246 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 3. 



in these wild countries, and on the 21st he reached an encamping ground 

 called Adda near the top of the mountain. Here his thermometer (which 

 at the level of the sea boiled at 214°) boiled at 204° 15', shewing an altitude 

 of about 5,500 feet. The highest point reached is denoted by 200° 15'. 

 These mountains are covered with a thin scrub of acacia in the lower folds. 

 The upper summits are thickly clad with jungle, amongst which grow trees, 

 and a kind of pine called by the Arabs y.y^> (sinanbar), and by the 

 Somalies y^j^ (dazzib) were conspicuous : Lieut. Speke recognized this 

 tree as familiar to him during his Himalayan wanderings. This vegetation 

 however is confined to the northern or seaward face of the mountains : the 

 southern slopes are bleak and bare. The beasts are rhinoceros (single-horn- 

 ed), a large deer called 'godi,' gazelles, the * alakud' antelope, a few 

 leopards, which the Somalies fear greatly, and hyaenas (none of which 

 were seen). The birds were chiefly hill rock-pigeon and a description of 

 brown partridge. These hills are covered with fossil shells, denoting a 

 lime- stone formation. 



"On the 4th December, Lieut. Speke began to descend the southern 

 slope of the mountains which fall about 2,500 feet, the thermometer boil- 

 ing at 205° 30'. This is the undulating plateau ' above the ghats' which 

 forms the country of the Somalies, Lieut. Speke believes the slope to be 

 from north-west to south-east, and doubts any depression towards the 

 Wady Nogal or due south. The southern side of the mountain drops in 

 steps or terraces, and was then almost devoid of verdure. Water was 

 scarce and brackish : a few superficial springs are scattered about the 

 country, and the depth of the wells or rather the holes in which water is 

 found, is sometimes as great as 60 feet. 



" Arrived at ' Rhat,' the most favoured spot in the Warsangeli coun- 

 try, Lieut. Speke found the Kraals of the Nomades numerous, and some 

 interesting ruins said by the people to be of Christian origin. Thence 

 the traveller turned westward and being prevented by the unsettled state 

 of the country and the drought, which at this season is always a formidable 

 obstacle in the eastern parts of Africa, he returned to ' Goree Bunder' 

 and thence embarked for Aden. 



" The collection of specimens made by Lieut. Speke embraces the dif- 

 ferent varieties common to the maritime plain, the ghats, and the plateau 

 above the mountains. A few sparse notes and notices of the habits and 

 habitat of the animals, together with their Somali names, may perhaps 

 be interesting and assist so distinguished a naturalist as yourself in pre- 

 paring an account of them for publication. May I be allowed to mention 

 that Lieut. Speke has been himself most zealous in collecting and prepar- 

 ing skins, even under the most adverse circumstances, and that during 



