THE BAXANA. 



205 



our men loaded, and we set out in a lucid interval 

 towards the highlands. As we approached them 

 the rain shrank to a mere spitting, gradually 

 ceased, and was replaced by that reeking, fetid, 

 sepulchral heat, which travellers in the tropics 

 have learned to fear. The path lay over the 

 normal red clay, crossed low ground where trees 

 decayed in stagnant water, and spanned the cul- 

 tivated plain of dark mould at the foot of the 

 mountains, with a vista of far blue hill on the 

 right. Ve rested a few minutes before attempt- 

 ing the steep incline before us : the shppery, 

 muddy way had wearied our slaves, though 

 aided by three porters hired that morning, and 

 the sun, strugghng with vapours, was still hot 

 enough to overpower the whole party. 



At 1 p. M. we proceeded to breast the pass 

 leading from the lowland alluvial plain to the 

 threshold of the ^thiopic Olympus. The gently- 

 rising path, spread with decayed fohage, wound 

 amongst groves of large, coarse bananas, whose 

 arms of satinv sheen here smoothed and streaked, 

 there shredded by the hill -winds, hid purple 

 flowers and huge bunches of green fruit. The 

 Musa, which an old traveller describes as an 

 assemblage of leaves interwoven and twisted to- 

 gether so neatly, that they form a plant about 15 



