11 {> 
REPORT—1847. 
•re of a distinct origin from that of the inhabitants of Abessinia Proper, with the n- 
ci']»tion alone of the sinnll remains of the Gdngns, who inhabit the valley of the rim 
Ab&i, in the extreme south-west of the peninsula of Ghdjam. 
The next tradition which has to be mentioned is derived from quite a differtiit 
source, namely from ntnong the Y/idju (Edjow) and R&ia Gallas inbabitifig the 
ancient kingdum uf A'ngnt and other districU further to the east. It saytiktlht 
tuition came origin.tlly from Hashg&ma, a connlry situate beyond a ho^. Atotia 
calf belonging to this people, heing cluucd by wild beasU, swam acros the Mr, «ai 
when arrived on the opposite shore beenma in the coin^ of time the prOfivniJrii 
of large herds. The Oallaa water their cattle onlv two days oat of Uirce, eunermaj 
that by this means they obtain more milk and of better quality. 'Ihesswiidnale 
however went down to the water every evening ; and HashgAma lying to the east rf 
the the aetting sun cast their shadows across to that country. [When Oib «» 
related, I objected, that if it had been possible for the setting sun to cast the shiim 
nf llio cattle from the western to the castcni shore, the cattle themselves must airclt 
have been vNible; and I suggested the |> 0 )i 8 ibih‘ty of the fact bciug, iHal thecsttle 
were on the eastern side, aud that it was the rfjlccled rays of Ibe sun which rendtred 
thcni visible, when under ordinary circuinsUiiccs they would not have been jo. But 
thi* suggn«tinn was not nilittiUcd; so that we must be content to take the tale 
M it wn< related.] This daily visit of the cattle to the hahr attracted theaUeutiend 
the Gallas, who justly conchuled that they must bo wild and withont owners. They 
cnnsulted ns to going over to obtain possesrion of the cattle, and after seme delwtctf*? 
joined hands in order to prevent their sinking or being carried away, aad thus th*J 
crossed the bafyr. Arrived on the opposite shore and finding the country geod, *l*r 
Sftlled tltprc; and in tlic courao of time, as they increased in number, they tpresJ 
out till lit length (hry re.-iclu-d AbcBsinio. 
In these two legends one fact Btandn prominently forward. It is that the Gallo 
onsiiully vamc from a couiury beyond a bubr—a large river or lake. ThiscooBtry, 
eallcd by the Wdju and Rdia Gullus Hashgfima, i» hi Slioa generally known th* 
nnnjf. nt lUrgdmo; and the Shoans, who socin to be pnrticulariy addicted lo to'™ 
etvtix.IiimM, explain this name as incaning literally Bahr-gamo, that is W ssj, 
^ ocyund ujb ioAr.” lJut this hiter^wetation is open to the obieclion that ths 
in question IS out likely tu have been compounded from two different lang^*?'^' [j*' 
wortl oa^r being Amhuric (and also Arabic), andyitioo or ya«tfl(beyond)b<.'iBgGilb 
A more reasonable interpretnrion nu'ght bo tliut JJiir' o«»m'mpans "bcyonillhf B*™ 
—* large nver to the west of KAffa, which joins the Nile or 
as nmnng the Gitllas inhabitiog the right or northern hank of tbelldro that 
IS regarded as the main stream of the Nile, it would result that the «giiific»tion « 
/for’«beyond the Nile." But to favonrlhis itit.erpretatioii,the«wnlryM 
Gallas iMuc’d must be placetl far in the interior of Africa to the wrtiofi™ 
' frnditiods which hare l»een here repeated, expressly and peintcJly 
.sic tliai It lay to the east of the ba^r. Bruce's information however makes ihemts 
umlcrst^ to mcuii some particular mountain calk'd Mount WoUl. Tula WoW »« 
infofuiant* between Sayo and Afillo, to the west of KaA ^ 
«r the ritvr liuro ; and it was indeed this narticnlar informniiou which ledtu'M 
«M, lownrus uuiUgie. M. d Abbadle, when in GAdiam, was mfomiM 
n.. r II « on the bordere of the ’Ato or BwJJ; 
! m ^ to the north-east of Shoa*. When however the 
can I comes to bc ilircatigated. It will be seen that no dep«'i“' 
con 111 placed on these atti-i..n»« tr, e-r „p .u. 
P'Dper name, resolves itself into "Mount r«Jbjoirn, 
Uullciin de la Societc de Geographic, 3rJ series, vol. iii. p. 
