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 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BRITISH MISSION TO THEODORE, 
 
 KING OF ABYSSINIA; 
 
 WITH NOTICES OF THE COUNTRIES TRAVERSED FROM MASSOWAH, 
 
 THROUGH THE SOODAN, THE AMHARA, AND BACK TO 
 
 ANNESLEY BAY, FROM MAGDALA. 
 
 By IIORMUZD lUSSAM, RR.G.S., 
 
 riBST 439IOTAKT POLITICAL BBSII.ENT AT AI.EN. IN CHABCK OF THE MISSIOK. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES.— Vor,. II. 
 
 WITH MAP, PLANS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN MUKHAY, ALBEMARLE STKEET. 
 
 18GJ). 
 
 The Tiylil </ Tiautlatioit u ruciieU.
 
 •^"■^ ANI> C11A1!1N"-OUOSS.
 
 CONTENTS OF VOLUME 11. 
 
 CHAPTEK XIII. 
 
 THE CAPTIVES REACH KORATA. 
 
 Theodore at Zag§ — Letters from — His inquiries about boat-building — 
 An officer dispatched to Mai^dala to release the Captives — Candidates 
 for the Royal Shirt — The Messenger Hailo — Application for Captives' 
 confiscated property — The European artisans reach Korata from Gdfi"at 
 
 — Royal present fur the Zoological Society — Royal Revenue — History 
 of Kanti"ba Hailo, ex-Mayor of Gondar — Corres],x)ndence with the King 
 
 — A diSiculty looming in the distance — Theodore proposes to invest the 
 members of the Mission with the Royal Shirt — Intelligence of Dr. 
 Beke's arrival at Massowah — Families of the European artisaus reach 
 Korata — Arrival of the liberated Captives — Their reception by the 
 Author Rage 1 
 
 ClIArTEil XIV. 
 
 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. 
 
 Theodore decides on the trial of the Captives — His charges against them 
 
 — His object — The Captives plea<l culpable — MistranshUion of Earl 
 Russell's and her Majesty's letters — A dilemma — Arrival of a mes- 
 senger from Dr. lieke — The Petition from the relatives of the Captives 
 — The Order of" the Cross and Solomon's Seal" — Another present from 
 Theodore — Dr. Reke's mission injudicious — Ona Mohammed invested 
 with the "Royal Shirt" — Ddbtera DasLa in the royal garments — 
 Visit to Theodore at ZagC [Hjstponed — Alaki I'ngada, the royal Scrilx; 
 
 — Reception of the Mission at Zagfi — Theodore's courtesy — Consults 
 with his Chiefs about the departure of the Mission and Captives — 
 His grievances against M. Lejean, the Coptic Patriarch, a German, 
 and Mr. Si)cedy — His opinion of his own subjects — ()ur return to 
 Korata ;il 
 
 a J. 
 
 1C03749
 
 iv CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. 
 
 CHAPTEK XV. 
 
 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. 
 
 Fresli difficulties — M. Bardel and I'ngada Wark — Intestine troubles — 
 The European artisans — Dr. Bekc's mission — Theodore's suspicions 
 aroused — Favourable prognostications — Theodore and his Shirts — 
 Men-milliners — The King's Dispatch-box — Directions given for home- 
 ward route — Reasons for preventing a final meeting between the King 
 and the Captives — Theodore dispenses with the interview — Orders 
 our immediate departure — Arrangements made to re-arrest the 
 Captives Page 66 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. 
 
 The released Captives start homewards — The Mission repairs to Zage and 
 is arrested there — Charges made against the Author — Theodore apolo. 
 gizes — The Mission placed under surveillance — Our baggage ransacked 
 
 — Present from the King — We destroy all our j^apers — The Captives 
 arrested and brought to Zage — A fresh trial — The King's charges 
 against the Captives and against the Author ■ — He determines to retain 
 the Mission — Theodore unchains the Captives — Craves forgiveness of 
 all the Europeans — The Petition from the relatives of the Captives read 
 
 — Theodore's letter to the Queen — We are to be kept as hostages — 
 Theodore's request for artificers from England — The Author's letter to 
 the British Government — Mr. Flad selected to go to England — A 
 native matricide — Theodore and Abyssinian law — Charges against 
 Samuel and two other Aitos — Sympathy for the Mission . . . . 82 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 UNDER ARREST AT ZAGE. 
 
 Presents ■ from the King — He restores our confiscated jiroperty — His 
 studied courtesy — Theodore not a good marksman — " AVho is your 
 father ? " — Our Queen's birtliday commemorated by the King — Another 
 letter from Dr. l?eke — Theodore kills a man at a blow — Artillery 
 practice — Theodore's account of his strategy and exploits — His nimble- 
 ness — His cruelties at this time — A case of liigh treason — " Shrimps " 
 and "Bob" — The Itege's Mdrgaf — The peninsula and town of Zage 
 — Theodore's "imitation of a steamer" — A native tournament .. 107
 
 CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. v 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. 
 
 Departure from Zage in rear of the royal trocjis — Theodore's courtesy and 
 remorse — We cross the Abai — The King's fickleness — Arrival at 
 Korata — Cholera in the royal camp — Start for Debra Tabor — The 
 Mission accompanies the King to Gdflat — Theodore and taxation — 
 Abyssinian etiquette in drinking — The European artisans reach GafiFat 
 from Korata — Theodore handles a broom — Loses his centre of gravity 
 — The Mission and Captives at Gaflat — The King pays the Author a 
 visit and sips Ilennessy's brandy — Claims Alexander the Great as well 
 as Solomon as his progenitor — Abyssinian hagiography — Theodore and 
 the Bible — The Author arraigned again on fresh charges — The old 
 charges against Consul Cameron and Messrs. Rosenthal and Stem re- 
 l)eated — llieodore susjxjcts our Government — Dr. Beke's movements — 
 Tlie King detains the Author at Debra Tabor — Tame lions — Trial of a 
 Chief for high treason Page 123 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 FROM DEBRA TABOR TO mAgDALA. 
 
 We are to be sent to Magdala — Theodore changes his plan — Another out- 
 burst of royal courtesy — The Author arraigned again — We are confined 
 and guarded in the Treasury — A visit from Theodore — We drink 
 healths all round — The King believes he is mad — The titles " GSta " 
 and " Aito" — Order to set out with the King to Magdala — Hailstones 
 on Mount Ciuna — We arc sent forward to Magdala under a guard — 
 Arrival at that fortress — We are placed in fetters — The Author's 
 message to Tln'otlore on the occasion — The preliminary location of the 
 Captives — Kindness of the Chiefs — Aito Samuel's services .. ITjO 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. 
 
 The Magdala Council — Riis Kidilna Maryara, the Commandant — Rfta 
 Bisawwir — Bitwaddad Daniilsh — Bitwaddad Hallo — Bitwaddad Wusi 
 — Bitwaddad Bjiliri — Dajjiij (lojjd — Bitwaddad Bakal — Bitwaddad 
 ilailo, of ("iialga — liitwaddad Dhafar — Our Warders: — AbA Fdkk — 
 IJasha Bisawwir — Viuihalaka Adam — Ya.shalaka Wark^ .. .. 167
 
 vi CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXL 
 
 LIFE AT MAGDALA. 
 
 Our domestics — A complimentary letter from the King — Relaxation of 
 prison discipline — Samuel and a Tigre Chief at loggerheads — Duties 
 of the petty Chiefs — The Guards at the Gates — JMeditated escape — 
 Escape impracticable — The Metropolitan, Abuna Salama — His character 
 vindicated — His illness and death — His differences with Theodore — 
 Concessions as to quailers — Abyssinian red-tape — The Author's abode 
 
 — Abortive sanitary efforts — The Captives' quarters — The Captives 
 menage — Entertainment of public guests — Society and sj'mpathy — 
 Native lady visitors — Water at Mdgdala — Soil and climate — Birds 
 
 — Religious inquiry among the native soldiery — Reform movement — 
 Conversions to Christianity from Islam — Christian names — Our own 
 worship Page 187 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 MARKIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. 
 
 Abyssinian marriages — Marriage according to the rites of the National 
 Church — How dissolved — Infidelity of the husbands — Continence of 
 wives married sacrameutally — Theodore's canonical marriage with the 
 daughter of Ras 'Ali — Obliges Mr. Bell to follow his example — His 
 marriage with the daughter of Dajjaj Oob§ • — He gets tired of her — 
 Marries Itamanyo, the wife of a Mussulman Galla — Itamanyo's con- 
 version and devotion — Secondary marriages — Third-degree marriages 
 — Native etiquette — "Girding" — The Shdmma described — Various 
 styles of wearing the same — Modes of Address — Etiquette in presenta- 
 tion — In drinking — Covering the head, an insult — Privilege of priests, 
 monks, and nuns 215 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIII. 
 
 IIEBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. 
 
 Theodore's continued courtesy — He sacks Gondar — He receives her 
 Majesty's letter sent by Mr. Flad — Sends it to the Author, requesting 
 liini to write for the English artisans to be forwarded on from M;issowah 
 — His letter to that effect — 'J'he Author's reply — Theodore repeats 
 his request — The peasantry between Debra Tabor and Magdala become
 
 CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. vii 
 
 disaffected — The Commandant of Magdala sent in cliains to Debra 
 Tabor — The district of Bagameder rebels — Intercourse between Mag- 
 tlala and the royal camp cut ofif — Rumours of Theodore's having fled to 
 Kwara — His bloodthirstiness at this time — Horrible atrocity per- 
 petrated by a band of rebels — The outrage avenged — Theodore learns 
 a new lesson in cruelty — Honesty and fidelity of Abyssinian servants 
 illustrated — Native agents beyond the fortress protect the messengers 
 of the Mission — How regular intercourse was kept up between the 
 Mission and the coast — Scheme organised for rapid intercommunication 
 between ilagdala and Massowah — Kindness makes friends — The 
 devotion of Mr. Stern's native servants — Where is Theodore? — Rival 
 candidates for the possession of !Magdala — Overtures from Ahmed, the 
 Imam of the Wello-Gallas — Menilck the king of Shoa's futile display 
 — The Wakshum Gobaze and his army retire on the approach of Theo- 
 dore — The Wakshiim's friendliness towards the British Expeditionary 
 force Paire 227 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIV. 
 
 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. 
 
 Theodore hoars of the landing of the I'ritish troops — Sir Robert Najiier's 
 Proclamation — Death of Hailo, a messenger — Submission of the 
 Dalanta people — Tlie road oi>en to Magdala — Death and burial of 
 Theodore's sister — TransjKjrt of artillery — The Author sends dispatches 
 to the British camp — Abyssinian mourning for the dead — Native and 
 five European prisoners forwarder! to Mdgdala — Theodore's polite mes- 
 sages and sjxH>ches — Sir Robert Napier's ultimatum — Theodore in 
 }irus|)ect of the imix;nding invasion — He reaches the Dalanta plateau — 
 I'.rcaks faith witii the Dalanta ])roj)le — The Amharas — Messengers 
 arrive from the British camp — The Author released from his chains — 
 Letter and present from Theodore — Communications to and from the 
 British Camp — Tlicodorc reaches the plateau of Salamge .. .. 2rA 
 
 ClI Al'T KJi XXV. 
 
 THEODOItE AT mAcDAI-A. 
 
 Thcwlorc enters Magdala — Tries two Priests for defamation and throe 
 Chiefs for treason — lie returns to Salamgfi — His message to the Author 
 about the advance of the liritisli troops — Ciianges the Magdala garrison 
 — The Euroix-an Captives placed under strict watch — Bitwii<l«la«l
 
 iii CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. 
 
 Hasani as a soldier and a man — Old acquaintances among our new 
 guard — Magdala garrison re-inforced — "We burn our papers — Theo- 
 dore's second visit to the fortress — Receives the Author in state — His 
 altered appearance — His condescension on the occasion — Is undecided 
 whether he will fight the British or not — Requests the Author to see 
 him buried, in the event of his death — His miscellaneous conversation 
 
 — Unshackles Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant Prideaux, and receives them 
 graciously — The King "in labour" — Introduces Prince 'Alamayo to 
 the Author — Abuses his Chiefs at Salamge — Asks them if they are 
 prepared to fight the British — Damash's replj' — A sally from Magdala 
 against the Gallas, an episode — Origin of the expedition — Theodore's 
 charmed rifle — A night attack — The Amharas are successful — Are 
 pursued by the Gallas on their return march — Rout of the Amharas — 
 Letters from the British force at Asbangi — The Mission invited to 
 inspect the great mortar " Sevastopol " — Theodore's queries on Euro- 
 pean warfare — Recounts his troubles — Complains again of Consul 
 Cameron and Mr. Stem — Contrasts his soldiers with the British troops 
 
 — All the European Captives are imshackled — The Author's projx)sal 
 to report his Majesty's recent civility to Sir Robert Napier declined — 
 Theodore is anxious for news from the British camp — Esjiics some of 
 our troops descending into the Bashilo valley Page 279 
 
 ClIAPTEE XXVI. 
 
 THE FALL OF THEODORE. 
 
 The European Captives summoned to Salamge by the King — Theodore 
 harangues his troops on the impending invasion by the British — Uoclines 
 communicating with Sir Robert Napier — Release of some of the native 
 prisoners — Cruel massacre of the remainder — The European Captives 
 sent back to Magdala — Letter arrives for Theodore from Sir Robert 
 Napier, which he refuses to receive — The native troops are massed 
 at Salilmge — Theodore attacks the British, is defeated, and wishes for 
 peace — Lieutenant Prideaux dispatched to Sir Robert Napier and 
 returns to Salamge — Is dispatched again with an angry letter from 
 Theodore — The Aullior and his fellow-captives directed to go to the 
 British camp — The Author's interview with Theodore previous to his 
 departure — The Captives reach the British camp in safety — Theodore's 
 letter of apology and proffered gift of cattle to Sir Robert Napier on the 
 morning of Easter Sunday — The Commander-in-Chiefs message in 
 reply — Theodore sets all the European artisans at liberty — Was Theo- 
 dore deceived V — The Author's justification 311
 
 CONTENTS OF VoF.TTME IF. 
 
 CHAPTEK XXVII. 
 all's well that ends well. 
 
 Nan-ative of events between the 11th and 13th April, 18fi8 — Disjiatch of 
 the proffered cattle to the Britisli camp — Theodore's impression that 
 hostilities were at an end — Mr. Speedy — The King prepares to escape 
 on hearing that his present had not been accepted — His troops decline 
 to accompany him — Prepares for defence — Is abandoned by most of 
 his followers — Some of the Chiefs surrender themselves to Sir Roliert 
 Napier — Theodore attacks a party of British Cavalry — Retreats with 
 a handful of followers and secures the Gates of Magdala — The fortress 
 stormed by the British — Theodore shoots himself — A summary of his 
 career — His surviving wives and children — Did Theodore, before his 
 death, curse the Author? — Visit to Magdala after its fall — The Author 
 charged with the burial of Theodore and the care of his family — Dis- 
 |K>8al of the Chiefs and people of Mdgdala — Contrast — Divine interven- 
 tion — The Army of Rescue — Burial of Theodore — His son, 'Alamayo, 
 made over by his mother to the care of the British — Dismissal of the 
 Magdala Chiefs — The Author proceeds to Dalantawith the royal family 
 — Magdala in flames — Review of the Expeditionary force' — Illness and 
 death of the Queen Teru-Wark — Dismissal of all Abyssinian followers 
 at Senafe — Arrival at ZooUa — Journey to Europe — Dispersion of the 
 late EuroiJean Captives — On British soil once more — Reception by old 
 friends — Recognition by Government of the services and sufferings of 
 the Mission to Abyssinia — Conclusion Page 329 
 
 VOL. ir.
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTKATIONS 
 
 IN THE SECOND VOLmiE. 
 
 Action at Arogk Frontispiece. 
 
 Order of thk Cross and Solomon's Seal Page 45 
 
 Captives' Quarters at Magdala „ 202 
 
 Magdala and Salamgk from the foot of Salassk Tofacepaije 279 
 
 The Great Mortar "Sevastopol" „ 804 
 
 Plan op the Amba Magdala „ 311 
 
 Storming of Magdala ,, 329
 
 THE 
 
 BRITISH MISSION TO THEODORE, 
 
 KING OF ABYSSINIA. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 THE CAPTIVES EEACH KORATA. 
 
 Tlieodorc at Zage — Letters from — His inquiries aliout l)oat-building — 
 All officer dispatched to Magdala to release the Captives — Candidates 
 for tlie Royal Shirt — The Messenger Hailo — Application for Captives 
 confiscated property — The European artisans reach Korata from (iaffat 
 
 — IJoyal present for the Zoological Society — Roj-al Revenue — History 
 of Kantiba Hailo, ex-Maj'or of Gundar — CorresiX)ndence with the King 
 
 — A difficulty looming in the distance — Theodore proposes to invest the 
 nieml)ers of the Mission with the Royal Shirt — Intelligence of Dr. Beke's 
 arrival at Ma.ssowah — Families of tlie European artisans roach Korata 
 
 — Arrival of the liberated Captives — Their reception by the Author, 
 
 \\'e heard this afternoon that the King had come to Zage, 
 the capital of Metcha, situated on a high promontory on the 
 southern side of the Lake, about ten miles from Korata. No 
 one seemed to know anything of his movements, beyond the 
 I'aft that he had encamped at the bottom of a deep bay 
 formed by the Zage peninsula — a long neck of land projecting 
 about three miles into the Lake. The Abai enters the liakc 
 ten miles to the north-west of Zage, runs through it in a strong 
 current round tlie peninsula, and debouches on the south- 
 eastern side of the bay, about the same distance below Zage, 
 IGth. — To-day I received the following letter from the 
 ]\ing, which was sent by water: — 
 
 " In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — ono God. 
 " From tho King of kings, Thoodurus. 3Iay it reach Aito 
 VOL. II. H
 
 2 THE CAPTIVES BEACH KOEATA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 Ilormuzd TJassain. ITow have you passed the time? I, God be 
 praised, am well. How have your brothers [Dr. Blanc and 
 Lieutenant Prideaux] passed the time? Ask them from me. 
 After we parted, by the power of God, I found two lion cubs 
 and one young antelope, which I send to you. I have come to 
 Metcha expressly for the purpose of inquiring about your safe 
 arrival at your destination. If God permit, I shall come to see 
 you, by boat." 
 (Without date.) 
 
 This letter was brought by two courtiers, named Lij Kasa 
 and Lij Abitu, together with a present from their royal 
 master of two lion cubs and an antelope, which the soldiers 
 had caught on the line of march, in Metcha. The King, 
 having heard that Agafari Golam merely bent to me when 
 we met, sent the poor fellow a severe reprimand, which 
 obliged him, on coming to me for orders this morning, to 
 kneel and kiss the ground. I told him that he might dis- 
 pense with the ceremony, but he declared that it might cost 
 him his life to disobey the Sovereign's order. 
 
 To the foregoing letter from the King I replied as 
 follows : — 
 
 '' Kordta, 17th February, 1866. 
 " Mosr Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 " I had the honour of receiving your gracious letter yesterday, 
 by Lijs Abttri and Kasa, and was glad to find from its contents 
 that your Majesty was in perfect health. I pray Almighty God 
 to continue Ilis blessings towards you, and to show me the light 
 of your countenance soon. 
 
 " The two lion cubs and the antelope, which your Majesty has 
 been good enough to send mo, reached me safely, and I return 
 you my best thanks for them, and for the other favours which 
 your Majesty has shown me since I entered j-our country. By 
 the assistance of our Heavenly Father, I trust never to prove 
 unworthy of your great kindness. 
 
 " By your favour, we arrived here safely from Wandige, by 
 the Lake, on Thursday last, and were received hosi^itably by
 
 1866. Yep. SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES. 3 
 
 Aito Kasa and Aito AVande, in ■\vhoso houses wo arc now 
 residing. 
 
 " My companions, Dr. P.lanc and ^fr. Prideaux, desire me to 
 present to j'our INIajesty their respectful compliments; and in 
 recommending you to the protection of our merciful Creator, I 
 remain," &c. 
 
 In accordance with the prevailing usage in the countr}-, I 
 had to dispatch one of my o^^n followers, with the returning 
 deputies, to inquire personally for me after the King's health. 
 Being most anxious that Consul Cameron and his fellow- 
 captives should be relieved of their chains as speedily as 
 possible, and knowing, moreover, that Agafari Golam was 
 already charged with the order for their release, I sent his 
 Majesty a verbal message, begging that he would " gladden 
 my lieart " by directing Agafari Golam to proceed to Mag- 
 dala forthwith and bring the European liberated prisoners 
 to me. I had already learnt enough of the King's character 
 to put me on my guard against instating him. A letter 
 might reach him when in an angry mood, and any request 
 preferred at such a time was almost certain to be denied or 
 wilfully misapprehended. Hence, I made it a rule, whenever 
 I had any favour to ask which might possibly be refused, 
 always to send the application through a verbal message, 
 charging those who were intrusted with the same, whether my 
 own followei-s or persons in the King's employ, not to deliver 
 it unless his ^lajesty was known to be in good humour. For- 
 tunately, all his immediate attendants were on the best terms 
 with me, and readily co-operated in this plan of proceeding. 
 
 The same courtiers returned the day after with the follow- 
 ing answer to my message on this ocoasiou : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 "By tho power of God, when I beard of your safe arrival at 
 Koruta I was extremely rejoiced. Bo of good cheer ; 1 liavo 
 
 ij 2
 
 4 THE CAPTIVES REACH KOIIATA. Chap. XHIl 
 
 ordered Agafiiri Golam to proceed at once to release the 
 prisoners and bring tliem to you, in order that I may send you 
 to your country. 
 
 " With respect to the four double-barrelled fowling-pieces and 
 eight double-barrelled pistols, with their moulds and appurte- 
 nances, which you have broiight to me, M. Bourgaud has written 
 to me to say that he had sent to his brother and obtained them 
 for the purpose of presenting them to me. I have therefore 
 ordered 4,000 dollars to be paid to him by the Nagadnls of Tigre. 
 
 " You told me that Mr. Munzinger entertained a sincere regard 
 for me ; and, consequently, when you go T wish to send him by 
 you a token of my esteem. Let me know what will be accept- 
 able, in order that I may prepare it." 
 
 (Without date.) 
 
 A case containing the arms above alluded to was con- 
 signed to me by Padre Delmonte, on our departure from 
 Massowah, for the French armourer, M. Bourgaud. Not to 
 excite suspicion in the King's mind, I had preferred taking 
 the arms to him — stating at the same time how I became 
 possessed of them — instead of sending them direct from 
 Chalga to the consignee. His Majesty was highly gratified 
 by this mark of deference, and, instead of leaving me to for- 
 ward the case, he undertook to take charge of it himself for 
 his " son " — the name whereby he invariably designated his 
 Euroj)ean artisans. 
 
 The reference to Mr. Munzinger arose out of the following 
 circumstance. On my arrival at the Court, the King liad 
 particularly requested me to tell him who were his friends 
 and who his enemies at Massowah. I replied that his enemies 
 were too many to be enumerated ; but that, to the best of my 
 belief, Mr. Munzinger, now British Consular Agent at Mas- 
 sowah, and the Nayib Mohammed, of Harkiko, were well- 
 disposed towards him. This answer highly amused him, and 
 was to him — so he said — a proof of my sincerity, inasmuch as
 
 i8cn. Fer. iioyal queries about boats. 5 
 
 Jie knew full well that all the Turks bated him. On that 
 occasion he had promised to send the Xayib, through me, a 
 fine mule, richly caparisoned ; the present for Mr. 3Iun- 
 zinger was left for future consideration. 
 
 I received two verbal messages from the King, together 
 ■^vith the foregoing letter : one was to the effect that, before 
 our departure out of the country, he wished to decorate with 
 tlie Royal Shirt all those of my followers who had con- 
 tributed to bring about our meeting, and had served as 
 messengers between us ; in the other, his Majesty apprised 
 me that he had directed his European artisans at Gafiat to 
 build liim some wooden boats to ply on the Lake, instead of 
 the ordinary native canoes made of bulrushes; and that 
 having been told that fresh and salt water possessed diflerent 
 *|ualities which affected the floating, he wished me to enlighten 
 him on the subject. In consequence of this message, a 
 rumour was circulated among the Europeans that the King 
 had requested me and my companions to build boats for 
 hini — an idea which 1 am certain he never entertained, 
 neither was it his jwhcy to lower our dignity by supposing 
 us capable of doing the work of artificers or mechanics. 
 Besides, if such a thought had ever occurred to him, ho 
 would certainly not have hesitated to broach it to mc. 
 
 On referring to Agafuri Oolam, who was saiil to have 
 originated the report, he assured mc that he must have been 
 misunderstood, as he had only mentioned the inquiry wliich 
 the King had made of me, through Lij Abitu, tliat s;ime clay. 
 
 To ray infinite delight Agafari Golam started for 3Iag- 
 dala this nn.niing. In accordance with thr King's request, I 
 sent with him ^lohammed Sa'kl, one of my messengers, to see 
 tiiat Consul C'aiiioron and liis jtarty wore well attended to on 
 the road.
 
 6 THE CAniVES KEACII KORATA, Chap. XIII.. 
 
 19fh. — I tlispatcbed the following to the King in reply to 
 his last letter and its accompanying verbal messages : — 
 
 "Kordta, 19th Fehruanj, 1866. 
 " Most Geacious Sovereign, 
 
 " I had the honour of receiving your letter yesterday by Lij 
 Abitu and Hailo, and I was greatly pleased to learn therefrom 
 of your well-being ; for which I offer my humble thanks to our 
 Lord, the Most High. Thank God, both my companions and I 
 are well, and by your Majesty's favour we are all happy. Dr. 
 Blanc and Mr. Prideaux send their respectful compliments to 
 your Majesty. 
 
 " 1 beg to return you my most grateful thanks for sending 
 Agafari Golam to Magdala for the purpose of releasing the 
 European prisoners of their fetters, and bringing them at once 
 to me ; and I^also thank you for the liberal payment you have 
 made to M. Bourgaud for the guns and pistols which I brought 
 from Massowah. 
 
 " With regard to the present which your Majesty wishes to 
 send to Mr. Munzinger, in consequence of what I had mentioned 
 about his regard for you, I beg to inform j'our Majesty that 
 that gentleman, I am sure, will appreciate any little token of 
 esteem which you may be pleased to send him, were it only a 
 few friendly lines to assure him of your good-Avill. I need not 
 assure your Majesty that I shall be delighted to convey it to 
 him. 
 
 " With respect to the wooden boat which you wish to build to 
 ply on the Lake Tuna, I beg to say that such a vessel would 
 answer very well. The only ditfcrence between the Lake water 
 and that of the sea to be taken into consideration in this case 
 is, that the latter, being salt, is more buoyant. 
 
 "I feel greatly obliged to your Majesty for the honour you 
 intend to eonfer on some of my followers by decorating them 
 with the Royal Shirt, for the good and faithful service they have 
 rendered to your IMajesty and myself in our communications 
 with each other. The men most deserving of this royal favour are 
 llailo, VVald-Taklu, Mohammed Sa'id, and Mohammed Sihiiwy. 
 The two latter are absent at present : one I had to send with 
 our animals from Wandigu round the Lake, through Diimbca ; 
 and the other I liavc sent to Mdgdala with Agafari Golam,.
 
 18CG. Fed. MOHAMMED SIHAWY. 7 
 
 according to your desire. Mohammed Sihawy having com- 
 mitted a fault, I feel it incumbent upon me to report it to your 
 Majesty, and shall leave it to you, after you learn his offence, 
 tu confer the royal distinction on him or not." 
 
 Mohammed Siha\\ y, as the reader will remember, was the 
 individual who had told me the falsehood about Cameron's 
 release. I was compelled to include his name as a candi- 
 date for the royal honour, because he was unquestionably the 
 man who had brought about my meeting Avith the King, his 
 Majesty having entrusted him with his letter of invitation to 
 me. Moreover, as I had reason to suspect that Theodore 
 himself was cognizant of the deception which had been 
 practised upon me, 1 did not deem it advisable to manifest any 
 animosity towards his accomplice. The messenger himself 
 reporte 1 that the Nayib of Harkiko had instigated him to 
 fabricate the story, which I believe to be another false- 
 hood. However, I was determined that his Majesty should 
 know what I had to complain of in the man before he was 
 decorated ; hence my reference to his misconduct in the 
 preceding letter, but I also sent him a full account of the 
 case by verbal message. 
 
 We were so tortured by vermin that we were obliged to 
 leave the houses of our hospitable hosts, Aito Kasa and 
 Aito Wande, and take to our tents, which we pitched in a 
 liue on an eligible piece of ground near tlie Lake, just above 
 the spot where the priests met us on our first lauding. The 
 fresh breeze from the Lake, and the clear open sky, were 
 luxuries after our sojourn in the filthy town. This side of 
 the Lake being rocky, with a gravelly soil, is much healthier 
 than the opposite or north-western side, where the ground is 
 l<jw and covered with marshes. There are some marshes 
 also to the south-west of Korata, but they are too distant to
 
 8 TPIE CAPTIVES REACH KOEATA. Chap. XIIT. 
 
 afl'ect the atmosphere here. We could plainly distinguish 
 the chm-ch of Zage, situated on the top of the promontory, 
 as we looked westward from our tents. The smoke also of 
 the royal camp was discernible behind the lolty peninsula, 
 but the camp itself was hid by the neck of high land whereon 
 the scattered town of Zage is built. 
 
 9ist. — Hailo, one of the messengers who carried my second 
 and fifth letter from 31assoAvah to the King, and who had 
 been sent by his Majesty to meet me at 3Iatamma, returned 
 to-day in high glee, decorated with the Eoyal Shirt. This 
 man \\as the most upright of all the messengers who had 
 been employed between the King and myself, and he often 
 served me subsequently, in the same capacity, when I w^as a 
 prisoner at Magdala. On these latter occasions he generally 
 looked as if he did not altogether relish the task ; neverthe- 
 less, his sense of duty always prevailed over his scruples. 
 The last time I emjjloyed him was in May, 1867, Irom 
 >vhich journey he was doomed never to return. When he 
 reached Debra Tabor, on his way back, the whole country 
 between that place and Magdala had risen in rebellion, 
 which effectually prevented his progress as a bearer of a 
 message from the King. He then fell sick, but was brought 
 on when the royal army began to move towards Magdala, 
 his Mnjesty intending to forward him to me as soon as 
 he approached near cnougli to send him in safety. He 
 expired one day before the disjjatch of the royal messengers 
 whom he had hoped to accompany, and who were the first 
 to make their way to us after a lapse of nine months. On 
 his return from Zage to-day, accompanied by Lij Kasa 
 and Lij Abitu, he brought me the following polite but extra- 
 ordinary letter from the King, wherein his Majesty unequi- 
 vocally expresses liis satisfaction at tlic fraud of which
 
 A86G. Feb. IIOYAL ETHICS. 9 
 
 3Iobammed Sihawy had Leen giulty, on the groimd that it 
 had been perpetrated with a good intention : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 "I wish to decorate these servants [messengers] of youis, 
 •who are present, Avith the Eoyal Shirt. Be not angiy with 
 the servant who infurmed you of the release of Mr. Cameron, 
 I thought that you [i. e., the English] hated me because I 
 delayed answering your letter, sons of the English ; and 
 in order that you might not fear, but come to me from 
 tliat great Queen, he tried in this way to bring about the inter- 
 view between me and you, Aito Hormuzd Kassam, who are a 
 ■great man and my friend. It is necessary that this man should 
 be brought to the notice of the Queen, and j^ou yourself must 
 love him for my sake. I, on my part, on hearing of what he 
 had done, by the power of God, entertained great uflection for 
 him. If you had not come, who would have been able to release 
 the prisoners? And if I had not met you, how could I have 
 obtained your [/. e., the English] friendship? May our Creator 
 from above love, for our sake,_ him who brought about our in- 
 terview and made us friends, and those who are His creatures 
 below will love him also. Please God, I shall reward him. 
 1 have sent Lij Abitu to Debra Tabor to bring to 30U my Euro- 
 pean friends, in order that they might come and see you." 
 
 (Without date.) 
 
 Lij Al/itu left me to go. to Gaffat, near Debra Tabor, in 
 order to bring all tlic European artisans to keep mo com- 
 jpany — so he stated — until the arrival of the captives. I 
 received another message from the King to-day, expressing 
 a wish that I should send my interpreters to liim to be de- 
 corated witli the Royal Shirt. 
 
 2']nl. — Dispatched the subjoined letter by 'Omar 'Ali and 
 IMohammed Sihawy, togetlier witli llailo, whom the King has 
 appointed a confidential medium of intercourse between him 
 and myself: —
 
 10 THE CAPTIVES EEACH KOEATA. Chap. XUL 
 
 '^ Kordta, Tord Fehniurij, 18G6. 
 " Most Gractous Sovereign, 
 
 " I had the pleasure to receive your kind letter the day he- 
 fore yesterda}' through Lij Abitu and Hailo, and I was exceed- 
 ingly gratified to learn that your Majesty was quite well, and 
 thinking of me and my companions. The latter desire to be 
 respectfully remembered. 
 
 " With regard to Mohammed Siha^y, he was doubtless the 
 one who tried his best to bring about our meeting, which I 
 was so anxious for, and on that account I forgave him the de- 
 ception which he practised upon me. I was not a little grati- 
 fied also on learning that your Majesty had also extended to 
 him your mercy, and pardoned his ofience on account of his 
 good intention of pleasing me. 
 
 " I have also to thank jovir Majesty for the honour you in- 
 tend to confer on my interpreters by presenting them with the 
 Roj^al Shirt, and no one can be more worthy of your kindness 
 than 'Omar 'Ali, whom I send to you with Mohammed Sihawy. 
 The reason I am not able to send all those whom you wish to 
 honour is, because I do not like to be left without interpreters, 
 whose services are constantly required." 
 
 To this I received a complimentary answer the following 
 day, brought to me by 'Omar 'Ali and his companions. 
 
 Having been given to understand that the King, subse- 
 quent to its seizure by his orders, had restored jiart of the 
 property belonging to Consul Cameron and the Missionaries, 
 but had kept back all the books, watches, rings and other 
 small articles, such as keepsakes, ke., which were of little or 
 no value to his Majesty but might be liighly prized by the 
 owners, I had determined to make an attempt to recover 
 them. I did not venture to write to the King on the subject, 
 lest my letter might roacli liiin N\hen he A\as in an angry 
 mood. I tlierefore decided to employ Samuel in the matter, 
 and in reply to a request on my i)art to that effect I received 
 the King's permission to-day, through 'Omar 'Ali, to dispatch
 
 186G. Fei!. CAPTIVES' CONFISCATED PROPERTY. 11 
 
 Lim on a message to his Majesty. I accordingly held a long 
 consultation wth Samuel as to the terms which ho should 
 use about the confiscated property, which was said to be 
 partly deposited in the house of Nagadras Gabra-Madhan, at 
 Gondar, and partly at jMagdala. Samuel's advice and con- 
 duct on this occasion convinced me that he was a perfect 
 master of diplomacy, and, moreover, that he was sincerely de- 
 sirous of serving me to the extent of his ability. He left 
 this afternoon with Dasta, my young interpreter, in charge 
 of the following letter. Dasta's mission A\as to ask the 
 King, from me, how he fared, and to receive the decora- 
 tion of tlu' Eoyal Shirt. 
 
 "Zoro/rt, 2ith February, 1866. 
 " Most Gracious Sovekeigx, 
 
 " I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 Majesty's letter of yesterday's date, by 'Omar 'All, Mohammed 
 Sihawy and Hailo, and I beg to return you my sincere thanks 
 for the honour you conferred upon tUem by investing tliem 
 with the Eoyal Hhirt. 
 
 " Both my companions and myself are well, and we are glad 
 to find that your Majesty is in perfect health. 
 
 " Your Majesty has conferred a great favour upon mc by order- 
 ing Aito Samuel to your Court, agreeably with my desire. His 
 confidential positiou with your Majesty, and my reliance in him, 
 have induced mo to intrust liim with a communication which I 
 luive asked him to make to you. I hope you will not consider it 
 amiss in me for having craved the boon which I have requested 
 him to ask of you. After your great kindness and attention to 
 me, I cannot but hope that you will extend your gracious favour 
 in that behalf." 
 
 In accordance w ith my rccpicst, Mr. Thul came to me from 
 Gilffat this afternoon. After the King had ordered the release 
 of CdusuI Cameron an<l llic otiicr captives, and directed that 
 thoy shoukl bo made over to me to take with nu^ on my do- 
 [)artur»' from Abyssinia, T had begg'-d his Mnjesty h) allow
 
 12 THE CAPTIVES REACH KORATA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Flad and tlieir cliildren, and Messrs. Brandeis, 
 Staiger, Schiller and Essler — wlio were, in fact, prisoners on 
 parole at Gaffat, and who had begged me to urge the request 
 on their behalf — to leave the country at the same time. 
 The King had acceded to my solicitation at once, and told 
 me that I was at liberty to take any persons away with me — 
 even native Abyssinians — who wished to depart out of his 
 .territories. I accordingly sent for Mr. Flad to consult with 
 him about the preparations for the jom'ney, and also regarding 
 the reception of the liberated captives who were expected to 
 xeach Debra Tabor shortly. 
 
 26^/i. — Aito Samuel and Dasta returned from the royal 
 camp, the latter greatly elated with his decoration, and the 
 former intensely happy at having executed tlie commission 
 with which I had entrusted him to my entire satisfaction. 
 He handed me the following characteristic reply from his 
 3Iajesty : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 "I acted formerly erroneously, through the devil, without 
 consideration ; and now I have ordered Aito Samuel to see if 
 there is any property [belonging to the prisoners] which he can 
 bring to 3'ou ; and if anylhing has been lost or spoilt, I shall 
 make it good, not merely for the sake of my friendship for the 
 great Queen, but for the friendship which I entertain for you 
 three, and which is sufficient for me. If I can make compensa- 
 tion from my property to you at all, by the help of the Lord, 
 I will do it ; if not, I offer my body. AMien the people [prisoners] 
 reach you in safety, ask Ihom if what they had done was not 
 true; it will be proved to you from their mouth. 
 
 " I apprehended that 1 had lost all hopes of your [the English] 
 friendship ; otherwise, I would not have acted so badly. 
 
 "Dated iGth of Yekatit." 
 
 The King also ordered Aito Samuel to proceed to Magdala 
 as soon as the captives joined me, for the purpose of collecting
 
 18GG. Feb. A LETTER OF THANKS. 13. 
 
 and consigning over to me all their remaining property. 
 They were then expected to arrive within four or five days, 
 but unfortunately, owing to tlie inability of most of them to 
 travel fast after their long and painful confinement, they did 
 not join us till the 12th of March, by which time, as the 
 sequel will show, the aspect of things had undergone a 
 change. 
 
 21th. — Dispatched the following reply to the King this 
 morning by 'Omar 'Ali and Wald-Gabriel — the latter the 
 suspended interjjreter, whom his Majesty has been pleased 
 to decorate with the Royal Shirt, although at the outset he 
 had objected to him as a translator of our intercommuni- 
 cations : — 
 
 "Kordta, 21th February, 18G6. 
 '• Most Gracious Sovereigx, 
 
 "Yesterday I had the honour of receiving your letter by Aito 
 Samuel, and I was glad to learn from him that ho left your 
 Majesty in perfect health. 
 
 " IJoth my companions, Dr. I'lanc and Mr. Prideaux, and my- 
 self are extremely obliged to your Majesty for your gracious 
 inquiries, and we all send you our respectful regards. 
 
 " I have to return you my best and grateful thanks for having 
 granted the favour which 1 asked of you through Aito Samuel, 
 and I pray our merciful Lord to reward you for all your 
 kindness. 
 
 " I bog to inform your Majesty' that in consequence of Aito- 
 Samuel's second communication to Kiintiba llailo, Mr, Flad 
 came to mo from Gaffat, agreeably with my request. That 
 gentleman begs me to present you with his respectful compli- 
 ments." 
 
 The foregoing allusion to Kantiba Hailo refers to a report 
 which had reached Theodore, that that oflicer had refused to 
 allow Mr. Flad to come to me without a special order to that 
 cfiect. His IMajesty, it ai)pears, had got into a great rage on 
 hearing this, and would have vi^itod tho K;'mtil)a with severe
 
 14 THE CAPTIVES EEACH KORATA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 cliastisement, had not Samuel pleaded that there had pro- 
 ' bably been some mistake in the matter. 
 
 The King sent his valet, Wald-Gabir, to me this afternoon 
 with a most polite message, inquiring whether I had expended 
 the money which he had given me, as in that case he wished 
 to present me with another similar sum. I replied that 
 through the bounty of our gracious Sovereign and his J\Iajesty's 
 munificence, I was amply provided with funds, and that in the 
 event of needing any I should not hesitate to apply to him. 
 
 28th. — The King's European artisans arrived at Korata 
 from Gaff at this morning. They comprised Messrs. Moritz 
 Hall, Schimper, Waldmeier, Salmiiller, Bender, Bourgaud — 
 the remaining two, namely, Messrs. Zander and Mayer, did 
 not come Avith them. In accordance with orders from the 
 Iving they all called upon me, clad in their silk shirts. Mr. 
 Schimper began to narrate to me, in Arabic, his experience of 
 Abyssinia and the Abyssinians since his arrival in the country, 
 warning me not to trust present appearances, however favour- 
 able they might be. Placing the palm of his hand upwards, 
 and then reversing it, he said, " Abyssinia is like that ; but I 
 must say no more, as the walls have ears." After the artisans 
 had stayed a short time with me, they went and pitched their 
 tents, as they had been ordered, beyond the fence of our 
 encampment. 
 
 Wald-Gabu* came again this afternoon, bringing me the 
 subjoined letter from the King; also two monkeys and a 
 baboon, which I was to take to England for the Zoological 
 Society, together with the lion cubs and antelope : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " Yashdlaka Wald-Gabir has informed mc that you wished 
 my permission to make the messenger a present. You are the 
 servant of her whom God has exalted and honoured — the Queen
 
 1866. March. THEODORE'S LIBERALITY. 15 
 
 of England, and you are also, bj- the power of God, my friend ; 
 consequently, you are not restrained from giving remuneration, 
 except in a way unplcasing to God. Do as you please." 
 " Dated 22nd of Yekatit" (28th February), 
 
 AVhen Wald-Gabir came to me on the 27tli \\ith the mes- 
 sage from the King inquiring whether I was out of money, 
 I had expressed a wish that his 3[ajesty would allow rae to 
 give a gratuity to the royal couriers and others, in requital 
 of their services, as it was judged that he would like me to 
 act liberally with his people. The messenger had mentioned 
 this desire on my part to the King ; hence this letter. He 
 sent me the monkeys to replace a pretty one which had been 
 presented to me while passing through Agowmeder, and which 
 he heard I had recently lost. Wald-Gabir was also instructed 
 on the part of his jMajesty to say, that if I wanted silks, or 
 arms, or any other articles, I must not hesitate to apply to 
 him for them, as he considered me in the light of a brother. 
 I returned my best thanks for the kind (•ffcr, stating at the 
 same time that at present I was not in want of anything. 
 
 Ist March. — I had not hitherto received the five thousai d 
 
 dollars which the King had presented me with on the Ith 
 
 of February, when I left him in Agowmeder, hoping all 
 
 along to leave the coimtry without taking any portion of it ; 
 
 but it having been strongly urged upon me to-day that his 
 
 ^fajcsty might bo highly oiTcnded if it came to his notice that 
 
 1 had deferred accepting his gift, I was constrained to write 
 
 and acknowledge its receipt, which I did in the following 
 
 terms : — 
 
 '' Kordia, Ist March, 18G(). 
 " Most Gracious Sovkrkiox, 
 
 " I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 Miijcsty's letter on the 22nd day of the month Yekatit, from 
 whilh I was glad to learn that you were in perfect health.
 
 16 THE CAPTIVES IJEACII KORATA. Chap. XIIT. 
 
 " Allow me to thank j'our Majesty for the present of monkej-s 
 you so graciously sent me by Yashalaka Wald-Gabir, and also for 
 the handsome gift of five thousand dollars you so kindly sent me 
 through. Aito Samuel, and -which I have duly received. May the 
 Lord reward you out of His bountiful mercies for all your 
 favours ; and, with respectful salutations from my companions 
 and myself, I remain," &c. 
 
 The sum above alluded to was paid out of the revenues of 
 Bagameder. That district comprises five chieftainships, eacli 
 paying 70,000 dollars annually to the Sovereign. All the 
 other districts are sub-divided in a similar manner, for fiscal 
 purposes. In addition to that impost, the peasantry gener- 
 ally have to contribute one-fifth of their sheep and cattle. 
 The tolls established throughout the country are another 
 source of royal revenue. Those collected in Chalga — on the 
 high road to the Soodau — averaged 100,000 dollars per 
 annum. 
 
 2nd. — The King ordered his artisans to send for their wives 
 from Gafiat, who were to remain with them until the Mission 
 left the country with the released captives. In his message 
 to me on the same subject he stated that, knowing how 
 much Europeans appreciated the society of ladies, he had 
 directed his European servants to send for their families, 
 in order that I might have a little agreeable company at 
 Korata. He also dispatched orders to Agafari Golam to 
 bring the released captives to me without delay. 
 
 I received a visit in the course of the day from Kautiba 
 Hailo, the ex-Mayor of Gondar. He was considered a very 
 good Christian, and exceedingly pious withal. During our 
 interview, when not addressing me, he Mas wholly engaged 
 in nuittering prayers. The King reposed such confidence in 
 Iris loyalty that ho appointed him overseer of his European 
 artisans, or their Baldaraba. "When Theodore, then DajjaJ
 
 180G. Makcii. KAXTIBA IIAIL(\ 17 
 
 Kasa, began to acquire political power, lie was warmly sup- 
 ported by Kantiba Uailo, who had great influence at Goudar, 
 and who espoused his cause niaiuly owing to his distrust of 
 lias 'Ali, whom he regarded as a questionable convert, and 
 as having embraced Christianity merely for the sake of 
 -extenchng his sway over the Christians. Theodore, who was 
 naturally of a most suspicious disposition, had accepted the 
 Kautiba's aid with some reserve at first, but eventually 
 he adopted him as his foster-father by sucking his thumb, in 
 accordance with the Abyssinian usage on such occasions. 
 Thenceforward Theodore always addressed him as " father ;" 
 but when his powrr began to decline, his distrust of every 
 one around him increased. Even up to the time of which I 
 am \\Titing, Kantiba llailo considered Theodore as the best 
 man living; but soon after my consignment to 3Llgdala, 
 together with my companions, matters assumed another 
 aspect, and he began to regard his adopted royal son in a 
 diflerent light. His zeal for Christianity bordered on fanati- 
 cism, and being a native of Gondar he held the churches 
 there almost in idolatrous veneration. When, in November, 
 18GC, the King utterly destroyed that capital, ho did not 
 spare one of the forty-eight churches which it contained. 
 This sacrilegious act drew a flood of tears from the mortified 
 Kantiba, who dared not remonstrate at the time, knowing 
 that his life might have been the penalty for any such inter- 
 ference. Ilis grief was duly reported to the King by ill- 
 disposed persons; but as it was contrai-y to Theodore's 
 nature to bring a straightforward charge against any one, he 
 bad given out on tiie occasion that he had destroyed the old 
 apitul because its inhabitants had harboured the rebels, and, 
 more especially, because they liad iu\\ protected the mes- 
 -enger of his "friend" Eassam, and liad allowe<l him to 
 vol.. II. c
 
 18 THE CAniVES REACH KORATA. Chap. XHT. 
 
 be plundered not far from the cit)'. Soon after tlie King's 
 return to Debra Tabor, he had the Kantiba arrested and 
 brought two separate charges against him. The first was, 
 that he had sent him a present of grain, which the accused 
 had declined to accept ; the second, that one of the royal 
 female bakers, who had been dismissed by the King, had 
 been received by the Kantiba into his service. The old man's 
 defence was, that owing to his Majesty's bount}" he had more 
 grain than sufficed for his requirements, and that being a 
 disinterested and faithful subject he had ventured to suggest 
 that the royal bounty, in this instance, might be bestowed 
 on some more needy follo^Aer. With respect to the female 
 domestic, that she had been brought up in his house from 
 childhood, and he had made her over to the King in conse- 
 quence of his Majesty's desire to have her, she being con- 
 sidered a good hand at making tef bread ; that when his 
 Majesty had turned her adrift, having no further need of her 
 services, it was quite natural that the woman should revert 
 for a livelihood to her old master, and he could not condemn 
 himself for charitably receiving her again into his house. 
 This most reasonable defence, however, failed to satisfy the 
 King, who forthwith sentenced him to be put in chains until 
 he could adduce some better excuses for his misbehaviour. 
 Thereupon the degraded functionary lost his temper, and 
 claimed to be tried by the laws of the realm as contained in 
 the Fttteh-Negust, declaring that he was ready to be hanged, 
 if found guilty by the statutes. This unexpected retort 
 somewhat excited the King who, turning to the guard, said, 
 " Take the old woman away ! Who or what is the law but 
 myself? Am I not the fountain of it?" To aggravate the 
 Kantiba's misery, the inexorable judge ordered his grandson 
 to be imprisoned with him, simply because he knew him to 
 
 I
 
 18GG. Mauch. KAXTIIJA IIAILO. 19 
 
 be very fond of hi in, the lad having lost his father — the 
 Kantiba's son-in-law — ■when he was a child. After they were 
 both put into chains, the King demanded that the old man 
 should refund all the money which he had paid him for many 
 years. To this the' Kantiba replied, that not having been 
 given to understand that the money was advanced as a loan, 
 and considering: that it was nothing more than the regular 
 pay from a master to his servant, he had spent it all. The 
 two victims were then put to the dreadful torture of having 
 their hands tied tightly by a rope, wound several times round 
 the body, imtil the blood spirted out. This fiendish punish- 
 ment was persisted in for several weeks until the King, finding 
 that nothing more could be squeezed out of tlie Kantiba, sent 
 him and liis gi-andson to Magdala, where they were retained 
 in chains until the 8th of April, 1868, when they were 
 released together with other incarcerated Chiefs two davs 
 before the engagement with the British army. Kantiba 
 Ilailo was uniforndy kind to me and friendly to the Mission ; 
 on one occasion he received a severe reprimand from the 
 King for having recommended him to permit me to leave 
 the country. Theodore had an idea that the Kantiba was 
 conversant with tlie black art, and in former times, when 
 ho was credulous in such matters, he had a superstitious 
 dread of his occult j)owei.s, but of late he appears to have 
 disregarded them altogetlier ; for one day, while the Kantiba 
 was under torture, he sent to tell the King tliut liis power 
 over him would soon be at an end, inasmuch as it was decreed 
 that his rule would terminate in the fourteenth year of his 
 reign, which was not far off. To this Theodore sent the fol- 
 lowing reply: — "If your prediction be true, you may live 
 long; but if I survive the fourteenth year, yoiir lite sliall be 
 forfeited." "Be it so," was the Kantiba's answer. It is a
 
 L>0 THE CAPTIVES REACH KOEATA. Ciia?. XHI. 
 
 singular coincidence that Theodore terminated his existence 
 in the fourteenth year of his reign. 
 
 ord. — I received the subjoined note from the King this 
 morning by Wald-Gubir and my messenger Haiio : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " The people [prisoners] whom you want, may the Lord bring 
 to you, and may He cause you to reach your country in safety. 
 May the Lord plant my fricudsliip and goodwill in 3'our hearts, 
 and may He cause you to open my blind eyes. 
 
 " Dated 24th of Yekatit." 
 
 The messengers ought to have reached me yesterday, but 
 owing to a storm they were driven to a place called Zan- 
 zalima, to tlic north of the Abai outlet. A lady who was 
 on her way to the royal camp ^^'as so terrified when she got 
 near the coast that, fancying the canoe to be in shallow 
 water, she threw herself into the Lake. Fortunately, the 
 canoe-men, who were on tlio alert, rescued her from drowning. 
 
 ■itJt. — Dispatched the following answer to the King this 
 morning by Wald-Gabir and Hailo : — 
 
 ''Eoruta, 4th March, 1866. 
 " Most Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 " I have received, Avith much pleasure, your gracious and kind 
 letter by AVald-Gabir and Hailo, who only arrived here yester- 
 day morning, owing to the Avinds and heavy sea they en- 
 countered after leaving your coast the da,y before j'esterday. 
 They were driven to the coast of Zanzalima, where Ihey had to 
 spend the niglit. I oftcr my humble thanks to Almighty Cod 
 for their safety. 
 
 " I trust ihiit this letter will find your ^Majesty in perfect 
 health, in which happy condition both my cojupanions and ni}-- 
 self are at present. JJr. Blanc and Mr. Prideaux beg to be respect- 
 fully remeinl)ered to your IMajcsty. 
 
 " I return you my best thanks i'or the good wishes conveyed in 
 your letter midcr reply, and I hope that by your favour and
 
 ISGO. March. A SUSPICIOUS INTDIATIOX. 21 
 
 through your prayers we sliall all reach our destinations safely. 
 I need not assure your Majesty that I am ready to leave Abys- 
 sinia for England as soon as I shall obtain your leave, -svhich I 
 hope you will gi-ant mo before long, because I am most anxious 
 that we should quit the Soodan country before the unhealthy 
 season sets in. 
 
 " News has reached this place of the arrival of Agafiiri 
 Golam and his companions near Debra Tabor, and 1 doubt not 
 that through your kindness they will soon join me here." 
 
 lu the afternoon I received two notes from the captives — 
 one from Consul Cameron and the otlier from j\[r. Stern — 
 int'urmiug mo that they were released from their fetters 
 on the 24th ultimo, and were on the way to join me, but 
 lliat in consequence of physical debility they were obliged 
 to travel verj' slowly. 
 
 ijth. — Dispatched messengers to Consul Cameron with a 
 su])ply of money. 
 
 (jth. — Eeceived a startling letter from his Majesty to-day, 
 wherein, for the first time since my arrival in Abyssinia, he 
 expressed a wish to "consult" with me when the released 
 captives joined me. It was as follows : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " When the peojde [prisoners] reach you, wc will consult. I liave 
 tried to find some nice silk amongst my property, and also in 
 the market in this countr}', but did not succeed ; but of the 
 silks with which you presented mo, I have sent lluec pieces, Avitli 
 their lining. If th'-v will suit yoii, make shirts of them, and 
 wear thorn for me ; but if you think they will bring any ob- 
 htqtiy on mo — because what Inirts my reputation hurts yours 
 — send mo an answer. 
 
 "Dated 28th of Yekutit." 
 
 In this communicaliun hi' also, for the first time, proposed 
 to d<corat<! my companions and myself with silk shirts. The
 
 22 THE CAPTIVES REACH KOTIATA. Chap. XIH. 
 
 letter, however, was accompanied by a message invoking 
 God as a witness between liis Majesty and myself that I was 
 not to do what would tend to degrade either of us in the 
 eyes of his people ; that he had merely sent the three pieces 
 of silk in order to know which we preferred, in the event of 
 our consenting to have shirts made of them. I found out, on 
 inquiry, that if I accepted the shirts, we should be obliged 
 to wear them when we met the King ; and considering that 
 such an exhibition would have been degrading to our posi- 
 tion as British officers, as well as ridiculous, I determined 
 at once to decline them. Fortunately, the King himself 
 had helped me out of my embarrassment by not sending 
 ready-made shirts, which he certainly would have done had 
 he fully resolved that w'e should wear them. It seemed also 
 very odd that after what he had stated some time before, 
 •svhen he decorated my servants with royal shirts — namely, 
 that he could not think of putting us on the same footing 
 with his own people or any of the Europeans Vfho had pre- 
 ceded us, but that he intended to institute a new Order 
 specially for us — I say, it seems strange that he should so 
 suddenly alter his mind in this respect, and propose placing 
 us on an equality with our own messengers and interpreters. 
 I date the change in the King's conduct towards me, and 
 the misfortunes which eventually befell the members of the 
 Mission and the old captives, from this day. Everything, 
 as the reader may judge for himself, had gone on most 
 prosperously up to this time. Whence, then, this unex- 
 pected alteration in his tone? I fully believe that his 
 Majesty had then heard, as I did two days after, of the arrival 
 of another person at Massowah to intercede for the liberation 
 of the captives. This is by no means improbable, seeing 
 that Dr. Boke reached that place towards the end of January.
 
 18GG. MARCii. WE DECLINE "SHIRTS." 23 
 
 How that gentleman's ill-timed intervention militated against 
 the interests of the Mission will be made obvious in the com-se 
 of this narrative. 
 
 Ith. — Having, as already stated, declined to ^Yeal' the 
 projGfered shirts, I addressed the following letter to the King 
 
 on the subject : — 
 
 " Kordta, 1th March, 1866. 
 "Most Ghacious Sovkhkigx, 
 
 "I have had the honour of receiving your Majesty's kind 
 letter of the 2Sth of the month Yekatit, and was glad to learn 
 therefrom that you were qiiite well. 
 
 " Dr. Blauc and ^Ir. I'rideaux return you their respectful 
 compliments. 
 
 " Pray accept my most grateful thanks fur the honour which 
 your Majesty intends to confer upon me and my companions, and 
 also for the things which you were ^o good as to send me by 
 Yashalaka \\'ald-Giibir to select from, 
 
 "Be assured that the meanest token (if friendship and good- 
 will coming from your ^lajcsty will always be appreciated and 
 considered by mo a great honour. 
 
 "AVhen the above-named Yashalaka Wald-Gubir brought me 
 your giacious message the other day concerning the t>amo sub- 
 ject, I had intrusted your confidant, Aito Samuel, with some 
 matters which I hojiod he would have had an opportunity be- 
 fore now (jf communicating in jterson to your ^Majesty. I trust, 
 however, that when Agafi'iri G»">lam and his companions arrive 
 here, he will be able, with your Majesty's permission, to come to 
 you. 
 
 " Commending you to the protection of our Heavenly Father, 
 I remain," &o. 
 
 Having left my explanation to bo mmlv by Samuel, I 
 deemed it discreet to retain the silks until I received his 
 ^lajesty's permission to return them. My instructions to 
 Sanuud were to this efiect: that if we had the shirts made, 
 and did not wear them before the King, such a course woidd 
 hardly be becoming; that it was not usual in the Courts
 
 24: TEIE CAPTIVES EEACH KORATA. Cii.vr. XIII. 
 
 of Christian Po\\ ers for the representative of a foreign State 
 to appear bsfore a Sovereign in any other than the uni- 
 form of his own Government; that liad Ave been in his 
 Majesty's service the case would have been different, 
 but that as matters stood it would be derogatory to the 
 King if we appeared before him in an uniform different 
 from that which we were bound to Avear before our ON\n 
 Queen. 
 
 Dr. Schimper called on me tliis morning with some geolo- 
 gical specimens ; also a sketch-map of the district of Baga- 
 meder, which he] requested me to convey to the Eoyal 
 Geographical Society. As the map A\as not completed as 
 far as Korata, I got Samuel's permission for him to go up 
 to the hills and make the necessary survey. I also obtained 
 the King's sanction to his proposal to make a collection 
 of the fish in the Lake to send to England. I heard sub- 
 sequently that he wrote himself to his Majesty, soliciting 
 pecuniary aid to enable him to carry out his project — an 
 application which surprised the King not a little, as he 
 could not conceive why he should take any interest in Dr. 
 Schimper's ichthyological researches. 
 
 Sth. — Mr. Mayer arrived this morning with four brass 
 cannons which had been made at Gaffat by the King's 
 European artisans. They were drawn by horses, and were 
 mounted on the carriages of the guns that had been brought 
 to the King by 'Abd-ur-Rahmau Bey from Egypt, the guns 
 of which had been left at Magdala. As his Majesty is 
 a great hand at making roads by forced labour exacted 
 from the peasantry, these pieces of ordnance were trans- 
 ported through the mountains to Korata witliout much- 
 difficulty. 
 
 Dabtera Dasta, the messenger I sent down to Massowalh
 
 186G. March. DK. BEKE. Oj 
 
 on the 12th of January with dispatches from Chalga, re- 
 turned to-day with letters from Colonel Merewether and 
 Mr. 3Iunzinger. He was the first to inform me of Dr. Beke's 
 arrival at Massowah, and of the object of his visit. The 
 messenger declared that he had entreated that gentleman, 
 to keep quiet, and not to allow any intimation of his mission 
 to reach the King, otherwise harm might befall us all; 
 that he had taken special care to inform him of the pre- 
 parations which his ^Majesty had made to give us a favourable 
 reception, and that it was the general opinion in Abyssinia 
 that the ca^itives would certainly bo released, and be allowed 
 to leave the country with me ; but the only response ' he 
 could elicit from the gentleman referred to was, that I had 
 no chance of succeeding, and that he was the only person 
 likely to effect the desired object. 
 
 When the King heard of the arrival of my messenger 
 from the coast, he sent for him immediately, and kept him 
 at the Court four days, treating him very well, and decorating 
 him with the lloyal Shirt. On his return, I inquired whether 
 the King had questioned him respecting Dr. Beke's mission, 
 lie rejilicd in the negative; nevertheless, I fully believe 
 that he related everything he knew of the subject, but 
 was afraiil to confess to me that he had done so. It will 
 bo noticed tliat in the inllowing note which he brought me 
 on the 15th from the King, his ^lajosty says that Dasta had 
 accpiaiiitcd him with ''other matters" besides the state of 
 alVair^ in 'i'i<riv : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 •' Your sci'vant Dasta, who carao from Massowah, h is informed 
 mo of the ro-o-stablislimcnt of order in Tign", and other matters. 
 I'y the power of God, 1 bavo rejnicod greatly. I am glad to
 
 26 THE CAPTIVES llEACH KOEATA. Chap. XIII. 
 
 hear of their [the prisoners] safe arrival, and of the good health 
 of yon all. 
 
 " Dated Monday, the 4th of Magabit." 
 
 9th. — Gave a dinner-party to all the King's European 
 artisans to-day. Just as we had taken our seats at the table, 
 Kantiba Hailo came in from the royal camp, bringing me 
 the following letter from his Majesty : — 
 
 After compliments — 
 
 " Agafari Golam has sent to inform me that your people 
 [prisoners] had arrived, by the power of God [at Debra Tabor]. 
 I have greatly rejoiced, and I wish you also to be glad. AVald- 
 Gabir informed me that you had wished the doctor to go to 
 him [Consul Cameron]. Very well ; let Aito Samuel go with 
 him at once. When they reach you safely, let me at once know 
 of their arrival, by the power of God, in order that we may 
 have a chat together. 
 
 " Dated Friday, the 1st of Magabit." 
 
 It was now becoming clear to mo, to my great disappoint- 
 ment, as well from the tenor of the message with which 
 Kantiba Hailo was charged as from the foregoing note, that 
 the King had determined to subject Consul Cameron and 
 his companions to another trial. I had also been questioned 
 whether, after conveying the released captives out of the 
 country, it was my intention to return to Abyssinia as 
 British Agent, his Majesty having expressed a strong wish 
 that I should represent the British Government at his 
 Court. j\ry reply to this was, that I was only a servant 
 and must obey orders. This answer, it appears, did not 
 satisfy the King, for MJion it was repeated to him lie re- 
 marked, " AYliat have I in my hands to ensure Mr. Kassam's 
 return to me ? " 
 
 Having been informed to-day that his Majesty Vas
 
 18G6. March. A FORMAL VISIT. 27 
 
 particularly anxious to know the import of tho crown 
 and star embroidered on the collar of Dr. Blanc and Lieu- 
 tenant Prideaux's uniform, I sent to tell him that they 
 were symbols indicating the rank of officers in the British 
 army. ' 
 
 It having been frequently represented to me that the 
 King hated the Magdala captives so intensely that it might 
 result in the fiiilure of the Mission if the latter were brought 
 face to face uith him, I was strongly advised to try and pre- 
 \^-ent a meeting between them. As I was not in a position, 
 however, to protest against any such proceeding on the part 
 of his IMajesty — notwithstanding that he had already forgiven 
 the prisoners and virtually made them over to me in accord- 
 ance with his letter to her Majesty of the 29tli of January — I 
 had intnisted Samuel with a message to induce the Eing to 
 dispense with their attendance upon him ; but that if he were 
 bent on preferring charges against them before me, to allow 
 the case to be proceeded with at Korata. I also urged the 
 trouble which it would give to convey so large a party by 
 water to Zage, and adtluced Consul Cameron's imUsposition 
 as another consideration to lead him to forego his intention 
 of having the released captives brought before him, request- 
 ing his Majesty at the same time to allow me to send Dr. 
 ]ilanc to the Consul — a rccjuest wliicli, as will be seen from 
 the foregoing iKjte, he readily granted. 
 
 lOth. — AH the ladies of the King's European artisana who 
 arrived from riaflat yesterday assembled in ]\[r. Waldnicier's 
 tent tliis morning to receive a formal visit from me. They 
 were uU in gorgeous Abyssinian attire, with tlie exception of 
 J\Iadame Bourgaud, a French lady, who wivs dressed in the 
 Kuropean style. Two of tho ladies were tho daughters of 
 tlie late Mr. Bell by an Abyssinian mother: one was married
 
 28 THE CArTIVES EEACH KOEATA. CiiAr. XIII. 
 
 to Mr. Waldmeier, and the other to 3Ir. Salmiiller. There 
 were present besides, two daughters of Dr. Schimj)er — also by 
 an Abyssinian mother: one of these was the wife of Mr. 
 Bender, the other the widow of a German named Kunzlin, 
 who had died at Gafiat a few months before. The wives 
 of Messrs. Mayer and Zander were converted Gallas, who 
 had made them excellent helpmates ; and 3Irs. Moritz Hall 
 Avas an Armenian on the father's and an Abyssinian on 
 the mother's side. As they all spoke Amharic only, and 
 Madame Bourgaud knew no other language except her 
 native French, I was obliged to address them through an 
 interpreter. 
 
 11th. — I was glad to hear from Consul Cameron to-day 
 that he was a little better, and that we might expect him 
 and his party to-morrow. 
 
 12th. — At 1 r.M. the gratifying intelligence reached us 
 that Consul Cameron and his companions had arrived in the 
 vicinity of Korata; but as Agafari Golam had received 
 instructions from the King to hand them over to me in 
 a particular form and order, he kept the poor fellows outside 
 the town nearly an hour, until he had ascertained that he 
 was not approaching me without due notice. Even when, 
 an hour later, he entered our inclosure, there was endless 
 running in and out of my tent on some frivolous errand 
 or other : first, he Avanted Samuel, tlie lung's Baldaraba, 
 to be ready to see the released captiA^es correctly counted ; 
 then he Avished to know Avhether my tent Avas large enough 
 to receive them, or if I Avould not have them counted before 
 me outside. However, I soon brought this farce to an end, 
 and Avas at length rejoiced to Avelcome the unfortunate 
 sufferers. The following is the list of those who joined us 
 on this occasion : —
 
 iJ^r.C. ^Fai:.!!. 
 
 TTIK r.F.LKASED ("'APTIYES. 
 
 ■29 
 
 Occupation. 
 
 J. D. Cameron 
 
 IjHer Britannic Majesty's 
 \ Consul at Jlassowah 
 
 Country. 
 
 . ,, (Lite Secretary ot ConsuH 
 
 J. Kerans . . . . < ^ ■' > 
 
 I Cameron ( 
 
 (Late servant of Cx)nsun| 
 
 \ Cameron / 1 
 
 .. ' Servant of Consul Cameron 
 
 {Late servant of Consul 'I 
 Cameron /, 
 
 (■ Painter, and late teacher^ 
 " \ of lanc^uages .. ../ 
 
 H. A. Stern, Missionaiy 
 
 Slissionarv 
 
 County, &c. 
 
 Inhabitant of. 
 
 \. McKelvi, 
 r. Macraire 
 ). Pietro . 
 V. BarJel . 
 
 ^1 Southpark, 
 (_ Aliascragh. 
 
 Down .. .. Downpatrick. 
 
 fDepartment oil ,.,. , 
 
 < 11 . ni • / » hnau-va . 
 \ Haute Rhin j 
 
 Turin 
 
 i, Hosenthal 
 tlrs. K. Hosenthalj 
 >Ir. T. M. Flad.. 
 ilrs. P. Klad 
 V, Ha.1 I 
 
 ''r. Klad J children 
 \ Flad ) 
 
 W. SLiiger 
 
 I leis 
 
 Mi.«isionary 
 
 Ireland . 
 
 Ireland . 
 
 France , 
 
 Ibily . 
 
 France . 
 
 Cur-IIessen London. 
 
 Mecklenburg .. Furstenberg .. London. 
 
 Kngland .. ..i London .. .. London. 
 
 Wurtembnrg ..| Rentlingen .., L'nlingen. 
 
 Ifhcnihh Prussia Treves . . . . Saaibriick. 
 
 Taveia. 
 
 Department Meuse, Sampigny. 
 
 Missionary 
 
 Missionary 
 
 >N';itui-al history colleciors/ 
 
 (■Grand Duchy 1 
 \ of Baden J 
 
 Diichy^ 
 jf Baden 
 Ditto 
 Prussia . . 
 
 Hun',';ny . . 
 
 Lain-.. .. 
 
 Wiesloch .. 
 Posen 
 
 O loiOiur- . . 
 
 Langenwinkel. 
 
 Baierthal. 
 
 Posen. 
 
 Neustadthal. 
 
 After a little chat, I showed each party where to take up 
 their quarters, and then returned to my tent to write the 
 lollowing letter to the King, whicli I dispatched forthwith 
 }»y Aito Samuel and two of my messengers: — 
 
 ''Kordla, Vlth March, 18(1(1. 
 • Most Gn.vcious SovERraax, 
 
 *' I liavo had tlio honour of receiving yom- Majesty's kind 
 letter of Iho Lst Mat!;al)it hy Kantiba llailo, and I was icjoiced 
 to learn from itK bearer tliat he left yuu in pcrfoct health and 
 prosjxirity. >May thi; Lord continue to keep you in tlic samo 
 liappy condition. 
 
 "I have tlio pleasure to inform your IMaje.sty that Con.sul 
 ' 'amoron and Ids European companions, vho have been brought 
 liom Miigilala b}' Agafuri Ciolam, reaelied this place tliis after- 
 iKXjn ; and I return you my best thanks for the kindness and 
 ittention shown them on the road liy your Jlajesty's servants, 
 in accordance with your orders.
 
 30 THE CArTIV]-:S REACH KORATA. Chap. XHL 
 
 " Mr. Flad and liis companions "wlio were at Gaffat have also 
 joined me here. 
 
 " The rest of the news will be given to your Majesty by your 
 servant, Aito Samuel, who is going to your Court with some 
 oommuuications which I have desired him to make to you. 
 
 " My companions join me in presenting your Majesty with my 
 respectful salutations." 
 
 The reader will probably have remarked that my reception 
 of the captives was cold and formal. It was so undoubtedly 
 in outward appearance, as it was also designedly, for I had 
 been specially warned against any cordial demonstration of 
 friendship towards them, lest the King migbt take umbrage 
 thereat, and suspect me of siding with his "enemies." "If 
 you desire to leave the country with them," was the advice of 
 those who knew the King's disposition well, " keep aloof from 
 them for the present." It was extremely painful to me to 
 act with such reserve, even for a time, more especially towards 
 Consul Cameron and the Eev, Mr. Stern, with whom I had 
 been formerly acquainted, and above all when they had just 
 been released from a long and horrible confinement ; but the 
 safety of all, the members of the Mission included, obliged 
 me to repress my own feelings in the matter. However, I 
 directed my servants to supply them with every requisite ; 
 and I hardly need add that when the Mission was disgraced, 
 and there was no longer any object to be gained by humour- 
 ing the King, I gladly threw off the assumed disguise, feeling 
 tliat then we were all in the same pliglit, and must escape 
 or perish together.
 
 1866. March. 31 
 
 CHAPTEK XIV. 
 
 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. 
 
 Theodore deciilcs on the trial of the Captives — His charges against theni 
 
 — His object — The Captives plead culpable — !^fistranslation of Earl 
 raisscll's and her Majesty's letters — A dilemma — Arrival of a mes- 
 senger from Dr. Bekc — The Petition from the relatives of the Captives 
 
 — The Order of " the Cross and Solomon's Seal " — Another present from 
 Theodore — Dr. Bekc's mission injudicious — Una Mohammed invested 
 with the "Royal Shirt" — Dabtcra Dasta in the royal garments — 
 Visit to Theodore at Zage postponed — Alaka I'ngada, the royal Scribe 
 
 — Reception of the Mission at Zago — Theodore's courtesy — Consults 
 with his Chiefs about the departure of the Mission and Captives — His 
 grievances against M. Lejean, the Coptic Patriarch, a German, and 
 Mr. Speedy — His opinion of his own subjects — Our return to Korata. 
 
 It took the King two days to decide how to act, for he 
 evidently w avered between a desire to gratify me by acceding 
 to my request, and an inclination to refuse what I had asked, 
 and thereby to break witli me at once. The course he even- 
 tually took was this : — he sent Alaka I'ngaiiri and Agafari 
 Golam with Aito Samuel to say, that he wished me to 
 hold a ( Viurt in my tent, and that in the presence of his 
 European artisans and some Abyssinian ollicials the charges 
 whicli he luid preferred against the released cai)tives should 
 be read over to them, and they be asked whether they 
 were true or not. 
 
 On delivering the King's letter, Alaka I'ngada told nic, in 
 the presence of the assembly and his colleagues, that his royal 
 master felt hapi)y that the Court, wliich was to all intents and 
 purposesMiis Court, was to be heUl in my tent, where 1 should
 
 .32 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 represent bis Majesty ; that what the King wanted was to 
 convince me that he had been badly treated by the released 
 captives, and to obtain for him from them a " Feker-Kasa," 
 or friendly indemnity ; that, on the other hand, if I found 
 him to be in fault, he would indemnify them in any way I 
 judged right. The following are the documents which were 
 read on the occasion : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 *'By the power of God, and the fortune of Queen Victoria and 
 myself, those people [prisoners] whom my friend [the Queen] 
 asked me to release have reached you safely, and when I heard 
 of it I Avas glad. AVhat my friend, the Queen, asked me to do 
 I have, by the power of God, performed. In the letter which 
 my friend the Queen sent, it is thus said : ' We have sent to 
 you Mr. Hormuzd Eassam, who was Governor at Aden, and whom 
 we esteem and trust; consult with him concerning what you 
 require of us, and he will do it for you.' She saj-s that I am 
 blind now, and what I require is a remedy, to give light to my eyes. 
 As I have gladdened your heart, I wish you to gladden mine 
 by sending and obtaining for me [such a remedy]. Of the trans- 
 lation of the Queen's communication which you gave me, I 
 send you a copy, in order that you may hear it. I wish you 
 to ask the people [prisoners] whom you have, by the power of 
 God, released, before your brothers and Mr. W^aldmeier's party, 
 whether it be true that they had abused me or not. 
 
 " Dated A.M. 7358, and a.d. 1858, in the year of St. Mark, on 
 the 6th of Magabit." 
 
 (I may mention hero that the translation of the Queen's 
 letter to Theodore, of which I was the bearer, was made at 
 the request of his Majesty with the assistance of Mr. 
 Piidcaux, tlie royal Chief Scribe, Samuel, and one of my 
 Abyssinian interpreters.)
 
 1866. Mabch. charges AGAINST CONSUL CAMERON. 33 
 
 Charges against the Prisoners. 
 
 After compliments : — 
 
 " The charges against Cameron, who calls himself Consul, are 
 tliese : — This gentleman and his agent Bardcl sent to tell me 
 that they had come as messengers from the Queen, and wished 
 me to receive them. By the power of God, I sent an escort 
 to Massowah and brought him up. I was then at Debra Mai, 
 in the district of Metcha. "When he arrived, I sent my nobles 
 to meet him, and had a salute fired for him. According to the 
 custom of my country, I decorated my house for his reception, 
 and welcomed him therein, by the power of God. lie then gave 
 me a letter, which he said was from the Queen ; after I had 
 read the letter, he presented me with a double-barrelled gun 
 and a pair of double-barrelled pistols, which he said were pre- 
 sents from the (,)ueen. I bowed on receiving thcni, and thanked 
 her Majesty for them. In the letter the Queen said that she wishes 
 to be my friend and relation, and that she heard that I loved 
 and bofiiended her on account of what I had done for Plow- 
 den and his party against the people of my countiy ; that for- 
 merly England and Abyssinia had an interest; and now she 
 wislicd that lier Consul should remain with me, and that sports- 
 men and merchants should be allowed to follow their avocations. 
 He [the Consul] said to me that a Consul from me should go 
 to England, and my sportsmen and merchants also, and that, 
 by the power of God, we [the English] would protect them. I 
 was glad at hearing this, and said, ' Veiy well.' 
 
 " In accordance with the rules of my country, 1 treated him 
 and I'ardel well. 
 
