| Place. | Miles. | Description. |
|---|
| Inter-mediate. | Total. |
|---|
| Addis Abbaba | — | — | |
| British Residency | — | — | The British Residency is situated at thefoot of a spur running S. from the Entotto range, and bounding theAddis Abbaba valley on the E. It lies just clear of the mosteasterly native huts. About 600 yards immediately N. of it is theRussian Agency, and about the same distance to the W.N.W. of thelatter, on the opposite side of the stream, is the Russian doctor’senclosure formerly occupied by the Rodd Mission. For position ofother European missions, &c., see Count Gleichen’s mapof Addis Abbaba (I.D.W.O., 1897). |
| | | The water supply of the British Residencyis drawn from a spring on the slopes at the back of the compound,and a surface channel from the spring supplies a small tank in thecompound for watering horses, &c. |
| | | The compound is surrounded with a solidmud wall, surmounted by a continuous hurdle work fence. |
| Gibe (King’s Enclosure) | 1½ | 1½ | Lies pretty well in the centre of thetown, on a long flat spur running down from Entotto. The enclosureis formed by a high wooden palisade, and at the present time anouter wall, solidly built in stone, is being constructed. Insidethe palisade the enclosure is divided by numerous stone walls andwooden fences; the buildings are strongly built, but there are manythatched buildings and a lot of woodwork. |
| | | Water supply is laid on in iron mainsfrom Entotto, and there is an artificial surface channel justoutside the enclosure. |
| | | The town of Addis Abbaba extends about 3miles from E. to W., but the houses are scattered haphazard andthere are no streets; the tracks running between the houses arevery rough, and the crossings of the streams are bad, in particularin the rains. A few rough narrow bridges exist, but are not used inthe dry season. |
| | | After clearing the town there is a wideflat spur before the Akaki (Western) is reached, which would form afine camping ground. |
| Akaki (1st branch) | 4½ | 6 | Small stream in deep gully. |
| Akaki (2nd branch) | 1 | 7 | Stream, 15 feet wide,1 foot deep, rapid, in a deep gully; very steep on W. side. The colconnecting the Entotto with the Managasha Hills is a finemanœuvring ground for troops of all arms, and is, on the whole,flat and open, though it is intersected by a few narrow valleysdraining to the Akaki. Almost all these contain water. The wholemass of mountains S. of the road is generally called Managasha, butthis name strictly applies to the steep round-topped hill just S.of the road at the watershed. The main mountain is called Wochochuby the indigenous Gallas. |
| T. Managasha | 6 | 13 |
| | | Fitaurari Hapto Gorgis’s house lies alittle N. of the road just where the descent into the Walata valleycommences, and his territory stretches S.W. from this point. |
| | | T. Managasha is well wooded, as are thesteep slopes forming the escarp connecting G. Managasha and G.Foweita. |
| | | The road descends this escarp by a fairlywell graded, though steep, line, crossing several smallstreams. |
| Kaffa road | 1 | 14 | About 1 mile after commencing thedescent, the road to Kaffa and Limmu branches off S.W. towards thesharp cone to Wata Dalecho; to the left of the road, near thebottom of the escarp, is the Abunas house, situated among thicktrees. |
| L. Walata | 8 | 22 | At the foot of the escarp the woody roadstops and then enters a flat grass valley, in the middle of whichis the Walata, a stream about 20 feet wide and 1 foot deep. |
| L. Dalota | 5 | 27 | Between Walata and Dalota flat grassland,with a few Galla farms. L. Dalota, rapid, 20 feet wide, 1 footdeep. |
| Addis Alem (BritishLocation) | 1½ | 28½ | The road risessteeply from the stream to the wooded spur on which Addis Alem isbeing built. To the N. of the road the escarp commences which marksthe watershed between the Nile and Hawash, and extends withoutbreak from this point to the River Gude. The escarp and spursrunning from it are well wooded and well watered, the main spursbeing broken up into minor features. The British and Italianlocations are side by side to the S. of the stream which runsthrough the town; the ground to the S. of them is flat for 800yards or so, and at present fairly thickly wooded. On the N. itdrops very steeply to the stream about 40 feet. |
| Addis Alem Gibe | ½ | 29 |
| | | No building has yet been commenced on theBritish location, but Major Ciccodicola has built several largehouses of the ordinary Tukl pattern, and has laid out and commencedanother house of more European design, the lower story of which isstone. |
