446 IMMENSE KAFILAH. 



to the east of its junction with that river. Some- 

 times this valley is one extensive marsh, impassable 

 to Kafilahs, and the delav it occasions on either 

 bank frequently favours the attacks of the Hit too 

 Galla, and on this account is a locality very much 

 dreaded by the traders and slave-merchants. 



The sloping ascent and ridge we passed over 

 during the earlier part of the march, was called 

 Gudmuddee. We crossed the valley in two more 

 hours, and as I had walked the whole way, I lay 

 down to rest myself in the thin cool shade of a 

 dwarf mimosa tree, and immediately went to sleep. 

 The sun had ascended high in its course to the 

 meridian before I awoke, and I found Ebin Izaak 

 and four or five of the Hy Soumaulee lying upon 

 their stomachs upon the ground, watching the 

 still coming line of camels, which in one long 

 single file extended to the very top of Gudmuddee. 

 Others were still coming into sight at that distant 

 point, as those at our extremity of the line, kept 

 yielding up their loads of salt, bags, and boxes, 

 which were fast accumulating in detached heaps 

 along the narrow ridge of How, that formed the 

 western bank of Aleekduggee Sageer, and where we 

 were to halt for the night. 



There were now gathered together, at least, three 

 thousand camels, and upwards of seven hundred men. 

 The women also, especially those that accompanied 

 the Wahama Kafilahs, were very numerous. The 

 Tajourah people said they had never seen so large 