 " 1 told the Consul that the Turks had taken my country, 
 and were my enemies ; nor had I a ship to do my work, by the 
 power of God, and I said that I wished that the Mission and 
 presents which I intended to send to the Queen should be con- 
 veyed safely. I gave him a friendly letter to the Queen 
 and sent him away. The letter which he brought me, and 
 tlie consultation which we had together, he abandoned, and 
 went to the Turks, who do not love me, and before whom he 
 insulted and lowered me. Ho stayed with them some time, and 
 returtied to nie. I asked him, 'Where is the answer to the 
 
 vol,. II. u
 
 34 TRIAL OF THE CArTlVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 friendly letter I intrusted you with ; wliat have you come 
 for?' He said to me, 'I do not know,' So I said to him, 
 ' You are not the servant of my friend, the Queen, as you had 
 represented yourself to be ; ' and, by the power of my Creator, 
 I imprisoned him. Ask him if he can deny this. 
 
 " The cliarge against Bardcl is this: that he told me that he 
 wished to make me acquainted with the Emperor of the French. 
 I said to him, ' Very well ; ' and sent him. He came hack 
 and said that the Emperor refused to see him. I answered, 
 ' Xever mind; I have my God.' After keeping silence, he 
 asked me to release Macraire, a Frenchman. I replied that he 
 had formerly told me that he wished to make me acquainted 
 with the Emperor of the French, and on his return [from 
 France] he had told me that he had been ignored. 1 said 
 then, ' For whose sake shall I release him ? ' and I refused 
 to do so. He was angry at what I said; and in my Court 
 he ungirt himself and covered his head with the cloth.* I was 
 annoyed at this, and, by the power of my Lord, I imprisoned 
 him. Ask him if he can deny this." 
 
 Charges against the rest of the Prisoners. 
 
 " The other prisoners have abused me, I am well aware. I 
 used to love and honour them, A friend ought to be a shield 
 to his friend, and they ought to have shielded me. Why did 
 they not defend mc ? On this account I disliked them. 
 
 "Now, by the power of God, for the sake of the Queen and 
 the British people and yourselves, I cannot continue my dis- 
 like towards them. I wish you to make between us a recon- 
 ciliation from the heart. If I am in fault, do you tell me, and I 
 will requite tliem ; but if you find that I am wronged, I wish 
 you to get them to requite me." 
 
 When the letter was read I noticed that the King had only 
 sent charges against Consul Cameron and JM. Bardel, and as 
 the latter had introduced himself to Theodore — so the King 
 
 A mark of insnlt in AViyssinia, especially before a Sovereign.
 
 «• ~ '^ 
 
 186G. M.vnrn. "FEKER-KASA." 35 
 
 asserted — as a servant of the British Queen, it v as quite evi- 
 dent that his Majesty was intent on raaking political capital 
 out of his present proceedings ; since even Mr. Stern, whom 
 he had always accused of having abused hira, was not men- 
 tioned by name in the list now sent of his i rievances. 
 Towards the end of the document, however, an implied 
 charge, which caused me no little uneasiness, was made 
 against all the released captives, together with a hint — aiven 
 for the first time — that he wished them to give him a 
 friendly indemnity, or, in plainer terms, substantial damages. 
 I liad hitherto laboured under the mistaken notion that the 
 King simply wanted them to forgive and forget, and to pro- 
 mise him their lasting friendship in future ; but Messrs. Flad 
 and Waldmeier disabused me of that idea, by explaining that 
 FeJcer-Kiisa meant something more substantial. j\roney, of 
 course, the Xing would not demand, as that would be beneath 
 his dignity to receive ; still he might insist on their sending 
 to Europe for any articles he might ftincy, and the chances 
 were that he would detain them until tliey arrived, and when 
 they came that he would ask for more. I deemed it advisable, 
 therefore, to make no allusion whatever to the Ftkcr-Kdm in 
 my reply, but put myself forward as answerable for the whole 
 party, wishing, if possible, to prevent his ]\rajesty from 
 bullying the old captives again, which he was evidently 
 aiming at. 
 
 The Court was convened in my tent at eleven o'clock. wJion 
 I caused the charges to bo read out. As Consul Cameron 
 was rather weak, I took upim myself to permit lii?ii to bo 
 sc:itcd during the trial, telling the Commissioners that I felt 
 sure the King would not object ; if he did, tliat I would take 
 the blame. They replied at once that they were certain 
 what pleased me would please his Majesty. But the whole 
 
 n 'J
 
 36 'i'lllAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 thing Avas a farce, as there was neither judge nor jury present, 
 and none of the captives would have dared to disjDute the 
 King's assertions, even if he had accused them of vhe most 
 inconceivable criminality ; consequently, it was unanimously 
 agreed that they should all admit having done wrong and beg 
 his Majesty's forgiveness. Mons. Bardel had come into my 
 tent before tlie opening of the proceedings, and on the arrival 
 of the King's Commissioners seemed disposed to create a 
 disturbance, by calling upon his fellow released captives 
 and the Gaffat Europeans to prove the charges which 
 they had always alleged against him. On my pointing out 
 to him, however, that it was unbecomiug to moot such ques- 
 tions then, begging him at the same time to postpone all 
 these and similar matters of discussion until we were fairly 
 out of the country, he at once desisted. 
 
 ^Ye discovered now that the letter which Consul Cameron 
 had brought from Earl Kussell, as also the letter from 
 her jMajesty which I had the honour to convey to the King, 
 both of which Mere quoted in the foregoing communica- 
 tions from his Majesty, had been sadly garbled in the 
 Amharic version, and made to state things which were con- 
 trary to fact. For my own part, I felt certain that the 
 additions and alterations were made after the royal letter 
 was translated ; but as I was told that it would be useless, 
 and might perhajis do mischief, if I brought the matter to 
 the King's notice, I was constrained to hold my peace. 
 
 It was not true, moreover, that her IMajesty the Queen had 
 sent a letter to Theodore by Consul Cameron. The letter of 
 wliich he was the bearer was written by Earl Kussell, and 
 the following copy of the original will show how strangely 
 its contents had been mistranslated or perverted to suit the 
 King's views : —
 
 1866. Makcii. earl RUSSELL'S LETTER TO THEODORE. 37 
 
 Earl Rmsell to King Theodore of Abyssinia. 
 
 " Sir, ''Foreign Office, London, Feb. 20, 1862. 
 
 " The Queen my Sovereign has been infonned by her servants 
 in the East of the exertions which your Highness kindly made 
 to recover the remains of her late Consul, Mr. l*lowden, and of 
 your generosity in declining to accept repayment of the sum 
 of money which you paid for that pui-pose. Her Majesty com- 
 mands me to assure your Highness that she views your conduct 
 in regard to this affair as a proof of friendship towards herself 
 and the British nation, of which she is duly sensible. 
 
 " In order more partictilarly to manifest her Majesty's thank- 
 fulness for these your Ilighness's services, and to show her re- 
 gard and friend.ship for you personally, her Majesty requests 
 your acceptance of a rifle and a pair of revolver pistols, as a 
 present from herself. Her Majesty has intrusted these articles 
 to Captain Charles Duncan Cameron, whom she has appointed 
 her Consul in Abyssinia, as the successor of the late Mr. Plow- 
 den, and who has lately taken his departure for his post ; and 
 I take this opportunity of introducing him to your Highness, 
 and of requesting your protection and favour in his behalf. He 
 is well acquainted with all that concerns the interests of both 
 countries, and will, I am confident, do all in his power to 
 make himself acceptable to your Highness, and to promote your 
 welfare. 
 
 " I thank your Highness for the letter which you .addressed 
 to me, informing mo of the steps which you had taken to 
 punish the men who murdered Mr, Plowden and Mr. Pell ; 
 and with my best wishes for your uninterrnpted health and 
 happiness, I recommend you to the jtrotection of the Almighty. 
 
 " Your faithful friend, 
 
 (Signed) " Russell." 
 (L.S. The largo Signet.) 
 
 That siiiiihir liberties had been takou with her ]\[aj('sty'8 
 letter to Theodore, of whicli I was the honoured iM'ar.r, will 
 bo evident on comparin*^ the subjoined transcript with tlio 
 iiitorprctation which tlie King, either willully or othtrwisc. 
 had |>ut uj»oii it : —
 
 38 TRIAL UF THE CAlTlVEy. Chai'. XIV. 
 
 Her Majesty the Queen to the King of Abyssinia. 
 
 " May 26, 186-1. 
 '' VicroiUA, by the grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom 
 of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., &c., &c., 
 to Theodore, King of Abyssinia, sendeth greeting. We have 
 duly received the letter which your Majesty delivered to Our 
 servant Cameion, and We have read with pleasure the friendly 
 expressions which it conveys. We learn with satisfaction that 
 Your Majesty has successfully established your authority in the 
 country over which you rule, and We trust that you may long 
 continue to administer its a£Fairs in peace and prosperity. Our 
 servant Cameron has no doubt conveyed to you the assurance 
 of Our friendship and goodwill, and ^Ve are glad to learn by your 
 letter that he had been duly received by j-our Majesty. Accounts 
 have indeed reached Us of late that your Majesty had withdra^\^l 
 your favour from Our servant. We trust however that these 
 accounts have originated in false representations on the part of 
 persons ill-disposed to your Majesty, and who may desire to pro- 
 duce an alteration in Our feelings towards you. But your 
 Majesty can give no better proof of the sincerity of the senti- 
 ments which yoTi profess towards Us, nor ensure more effectually 
 a continuance of Our friendship and goodwill, than by dismissing 
 Our servant Cameron, and any other Europeans who may desire 
 it, from your Court, and by atibrding them ever}- assistance and 
 protection on their journey to the destination to which they 
 desire to proceed. With the view of renewing to you the 
 expression of Our friendship, and of explaining to you our wishes 
 respecting Our servant Cameron, We have directed Our servant 
 Hormuzd Eassam, First Assistant to the Folitical Kesident at 
 Aden, to proceed to your residence, and to deliver to you this 
 Our Eoyal letter. We have instructed him to inform your 
 Majesty tliat if, notwithstanding the long distance which separates 
 Our dominions from those of your Majesty, you should, after 
 having permitted Our servant Cameron and the other Europeans 
 to take their leave and depart, desire to send an Embassy to this 
 country, that Embassy will bo very well received by Us. And 
 HO, not doubting that you will receive Our servant EavSsam in a 
 favourable manner, and give entire credit to all that he shall say
 
 18GG. Maech. a dilemma. 39 
 
 to you on Our part, as well as comply with the requests which he 
 is instructed to make to you, We recommend you to the protec- 
 tion of the Almighty. 
 
 " Given at Our Court at Balmoral, the Twenty-sixth day of 
 May, in the year of Our Lord 1864, and in the Twenty-seventh 
 year of Our reign. 
 
 " Your good Friend, 
 
 (Signed) " Victoria 11." 
 
 (L.S. The large Signet.) 
 (Not countersigned.) 
 
 Superscribed : 
 " To Our Good Friend Theodore, 
 " King of Abyssinia." 
 
 Towards evening, Messrs. Flad and Waldmeier as well as 
 Sainiiol expressed their unanimous opinion that as they 
 understood the King's letter received during the day, it was 
 evidently his Majesty's intention to get me to write to 
 England for artisans to be employed in his service, and in 
 the mean time to detain us in the country. What was to 
 be done under this unlooked-for dilemma? Was I to refuse 
 the request at once and stand the consequences, even to the 
 risk of our all being consigned in chains to IMagdala? Or, 
 was I to consent? in whicli case, we should all have to 
 remain in the country as hostages. Either alternative was 
 objectionable ; however, as I was told that the King intended 
 to invite me to spend a day or two with him at Zage, when I 
 should have an opportunity of explaining to him verbally 
 liow important it was that I should leave Abyssinia, together 
 with all the Euroj)ean party, as soon as possible, and might 
 then manage to elicit his consent to our speedy departure, 
 1 made but slii^dit allusion to this subject in my next com- 
 munication. Tile letter was written on the Kith, but owinir 
 to a violent storm w hich raged over the Lake the messengers
 
 40 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 who conveyed it were unable to proceed to Zage till the 
 day following : — 
 
 ''Kordta, 16th March, 1866. 
 "Most Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 "I have had the honoiiv of receiving your Majesty's letter 
 dated the 6th of Magabit, and I was glad to learn from your 
 servants, Alaktl I'ngada and Aito Samuel, that yon were enjoying 
 perfect health. 
 
 " In accordance with your jMajesty's request, I summoned to my 
 tent yesterday morning Mr. Cameron and the rest of the Euro- 
 peans who came from Magdala, and had the charges which yon 
 had preferred against them read to them before your sei"vants Kan- 
 tiba Hailo, Aito Samuel, Xagadras Gabra-Madhen, Alaka I'ngada 
 and others, and also in the presence of your European servants 
 of Gatfat. They all confessed that they had done wrong, and 
 hoped that, as your Majesty had been good enough to release them 
 for the sake of your friendship to our Queen, you w^ould extend 
 to them the forgiveness due from one Christian to another. 
 
 " With regard to your Majesty's wish that I should gladden 
 your heart, as you have done mine, by writing to England and 
 obtaining for you a scientific person to teach your people the 
 arts, be assured that nothing w^ould please me better than to 
 be of service to yon, especially after the great kindness I have 
 received from your Majesty. I should consider myself ungrate- 
 ful and unfriendly were I not to be honest in all my dealings 
 with 3'ou, and acquaint you with what would strengthen your 
 friendship witli my Queen, and prove of material service to your 
 Majesty's benefit and happiness hereafter. 
 
 " j\Iy Queen sent you a most friendly letter, which your 
 Majesty received in a cordial and honourable manner. To that 
 letter you have written a most courteous answer, showing the 
 friendly sentiments with which your heart was inspired. That 
 letter shall bo conveyed by me to her Majesty. 
 
 " Whatever service you wish me to render yoTi, I could not 
 do it better than for myself to be on the spot, and aid you in 
 everything which my Queen can do for j'ou ; but if your Ma- 
 jesty desire otherwise, I shall l)e happy to comply wdtli your 
 wishes." 
 
 I dispatched tliis letter by Aito ISaniuel, Alaka I'ligmla,
 
 1866. March. DR. BEKE'S LETTER. 41 
 
 Agcifari CJolam and one of my messengers. I requested 
 them all to speak to the King about the dangerous course 
 he was pursuing, because, although he intended to keep me 
 in his country, as a friend, until the arrival of the " scientiiic 
 man," yet that such a step would in Europe be construed to 
 moan that he kept me as a hostage. I begged that he ^^ ould 
 trust me, and abandon the idea that I should forget him 
 after I had left Abyssinia. 
 
 As will be seen from the contents of the letter, I was very 
 guarded in the expressions which I used respecting the 
 admission which the captives had made when the King's 
 charges were read over to them. I merely reported that all 
 had confessed that they had done wrong, and begged his 
 Majesty to forgive them, as one Christian ought to forgive 
 another ; and not that they had confessed themselves to bo 
 guilty, and begged him- as a King sitting in judgment to 
 pardon them. But the whole thing was a pretext got up by 
 the wily Monarch to veil his real object. The die was about to 
 be cast, and whether it was to be favourable to us or the con- 
 trary depended entirely on the whim of the royal gamester. 
 
 On the day of the mock trial a messenger came to me 
 with a letter, which he said was from Dr. 13eke, addressed to 
 the King. I asked the messenger if there was with it any 
 letter for me ; he replied in the negative, saying that Dr. 
 Beke had not intended him to come to me, but luvl told him to 
 go straight to the King. lie said he had not done so, because 
 lie was afraid to take the letter to the King, and thought it 
 would bo better to bring it to me. Ho tohl me that he had 
 been obliged to remain four days at Gondar, having been 
 too tired to come on at once. \Vh('n this letter came to 
 hand, 1 was asked i)y some of my follow-Kuropeans to sup- 
 press it, as it wa8 apprehended that it« receipt might prove
 
 42 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 a stumbling-block to our departure from Abyssinia. This, of 
 course, I refused to do, and accordingly sent it on to the King. 
 18th. — Aito Samuel, accompanied by two of the royal 
 deputies, returned from Zage this morning, bringing me the 
 following satisfactory answer from the King : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " ^^'ith regard to the aifair of Cameron and his party, I used 
 to reckon them as my friends, and honoured them, and it has 
 been proved to you that they have wronged mo. For the sake 
 of our Lord, and, below him, for the sake of the great Queen, 
 my friend, Yietoria, I have forgiven them. The contents of 
 your letter have made me glad, by the power of God ; I wish 
 to bow my head and kiss your hand and foot. I w^ant you to 
 come to me, in order that we may consult together. 
 
 " The relations of Cameron and his imprisoned companions 
 have written to me in sorrow about them. By the power of 
 God, and for the sake of my friend, the great Queen Victoria, 
 I have been reconciled to them, and by the power of our Creator 
 wo wdll consult on all matters when we meet. 
 
 " Dated Sunday, the 10th of Magabit." 
 
 When the King dictated the last paragraph in the fore- 
 going communication, he had, of course, perused the petition 
 of the relatives of the captives, and also Dr. Beke's letter 
 which accompanied it; nevertheless, he does not mention 
 that he was moved by either to the announced reconciliation. 
 It is by no means improbable, however, that when he read 
 the petition, wherein the petitioners " humbly, at the feet of 
 your Majesty, plead for mercy and pardon for the wretched 
 Europeans," and understood Irom Dr. Beke himself, "the 
 Englishman," that he was commissioned on the part of the 
 petitioners to " supplicate your Majesty in their names for 
 their [the captives'] pardon and release " — in fact, that the 
 said "Englishman" j)roposed to come up to him with a 
 verdict of guilty in his hand against those whom the King de-
 
 1800. March. MH. WALDMEIER'S TESTIMONY. -13 
 
 signated liis " enemies " — that his Majesty began to think he 
 had let the captives oflf too cheaply, and was more than ever 
 disposed to exact satisfaction in some shape or other. That 
 tlic King, as he states in his letter, had intended to " consult" 
 me on this matter, there can be no doubt. That he never 
 did so was in all probability owing to an after-suspicion that 
 I was cognizant of Dr. Beke's mission, and that it \\as a trick 
 to overreacli him. 
 
 The success of the ^Mission up to this point is thus de- 
 scribed by jMr. Waldmeier, in a letter addressed to Bishop 
 Gobat, dated Koruta, 20th ^larch. 18G(), and published in 
 tlic London lleconl of the 11th July of the same year : — 
 
 " ^Ir. liussam has so fiir perfectly succeeded. The King lias 
 delivered all the liberated prisoners into his hands, saying that 
 he did it fur the sake of friendship between England and Abys- 
 sinia ; to which he added, ' the friendship between Abys.sinia and 
 I'^ngland has been disturbed by the Europeans who came to my 
 land with the devil in their hearts, who abused me, speaking all 
 kinds of evil against me ; but now the great Queen of England 
 liaving sent a great man, Mr. Rassam, to me with a friendly 
 hitter, 1 have sot Mr. Cameron and all the Europeans at liberty, 
 desiring a cordial and solid reconciliation.' . . . The King has 
 invited us (the Scripture Headers), together with Mr. Kassani, 
 to go to him at Zage, to consult together about several particu- 
 lai-H. . . . We expect that in about three weeks Mr. Rassam will 
 take his departure, together with the librratcd Europeans. At 
 ail}' rate, it wcjidd be a dangerous thing if tluy were obliged to 
 spend the rainy season in this country. I fear, in that case, that 
 the peace and friendship whieh have been so wisely restored by 
 Mr. Ii'assam might sulfei", wliich wciuld bo most painful to us. 
 We shall, therefore, do our utmost to forward Mr. Itassam's 
 il<partuie, together with those to whom ho has been a saviour, 
 with all jK)nsible sjteed. . . . Tliree days ago tho King received 
 hoveral petitions in favour of the mptivos, sent to him by Dr. 
 anil Mrs. Heke from Miissowah. Those petitions, especially that 
 from Mr. Stern's family, aro written in very gooil terms, and aro
 
 44 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 exceedingly touching ; tliey deeply moved the heart of the King, 
 though they were too late. The short answer of the King was : 
 ' I have delivered all these persons to Mr. Eassam out of friend- 
 ship to the Queen ; they are all free.' "With respect to the 
 presents about which Dr. Beke has written to the King, his 
 Majesty was most displeased, and expressed strongly his dis- 
 satisfaction that people should think that he loves presents, 
 whilst friendship and love is all that he desires." 
 
 I was informed by the messengers that the King was 
 vacillating, and that he had not quite made up his mind 
 whether to permit me to leave for England, or keep me until 
 his object was attained. They hoped, however, that as the 
 King had expressed a wish to have an interview with me, he 
 would allow me to go with all the Europeans that were with 
 me. Wednesday, the 21st of March, was the day appointed 
 for " consulting " me. 
 
 Samuel informed me that his Majesty was much pleased 
 with the message I had sent him about the Shirts intended 
 for the members of the Mission, and that he had been 
 directed to take the silk back to Zage. The King, how- 
 ever, had expressed a wish to institute an Order, to be 
 called " the Cross and Solomon's Seal," for the special pur- 
 pose of decorating the members of tlie Mission, in tolcen of 
 his esteem, and he asked me to show his Abyssinian gold- 
 smiths — he sent no less than four to our camp — how 
 to make them. They worked for nearly a fortnight, but 
 could not succeed in making the Orders according to pattern ; 
 so the King ordered Mr. Zander, one of the artisans, to under- 
 take them. The new Order was to bo of three classes: — the 
 first, wholly of gold ; the second, a gold cross and silver seal ; 
 the thiid, wliolly of silver. The King insisted that three 
 of each should be got ready before our departure, in order 
 that some of his Abyssinian Cliiefs might share in the honour 
 which he intended to confer on us. The lirst Order was to
 
 18G6. March. "THE CROSS AND SOLOMON'S SEAL." 
 
 45 
 
 bo presented to lias Mashisha, the King's eldest son, Eas 
 I'ngada, the chief minister, and myself; the second was 
 
 JUo(to on the ride to he 
 exposed: 
 
 " The fear of the I/ird 
 
 U the beginning of 
 
 wisdom." 
 
 AMto on the obi'erse : 
 
 " TliiHulonis, King of 
 kings of Ktbiopia." 
 
 Ori>er of the Ciioss axd Solomon's Skai. 
 
 to be conferred on Ra> Tajurga, the Commander-in-Chief of all 
 the I\Iusketcers, Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant I'rideaux. Who 
 was to be invested with the third Order had not been 
 decided on. 
 
 So anxious was the King to decorate my companions and 
 myself before we left, that he sent daily to IMr. Zander to 
 hurry on the work. 
 
 On the same day hi.s Majesty sent me, from the royal 
 Ticasiiry, aiiotlnr present of 5,000 dollars liiroiigh the Kun- 
 tiba, which I nductantly accepted; not thai I was in want 
 of tlie money, but because, under existing ciicuinstanees, I 
 deemed it advisable to give the King no excuse for car[)ingat 
 my conduct. He also sent fifty milch cows, with their keepers, 
 it having been reported to liim tliut I fouii<l great dillieiillN in
 
 46 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 providing milk for our large party. I did not actually receive 
 the money either on this or the previous occasion, but I told 
 Aito Samuel that I should draw on him from time to time for 
 \A^hatever sums I required. As far as the expenses of the 
 Mission were concerned, I had more than enough money 
 remaining of the sum which I took with me into Abyssinia for 
 all purposes — quite sufficient to take us to Matamma; but 
 as I was told that if the King heard that I had not spent any 
 of the present he gave me, he would be greatly offended, 
 I drew sometimes on his agent. 
 
 The King also sent me Ur. Beke's letter, which he asked 
 me to peruse, together with a petition which had been for- 
 warded by Dr. Beke from the families of Messrs. Cameron, 
 Stern, Rosenthal and Kerans. The King said that he did 
 not wish to answer it until he had seen me, and when we 
 met he would consult me about it. The letter was headed, 
 " From the Englishman " — a style which is neither English 
 nor Oriental, and must have seemed as strange to an Abys- 
 sinian as it Avould be to an European. It did not allude to 
 me or the Mission; and from the effect which the letter 
 apjDeared to me likely to produce upon a mind like the King's, 
 as well as from what afterwards took place, I could not help 
 thinking, that from the day the King heard of Dr. Beke's 
 arrival at Massowah, he began to suspect that the British 
 Government was not sincere towards him. 
 
 As far back as the 8th of March, 18G6, I wrote to a friend 
 in England in these terms of Dr. Beke's enterprise : — " It is 
 feared that his mission w ill do a good deal of harm ; and 
 should any interruption take place in the good understanding 
 now existing between his Majesty of Abyssinia and myself, 
 those who were instrumental in getting up that job ought to 
 be blamed for it." The Europeans generally on the spot, as
 
 18Cn. MARcn. DR. BEKE'S MISSION. 47 
 
 well as the native officials of rank who were favourably dis- 
 posed to our Mission, concurred in this opinion. The same 
 view was taken by men eminent for their political experience 
 in the East, wlio did all in their power to arrest the rash 
 undertakinfi;. Colonel Stanton, her Britannic ]\Iajesty's 
 Consul-General in Egypt, in his dispatch to the Under- 
 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, dated 13th December, 
 18G5, writes: — 
 
 "Dr. Bcke, who arrived in Egypt some time since, is still 
 here ; he ha.s informed me his intention is to proceed to !Mas- 
 sowah, and from thence try to reach Adowa ; he talks of proceed- 
 ing in about a week. I informed him I feared his journey 
 might interfere with Eassam's mission, but I hope the latter 
 will have accomplished bis task before Dr. Beke can reach the 
 country." 
 
 Colonel ^rerewothcr, also, took special pains to point out 
 the mischief which he foresaw would almost certainly arise 
 out of this independent attempt on the part of Dr. Beke. In 
 liis official communication to that gentleman, he enters so 
 fully into the then critical state of our relations with Theo- 
 doTO, and draws so correct a portrait of that intractable 
 monarch, that I shall make no apology for quoting it in 
 exteruio from the Blue Book : — 
 
 "Aden, February 8, 1866. 
 
 ••Sir, — Tier Majesty's ship 'Lyra' will leave this for Mas- 
 Bowah in a few days, and I fake the opportunity of communi- 
 cating to you the latest intelligence I have received from Abys- 
 sinia, both from the captives and Mr. Kassani. 
 
 "The letters from the former were up to the 2Sth Soptcmbor 
 only, the messengers bringing them down having delayed in 
 Tigre from dread of the cholt-ra, said to bo raginj^ on the coa.st. 
 On the above date Capt^iin Cain.n.n and l)is fellow prisoners 
 were still at Mdgdala and all well, Imviiig j^i.t tliiough the winter 
 bettor than they had exjiected to do. 
 
 •♦ Mr. HasHJun had ru^ichod Ciwda on the 6th November, and
 
 48 TIJIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 left it again on the 9th, expecting to arrive at Matamma on the 
 20th idem. From there he would immediately communicate 
 with King Theodorus, and it was hoped would either meet or 
 speedily be joined by an escort to take him to the King. Of 
 the latter's movements it was said that he had entered Gojjam, 
 so as to be nearer to Matamma, and that be bad the captives 
 with him. The first part of this report was supposed to bo 
 trae, the latter not to be strictly relied on. 
 
 " My object in mentioning the above is to show you exactly 
 the position of affairs now, and while desirous of not in the 
 least trammelling you in the execution of the kindly object you 
 have in view, to suggest to you the unquestionable expediency 
 of your deferring your entry into Abyssinia until something 
 more decisive is heard of the result of Mr. Eassam's mission to 
 Matamma. That gentleman has progressed as favourably and 
 as rapidly as could under the circumstances be expected ; he 
 is proceeding to the King by the route selected by that poten- 
 tate, and at this moment, if not actually with him, will be in 
 direct commimication, and engaged in negotiations regarding 
 the release of the unfortunate captives whose safety and free- 
 dom is your chief point of solicitude. 
 
 "With your knowledge of Abyssinia, its present ruler and 
 its people, I need not enter at length into the difficulties and 
 complications that are likely to be raised, if, while these nego- 
 tiations are going on, and before they have been brought to any 
 issue, the King should hear that another Mission (for your re- 
 tinue will of course be greatly magnified) has entered Abys- 
 sinia, headed by an English gentleman of repute in the country 
 itself, and having professedly the same object, viz., the liberation 
 of the captives ; it will also be pointed out to him that this 
 second Mission is entering the country not at his invitation — a 
 point on which, as yon know, he is particularly sensitive — and, 
 further, that it is proceeding through the territory of those who 
 are rebels to his authority, and that it is enabled to do so only 
 by entering into friendly communication and association with 
 those who are in arms against him. In any person's mind such 
 a mode of procedure would naturally raise doubts; how much 
 more so will it in a person of such a notoriously suspicious 
 and hasty nature as the Emperor of Abyssinia? In the under- 
 standing of himself and those around him, it will be impos-
 
 18GG. March. DK. BEKE ADVISED. 49 
 
 sible to dissever you from the British Government, or to induce 
 them to believe that you are acting separately, and entirely in 
 a private capacity ; it will therefore seem as if Government was 
 acting on two different plans, one of which would personally 
 be most objectionable to him, and would immediately lead him 
 to question the other. The confidence in Mr. Kussam's mission, 
 which has been brought about by careful management and long 
 patient waiting, would be at once withdrawn, and the position 
 of the captives rendered more critical than ever. 
 
 "As far as we are able to judge, 3Ir. Eassam's mission has 
 every chance of success ; ho is proceeding to join the King's 
 Court at tlie invitation of that Monarch. On the 20th of 
 November he was to have reached the place appointed, and if 
 the King was in Gujjam, there would not be above fourteen 
 days' march between them ; and, farther, he is the bearer of a 
 letter from her Majesty the Queen of England, which cannot 
 fail to prove most satisfactory to his wounded dignity ; but the 
 receipt thereof — so all are agreed — is the point on which he has 
 always laid the greatest stress, as the one essential before the 
 question of the condition of the captives, or any other, could be 
 entertained. 
 
 " Under these circumstances I would strongly recommend your 
 deferring your advance fiom Massowah until further tidings 
 have been received of ^Ir. Kassam's movements. Such cannot bo 
 long delayed now ; they may indeed be at ^lassowah at this 
 moment ; and to save time I shall by this opportunity write 
 and request M, Munzinger, who is in charge of the British 
 Consulate, to be good enough to communicate to you any au- 
 thentic intelligence he may receive, that you niay be the better 
 ul)le to judge how you can act with advantage to the cause 
 you have undertaken. 
 
 " I have, &c., 
 
 (Signed) " W. L. Merewetiikr. 
 
 " To Dr. Beke." 
 
 Kindly remonstrances like these would have induced any 
 ordinary philanthropist to liositato before ho placed in jeo- 
 jiunly the liberty, and perhaps the lives, of those whoso releaso 
 it was his avowed object to effect. But Dr. Beke's overween- 
 
 VUL. II. E
 
 50 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIY. 
 
 ing estimate of liis own abilities and of his kno^Yledge of the 
 customs of the country — a knowledge which the tenor of his 
 letter to the King goes far to disprove — led him to persist at all 
 risks — not to himself, but to the captives generally and the 
 members of the Mission — in his most injudicious scheme. Even 
 Samuel laughed when he handed me that gentleman's letter, 
 and said, "Do you know that man Beke, sir ? He is a queer 
 man. I travelled with him for some time in Abyssinia. He 
 coming to release the captives, indeed ! He had better remain 
 where he is ; for from what I know of him he will not be two 
 days with the King before he is sent to Magdala in chains." 
 Fortunately, when the ill-timed letter arrived I was on the 
 best terms with his Majesty, otherwise we should all have 
 been condemned to that fate at once; but the King's sus- 
 picions had been aroused, and the consequence was not long 
 delayed in the disgrace of our Mission and the re-incarceration 
 of the captives. 
 
 Mohammed Siha\vy, the false reporter, was presented by the 
 King to-day with a small district in Tigre, called Wena, 
 together with the title of " Ona," and by royal order he was 
 in future to be styled " Ona Mohammed." He was inordi- 
 nately puffed up with his new title, and assumed at once an 
 overbearing demeanour towards his late comrades. Ddbtera 
 Dasta, who had just returned from Massowah, took ofifence at 
 his assumption of superiority, and on receiving some direc- 
 tions from him iriven in the tone of a command, he asked 
 him who or what he was to think so much of himself. The 
 new Ona adjured liim, by the death of the King, to hold his 
 tongue, which merely added fuel to fire, for Dasta thereupon 
 abused him roundly, and then, stripping ofif liis Royal Shirt, 
 threw it on the ground, saying, "Here are the few ells of 
 silk ; give them back to the King." As Samuel and other
 
 1866. Makch. DASTA IN ROYAL APPAREL. 51 
 
 of the King's officers, who were witnesses of this scene, ex- 
 pressed their fears that if a report of Avhat had occurred 
 should reach his Majesty, the rash man might lose his Yiio, 
 I ordered him to be arrested forthwith, as well with the hope 
 of saving the poor fellow, as to show the officials that I dis- 
 approved of his conduct. During the night a consultation 
 took place between Samuel and his colleagues, Ona Mo- 
 liammed among the number, when it was unanimously 
 agreed that the matter should be hushed up, and they all 
 came to me in a body to solicit forgiveness for the culprit. 
 I accordingly sent for him and made him receive the Shirt, 
 with a stone on the back of his neck, in accordance with the 
 Abyssinian custom in such cases. After kissing the Shirt 
 thrice, he put it on, not a little delighted to find that he had 
 got out of the scrape so easily. I sent this man again to 
 Massowah with letters in IMay, 1866, and on his return in 
 August he was plundered and imprisoned by the rebels near 
 Ooiular. (That, as I have already mentioned, was the King's 
 alleged reason for destroying the capital.) He eventually 
 effected his escape, and on the way back to me, via Debra 
 Tabor, he thought he might as well pay his respects to the 
 Sovereign — in the hope, of course, of getting something from 
 him. He was clad in rags at the time, and on seeing him in 
 tlmt plight the King bade him approach, saying: "What is 
 the matter with you, Dabteia Dasta? Why are you so 
 ragged?" He then narrated all that had befallen liim, 
 whereupon his Majesty remarked, " So you have been plun- 
 <lered and imprisoned by those vicious rebels ! Come here, 
 and put on these clothes, and when you have rested I will 
 send you to your master;" the King simultaneously divesting 
 himself of his drawers and shdnima, and giving them to tho 
 .Mian, who came to me shortly after, at ^lugdala, chid in these 
 
 E 2
 
 52 TEIAL OF THE CArTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 royal garments. I subsequently employed this Dabtera; 
 
 Dasta as a courier between ]\Iagdala and the coast, and when 
 
 Dajjaj Kasa took possession of Tigre he was the confidential 
 
 messenger between me and that Chief. I also sent him once 
 
 charged with an important communication to the Wakshum 
 
 Gobaze, Dajjaj Kasa's rival ; but although he was so engaged 
 
 on my belialf with contending parties, and that at a most 
 
 critical time, ho never once failed to keep his counsel. 
 
 Idth. — I wrote the following letter to the King to-day, but 
 
 the messengers Avere unable to proceed with it till next 
 
 morning : — 
 
 " Kordta, 19tJi March, 18G6. 
 " Most Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 " I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your kind 
 and welcome letter of the 10th of the niontli of Magubit, which 
 was brought to me by Aito Samuel and his companions, and I 
 am not a little rejoiced to learn that 3'ou are in j)erfect health 
 and prosperity. 
 
 " The five thousand dollars with which you have kindly pre- 
 sented me, through Kautiba Hailo, have reached me in full, and 
 now I beg to return you my best thanks for them. I pray God 
 to reward you for all your kindness to me. 
 
 " With refeience to your Majesty's desire that I should come 
 and see you, doubtless it is a pleasure for which my heart has been 
 longing ever since we separated ; and by God's help I hope to 
 repair to you with my companions, Dr. Blanc and Mr. Prideaux,, 
 on Wednesday morning next, as those gentlemen are also glad 
 of the oj)portunity of being honoiu'ed once more by seeing your 
 Majesty. 
 
 " I pray God to show iis the light of your countenance in 
 gladness and joy. 
 
 *' My companions join me in respectful compliments." 
 
 I must remark on the above that his Majesty had er- 
 pressed a desire to see me "alone;" for Avhat object, i)ro- 
 bably none but that inscrutable Monarch himself knew.. 
 However, I was determined not to be scijarated from my
 
 18G0. March. OUR VISIT POSTPONED. 53 
 
 colleagues, who Lad thus far shared the fortunes of the 
 Mission. 
 
 20th. — This morning I received the following note from 
 the King : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " Unavoidable business has called me hence, and I wish you 
 to remain where you are until I return, when 1 will send for 
 you. 
 
 " Dated the 12th of Magubit." 
 
 The reason for this postponement of my visit was, because 
 he thought iit to go in person to escort his horses, which he 
 had ordered from Debra Tabor. As they were to be con- 
 ducted to Zage round tlie south-eastern side of the Lake, 
 he feared that in reaching tlie Abai they might be pounced 
 upon by the rebels of Gojjam. A detachment headed by a Ras 
 would have sufficed for the duty, but he evidently distmsted 
 jtlacing even a small body of troops, under independent 
 command, any distance out of his sight. All his female 
 establishment also came from Debra Tabor on the same 
 occasion; but thfy were sent to Zage in canoes, together 
 A\ith all the ladies of rank who \\ero going to join their 
 husbands at the royal cam]). 
 
 2l8t. — Received the subjoined from the King just as he 
 was starting ibr the Abai : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " I have been desirous and anxious to have an intei-view witli 
 you, but now I intend to be absent from this place for a day (»r 
 two. When I return, l»y the power of Cod, I will send for you, 
 j\.s I am longing for your friendship. May our Creator cause us 
 to nioet in peace, and may Tie give you and nie health. 
 
 *• Dated Wednesday, the i;;(Ii of iMaj,'abit." 
 
 lie .Ncnt no reply eitlur verbally or l)y letter to my
 
 5^- TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV., 
 
 intimation tliat I should take my companions with me to 
 Zage. I did not answer the foregoing, because I was told 
 that his Majesty would send for me on his return. 
 
 As I was uncertain what would be the upshot of the pro- 
 jected interview, I deemed it advisable to dispatch a post 
 to the coast, in order to give the captives an opportunity of 
 communicating with their friends at home. I enjoined them 
 to be very careful to write nothing which might compromise 
 us, having been given to understand that the King was very 
 fond of prying into other people's secrets, and that he would 
 not scruple to have all the correspondence seized. I am 
 bound, on the other hand, to state that my own experience 
 wholly absolves his late Majesty from any such propensity ; 
 for during our detention in Abyssinia he had possession of 
 all our papers for some time, and on two occasions when 
 my letters fell into his hands he sent them to me unopened. 
 Nor have I the least reason to believe that he surrepti- 
 tiously caused any single document belonging to us to be 
 read to him. Judging that it would be better to make 
 no secret of the proposed transmission of letters to Mas- 
 sowah, I instructed Samuel to obtain a couple of messengers 
 for me from the Chief of Korata, and they started on their 
 journey on the morning of the 23rd. On the same day I 
 received the following letter from the King by Alaka I'ngada, 
 who brought also a number of canoes with liim for the 
 transport of all the European artisans to Zagu : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " By the power of God, I have returned in safety to my home. 
 I had gone to escort my hor-ses, which were coming to me, and 
 now may He cause me to meet with you, my friend, in safety. 
 
 " I used to pray to our Creator that the people [prisoners] 
 whom I disliked and imprisoned might reach you in health and 
 safety. Now, firstly, 1 pray that God may give peace and prosperity
 
 18GG. MAitcn. ALAKA I'XGADA. 55 
 
 to my friend, the Queen ; and, secondly, that He may give you, who 
 are the flower of my gladness, health and long life. I also crave 
 from our Creator that He will cause you to concede mo your 
 love. "With regard to myself, whether I dislike you or love 
 you, oh English! you can discover from my conduct in the 
 a flair of I'lowden and YuhannOs [Mr. Bell]. According to the 
 rules of my country and my ability, I used to love and honour 
 them [the English]. My love and honour towards them was for 
 the purpose of obtaining the regard of the Queen and yourselves. 
 That love of yours which I was longing for, I feel convinced 
 I have obtained, and, by the power of God, it has given me jo}-. 
 I send you, by Alilkd I'ugridu, boats. Come yourself and the 
 party of Kantiba Hailo [the European artisans]. 
 
 " Dated Friday, the loth of Magabit." 
 
 Alaka I'ngada was chief Amharic scribe to the King, and 
 the only servant he implicitly trusted. He always carried the 
 royal seal, had possession of the King's papers, and was his 
 Majesty's constant companion. He was, in fact, his public 
 and private secretary, and one of the few men about the Court 
 who could boast that he had never been abused or beaten 
 by the Sovereign. He was a man of undoubted integrity, 
 and I never heard him utter a disparaging word of any one. 
 His remarks touching his master's subsequent treachery and 
 ill-treatment of me were generally confined to the follow- 
 ing : — '' Trust in God, sir, and He will yet deliver you ; for 
 lie will not forsake you after having implanted such strong 
 aflcctiou for you in the heart of the Iving." Eventually, 
 however, when his jMajcsty reached Magdala, at the end 
 of ^larch, ISOS, and the lives of all were in imminent danger, 
 he applied to me to provide him witli guides to enable him 
 to effect his escape from the royal camp and through tin 
 intervening rebels to the invading British army. But 1 
 advised him to wait until the arrival of our troops, when 
 inalt<is might assume a more favourable aspect; whereais,
 
 56 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 if detected in his attempt to escape, liis life and that 
 of the guides would be forfeited, and the safety of myself 
 and party compromised. This man was disj)atched by the 
 King with a letter to Sir Eobert Napier on Easter Sunday, 
 the 12th of April, and was fortunate enough to remain in the 
 British camp until after the attack on Magdala. He was 
 always friendly towards me, and if he was scrupulously 
 cautious not to reveal his master's secrets, he was equally 
 careful never to betray me. The King allowed me to 
 present him with a silver inlistand, made after an English 
 pattern, which one of the Korata silversmiths managed to 
 copy remarkably well. He was also one of those whom 
 the King allowed to wear a silk shirt of my presentation, 
 and he and other courtiers who were similarly privileged 
 made it a point of wearing these shirts whenever I was well 
 received by his Majesty, or whenever they came to me on 
 business from the royal Court. 
 
 25^Z(. — Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux and all the European 
 artisans, with Kantiba Hailo, accompanied me to Zage early 
 this morning. We landed about two miles from the bottom 
 of the bay, where the King's residence stood, to put ou our 
 imiforms. On reaching the beach we found Eas I'ngada 
 and other Chiefs in waiting. ]\Iules with rich trappings 
 had been prepared for us, and when all were mounted we 
 followed the Prime Minister at a brisk trot towards the 
 royal dwelling. Three new silk tents had been prepared 
 for the Mission, and Dr. Jjlanc, Lieutenant Prideaux and 
 myself were ushered into them by Eas I'ngada. Two other 
 red-cloth tents Ascre pitched for our followers, besides a 
 black one lor our kitchen. Our canii) had been i:)itched 
 in a corner of the King's inclosure, partitioned off by a fence, 
 which to make it look neater was covered ^^ith v.hite native
 
 ISGG. March. A VISIT FROM THEODORE. 57 
 
 calico. Immediately after, a plentiful supply of live stock, 
 lioney, butter, tej and curry-stuflf were sent to the kitchen, 
 with a polite message from the King, that although it was then 
 the fast of Lent in Abyssinia, yet his English friends must not 
 scruple to eat meat. To show his joy on the occasion, he 
 allowed my Mohammedan servants to slaughter their sheep 
 within the royal inclosure — a privilege which Mussulmans 
 had never been allowed before. 
 
 In the course of a couple of hours the King sent to say 
 that he wanted to come and pay me a visit, in order to show 
 aU his jjeoplc how he respected me. As he had never, to my 
 knowledge, visited any one since his accession to the throne, 
 I sent and begged him not to trouble himself, but liopcil he 
 would grant me an interview where he was. lie answered, 
 *' Are yon not my brother, and tlie servant of my friend, the 
 great Queen of Euglaud, and sliall it be below my dignity to 
 enter the tent of the Queen, which I have pitched expressly 
 for her? No, my friend, I will not listen to you in this 
 matter." Accordingly, he came to see me soon afterwards ; 
 and on entering my tent, as a mark of respect, he put 
 his right arm out of his robe, and said, "I feel as happy 
 as if I were visiting the Queen." After remaining about 
 ten minutes in my tent, he rose, took me liy the hand, and 
 Kiiid to I >r. Diane, Lieutenant Prideaux and me, "Come 
 along, and let us have a chat." 
 
 The King and I walked hand in hand until we reached 
 the audience-hall, where we found carpets had been spread 
 tor all the lOuropeans. My eompanious and I sat near 
 the King, but the artisans occupied places at some distance 
 on our left. After some friendly conversation, in wliich the 
 King could not help alluding to his old grievances, Kas 
 3Iusbisha, the eldest illegitimate sou of Theodore, came in,
 
 58 TKIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV, 
 
 v.eariiig a sliirt of the Lyons silk that I had presented to 
 his father. As soon as we saw him come in we stood up, 
 and the King said, "Mashisha, draw near, and shake hands 
 with my English friends in the English fashion, as I want 
 you to become one of them." After he had shaken hands 
 with my companions and myself, he sat down next to us, by 
 his father's directions. The King then turned round to me, 
 and said, " Mr. Eassam, I wish this son of mine, and another 
 at Magdala (Dajjaj 'Alamayo), to be adopted children of the 
 English ; and when you go back to your country, I want you 
 to recommend them to your Queen, in order that, when I 
 die, they may be looked after by the English, and not be 
 allowed to govern badly." 
 
 When this ceremony was over, different kinds of muskets 
 and pistols were shown us, the King exhibiting them to us 
 singly, relating the history of each weapon — from that which 
 had been presented to him by Mr. Plowden, to those which I 
 had brought from Massowah for M. Bourgaud, the French 
 gunsmith, for the King's use. 
 
 We sat together about two hours discussing different topics, 
 Theodore making casual allusions to the Bishop, Consul 
 Cameron and Mr. Stern in the course of the conversation. We 
 were then dismissed, the King ordering Eas Mashisha, Eas 
 I'ngada, and all the European artisans to escort us to our 
 tents. 
 
 Early next morning, 26th of March, it was reported to 
 me that the King had summoned all the great Chiefs to con- 
 sult them about our departure for the coast, and that the 
 European artisans were also ordered to attend. First, he 
 consulted Aito Samuel and Wald-Gabir, the valet and con- 
 stant attendant on the King, and when they advised him to 
 send me to my country with jo)', he told them that they
 
 18G6. M.vncn. A MULTITUDE OF COUNSELLORS. 59 
 
 were asses and blockheads, and did not know what they were 
 saying. The European artisans were called next, and on 
 their unanimously advising him to send me away, the King- 
 said, " But what surety have I in my hand ? " Mr. Zander 
 now came forward, and taking up her Majesty's letter of the 
 26th May, 186-1, which was before the King, he first opened 
 it, and then placing his hand on the royal signature and seal, 
 exclaimed, " Trust to these, your Majesty ; they are a true 
 voucher to the word of the English Queen, who never breaks 
 her word." Thereupon the Europeans were told to go out 
 of the room and wait outside. 
 
 The King had now only the native Chiefs to depend upon 
 for the decision which he desired. They were, I believe, 
 about eighty-five in number, and of the highest rank. When 
 they had all assembled, the King asked them whether he ought 
 to allow me to return to England, or keep me until the friend- 
 ship of my Government had been proved to him by external 
 evidence. They all, without a dissenting voice, answered, 
 " Let Ml'. Eassam go." " But what have I in my hands ? " 
 was the rejoinder. One of the Eases, named Tagga, replied, 
 " We beg your JMajesty to let Mr. Eassam depart in peace ; 
 and if he behaves falsely to you, let God be judge between 
 him and you. Trust in God ; He is enough for us." Another 
 Chief said, " If your Majesty does not trust the English, make 
 Mr. Eassam swear on the Bible, before you permit him to 
 go, that he will lujt prove false to you ; because the English 
 are very scru})ulous in keei>ing an oath taken on the Bible." 
 These arguments silenced the King for a time, but they did 
 not satisfy him. 
 
 After all the counsellors were dismissed, the King sent for 
 nic by Eas rngadu and Kautiba Jlailo, the ex-^Iayor of 
 (Jondar, to communicate to me the result of that morning's
 
 >60 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chav. XIV. 
 
 council. As usual, I repaired to the audience-cliamber with 
 my compauions, and found that all the native Chiefs had 
 gone, but the European artisans were standing outside the 
 door. As soon as we entered, the King called out to them 
 to join us. This time they sat in front of us. 
 
 On going in I noticed that the King was not in the best 
 of moods, and the first thing he said, after we had sat down, 
 was: "I have this morning called all those people in whom I 
 trust, Europeans as well as Abyssinians, and I inquired of 
 them whether it would be better to let you go back to your 
 country at once, or keep you with me until I obtained a token 
 ■ of friendship from England. They all said that I ought to 
 send you away, and you shall depart as soon as our Easter 
 is over ; but," he continued, " how can I trust any European 
 now after the ill-behaviour of those whom I have treated 
 like brothers ? " He then proceeded to relate his grievances 
 against different Europeans, the names of some of whom I 
 -had never heard before. He began to inveigh against the 
 Bishop, whom he accused of having taken liberties with 
 the Queen, and who had given him trouble both in political 
 and domestic affairs. M. Lejean was the next subject of the 
 royal displeasure. He said, " A man came to me riding on a 
 donkey, and said that he was a servant of the great Emperor 
 of the French, and that he had come to my country for the 
 sole purpose of establishing friendship between me and his 
 Sovereign. I said, ' I do not object to making friends with 
 great Christian Kings ; you are welcome.' The next day 
 he said he wished to see me on business, and I assented ; 
 but to my astonishment he came to me \^itll a bundle of 
 rags [patterns of silk]. I asked him A\]iat those were. He 
 replied that the French had a large town in their country 
 where they made sill<s, and that the merchants of that place
 
 186G. March. THEODORE AND M. LEJEAX. G> 
 
 had commissioned him to bring them to me for the sake of 
 barter. I said to myself, ' what have I done that these people 
 insult me thus by treating me like a shopkeeper ? ' I bore the 
 insult then, and said nothing. Another day, while I was out 
 on a war expedition, this Frenchman sent to say that 
 he wished to see me. I told the messenger that I was 
 very busy just then and could not see him. On receiving 
 my message he rushed out of his tent, dressed in his uniform, 
 and said, that as he was wearing his King's robes, he could 
 not disgrace them by taking them off before he had had 
 an interview, and that I must see him. On hearing this I 
 said, ' Who is his father? seize him ! ' and I put him in chains 
 in the very dress of liis King. After a short time I had 
 pity on him, as I thought the man was not in his right 
 senses; so I ordered him to be unfettered and sent out of 
 the country. All the time he was with me I treated him 
 kindly and hospitably ; and when he reached MassoAvah he 
 icwarded my kindness by sending me an insulting letter, 
 in which he abused mo most grossly." I afterwards learned 
 from the late ]\[r. Dufton that it was he, and not his fellow- 
 traveller M. Lojean, who came to the royal camp riding on a 
 donkey. 
 
 It appears that when M. Lejcan arrived at Massowah, after 
 his disgrace, he wrote what he called *• a protest" to the 
 K'iiig, in which he commented very strongly upon his 
 Ma ji sty's conduct towards him. It was very well for M. 
 J>-j(!an to say what he liked to a crazy monarch while he 
 was safe out of his reach ; he ought to have known, however, 
 that such a letter could do no good, but jnight endanger the 
 safrty of the Europeans who were still in the power of the 
 despot. I believe that letter did a good deal of harm. 
 
 The King then commenced his complaints against the
 
 G2 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 Egyptian Government, and said that they had sent him a 
 man who called himself a Patriarch, to whom, as the head of 
 the Abyssinian Church, he had accorded a good reception, 
 and had condescended so far as to carry his chair in public. 
 The King concluded by saying, " This did not content the 
 man, because the next day he asked me to give him the 
 crown." ' What,' said I, ' do you want to take my crown 
 and give it to the Turks ? Is this the mission on which you 
 have come ?' After that, I was compelled to watch his 
 movements; and, for a few days, I did not allow him to 
 leave his house." 
 
 I heard through a reliable authority that the Patriarch 
 of the Copts had never presumed to ask Theodore for the 
 crown, but only begged for a bishop's mitre, thinking it 
 Avould look well when he went back to Egypt if he wore a 
 mitre, which he could say had been given to him by a Chris- 
 tian King, who was one of his flock. In Amharic, there is 
 only one word for mitre and crown ; and as the King wished 
 to have a case against the Patriarch, he accused him of 
 having come to Abyssinia to give his country to the Turks. 
 He thought it was very hard that one bishop should take 
 possession of his wife, and another covet his crown. Although 
 these charges were utterly unfounded, the King seems to have 
 worked himself up into believing them. 
 
 The King then continued the statement of his grievances, 
 saying that after the Patriarch had left, the Egyptian 
 Government sent him a Turk, named 'Abd-ur-Eahnicin Bey, 
 to establish good friendship between him and the Egyptian 
 Government, and that this Mohammedan had scarcely been 
 a year in the country before he began to play all kinds of 
 tricks, and plunder the inhabitants ; that one day, while the 
 Ambassador was at Gondar, tlie King gave a feast to his
 
 1866. March. THEODORE'S GRIEVANCES. 63 ' 
 
 soldiers, and, in accordance with Abyssinian custom, the Chiefs 
 commenced a war-dance after the entertainment was over ; 
 that thereupon the Turkish Envoy came out of his tent and 
 ridiculed the royal troops before thousands of people ; that 
 when the King heard of this, he sent to tell 'Abd-ur- 
 Kahman Bey that he could not put up with his imperti- 
 nence any longer, and that he must pack up and leave the 
 country at once ; that when the Turkish Envoy reached 
 Chalga, on the western frontier of Abyssinia, he began his 
 old pranks again, ordering his people to plunder ; that he 
 even went so far as to carry off some girls, but that the 
 villagers fell upon him and his people and took the girls and 
 the other spoil away from them. 
 
 The King then spoke of what he called the ingratitude 
 of a German and an Englishman. The former, he said, who 
 was tlie Austrian Consul at Khartum, had come to Abyssinia 
 and made a treaty with him, which, on his return, he tried 
 to turn to the benefit of the Turks. The latter, whose name 
 was Fallake (Mr. Speedy), had stayed some months with him, 
 and he had in every respect treated liim well ; but when he 
 went down to Massowah he had abused him before the Turks, 
 and called the Abyssinians " asses." 
 
 The King finished by saying, " You see how I have been 
 treated by people who ought to have requited me differently. 
 How am I to know that you will act differently ? You may 
 not abuse me when you leave my country, but still you 
 may forget me." I replied that it would not be becoming 
 in me to praise myself by saying that I should behave better 
 tlian others. I only begged him to try mo, and judge from 
 my future conduct what kind of a person I was. He said, 
 " Very well, I will try yon ; and may you reach your country 
 ^Mf.ly."
 
 G4 TRIAL OF THE CAPTIVES. Chap. XIV. 
 
 After this, he reverted to the rebellion, and asked me 
 to advise liim how to stop it. As I did not wish to meddle 
 in siieli a delicate affair, and yet did not deem it advisable 
 to vex him by telling him that it was not my business to mis 
 myself up in matters which did not concern me, I related to 
 him the history of the Indian mutiny, and how her Majesty 
 the Queen had ultimately granted an amnesty to all those 
 who had been implicated in it. On saying this the King 
 smiled, and said, " Do you think the Abyssinians are like other 
 people ? They are bad and will not listen to reason. To 
 show you that I am right, I will instantly proclaim a general 
 amnesty to all the rebels, and you will find that no one 
 •will give heed to me." He then asked me to send my inter- 
 preter to hear the proclamation by the herald. The crier 
 was accordingly ordered to announce the amnesty, and one 
 of my interpreters had to witness the ceremony. 
 
 On this day the King did not refer to Dr. Beke's letter, 
 but that gentleman's messenger received orders that he was 
 to return with me to Massowah, without an answer. I began 
 then to hope that the King had put Dr. Beke's mission out 
 of his mind. 
 
 Our interview lasted more than two hours, and on dis- 
 missing us the King said he wished me to return to Korata 
 that evening, and that I was to prepare myself to start from 
 Abyssinia with my companions and the released captives. 
 He said he would sec me again, because he wanted me to 
 come and bid him good-bye before I finally left Abyssinia. 
 Towards evening, the European artisans came to ask me to 
 remain until the following morning, as it was hardly pleasant 
 to cross the Lake at night ; or, if I did not like to do so 
 on my own responsibility, to request liis Majesty's j)ormission 
 to that efl'ect. As I was given to understand that the King
 
 18GG. March. RETURN TO KORATA, '65 
 
 was not in the best of moods, I declined to alter the original 
 plan, unless the jn-oposal came from the King himself. 
 Kantiba Hailo repaired accordingly to the royal presence to 
 request permission to depart, and on his rejoining us we started, 
 Eas I'ngada, as usual, escorting us as far as the boats. He 
 said, on wishing me good-bye, " I hope to escort you much 
 farther next time ; " meaning, that when I went again to 
 Zage, according to appointment, to take leave of the King, 
 he would have to travel with me some distance from the 
 royal camp. I truly believe that he meant what lie said. 
 
 VOL. II.
 
 66 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. Chap. XV. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. 
 
 Fresh difficulties — M. Bardel and I'ugada, Wark — Intestine troubles — 
 The European artisans — Dr. Beke's mission — Theodore's suspicions 
 aroused — Favourable prognostications — Theodore and his Shirts — 
 Men-milliners — The King's Dispatch box — Directions given for home- 
 ward route — Eeasons for preventing a final meeting between the King 
 and the Captives — Theodore dispenses with the interview — Orders our 
 immediate departure — Arrangements made to re-arrest the Captives. 
 
 Two or three days after my return to Korata, I found fresh 
 troubles looming in the distance. Every day messengers 
 from I'ngada Wark were going to and fro between Zage 
 and Korata, visiting M. Bardel. I also heard that the latter 
 had a document in his possession, by the use of which he 
 threatened to prevent Consul Cameron from leaving the 
 country. It appears that when Consul Cameron was a 
 prisoner at Magdala, before I went to Abyssinia, he had 
 given a kind of passport to a number of rebel Chiefs who 
 were then confined in the same place with the Europeans,, 
 promising them British protection and rewards in case of war 
 with England. Afterwards, however, it was feared that the 
 existence of such papers involved great rislv, for if the King 
 heard of them, the safety of Consul Cameron and his fellow- 
 prisoners would be compromised. The passports Mere there- 
 fore recalled and destroyed ; but M. Bardel managed to ob- 
 tain a copy through Consul Cameron's secretary, and kept it 
 concealed, in order that he might use it against us when
 
 18GC. JlAucn. MISCHIEF-MAKERS. 07 
 
 it suited him. The said copy was eventually burnt at 
 Korata, which relieved us from any further anxiety on that 
 score. 
 
 Soon after the return of the Mission from Zage, one of 
 the courtiers sent to apprise me of a report having reached 
 the Court that some of my party had requested Messi's. 
 Schimper and Waldmeier to furnish them with an outline 
 of the I'ormor sufierings of the captives, as they ha<I forgotten 
 several of the incidents and dates. I was accordingly advised 
 by my Abyssinian informants to put a stop to such a dangerous 
 proceeding, otherwise the King might get wind of it and 
 conclude that other " abusive " accounts of him were beinfr 
 prepared for publication on our return to Europe, to the 
 certain jeopardy of the Mission and the released captives. 
 "Let those who want 'to write books," was the wise and 
 friendly injunction conveyed to me, " wait until they are safe 
 out of the country; tlien let them write whatever they 
 please." On receiving this intelligence I immediately sent 
 for Messrs. Scliimper and AValdmeier, and was glad to heai- 
 from them that they had refused the solicited assistance. 
 They also kindly promised to give no countenance whatever 
 to a proposition so fraught with hazard to all concerned ; in 
 fact, the Giiffat artisans were always avowedly friendly to 
 the Mission. 
 
 These were some of the difficulties which beset the Mission 
 at this time. Jealousy, and envy, and self-interest seemed at 
 work aroiuid us, and there is no knowing how far their 
 imitcd influence was brought to bear, directly or indirectly, 
 on the mind of the King. Then, again, there can be no 
 doubt that Dr. Beke's intervention excited the misgivings of 
 the mistrustful M(jnarch. Thus much is certain, that at thr 
 end of January, 18GG, Theodore had no thought of detaining 
 
 F 2
 
 C8 OUR EXODUS SAXCTIOXED, Chap. XY. 
 
 US, and that he began to change his mind wlien he heard of 
 the arrival at Massowah of another person whose ostensible 
 object was to procure the liberation of the Magilala captives. 
 Ignorant as he was of the liberty of the subject in England, it 
 is not surprising that, at a loss to comprehend how a private 
 Englishman dared to interfere in an important matter which 
 had already been taken in hand by his Sovereign, Theodore 
 was led to question whether we were dealing with him in a 
 straightforward manner ; and, of course, his suspicions would 
 be confirmed on hearing that the agent referred to had been 
 conveyed to and from Massowah in a Government steamer. 
 
 Another circumstance which seems to have aroused the 
 susj)icion of Theodore at this juncture was a rumour, set on 
 foot at Korata, that I had been sent by the British Govern- 
 ment to obtain the release of Consul Cameron only. If so, 
 it seemed inconsistent in me, in his estimation, that I should 
 make such strenuous efforts to secure the liberation of all the 
 captives. 
 
 The foregoing are some of the causes to which I attribute 
 the King's altered tone towards the Mission. Indications of 
 the unfavourable change were already evident, but I thought 
 then that the symptoms would prove merely transitory. 
 
 I reached Korata about midnight, and next morning dis- 
 patched the following letter to the King : — 
 
 "Korata, 27th 3Iarch, 1866. 
 " Most Gracious Sovereigx, 
 
 " I have the honour to inform your Majesty that, by God's 
 mercy and your favour, I arrived here safely last night, with 
 ICantiba Ilailo and our respective parties. I trust that this letter 
 will find you in perfect health and prosperity. 
 
 " Allow me to return you my grateful thanks for the kind- 
 ness and favour I received at your hands, which I trust, by the 
 help of God, I shall never forget; and may lie who knows our
 
 18GG. March, A GLEAM OF SUNSHINE. G9 
 
 hearts enable me to do always what is pleasing to ITim and 
 agi-eeable to your ]\Iajesty. 
 
 " In presenting you "with my respectful compliments, in which 
 my companions join, I remain," &c. 
 
 His Majesty had written mo a complimentary letter the 
 same day, begging me to report my safe arrival at Korata. 
 In fact, we seemed to be trying • which should outvie the 
 other in courtesy. Three days later I received the following 
 note, to my intense gratification, inasmuch as it reassured 
 me that our departure was in contemplation : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " Before this I sent to inquire after your safe an-ival, and 
 afterwards Lij Abitu and his party came and informed mc of it. 
 By the power of God, I was greatly delighted. I had ordered 
 the party of Kantiba Ilailo [the European artisans] to do certain 
 work [to make saddles, shields, &c.]; if it is completed, I wish 
 you to hold yourselves in readiness to start [for Europe], by the 
 power of God. 
 
 " Dated Friday, the 22nd of Magabit." 
 
 I certainly believed at this time that the clouds had blown 
 over, and that wc might now hope for uninterrupted fair 
 weather ; this confidence, however, did not restrain me from 
 wishing all shields and saddles at the bottom of the sea. 
 Even a few days' delay, or some malicious report brought 
 to his notice, might suffice to change the fickle mind of 
 the King. However, it was useless, in our position, to kick 
 against the pricks: his Majesty had directed the presents 
 to be prepared for us, and we miglit not loave without them. 
 They had been ordered as far back as the beginning of 
 Fcbniary, but his Majesty had only just heard that the 
 golden saddle destined for me could nut be got ready before 
 the end of April. In consequence of that intimation, his 
 ^Majesty gave instructions today that the best gold saddle
 
 70 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. Chap. XV. 
 
 available among his Gaffat servants — European and native — 
 should be taken up for me ; all the filigree work was to be 
 regilt, and the leather and velvet renewed. To expedite the 
 completion of the Orders of the Cross and Solomon's Seal, he 
 directed six additional silversmiths to assist Mr. Zander to 
 have a certain number prepared by the Abyssinian Easter, 
 which fell on the 8tli of April. 
 
 To-day I wrote to the King as follows : — 
 
 "Kordta, 31st March, 1866. 
 "Most Gracious Sovereign, — 
 
 " 1 have had the honour to receive your welcome epistles, dated 
 respectively the 20th and 22nd of the month of Magabit, from 
 which I was glad to learn that your Majesty was in the enjoy- 
 ment of perfect health. 
 
 " Thank God, we are all well here, and, by your favour, in 
 good spirits. 
 
 " With regard to our departure, we are ready to start as soon 
 as your Majesty shall give us leave to do so. I trust ere long to 
 behold the light of your countenance again. 
 
 "Dr. Blanc and Mr. Prideaux present you with their respect- 
 fid compliments." 
 
 1st April, 18G6. — This being our Easter Sunday, all the 
 Protestant community met together to offer up our united 
 thanks to Almighty God for His care over us. Twenty-two 
 ])ersons, including the wives of the European artisans, assem- 
 bled in my tent for solemn worship. The Eev. Mr. Stern 
 officiated on the occasion, and administered the Lord's 
 Supper. 
 
 'Ind. — I gave a party this afternoon to all the European 
 artisans and their families. As we had not tables sufficient 
 to accommodate all the guests, the dinner was served on the 
 floor. Eeceivcd the following from the King : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " The shirts a\ hich you sent me by Ona Mohammed have
 
 186C. April. THEODORE AXD EUROrEAN SHIRTS. 71 
 
 reached me, and I return you my tlianks for them. Why do 
 you give yourself such trouble and such thought for mo ? 
 You are my guest, and it is for me to inconvenience myself for 
 you. If God assist you, 1 -wish you to trouble yourself about 
 ivliat I require ; but, oh my brother ! do not incommode yourself 
 by parting with your property. 
 
 " At Amba Chiira, in the province of "Waggara, my toll-keepers 
 seized some messengers who were coming this way with letters. 
 They imprisoned them and sent the packet on to me. I found 
 it directed in an European language, and as I thought it might 
 belong to you, I send it to you unopened. If you should find 
 it to be yours, I have directed that your messengers should be 
 released ; if not, return the packet to me, and I shall order the 
 messengers to be brought to me. 
 
 " I have ordered some cows to bo given to you, in order that 
 you may have a merry feast. I did not know that your Easter 
 fell before ours, but thought that both corresponded in date, 
 otherwise I would have sent them before. Why did you not 
 inform me, since my house is yours, and the house of your 
 brothers and friends ? 
 
 " Dated Monday, the 25th of Magabit." 
 
 On first reaching the King's Court I had presented him 
 with a dozen of my own shirts, which were made at Aden, 
 of fine calico, with loose wristbands, and without buttons. 
 These he admired very much, but with his usual liberality 
 ho had given most of them to his favourite Chiefs. I sent 
 him another dozen on the 31st of March, the receipt of which 
 he acknowledges in the above. Subsequently, he sent two 
 pieces of longcloth, with which I had also presented him, 
 bogging me to have thorn made into shirts like mine, which 
 I wits enabled to do through the joint kindness of Mrs. Flad 
 and Mrs. Kosenthal. 'I'ho most amusing part of this shirt 
 business was, that mine were made for studs, of which I gave 
 his ]\rajesty a set. These, however, ho lost the first time of 
 using them, and was obliged afterwards to call in a tailor.
 
 72 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. CiiAr. XV. 
 
 whenever he donned his shirt, to put in a few stitches to 
 keep the front together. This expedient was the more 
 troublesome because it is considered disgraceful for an Abys- 
 sinian, male or female, to sleep in any kind of garment ; 
 consequently his Majesty was under the necessity of sending 
 for a tailor whenever he retired for the night. One day 
 he became so impatient that he tore his shirt open, and 
 resorted to me to remedy the inconvenience. This I did 
 by sending him a supply of buttons, directing the tailor to 
 affix them to one side after he had sewn up the button- 
 holes. It may sound somewhat strange to English ears that 
 a tailor, rather than his wife or one of his female domestics 
 should have been called in by his Majesty to put a few 
 stitches to his shirts; but the reason is, that few if any 
 Abyssinian women can sew; and, even if they could, it 
 would be deemed highly unbecolning in them to ply the 
 needle in public. Sewing and laundry-work are left to 
 the males ; spinning and carrying wood and water are tasks 
 apportioned to the weaker sex. 
 
 I was extremely surprised to see the packet which I had 
 dispatched to the coast on the 23rd of March brought back 
 to me to-day. It appears that the guards at the toll-gate 
 near Amba Chara had been ordered to arrest all persons 
 carrying letters either up or down, and that my messengers 
 had accordingly been seized, bound with cords, and put into 
 prison until the King's pleasure was known. The packet 
 which was taken from them was brought to his Majesty 
 simultaneously with Ona Mohammed's arrival at Court 
 with my letter of the 31st March, and the guard who de- 
 livered it stated that the messengers from whom it had been 
 seized said that it came from the Franchotsli (Europeans). 
 On being asked by the King if he knew to whom the packet
 
 18CG. Ai'Rii.. EOYAL COURTESY. 73. 
 
 Ijelonged, Una Mohammed, with his usual assurance, replied 
 that it belonged to me. Thereupon Lij Abitu was ordered 
 to bring it to me for identification, and to direct the release 
 of the messengers, should it prove to be mine. Fortunately^ 
 no inhibition had been given against their resuming the 
 journey, and Lij Abitu kindly undertook to forward the 
 packet to the detained messengers, who, on their release, 
 were to proceed with it at once to the coast. The Aitos 
 Kasa and Wande had sent a letter with the packet to their 
 agent at ^Eassowah, which the King caused to be opened and 
 read. On finding that it related solely to mercantile matters, 
 lie took no further notice of it ; but he did not return it to 
 the owners. 
 
 ^rd. — I addressed the subjoined letter to the King to- 
 day :— 
 
 " Kordta, ord April, 18GG. 
 "Most Gracious Sovkheigx, 
 
 " I have received with much pleasure your Majesty's gracious 
 letter by Lij Abitu and Ona Mohammed, dated the 25th of 
 !Magubit, and was glad to learn from them that they had left 
 you in perfect health. 
 
 " \Vith regard to the packet of letters which your Majesty 
 kindly sent me, I found it to bo mine — one which I forwarded a 
 few days ago to Mr. Munzinger at IMassowah. It contains several 
 communications from myself and my companions, and the other 
 Europeans who are with me at Korata, addressed to different 
 friends at Aden and in Europe, reporting my good reception by 
 your Majesty, and the safe arrival of the released prisonei-s at 
 our camp. 
 
 "In accordance with your orders, Lij Abitu, immediately on 
 linding that the messengers who were detained at And)a f'hara, 
 in N\ ligguru, were those whom I had sent to Massowah, t-ent 
 orilore to have them released, and forwarded the packet aho to 
 be given to them to take on to Mr. Munzingi^r. 
 
 " I am extremely obliged to your Majesty fur your continual 
 acts (jf kindness to mo, and fur your thought of ns at the com-
 
 74 our. EXODUS SANCTIONED. Cuap. XV. 
 
 memoration of our Saviour's Eesurrection, by sending us a token 
 of your good-will. It is quite impossible for me to requite your 
 favours in this countrj^, but I trust I sliall liave it in my power 
 when I go to England to show my sincere gratitude for all your 
 kindness. 
 
 " In presenting jowv Majesty with my salutations, in which 
 my companions join, I remain," &c. 
 
 On the 5th I received the following note from the King, 
 acquainting me with his rigid fast, and his joy at the 
 approach of Easter : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " I have been long fasting, and have abstained from eating 
 meat, and I am anxious to see the light of Easter. Pray that I 
 may sec it in health. By the power of God, I will also offer up to 
 Him the same supplication for you. 
 
 " Dated Wednesday, the 27th of Magabit." 
 
 On the same day his Majesty sent me twenty jars of honey, 
 half of which contained honeycomb perfectly transparent. 
 What led to this gift was my having asked Samuel to pro- 
 cure some good honey for me. Samuel, accordingly, having 
 heard that it was procurable in the market near the royal 
 camp, directed his friend Balambaras Gabra-Madhane 'Alam, 
 the Governor of Wandige, to purchase a few jars. By some 
 means or other, these facts were reported to the King, who 
 forthwith sent for the Chief and reprimanded him most 
 severely for having presumed to resort to the market for me, 
 instead of ajiplying to the royal store-house, where he might 
 have obtained as many jars of honey as he pleased. Samuel 
 also got a similar rebuke from his Majesty the day following ; 
 and both were not a little delighted to have got off so 
 easily. 
 
 Gth. — Wrote as follows to the King, in rejDly to his last : —
 
 18G0. April. THEODORE'S DISPATCH-BOX. 75 
 
 ''Kordta, Gth Ajjyil, ISGG. 
 " Most Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 " I have had the honour of receiving your Majesty's welcome 
 letter of the 27th of Magiibit, by Lij Abitu and Una Mohammed, 
 together with your acceptable present of honey. Tray accej)t my 
 best thanks for all your kindness and favours. 
 
 " May the Almighty who, as on this IToly Friday [Abys- 
 sinian reckoning] gave His Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to 
 suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption, grant that your 
 fasting and prayers may be registered in heaven; and that 
 through our Saviour's suffering we may rise with Him to endless 
 salvation. 
 
 "I pray our Heavenly Father to enable you to commemorate 
 the day of His Son's resun-ection in good health and prosperity, 
 and may He grant you a long and happy life to celebrate that 
 blessed day for many years to come. 
 
 " In presenting you with my respectful congratulations on the 
 anniversary of our Lord's rising from the dead, in which my 
 companions join, I remain," &c. 
 
 I gave the foregoing to Samuel, who had been summoned to 
 Zage to receive instructions about our departure. By the 
 same opportunity I'sent his Majesty a tin dispatch-box, which, 
 I was told, he would appreciate very much. He certainly 
 did, for he afterwards used it as the receptacle for what he 
 called hLs important papers, and always kept it by him. On 
 several occasions ho was heard to say, placing his hand the 
 while on the box, " When the English troops come, I shall 
 show them some astonishing letters that I have here." Un- 
 fortunately, tliis box was found open in the Treasury at 
 Magdala, rifled of its contents, when that place was captured 
 by the IJritisli Army. 
 
 i^(h. — Samuel returned with Lij Abitu and Una Mo- 
 liamined, bringing me the following from the King : — 
 
 *' May God grant mo a meeting with you, my friend, after tho 
 light of Easter. Tho token of friendship, namely, the tin box
 
 76 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. Chap. XV. 
 
 which yon sent mc, I have received with much pleasure, and I 
 return j^ou my best thanks for it. I have ordered Lij Abitu to 
 take your mules through Dambea ; and Kantiba Hailo and Aito 
 Samuel to bring you to mo." 
 
 In this letter tlie King did not mention the released 
 captives; but he sent me a verbal message that I was to 
 take all the Europeans with me, including the artisans, and 
 all the baggage ; the mules, he said, were to go roimd the 
 northern side of the Lake, but no place was named where 
 we were to meet them. No reason was assigned for the 
 change in the former more definite arrangement, which was, 
 that the released captives should proceed to Gqjja, on the 
 north-western corner of the Lake, where Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant 
 Prideaux and I were to join them, after we had taken leave 
 of the King at Zage. We were told at first that we (the 
 Mission) were not to carry any tents Mith us when we went 
 to take leave of the King, or more luggage than was neces- 
 sary for three or four days ; but on the 8th of April the old. 
 plan was wholly set aside. I was also told that the King 
 had inclosed a large space outside his camp at Zage, within 
 \\ hich we were to pitch our tents on our arrival there. These 
 proceedings perplexed mc, and I asked Aito Samuel and 
 Lij Abitu what they meant. They answered that they were 
 as much in the dark as I was, and did not know what the 
 King intended to do. The inclosure seemed to every one 
 most suspicious. 
 
 Up to that day I had been repeatedly advised to try all I 
 could to prevent the King from seeing Consul Cameron and 
 Messrs. Stern and Roscntluil ; and wlion Aito Samuel and 
 Lij Abitu came with tlic message from their master that I 
 was to take the released cajitives witli me to Zage, it was 
 thought tliat wc sliould l)c inevitably detained if I did so —
 
 18CC. April. TRECAUTIONS. 77 
 
 so intense was his 3Iajesty's hatred towards them. Taking 
 all these objections into consideration, I deemed it advisable 
 to try to induce the King to dispense with the attendance 
 of the released captives. 
 
 Had he written to me in a straightforward manner and 
 told me that he wished to see the released captives before 
 they left, or even that he wished to be reconciled to them — 
 though a reconciliation had been effected twice l)efore — I 
 should certainly have taken them to liim ; but all that he 
 did was to write, directing mo to go to him, without even 
 mentioning the name of any released captive in the letter, 
 sending me a verbal message only to take all the Europeans 
 with me, some of whom he detested, and whose faces he had 
 been heard very often to say he hoped never to see again. 
 In fact, T was told that had I taken tliciu with nio to Zage, 
 he would have had me and my companions arrested, on 
 the plea that I had insulted him by taking his enemies 
 to the royal camp, without his having written to me to 
 do so. 
 
