Thicker, their hair closer and longer, their necks longer, and
not nearly so slender, and their colour darker. I did not see any
light-coloured ones.
The Kurds of the valleys employ beasts of burden for carrying their
crops, as well as waggons, which are however very simple and clumsy.
The body is formed of several long thin stems of trees bound
together; the axles of shorter stems, with disks of thick board for
wheels, of which each waggon has generally only two. Four oxen are
yoked to these, each pair being led by a guide, who sits very oddly
on the shaft between the yoke, with his back towards them.
Late in the evening, we reached Oromia safely, after a hard ride of
more than sixteen hours. I had no letters to any of the
missionaries, and with the exception of Mr. Wright, they were all
absent. They lived with their wives and children in the country.
However, Mr. Wright received me with true Christian friendship, and
after many disagreeable days I again found comfort.
The first evening I laughed heartily when Mr. Wright told me in what
manner the servant had informed him of my arrival. As I did not
know enough of Persian to be able to tell the servant to announce
me, I merely pointed to the stairs. He understood this, and went up
to his master, saying that there was a woman below who could not
speak any language. Afterwards I asked a servant for a glass of
water, in English; he rushed up stairs as if he had been possessed,
not, as I thought, to get what I wanted, but to tell his master that
I spoke English.
Mr. Wright acquainted the other missionaries of my presence, and
they were so good as to come and visit me. They also invited me to
spend a few days with them in the country, but I accepted their
friendly invitation for one day only, as I had already lost so much
time on the road. They all advised me not to go any further alone;
although they admitted that the most dangerous part of the journey
was past, and recommended me to take with me some armed peasants
when passing the mountains near Kutschie.
Mr. Wright was so good as to look out for a courageous and trusty
guide. I paid double fare, in order to reach Tebris in four,
instead of six days. In order to make the guide think that I was a
poor pilgrim, I gave Mr. Wright the half of the agreed price, and
begged him to pay it instead of myself, and also to say that he
would be paid the other half by Mr. Stevens, the English consul.
I made as good use as possible of the day which I passed at Oromia.
In the morning I visited the town, and afterwards I visited, with
Mrs. Wright, several rich and poor families, in order to observe
their mode of life.
