PASS OF KELLA. 
249 
from a rare union of ability and feeling, was impressed on my mind 
by local connexion, as an object of admiration, from my child- 
hood ; and I feel assured, that I shall stand excused for observ- 
■ ■■■■V 
ing, that the reilections which his interesting tale gave rise to, on 
this, as well as., on, many other occasions, added greatly, from a 
natural association of ideas, to the pleasure which I experienced in 
traversing the wild regions of Ethiopia. 
The mountain of Devra Damo appears to be completely 
scarped on every side, and, as J, ;>vas informed, is very difficult of 
access, having only one path leading up to it ; resembling in this 
respect many of the hill forts in India, as well as in its general 
character. As soon as I had completed the accompanying sketchy 
we proceeded on our journey, and, after travelling a few miles^ 
came to a pass in the mountains, called Kella, which takes its 
name from the castellated appearance of the rocks in its neigh- 
bourhood : ' Kella* in the Abyssinian, as well as Arabic laur 
guage, signifying a 'castle.* It still continues to be a place 
where duties are collected from the cafilas. About a mile farther 
on, we came to a beautiful glen, where a large daro tree stood 
by the side of a winding stream, the banks of which were richly 
cdvered with verdure, and here we stopped to refresh ourselves 
during the heat of the day. 
At this time I conceive we, pust have arrived at a great height 
above the level of the sea, for notwithstanding our journey had 
hitherto tended towards the south, at a time when the sun was 
proceeding northward, yet we every day found the climate more 
temperate, and, the vegetation backwarder in its progress. 
It was a subject of continual regret to me, that we could not 
