at large, although the women, after the manner of some of their most
civilised sisters, made merry at the rebuff of their companion.

After breakfast we took a walk and inspected the Amahagger herds, and
also their cultivated lands. They have two breeds of cattle, one large
and angular, with no horns, but yielding beautiful milk; and the other,
a red breed, very small and fat, excellent for meat, but of no value for
milking purposes. This last breed closely resembles the Norfolk red-pole
strain, only it has horns which generally curve forward over the head,
sometimes to such an extent that they have to be cut to prevent them
from growing into the bones of the skull. The goats are long-haired, and
are used for eating only, at least I never saw them milked. As for the
Amahagger cultivation, it is primitive in the extreme, being all done
by means of a spade made of iron, for these people smelt and work iron.
This spade is shaped more like a big spear-head than anything else, and
has no shoulder to it on which the foot can be set. As a consequence,
the labour of digging is very great. It is, however, all done by the
men, the women, contrary to the habits of most savage races, being
entirely exempt from manual toil. But then, as I think I have said
elsewhere, among the Amahagger the weaker sex has established its
rights.

At first we were much puzzled as to the origin and constitution of
this extraordinary race, points upon which they were singularly
uncommunicative. As the time went on--for the next four days passed
without any striking event--we learnt something from Leo's lady friend
Ustane, who, by the way, stuck to that young gentleman like his own
shadow. As to origin, they had none, at least, so far as she was
aware. There were, however, she informed us, mounds of masonry and many
pillars, near the place where _She_ lived, which was called Kôr, and