504 
MUMSAL 
Abdallah, whose ability and integrity had much attached us to him, 
and whose kindness had rendered us all his debtors. We directed 
our course to the north of Abba Garima, over a moderately high 
range of hills, and afterwards along a beautiful valley, through 
which a stream of fine water runs, which the inhabitants had care- 
fully led off, in the Indian method, into the corn fields. We then 
ascended a steep hill on the right to the village of Mumsai, com- 
manded by Ayto Guebra Amlac, expecting the arrival of our at- 
tendants, but in vain ; and, consequently, we were obliged to be 
satisfied with such fare as we could pick up, beans, Indian corn, 
and a wild fowl. I shot this day a black and white hawk, with a 
red dusky tail, the eye large, and of a dark brown colour. This 
bird is remarkable for the height to which it soars. We passed on 
the road in the course of our day's march, Ozoro Tishai and her 
attendants, on their way to pay a visit to Ayto Ischias. This lady 
sent me a small quantity of maize in the evening. 
" October ^3. — We waited with some impatience for the re- 
mainder of our baggage, which did not come up till mid-day, during 
which we amused ourselves with shooting small birds to add to 
our collection. The Hillets chiefly abound in this valley, flying 
about among the loose grass and rushes ; they are very often seen 
in pursuit of some small birds much resembling the reed sparrow; 
yet they are ill calculated for swiftness of flight, as their tails ap- 
pear to be too heavy for their bodies ; they are small birds with re- 
markably long fan tails, of which there are four or five species or 
varieties ; one is black ; another is black with bright spots of red 
on the pinion of the wing ; another with bright yellow spots ; and 
a fourth is spotted black and white. We killed three this morning, 
