G I B B E. 
107 
was a very fine one, and afterwards, seeing that my mule's paces 
were not good, dismounted, and insisted on my taking his, with 
which I the more wilHngly complied, as he had another mule ready 
for his own use. 
" About four miles from Muchaie I returned this gentleman his 
mule, as he was going direct to Antalow by another road. After 
getting completely wet through with a heavy shower of rain, we 
reached Muchaie, where we remained for the night. Three travel- 
lers were introduced to me by the master of the village ; and we 
were furnished with such abundance of provisions, that I was enabled 
to send them a large portion of bread, and also a goat to a friend 
of our guide. 
" September 24. — We left the village of Muchaie at a very early 
hour, and, in the first part of our road met with little worthy of 
notice. Having passed through the narrow valley described in our 
former journal, we arrived at the stream on the bank of which we 
stopped; here we bathed, and afterwards took some refreshment. 
I must observe that the Abyssinians, as far as I have seen, are very 
fond of bathing, whenever they have an opportunity of doing so 
in a running stream. 
" We now passed close by the mansion of Gibbe, which was at this 
time deserted, and in ruins. We were told that formerly the Ras 
had a mansion at each stage from Antalow to Adowa, computing 
by the journies that these people make, which are about double the 
distance of those we have been able to perform ; for, as they are 
accustomed to a mountainous country from their infancy, they disre- 
gard the ascent and descent of the steep passes that intersect every 
part of Abyssinia. 1 could not, until this day, conceive the reason of 
VOL. in. p 
