586 “TRAVELS TO DISCOVER’ 
rather without a rider, and this I had obferved the night I 
went to the cataracétfrom Goutto. Sitting on the king’s faddle, 
or in his feat at Gondar, is high-treafon; and Woldo thought, 
at all times, but now efpecially, that his: mafter was infe- 
rior to no king upon earth. I even attributed to thar laft | 
expedition.at Goutto his filence and apparent ficknefs ever 
fince ; but in this laft circumftance I found afterwards that 
I was miftaken : be that as it would, my plan was very dif- 
ferent from Woldo’s as to the horfe, he was become a fa- 
vourite, and I was refolved, in the courfe of my journey, to 
improve his talents fo, that he fhould make a better appear- 
ance on his return to Gondar, than he did when I received 
him from Fafilat Bamba. I compounded, as I conceived, 
with Woldo’s fcruples, by laying afide Fafil’s faddle, which — 
was a very uneafy one, befides, that it had iron rings in- 
ftead of flirrups ; in fhort, as this horfe was very beautiful, 
(as many of the Gallahorfes are) and all of one colour,which 
was of lead, without any fpot of white, 1 hoped to make 
him an acceptable prefent to the king, who was paffionate- 
ly fond of horfes. Here it may not be improper to obferve; 
that all very great men in Abyflinia choofe to ride horfes of 
one colour only, which have no diftinguifhing mark where- 
by they may be traced in retreats, flights, or fuch unlucky 
expeditions: It is the king alone in battle who rides upon | 
a horfe diftinguifhed by his marks, and that on Sik siti is 
that he may be known. 
THERE were many villages in this valley which feemed to 
have efcaped the havock of war, nor had-they that air of po- 
verty and mifery fo apparent in all the other habitations we’ 
had feen. We were pointing nearly eaft fouth-eaft, when we — ; 
pafled the fmall river Googueri, which, like all the others 
2 : - en. ui 