 M. Bardel and I'ngada Wark were all this time in constant 
 communication, and it was rumoured that the former was 
 about to be reconciled to the King, and to remain in liis 
 service as formerly. 
 
 After careful deliberation, I resolved to ask the King's 
 permission to allow tlie released captives to proceed straight 
 on their way to Matamma, round the eastern side of the 
 Lake, and Lij Abitn, who always befrionded me, undertook 
 to return to tlic King with my communication — tliougli it 
 was hazardous for him to do so, after the previous order 
 which he had receive<l from his Majesty, directing him to 
 take our mules round the Lake. I therefore entrusted him 
 with the following letter, directing him to tell the King that
 
 78 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED, Chap. XY. 
 
 wliat I was proposing was for the welfare of all, and to ask 
 his Majesty's forgiveness, if he did not approve of the sug- 
 gestion : — 
 
 "Most Gracious Sovereign', 
 
 " I have had much pleasure in receiving your Majesty's letter 
 of the 30th Magabit, by Aito Samuel, Lij Abitu and Qua 
 Mohammed, and I was greatly rejoiced to learn therefrom that 
 you are quite well. 
 
 " Dr. Blanc and Mr. Prideaux beg to present their respectful 
 compliments to your Majesty. 
 
 "I am taking the liberty of sending Lij Abitu to you, with a 
 message from me ; and I trust your Majesty will pardon me for 
 having done so." 
 
 Before Lij Abitu started I received the following note 
 from the King, which I acknowledged with suitable com- 
 pliments in a postscript to the above : — 
 
 " I send you good tidings of my having passed Easter. How 
 have my friends passed it ? Let me know if yon have spent it 
 haj)pily and prosperously, by the power of God. 
 
 " Dated Monday, the 2nd of Miyazeya." 
 
 On the 10th of April, Lij Abitu returned with the follo'OTng 
 answer, and he also gave me the joyful intelligence that the 
 King had made no objection to the released captives pro- 
 ceeding on their way romid the eastern side of the Lake, as 
 had been formerly arranged : — 
 
 " When I heard of your good health and prosperity, by the 
 power of God, I was greatly delighted. Very avoII ; as you say, 
 Lij Abitu shall take them by the lower road, and your baggage 
 will cross to any spot wdiich you may choose. I have directed 
 Agafuri Golam and the party of Aito Kiisa to convej' it for 
 
 you." 
 
 I had hoped that we were certain of being allowed to leave, 
 especially as arrangements were made for the transport of
 
 1866. Apbii.. the ROUTE ORDERED. 7^ 
 
 om- biijrgago across the Lake to Gojja, where we were all to 
 meet before our departure. Lij Abitu was formally appointed 
 by the King to escort the released captives to Gojja ; and 
 tlie two principal merchants of Korata, Aito Kasa and 
 Alto Wande, with Agafari Golam, Avere to transjjort the 
 baggage in boats across the Lake, while Kantiba Hailo, with 
 all the European artisans, were to escort the Mission to 
 Zage on the same day. 
 
 There is no doubt that, on the 8th of April, the King 
 really intended that I should leave Abyssinia with the re- 
 leased captives, although he had previously thought of 
 keeping us a few months longer ; but everything depended 
 upon the whim of the moment. It was a mere chance how 
 long he would keep to his word, as he could not be depended 
 upon for an hour. A mere suspicion, or a mischievous report 
 while he was heated with drink, was quite sufficient to make 
 him order hundreds of men to be executed for whom, per- 
 haps a few minutes before, he had professed great friendship. 
 I was also told, on good authority, that the King had even 
 given orders on the 11th of the month directing the silk 
 tents to be pitched for tlio IMission within his inclosure, as on 
 a former occasion, and that he had actually indicated the 
 mules and horses which were to be presented to us ; also, 
 that Ras I'ngada was told tliat ho was to escort us as 
 lar as Wandige, while Aito Saniud, with Lij Abitu and 
 Agafari (lolani, were to go with us to Clialga, where 
 we wore to be handed over to the old escoil who had 
 brouglit us to the King from the frontier. There is no doubt, 
 moreover, that these Cliiefs of Clialga were ordered to be 
 ready to receive us after the Abyssinian Easter-week, and 
 directed to collect carriers to transport our baggage as far as 
 i^rattimmiu
 
 80 OUR EXODUS SANCTIONED. Chap. XV. 
 
 On the morning of tlie 12tli it was reported to the King, 
 from Korata, that the Orders of the Cross and Solomon's Seal 
 could not be got ready by the time his Majesty wished us to 
 leave Abyssinia, and that the saddle and shields, which had 
 been ordered for my companions and myself, were not quite 
 completed. He had been told, also, that I had supplied his 
 enemies, the released captives, with arms ; and as he knew I 
 had not brought any spare muskets and pistols with me, and 
 that those he had himself given me I had long since disposed 
 of, he wondered how I had got them, and began to suspect 
 that I had them concealed, and might have more to give to 
 his other enemies, the rebels, when I went down to Chalga. 
 He had also, probably, just then heard of Dr. Beke's visit to 
 the rebels of Tigre. At all events, on the morning of Thurs- 
 day, the 12th of April, 1866, the King was in a fearful mood, 
 and sent orders to Korata that we were to start, without fail, 
 early next morning, according to previous arrangement. In 
 the evening he began to waver, and asked Wald-Gabir and 
 I'ngada Wark whether he should let me go. The former in- 
 formed me that he had advised the King to let me depart in 
 peace ; but he did not know what answer the latter gave, as 
 they were asked separately. The King could not sleep 
 that night, and towards the morning he sent for Bitwaddad 
 Tadla, and in a private interview commanded him to take 
 the soldiers under his command and cross at once to Korata, 
 but to take care to land at Zanzalima, about four miles 
 from our encampment, towards Zage ; that he was to go on 
 to a certain village about a day's march on the other side of 
 Korata, and stay there till the arrival of the released captives, 
 whom he was ordered to arrest and bring back in chains to 
 Korata, and await further orders. One of Bitwaddad Tadla's 
 soldiers was directed to remain at Korata to give orders as to
 
 18GG. April, PRECONCERTED ARREST. 81 
 
 the disposal of our baggage. About 10 o'clock a.m., ou that 
 day, the silk tents, which had been pitched for the Mission, 
 were ordered to be struck and packed up, and all the Chiefs 
 in camp were summoned to attend. The King had been 
 drinking a great deal for three days, and that day he was 
 very much excited. While the Chiefs were assembling, the 
 King called for an Amharic writer, and got him to write 
 down the different charges he had against me — not omitting, 
 of course, to include his genealogy in fuU. I was told that 
 the King did not think of having us arrested until after Eas 
 I'ngada had been sent to meet me ; and wlien that Chief saw 
 us arrested he was as much surprised as we were. The King 
 ordered nine colonels to arrest me and my companions — three 
 ofhcers for each — as soon as we entered tlie reception-hall; 
 and they were to guard us against any attempt at suicide, 
 until they received further orders. 
 
 I have been obliged to digress from the main narrative 
 because I wished to show what took place at Zage from the 
 time the King got into a rage on the morning of the I'ith 
 until the afternoon of the next da v. 
 
 VOL. II.
 
 82 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. 
 
 The released Captives start liomewards — The Mission reimirs to Zagg and 
 is arrested there — Charges made against the Author — Theodore apolo- 
 gizes — The Mission placed under surveillance — Our baggage ransacked 
 
 — Present from the King — We destroy all our papers — The Captives 
 arrested and brought to Zage — A fresh trial — The King's charges 
 against the Captives and against the Author — He determines to retain 
 the Mission — Theodore unchains the Captives — Craves forgiveness of 
 all the Europeans — The Petition from the relatives of the Captives read 
 
 — Theodore's letter to the Queen — We are to be kept as hostages — 
 Theodore's request for artificers from England — The Author's letter to 
 the British Government — Mr. Flad selected to go to England — A 
 native matricide — Theodore and Abyssinian law — Charges against 
 Samuel and two other Aitos — Sympathy for the Mission. 
 
 About 10 o'clock on Friday, the ] 3th of April, the released 
 captives started from Korata on their way to the north-west- 
 ern corner of the Lake, and Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux 
 and I embarked on board tlie canoes provided for us by 
 the Chiefs of Korata and went on to Zage, accompanied by 
 the European artisans, Aito Samuel and Kantiba Hailo. 
 About two miles before we reached the landing-place at 
 Zage, we were told to land and put on our uniforms under 
 some trees on the beach, that we might appear in due trim 
 before his Majesty. We landed at Zage at about one o'clock 
 in the afternoon, and, as usual, Eas I'ngada met us on the 
 beach below the King's house, with mules for the members 
 of the Mission. The first thing that struck me on entering 
 the royal courtyard was, that there were no tents pitched 
 for us ; but as Eas I'ngada took us straight to the audience-
 
 18C6. April. HUSSION ARRESTED AT ZAC.fi. 83 
 
 hall, I tlidu^lit that, owing to the heat of the weather, the 
 King was going to locate us in houses. When we reached 
 the door of the hall I was surprised to find it crowded with 
 Chiefs, all dressed in their silk shirts. Even this I thought 
 nothing of, as I knew it was still the feast of Easter, and 
 imagined that the King was only entertaining his troops, as 
 was his wont. On going into the room I looked towards the 
 throne, intending to salute the King, when su<ldenly three 
 strapping Chiefs fell on me, two of whom held my arms and 
 the other the tixil of my coat ; meanwhile they all searched 
 me to see if I carried any arms. The arrest took place so 
 abruptly that I thought at first I had passed the King with- 
 out noticing him, and that these Chiefs were only kee]iing 
 me back, lias I'ngaila then glanced round, and said, " Do 
 not fear." It now struck me that there was something wrong ; 
 and on looking behind for my companions I found that they 
 also had been arrested and were being roughly handled by the 
 soldiers. "NVe were then pushed up towards the throne, but held 
 .so tightly by the soldiers that we could scarcely move our arms. 
 After reaching the throne we were made to wait, standing, for 
 further orders from the King, who was sitting and listening 
 behind the door at the back of the room, not more than ten 
 yards from us. Even in our disgrace the King ordered that we 
 should have the highest seat amongst the Chiefs, for we were 
 placed at the foot of the throne, and on our right and left were 
 the liases, all dressed in 1 loyal l^hirts made of the silks I had 
 brought. The first message sent to me was, " Where are the 
 Magdala European jtriscmcrs?" I replied, that the King 
 knew better than I did where they were. He then sent to say 
 that we ought not to fear, as the jircsent was only a misunder- 
 standing whieh Would soon vanish, I replii>(l, " W'baf have 
 we to fear? Have we not come into this country depending 
 
 a 2
 
 84 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 upon the word of a King, and one who calls himself a Chris- 
 tian? And where are we now but in the house of the very 
 person w ho ought to afford us protection ? But why this insult 
 .and disgrace ? Is this the way to receive the messengers of 
 a friendly Sovereign, who came for the sole purpose of esta- 
 blishing friendship ? " No sooner were these w^ords trans- 
 lated to the King's Commissioners, Eas I'ngada and Kantiba 
 Hailo, who were appointed by the King to carry our messages 
 backwards aud forwards, than all the Rases cried out, " Mal- 
 cam ! ]\[alcam ! " — well said ! 
 
 Kantiba Hailo, who was the spokesman, then returned 
 with Ras I'ngada and told me that the Chief Scribe had a 
 paper which contained some charges against me, and that 
 the King's order was that they should be read over to me, and 
 I must answer each charge separately. The scribes were also 
 ordered to put down in writing what I said. 
 
 The Chief Scribe then produced the document and began 
 to read, first, the pedigree of Theodore, who was the offspring 
 of Solomon and David by the Queen of Sheba. To this I 
 made no objection, but said I was delighted to learn that he 
 was descended from so wise a King. After this the history 
 of my Mission was read : how I had arrived at Massowah 
 and had come to Abyssinia on the invitation of the King, 
 who had received me graciously and released his enemies, 
 the European captives, for my sake. I replied that I fully 
 admitted all that had been said on that point, and had 
 already proclaimed our good reception to the world. 
 
 Now came the charge that, while I knew that the King 
 hated the European captives, I had sent them towards Ma- 
 tainma without reconciling him to them. I replied, that I did 
 not understand why the King made such a charge against me, 
 when he himself, in a letter to me, had given the released
 
 18GC. April. THE AUTHOR ARRAIGNED. 85 
 
 captives permission to depart, which letter, if his Majesty 
 uould allow me, I would produce ; and, besides, Lij Abitu 
 had been sent to escort them by order of the King. '* As for 
 the reconciliation," I continued, " I took it for granted when 
 the King wrote to me that he had forgiven the European 
 captives, that he really meant what he said ; and the only 
 reason why I preferred their going away from Korata instead of 
 coming to Zage was, because I had heard from different 
 people, one of whom was Aito Samuel, that the King disliked 
 the released captives, and did not wisli to see them. But 
 if his Majesty really wished to have them here, why did he 
 not write to mo to say so ? I had always been honest in 
 ray transactions with the King, and his jMajesty ought also 
 to have dealt with me in the same manner." Aito Samuel 
 broke down before I had half finished, and obtained per- 
 mission to be seated. A native of Adwa was then brought 
 to translate, and before he had acted as dragoman five 
 minutes he also had to retire, after disputhig with the 
 writers as to the way of recording my words. ^^'h('U this 
 man sat down, it was found that even the writers had got 
 somewhat frightened, and could not proceed with their occu- 
 })ation. At last the King, who must have understood every 
 word I said, as he knew Arabic well, sent to say that the 
 scribes might dispense with writing what I said, but that 
 the Commissioners shouhl communicate to him all my 
 answers. The Jung now ordered two other interpreters to 
 come forward — one a native of Tigie and tlie other a Copt. 
 In the beginning of the sham trial the European artisans 
 were closeted with the King, and wliile the mock Court was 
 b •iii;^ held they came in and sat down below the liases. 
 
 The document, which was in charge of tiie Chief Scribe, 
 not half of which had been read, was now ordered to be
 
 86 DISGRACE OF THE MISSIOX. CnAr. XVI. 
 
 folded up and placed in the tin box ^vliicli I had given to 
 the King. 
 
 The hist charge was, that I had sent letters to the coast 
 without the King's permission, and that his Majesty had not 
 been told what I had written. I said, first, I did not know 
 it was agjainst the rules in Abyssinia to communicate with 
 one's friends without the sanction of the King. Secondly, that 
 I had dispatched the letters through the Governor of Koiata, 
 with the sanction of Aito Samuel, whom he had given me as 
 Baldaiaha, and that none of his officials had objected to my 
 having done so. Moreover, the letters were from myself and 
 fellow-Europeans, wherein we gave our friends an account 
 of the good reception of tlie Mission by the King and the 
 release of the Magdala captives. This I had already com- 
 municated to his Majesty. 
 
 Aito Samuel was first interrogated whether he had assisted 
 me in sending letters to the coast; and on his answering 
 in the affirmative, the King sent to say that he did not 
 remember my having written to him about these letters. 
 I referred him to the Chief Scribe, who, after a long hesita- 
 tion, corroborated my statement. Then I concluded by 
 saying, "But supposing I had really committed an unin- 
 tentional error, was it right of the King to insult my com- 
 panions and myself as he had done that afternoon ? Did 
 1 not ask him the first day I met him to i'orgive any 
 mistake iny companions or I might commit during our 
 stay in his country, and did he not promise to do so? Is 
 tliis the way that he keeps his word?" No sooner had 
 I finished this sentence than some of the Eases cried out 
 again " Malcam ! " Even Mr. Zander joined tliis time in 
 expressing his approval of v hat I had said. 
 
 After this the King thought it best not to jirocced uith 
 
 1
 
 1866. April. THEODORE APOLOGIZES. 87 
 
 the other charges — two of which, I was told afterwards, were, 
 first, that I had supplied arms to Consul Cameron and the 
 IMissionaries ; and, secondly, that after he had warned me 
 against using the money he gave me in any \vay " unpleasing 
 to the Lord," I had given large sums to his enemies, the 
 captives. (He discovered afterwards that the arms were pur- 
 chased from his European artisans, and that the money 
 which I had given to the released captives was from my 
 own funds, and not from the sum with which he had pre- 
 sented me.) 
 
 Thereupon the King began to change his tactics and 
 apologized for his misbehaviour towards us. After the last 
 answer had been delivered to him he sent to say, that he 
 hoped I would not take to heart his treatment of us that 
 afternoon, because he had always loved me and held me 
 in high esteem, and that he was very much vexed with 
 those Europeans who had always abused him and treated 
 him with contempt ; that he could not allow them to leave 
 the country before they had been tried before me, there- 
 fore he had sent for them, and they would be at Zage in 
 a day or two ; until then wo were to remain with him, 
 and his European artisans were to act as our Buldaialjas. 
 Tiic latter arrang<'inent, however, was subsequently cancelled. 
 \\ ith regard to our arrest and the disarming of Dr. Blanc 
 and Lieutenant Pritleaux, the King said that he had ordered 
 it because he was afraid that we might kill oiuselves from 
 vexation when the charges were read to us, as he had heard 
 that Europeans very often committed suicide when they 
 got into difliculty. On hearing this I exclaimed, ''What! 
 I »o( s the King tjiiiik that we do not bejievi' in eternal salva- 
 tion, that we .should put an end to our lives in that uu-Ciu-istian 
 manner?" The Tigre interpreter was afraid to translate
 
 88 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVT, 
 
 my answer, but the others came forward, including Aito 
 Samuel, and said that the Assembly ought to know what 
 I had said, and the Copt recommended that I should add 
 that I was not so wicked and impure as the Magdala 
 captives. I objected to this addition, and at last my former 
 answer was translated. On this occasion only two Eases 
 and Mr. Zander showed their approbation by saying " ]\Ial- 
 cam." 
 
 By this time the King had got over his angry mood and 
 began to look somewhat placid. He sent and dismissed 
 all the officers in attendance, but kept two Eases, Wald- 
 Maryam and Gabrie, with a few followers to watch us. 
 They were to be our jailors while we remained at Zage. 
 They behaved very civilly to us all the time we were in 
 their charge. Tliese two Eases were afterwards chained and 
 imprisoned by the King, merely because he was afraid to 
 trust them at large. They were ultimately released by Sir 
 Eobert Napier, after the taking of Magdala. 
 
 At the end of the trial we found that all the baggage 
 had been brought to Zage and submitted to the King's 
 inspection. His jMajcsty sent to say that, as he could not 
 trust his soldiers, he was obliged to see if all our things 
 were right ; and he asked us to send him the keys of our 
 boxes in order that he might not be obliged to break them 
 open. At the same time ho promised to return everything to 
 us in perfect order. 1 began to fear that he was going to search 
 our papers, as in the case of the IMissionaries. After a while 
 we were informed that he was looking for concealed arms, as 
 he was afraid that we should kill ourselves in case we had 
 any with us. He took possession of every article of defence 
 that ho cuuhl lay his eye upon, even to the kitchen-knives; 
 but he overlooked Dr. Blanc's formidable case, of dissecting
 
 1866. April. OUR BAGGAGE RANSACKED. 89 
 
 instruments, wliich he returned. One of my interpreters 
 was called to witness the overhauling of our kit, aud the 
 King said to him jocosely, " 'Omar 'Ali, come and see that 
 I do not steal any of your master's things." All the European 
 artisans also were ordered by the King to attend the examina- 
 tion, and had to note down everything the King chose to 
 keep. He told them they were to act as witnesses between 
 him and me. 
 
 The King at first wished to imprison my companions aud 
 myself in the iiiclosuro which had been constructed for us 
 about ten days bol'ore ; but when ho had cooled down he 
 thought he could not send his friends out of his sight, so 
 he ordered one single white tent to be pitched for us at some 
 distance from the hall, aud a black one for a kitchen, and as 
 soon as ours was erected we were ordered into it, escorted by the 
 two Rases. A strong guard was appointed to watch us, and we 
 could not move a yard, cither within or without the tent, 
 without a soldier scrutinizing our movements. Afterwards, 
 all onr things were sent back to us, excepting the arms, 
 silver trinkets and money. We were glad to find that none 
 of our books or papers had been retained. This was satis- 
 factory proof that the King's suspicions were not directed to 
 anything which we had written. 
 
 Dr. Blanc's and my servants were detained in the mean 
 time by the soldiers in a corner of the audience-hall; 
 and when the King went in, after we had left, and found 
 them there, he asked them what they were about. On 
 their rej)lying tliat they were confined by the soldiers, ho 
 said, " What! who luis dared to imprison the servants of my 
 friend, Kassam ? Do not think that I am angry with him. 
 There is only a little disagreement between us, wiiich will 
 soon bo got over." That evening he sent us ten jars of nif/ad,
 
 90 DISGRACE OF TUE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 and the same number of sheep, ■with butter and red-pepper 
 sauce. The soldiers had strict orders not to interfere Nvith 
 our servants, who were allowed to visit us and go out of the 
 inelosure whenever they liked. 
 
 We had no idea what was to befall us next, but fearing 
 that our property might be seized again, and memoranda 
 capable of being misconstrued to our greater risk found 
 therein, we deemed it advisable to destroy every scrap of 
 written paper we had. Some we attempted to chew, others 
 we soaked in wash-basins, but were obliged to abandon both 
 expedients, for the former was rather an unpalatable and the 
 latter a slow process. The kitchen fire was finally resorted to 
 as the best alternative, and by filling our butlers' pockets with 
 them every time they were called to wait upon us, we soon 
 got rid of all our written documents. 
 
 The King sent us no compliments either that evening or 
 the next morning, as had been his wont ; and Aito Samuel 
 was kept at a distance from his master after the trial. The 
 European artisans, as well as our Abyssinian acquaintances, 
 were afraid to approach us, or even to send us their compli- 
 ments. The only persons who ventured to communicate 
 with us during our disgrace and rigorous confinement were, 
 the lady — an old friend of the late Consul Plowdeu — to 
 whom I had shown some slight attention on our journey 
 through Agowmeder, and the Balambaras Gabra-31adhane 
 'Alam. AMien this lady heard that I was going to Zage 
 to take a final leave of the King, she came to the royal 
 camp to bid me larewell, and on finding that I had been 
 imprisoned she sent me a present of eggs and fowls, and 
 tried to encourage me. The other, the Governor of Wan- 
 dige, who had been severely reprimanded by the King for 
 purchasing honey for me, sent to tell me to-day that he bad
 
 18GG. April. ARRIVAL OF CAMEROX AND TARTY. 91 
 
 it still in his possession, and asked if he should send it to 
 me, offering at the same time to procure any other supplies 
 that I might require. 
 
 In the afternoon of the 14th the King sent us some fowls 
 and eggA, but no message came with them ; so I asked Aito 
 Samuel if he could go and thank the King for his present. 
 He said it was dangerous for liim to do so without having 
 first obtained the royal permission ; nevertheless, he would 
 go at all hazards. Theodore at the time occupied a 
 raised seat, near the audience-hall, hearing a case judicially; 
 so Samuel went and stood before him. The King asked him, 
 through his spokesman, what he wanted; and on Samuel 
 answering that he had a message from me, he commanded 
 liini to approach and communicate what he had to say. 
 After my message was delivered he said, " Ah ! my friend, 
 Aito Rii-ssam, why liave I ill-treated you thus?" Thereupon 
 lie called his valet, Wald-Gabir, and directed him to accom- 
 pany Aito Samuel and convey his compliments to my com- 
 panions and myself. I was also told that I might send one 
 of my interpreters every day with compliments to the King, 
 as I had done heretofore. 
 
 On the morning of the lotli we were allowed to pitch 
 our tents, and the guard was ordered not to intrude upon our 
 privacy, but to watch a short distance off. In the afternoon 
 the King sent to inform me that Consul Cameron and his 
 party had arrived from Korata, and, as he did not wish them 
 to bo with the ^fission, he had ordered them to be placed in 
 the inclnsurc, some distance from us. As the day was very 
 h(4, anil I knew that Consul Cameron and the ladies must 
 be very tired after what they luul undergone, I sent and 
 asked the King if he would allow them to ride as far as the 
 inclosure. IJo immediately gave his consent, and ordered
 
 92 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XYI. 
 
 three mules to be supplied from bis stable. He afterwards 
 sent, through me, a cow, a basket of tej bread, and a jar 
 of mead, for each of the European prisoners, with some 
 butter and red-pepper sauce. After a while, when I heard 
 that they had been allowed only one tent, I sent and 
 requested his Majesty to permit me to send them another — 
 one belonging to the Mission. As he made no objection, 
 I sent it to them, with a few skins for bedding. 
 
 Early on Monday, the 16th, all the Chiefs were ordered to 
 attend the Court A\hich his Majesty had intended to hold on 
 the European prisoners. About eight o'clock everything was 
 in readiness for our reception, and the King sent to us to 
 say that as he wished to receive my companions and myself 
 as friends, we were to go to him iu uniform, at once, before 
 he sent for the prisoners ; so \\ e dressed and repaired to his 
 presence. We found the King sitting on a couch, on the 
 left of the throne, at the door of the audience-chamber, and 
 about 1,000 officers standing on the right and loft, while the 
 Eases were sitting below him, on the left, with their backs 
 turned to him, in accordance with court etiquette. The 
 European artisans occupied a place about ten feet behind 
 us. As soon as my companions and I appeared, he wel- 
 comed us, and asked us to sit at the foot of the throne, on his 
 right hand. He said he had sent for us before the captives 
 came, in order to assure us of his unceasing friendship, and 
 that we must not think he was going to place us on a par 
 with them ; for it was quite impossible for him to have any 
 ill-feeling against us. liefcrring to our arrest on the 
 lijth, he said he was sorry for what had taken place, but 
 he never meant that we should bo roughly handled ; it 
 Avas true that ho had given Jiis soldiers orders to search 
 us, but they had greatly exceeded their duty ; that my
 
 18GG. April. A ROYAL ASSIZE. 93 
 
 companions ought not to have worn swords ; and that it was 
 only through tlie stupidity of Samuel that they were allowed 
 to appear with them on our first visit to him in Damot. 
 
 As the morning was very hot, and we were sitting in the 
 sun, the King provided us with umbrellas. In the mean 
 time the imprisoned Europeans were sent for, and I was 
 glad to find that ]\[rs. Ivosenthal and Mrs. Flad were not 
 summoned with their husbands. Samuel having intimated 
 that Consul Cameron was not well enough to walk, the 
 King ordered him a mule from his own stable. After we had 
 been more than an hour talking to the King upon different 
 subjects, Consul Cameron and his party made their appear- 
 ance, chained arm to arm, in coujiles. After the usual com- 
 jiliments, they were told to approach, and directed to stand 
 about twenty yards in front of the King. Consul Cameron 
 was then called to come forward, and the King ordered him 
 to be unfettered. Wlien freed from his chains, ho was 
 told to sit with my companions and myself, the King 
 turning towards me, saying, "Pie is one of you; let him 
 sit down witli you." 'M. Bardel was then called forward; 
 and after his chain had been removed, ho was told to take 
 a seat next to us. I was not at all surprised to see this last 
 act of clemency on the part of the King; my only wonder 
 was that M. Ijardel had not been released before. 
 
 Alter this the King told mo that some of tlio Europeans 
 who were present had abused him and said that be was 
 of low origin: whereas ho was n^idy to prove before me 
 tluit he was desceuded from ncjbh' families both on the fatluir 
 and mother's side. A number of ol 1 men wore called and 
 nked different questions about the King's pedigree ; of course, 
 lh<y all (h'clared, on oath, that what the King had said 
 aljout his forefathers was true. All the witnessi-s had to
 
 94 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 swear by the dcatli of tlie Bishop — the most biuding oath 
 in Abyssinia — that the King was descended from the first 
 King of Judah; and even the puppet Emperor, liatse Yu- 
 liannes, who was sick and could not come to the assembly, 
 was referred to. The King was so anxious that I should 
 believe all this, that he insisted upon my sending a repre- 
 sentative with Eas I'ngada and two other Chiefs to hear, in 
 my behalf, the testimony from the mouth of the ex-Emperor. 
 
 When the King was satisfied that I was convinced of his 
 noble descent, he said that he had some charges against 
 the Europeans who were then standing before him, and 
 he requested that all questions and answers should pass 
 through me. I had no other alternative but to assent. As 
 the King spoke in Amharic, Aito Samuel had to translate 
 what his Majesty said into Arabic ; and as some of the 
 prisoners did not understand English, Mr. Flad had to render 
 what I said into German. So both questions and answers 
 had to pass through three different mouths before they were 
 disposed of. The King did not choose on that occasion to 
 speak Amharic either to Mr. Flad or to any of liis fellow- 
 captives ; and as they were standing a good distance oflP, I 
 had sometimes to repeat his Majesty's words twice before 
 they could hear them. 
 
 The first thing tlie King asked the prisoners was, why they 
 had left without coming to see him ? Whereupon I inter- 
 posed and remarked that, if allowed to do so, I would answer 
 that question [myself. Tlie King replied, " Wait : I m ant to 
 see what Mr. Stern and his party say." 
 
 When this question was put to them, IMr. Flad replied on 
 the part of his fellow-prisoners, that th(^y had nothing to say 
 on the subject, as the King had made them all over to me, 
 and they had only to listen to my orders ; that I was the
 
 1800. April. THE AUTHOE'S DEFENCE. 95 
 
 only one wlio was responsible to his Majesty, and that through 
 me tln-y had acted as they had done. The King then told 
 them thoy ought to have begged me to bring them to him. 
 I then told the King that if any one was to blame for the 
 released captives not having gone to him it was myself, and 
 I trusted that ho would not lay the fault to tlieir charge. 
 He then began the old complaints against tlio prisoners indi- 
 vidually ; even Mr. Flad, who had never before been accused 
 of having abused the King, did not escape on that occasion. 
 
 When the King had finished with the prisoners, he ordered 
 me to stand before him, with Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant 
 Prideaux, to answer certain questions which he wished to put 
 to me. I was asked why I had not taken the Mugdala 
 European prisoners to him to beg his ^lajesty's pardon before 
 they left the country. I replied, that he had never intimated 
 to mo, either by letter or otherwise, that he wished me to do 
 so; but, on the contrary, I had always heard that he did not 
 wish to see them. He then asked, why I had allowed the 
 released captives to leave Korata instead of bringing them to 
 Zago? I replied, that I had done so with his sanction, which 
 I could prove by his IMajesty's letter, and also through his 
 own oflicer, Lij Abitu. Whereupon the King called Lij 
 Aljitu to come forward, and asked him if it was true that ho 
 had received his ]\rajesty's permission to take the released 
 ca[)tives away from Korata. He answered in the aflirmative; 
 nml ho even went so far as to tell the King that when he 
 had delivered my message to him about dispensing with the 
 iittendance of the released captives, his ^lajesly had received 
 my suggestion with great approbation. 
 
 After this, the King looked at mo and saitl, "I)o you con- 
 sider yourself a King?" I replied in the negative, but said 
 that I was his friend, and begged to knctw what T had done to
 
 9G DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 lead him to ask me such a question. He said that I had taken 
 away the European released captives witliout reconciling 
 them to him, in order that I might boast, on my return to 
 England, that I had conducted them out of Abyssinia by my 
 own power and skill ; * that, had I brought them to Zage, he 
 would have given them mules and money, whereas they were 
 now in chains. 
 
 AVe were then asked to sit down, as formerly, at the foot 
 of the throne — reckoned the most honourable post — and he 
 recommenced his grievances against the rebels and the 
 Turks, and said that he hoped one day to show me how 
 he could thrash the unbelievers. " Ah ! " he said, " if the 
 English would only assist me, we could build a fence round 
 Sennaar." (Sennaar is a large district in the possession of the 
 Egyptian Government, on the western frontier of Abyssinia.) 
 He then concluded by saying, " Is this your friendship, Mr. 
 Rassam, that you wish to leave me and take away those who 
 have abused me ? Wherever I am, there you shall be." He 
 then became all smiles^ rose, and told us to go back to our 
 tents. I thought that as I had taken the blame upon myself 
 for the departure of the prisoners from Korata, ho would now 
 release them from their fetters ; but, on seeing that he did not 
 do so, I asked him to oblige me by ordering their chains to 
 be removed. He replied, " We have had enough for to-day ; 
 I will see to the rest to-morrow." Thereupon, Dr. Blanc, 
 Lieutenant Pridoanx and I rctiirnt-d to our tents, Consul 
 
 * From some invidious remarks which have recently been published on 
 the Continent, wherein the writer assumes to have been cognizant of my 
 feelings when the success of the Mission seemed certain, and ventures, 
 moreover, to dilate on the anticipation which I then entertained of a hand- 
 some reward in store for me from the Government, I have no doubt that 
 this idea was suggested to the King, indirectly, by some of the European 
 artisans.
 
 186C. April. KOYAL FROWNS AXD SMILES. 97 
 
 Cameron accompanying us, tbe King having given him 
 permission to that effect. His Majesty left in company with 
 M. Bardel. 
 
 Never before, since my arrival in Abyssinia, had Theodore 
 manifested such bitter animosity against the prisoners as he 
 did on this occasion ; and although I took all the blame 
 upon myself for their not having gone in person to be recon- 
 ciled to him, nevertheless he declined to accede to my earnest 
 appeal for their release, and it was not until I had engaged to 
 become surety for them that he allowed their fetters to be 
 removed. On the other hand, M. Bardel, against whom so 
 much has been said, as having been at the bottom of all the 
 mischief which created the breach between the King and his 
 European captives, underwent no questioning whatever, and 
 was directed to sit by our side. That the whole thing was 
 a solemn farce, there cannot be the shadow of a doubt ; even 
 Theodore himself could not restrain a smile when he blamed 
 me for having tried to smuggle a large party of Em'opeans 
 out of his territories, just as if they were a bale of cotton, 
 knowing at the same time that I had acted throughout with 
 his special sanction. If I, personally, had been the object of 
 the King's displeasure, why, before the arrival of the captives 
 on the day of the trial, did he ask me to sit by his side and 
 have a friendly chat ? And how comes it, if such had been 
 the case, that he did not tell me to hold my peace, when I 
 afterwards begged him to ludVtter the captives? Why, 
 moreover, if ho entertained any distrust of me, did he shortly 
 after grant my request, on condition that I became security for 
 them ? And why, lastly, if he really had been offended with 
 me, did he never again, for a whole year, allude to the charge 
 ho had preferred against me on that occasion ? Tiie whole 
 aflfair had been got up — as he liimself afterwards told me on 
 
 VOL. II. H
 
 98 DISGEACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 several occasions, and as the tenor of his subsequent letters 
 to me ^vill prove — as a mere pretext to detain me in the 
 coimtry for the furtherance of his own indefinite views. But 
 I am anticipating. 
 
 At sunrise next morning, the 17th, we saw the King busily 
 engaged in marking out a piece of .ground within the royal 
 inclosure, which was to be fenced in, and we were told that 
 it was intended for u?, as his Majesty had resolved to place 
 us there, together with all the Europeans for whom I stood 
 security. When the soldiers began to construct the fence, 
 the King sent me this message — that for my sake he would 
 release the prisoners from their chains, provided I became 
 surety for their good behaviour. I replied, that I could not 
 give him an answer before I had spoken to them, as none of 
 them were servants of our Government, nor were they all 
 British subjects. The King then ordered them all to repair 
 to my tent. When they had expressed their willingness that 
 I should be surety for them, I sent and informed his Majesty 
 of the fact. After a while, the King's consent was obtained for 
 striking o£f the chains, and when his Majesty heard that all 
 had been unfettered, he sent me this message : " Mind, Mr. 
 Kassam, although you have become surety for all the Euro- 
 peans, and I hold you alone responsible for their acts, yet 
 I shall always be at your service to assist you in case any of 
 them become refractory or troublesome. Only tell me to 
 chain this man or imprison the other, and I will do as you bid 
 me. Do not fear ; I will take care of them for you." 
 
 Shortly after, all the Europeans were summoned to appear 
 before the King that we might have a private " chawata " 
 (chat) together. We all went to the same audience-hall in a 
 body, and, aftcn- the usual salutations were over, Dr. Blanc, 
 Lieutenant Pridcaux, Consul Cameron and I were invited
 
 186G. April. THEODORE'S PENITENCE. 99 
 
 by the King to sit next to him, on his left hand, while the 
 artisans were told to occupy a place between the door and 
 tlie King's right. His Majesty placed a pillow for me to lean 
 upon, near him. When we had sat down, the released 
 captives were called in, and after prostrating themselves 
 they were directed to sit on our left, near another entrance. 
 The King on that occasion put on a most humble counte- 
 nance, and asked us all to forgive and to forget. He then 
 bowed his head and said, "For Christ's sake, forgive me." 
 All of us, including myself and companions, were obliged to 
 stoop, following his example. So intent were we on showing 
 our respect, that we forgot the royal head was still bent, till 
 one of the European artisans called out, '•' You have forgotten 
 the King's head ; tell his Majesty to sit up." I then apolo- 
 gized to the King, and begged him to raise his head. 
 
 When this ceremony was over, the King told Consul 
 Cameron that he had received a petition from his (the Con- 
 sul's) relatives and the relatives of his late fellow-captives, 
 which he characterized as " touching," and asked him to read 
 it for the edification of all those who understood English. 
 Accordingly, Consul Cameron read it in full. This done, the 
 King looked towards Mr. Stern and his party, and said that 
 they ought to be very grateful to me for the great trouble I had 
 undergone for them. They were all dismissed, but my com- 
 panions, the European artisans and myself were told to 
 remain a little while longer. Dr. Beke's letter was not 
 produced, neither did the King make any allusion to it. 
 
 I had hoped that after this formal reconciliation there 
 would be no furtlier hindrance to our departure ; but I \Aas 
 sadly disappointed. As soon as we were left alone, the King 
 called the Chief Scribe and directed him to write what he 
 should dictate. Aito Samuel was ordered to translate to mo 
 
 n 2
 
 100 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XYI. 
 
 word by word as they went on ; and after a great deal of dis- 
 puting about certain phrases and titles, between the Monarchy 
 the scribes, Aito Samuel and "Wald-Gabir, the yalet, the 
 following letter to our Queen was decided upon : — 
 
 " In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — One God. 
 
 " From. God's slave and His created being, the son of David, 
 the son of Solomon, the King of kings, Theodorus. 
 
 " To her whom God has exalted above all people, the Defender 
 of the Christian Faith, the Protector of the poor and oppressed, 
 the Queen of England, Victoria. 
 
 "Had not yonr servant Mr. Ilormuzd Eassam, whom yovt 
 said that yon had sent in the affair of Mr. Cameron, come, but 
 the lowest of yonr slaves, I would have welcomed him. By tho 
 power of God, I have released Mr. Cameron and made him over 
 to your ser\^ant, Mr. Eassam ; and, by the powder of God, I have 
 also released the other prisoners and all other Europeans wlio 
 might wish to leave the country, and made them over to him ; 
 and I have kept your seivant Mr. Hormuzd Eassam for the sake 
 of consulting together upon the extension of our friendshijx 
 We, the people of Ethiopia, are blind, and we beg of j^our 
 Majesty that j^ou would give light to our eyes, aud so may 
 you receive light in the kingdom of Heaven." 
 
 My feelings may well be conceived when I understood that 
 I was to be retained as a hostage ; for such, undoubtedly, was 
 the case, although the King had expressed it differently. 
 We were then in his power, and it was useless to protest 
 against his double-dealing, or to refuse sending the lettei-. 
 Good advice he would not take, and any opposition to his 
 will on my part might have led him to treat all the Europeans 
 with still greater severity. 
 
 It luis been asserted that tlio King liad asked me tO' 
 remain with him as a hostage, leaving Consul Cameron and 
 the otlicr released captives to depart out of the country, aud 
 that I had refused my consent. How this absurd story origi- 
 nated I cannot tell ; all I can say is that Theodore never
 
 1806. Aprix. THEODORE'S LETTER TO THE QUEEN. 101 
 
 once hinted any such proposal to me. Besides, the story 
 itself is preposterous, since if the Iving really entertained a 
 desire to send the captives away, retaining me in his power, 
 ho unquestionably might have done so without asking my 
 sanction to the arrangement. Having once made them over 
 to me, to be taken by me out of Abyssinia, I am convinced 
 that, ill-disposed as he was towards them, the thought never 
 occurred to him to let them go without me. The fact is, 
 from the time he informed her Majesty that he had released 
 the captives and consigned them to me, he never considered 
 them in any way apart from me as the head of the Mission. 
 In his letter to Dr. Beke, in answer to the petition forwarded 
 by the relatives of the captives, he says, " the prisoners, from 
 Avhose families you brought a petition, I have released for the 
 sake of my friend, the Queen, and have made them over to 
 3rr. Rassam to take out witli him when he leaves Abyssinia." 
 In like manner, whereas the King had sent all my fellow- 
 captives with me to the British camp on the 11th of April, 
 1868, when referring to that circumstance on the following 
 day, in his letter to Sir Robert Napier, he merely says, " I 
 sent to you Mr. Rassam the same evening, that your heart 
 might be made easy." 
 
 After we left, Theodore sent me the following note, with a 
 message that he wished me to write a letter to accompany 
 his own. lie also asked me to select one of the Europeans to 
 take it to England and bring an answer : — 
 
 " From God's slave and II is created being, the son of David, 
 tho son of Solomon, the King of kings, Thcodorus. 
 
 " To my friend and counsellor, the sei-vant of tho Queen of 
 England, Aito Hormuzd Iiassam. 
 
 " My dosiro is that you should send to her Majesty, the Queen, 
 and obtain for me a man who can make cannons and nniskcts, 
 and one who can smelt iron; also an instructor of artillery. I
 
 102 DISGRACE OF THE MISSIOX. Chap. XVI.. 
 
 want these people to come liero with their implements and every- 
 thing necessary for their work, and then thej^ shall teach us and 
 return. By the power of God, forward this my request to 
 England." 
 
 He said, further, that he would like to see the letter before 
 I sent it. This led me to draw it up in terms which might 
 please him, in case he had it read. The following is a copy 
 of the letter which I addressed on the occasion to her 
 Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs : — 
 
 " Emperor's Court at Zage, April 18, 1866. 
 "My Lord, 
 
 " I HAVE the honour to report to your Lordship that my 
 companions, Dr. Blanc and Mr. Prideaux, and I reached the Court 
 of the Emperor of Abyssinia on the 28th of January, and his 
 Majesty gave us a most magnificent reception, and treated us with 
 great kindness and civility. 
 
 "He received her Majesty's letter graciously; in answer to 
 which he wrote a very friendly and courteous reply. 
 
 " I had the first interview with his Majesty on the very after- 
 noon of my arrival at his Court, when he related to me all his 
 grievances with regard to Consul Cameron and the other Euro- 
 pean prisoners. Early the next morning he ordered the release 
 of all the prisoners, a nominal list of whom is hercAvith inclosed 
 for your Lordship's information. All the released prisoners have 
 been made over to me by his Majesty, and are now with me, en- 
 joying good health. 
 
 " All the prisoners presented themselves before the Emperor 
 on the 16th instant, and after the charges were read to them, 
 they all confessed that they were wrong in what they had 
 written and spoken against his Majesty. The Emperor then for- 
 gave Ihem for all that they had done, and said that he would bo 
 as friendly towards them henceforth as he is towards myself and 
 my companions. 
 
 "His Majesty has been good enough to present me with 10,000 
 dollars for my expenditure, and has in every respect been very 
 kind and hospitable. The other day ho did me the honour of 
 coming in person to see me in my tent, and said that he held.
 
 1866. April. LETTER TO THE FOREIGN OFFICE. 103 
 
 me dear on account of my being the servant of his friend, the 
 British Queen. He has also presented me with a royal saddle, 
 shield, sword, spear and armlet, and has given each of my com- 
 panions a shield, spear and armlet, in addition to five mules. 
 He is about to create an Order, with which he intends to invest 
 us. 
 
 " His Majesty has had for some years a desire to procure some 
 scientific men from England, and yesterday he spoke to me about 
 obtaining for him two or three men who could teach his people 
 how to make cannons, muskets and shot, and how to melt iron ; 
 also an instructor of artillery. He said he wished these persons 
 to come here with their instruments and everything necessaiy 
 for their work, and after they had taught his people they should 
 be allowed to return. 
 
 " His Majesty would be much obliged to her Majesty's Govern- 
 ment if his request could be complied with, and from his second 
 letter to the Queen, which I inclose herewith, your Lordship will 
 perceive that we are all detained in this country for the present, 
 for friendship's sake. 
 
 " I should be obliged if her Majesty's Government could send 
 me 100,000 percussion-caps of different sizes, a few double- 
 barrelled rifles and pistols, some gunpowder, a boat, if practi- 
 cable, for the use of his Majesty on the Lake, and any other thing 
 which Mr. Flad, who is the bearer of this letter, may suggest. 
 
 " If her Majesty's Government are able to send the persons re- 
 quired, it is necessary that they should be informed that they 
 will be required to remain in the service of the Emperor at least 
 one year, and that no European articles are obtainable here." 
 
 With regard to the messenger, I left the selection to the 
 King, and I was glad to find that he chose Mr. Flad, as 
 I knew he would report honestly and truthfully all that had 
 taken place between me and the King since my first recep- 
 tion at Court. I did not omit to request Mr. Flad to inform 
 her Majesty's Government of the restraint under which I 
 wrote the forcfjoiuff letter. 
 
 Before writing the letter, however, I asked Aito Samuel 
 to speak to the King about the unfriendly course be was
 
 101 DISGRACE OF THE MISSION. Chap. XVI. 
 
 pursuing, and to advise him to allow us all to leave the 
 country ; to say, also, that everything lie wanted would be 
 attended to. His answer was, that I ought by that time to 
 know the King well enough to be convinced that he was not 
 a man to listen to advice, or to be diverted from doing what 
 he had decided upon, whether good or bad. I also applied 
 to Mr. Waldmcier and Mr. Moritz Hall, who were then in 
 great favour with his Majesty, on the same subject ; but they 
 agreed with Samuel that no intervention would be of any 
 avail. 
 
 In the coiurse of the day the King sent me an Abyssinian 
 criminal in chains, a young man about twenty years of age, 
 who had killed his own mother for the sake of plunder. His 
 Majesty wished me to hear the murderer's confession of guilt, 
 in order that I might see what a bad set of people he had to 
 deal with. " Were I to order this wicked man to be ex- 
 ecuted according to law " — such was the conclusion of Theo- 
 dore's message — " some of the Europeans whom I have made 
 over to you would denounce me as a murderer." By the 
 Abyssinian code, this matricide A\ould have been mutilated 
 and his remains left to rot above ground ; but the King 
 ordered him to be shot, and his body to be interred. Kot- 
 withstandiug all the cruelties practised by Theodore, he was 
 fur more lenient in his judgments than the Ftitteh-Negust, or 
 the common law in Abyssinia. It is undeniable that he 
 occasionally sacriiiced human life wholesale ; nevertheless he 
 ^^as not guilty of half the barbarities of Dajjaj Oobe or 
 Sahela Salasse, the old king of Shoa. Trior to Theodore's 
 reign, men \\ ere deprived of their eyes, tongues, hands, and 
 other members — to say nothing of still more horrible tor- 
 tures to which they were liable — for slight misdemeanours ; 
 whereas I beheve a traveller might go through the length
 
 S66. April. THE AITOS ARRAIGNED. 105 
 
 and breadth of the country without fiuding a single instance 
 of such mutilation caused by Theodore. 
 
 In the afternoon we moved our tents within the fence 
 which had been erected for us in ^the morning, and then 
 the rest of the Europeans were brought to the same place. 
 The artisans were allowed to occupy a spot at the outskii-ts. 
 
 After we had returned to our tents, the Aitos Samuel, 
 Kasa and Wande were summoned before the King to be 
 tried for having assisted me in sending letters to the coast. 
 The two last were the first to be arraigned. Their simple 
 answer was, that having received a written order from his 
 Majesty to attend to my wants and to obey any instructions 
 which they might receive from me through Aito Samuel, 
 they had conformed strictly to the directions of his Majesty's 
 •confidential Baldaraba. 
 
 Samuel's turn came next, and on being asked whether it 
 Avas true that he had told those merchants to find messenfjers 
 for me, and, if so, how he dared to do so without his Majesty's 
 permission, he replied in the affirmative, alleging that he did 
 not think there was any harm in my -writing to inform my 
 friends in England of the release of the captives, and of his 
 Majesty's kindness towards me, which I had assured him 
 formed the contents of the letters. He pleaded, moreover, 
 that when we left the King in Ag6\vmeder, his Majesty hud 
 given him stringent orders to obey mo in everything, and to 
 serve me as a slave. 
 
 The merchants were then charged with having supplied 
 the rebels of Gojjam with muskets. This they indignantly 
 denied, as being two of In's Majesty's most loyal subjects ; 
 whereupon he ordered them to be chained by the hand to 
 a couple of his soldiers, and imposed a fine upon them of 
 20,000 dollars. They managed to scrape together a moiety
 
 106 DISGRACE OF THE MISSIOX. Chap. XYI. 
 
 of that sum by the sale of their property, but the King 
 insisted that it should be paid in full, and, to that end, had 
 them subjected to torture. By borrowing and begging they 
 collected a little more. As even that did not satisfy the 
 inexorable tyrant, he resorted to the rope. Finding, after 
 subjecting them to every species of cruelty for several months, 
 that nothing more could be extorted from 'them, he left them 
 in chains, and ultimately sent them to Magdala. Aito Kasa, 
 who was really a good man and respected by all who knew 
 him, was upwards of sixty years old. 
 
 As soon as Kantiba Hailo heard that I was to be detained, 
 he went to the King and advised him to send me away, 
 telling him that ten thousand men would be a less formidable 
 array for him to contend against than my tongue. The only re- 
 joinder he received was this : — " Aha ! I know now that you are 
 my enemy and that Mr. Eassam is my friend. You had better 
 hold your tongue, you old fool, and go away." The kind 
 man came to me afterwards, and recommended me to put 
 the best face upon my misfortunes ; " for," said he, " you can 
 do no good by appearing gloomy." In the course of the 
 evening, Itamanyo, the favourite Queen, sent me a similar 
 message, with this addition : — " If you take matters cheerily, 
 you have nothing to fear ; everything will come right at last^ 
 for the King really loves you." The disgrace of the Mission 
 was also, I believe, sincerely deplored by the European 
 artisans, especially by Mr. Waldmeier and Mr. Moritz Hall — 
 two upright men, who I am sure would have done their best 
 to assist us. Unfortunately, they were powerless in this 
 instance to influence the perverse Monarch.
 
 1866. Apbil. 107 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 UNDER AEEEST AT ZAGE. 
 
 Presents from the King — He restores our confiscated property — His 
 studied courtesy — Theodore not a good marksman — " Who is your 
 father ? " — Our Queen's birthday commemorated by the King — Another 
 letter from Dr. Beke — Theodore kills a man at a blow — Artillery 
 practice — Theodore's account of his strategy and exploits — His nimble- 
 ness — His cruelties at this time — A case of high treason — " Shrimps " 
 and " Bob " — The ItCge's Mdrrjaf — The peninsula and town of Zage 
 — Theodore's " imitation of a steamer " — A native Tournament. 
 
 On the IStli of April the King sent the presents which he 
 had intended to give us on leaving Abyssinia, namely, to me, 
 a royal saddle, shield, sword, spear and armlet ; and a shield, 
 spear and armlet to each of my companions. Dr. Blanc and 
 Lieutenant Prideaux ; also a first-rate mule for each of us. 
 (When we were sent to Magdala as prisoners, all these pre- 
 sents were taken from us, excepting the armlets.) That day 
 my companions and I went out for a ride, as we were told it 
 would please the King. The Master of the Horse and two 
 other officers accompanied us. 
 
 On the morning of the 21st, the day Mr. Plad left for 
 England, the King restored all our arms and silver trinkets ; 
 and of the money he took on the 13th of April he sent me back 
 1,000 dollars, with a promise that he would soon give me back 
 the whole, and present my companions and myself with the 
 Order of the " Cross and Solomon's Seal," the decorations of 
 which were not quite ready. Of the cash which was taken 
 from the other captives when they were arrested and chained
 
 108 UNDER ARREST AT ZAGfi. Citap. XYII. 
 
 near Koiita, amounting nearly to 800 dollars, lie only sent 
 them back, through me, 550 dollars, which, he said, was all 
 the money that had reached him. It appears that the soldiers 
 who carried out the confiscation had not forgotten to help 
 themselves on the occasion. 
 
 As the King wished to show Mr. Flad, before he left for 
 Europe, that his jMajesty and I were on the best terms, he 
 came to pay me a visit just before that gentleman started ; 
 and, on seeing the floor of my tent bare, he fetched some 
 carpets, and spread them himself on the ground, with the 
 assistance of Eas I'ngada and Aito Samuel. He afterwards 
 sent the chief minister to carpet the tents of Dr. Blanc and 
 Lieutenant Prideaux. On his rising to depart, I asked him 
 if he would allow me to escort him as far as his house. He 
 immediately advanced, took me by the hand, and said, " Come 
 on." We walked together, hand in hand, all the way, and 
 the Abyssiniaus could not help smiling to sec the Great 
 Emperor walking as a bosom friend ^\ith his prisoner. On 
 going out of the inclosure the King saw one of the Chiefs of 
 our guard, Eas Wald-Maryam, standing at attention; his 
 Majesty stopped and asked him what business he had there. 
 The Chief answering that he was keeping guard, he said to 
 him, " "What ! you are watching my friend Eassam ? Go away 
 at once. I have nothing to fear from him ; " and then, 
 pointing to his mouth, lie added, "not if he were to put the 
 muzzle of a pistol here." 
 
 After that day every one ^^"as able to go out when he liked, 
 either walking or riding ; but I was not allowed to move a 
 yard without some oflicers to attend me, whom the King 
 called a " guard of honour." Ultimately, my protectors were 
 reduced to the Bahlaraba and the Master of the Horse. 
 
 Soon alter Mv. ]"lad's departure, tlie King presented
 
 186G. April. "WHO IS YOUR FATHER?" 109' 
 
 Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux and myself with a tliorongli- 
 bred Galla horse each. 
 
 The King became more afifectionate in his manner towards 
 me every day, taking me with him on several occasions to 
 shoot hippopotami at one of their favourite haunts on tlic 
 northern extremity of the Zage peninsula, where the southern 
 side of the Lake takes the form of a spacious bay. Twice 
 he left me alone with his followers to try my luck, while he 
 retired into the thick wood to pray, as, starting from home 
 as he always did before sunrise, it was too early for him to 
 repair to the church. He was by no means a good shot, and 
 whenever he missed he always abused the rifle, saying, 
 "Who is your father?" This, one of the most offensive 
 epithets in Abyssinia, consists of two words, both Semitic, — 
 " 3Ian abut ? " — and is addressed indiscriminately to animate 
 and inanimate objects. A native almost instinctively uses it 
 to a stone which has tripped him, or to a troublesome fly. 
 Thus, on tlie great day of the trial at Zage, there were so 
 many flies near the door of the audience-hall where the King- 
 was seated, that one entered the royal mouth and nearly 
 choked him. On ejecting it, he vilified the hapless insect 
 by the usual reflection on its paternity. Whenever the 
 question is asked, no abuse being intended, the words arc 
 transposed — the noun being made to precede the pronoun, 
 thus : " Abateh, mannu ? " — "Your father, who is ho ?" Twice, 
 at Magdala, I inadvertently used the wrong phrase when 
 asking whose cliild my visitor was. The Abyssinians, who 
 arc generally good-natured, knowing that I did so from 
 ignorance of their language, could not help bursting out into 
 laughter at my mistake. 
 
 The King, having heard from Samuel tliat tli<^ 21th of 
 May was our Queen's birthday, sent to me in the morning
 
 110 UNDER ABEEST AT ZAGfi. Chap. XVII. 
 
 to say he was going to make a holiday in honour of Her 
 Majesty, and that he had ordered all his people to be merry. 
 He asked me to give him permission to entertain all the 
 servants of the Europeans who were with me, Indians as 
 well as Abyssinians. There was nothing but feasting the 
 whole day in our establishment, as well as in that of 
 the King. His Majesty having learnt also that it was 
 customary in our country to fire a salute on this anni- 
 versary, ordered that the same form should be observed. 
 He requested me to take all my fellow-Euro j)eans do^Mi 
 to the shore of the Lake to witness the firing. At noon 
 precisely we were ready on the sj)ot, and witnessed the 
 salute of twenty-one guns fired " in honour of the birthday 
 of the great Queen of England." 
 
 On the 27th, another messenger arrived with a letter from 
 Dr. Beke, dated from Halai, to the address of the King. 
 His Majesty forwarded the letter to me after he had read it, 
 and asked me to reply to it. I sent him back word that 
 it was not customary in our coimtry to answer a letter which 
 was not addressed to one's self. Next day he sent to say 
 that as I objected to answer Dr. Beke myself, he hoped that 
 I would get his Amharic version translated into English for 
 him. Not wisliing to annoy the King by refusing, I asked 
 Lieutenant Prideaux to do so. 
 
 Dr. Beke told the King in his letter that, as he had heard 
 that his Majesty had graciously released the captives, he 
 Avas coming up to thank liim for his act of clemency. He 
 also informed the King that the rebels of Tigre had im- 
 prisoned him, and demanded from him as many dollars as 
 there were stones at Halai, and as much powder as there was 
 dust. He asked his Majesty to send and have him released. 
 Li his answer Theodore told Dr. Beke that ho had no
 
 1866. Apktt. THEODORE KILLS A SUPPLIANT. Ill 
 
 business to penetrate into Abyssinia witbout bis (tbe King's) 
 permission, and he directed bim to go down to ]^Iasso^\ab 
 and await there until further orders. He would not see 
 either Dr. Beke's first or second messenger, and both were 
 told to remain in our encampment imtil they were dis- 
 missed. 
 
 Tbe King was reported to be very much out of temper 
 this morning, and while in that mood be had caused tbe 
 death of a poor peasant who bad applied to him for justice 
 in the matter of a field which was in dispute between him 
 and one of bis neighbours. Tbe appellant, it appears, not 
 hearing distinctly what tbe King bad said, repeated his 
 question, whereupon bis Majesty, who was then standing in 
 the courtyard, stooping down, seized a piece of a rafter about 
 six inches long and five in diameter and felled him with it 
 to the groimd with one fatal blow. Mr. Bender and Mr. 
 Moritz Hall, two of tbe royal artisans, who were just then 
 paying some visits within our fence, were summoned before 
 his Majesty, who abruptly asked where they had been 
 prowling. They replied that they bad been to see me, which 
 was not tbe case, as they had not entered my tent. Mr. 
 Moritz Hall told me tbe story laughingly, stating that they 
 ' were in too great dread of a severe rebuke to say at tbe time 
 that they had been calling on any one else. 
 
 It bad previously been arranged by tbe King that I should 
 accompany him this same morning to witness some practice 
 from a three-pounder gun which had been cast at Gafifut. 
 When, in pursuance of this arrangement, Samuel came to 
 take me and my companions to follow his ]\Iajesty, he could 
 scarcely walk from fear of meeting bis royal master in his 
 present dangerous mood ; but as neither be nor I dared to 
 refuse, Blanc, Prideaux and I donned our uniforms and set
 
 112 UNDER ARREST AT ZAGE. Chap. XVIL 
 
 ofl'. Two of the released captives, named Kerans and 
 McKelvie, both Irishmen, who had formerly been in Consul 
 Cameron's employ, the former as secretary and the latter 
 as a servant, had already volunteered to enter the royal 
 service, but for some reason or other, known only to the 
 King, his Majesty had declined their offer. On this occasion, 
 however, he sent to say that McKelvie, who had informed 
 him that he was au artilleryman, was to accompany us. 
 When we were yet full half a mile from the royal cavalcade^ 
 Samuel advised us to dismount. We did so, and marched 
 slo\\ ly onward, no one venturing to utter a word — not unlike 
 a funeral procession. The King, who had an eye like a 
 haAvk, on seeing that we had arrived, sent to bid us mount 
 and follow him, and in less than five minutes we were by his 
 side. After the usual inquiries about our health, which he 
 uttered in a most lugubrious style, as if he had just been 
 bereft of both his parents, he asked me where he should post 
 the gun for practice towards the Lake. Being altogether 
 ignorant of gunnery, I referred him to Messrs. Moritz Hall 
 and McKelvie, who were walking near me. Thereat he 
 looked as black as thunder — his bare reply made many a man 
 quake behind me — and said peevishly to me, "Never mind 
 Moritz and McKelvie : I want you to indicate the site." As 
 soon as Samuel translated these words to me, I pointed out a 
 slight rise in the ground a little in advance of us, where the 
 King immediately ordered the gun, which had been brought 
 on the back of one mule and the carriage on another, to be 
 put together. His Majesty then retired to the wood to pray 
 for about half an hour; on his return he looked much more 
 placid, and began to relate to me his exploits against ''those 
 infidel Mohammedans, the Turks and Gallas." He told me that 
 from childhood he had been fond of artillery practice, and that
 
 18GG. April. THEODORE'S CIIUSADES. 113 
 
 the first cannon he made was constructed out of the trunk of 
 a tree, bored, and bound round with rings of iron. To charge 
 it, he had the butt-end fixed in the ground, and after it was 
 filled with powder and stone, and well rammed down, he fired 
 it against the infidels by means of a train. He said, also, 
 that he had been addicted to using mines in his engagements 
 with the Gallas, believing that all Mohammedans deserved to 
 be killed and sent to Gehenna wholesale. One day he made a 
 formidable mine, which he intended to spring when the Galla 
 horse advanced to the attack, but one of his disaifected sub- 
 jects had apprised the enemy of tlie design, which caused 
 them to change their tactics. He had also employed looking- 
 glasses to dazzle the eyes of man and beast, and by these 
 and other stratagems he had concluded an honourable peace 
 witli tlie Gallas, after having obliged them to pay the tribute 
 ■which they had refused to his forefathers for centuries. 
 Wliile on the expedition referred to, a Turk of high rank 
 was seized by his soldiers and taken before him, and on 
 seeing the wretched man, he said to him, '* So you have come 
 thus fiir to fight against me ! Lut, never mind ; as you are a 
 stranger and know no better, I will do you no harm. There- 
 upon," continued his Majesty, " I sent him safely to the 
 border, telling him to go home, and not to let me behold his 
 face again." The King was highly excited while relating 
 these adventures to mo, and every one was delighted that lie 
 seemed so fully absorbed by his subject. 
 
 Although j\[('Kelvio had offered his services to his ]\Injesty 
 as a skilled artilleryman, and he had been specially ordered 
 to attend on this occasion, he was not called upon to assist 
 in any way, th<! entire management of the gun being left 
 to I\[r. ]\roritz Hall. His practice was so successful that 
 the King rushed upon him in an ecstasy of delight, kissjing 
 
 VOL. II. I
 
 114 UNDER ARREST AT ZAGE. Chap. XVII. 
 
 his head and calling him his "pet son." '(In less than 
 a year afterwards this same Moritz Hall, than whom none of 
 the other Europeans served Theodore more faithfully, was, 
 out of sheer caprice on the part of his ungrateful employer, 
 dragged in foot- and hand- chains for nearly six months 
 between Debra Tabor and Magdala.) The artillery practice 
 ended, his Majesty asked me to follow him to a rocky part 
 near the Lake, to shoot at the ducks and geese which frequent 
 the beach, presenting me at the same time with a fowling- 
 piece, which he thought better than my own. We had not 
 proceeded more than a hundred yards when he called my 
 attention to a flying goose. I accordingly fired, and must 
 have winged the bird, for it could not fly, but was swimming 
 as fast as it was able towards the open Lake. Not wishing 
 to lose the prize, I commenced running over the rough 
 ground, and, on placing my foot on a smooth rock, slipped 
 and fell. The King was by my side in a moment, and raising 
 me by one arm said, in Arabic, "Else, my son, and take 
 heart ; may your enemies die in your stead ! " It was mar- 
 vellous to see with what dexterity his Majesty jumped from 
 one rock to another, never tripping and never seemingly 
 deterred by the sharp stones, though he was barefooted. He 
 then proceeded to shoot vultures — a sure sign, so Samuel 
 informed me, that he was out of temper. Betaking himself 
 to " sleep," or scourging and ruthlessly shedding of blood, 
 were other well-known symptoms of his being in an angry 
 mood. In fact, during this period, the King perpetrated 
 some fearful deeds of cruelty, causing several Chiefs and also 
 a lady of rank to be flogged to death a few yards from our 
 inclosure. I was generally out riding when these tragedies 
 were jjerformed, and only heard of them on my return. The 
 fence round our camp was so loosely constructed that every-
 
 1866. April. A LADY SCOURGED. 115 
 
 thing wliicli took place on the opposite side could be dis- 
 tinctly seen through it. Unfortunately for her, Mrs. Eosen- 
 thal's tent was nearest to the spot where these horrible scenes 
 occurred, so that she could hear every Jash as it descended on 
 the body of the writhing sufferers. When the King was about 
 to commit one of these outrages, the Master of the Horse 
 generally came to me beforehand and suggested that I 
 should take a ride, under the plea that his Majesty would 
 be pleased to know that I was enjoying myself. On one 
 occasion, on our return from a short excursion, the same 
 official, hearing the lash going, told me to proceed at a slow 
 pace, as it was not desirable that we should enter the royal 
 Court while the King was holding an assize in the inclosure. 
 We accordingly took another turn, and reached our own 
 camp just as the King had inflicted about one hundred and 
 fifty lashes with an Abyssinian whip, called a jerdf, on a 
 young lady of noble birth, because she had not given due 
 notice that her husband intended to desert and join the 
 rebels in Gojjam. The poor creature swore that she was 
 utterly ignorant of her husband's plans until the day after 
 his desertion, and appealed to the generosity of her inexor- 
 able judge not to punish her for the sake of a man whose 
 very desertion proved that he did not care for her. " Throw 
 her down; by my death, scourge her!" was the only reply 
 to her earnest pleadings. Twice, while I was in our camp, 
 he held a Court to try officers charged with high treason, 
 but on neither of these occasions was the sentence of the 
 lash awarded. The victims were ordered to be stripped 
 naked and left day and night in the open air, in the market- 
 place, for the space of a fortnight, loaded with chains and 
 with a heavy beam, branching out at one end like a yoke, 
 affixed to their necks. On one of these trials he sent to 
 
 I 2
 
 IIG UNDER ARREST AT ZAG£. Chap. XVIL 
 
 request that I would depute one of my followers to be 
 present, in order that I might be convinced what atrocious 
 subjects he had. The case was one of high treason, and 
 the accuser a notorious tool of the King's, named Bit- 
 waddad Tadla, a Chief of Bagameder, the man who was 
 sent to arrest Consul Cameron and liis party on their way 
 to the coast from Korata, and who eventually took us 
 prisoners to i\ragdala. His solitary witness was one of 
 his own servants, who could only swear that he once saw 
 the arraigned whisper in his master's ear, but did not know 
 what he said. The charge was, that the accused, who was 
 also a Bagameder Chief, had endeavoured to induce Bitwaddad 
 Tadla to desert with him, and to stir up the peasantry 
 of that district against the King, and that he, Bitwaddad 
 Tadla, should be acknowledged as their Chief. The evidence 
 adduced was considered sufficient to condemn the unfortunate 
 man, and when sentence was passed upon him, his Majesty 
 bade my interpreter come and inform me what a treasonable 
 set of people he had to deal with. 
 
 One day the King took it into his head to direct that all 
 the great Chiefs, from the Eases downwards, should dismount 
 on meeting me, and stand still to receive my salutation, if 
 they happened to be walking. This despotic order was as 
 disagreeable to me as to the Chiefs; nevertheless we were 
 obliged to submit : they in obedience to the Sovereign, and I, 
 to do liDnc^nr to his Majesty through them, had also to 
 dismount when they did. 
 
 It having been reported, on his own authority, that M. 
 Bardcl had been released and taken again into the royal 
 favour, specially in order that he might translate to the 
 King certain letters and books, taken from the captives, 
 which wcYG known to bo in his Majesty's possession, and
 
 1866. April. THE QUEEN'S ROBE. 117 
 
 as M. Bardel's friend, I'ngada Wark, was in constant com- 
 munication with M. Macraire, Consul Cameron's French, 
 servant, we agreed to call M. Bardel '• Shrimps," lest any 
 of his intimates should overhear and report that we had been 
 talking about him. The King we nicknamed " Bob," for the 
 same reason. In fact, we were obliged to exercise the greatest 
 caution in our conversation during the whole time of our 
 detention at Zage. I am bound, however, to mention here 
 that M. Bardel promised not to translate correctly to the 
 King any passages wliich might prove injurious to the cap- 
 tives. At this same period the King himself was unre- 
 mitting in his attentions to the Mission. On one occasion 
 he sent us twenty shdmmas as bedding, and three mdrgafs — 
 the latter an Abyssinian cotton robe, worked with silk instead 
 of twist — because he feared that, as the rainy season had set 
 in, we might feel the cold. The mdrgaf intended for me he 
 had taken from the Queen's person, Itamanyo, the same 
 evening, and the message which accompanied it was as 
 follows : — " I hope that after to-day, when you go out riding, 
 you will wear it, because the ignorant Abyssinians consider 
 that a man is naked unless he wears a shdmma or a mdrgaf, 
 and I wish you to look well when you go abroad ; but if you 
 will not wear it for my sake, I hope you will do so for the 
 sake of the Itege, from whom I have taken it to send to 
 you." In my reply, I thanked his Majesty for the honour 
 he had done me, and also for his kind thought for us ; at the 
 same time, I begged to be excused wearing a dress to whicli 
 I was unaccustomed, and one which was unsuited to me 
 as a servant of the British Queen, assuring him, however, 
 that in any other way I should bo delighted to please him to 
 the best of my ability ; tliat I should not value the mdrgaf 
 tlie less because I did not wear it ; and that I should care-
 
 lis UNDER AEREST AT ZAG^fi. Chap. XVII. 
 
 fully treasure it in remembrance of the King and his favourite 
 consort.* This message, I was glad to find, was well received, 
 for he sent back word immediately that I might wear the 
 robe or not, just as I pleased. In reality, there would have 
 been no disgrace in our assuming the robe ; on the contrary, 
 the King was justified in saying that we should have been 
 regarded with greater respect by the common people. On 
 the other hand, however, had I consented to wear it, my 
 companions would have been obliged to follow my example, 
 and there are so many formalities attached to the mode of 
 wearing this garment that, situated as we were, the guests 
 of the King and inmates of the royal camp, the least breach 
 of etiquette — such as wearing it round the body instead of 
 over or below the right or left shoulder — might have subjected 
 the innocent culprit to a beating, or to a severe reprimand 
 from the King. His Majesty always held his Court on the 
 outside of an inclosure which had been erected for the 
 purpose within the yard of the royal precincts, so that any 
 one passing to or from our quarter must needs be seen by 
 the King, who was generally squatting on a small platform 
 raised above the hedge surrounding his residence. 
 
 My usual ride, during our stay at Zage, was to the church 
 situated on the summit of the peninsula, about fifteen hun- 
 dred feet above the Lake, and a mile and a half from our 
 camp. There was always a delicious breeze there, and the 
 scenery of the neighbourhood is magnificent. Zage was 
 formerly one of the largest and wealthiest towns in Abys- 
 sinia, and consisted of as many as two thousand houses, or 
 huts, spread over the peninsula, which is about three miles 
 in length and two in breadth. Every hut was detached, 
 
 * This robe has been leut to the Managers of the Crystal Palace for 
 public exliibition.
 
 18G6. Apeil. the ZAG£ PENINSULA. 119 
 
 with ground sm-rounding it for cultivation. The locality was 
 famous for the growth of coffee, and also for the plant called 
 Gesho, the leaf of which is used for fermenting Uj and beer. 
 It is both bitter and pungent. "WTien the King destroyed 
 the flourishing district of IMetcha, of which it is the capital, 
 Zage shared in the common disaster; but when he visited 
 the place in February he determined to consummate its ruin. 
 On the pretext that the priests had supplied the rebels of 
 Gojjam with arms, he imposed a fine upon the inhabitants 
 which he knew full well they were unable to pay, and when 
 the clergy pleaded that they themselves were starving for 
 want of the necessaries of life, he ordered his troops to sack 
 the place, and to level every hut to the ground — the timber 
 of which they were directed to use as fuel — so that the un- 
 fortunate residents might be deprived of shelter. In less 
 than two hours not a house was left standing, and hundreds 
 of women and children were driven to beg their bread, with 
 hardly a rag to cover them. The men were allowed the 
 option either of entering the royal service or going wherever 
 they pleased. The latter alternative was a sheer mockery, 
 as it was well known that the guards at the outposts were 
 directed to seize all who left the camp, and that a cruel 
 death awaited them. Even when we were there, although 
 all the dwellings had been destroyed, the whole peninsula 
 was thickly wooded with the coffee plant, the geslio, and a 
 variety of other indigenous trees. It is certainly a charming 
 locality, and, blessed with a good government, Zago might 
 in a few years become the centre of a flourishing and remune- 
 rative trade ; and the same may be said of many other 
 equally eligible places in Abyssinia proper. The King had 
 declared that he intended to make Zago his new capital ; 
 but, like many other projects of a similar nature, he never
 
 120 UXI>ER AEREST AT ZAG£. Chap. XYIL 
 
 attempted to carry it out. He did indeed erect a great 
 number of large rooms, in the ordinary Abyssinian style, and 
 on our first going to Zage, subsequent to our disgrace, he 
 talked of building us huts for the winter, but finding the 
 place somewhat imhealthy he abandoned the idea of spending 
 the rainy season there. For nearly a month he was engaged 
 in building what he called an imitation of a steamer. Twa 
 large boats, sixty feet long and twenty wide, midships, with 
 wooden decks, and a couple of wheels affixed to the sides of 
 each, to be turned by a handle like that attached to a com- 
 mon gi-indstone, were accordingly constructed ; but although 
 nearly a hundred men were taken on board, tlie wheels were 
 only immersed about four inches. The day they were 
 launched, he invited the members of the Mission to witness 
 the experiment, and the vessel in which he had embarked 
 luoved so rapidly after the bulrushes had got well soaked,, 
 which made it subside deeper into the water, that he seemed 
 almost frantic with joy, whilst the natives looked on with 
 admiring wonder. He did not take us with him on the trial 
 trip because, as he sent to tell us, he feared the boat might 
 sink so deep that we should get wet. He proceeded to try 
 how the vessel would behave against the wind, and on round- 
 ing the peninsula encountered a strong breeze, which soon 
 convinced him of the futility of his attempt. The incon- 
 gruous materials of which the bt)at was constructed, one 
 elastic and the other the opposite — no effort having been 
 made to ensure an equal pressure upon them from without — 
 began to give way after a little tossing, and his Majesty 
 deemed it prudent to return as speedily as possible to the 
 smooth water in the bay. From tliat time he appears to 
 liave abandoned all idea of building a royal navy for the 
 liuke of Dumbca.
 
 18CC. April. A Js'ATlYE TOUENAMEXT. 121 
 
 On another occasion be invited the members of the Mission 
 to witness the national pastime, called " Giiks " — a kind of 
 tournament, in which he himself was to play a part. On our 
 approach he left the field and came forward to welcome us ; 
 then, placing ns in a convenient spot, he ordered his pages to 
 .spread their shdmmas on the ground for us to sit upon, and 
 left Eas Adilo, of YadjoAv, with us as a guard of honour, 
 saying as he returned to the arena that he hoped we should 
 enjoy the spectacle. Theodore himself opened the joust on 
 horseback, but whotlier or not because they were pitted 
 against the Sovereign, the feigned antagonists soon gave way 
 before him and his party, who always came off victorious. 
 Reeds were used instead of spears, and I noticed that the 
 King made frequent jocular thrusts with this harmless 
 Aveapon at his favourite warriors. When tired of riding, his 
 Majesty dismounted, and ordered a sham fight on foot. This 
 was certainly a wild and picturesque sight. Hundreds of 
 gaily-dressed soldiers entered tlie lists with silver shields and 
 glittering spears. The King chooses his party at random, 
 and the officer on whom the high honour is conferred of 
 coping with his Majesty does the same. When the opposing 
 combatants are fully arrayed, about one hundred yards from 
 each other, the side which represents the King's enemies is 
 allowed to attack first. They rush to the onset with a loud 
 yell, the royal party remaining in the mean time on the de- 
 fensive. When tlie combatants meet hand to hand, a general 
 outburst of screams and whoops ensues, intermingled with 
 snatches of the native war-sonjr and the rinjjin": of the butt- 
 end of lances on each others' shields — sucli a clash as baffles 
 description. The King seemed to surpass all the rest in the 
 agility of his movements and his dexterity in the use of 
 th<' lance, and wherever ho appeared in person his adver-
 
 122 UNDER ARREST AT ZAG£. Chap. XVII. 
 
 saries gave way, until at length the royalists remained masters 
 of the field. I could not help deploring on this occasion that 
 Theodore, who had so many qualities calculated to make 
 him the idol of his people, and especially of his army, should 
 possess those qualities in conjunction with other characteristics 
 which neutralized his influence for good, and rendered him 
 the scourge of his subjects. On rejoining us he addressed 
 me as follows : — " I hope, Mr. Eassam, you do not laugh at 
 us for amusing ourselves in this barbarous style. Oh ! how 
 I long to see your way of fighting." To this polite speech I 
 replied that it would be altogether unbecoming in me to 
 ridicule the usages of other nations. Every country had its 
 peculiar mode of warfare, and his feelings, I was sure, were 
 reciprocated by many in England, who would have been 
 delighted to witness what we had seen that day. We rode 
 back together, and on entering the royal courtyard the King 
 dismounted and insisted on escorting me to my tent. On 
 reaching it I said, " Now, as your Majesty has done me this 
 honour, I cannot allow you to proceed to your residence 
 without accompanying you thither ; and I beg you will grant 
 me that favour." He laughed heartily at this, and remarked 
 that if I went with him he must needs return with me again, 
 and our mutual civility would be endless; "but, never 
 mind," he added, " I shall not vex you by refusing your 
 request to accompany me home."
 
