Evening star., 1905-09-24

goats and sheep, beer and cider, which
reciprocated in other presents. / at once
got 10 work to organize my caravan, and
did not get to leave Harrar for three days.
l had a pass from the governor, which set
forth the exact number of servants, horses
and rifles we carried.
King Meneliks capital is at Adds
Ababa and to reach this place it is neces-
sary TO travel over the desert under the
protection of well-armed soldiers. Besides
the Abyssinian soldiers who were hired by
me. the governor gave me eleven Mussul-
man soldiers under a corporal. The first
night out we were troubled with hyenas
and other animals trying to get at the
mules so we had to be very careful in
looking after everything.
we found the nights very cold in this
region. often freezing, while during the
day the temperature was about 50 de-
grees. The mountain people are of a
brown coored type, but with regular and
pleasing features. The Dankalis. one of
the desert tribes, are very good looking
people, and superbly built. The women
are handsome, possessing long dark hair,
dark eyes. with fine features, well-formed
nose. regular mouth. splendid teeth and
shapey arms and feet. They are pretty
tall, being about five and a half feet ip
height
"At one point where we pitched our tent
for the night noticed ling line of men
ana women making way toward our
camp, the women wearing on their heads
Sc me kind of tall pots, while all were load
ed down with sugarcane and other bun
dies and guiding some sheep. The spokes-
man OF the party. ON coming up to us, ex-
planned that he came from the son of Ras
Makonen, who desired to send his greetings
in wishing us a pleasant journey, and to
present US with some gifts, which consisted
of fifty pancakes, three pots of pepper
sauce two gallons of native beer. or talla,
two sheep and a large bunch of sugar cane.
Our servants were Abyssinians and our
soldiers were Mussulmen, therefore each
party had to cook their own sheep, which
they did, so as to have a feast at once.
Neither party would eat meat killed by the
other. consequently there were two differ
ent circles. and each had a campfire. The
people generally eat raw meat, but some
times they put 1t in hot water for half an
hour, and devour 1t In that crudely cooked
condition. One man takes charge of the
meat. dividing II among the others. placing
eacn persons portion in his hands. The
people do not use plates, or dishes of any
kind.
~
'"rhe Abysslnian Alps average 1926 feet
in height, and we had to cross each sepa-
rate range OF them. 1t takes ten to twelve
hours to get up a mountain, and as many
hours to descend, the descent being as diff.
cult as the ascent. There are no roads,
simply trails leading down the mountains,
and the trails are merely the places where
streams have run during the rainy season.
1--WE were descending one mountain when
We behaid the camp of Ras. Makonen, who
had been to the capital and was returning
to Harrar. He had 1900 people in his
caravan and three times as many cattle
and sheep Near by was camp of Rus
slams, who had also been to the capital.
When we pitched our camp and displayed
the American flag. there was long line Of
people who started toward us. They were
part of the escort OF Ras Makonen and
were coming to deliver the usual presents.
Our servants and the others became
hilarious with the native drink and long
toward midnight commenced their weird
dances. which consisted OF jumping from
one foot to the other without changing
places, and firing their rihes at intervals.