122 THE ABYSSINIAN FRONTIER appeared, huge stones jutted out of the sand, and rocky undulations were apparent on land. Trees were green and bushy, flowers were more frequent, and at times quite a height was attained above river-level.

Every step forward gave a rise in elevation ; the air was fresher, and there was a certain exhilaration in the knowledge that the dead-level was behind and the joy of the hills ahead, though only to be seen from afar.

Many warnings had been addressed to me to be careful not to cross the frontier, as the consequences might be uncomfortable, and even serious.

Strangers are not welcomed in Abyssinia unless their advent be accompanied by official permission, and even that is liable to be questioned by some petty chief.

An Abyssinian prison would not appear to be a healthy place, and abode therein may be indeterminate in length ; in fact, there were rumours of at least one white man who had dared to enter the country, and was still engaged in doing useful fieldwork for a gentleman of colour and scanty respect for civilization.

A vast area of land between here and Khartoum had long been in dispute between Abyssinia and the various Governments of the Sudan ; in fact, in the fourth century Abyssinian territory is said to have extended as far as the Nile, and the frontier has only been adjusted since the reconquest.

The people in the districts on the other side of