 186G. May. DEPARTURE FROM ZAGE. 123 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 
 FROM ZAGE TO DEBRA TABOR. 
 
 Departure from Zage in rear of the royal troops — Theodore's courtesy and 
 remorse — We cross the Abai — The King's fickleness — Arrival at 
 Korata — Cholera in the royal camp — Start foi Debra Tabor — The 
 Mission accompanies the King to Gaffat — Theodore and taxation — 
 Abyssinian etiquette in drinking — The European artisans reach Gaifat 
 from Korata — Theodore handles a broom — Loses his centre of gravity 
 — The Mission" and Captives at Gaffat — The King pays the Author a 
 visit and sips Hennessy's brandy — Claims Alexander the Great as well 
 as Solomon as his progenitor — Abyssinian hagiogi-aphy — Theodore and 
 the Bible — The Author arraigned again on fresh charges — The old 
 charges against Consul Cameron and Messrs. Rosenthal and Stern re- 
 jxated — Theodore suspects our Government — Dr. Beke's movements — 
 The King detains the Author at Debra Tabor — Tame lions — Trial of a 
 Chief for high treason. 
 
 At the end of May, Zage began to be unhealthy, owing to 
 the rain that had fallen during that month. Consul Cameron 
 and Mrs. Kosenthal having suffered from the effects of the 
 climate, I asked the King to allow them to go to Korata 
 for change of air. I also obtained permission for Mr. Rosen- 
 thal to go with his wife, and for Dr. Blanc to accompany 
 them as medical attendant. The King had been tliinking of 
 moving his camp to Korata from the beginning of May ; but 
 for some cause or other he had delayed his departure until 
 cholera and typhus fever broke out simultaneously amongst 
 his troops. By the time he began to move, about one 
 hundred persons were dying daily in camp. The King 
 had already sent his female establishment by water to Korata, 
 retaining only his favourite wife, the Itege Itanianyo,
 
 124 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOE. Cuap. XVIII. 
 
 to keep liim company. At noon on the Cth, the King 
 gave orders for his troops to march towards Korata, round 
 the southern extremity of the Lake, and appointed Infaraz, 
 about six miles from Zage, to be the halting-phice for the 
 night. He himself, "\\ith the Itege, went thither by water. 
 Prideaux, the rest of our European party and myself were 
 left to bo escorted by Eas I'ngada and a cavalcade of 
 other Chiefs. The King actually stood on the shore that 
 day to superintend the embarkation of our luggage, 
 and ho would not start until he was told that everything 
 had been dispatched. At 1 p.m. Ras I'ngada was ready 
 for us, and forthwith we accompanied him on our journey. 
 AVe reached Infaraz after two hours' slow march. The 
 King had also just arrived, and on hearing of our presence 
 he sent a Eas and two Dajazmatshes with their men to pitch 
 our tents. Being in very good spirits just then, he even 
 ordered Mr. Stern's tent to be put up by an officer of high 
 rank. An hour afterwards he sent us two very large boa- 
 constrictors, each about fifteen feet long, which had been 
 killed by his soldiers in the wood close by, and asked if we 
 had any like them in our country. 
 
 In the evening the King sent to tell me that he could not 
 sleep the previous night from thinking about the unfortunate 
 day on which he had arrested me and my companions (he 
 alluded to the 13th April). He said, "I have in my time 
 killed hundreds of people, but I liavo never had a feeling of 
 remorse fur their death, because I knew I was doing the 
 will of my Creator in punisliing them as they deserved ; but 
 with regard to yourself, I feel that I have done you wrong, 
 and my conscience lias suffered ever since." 
 
 Early the next morning, 17th June, we heard that the 
 (diolera had made great havoc during the night in the camp.
 
 18C6. June. CHOLEEA IN CAMP. Uo 
 
 and that 500 persons had been attacked, most of whom had 
 died. 
 
 When we began to move, soon after sunrise, it was obvious, 
 from the litters which we observed borne by soldiers on all 
 sides, that a great epidemic must have broken out amongst 
 the troops. The King marched in front, and after we had 
 gone on about an hour we came to a standstill, as his 3Iajesty 
 had stopped and was waiting for something. As soon as we 
 reached the royal body-guard, a messenger came to Aito 
 Samuel and said that liis ]\Iajesty wished to see me. I imme- 
 diately went to him with Lieutenant Prideaux. We found 
 him sitting on a stone, and when he saw us he looked per- 
 plexed and seemed at a loss what to say. He rose and 
 asked Samuel by whose orders he had brought us. It turned 
 out that the messenger had given Samuel a wrong message ; 
 nevertheless, his 3Iajesty asked us to sit down. After he had 
 inquired after our health, he told mc that in consequence of 
 the number of sick amongst his troops, he was obliged to 
 remain behind and see that all the sufferers were well 
 attended to, and that I had better go on in front \Nith my 
 European party. AVe then went on, crossed the Abai about 
 10 o'clock, and arrived at our halting-place, Gadiro, at IToO. 
 The King did not arrive till four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 He sent me no compliments, as he usually did on arriving 
 from a journey, which seemed to me strange. At six o'clock 
 ho summonod Aito Samuel, and, after a short time, sent 
 him back with Wald-Gabir, with an indignant message to the 
 effect that my companion and I had insulted him that day 
 before all his people, by coming on without the horses 
 which ho had presented to us. I answered, that we should 
 not think of insulting even a servant of the King, much 
 less his 3Iajesty. With regard to the groundless com-
 
 126 FROM ZAG£ TO DEBRA TABOE. Chap. XVIII. 
 
 plaint, I said that liis Majesty must be aware that although 
 he had presented me and my companions with horses and 
 mules, yet we had never had them in our possession, and 
 they had always been in charge of the Master of the Horse ; 
 that we had only got them when lie chose to give them to 
 us to ride; and that I had been informed such was his 
 Majesty's order; how, therefore, could he say that I had 
 insulted him by not taking the horses with us, when the 
 King himself had told us to go on in front ? 
 
 When a great man travels in xVbyssinia, as I have already 
 had occasion to remark, he generally rides a mule for ease, 
 and has his richly-caparisoned horse led behind or in front 
 of him. When the King presented my companions and 
 myself with the horses, he sent to say that as we had no 
 proper stable for them he would keep them for us, but we 
 might send for them whenever we wanted them. On that 
 occasion, when the King told us in the morning to go on in 
 front, he himself sent for our mules, as we had to go before 
 him on foot ; and it was he who ought to have ordered the 
 borses to follow us. I have described this affair so minutely, 
 because I wish to show how fickle and unreasonable Theodore 
 was. One day he sends to say, that he could not sleep the 
 night before, because liis late ill-treatment of me had troubled 
 his conscience ; and the next he asks, in an angry tone, why I 
 had insulted him, when I was all the while doing my best 
 to gratify and to act courteously towards him. 
 
 Aito Samuel and Wald-Gabir carried my reply to the 
 King, and, after a little reflection, his Majesty sent to say 
 that I ought not to take the message he had sent me to 
 heart ; that he was quite certain I would never do anything 
 to annoy him ; that all the misunderstanding had originated 
 witli my Baklaraba, Aito Samuel, and Balambaras Tasamma,
 
 1866. June. THEODORE'S FICKLENESS. 127 
 
 the Ma.stor of the Horse. " Had I knoN\Ti," he concluded, 
 " that you woukl not bo angry with me for it, I would have 
 given them both a severe flogging." He then requested 
 that thenceforward I should order the Master of the Hoi-se, 
 or any other royal groom, to do what I wanted ; and that I 
 sliould reckon them in future as my own servants. He said 
 that the horses must always be led before us, and that 
 I ought never to ride any saddle but the gold one which 
 lie had given me, in order that when the Abyssinians saw 
 me they might know at once that I was the servant of the 
 great Queen of England, and the friend and guest of the 
 Emperor of Ethiopia. I tlien asked the King to forgive 
 the Master of the Horse and Aito Samuel for my sake, and 
 he afterwards sent them to thank me for having interceded 
 for them. 
 
 It will be seen from the foregoing that Theodore's out- 
 bursts of affection and anger were like those of a spoilt child, 
 or of a madman. The only way I could get on with him at 
 all was by humouring him. 
 
 The unfortunate Master of the Horse above referred to 
 was put into chains a few months afterwards for having lost 
 one of the royal mules, and forwarded on to Magdala, with 
 other Chiefs, when the King was approaching that fortress. 
 On the 8th of April, 18G8, he was unfettered, together witli 
 six other prisoners ; and when the attack was made on our 
 advanced guard, on the afternoon of Good Friday, he was one 
 of those ordered to join in it NNitli spear and shield, accom- 
 panied by about one hundred comrades, of whom not a man 
 returned. The poor fellow camo to see me on the 9th — the 
 day after his release — and seemed frantic with joy tliat bis 
 chains had been removed. Next day he was numbered 
 amon<r the slain — the victim of the injrratitude and ambitious
 
 128 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. Chap. XVII I. 
 
 temerity of a master who did not hesitate to send his most 
 loyal subjects to be slaughtered 'like sheep by an enemy 
 against whom, he might have knoA^Ti, it was sheer frenzy 
 in him to contend. 
 
 On the night of the 7th very few cases of cholera oc- 
 curred in camp, the King having located his troops in 
 Gadiro, on high ground. We left that place early on the 
 8th, and reached Korata after a three hours' slow ride. 
 The King encamped with his troojDS upon marshy ground, 
 about two miles to the south-west of Korata ; but he was 
 gracious enough to allow mo to choose the encampment for 
 myself and our European party. I chose a height betw een the 
 King's position and the town, and as soon as his Majesty saw 
 our tents pitched, he sent to say that he approved of the 
 spot, and hoped that we might all be preserved from the pre- 
 vailing epidemic. In returning the compliment, I sent to 
 tell the King that I thought the place he was occupying 
 most dangerous just then ; that we always avoided marshy 
 ground at the healthiest of seasons, and regarded such as 
 almost deadly during the prevalence of cholera. 
 
 Next morning, the 9th of June, the King sent to say that 
 I was right, and that about one thousand of his soldiers and 
 camp-followers had been attacked during the night by cholera, 
 of ^\hom about three hundred had died already. He asked 
 me if I could recommend a remedy. I replied that the first 
 thing he ought to do was to leave the Lake, and go up to the 
 mountainous country, and, if possible, to disperse the troops in 
 different directions. He immediately followed my advice, and 
 moved with all his camp to high ground on the north-eastern 
 side of Korata. lie gave me the option of going with him, 
 or of encamping in tlio old place where we had encamped 
 before, on the Lake. I chose the latter, as the ground was
 
 18GG. June. A PRE-ARRANGED BURIAL, 12'J 
 
 rocky, and out of the way of all nuisance. He appointed 
 Kantiba Hailo and Agafari Golani to superintend the 
 moving of our tents and luggage. The latter was attacked 
 by cholera as soon as he came to our camp, and died three 
 days after. To-day, for the first time since the 13th of April, 
 [ was able to go about alone. I had not even Aito Samuel 
 with me, as he had been summoned by the King to receive 
 orders about my burial, in case I should bo seized with 
 cholera and die while his Majesty ^\as absent. The King 
 intended to attack some rebels who were reported to be in 
 the neighbourhood, and expected to be away about eight 
 or ten days ; and as he was afraid that I might die before he 
 came back, and my remains miglit not receive proper respect, 
 he deemed it advisable to leave the necessary instructions 
 with Samuel and other Chiefs how I was to bo interred. 
 
 Early on the 10th the King sent for Aito Samuel and told 
 liim that he was afraid to leave me where I was during his 
 ubsence, as the wicked rebels might cany me off some night, 
 and then, what answer could he give to the English ? Con- 
 sequently, he or(lor(,'<l him to tell mo that it would be better 
 that I should go and encamp near his Empress, where we 
 could both bo protected by tlie soldiers. " Besides," he con- 
 cluded, *' I want ]\Ir. Kassam to take care of the Itege and 
 my f'hildren during my absence." The fact is, the King was 
 alia id that while lie was away on the other side of Debra 
 Tabor, whither he was going in pursuit of the rebels, I should 
 take it into my head to decamp witli all the Europeans who 
 wished to leave the coimtry. This we might easily have 
 done, if ho had left us there where wo were, alone. 
 
 ()n the 11th the King returned, having heard on the road 
 that the rebels had been defeated by one of the Chiefs of Baga- 
 mcnler. On his arrival he sent to tell mo that, as the cholera 
 
 VOL. II. K
 
 130 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBEA TABOR. Chap. XVIII. 
 
 was still raging in liis camp, he had determined to follow 
 my advice and go up to the heights of Debra Tabor, request- 
 ing me to send at once and tell Dr. Blanc, Consul Cameron 
 and Mr. Rosenthal to join me. Mrs. Rosenthal was to do as 
 she liked : either remain with his European artisans or come 
 with us. As the King was aware that Mrs. Rosenthal was ill, 
 he offered to have her carried in a litter, if she chose to 
 accompany us. She, of course, preferred to be with her 
 husband, and joined us on the 12th June, as she was well 
 enough to travel on a mule. The European artisans, with 
 Mrs. Flad and Messrs. Steiger and Braudeis, Avere told to 
 follow. On that day Mr. McKelvie and a number of our 
 Abyssinian servants were attacked by cholera, but it only 
 proved fatal to one of Consul Cameron's servants. 
 
 On the 13th, we started from Korata and reached the 
 Gumara river in about four hours' ride. The King halted 
 there, and directed two Rases, who commanded the right 
 and left divisions, to disperse with their men. We heard 
 afterwards that no sooner had the troops separated than the 
 epidemic began to decline. 
 
 Early on the 11th, we left the Gumara river and reached 
 Ondo at 2 p.m., after a four hours' slow ride. Here the King 
 ordered the rear division to disperse as those had done who 
 had been left behind the day before. To-day the King lost a 
 number of his Chiefs from cholera, one of whom had been 
 brought up with him from boyhood. His death made him 
 very sad all the evening. 
 
 On the 15th of June his Majesty started very early for 
 Debra Tabor, and it was reported that he intended to 
 make arrangements for our reception there. On our arrival, 
 however, we were told that the King had determined to 
 let us spend the next three months with his European
 
 18C0. June. THEODORE ON TAXATION. 131 
 
 artisans at Gaffat, about three miles to the north of Debra 
 Tabor. On reaching the foot of the hill on which the 
 royal residence was erected we saw the King descending. 
 He sent us word that as he wished to stay at Gaffat we 
 should accompany him thither. Accordingly, Dr. Blanc, 
 Lieutenant Prideaux and I joined him and rode on with 
 him towards that place. On the road we were overtaken by 
 a severe hailstorm, which obliged us to halt until its fury 
 had abated. His Majesty was accompanied by Eas I'ngada 
 and twenty other followers. We were conducted to one 
 of the foundries, where the King ordered a fire to be kindled 
 to warm us and to dry our clothes, which were thoroughly 
 drenched. Aito Samuel and Ras I'ngada were then instructed 
 to go up to the village and select houses for our party. The 
 King himself allotted Mr. Waldmeier's house to me, because 
 it had a large upper room, and on Eas I'ngada sending to 
 apprise him that the room was unfurnished, his Majesty 
 ordered him to go up to Debra Tabor and bring carpets 
 enough to cover the floor, and to place his own throne in 
 it, to give it the aspect of a royal residence. In the mean 
 time the King conversed with me, through my yoimg 
 interpreter, Dasta, on different topics, sometimes in 
 Arabic and sometimes in Tigrean. His IMajosty dwelt 
 particularly upon the system of taxation in England, and 
 laughed heartily when I informed him how the income-tax 
 was levied and realized. " The people of my country," he 
 said, " would sooner bury their money in the ground than 
 trade with it or pay mo a percentage out of it." When I 
 told him of the tax on horses and male servants, he re- 
 marked : " Mr. Rassam, you do not know the Abyssinians. 
 AVere I to tax their mules, horses and domestics, not one of 
 them would ride, and every man would become his own 
 
 K 2
 
 132 FEOM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOE. Chap. XVIIL 
 
 servant." As the cholera Avas raging, and the weather was 
 damp, I generally carried a little brandy iu a flask, and' 
 feeling somewhat chilly at the time I thought a few drops 
 of the stimulant would not be amiss. Sitting, however, as I 
 was, on a plank by the side of the King, I judged that it; 
 would be only polite to offei- him a little. To my great sur- 
 prise, he drank off what I poured out for him. I discovered 
 afterwards that I had been guilty of two breaches of Abys- 
 sinian etiquette in this matter ; for, in the first place, I had 
 partaken of tlie brandy from the same vessel, which I ought 
 not to have done, because the Sovereign may not drink from 
 the same cup which any one else hos used in his presence ; 
 and, secondly, instead of passing him the cup with both 
 hands I presented it to him with my right hand only — the 
 sign of a superior giving anything to an inferior. However, 
 as the King doubtless knew that I erred in such matters 
 through ignorance of native customs, he took no notice of 
 these mistakes. 
 
 When Messrs. Cameron and Stern arrived from Debra 
 Tabor they liad to come to the inclosure of the foundry, and' 
 as they passed the door, I asked the King to allow them to dry 
 their clothes, hoping that he might invite them to join us ; but 
 he refused, and ordered a fire to be kindled for them outside. 
 On this occasion he was extremely civil to the members of 
 the IMission : for more tlian two hours he was quite alone with 
 lis, and at last he became so gracious that he told my inter* 
 preter to cover himself and sit near the fire, as it was cold. 
 When he heard that lias I'ngadu liad arrived with the 
 carpets, he went up to Mr. Waldmeier's house and assisted 
 personally in carpeting my room and placing the throne at 
 the back of it. This done, he returned to Debra Tabor 
 to give orders for the remaining front division of the army to
 
 ISGO. June. OUR LOCATION AT GAfFAT. 133 
 
 disperse. The King was now left with only a few followers. 
 He even dispensed with more than half of his household 
 establishment. From the 13th of xVpril, the King had never 
 intermitted sending rations for my party. Aito Samuel had 
 the charge of everything, and kept open house on my 
 behalf. 
 
 llt/i. — Early tliis morning his Majesty sent me a large 
 glass bottle containing about three gallons of very old and 
 clear mead, which ho requested me to drink for his sake. 
 He was aware, he said, that I was not partial to such 
 beverages, nevertheless as the mead was coeval with his 
 reign he wished me to try it, and to give my opinion of 
 its quality. I drank a little to gratify him, and found it 
 mnch superior to any liquor I had hitherto tasted in the 
 country. It was as clear as hock, with a flavour of Grave. 
 At 10 to-day the Rev. Mr. Stern celebrated Divine Service 
 in my room, in front of tlie empty throne, and I could not 
 help contrasting at the time the vanity of the one ^^ith 
 the solemnity of the worshij) in which we were engaged. 
 In the afternoon the European artisans whom we liad left 
 at Korata reached Gaff'at, and on their way had visited the 
 King at Debra Tabor. His Majesty informed them tliat lie 
 had placed mo and my party in some of their dwellings, and 
 further expressed his hope that we should enjoy each other's 
 society during the winter; by which he meant that we 
 ■were to live together. They replied that they would prefer 
 tents to lodging with our party, as they objected to several 
 Europeans who had been consigned over to me by the 
 King; but as they did not wish to make any invidious 
 distinctions, they begged to be allowed t<> dcclini! living 
 with us. Before I left Korata, botli ^Ir. Waldnu-icr and 
 Mr. Moritz Hall had kindly dfTcred nic the use of tlu-ir
 
 13J: FROM ZAGE TO DEBRA TABOR. Chai-. XVIII. 
 
 houses during the Aviuter; and when we reached Gaifat, on 
 hearing that the King had made up his mind to locate us 
 in the residences of his European artisans, I told Samuel 
 of this offer, and suggested that if the King knew of it he 
 w^ould probably allow me to avail myself of one of the two 
 houses. Samuel, however, judged it advisable that I should 
 say nothing on the subject, as the King might be offended 
 with the artisans for taking it upon themselves to allot their 
 dwellings to whom they pleased, seeing that they themselves 
 were merely tenants at the will of his Majesty. Their 
 answer, it appears, vexed the Kiug, as he came early next 
 morning and removed me to the large foundry, not wishing 
 it to be supposed that he wanted to force the British Mission 
 on any one. He left the rest of my party, however, iii theu* 
 different abodes. The King swept the room himself, and he 
 and M. Bardel carried the dust in their hands, and threw 
 it out of the window. He then had the walls covered with 
 cloth to hide the dirt, and, after carpeting the floor, placed his 
 throne in the apartment. 
 
 19th. — Early this morning his Majesty paid me a visit 
 at the foundry, and told me that ho could not sleep last 
 night from thinking that I was uncomfortable. While with 
 me, he sat on the throne, on my invitation, and as it was 
 about four feet high I had to set one of my camp folding- 
 stools to enable him to take his seat there. He went up 
 all right, but on descending he placed his foot on an angle of 
 the stool instead of the centre, and had I not rushed and 
 held it firndy he would certainly have come down head 
 foremost, and there was probably not an Abyssinian in the 
 country, himself included, who would not have attributed 
 the mishap to design on my part. I never saw a man so 
 astonished as the Kiug when I ran and laid hold of the
 
 18GG. Jl-xe. our quarters CHANGED. 135 
 
 stool. However., on learning the cause, he was much pleased 
 with my attention. 
 
 As the King wished to have all my European party to 
 be near me, he said he would select proper houses for us 
 to live in, until new ones could be budt for us. He then 
 went to the quarters of the native artisans, below the 
 European village of Gaffat, and, after fixing ujjon the house 
 that I was to occupy, he ordered that all the houses in its 
 immediate vicinity should be vacated for the use of my 
 companions and their fellow-Europeans. The Kantiba and 
 two other officers were ordered to have my room properly 
 furnished, and the walls covered with cloth. He directed, 
 also, that the throne sliould be placed as usual in my house ; 
 but this I induced him to dis^jense with, on the i)lea that the 
 room was too small. In the afternoon we moved to our 
 respective abodes, seven in number, and in addition to these 
 a few extra huts were allowed for our servants. Mr. Stern 
 had to live in a tent, as no good house could be foimd for 
 him near us. Mr. Flad and Messrs. Steiger, Brandeis, 
 Schiller and Essler were permitted to occupy their old 
 dwellings on an adjacent hill. 
 
 IQth. — Tlie King came early this morning to the second 
 foundry at Gaffat to inquire about some work then in pro- 
 gress. On hearing of his arrival we put on our uniforms, 
 in order to be in readiness to attend him, in case he desired 
 our presence. As he did not, but merely sent his compli- 
 ments, 1 dispatched a messenger to ask whether he would 
 allow me and my com})anions to pay our respects to him. 
 The foundry was not above fifty yards from our huts, and 
 on his Majesty sending a reply to my message in the allirma- 
 tivo, wo repaired to his presence. On reaching the inclosure 
 of th<' foundrv, mc noticed all the courtiers standing in a
 
 136 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. Chap. XVIIT. 
 
 very gloomy mood, wliicli augured uufavouraLly for our 
 reception. We found the King busily engaged in giving 
 angry orders to his European workmen, and looking quite 
 black in the face with suppressed ill-humour. Without 
 asking after our health, as was his wont, he looked straight 
 at me, and said, " Is it not a great shame that I should put 
 you in that dirty and inconvenient house, where you must be 
 very unhappy ?" I answered promptly, "Pray don't say so ; 
 for I feel that I have one of the best houses in Abyssinia, 
 and, through your kindness, it has been so nicely decorated 
 and carpeted by your servants that it is quite impossible to 
 make it more comfortable." "Are you in jest or earnest?" 
 he rejoined. "If your Majesty will deign to come and see 
 it," I replied, " you will be convinced that I am in earnest, 
 for you yourself will at once admit that it is most com- 
 fortable, fit even for the residence of a King." " Very well ; 
 I will come with you when I have finished with my people 
 here," was his answer. Thereupon the frown on his counte- 
 nance began to relax, and when he entered my dwelling, about 
 half an hour afterwards, he was comparatively cheerful. He 
 admired the way I had arranged my three muskets round 
 one of the wooden pillars of the room, with the shield and 
 spear whicli he had given me above them, and the gold 
 saddle in front. I also took care to spread the Itege's 
 Mdrgaf with which he had presented me over the table in 
 the centre of my room. I offered him some Hennessy's 
 brandy, which he drank, witliout asking any one to taste it 
 first in order to prove tliat it was not poisoned. This he 
 did, as he stated, to show his people how much lie trusted 
 me, and the great respect lie entertained for my Queen and 
 her Government, which ho (lid l>y sitting in their house — for 
 such he considered it — and enjoying himself there. He then
 
 18G6. June. THEODORE'S ALEXANDRIAN DESCENT. 137 
 
 spent half an hour talking of the love which he had for the 
 English, asserting more than once that he had conceived 
 that rejrard from childhood. 
 
 2l8t. — The King came down again to the factory this 
 morning, and on receiving his permission to that effect wo 
 paid him another visit. He was in excellent humour, and 
 seemed highly pleased with my attention in having sent an 
 easy chair, covered with red cloth, for his accommodation, 
 which I begged him to occupy while superintending the 
 European workmen. At this time he Avas busily engaged in 
 making small gun-carriages, to be borne by mules, for his 
 projected expedition against the rebels of Lasta, whom he 
 intended to bring to accomit during the winter. He related 
 the story of Diogenes and his tub, and asked me whether I 
 thought the cynic was mad or merely eccentric. He then 
 went far beyond my depth into the history of Europe, and 
 told me that he was descended from one of its greatest kings, 
 as well as from Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. On my 
 seeking information from him on that point, he proceeded to 
 narrate Ikjw an Abyssinian princess had visited Alexander 
 the Great, just as Balkis did Solomon, and after staying with 
 him some time she gave birtli to a child who, when he grew 
 up, governed more than half the world. He then told me 
 that Alexander the Great was held in the highest reverence 
 by the Abyssinians, as being the only person who had visited 
 Paradise during his lifetinio. On expressing my wonder 
 how this could possibly be, he directed Ivantiba Hailo to 
 go and fetch tho book wherein this astonnding fact was 
 recorded, in order that I might be assured of that great 
 man having really gone to Paradise and returned again to 
 t-arth. Kantiba llailo, who believed in these legends as fully 
 as he believed in the revelations of the Bible, brought the
 
 13S FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. Chap. XVIII, 
 
 book referred to, and was directed by the King to explain 
 the pictures to me — it contained about thirty. He did so, as 
 he sat by my side, and began describing their import to me 
 one by one, through Samueh Anything more absurd can 
 liardly be conceived. If I reHiember aright, the first picture 
 represented the Empress Helena iu the act of praying that 
 God would bless her with a male child. Her petition is 
 heard, and Alexander the Great is born into the world. 
 While yet a child, he prays to have a sight of Paradise; 
 whereupon countless angels are employed in making pre- 
 parations for his trip. He is then transported up to Heaven, 
 where he is permitted to walk about and enjoy its delectable 
 sights. Finally, he is brought back to earth, where dominion 
 is given to him over all the sons of Noah. When the exposi- 
 tion of the picture-gallery came to an end, the King asked 
 me how I liked the history of Alexander the Great. I 
 replied, " To tell the truth, your Majesty, I think Alexander 
 was wise in wishing to obtain admittance into Paradise ; but 
 I think he was a fool for returning to earth again. Had I 
 been in his place, once permitted to enter that delightful 
 abode, I should certainly have remained there." When this 
 answer was translated to him, he burst into a fit of laughter, 
 and nearly fell from the easy chair ; then turning to me, after 
 his merriment had somewhat subsided, he said, "Do you 
 imagine that I believe in this trash?" I replied, "No, your 
 Majesty ; I am sure you have more sense." Poor Kantiba Hailo, 
 M ho heartily credited the stupid fable, was struck speechless at 
 such incredulity, but looked round upon the grinning spectators 
 with a countenance which seemed to say, " How I pity your 
 infidelity!" After spending two hours with the King, we 
 Avere permitted to return to our respective abodes ; his- 
 Majesty also went bade to Debra Tabor.
 
 18GC. Jt-NE. THEODORE AND THE BIBLE. 13» 
 
 22nd. — We had another interview with the King under 
 circumstances similar to those of yesterday. He was again 
 in good spii-its, and it was certainly very pleasant to meet 
 him when in that mood. After he had finished his work I 
 asked leave to retire, but he insisted on escorting me to my 
 dwelling. On reaching the hut I begged him to sit a few 
 minutes with me, to which he readily assented. He honoured 
 me again by drinking a few drops of brandy from a tumbler ; 
 — on the former occasion he had used the metal cup attached 
 to the flask. He was also gracious enough to allow some of 
 the bystanders to taste the liquor, saying that it was useful 
 in time of cholera, and that the weather was cold. On enter- 
 ing the room he sighed, an<l said how much he wished he 
 could visit the English Queen and her Council, and see all 
 the wonders of England. " However," he concluded, " I fear 
 there is no chance of that, although I feel while in your 
 presence as if I were beholding your masters." Seeing an 
 English book on my table, he took it up and asked if it were 
 the liibh.'. On my answering in the negative, he remarked, 
 " Handling this book reminds me of the Bible, which Eng- 
 land has been good enough to print and circulate amongst 
 us;" then, looking up, he added: "Oh God! how can we 
 Abyssinians forget the English wlio have given us so many 
 thousand l^ibles." Next, turning to mc, he said : " I assure 
 you, j\Ir. Kassiim, that before your people printed the Bible 
 for us, wo had scarcely four complete copies of the sacred 
 volumf in all tlio churches; and now every village in the 
 countrj' can boast of having one or more. But wo Abys- 
 sinians are an ungrateful people, and do not deserve such 
 favours." After half an hour spent on tliese and other topics 
 the King returned to Debra Tabor, but before leaving he 
 directed the men who were engaged in erecting a new fence
 
 140 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOrt. Chap. XYIIT. 
 
 round the Mission-huts to hasten on the work, in order that 
 our privacy might be respected, and that we should not be 
 annoyed by beggars during the day or by hyteuas during the 
 night. 
 
 At this time we had no guard at all, and were allowed to 
 do as we pleased ; even our horses and mules were sent to us 
 -to keep, and I certainly did believe then that mo were going 
 to spend the winter in peace ; but I was soon disappointed. 
 
 On Saturday, the 23rd of June, the King did not come to 
 the foimdry, but the following day he sent for his European 
 artisans, and had a private consultation with them ; what 
 about, we could never learn. It was reported to me, how- 
 ever, that his Majesty was not in the best of moods and had 
 expressed a wish to have me and my fellow-captives near 
 him, and that he had spoken of having huts built for us at 
 Debra Tabor. 
 
 At dawn on the 25th the King sent one of his domestic 
 servants, named Paul, to inquire after the health of myself 
 and party, and the man would not leave until he had satisfied 
 himself that every European was in his room. As usual, I sent 
 Samuel and one of my interpreters to reciprocate the compli- 
 ment. They returned instantly, and said that the King had 
 intimated to them that he intended to hold a court that 
 morning, and wished me to attend with my companions. 
 Consul Cameron, the Missionaries, and any other " gentle- 
 man " I had \\ itli me. The message was, " Be quick." Two 
 days previously, 1 had heard that a rebel Chief had been 
 brought a prisoner to Debra Tabor, and I concluded that he 
 was to be tried before us that morning. However, in the 
 course of half an hour, my fellow-ofiicials, Messrs. Stem 
 and Rosenthal and I ^\ere ready to start, and as Mr. Eerans 
 came within the category of "gentleman," he also accom-
 
 ISCG. June. THE AUTHOPw RE-ARRATGXED. lU 
 
 panied us on our doubtful visit. On passing the houses of 
 tlie European artisans, they joined us ^vith Kantiba Hailo. 
 and went on with us to Debra Tabor. On ascending the hill 
 on which the royal residence Avas built, I was surprised to 
 find that only the Afa-Negus (]Mouth of the King) came 
 out of the inclosure, with 31. Bardel, to meet us. We were 
 taken to a large black tent made of goats' hair, generally 
 occupied on a journey by the Itege, which we found car- 
 peted, but no one was in it. We were told by the Afa- 
 Negus to take a seat until the pleasure of the King was 
 known. Affairs now looked rather threatening ; consequently, 
 Avhile the British officials and the Missionaries sat on the 
 right side of the tent, the artisans took care to sit as far as 
 possible on the other; and as Messrs. Steiger and Brandeis 
 also desired to show that they did not belong to the English 
 party, they went and sat with the artisans. 
 
 As soon as our arrival was communicated to the King, he 
 summoned the- European artisans. Messrs. Steiger and 
 Brandeis also rose to follow, but Aito Samuel told them that 
 as they belonged to our party they must remain. The dis- 
 pute was soon settled, however, by the King, who, finding 
 that those two gentlemen preferred the company of his 
 European artisans to ours, directed that thenceforward they 
 should be reckoned with them. In about ten minutes the 
 European artisans returned, with Kantiba Hailo and other 
 Chiefs, with a message from the King to the effect, that a 
 railroad had been laid down between Egypt and Casala for 
 the passage of English, French and Turkish troops, with a 
 view to the invasion of Abyssinia, and his Majesty wished to 
 know why I had not reported the fact to him on my arrival, 
 .i-< I must have seen the railroad when I passed through 
 (a-sala. He said, *' Is this the friendship which you profess
 
 142 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOE. Chap. XVIIL 
 
 to have for me ? " I replied, that there could he no founda- 
 tion for the rumour, because A\lien I passed through Casala, 
 nine months before, no such scheme was thought of. I tried 
 all in my power to dissuade liim from believing such reports, 
 which I said were invented by wicked people for mischievous 
 ends. • 
 
 The second message was, that he had heard from Jerusalem 
 of my having been sent to him by the British Government 
 on false pretences, in order that I might obtain the release 
 of the European captives ; and that after we were safe out of 
 the country, England would send troops to avenge the insult 
 offered to her by the imprisonment of her Consul. The King 
 asked, " Is this true or not ? " I replied that this report from 
 Jerusalem was false and villanous. Aito Samuel, Mho acted 
 then as interpreter to the royal delegates, translated my 
 words thus : — " Whoever invented that report is a liar and a 
 villain." M. Bardcl, on hearing these words, interposed, and 
 said to his fellow delegates that I had not used the words 
 *'liar and villain." As the dispute was referred to me, I 
 replied that I had not actually used the words "liar and 
 villain," still what I had said was tantamount, as false and 
 villanous reports were only invented by liars and villains, 
 and that the delegates might take the words used by Samuel 
 to the King. After this his Majesty sent to say that I ought 
 not to misunderstand him, because he had never changed his 
 friendly feeling towards me, nor ftiiled to place implicit con- 
 fidence in me ; but that my Government was not behaving 
 well towards him, and tliat he considered it no fault of mine 
 if my Government chose to act insincerely, after sending me 
 to him. I replied that my Government was not in the habit 
 of deceiving any one, and if the King would only trust it, it 
 would be to his advantage. The commissioners came back
 
 186G. Juke. THE AUTHOR'S SURETISHIP. 143 
 
 to repeat the charges against Consul Cameron and 3Ir. 
 liosenthal, the former for returning to Abyssinia without an 
 answer to the letter he had sent by him ; and the latter for 
 having -written that the British Government had laughed 
 at him. 
 
 On this occasion I had to make the King understand that 
 the " Clerks " of the Foreign Office were not the Government. 
 M. Bardel bore me out on that point. When this was settled, 
 the King sent to ask me if I was still security for Mr. Stern 
 and others; and whether I would continue to keep to my 
 old engagement. I certainly then began to fear that Mr. 
 Stern had written to his friends in England complaining of 
 our ill-treatment by the King, and that his Majesty had 
 seized the letter. Whereupon I begged to be told at once 
 if any of my party had done anything to displease the King 
 since I became security for them, inasmuch as I conceived 
 it was fully understood that I was responsible for all their 
 acts from that time. 
 
 The King sent to say he had always distrusted Mr. Stern, 
 as he knew he hated and abused him ; on tliat acconnt 
 he wanted to bo doubly sure that I had not witlidrawn my 
 security for him. " Seeing that you still hold yourself 
 responsible for him and the others," liis Majesty concluded, 
 " let it be so, and you can all remain together as before ; but 
 I cannot let you henceforth live far from mo, not knowing 
 what your Government intends to do. You shall always live 
 near me, and I will keep a good look-out upon you until Mr. 
 Flad's return." 
 
 I was told afterwards that the King liad hoped I would refuse 
 to keep to my old ongagcmont, in order that he might feel 
 at liberty to cliaiu tlio old Magdala prisoners, including 
 Consul Cameron.
 
 141 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. Chap. XVIIL 
 
 I had great suspicion on that day that the statement made 
 by the King of his having heard from Jerusalem that I had 
 been sent by her Majesty's Government on false pretences 
 "was a trumped-up story, and that the letter which the Greek 
 priest had brought from his Bishop in Jerusalem merely con- 
 tained a request for a donation to build a refuge for poor 
 strangers visiting the Holy Land. I was at Massowah when 
 the priest arrived there, as has already been stated, and an 
 Armenian merchant who w^as intimate with him informed me 
 of the object of his visit to Abyssinia, before he left Massowah, 
 in the beginning of 1865. On reaching Adwa, he was de- 
 tained by Dajjaj Dakla-Guargis, the then Governor-General 
 of Tigre, who had orders from the King, after the incarcera- 
 tion of Consul Cameron, to detain every European who might 
 go up to Abyssinia without the royal sanction. When the 
 Wakshum Gabaze took possession of Tigre, in May, 1866, 
 the priest obtained his liberty, and went up with his letter^ 
 w^hich he had had in his possession more than a year. Kan- 
 tiba Hailo, who Avas subsequently sent as a prisoner to 
 Magdala, informed me, in conjunction with others, that there 
 was no foundation for the report alleged by the King to have 
 reached him from Jerusalem. 
 
 I am convinced that the King had then heard of Dr. Beke's 
 return to England, after his promise to visit him, even though 
 the captives were released. The King had written to him 
 that lie was to remain at Massowah until he should inform 
 him what route to take. Although Dr. Beke had then left 
 for Europe, yet the King's reply showed that he did not wish 
 him to leave before he had seen him. Dr. Beke had also 
 written to tell the King that he was imprisoned by the rebels, 
 and asked him to send and liave him liberated. The King 
 forthwith wrote to the Tigre Chiefs, and told them to have
 
 18GG. JcN-E. AFTER THE TRIAL. 145 
 
 Dr, Beke released and sent down to Massowali. When the 
 royal letter reached them, the supposed prisoner was nowhere 
 to be found. He had returned to his country. 
 
 There is another fact which strengthens my belief that, at 
 the time of our second disgrace, the King had heard of Dr. 
 Beke's abrupt departure for England — namely, Messrs. Kerans 
 and McKelvie, two Irishmen, had volunteered to enter the 
 King's employ when Mr. Flad left for England. Their ser- 
 vices had been accepted, but their engagement was postponed 
 from day to day until the end of June, two months after 
 Mr. Flad's departure, when Mr. McKelvie was allowed to 
 remain behind, and Mr. Kerans, who was one of those men- 
 tion cd in the petition sent by Dr. Beke, was ordered to 
 accompany us to Magdala. 
 
 When the trial was over, the King gave me permission to 
 send to Gafifat for whatever I required for myself and party ; 
 and as ^hs. Waldmeier was dangerously ill, and Dr. Blanc 
 was attending her, I asked his Majesty to allow him to go 
 and see her for an hour or two ; this he acceded to. Towards 
 evening, Mr. Waldmeier returned to Debra Tabor to ask the 
 Iving to permit Dr. Blanc to remain with his wife two or 
 three days, as she was ill, and required medical attendance 
 hourly. The King replied, "What! is Dr. Blanc ray servant? 
 Ho was sent to me by the Queen of l^^ngland with Mr. Rassam, 
 and Mr. Rassam is tiie proper person to ask." His Majesty 
 then sent to say that I was to do as I pleased. Accordingly, 
 it was decided that Dr. Blanc should remain at GafFat with 
 Mrs. Waldmeier, until she recovered. 
 
 When the King told me that I might send to GafTat for 
 \vhatever I wanted, he also directed that any of my party 
 
 light pitch a tent to live in. Mr. Stern accordingly had his 
 'aought with that object, and at my request Samuel indicated 
 
 VOL. II. L
 
 14G FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOE. Chap. XVIII. 
 
 a spot near our black tent where it might be pitched, advising 
 me, however, at the same time, as Mr. Stern's friend, not to 
 let him be separated from me, as he was only safe in my 
 company. He then went on to say, "You remember, Mi*. 
 Eassam, that on your first arrival in Abyssinia I enjoined you 
 not to be too intimate either with Mr. Stern or with any of his 
 fellow-captives, for, as I wished you to succeed and to leave 
 the country, I thought it best at that time that the King 
 should not tliink that you took part with his enemies. Since 
 his Majesty, however, has chosen to treat you so badly, you 
 will do well to stand by all the late captives, for they will 
 only be safe while in your company. You are all now in the 
 same predicament, and must either stand or fall together." 
 I may here remark that at this same juncture I was being 
 warned by several Europeans to keep aloof from Mr. Stem as 
 much as possible, in order to avoid getting into trouble witli 
 Theodore on his account. However, having determined, as I 
 said before, to take my chance with the rest, and to die rather 
 than incur the remorse of having saved my own life at the 
 sacrifice of theirs, I asked Mr. Stern to remain with me in 
 the black tent. I adduce this as another instance of the 
 very false impression which many have entertained respecting 
 Samuel. The man stuck to our cause unflinchingly, when we 
 got into difficulty, and I owe it to him to state, that he never 
 said an unkind word to me against any of my fellow-captives. 
 On the evening of the 25th I deemed it advisable to send 
 and tell the King, by Aito Samuel, ho^\ unwise and unfriendly 
 it was of him to treat me and the Europeans who were 
 with me so rudely, while I was trying my best to befriend 
 and act honestly towards him. I said that our Government 
 would be quite puzzled on hearing of his unjustifiable 
 ill-treatment of us, A\hen perha2)s they Avere making every 
 
 A
 
 1800. JcNK. THEODORE'S WILFULNESS. 147 
 
 effort to gratify liim. I warned hiin against the machinations 
 of evil-doers, Avho were trying all they could to increase his 
 troubles and misfortunes. I told him that he had still time 
 to retrace his steps and show his friendship by trusting us. The 
 only answer I could obtain from him was, " My friend, I believe 
 in you ; but there are customs in every country which only 
 the natives of the place understand. You are a foreigner, 
 and know not our rules, nor could you understand why I 
 have acted in this way towards you. You follow your way 
 and I mine, and you will see if I am not right in the end." 
 When Samuel tried to persuade him that I was his true 
 friend, and that he ought to listen to my advice, he said, 
 " Aito Samuel, have you sold yourself like a slave to the 
 English? You are an ass; I want you only to hold your 
 tongue; go and deliver my message to Mr. Rassam." 
 
 Next day I obtained permission for Mr. Rosenthal to join 
 his wife. In giving him leave, the King ordered Wald-Gabir 
 and Aito Samuel to tell me that I need not take the trouble 
 of sending to ask him about everything: I was only to 
 give the order and it would be obeyed. " With regard to 
 your asking me for permission to allow Mr. Rosenthal to go 
 to Gaffat," the King said, " have I not given you all the 
 EurDpcans to do as you like with ? And, besides, are you a 
 })risuner that you should remain in your tent day and night? 
 If y(ju want to jjlcasc mo, go out when you like; and you 
 ought to go down to Guffat and sec your friends ; because, 
 if you stay and mope, you will fall ill, and then what 
 shall I, your friend, do? Sliall I not bo ill too?" Ho then 
 sent an ordi.-r to the Master of the Horse to let us have our 
 mules and horses whenever we wanted them. 
 
 After tlie above courteous message we felt somewhat hap- 
 I)iur for a time, with the privilege also of taking a little 
 
 L 2
 
 148 FROM ZAGfi TO DEBRA TABOR. Chap. XVIII. 
 
 exercise ; and, in accordance with the King's desire, I visited 
 C4aftat the next day, the 27th of June. I had no guard, but 
 Aito Samuel accompanied mo, with the Master of the Horse, 
 as far as the viUage, and then left me. Thenceforward we 
 were able to go about as we pleased. 
 
 The King had business in the foundry at Gafiat, and used 
 to go down almost every day to see his artisans at work. 
 "Whenever he went there he sent me his compliments ; and 
 on his return he communicated his arrival to me, with a 
 courteous message that through my prayers and good wishes 
 he had readied home safely. Once, he brought four lions 
 which were at Debra Tabor for me to look at, and directed 
 their keepers to let them loose, in order that I might see 
 how tame they were. They ran about after cattle and mules 
 in the plain below for a long time, and, at a signal from the 
 King, their keepers called them back and conveyed them to 
 their dens. That day he sent me 500 dollars more of the 
 money he had taken from me. 
 
 On another occasion he invited me to witness the trial of a 
 rebel Chief and his two associates, who had been seized and 
 brought before him from AVadala, as ho wanted to prove to 
 me wliat bad subjects he had. Three different witnesses gave 
 their evidence in a calm, straightforward manner, unbiassed 
 apparently by any ill-will towards the accused. The latter, on 
 Ijcing asked in a quiet tone by the Iving what they had to 
 urge in self-defence, admitted their guilt, pleading that they 
 had been misled by the devil, and begged his Majesty to 
 forgive them. The King then remarked that Satan was 
 atrociously bad, and must not be encouraged, and that in 
 accordance with th(^ Frtijli-Negiist they must suffer death, 
 but that he would have them executed in a respectable 
 manner, and then buried. They were taken to the market-
 
 1860. June. EXECUTIOX OF KEBELS. 149 
 
 place, and there shot dead, and after the bodies were exposed 
 for an hour or two, as a warnino; to others, they were interred 
 in ditches made to receive them whore they lay. After these 
 rebel Chiefs had been led away, their wives were brought 
 forward, stripped to the waist, in accordance with Abyssinian 
 usage when women fall into disgrace. The King ordered 
 them at once to be covered, and on learning that the only 
 crime they were charged with was that they were the wives 
 of the condemned rebels, he told the soldiers that it was a 
 pity they had been at so much trouble with regard to them, 
 as it was no fault of theirs that they had bad husbands. He 
 then directed the women to be supplied with food and cloth- 
 ing, and told them that they were at liberty to go where 
 they pleased. It was fortunate for these poor females that 
 his Majesty was not in one of his savage humours, otherwise 
 the probability is they would have been adjudged to share 
 tlie fate of their husbands.
 
 IDO FEOM DEBRA TABOR TO MAGDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 FROM DEBKA TABOR TO MAGDALA. 
 
 "We are to be sent to Magdala — Theodore clianges his plan — Another out- 
 burst of royal courtesy — The Author arraigned again — We are confined 
 and guarded in the Treasury — A visit from Theodore — We drink 
 healths all round — The King believes he is mad — The titles "Geta" 
 and " Aito " — Order to set out with the King to ]\Iagdala — Hailstones 
 on Mount Guna — We are sent forward to Magdala under a guard — 
 Arrival at that fortress — We are placed in fetters — The Author's 
 message to Theodore on the occasion — The pi-eliminary location of the 
 Captives — Kindness of the Cliiefs — Aito Samuel's services. 
 
 The King had been intending for some time to go towards 
 ]\ragdala, to punish the rebels of Lasta and the adjacent dis- 
 tricts. On the 28tli he sent me a message by I'ngada Wark 
 and Paul (Samuel having been in disgrace since the message 
 I sent by him on the 25th) to say, that he intended to go on 
 a war expedition in the course of three or four days ; and 
 that as he did not want to weary us by taking us about with 
 him in the rains, he had resolved upon sending me and my 
 party to Magdala, there to spend the winter ; and he wished 
 to know if I had any objection to the arrangement. I replied, 
 that his Majesty was bettor able to judge of tlie salubrity of 
 the different places in Abyssinia than I, and Unit I was 
 ready to go wherever lie wislied me to be during the rainy 
 season. The King then asked whetlier I had mules enough 
 to carry my luggage and tliat of my party, or whether I 
 required him to transport it for us. I said tiiat we had not 
 mules enough, but that if his Majesty would allow us we could
 
 186G. July. EOYAL COURTESY. 151 
 
 buy more. It was settled, at last, that he was to have it 
 carried for us ; and, accordingly, on the 1st of July, he sent 
 all our heavy baggage by some soldiers who were leaving for 
 Magdala A\'ith Ras I'ngada, and Samuel was sent in charge of 
 it. After the luggage had been carried a day's journey 
 towards Magdala, the King ordered it to be brought back, as 
 he had changed his mind, and had resolved to let us remain 
 at Gafifat for the winter. It was brought back to Debra 
 Tabor on the 3rd, by Aito Samuel, and was left in our tents 
 outside the royal inclosm-e. 
 
 About noon on the ord, the King, as he was wont, sent me 
 a message to say that, with my permission, he was going 
 down to Gaffat. He asked my interpreter why I remained 
 so much in my tent and so seldom went out. He ordered 
 him to tell me that, if I wished to please him, I must go 
 about oftener, either on foot or on horseback, whichever I 
 preferred, and that I must send to him for anything I wanted. 
 " And you, Dasta," the King added to the interpreter, " mind, 
 I hold you responsible if I should hear that your master has 
 been in want of anything, and you fail to inform me of it. If 
 he requires anything, you must come to me, even at mid- 
 night." On the interpreter asking how he could communi- 
 cate with his Majesty at that hour, the King sent for a page 
 and told him that if Dasta went to him at night with any 
 message from me he was to communicate it. The page 
 replied, that the eunuchs would prevent him from approaching 
 the place wliere the King was sleeping. On this demur, the 
 eunuchs in attendance were summoned, and orders were given 
 to tliem that, if a page went to his Majesty with a message 
 from me, lie was to deliver it at once ; and that if the King 
 was asleep, he was to be awakened ; so that if I wanted any- 
 thing at night, my message would have had to go through
 
 152 FllO^iI DEBllA TABOE TO MAGDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 the interpreter, the page, and the eunuclis. The King kept 
 poor Mr. Zander and Kantiba Hailo, with a hirge party of 
 followers, waiting for nearly half-an-hour below the hill of 
 Debra Tabor to settle that new arrangement of his, which he 
 knew well enough was never to be carried into effect. 
 
 The King returned from Gaffat at about 3 P.M., but, instead 
 of the usual civil message, Samuel came running to say that 
 the King wanted to see me, and that I must take the gentle- 
 men who were in my tent with me. I immediately went, 
 accompanied by Lieutenant Prideaux, Consul Cameron and 
 Mr. Stern. I wondered what could have taken place after 
 the polite message which had been sent to me only two 
 hours before. My surprise may be imagined when I found 
 Dr. Blanc standing in front of his Majesty like a criminal, 
 and when, a few minutes afterwards, Mr. Eosenthal was brought 
 in by a number of soldiers. The King looked as if he had 
 gone mad, and the first thing he said to me was, that I 
 hated him. On inquiring M'hat had occurred to make him 
 say so, he said that he had four charges against me : firsts 
 that I hud read Mr. Stern's book — ' Wanderings among the 
 Falashas;' secondly, that he had given Consul Cameron a 
 letter for my Queen, and that he had returned to Abyssinia 
 without an answer ; thirdly, that I had tried to send away 
 the jMagdala captives from Abyssinia without taking them to 
 him; and, fourthly, that the Turks had possession of Jeru- 
 salem, and that England and France allowed them to keep it. 
 He demanded his patrimony, on the ground that the Holy 
 City had formerly belonged to Kings David and Solomon, his 
 forefathers, and said, " I want Europe to restore to mc the 
 Holy Land." The first two ccmiplaiiits I took no notice of 
 and only answered the third and fourth. With regard to the 
 former, I denied having tried to talce the I^Tdgdala prisoners
 
 18GG. July. A BLACKHOLE. 153 
 
 out of Abyssinia without a proper reconciliation, his jMajesty 
 having forgiven them on several occasions ; that when they 
 left Korata they did so with his sanction, and that he sent 
 one of his courtiers, Lij Abitu, to escort them. Lij Abitu 
 was called again on this occasion to give evidence ; and when 
 the King was satisfied that everything had been done accord- 
 ing to rule, he dismissed him. With reference to Jerusalem, 
 I said that the European Powers were not given to interfere 
 in such matters. 
 
 He then said to me abruptly, "Are you not aware that 
 India and half the world belong to me?" I replied, that I 
 had not found it so stated in the books which I had read. 
 He next turned and discussed the point with 3Ir. Stern. 
 (The idea that India and half the world belonged to Theo- 
 dore originated in the tradition that the Emperors of Abys- 
 sinia are the descendants of Alexander the Great, as well as 
 of Solomon. This legend has already been noted in the 
 foregoing pages.) 
 
 Aito Samuel looked very downcast during this farce; so 
 the King spoke to him sharply, and said, "Why are you 
 sulky ? Is it because I am arguing with your friend ? Sup- 
 pose I put him in chains, what will you say to that?" 
 Samuel answered, " AVhat is that to me? Mr. Rassam is 
 your jMajcsty's guest, not mine." 
 
 The Afa-Negus was then called, and the King asked him 
 whether he could watch us better in a tent or in a room. As 
 this functionary knew his master's mind, he said a room 
 would be preferable. Thereupon the King ordered us to be 
 taken into the Treasury and guarded very strictly. The 
 room was so dark that we had to light candles, even in l)ro;i(l 
 daylight, to enable us to see one another. My party, con- 
 sisting of Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux, Consul Cameron,
 
 154 FROM DEBRA TAEOll TO MAGDALA. Cum'. XIX. 
 
 Messrs. Stern and Kosenthal and myself, were placed in a 
 small circular room not more than twelve feet in diameter ; 
 and as a guard of fifteen men was ordered to -watch us inside 
 during the night, we should have been in a sad plight had 
 not the King relented in the course of the evening and 
 ordered the guard out of our room. Mr. Kerans was brought 
 in afterwards, but Signer Pietro was alloAved to remain in 
 liis own tent outside. Mr. Macraire had already entered 
 the King's service and was at Gafiat with the European 
 artisans. 
 
 Soon after dark, the King sent to know how we all were, 
 and hoped that I should sleep well. I replied that we were 
 very much obliged to his Majesty for his kind inquiry, and 
 that we were well ; but that if our Government or myself 
 had known how the Mission would have been treated, we 
 should certainly not have paid him a visit. " To speak the 
 truth," I continued, " it is our fault for not having believed 
 what wo heard before leaving Massowah ; but we could not 
 credit what his Majesty's enemies said against him. They 
 will rejoice at what has taken place, and I have no doubt they 
 will spread the report all over the world." The only answer 
 I obtained from the King to this was, " Never mind your 
 Government and my enemies, my friend. Your masters 
 have already decided upon their treatment of me ; and my 
 foes would spread evil reports against me, even if I were to 
 carry you on my head. I have only to see that you are 
 happy, and that your heart is not vexed." I replied that I 
 had done my best to maintain friendship between my Govern- 
 ment and his Majesty, but that henceforward I should wash my 
 hands of all responsibility, and his Majesty would only have 
 himself to blame for the wrath of my Queen and her Govern- 
 ment. To this the King sent the following answer: "God
 
 18GG. July. THEODORE IS JOLLY. 155 
 
 be my witness, my brother and friend, that after to-day 
 I shall not hold you responsible for the future action of your 
 Government. I only want you to be happy, and as I hear 
 from my attendants that you are not so, I must come and 
 cheer you up ; I only await your permission to do so." I sent 
 and begged his ^lajesty not to trouble himself to come and 
 see us. He replied that he could not go to bed without 
 coming to comfort me. " How could I go to sleep," he said, 
 " knowing that you are unhappy, my friend ? I will not listen 
 to you, especially after I have refused the entreaty of the 
 Itege, who said that I ought to postpone my visit to you 
 until the morning." 
 
 Immediately after the last message, the King made his 
 appearance with a horn of arrack (spirits made of mead) 
 slung over his shoulder, and a bundle of wax candles in his 
 right hand to light in our prison, to make it look cheerful. 
 One of his servants also carried a jar of ttj (mead) behind 
 him. On coming in and seeing a part of the guard with us, 
 he turned them out, and asked how they dared come so near 
 us. As soon as he sat down, he poured some arrack into a 
 tumbler and gave it to me, saying, " I know you do not 
 usually drink, but I feel sure that you will not refuse to drink 
 with me on this occasion, to make me feel happy." After 
 we had drunk to each other's health, he ordered the arrack 
 to be circulated to all my party, and he himself filled the 
 glasses and handed them over to my comjianions. Dr. Blauc 
 and Lieutenant I'ridoaux. He then looked towards j\[r. 
 Stern, who was standing with Mr. Rosenthal against the wall, 
 and said to the furnuT '"How arc you, Aito Kokab? 
 Why are you standing in sueh a disconsolate mood and do 
 not sit down ? " After this, his Majesty said to me laugh- 
 ingly, "Comfort Mr. Stern, an<l tell him not to moan." He
 
 156 FROM DEBRA TABOR TO mAgDALA. Chap. XIX.. 
 
 then addressed me as follows : — " Do not regard my foce, but 
 trust to my heart, because I really love yon. I wonld not say 
 so before my people who are standing by if I did not mean 
 it. It is true that I behaved ill to you this afternoon, but 
 I have an object in what I do. I was obliged to put on a 
 serious face on account of the bystanders, but I never meant 
 to be angry with yon. I used to lioar that I was called a 
 madman by my people for my acts, but I never believed it ; 
 now, however, after my conduct towards you this afternoon, 
 I have come to the conclusion that I really am so ; but," he 
 concluded, " as Christians, we ought always to be ready to 
 forgive each other." 
 
 After this display of royal affection the King left; but 
 before going he gave orders that none of the guard were 
 to be allowed to enter the Treasury — all must remain out- 
 side. While we were l)oth standing at the door with Aito 
 Samuel and my young interpreter, Dasta, the King said to 
 me, " Mr. Rassani, henceforward Dasta shall be my child, and 
 Samuel yours; good-bye." After this I never spoke to 
 him again until he and I met at Magdahi, on the 29th 
 March, 1868 — an interval of nearly one year and nine 
 months. 
 
 The day Dr. Blanc and Mr. Kosenthal were arrested, it 
 was reported that the King had received a letter from Tigre, 
 on his way to Gaffat; that its contents appeared to make 
 liim very angry ; and that this was the reason lie Iiad acted so 
 unbecomingly towards us all. My opinion is, tliat the arrest of 
 Dr. Blanc and Mr. Kosenthal was not premeditated — that the 
 order was given on the spur of the moment. Something had 
 evidently disturl»od the King's mind, for when a beggar on 
 Ihe road asked him for alms, and said that formerly the 
 Juu-opean "Getotsli" Iiad supported him, the King ordered
 
 180G. July. "G£TA"' AND "ATTO." lo7 
 
 liim to be beaten to death for having applied the word 
 *'Getotsh"to his European slaves. He had always objected 
 to this title being given to any one but himself, saying that 
 Kings only ought to be called Lords. His Majesty was then 
 at the height of his fury, and seeing Mr. Kosenthal, ■whom he 
 hated, standing by, he abused him and had him arrested. 
 Dr. Blanc being present came in for his share of the royal 
 displeasure, which vented itself also on a number of the Euro- 
 pean artisans. Having gone so far, he thought he might go 
 a little further by having them conducted to Debra Tabor, to 
 make another display there. 
 
 I interrupt the narrative here to explain the import of 
 the word "Geta" (plural, Getotsh), and also of "Aito," 
 another title which frequently occurs in these pages. Geta * 
 means master, or lord ; Aito is equivalent to our mister, or 
 sir. Formerly, neither was applied to any but Abyssinian 
 noblemen, but within the last century both have become 
 common, and foreigners as well as respectable natives, such 
 as merchants and others, have adopted them. A servant, 
 ordinarily, may speak of his master as the Geta, and say 
 that the Geta had told him to do this or that ; but when 
 speaking of his master to a superior, who is then the Geta, 
 he must use the word with the suflix pronoun of the third 
 person, Gctau. As the King considered himself the Geta 
 par excellence, he could not brook the application of it to any 
 other in his presence. Theodore, however, was very liberal 
 with the title "Aito," bestowing it on all civil ofliccrs and 
 respectable merchants, as also on aliens, and did not object 
 
 * A learned friend of mine 8Ugi;ests whctlicr "Geta" may not be derived 
 from the Hebrew (or Semitic) root, nx3. to be exalted, majestic. See Kx. 
 xi. 1, 21. "Aito," he thinks, may have tlie same oxvi'm as tlic Ciialdco 
 I3y» a counsellor or minister of the king. Vid. Ezra vii. 14, 15.
 
 158 FROIM DEBEA TABOR TO MAGDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 to others being so designated, although, strictly speaking, 
 only princes of the royal blood, and those on Avhom it is 
 conferred by the Sovereign, have the right of adopting it. It 
 approaches nearer to the Turkish " Effendi " than any other 
 title T know of. When the King was concocting the letter 
 to her Majesty, in April, 1866, which was sent by Mr. Flad, 
 a discussion arose between him and his courtiers as to the 
 title he should give me when mentioning my name. He 
 remarked that the Queen had merely called me "our 
 servant, Hormuzd Rassam," and submitted whether he ought 
 to use a similar phrase. To this one of his courtiers replied, 
 " Your Majesty may not consistently do so, inasmuch as the 
 English Queen is his Mistress, and as such she very properly 
 designates him simply by his name, as her servant." " Very 
 well," rejoined the King, " I will give him the highest civil 
 title in the realm, anil call him * Aito.' " The prefix was 
 accordingly added to my name, and the amanuensis went on 
 with his writing. 
 
 On the 4th, the King ordered that we should be allowed 
 to take an airing on the hill, where we had been imprisoned 
 in the black tent a few days before. To do so, we should 
 have been obliged to pass the King's favourite place of resort, 
 both in going and returning, and as his Majesty was as averse 
 from meeting us as we were him, he directed a passage to be 
 luade for us through the outer wall of the Treasury. A fence 
 was also to be erected to separate us from his establishment ; 
 but our servants were told that they might remain outside it. 
 The fence was finished when we were desired, on the morning 
 of the 5th, to prepare to set out with the King, who was pro- 
 ceeding towards Magdala. At noon his Majesty started, and 
 at about 1 vm. we followed him. Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant 
 Prideaux and I were allowed to ride the mules presented to
 
 1866. JuLT. EN EOUTE TO MAGDALA. 15» 
 
 us by the King, but the rest, including Consul Cameron, were 
 told to provide themselves with animals. Mrs. Kosenthal 
 not l>eing well at the time, it was thought advisable to leave 
 her behind with Mrs. Flad, at Debra Tabor, as we were not 
 certain then where the King intended to take us. 
 
 On the 7th July we travelled with his Majesty as far as 
 Ibankab, a distance of about thirty miles from Debra Tabor, 
 and nearly fifty from 31agdala. All the time we were with 
 him he treated us with great consideration. One day he 
 sent to tell me that he hoped I did not look upon the guard 
 which slept by our tents as having been placed there to 
 watch us : its duty, he said, was to protect the royal household, 
 and our encampment being near his, the guard was obliged 
 to be close to us. 
 
 Samuel's services as Baldaraba were dispensed with, and 
 my young interpreter, Dasta, was ordered by the King to 
 act in his stead, as a temporary measure. For the first time 
 after Samuel's disgrace, the King sent to him, on the 8th 
 of July, to take me to a certain spot, and show me the 
 large quantity of hailstones that had fiillen on the moun- 
 tain of Guna, above Ibankab. When he heard that my 
 companions, Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant Prideaux, and I 
 were pleased with the sight, he sent to tell me that, if we 
 liked, he would send us the next morning up to the high 
 mountain, to see the hail nearer. On om- thanking him 
 for his kind offer, he appointed a guard to escort us there 
 and back — to protect us, as ho said, against robbers. 
 
 Early on the 9th he sent for Samuel, and after telling him 
 he was a " slave of the English " and loved me more than he 
 loved him (the King), he bade him get ready and start at once 
 to keep me company at jMagdala. Bitwaddad Tadla (the Chief 
 who had arrested Consul Cameron and his party on the loth
 
 IGO FR0:M DEBRA tabor to MAgDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 of April, after tliey had left Korata) was then appointed to take 
 me and my party to Magdala, and to proceed thither forthwith. 
 We were told to take very few things with us, on account of 
 the difficulty of travelling, and that the rest of our luggage 
 ■would follow us shortly. The King was very anxious that we 
 should reach Magdala before the rise of the rivers Chetta and 
 Bashilo, which lay in our way, as he wished us to be in a 
 " safe place " during the winter months. We each took 
 bedding and a few articles of clothing ; but after the first 
 stage we found that I was the only one allowed to carry those 
 necessaries. For nearly a week my fellow-captives had 
 nothing to sleep upon except what I could provide them 
 with ; as for clothes, we had to put up with what we wore. 
 Our guard consisted of about 100 men, most of whom were 
 either killed or imprisoned by the King before the year was 
 over, and their Chief, Bitwaddad Tadla, was kept in chains at 
 Magdala until he was released by Sir Robert Napier. 
 
 The Europeans who were doomed to keep me company in 
 bondage for nearly two years were seven in number — five 
 of the old prisoners and two new ones. The former were : 
 Consul Cameron, and Messrs. Stern, Rosenthal, Kerans and 
 Pietro ; the latter, my companions, Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant 
 Prideaux. 
 
 We reached Magdala in the afternoon of the 12th of 
 July, 1800, and after the ceremony of counting us had been 
 gone through, and our names properly registered, we were 
 ushered into an inclosure near the royal residence, which 
 belonged to the chief minister, Pus Ingada. We were then 
 shown into a room by the Commandant of Magdala, Dajjaj 
 Kidana Maryam, where we a\ ere told to remain until further 
 orders. This officer had been appointed by the King, through 
 Bitwaddad Tadla, to act as my Baldaraba. The Bitwaddad also
 
 18GG. July. THE CAPTIVES FETTERED. 161 
 
 told me that the orders of liis master were, that whatever I 
 required would be attended to by the Commandant. Next 
 to the room, or hut, referred to, there was another, which was 
 also made over to us, for the use of our servants and Aito 
 Samuel. 
 
 On our arrival at the fortress I found that Samuel's position 
 with me was quite anomalous : the King had neither said 
 that he was to be treated as a prisoner, nor that he was to act 
 as agent between him and me ; but I was told confidentially 
 that he was sent with me as a spy. After considering the 
 matter carefully, I concluded that he would be more useful 
 to us if I availed myself of his services in communicating 
 with the local authorities. This I did a few days after, by 
 sending friendly messages by him to different Chiefs, which 
 gained him and me their confidence. 
 
 On the 16th the Chiefs of Magdala came to us and said 
 that as the King had not sent definite orders about our 
 imprisonment, they were obliged to be on the safe side, and 
 must therefore put fetters on our legs. They accordingly 
 hammered on the chains which they had brought for that 
 purpose. After they had finished with my fellow-captives 
 they began on me, but as one of the rings broke while 
 it was being riveted, I was not chained till next day, the 
 17th. The Chiefs tried to assure me that the chains were 
 not a sign of ill-will, as they were certain that their master 
 was my friend, and they hoped that before many days 
 had elapsed everything would be right again. 
 
 When Bitwaddad Tadla — the Chief who escorted us to 
 Magdala — was about to return to Debra Tabor, he came to me 
 for a message to the King, as botli ho and thcIMagdala Chiefs 
 judged it expedient that ho should not go back witliout one, 
 and tliat a pleasant communication from me might induce his 
 
 VUL. II. M
 
 1C2 FEOM DEBRA TABOR TO MAGDALA. Cuap. XIX. 
 
 Majesty to relent. AVlicn the man came into my room on this 
 errand, I felt very much disposed to give him no answer, as 
 some of my fellow-captives had led me to understand that he 
 was a bad man at heart, and held all Europeans in great 
 aversion. I found out afterwards, however, that he really in- 
 tended to do me a service. I was in low spu-its at the time, 
 and not in the least disposed to concoct a hollow message, for 
 I began to think that our lives hung ujDon a thread ; so I 
 said to him, " Tell the King that my fellow-prisoners and I 
 have reached this jail in safety, and that when this act of his 
 becomes known, it will doubtless serve to increase his fame ; 
 especially when people hear that a great Sovereign has im- 
 prisoned a man merely because he was his friend." On my re- 
 peating these words to Samuel he became ashy pale, and said, 
 " I will certainly not translate what you have uttered, but 
 will send a message suitable to the occasion." He then turned 
 towards Bitwaddad Tadla, and told him that I wished him to 
 convey my best compliments to the King, and to say that, by 
 his Majesty's favour, I had reached Magdala in safety, and 
 hoped ere long to have the pleasm-e of seeing him. When 
 the Bituaddad reached the King, the first question the latter 
 asked was, how he had left me, and what I had said on finding 
 myself confined to Magdala. His reply was, that I felt highly 
 favoured in having so exalted a locality allotted to me during 
 the rainy season, and one so near his Majesty's Ilfing ; that 
 my only regret was being so far from the royal presence, but 
 that the thought of soon meeting the King again was a source 
 of great consolation to me. Thereupon his Majesty sighed 
 und merely remarked, "Poor Rassam, ho is still friendly 
 towards mo, and when I go to IMagdala, which will be in the 
 course of a few days, I will release him and treat him better 
 than ever."
 
 a8GG. July. OUR FIRST QUARTERS AT MAGDALA. 103 
 
 When the messenger, Lih, who accompanied Bitwaddad 
 Tadia from Debra Tabor together with us, returned to the 
 King after seeing us cliained, he told his Majesty, on being 
 questioned on the subject, that I had not manifested any 
 vexation, but had simply remarked that whatever came from 
 the King was acceptable to me, from a gauntlet to a fetter 
 round the leg. "Very well," replied his Majesty, "I will 
 soon make him happy, but before then I must send a letter 
 to comfort him; and remember, Lih, when you return to 
 Magdala you must not forget to take a letter from me to my 
 .friend Kassam." 
 
 The King had written to tlie Chiefs to say that Eas 
 I'ngada's two huts should be occupied by my fellow-captives 
 and their servants, and that another hut next to them, belong- 
 ing to Fit-awrari Gabrie, should be appropriated to me, and that 
 my o\Nn personal servants and Aito Samuel should be pro- 
 vided with two separate rooms near me. For a week, however, 
 my seven fellow-captives and I had to live day and night 
 in one round hut, not more than fifteen feet in diameter; 
 but when we were cliained and considered safe, the Chiefs 
 allowed us to be separated as follows: I had the room 
 assigned to me by the King ; Dr. Blanc and Lieut. Prideaux 
 the little hut which had been provided for my servant — after 
 the permission of the Chiefs was obtained ; and IMessrs. Kcrans 
 and rietro occupied a part of the room, or hut, which had 
 l)een turned into a kitchen. 
 
 AVhcn the messenger was sent l)y the Chiefs to Debra 
 Tabor to report to the King that wo were safely shaclded, 
 they directed him to tell his IMajesty what they had said 
 to me about the fetters, in the hope tliat he would order us 
 to be relieved of them. I was told that when the courier 
 delivered the message, the King said, " Do those asses of 
 
 M 2
 
 161 PROM DEBRA TABOR TO MAGDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 Magdala Chiefs think that ^Ir. Eassara is such a fool as to 
 believe that any person could put him in chains without my 
 special order? The thing is now done, and he must wait 
 until I go there myself." 
 
 When we left the King at Ibankab, on the 0th, he had 
 intended to follow in four or five days. He was only waiting 
 for the concentration of his troops, which, since the middle 
 of June, had been disjiersed in different parts of Bagaraeder, 
 on account of the cholera. He subsequently changed his mind 
 and went back to Debra Tabor. I was told that on two 
 later occasions he had moved in our direction, but for some 
 unknown reason he returned to Debra Tabor, after two or 
 three days' march. 
 
 "When we were sent to Magdala the King had ordered — 
 so I was told — that I should be allowed to have all my 
 servants with me, but tliat my fellow-captives should only 
 have one female servant each, in accordance w'ith the dis- 
 cipline of the fortress. I Avas also to be allowed rations from 
 his own establishment ; but, as for the rest, he did not care 
 what became of them. The Cliiefs, who were very exact in 
 obeying every command from their master, were somewhat 
 reluctant to include my companions in the order about the 
 rations and servants. Samuel, however, made their con- 
 sciences easy at once by assuring them that we three had 
 come to Abyssinia on the same erranrl, as friends of their 
 King, and that consequently we were all one, and that when- 
 ever the King spoke of me he meant the three combined. 
 The rations, whicli consisted of a few loaves of bread not 
 enougli for five persons, I declined ; but a small jar of tej\ 
 generally so sour as to be undrinkable, I accepted for 
 some time, to please the Chiefs. When honey became scarce^
 
 •CiiAP. XIX. OUR QUAETERS ENLARGED. 165 
 
 and the communication between the royal camp and Magdala 
 was interrupted, the t^ was stopped. 
 
 During our incarceration at Magdala the Chiefs never 
 failed to seud me, on every great Abyssinian feast, one or 
 two cows, in accordance with orders from their master. On 
 many occasions when they were badly off for cattle they felt 
 bound to present me with the usual offering, though they 
 had none to spare for the royal establishment. The Chiefs 
 became more friendly every day, and never failed to render 
 us a variety of services, whenever they could do so safely. 
 They soon allowed extra servants to our fellow-captives, and 
 before many months had passed they enlarged our iuclosure 
 to nearly three times its original extent, and permitted us to 
 build within it as many rooms for our servants as we could. 
 After a while, they permitted Consul Cameron to have a 
 hut of his own, and ultimately they allowed Mr. Stern to 
 occupy a separate apartment day and night. They never 
 interfered with the ingress or egress of our messeugers, 
 except on a few occasions, when they thought it advisable, 
 for tlieir safety and ours, to show that they were on the 
 alert. 
 
 Aito Samuel never once hesitated to serve me, even at the 
 risk i)i his life. He was tliu lirst who undertook to scud our 
 letters to the coast, by one of his own servants, with the 
 report of our incarceration at ]\ragdala. Being thoroughly 
 acquainted with Arabic and Amharic he was on all occasions 
 of material service to me. As he was still styled the King's 
 Laldaiabu, Chiefs, messengers and others could vi>it him 
 without giving rise either to jealousy or fear. Having always 
 kept open house for me when wo were provided with ratioHs 
 from the King, I thought it advisable to allow him to con-
 
 166 FROM DEBRA TABOR TO mAGDALA. Chap. XIX. 
 
 tiniic the same course of hospitality, notwithstanding our 
 altered circumstances. His frequent entertainment of Abys- 
 sinian parties, on my behalf, enabled me to keep up former- 
 intimacies and to cultivate new acquaintances among the 
 influential natives, whose friendship proved of essential ser- 
 vice to us during our imprisonment at Magdala.
 
 Chap. XX. THE MAGDALA COUNCIL. 1G7 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. 
 
 The Mdgdala Council — Ras Kidana Maryam, the Commandant — Eas 
 Bisawwir — Bitwaddad Damash — Bitwaddad Hailo — Bitwaddad "Wasi 
 — Bitwdddad Bahri — Dajjaj Gojje — Bitwaddad Bakal — Bitwaddad 
 Hailo, of Chalga — Bitw^idad Dhafar — Our Warders :— Aba-Falck — 
 Basha Bisdwwir — Yashalaka Adam — Yashdlaka Warke. 
 
 Before proceeding with the narrative of our captivity at 
 Mairdala, I must introduce the reader to the different 
 Members of Council \\ho kept watch and ward over us 
 during our incarceration. Formerly, Magdala had only a 
 Commandant, who was charged with the civil and military 
 administration of the place, but when the King removed 
 the political prisoners from the Sar Amba, in Chalga, to that 
 fortress, he appointed nine Chiefs to various posts there, 
 who were to constitute a Council — the Commandant, how- 
 ever, retaining summary power, subject only to the superior 
 authority of the Sovereign. All the Chiefs were to be con- 
 sulted on ordinary matters, but more important subject- 
 were to be referred to five only, who were privileged to 
 know the King's secrets. On our arrival at IMagdala, all the 
 Members of Council, including the Commandant, held the 
 honorary title of " Dajazmatsh ;" but shortly after they had 
 become our jailors, his Majesty raised the Commandant to 
 the rank of "Eas," and the other nine Chiefs to that of 
 " Bitwaddad." 
 
