tree,* abounded at Sa- 

 keitaban. Several of theHySoumaulee brought me a 

 handful of the berries to eat, but I was soon obliged 

 to call out "Hold, enough!" so warmly aromatic was 

 their flavour. This singular fruit grows in drooping 

 clusters of flesh-coloured mucilaginous berries, the 

 size of our common red currants, each containing a 

 single round seed, about as large as a peppercorn. 

 The taste at first is sweet, and not unpleasant, and 

 by some, I think, would be considered very agree- 

 able indeed. After some little time, if many are 

 eaten, the warmth in the palate increases consider- 

 ably, and reminded me of the effect of pepper, or of 

 very hot cress. As we approached the river Hawash, 

 I found these trees growing more abundantly. 



The moomen forms a dense bush, some yards in 

 circuit, and as their thick, velvety, round leaves, of a 

 bright green colour, afford an excellent shade, they 

 form the favourite lairs, both of savage men, and of 

 wild beasts. Reposing upon the ground, near the 

 roots, free from underwood and thorns, whoever, or 

 whatever lies there, is entirely concealed from sight ; 

 and not unfrequently a leopard or hyaena skulks out 

 of, or a startled antelope bounds from, the very bush 

 that the tired Bedouin has selected for his own 

 retreat from the sun. 



Birds, of every hue, made this Adal forest their 

 home, and displayed all that enjoyment of life, 



* Salvadora Persica. The "Peeloo" of India, identified by 

 Dr. Roylc with the mustard-tree of Scripture. 



