A canopy1 of thick clouds clinging to the high hills of Ankóber had indicated that rain still continued to deluge2 the more elevated regions; but on the wide undulating plains of Berhut, the thermometer in the tents stood at 105 degrees; and although the sky was occasionally overcast3 in the morning, the sun shone with due tropical fervour up to the day fixed4 for departure to the low country. It was still dark when the cavalcade5 filed past the church of Saint George, which, ornamented6 with a triangle of ostrich7 eggs as a spire8, stands at the extremity9 of the village; and as every Abyssinian lip in succession saluted10 with a pious11 kiss the rough bark of the kolquál trees by which it is fenced round, many an offering was vowed12 for individual safe return from the dangerous expedition.
Dawn of day found the party at the termination of the tract13 of table-land claimed by the crown; and the sun, as he rose behind the lofty peak of Assibote, lighted our descent by the Dodóti pass, a winding14 path overhanging the valleys, which still lay in darkness. Commanding a boundless15 prospect16 across the burning plains below, it leads by a very judiciously17 selected line, with a gradual descent of eighteen hundred feet, over barren mountain ridges18 rapidly diminishing in height, to the foot of the Abyssinian range, where, watered by the Casam, stretches the Adel district of Aden; and beyond, wild, desolate19, and hot, and surrounded by extensive white desert tracts20, rise the isolated21 craters22 of Sáboo and Fantáli.
The entire mountain-side is well-peopled by Mohammadan subjects of Shoa, whose progenitors24 arriving from the country of the sun with the great invader25 Graan, selected this as the location most congenial to their habits, and with it bequeathed to their descendants all the ancestral aversion to a cold climate. A stronger and more athletic27 race than the Amhára, the dark-eyed females present features far more feminine and agreeable than their coarse highland28 sisters, with forms more becomingly attired29. The hot dusty hamlets and scattered30 farm houses, which crown many of the peaks, are surrounded by extensive cultivation31. The square domiciles, constructed of loose stones with mud terraces, afford sufficient accommodation both for owner and cattle, and the rich stores of grain proclaim a life of industry and abundance.
The retinue32 of the governor increased rapidly with his advance. Every hamlet now poured forth33 its quota34; and before reaching the Fótah river, he mustered35 in horse and foot full four hundred retainers. For some miles the road wound along the dry channel of the mountain torrent36, the banks rising on either side steep and perpendicular37, so as to form a deep chasm38, partially39 obstructed40 by huge masses that had been precipitated41 from above. Here and there a solitary42 Karaiyo hamlet met the eye—the flocks and herds43 assembled in the neighbourhood of the only well, around which the heathen maidens44, in rude leathern petticoats, fearlessly drew water, proclaiming a district dependent upon Shoa. Debouching at length upon the plain of the Casam, the increase of temperature was at once perceptible; and the feeble breeze could not be felt through the mass of acacias and wild aloe which in full blossom covered the entire face of the country.
We were here joined by a weather-beaten old warrior45, covered with silver decorations for valour, who had lost an eye by the spear of the Galla. He was to act in capacity of guide; and an hour through the low jungle brought us to the river at a point where the width is from seventy to eighty yards, a strong stream of turbid46 water running through a rocky channel, in parts choked with groves47 of tamarisk. Skirting the northern bank for a considerable distance across hot loose boulders48 and hard volcanic49 terraces, we gained a prominent height, whence the view extended over the lowest valley threaded by the well-wooded Casam, the whole reach of which was covered with great herds of homed cattle.