 Has Kidana Maryam, the Commandant and President of
 
 168 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 the Council, was an hereditary Chief of Bagameder, and in 
 the time of Eas 'Ali he, ^vith the other leading men of his 
 family, aided the Chiefs of Gojjam against the Galla ascend- 
 ancy, which Eas 'Ali represented ; but when Theodore 
 appeared in the field, they forsook their former allies and 
 attached themselves to him. He was very gentlemanly in 
 manners, and had the reputation of being a humane and just 
 man, and would never allow an act of cruelty to be perpe- 
 trated, unless ordered by the King. Apathy and indecision 
 were his greatest faults, and he was never known to settle a 
 case, unless backed by the Bitwaddads Bisawwir or Dam ash, 
 A\ ho were far more energetic. Had he wished to rebel against 
 the King, he might have done so easily, as he was beloved 
 by every one in the fortress, and held the command of five 
 hundred Lancers, forming one-third of the garrison. As his 
 Majesty wished to destroy his native province of Bagameder, 
 and was afraid to leave ]\Iagdala in his hands the meanwhile, 
 he threw him into chains, on the pretext that he had heard 
 of his having held communication with Menilek, King of 
 Shoa. The jioor man ended his days in prison, at Debra 
 Tabor, and when on the point of death he called all his 
 relations, and in their presence appointed me his executor. 
 He wrote me a letter just before he expired, assuring me 
 that God had put it into his heart that I should be saved. 
 He besought me, when I was safe, to look after his wife and 
 children. This poor man behaved very civilly to my fellow- 
 captives and myself while he remained in charge, and never 
 failed to do us an act of kindness whenever it lay in his 
 power. 
 
 BiTWADDAD Bie^AWWiK, tlic noxt in order, was a nephew to 
 Theodore, and commanddl lialf llie Musketeers of the gar- 
 rison consisting of 500 men. AVlien Eas Kidana Maryam
 
 Chap. XX. BITWADDAD BISAWWIR. 169 
 
 was removed, the King made Bisawwir a " Eas," appointed 
 him Commandant in his room, and placed under his orders 
 the 500 Lancers of his predecessor; hence, as the nominal 
 strength of the garrison was reckoned at 1,000 Lancers and 
 500 Musketeers, one-half the entire number was subject to 
 his control. Bisawwir was a native of Infaraz, lying between 
 Bagjimeder and Dambea, and his father, who was the 
 CJbief of the place, had married Theodore's aunt — another 
 daughter of the Eas of Ambara-Seint. His family were so 
 wealthy in cattle and land that hundreds of poor people 
 resorted to them for alms. The district where they resided 
 was reputed for rearing the finest vines in Abyssinia, and its 
 wine was sent to Gondar and other places for sale. He was 
 so much given to chanting psalms that he was nicknamed 
 *• Dabtera," or Clerk, and so transported with the services of 
 the Church that he danced at them, in public, like the priests 
 and monks. He was the first Chief sent to Magdala after its 
 capture from the Gallas, and he retained command of the 
 tr(jops until a few days before the place fell into our hands, 
 ilc befriended me and my fellow-captives from our first arrival 
 there until we left on the 11th of April, 1868, and never on 
 any occasion refused me a favour, unless he judged it unsafe 
 to grant it. The King had such perfect confidence in him 
 that he made him overseer to his female establishment, which 
 <lelicate ollice he discharged faithfully, never failing to keep 
 the inmates in order, yet at the same time acceding to their 
 wishes, provided they were not extravagant. In contrast 
 to poor Kidaua Maryam, Bisdwwir was very easy on the score 
 of responsibility. On one occasion, a doorkeeper of ours — of 
 whom more anon — seized a note which had been sent to our 
 quarters, for ^\v. Eosenthal, from one of tlie native prisoners. 
 As it was contrary to the discipline of the fortress to allow
 
 170 OUR GUARDIANS AT MIGDALA. Chap. XX.. 
 
 any communication between the prisoners, the meddling 
 doorkeepers — to spite Mr. Kosenthal, I believe — took the 
 note and its bearer before the Eas. Kidana Maryam, who held 
 that position at the time, was quite beN\ildered, not knowing 
 how to dispose of the case; for, on the one hand, he was 
 loth to do us any injury, and, on the other, he was afraid to 
 hush it up, or even to reprimand the tell-tale for having 
 brought so trumpery a matter to his notice. In this dilemma 
 he called in the assistance of Bisawwir, and asked him to 
 dispose of the case, without involving him in trouble. The 
 Avary councillor remarked that, in the first place, he must see 
 what the note contained — which, by the way, the Eas had. 
 been too timid to read, fearing that it might reveal treason.. 
 On perusing the note, Bisawwir summoned the doorkeepers, 
 and gave them a severe rebuke for having made so much fuss 
 about a trumpery piece of paj^er which had come from a 
 beggar. " Tell me the truth, you blockheads," he continued* 
 "have you never yourselves tasted the money of the Franks 
 that you should be so punctilious in the matter of alms ?' 
 Take this paper and eat it, and do not bother us any more about 
 such nonsense. Does not our Master know that Aito Kassam 
 is liberal, and that those who are in want beg of him ? " On 
 hearing of this incident, I sent for the mischief-makers and 
 asked what they had to say for themselves. They swore 
 solemnly that they had intended no harm, knowing that what 
 woidd liurt my fellow-captives would hurt me also; but the 
 note, they said, had been brought in some vegetables, as if 
 it were to be smuggled in, and that as one of our Portuguese 
 servants had snatched the vegetables from the hand of the 
 messengers, the note fell out in the presence of a number 
 of strangers who were standing near the door ; consequently, 
 they were obliged to notice it, and to let it be known 0})enly
 
 CiiAP. XX. BITWADDAD DAMASH. 171 
 
 that it was liarmless, as it bad proved to be. " How cau you 
 charge us with being mischief-makers," they added, " when 
 you know, Sir, that we ourselves have brought you a number 
 of letters, and passed your messengers in and out on many 
 occasions? For the sake of our lives, we entreat you to 
 tell your people to be cautious; for if this Indian had not 
 snatched the vegetables from the Abyssinian, the note would 
 not have fallen out ; and if the Abyssinian had brought the 
 note to us, and asked us to deliver it to you, we should not 
 have hesitated to do so, since you are a friend of our King, 
 who would not be angry with us for such an act. On the 
 other hand, what would he say if we allowed his enemies, 
 the priests [Missionaries], to correspond with the native 
 prisoners?" 
 
 The third Chief in rank and importance, but pre-eminent 
 for his temerity, was Bitwaddad DamAsh, one of the King's 
 fathers-in-law, and a native of the same province as Theo- 
 dore, who had also been brought up with him almost from 
 childhood. He was one of the five Privy Councillors, and 
 commanded the other half of the Musketeers — 250 men — 
 of the garrison. It was also his duty to sleep at the Treasu ry , 
 and see that it was well guarded at night. This man ^\■as 
 generally disliked both by Europeans and natives; for my 
 own part, I always found hiui amicably disposed, and he 
 never failed to support me in the Council, whenever I asked 
 for anything to add to our comfort. I had been given to 
 understand that liis relationship to Theodore gave him a high 
 standing in the royal favour, and that his Majesty had com- 
 missioned him to report to him all that my fellow-captives 
 and I did. His house adjoined ours, and none of our messen- 
 gers or servants could come in or go out without passing 
 his door. He had sent his son — a lad about twelve years
 
 172 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 old — to visit me on our first arrival, and continued the 
 practice almost daily, so that I was enabled, through him, 
 to keep up a regular communication with his father, and by 
 degrees we became very friendly, although, owing to nis ill- 
 ness, we did not see each other for nearly six months after 
 I reached Magdala. Hearing that we were badly off for 
 money, he twdce sent us cows and bread, and offered to 
 get me anything from the Treasury, if I needed it. On 
 his recovery, he came to call upon me, and as he knew a 
 little Arabic I could speak to him without the interven- 
 tion of an interpreter, so that, in course of time, we became 
 fast friends. One morning he took a solemn oath that he 
 would stand by me unto death, and I am bound to testify 
 that he kept his word, and never once betrayed me. He was 
 the only Chief who, for a w hole year, had the courage to come 
 and see me alone, without being attended by a subordinate 
 to hear what passed between us ; in fact, he considered it 
 beyond the power of any Abyssinian to injure him. He told 
 me, on one occasion, to my great surprise, that ho was aware 
 of my communications with the coast, and he actually 
 gave me the names of the messengers and the time they 
 had started. However, lie bade me not fear, since he had 
 sworn not to betray my secrets ; nevertheless, he advised me 
 to use the greatest caution, lest the letters might be seized 
 at the gate. Thenceforward, I always sent him a private 
 message whenever I intended to dispatch messengers to the 
 <joast. When this fact came to Samuel's knowledge, about a 
 year afterwards, the poor man nearly ftiinted, for he believed 
 that it would be safer to trust Satan himself than Bitwaddad 
 Damash; and when I divulged to him another secret — namely, 
 that I had intrusted tliat Chief with my pai)ers — the hair of 
 •Samuel's head nearly stood on end with consternation. None
 
 Chap. XX. BITWADDAD DAMASH. 173^ 
 
 of the Chiefs at Magdala rendered such good service, through 
 me, to my fellow-ca])tives as Damash. He always took our 
 part before the Council, whenever anything connected with us 
 was brought under discussion. Twice while I was phiying whist 
 at night with Bhinc and Prideaux, he came near our fence and 
 called out to us to be on our guard, as a number of lights had 
 been seen on the heights at Dawuut, which might belong to 
 the royal camp — the King was then expected at Magdala — 
 or to a great Eas coming on important business. It hap- 
 pened to be the latter on botli occasions, and through this 
 timely notice we were able to dispose of all papers likely to 
 compromise us, in case their seizure had been ordered by his 
 3[ajesty. Moreover, whenever a messenger arrived from the 
 King, he was the first to report to me that all was " right." 
 (Jn my expressing a wish that Blanc and Prideaux's hut 
 might be enlarged, he it was who tokl the Council that there- 
 could be no harm in allowing my companions, who were the 
 '• friends of the King," to increase the size of their abode ; and 
 he himself undertook, with the assistance of his Musketeers, 
 to pull down the old building and to erect a larger in its 
 place. When I wished that Consul Cameron and Mr. Stern 
 might have separate huts to live and sleep in, Damash 
 and Ras Bisawwir were the only members of the Council who 
 sanctioned the arrangement. In fact, from the outset, ho 
 never shrank from doing us a good turn, sparing us through- 
 out much trouble ; and it was probably through his inter- 
 vention that the life of Consul Cameron's messenger was 
 saved when he was seized in Dalanta, in IVIarch, 1868, while 
 tlio King was on his way to Magdala. His IMajosty had 
 given strict orders prohibiting all communication between 
 his camp and the latter fortress, and any one caught in the 
 act of disobeying was to be executed on the sjiot. Mr. Flad
 
 174 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 had also written and warned us against sending any one to 
 the royal camp ; but the advice was unheeded : a man was 
 sent, and he was seized at the outpost. Luckily, Bit^^addad 
 Damash was in command of the outer guard on the occasion, 
 and, finding that the messenger belonged to our j^arty, he 
 told the sentry that the man was his servant and was not 
 to be meddled with. Damash's wife and son, as also his 
 brothers, who M-ere royal couriers, called upon me frequently, 
 in the most open and unreserved manner — with the excep- 
 tion of the lady who, according to Abyssinian etiquette, was 
 debarred from making visits during the daytime. Unfor- 
 tunately, Damash was of a quarrelsome disposition, and 
 (luring most of our stay at Magdala he was either in hot 
 water with his wives — he had two — or with Samuel. No 
 sooner had I settled one case of disagreement between them 
 than another broke out ; but tho task of reconciling the 
 husband with his consorts was easy compared with that of 
 making matters up between Damash and Samuel. Some- 
 times they would not sjieak to each other for a couple of 
 months, and then, in my presence, would revile one another 
 at the top of their voices. One day the quarrel between 
 the husband and one of his two wives came to a crisis, 
 for the lady left him, and took refuge in the house of a 
 man whom she knew he hated. This step on her part 
 occasioned no little scandal on the mountain, insomuch 
 that even Samuel begged me to interfere, especially as the 
 lady had threatened to expose all lier luisband's proceedings 
 to the King, and Samuel, being on ratlicr too intimate terms 
 with the family, feared that he also might be compromised. 
 The Commandant and his colleagues also urged me, as a 
 friend of tho parties, to reprimand Damash for liis bad 
 behaviour to his wife, A\hom he had neglected and ahnost
 
 -Chap. XX. BITWADDAD HAILO. 175 
 
 starved, and, if possible, to induce the runagate to return 
 home. I accordingly appointed a petty Chief, accompanied 
 by one of my interpreters, to wait upon the lady on my 
 behalf, and upon my undertaking to be her guardian and to 
 keep Damash in order, she returned to her husband and 
 promised to bo obedient to him in future. Before concluding 
 this sketch I must mention one among many of Damash's 
 acts of kindly consideration for us. Knowing that my fellow- 
 captives and I only ate wheateu bread, he sowed a field of 
 corn for our special use, and had the produce stored in his 
 granary, in case we might need it during the winter of 1868. 
 Fortunately, we did not require it, but the British force had 
 the benefit of it when they took jjosscssion of Magdala. 
 
 The fourth member of the Privy Council was Bitwaddad 
 Hailo, a man of good fomily, who, to use a fomiliar phrase, 
 had more sense in his little finger than all the other Chiefs 
 combined had in their brains. He was brother to Lij 
 Tasamma, the Chief of the escort appointed by the King to 
 receive the Mission at Chalga, wlien we reached that jJace 
 from Matamma, and the eldest son of "Wiiizero Dcnko, the 
 lady who entertained us at Wandigo. On our arrival at 
 Magdala, I was apprised that he was one of the spies selected 
 by the King to watch over my movements and those of the 
 other captives, European and native. I accordingly lost no 
 time in endeavouring to secure his interest. That was an 
 easy task, for I noticed that when we were fettered, he not 
 only tried to select the lightest fetters Ibr mo, but manifested 
 much emotion wlien they were being riveted on. lie had 
 heard that I was on the most friendly terms with his family, 
 and his master's treachery towards us had oxcited his intense 
 disgust. lie and Bitwiidda 1 Tadla, the Chief who escorted us 
 to Mtigdala, met on the night of the 12th of July — the day
 
 176 OUR GUARDIANS AT MAG DAL A. Chap. XX. 
 
 Ave wore brought into the fortress — and both spoke despoud- 
 ingly of my fate and that of my fellow-captives. Tadla 
 declared that he felt so utterly degraded by the duty which 
 had been allotted to him, that had his wife and children 
 not been in the King's power, he would have taken us to 
 Wadala, after crossing the Bashilo, and there set us free. 
 He told Bitwaddad Hailo that he ouglit to use his best efforts 
 to befriend us, inasmuch as I deserved every good man's 
 sympathy. When Hailo heard that we were badly off for 
 money, he sent and requested me to allow him to present me 
 with five hundred dollars, knowing, he said, that as a 
 stranger I should find some difficulty in obtaining funds 
 during the rainy season. Eas Kidana Maryam also sent me 
 a similar message ; but I declined both offers, with my best 
 thanks, stating that I was not in immediate want. In order 
 to put the friendship of the former to the test, I asked him 
 to assist me in procuring money from Matamma, knowing 
 that he might easily do so through his brothers, who were 
 Chiefs of Chalga, unless fear of the King's displeasure stood 
 in liis way. He acceded to the reqnest at once, and would 
 not even allow me to write to my agent at Matamma to 
 recompense the messenger, whom he sent with my letter, 
 for his trouble. The man returned in due time, bringing 
 the funds applied for, and it was only after a long debate 
 that he consented to my presenting him with a few dollars. 
 The imprisonment of his bosom friend, Kas Kidana Maryam, 
 the old Commandant, increased his antipathy to the King, 
 and from that time forward ho began to concert measures to 
 get out of ]\[agdala, and to assist in effecting my escape. 
 For more than a year he was jjrcpiircd to let me down by a 
 liKhler, with one attendant, and scud nic oith<>r to Slioa or 
 Lasta, to bo conveyed from thence to the coast. On my
 
 M:hap. XX. BITWADDAD WAST. 177 
 
 Tepresenting to him tliat I could not possibly avail myself of 
 his kind offer, leaving my fellow-captives behind, he con- 
 sulted with the parties who were to have cooperated in the 
 attempt, and they agreed to include Dr. Blanc and Lieut. 
 Prideaux, but not a man more, otherwise detection would 
 be inevitable, and all would fall in one common mas- 
 sacre. As I gave him to understand that it was utterly out 
 ■of the question for me to take advantage of his kindness, at 
 the risk of the life even of one of our Indian followers, the 
 subject was dropped. When the King came to 3Iagdala, in 
 March, 18G8, Bitwaddad Plailo was in such dread of encoun- 
 tering him, that he escaped by a ladder, hung over a pre- 
 cipice. The way he managed was this : his mother had 
 come to see him at the time, and was then at Salamge — 
 the plateau below Magdala — whither he sent his wife and 
 child to visit her, and by a preconcerted arrangement the 
 three met him during the night, just as he effected his 
 descent from the heights, and then all proceeded together to 
 join the Gallas. On the arrival of the British force, he took 
 refuge with Sir Robert Napier, and according to the latest 
 reports he was admiuistcring the government of his native 
 province, Wandige, and the adjoining districts. Bitwaddad 
 Ilailo used his utmost endeavours while we were at ^lagdala 
 to induce me to marry, offering, on gaining my consent, to 
 send for his niece, the accomplished belle of Wandige, and 
 to present her to me as a bride. 3[y excuse was, that a man 
 in fetters could hardly think of offering himself as a bride- 
 groom. It was hinted to me at the time that the suggestion 
 originated with the King, who would have been delighted 
 had I fallen into any such entanglement. 
 
 BitwAddau WAsi, the fifth member of the Trivy 
 Council, was a Kamaut, and a native of Cbalga. He was a 
 
 VOL. II. N
 
 178 OTJR GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX.. 
 
 man of imblemisliecl character, and so devoted to the King 
 that he regarded the least reflection on any of the royal acts 
 as akin to blasphemy. He was always forward to do me a 
 kindness, provided that it in no way interfered with his 
 loyalty to Theodore ; but as his Majesty always designated 
 me as his " friend " in his letters to the Council, and directed 
 that all its members should visit me and attend to my wants, 
 he was not backward to stretch a point now and then to 
 serve me. So averse was he from receiving presents from 
 any of the prisoners, that before sending him the customary 
 contribution of a cow, bread and mead, towards the wake 
 which he was about to give in memory of his mother, whose 
 death had just been reported from Chalga, I deemed it 
 prudent to ask whether the offering would be agreeable 
 to him. His message in reply was, that he could receive 
 nothing fi'om me while I was a prisoner and he my warden, 
 begging me at the same time not to send him anything ; if 
 I did, he would be compelled to return it, however much it 
 might pain him to do so. When the mourning was over, he 
 came to apologize for having declined my proffered gift, 
 praying that I would not consider the refusal as indicative of 
 ill-feeling on his part, inasmuch as he entertained a high 
 regard for me. Conscientious scruples, he said, forbade his 
 receiving any donation from a prisoner; "but," he added, 
 " lest you may still misunderstand me, I will not leave your 
 house until you let me know how I can serve you, in order 
 that I may have an opportunity of proving the sincerity of 
 my friendship to my son's friend." His son, Lij Tasho, one 
 of our- Chalga escort, had written to secure his father's 
 good ofTiccs for me when we Avere transferred to Magdala. 
 I accordingly asked him to procure me a supply of cash from 
 our agent at Matdmma, A\hich he undertook to do at once,.
 
 CuAP. XX. BITWADDAD BAIIRL 17i> 
 
 but before the messenger whom he dispatched could return, 
 the whole' country between the Lake and 3Iagdala had risen 
 in rebellion, and although the man made two efforts to join 
 us, he found it impracticable to do so safely, with a large 
 sum of money in his possession. One day in Easter, Samuel 
 sent him a bottle of arrack and an European shirt; the 
 Bitwaddad returned them immediately, and wished to know 
 why I had acted as I had done, after the explanation which 
 he had given me of his scruples in such matters. The 
 articles were sent into my room an ith the rude message, " Did 
 I not tell you that you were a prisoner ? " As Samuel had 
 taken this stop without my knowledge, I reprimanded him 
 for it, and insisted on his going forthwith to explain to 
 Bitwadda'l Wasi how the case stood. Samuel went to the 
 Council, which was then convened to discuss the payments 
 due to the soldiers, and complained of the message which the 
 Kamant Bit\Naddad had sent me. Thereupon the members 
 came to me in a body, begging me to overlook the rudeness 
 of their colleague, who was then sent for and made to 
 apologize, and to declare that I was not a prisoner, but the 
 King's " friend." We were on the best terms ever after, 
 until we parted on the ca2)ture of Magdala. 
 
 BitwAddad Baiiri, the sixth member of Council, was 
 a native of Agowmeder. His sole business was to take 
 charge of the Treasuiy, and to see that nothing was allowed to 
 leave it without an order from the King. He was an upright 
 man, never intermeddled in matters which did not concern him, 
 and was never known to utter an unkind word to any one. 
 He was particularly gracious to me, and although he had 
 presented mo with cows on several occasions, he absolutely 
 refused any return until the approach of the King, when ho 
 accepted a tilk shirt from me for himself, and a suitable dress 
 
 N 2
 
 180 OUR GUARDIANS AT :\rACTDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 for his ^Aife. Bitwaddad Giiinti Bisawwir, auotlier member 
 of the Council, was associated with him in the charge over 
 the Treasury; and there was a Deputy-Treasurer besides, 
 named Bajirwand Wald-Tukle, a native of Tigre. 
 
 Dajjaj Gojj£, the next member, was a native of Waggara. 
 He was an inoffensive old man, much addicted to mead, and 
 consequently very much attached to those who treated him 
 to the favourite beverage. I was on very friendly terms 
 with his wife, and, although we never met, compliments 
 passed between us every day ; but as she resided within the 
 precincts of the Ilfing, she was unable to pay me a visit, 
 because those who are privileged to hold intercourse with the 
 royal concubines are not allowed to associate with strangers. 
 The Dajjaj commanded 500 Lancers of the garrison, and 
 although he held an important post at Magdala, the King, 
 for some reason or other, had omitted him when he raised 
 his colleagues to the rank of " Bitwaddad." 
 
 The eighth member was Bitwaddad Bakal, another harm- 
 less old man, whose only fault was excessive devotion to his 
 master. He was one of the guardians of the Ufa^g, charged 
 with seeing that the eunuchs attended to their duties and 
 did not neglect their royal mistresses. He was very intimate 
 with me, and, from the date of our arrival at IMagdala until 
 our release, his wife, daughter and niece were among my 
 constant visitors. He did all in lii.s power to oblige me in 
 every way, and w henevcr he heard that wc were in ^\ ant of 
 money, he presented us witli a cow. He disliked the 
 Bishop exceedingly, holding that as a subject it did not 
 become him to abuse the " Lord's Anointed." He stuck to 
 Theodore to the last, and when I entered Magdala with 
 Sir Robert Napier, after the capture of the place, I saw 
 him in the agonies of death, near the gate, where he had
 
 CiiAP. XX. OUn WARDERS. ISl 
 
 been shot. I caused his body to be made over to hi> family 
 for interment, and dei)l()red the poor ohi man's fate the more 
 for having sacriticed his life in the cause of one who was 
 unworthy of such unswervinf:^ attachment. 
 
 The exclusive duty of 13itwaddad Hailo, a native of 
 Chalga, the ninth member of Council, was to watch over the 
 native prisoners, in conjunction with Bitwaddads AYasi and 
 the other Ilailo. Though timid and quiet, he succeeded in 
 maintaining order among the hundreds of unfortunate bein^-s 
 who were placed under his charge for jiolitical offences. He 
 died in 1SG7, durincj an epidemic wliich raged among the 
 native prisoners for several months. His son, Lij Tasamma, 
 was appointed by the King to succeed him as warder, but 
 witliout a scat at the Council. 
 
 BiTwiDDAD Gainti Bisawwir was a native of Gliiut in 
 Bagaraeder. As already mentioned, he was colleague to 
 Bit^^addad Bahri over the Treasury. He was specially re- 
 sponsible for the cash deposits, and not a dollar could be 
 issued without his sanction. 
 
 BiTWADDAD DiiAfak, the last memuer of the ^fagdala 
 Council, was a native of Chalga. He was a confirmed tojier, 
 and when the mead, or tij, got into his head he was fit 
 for nothing. Ho liad ch;irge of the native prisoners con- 
 jointly with Bitwaddads Wa>i and Ilailo. He had a filthy 
 habit of expectorating, which his colleagues endeavoured 
 to ristrain, will iH'Vcr tlicy visitfil me in his company. If 
 thi'ir injun»ti(tns were unheeded, they generally sent liini 
 111 line under an escort. 
 
 Having described the Chiefs of Magdala, I must now 
 introiluco our official door-keepers, or warders, who h'M 
 a nio.^t important position with regard to ourselves dur-
 
 182 OUR GUAEDIAXS AT mIGDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 iug our impri.sonment. For tlie first "week of our captivity 
 they were selected from the guard, which used to be changed 
 every twenty-four hours ; the consequence was that we were 
 subject to different treatment every day, some of the men 
 being comparatively lenient, while others went so far as to 
 jirohibit our Indian servants from leaving the house, and 
 would not allow others to enter. This interference became 
 so intolerable in a short time that Eas Kidana Maryam, in 
 conjunction with the other members of the Council, appointed 
 four officers to keep ward over us, two and two in rotation. 
 They were accordingly duly introduced to me, and placed 
 under Samuel, who was to receive his instructions fi-om me 
 as to the persons to be allowed to enter or leave our premises. 
 The names of these men were Aba-Falek, Ba-^ha Bisawwir, 
 Yashalaka Adam, and Yashalaka Warke. 
 
 Aba-Falek was cordially hated by every soul on the moun- 
 tain, and he considered it his bounden duty to reciprocate 
 the general sentiment. He was the most subtle and crafty 
 Abyssinian I ever met with, but at the same time inviolable 
 in his secrecy. He was faithful to me from first to last, and 
 obeyed aU my orders with alacrity. My fellow-captives were 
 the objects of liis intense dislike, as were also all the Magdala 
 Chiefs, especially Ivas Kidana Maryam, against whom he used 
 to send stories to the King, and was known to declare openly, 
 on several occasions, that he hoped to live long enough to 
 see the Commandant disgraced. He was between sixty and 
 seventy years old, but as robust and strong as a man of thirty. 
 One day he had a quarrel with the Chiefs in my room, and 
 told them that they had no business there without his jier- 
 mission ; and when the Eas bade him hold his tongue he 
 abused him and his colleagues most grossly, saying that he 
 recognized no one's authority but the King's, and, after the
 
 Chap. XX. ABA-FALEK. 183 
 
 King'.s, mine, as being Lis Majesty's frien<l. I was eventually 
 obliged to interfere and send him out of the room, hut he 
 still threatened to divulge all the misdoings of the Cliiefs to 
 the King as soon as he arrived. Once it was reported to me 
 that he was about to set out on this errand on the approach 
 of Theodore to Magdala, and serious mischief would have 
 been the inevitable result. I accordingly sent for him, and 
 ex230stulated with him on the wickedness of any such tale- 
 bearing. His reply was, that as everybody hated him, he 
 intended to requite them in a similar manner ; but if I judged 
 that he might injure me by so doing, he would rather cut his 
 tongue off than be the cause of any mishap to me. When I 
 was threatened by the King on Good Friday, the 9th of April^ 
 1SG8, that his friendship for me should be at an end, and 
 that the blood of the messenger whom I employed would lie 
 at my door if I communicated with the British, Aba-Falek 
 took charge of a note from me to the investing force, and 
 employed one of his female servants, who disguised herself, 
 to convey it through the royal camp to its destination. She 
 feigned to be going out to gather wood, but was seized at the 
 outpost and kept in custody till the following day, when she 
 was released on the plea of ignorance of the royal order for- 
 bidding any one to leave the place. Her delay gave Aba- 
 Falek no little anxiety, in which 1 heartily shared, fearing 
 that she might bo discovered, in which case she would cer- 
 tainly have lost her life, especially if the missive with ^^hicll 
 ulio had been intrusted were found upon her. But tlie 
 Abys.sinians arc unquestionably a remarkable people for 
 keeping a secret. Although this i)oor woman had many 
 opportunities to destroy the note after her seizure, she ncver- 
 tlieless hesitated to do so, lest it might contain something 
 valuable ^^hich could not be replaced.
 
 184 OLTv GUARDIANS AT MAGDALA. Cuap. XX.. 
 
 Aba-Falek's comrade on guard was Basra Bisawwir, ^^llo 
 was always stern and morose. His greatest enemies were 
 Samuel and Damasli, whom he could never allow to pass 
 without some rude speecli or gesture of defiance. W-lienever 
 these treated him with the slightest disrespect, he retorted 
 by telling the former that he had no right to intrude hi.^ 
 presence upon me so frequently ; the latter he called a non- 
 entity, who was barely tolerated. On three different occasions 
 he entered Samuel's house and drove out from thence the 
 royal coui'iers, who were sipping mead with the host after the 
 fatigue of their journey. " How dare you come here," he 
 would say, " to enjoy yourselves in the house of the prisoners, 
 when your master only sent you to deliver his compliments 
 to Mr. Eassam? As for this man, this Samuel, I know 
 nothing about him, since the King has not defined his posi- 
 tion here ; but as regards myself, I have been appointed 
 watchman under his JMajesty's sanction, and I will not allow 
 any one to enter without my permission. So, come; bestir 
 yourselves, and walk out, otherwise I shall be obliged ta 
 resort to force." The liumiliatcd couriers never ventured to 
 resist these objurgations, fearing lest the malicious warder 
 might charge them with tippling, and suggest that ^^hile in 
 that state Samuel wormed from them some of the secrets of 
 the royal camp. Whenever, therefore, any object was to bo 
 gained by detaining the couriers a little longer, I generally 
 sent my compliments to the doorkeeper, and begged him to 
 summon them to me, in order tliat I might make some in- 
 quiries of them. I then placed them in a small by-room — 
 Samuel's official residence — where they and Samuel might 
 cliat as long as they pleased. Basha Bi^aw wir was, in fact, 
 Samuel's Gorgon, for he had only to open liis moutli and tlio 
 otherwise fearless liilldaraba was struck dumb. "When the
 
 CiiAP. XX. ADAM ^VXD WxiEKl^. 185 
 
 warders were appointed to watch over n:<, I thought it dcsir- 
 al)le to secure their iroodwill bv ffivinp: them a reirukr 
 -uLiry; but for three whole months Basha Bisdwwir and 
 his comrade absolutely refused to take a single dollar, on 
 the grounil that being a prisoner I might find it difficult 
 some day to procure money. After they once began to 
 receive a monthly stipend, they never asked me for an addi- 
 tional present ; and when I occasionally gave them a shirt or 
 a new dress they always accepted the gift with gratitude. 
 Moreover, if they happened to hear that my funds were low, 
 they declined to take their salary when it was due, and 
 l>egged that I would not think of them until further supplies 
 reached mc. 
 
 The third doorkeeper, YashAlaka Adam, had attained, 
 according to his own reckoning, the age of fourscore years, 
 lie was a harmless kind of man, who never gave himself or 
 others any trouble so long as his stomach was well filled 
 with hrundo and mead. His worst propensity was begging : 
 if he received five dollars in the morning, he would come 
 again at noon and tell you tliat his wife's hair required a 
 little butter, or that her shirt was worn out and slio wantdl 
 a new one. He hated Aba-Falek most cordially, and never 
 lost an (tpportunity of abusing him — beliiud his back. 
 
 YasiiAlaka Wauk£, the comrade on watch with the 
 formor, was really a good man, who never annoyed any one 
 — European or native. Warko was liked by all on the 
 luoimtain as mucli as Aba-Fiilok was disliked. AVlicn lie 
 was on guard, no one knew that such an official was in the 
 house. The only occasion on which I found him strict in 
 the cxrcutiitii of liis dutv was wluu the King doscendrd with 
 all his troops to attack our advanced guard, lb- was him- 
 self in groat dread of being killed either by iht; Kinir "i- by
 
 l{^6 OUK GUARDIANS AT mIgDALA. Chap. XX. 
 
 our troo2>-:. I am bouiitl to say, however, that the four warders 
 behaved with the greatest fidelity towards me. All commu- 
 nications from the native jail came to me through them, 
 and whenever any of the chief political prisoners sent mes- 
 sengers to me, they always allowed them to pass, and, in fact, 
 Avere the first to rcj)ort their arrival to me. After we had 
 been acquainted several months, they even admitted the 
 Bishop's messengers, though if this had come to the King's 
 knowledge they would probably have forfeited their lives. 
 They never interfered with our messengers or servants, 
 although it was their duty to sec that the discipline of the 
 fortress was in no way infringed. In fact, had Aba-Falek 
 and Basha Bisawwir wished to annoy us, they might have 
 done so in a thousand ways ; and had they not been faithful 
 to their promise never to do me or my party an injury, they 
 might have placed us in serious danger before the King's 
 arrival. After these two men had been A\it]i us for some 
 time, the Chiefs wished to substitute others in their stead ; 
 but even the brave Damash hesitated to remove them, 
 fearing to excite their animosity. Hence, when the matter 
 was discussed before the Council, all the members concurred 
 that the best course would be to leave them under my 
 management, confident that I should be able to keep them 
 from doinir mischief.
 
 Chap. XXI. OCR DOMESTICS. 187 
 
 CHATTEli XXL 
 
 LIFE AT MAGDALA. 
 
 Our domestics — A coraplinicntary letter from the King — Pvclaxation of 
 prison discipline — Samuel and a Tigrfi Chief at locfgerhcads — Duties 
 of the petty Chiefs — The Guards at the Gates — Meditated escape — 
 Escape impracticAble — The MetroiX)litan, Al><lna Salima — His character 
 vindicated — Ilis illness and death — His differences with Theodore — 
 Concessions as to quarters — Abyssinian red-tajie — Tlie Author's abode 
 
 — Abortive sanitary eftorts — The Captives' quarters — Tiie Cai>tives' 
 menage — Entertainment of public guests — Society and sympathy — 
 Native lady vi-sitors — Water at Magdala — Soil and climate — Birds 
 
 — Religious inquiry among the native soldiery — Reform movement — 
 Conversions to Christianity from Isliim — Christian names — Our own 
 worsliip. 
 
 Till-: orders which the King liad sent when we were taken 
 to Magdahi were, that I should have all my servants with 
 me, but that my fellow-captives should be restricted to one 
 female servant each, in accordance with tlic rules of the 
 fortress in such cases. Tlie Chiefs added, that a mistress 
 would be alLjwed to each, if the captives chose to avail 
 thtmselves of that boon. This statement may seem as in- 
 credible as it is shocking to many of my readers; neverthe- 
 less, such is th(! lamentable state of social morality among 
 the Abyssinian Christians generally, that a proposition of this 
 nature comes from tlum as a matter of course, unaccom- 
 panied with the least idea of its degradation. As Samuel 
 and I had succeeded in convincing the Chiefs that Dr. Blanc 
 and Lieutenant Prideaux were associated with me in the 
 same friendly mission to the King — in fact, that tlicy ^\ero
 
 188 LIFE AT ^lAGDALA. Chap. XXT. 
 
 to be considered as one \\illi myself — tliey vrere allowed to 
 have as many servants as they wished ; but when I pleaded 
 for the same privilege in belialf of Consul Cameron, they 
 replied that they could not make any difference between 
 him and the other old captives, who were reckoned among 
 the King's enemies, and that it was only by special favour 
 on the part of his Majesty that they were permitted to be 
 located with us, near the royal Ilfing, seeing that their proper 
 place was the common jail. Eventually, however, after 
 repeated solicitations, I induced Eas Kid ana Maryam to allow 
 the Consul the services of a lad, \\\\o was to be nominally my 
 milk-boy. 
 
 On the 9th of August the King sent me a letter containing 
 nothing but compliments ; nevertheless, although it consisted 
 of no more than three lines, it created a great sensation on 
 the mountain. "What think you?" one gossip would say to 
 another ; " the King has written to Mr. Eassam, who is a 
 prisoner! Surely, therefore, his Majesty does not regard 
 him as an enemy, but must really love him." The Chiefs, 
 who were well-disposed towards me from the outset, com- 
 municated the foct to the petty Chiefs of the garrison, and as 
 the former had also received instructions from the King to 
 visit me frequently, and to see to my comfort, inasmuch 
 as I was his " friend " and not his enemy, they caused his 
 ^Majesty's letter to me to be read in open court, in the 
 Treasury, before the assembled officers of the fortress. Such 
 a thing, in fact, was unparalleled, that the great Theodore 
 should condescend to write to a prisoner, when every soldier 
 of the garrison knew that even his Holiness, the Abiina, had 
 never received a line from him since his imprisonment at. 
 IMagdala, and that whenever his Majesty wished ;to communi- 
 cate with him he did so through the Chiefs. From that day
 
 Chap. XXI. rRISOX DISCirLIXE. 189 
 
 forward the latter were more disposed tlim ever to serve me, 
 and, at my solicitation, to extend their fiivour to my fellow- 
 captives; but all my efforts to convince them that my 
 fellow-captives and I were to be regarded in the same light — 
 having one common feeling towards the King — signally failed. 
 Whenever I expressed these sentiments to Eas Bisawwii-, 
 Tlieodore's nephew and the foremost in the Council before 
 he was appointed Commandant, he used to smile, wink his 
 eye, and look at me as much as to say, " We know better." 
 However, as his Majesty had given tliem such positive 
 instructions to attend to all my wants, they thought them- 
 selves justified in stretching a point to please me, as regards 
 concessions to my fellow-captives. They accordingly allowed 
 them extra servants, and by making friends with the petty 
 Cliiefs who kept the night-watch, I induced them to relax 
 the prison discipline, which requires that all prisoners shall 
 retire to their rooms at sunset, there to be strictly guarded 
 imtil the morning. Eventually, this watch became a mere 
 sham, for those of my fellow-captives who chose to employ 
 or amuse themselves till very late at night were seldom 
 interfered with. Occasionally, however, some of tlio petty 
 Chiefs who were at variance with Samuel used to turn restive, 
 and insist on enforcing the prison rules by making all my 
 fellow-captives sleep together in one room. After exhausting 
 every other argument in vain, Samuel would fall back u[)on 
 " the King's friend," and say to the refractory Chiefs, " Very 
 well ; you want all the captives to sleep in one room ; so be 
 it. I must first send and tell ^Ir. Rassam to begin to move, 
 and then I will summon the rest." Thereui»on his toniientdrs 
 doelaro that they never mentioned my name, and did not 
 iiili'iid to include me in tli<' iiiiiiiber. Sainucl. ijui<-kly per- 
 ceiving the advttuUigc which ho has gained, swears " by llio
 
 190 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXT. 
 
 death of the King " that all the cajitivcs must be watched 
 collectively or not at all. On one occasion, the alterca- 
 tion between Samuel and a Tigrean Chief, on this same sub- 
 ject, attained such a pitch that they both proceeded to tlio 
 Council by night to argue the case before them. Samuel, 
 finding that he could not stop the Chief's impetuous garrulity, 
 called out to his confidential servant, and said, " Go and tell 
 Mr. Eassam to prepare to sleep in Mr. Stern's room for the 
 night, in company with the other captives ; because a great 
 Chief has come forward to defy the King by ordering him, 
 the King's friend, to betake himself where this grand man 
 may watch him." This sarcastic message put the petty Chief 
 into an awful rage, which he vented on his antagonist by 
 callino; him a liar and a villain — a man who had sold himself 
 to the FrmiclwUh for a glass of mead and a fijie sMmma. 
 The fracas, which was now at its height, might have resulted 
 in a few broken heads had not Bitwaddad Damash, Avho lived 
 next door, suddenly made his appearance. However, the 
 obstinate Chief would not be silenced ; and as he swore " by 
 the death of the King " that he would not be satisfied until 
 he knew whether he or Samuel was responsible for the dis- 
 cipline in the prison-house of the Em-opeans, the contending 
 parties were obliged to go before the Commandant. Ras 
 Bi.sawwir, who was never at a loss in such contingencies, 
 silenced the Chief at once by telling him that as the King 
 had appointed me Baldaraba to all my fellow-captives, and 
 had specially deputed Samuel to assist me, the night-watch 
 was merely nominal ; that Samuel and I only were respon- 
 sible for the rest of the captives ; and that the duty of the 
 Chief in charge of the night-guard was simply to see that 
 none of the prisoners left their rooms at night. This decision, 
 as may be imagined, did not tend to soothe the feelings of
 
 Chap. XXI. OUK GUAPiDS. 191 
 
 the exasperated Tigrean, for whenever his turn came to 
 take the watch, which was once a fortnight, he never lost 
 an opportunity of annoying Samuel, either by prohibiting 
 his servants to leave our indosure after a certain hour, or 
 preventing others from entering it to join their masters. 
 Ultimately, however, the Magdala Chiefs brought about a 
 reconciliation betNveen the parties, who' afterwards became 
 so intimate that they used to call each other " brother." 
 
 The petty Chiefs, who ranked next after the Members of 
 Council, were nominally in command of a hundred men. 
 " Basha " was the j^roper title of a captain of Musketeers, and 
 " Yashalaka " of Lancers ; but when the King raised the 
 members of Council to the dignity of " Bitwaddad," he made 
 all the Bashas and Yashalakas " Dajazmatsh." The duty of 
 the latter was to watch personally over the Ilfin(/, our quar- 
 ters, the Treasury, and the Bishop ; over the native prison 
 and the two gates of Magdala tliey might either mount 
 guard themselves, or depute their lieutenants with a certain 
 number of men to each post. At first, the order was that 
 wo were to be guarded every night by fifty men, but as some 
 of the captains had not above half that number under their 
 command, it frequently happened that we were left with 
 only three privates and their captain. Two old Chiefs invari- 
 ably went to sleep as soon as they came, and wo might have 
 walked out and disported ourselves on the mountains to any 
 extent, for all they cared. Tliu ililTiculty with us, as regards 
 • fTocting our escape, was not how to get beyond the inclosuro 
 \\liich surrounded our pri.<on-house, but how to reach Sa- 
 h'linge — the plateau below ^lagdahi. Indeed, a number of 
 the guard would have willingly joined us, with their families, 
 in any attempt to regain our liberty, but there was no safe 
 way of leaving the fortress. The only exit was by the
 
 192 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX F. 
 
 double gates, at each of Avliieli a dozen warders, chosen from 
 different and conflicting tribes, were posted throughout the 
 day and night. They were all introduced to me, and we 
 were on the best terms up to the last. At sunset, the gates 
 were closed and the keys sent to the Commandant, ^^llo kept 
 them till the following morning. Fifty men mounted guard 
 over each gate by night, and in case of alarm the Com- 
 mandant was bound to repair to the Salamge Gate, double 
 the guard over the native prisoners, and summon all the 
 garrison to assist him. Not a soul, from the highest Chief 
 next in rank to the Eas do^^ n to the common soldier, could 
 leave the fortress without a special permit from the Com- 
 mandant — a stringent rule, first instituted when all the 
 political prisoners were brought to Magdala, in 18G4. When- 
 ever the Commandant granted a pass to any one, he took the 
 precaution of retaining his wife and children as security ; but 
 Kas Bisaw\\ ir, an easy-going sort of man, was deceived by a 
 good many who obtained his permission to go beyond the 
 fortress and never returned, having managed somehow or 
 other either to send their wives out beforehand, or to get 
 them to follow. 
 
 The King having reiterated his instructions to the Chiefs 
 to attend to all my wants, they appointed one Guangul, a 
 native of Tigie, who spoke Arabic well, to act as my purveyor 
 by accompanying our servants to make their daily purchases 
 in the market. As this man was also spirit-broker to the 
 royal cellar, he superintended our distilleries, and pro luced 
 some very good liquor from tcj. A female distiller from the 
 royal establishment was also allotted to Samuel. Then, 
 ajrain, when I was at a loss for an efficient native writer, the 
 Chiefs placed the services of Alaka Zannab, the keeper of 
 the royal archives, at my disposal. This man was an excel-
 
 Chap. XXI. TIIOrcaiTS OF ESCAPE. 1<)3 
 
 lent .scribe and perfectly trn-stwortliy, so that I never hesitated 
 to confide my secrets to liini. 
 
 After we were cliained at Magdala, our prospects appenri^d 
 so gloomy that I judged it a sacred duty to do all in my 
 power to save my fellow-captives and myself from our perilous 
 po.sition. I accordingly w^rote to the Bishop — who was 
 then a prisoner himself in the same fortress — through a con- 
 fidential me.s.senger, asking whether he could a.^^sist us in 
 effecting our escape with the co-operation of his friends in 
 the garri.son or b.^yond it, otVcring at the same time to pay 
 any sum he chose to name for our rescue, provided he could 
 cruarantoo our nnfe conveyance to the coast. His answer was 
 that ht* could not trust tln^ ^lagdala people, and that none of 
 his friends outside the Amba, especially among the chief 
 rebels, had sufficient pluck to make the attempt. He siil>- 
 mitted that the ^nly way he could assist us wiis by my aiding 
 him to escape first, and, once free, he would summon all the 
 Aby.><sinian Christians to arms, and soon make an end of our 
 common tormentor. If I could not manage to get him nut 
 of the fortress by any other means, he suggested that our 
 doctor might supply him with a dye to colour his skin, and 
 so disgiii.sed he might be able to smugizh^ himself out of the 
 gates in company with a party of th(.' natives. As there were 
 many serious objections to this scheme, I gave up all liope of 
 suceuur frinii that ipiarter, ;iii(l tried .<?everal others with the 
 sjime result, until at length the conviction was forced uj»on 
 me that f)ur deliverance could oidy be eftected by an invading 
 army. 
 
 The late AInlna Salama was strongly attaejied to th<» 
 liritisli, and his education at an llnglish school at Cairo had 
 s(.'rv»Ml to imbue hini with liberal views, and to di\est him of 
 many of tho-^e euutracted and superstitious notions which are 
 
 vol.. II. u
 
 194 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 the bane to all progress in tlie West as well as in the East. 
 He uniformly befriended all British subjects, whether consuls 
 or missionaries, travellers or adventurers, I am persuaded 
 that there is nothing he would not have done, had he pos- 
 sessed the power, to save our lives, without putting Great 
 Britain to the trouble and expense attendant upon a war. 
 To me personally he was extremely kind, and from the time 
 of our imprisonment at Magdala until the day of his death, 
 in October, 18G7, we kept up a regular correspondence. He 
 never grudged giving an English captive a dollar, either 
 before or after my arrival in Abyssinia, and he would readily 
 have shared his last penny with such an one, if he knew him 
 to be in want. His character has been shamefully maligned 
 by individuals who really knew nothing about him, who, 
 nevertheless, have given currency to slanders which are 
 utterly without foundation. He has been reproached with 
 being a merchant, a broker, and a banker ; but when the 
 circumstances whereon those charges rest are inquired into, 
 it will be seen that they involved no discredit either to him 
 personally or to his sacred office. The Abiina, in addition to 
 his special duties as Metropolitan, is the guardian or trustee 
 of a large number of monasteries, churches and schools, and 
 as the tithes to these and all similar institutions in the 
 country are paid in kind, the only way in which the grain, 
 wax, ivory and gold can be dis[)Osed of is by barter, money 
 being very scarce in Abyssinia. Hence, if the grain collected 
 in Tigre is required toward.-; a contribution in Chalga, it must 
 be exchanged for other articles marketable in that locality, 
 and the Bishop issues instructions to his agents accordingly ; 
 or, supposing Massowah to offer a better market, the trans- 
 action is ordered to be carried on there. Abiina Salama 
 generally fed all the poor in the districts through which he
 
 Chap. XX[. THE AliUNA SALAMA. 195 
 
 travelled on his visitation-tours, and saw to the repair of the 
 churches, as far as the means at liis disposal would allow. It 
 is quite true that he lent money to a number of distressed 
 Europeans, but it is equally true that he never charged 
 interest on such loans; moreover, some of those wliom lie 
 had befriended in that way finally left the country without 
 repaying: him, and never sent any remittance afterwards, in 
 liquidation of their pecuniary obligation to him. While we 
 were at 3Iagdala, the late prelate supplied many a needy 
 prisoner witli money, and clothed a number of widows and 
 orphans. Towards the last, however, he became so poor 
 himself — the King having deprived him of all his resources — 
 that he was obliged to apply to me for the cash which he 
 had asked me to remit to Aden on his account. At the 
 outset he wiis strongly prejudiced against Samuel, regarding 
 him as a " dangerous man," whom it would be sheer madness 
 to trust ; but. on further acquaintance with him, he began to 
 suspect that he had done the man an injustice by listening 
 to the slanders of those who were envious of his position and 
 influence. Eventually, the two b.ciime bosom friends; 
 during his illness the Bishop always sent for Samuel to keep 
 him company, and when the unfortunate prelate brrathcd 
 his last, Samuel was sitting by his side. 
 
 lieforo his death, the Abuna begged to see Dr. Blanc, 
 hoping that thr skill ol' an Mnglisli nirdical man niiglit 
 benefit him. The Commandant niul all tlic members of the 
 Council af'cordingly came to me in a body to ask whether 
 I would allow the Doctor to visit the Father of thrir Church. 
 IMy belief is that they woidd have been glad had I refused, 
 and they perhaps thought that 1 >lii)iil<l do so on tjie seore of 
 the distance — the AbAna's house was about four hundred yards 
 from ours — wliieh Blaiie would lia\e to traverse, in rliains. 
 
 O 2
 
 196 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXL 
 
 However, as my companion expressed his readiness to under- 
 take the task, I told the Chiefs tliat he would walk over and 
 see the patient. Thereupon they retired beyond our inclosure, 
 and after discussing the grave responsibility of permitting a 
 meeting between the Bishop and any of our party, contrary to 
 the express orders of the King, they returned to say that they 
 must decline acceding to the solicitations of their ]Metropo- 
 litan ; they agreed, however, to allow the royal native practi- 
 tioner to consult Dr. Blanc about his disease, and to act upon 
 Ills advice. After this, the poor man began to sink gradually, 
 and died on the 25th of October of general debility, brought 
 on by vexation and anxiety. He appointed me his executor 
 before he expired, and I promised to do my best in that 
 capacity, provided the duty involved no reference whatever to 
 the King ; but as the latter had already appropriated all the 
 poor man's jjroperty, my office as executor was little more 
 than nominal. 
 
 While we were at Magdala together, the Abuna wished 
 very much to see me, and some of our night-guards offered 
 to bring him to me by stealth ; but I declined the proposal 
 as often as it was made, judging that it would bo indiscreet to 
 imperil onr common safety for the sake of a short interview, 
 however gratifying the meeting might have been to both 
 parties. The King, there can be no doubt, would have gone 
 almost mad with rage had it come to his knowledge that we 
 had ever met. With respect to the ]3ishop's quarrel with 
 Theodore, all that can be fairly urged against the former is, 
 that he stood up in defence of what he conceived to be the 
 rights of the Church ; and that, as the spiritual head over all 
 tlie Abyssinians, the Sovereign included, he deemed it his 
 l»onnd(^n duty to n^monstrato with his JMaJesty, whenever he 
 knew him to bo guill y of treachery or crucltv. On the King's
 
 Chap. XXI. THK AUTHOll'S (.IIALNS LIGHTENED. 197 
 
 approach to 3Iagcliila, I sent and begged him to say nothing 
 which niiglit irritate his Majesty's peevish temper, and to do 
 all in his j)0\ver to conciliate him. Plis reply was, " My son, 
 I am ready to do all that you may require of me in this 
 matter; I will even carry a stone on my neck, and, bearing 
 that token of humiliation, will kneel and kiss the ground 
 before the Kinfj:. But it will be of no use : the man is cfoiuir 
 from bad to worse, and is beyond recovery." 
 
 My friendship with the ^lagdahi authorities increased from 
 day to day, until there was nothing that they would not have 
 done for my comfort and that of my fellow-captives, provided 
 they could do it with immunity. Ras Kidana ]\raryam spon- 
 taueou.sly undertook to make an alteration in my chains, by 
 substituting a ring in the centre of its length, instead of one 
 of the links, thinking that thereby I should be able to walk 
 more easily. I objected to the proposal, on the ground that 
 if carried out it might displea.so the King. The Kas, who was 
 then in my room with all the other members of Council, imme- 
 diately rejdied : " 3[r. Eassam, if we thought that the change 
 suggested wouM ollind his jMojcsty, you may rest assured we 
 should not have dared to make it ; therefore, you must let 
 us follow our own bent in this matter." When the new 
 rings were nuide, I found that they were twice as heavy 
 as the old links, which I c(jnscquently begged to be 
 allowed to retain. They were all" ruards nia^le lighter 
 however, and weirdie"! just hall" a ]i(»un<l hss than the ori- 
 ginal links, and as they also increaseil the length vi' the 
 chain four inches, I wjis able to take a longer stridi' in walk- 
 ing. I then begged that a similar <hange might be efi'ected 
 in l>i. I>hincand Lieutenant Prideaux's fetters, hoping that 
 eventually the remainder (tf our fellow -cajjtives might share 
 in the l.iMMi. At lir.>t, the Chiefs promised to do all they
 
 198 LIB^E AT MAGDALA. Chai-. XXL 
 
 could to accede to the request, but after meeting in council 
 three times to discuss the matter, they came to the conclusion 
 that by granting the same concession to my companions they 
 might incur the King's displeasure, with the additional 
 risk that his ]\Iajesty might order their chains to be made 
 more unbearable than they were before. It was discovered 
 afterwards that the Chiefs had not acted \\holly on their own 
 responsibility in this instance, the King having sent them 
 ex[)re.ss instructions to render my imprisonment as light as 
 possible in every respect. It was owing to a similar order 
 that I was allowed to have a separate room, and was not to 
 be guarded at night, like my fellow-captives, who were all 
 condemned to sleep in one apartment, and to be strictly 
 watched. Fortunately, the Chiefs were well-disposed from 
 the outset, and did what they could to alleviate the restric- 
 tions imposed upon my fellow-captives. They felt that 
 they might stretch a point in favour of Dr. J>lanc and 
 Lieutenant Prideaux, who were my associates in the Mis- 
 sion, while I was regarded as the King's "friend;" but 
 with respect to the other captives, who had formerly been 
 lodged in the common jail, and were generally called the 
 " enemies of Theodore," they felt bound to keep up a certain 
 show of enforcing the prison discipline of the fortress. AYith 
 the exception of a few months, therefore, before the end of 
 our captivity, when the Chiefs became somewhat more ven- 
 turesome, and allowed me to build a separate apartment for 
 Consul Cauuiron and another for 3[r. Stern, wliich they were 
 pcniiitt<(l to occupy without a watch being set over them, 
 tliose two gentlemen, together with Mr. Rosenthal, were 
 obliged to live in one room day and night, under a guard. 
 Prior to that, the Chiefs had given their consent to my erect- 
 ing a couple of huts for Mr. Kerans and Signer Pietro ;
 
 Chap. XXI. ABYSSINIAN OFFICIALISM. 199 
 
 but tliese they were only allowed to inhabit during the ilay, 
 and were compelled to sleep in the kitcheu, where they were 
 watched by a guard. To my repeated solicitations that this 
 restriction might be removed, I received one and the same 
 answer — that it was impossible. Eventually, Mr. Kosenthal 
 also was allowed to live with his wife in a separate hut, with- 
 out being watched during the night ; but when the King 
 came to Magdala, he ordered us all, without any exception, to 
 be guarded in our rooms at night-time. The order was soon 
 rescinded as regards myself and the members of the Mission ; 
 but thereafter Messrs. Stem, Rosenthal and Pietro hud to 
 sleep in one room, with a guard. Consul Cameron and Mr. 
 Kerans would also have been obliged to share it with them 
 hail nut the Cliiet's, on my representation that the Consul was 
 unwell and required some one to be near him, iiUowod them 
 to occupy their own huts, whicii v/ere to be watched on the 
 outside only during the night. 
 
 No officials in the world can surpass the Abyssinians in 
 red-tapism and [lunctilious adherence to routine. Shortly 
 after our incarceration I instructed Saiuuel to assist my 
 fellow-captives generally in all their requirements, and 
 authorized him to use my name whenever ho had to refer 
 to the Chiefs on their behalf. Nevertheless, on every such 
 occasion, they insisted on his stating positively whether he 
 was sent by me, alleging that on no other ground couM 
 they justify their compliance with his requests, in tlie event 
 of question by the King. One day Samuel fell into dire 
 disgrace for asking their sanction to build an extra hut, 
 without having previously received express directions from 
 mo to that effect. !My apology in hi- defence — that I had 
 empowere I him to ask for what was necessary — was of no 
 avail ; thenceforward, th(^ (.'hiefs n^fused to listen to his
 
 200 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 applications, unless lie was attended by one of my inter- 
 preters. 
 
 Having already related how our respective quarters were 
 allotted, I shall proceed to describe what mine was when 
 first made over to me. It was a round hut — more like a 
 barn than a dwelling — twelve feet in diameter, constructed 
 of branches of trees, with a straw roofing, and was still 
 being used as a kitchen by two native families on our 
 arrival at Magdala. As the fire-places were in the centre 
 of the room, and there was no other vent for the smoke 
 but through the crevices of the walls, the whole interior 
 was begrimed with soot. The floor had never been levelled, 
 and was furrowed here and there to make stands for water- 
 jars. In fact, every part of the place was wretched and filthy 
 in the extreme. One of my first cares was to make my 
 prison-house tidy. Then, in order to get rid of the dust 
 and soot which fell from the thatch whenever there was a 
 strong breeze, I caused the old roof to be replaced by a 
 new one, in which work the Abyssinian soldiers, who were 
 always ready to assist the humblest prisoners, lent me a 
 helping hand. Eventually, I had the whole structure pulled 
 down, and a better room erected on the site, which I con- 
 tinued to occupy until the arrival of the British force. 
 There was one great inconvenience, however, beyond effectual 
 remedy. The ground where our general quarters were 
 located was so low and soft, that when the rains began the 
 water oozed through the floor in all directions, despite all 
 my efforts to divert it by having trenches dug round all the 
 huts, and the inclosure well drained. The floor of my room, 
 in particular, \\m always as yielding as mud, although I 
 took the precaution of having it laid with rubble; and the 
 water which collected in the trenches made to convey it to
 
 Cmai'. XXI. SANITARY A'l'l'EMrTS. 201 
 
 the inuiu drain occasionally flowed day and night, as if 
 issuing from a spring. 
 
 I was not successful, however, in my eftbrts to keep 
 the general inclosure clean, which was invariably so filtliy 
 that the Chiefs frequently complained to me of the state 
 in which it was allowed to remain. At first, I imder- 
 took tlie office of sanitary inspector myself, but was obliged 
 to relinquish it on Samuel's representation that it would 
 lower nie in the estimation of the natives. I then ap- 
 pointed the interpreters to see that the public walks were 
 swept, and kept clear of all nuisances. But the opposi- 
 tion which they encountered neutralized all their efforts. 
 Next, I trieil the doorkeeper, who were charged to insist 
 that all rubbish should be carried to the edge of the plateau 
 and thrown over the precipice; but the arrangement gave 
 rise to so many .squabbles that I finally commissioned Aito 
 Samuel to try his hand at the duty. He was eminently 
 successful at the outset, by dint of an indiscriminate use of 
 the whip, but on my strictly forbidding any such treatment 
 of a female he resigned the task, saying, " How can I effect 
 what you wish, when you will not allow me, after our 
 own custom, to flog the women, who are as obstinate as 
 mules, to nuike them do their work properly ? " I never 
 allowed a domestic of mine to have a hut within the inelo.sure 
 of my house, or any Abyssinian male or female servants to 
 Htuy there. ^Vhellever the latter were employed on any 
 special work <luring the day, I insi.sted on their (putting the 
 premises at night. !My Indian servants slept in the kitchen, 
 as it was unadvisable that they should sleep beyoud iho 
 inclosure, where tiny might have g(tt into .some alVray uith 
 the luitives. 
 
 The aiimxed plan, in i <»njujii'tioii with the subjoined refer-
 
 DESCRIPTION OF TLAX. 
 
 Darlcest Ground. Formerly Ras I'ngSdil's residence. Tlils was tlic first locality allotted to 
 the captives. Jt then comprised huts A and 15 only. The surrounding fence was removed when 
 llie Uijltlcr yround was iittachi d ; as was also the fence round C, D, K 
 
 Lighter (irouyid. IJi-longed to Kit-awrari Gabrie. AUoltod by Theodore to Mr. Rassam and 
 his servants, and Alto .Samuel. The double outUue of tlie three huts, C, 1), E, shows the original 
 size and subsequent enlargement. 
 
 Lightest Ground. Additional space eventually granti il by the .MagdaUi Chiefs for tlic accom- 
 modation of the captives.
 
 Chap. XXI. QL'ARTEKS OF THE CAPTIVES. 203 
 
 ences, shows the location of the captives, and the different 
 changes which were made in their respective quarters from 
 time to time, from our first arrival at Magdala until our 
 liberation. 
 
 As regards furniture, the members of the Mission had, 
 luckily, lost nothing necessary to comfort. We had our own 
 bedsteads, bedding, chairs and tables, and the King had 
 provided us with carpets ; but the old captives, who had 
 been bereft of everj'thing, were in a far less enviable plight 
 in that respect. Even they, however, had it in tlieir power 
 to make themselves comfortable. As to food, all fared alike : 
 all were well supplied with what the country afforded, and 
 enjoyed a privilege above the natives of the place generally, 
 for on several occasions, w lun certain articles were scarce in the 
 market, the Chiefs directed that we should share what was 
 procurable with the purveyors for the royal household. We 
 made our own bread, always used table-cloths, and some- 
 tinjes naj)kins, and never sat down to dinner, barring the first 
 few days alter our arrival, without beginning with soup, 
 
 DISTRIBUTION OF HUTS. 
 
 A. Kitdicii. J. Consul Cnmcrnn. 
 
 B. Ur<'U|iit'<l l)y nil the rnptivrs for K. Mr. Ktrnns. 
 
 n w.fk ; tliin hy .^I.-ssr.s. Cuint- l Sifji.or I'i.tro. Ih-n- Tliooilore'a 
 
 ron, Stern mid IJosentlml : then rcinuius w.ro cl.iM>Mt(<l until iii- 
 
 l.y tho lnlt.r alonr. Fnially l.y t.-rred on Hth April. 18(^8. 
 
 Me.sxrs. Stai'Tcr, IJniiulfis.Scliill- ,, ., , ,, , , 
 
 ,, ,, 1 At ..,1 . M. Consul Cnnicron !) .-<rvnnta. 
 < r, l^.•^^ll(•r and Macriiire, wliiu 
 
 Mr. Ho.sentiial removed to D. N. Mcw.srs. SU-m and Ho^onllmr.s 
 
 C. Mr. luiM.snni. 
 
 _ ,, ■ 1 .1 4 1 w- ..1 ti 0.\ Dr. Blanc ami Lieut. t'ridtau.KS 
 
 D. Ocoupud nrst by Niniuel; then > . 
 
 by tl.e Int.Tpr^tors ; lantly by ^- ' "crvanis. 
 
 Mr. iin.l Mm. Kosnitlial. ^Q- Ouard-riKmi. 
 
 E. Dr. IJlnncand Li.ut. I'litlcaux. |R. Kntranco of tho first locality. 
 
 P. HnmuerH oflldal room. S. Kntranco of tlio enlnrg. d indo- 
 
 8uro. 
 
 0, Snniiit I'h Iljing, or Female K«tab- 
 
 li^thnicnt. 
 H. Samuors rt>c(pti<)n-room. 
 
 1. Mr. StiTii. I Uio i-oftfjt of till! hut.s, 
 
 '"'•''""■"*■ Tho blaok dot.s in A. <;. H. njiro- 
 
 H. Samuors rt>C(pti()n-room. wnt tho wtKKlon pillar.M hupimrting
 
 204 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 which was occasionally followed by fish ; then two or four 
 entrhs, then a joint, then a pudding or tart, winding up. with 
 anchovy-toast, or cream-cheese — the latter made by our 
 Indian servants. In lact, a millionnaire could not have 
 lived better than we did, under similar circumstances. My 
 two associates in the Mission, Consul Cameron, Mr. Stern and 
 I boarded together till the beginning of 1867, when Mr. 
 Cameron and Dr. Blanc preferred messing each in his own 
 hut. Lieut. Prideaux, Mr. Stern and I shared the same 
 table until we w-ere liberated. As to pecuniary and other 
 means of living, we were much on a par, with the excep- 
 tion of those whom I had to support on the public account, 
 as distressed Euro]3eans. Whenever funds reached me from 
 the coast, or by any other route, the amount was divided 
 according to the requirements of each. 
 
 Not one of the captives can justly complain that his im- 
 prisonment, during my time, was aggravated by privations. 
 It is true that we were fettered, to our no small discomfort ; 
 but our worst trials consisted in mental anxiety, protracted 
 for nearly two years ; in the ever-present consciousness that 
 our lives hung upon a thread ; that a mere caprice on the 
 part of the ruthless despot who hold us in his grasp might 
 lead him to order us to be mutilated, or to be Imrled headlong 
 from that fatal precipice, where hundreds as innocent as we 
 were had met an untimely end. These fears w-ere shared 
 alike by all, and mine, I need hardly say, were intensified by 
 a weight of responsibility which at times quite overpowered 
 me. 
 
 The task of entertaining public guests, whose interest it 
 was desirable to secure for the common benefit of all the 
 captives, was undertaken by Samuel, to whom I had intrusted 
 it since our first arrival at tlie Court of Theodore. Being a
 
 Chap. XXT. ENTERTAINMENT OF GUESTS. «JOG 
 
 native of tho country, and holding a recognised position with 
 the King, Samuel was the fittest person available to discharge 
 the important functions which such hospitality involved in 
 our case. My personal assistance in that respect was chiefly 
 limited to receiving visitors, in w hich occupation I was often 
 engaged for six hours at a stretch, and few can conceive how 
 irksome tho duty was. As a rule, I offered every guest a 
 cup of coflfee, and one or two small glasses of arrack — when I 
 had a supply of the latter on hand; but tij 1 never allowed 
 to be brought into my room until towards the end of 18G7, 
 when I was advised to give it to my Abyssinian visitors, in 
 order to cultivate a closer intimacy with them. The first 
 time I permitted it to bo introduced was when an attack on 
 Magdala was tln-eatened by several rebel Chiefs, at wliich 
 juncture the local authorities used to assemble in my house 
 to discuss the matter among themselves, and to settle certiiin 
 disputes which Iiad arisen between some of the inferior Chiefs. 
 It was a time when policy demanded that I should humour 
 them as niu<li as possible ; for our prospects then, for good 
 or for evil, depended in a great measure on tlie part they 
 might take for or against us. Tin's course was fully appre- 
 ciated by my associates in the Mission, for on one occasion 
 when our funds were very low, I consulte 1 thom about 
 stopping the allowance to Samuel to provide ti'j for j)ublic 
 guests, and we unanimously agreed tliat it would bt^ most 
 unwise to make the retrenchment. I'ainfnl as was my 
 captivity in Mugclala, it would have been intolerable but for 
 the society of genial companions. Dr. J>lanc and j\[r. 
 Prideaux were always ut h.md iind nudy to cooperate 
 towards tlie common welfare of our little community, espe- 
 cially in times of diniculty and danger. The Ilev. Messrs. 
 Stern and Rosenthal, as well as nfhcr of inv fcllow-capf ives,
 
 206 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 were never backward to contribute to the same end. Mr. 
 "Waldmeier, also, one of the most favoured of the King's 
 European artisans, did us many a goorl turn. On our depar- 
 ture from Debra Tabor for Magdahi, Theodore sent to inform 
 me that if we wished to leave anything behind, My. Wald- 
 meier would take charge of it, and that he had further 
 directed that gentleman to act as my agent, after we reached 
 the fortress. I accordingly availed myself of the King's 
 offer, and Mr. Waldmeier frequently obtained money for 
 us from his friends at Gaffat, against bills drawn on Europe, 
 procured for us other necessary supplies, aided our messen- 
 gers, and did all in his power to serve us until he and his 
 fellow-artisans fell under the royal displeasure, in the begin- 
 ning of 1867. On one occasion when the King heard that 
 Mr. Waldmeier was sending me five hundred dollars— it was 
 at a time when the roads to the fortress were unsafe — his 
 Majesty took the money and sent me an order for the amount 
 on the Magdala Treasury. I have much pleasure in bearing 
 my grateful testimony also to Mr. llad's unwearied exertions 
 in our behalf, and especially for having kept me informed, 
 even at the risk of his life, of the King's movements — in- 
 telligence which often pointed the clue what measures 
 should be taken for the common safety. Isolated as we 
 were from all other sources of aid from without, such exordial 
 sympathy was like a silver lining to the dark cloud which 
 perpetually hung over our prison-house at IMagdala. 
 
 My evening visitors were for the most part ladies, the 
 wives either of the local magnates, or of the attainted 
 political Chiefs, who came to me from tlie native prison with 
 news of their husbands. They \\ere not over clean, so that 
 it was no great jdeasure to sit near thciii; but their sweet 
 voices — Abyssinian ladies of rank are remarkable for soft-
 
 Chap. XXI. LADY-VISITORS. 207 
 
 ness of speech — and kindly sympathy alleviated my other- 
 wise wearisome existence. They never entered the room 
 without glancing at my fetters, and breathing a sigh of 
 condolence ; whilst the wives of the political prisoners 
 encouraged mo to bear my lot with fortitude, and not to 
 forget the mercy of God, who had implanted an extraor- 
 dinary affection for me in the breast of their Sovereign— a 
 man bereft of every other trace of humanity. " Except that 
 you are fettered," they would say, " your imprisonment, and 
 that of your brother captives, is bliss compared with what 
 our husbands have to endure; for if, in addition to vonr 
 fetters, you were encumbered as they are with hand-chains 
 fastened to your feet, life would be intolerable to you. Ask 
 your brothers who were incarcerated in the native prison 
 before you came, and they will tell you the difference between 
 their circumstances now and what they were then." A 
 ]>hotogra]ihic album which I iiad with me was a source of 
 great interest to these lady-visitors. They often sent for it 
 on their return home, in order to show it to their friends, and 
 it was sometimes retained for a fortnight together. I alwavs 
 lent it on condition that the portraits were not to be touched, 
 t'ud that those who undertook to exhibit them sliould previously 
 wash their hands. These injunctions must have been obeyed 
 most scrupuhnisly ; for although the book was externally the 
 worse for wear, not one of the portraits was soiled. While 
 at Magdahi 1 received the carte of a lady-t'ricnd of mine in 
 England, and as soon as the fact became known the new 
 "pi<-ture" was in great request on all sides. Concluding 
 that it was a portrait cither of my wife or my betrothed, 
 these simple, good-hearted souls shed many a tear over it, 
 and kissing it would say, "Oh, did you not weep when you 
 lieard that Mi\ Kossum was in chains? ^lav the Lord
 
 208 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXT. 
 
 comfort yon ! " Even the Chiefs were so ftnid of looking at 
 this portrait that, to be rid of their importunity, I eventually 
 fixed it to a pillar in my room. 
 
 A plentiful downpour in the monsooij suffices to provide 
 the garrison of Magdala with water the whole year round ; 
 but as very little rain fell dnrinir the last two years of our 
 captivity, the inhabitants generally suffered from drought. 
 A hollow near the common jail, which used to be well 
 replenished at the rainy season, and which served to supply 
 the royal household throughout the summer with sufficient 
 water for culinary purposes, as well as for making mead and 
 beer, Mas nearly dry towards the end of 1867. Water is 
 more abundant in the adjoining plateau of Salamge, where 
 there are two perennial streamlets, whenever the monsoon 
 rains fall copiously. These also ceased to flow about the 
 same time, and the wells had to bo deepened before a supply 
 could be obtained from them. The wells connected with the 
 Mission stabling, which was situated below a cliff" about 
 twenty feet high, were considered the best in Salamge. 
 The stables were eventually appropriated by the King, and 
 converted into a jail, and this locality was the scene of that 
 general slaughter of the native prisoners which took place on 
 tiie nth of April, 18(58, by order of the inhuman UKmareh. 
 Most of the victims, on being thrown over the ledge of rock, 
 fell first into our wells, from whence they were barbarously 
 dragged by the soldiers, and then hurled down a much 
 steeper precipice. 
 
 The soil and climate of Magdala are favourable to vegeta- 
 tion ; but the great diawback is scarcity of water for irri- 
 gation during the hot season. Soon after our arrival there, 
 1 (»l)tained a l'(;\v lonialo shools from an Egyptian in the 
 King's service, and |»lante(l them in front of my hut. In the
 
 Chap. XXI. SOIL AN1> CLIMATE. 21)9 
 
 course of a month they grew up like a vino ; in a few weeks 
 more tliey formed an arbour large enough to shelter half-a- 
 dozen persons, and, eventually, the luxuriant tendrils covered 
 the entire frontage of the room. The most extraordinary 
 feature was, tliat tliey bore fruit all the year round, wliicli 
 enabled us to indulge in the luxury of tomato soup and 
 cutlets. Subsequently, I sowed a quantity of the seed, and 
 distributed the plants among the natives of the place. These 
 thrived so well that just before the invading British force 
 reached Magdala, tomatoes were so abundant that we did not 
 know how to dispose of them. One of the jilants measured 
 eighteen feet and a half in length. 
 
 Green peas sprung up in front of my house eight ft^et five 
 inches higli. Potatoes also throve well ; the beet and long 
 radish were rather hard ; the turnip-radish grew too fast, and 
 became spongy a fortnight after the seed was sown. Almost 
 all herbs flourished, as also several kinds of lettuce ; French 
 beans succeeded better than any other vegetable. As I fullv 
 expected, when we were sent to ]\Iagdala, that we should 
 remain there some time, I wrote to Colonel Merewetlu-r at 
 Aden for a supjjly of seeds, smiling to myself as I did so at 
 the idea wliich the request might convey — that I int(nided to 
 make the {)lace my abode for an indelinitc period. However, 
 I was not deterred by any such rcfitction, knowing that if we 
 did not use the seeds ourselves, we might have thcni behind 
 us for the benefit of the country. The seeds came to hand 
 in due course, and were sown ; and not only did we eat of the 
 pnMluce, but obtained fresh seeds from them, which we 
 should have sown in turn, and again have partaken of the 
 i'ruit. had not the scarcity of water discouraged the atfcinpt. 
 
 One of my greatest sources of amusement, and one which 
 aflorded me real jdcasure during our cajitivity, wa-^ to kee[» 
 
 VOL. II. r
 
 210 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XX f. 
 
 open liouso for the beautiful little birds to be found at Mag- 
 dala. A few casual visitors at the outset, venturing up to 
 tlie door in quest of crumbs, were induced by a scattering of 
 Uf grain to repeat the call, bringing companions with them 
 of several other species. The entertainment provided for 
 tlieui was so much appreciated, that in less than a month 
 there were from fifty to sixty of these pretty creatures, of 
 various hues and colours, warbling in my arbour all day long. 
 They generally came to feed in batches, and as one party left 
 it was succeeded by another, beginning at sunrise and ending 
 at sunset, wlicn all sped away to their respective roosts. 
 How I envied their freedom ! The ungrateful little things 
 deserted me at harvest time, when they found abundant pro- 
 vision elsewhere ; but, as water at Magdala became scarce, 
 they recommenced their calls, evidently in search of it. I 
 accordingly had a trough made for them, and in less than a 
 week the drinking far outnumbered my eatiug guests, and 
 among the former were several new sjjecies that fed on 
 flies and insects, none of which had visited me before. They 
 seemed to enjoy bathing even more than drinking, for on a 
 hot day there was quite a scuffle among tlioni \\hich should 
 have the first dip. The Abyssinians, who have a strong 
 prejudice against washing themselves, used to be highly 
 amused at the scene, and I generally took the opportunity of 
 suggesting that the example was one which they might 
 imitate with advantage. Among tlic birds Avere two hand- 
 some species which changed their })lumage at different seasons 
 of the year, the feathers assuming a variety of the most lovely 
 hues during the transition — I counted as many as eiglit just 
 as the change began. Another of my visitors, not larger 
 than a goldfinch, was arrayed in red. 'i'hese used to come In 
 dozens, and after narrowly watching their habits for some
 
 Chap. XXI. BIRDS. 211 
 
 time, I noticed a peculiar instinct in them which greatly- 
 amused me. Wiien a male loses his mate and is on the look- 
 out for another, he seizes a wisp of straw, or a twig, and hops 
 about with it in his beak among the fraternity, as an indica- 
 tion that he is a widower in want of a consort. On one occa- 
 sion, there was evidently a widow present who was similarly- 
 situated. The fact was soon apprehended by the widower, 
 who proceeded forthwith to woo her, which he did by simply 
 dropping the twig at her side. Her consent was unmistake- 
 able, for she immediately joined him and both sped away on 
 their honeymoon. As my occupations generally were duly 
 reported to the King, my amusements also did not fail to 
 reach his ears, and he seemed highly interested in my 
 feathered visitors; for, whenever the couriers were charged 
 to convey my respects to him, the first question he asked, if 
 he chanced to be in a good humour, was, " How are Rassam's 
 children ? " — meaniug my pet birds. 
 
