Fndasi.

first and only wliite man, before us, who sot foot in Fadasi we are convinced by the many inquiries we made, and by the frank reply given by the chief of the village, who assured us that Marno and ourselves were the only three white men Avho had ever visited the place.

From Benishangal to Fadasi the way is not very long, but it is dangerous because of its mountainous and impracticable character ; the paths which descend the mountain lie in deep ravines, and are strewn with immense rocks. The state of the paths and the want of good mules, and the difficulty we experienced in the transport of our little baggage may be easily imagined.

We were told that this tract of dangerous country belonged to the territory of Dar Bertat, but, to say the truth, we were fortunate enough to arrive at our goal without meeting with any serious difficulty or hostility. The rugged way is compensated for by the stupendous views afforded by the continuous succession of mountains and valleys, contrasted with the open countr}, in the background of which, in many places, is seen the most beautiful and richest vegetation in the world. And to vary this wealth of the vegetable kingdom, was the sight of flocks of antelopes and gazelles bounding through the woods and meadows. Their lives, however, are endangered by the lions. Still, the lion is always generous and strong ; he never lies in wait or attacks by surprise ; proud of his strength and courage, he always keeps tlie open ])ath, and warns us of his presence by his mighty roar. We saw one not far from Fadasi, alone and solemnly pursuing his way, sure of his own actions, and not deigning even to look at us. The news of our arrival at Fadasi had preceded us, and when we entered the village we were met by a crowd of curious natives. Fadasi lies at the foot of the long chain of the Gogora mountains, and consists of little more than four hundred huts. It owes its celebrity to the extensive commerce Avhich centres