WHO THEY WERE. 451 



on the opposite bank, from whence it was con- 

 jectured they had at first proceeded. At all events, 

 this party gave us a good view of their figures and ap- 

 pearance. All my companions agreed they belonged 

 to the Hittoo Galla, and were not of the Muditu in 

 whose country we had halted the night before, as 

 I at first conjectured from their retreat being made 

 in that direction. This was not likely either, when 

 1 came to reflect, for knowing our strength, the 

 Muditu would not have sent such a useless party to 

 attack, and they needed no scouts to inform them of 

 our numbers, after we had just passed through their 

 country. It was evident, as was generally sup- 

 posed by our Kafilah, that these horsemen were out 

 reconnoitring, and formed the van of a much 

 greater number of footmen concealed from our view 

 by the rising slope of Gudmuddee, upon which they 

 had collected. Very probably the Galla women 

 who visited us at Annee, and whose sudden depar- 

 ture surprised us, had returned to their people and 

 given information of a large Kafilah being on the 

 road, but not having been aware of the still larger 

 ones farther in our rear, had carried home a most 

 imperfect account of our strength. To this was 

 attributed the defeat of their views to-day, for the 

 Galla were no doubt quite unprepared to attack an 

 army such as we were able to bring into the field 

 against them. 



We sat out all expectations of any more enemies 

 approaching, being disturbed only once in the 



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