 When I became tolerably well acquainted with the dif- 
 ferent classes of people at Mugdala, I was surprised to find 
 tliat a great number of the more intelligent soldiers of the 
 garrison were well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, knowing 
 many passages by heart, and understanding their true import. 
 They had accordingly abandoned the 8U})orstitious doctrines 
 and ceremonies of their own church, and adhered simply to 
 what they called the " Creed of the Bible," or, in other 
 words, Protestantism. These results were due to the mis- 
 sionary efforts of the Kev. Mr. Stern, in 1.SG5, when he was 
 fir.>t sent as a prisoner to ]\Iagdala. It appears that during 
 iiis incarceration he never lost an opportunity of imparting 
 Scripture truth to such of the guard as were willing to listen 
 to him. The subjects of his discourses, and the texts of Iloly 
 Writ which he adduced by way of confirmation, were after- 
 
 r 2
 
 •212 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 wards discussed by his hearers at their own homes, and even- 
 tually they arranged to meet together once a week, in a 
 private house, to peruse the Scriptures, referring to Mr. Stem 
 to explain any difficulty whieli arose in their minds in the 
 course of these readings. Their champion in the fortress 
 was Ba=?ha Neguse, a devout Christian, and, by all accounts, a 
 man wlio led a most exemjilary life. He was shot acci- 
 dentally at the storming of Magdala on the 13th of April, 
 1868, as has been already stated. 
 
 The private meetings above described had been discon- 
 tinued before my arrival at the Amba, but the movement 
 was kept up by Basha Neguse and several of his zealous 
 colleagues, who used to go publicly from house to house 
 preaching the Gospel to those who were disposed to re- 
 ceive it. The priests did all in their power, by threats of 
 excommunication and other ecclesiastical penalties, to arrest 
 the good work, but as none lieeded their menaces, they 
 eventually appealed to Eas Bisawwir, the Commandant, to 
 prohibit the promulgation of the doctrines of the Francliotsh 
 in the fortress. The only reply tbey received from the bluff 
 Chief was, that as soon as it came to liis knowledge that 
 the parties complained of taught anything contrary to the 
 Word of God, he would certainly put a stop to their pro- 
 ceedings ; in the mean time, however, he advised the priests 
 to try and imitate the piety of Basha Neguse, for whom he 
 had a gicat regard. Of course, a considerable number of 
 the petty Chiefs and soldiers who attended the lectures of 
 their devout countrymen did not wholly abjure the false 
 tenets in which they had been brought up ; nevertheless, 
 many of them so far profited by the truths inculcated that 
 they endeavoured to lead a more moial life, and, as a first 
 step in that direction, married their wives according to the
 
 Chap. XXI. PROSELYTES FROM ISLAM. 213 
 
 solemn rites of tlie Church, In consequence of this reform, 
 the ]\ragdala garrison, made up of men from all parts of 
 the country, comprised twice the number of duly wedded 
 couples that were to be found in any of the most populous 
 towns of Abyssinia. I give this statement on the best native 
 authority. 
 
 During our stay at Magdala, no less than eight of the 
 Mussulman servants of the Mission embraced Christianity. 
 Of these, the only conscientious convert was 'Omar 'Ali ; a 
 love affair, or a desire to be reckoned among the members 
 of the dominant community, were the chief motives which 
 induced the others to abjure Islam. Their consequent duties 
 and privileges as proselytes to the Abyssinian Church may be 
 summed up as follows: — The hair of their heads was shaved, 
 and a priest besprinkled them with a few drops of water; 
 besides which, they were allowed to wear the " Mateb " — a 
 cord made of blue silk, worn round the neck by Abyssinian 
 Christians, to distinguish them from their non-Christian 
 countrymen. They were never to address prayers to God in 
 Arabic, or to praise Him in that language ; and they were 
 expressly forbidden to partake of meat slaughtered by 
 ]\Ioharamedans. Of course, their conversion necessitated a 
 change of name : 'Omar was turned into Guargis — George ; 
 ]\Ioliammed into Gabra-Yasus — the Man of Jesus ; 'Ali 
 into Wald-Salasse — the Child of the Trinity; 'Amir into 
 Wald-Maryam — the Child of Mary ; and so forth. As the 
 Abyssiniuns, however, never call a man simply George, or 
 I'cter, or John, without the prefix *'Wald" or "Gabra," 
 Samuel's insistancc that 'Omar-'Ali should be baptized 
 "(iuargis," and not " Wald-Guargis," gave rise to consider- 
 able discussion. The Chiefs accordingly met together in my 
 house to consult the Bible, in order to discover whether it was
 
 214 LIFE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXI. 
 
 not a sin to call an ordinary man by tlio same name as a saint, 
 vliifh, in tlieir opinion, uas equivalent to placing saint and 
 sinner on a par. Samuel, however, carried his point by con- 
 tending tliat the inference would be justified if it were pro- 
 posed to give 'Omar 'Ali the name of " Saint George " — al- 
 though it w^as quite possible, he argued, that the convert 
 might hereafter attain to that dignity. Most of the prose- 
 lytes having expressed a \\isli to receive Christian instruc- 
 tion, the Eev. Mr. Stern appointed certain days in the week 
 to catechize them. 
 
 Divine Service, according to the ritual of the Emrlisli 
 Church, was celebrated in my room every Sunday during our 
 captivity at Magdala, by the Rev. Mr. Stern, one or two 
 Sundays only excepted, when that gentleman was too ill to 
 officiate. The Abyssinians always behaved with decorum, 
 and never interrupted us while we were at prayers. On 
 more than one occasion, royal couriers arrived with messages 
 from the King, while we were so engaged, but they waited 
 at Samuel's house until the conclusion of the service before 
 seeking to communicate with me. 
 
 Those who do not wish to bieak the continuity of the 
 narrative may reserve perusing the succeeding chapter until 
 they reach the conclusion of this volume.
 
 Chap. XXII. ABYSSINIAN MARRIAGES. 215 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 MARRIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. 
 
 Abyssinian marriacjcs — Marriage according to the rites of tbe National 
 Cliurch — How dissolved — Infidelity of the husbands — Continence of 
 wives married sacramentally — Tlieodorc's canonical marriage with the 
 daughter of Ras 'All — Obliges Mr. Boll to follow his example — His 
 marriage with the daughter of Dajjfij Oobe — He gets tired of her — 
 Marries Itamanyo, the wife of a Mussulman Galla — Itamanyo's con- 
 version and devotion — Secondary marriages — Tliird-degree marriages 
 — Native etiquette — " Girding " — The ^hdmma described — Various 
 styles of wearing the same — Modes of Address — Etiquette in presenta- 
 tion — In drinking — Covering the head, an insult — Privilege of priests, 
 monks, and nuns. 
 
 In the foregoing narrative, occasional mention lias been 
 made of first, second, and third degree marriages — a phraseo- 
 logy Avhich I have no doubt many of my readers have been 
 at a loss fully to comprehend. The Abyssinians are a 
 peculiar people in many respects, and, witli regard to 
 marriage, I believe their customs to be unitiue, and withal 
 80 closely interwoven with their social and domestic lite as 
 not to be readily understood by a foreigner. The same 
 remark applies to tlie conventional formalities which prevail 
 among them, and to which the highest importance is at- 
 taciied by every class of the community. As much of the 
 subjoineel information on these two subjects was acquired 
 during my prolonged captivity, 1 insert it here as a sequel to 
 uiir ' Life at jMdgdala.' 
 
 The most binding marriage with the Abyssinians con-
 
 216 MAP.RIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. Crap. XXTI. 
 
 sists cf an interchange of vows between the bridegroom 
 and bride, confirmed by their jointly partaking of the holy 
 Eucharist; in fact, the union in this case is solemnized 
 much in the same way as in other Christian Churches. 
 Here, liowever, as elsewhere, certain breaches of their 
 mutual vows by cither party dissolves the tie and ren- 
 ders the transgressor legally obnoxious to punishment ; but 
 as Abyssinian law in sadi matters has been disreiiarded 
 for centuries, and IMight has taken the place of Eight, it 
 follows that an offending husband generally escapes with 
 impunity; so also does the guilty wife, if she happens to 
 belong to the family of a powerful Chief. Hence, an un- 
 principled husband, when tired of his wife, finds no diffi- 
 culty whatever in getting rid of her ; and such repudiation 
 is undoubtedly very common. Many cases of the kind fell 
 under my own cognizance, and, in nearly all, the husbands 
 were leading incontinent lives ; on the other hand, I never 
 heard of a single instance of a wife who had been sacra- 
 mentally married proving unfaithful to her husband, even 
 after his repudiation of her. Most women so situated re- 
 main single, and many become nuns. In consequence of 
 this deplorable state of things, Abyssinian females generally 
 entertain a great distrust of the ojiposite sex, and not one 
 in twenty would willingly contract the more binding marriage. 
 A case in point happened while I was at Magdala. The 
 husband was in such dread of losing his partner, knowing 
 that as he had been united to her by the secondary marriage 
 only — to be described anon — she might leave him any day, 
 that her refusal to accompany him to the altar, there to 
 partake of the Lord's Supper with him, in token of their 
 more indissoluble union, nearly drove him mail. The 
 matter was eventually referred to the Abuna, my interven-
 
 Chap. XXIT. THEODORE'S MARRIAGES. '217 
 
 tion beinff also soufrht, and after considerable trouble we 
 overcame the obstinacy of tlie lady, and induced her to con- 
 sent to be sacramentally joined to her love-sick lord, in the 
 holy estate of matrimony. 
 
 The late King Tlieodore — who was devout, moral and 
 humane, by fits and starts from boyhood to the end of his 
 career — took it into his head, after he was crowned, to lead 
 a virtuous life, and to imitate the Christians in the East 
 and West by uniting himself to one wife. He accordingly 
 espoused Tobet, the daughter of Ras 'All, and ratified the 
 marriage by partaking with her of the holy Eucharist. On 
 tliat occasion, moreover, he announced to the royal troops 
 that they could not better manifest their regard for him than 
 bv following his example in this respect ; but as the Abys- 
 sinians are rathm- stubborn in sucli matters, he found very 
 few proselytes among his own subjects. It is a curious fact, 
 tluit the only person he actually compelled to do as he had 
 done was the late Mr. Bell ; and, what is more extraordinary 
 still, he obliged that gentleman to marry, not the wife who 
 had already borne him four children, but another woman. 
 
 On the death of Tobet, Theodore judged it iiolitic to 
 ally himself to the faujily of L)ajjaj Oobe — the second 
 greatest Chief in Abyssinia whom he had overthrown — by 
 marrying his daughter Teru-AVark, according to the solemn 
 rites of the Church, The Dajjaj, then a prisoner in the camp 
 of his successful rival, was almost frantic with joy on hearing 
 that the great Theodore had espoused the young Princess — 
 she was only twelve years old at the time — very naturally 
 inferring that such a union would restore him to his native 
 province of Semen, and lead to his being re-invested with the 
 regency over 'i'igie and the nortln'rn districts. He was set at 
 larg'- for a short period, but when Theodore had gained his
 
 218 MARRIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. Chap. XXII. 
 
 object, be made tbe poor old man a closer prisoner than 
 before, and althougli he repeatedly promised to liberate his 
 sons — now tbe King's brotbers-in-law — be detained tbem in 
 captivity at Magdala, wbere tbey were almost starved, nor 
 were tbey released until tbat fortress fell into tbe bands of 
 tbe Britisb. 
 
 After a year, during wbicb be Mas constant to bis new 
 Queen, Tbeodoro became dissatisfied witb ber cbarms and 
 temper, and reverted to bis former j»ractice of making any 
 woman bis wife to wbom be took a fancy. He allowed no 
 religious scruples or any otber considerations wbatever to 
 interfere witli tbe gratification of bis passions in that parti- 
 cular. It signified little to bim wbetber tbe bride elect was 
 married or single. If the busband objected, be could easily 
 be intimidated into compliance ; if not, there were summary 
 modes of chastising tbose who dared to stand in the way of 
 the " Lord's Anointed." Still, I never beard of the late King 
 having taken a Christian woman to wife during tbe lifetime 
 of ber busband ; but be observed no such moderation towards 
 Mussulmans. Itamanyo, who was bis favourite Itege, or 
 Empress, while I was in Abyssinia, was tlio wile of a 'Mo- 
 hammedan of the Yadjow Gallas. From the accounts which 
 reached bim of ber beauty, be ordered ber to be brouglit 
 to his Court, and prevailed on her to embrace Christianity, 
 while tbe hapless liusband was glad to eifect bis escape in 
 order to avoid the alternative of losing his life or alguiiug 
 his creed. Itamanyo eventually became very assiduous 
 in the performance of her religious duties, and spent much 
 time in reciting prayers. The Abyssinians, like the Roman 
 Catholics, use rosaries in their devotions, and, as a matter of 
 course, the Queen adojjted tbe same practice. Tin's was 
 scarcely a novelty to her, since Mohammedans generally use
 
 Chap. XXII. SECOND-KATE MARRIAGES. 219 
 
 a similar though much longer chaplet, but without any 
 symbol attached, called a 3IusbaJiah, each bead serving the 
 devotee as a tally in his enumeration of the names and 
 attributes of God. Being unable to find a suitable rosary, 
 Itamanyo applied to me, through Samuel, to assist her in 
 procuring one. I accordingly directed a native craftsman 
 to make a string of silver beads, with a large cross of the same 
 metal appended, and had it presented to her. According to 
 Abyssinian canon law, no man can contract a second sacra- 
 mental marriage during the lifetime of a former w ifo, whether 
 she be divorced from him or not. But for this prohibition — 
 his wife Teiu-Wark being still alive — there can be no doubt 
 that Theodore would have ratified his union witli Itamanyo 
 by wedding her according to the ritual of the Church. 
 
 In what, for want of a more appropriate designation, I 
 call the "Secondary" or "Second-rate jMarriage" among 
 the Abyssinians, the contracting parties simply swear, in the 
 ])resenco of two witnesses, that they will live together as 
 husband and wife. This bond may be dissolved at any time 
 by mutual consent ; in that case, the wife is entitled to retain 
 whatever property she possessed before wedlock, as also any 
 presents which she may have received from her husband 
 (luring coverture, unless a stipulation to tlie contrary was 
 agreed to by both sides, on their union. Most Abyssinian 
 marriages arc of this sort, and the generality of the respect- 
 able classes so wedded live together as husband and wife 
 until separated by death, few only among them reverting to 
 the subordinate or third-defjree marriaire. 
 
 Tliis last is little better than concubinage. The contract- 
 ing parties merely engage to cohabit during pleasure, and 
 while so living are regarded as hu.sband and wile. The 
 children of such unions, however, have an equal right of
 
 220 MAREIAGE AND ETIQUETl^E. Chap. XXIT. 
 
 inheritance with the offspring of first- and second-rate mar- 
 riages. The national Church, indeed, recognizes only tlie 
 first as valid ; but the laity as a rule set all ecclesiastical law 
 in such matters at defiance. Hence, a wealthy Abyssinian 
 Christian, wlio is debarred by the two higlier degrees of 
 wedlock from having more than one wife, may nevertheless 
 have as many third-rate wives as ho pleases, and cohabit 
 with them simultaneously. In the course of my inquiries 
 into these matrimonial customs, and the laws affecting 
 inheritances among this peculiar people, I applied to tlie 
 Abuna to aid me in the research. His reply was, " My son, 
 you have asked me questions Avhicli I am unable to answer. 
 This only I can tell you; Abyssinian marriages, with few 
 exceptions, are so abominably revolting that the issue are 
 all bastards." 
 
 With respect to etiquette — the remaining subject to be 
 treated of in this short chapter — the Abyssinians are most 
 punctilious. In fact, their adherence to conventional for- 
 malities is extreme, and may be regarded as the offspring 
 of that admixture of barbarism and civilization which 
 characterizes tlieir social, religious, and political economy. 
 It is confined to no class, and pervades all tlie relations of 
 private and public life. The style in whicli a superior 
 shoTild address an inferior, and vice versa, is with them a 
 point of the highest importance; so much so, that the 
 meanest peasant will stand upon his dignity in that parti- 
 cular. In rank, tlio King of course occupies the liigliest 
 place; next in order is the Abuna, or Metropolitan; but 
 both claim to be addressed in the third person plural, whicli 
 is the highest fin-mula. When speaking to each other, how- 
 ever, the Sovereign assumes the subordinate position of "son" 
 towards the Prelate *' father." The latter also addresses the
 
 Chap. XXII. " GIRDING." 221 
 
 former in the second person singular; whereas the King is 
 bound to address the head of the Church as " they." Further, 
 according to tlie letter of the ceremonial law, the Sovereign 
 should gird himself in the presence of tlie Abuna — a token 
 of deference which the latter is not expected to imitate. 
 Whether this arises from the fact that the Metropolitans, 
 being always Copts from Egypt, never adopt the Abys- 
 sinian costume and consequently do not wear the loose native 
 outer robe, I am unable to say with certainty. When the 
 King and the Abuna enter the same room, tlie former may 
 not be seated before the latter. Nevertheless, in all such 
 observances, Theodore followed his own inclinations, and 
 treated the Bishop accordingly. If in a good humour, he 
 even condescended to kneel and kiss the Prelate's feet, 
 in recognition of his "sonship" to the spiritual "father" of 
 Ids people ; but if his temper happened to be rudHed at the 
 time, he would exclaim, "Who is his father? If he is a 
 ]ji-hop, he is a Turk notwitlistanding; whereas I am the 
 olTspring of David and Solomon, and, withal, his Sovereign." 
 Before proceeding further with this subject, I must explain 
 what is meant by " girding," It refere to the different modes 
 in which the native outer robe is worn, and involves niceties of 
 etiquette far surpassing any connected with the ordinary 
 salutations in vogue, either in the East or West. The robe, 
 which is called a " Shamma," is common to all classes — 
 the texture of course differing according to the means of the 
 wearer. It is a long sheet of cotton clotli, (Inul)led, of native 
 manufacture, with a broad rod stripe crossing tlie width 
 at one end a short distance from the extremity. The size 
 varies: one in my possession measures 30x2 yards. Thrown 
 over the back, keeping the red stripe on the right side 
 wliilc the utiier end is first brought over the left, then
 
 222 MARRIAGE AND ETIQUETTP]. Chap. XXII. 
 
 thrown over tlie right shoulder, under the striped end, which 
 Is next cast over tlie left shoulder, so as to exhibit the 
 coloured stripe falling perpendicularly down that side, from 
 the shoulder to the loot — such is the highest style of wearing 
 this vestment, and one so clad, who is not obliged to re- 
 arrange it in deference to another person, is regarded as 
 the superior of all present on the occasion. If, in addition 
 to these lappings and over-lappings, the wearer can manage to 
 muffle his chin, mouth and nose in the folds, he thereby adds 
 to his consequence. Wearing the Shdmma as above, but 
 with the red stripes downwards, like the hem of a sldrt, is 
 also reckoned as dignified as the style just described. When 
 two persons of equal rank meet, they move the corner of the 
 robe from off the left shoulder with the concealed hand, and 
 then replace it as it was before. This, however, is not called 
 " girding," bat " dressing." When one so clad meets a 
 superior, to whom he is bound to pay homage — Avhether 
 in passing him, giving him a message, or taking leave of 
 tiiin — he must move the red stripe from off his left shoulder 
 and arrange the folds so as to exhibit it stretching in a 
 horizontal line from shoulder to shoulder. This is reckoned 
 the highest degree of " girding." 
 
 The next in order, which is styled "girding at ease," 
 because it simply indicates respect w'ithout obsequiousness 
 or humiliation, consists in withdrawing the right arm and 
 shoulder from under the robe. Theodore conferred upon all 
 his European employ(5s and artisans the privilege of appear- 
 in^ before him so girt; and on three different occasions, when 
 his Majesty wished to make himself particidarly gracious, he 
 received me with his right arm uncovered — a condescen- 
 sion which he had never before manifested to any foreign 
 official. Servants waiting on their masters, while on a
 
 Chap. XXir. "GIRDING." 223 
 
 journey or at a grand feast, when strict ceremony is dis- 
 j)ens('d with, or petty Chiefs in attendance upon their leader 
 — otlier than the Sovereign — may also adopt this style. 
 
 Winding lialf the robe round the waist, tying it in front, 
 and thin tlirowing the other end over the right and left 
 shoulders, so as to cover the body, and yet show the gird- 
 ing, is tlic third mode of wearing the sMmma, and denotes 
 inferiority. 
 
 The lowest style is accomplished by taking the robe from 
 the shoulders, winding it round the waist, tying it in a knot in 
 front, and then tucking the ends within the girding. Every 
 subject in the country, from the heir-apparent to the throne 
 down to the lowest i)easant, is bound to ai)pear before the h»ove- 
 reiffn " jrirded " in this manner. Moreover, throuffhout the 
 JriiLith and breadth of the land, whenever a royal letter is read, 
 or a royal message publicly proclaimed, all present must listen 
 to the annoimcement standing, with the shdmma worn as just 
 describcil. ilofore 1 was consigned to Magdala, no Abyssinian 
 from a lias downwards could appear before me otherwise 
 than in the same guise. My repeated attempts to induce 
 visitors and others to dispense with the ceremony were 
 always met with the objection, that it might cost the defaulter 
 his life to disregard the Sovereign's order in that respect. 
 On our way to Magdala, as prisoners, whenever I addressed 
 J>itwudchid Ta<lla, the Chief of the guard, he threw the robe 
 ofl' tho left shoulder and exposed his right arm ; but, on 
 reaching the fortress, all the members of tho Council, with 
 the exception of Dama-h, used to appear before me muffled 
 u|) to the nose, regarding themselves as my warders. After 
 it wliih-, however, they took to moving the end ol' tin- uluumna, 
 bowing at tho same time; all the inferior Chiefs adopted the 
 lowest style, and Damush, who vie<l with his master in his
 
 224 MARRIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. Chap. XXII. 
 
 civility toN\ards me, always bared his right arm. When 
 Theodore reached A'roge, on the 20th of March, 1868, he 
 asked the ^lagdala Chiefs wliether it was true that they had 
 muffled themselves in my presence. Fearing to tell the 
 truth, Damash replied for his colleagues that they had all 
 used the third style in their intercourse with me ; whereupon 
 his Majesty abused them roundly for not having paid me 
 greater respect than he did, since even he had always re- 
 ceived me with his riglit arm bared. Poor Damasb, being in 
 bad odour at the time, came in for the largest share of the 
 royal vituperation, whereas he was the only member of the 
 Council who had treated me with the higher tokens of defer- 
 ence. On dismissing them, Theodore bade them go forthwith 
 and inquire, as from him, how his "friend, Mr. Rassam," 
 fared; adding, "I shall find out how you visit him in 
 future." 
 
 Next in importance to girding the shdmma comes the 
 mode of address between equals, and between superiors and 
 inferiors. In the former case, it is optional with the parties 
 to address one another in the second or tliird person singular ; 
 but the latter is considered more polite, even amongst do- 
 mestic servants and peasants. In such cases, however, a man 
 venerable from age will address his juniors in the second 
 person ; whereas they, out of respect for his years, address 
 him in the third. It is discretionary with a superior to 
 address a subordinate in either way, but the latter must 
 always subjoin the third to the second personal pronoun, 
 singular or plural, in addressing superiors. Theodore em- 
 ployed the honorary style towards four persons ouly, namely, 
 the Metropolitan, the puppet-Emperor, Dajjaj Birro, and Aito 
 Odisso — the latter the old Chief of Dawunt, whow as burnt 
 alive by the rebels in the month of July, 1807. The ]\Ietro-
 
 CiiAi'. XXII. MODES OF ADDRESS. 225 
 
 poll tan, as head of the Church, addresses all indiscrimiiiutely, 
 not excepting the Sovereign, in the singular uuinher. The 
 corresponding etiquette among ladies is not so clearly de- 
 fined, and, exclusive of those Lelonging to the highest cla.-s 
 such as the wives of Eases and independent Chiefs, seems to 
 be regulated by the age as well as the rank of the parties. 
 Of course, a domestic servant always addresses his mistress 
 in the third person, even if she happen to be a negres.-; ; 
 whereas she uses the second person to^\ards him, although 
 he may chance to be descended from a good family. The 
 hoary head among females, however, enjoys the same privi- 
 leges as it does among the other sex, in this respect. I was 
 tuM that holding the position which I did in the country, 
 the Ttege was the only personage whom I ought to address 
 in the honorary style. The first time I was made aware of 
 this was on hearing Samuel ask Eas Kidana Maryam, un my 
 behalf, how his wile was. The members of the Council, 
 Damash excepted, always addressed me as an ecpial — in the 
 third per.<on singular, and, had I been able to speak Andiaric, 
 i should have been expected to reciprocate the (.'ourtesy. 
 
 An infciior, in jtrc^cnting anything to a superior, sliould 
 always convey it with liotii hands, standing the whih-, or 
 rising a little from his seat; a superior, however, is bound 
 by no rules in this respect. At my first meeting with the 
 King, after my inipri>;onnient. he had a cu[> lllled with mead, 
 of which, agreeably with the j»revailing custom, he first 
 drank a little himself, then rose slightly from liis sitting 
 posture and presented it to me with both hands — a conde- 
 scension on h\< ]);irt whicli I never exjiected from the hauglity 
 3Ionarch. 
 
 An interior may not drink out of the same cuj) wliiih his 
 snj)erior has used, or of the vessel iVom wliich he is about to 
 
 VOL. II. Q
 
 22G MARRIAGE AND ETIQUETTE. Chai-. XXIL 
 
 drink ; but as the superior always expects that any beverage 
 brought to liim should be first tasted by the domestic pre- 
 senting it, on receiving the cup he pours a little into the 
 hands of the latter, and after he has quaffed it the master of 
 the house disposes of the remainder. According to the eti- 
 quette which obtains among the higher classes, a fly or any 
 other insect falling into the mead or beer renders the liquor 
 undrinkable, and the cup has to be replenished. 
 
 Envelojiing the head in one's robe, even by a superior 
 in the presence of an inferior, is considered a gross insult. 
 This was the charge brought by the King against M. Bardel 
 at the trial on the 15th of March, 186G. Ladies who are 
 obliged to go abroad during the day, either walking or 
 riding — when, in accordance with conventional usage, they 
 generally cover their heads — are expected, out of courtesy, 
 to uncover on meeting a superior whom they recognize ; this, 
 however, is not obligatory. A person who has shaved his 
 head may cover it with a kerchief or cap, which he may wear 
 in the presence even of royalty, without a breach of etiquette. 
 All priests are privileged to wear turbans, and monks and 
 nuns skull-caps. In travelling, the late King Theodore 
 allowed considerable latitude in all these conventionalities, 
 and he went so far as to annoimce that he did not wish 
 ladies, on passing him, to uncover their heads.
 
 ISCC. Sept. THEODORE'S COURTESY. 227 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. 
 
 Thco lore's continued courtesy — He sacks Gondar — He receives her 
 Majesty's letter sent by Mr. Flad — Sends it to the Author requesting 
 Lini to write for the En^lisli artisans to be forwarded on from Massowali 
 
 — His letter to that effect — The Author's re})ly — Theodore rei)eats 
 his rcijuest — The peasantry between Debra Tabor and Ma;^dala become 
 disaffected — The Commandant of Magdala sent in chains to Debra 
 Tubor — Tlic district of Baganieder relx;ls — Intercourse between Mag- 
 dala and the royal camp cut off — Rumours of Theodore's having fled to 
 Kwara — His bloodthirstiness at this time — Horrible atrocity per- 
 petrated by a band of rebels — The outrage avenged — Theodoi'e learns 
 a new lesson in cruelty — Honesty and fidelity of Abyssinian servants 
 illustrated — Native agents beyond the fortress protect the messengers 
 of the Mission — How regular intercourse was kept up between the 
 Mission and the coast — Scheme organised for rapid intercommunication 
 between Slagilala and Massowah — Kindness makes friends — The 
 devotion of ^Ir. Stem's native servants — Where is Theodore? — Rival 
 candidates for the j^ssession of Magdala — Overtures from Ahmed, the 
 Imam of the Wcllo-Gallas — Menilek the king of Shoa's futile display 
 
 — l"he Wakshum Gobaze and his army retire on the approach of Theodore 
 
 — The Wak.slium's friendliness towards the British Expeditionary force. 
 
 In reply to tlic lung's Icttor which reached nic on the 9th 
 of August, after our imprisonment at ^riigfhila, I sent him 
 a few lines containing niy personal compliments, but I also 
 commissioned the couriers to convey similar salutations to 
 his ftLijesty from my f<Hi)w-captives. This I did as a feeler; 
 besides, I wished him to understand that we all entertained 
 the same sentiments towards him — in fact, that our interests 
 v.cre idenlieal. On the ir)th of the month following, ] ro- 
 ctived the subjoined polite note from him, wherein I was 
 
 y 2
 
 228 EEBELLION ABOUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXHI. 
 
 glad to find that, for the first time since my arrival in the 
 country, he deigned to notice the old captives : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " Lih's party left in a liiiriy, and I could not answer you by 
 them. Uow have you and your brothers [Dr. Blanc and ]\Ir. 
 Prideaux] spent the rainy season? By the power of God, be of 
 good cheer ; I am coming to you shortly, and we will meet. 
 
 " Since we separated, a large gun has been cast for me ; when 
 it is finished I shall let you know. 
 
 " By the power of God, I shall not forsake yoti ; so, be of good 
 cheer. Ask Mr. Cameron, Mr, Stern, and their parties, how tbey 
 have passed the rainy season." 
 
 (Without date.) 
 
 To the foregoing 1 replied as follows, the day after its 
 receipt : — 
 
 "Mdgdala, 16th Septemher, 18G6. 
 " Most Gracious SovKRKiGJf, 
 
 " I have had the honour of receiving your courteous letter by 
 your servants, l)asta and Kasa, and I Avas glad to learn therefrom 
 that your Majesty was in perfect health. 
 
 " Thank God, both my companions and I have spent the rain}' 
 season in good health, and I trust that your Majesty has passed it 
 auspiciously. I am not a little rejoiced to find from your letter 
 that you will soon join us here. I pray our Heavenly Father to 
 show us the light of j'our countenance ere long in health and 
 prosperity. 
 
 " I have also been greatly pleased to hear of your success in 
 casting a large gun, and 1 trust that your next attempt may 
 prove even more satisfactory to you. 
 
 " Dr. Blanc, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Cameron and his party, and 
 Mr. Stern and his party, beg to send your Maji^sty their respect- 
 ful compliments," 
 
 ord Oct. — Eeceived the stores to-day wliich liad been sent 
 on for us from Matammn, and which the King forwarded in 
 charge of Ras I'ngada ; in fact, it was through his Majesty's 
 intervention that the supplies had been transmitted from the
 
 18CU. Nov. THEODORE'S COURTESY. '229 
 
 above-named place. The circumstances of the case \\ere 
 these : — Hearing a few days before we left Zage that I was 
 sending to [Matamma for European stores, the King imme- 
 diately sent to ask me why I had not applied to him for 
 assistance in the matter. He accordingly directed a petty 
 Chalga Chief to accompany my messenger to Matamma, who 
 was also instructed to apply to Slieikh Juma'ah to provide the 
 requisite number of camels to convey the effects as far 
 as Wahne, to be transported from thence to the royal 
 camp by the subject peasantry. Before they reached the 
 King, we had been sent to IMagdala, and the rains liaving 
 in the mean time fairly set in, and the rivers become unford- 
 able, his Majesty had caused the loads to be deposited in the 
 Treasury imtil the opening of the fair season. The accom- 
 panying messenger had also a packet of letters and some 
 newspapers. These ho managed to keep concealed fur two 
 months, and delivered them to us safely, together with a sum 
 of uKjury w hieh he had obtained for our use. 
 
 During the months of October and November friendly 
 letters and bland messages passed between the King and 
 myself. He had so often announced his advent, that we ncnv 
 began to regard such intimations in the same light as 
 the hollow compliments witli whitli lie occasionally honoured 
 us. 
 
 Hearing, towards the end of November, that certain stores 
 had been forwarded for us from ]\Iassowah to jMatamma, and 
 knowing that it would bo impossiblo to smuggle them 
 through tlio intervoning districts, I tlioiight it best to seek 
 the King's permission to send for them. Jieiiig also anxious 
 to learn the fate of one of my messengers, wliom I had de- 
 spatched to Massowali IVdm Zage in l^Iay, and who was 
 rej[)ortc(l to have li. rn jiluiidered and imprisone'd I'V the
 
 230 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIT. 
 
 rebels near Gondar, I referred that subject also to bis Majesty 
 
 in the following letter, which I sent to him, together \\ith 
 
 the men who \^■ere deputed to the several duties to be carried 
 
 out : — 
 
 "3%f?oZrt, Novembei' 29, 1866. 
 " Most Gracious Soverkigx, 
 
 " I have the honour to inform your Majesty that 1 am neces- 
 sitated to write to Matamma for stores, as those provisions you 
 kindly sent me some time ago are neaily finished. 
 
 "I am sending for this purpose Garankuil, Avith a few mules, 
 and I beg that your Majesty will give him permission \o go, 
 and will extend to him your protection thither and back. 
 
 " I have heaid with regret that Dabtera Dasta, whom I had 
 sent to Massowah a few months back, for the purpose of bring- 
 ing for your Majesty some books for showing the mode of casting 
 gims and shot, and for teaching artillery-practice, and other 
 things, has been seized and imprisoned by the rebels while 
 passing through ^^'aggaru. 
 
 " As I am anxious to know the facts of the case, I am sending 
 one of my servants to the house of Dasta, at Gondar, to inquire 
 about him, and the things he brought with him ; and I trust 
 that your Majesty will grant him leave to proceed on his duty. 
 
 " I hope 3'our Majesty will pardon me for the liberty I am 
 taking in sending Ilailo to convey to you this letter, and in 
 troubling j'ou with the above matters, as I have no one in this 
 country, except your Majesty, on whom I can rely for assistance. 
 
 " My companions, Dr. Blanc and jMr. Trideaux, also Mr. Cameron 
 and his party, and Mr. Stern and his party, beg to send their 
 respectful compliments to your IMajesty. 
 
 " Hoping that this letter will find you in perfect health and 
 prosperity, I remain," &c. 
 
 Wlien my messengers reached Debra Tabor, the King had 
 already left for Gondar, whither he luul gone to chastise a 
 rebel who had usurped the Government there for some time. 
 He made a sudden attack on the place, hoping to surprise 
 the insurgents, but they had received intimation of his 
 approach, and evacuated the place a i'ew minutes only before
 
 1866. Nov. DESTRUCTION OF GOXDAII. 231 
 
 the royal troops surrounded it. Their escape so exasperated 
 the foiled Monarch that he ordered the capital to be utterly 
 destroyed, not excepting the churches, Xo resistance was 
 oflfered : even the priests, who allowed themselves to be 
 made prisoners, professed to be satisfied ^\ith the King's 
 llinisy promise that he would build better churches for them. 
 Under ordinary circumstances, the native clergy would have 
 preached a crusade against a Sovereign who had been guilty 
 of such an outrage upon their religion, and have had him 
 killed or deposed ; but the miglity Theodore had effectually 
 broken the haughtiest spirits in the country, and none dared 
 to utter a word nr move a finger even in deprecation of liis 
 violence. 
 
 On his return to Debra Tabor, he received my messengers 
 well, and told them that he had laid Gondar in ruins because 
 its inhabitants had betrayed my courier to the rebels. As to 
 tlio stores, it was his duty, he said, to see that all my wants 
 were provided for ; consequently, only one of my people was 
 to proceed to Matamma with the instructions to my agent ; 
 the remainder were to return to me, and the mules also, 
 ind lie would undertake to have the stores forwarded from 
 .Matamma to Magdala by his own subjects. 
 
 liefore my messengers left 1 )ebra Tabor the King received 
 I communication from Mr. Flad, who had reached Massowali 
 from England, transmitting to him the following copy of lier 
 Miijesty's lett(.'r, of wliich he was the bearer: — 
 
 *• Victoria, by tho grace of God, «tc., to Theodore, King of 
 Abyssinia, sciidoth greeting. 
 
 " Helying on the aKhiiriiiicos contained in your ^Majesty's letter 
 of tho 29tli of January, which duly reached us, we were in daily 
 expectation of tho arrival in England of our servant Kas.sam, 
 together with our servant C'umoion, and the other Europeans, so 
 'ong detained in your country, but whom your Majesty had
 
 232 PtEBELLIOX AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIII. 
 
 announced that you had sent with our servant Eassam. "When 
 Fhid arrived bringing your Majesty's further letter of the 17th 
 of April, in which, while repeating that you had released and 
 made over to our servant Eassam, our servant Cameron, and the 
 other Europeans, in order that they might leave the country, 
 you stated that you had kept our servant Eassam for the sake 
 of consulting together ujion the extension of the friendship 
 between us. We will not disguise fi-om your Majesty that we 
 found it difficult to reconcile your assurances with the obstacles 
 which were still opposed to the departure of our servants and 
 the other Europeans from your country ; but we were willing to 
 accept the desire expressed by you for the extension of friendship 
 between us, and we accordingly admitted Flad to our presence, 
 and having heard from him your Majesty's wishes, we gave 
 directions for the transmission to your Majesty by the hands of 
 Flad of such articles as we understood from Flad your Majesty 
 desired to obtain, and we also gave our sanction to the eu- 
 gngement in your Majesty's service of skilled workmen, such as 
 3'ou desired to employ in Abyssinia. These arrangements were 
 made, and Flad was on the point of leaving England to rejoin 
 j'our Majesty, when intelligence reached us that you had with- 
 drawn from our servant Eassam the favour which you had 
 hitherto shown him, and had consigned him, together with our 
 servant Cameron and the other Europeans, to prison. "W'e have 
 received no explanations from join- Majesty of the grounds of a 
 proceeding so inconsistent with the assurances and professions 
 formerly made by your Majesty, and we have, therefore, lost no 
 time in allowing Flad to depart, and have given to him this 
 letter for your Majesty, not allowing ourselves to doubt that 
 immediately on its receipt you will redeem your promises, and 
 give effect to your professions, by dismistiiiig our servant Eassam, 
 with our sei-vant Cameron and the other Europeans, in con- 
 formity with the statement made in your letter of the 29th of 
 January. 
 
 " Your IMajesty must be aware that it is the saci-cd duty of 
 Sovereigns scrupulously to fulfil engagements into which they 
 may have entered ; and that the peisons of Ambassadors, such as 
 our sei-vant Eassam, and those by whom they are accompanied, 
 arc, among all nations assuming to be civilized, invariably held 
 sacred. We have, therefore, the more difficulty in accounting for
 
 18GG. Dec. THE QUEEN'S LETTER TO THEODORE. 233 
 
 yuiir Majesty's hesitation, and we invite your Majcst}- to prove to 
 the world that you lightly understand your position among 
 Sovereigns, and do not desire to neglect the international duties 
 which it is incumbent on all Sovereigns to fulBl. Your Majesty 
 may be assured that wo shall be disposed to attribute to misap- 
 prehension on your part, rather than ill-will towards us, tlie 
 delay that has occurred in the return of Eassam, and those 
 whom you had engaged to send with him ; but in the uncor- 
 tiiinty which we cannot but feel as to your Majesty's intentions, 
 Ave cannot allow Flad to be the bearer of those tokens of good- 
 will which we purposed that he should convey to your Majest}'. 
 But, in full confidence that the cloud which has darkened the 
 friend>hip of our lelations will pass away on the return of Flad, 
 and desiring that you should as soon as possible thereafter re- 
 ceive the articles which we had proposed to send to your Majesty 
 in token of our friendship, we have given orders that those 
 articles should be forthwith sent to Massowah, to be delivered, 
 for conveyance to your Majesty's Court, to the officers whom you 
 may depute to conduct our servant Eassam, and our servant 
 Cameron, and the other Europeans, so far on their way to our 
 presence. And so we bid you heartily farewell. 
 
 "Given at our Court at Balmoral, the 4th day of October, in 
 the year of oui* Lord, 18G6, and in the thirtieth year of our 
 reign. 
 
 " Your good Friend, 
 
 (The largo Signet.) (Signed) "VICTOEIA E." 
 
 (Not countersigned.) 
 
 Superscribed — 
 "To Our rjood Friend I'hcodorc, 
 King of Abyssinia." 
 
 Tt wa.s roportod that tho King" was not displeased with tliis 
 communication ; but lie a])poars to have tried, at the same 
 time, to put a more favourable construction upon it than its 
 tenor really warranted. Ilitwcvrr, he forwarded the copy to 
 mo by my owu messenger, inclosed iu the following letter 
 from himself: —
 
 '2Si REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIII. 
 
 " In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost — one God. 
 
 " From the King of hings, Theodorus. May this reach Mr. 
 ITormiizd Eassam. How have you passed the time ? I, by the 
 power of God, am well. Ask Dr. Blanc, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. 
 Cameron and his parly, and Mr. Stern and his party, from me, 
 how they have passed their time. 
 
 " Your servant, whom you wished me to forward to Matamma, I 
 have sent for you. I have ordered your things to be brought to 
 Wahne, by camels, and from thence I have ordered my people 
 to bring them hither, by the power of God. 
 
 " Mr. Flad has returned to Massowah, and transmitted to me 
 the inclosed letter. Peruse it, and wait till I arrive, as I am 
 coming to you, by the power of God. I will consult with you 
 as to the answer I shall send." 
 
 (Without date.) — Eeceived December 28, 1866. 
 
 The receipt of her Majesty's firm yet conciliatory letter by 
 the King, and the announcement of his intention to consult 
 me personally on the subject, led me to hope that I might be 
 able to persuade him to convey us to Tigre, there to nego- 
 tiate for our release. The pleasing delusion was of short 
 duration, for, a few days after, I received the following letter 
 from his Majesty, through Eas I'ngada, wherein he notifies 
 his determination to retain me and my fellow-captives at 
 Magdala until he had secured his object, requiring me at 
 the same time to write and request her Majesty's Government 
 to send up the artisans : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " Mr. Flad has written to me again, and I send you herewith 
 the letter which he has enclosed. 
 
 "Now, in order to prove the good relationship between me 
 and yourself, let it be shown by your writing and getting the 
 skilful artisans and Mr. Flad to come, via Matdmma. This will 
 be the sign of our fiiendship. When you hate my enemies and 
 love my friends, and I shall piove wanting in my friendship 
 towards you, leave me to God [as my judge]. Even Solomon,
 
 1867. Jav. TUEODORE'S FRESU DEMAND. 235 
 
 tho son of David, the great King, God's created being and s^a^■e, 
 when he wished to build the Temple in Jerusalem, was per- 
 plexed [about finding skilful artisans]. Falling at the feet of 
 King Tliram of Tyre, he begged him for carpenters and skilful 
 artisans, who asbisfed in building the Temple. And now, when 
 I used to fall girded at the feet of the great Queen, her nobles, 
 peoples, and hosts, I found ^Ir. Stern and his party abused mo 
 and lowered me. Also, when I sent a friendly letter to the 
 great Queen of the English, the Defender of the Faith, the 
 succour of the needy, tho friend of God, tho favourite of God — 
 Victoria, Mr. Cameron refused me an answer. Also yi>u, Mr. 
 Kassara, said that you were coming from the Queen, and came 
 to me. Consenting to this, I received you in a friendly manner, 
 and treated yuu to tho best of my ability. When I read the 
 letter which you brought me, which asked mo to release and 
 pardon all the Europeans whom I had hated and imprisoned, I 
 consented, and sent and had them released at once, by the power 
 of our Creator, before I passed the night. Before they came to 
 mo I gave them over to you, in oider that the Queen and her 
 Government might be pleased. Ihit you, before you asked them 
 as to the crime Avhich they had committed, and which caused 
 their impnsonmcnt, and without finding whether I was Avrong, 
 in order that I might compensate them, or, if they were guilty, in 
 order that I might obtain a favour from the Queen — before you 
 brought them to me, you sent them away. 
 
 " I had also heard that tho English and tho Turks had entered 
 into an alliance. I kept my vexation fo niy.'-olf and said nothing. 
 
 "Now Mr. Flad has sent mo a most friendly and pleasing 
 letter. As Sulonion fell at tho feet of Ilirani, so I, under C!od, 
 fill at the feet of tho Queen, and her Government, and her friends. 
 I wish you to get them [tho skilful artisans] via Matdmma, in 
 ord«;r that they may teach mo wisdom, and show mo clever arts. 
 ^Vhen this is done, I shall make you glad, and send you away, by 
 the power of G(jd. 
 
 "Written in the year of St. T.uke, on Saturday the 28th day 
 of tho month Tahsuss" [answering to January T), 18(37j. 
 
 Received Januaiy 8, 18G7. 
 
 To hiivc refused the Kinj^'s request in this case would liavo 
 jJaccd all our lives in jeopardy; even Mr. Waldinoier wrote
 
 236 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Ciiap. XXIII. 
 
 to me on behalf of his Majesty's European artisans, begging 
 mc to accede to the demand for their sakcs as well as our 
 own. Moreover, I Ivnow full well tliat I should be able to 
 communicate twice or thrice with the coast before the letter 
 which was to be sent throu2;h the King could reach its 
 destination. 
 
 My reply was as follows : — 
 
 " Mihjdala, January 7, 1867. 
 "Most Gracious Sovereign, 
 
 " I have had the honour of receiving your Majesty's two 
 letters : the first bj;- my servant, Ilailo, and the second by Eas 
 I'ngada, together with a copy of my Queen's letter to you, 
 which was forwarded to your Majesty from Massowah by Mr. 
 Flad. 
 
 " Agreeably to your Majesty's desire, I have written to my 
 Government about Avhat you have communicated, and I hope 
 that your request will be complied with. I send Mohammed 
 Sa'id, one of my servants, with the letter, which I have given to 
 him, open, in order that your M'.jcsty may have it read, if you 
 please. Allow me to return you my best thanks for your 
 Majesty's kindness in having sent to Matamma for the stores I 
 required, and I trust that our Heavenly Father v.'ill reward 3'ou 
 for your acts of friendship. Dr. Blanc, J\Ir. Prideaux, Mr. 
 Cameron and his party, Mr. Stern and his party, desire to 
 present their respectful compliments to your Majesty." 
 
 I had just dispatched the foregoing, when another special 
 courier arrived, bringing the subjoined extraordinary epistle 
 from his Majesty, enclosing a note to my address from Colonel 
 Merewether : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " j\Ir. Flad has sent [wi-ittcn] to me as follows : — ' I had formerly 
 sent to you Mr. Kassam in the aifairs of Cameron and his part}', 
 and we heard that you had received him -with favour and with 
 friendship. Wo had also consented to all the things you re- 
 quired, and had given them over to Mr. Flad, but after that 
 we heard that your friendship towards him had changed; but
 
 18G7. Jan-. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEODORE. 237 
 
 we hope that the friendship existing between iis and yourself 
 will not be changed.' 
 
 " That is what was sent to me, and I am going to reply as 
 follows : — ' Formerly England and Ethiopia were on terms of 
 friendship, and I also, having knowledge of this, used to love j'on 
 ox( <■' dingly. But [since then] having heard that the}- [the 
 Endi>h] have r-alumniated me to the Turk.';, who hate me, I said 
 to myself, Can this be tine ? and I felt some misgiving in my 
 heart. However, I tnist there is no enmity between Ethiopia 
 and the Engli>h, but that there is friendship. "We do not esteem 
 those who calumniate and hate the English ; so you, for our 
 sake, should not esteem those who calumniate and hate the 
 people of Ethiopia. jMr. lias.sam and his party, whom you sent 
 to me, I Lave placed in my house, in my capical at Mdgdala, and 
 1 will treat them well, until I obtain a token of your fiiendship.' 
 
 " I shall write the above to Mr. Flad, and I wish you also, for 
 the sake of obtaining for me their [the English] friendship and 
 lovo, to write at the same time to the proper authorities, and 
 send the letter to mo, by the power of God. It is necessary 
 that yoTi should send a man immediately to me, in order that 
 he m.ty bring Mr. Flad to me quickly." 
 
 (Without date.) — Ifeceived January 7, 18G7. 
 
 Hero was a batch of complaints, reproaches and solicita- 
 tions, all put together, in order to induce me to write for the 
 tran.^mission of the artisans from Masisowah. As I liad anti- 
 cipated, the letter wliich I a<ldressed to Lord Stanley on the 
 subject, and which liad been forwarded, open, througli the 
 King, did not readi London till four months afterwards, by 
 which time tlie artisans liad left I\[assowah, on their way 
 back to England; and, in the mean time, lier ]\Iajesty'8 
 (ioveriiment had been appri.scd by me of all that had talan 
 jdace. However, I replied to the foregoing letter, on the 
 ^Miiir (lay, as follows: — 
 
 ^^ MatjiMa, January 8, 1807. 
 
 • Mosr (JlUCIOUS SOVKUKION, 
 
 *' 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Majesty's 
 letter of the 28tli Tuhsuss, which reached mo this morning.
 
 238 EEBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIL 
 
 " I return yon my best thanks for tlio letter you kindly in 
 closed me from Massowali. It is from Colonel Merewetlicr, the 
 Kesident at Aden, who it appears has been intrusted -with the 
 management of what my Queen wrote to you about. 
 
 " He writes to sa}' that he is anxiously awaiting your Majesty's 
 reply to Mr. Flad's communication. 
 
 " I have already written regarding Mr. Flad and the articles 
 which my Queen had ordered for j'our IMajesty, as a token of her 
 friendship, and that they are to be sent at once to Matiimma. 
 
 " I must take this opportunity of reiterating to your Majesty 
 my assurances that up to this time I have always deemed it 
 my sacred duty, though in chains, to do everything towards 
 cementing the friendship between Ethiopia and England. 
 
 " It is no little consolation to me to find, from my Queen's 
 letter to your Majesty, how anxious she is to continue her 
 friendship with you. 
 
 "I pray our Heavenly Father to grant that the friendship 
 which I have been anxious to cultivate between my Queen and 
 5'our Majesty will be fully established to the satisfaction of all. 
 
 " Dr. Blanc, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Cameron and his part}', also 
 Mr. Stem and his party, beg to send their respectful compliments 
 to your Majesty." 
 
 From the date of the above until the midJle of IMarcli I 
 received only complimentary messages from the King, but 
 on the 19th of that month he sent me the subjoined note, 
 together with the stores which had been brought for us from 
 Matamma, by his orders : — 
 
 (After compliments to all.) 
 
 " Your servants have brought your things from Matiimma, As 
 I found them too bulk)-, I divided them into light packages in 
 the presence of Mr. AValdmeier and his party. I noAv send them 
 to you in small parcels, because I want you to receive them 
 speedily. 
 
 "Dated Gth of the month Magabit, a.d. 1850."— (2nd March, 
 18G7.) 
 
 Eas I'ngala came in charge, and the packages were 
 brought on the shoulders of the royal troops, as most of the
 
 18G7. Maucii. disaffection OF THE PEASANTRY. 23^ 
 
 peasantry between Debra Tabor and IMagdala had become 
 disaffected since the King had commenced imprisoning tlio 
 Chiefs of Bagaiiieder. Ras Kidana 3Iaryam, the Comman- 
 dant of Magdala, had been put in irons on the ostensible 
 cliarge of having been in correspondence with IMenilek, King 
 of Shoa ; the real fact was, that Theodore feared he might 
 rebel on hearing that his district, Bagame.ler, was being de- 
 vastated by his ungrateful master. He was conveyed to Debra 
 Tabor to-day by Ras I'ngaila, together with "Wakshum Tafare, 
 cousin to the Wakslium Gobaze, and two other great Chiefs of 
 the King's creation. It was apprehended that his Majesty 
 intended to put these men out of the way; such, however, 
 was not the case. He had merely subjected them to the 
 torture for a few days, in order to extort money from them, 
 and they were sent back to Magdala when Theodore himself 
 approached that fortress in the beginning of the following 
 year. 
 
 I sent the subjoined letter to his Majesty by Ras I'ngada, 
 thanking him for tlic trouble he had taken about our stores, 
 and requesting his permission to send him some of the 
 wearing apparel which I had received : — 
 
 "Magdala, 20lJi March, 18G7. 
 "Most Gracious Soveueigx, 
 
 " I have had the honour of receiving your Majesty's welcome 
 letter by lias I'nguda, dated the (Uh of JMagiibit, and I wa.s glad 
 to learn thcrefiom that you were in perfect health. 
 
 "I >ieg to infoi-m your Majesty that tlie things you so kindly 
 forwarded to mo liavo reached safely. Allow mo to rctuiTi yon 
 my grateful thanks for your kindness in having had thorn 
 brought from Matamma, and for the trouble you have taken in 
 transmitting them hither. 
 
 " 1 take this opportunity of informing jour I^fajesty that when, 
 on a former occasion, T asked j-our permission to obtain a snpj)]y 
 of eatublcH and drinkables from Matamma, I was not aware 
 that anything had arrived thoro for me, from Massowah ; but
 
 240 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIL 
 
 it appears that a few days Lefore my letter reached that place, 
 some Avearing apparel had arrived for me and my companions, 
 •vvliich -svas accordingly forwarded to me, together with what I 
 had written for. Part of the former consists of a supply of 
 calico and shirts, and as we have already more than we require 
 of those articles, I trust your Majesty will allow me to send 
 you ten pieces of calico and thirty shirts, for the use of your 
 servants. I hesitate to send them by Ilailo, the bearer of this 
 letter, before obtaining your sanction, which I hope you will be 
 pleased to accord. 
 
 "Dr. Blanc, Mr. Prideaux, Mr. Cameron and his party, and 
 Mr. Stern and his party, beg to send your Majesty their ret^pect- 
 ful compliments. Thank God, we are all well, and I trust this 
 letter will find you in the enjoyment of perfect health." 
 
 "When I wrote for the above-named articles in May, 1866, 
 I bad intended some of the shirts and calico for the King, 
 and as they had reached me through him, and he himself 
 had actually seen them when they were re-packed, I could 
 hardly do otherwise than malce him the offer which I did. 
 Being a prisoner, however, I deemed it expedient to ask his 
 con.>ent before sending the present. His reply, which came 
 to hand on the 15tli of April, was characteristic : — 
 
 (After compliments to all.) 
 
 " I have received your communication, and thank you for it. 
 It is not convenient for the present that I should receive any- 
 thing from j-ou ; but, by the power of God, whatever you require 
 I will give you. I am much obliged to you [for the proffered 
 gift]; let your servants wear the articles for me. Oh! ni}- be- 
 loved, send to me for Avhatcvcr you need, and I will supply it. 
 Don't fear. 
 
 " What I requiio from my friend, the Queen, and from you, 
 my brother, is your friendship. >;ot that I can say that I am 
 rich, and am in no want of worldly goods ; but, by the power of 
 God, I am anxious that you should open my eyes, for I am a 
 blind donkey." 
 
 (Ji)]y once after this, subsequent to Mr. Flad's return from
 
 Chap. XXIII. THEODORE IN STRAITS. 241 
 
 England, was I able to correspond directly with tlie King 
 through ray own messengers, as the whole of liagameiler had 
 risen in rebellion and efTleetually cut off all communiration 
 with Magdala. Dalanta and Dawunt, in the vicinity of the 
 fortress, remained faithful to the royal cause till July, wlien 
 they were driven, under compulsion, to join the Gallas for a 
 time. For seven weeks, Theodore was unable to hold any 
 intercourse with jMagdala, except through secret messengers 
 obtained from among the native prisoners and peasants. For 
 tlu'ee months, even these emissaries failed to accomplish 
 their errands, and matters had come to such a deadlock that 
 all kinds of conjectures were afloat as to what the upshot 
 would be. The rumour that the King had been driven to 
 such straits that he was obliged to take refuge in his native 
 district, K\Aara, filled all the captives with joy, ami at one 
 time there was not one amongst us who would not have 
 wagered a hundred to one that we should never see his face 
 again ; nevertheless, we were once more doomed to disap- 
 pjiiitment. Were I to record a tithe of the exaggerated 
 and unfounded reports which obtained temporary currency 
 at that period, this narrative would cover many additional 
 pages. There can be little doubt, however, that the pro- 
 ceedings of Theodore, during the greater part of 18(j7, were 
 characterized by a savage brutality quite diabolical. His 
 thirst for blood luid attained such a pitch, that ho is said 
 to have ordered one hundred thousand head of cattle to bo 
 shot dead, between sunrise and sunset, on hearing that his 
 soldiers, who had already plundered more cows than they 
 knew what to do with, were selling them to the rebels for 
 one dollar uacli. It appears, also, that ho had learnt from 
 the rebels a more summary way of disposing of his captured 
 enemies, namely, by committing them to the flames. A 
 VOL. II. B
 
 212 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIL 
 
 petty insurgent of Davvunt, near Magdala, is stated to have 
 been the first to perpetrate this horrible outrage, before that 
 district revolted. The district was presided over by a Chief, 
 named Aito Odisso, who was reputed to be upwards of a 
 hundred years of age, and yet walked and rode with the 
 energy of a man of fifty. 1 saw this venerable patriarch 
 as we passed through Dawunt, on our way to Magdala, in 
 July, 1866. He certainly did not look more than seventy 
 years old, and yet the people assured me that he was a Chief 
 of Dawunt in the time of Eas Guksa, the grandfather of 
 Eas 'Ali, that is, about eighty years ago. This man was 
 so devoted to Theodore, that he maintained the loyalty of 
 the district to the royal cause when the whole country 
 around was convulsed Avith anarchy, and on two occasions 
 he repulsed the rebels who appeared in the immediate neigh- 
 bourhood, and utterly routed them. One rebel, how^ever, 
 with a party of about eighty followers, determined to get 
 rid of the old Chief and his family. They accordingly 
 concerted together to set his house on fire by night, and 
 to massacre any of the inmates who attempted to run from 
 the flames. The devilish scheme was carried out to the 
 letter. Aito Odisso, who was the first to awake, rushed 
 out of the burning house, and was speedily dispatched by 
 the ruffians, who were on the look-out for him. Eight or 
 ten members of his family were either burnt alive or speared ; 
 the remainder, including his son and heir, managed to effect 
 their escape under cover of the darkness. The marauders 
 then collected all tlic booty they could from the village, 
 including horses, mules and cattle, and by sunrise the fol- 
 lowing morning reached that part of the Bashilo river which 
 divides Dalanta from Dawunt, where, fancying themselves 
 safe from surprise, they halted to have a feast on hrundo.
 
 Chap. XX III. AITO ODISSO. 243 
 
 Meanwhile, the son of the slaughtered Chief was busy at 
 work, and swore that he would not bury his father before 
 he had avenged him. The conflagration of the houses, and 
 the resoundings of the war-cry during the night, brought 
 all the Dawunt wan-iors to the spot, who, on seeing the 
 mangled corpse of their Chief, took an oath that they would 
 not return home until they had wreaked their vengeance 
 on his murderers. About five hundred mustered to go in 
 pursuit, and the scouts sent in advance to reconnoitre re- 
 turning ^\itll the intelligence that the band had halted near 
 the Bashilo, the young Chief divided his followers into two 
 parties, one of which was placed so as to cut off the re- 
 treat of the enemy, while the other attacked them. The 
 rebel Chief fought bravely, and, refusing to surrender himself 
 iilive, was almost hacked to pieces by the assailants ; where- 
 upon his adherents, finding themselves surrounded on all 
 sides, laid down tlieir arms. The corpse of their leader was 
 then transported to the old Chiefs village in Dawunt, where 
 it was left to rot in the fields, and about eighty of the cap- 
 tured prisoners were sent to the King at Debra Tabor. So 
 severely did Theodore feel the loss of Aito Odisso, that 
 he is reported to have wept when he heard of his death, and 
 kept himself secluded for a whole day. Even during the 
 old man's lifetime, the King never exacted any taxes from 
 I ho people of Dawimt ; the only burden imposed upon 
 ihem was the duty of supplying the garrison at Magdala 
 with a tenth of the grain raised in the district. Moreover, 
 ho always addressed the houry-headed Chief in tlu! third 
 person, as if speaking to a superior. The rebel prisonei*3 
 underwent a fair trial, and all pleaded guilty ; whcretipon 
 the King adjudged tli.m to a death similar to that \Nhich 
 they had devised for his dear and faithful friend. They were 
 
 u 2
 
 244 EEBELLION AEOUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXHI.. 
 
 accordingly placed in a large hut, on tlie outside of which 
 heaps of grass were piled by the executioners, who then set 
 the whole on fire. Such was Theodore's first essay in this 
 species of cruelty, and, finding that it was an expeditious way 
 of dispatching those whom he styled " rebels," he thence- 
 forward frequently adopted it. By all accounts, some hun- 
 dreds of men, Avomen and children were subsequently burnt 
 alive by his orders. 
 
 An incident occurred on the murder of the old Chief of 
 Dawunt which is worthy of being recorded, as illustrative 
 of the honesty and fidelity of Abyssinian servants. When I 
 was sent a prisoner to Magdala, the King instructed that 
 Chief to act as my agent, and to assist me generally in my 
 requirements. He also directed, that in case I wished to 
 send mules belonging to the Mission to graze in Dawunt, he 
 was to supply them with forage, and also to provide quarters 
 for the muleteers and for any servants or messengers of mine 
 who passed through his district. On the afternoon preceding 
 the night of the outrage, one of my trusty messengers, named 
 Golja, reached the Chieftain's house from Gaffut, with two 
 companions, carrying no less a sum than 1,700 doUars — 
 nearly 400Z. — for my fellow-captives and myself, which had 
 been obtained from the King's European artisans against 
 orders drawn on Europe. They Mere located, during the 
 night of the attack, in a small hut just beyond the Chief's 
 inclosurc. Lucidly, Golja happened to be awake when the 
 first onset was made on the premises. Suspecting foul phiy, 
 he roused his companions and hurried them out of the hut, 
 bearing the money, and the tliree concealed themselves in a 
 clump of bushes, away from the vilLage, until the morning. 
 When everything was quiet, they pursued their journey, and 
 arrived at the fortress without the loss of a dollar.
 
 Chap. XXII F. MESSENGERS AND GUIDES. 215 
 
 During the interval that the roads between Debra Tabor 
 and ]\ragdala were closed by the rebels, I occasionally em- 
 ployed the King's private messengers to bring letters and 
 money from our friends at Gafifat. Though twice attacked 
 by marauding parties, they never lost any of the parcels 
 confided to tliem ; in fact, the readiness of these royal 
 couriers to serve me, and their fidelity to the trusts they 
 undertook, are beyond all praise. Aito Samuel also had two 
 servants, named respectively Obishet and Dabaj, whose 
 devotion to tlieir master induced them to risk their lives on 
 our behalf. Any communication from a party who feared to 
 make it through a third person generally reached me 
 through Ubi-het, with unerring punctuality and truthfulness. 
 As I never allowed the letters which we dispatched to the 
 coast, or those sent up to us from Massowah, to be taken from 
 !Magdala or to be brought there by the messengei'S charged 
 with their conveyance, it was the joint duty of Obishet and 
 my interpreter, Dasta, to carry them about their persons 
 until they found a safe opportunity of delivering them to 
 the parties selected to transmit them. Dabaj, on tlio otlier 
 luind, was the principal medium of carrying on our com- 
 munications with the royal camp during these critical times, 
 and although well known to the King's courtiers, and even 
 to Theodore, ho never hesitated to undertake my errands to 
 Debra lubor or elsewhere. If seized, he was instructed io 
 say that he had been sent by me to procure funds — the only 
 j)lea which was likely to save his life. Once, when not 
 another soul would venture betw(Mjn ^Idgdala ami Debra 
 Tultor, owing to a stringent order that no stranger was to bo 
 allowed either to enter or leave the eanip, lit; volunteered 
 to visit Mr. Flad llw re, in onhr to t)btain a supply of money 
 for us, of which we were in the greatest need. He travelled
 
 2i6 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIT. 
 
 with one of the King's private messengers, and after getting 
 the money — about two hundred dollars — he consigned half of 
 it to his companion, and both set out on the return journey 
 together. On reaching the district of Gaint, in Bagameder, 
 they were attacked by a party of rebels, who seized Dubaj, 
 while the royal courier managed to escape. The latter 
 brought us the sum which he carried, just as we had ex- 
 pended our last few dollars ; the former was first bound by 
 the marauders, and tlien lightened of his burden, with the 
 exception of a sum of forty dollars, ^hich he had carefully 
 secreted in his trousers. Two of the forty dollars he gave 
 to one of the servants in the house where he had been 
 confined, to connive at his escape, and he eventually reached 
 us in safety with the balance by travelling only during the 
 night. 
 
 On finding that we were close prisoners at Magdala, I 
 appointed agents at different places between the coast and 
 the fortress, and also between the Amba and the King's 
 camp at Debra Tabor, to protect my messengers and render 
 them every assistance in their power. I found, also, that 
 guides were necessary to insure the safety of the letters 
 when they arrived near Magdala, and I accordingly employed 
 a number of men on that service. These guides carried the 
 letters when I did not think it safe to trust the messengers 
 directly, lest they should be detected. The latter acquitted 
 themselves from beginning to end most honourably, and 
 only on a few rare occasions did they lose any of the money 
 confided to them. 
 
 Of all the assistance, however, which I received from the 
 Abyssinians, none proved so valuable as the co-operation of 
 the Chiefs of Dalanta. I'rkina, one of their number, never 
 failed me in a single instance from the time I first employed
 
 Chap. XXIII. ABYSSINIAN FIDELITY. 217 
 
 him until wc finally left Magdala. During that interval, 
 Dalanta changed its governor no less than six times, having 
 been ruled alternately by the King, the Wakshura Gobaze, and 
 the Gallas. I'rkina and his two brothers harboured my mes- 
 sengers and afforded them protection, whenever it was needed. 
 "Without them I could not have sent our mails regularly to 
 the coast, nor could we have received, as we did, supplies of 
 money from without, when the whole country was in a state 
 of anarchy. Many a time did I'rkina retire to sleep in the 
 most lonely spots, fearing lest the letters which he carried 
 might be seized, in the event of his betrayal either to 
 Theodore or to the Imam of the CJallas. On one occasion, 
 when five batches of messengers arrived together on the 
 borders of Dalanta from the coast, with several sums, amount- 
 ing in all to 2,000 dollars, a large party of rebels concerted 
 to attack and plunder them. On hearing this, I'rkina 
 mustered all the ligliting-men from among his relations — 
 seventy in number — and proceeded with them to the rendez- 
 vous, took charge of the money, and brought it intact to 
 Magdahi. 
 
 lieforc the King reached the fortress I managed to main- 
 tain a regular bi-moiithly communication with jMassowah. 
 So trustworthy had 1 found the Abyssinians, that when news 
 reached us of tlie landing of the British troops, I commenced 
 organizing intermediate stations between ^lagdala and 
 Sakota, to serve as a more expeditious lino of conveying 
 intelligence between ourselves and the invading force. 
 According to my calculations at the time, a letter might 
 have been transmitted from I^Fagdala t(» tln' coa-t, aiul vice 
 versa, in twelve days. 1 Imd ev<n aiipoiiilc*! the respective 
 Ktiif ion-masters — men who could read and write — and com- 
 missioned a silversmith at Maijrdala to make dilTerenl <"al>-
 
 248 EEBELLIOX AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIII. 
 
 for each, with which the letters passing through their hands 
 were to be stamped. Four men were allotted to each 
 station, who were to travel in couples, forty miles, once a 
 fortnight. I had nominated the couriers, and the seals were 
 being prepared, when the King's approach was announced, 
 and the people of Wadala— the district where the two first 
 stations were to have been established — suddenly left their 
 homes and fled towards Lasta. This unforeseen occurrence 
 of course upset my scheme, but I mention these incidents 
 to show the trustworthiness of the Abyssinians generally, 
 and their fidelity towards their employers and those who 
 treat them with proper consideration. Nothing, indeed, 
 that either my fellow-captives or myself experienced at their 
 hands would warrant us in speaking otherwise of them. If 
 a few isolated cases to the contrary are enough to brand a 
 whole people with dishonesty, faithlessness and ingratitude, 
 then, forsooth, no nation is free from the stigma. It is 
 perfectly true that I did fall in with disreputable individuals 
 in Abyssinia, especially among the common soldiers, who 
 regarded me as an inferior being, because I neither More a 
 sTidmma nor buttered my hair ; but such characters were 
 comparatively few, and many of them were afterwards ^^on 
 over by kindness to serve me with almost abject devotion. 
 It should be remembered, moreover, that ours was a most 
 anomalous position at Magdala ; we were, to all intents and 
 purposes, " prisoners," and the soldiery regarded us as such. 
 It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that we did not re- 
 ceive from them those out\Aard tokens of deference which, 
 under other circumstances, might have been expected. An 
 European guard is not l)()und, and I believe not allowed, to 
 salute its prisoners, whatever Ihcir i-imk may be; corre- 
 .sponding discipline prevails in the Abyssinian army, and it
 
 1867. ABYSSINIAN FIDELITY. 219 
 
 would be as unreasonable to inveigh against it in tlic one 
 case as in the other. 
 
 I offer no apology for adducing another eminent example 
 of the fidelity of the Abyssinians towards their employers. 
 When the Rev. Mr. Stern was brutally beaten, and two of 
 his native attendants were flogged to death by the King's 
 orders, simply because they were in that gentleman's service, 
 not one of his remaining followers deserted him ; on the 
 contrary, they stood by liini to the last, though they were 
 imprisoned, tortured, and had a yoke hung round their necks 
 by the cruel tyrant who had shed the blood of their innocent 
 comrades. 3Ioreover, even wlien some among his o\\n country- 
 men shunned the disgraced Missionary, his Abyssinian friends 
 still clung to liini, despite the risk whicli they incurred by 
 their sympathy, ^ly most ardent wish is that the poor 
 Abyssinians could be provided witli better rulers and a more 
 stable and equitable government, for I am persuaded that 
 in the coui*se of a few years, under an enlightened adminis- 
 tration, tlicy would make rapid advances, as well in morals 
 as in civilization generally. They are without any caste 
 prejudices, they are observant and shrewd, fond of learning, 
 and by no means deficient in intellectual ability ; indeed, I 
 um disposed to rank their natural powers in the latter 
 respect as equal to those of most ICuropeaii races. A large 
 portion of the educated and enlightened members of the 
 community were sadly disappointed on finding that Eng- 
 land's sole object in invading the country was the liberation 
 of the captives, and that the British force would retire 
 without taking any steps to intro<luce law and nrder among 
 them. " W'e were born in bondage and must die slaves," 
 was their desponding remark. The day after ^lagdala was 
 captured, I was asked whether it was true that we wire
 
 '250 REBELLION AROUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIIL 
 
 going to abandon the wretched people, without leaving a 
 competent governor behind to rule over them, and to lead 
 them in the steps of other Christian nations. On my reply- 
 ing in the afBrmative, telling them at the same time that they 
 must learn to govern themselves, they rejoined, " You mean 
 that we must cut each other's throats." 
 
 For a long time we were absolutely ignorant of the where- 
 abouts of the King, or when he intended visiting IMagdala. 
 (The march from Debra Tabor thither eventually occupied 
 him six entire months.) During this interval, both the 
 Wakshum Gobaze and Menilek, King of Sboa, were most 
 anxious to obtain possession of the fortress, and with that 
 view tried to ingratiate themselves Avith the Abuna, pro- 
 mising him immunity and honour when the power of Theo- 
 dore fell into their hands. I was repeatedly asked to use 
 my influence with the Chiefs to surrender the place to one 
 or other of the contending parties, when the royal cause was 
 thought to be desiderate. Ahmed, the son of Mastyat, the 
 youthful Imam of the Wello-G alias, also sent me a singular 
 letter, while I was still in chains, asking me to make over 
 Magdala to him, promising faithfully to send me down, 
 with all my fellow-captives, to the coast in safety. It did not 
 seem to have occurred to Mastyat, the Imam's mother — it was 
 she \A ho dictated the letter — that if I had possessed the power 
 of giving up Magdala to them, I should have got out of it 
 myself. He wrote an equally absurd letter to the Bishop, 
 telling him that if he assisted him in securing Magdala, he, 
 the Imam, would protect his "idols," that is to say, the pic- 
 tures and crosses used in the Abyssinian cliurches. Mastyat, 
 who was acting as Eegent for her son during his minority, often 
 threatened to starve the Magdala garrison by stopping its 
 supplies, which she could easily have done, if the Gallas had
 
 1867. COMPETITORS FOR MAG DAL A. 251 
 
 only supported her in the design ; but they preferred their 
 oym detestable way of revenge — lying in ambush behind trees 
 and roeks, whence they issued forth to kill helpless boys, 
 women and hioffensive priests. I believe that on the defen- 
 sive tlie Gallas fight well, but they are contemptible as 
 assailants, except in harassing a hostile army by hanging 
 on its outsldrts and cutting off stragglers. 
 
 Menilek and the "Wakshum Gobazo did approach at last, 
 but they took care to keep at a good distance, thereby making 
 themselves the objects of ridicule to the Magdala garrison, 
 who despised their cowardice. Menilek came first on tlie 
 30th of November, and pitched his camp on the plateau 
 opposite ]\[agdala, not less than five miles off. It was said 
 that ho had at least 30,000 fighting men with liiin. One 
 afternoon he approached about 500 feet nearer, with about 
 2,000 Musketeei-s and some artillery; but after making a 
 little display of his fire-arms, he returned to his tent, and 
 nothing more was seen of him. He remained there three 
 days, and we hourly expected that he would approach and 
 invest the place ; but he seemed to have feared an encounter 
 with the fierce defenders of the fortress, and instead of 
 coming towards us, when he moved on the 2nd of Deeombor, 
 18fJ7, ho returned to Shoa, on the plea that the provisions 
 for hi-i troops were exhausted. The fact was, ho had then 
 heard of tlie approach of Theodor(>, and thought it better 
 to decamp in time. Menilek was much liked, and would 
 have found many friends among the garrison, if he hud been 
 bold enough to conimenee operations. 
 
 Aft<n- Menilek's departure, the Wakshum Goba/e appeared 
 in the Held, but did n(»t come as near to ]\lagdala as the 
 King of Shou. The movement was made just as we heanl 
 that Tli'MKlore was approarhing, and he halted about thirty
 
 252 REBELLION AEOUND MAGDALA. Chap. XXIII. 
 
 miles off, witli an army computed at 30,000 fighting 
 men. 
 
 Although the Wakshum Gobaze did not behave bravely 
 on that occasion, he was one of our first and best friends 
 in Abyssinia, and never failed to serve us to the best of 
 his ability. Soon after we were sent to IMagdala he gave 
 orders, at the Bishop's recommendation, that his officers 
 on the road between ]\Iugdala and the coast should assist 
 our messengers, and protect them in case of clanger. This 
 co-operation continued until the arrival of the British army 
 at the fortress. On one occasion, I sent to tell him that I 
 had a large packet of documents which I was anxious to 
 send safely to Massowah, and asked if he could help me 
 in the matter. He immediately sent a priest to me, who 
 took charge of the packet and conveyed it to its destination. 
 When I heard of the landing of our troops, I sent to inform 
 him of the fact, and asked him to assist in providing them 
 with carriage and provisions. He accordingly caused to be 
 proclaimed through his districts, by beat of drum, that all 
 his subjects were to supply the British army with whatever 
 they required, and that they were not to fear, as the troops 
 were Christians, and would pay the full price for everything. 
 He said he was sorry that he could not wait to receive the 
 army himself, as he had engaged to go and settle the govern- 
 ments of Biigameder and the other districts round the Lake 
 of Dambea, and could not delay any longer, on account of the 
 rainy season, which was then fast approaching. 
 
 Since our seizure at Zage, on the 13th of April, 1866, 
 when we judged it jjrudent to destroy all our papers, I 
 abstained from keeping a regular journal, lest by some 
 mishap it might fall into Theodore's hands. Hence, many 
 portions of the foregoing pages are compiled from ofScial dis-
 
 1807. MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK. 253 
 
 patches, from private letters which had been sent to friends 
 in England, casual notes, and from memory — a faculty 
 which comparative seclusion from the work-a-day world, 
 pending a two years' captivity, has a marvellous power in 
 refreshing and rendering more retentive. However, when 
 at the end of 18G7 nothing was heard of the King, and 
 nobody believed that he would ever be able to reach our 
 prison-house, I re-commenced a diary from November of 
 that year, and dispatched the memoranda by the messengers 
 who were sent from time to time to the coast. But as it 
 would tire the patience of the reader to peruse a mere 
 record of repeated visits from different Chiefs, and of the 
 local occurrences at Magdala, I sliall skip over such trifling 
 matters — important as they were to us on the spot — and 
 talce up the narrative of events connected with the Mission 
 from the time that the communication between Magdala 
 and the royal camp was reopened, and the King resumed 
 corresponding with mc.
 
 254 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THEODOKE REACHES MAGDALA. 
 
 Theodore hears of the landing of the British troops — Sir Robert Napier's 
 Proclamation — Death of Hailo, a messenger — Submission of the 
 Dalanta people — The road open to Magdala — Death and burial of 
 Theodore's sister — Transport of artillery — The Author sends dispatches 
 to the British camp — Abyssinian mourning for the dead — Native and 
 five European prisoners forwarded to Magdala — Theodore's polite mes- 
 sages and speeches — Sir Robert Napier's ultimatum — Theodore in 
 prospect of the impending invasion — He reaches the Dalanta plateau — 
 Breaks faith with the Dalanta people — The Amharas — Messengers 
 aiTive from the British camp — The Author released from his chains — 
 Letter and jiresent from Theodore — Commmiications to and from the 
 British Camp — Theodore reaches the plateau of Salamge. 
 
