Fadast.

There are three ways open for us to conduct our exploration to a happy issue. Beyond these we know, and it is useless to delude ourselves, there awaits us nothing but failure and return. The two roads which lead to the Galla-Lega would have been best adapted for making our way to Affilo, but they were closed three years ago by the Omons (Bedja), who will not permit any of the Gallas to come that way in search of salt.

There remains then onl} the road from Fadasi to Galla-Shibouk.

On our arrival here, we revealed our plan to the Sheikh of Fadasi, and offered him gifts, even above our capabilities, if he would aid us in the passage of the Yabus, which is also infested by numerous bands of Omons (also of the Galla race) who daily attack the Gallas. After our arrival there we were witnesses to many sanguinary encounters.

All our staff, besides my companion Matteucci and myself, consists of three domestics, so that it was absolutely necessar}' to beg Sheikh Hassan to assist us on our passage through the Omons, who block the opposite bank of the Yabus ; the Sheikh promised much, but performed little. He begged us to have patience for some days, so as to arrange for our journey either by making a present to the Sheikhs of the Omons, or by providing us with the necessary escort to surmount the difficult places.

Time passed in this way, and though we did not cease to entreat the Sheikh, he kept us in suspense from one day to another in such a way that, after a mouth, we were at the same point as on the first day of our arrival. Matteucci and I then decided to open a passage for ourselves during the night, leaving the baggage behind, and from Affilo to push forward at any cost towards the Galla country, making our Avay with all speed towards Kaffa. But the time we passed here had rendered the Omons suspicious, and, for fear we should elude their