244 VIEW FROM THE MOUNTAIN, the highest points of the mountain. This road leads in the direction of Sanheit ; and those monks whose heads could not stand crossing the ridge were taken round by the way we had ascended, which was a good deal farther from Abyssinian territory.

Before we started on our return, the monks took us to a ledge of rock, from which we obtained a fine view of the surrounding country for many miles, our tents immediately beneath us appearing mere white specks. The monks told us they had frequently seen our tents, and heard our shots, and wondered what we were doing. They started us off on our return, by much the same way that we had come ; but instead, this time, of following the ledge, as we had been obliged to do in coming up, to protect ourselves against the stones thrown by them, we went a shorter and easier way, and soon reached . the place where we had received their first volley of rocks. In making the ascent, we had been for a great part of the way in the shade ; in going down, however, towards noon we were in the blazing sun, and hemmed in by great boulders, reflecting the terrific heat. We were obliged to take off our shoes and stockings, as in our ascent, and found clambering over the burning rocks a most painful proceeding.

To return to my narrative : Leaving Adardee, our next halt was at Ashidireh, about seventeen miles distant. Although in this country villages are by no means numerous, the Arabs have names for every well, khor, or hill. It is often, however, difficult to know their proper names, as it frequently happens that the different tribes have different names for one and the same thing. Ashidireh was merely a watering-place, and Adardee the name given to some wells in Khor Bogou.

On the road we met Ala-ed-Deen Pacha, an old acquaintance, who was at Massawa last year. The government of the