Page:A voyage to Abyssinia (Salt).djvu/281

 own country dialects. This people is distinguished by the name of the Tchertz, or Tacazze Agows, and the country they inhabit extends from Lasta to the borders of Shiré. According to tradition, the Agows were once worshippers of the Nile, but so late as in the seventeenth century they were converted to the Christian religion, and are now more particular in their attention to its duties, than most of the other natives of Abyssinia. Like the people of Dixan, they are very regular in their morning's devotion; for which purpose, the inhabitants of each village assemble before the door of their respective chiefs, at the earliest dawn, and recite their prayers in a kind of rude chorus together. A very high opinion is entertained by the Agows of their former consequence, and they declare, that they were never conquered, except by the inhabitants of Tigré. A vocabulary of their language will be found, among others, in the Appendix, (Vide No. I.)

The view from the hill on which this town was built, was, if possible, superior to that even of the preceding evening: and, in consequence, I was tempted to make a drawing of it; but I fear it will convey a very inadequate idea of the height of these stupendous mountains. The thermometer, during the whole of this day, never fell below 80° and at mid-day it was 85° in the shade.

On the 9th we left Werketarvé, and after travelling a few miles westward, turned off more to the south, in order to avoid a range of very rugged hills that interrupts the direct road, which brought us, in about two hours, to Serarwa. At this place the nature of the country began to change, and instead of rich pastures, affording nourishment to numerous droves of cattle, which we had continually met with in the course of our journey for the last three or four days, we now descended into a sandy and barren district, thickly set with thorny shrubs and mimosas, greatly resembling the scenery near the coast. The thermometer at mid-day rose as high as 88° in the shade. The sun at this moment was nearly vertical over our heads, yet, as I have before mentioned, the mountains that lay before us were covered with snow, and we could plainly distinguish it lying in large patches on their sides, while we were at the same time scorching with