226 
LEILA. 
might prove too serious an encumbrance. On their arrival at a 
station, where they intend to stay any time, the men begin to cut 
down,with the large knives which they carry about them, a number 
of green boughs, and these they arrange into bowers with so much 
art, that, when a cloth is thrown over them, they afford not only 
shelter from the sun in the day time, but complete protection 
from the cold during the night. Our whole party this evening 
appeared in high spirits ; the Abyssinians from the gratification 
they felt in having advanced so far on their return homeward ; 
and the Hazorta from the pleasure they experienced in breathing 
the air of their native wilds. Nothing can be more distinct than 
the character of the latter people, when shut up in towns, and 
when residing in the desert ; in the former they exhibit a servile 
and abject demeanour ; while in the latter their behaviour takes 
the opposite turn, and becomes in the highest degree character- 
istic of an insolent independence. They had been joined in the 
morning by about a dozen of their comrades, and, when the even- 
ing had closed in, they formed themselves into a semicircle, at a 
short distance from one of the fires, and amused themselves with 
an exhibition of their native dance. In the absence of better 
music they were obliged to content themselves with a single tom- 
tom, the harmony of which was greatly heightened by the 
clapping of hands and a peculiar kind of hissing that I never 
before had heard, somewhat resembling the sounds produced by 
a quick and alternate pronunciation of the consonants p, t, and s. 
Only one person danced at a time, who came forward in front, 
keeping up a constant;, but not very active motion with his feet, 
■^hile his wjiole body^ but more particularly his shoulders and 
