PASSAGE OF TARANTA 
487 
our baggage; one of our heaviest boxes, containing aintnunition and 
dollars, of considerable weight, was, to our surprize, brought up 
by a boy about thirteen years of age ; and one of the walls of our 
large tent, together with the two poles, were conveyed by one 
man from the bottom to the top of the pass in about four hours. 
It is not easy to reconcile these facts, with Bruce's representation of 
the extraordinary difficulties with which he had to contend during 
two days in going over the same distance, unless the re-establish- 
ment of peace between the Nayib, and the tribe of Hazorta, had 
been attended by a surprizing improvement of the road, which is 
not probable, as by Bruce's own account the trade, if we may 
judge by the number of slaves, was then fully equal to what it is 
at present. Besides, we did not meet with a single hyaena or trog- 
lodytical cave ; and luckily had not our hands and knees cut by 
frequent falls, or our faces torn by thorny bushes ; which last, 
indeed, appears scarcely possible in so open and frequented a path. 
The only part of our baggage that did not reach us till late at 
night, was the fly of the tent, and my bed, which were carried on 
the back of an ox ; in consequence of which, the evening being 
very cold, we arranged our baggage in a half circle, made a good 
fire in the centre, and slept on the walls of the tent, having previ- 
ously regaled ourselves with salt-fish, rice, and stewed mushrooms. 
The thermometer in the evening was 64**. 
, July 27. — A shower fell in the course of the night, and when we 
awoke, the sky was so lowering, that, though our guide declared it 
was only the common morning mist, we thought it prudent to pitch 
our tent, under which we obtained shelter from a smart shower of 
rain which fell soon after. The tops of Taranta, surrounding the 
