ASSUBA. 
227 
breast, was agitated with a writliing gesture, which, as it pro- 
ceeded, became too violent to be continued. The person thus 
exhausted retired, and another took his place ; but I observed 
that this exercise was almost exclusively confined to the chiefs, 
whose proficiency in it appeared far greater than that of their 
companions, a circumstance owing, no doubt, to their possessing 
superior strength and activity, qualities extremely requisite for 
such violent exertions. 
To form any correct idea of the scene which surrounded us, 
the reader must fancy himself stationed on a clear night amidst 
a grove of lofty trees, standing in a lonely valley and skirted by 
abrupt mountains, bordered by a winding stream. On such 
a spot, and under the circumstances in which I was placed, a 
dance of the above description had a peculiarly wild and fantastic 
effect, greatly heightened as it was by the gleaming dashes of 
light thrown on the different objects from a number of scattered 
fires, round which the natives were clustered in irregular groups. 
The Abyssinians enjoyed this dance as much as ourselves, pro- 
bably on account of its striking dissimilarity to their own ; and I 
subsequently observed some of the more lively of our party, when 
they reached the upper country, mimicking it in a very ridiculous 
and laughable manner, to the no small amusement of their friends. 
On the first of March we left Leila at a quarter before six, and 
soon reached Assuba ; a little beyond, on the left, a pass or 
gully in the mountains opens into the road, which is consi- 
dered as by far the most dangerous spot on the passage, owing to 
a wild set of Bedowee residing there, who are accustomed to 
make predatory excursions on the cafilas travelling to and from 
Gg 
