634 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
fafhioned into many fhelves or flages, each.of which is oc- 
cupied by a clufter of houfes feldom above eight or ten in: 
number; fome above, fome below, fome along the fide of 
each other, but chiefly occupying the fpace, or two-thirds of 
the middle of the cf, that is, none of them nearer to the top- 
of the cliff, nor to the plain of Affoa below,. than a-diftance 
equal to that proportion of the whole. The reafon of choo- 
fing this fituation is the fear of the Galla, who have often. 
invaded that part of Abyffinia, and have even. exterminated: 
fome clans of Agows entirely. 
In the middle of this cliff, in a dire&tion ftraight north 
towards the fountains, is a prodigious cave, whether the 
work of nature or of art, I cannot determine; in it are many. 
bye-paths, fo that it is very difficult for a ftranger to extri-- 
cate himfelf; it is a natural labyrinth, large enough to con-. 
tain the inhabitants of the village, and their cattle; there: 
are likewife two or three leffer ones, which I did not fee;, 
in this large one, I tired myfelf part of feveral days, en-. 
deavouring to reach as far northward as poffible, but the 
air, when I had. advanced fomething above one hundred: 
yards, feemed to threaten to extinguifh my candle by its 
dampnefs ; and the people were befides not at all difpofed to. 
gratify my curiofity farther, after afluring me that there: 
was nothing arthe end more remarkable than I. then faw,, 
which I have reafon to believe was the cafe.. 
Tue face of this cliff, which fronts to the fouth, has a 
mott picturefque appearance from the plain of Affoa below, 
parts of the houfes at every flage appearing, through the 
thickets of trees and bufhes with which the whole face of 
the cliff is thickly covered ; impenetrable fences of the very. 
wortt 