Here the cavalcade halted, and was presently joined, from a group of Adel wigwams, by Godána, one of the braves of the Gareemra Damoosa, carrying a broad-headed spear, and wearing his lank50 hair twisted into thin cords. A long and animated51 conference ensued, through the medium of an interpreter; in the course of which it was set forth, on the part of the puissant52 warrior, that the appearance of so large a body of the Amhára had led his tribe to apprehend53 meditated54 hostilities55; that their flocks and herds were grazing in the vale below, peaceably tended by their young men and maidens; and that as the unwonted descent of such a host of Christians56 could not fail to create great alarm, he was desirous, before authorising further advance, to be more distinctly apprised58 of the nature and object of the visit. It was explained by the governor, “that the sole intention was to hunt buffaloes—that the white men were the special guests of the king; and having already slain59 elephants at Giddem, His Majesty60 sought to honour his friends the Ada?el, by the performance of equally extraordinary feats61 in their country:—concluding with the assurance, that the fear of the Ittoo Galla having alone dictated62 the presence of so many followers63, both Godána and his people might rest satisfied that the visit was in good faith, and perfectly64 pacific.”
The cattle having first been driven to a distance, the Christian57 chivalry65 were finally, after much demur66, permitted to descend26 into the bed of the Casam, and there to enjoy the shelter afforded by groves of spreading tamarinds which grace its shady banks, the elders of the tribe being meanwhile summoned to debate the subject more fully67. Parties of the Adel population of the adjoining district of Dessé now sauntered up by threes and fours, and tall, gaunt, meagre savages68 they were—their loins girded by a scant69 and filthy70 rag, but each equipped with a serviceable creese, a battered71 shield, and a spear decked with some trophy72 of the chase. The scowling73 downcast eye, habitually75 half closed against the glare of their parched76 plains—the dissatisfaction so legibly written on every face—the sun-burnt bushy wig—the pinched features—the loose shambling gait—the air of insolent77 independence—and not least, the rank disagreeable odour—all combined to proclaim them members of the great family peopling this sultry desert for hundreds of miles, and differing but slightly in manners or in appearance throughout the entire of the wide extended tract.
In the course of another fierce palaver78, it was intimated that many expected to die before the affair should be terminated; but the promise of handsome remuneration to the survivors79 worked successfully upon Adel cupidity80. After devouring81 the greater portion of our own supply of bread, which to those who till not the ground forms an unheard of luxury, they unanimously expressed their resolution of acceding82 to the royal wishes, and of leading the way to their choicest preserves. Greatly to the horror of Moslem83 antipathy84, the river had meanwhile been dragged of many of its finny inhabitants by the Amhára, who are permitted to eat fish ad libitum, although prohibited from touching85 either flesh or fowl86 during the tedious fast of Lent.
Under the guidance of a party selected by the tribe, we now continued our route along the bank of the river; and after passing a volcanic fissure87, which winds for miles between high walls of black lava88 to the very foot of the Fantáli crater23, a halt was called upon a spot lower down the Casam, where grass was abundant. Here we bivouacked among huge loose boulders; and between the bold headlands which bound the stream, numerous glimpses were obtained of its distant course. Thermal89 springs were stated to exist in the vicinity of Fantáli, now about six miles distant to the south. Although said to have emitted no smoke within the memory of the present generation, this hill was pictured as a fiery90 furnace, and a desert waste, inhabited only by gins and demons—doubtless a less formidable race than the Ittoo and Aroosi Galla, who continually prowl over the intervening plain. The presence of these predatory neighbours, added to our former experience of Adel treachery, and the habitual74 apathy91 and timidity of every Amhára escort, enforced the necessity of precaution in so wild a spot; and in spite of the fatigue92 entailed93 by the sultry march, we accordingly maintained throughout the night a disciplined vigilance by a revival94 of the long-neglected rules of “watch and ward95.”