 On the 2nd of December, 1867, tlie King heard of the hmd- 
 ing of the British troops, and about the 20th of the same 
 month an Amharic copy of Sir Eobcrt Napier's Proclamation 
 reached him from Tigre. It was reported at the time that 
 the announced invasion made him furious, and that his 
 European artisans narrowly escaped being put into chains in 
 consequence. Such, however, was not the case, for I was 
 assured on tlie best authority that the Proclamation only 
 elicited a smile from the inscrutable Monarch. Nevertheless, 
 he would not allow the document to be seen by any of his 
 own people ; not even by Alaka I'ngada, his chief scribe. 
 It was placed with other papers in tlic tin box which I had 
 given him. His Majesty was then in Wadala, near the Chetta 
 river. The following is a copy of the Proclamation : —
 
 18G8. .Tax. SIR R. NAPIER'S PROCLAMATION. 255 
 
 "To TiiK Governors, tiie Chiefs, the Eeligious Orders, and 
 THE People of Abyssinia. 
 
 " 26/7* October, 18G7. 
 " It is known to you that Tbeodorus King of Abyssinia detains 
 in captivity the British Consul Cameron, the British Envoy 
 Uassam, and many others, in violation of the laws of all civilized 
 nations, 
 
 " All friendly persuasion having failed to obtain their release, 
 my Sovereign has commanded me to lead an army to liberate 
 them. 
 
 " All who befriend the prisoners or assist in their liberation 
 shall be well rewarded, but those who may injure them shall be 
 severely punished. 
 
 " When the time shall arrive for the march of a British army 
 through your country, bear in mind, people of Abyssinia, that 
 the Queen of England has no unfriendly feeling towards you, and 
 no design against your country or your liberty. 
 
 "Your religious establishments, your persons, and property 
 i-hall be carefully protected. 
 
 "All supplies rerpiired for my soldiers shall be paid for; no 
 peaceable inhabitants shall be molested. 
 
 *' The sole object for which the Biitish force has been sent to 
 Abyssinia is the liberation of Her Majesty's sei-vants and others 
 ullju^-tly detained as captives, and as soon as that object is effected 
 it will bo withdrawn. 
 
 •'There is no intention to occupy permanently any portion of 
 the Abyssinian territory, or to interfere with the Government 
 of the countiy. 
 
 " 11. NAriEU, Lieutenant-General, 
 
 " Commander-in-Chief, Bomhay Arnuj." 
 
 Xst January, 1SG8. — News reached I\ragdala tliat tho 
 AVakshum Gobaze had announced his intention of attacking 
 Theodore as soon as the latter descended into the valloy of 
 the Cbcita. He had nominated two Dajazmatslics, witli about 
 ten thousand men, to procotd to Dalanfa in order to prevent 
 his ^lajesty's progress to ]\Iugdala. Tn llio afternoon, tho
 
 256 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIY. 
 
 Commandant and other Chiefs came to condole with me on 
 the loss of Hailo, the faithful messenger whom I had employed 
 to carry my messages to the King, his Majesty having sent 
 to inform me that the poor man had died in Zabit, after a 
 lingering illness. I had dispatched liini with a compli- 
 mentary letter to Theodore as far back as May, but as 
 the roads had been closed since then, he was obliged to 
 remain in the royal camp, and eventually came on with his 
 Majesty. In the evening the Eas's wife and other ladies 
 visited me on the same errand. It is worthy of remark that 
 the Abyssinians generally are very kind to servants, treating 
 them as members of the family, especially on their marriage 
 or death. AYhen native ladies go to condole with any one, 
 they usually wear their dirtiest clothes ; hence, my fair 
 visitors on this occasion were, externally, far from prepos- 
 sessing. 
 
 2nd. — Private couriers arrived this evening, bringing me a 
 polite message from the King. They reported that his 
 Majesty had reached Beitahor, on the top of the northern 
 side of the Chetta valley. 
 
 ^rd. — News reached us that the people of Dalanta had sub- 
 mitted to the King. The Wakshum Gobaze having failed to 
 protect them, they judged it prudent to take advantage of the 
 royal amnesty which Theodore had held out to them. I re- 
 ceived another polite message from his Majesty this after- 
 noon. 
 
 Ath. — The road being now open between the royal camp 
 and IMagdala, tlic King was able, for the first time after a 
 long interval, to ro-commencc employing his regular couriers. 
 His Majesty had been so long without proper food that he 
 sent to request his favourite wife, Itamanyo, to prepare some 
 good dishes and dispatch them to the camj), in order that he
 
 18C8. Jan. TRANSPORT OF A MORTAR. 257 
 
 might enjoy himself at the Abyssinian Christmas. The 
 couriers came to me shortly after with the following mossa<^e 
 from their master : — " How are you ? How are you, my 
 friend ? Thank God, I am well. I have now reached Beita- 
 hor, and hope to be with you soon. The nearer I approach 
 towards you the happier I feel, kuowing that the pleasure of 
 meeting you is at baud. I sent you to Magdala to be in my 
 house, with the Queen Consort and my son, and I hope they 
 have been kind to you and attended to your wants. Your 
 servant, Mohammed Sa'id, has reached Chalga, with stores 
 for you, and he is now with my people there. I have also 
 received everything that was sent for from the coast. I liave 
 had a large mortar cast, which has detained me on the road ; 
 but when I reach ^lagdala, and you see and admire it, I shall 
 forget all the trouble which it has given me. Ask your 
 brothers [fello^^ -captives] how thoy are, from me. I am 
 obliged to dispatch the messengers in haste, otherwise I would 
 have written to you." On the streugtli of this very courteous 
 message the Magdala Chiefs advised me to write a congratu- 
 latory letter to his Majesty. I accordingly addressed him as 
 follows : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " I have liad the honour of receiving your Majesty's kind 
 message by Yashdlaka Lih, and I was delighted to hear of your 
 safe arrival at r»eitah6r. 
 
 " I was also not a little pleased to learn that your Majesty was 
 in perfect hcaltli. 
 
 " May the liord give your Majesty hcaltli and prosperity, and 
 show us the light of your countenance soon ; and may you enjoy 
 a happy Cliristmas. 
 
 " Ih. Blanc and Mr. Pridcaux, I\Ir. Cameron and liis jiart}', 
 and Mr. Stem and his party, send your Majesty their respectful 
 comjiliments." 
 
 VOL. II. 8
 
 258 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap, XXIY. 
 
 The articles referred to by the King were some books and 
 fusees which I had ordered for him from Aden, as far back as 
 May, 18G6. Mohammed Sa'id was the messenger whom he 
 had asked me to dispatch with the letter he had requested 
 me to write, iu January of the following year, to get the 
 artisans sent up from the coast. He was fully aware that 
 the man had returned Nvithout an answer, and yet he forbore 
 manifesting any displeasure towards me, or finding fault with 
 the Government on that account. 
 
 In the afternoon the remains of the King's sister, to whom 
 he had been very much attached, were brought from the 
 royal camp to be interred in the church. She liad died on 
 the road to. Magdala, and had been placed in a coffin. To 
 prevent the effluvia arising from decomposition — whenever it 
 is desired to transport a body to a distance — the Abyssinians 
 wrap the corpse in several folds of cerement, much in the 
 same way as seems to have been practised by the ancient 
 Egyptians, and after exposing it to the sun for some time 
 remove it into the shade. By this process the waxed cloths 
 adhere closely together and form an impervious shroud. The 
 Magdala priests received the remains of the Princess in full 
 canonicals, with chants and the beating of drums, and outdid 
 themselves on the occasion, knowing the proximity of the 
 King, and being anxious to make a great show of their loyalty, 
 in order to win his approbation. 
 
 QtU. — Keceived another polite message from Theodore. 
 Orders came to-day directing that half the Magdala garrison 
 should bo sent to assist in transporting the licavy baggage, 
 and in moving the guns and_mortars througli the Chetta 
 valley. Dam ash was to go in command of the detachment. 
 This being the Abyssinian Christmas I gave an entertain- 
 ment to the royal couriers, a number of the Magdala Chiefs,
 
 1868. Jan. THEODOEE'S MOTIVE. 259 
 
 and several courtiers who had come from the King's camp on 
 different errands, and treated them with hrundo and tej to 
 their hearts' content. 
 
 1th. — Bitwaddad Damash and all the other officers ^ho 
 were going to the royal camp came to take leave of me, 
 offering to convey anything from me to the European arti- 
 sans, or to bring anything back for me on their return. As 
 the near approach of the King and the submission of Dalanta 
 rendered it dangerous to dispatch letters to the coast, I sent 
 messengers to accompany the detachment as far as Dalanta, 
 from whence they might proceed onward to the British camp 
 without risk of being seized. 
 
 11^^. — ]\Iy agents in Dalanta — who, in common with the 
 generality of the people of that district, had accepted the 
 royal amnesty — called to assure me of their constant readi- 
 ness to serve me faithfully as long as I remained in the 
 country. 
 
 \2th. — Another message from the King this morning. As 
 we were at prayers when the couriers arrived, they waited 
 until our service was over. His Majesty apologized for hav- 
 ing detained 'Omar 'Ali, my interpreter, but said that he did 
 not wish to send him back without an answer. The follow- 
 ing day 'Omar 'Ali returned with the subjoined note : — 
 
 (After compliments.) 
 
 " B}' tho power of God, I am coming to you. Oh, my friend, 
 do not think that I bear any hatred towards you. Be of good 
 cheer. I have placed yon in your present position in order that 
 I may have intercourse wilh the people of your countiy. The 
 friendship which I have always entertained for you has not 
 diminished. When God vouchsafes us a meeting, •\vo will talk 
 together from tho heart. God knows that I really have no 
 hatred towards you." 
 
 'Omar 'Ali reported that tho I^g had received him very 
 
 s 2
 
 2G0 THEODORE EEACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 well, and both lie and tho Europeans ^vlio were with the royal 
 camp stated that his IMajesty had publicly spoken of me in 
 flattering terms. Theodore at this time was engaged from 
 sunrise to sunset in widening and leyelling tlic roads down 
 the valley for the passage of his huge waggons. 
 
 11 th. — Heard that his Majesty liad reached the bottom of 
 the Chetta valley, with all his heavy baggage, guns, &c. ; that 
 upwards of two hundred prisoners had been made over to 
 Damash, to be conveyed to 3Iagdala ; also Mrs. Rosenthal,, 
 who had received the King's permission to join her husband. 
 Dispatched a post to-day to the British camp with the latest 
 intelligence. 
 
 IWi. — This being the Feast of tlie Epiphany with the 
 Abyssinians, the priests and warriors of Magdala made no. 
 little uproar in conveying the sacred Tdhot from the springs 
 near which it had been deposited the previous night, and 
 where it was newly aifused with water prior to its re-com- 
 mittal to the Holy of Holies within the church. A description 
 of this ceremony has already been given in Vol. I. pp. 225-7. 
 
 22nd. — The King sent me word regretting his long deten- 
 tion. He found road-making a harder task than he had 
 anticipated. 
 
 2?ird. — Samuel's wife having heard of the death of her 
 father and mother in the royal camp, through fatigue and 
 anxiety, there was great wailing in his house this morning. 
 As usual, a feast followed the lamentation for the departed, 
 all the friends of the family, and those who wished to mani- 
 fest their sympathy on the occasion, contributing the custo- 
 mary viands. 
 
 On the death of a near relative, the Abyssinians either 
 shave their heads or crop tli<ir liair short; many of them 
 also try to disfigure themselves by scratching their cheeks
 
 ■ 1868. Jan. NATIVE OBSEQUIES. 261 
 
 and temples till the blood runs. Samuel, however, who dis- 
 liked all such barbarous customs, would not allow his wife to 
 cut oflf her hair, and was obliged to jAace women over her to 
 see that his injunctions were obeyed. Feeling aggrieved at 
 this prohibition to observe the usages of her country, the 
 lady refused to allow her hair to be buttered. All other 
 resources to induce her to comply with her husband's wishes 
 in that respect having failed, my intervention was sought, 
 and after considerable effort I induced the mourner to submit 
 to the usual buttering. Theodore hated all these obsequies, 
 which he reganled as pagan, and on his accession to the 
 throne he forbade them, and decreed that any one, male or 
 female, who disfigured his or her face, in token of sorrow for 
 the departed, should be amenable to punishment. lie also 
 prohibited all loud wailing for the dead in the royal camp. 
 
 ]Meuilek, King of Shoa, sent me some money to-day and a 
 note, informing me that the English Queen had written him 
 a letter recognizing him as King of Abyssinia. It was for- 
 tunate that this communication did not fall into Theodore's 
 hands. 
 
 2V}th. — The Magdala detachment returned this afternoon 
 with 180 native and five European prisoners. The latter were 
 those who had tried to eflect their escape from Debru Tabor 
 when M. Bardel betrayed their design to the Iving, namely, 
 Messrs. Staiger, Brandeis, Schiller, Essller and Macraire. 
 Mrs. Rosenthal and her infant came also with the escort. 
 Among the native prisonei-s were Wakshum Tafare and the 
 other Chiefs who were taken with him by lias I'ngadu when 
 lias Kiddua i\Iuryam was removed to iJebra Tabor ; Kiintiba 
 Ilailo, the ex-3[ayor of Gondar; Has Wald-j\Iaryam, and lias 
 Gabri6, the Chiefs who bad guarded tlie members of tlie 
 Mission on our disgrace at Zagc ; the Master of llie llor>e;
 
 262 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 Balambaras Tasdinma ; Bitwaddad Tadla, who had brouglit 
 us as prisoners to Magdala ; T'issoo Hailo, the merchant who 
 was afraid to accompany me on board the steamer at Mas- 
 sowah at the end of 18G-1 (see VoL I. p. 36), and' a large 
 number of courtiers who had incurred the royal displeasure 
 for trivial offences. 
 
 After the native prisoners were safely lodged in the com- 
 mon jail, together with about four hundred inmates who had 
 been confined there previously, Dajjaj Dasta, one of the petty 
 Chiefs of Magdala, who was then in great favour with the 
 King, accompanied by several other Chiefs, brought the 
 European captives, each chained to an Abyssinian soldier, 
 and made them over to me, in accordance with the King's 
 orders. His Majesty, he said, had directed him to repeat th& 
 following message to me : — " How are you ? How have you 
 passed the time ? I send five of your coimtrymen whom I 
 wish you to receive and keep with the other Europeans who 
 are with you. Be of good cheer, my son ; I shall soon be 
 with you." It appears that when the native prisoners were 
 consigned to the Magdala Chiefs at the royal camp, the latter 
 inquired where the five Europeans were to be lodged. After 
 considering a little, his Majesty asked the Chiefs whether 
 they thought I should feel hurt if they were located with the 
 native prisoners in the common jail. On their replying in 
 the affirmative, he directed them to be made over to me, 
 with the foregoing message. With regard to Mrs. Rosenthal, 
 he said, " Take her and deliver her over to her brother, and 
 say from me, ' I send your sister, as you desired.' " The poor 
 lady was detained at the gate of the fortress nearly two 
 hours, and \sas not admitted until the Chief had terminated 
 his task of delivering over, categorically, all the native 
 prisoners to the local authorities, agreeably with a list which
 
 1868. Jan. imprisonment OF NATIVE CHIEFS. 263 
 
 had been drawn up at the royal caroj). The exigencies of 
 Abyssinian red-tape demanded not only that the prisoners 
 shoidd be made over numerically, but the Jail Wardens 
 must have each individual identified, lest a common convict 
 should be substituted for an attainted political offender of 
 rank. So apprehensive was Theodore of losing Wakshmn 
 Tafare, that he sent him to Magdala with his hands shackled 
 to his feet, and twenty trusty men, selected by the King 
 himself, were appointed to keep watch over him day and 
 night until he reached his destination. All the formalities 
 over, seven guns were fired to announce that the i)risoners 
 were safely lodged within the impregnable fortress. The 
 King, knowing the time when they might be expected to 
 arrive, sat on a hill awaiting the expected signal. On see- 
 ing the smoke of the gims he breathed freely, and exclaimed 
 " Thank God ! " As there were some thousands Amliara as 
 well as Galla rebels in arms in the neighbourhood, and as he 
 could only spare an escort of five hundred men to guard the 
 captive Chiefs, he was in dread lest their rescue should be 
 attempted. Tn this apprehension he seems to have over- 
 looked the itict, that the smoke of his camp-fires was enough 
 to scare the cowardly rabble from his path. 
 
 News reached us to-day that the British force was being 
 concentrated at Senafe. 
 
 21th. — Received a budget of letters from the coast ; also 
 some newspapers. A short paragraph in one of the journals 
 stated that " Calcraft had been engaged by her j\rajcsty's 
 Government to accompany the Abyssinian Expedition " — a 
 pleasant announcement to Theodore liad tlio paper fallen 
 into bis hands and been rendered into Andiaric for him by a 
 malevolent translator. The day following, all the offit'crs of 
 tlio rf'tnruing detachment came to take leave of me.
 
 261 THEODORE REACHES MAG DAL A. Chap. XXIY. 
 
 30th. — Dispatched other messengers to the British camp. 
 I have now three guides and several agents between Mag- 
 dala and the Takkaze river, to insure the safe transmission 
 of letters out of the reach of the King. 
 
 1st February. — Theodore has been publicly talking about 
 me and some of the other captives. Mr. Flad's version of 
 the royal speech was as follows : — " IMi'. Rassam was my best 
 friend before I sent him to Magdala, and although I put him 
 in chains he is still my friend, and for that reason I esteem 
 and love him, and shall do him good as long as I live, though 
 those who are above him in England laugh at me, and deride 
 my poverty ; but Messrs. Stern, Cameron and Eosenthal I 
 cannot esteem more than my own Abyssinians." His remark 
 about our Government having ridiculed him referred to a 
 passage in one of Mr. Rosenthal's letters ^\hich has been 
 explained in Vol. I. p. 301. 
 
 Zrd. — After I had retired for the night, I was aroused by 
 Aito Samuel, who came to inform me that couriers had ar- 
 rived from the King w ith a message which they were ordered 
 to deliver to me without delay. The message ran thus : — 
 "(How are you? I must apologize for not having -written 
 when I sent you the five EuroiJcans. I have been hard at 
 work of late making a good road for the gun-carriages. I 
 hope it will not be long before I ascend Dalanta, when 
 I trust to have the pleasure of meeting you — a joy which 
 has been long deferred. Ask your brothers how they are," &c. 
 We were induced to infer from the tenor of this communi- 
 cation, that as soon as the King reached the Dalanta 
 plateau he would send for us and keej) us there. It was 
 no small satistaction to us that lie never carried out that 
 project, if he had ever intended it. 
 
 '^th. — Almost every alternate clay since the 3rd, compli-
 
 1868. Feb. BIR ROBERT NAPIER'S ULTIMATUM. 265 
 
 mentary messages have come to me from his Majesty. Ou 
 the l.'jth there was a tremendous hailstorm, Nvhich partly 
 destroyed the beautiful arbour in front of my hut. The 
 day following a quaint message reached me from Theodore, 
 which I must give in full : — " How are you ? How are you, 
 my friend? Thank God, I am well; but the people of your 
 country have made fools both of you and me. In a few days 
 I shall be up with my guns in Dalanta, when I shall com- 
 municate to you what I know." Tliis was quite a riddle to 
 us, and the messengers were equally at a loss to know what 
 the King meant. 
 
 Thtj W'ukshum Gobaze forwarded me a copy of his Excel- 
 lency Sir Robert Napier's ultimatum, addressed to the 
 K'iiig. lie had opened and read it, and on ascertaining its 
 j)urp()rt liad exclaimed, "Alas! for the poor Francliotali. 
 •Should this lall into the hands of Kasa [the name which the 
 rebels always gave to Theodore], he will certainly kill them 
 all." He accordingly directed the messenger to bring the 
 j»aj)er to me, in order that I iniglit decide whether it was 
 to be forwarded to its destination or destroyed. To insure 
 its reaching me first, he instructed his agents to see that 
 the bearer came to me before going elsewhere. When it 
 reached me, I submitted it to several of the intelligent 
 natives who were in my confidence, and they unanimously 
 agrofd that tl)e worst consequences might be apprehended 
 if the document found its way to the King. I also referred 
 the nuitter to those of ray fcllow-eaptives whose opinion I 
 felt bound to consult in such a case, and as tlieir views con- 
 curred witli my own I decided to arrest the dangerous missive. 
 
 The following is a copy of the ultimatum : — 
 
 " I Jim (•oramanded by lier Majesty the Queen of England to 
 demand that the pribouei-a whom your Majesty luts wrongfully
 
 266 THEODORE REACHES MxVGDALA. Chap. XXIV 
 
 detained in captivity shall be immediately released and sent in 
 safety to Ihe British Camp. Should your ^Majesty fail to comply 
 •with this demand, I am further commanded to enter your Majesty's 
 country at the head of an army to enforce it, and nothing will 
 arrest my progress until the object shall have been accomplished. 
 
 " My Sovereign has no desire to deprive you of any part of 
 your dominions, nor to subvert your authority, although it is 
 obvious that such would in all probability be the result of 
 hostilities. 
 
 " Your Majesty might avoid this danger by the immediate 
 surrender of the prisoners. 
 
 "But should they not be delivered safely into my hands, 
 should they suffer a continuance of ill treatment, or should anj- 
 injury befall them, your Majesty will be held personally respon- 
 sible, and no hope of future condonation need be entertained." 
 
 Ibth. — Eeceived a letter from Mr. Flad to-day, wherein he 
 informed me that the King had broached the subject of the 
 impending invasion to his European artisans. The feeling 
 which pervaded Theodore's mind, in anticipation of that 
 event, is so clearly indicated by his utterances on the oc- 
 casion, that I shall give them in Mr. Flad's own words : — 
 
 ^' Boyal Camp, Dalanta, 11th February, 1868. 
 
 " You will be glad to hear that his Majesty informed Mr. 
 Waldraeier, on Friday last, that he had received news from the 
 coast that the English had disembarked at Zoolah ; and on Satur- 
 day morning he called me aside and told me, ' The people of 
 whom you brought me a letter, and of whom you said that 
 they will come, have arrived, and disembarked at Zoolah, and 
 they are coming up by the salt plain. Why did the}- not choose 
 a better road? The road by the salt plain is very Tinhealthy.* 
 I said, that as they bring their troops from India, they could 
 not take a better road than this. From the sea-coast they 
 would, in three or four days, reach the alps of Agamay ; and 
 that with little difficulties, as already, at the time of King 
 Fasil, the rortuguese had made a way up, and the salt plain 
 they would leave to their left. He then said, ' Wo are making 
 roads, and what will it be to them but playing to make roads
 
 18G8. Feb. DALANTA ATTAINED. 267 
 
 everywhere ? Well,' he said, ' it seems to mo to be the wtU 
 of God that they come. If He who is above does not kill me, 
 none will kill me ; and if He says, yon must die, no one can 
 save me. Iiemember the history of Hezekiah and Sennacherib.' 
 His Majesty did not say more, but this he said most solemnly. 
 To-day he said to Messis. AValdmcier, Saalmuller and Bender, 
 ' T long for the day on which I shall have the pleasure to see 
 a disciplined European army. I am like Simeon who would 
 rejoice, having the Saviour in his arms ; but he was old and 
 died, and I am old too, but I hope God will spare mo to see 
 them. I am no more proud of my soldiers. A\'e are nothing 
 in comparison to a disciplined army, where thousands of men 
 act on the command of one man.' 
 
 " On Friday he said to ^Ir. ^^'aldmeicr, ' "We liave a pro- 
 phecy that the time will come when an European King will meet 
 with an Abyssinian King in this country; and the Europeans 
 will then take their mouthful and speak the tnith before the 
 people of this country; and after this time a great King will 
 reign in Abyssinia, as great as none will have been before him. 
 This time has come.' Ho said, 'but I don't know whether I 
 shall be that great King, or some one else.' From all he now 
 and then says, the Europeans here maho their conclusions, that he 
 is glad that they are coming, and that ho thinks only of a re- 
 conciliation, and that nothing is to bo feared for any Europeans 
 in his hands." 
 
 In the afternoon, messengers arrived from the royal camp 
 to announce the King's arrival on the Dalauta plateau, with 
 all his guns and mortars. They brought me a most polite 
 message from his ^[ajesty, and I was cUlightod to find that 
 lio had not sent for us. A salute was fired from the fortress 
 on the receipt of the foregoing intelligence. If Theodore's 
 circumstances and prospects hardly warranted such a fcu- 
 Je-Juii'^ the feat of having transported liuge pieces of artillery 
 through the deep and difTicnlt valley of the Chetta, witii 
 tliousands of rebels liovering around him, certainly did. 
 
 Ujth. — Unlike all other Churches, the Al)yssinians begin
 
 '268 THEODORE REACHES ^lAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 their Lent on Monday ; consequently, those who up to yester- 
 day (Simday) feasted on raw beef and mead, or beer, look 
 rather downcast this morning. Messengers, escorted by my 
 Dalanta agents as far as the fortress, reached me from the 
 coast to-day, with money. 
 
 11th. — Dispatched letters to the British camp tliis morn- 
 ing, under the protection of the same escort. Three hours 
 after they had started, the astounding news reached Mag- 
 dala that the King had broken faith with the Dalanta people, 
 wlio, since accepting his amnesty, had done all in their 
 power to assist him. Not only had they helped in trans- 
 porting the guns and heavy baggage through the Chetta 
 valley, but tliey had fed the royal army from the beginning 
 of January. I deplored this fresh outrage, especially on 
 .account of my agents, I'rkina and his cousins, who had left 
 their families to the tender mercies of the ungrateful King, 
 to accompany the messengers bringing the money. The 
 intelligence reached them just as they were entering Dalanta ; 
 nevertheless, they sent to tell me, by a special courier, that 
 the letters were safe, and that I was to be in no anxiety 
 about them. " Although our property has been plundered, 
 and our families probably slain" — so said they to the mes- 
 sengers who were going down to the coast — " we may not 
 neglect Mr. Rassam's business by sending you back to Mag- 
 dala with the letters. God's will be done! but we shall be 
 faithful to our benefactor." 
 
 ISi/t. — The road between ]\rag(lala and the royal camp is 
 entirely closed by the peasants of J )alanta and Dawuut, who 
 have taken up a position in the Uashilo, and sworn to kill 
 any one attempting to convey coniniunications between the 
 King and the Magdala garrison. On the morning of the 20th, 
 the messengers whom T had dispatched to collect what infer-
 
 1808. Fef,. submission OF DALAXTA. 269 
 
 mation they could respecting tlic proceedings at the royal 
 camp, and the fate of my agents' families, returned to report 
 that the Dalanta people had fought bravely, and killed a 
 number of the royal troops, when attacked by the latter ; but 
 that his Majesty had seized a number of helpless women and 
 children, among whom were several of I'rlcina's relatives. I 
 was glad to learn, three days after, that these captives had 
 been released by Theodore. 
 
 The circumstances connected ^vitll this contest were as 
 follows : — the Wakslmm Gobaze -having fiiiled to render the 
 Dalanta people any assistance, the only alternative they had 
 was to submit. All the Chiefs accordingly went to Theodore 
 in a body and asked forgiveness. They were received most 
 courteously, and the King called them his beloved children, 
 and said, " IIow can I blame you for submitting to the rebels, 
 when I rendered you no protection ? Can I forget the 
 assistance you have always rendered to my JMagdala garri- 
 son ? Would they not have starved, if you had not provided 
 them with food? Come nearer to me, all of you, my children 
 and friends, as I cannot see too much of you. I shall treat 
 you all well for your good conduct to-day, that the world 
 may Iniow how well you have deserved my gratitude." The 
 Dawiint people subsequently followed their example. 
 
 After these people had submitted, tin- King ^\as able to 
 communicate freely with 3Iugdala. lie made them transport 
 all his heavy baggage, and by their assistance managed to 
 send all his prisoners to the fortress, and to go on with 
 his road-making and moving the guns. At the same time 
 they had to ferd his nhiio-t faniish('<l army; to giiiid and 
 bake as well as to provide tlio grain ! On reaching the 
 plateau of Dalanta, he asked the Chiefs why they had not 
 submitt'd i:ii-1i<-i-, rmd <«ti llirij- jin-;\\*'ring that they Mere
 
 270 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 prevented by the Gallas and the "Walcshum Gobaze, he told 
 them they were as bad as the others, and ordered them to be 
 phmdered. They offered no resistance to this outrage ; but, 
 knowing that Theodore was not to be trusted, they had taken 
 the precaution of keeping most of their cattle out of his 
 reach, and had always remained on their guard. Conse- 
 quently, when the King further ordered them to be attacked, 
 they all fought bravely, and, in conjunction with the inhabit- 
 ants of Dawunt, killed a great number of his soldiers and 
 seized their mules and arms. As the two clans mustered 
 about 10,000 men, they might have put an end to Theodore's 
 reign at this time ; but they had not the courage to assume 
 the offensive, and were without a commander to lead them 
 on. Had his Majesty kept faith with these people, the dis- 
 tricts of Wadala and Yadjow would have submitted before 
 many days were over. Indeed, it was reported that a depu- 
 tation from the latter was coming to him with proposals to 
 that effect ; but on hearing of the King's treachery, they re- 
 turned to their country more quickly than they had left it. 
 
 For some time after, nothing was heard of the King, as all 
 the roads were closed around him by tlie Gallas, as well as 
 by the Amharas. Had not his tents been visible from jMag- 
 dala, we should have inferred that he had either gone back 
 to Debra Tabor, or had been utterly routed, as a messenger 
 might easily have come from his camp in less tlian five 
 hours; yet a fortnight elapsed and no news from him 
 reached us. Tlie Magdala Chiefs, however, were watching 
 his movements, and reported to me daily tliat he was ap- 
 proaching nearer and nearer. 
 
 I take this opportunity of remarking that tlie term 
 "Amhara," as now used l)y tlie Abyssinians, in an ethno- 
 logical sense, designates the inhabitants of tlic country lying
 
 1SG8. MAncii. POSTS TO THE BRITISH CAiir. 271 
 
 west of the Tukkaze, and also soutli of that river, as far as the 
 province of Gojjjam. Socially the word indicates a native 
 Christian, in coutra-distiuction to Jews, Mussulmans and 
 Kamants. It is also frequently applied to Christians gener- 
 ally ; for on several occasions I overheard Abyssinians, in 
 speaking of us amongst themselves, describe us as " Amharas," 
 when they wished to distinguish us from " Turks." 
 
 2nd March. — ]\Iessengers arrived from the coast with money, 
 escorted to within three miles of the fortress by the Dalanta 
 agents, from whence they were brought on by Galla guides. 
 The day following, I dispatched a post to the British camp, 
 through the same medium. The roads are so unsafe now 
 that I have to employ no less than six agents and guides to 
 transmit the letters, from one place to another, as far as the 
 Takkaze. The letters are not consigned to the messengers 
 until they are beyond danger. When travelling through a 
 district where there is a chance of their being seized by 
 the Kings adherents, they carry a note from me addressed 
 either to Colonel Merewether or M. Munzinger, containing a 
 request for money, and are instructed, in case of arrest, to 
 say that tliey are my servants, proceeding to the coast for 
 supplies. Very frequently, I forbear giving the messengers 
 any letters, lest they should be seized. In such cases, I give 
 the men an impression of my signet-ring in sealing-wax, as a 
 token both to the King's people and to the rebels that they 
 are employed in my service. 
 
 \ih. — Couriers arrived tu-day from the royal camp for the 
 lirst time since the 17th of February. They brought me a 
 message from his Majesty, bidding me keep up my spirits, 
 as we should soon meet ; they also reported that the King 
 had efiVcted the descent of the Bashilo. The couriers were 
 four hours on the road.
 
 272 THEODORE KEACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 i^th. — Messengers arrived this afternoon from the British 
 camp, Tlie Commandant and other Chiefs of the garrison 
 read Sir Eobert Napier's nltinjatum again, and approved of 
 my having detained it. All that I could say in reply to their 
 repeated questions as to the probable upshot of the existing 
 complications ^vas, that I hoped they would be adjusted 
 amicably. 
 
 Courier after courier arrived with polite messages from 
 the King on the 7th and 8th. One of these was : — " I am so 
 near you now, that I must not ask you, how have you passed 
 the time ? but must bid you ' Good morning.' " (This remark 
 illustrates the prevailing usage among the Abyssinians, who 
 have an appropriate salutation for a number of sections into 
 which they divide the day.) Mrs. Flad received the King's 
 permission to leave the camp and reside at IMagdala. His 
 Majesty's instructions were, that she should have a house 
 near our inclosure, and be allowed to visit me. Mrs. Rosen- 
 thal also might communicate with her. 
 
 On the 9th I dispatched messengers to tlie British camp, 
 but they returned the following morning, not having found 
 the Dalanta agents at the rendezvous ; the latter had been 
 driven away by the Gallas, owing to the recent breach be- 
 tween them and the Dalanta jieople. However, on the 15th 
 I'rkina managed to let me know that he had sent guides to 
 take the messengers through the disturbed districts to their 
 destination. The British force was now reported as having 
 approached the Takkazc. 
 
 In addition to a comjjlimcntary note from the King, I 
 received a few lines to-day from Mr. Flad, telling me that 
 liis j\Iajesty had given out that, in the event of our people 
 treating him well, everything would be satisfactorily ar- 
 ranged ; otherwise, a " blood-bath " would be the consequence..
 
 18C8. March. THE AUTHOR UNFETTERED. 273 
 
 On the 16tli I sent Theodore a complimentary letter, 
 through Dasta, congratulating him on the feat which he had 
 achieved in bringing his heavy guns tlirough the difficult 
 valleys. On the 18th I received a note from M. Muuzinger, 
 who was then at Koso-Amba — about two days' journey for 
 a good messenger when the roads are safe — informing me 
 that he had been dispatched in front by the Commander- 
 in-Chief to reconnoitre the route, and also to communicate 
 with me. In the afternoon, Dasta returned from the royal 
 camp, and informed me that his Majesty had sent Mr. Flad, 
 Alaka I'ngada and Yashalaka Lih, with an order directing 
 that I should be released from my chains. Accordingly, 
 shortly after, these officei-s appeared, accompanied by the 
 niembei*3 of the Council and the officers commanding the 
 trooj)s, uU dressed in their fine silk shirts and looking much 
 pleased. They evidently thought that matters were about 
 to be brought to a favourable termination. 
 
 The first thing the royal Commissioners did was to place 
 iu my hands a letter from the King. This, agreeably with 
 native usage in like cases, I opened, and then caused it to be 
 read in public. It was as follows: — 
 
 (Mter compliments.) 
 
 " Oh, my friend, I have no qnancl with yon, nor have I any 
 rancour towards you. Formerly, wlien I sent you to Mtigdala, 
 I told my people to watch you only, but they sent me an 
 answer that, out of precaution, tlicy had i)ut you in chains; but 
 now wlicn I, yoiir friend, am hrouglit by (Jod near you, your 
 chains shall be opened ; but until 1 see the object of your masters 
 [Governmenl,] wo will watch you, but without chains. 
 
 "Mr. Flad brought you Ktores and money from your country, 
 which ho made over to mo. My country was then in rebellion, 
 anil 1 had no bearers to convey them to you ; they have tliercforo 
 been wasted. You will receive from Mr. Flad, Alaka rnj^adii 
 and Vatjhiilaka Lib the kuiu of 2,000 dollars in lieu of the 
 
 vol.. II. T
 
 274 TDEODOEK RExVCHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 things jovL liavo lost; also 100 sheep and 50 cows, wliich I hopo 
 you will accept. 
 
 " If, by the power of Gotl, I reach you safely, and see you face 
 to face, I will consult with you. Be of good cheer." 
 
 Some of the Chiefs assisted in striking off my fetters, whilst 
 others placed their fingers between the flesh and iron to pre- 
 vent my ankles from being hurt. I was greatly disappointed 
 to find that my fellow-captives, especially the members of the 
 Mission, ^^ ere not included in the dispensation, and on first 
 hearing the contents of the letter I had resolved to decline 
 the royal favour. Luckily, I was better advised, and ac- 
 cepted the boon with simulated pleasure; otherwise, as I 
 was assured on all hands, matters would have been brought 
 to a dangerous crisis, either by our being all consigned to 
 the common jail, or sent for by the King, who would not have 
 failed to make us feel his displeasure. 
 
 19th. — I wrote the following reply to the King, asking 
 him at the same time to relieve my companions of their 
 chains : — 
 
 " I have had the honoTir of receiving your Majesty's kind letter 
 by Mr, Flad, Alitka I'ngiida and Yashdlaka Lih, and was glad 
 to learn therefrom that your Majesty was in the enjoyment of 
 perfect health. 
 
 " I am much obliged for your Majesty's kind consideration in 
 having released mo from my chains. May the Lord reward you 
 for all your acts of kindness. 
 
 " Your Majesty has alwaj^s tried to befriend mo sinco my 
 arrival in your countiy ; and I trust it will not be long before 
 you perfect my joy by granting a similar boon to my com- 
 panions. 
 
 "I return you my best thanks for having sent me by Mr. Flad, 
 Aliika. I'ngadiX and Yaslialaka Lih, two thousand dollars ; alsa 
 one hundred sheep and fifty cows, which I have received with 
 pleasure."
 
 18G8. ;Marcu. judicial INVOCATIONS. 275 
 
 The cows were miserably loan ; the flesh of those which 
 Ave had slaughtered was uneatable, and finding that they 
 were not valued even as a gift by those to whom I thought 
 of offering them, I sent the remainder to pasture near the 
 Basliilo river, under the charge of one of my Galla agents 
 A\ho resided in that locality. They \\ere carried off a few 
 days after by the royal troops, together with other herds of 
 cows, when the King, as will be noticed in the sequel, 
 ordered the plunder of all the peasants between the Bashilo 
 and ^fagdala. Of the sheep, twenty had died on the road ; 
 tlie rest, which were in a most wretched condition, having 
 been without food for three days, I disposed of as presents ta 
 different parties, who, I believe, only killed them for the 
 sake of the skins, which, when tanned, the Abyssinians use 
 to sit upon. 
 
 In the afternoon the royal couriers brought a message 
 from the King, congratulating me on my being relieved of 
 my fetters. If not fatalists, men in authority among the 
 Abyssinians practically reject the doctrine of free-will in their 
 official capacity. It is a common custom with them, on com- 
 mitting an individual to prison, to conclude the judicial sen- 
 tence with the prayer, "And may CJod set you free!" On 
 releasing the cul[»rit, the same magistrate will piously say to 
 him, "The Lord hath delivered you." 
 
 In the course of the day I forwarded the latest intelligence 
 to the British camp, througli M. IVIun/inger ; and the day 
 following I received a communication from Colonel IMore- 
 WL'thor, reporting his arrival at Antalo and the progi-ess of 
 tlio invading force. I also received an answer from the 
 King, inquiring how I had passed the nip:ht, and exjiress- 
 ing a hope that God would "bring us together propitiously." 
 but without any allusion whatever to the request which T 
 
 T 2
 
 276 THEODOKE EEACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 had made that my companions should be freed from their 
 fetters. 
 
 21st. — Dispatched Dasta, my interpreter, with an answer 
 to the King, and received intimation from Mr. Flad that his 
 Majesty had promised to unshackle my companions when he 
 met me. Dasta returned, accompanied by two royal com-iers, 
 with the following message from Theodore, who was too 
 busily engaged in blasting rocks to write : — " A good day to 
 you, my friend. I am now so near that I can see the top of 
 your house plainly ; and if you come out and look down you 
 will see my tent. Our meeting is at hand." 
 
 Eeceived two communications from M. Munzinger to-day. 
 He is now in Dalanta, only a few hours' journey from Magdala. 
 
 22nd. — Bitwaddad Hailo, one of the members of the 
 Magdala Council, made his escape last night by means of a 
 ladder. He dreaded meeting the King, as his cousin Balam- 
 baras Gabra-Madhane 'Alam, Governor of Wandige men- 
 tioned at pp. 74 and 90, had rebelled, and it was extremely 
 probable that as the principal was beyond his reach, Theodore 
 would visit his defection on the Bitwaddad. Dispatched 
 messengers to the British camp. 
 
 The King forwarded all his valuables to-day, including a 
 bar of gold fourteen inches long and four inches square, 
 to be deposited in the Treasury ; he also sent me his compli- 
 ments, which I reciprocated. 
 
 23rd. — The advanced guard of the royal army, commanded 
 by Fit-awrari Gabrie, encamped on the Salamge plateau this 
 afternoon. The remainder of the Kino-'s effects were lodired 
 in the Treasury to-day. An interchange of courteous mes- 
 sages between his Majesty and myself. 
 
 24.th. — Received an intimation from Theodore that he had
 
 18G8. March. THE KING AT SALAMGfi. 277 
 
 reached the foot of Saldsse, with all his guns and mortars. 
 He was engaged in repairing the road leading from tlie 
 base of Fala to the saddle which joins that mountain to 
 Salasse. (Vide Plan of the Amba Magdala.) 
 
 2Dtk. — This morning his Majesty unshackled three Rases — 
 I'ngada, the Prime 3Iinister ; Tagga, the Commander-in- 
 Chief ; and Barrako, a courtier ; also Moritz Hall, the Pole. 
 The poor fellows had been dragged in chains from Debra 
 Tabor — the two former hand to hand ; the latter with the 
 right hand attached by a chain to their fetters. In the even- 
 ing Mr. Flad came to me with a complimentary message from 
 the King, accompanied by Bitwaddad I'amash and three 
 Dajazmatshes. They were all wet through to the skin with 
 the heavy rain. His jMajesty announced to me, through 
 them, that he should sleep at Salamge that night. All the 
 members of the Magdala Council, including Ras Bisawwir, 
 were summoned to the royal presence this evening, and were 
 graciously received by the King. The de jure Queen Teru- 
 Wark, and her son Dajjaj 'Alamayo, as well as the favourite 
 <|ueen, Itamanyo, were also ordered down to Salamge this 
 evening, but before they started the King sent to say that ho 
 would not sec Teru-Wark, who was consequently obliged to 
 remain behiml. 
 
 2»JM. — Received a message from the King this morning, 
 aj)prising me that as there was now oidy a "span" between 
 us, our meeting would soon take place. A silk tent and 
 carpets were ordered down to Sala:nge, and it was generally 
 supiiosed that his ^[ajesty intended to send for me during the 
 day ; however, if such had been Ids intention, he subsequently 
 ohaiigrd his mind. Poor Samuel is sadly dejected, owing to 
 tlie KiuL' liiivini; taken no notice (jf him. lOvcrv one else in
 
 278 THEODORE REACHES MAGDALA. Chap. XXIV. 
 
 Magdala, whether chiefs, coui-tiers, priests, or servants, has 
 been allowed to pay his respects to the Sovereign, while the 
 disgraced Baldaraba has received a hint to stay away. A 
 note with some money reached me this afternoon from M. 
 Munzinger. 
 
 During the day Theodore dismantled Magdala of all its 
 artillery, ammunition, and other warlike stores, and had them 
 conveyed to Salamge. This proceeding was evidently de- 
 signed to indicate that, if called upon to fight, he intended to 
 meet the enemy in the open field.
 
 1868. Mabch. THEODORE ENTERS MAGDALA. 279 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. 
 
 Theodore enters Magdala — Tries two Priests for defamation and three 
 Chiefs for treason — He returns to Saliinige — His messac^e to the Author 
 about the advance of the British troops — Changes the llagdahx garrison 
 
 — The European Captives placed under strict watch — Bitwdddad 
 Ilasani, as a soldier and a man — Old acquaintances among our new 
 guard — Magdala garrison reinforced — Wc burn our pa^^ers — Theo- 
 dore's second visit to the fortress — Receives the Author in state — His 
 altered appearance — His condescension on the occasion — Is undecided 
 whether he will fight the British or not — Requests the Author to see 
 him buried, in the event of his death — His miscellaneous conversation 
 
 — Unshackles Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant Prideaux, and receives them 
 graciously — The King " in labour " — Introduces Prince 'Alamayo to 
 the Author — Abuses his Chiefs at Salamge — Asks them if they are 
 prepared to fight the British — Damash's reply — A sally from Magdala 
 against the Gallas, an episode — Origin of the expedition — Theodore's 
 channed riflo — A night attack — The Amhiiras are successful — Arc 
 I)ursued by the Gallas on their return march — Rout of the Amharas — 
 Letters from the British force at Ashangi — The Mission invited to 
 insjKJct the great mortar, " Sevastopol " — Theodore's queries on Euro- 
 ix;an warfare — Recounts his troubles — Complains again of Consul 
 Cameron and Mr. Stem — Contrasts his soldiers with the British troops 
 
 — All the European Captives are unshackled — The Author's proiK)sal 
 to report his Mjijesty's recent civility to Sir Robert Xapier declined — 
 Theodore is anxious for news from tlie British camp — Esjiies some of 
 our troojs descending into the Bashilo valley. 
 
 2~th. — Theodore ent<?rcd the fortress this mominjx, find 
 on passing through the gate sent me a message, that he hoped 
 to see me soon. After performing In's devotions in the church, 
 he proceeded to the open space in front of our prison-liouse, 
 wlioro a tcniporaiy throne had been erected for liiui, and the 
 ground around covered witli carpets. There was quite a
 
 280 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV, 
 
 panic among the inhabitants, as no one knew what these pre- 
 parations portended, and the King's most cherished friend 
 felt that his life trembled in the balance. On taking his 
 seat, Theodore first sent for Samuel, a summons which created 
 no little alarm among our small community. Tliis was dis- 
 pelled, however, a few minutes after by the announcement 
 that the disgraced oflBcial had been well received by his royal 
 master, and that my interpreters, who were standing outside 
 our inclosure to do obeisance to the King as he passed^ 
 had been gi-aciously noticed by his Majesty and asked how I 
 fared. The next case brought forward was that of two 
 priests, who had publicly called the King a " Frank " to his 
 face for having foiled — so they had heard — to keep the 
 Lenten fast, and for having granted a similar dispensation to 
 those of his soldiers who preferred meat and butter to dry 
 bread. When arraigned before him, his Majesty denounced 
 the culprits as " fools " and " asses " for their meddling, and 
 then ordered them to be unfettered and forthwith banished 
 from Magdala. " If I find you in my camp again," was the 
 judge's valedictory, " I will have you fiogged." The wretched 
 priests received the sentence with doAvncast looks and without 
 uttering a word ; inwardly in ecstasy, however, at having got 
 off so easily, as every one in the place had expected that they 
 would have been condemned to be hurled over the fatal 
 precipice. How we all envied their summary banishment, 
 and wished that a similar fate awaited ourselves, even with 
 the superadded disgrace of being kicked out of the loathsome 
 place ! 
 
 The case of the priests disposed of, the whole garrison was 
 then summoned to attend the trial of three of its Chiefs for 
 high treason, namely, Ras Bisawwir, the Commandant, who' 
 was cousin to the King, and Bitwaddad Damash — both mem-
 
 1868. March. A. TRIAL FOR TREASON. 2S1 
 
 bers of the Council — and one of the petty military Chiefs, 
 who were severally accused of having invited Menilek of 
 Shoa, "the Usurper," to come and invest Magdala with his 
 army. A great number of witnesses were called to give 
 evidence, but as the King himself acted as judge and jury as 
 well as prosecutor in the case, a conviction was inevitable. 
 Damash seemed utterly cowed in the presence of his royal 
 master; but the Ras and the military Chief indignantly 
 repelled the false allegations, and undertook to prove, if his 
 Majesty m ould grant them time, that some of the witnesses 
 had themselves been guilty of holding treasonable communi- 
 cations with iMenilek. This, however, did not suit Theodore's 
 object ; so, after listening to the charges and counter-charges 
 against the fidelity of his Magdala '•children," and taking 
 into his royal consideration tlie fact that one of their great 
 Chiefs had lately decamped with the connivance of others 
 who still formed jmrt of the garrison, his Majesty came to the 
 conclusion that he could no longer trust them with the defence 
 of the fortress, and accordingly ordered them to prepare to 
 go down to Salamge, from whence fresh troops were to be 
 sent to replace them. 
 
 The charge alleged against the Commandant was utterly 
 without foundation ; his loyalty to Theodore was unimpeach- 
 able. Had he really \\ish('(l to sunviuler ^lagdala to Meni- 
 lek, or to any other rebel Chief, during the royal absence, 
 no one would have dared to oppose him. The fact is, his 
 jMujesty, for reasons best known to himself, wanted to send a 
 fresh garrison to the fortress ; but as it was not in his nature 
 to act straightforwardly, he trumped up this case against the 
 two Chiefs, who had been foremost in encouraging the troops 
 to resistance, when IMenilek aj[)pcared before Magdala. The 
 announced change of the garrison caused me no little concern.
 
 282 TIIEODOriE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 not only on account of the loss of many old and faithful 
 friends wliich it would involve, but because I apprehended 
 that it was the forerunner of still more serious consequeuces, 
 especially as I had received private intimation that we were 
 to be watched day and night by a large guard, some of whom 
 Avere notorious for their antipathy to foreigners. 
 
 The Court closed at ten o'clock, and Theodore returned to 
 Salamge without fulfilling his promise of visiting me. On 
 passing our inclosure he sent me the following message by 
 Aito Samuel and my interpreters : " I hope you will excuse 
 me for not having come to see you, as I intended. I have 
 liad some disputes among my IMagdala people to settle, and 
 am now rather excited; I trust, however, to meet you 
 shortly. Your brothers [British troops] are coming to liberate 
 you. I am prepared to meet them, by the power of God." 
 His Majesty fully expected a reply to this communica- 
 tion by Aito Samuel and my interpreter, for, on leaving the 
 fortress on his return to Salamge, he gave orders that the 
 former should be allowed to pass, in the event of his being 
 sent down witli a message from mo. The interpreter, as 
 well as our Indian servants generally, had always been 
 allowed that privilege from the time of our confinement in 
 Magdala; but Samuel was treated as a iirisoner on parole. 
 The answer which I sent was to the following effect : that I 
 hoj)ed to see his Majesty ere long ; \\ ith regard to the British 
 troops, I remarked that as I had come to Abyssinia on a 
 friendly mission, my sincere hope ^\•as that I should leave 
 the country in peace. To this Theodore replied in these 
 "words, through the messengers : " As far as I am concerned, 
 I am desirous of nothing but peace; and I pray God that 
 your brothers are coming with a good intention." I judged it 
 prudent to take no notice of the delicate topic thus broached.
 
 1868. March. THE NEW COMMANDANT. 283 
 
 especially on fiuding, shortly after tlie delivery of the 
 message, that we were surrounded by a host of new jailors 
 who liad been sent to guard us most strictly, and who eyed 
 us witli evident animosity. As soon as the King reached 
 Salamge, he dispatched a thousand men to the fortress under 
 the command of Bitwaddad Hasani, a native of IMeteha, 
 and one of those lucky men who had never incurred the 
 royal displeasure. His orders were, to take charge of the 
 Treasury and all its appurtenances, and then to see that all 
 the native and European prisoners were made over to him, 
 after due identification. Wlien the Abyssinian captives had 
 boon thus consigned to their keeping, all the new officials came 
 to our quarters, accompanied by the old Chiefs, to go through 
 a similar form. We were all summoned to be counted, but just 
 as I was leaving my room I was told to remain where I was, as, 
 not being tlien in chains, the King had not given any instruc- 
 tions about my enumeration with the rest, and that when the 
 new Commandant had finished his task outside he would look 
 in nj)on me. That, however, he declined to do, on the plea 
 that his master had not ordered him to count me, and that 
 on no other ground could he venture to approach me without 
 the King's special permission. Although I received many 
 visits subsequently from this Cliief, by Theodore's orders, he 
 uniformly refused to be seated in my room, and only once 
 ventured to enter it, alleging as a reason that evil-disposed 
 people miglit be led to say of him, as they ht\d of others, that 
 lie had sold himself to me. lie swore that, for the same 
 reason, he would not oven take a cup of cofTc^e with me ; 
 nevertheless, ho pledged his word to befriend jnc and to assist 
 me in obtaining anything I stood in noeil of; '"but," ho 
 add(;d, "if ordered by the King to do a certain duty, no 
 matter what it may be, I shall discharge it faithfully, as I
 
 284: THEODOKE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 am bound to do, without the least regard to private friend- 
 ship." The austere Chief was quite correct in his apprecia- 
 tion of the Magdala people, for there were some even among 
 the Europeans who doubted whether a native was capable of 
 a generous action, except at the price of a gratuity or bribe. 
 On the other hand, I can vouch for many a good turn done 
 me by Abyssiniaus who absolutely refused any remuneration 
 for their services. Moreover, there was not a courtier, royal 
 messenger, or Chief, who would not have befriended me as 
 far as lay in his power, and whose conjoined friendship, if 
 only available on purchase — seeing that many of them were 
 in possession of our secrets — would have necessitated an out- 
 lay of at least half a million of dollars, and even then I 
 should still have been as much in their power as ever. 
 
 After Bitwaddad Hasani left me, I found to my great 
 delight that three of the new guards placed in charge of 
 us were old acquaintances of mine, who still remembered 
 the night of the 3rd of July, 1866, when they were appointed 
 to a similar duty during our confinement in the Treasury 
 at Debra Tabor. On being introduced to me this evening, 
 they reminded me how they had been turned out into the 
 wet and cold by the King, who paid me a visit tliere, and 
 how after his Majesty's departure I had called them in and 
 directed Samuel to provide them with refreshments. 
 
 28th. — This morning Theodore countermanded the re- 
 moval of the old Magdala troops to Salamge ; the new garri- 
 son was to reinforce the place, but all the former Chiefs, 
 with the exception of r>it\\addad Wasi, were to be deprived 
 of their commands. At about 10 P.M. Bitwaddad Hasani 
 came within our iuclosure, bringing orders from the King 
 that all my fellow-captives were to sleep in one room, and to 
 be strictly guarded, and tliat I also should be watched in my
 
 1868. March. WE ARE STRICTLY GUARDED. 285 
 
 hut during the night. Luckily, Mrs. Eosenthal was not in- 
 chided in the arbitrary order. It was clear that our fortunes 
 were entering a new phase, and that still greater trials 
 awaited us. The King sent me no message to-day, so that 
 altogether our prospects Avere very gloomy. As one hut was 
 not large enough to contain the twelve captives, they were 
 located in the hut of my companions, and in that of Messrs. 
 Stern and Rosenthal. Two of my old acquaintances were 
 appointed to watch me, and as Samuel had been ordered 
 to keep me company, he also considered himself in the light 
 of a prisoner. My watchmen gave me no trouble ; they were 
 exceptionally clean in their dress, and never used butter on 
 their heads, which they kept close shaved ; and as Samuel 
 generally washed his hair with hot A\ater and soap, I was 
 spared the usual disagreeable odour arising from the per- 
 sons of the natives. The men ensconced themselves near 
 the door, as far from my bedstead as possible, and fell asleep 
 as soon as I re-occupied it. There were at least one hundred 
 soldiers on guard over us during the night, and not one 
 of our servants was allowed to stir from his place. By way 
 of consolation, Bitwaddad Hasani sent to tell me, before his 
 return to the royal camp, that I was not to attribute the 
 stringent measures which he had taken to the King ; they 
 had emanated entirely from himself, as the party respon- 
 sible for our safe custody. The message was kindly meant, 
 but I was fully aware at the time that he would as soon 
 have cast himself over the Magdala precipices as place a 
 guard within my room without special orders from his master. 
 The fact is, the friendly disposition of the Chiefs generally 
 led them to do all in their power to prevent an open rupture 
 between mo and the King, while there was still a chance 
 of matters beiujr broujirht to a favourable termination.
 
 286 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 29i7i. — By the advice of the old Chiefs and Aito Samuel, 
 
 1 sent a message to the King, informing him that I had 
 slept well and hoped he had spent a comfortable night. 
 To this I received a prompt reply, assuring me that, owing to 
 my good wishes, his Majesty was in excellent spirits. At about 
 
 2 P.M. it was announced that Theodore was coming to the 
 fortress, and as the people generally expected anything but a 
 propitious visit from their Sovereign, especially after their 
 experience of his proceedings on the last occasion, we were 
 anxious to rid ourselves of all documents likely to compro- 
 mise us in any way, to prevent their possible seizure by his 
 Majesty's orders. Accordingly, each began secreting what 
 papers he could in the thatch of the roof, burning those 
 which could not well be disposed of in that manner. At 
 this time I had some most dangerous letters in my posses- 
 sion, and that same afternoon a messenger had arrived with 
 a missive from Menilek, King of Shoa, inclosing Lord 
 Stanley's dispatch to him of the 19th of August, 1867, 
 which he wished me to translate. I had also a letter from 
 the Wakshum Gobaze, referrmg to different subjects con- 
 nected with the march of the British troops; and another 
 from Imam Ahmed, the Chief of the Wello-Gallas, request- 
 ing me to surrender the fortress to him, and promising, in the 
 event of my acceding to the proposal, to conduct me to the 
 coast with honour and safety ! I tried at first to conceal all 
 these papers in the roof of my hut, but my Abyssinian friends 
 advised me not to trust to such an expedient, assuring me 
 that if Theodore intended to institute a search, the roof 
 would not stand in his way. I accordingly committed the 
 whole to the flames, together with the English document. 
 
 At 3 P.M. his Majesty entered the fortress, and on passing 
 our liouse he sent Mr. Flad to say that he had come up on
 
 1868. Maech. another OF THEODORE'S MOTIVES. 287 
 
 'business, and if possible he would call upon me. I said in 
 reply that I should be happy to meet him. Mr. Flad re- 
 turned immediately after with the following answer : — 
 
 " I am going to visit the church of my country. I have 
 been called ' Frank ' by some of my priests. I am not ashamed 
 of the name, because both you and I believe in one Trinity, 
 which is the foundation of the Christian faith. Had I been 
 accused of being a ^Mohammedan, or of any other sect of un- 
 believers, I should have acted differently towards those bad 
 priests. I would rather lose my head than hold any other faith 
 save that in Christ. Prepare yourself to meet me." 
 
 Soon after Mr. Flad, Mr. ]\Iayer was sent with the sub- 
 joined message : — 
 
 " The reason I have ill-treated you was because I wanted 
 the people of your country to come to me. I am glad they 
 are coming. Whether they beat me or I beat them, I 
 shall always bo your friend. I wish to have an interview with 
 you on the plain outside your house, and I want you to 
 appear before me in the same dress in which you used formerly 
 to come to me. I will send for you when I am ready." 
 
 I lost no time in putting on my uniform, and was barely 
 dressed when Bitwaddad Hasani appeared with a summons 
 for me to repair to the King's presence. ]\Icssrs. Flad and 
 Mayer, and Aito Samuel, accompanied me to the royal 
 pavilion. Thoro were as many as five hunch'ed officers in 
 attendance, all anxiously waiting to witness my reception by 
 their Sovereign — who it appears had been in a bad humour 
 throughout the day, and just before my arrival had worked 
 himself into a towering rage by recalling to mind tlie late 
 Metropolitan and some of my fellow-captives, swearing in liis 
 fury that lie would pierce the latter through and through 
 with the lance which he held in his hand ; and then, suiting 
 the action to the word, aimed at a new carpet and drove the
 
 288 THEODOEE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 weapon into it. Under these circumstances, tlie bystanders 
 augured anything but a favourable reception being accorded 
 to me ; but on my arrival his ]\Iajesty immediately changed 
 his demeanour, and appeared quite gay. The same tent in 
 which he had received the Mission on our first interview with 
 him in Damot, at the end of January, 1866, was pitched in 
 front of our prison-house for the occasion, and about 2,000 
 square yards of ground in the immediate vicinity were covered 
 with carpets. When I left our inclosure, the King Avas 
 inside the tent, together \vith all his European artisans, but 
 on my approach he walked towards the tent door to welcome 
 me. I was glad to notice a smile on his countenance, and 
 as I deemed it prudent to put the best face upon our misfor- 
 tunes, I endeavoured to look as pleased as if I had never been 
 l)ut into chains by the despot, and were not even then his 
 prisoner. He received me most courteously, with his shcimma 
 thrown loosely over his shouldei-s, extending his right arm to 
 shake me by the hand, remarking that, on that day, " we 
 must all be English." 
 
 As soon as we had sat down, I on his Majesty's right hand 
 and the European artisans on his left, in a circle round 
 the tent, the King told me that the reason he had dis- 
 pensed with his throne on that occasion was, that he wished 
 to sit on the same level with me, his friend, and the represen- 
 tative of the Queen of England. He then looked pointedly at 
 me, and said, "Why, ]\Ir. Eassam, I heard that you had become 
 quite gray ; but I do not see one gray hair on your head. 
 Look at me, and see how gray I have become since we parted." 
 I was certainly surprised to see what a great change 
 had ttdccn plac(! in tlic colour of his hair, and also in his 
 countenance, since my last interview with him at Debra 
 Tidjor, at the end of June, 1806. There were only a few gray
 
 18G8. March. INTERVIEW WITH THE KING. 289 
 
 hairs visible then ; now the gray largely predomiuatcd, and 
 he looked altogether ten years older. To give the subject a 
 jocular turn, I replied, " It is not to be wondered at that your 
 Majesty has grown gray, considering that you have been 
 enjoying the happiness of wedded life, whereas I am still 
 unencumbered with the trouble and care of a wife." The 
 banter contained in this reply drew a smile from the King, 
 and placing his hands over his face he remarked, " There you 
 hit me hard, my friend Rassam." Tej was then brought, 
 and served in the tumblers which I had presented to him. 
 The first glass filled was handed to him ; after tasting it, 
 in accordance with Abyssinian usage, he rose a little and 
 handed it to me, saying, "In our country drinking tej to- 
 gether is a sign of friendship." His politeness on that 
 occasion was extreme, and he was all smiles, except when 
 alluding to the Bishop, Consul Cameron and the Ifev. Mr. 
 Stern. I endeavoured to soothe him when he broached these 
 topics, and succeeded in cooling him down. He referred 
 several times to the impending war, sometimes saying that 
 ho would fight even at the risk of being beaten ; and, then, 
 that it would be absurd in him to think of encountering 
 a disciplined army. In either case, he said, I should re- 
 main his friend. " One day," he added, " you may see me 
 (lead ; and wiiilc; you stand by my corpse, it may be that 
 you will curse me for my bad conduct towards you. You 
 may say then, * This wicked man ought not to bo buried ; 
 let his remains rot above ground ; ' but I trust to your 
 generosity." I again expressed a hope that, as I had come 
 to his country as a friend, I should leave him in peace; and 
 with reference to what he had said about his dealh, I 
 be^rKcd that ho would not mention such a calamitv. 
 
 I may record here, as another proof of Theodere's excos- 
 VOL. II. u
 
 290 THEODORE AT MAG DAL A. Chap. XXV. 
 
 sive condescension on this occasion, that before the European 
 artisans sat down he requested me to alloAV them to be 
 seated. In spite of my remonstrance that it was his IMajesty's 
 prerogative and not mine to give such directions, he in- 
 sisted on my doing so, and then joined me in according 
 the necessary permission. 
 
 The King then alluded to a report which had reached him 
 of the English having invented a variety of improved guns 
 and other fire-arms, and that such muskets as his own 
 soldiers carried were out of date, and regarded as " rubbish " 
 by the British Army. " However," he added, "■ as your 
 troops are coming to take you away, I must watch over 
 you, for I cannot let you leave me. It is true that I 
 have put you in fetters, after the barbarous usage of my 
 country — which I admit to be a bad custom ; but have you 
 seen a hand-chain ? That, I assure you, is still worse to 
 bear." He then went on to say that his only reason for 
 detaining me was that he wanted my countrymen to come 
 and " open his eyes." After this, he suddenly asked me who 
 were the sons of Abraham. I replied, Isaac and Jacob. 
 '• AVho were their sons?" was the rejoinder. Guessing what 
 the royal catechist was driving at, I skipped over all inter- 
 mediate genealogy, and said, '• David and Solomon." " And 
 who was their son ? " was the next question ; to which I 
 made answer, "From what I have heard, your Majesty is 
 their offspring." Thereupon he laughed, and remarked that 
 he wished for nothing more, and that if his enemies and 
 those who abused him would only acknowledge him as such, 
 he was ready to forgive them all. His IMajesty then intro- 
 duced me to my old acquaintance, Afa-Negus Bahri, who was 
 one of my guards the previous night, telling me that he had 
 served under Ea^ 'Ali, and knew Plowden ; " and, being a very
 
 18GS. March. THE KING IS MERRY. 291 
 
 old man," Theodore went on to say, '• lie will be able to tell you 
 that the former Emperors of Abyssinia and the independent 
 Chiefs very rarely saw a European — some of them, indeed, 
 never saw one in the whole course of their lives, whereas I 
 like them so much that I keep a number of them about me " — 
 pointing to the six artisans, including 31. Bardel, who were 
 sitting in the tent. I replied that in former times Abyssinia 
 was only read of in books, but that his Majesty's name had 
 become so notorious that even children knew who Theodore 
 was. He then gravely asked, " Why ? " " Because," said I, 
 " your Majesty has put me in chains." Xo sooner had I 
 uttered this speech than he burst out laughing, and, looking 
 towards the European artisans, exclaimed, " Hear what 
 Eassam says ! Hear what Eassam says ! " One of them, 
 named Zander, remarked, " ^Ir. Eassam has forgotten to 
 mention America also." I rejoined, "If his ]\Iajesty will allow 
 me, I will add the other two quarters of the globe as mcU." 
 Thereat the King was so convulsed with laughter that all 
 he could say was, " Oh, my friend, Eassam ! my friend ! " 
 After a wliile, he proceeded to observe that two persons had 
 accompanied me for whom he had neither love nor hatred ; 
 but inasmuch as they had come to Abyssinia with me he 
 would unfetter them for my sake, provided I stood security 
 for them. I replied, that as they were my companions he 
 would gratify me greatly by unchaining them, and that I 
 would hold myself responsible for whatever Dr. Blanc and 
 Lieutenant Prideaux might do. On his requesting me to 
 send and have them unshackled, I begged Mr. Flad and 
 Aito Samuel to go on the errand. Tliey accordingly went, 
 accompanied by Bitwuddad Ilasani, and allcr removing their 
 fetters returned with the two oflicers, agreeably with the 
 King's orders. His Majesty received them well, and assured 
 
 u 2
 
 292 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 tliem they had nothing to fear, -whatever tiie upshot of the 
 war might be. " You three be of good cheer," he continued, 
 " because you are my chiklren, and came to me when you 
 knew of my having imprisoned 3Ir. Cameron, and had heard 
 of his doings." Then, turning to me, he likened himself to a 
 woman with child, wlio might either bring forth a son or a 
 daughter, or might die of miscarriage, and said that he 
 looked to me to assist him in giving birth to a son ; to which 
 he added, that a person might die either in youth, or old 
 age, or in the prime of life, and expressed a hope that the 
 last would not be his lot. 
 
 Referring next to his European employes, Theodoras 
 remarked that they were compelled to make the cannons 
 and mortars which he liad brought to Magdala, adding-, 
 " They were as much obliged to cast them as you were to 
 remain in Abyssinia ; indeed, I forced them to perform the 
 task." Then, turning to Mr. Waldmeier, he stated that that 
 esteemed servant of his had lost no opportunity of speaking 
 to him in my favour, and that the only time he had been 
 angry with him was when he had ventured to recommend 
 that he, the King, should assume a friendly attitude towards 
 the invading British force. (We had heard of this fact when 
 it occurred, and that Mr. Waldmeier had narrowly escaped a 
 beating for having presumed to offer such advice.) In the 
 course of the interview Theodore, regarding me with a dis- 
 consolate look, said in a subdued tone, " I hope, Mr. Kassam, 
 that wlicn your peo})le [tlie liritish troops] arrive, they will 
 not despise me because I am black ; God has given us all the 
 same faculties and heart." Then, remembering what he had 
 said to me at Zage, on the 25th of March, 18G6, about the 
 guardianship of his sons, he inquired whether Dajjaj 'Alamayo 
 luid been introduced to me. On my replying in the negative,.
 
 18CS, Mauch. prince 'ALAilAYO. 293 
 
 he said to the lad, '' 'Alaiuayo, why do you not go to your 
 father, Rassam ? " AVhereupon the boy approached and 
 hissed the pillow on which I was leaning. After some further 
 friendly conversation my companions and I were dismissed, 
 his ]\[iijesty directing the young Prince and the European 
 artisans to escort us back to our prison-house. Before his 
 return to Salamge he ordered that no guards were to sleep 
 either in my room or in that of my companions ; the remainder 
 of tlic 'captives were to be watched as before. As Consul 
 Cameron was unwell, the Chiefs, at the intercession of Samuel, 
 allowed him to sleep in his own apartment, with ]Mr. Kerans 
 to attend upon him ; but ^Messrs. Stern, Rosenthal and Pietro 
 \sere obliged to sleep in one room, under a guard, until we 
 were released. Wo were told afterw ards that the reason the 
 King had caused us to be so strictly guarded the preceding 
 night was owing to certain evil-disposed persons having 
 reported that some of my party had been overheard boasting 
 of the approach of the Pritish troops, and that his Majesty 
 had conserpiently come up that afternoon with no friendly 
 feelings towards the captives. Luckily, something hajDpened 
 to please him after ho entered the fortress, which led him 
 to treat me with unusual affability. 
 
 On reaching Salaingu, however, he had another access of 
 ill-humour. Seating himself on a rock in front of the royal 
 tent, ho summoned all the old ]\[agdala Chiefs before him, 
 and began abusing them indiscriminately. The burden of his 
 objurgation was that they were "asses," and did not untler- 
 staud uui ; that they had allowed me to do as I pleased on 
 the mountain, without any check ; that they had repeatedly 
 sent to tell him that I was his friend, whereas I was in daily 
 correspondence w ith my Government, urging them to dispatch 
 an army to chastise him. *' You asses antl slaves," he went
 
 29J: THEODORE AT MaGDALA. Cuap. XXY. 
 
 Oil to say, " Mr. Kassam has made fools of you and of me 
 likewise by his professions of friendship for me. Did either 
 you or your forefathers ever hear of a friend sending for 
 troops to slaughter his friend's valiant men, ravish their 
 wives, and reduce his people to bondage? Nevertheless, 
 such a friend is Mr. Eassam, who, by playing upon your 
 imagination, has managed to ingratiate himself into your 
 favour. And yet the fiiult is mine, for I behaved unjustly 
 towards him ; he came to me as a friend, and I treated him 
 as an enemy. Tell me, however, if you are prepared to fight 
 Eassam's brothers, who are coming against you with guns 
 that dazzle the sight, and muskets that shoot and stab simul- 
 taneously ? We must keep Eassam with us at all risks, and 
 watch him with every eye, until I see what is about to 
 happen." The disconcerted Chiefs were at a loss what to 
 say to this diatribe : they hesitated to abuse me, fearing that 
 Theodore might then turn against them and take my part ; 
 they accordingly restricted themselves to assuring their liege 
 lord that nothing would daunt them from carrying havoc 
 
 into the ranks of the " white b d asses, who had dared to 
 
 leave their own country to invade the dominions of the 
 mighty King of kings." Poor Damash, who was imprudent 
 enough to open his mouth on the occasion, received a severe 
 rebuff from Theodore for having ventured to brag against 
 the "sons of the English," whereas, as his Majesty con- 
 temptuously reminded him, he was not a match even for the 
 cowardly Gallas, wlio liad despoiled him of his arms and 
 horses. This sneer levelled against the unfortunate Chief 
 was in allusion to a sally made by a detachment of the 
 IMagdala garrison upon the Woroliaimano, a sub-tribe of the 
 AVello-Gallas, on the morning of the Gth of Sejitcmber, 18G7. 
 As the affair occurred during our caj^tivity, and was attended
 
 1807. Sept. THE KIXG'S CHARMED RIFLE. 295 
 
 •with a variety of circumstances illustrative of the mutual 
 relations subsisting between the Amharas and their Galla 
 neighbours, a succinct account of its origin and results may 
 not be uninteresting to the reader. 
 
 Two days previous to the date above-mentioned Eas 
 Bi.-awwir, the good-natured Commandant, under the pretext 
 that they wanted to weed their adjacent corn-fields, had 
 permitted a young Afa-Negus, named Masliisha, and Bajir- 
 wand Kaufu, an officer attached to the Treasury, to go 
 beyond the gates of the fortress. It was soon discovered, 
 however, that both had deserted to one of the Galla villages 
 on the south-east of 3Iagdala, and that Bajirwand had robbed 
 the Treasury of a pair of pistols and a ride, which he made 
 oflf with, the former secreted in a bag of chick-peas, which 
 he told the guards at the gates he was going to sow, and the 
 latter ostensibly as his own. The rifle belonged to the King, 
 and was highly prized by him. It had been his companion 
 from boyhood, and he alleged that he had borne it in all his 
 battles. lie looked upon it as a talisman, and for greater 
 security had sent it to ]\Iagdala at the end of 186G, believing 
 — so it is said — that its possession would secure him greater 
 renown than any of his predecessors. He entertained a 
 similar notion with regard to ]\Iagdala itself, and the super- 
 stition was shared by a number of his Chiefs, that even if 
 despoiled of all his otlier territories, yet if he succeeded in 
 retaining that Amba he would eventually go forth from 
 thence, and reconquer his lost dominions, and subdue half 
 the world besides. ^ly firm belief is, that this persuasion 
 induced Theodore to repair to ^lagdala on hearing of tlie 
 approach of the British force. As far as our interests were 
 concerned, his credulity in this respect contributed in no 
 small degree to the favourable termination of all our Abys-
 
 290 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 sinian difficulties ; for if, instead of spending three months in 
 the neighbourhood of that fortress, he had carried us off to 
 some distant stronghold — his native Kwara, for instance — 
 the war would have been indefinitely prolonged, and not 
 one of the captives would have been rescued alive. 
 
 "When the 3Iagdala Chiefs found that the charmed rifle 
 had been taken away, and that there was a chance of its 
 being conveyed to King Menilek, in case the deserters 
 succeeded in reaching Shoa, they decided to pursue the 
 runagates to their hiding-place, which had been revealed 
 to them by some Galla spies. This step, however, was in 
 direct violation of the King's orders, who had forbidden the 
 garrison to leave the fortress on any warlike expedition, 
 and restricted their duties to protecting his family and 
 guarding his throne and crown, which were deposited in the 
 Treasury ; or, in plainer terms, they were to act on the 
 defensive only. Of the two evils likely to incur the royal 
 displeasure — the loss of the rifle and an interdicted raid — 
 they chose the most hazardous ; for had the G alias been 
 apprised of their approach, in the course of a couple of hours 
 they might have mustered a body of live thousand horse, 
 who would have effectually cut oif their retreat, and slaugh- 
 tered and mutilated them wholesale, ere they retraced their 
 steps over the fifteen miles of Wellu-CJalla plateau ^^hieh 
 separated them from 3Iagdahi.* Luclcily for the assailants. 
 
 * The Gallas generally arc notorious for mntilalii)g all male prisoners, 
 taken in war, in a most horrible manner. The same barbarous custom 
 prevailed among the professedly Christian people of Shoa in the time of 
 Sahela ScldssG, but was abolished by Theodore wlieu he conquered that 
 country. In the present instance, the special grievance of the Amharas 
 was enhanced by a desire to jjunisli the Worohaimano, for having killed 
 many helpless women and children who had gone beyond the gates of 
 Mdgdala to collect wuud and grass. These outrages occurred during the 
 period of our cajitivity.
 
 1867. Sept. A RAID ON THE GALLAS. 297 
 
 their enemies, who had ceased keeping watch since the King 
 left the neighbourhood at the end of 1865, were fast asleep; 
 ior who, thought they, among the Amharas would dare to 
 cross the deep chasm which lay between them and Magdahx 
 but the dreaded Theodore ? 
 
