First Footsteps in East AfricaBurton, Richard Francis, Sir
History
First Footsteps in East Africa
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Harar -- Description and travel; Harari language; Horn of Africa -- Description and travel
Museum, Vignaud dessinateur.' The botanical portion of this work, by M.
Achille Richard, is regarded either as a distinct publication under the
title of Tentamen Florae Abyssinicae, or as a part of the Voyage en
Abyssinie. M. Richard enters into some of the particulars relative to the
synonyms of the plant, from which it appears that Vahl referred Forskal's
genus Catha to the Linnaean genus Celastrus, changing the name of Catha
edulis to Celastrus edulis. Hochstetter applied the name of Celastrus
edulis to an Abyssinian species (Celastrus obscurus _Richard_), which he
imagined identical with Forskal's Catha edulis, while of the real Catha
edulis _Forsk._, he formed a new genus and species, under the name of
Trigonotheca serrata _Hochs_. Nat. Ord. Hippocrateaceae. I quote the
following references from the Tentamen Florae Abyssinicae, vol. i. p. 134.:
'Catha Forskalii _Nob._ Catha No. 4. Forsk. loc. cit, (Flor. AEgypt. Arab.
p. 63.) Trigonotheca serrata _Hochs._ in pl. Schimp. Abyss. sect. ii, No.
649. Celastrus edulis _Vahl, Ecl._ 1. 21.' Although In the Flora
AEgyptiaco-Arabica of Forskal no specific name is applied to the Catha at
p. 63, it is enumerated as Catha edulis at p. 107. The reference to
Celastrus edulis is not contained in the Eclogae Americanae of Vahl, but in
the author's Symbolae Botanicae (Hanulae, 1790, fol.) pars i. p. 21. (Daniel
Hanbury signed.)]
[19] This is probably the "River of Zayla," alluded to by Ibn Said and
others. Like all similar features in the low country, it is a mere surface
drain.
[20] In the upper country I found a large variety growing wild in the
Fiumaras. The Bedouins named it Buamado, but ignored its virtues.
[21] This ornament is called Musbgur.
[22] A large brown bird with black legs, not unlike the domestic fowl. The
Arabs call it Dijajat el Barr, (the wild hen): the Somal "digarin," a word
also applied to the Guinea fowl, which it resembles in its short strong
fight and habit of running. Owing to the Bedouin prejudice against eating
birds, it is found in large coveys all over the country.
[23] It has been described by Salt and others. The Somal call it Sagaro,
the Arabs Ghezalah: it is found throughout the land generally in pairs,
and is fond of ravines under the hills, beds of torrents, and patches of
desert vegetation. It is easily killed by a single pellet of shot striking
the neck. The Somal catch it by a loop of strong twine hung round a gap in
a circuit of thorn hedge, or they run it down on foot, an operation
requiring half a day on account of its fleetness, which enables it to
escape the jackal and wild dog. When caught it utters piercing cries. Some
Bedouins do not eat the flesh: generally, however, it is considered a
delicacy, and the skulls and bones of these little animals lie strewed
around the kraals.
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