ADOWA. 401 
about a thousand of the enemy, he had beaten them off with 
only two hundred men, at the same time lamenting, that he had, 
been reduced to so very disagreeable an alternative. These 
traits of character, as might be expected in the existing state of 
society in Abyssinia, had gained him the admiration and good 
will of the greater part of his countrymen. 
On the 8th we took leave of our friendly host, and proceeded 
forwards to Adowa. On crossing one of the highest tracts of 
ground in the morning, we gained a very clear view of the moun- 
tains of Samen, bearing at that time S. W., and could plainly 
distinguish the snpw Ijii^g large masses on the tops of Beyeda 
and Amba Hai. The road to Adowa passes over several ridges of 
hills, and is in parts extremely difficult of ascent. In the middle 
of the day we stopped for an hour under a grove of daro trees, 
where I shot a beautiful species of Upupa, nearly allied to the 
Erythrynotos. At one o'clock we reached Adowa. At this 
place I was surprised to find that an Englishman had arrived 
from the coast only a few days before, which, on enquiry, proved 
to be Mr. Stuart. He had failed, in a great measure, in accom- 
plishing the plan which I had proposed, of his going to Hurrur, 
owing to circumstances which will be hereafter detailed, and, 
on his return to Moch^5 having met with an opportunity of cross- 
ing over to Massowa, had thought it right to come and join me, 
for the purpose of clearly reporting the events which had pre- 
vented his success. I could not help feeling greatly disappointed 
at this failure ; but, on hearing Mr. Stuart's statements, I was 
persuaded that it had not been in his power to obviate the diffi- 
culties which he had had to encounter. I also received the 
