by the kindest words, and excited them by his own example to an active performance of their several duties. If a man were weary, he would assist him in carrying his burden; if he perceived any of the mules backs to be hurt, he would beg me to have them relieved; and constantly, when he saw me engaged in shooting partridges or other birds, he would call out to them to fly out of the way; shaking his head, and begging me in a mournful accent not to kill them. I have remarked in my former journal, that with all this refined feeling of humanity, he was far from being devoid of courage, and I had an opportunity subsequently of witnessing several instances of his bravery, though he appeared on all occasions peculiarly anxious to avoid a quarrel. At the present time he was at variance with the Nayib of Massowa, and therefore did not think it right to venture farther towards the coast. On his going away I presented him with an hundred dollars, and a small piece of broad cloth to make a kaftan: and we parted, I believe, with mutual regret; at least for my own part I can truly say, that I have seldom felt more respect for an individual than I did for this worthy man. The thermometer in the evening was at 62.°
On the 23d we descended to the bottom of the mountain, where we gradually lost sight of the beautiful scenery with which we had been so much delighted, and soon got into a wild jungle of thorny acacias, growing on a sandy and barren soil; all traces of the stream in a short time totally disappearing.
The country after this became so extremely wild and thickly set with trees, that, for a short time, we completely lost our way, and wandered several miles towards the south, until an old shepherd, watching an isolated field of mishella, belonging to Shum Sadoo, at length set us right. Hence we proceeded in an easterly direction, having to descend several rugged passes, until we came to a range of wells in the bed of a torrent, situated at about eleven miles distance from Arkeeko, where we found a number of the natives watering large droves of cattle, brought up from the vicinity of the coast; and in the neighbourhood of this spot we took up our encampment for the night. We had not long remained here, before we received a visit from the chief of the adjoining district,
