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CHAPTER lY 



AMONGST THE EESHIAT AND TO LAKE STEFANIE 



From April 4, 1888, to May 14, 1888 



Amongst the Eeshiat — The northern end of Lake Endolf — -Flooding of the country 

 after ram — The Eeshiat — ^Mborro and Tcharra beads — Further inquiries — 

 League of friendship with the Eeshiat — The Oromaj — Our plans are opposed — 

 Kinds of fish found in Lake Eudolf —Donyiro is brought to her husband — March 

 to Lake Stefanie — We find it deserted — ^Elephant hunt — Eandile and Borana — 

 Bird life on the shore — Marie and Arbore — Physiography of Lake Stefanie — 

 Eeturn to Eeshiat — ^Want of water — All well again — We are forbidden to go 

 farther — In a critical position — New plans — March to the Buma — Preparations 

 for the return journey. 



After fifty-four days' wandering in an all but uninhabited 

 land, nearly bare of fresh, water and of vegetation, we were 

 once more in a well-populated district. We stood upon the 

 threshold of northern Gallaland in the district belonging to the 

 Eeshiat, or Eissiat, who occupy the northern shores of Lake 

 Eudolf, which is here fringed with reeds and rushes, whilst 

 beyond stretches a flat tract of country overgrown by an im- 

 penetrable forest from which rises but one mountain mass, the 

 five-peaked Mount Nakua, whilst far away in the distance the 

 horizon is shut out by a chain of heights varying in altitude 

 from about 1,640 to 3,280 feet. 



Close to the northern edge of the lake were numerous dead 

 trees, and from the tortuous windings of a brook flowing into 

 it at the north-eastern corner, stretched up the bleached 

 skeletons of many others, but how they came there was some- 

 what of a puzzle. They probably marked the termination of 

 a forest which had once clothed the banks with verdure, and 



