houfe o f Ayto Welleta Michael, at Degwafla, after entering'
into a country fomething more pleafant and cultivated than
the former. The village o f Degwafla is but fm a ll; it had
alfo been burnt in the late war ; it is pleafantly fituated on
a hill fouth o f the lake, about 3 miles diftance, and is fur-
rounded with large wanzey-trees ; we were but ill-received'
at this village,, notwithftanding the promifes o f the matter
o f it at the paflage o f the Abay, and we found thefe people
fcarcely more hofpitable than at Googue. This village is a
little out o f the road, to the right. We had travelled this
day five hours and a half, or little more than ten miles.
On the 15 th o f November, from Degwafla we entered
Gonzala, immediately bordering upon i t : heavy rain prevented
our fetting out till noon. Gonzala is fu ll o f villages»
and belongs to the queen-mother. At a quarter after one we
palled a large marih, in the midft o f which runs a fmall river
which here falls into the lake. We retted here h a lf an
h o u r ; and, at three quarters paft one, we entered the great
road w hich we had pafied to the left in going to Degwafla.
A t two o’clock we came ftiil to a diftintfter view o f the
lake, as alfo where the river enters and goes out; it appears
here' to enter at S. W. and go out at N. E. and is diftant about
eight o r nine miles. At three quarters paft two, we arrived
at Dingleber, having this day travelled only two hours, and
a half, or five miles.
O n th e 16 th w e le f t D in g le b e r a t fe v e n o’c lo c k in th e
m o r n in g ; i t w a s v e r y h o t ; an d , a lit t le b e fo r e w e c am e to
M e fc a la x o s , in a f tr ip e o f la n d , o r p e n in fu la , w h i c h ru n s o u t
in to th e la k e , "we h a lt e d a ih o r t t im e u n d e r th e ih a d e o f
fome
fome acacia-trees. Here we faw plenty o f w ater-fowl, and
feveral gomaris. A fmall river crofles the road here, and
falls into the lake: and, at one o’clock in the afternoon, we
continued our journey, and overtook a troop o f A gows, Who
were going to Gondar, laden with honey, butter, and untanned
hides. T hey had with them alfo about 800 head o f
cattle. Thefe people accuffiomed to the road (though heav
ily laden) go long journies : they had at this time 50 miles
to make by nine o’clock in the morning o f the i8th, and
it was now the 16th, paft one o’clock.
A S h o w e r overtook us foon after palling Mefcalaxos, and
forced us to take refuge in fome fmall huts near the lake,
called Goja, where we remained. The inhabitants o f this
and the neighbouring villages fpeak Falafha, the language
anciently o f all Dembea, which, as has been already obferved,
in moft o f the plain country, has now given place to Am-
haric. Here we faw two gomari come out o f the lake and
enter the corn, but fpeedily, upon the dogs o f the villages
attacking them, they ran and plunged into the water ; we
could not have a diftinft view o f them, nor time enough to
defign them, but they were very different from any draught
we had ever feen o f them. The head feemed ‘ to me to
refemble that o f'a hog more than o f a horfe. We had this
day travelled fix hours and a half, or about thirteen miles.
- .On the 17th, at a quarter paft feven, we left Goja. At one
o’clock we halted at Sar Ohha, after a journey o f five hours
and a half, or about eleven miles ; and on the 18th, at h a lf
paft fix, left Sar Ohha. At three quarters paft feven we pafied
the river Talti, and at h a lf paft eleven halted at Abba Abram,
near the church, under a large faffa-tree. At one, con-
D 2 tinued