several times, that there was no outlet for its waters, but that it was entirely distinct from the river Hawash. Karissa, a Galla, from Cambat, who when enslaved was first taken to Gurague, and lived near Zui several years, also told me that a number of small streams fell into the lake from all sides, and that there was a tradition that a long time ago, the length of which he had no idea of, all the country now occupied by the lake which is about fifteen miles in diameter, was possessed by seven chiefs, whose lands, for their sins, of course, or it would not be an Abyssinian legend, were swallowed up in one night, with loud subterranean noises, and stars shooting out of the earth, and that the next day nothing could be seen but the present lakes, and the islands it contains. Considering the character of the country, and the phenomena still witnessed in Adal, whilst the country around Zui appears to be situated upon the same elevation above the sea; I have no doubt that this tradition is partly founded upon fact, and contains the national remembrance of an extensive and appalling incident connected with some volcanic convulsion, that at a former period occurred in this situation.

My morning's lesson in geography terminated with a promise that Ibrahim should get me the title of a Geez book upon the subject, which he asserted he had seen in Hurrah, for I must observe he ridiculed the idea of anything having been preserved during the invasion of Grahnè into Abyssinia, by

being taken to the monastery of Zui. He stated that in the city of Hurrah, which was then the capital of the kingdom of Adal, there was at the present day an entire library which had formed part of the spoil of the conqueror on that occasion, and that in the same building with the books is preserved the original silver kettle drums that were formerly carried before the Emperor. He had also seen a map which had been made by the orders of Mahomed Grahnè, of the countries he had subdued from Massoah and Gondah in the north, to Magadish in the south, and upon which was particularly marked the site of every Christian temple he had destroyed. A copy of this map could, I think, be easily obtained by means of our Berberah acquaintance, Shurmalkee, whose connexion with the city of Hurrah is much more considerable than it is supposed to be by our Government.

Upon both banks of that part of the Hawash which partially encircles Shoa, numerous tribes of Galla find sustenance for immense herds of cattle. Among these, the most important are the Maitcha and Soddo tribes, situated upon the earliest of its most western tributaries; next to these, proceeding from the west, is the Tchukalla; then Lakee, or those living between lake Zui and the Hawash; to these succeed the Gilla, the Roga, and then the Gallahn, the chief of which, Shumbo, is a son-in-law of the Negoos, baptized and married the same day, whilst I was in Shoa. Through his district lies the safest

road to Gurague, and accordingly it is the one principally taken by slave merchants, who, however, seldom return that way, preferring a more circuitous one, around the sources of the Hawash, among the tribes situated upon the table land of Abyssinia. Adjoining to the Gallahn Galla are the Aroosee, a powerful and warlike nation of the same people, but who appear to be considerably in advance of their barbarous brethren. The Aroosee are large agriculturists, and great quantities of coffee, and of a red dye, called wurrsee, which is exported from Berberah to India and Arabia, is produced in their country. They occupy all the district between Hawash and the north-western streams of the Whaabbee. Where they terminate on the east, the possessions of the Hittoo Galla commence, who also "drink of the waters of the Hawash," and are, it will be recollected the tribe, some of whom attacked the Kafilah of the Hy Soumaulee, at Dophan, on the occasion of my coming up to Shoa. On a map of a limited size, it would be impossible to introduce the names of the numerous tribes of these people that border upon Shoa to the south, nor would any benefit arise from the list beyond that which may be obtained by the general designation, "Galla tribes," and which I have, therefore, employed to mark the localities of these people.

CHAPTER XXV.

No prospect of recovery.-Slaughter of the goat.-Manufacture of skin-bags. The process.-Farming. The bark employed.Morocco leather.-Carcase butchers.-Process of cutting up meat.

August 21st.-The termination of the fast of Felsat was hailed with considerable pleasure by the very best of Christians in Shoa, and this happened on the last day of the interval which dates this chapter, for increasing want of space compels me to relinquish the usual diurnal account. As it happened, nothing of importance occurred, except only that I began to find myself gradually getting weaker and weaker, and the symptoms of my illness increasing in violence upon every fresh attack. I attributed this, in a great measure, to the wet season, which was now most decidedly set in, and for the last three or four days especially it had rained without intermission. It was a cheerless time, the moist foggy state of the atmosphere, and the muddy condition of the road, quite prevented me from taking my usual walks, and looking at the dripping state of my thatched roof, or listening to the pattering of the large rain drops against my parchment window, was all the amusement I had

after I had determined to confine myself more to bed, either to recruit myself after the severe fever paroxysms, or with the hope of averting in some measure the force of their attack by a little careful nursing. I ceased, too, to take any pleasure in the interesting conversations of Ibrahim, or Sheik Tigh, or, in fact, any one from whom previously I had ever been most inquiring respecting every subject of importance or novelty I could think of to ask about. My cup of coffee in the morning, or a drinking hornful of the warmed ale, was the only thing I dare indulge in, for solids of any kind had a great tendency to occasion congestion in the brain, and after eating anything a severe headache was the certain consequence. I took the hint, and gave up the honeyed repast at breakfast and the fricasee at night, and made a point of conciliating as much as possible that irritable viscus the stomach, that seemed after all to be at the bottom of the evil.

It was a horrible retribution, therefore, for Walderheros to contemplate, and which, no doubt, will have a beneficial effect upon his future conduct as regards the respect due to the institutions of the Church, when, on the morning after the end of the fast, which was to be a day of great rejoicing, I intimated my determination to eat no more flesh meat for at least a week. After all my jests about the folly of fasting, telling my people that during the continuance of such terms of abstinence, I was