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1 canopy | |
n.天篷,遮篷 | |
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2 deluge | |
n./vt.洪水,暴雨,使泛滥 | |
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3 overcast | |
adj.阴天的,阴暗的,愁闷的;v.遮盖,(使)变暗,包边缝;n.覆盖,阴天 | |
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4 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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5 cavalcade | |
n.车队等的行列 | |
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6 ornamented | |
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7 ostrich | |
n.鸵鸟 | |
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8 spire | |
n.(教堂)尖顶,尖塔,高点 | |
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9 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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10 saluted | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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11 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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12 vowed | |
起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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13 tract | |
n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林) | |
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14 winding | |
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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15 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
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16 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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17 judiciously | |
adv.明断地,明智而审慎地 | |
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18 ridges | |
n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊 | |
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19 desolate | |
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
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20 tracts | |
大片土地( tract的名词复数 ); 地带; (体内的)道; (尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的)短文 | |
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21 isolated | |
adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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22 craters | |
n.火山口( crater的名词复数 );弹坑等 | |
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23 crater | |
n.火山口,弹坑 | |
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24 progenitors | |
n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 );先驱;前辈;原本 | |
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25 invader | |
n.侵略者,侵犯者,入侵者 | |
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26 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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27 athletic | |
adj.擅长运动的,强健的;活跃的,体格健壮的 | |
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28 highland | |
n.(pl.)高地,山地 | |
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29 attired | |
adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服,使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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31 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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32 retinue | |
n.侍从;随员 | |
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33 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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34 quota | |
n.(生产、进出口等的)配额,(移民的)限额 | |
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35 mustered | |
v.集合,召集,集结(尤指部队)( muster的过去式和过去分词 );(自他人处)搜集某事物;聚集;激发 | |
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36 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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37 perpendicular | |
adj.垂直的,直立的;n.垂直线,垂直的位置 | |
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38 chasm | |
n.深坑,断层,裂口,大分岐,利害冲突 | |
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39 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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40 obstructed | |
阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 ); 堵塞; 阻碍; 阻止 | |
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41 precipitated | |
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
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42 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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43 herds | |
兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众 | |
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44 maidens | |
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球 | |
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45 warrior | |
n.勇士,武士,斗士 | |
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46 turbid | |
adj.混浊的,泥水的,浓的 | |
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47 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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48 boulders | |
n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
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49 volcanic | |
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的 | |
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50 lank | |
adj.瘦削的;稀疏的 | |
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51 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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52 puissant | |
adj.强有力的 | |
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53 apprehend | |
vt.理解,领悟,逮捕,拘捕,忧虑 | |
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54 meditated | |
深思,沉思,冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 ); 内心策划,考虑 | |
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55 hostilities | |
n.战争;敌意(hostility的复数);敌对状态;战事 | |
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56 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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57 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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58 apprised | |
v.告知,通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 );评价 | |
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59 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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60 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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61 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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62 dictated | |
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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63 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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64 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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65 chivalry | |
n.骑士气概,侠义;(男人)对女人彬彬有礼,献殷勤 | |
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66 demur | |
v.表示异议,反对 | |
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67 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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68 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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69 scant | |
adj.不充分的,不足的;v.减缩,限制,忽略 | |
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70 filthy | |
adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的 | |
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71 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
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72 trophy | |
n.优胜旗,奖品,奖杯,战胜品,纪念品 | |
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73 scowling | |
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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74 habitual | |
adj.习惯性的;通常的,惯常的 | |
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75 habitually | |
ad.习惯地,通常地 | |
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76 parched | |
adj.焦干的;极渴的;v.(使)焦干 | |
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77 insolent | |
adj.傲慢的,无理的 | |
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78 palaver | |
adj.壮丽堂皇的;n.废话,空话 | |
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79 survivors | |
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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80 cupidity | |
n.贪心,贪财 | |
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81 devouring | |
吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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82 acceding | |
v.(正式)加入( accede的现在分词 );答应;(通过财产的添附而)增加;开始任职 | |
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83 Moslem | |
n.回教徒,穆罕默德信徒;adj.回教徒的,回教的 | |
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84 antipathy | |
n.憎恶;反感,引起反感的人或事物 | |
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85 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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86 fowl | |
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉 | |
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87 fissure | |
n.裂缝;裂伤 | |
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88 lava | |
n.熔岩,火山岩 | |
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89 thermal | |
adj.热的,由热造成的;保暖的 | |
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90 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
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91 apathy | |
n.漠不关心,无动于衷;冷淡 | |
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92 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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93 entailed | |
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需 | |
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94 revival | |
n.复兴,复苏,(精力、活力等的)重振 | |
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95 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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