| | | The Gibe is built on a knoll between twostreams, the drop towards the southern one being very steep. Themain buildings will be on the N. shoulder of the knoll. On thenorthern slope of the knoll is a sort of park enclosed by a ditchand palisade. This is evidently intended for a defensible camp, asthe enclosure on the top of the knoll is too small for anyconsiderable force. |
| | | Water supply is not very good for thetown, but a main for the supply of the Gibe is being laid from thespur to the N.E. |
| L. Barga | 5 | 34 | Road W. of Addis Alem, though not so wellworn as between Addis Alem and Addis Abbaba, is, on the whole, welldefined and good, being much used by the traders from Leka,Lekempti Walega, and Kelina (Chelim), and the soldiers of DejajDamasi, Dejaj Gumsa (Gabri Xiavrihir), and Dejaj Goti (Joti). |
| | | At first it runs along a well-woodedspur, then crosses the Barga, which runs in a deep, steep-sidedvalley, 20 feet by 1 foot; rapid. |
| L. Jemjem | 6 | 40 | Between the Barga and Jemjem are severalsmall streams with fair water. The Jemjem is 12 feet wide and 6inches deep; rapid. Road runs at the foot of the spurs in opencountry; the escarp to the N. is steeper and the spurs are shorter;to the S. is the flat open grass land of the Hawash Valley, whichwould probably be very swampy during the rains; the roadpractically is the boundary between Ras Mangasha Atakem’s territoryon the N., and Fitaurari Hapto Giorgis on the S. It actually lies,however, in Ras Mangasha’s country. |
| Hawash River | 6½ | 48½ | Between Jemjem and Hawash the country isquite open. Three small muddy streams are crossed. Hawash, 20 feetby 6 inches; rapid, beautiful water. |
| L. Bagaga | 8½ | 57 | A very small stream, draining to theGude. No water between it and the Hawash on the road crossing thewatershed. To the S. are the Chavo Mountains, and to the N. theescarp rises to a high shoulder at G. Ilfata. From this point theroad traverses a succession of open spurs running N. to the L.Dabis, a tributary of the Gude. On the N. of the Dabis the escarprises in huge terraced cliffs. |
| L. Meiti or Sellen | 3½ | 60½ | Small stream, with good water; beforereaching it a dry watercourse and two small streams arecrossed. |
| | | W. of the Laga Meiti the country iseverywhere more or less wooded, though the trees are small, exceptby the streams or on the mountain slopes. This is due to constantgrass fires. |
| L. Hulogka | 7 | 67½ | L. Hulogka, 30 feet by 1 foot; rapid; isa fine stream. About 3 miles N. of the road is a church and a hotspring. Between the L. Meiti and L. Hulogka, the L. Awaru drains amarshy valley. |
| Tulu Dintu | 4½ | 72 | Road passes over rather a hilly bit ofcountry, crossing the Taltale and Birbissu streams at 2½ and 3½miles respectively; both small, with good water. |
| | | Tulu Dintu was formerly residence ofDejaj Hailo Hariam, brother of Ras Makunnen. Now few huts areoccupied. |
| River Gude Bridge | 3½ | 75½ | Flat country between Tula Dintu and Gude,thickly wooded near the latter; two tributaries of the Gude have tobe crossed, both small streams with good water. |
| | | The Gude is a beautiful stream, runningfrom one deep rock pool to another at the bottom of sheer-sidedchannel, 30 feet deep. |
| | | A good wooden bridge, 6 feet wide, onstone abutments, has been built, evidently under M. Ilg’sdirection. |
| | | The ground near the stream is too thicklywooded and confined to be a good camping place. |
| | | The Gude flows N. to the Abai, cuttingthrough the escarp in a wonderful canon about a mile wide, withsheer sides some 2,000 feet high. Beautiful scenery. |
| L. Kili | 10 | 85½ | From the Gude the road rises steeply andruns round the northern spurs of the mountain group whichculminates in G. Ragge. The first ascent is very steep, but road isfully well graded, and the conical peak of T. Befti is left to theright. |
| | | Small streams are crossed at 4, 4½, 7½,and 9 miles. About 4 miles N. of the road is a deep valley, runningfrom W. to E. to the Gude, and on the N. side of it the escarprises precipitously. The spurs of G. Ragge are thickly wooded, andare divided by steep valleys. |
| | | L. Kili, a good stream, 15 feet wide and6 inches deep, in a narrow valley. |
