'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1865 to December 1867. (Edited by the Honorary Secretary.) Volume XVIII.' [‎7] (142/268)

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PRESENT STATE OF ABYSSINIA.
encompassed. Daybreak, however, discovered our visitors to be flocks
of thousands of rock grouse coming in from a distance to drink, some
so exhausted as to fall within twenty or thirty yards of the water ; all,
however, quickly satisfying their thirst and flying away to make way for
new comers. Daybreak also showed us the declivities near the
stream, almost covered with guinea-fowl and small game of all kinds,
but the first glimmer of sunlight was the signal for them to
disperse, and before the sun could show itself not a bird was to
be seen. During the day, however, a crowd of monkeys of all sizes
and colours paid us a visit, making a tremendous chattering as they
picked their way down and re-ascended the banks. The thermometer
stood at 98 deg. during the day, and at sunset we struck our tents,
about which time also the game came again for water ; and, however
incredible it may appear, I can assure you that the sky was consider
ably darkened by the denseness of the flocks, and they fly so fast that
a charge of shot fired at the headmost bird of a flock, leaves a line
vacant for I should say 20 to 30 yards, and probably brings down as
many birds ; under these circumstances, it can then easily be imagined,
that a very moderate sportsman can supply his own commissariat by
the aid of his gun in that country. From “ Saati” the road got
gradually worse, and ascending between hills in the beds of mountain
torrents, thickly strewed with rocks and boulders ; enormous slabs lay
ing at all angles, sometimes pivoted; round stones, from the size of one
of those globes to that of a 68 pr. shot; and through rocky passes with
the sharp rocks touching our mules’ ribs as we passed ; the hills on each
side rising to a height of two or three hundred feet, made this road,
which extended about 5 miles, extremely oppressive and unpleasant.
When,, however, we were once past this, the scenery and deliciously
cool night air amply rewarded us. For miles our road led down
a gentle decline of clayey soil, smooth as a sheet of glass, with trees
of all kinds varying the prospect, all as regularly planted and
equally divided by the hand of nature, as they could be artificially
in our own country; some of the trees rising to a fine height, the
lc ' * eave s of others spreading with a wide area, and again the
s rong branches and thick foliage of others drooping at a convenient
^istance from the parent stem, and forming a beautiful arbour, said to
e sometimes the resting place of the peasant, and occasionally that of
16 * on or Panther. The approach to “ Ailaat” was then for about