| L. Aresu | 4½ | 90 | Road rises very steeply from the Kiliover the shoulder of T. Boke, and descends steeply into theHumbolsha Valley (stream dries up) at 2½ miles, then a slight riseand another steep descent to the Aresu, a small stream, but withgood water and a good open camping ground on its W. bank. |
| Chelia District (Gedda village) | 10 | 100 | From the Aresu the road winds round thesouth-western end of the Rafisokili Valley, passing overnumerous spurs and small streams. L. Mata Arba,at the third mile, is western boundary of Ras Mangasha’s territory,and the eastern boundary of Chelia, which belongs to QueenTaitu. Country much broken, and fairly thickly wooded. |
| | | The village of Gedda, formerly theresidence of Dejaj Desta (Ras Darge’s son, now dead), is on thenarrow water partly between the Gude (Blue Nile) and Gibbe (Omo)basins; there is a considerable population and a church here. |
| L. Garsa | 12 | 112 | After crossing the watershed the roaddrops at first very steeply, and then more gradually, into theGibbe Valley; the surface of the road is good, and level ground isreached at the end of the third mile. At 1½ miles a road branchesoff to S.W., probably that shown on the map illustrating movementof Bonchamps’ mission. |
| | | The L. Ambo, which combines with otherstreams to form the Alengo, is crossed, and the road skirts alongN. of, and parallel to, the Alengo. |
| | | Several streams are crossed beforereaching the Garan, and the country is rough. |
| | | From Gedda the escarp trends off N.W.,leaving a wide plain, bounded on the S. and W. by G. Kwunchu Soduand Tuka. |
| | | The Garsa is a sluggish, muddy stream,running between steep clay banks. Good camping ground W. ofit. |
| L. Alengo | 5 | 117 | Road, after passing a few low spurs, runsover a flat, clay valley. The Alengo, 30 feet wide by 6 inchesdeep. |
| River Gibbe | 6 | 123 | Road continues over flat, open country,passing close to the low, rocky hillock, T. Bertuma. The Gibbe, 45feet wide, 2 feet deep, fairly rapid; clay bank, thickly lined withwillow, bottom gravel. It is a tributary of the Omo, and theeastern limit of the Queen’s district of Chelia. Between the Gibbeand the Wama the country is Dejaj Damasi’s. |
| Bilo | 13 | 136 | After crossing the Gibbe the road skirtsround the northern spurs of G. Kwunchu, crossing several smallstreams and rather rough ground. Bilo is a considerable market andCustoms post, situated on the W. side of the L. Tarli, a good-sizedstream running N. to the Gibbe between clay banks. |
| | | From Bilo the main road to Leka branchesoff S.W. between T. Sodu and J. Soksaw. |
| J. Sodu Pass | 5 | 141 | The Lekempti road keeps almost due W.,passing just S. of the summit of Sodu. The ascent is not as bad asit appears, as the road is well graded. |
| | | There is a wide open spur just before thefinal rise to the pass begins, which would form a good campingplace. Several small streams are crossed in the ascent. |
| River Wama | 12 | 153 | From the pass, which is a very narrowsaddle, the descent is steep for 2½ miles; small camping ground,with limited water supply at this point. Then road follows a longspur, falling gradually towards the Wama. Wooded slopes and nocultivation. The Wama is a considerable stream, flowing in rathermarshy ground between clay banks, but with gravelly bottom, 30 feetwide, 2 feet deep; rapid. Shown on Michel’s and other maps as atributary of the Didessa. Cattle and sheep plentiful and goodgrazing; the river is eastern limit of Dejaj Kumsa’s country. |
| Nekempti | 24 | 177 | After crossing the Wama, the road runs upa long narrow spur coming from W. shoulder of G. Tuka. G. Tuka isthickly wooded and precipitous, though round-topped. At 5 miles, aroad to Leka branches W. up a broad valley formed by another branchof the Wama. The Leka plateau at the E. end appears steep-sided andthickly wooded. Leka is the head-quarters of Dejaj Damasi, and issaid to be extremely fertile, producing much coffee. From the Lekaroad the track ascends more steeply; country well cultivated andthickly inhabited. Long, narrow, steep-sided spurs run S. from thewater parting formed by the western end of G. Tuka. Water isplentiful. At 15 miles is a small village and church. Between thisand Nekempti many small streams are crossed and ground is muchbroken. Nekempti is the residence of Dejaj Kumsa (called byAbyssinians Gabra Xiavrihir). He is a young Galla, a Christian, andhas built himself a church. His ideas are advanced, and he has agarden for European plants, and is trying to improve the nativecoffee and cotton. His gibe is new and well built. There areseveral Arab merchants established here. The chief market is onThursday, but there is a daily market. |
| | | Nekempti is on the watershed between theWama and Angur, and to the N. the ground drops steeply to the wideflat Angur valley. |
| Sasiga | 13 | 190 | From Nekempti the road runs W., keepingnear the watershed, which connects with the N. end of the Lekaplateau. After about 5 miles it turns N.W., and several streamsflowing N. are crossed. At the Sasiga market place on (Friday) G.Jimata there is a splendid view looking down into the Didessavalley, and across the Angur valley, towards the Limu hills; theDidessa and Angur valleys proper were, till recently, greatelephant grounds up to the Abai. The elephants are now practicallyexterminated, and the ground is being brought under cultivation,though, as it is unhealthy, the people continue to live on the highground. |
| Didessa R. | 24 | 214 | From Sasiga there is a very steep descentof 1,200 feet. Then the road is generally level, and crossesseveral streams before the L. Arso, where there is a fine campingground at the 13th mile; thence there is a slight rise to theTankara ridge, which is the eastern boundary of the Didessaravine. |
| | | From this ridge the descent is verysteep, winding, and rough to the Didessa, slopes thickly wooded.The Didessa is 150 yards (?) wide, 2 feet deep; current 2½ miles,stony bottom, beautiful water. Good camping place for a small partyin dry season on W. bank. |
| Merechi | 8 | 222 | From the river the ascent of the W. sideof the ravine begins at once. The road is very rough and bad, andground on each side is covered with bamboo. The ascent is in threedistinct stages, the last being much the worst, no attempt beingmade to grade it. Between the first and second stage the L. Jirmais crossed, and a small tributary of it is passed before the finalstage. |
| | | Merechi, a small village, Saturdaymarket, and Customs observation post. It is situated on the top ofa ridge about 2½ miles behind the edge of the ravine. Between runsthe Laga Jirma, and the valley is a good camping ground. This isthe beginning of Walega. |
| Gimbi | 12 | 234 | The N. end of the Merechi ridge runs upto the escarp, which now begins to trend N.W. The plateau is veryundulating and broken by confused narrow valleys. There is aconsiderable population, and the country is very fertile. At the10th mile the Garsa ridge, running N. and S., is fairly welldefined; otherwise the features are very confused. The Gallelstream, at 9th mile, is a good size, but water is everywhereplentiful. T. Jerko, a very sharp cone 30 miles to the S., is veryconspicuous, and the road to Dejaj Goti’s country runs N. of it,through the Siva district. Gimbi is the residence of FitaurariAmenti, uncle of Dejaj Kumsa. |
| Dungoro, L. Fincha | 13 | 247 | From Gimbi the general direction of theroad alters and strikes N.N.W. towards Beni Shangul. The countrycontinues well watered, cultivated, and populated, with the sameconfusion of narrow valleys. It passes through the small districtsor townships of Siban (where Fitaurari Debaba, another uncle ofDejaj Kumsa, has a house), Aroji, and Dungoro. This latter isbounded on the S. by the L. Fincha, a considerable rocky stream,which is the last tributary of the Didessa crossed. |
| T. Eriwani | 11 | 258 | Five miles beyond L. Fincha, skirting thewestern slopes of T. Ghinghi, the track is rough and hilly. Severalsmall streams rise in this hill and, after uniting, flow away S.between T. Jerko and T. Wallel, becoming, lower down, the Birbiri,which joins the Baro near Gore. T. Wallel is now very clearly seento the S.W. T. Eriwani forms the watershed between the head watersof the Birbiri and the tributaries of the Yabus. Water is ratherscarce between T. Ghinghi and Eriwani. Fitaurari Debaba’s secondhouse is in a very conspicuous position on the watershed, W. of theroad. |
| Najo | 10 | 268 | To Najo the road is easy, and countryopen. The Lagas, Henna, and Dilla are crossed, the latter aconsiderable stream, in which a certain amount of gold washing isdone. The sides of its valley are very steep. |
| | | About 2 miles S. of Najo and 1½ miles E.of the road is M. Camboul’s house in the midst of his trial shafts.This is the most promising part of M. Ilg’s concession. |
| | | Najo is only a small village, but DejajKumsa is building a new house there to be his huntinghead-quarters. |
| Guti Mudema | 7 | 275 | Passing Najo the country begins to fallperceptibly, and is much more open. The undulations are broader,lower, and flatter. There is less cultivation, but many morecattle. The inhabitants are few, and are mainly engaged, it issaid, in the gold-washing on the Yabus. |
| | | Guti Mudema is simply a post on thewatershed between the Lagas Alatu and Genasi and the L. Deivo,which commands a very extensive view into Beni Shangul and the LegaGalla country. The two former streams flow between clay banks. Allthis country was traversed after a considerable amount of rain hadfallen, so all the streams were flowing strongly. As a rule, theywould be quite shallow. |
| L. Deivo | 2½ | 277½ | Flows in a deep valley, with very steepsides. |
| Gori | 7 | 284½ | A small village, the residence ofFitaurari Densa. Road is over an open plateau with astrongly-marked escarp falling to the W.; to the E. a range of lowmountains, running N., marks the great escarp from the western sideof the Didessa and southern side of the Abai valley. |
| L. Komiso | 3½ | 288 | The ground falls very rapidly into theKomiso valley, which is bound by a very steep, high escarp on theS. Between the Komiso and Mendi there is a wide broken valley, withthe L. Sache flowing past T. Wandi, a well-marked hill 2 miles W.of the road. This hill is the northern limit of Dejaj Goti’scountry, which appears to extend up in a narrow strip along the E.side of the Yabus. |
| Mendi | 19 | 307 | Mendi lies just S. of the last risebefore the road makes its final descent into the Yabus. Here thepromontory between the Didessa, Abai, and Yabus breaks into tworanges of hills, one running due N. by Gumbi and one N.W. towardsthe Beni Shangul hills through G. Gunfi. The road descends by theW. side of the valley in the fork, and is very steep and rough, theside of the valley being, as well, cumbered with with densebamboo. |
| | | Mendi is the last Galla village, and fromthere to the Yabus water cannot be counted on. |
| L. Badeisa | 12 | 319 | Halfway down the descent there isgenerally water in small quantities, but the camping ground isuneven, confined, and with no good feeding when bamboo is out ofleaf. |
| | | W. of the road near Mendi the groundfalls gradually, with slight undulation, to the Yabus. There isthick wooding, and till quite lately the valley was quite full ofelephants, but these are rapidly being exterminated. |
| | | Buffalo, waterbuck, hartebeest, andprobably greater kudu are abundant. |
| K. Dabeisa | 7 | 326 | This practically marks the end of thedescent, and the road from here to the Yabus is easy. Blackpopulation (very thin) begins. Bertas. |
| K. Yabus or L. Dabus | 9 | 335 | Yabus is the Arabic, and Dabus the Gallavariant of the name; was slightly in flood when crossed, and wasthen about 100 feet wide and 3 feet deep at the ford. There isanother crossing further S., near where the river breaks throughthe connection between the Gunfi and Beni Shangul mountains. |
| | | N. of the crossing is a wide, flat valleywith some scattered hills. |
| K. Sheira | 5 | 340 | Crossing the river the ground soon beginsto rise. There is a little water in K. Sheira. |
| J. Aside | 7 | 347 | A pass over J. Asideleads into the sub-district of Afodu, which is under a woman calledZem Zem. The village of Afodu is the head-quarters of a Kanyazmach,the Abyssinian commandant in Beni Shangul. Water is drawn from theTumat, in which there are always pools. |
| Afodu | 2 | 349 |
| K. Tumat | 2 | 351 |
| K. Mange | 7 | 358 | Through Beni Shangul there are nodifficulties on the road, though the going is bad, owing to theamount of small quartz stones everywhere. The K. Mange is dry. N.of it and W. of the road is J. Fadamo, which is very steep, rocky,and thickly wooded. Here Abd el Rahman’s people made their laststand against the Abyssinians, and it took 12 days’ fighting toclear the hill, both sides losing heavily. The final surrender wasonly induced by hunger. |
| Bomo | 7 | 365 | At Bomo there is a small village, butlike all those seen in Beni Shangul, it is half deserted. It isvery difficult to form an idea of how thickly the country isinhabited, as the bush completely shuts in all the villages. A goodmany were seen from the top of J. Fadamo, but it was a very mistyday and it was hard to make them out distinctly. |
| Belfodio Khamis | 5 | 370 | This is the head-quarters of FitaurariMohammed Wad Hojali, brother of Abd el Rahman (Tur el Guri), and isgenerally called Khamis by the Abyssinians. |
| Famaka (Blue Nile) | 60 | 430 | Remainder of route in Sudan. |