 The expeditionary force, ^\hich was headed by Bitwaddad 
 Wasi, consisted of 150 Musketeers and 250 Lancers, the 
 former commanded by Bitwaddad Damash, and the latter by 
 Dajjaj Gojj6. They left Magdala at sunset, and before 
 joining his detachment Damash called to take leave of me, 
 and begged that in the event of his death I would look after 
 his family. The wretched man evidently believed that ho 
 was going ou a forlorn hope. They reached the village 
 about midnight, and halted in a hollow till daybreak. It 
 had been originally intended to surround the place at once, 
 but just as they began to move some one reported that he 
 heard a noi>:e ; of course, every one thought the same when 
 the words of command " Listen ! " " Silence ! " were given. 
 A council of \\ar was then held by the three members of 
 C'ouucil and tlie petty Chiefs who were to load the assault, 
 and it was unanimously decided that operations should com- 
 mence forthwith. When within two hundred yards of the 
 first hut, however, a squabble arose among the soldiers 
 which of them should luvcst the Nillagc, ami whicli should 
 engage in the attack — all bring ('(pially anxious to lake the 
 latter duty, which allbrded a bettor prospect of plunder. 
 Mtaiiuhilo, Afa-Xogus Mashisha and his companion, Avho 
 had passed the niglitwith the local (Jalla Chief in a snudl 
 hut at the other end of the village, situated in a wooded 
 ravine, overhearing the wrangling among the soldiers, ami 
 suspecting that something was in the wind, hurried out into 
 the cover, where thoy awaited their hobt, who had mounted a
 
 298 THEODOEE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXY. 
 
 horse and started off at full gallop towards another large 
 Galla village, about three miles distant, to give the alarm. 
 The Magdala Chiefs, on the other hand, finding all their 
 efforts to maintain discipline unavailing, ordered the entire 
 party to push on together. As the Galla Chiefs house was 
 thought to contain the most desirable prizes, including the 
 Chief himself, the two deserters, and the most valuable booty, 
 a combined rush was made in that direction. After seizing 
 and securing two of the Chief's cousins, his brother, wife and 
 sister, together with three children, who were all fast asleep 
 at the time, a general search was made for plunder and the 
 two runaway officials. One hut where the Chief's horses 
 were kept was attacked by a Christianized Galla, and two 
 men showing fight in defence of their master's property were 
 speared down by the assailant. Three others were killed in 
 the village while attempting to escape ; the remainder, to 
 the number of thirty-one souls, including women and chil- 
 dren, who had not managed to get out of the way before day- 
 light, were captured. It was then resolved by the Council 
 to dispatch the prisoners in advance, together with all the 
 cattle, horses and mules that had been seized, in charge of 
 Dajjaj Gojje's Lancers, while Bitwaddad Damash and his 
 Musketeers were to bring up the rear, to ward off pursuit. 
 The Magdala warriors were in the highest spirits, congratu- 
 lating themselves ujion having taught the Gallas a lesson 
 which they were not likely soon to forget ; but their exulta- 
 tion was premature. They continued their homeward journey 
 for three hours without noticing any movement on the part 
 of the enemy, when suddenly Galla horsemen were espied 
 galloping towards them from every direction. At this junc- 
 ture, Damash, who was about two miles behind the Lancers, 
 judging that the Gallas would first attempt to rescue the
 
 1867. Sept. THE AMIIARAS DEFEATED. 299 
 
 captives and the plunder — never dreaming that they would 
 venture to attack a party armed with mnskcts — ordered liis 
 men to push on and overtake their comrades. In less than 
 half an hour about twenty horsemen approached, headed by 
 th(3 Chief of the village, who was heard calling out to his 
 followers to attack the Christian " Kafirs " and seize their 
 muskets. In the mean time the assailants were receiving 
 fresh additions to their numbers, the Gallas for twenty miles 
 round having been apprised that something was amiss by the 
 light of three burning houses whicli the jMagdala detachment 
 had fired before they left the village. On recognizing the 
 Galla Chief, the Musketeers bawled out, "Shoot him down!" 
 whereupon a native of Kwara aimed at him and shot him 
 dead. A couple of horses, also, were killed by the fire of the 
 2)arty, and five horsemen were wounded, tNvo of whom died 
 shortly after. The lifeless body of the Chief was immediately 
 picked up and borne away on horseback by his men, to the 
 great relief of Damash, who was glad to see his deadly 
 enemies retreat. This incident checked the Gallas for a 
 time, and enabled the wary Gojje and Bitwaddad Wasi to 
 descend into the valley with the j^risoners and booty, where 
 they were safe from jiursuit. Meanwhile the Gallas had 
 re-assembled in force, and poor Dam ash, who could not boast 
 of being a good soldier, much less a leader, lost his wits. 
 He was then about a mile from the difficult pass leading- 
 down to the valley which surrounds Magdala, and instead of 
 [)lacing his men whore they might easily have protected the 
 rear of the Lancers and kept the Gallas at bay at the same 
 time, he ordered them to " run." Thereupon, as might have 
 been expected, a regular panic ensued among the soldiers ; 
 all trie<l to bo the first to escape through the nan-ow pass, 
 which admitted only a few abreast, and in that state of utter
 
 300 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 disorganization — many of tbeni actually falling clown from 
 sheer fright — they were pounced upon by about two hundred 
 of the Galla horsemen, who dismounted and rushed upon the 
 terrified Amharas with spears, swords and stones. Among 
 the assailants on the occasion was one of Damash's own men, 
 who used to thatch the roofs of our huts, and a\ ho had deserted 
 to the Worohaimano a few days before. On recognizing his 
 old commanding officer, who was rather infirm owing to long 
 illness, and was consequently left iu the lurch, the fellow 
 bawled out to his new associates, " There is that villain, 
 Damash ; let us seize him alive ! " At the mention of his 
 name, which was hated at Magdala and throughout the neigh- 
 bourhood, a party of Gallas fell upon him and deprived him 
 <jf his arms. They then endeavoured to secure him as a 
 hostage, in order to exchange him against their captured 
 countrymen, whose release was now hopeless, as they had 
 already been conveyed into the valley. Damash would in- 
 evitably have been borne away had not Easha Kasha, a 
 countryman of his and one of his jjctty officers, bawled out 
 to his men, " Shall we not be called cowards if we see our 
 Chief carried off before our eyes, without attempting to 
 rescue liim ? Shame upon us ! Let us go and deliver him out 
 of the hands of the Muslim slaves." He accordingly returned 
 with twenty Musketeers, and a well-aimed discharge from the 
 party killed one and wounded three of the Gallas who were 
 engaged iu binding their prisimer. Damash was now free to 
 run, and taking to his heels tumbled down the valley, heed- 
 less of all impediments, and regardless of the risk to life and 
 limb, intent only on getting beyond the reach of his deadly 
 enemies. Fortunately, he did not try to cscajDe by the pass ; 
 had he done so, lie mui^t have fallen once more into the 
 hands of the Gallas, who regarded him as a great prize. The
 
 18C8. JIarch. stone SHOT. 301 
 
 deserters, Afa-Negiis Mashisha and his companion, now ap- 
 peared on the scene armed to the teeth, the latter carrying the 
 King's rifle, which he discharged with deadly effect upon the 
 fugitives. One of his victims was the brave Basha Ka^ha, 
 who received a shot through the leg, just above the knee. 
 By seven o'clock about five hundred Gallas were assembled 
 on the edge of the precipice, all engaged in throwing sj)ears 
 and sticks and hurling stones on the retreating Amharas, 
 who were scrambling do\ATi the rough valley as best they 
 could. Had their assailants possessed the pluck to follow 
 the runagates, not one of the latter would have escaped, for 
 they were utterly panic-stricken, and most of them had 
 thrown away their arms in the stampede. 
 
 This disaster cast a gloom over jMagdala, and nearly drove 
 the crest-fallen Commandant out of his senses. Damasli, who 
 had received a scratch on one of his legs in leaping over the 
 2)recipice, feigned to be badly wounded, and got himself con- 
 veyed into the fortress on the back of a mule, supported by 
 a couple of men on each side, and looking more dead than 
 alive. He was obliged to keep up the deception, and was 
 consequently confined to his couch for more than a month. 
 A case of fractured skull, and anotlnr of a petty Chief, one 
 of whoso legs was nearly severed — both wounds inflicted by 
 the stones thrown by the Gallas — were brought to Dr. Blanc, 
 but they were beyond medical treatment, and the two men 
 died a few days after. 
 
 ^Oth. — Sent our compliments to the King early this luo.n- 
 iiig, and shortly after I received a message from his ^lajesty, 
 asking mr. to send down to Salamge five of my fellow-captives 
 — namely, ^lessrs. Staiger, Brandeis, Schiller, Essler and 
 ^lacraire — to assist in making stone shot for the large 
 mortar. ^My reply was, that I had no objection to the pro-
 
 302 THEODOPiE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 posal, if tlio individuals themselves agreed to it. On their 
 consent being obtained, hand-chains were substituted for 
 their fetters, and they were conducted down to Salamge. 
 The couriers who brought nie this message Mere charged 
 with another, to the effect that his Majesty was desirous of 
 befriending all the captives for my sahe, and hoped shortly 
 to release them from their chains. This intimation led me 
 to apj)rehend that he intended asking the rest of my fellow- 
 captives, except my fellow-officials, to work for him ; but the 
 subject was not mooted again. 
 
 I received letters this afternoon from Colonel Merewether 
 and M. 3Iunzinger, which apprised us, to oui' great delight, 
 that the British force had reached Ashangi. 
 
 Mr. Flad called on me in the morning, and told me that 
 the King had inquired of him how I felt after our interview 
 the day before. On learning that I was hapj)y, his Majesty 
 went on to say, " I thought of him all last night, and I had 
 sweet dreams in consequence. I v. ish I lived next to him, as 
 you do, for I should then be able to see liim ; but for the 
 present I am too busy." 
 
 Slst. — In the afternoon Mr. AYaldmeier came to me from 
 the King with a request that I Avould become security for 
 the five Europeans who joined him yesterday, otherwise he 
 would be obliged to keep them in chains. I stated in reply 
 that it was quite out of the question for mo to assume such 
 a responsibility on behalf of persons over whom I had uo 
 control ; that the individuals referred to were living at 
 Saliimgu and working there for his Majesty, whereas I was 
 shut up in Mugdala, and knew nothing of what took place in 
 the royal camp. Theodore subsequently sent word to say 
 that he was quite satisfied with my answci', and had foreseen 
 that I knew better than to undertake the projiosed surety-
 
 1868. April. THE MORTAR " SEVASTOPOL." 303 
 
 ship. The artisans, liowever, were eventually released from 
 their fetters, having found some of their fellow-employes at 
 Salamge to stand security for them. 
 
 Ist April. — Sent compliments to Theodore this morning, 
 and dispatched letters to the British camp during the day. 
 
 2nd. — The members of the Mission received an invitation 
 from the King early this morning to Avitness the bringing up 
 of the mortar to tlie plateau by the new road which his 
 ^Majesty had made below the southern slope of Salamge. We 
 accordingly equipped ourselves in uniform, and went down, 
 accompanied by the old and new Commandants and Aito 
 Samuel — tlie latter by special licence, without which he could 
 not have ventured to join us. We found Theodore super- 
 intending the operation. He welcomed us most graciously, and 
 bade us be seated behind him, on the edge of a precipice over- 
 looking the soldiers, who were busy dragging the different 
 mortars and guns which were cast at Debra Tabor last year up 
 the incline. As soon as the large mortar, which the King had 
 named " Sevastopol," reached the bend in the road below us, 
 his ^lajesty asked me to look at it and tell him what I 
 thouglit of it. I replied that it was a splendid piece of artillery, 
 adding that I hoped it would not be long ere the British army 
 would b(^ viewing it witli the same amicable feelings that then 
 animated me. The King smiled, and said, "I hope so too." I 
 thouglit tliis a good opportunity to ask him to "gladden my 
 heart" by releasing the remaining five captives — namely, 
 Messrs. Cameron, Stem, Roscntlial, Kerans and Pietro — of 
 their chains. Samuel hesitated at tirst, through fear, to 
 translate my request, but on his ]\[ajesty's asking what I had 
 said, the request was repeated by me, and inter])reted to 
 him. He replied, " I'sh-shi " (very well); and Ibrthwith 
 ordered an officer to go and strike off their chains at once.
 
 30i THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXY. 
 
 The monster mortar, borne on a strong waggon, bad to bo 
 dragged by main force above a liundred feet np an acclivity 
 at an angle of forty-five degrees. The weight of it, I was 
 told, was at least seventy tons, and as many as five lumdred 
 men were engaged in moving it, encouraged and assisted by 
 all the Chiefs of note, wlio ever and anon placed stones under 
 the wheels to prevent tbem from turning backwards. Occa- 
 sionally, one or more of the strips of cow-hide which bound 
 mortar and carriage together snapped asunder, threatening- 
 the momentary precipitation of the huge mass into the 
 valley below, at the imminent peril of those vho might 
 happen to be in its way. When the " Sevastopol " reached 
 level ground, the King asked us to mount the waggon and 
 inspect it. It was unquestionably a wonderful piece of 
 ordnance for its size, and more wonderful still as the work- 
 manship of his Majesty's European artisans, who had pre- 
 viously had no experience of casting cannon. As I knew 
 that Theodore expected me to say something on the occasion, 
 I sent to tell him — he was then superintending the trans- 
 port of other mortars and guns up the ascent — that since 
 the time of the great King Menilek no one in Abyssinia had 
 ever accomplished such a feat. He then invited me to sit 
 by his side again, on the edge of the precipice, and began 
 questioning me about European warfare : how peace was con- 
 cluded between two contending parties ; liow the words of 
 command were given in our army ; what was the range 
 of our soldiers' rifles ; what number of British troops had 
 been sent against him, an I how thoy manoeuvred. After I 
 had reidied to all his queries, with the exception of such as 
 were purely military, on which subjects, I told his jMajesty, 
 I was unable to fiiliiihtin him, he said, "I know you 
 are a man of tongue;" and then sultjoiiicd, "Were I as
 
 U' 

 
 1SG8. Ami.. THE KIXG EECOUNTS HIS TKOUBLES. 305 
 
 powerful as I once was, I should certainly have gone down 
 to the coast to meet your people on landing ; or I would 
 have sent and asked them what they wanted in my country. 
 As it is, I have lost all Abyssinia but this rock " — he looked 
 up and pointed to 3Iagdala — "and it would therefore be 
 absurd in me to say anything. However, I am ready to meet 
 them here, and I resign myself to the protection of my 
 Creator." He remarked, further, that he had been in con- 
 stant trouble since we left him in July, 1866, owing to the 
 refusal of his people to pay the regular taxes. The whole 
 country had risen against him, and the rebels had driven 
 him to desperation. " But," he added, " whenever I caught 
 any of them I caused tliem to be burnt ; while tliey, on 
 their side, did not spare any of my subjects who fell 
 into their hands. During the last six months especially, 
 while on the way from Uebra Tabor to this plate, I have 
 been harassed day and night by the robbers, and have been 
 driven to support my soldiers on jilunder. You yourself 
 have witnessed what trouble making these roads and moving 
 tliese gims has given me ; but," he concluded, " I hope you 
 do not imagine that I had the guns cast out of any animosity 
 towards your people. I had them made to use against my 
 own countrymen." He next reverted to the subject of Consul 
 Cameron having re-entered Abyssinia without bringing an 
 answer to his letter addressed to our Queen, and then said 
 in an angiy tone, ** After his return to my country I waited 
 live days before I learnt that ho had come back without 
 an answer. At tlie expiration of that time, I sent and asked 
 liiin wliat ha<l brought him back to my country, seeing that 
 ho had come without an answer to my letter. Receiving 
 no satisfactory reply, I said no more." He then dilated 
 •mew on the abuse heaped upon him by 3Iessrs. Stern and 
 VOL. II. X
 
 306 THEODOEE AT JIAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 Eosentlial ; but for all that, he went ou to say, the former had 
 felt constrained to call him " a wonderful man " in his book 
 ('Wanderings among the Falashas'), and he, the King, had 
 detained him because Mr. Cameron had brought no reply to 
 his letter. He knew, he said, that my companions (Blanc 
 and Prideaux) and I Avere great men, and admitted that he 
 had ill-used us without any just cause, for which he felt very 
 sorry ; in future, however, he A\ould always treat us as friends. 
 He then ordered a tent to be pitched, and directed Messrs. 
 Waldmeier and Salmiiller to provide breakfast for us AAithin 
 it, evidently under the impression that the wives of those 
 gentlemen, who were the daughters of the late Mr. Bell, 
 would be able to serve us Avith some European dishes. When 
 Mr. riad announced that everything was ready, the King- 
 rose and led the way, we following him. Theodore looked 
 very sad, and although he made several attempts to be 
 cheerful, he could not hide the care which was weighing ou 
 his mind. I never saw him so calm as he was on that day, 
 and I shall never forget the melancholy exjoression of his 
 countenance when, glancing at the half-clad men A\ho were 
 hauling up the guns, he exclaimed, " How can I show those 
 ragged soldiers of mine to your well-dressed troops!" On 
 our way to the tent, he asked me what I thought would be a 
 proper charge for the large mortar. I replied that I could 
 not tell him, as I was not an artilleryman, nor in any way 
 conversant with military matters. 
 
 On the King's return to his ovm tent, he sent me word 
 that the day on which " Sevastopol " was successfully cast, 
 and to-day, when he had met me again in health and 
 jDrosperity, had been the happiest days he had experienced 
 since our separation at Debra Tabor. He therefore asked 
 me to allow him to have a salute lirod in honour of tlio
 
 1868. ArniL. THE KING'S INDECISION. 307 
 
 auj^picious event ; accordingly, shortly after, the roar of 
 artillery was heard mingled with the Elltl, or exulting shouts 
 of the women, both on Salamge and Magdala. Before we took 
 leave of Theodore he sent Messrs. Flad and Waldmeier to 
 me to say, that a live coal, not larger than a pea, if not 
 extinguished, might create a great conflagration. Samuel 
 understood by this remark that his 3Iujesty meant to intimate 
 that he looked to me to put the fire out at once. 
 
 At about 3 r.M. wc returned to our prison-house, escorted 
 by the old and new Commandants. On reaching the in- 
 closure, I hardly believed that it was the same place ; for 
 all my fellow-captives had been imshuckled, and the dismal 
 rattling of their chains was no longer heard. In the course 
 of the afternoon I received a few lines from M. Munzinger, 
 apprising me that our deliverers were not fiir distant. 
 
 'dnl. — Wrote a few lines to Colonel jMerewether this morn- 
 ing, and dispatched them out of Magdala and through the 
 royal camp by no less than five difierent channels. I also 
 sent our compliments to the King, and requested him to 
 allow ^lessrs. Flad and Waldmeier to come to me, in order 
 that I might transmit an important message to him, through 
 them. JIc acquiesced at once ; whereupon I solicited his 
 permission to write and apprise the Commander-in-Chief of 
 the British army of the civility N\lii(h wc had lately received 
 at his Majesty's hands. (I intended this as a feeler, and 
 lioped that it might induce him to open communications 
 with Sir liobert Napier.) Ilis immediate reply was, that 
 1 had mistaken the motives of his recent conduct towards 
 me ; that he had released my fellow-captives from their 
 fetters, not Ijecauso he was afraid of the expected force, or 
 out of any regard for the prisoners, but simply to gratify 
 me, and as a proof of his personal esteem ; hence, he did not 
 
 X 2
 
 308 THEODORE AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 see the use of my reporting a matter ^\lli(•h in no Avay con- 
 cerned ji third person. He, moreover, desired Messrs. Flad 
 and Waldmeier to convey to me the assurance of his con- 
 tinued friendship, and remarked to the hitter that if I asked 
 him to breakfast and dine with me, he wouhl accept the 
 invitation, rather than disappoint me. On tlic strength of 
 this speech, Mr. and Mrs. Fhid, who were then residing in 
 Magdahx, felt at perfect liberty to accept an invitation from 
 me, without applying for the royal permission. When Mr. 
 riad returned to Salamge, Theodore inquired whether I had 
 received his reply graciously. To an affirmative answer he 
 remarked, " ]Mr. Eassam and I know each other well." 
 
 The King started off in the afternoon with the bidk of his 
 army. One report was that he was bound on a plundering 
 expedition ; another, that he had gone to reconnoitre the 
 movements of our troops. Eain fell during the afternoon. 
 
 4:th. — News arrived this morning that the King W'as 
 plundering all the country between the Bashilo river and the 
 fortress, and had not even spared some huts, situated below the 
 Kafir-Bar Gate, on the north-eastern side of Magdala, although 
 they belonged to Christianized Gallas who Avere in the royal 
 service. This intelligence excited no little apprehension 
 among the residents on the Amba generally — even tlie royal 
 troops were not without fears that their property might be 
 seized ; consequently, every one was intent on liiding all he 
 could from the grasp of the dreaded Sovereign. It was re- 
 ported that Theodore had been driven to these harsh measures 
 in order to provide food for his starving army. The resistance 
 of the peasantry led to frequent encounters with the royal 
 troops, and many were killed on both sides. My agents on 
 the Bashilo were also despoiled, but by all accounts they 
 fought bravely in defence of tlicir belongings. The com-
 
 18G8. Apuii.. the KING OX TEXTEEHOOKt^. 300 
 
 munieation which I had scut through them to Colonel 31ere- 
 Mether the day before they concealed in the ground, and 
 forwarded it to the British camp during the night. Theodore 
 returned from his infamous expedition this afternoon, and. 
 yielding to the advice of the 3[agdala Chiefs, I sent a message 
 congratulating him on his safe arrival. 
 
 5th. — Theodore sent me his compliments this morning. 
 After Divine Service in nn- hut, Bitwaddad Hasani and l\as 
 Bisa^vwir, the old and new Commandants, paid me a visit, 
 having received special orders from the King to see me 
 often and attend to my wants. There was a little rain in 
 tlie eveniug. 
 
 (jtlt. — Sent compliments to Theodore this morning, and at 
 noon Bitwaddad Hasani, with three ex-members of the MagdaUi 
 Coimcil, namely, Ras Bisawwir, Bitwaddad Damash audi )ajja) 
 Gojje, called on me, by his ^Majesty's command, to recipro- 
 cate ray comi)liments, and to sit with and " comfort " me. As 
 the new Commandant was present, none of my old friends 
 dared to drink even a cup of coffee, though poor Gojje winked 
 at me, in a way giving me to understand that he wished the 
 interloper at land's end, as he was longing for a glass of tij — 
 a beverage which he had not tasted since his removal from 
 office. 
 
 After these visitors left, ^lessrs. Flad and "Waldmeier came 
 and informed mo that the King was anxious to hear from the 
 Commander-in-Chief of the J?ritish army, and that he had 
 rciiuested the former to send one of his servants to our camp 
 to collect news. Thereupon, ^Ir. Flad tuld his I\rajesty that 
 I had expectcil u cominunicalion from Sir Kobert Napier for 
 the last two days, but owing, as he supposed, to tln^ disturbed 
 state of tile neighbourhood, the mcsseng(TS were probably 
 afraid to approach. To tliis the King re[»licfl, that those
 
 310 THEODOr.E AT MAGDALA. Chap. XXV. 
 
 wlio carried sucli messages were afraid of liini too. For the 
 last three days Theodore has done scarcely anything but 
 ascend the height of Salasse, scanning Avith a telescope the 
 country towards Dalanta, from which direction he had been 
 told the British -force was advancing. Whenever his spies 
 brought him any intelh'gence of its movements, he invariably 
 sent and communicated it to me. 
 
 Itli. — Theodore has been busy with his telescope throughout 
 the day, and it was reported that he had espied some of our 
 troops descending into the Bashilo. He is now anxious to 
 hear from the Commander-in-Chief and to ascertain his 
 fate. 
 
 The old and new Commandants of Magdala came to me 
 this evening with the King's compliments, and told me that 
 he wished to see me at Salamge early to-morrow morning, 
 with all my fellow-captives, from ^Ahich Ave inferred that he 
 intended to retain us with him. Tlie native prisoners were 
 also ordered down. This news, we feared, portended no good 
 to any of us.
 
 1"M1E AMBA MAS-DATLA 
 
 ArsTB ITS OFFSHOWTS 
 
 f Tlieortore's last Asvlimi) 
 
 %^ ^ 
 
 Ml,£ mIi,/ 
 
 V". 
 
 ^% ^rt^' 
 
 
 :'<ji^K 
 
 
 %^- 

 
 18G8. April. CAPTIVES SUMMONED. 311 
 
 CHAPTEK XXVL 
 
 THE FALL OF TIIEODOKE. 
 
 The European Captives summoned to Salamge by the King — Theodore 
 harangues his troops on the impending invasion by the British — Declines 
 communicating with Sir Robert Napier — Release of some of the native 
 prisoners — Cruel massacre of the remainder — The European Captives 
 sent back to Magdala — Letter arrives for Theodore from Sir Robert 
 Napier, which he refuses to receive — The native troops are massed at 
 Salamgfi — Theodore attacks the British, is defeated, and wishes for 
 peace — Lieutenant Prideaux dispatched to Sir Robert Napier and 
 returns to Salamge — Is dispatched again with an angry letter from 
 Theodore — The Autlior and his fellow-captives directed to go to the 
 British camp — The Author's interview with Theodore previous to his 
 departure — The Captives reach the British camp in safety — Theodore's 
 letter of ajwlogy and proffered gift of cattle to Sir Robert Napier on the 
 morning of Easter Sunday — The Commander-in-Chief's message in 
 reply — ITieodore sets all the lunopean artisans at liberty — "Was Theo- 
 dore deceived V — The Author's justilication. 
 
 At dawn on tho 8th of April, "Wald-Gabir, tho royal valet, 
 came to say that the King wished me to go down to Saldmge 
 immediately, with all my fellow-captives, as he desired me to 
 act as a jndg(! between hira and the people who were coming 
 U) fight him. It was surmised tliat the spy who had come to 
 him tho day before had communicated some disquieting news. 
 The King had never before summoned tlic European captives 
 and tho native prisoners simultaneously, and it was appre- 
 liT'iidcd that we were going to bo put together and treated alike. 
 Jluwever, when wo reacheil the royal presence the King rose 
 and welcomed as, and desired me to aj)proach with my cora- 
 ]tanions. lie was examining some guns, and wore a new
 
 312 THE FALL OF TIIEODOFiE. Chap. XXVL 
 
 style of dress on the occasion, made of Lyons silk worked 
 witli gold — it is now in the South Kensington Museum — 
 and instead of the common nether garments of the country 
 he had on a pair made of white tinsel; iu fact, he looked 
 more like a harlequin than a sovereign in this novel motley 
 suit. He walked on towards his tent, bidding my party to 
 follow, and when he had taken his seat in front of his 
 pavilion he asked Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux, Consul 
 Cameron and myself to sit near him, the rest of our fellow- 
 captives remaining a little distance off. "\Yc talked on 
 different matters for more than an hour in the open air, and 
 in the course of the conversation the King told me that the 
 reason he had brought us down was, that he might leave us 
 in a safe place when our troops arrived. Being with him, he 
 said he could protect us and look after our comfort ; whereas 
 if we were at Magdala when our army reached, his soldiers 
 might illtreat us. "Wherever the Empress and my son 
 are," he added, " there you shall be, I have brought them 
 both down to Salamge for security." He told me to send for 
 our tents, in order that we might pitch them near his. After 
 this we left him, and repaired to a silk tent which he had 
 erected for us, not more than fifty yards from his own, there to 
 rest until our tents wore forthcoming. Theodore was very 
 absent during this interview; his countenance, despite the 
 forced smiles which ever and anon played upon it, betraying 
 that he really did feel like another Damocles — to whom he 
 compared himself — and that his iiite now hung upon a thread. 
 Immediately on entering the tent above-mentioned we 
 heard that all the troops had been mustered, and about half- 
 an-liour ufterwards we were surprised to see the King himself 
 standing on a rock not more than fifteen yards from us, 
 haranguing his soldiers on the approaching invaders of his
 
 18G8. Apj:il. THE KING HARANGUES HIS TROOPS. 31S 
 
 country. He told them that in a Jay or two, perhaps, tliey 
 would be obliged to encounter men who were far superior to 
 thcni in strength and arms — A\hoso very dress was bedecked 
 with gold, to say nothing of their treasures, which could only 
 be borne by elephants. " Are you ready to fight ? " he con- 
 tinued, with increasing animation, "and enrich yourselves 
 with the spoils of the white slaves, or will you disgrace me 
 by leaving mo in the lurch ? " Afa-Negiis Bahri, whose 
 name has already been mentioned, stepped forward and 
 bawled out, " Only wait, your Majesty, until these asses 
 make tlieir appearance, when wc will tear them to pieces, 
 and those of them who are lucky enough to escape will have 
 a sorry tale to tell on returning to their own country." The 
 King, on hearing this vaunt, instead of commending the poor 
 old man for his bombastic enthusiasm, as any rational being 
 would have done under the circumstances, proceeded forth- 
 with to damp the courage of his troops in this style : — 
 " What say you, old fool ? Have you ever seen an English 
 soldier to know what ho is like, and what weapons ho 
 carries ? Be assured that before you know where you are, 
 your belly will be filled with bullets." Even the Abyssinian 
 soldiery \\ould have been provoked into merriment by such a 
 speech coming from any other than the dreaded Theodore ; 
 as it was, they pretended to look grave, and were forthwith 
 dismissed. 
 
 About an hour after we parted, the King went to superin- 
 tend the fortification of a point against the attack of our 
 troops. As he passed our tent he called me out, and in- 
 dicated a clean spot, about one hundred feet from his own 
 pavilion, where I might pitch ray tent. ( Vide Plan, page 277). 
 He then entered into friendly conversation with mo about 
 communicating with the Commander-in-Chief, a step which
 
 31i THE FALL OF THEODORE. CuAr. XXVL 
 
 I had always urged him to take. He said, " What is the 
 use of my doing so ? The die is cast, and things must take 
 their course. We shall see what will come to pass. How- 
 ever, as far as you arc concerned, do not fear ; no harm shall 
 befall you." 
 
 When the King returned from his work I went out with 
 my fellow-captives to Avelcome him. He told us that he 
 had seen through a telescope some baggage and elephants 
 coming down the Bashilo. In the afternoon he sent to ask 
 me AA hy our people advanced so slowly. 
 
 Early on the 9th of April he sent me compliments, and 
 then went to see to the defence of another spot, and returned 
 at about three in the afternoon. As soon as he entered his 
 tent he again sent to tell me that he had seen more baggage 
 coming down tlie valley, and had noticed small wliite 
 animals with it, and asked if I could tell him A^hat they 
 were. I said they might be Somali sheep. 
 
 When the native prisoners, 570 in number, came down 
 after us from Magdala, on the Sth, they were confined in my 
 stables, in front of the royal household-establishment, and 
 our mules and servants were turned out for their accom- 
 modation. That day, the Avholo of the children and women, 
 amounting to 18G, were released, together with thirty-seven 
 Chiefs, including Kantiba Hailo and Balambaras Tasamma, 
 the Master of the Horse. The day following he ordered the 
 remainder to be released, excepting a few political prisoners. 
 By 1 r.M. ninety-five more prisoners had been released, and 
 as tlie process of opening the chains was rather slow, owing 
 to the few hands told off to the work, those who were still 
 unshackled became somewhat imf)atient. On hearing this 
 Theodore fell into a rage, saying, " Do these people think 
 they can oblige me to strike off their chains ? " and rushed
 
 1868. April. SLAUGHTER OF PRISONERS. 315 
 
 out in a frenzy, sword in Land, and called to his soldiers to 
 follow him to the quarters of the native prisoners. A friendly- 
 courtier came running to me, and said, "The King has 
 gone to make a general slaughter of the captives ; tell your 
 people to remain in their tents and keep quiet." 
 
 The King had not been away ten minutes before we heard 
 the discharge of musketry, which lasted till 6-30 p.m. The 
 place of execution was not more than 200 yards from our 
 encampment. The unfortunate prisoners were dragged 
 before him, one by one ; and after the name and offence of 
 the individual had been repeated, he ordered the victim to 
 be thrown over the precipice. Those who did not die by the 
 fall were to be shot by the 3Iusketeers, who had been sent 
 below for the purpose. After this indiscriminate slaughter 
 had continued for two hours the King cooled doAvn, and said 
 *' Enough ; " not, however, until he had caused the destruc- 
 tion of no less than 197 hapless victims, only thirty-five of 
 whom had committed any crime — the rest having been 
 confined for trivial offences, or lor having incurred the 
 royal disj^leasure by laughing amongst themselves when the 
 King was in a bad temper. I'ngada Wark had been im- 
 prisoned for losing a rifle, and for being unable to pay the 
 price at which Theodore had valued it. AVhen brought 
 before his master he said, "Have I not served you faithfully? 
 Why do you kill me?" "Hurl the villain down! Have 
 you not brought the Franks on me?" was the savage 
 rejoinder. One of the most innocent of the victims was a 
 youth, named Kiduna Miiryam, who had been one of the 
 King's pages, and had frequently been sent to me with his 
 Majesty's compliments. He had dared to laugh while con- 
 versing with one Zaudi, of tlie royal body-guard, when 
 Theodore was out of humour. Zaudi also was executed on
 
 31G THE FALL OF THEODOrj-:. CuAr. XXA'L 
 
 this occasion, simply because a musket which he had loaded 
 for the King missed fire when the latter attempted to dis- 
 cliarge it at a rebel A\ho was deriding him at a distance. 
 
 On that dreadful afternoon the King, in my opinion, must 
 have been quite insane; and if any one instance goes to 
 prove this more than another it is the following. Among 
 the unfortunate prisoners was a man wlio had been confined 
 on a charge of having attempted to take liberties with one of 
 the royal concubines ; and as Theodore generally made the 
 relatives of the accused jiarty suffer as well as the principal, 
 he ordered two lads, between twelve and fifteen years of age, 
 sons of the offender, to be imprisoned Avith their father. Soon 
 after the King had commenced the slaughter, these unhappy 
 boys were dragged before him, and on being apprised that 
 they were the offspring of the man who had misbehaved 
 himself, as aforesaid, his Majesty shouted out, " Away with 
 them ! " whereupon they were instantly hurled down the 
 precipice and dashed to pieces. When the father of the 
 two boys ^^■as produced, Theodore's rage had somewhat sub- 
 sided, and after hearing the culprit's crime rehearsed by the 
 proper officer, he said, " Open his chains and let him go." 
 
 That indiscriminate carnage disgusted the troops more 
 than anything that had occurred before, as a great number of 
 them had to assist either in the destruction of a relative or 
 friend. Courage to resist they had none ; they could only 
 bewail their misery in the darkness of the night, out of the 
 hearing of eavesdroppers. 
 
 Very early next morning (Good Friday, the lUth April) 
 the King sent to bid me go up at once to Magdala, with 
 my eight fellow-captives, j\[rs. Eosenthal being now added to 
 our number. That Theodore was in an awful mood was 
 evident from another mcssatre which I then received from
 
 1868. AruiL. SIR EGBERT XAPIER'S LETTER. 317 
 
 liim. I liatl repeatedly advised him to communicate Avitb 
 Sir Eobert Napier, but be gave no beod to wliat I said. He 
 now sent to say, '* Do you want rae to a\ rite to that man ? No, 
 I will do no sucb tbing, inasmucb as be bas been sent by a 
 uoman." 
 
 As we were starting, on our way back to Magdala, a letter 
 reacbed me from Sir Eobert Napier, addressed to tbe King ; 
 ■whereupon I sent immediately to ask his Majesty's permis- 
 sion to forward it to him, \a itb tbe messenger. He returned 
 me an indignant answer, saying that he did not wish to 
 see either tbe letter or the bearer, warning me at tbe same 
 time against communicating with the camp. " If you write 
 to them," (the British), he said, " my friendship with you will 
 be at an end, and the blood of tbe messenger who carries your 
 missive will be on your head. Beware ! " 
 
 The following is a copy of Sir Eobert Napier's letter 
 above referred to, as published in the Abyssinian ' Blue- 
 Book:'— 
 
 "From etc., &c., to King Theodoras. 
 
 " By command of the Queen of England I am approaching 
 Miigdala with my army, in order to recover from your bauds 
 Envoy Russam, Consul Cameron, Dr. Blanc, Lieutenant Prideaux, 
 and the other Europeans now in your ^lajesty's power. 
 
 " I request your Majesty to send them to my camp, as soon 
 as it is sufficiently near to admit of their coming in safety." 
 
 On that morning all the troops, botli at Magdala and 
 Salamge, were ordered to assemble, and only fifty men were 
 left to guard the fortress — thirty over the native prisoners, 
 and twenty at the gates. When the King was asked who was 
 to guard tlio European captives, be replied, " Is not Mr. 
 Uassam there ? He is quite sullicient." For all that, our 
 old warders watched us very strictly that day, and we could
 
 318 THE FALL OF THEODORE. Cuap. XXYL 
 
 neither laiigli nor talk -without their saying, "Hush! you 
 will vex his Majesty." A little after noon Me heard that the 
 British troops had reached A'roge, and were taking up a 
 position on different hillocks around Magdala. About 3 p.m. 
 it was rumoured that the King had taken the great body of 
 his troops, and had gone to attack the advanced guard of our 
 army. AYe heard continual firing for nearly two hours after, 
 but could not determine w^hether the Abyssinians were only 
 makinjr a demonstration — as is their wont on similar occa- 
 sions — or were regularly engaged with our troops. The gates 
 of the fortress had been closed, and no communication was 
 allowed between Salamge and Magdala until the morning. 
 We retired to sleep, therefore, uncertain whether the King 
 had actually attacked the British force, or had merely 
 feigned to do so. 
 
 At 10-30 P.M., however, I Avas awoke from a sound sleep 
 by Aito Samuel, who told me that Messrs. Flad and Wald- 
 meier had come to me with a message from the King. I 
 immediately called them in, when they delivered the follow- 
 ing communication from the King : — " How have you passed 
 the day ? Thank God, I am well. I, being a Iving, could 
 not allow people to come and fight me without attacking 
 them first. I have done so, and my troops have been beaten. 
 I thought your people were women, but I find they are men. 
 They fought very bravely. Seeing that I am unable to 
 cope with them, I must ask you to reconcile me to them." 
 To this I replied tliat I was now powerless, as hostilities had 
 already commenced ; I could only send one of my com- 
 panions, Lieutenant Prideaux, to the Commander-in-Chief, to 
 see what could bo done. I advised his IMajesty, at the same 
 tim(.', to send an Abyssinian of high rank on his part, and to 
 allow Mr. Flad to accompany them, he being a mutual
 
 18GS. Arrai.. COMMISSION SENT TO BRITISH CAMP. 319 
 
 frieud. I owe it to Lieutenant Prideaux to state that be 
 accepted the proposed duty most willingly. 
 
 At dawn the following morning, the 11th, Mr. Flad re- 
 turned, and informed me that the King concurred in my 
 jjroposal, and begged me to do as I had suggested ; where- 
 upon Lieutenant Prideaux accompanied Mr. Flad to the 
 King. His Majesty appointed Dajjaj 'Alami, a Chief who 
 had married his favourite consort's daughter, to go with 
 them, and then sent them off to the British camp. 
 
 I had dispatched Dasta, one of my interpreters, with 
 Lieutenant Prideaux, thinking that he might prove useful to 
 him on the road, or with the King, When bis Majesty saw 
 him he approved of his appointment, but ordered him to 
 return to him as soon as the Commission had been received 
 by the British authorities, and give an account of their 
 reception. When they all left, the King went up to Salasse, 
 and watched their movements through a telescope. Dasta 
 returned about noon and informed the King, who was still 
 sitting on Sahisse, of the handsome reception accorded to 
 his Chief. Whereupon his Majesty told him to come and 
 communicate the happy tidings to me. After that, I heard 
 nothing more, except that the King bad worked himself into 
 a fearful mood on the return of the Commissioners, and bad 
 sent Messrs. Prideaux and Flad back to Sir Robert Napier, 
 witli an angrv letter,* and had refused to send bis own 
 
 * The following aro copies of the letters wliich passed on this occasion 
 l)ct\veeii the Commaudcr-in-Chicf and King Theodore, as published in the 
 « lUue-Books : '— 
 
 " Copy of Letter from Sm II. Napier to Tuf.odore, dated ^British Cam2\ 
 Affajo, 11//* April, 18G8,*' se7it in reply to the Verbal Messaye hrouijhl 
 hy LiKUTENAXT Trideaux, Mr. Flad, and the Dajazmaj Alamee, 
 the So)i-in-Law of the King. 
 
 " YoL'R Majesty has fought like a brave man, and has been overcome by 
 the superior power of the British Army.
 
 320 THE FALL OF TllEODOllE. Chap, XXVL 
 
 deputy, Dajjcij 'Alami, again to our camp, as he was against 
 coming to any terms. The Dajjaj advised him to resort to 
 
 " It is my desire that no move blood may be shed. If, therefore, your 
 Majesty ^vill submit to the Queen of England, and bring all the Europeans 
 now in your Majesty's hands, and deliver them safely, this day, in the 
 British Camp, I guarantee honourable treatment for yourself, and all the 
 members of your Majesty's family." 
 
 KixG Theodore to Sir Egbert Napier. 
 
 '■^Delivered ly Lieut. Prideaiix and the Dajaz Alamie on \lth Aj^ril, 1868. 
 
 " (Note, without superscription, seal, signature, or date. Along with it 
 was returned the Commander-in-Chief's letter of that morning, in which 
 the King was called upon to submit.) 
 
 "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost — one 
 God in His Trinity and His Unity. 
 
 " Kassa, whose trust is in Christ, thus speaks : — 
 
 "0 people of Abyssinia, will it always he thus that you flee before the 
 enemy, when I myself, by the power of God, go not forth with you to 
 encourage you ? 
 
 " Believing that all power had been given to me, I had established my 
 Christian people in this heathen spot. In my city are multitudes whom 
 I have fed : maidens protected and maidens unprotected ; women whom 
 yesterday made widows ; and aged parents who have no children. God 
 has given you the power. Sec that you forsake not these people. It is a 
 heathen land. 
 
 " My countrymen have turned their backs on me and have liated me, 
 because I imposed tribute on them, and sought to bring them under 
 military discipline. You liave prevailed against me by means of people 
 brought into a state of discipline. 
 
 " !My followers who loved me were frightened by one Inillct, and fled in 
 .spite of my commands. When you defeated them I w;is not with the 
 fugitives. 
 
 " Believing myself to be a great Lord I gave you battle ; but, by reason 
 of the worthlessness of my artillcr}-^, all my pains were as nought. 
 
 " The people of my country, by taunting mc with having embraced the 
 religion of the Franks, and by saying that I had become a Musalman, and 
 in ten different ways, had provoked me to anger against them. Out of 
 what I have done of evil towards them may God bring good. His will be 
 done. I had intended, if God had so decreed, to conquer the whole world ; 
 and it was my desire to die if my purpose could not be fulfilled. Since 
 the day of my birth till now no man has dared to lay hand on me. "When-
 
 1868. April. SUMMONED TO SALAMGE. 321 
 
 friendly measures, as there was notbing to be gained by 
 fighting the English. The only answer he elicited was that 
 he should hold his tongue. 
 
 About 4 P.M. the old and new Commandants of Magdala 
 came to me, A\ith dejected countenances, to say that the 
 King their master had sent them to tell me to go down to 
 the British camj) and take all my fellow-captives with me. 
 Every Abyssinian who was apj)rised of the royal mandate 
 came running Avith melancholy faces to see the upshot, as 
 the general opinion was that the King meant to have us 
 massacred on the road, or to keep us close prisoners until he 
 had come to terms with the Commander-in-Chief. If he had 
 really entertained any such design he was induced to change 
 his mind when we met — probably in the hope that by sending 
 me at once to our camp be would secure peace. Had the 
 idea ever occurred to him that he would be required to 
 surrender himself a prisoner, he would assuredly have had 
 us cut to pieces rather than give us up. 
 
 As soon as Samuel heard the Chiefs' communication he 
 said to me, " I advise you, Mr. Eassam, not to attempt to go 
 to your camp before seeing the King." I rej)lied that I 
 must do so, as his Majesty had not expressed a desire to 
 see me. "At all events," he said, '-'send and obtain permis- 
 sion from the King, and say that you could not think of 
 leaving for your camp without wishing him farewell, and 
 thanking him for his kindness and civility." I rejoined that 
 
 ever my soldiers began to waver in battle, it was mine to arise and rally 
 tbem. Last night the darkness hindered mc from doing so. 
 
 " Your people who have passed the night in joy ; may God not do imto 
 you as he has done to me. I had hoped, after subduing all my enemies in 
 Abyssinia, to lead my anny against Jerusalem, and expel front it the 
 Turks. A warrior who has dandled strong men in his arms like infanta 
 will never suffer himself to be dandled in the anus of others." 
 
 VOL. II. Y
 
 322 THE FALL OF THEODORE. Chap. XXVL 
 
 he (Samuel) knew very well that ever since my arrival in 
 Abyssinia I had never taken the initiative in such cases, and 
 that at that critical juncture especially I could not do so, as 
 his Majesty might easily have sent for me, had he wished to 
 see me before I went away. Samuel then went and spoke 
 to the Chiefs who had brought me the message and were 
 waiting to , escort me and my fellow-captives. They both 
 urged me to take Samuel's advice. I told them that they 
 knew theii* master's temper, and that if I sent to him myself 
 and asked for an interview he might take it amiss and 
 become furious ; but, if they liked. Dr. Blanc and I would 
 put on our uniforms and be ready to appear before the King, 
 should he express a wish to see us. 
 
 The reason why Samuel and the Commandants of Magdala 
 were so anxious that I should see Theodore before going to 
 the British camp was this : — All the Chiefs and courtiers 
 who knew the footiuG: on which I had been with the Kin^ 
 were impressed with the idea that my meeting him would 
 suflice to allay the royal anger; and as on this particular 
 occasion every Abyssinian fully expected that we should 
 be put to death, the above-named individuals judged that 
 the only way to avert our doom was to bring about an inter- 
 view between me and their Sovereign, which they eventually 
 effected, at great personal risk. 
 
 As our tlu'ce friendly advisers concurred in the suggested 
 arrangement. Dr. Blanc and I dressed in uniform and went 
 to Salamge, with our fellow-captives. Consul Cameron, 
 the Rev. Mr. Stern, ]\[r. and Mrs. Eosenthal, and Messrs. 
 Kerans and Pietro. As soon as we descended from the fortress 
 a follower of Ras Bisawwir, the ex-Commandant of j\ragdala, 
 came running to that Chief with orders from the King to 
 take me to him, if I wished to see him ; his Majesty would
 
 1SG8. April. A LAST INTERVIEW. 323 
 
 see me only, and none of my fellow-captives were to accom- 
 pany me. I then discovered that, although I had refused to 
 send to the King, the Chiefs had agreed to do so themselves, 
 and had sent to say that I had expressed a wish to see him, 
 and to thank him for his kindness. I was accordingly sepa- 
 rated from my fellow-captives and taken to the Sovereign. I 
 had scarcely \\alked fifty yards when Mr. Waldmeier came 
 to warn me agamst taking any of my fellow-captives with me 
 into his Majesty's presence, as he would not see any one but 
 me. We then walked on towards the spot where the King 
 was said to be awaiting me. I found him standing at the 
 junction of the upper and lower roads loading to the British 
 camp, with about twenty picked ^Musketeers around him, and 
 his European artisans in attendance. (See Plan, p. 227). On 
 seeing me he asked how I had passed the day, and beckoned 
 to me with his hand to approach. On my coming uj) to him he 
 looked towards the sun, and said abruptly, " Do you not think 
 it is late for you to go this afternoon to your camp ? Would 
 you rather go at once or spend the night with me, and in 
 the morning I will send you straight to your people ? " I 
 answered that whatever pleased his Majesty pleased me. He 
 then said, " Good ; you had better go now ; but," he added, 
 *' sit down for a short time, and let me have a few words 
 A\ itli you before you depart." After I had seated myself on 
 the ground near him, he said, " You know, 3Ir. Rassam, that 
 you and I have always been on good terms. God knows 
 your heart, but, as far as I am concerned, I have always had 
 a sincere regard for you. It is true that I have behaved ill 
 to you, but that was through the conduct of bad men. How- 
 ever, the past cannot bo helped now, and, I can only say, 
 God's will be done. I want you to bear this in mind — that 
 unless you bci'riend me, I shall cither kill myself or become a 
 
 Y 2
 
 321 THE FALL OF THEODORE. Chap. XXVL 
 
 monk. Now, good-bye ; it is getting late ; try and come 
 to see me to-morrow, if you can." I then thanked him for 
 his kindness, and said, " I will come to see your Majesty, if 
 possible." He asked again, *' Will you come to-morrow ? " I 
 replied that it all depended upon the orders of the Commander- 
 in-Chief. He then rose, shook hands with me, wept and 
 said, " Farewell ; be quick, it is getting late." I rejoined, 
 "I thank your Majesty; but my companions are behind." 
 His only answer was — and these words were the last I heard 
 from his lips — " You had better go." I Avas now anxious 
 about my fellow-captives, and after walking on a few paces I 
 stopped. The King was still standing on a rock, surrounded 
 by his Musketeers, and holding a double-barrelled rifle in his 
 hands. When he saw me stop and look round, he motioned 
 me with his hand to go on. My fears then began to in- 
 crease; still I apprehended that if I said anything we should 
 all be shot down, so I proceeded a few ste2:)s farther and 
 stood still, when, to my intense joy, I saw my fellow-captives 
 coming down the hill towards me. As soon as they joined 
 me we went on towards our camp, but did not feel safe until 
 we were within our pickets, knowing that the fickle Theodore 
 might have recalled us at any moment. Before I parted 
 with the King he ordered Da^ijaj 'Alami, Aito Samuel, and 
 Messrs. Waldmeier, Salmiiller, Mayer and Moritz to escort 
 me to our camp. Soon after I left, I dispatched Mr. Mayer 
 in advance, to notify our approach, and also to stop Messrs. 
 Prideanx and Flad, in case they were on their way back. 
 Luckily, he arrived just in time to detain them, or they might 
 have started for Salamge and missed us in the dark. 
 
 Some officers who were on guard conducted us to Sir 
 Eobert Napier's tent, on the outside of which we were cor- 
 dially received by his Excellency and Colonel Mcrewcther.
 
 1868. April. THE PROFFERED PRESENT. 325 
 
 The latter welcomed us with his usual kindness, and, feeling 
 as I did how deeply indebted all the liberated captives were 
 to his assiduous sympathy and valuable assistance from first 
 to last, I was rejoiced to have this early occasion of express- 
 ing my gratitude for his unwearied exertions on our behalf. 
 Without Colonel Merewether's foresight and zealous coopera- 
 tion, our misfortunes might have come to a widely different 
 tenniuation. 
 
 The King having asked me to go up and see him again, I 
 communicated his wish to the Commander-in-Chief, who, of 
 course, objected to my placing myself once more in jeopardy, 
 and thereby adding to the existing complications. 
 
 On the morning of Easter Sunday, the 12th of April, 
 Theodore wrote a letter of apology, containing tlic offer of a 
 present of cows and sheep, and sent it by Alaka I'ugada, his 
 chief Aniharic scribe, with instructions to come to me, in 
 order that 1 might accompany him to Sir Robert Napier. 
 The following is a translation of this remarkable document, 
 copied from the Abyssinian ' Blue-liook : ' — 
 
 " In the name of the Father, of the Sou, and of the Holy 
 Ghost — one Lord : 
 
 " Tlie King of Kings, Theodorus : 
 
 " May it reach the beloved servant of the Great Queen of 
 England. 
 
 " I am writing to you, without being able to address you by 
 name, because our intercourse has arisen so unexpectedly. 
 
 '' 1 am grieved at having sent you my writing of 3'esterday, 
 and at having quarrelled with you, my fi-iend. When I saw 
 your manner of figliting, and the discipline of your army, and 
 when my people failed to execute my orders, then I was con- 
 sumed with sorrow to think that although 1 killed and punished 
 my soldiers, yet they woidd not return to the battle. Whilst 
 the fire of jealousy burned witliin me, Satan came to me in the 
 night, and tempted me to kill myself with my own pistol. But,
 
 326 THE FALL OF THEODORE. Chap. XXVI. 
 
 reflecting that God would be angry with me if I were to go in 
 this manner, and leave my army without a protector, I sent to 
 you in a hurry, lest I might die, and all things be in confusion 
 before my message should reach you. After my messenger had 
 gone I cocked my pistol, and, putting it to my mouth, pulled 
 the trigger. Though I pulled and pulled, yet it would not go 
 off. But when my people rushed upon mo, and laid hold of 
 the pistol, it was discharged just as they had drawn it from my 
 mouth. God having thus signified to me that I should not die, 
 but live, I sent to you Mr. Kassam that same evening, that your 
 heart might be made easy. 
 
 " To-day is Easter ; be pleased to let mo send a few cows 
 to you. 
 
 " The reason of my returning to you your letter yesterday 
 was, that I believed at that time that we should meet one another 
 in heaven, but never on earth. 
 
 " I let the night pass without sending for the body of my 
 friend Fitaurari Gabrte, because I thought that after my death 
 we should both be buried together ; but since I have lived, be 
 pleased to allow him to be buried. 
 
 " You require from me all the Europeans, even to my best 
 friend, Waldmeier. Well, be it so. They shall go. But now 
 that we are friends you must not leave me without artisans, as 
 I am a lover of the mechanical arts." 
 
 On receiving this commimieation I went to Colonel Mere- 
 wether, and we repaired to the Commander-in-Chiefs tent 
 together, when I was requested by Sir Robert Napier to give 
 him a literal translation of the letter. With the assistance 
 of Samuel, who rendered the Amharic into Arabic, I trans- 
 lated t]jo \\h()lo into English, sentence by sentence. That 
 done, Samuel — who had been ordered by Theodore to return 
 with the answer, and then to assist in bringing down the 
 European artisans and their families — wished to know what 
 reply he was to carry back to the King respecting the prof- 
 fered present of sheep and cows. On my rejDeating this 
 question to the Commander-in-Chief, his Excellency said, " I
 
 1868. April. WAS THEODORE DECEIVED ? 327 
 
 accept tliem ; " and that was the message which I gave to 
 Samuel. 
 
 A little before sunset that evening, all the European 
 artisans, with their wives and families and the whole of 
 their effects, arrived safely in the British Camp, the King 
 having given them permission to leave Magdala immediately 
 after he received the Commander-in-Chief's message. A 
 little after sunset, Samuel came to the British camp and 
 informed me that the King had ordered him to go up to 
 Magdala and bring down our effects, and had also given him 
 permission at the same time to remove his family and all 
 his belongings from Magdala to our camp. This last offer 
 Samuel thought it advisable to decline, fearing that by 
 accepting it he might create suspicion in the King's mind, 
 who might be irritated on finding that every one wished 
 to leave him. The King insisted, however, on his coming to 
 our camp in charge of my moveables and those of my 
 companions, and also to convey his compliments to me. 
 His Majesty's words were, "How are you, my friend? I 
 hope you are well. I know you have no longer any power ; 
 so do not think about me. God's will be done." This was 
 the last message I received from Theodore. At a quarter 
 past four in the afternoon of the following day I saw him 
 dead. He had committed suicide in the jiresence of his 
 valet, Wald-Gabir, who told me that his master shot himself 
 just as our troops reached the second gate. 
 
 It has been insinuated from more quarters than one, that 
 Theodore was deceived with regard to the reply sent to 
 his proffered gift of sheep and cattle, and tliat I was the 
 author of the deception. It is not within my province to dis- 
 cuss the former question; the latter I utterly deny. Even 
 when a prisoner with the King, I never gave him any reason
 
 328 THE FALL OF THEODORE. CnAP. XXVI. 
 
 to believe that I could shield him from the consequences of 
 his obstinacy; on the contrary, I assured him again and 
 again that, Avith our troops in the field, his fate rested in 
 other hands than mine. In the matter of the present, I 
 acted as I was bound to act, on superior authority, and was 
 merely the channel through which the Commander-in-Chief's 
 message was delivered to the King's officer. The innuendo 
 referred to, however, was only one among several disparaging 
 strictures on my conduct which obtained currency imme- 
 diately after my release from captivity. Such ungenerous 
 reflections were hard to bear, under the circumstances ; but 
 Time is the great rej)airer of injuries, and, moreover, I have 
 the satisfaction of knowing that they had respect to matters 
 far too trivial to be repeated here, and were either utterly 
 unfounded, or based on words and actions which were grossly 
 distorted.
 
 "i
 
 1868. April. 329 
 
 CHAPTEE XXYII. 
 
 ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL. 
 
 Narrative of events between the 11th and 13tli April, 18G8 — Dispatch of 
 the proffered cattle to the British camp — Theodore's imjiression that 
 hostilities were at an end — Mr. Speedy — The King prepares to escape 
 on hearing that his present had not been accepted — His troops decline 
 to accompany him — Prepaits for defence — Is abandoned by most of 
 his followers — Some of the Chiefs surrender themselves to Sir Kobert 
 Napier — Theodore attacks a party of British Cavalry — Ketreats with 
 a handful of followers and secures the Gates of Magdala — The fortress 
 stormed by the British — Theodore shoots himself — A summary of his 
 career — His surviving wives and children — Did Theodore, before his 
 death, curse the Author? — Visit to Mdgdala after its fall — The Author 
 charged with the burial of Theodore and the care of his family — Dis- 
 posal of the Chiefs and people of Magdala — Contrast — Divine interven- 
 tion — The Army of Eescue — Burial of Theodore — His son, 'Alamayo, 
 made over by his mother to the care of the British — Dismissal of the 
 Magdala Chiefs — The Author proceeds to Dalanta with the royal family 
 — Magdala in flames — Review of the Expeditionary force — Illness and 
 death of the Queen Tem-Wark — Dismissal of all Abyssinian followers 
 at Scnafe — Arrival at Zoolla — Journey to Europe — Dispersion of the 
 late European Cai)tivc's — On British soil once more — Reception by old 
 friends — Recognition by Government of the services and sufferings of 
 the Mission to Abyssinia — Conclusion. 
 
 So many conflicting accounts have been given of \\hat took 
 place at the royal camp ironi the afternoon of tbe 11th 
 of April, when I took leave of the King, until the morning of 
 the loth, that the reader may very naturally expect to hear 
 my version of tlic subject. Without venturing either to 
 impugn or reconcile the statements of other writers, I shall 
 give a brief narrative of the principal events which occurred 
 during that interval, on tlir autliority of several trustworthy 
 persons who were present at the time.
 
 330 ALUS WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXVIL 
 
 After the King had dispatched the 1,000 cows and 500 
 sheejj — they were all he possessed — to Sir Eobert Napier, 
 on the mistaken idea that peace had been initiated between 
 him and the British, he seemed quite cheerful, and con- 
 tinued so throughout the greater part of Sunday, the 12th of 
 April, and allowed all his European artisans, together with 
 their fomilies and effects, to repair to our camp. He had 
 a2:)pointed one Agafari IMashisha, formerly the head exe- 
 cutioner but whom he had recently raised to the rank of 
 Dajazmatsh, to convey the live stock to the British lines. 
 This man was stopped at the outlying pickets and kept wait- 
 ing there. About sunset he sent a messenger to his master, 
 stating that the cattle had not yet been taken over, and 
 requesting orders as to Avhat was to be done, as the animals 
 were likely to die for want of water. He also reported that 
 " Basha Fallake " (]\[r. Speedy) had been to examine the 
 cattle, but had not told him whether he was to remain or 
 return. As soon as the King heard the name of Fallake, 
 whom he always called an "enemy," he inferred that his 
 visit boded him no good. He also concluded, from the fact 
 of the cattle having been kej)t so long outside the camp 
 Avithout having been received by the Commander-in-Chief, 
 that his confident anticipation of peace was doomed to be 
 disappointed. He accordingly began to make preparations 
 to decamj), and, summoning all the Chiefs of his troops on 
 Salamge, he ordered them to be in readiness to march with 
 him during the night. In the course of an hour he was told 
 that none could follow him that night, as they could procure 
 neither animals nor carriers to transport their families and 
 effects at so short a notice; nevertheless, about two hundred 
 Chiefs volunteered to accompany him at once, leaving their 
 families behind. As this did not satisfy Theodore, he went
 
 1868. April. THEODOEE'S LAST EFFORTS. 331 
 
 up to Magdala and issued similar orders there, stating that 
 lie intended starting for his native province forthwith, and that 
 they would be able to reach the Jejaho A^alley next morning, 
 from whence they might proceed onward to the Lake, with- 
 out fear of molestation. Thereupon the Chiefs consulted 
 with their men, and it was unanimously resolved to disre- 
 gard the royal mandate, on the ground that for want of 
 carriage they would be obliged to abandon their families — 
 a step to Avhich they had the strongest objection. They 
 counselled his Majesty at the same time to come to terms 
 with the invaders, and thereby save them and their families 
 from the destructive devouring fire of the English, which all 
 the peojile in Abyssinia, if combined against them, couhi not 
 extinguish. The King then upbraided them for their dis- 
 loyalty and cowardice; they, in return, blaming him for 
 having surrendered me and my fellow-captives before ex- 
 acting favourable conditions from the British. "Had the 
 European captives still been with your Majesty," they argued, 
 "you might have revenged upon them the refusal of their 
 brothers to accept your offers of peace, and thereby have made 
 their hearts smart ; as it is, you have everything to lose. We 
 are your Majesty's children unto death, if you will only listen 
 to our advice and come to terms with the FrancJiotsh.'" After 
 this incident, Theodore seated himself near the Salamge Gate 
 and w as silent for about two hours. He then ordered Damash 
 and other Chiefs to collect four hundred men to assist in plac- 
 ing some mortars on the road leading up from Salamge, with 
 the evident intention of making a show of defence, in the 
 event of an attack l)y the British. Ivas Bi^awwir, the old Com- 
 mandant of jMagdala, returned to him in the course of half an 
 hour, and reported that every petty Chief both of the old and 
 new garrisons had sworn tliat they would not stir a finger in
 
 332 ALL'S WELL THAT END'S WELL. Chap. XXYIT. 
 
 any attempt to fight the English ; bnt that if ho were willing 
 to make peace, they were all ready to go before the great 
 " English Eas," with stones on their necks, and sue for 
 23ardon. Before this message was delivered to Theodore, 
 some of the highest Chiefs, including Has I'ngada, consulted 
 what course they should jiursue in case the King took it 
 into his head to order the slaufrhtcr of some individuals of 
 the garrison, with the object of intimidating the remainder 
 into obedience. They all resolved, and sealed the deter- 
 mination witli a solemn oath, that they would disobey any 
 such order, cvcni if issued against one of the common 
 l^risoners; and, moreover, that they would thereupon bind 
 the King, if necessary, to prevent him from shedding any 
 more innocent blood. Theodore did not visit his family at 
 Magdala on this occasion, and on receiving Kas Bisawwir's 
 answer he returned to Salamge, saying to that Chief as he 
 left, "Let tliose who still bear me any attachment follow 
 me, and we shall see what assistance is to be got below." 
 Between forty and fifty Chiefs accompanied him, and towards 
 dawn he set about his absurd ])roject of moving some mortars 
 on the road leading up to Magdala ; but as it was no easy 
 task to drag such heavy pieces of artillery, over rocks and 
 stones, uj) a steep incline, especially as only a few hands 
 could be got together to co-operate in the work, he even- 
 tually abandoned the attempt, and reverted to the former 
 scheme of retiring from the place, lie asked those who 
 liad come down with him from Magdala, whether they would 
 accompany him if he Avent to Gishen, and from thence 
 make their way to Kwara, by the safest route. On receiv- 
 ing an affirnialivc reply, he next summoned the Chiefs of 
 the troops at Salamge, who had promised the day before 
 to go with him, if he wished them to attend him. He sent
 
 1S68. April. THEODORE ATTACKS THE BRITISH. 333 
 
 for them twice, but as they refused to come he left and re- 
 turned to Magdala, to try his luck there once more. In the 
 mean time, some of the foremost Chiefs at Salamge, thinking 
 that Tlieodore was about to retreat with tlie Chiefs who had 
 gone up with him to Magdala, hurried off to the British 
 camp and surrendered themselves to the Commander-in-Chief, 
 proflering at the same time the submission of all the royal 
 troops on Salamge. The King, on the other hand, having 
 tried in vain, for the space of an hour, to obtain more help 
 from Magdala to enable him to move the mortars and make 
 a better defence, returned to Salamge, at his wit's end what 
 course to pursue. To his chagrin, he found the soldiers there, 
 on whose loyalty he had implicitly relied, hurrying from 
 their huts towards the British lines at A'ro^e. Nothinjr 
 daunted, however, by tliis sore mortification, he set to work, 
 heart and soul, with his few remaining adherents, in plac- 
 ing the mortars in a good position for defence below the 
 Salamge Gate. "While engaged on tliis bootless undertaking, 
 he espied some cavalry belonging to Sir Charles Staveley's 
 division on the height of Salasse. Thereupon the King im- 
 mediately abandoned the work, mounted his horse, and set 
 off towards that point, calling upon his party to follow him 
 and die fighting. Most of his people, however, deeminf>" 
 that they would be safer in ]\ragdala, deserted him and re- 
 turned to the fortress, only twelve persons accompanying 
 him, including Kas rngada, Bitwiiddad Ilasani, Eas Barrako, 
 and A\'ald-Gubir, the royal valet. AVhile Theodore was gallop- 
 ing about and challenging our troops to single combat, one 
 of his party was shot in the arm, which induced the rest to 
 entreat his Majesty to relinquish the rash demonstration and 
 return to the defence of i\Iagdala. On reaching the fortress, 
 he again appealed to the garrison to assist him in defend-
 
 3^4 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXVIL 
 
 ing it; but all his solicitations Averc in vain. He succeeded, 
 however, in securing the help of Kus Bisawwir and Bitwaddad 
 Damash, and their relatives, to pile huge stones behind the 
 wooden gates ; but before the task was accomj)lished the 
 cannonading from our side began, which scared all the hands 
 away, excepting the few persons who had gone up with him 
 from Salamge, and those Chiefs who liad joined him in the 
 fortress. Three of tlie former were killed by the explosion 
 of a shell, and another by a rocket. As soon as Theodore 
 saw one man fall, he went and seated himself in a passage 
 cut between two rocks below the second gate, and bade those 
 who remained with him depart, if they liked, and seek 
 shelter elsewhere. None, however, would leave him, and all 
 swore that they would remain where they w-ere and die with 
 him. 
 
 "When the storming-party began the ascent, Theodore re- 
 joined his few remaining adlierents, and with five of them 
 ojiened fire upon the advancing column. Four of his men, 
 besides Eas I'ngada and the Eas's brother, were shot dead by 
 our troops. On seeing that the latter had attained the first 
 gate, the King retired to the inner gate, bidding his dimi- 
 nished band follow him. Damash and another Chief were 
 wounded while effecting this movement, and were imme- 
 diately carried to their respective homes. Perceiving now^ 
 that our troops had surmounted the wall of tlie outer gate, 
 and that a few of them were apjiroaching the spot where 
 he stood, Theodore drew a pistol from his belt, and said, 
 " Sooner than surrender into the liands of the Franks, I will 
 shoot myself! " lie forthwith put the muzzle of the pistol to 
 his mouth and fired, the bullet coming out at the back of his 
 head. Falling instantly on his back, he breathed his last. 
 
 Thus ended the career of Theodore, Avho had swayed the
 
 1868. April. TPIEODORE'S CHARACTER. 335 
 
 Abyssinian sceptre for nearly fourteen years, during wliich 
 time, as he himself told me, he had not enjoyed one day's 
 rest. A warrior from boyhood, and elevated to the highest 
 dignity by personal energy and dauntless courage, his early 
 successes made him the idol of friends and the terror of foes. 
 Had he possessed the requisite qualifications, Theodore 
 might have consolidated his power over the feudal Chiefs, 
 whose misrule had kept the country in a state of anarchy for 
 centuries, fostered peaceful arts and sciences among his 
 people, developed the resources of his kingdom, and made 
 Cliristian Abyssinia a blessing to the sm-roundiug heutlien 
 and barbarous races. The reforms which he initiated shortly 
 after his accession to the throne show that he was capable of 
 appreciating these and similar advantages. But he utterly 
 lacked the talent for administration ; or, if ho possessed any, 
 it was completely neutralized by inordinate military ambi- 
 tion and a thirst for martial fame. His eflforts to carry 
 out his schemes of conquest and aggrandizement excited first 
 the passive, tlicn the active resistance of his subjects, wlio 
 banded together under their old leaders to withstand the 
 oppressor. But his proud spirit could not brook opposition, 
 and rivalry drove him to pei-petrate those deeds of atrocity 
 and cruelty which eventually stirred up Chief and peasant to 
 compass his downfall. J\[y own sincere conviction is, that 
 this antagonism, perpetuated and intensified by the unwise 
 measures which he took to repress it, so unsettled the mind 
 of the haughty monarch that, at times, he was decidedly 
 mad. On no other su])position can I account for his extra- 
 ordinary conduct towards the Mission from first to last; al- 
 though, when he ultimately decided to retain us as liostages, 
 iio most i)robably calculated on striking a bargain for our 
 release, which he fondly hoped would have enabled him to
 
 336 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXYIL 
 
 regain his lost ascendancy. That there were a few loyal 
 men who stood by him to the bitter end, evinces that Theo- 
 dore must have had some noble qualities worthy of such 
 devotion ; that he was abandoned by all but that valiant 
 little band, and died hemmed in on an isolated mountain, 
 surrounded by thousands of his own people up in arms 
 against him, proves that he had forfeited all claim to 
 their allegiance, and deserved the fate which rid them 
 and their country of an infatuated tyrant. 
 
 Theodore left three sons and three daughters, the Prince 
 'xVlamayo being the only one, however, who was born in wed- 
 lock, his mother Teru-Wark, the daughter of Dajjaj Oobe, 
 having been married to the late King in the church, and the 
 marriage confirmed by both parties receiving the holy 
 Eucharist together. The other five were the issue of mothers 
 who were married without any religious ceremony; conse- 
 quently, according to Abyssinian Canon law, Dajjaj 'Alamayo 
 is the only legitimate child, althougli the present Civil law 
 recognizes the secondary marriages as valid. Theodore's 
 eldest son, Eas Mashisha, now about twenty-three years of 
 age, went away from Magdala with a few followers, intending 
 to make his way to Shoa, the day Magdala was taken, but he 
 eventually changed his mind and took refuge with his grand- 
 mother's family in Amhara-Seint. Hailo Kasa, the youngest 
 son, was loft in Tigre with his mother, a Galla concu- 
 bine, on the return of the Lritish force to the coast. His 
 eldest daughter, about twenty years old, who had been 
 married to Mcnilek, King of Shoa, was made over by her 
 father to a Tigrc Chief, named Earia, when Menilek 
 escaped from Magdala and returned to his native province. 
 Ilis other two daughters, one about five and the other three 
 years of age, were taken by their mothers to Bagameder.
 
 1868. April. THE ALLEGED CURSE OF THEODOEE. 337 
 
 It was reported that before putting an end to his life, 
 Theodore gnashed his teeth and invoked a malediction 
 against Mr. Waldmeier and myself for having deceived him. 
 I have never been able to discover how this story originated. 
 Those who were in close attendance upon the King, from the 
 evening of the 12th till the time of his death, assured me 
 that they had not heard him utter a word either against me 
 or any other person ; the only time he mentioned my name 
 was when he sent Samuel down with a message to me, in the 
 evening of the 12th. Among those whom I questioned on 
 this subject was Wald-Gabir, the royal valet; his quaint 
 answer was this : — " Master, why do you give heed to such 
 reports ? The day of lies, when through fear of the King no 
 one would dare to moot such topics, has gone by ; but Theodore 
 is no more, and the English are here ; therefore, if Mr. Wald- 
 meier has told you this story, ask* him to name the person who 
 was with the King at the time, and related it to him (Mr. 
 Waldmeier) and by that means you will arrive at the truth. I 
 will pledge myself to become your slave for ever if, on inves- 
 tigation, you discover that any such person exists." Even 
 if the story were true, Theodore's malediction, being wholly 
 undeserved, would cause me no compunction. When I told 
 him that I " hoped " — the word which I always used in my 
 verbal as well as written communications to him — that matters 
 would end peaceably, I really meant what I said. It was not 
 my fault that he rejected wise counsels and persisted in 
 his determination to resist, crowning his headstrong folly by 
 attacking the vanguard of our army on Good FrMay, tiie 
 10th of April, thereby causing the slaughter of so many of his 
 hapless followers. My fellow-captives and I were shut up in 
 ]\Iagdala, and knew nothing of what took place below the 
 fortress from the morning of that day until the aftornoon of 
 
 VOL. II. z
 
 338 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS "WELL. Chap. XXYIL 
 
 the day following, when the King sent for us to Salamge and 
 dispatched us to the British camp. I had repeatedly warned 
 the obstinate Sovereign against driving her Majesty's Govern- 
 ment to extreme measures, and on the occasion of my previous 
 visit to him at Salamge I strongly urged liim to make over- 
 tures to Sir Robert Napier. His reply to me, through Messrs. 
 Flad and Waldmeier, was as already stated at p. 307. 
 
 If Mr. Waldmeier credits the story referred to, he is per- 
 fectly welcome to draw what inference he pleases from it ; 
 for my own part, I utterly disbelieve it. I was the last 
 person to whom the King sent a civil message on the evening 
 of the 12th, the pith of which was that he knew I was then 
 powerless to assist him ; and he also mentions my name 
 in his last letter to the Commander-in-Chjef, without the 
 slightest indication that he entertained other than the most 
 friendly feelings towards me. Further, the testimony of 
 those who were present with the unhappy Sovereign, from 
 that time until his suicide, wholly acquits him of the charge 
 of having cursed any one on the occasion. Besides which, it 
 should be borne in mind, that when Samuel was sent down to 
 me on the evening of the 12th, the King had already heard 
 that his present had been rejected. 
 
 In resuming my narrative I shall abstain from any attempt 
 to describe the military operations of the campaign — a task 
 which has already been so ably performed by Mr. C. R. 
 ]\[arkham in his ' History of the Abyssinian Expedition ' — 
 and shiill confine myself to matters connected with the cap- 
 ture of j\ragdala and subsequent events in which I was per- 
 sonally engaged. Through the courtesy of Sir Robert Napier, 
 I was allowed to accompany him in his attack upon the 
 fortress; and was glad to find that, in conjunction with Samuel, 
 I was able to render his ICxcellcncy some sliglit service as the 
 medium of communication between him and the refugees
 
 1868. April. THEODORE'S REMAINS. 339 
 
 whom we met running down from Salamge towards A'roge. 
 At 4*30 P.M. Magdala Avas captured, and the Commander-in- 
 Chief entered the place in triumph, attended by his staff, 
 myself among the number. On passing through the outer 
 gate, I recognised Eas I'ngada and Bitwaddad Bakal among 
 those who had fallen on the spot, and on proceeding to the 
 plateau above the inner gate I was called to identify the corpse 
 of the King. It was unmistakable ; there lay the " great 
 Theodore," stretched on his back, with no other covering 
 than a shirt and trowsers. On catching the first glimpse 
 of the lifeless form I was strongly reminded of his strange 
 speech, uttered on the 29th of March, just a fortnight before, 
 when he said that ere long I might stand over his corpse, 
 and begged that I would then forget his ill-treatment and 
 see him decently interred. 
 
 When Sir Kobert Napier had settled affairs at Magdala 
 and was returning to the camp at A'roge, he appointed me 
 to take charge of Theodore's remains, the Queens and their 
 establishments, the Chiefs and the native political jmsoners, 
 and also to assist Brigadier-General Wilby, who had been 
 made Commandant of the fortress for the time being, in all 
 his requirements. Our first duty was to remove the corpse 
 of the late King to the inclosure of our old prison-house, 
 where we saw it. deposited on Signor Pietro's couch, and 
 jilaccd under an European guard. On going thence to in- 
 quire after the Queens and the other members of the royal 
 family, we found that they had left their residence, and had 
 repaired for protection to mine, where they were received 
 by Dr. Blanc, who happened to be in the house at the time. 
 As it was the best iu the inclosure, it was allotted to the 
 two (Juoens and Dajjaj 'Alamayo. Moreover, every available 
 room within the fence, including Samuel's, was crowded with 
 the male and fenude relatives — children and adults — of our 
 
 z 2
 
 340 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXVIL 
 
 old acquaintances, who liad taken refui^e tliere witli what 
 jjroperty they could bring with them, and the entire inclosure 
 was thronged with the horses, mules and cattle which they 
 had conveyed thither for greater safety. After General 
 Wilby had placed a guard over the premises to keep out 
 intruders, we collected all the Magdala Chiefs and lodged 
 them in Bitwaddad Damash's house for the night — also under 
 a guard, to keep them together. We next notified to the 
 rest of the inhabitants that they were to remain quietly in 
 the open space until the morning, when all would be dis- 
 missed to their homes. Poor Damash, who was still suffering 
 from the wounds which he had received that afternoon, got 
 somewhat anxious after I left, apprehending that all those 
 who had fought against the English were to be executed the 
 following day. After seeing that every arrangement had 
 been made for the comfort of the royal family, I repaired 
 again to Damash's house, and in the course of my visit 
 assured him and his companions that they need be under no 
 dread of retaliation on the part of the British Commander-in- 
 Chief. Bitwaddad Wasi was the only one among them whose 
 face wore a smile ; the remainder were absent, and looked 
 like men who thought that their doom was sealed. I took Eas 
 Bisawwir and Bitwaddad Hasani, the two ex-Commandants, 
 to sleep in a room near the royal family, in order that their 
 proximity might inspire the unfortunate Queens and their 
 relatives with confidence ; — the former was cousin to the late 
 King, and had always been intrusted with the royal Hfing. 
 I also quartered with them the Etshege, or Superior of the 
 monks, and two other priests who were held in great venera- 
 tion at Magdala. ]\[r. Waldmeier kindly volunteered to assist 
 in the several duties wliicli devolved upon me during our 
 further stay in the fortress, and I feel bound to recognize his 
 ready and valuable co-operation.
 
 1868. Apkil. now AXD THEN. 341 
 
 The extraordinary changes which, in the course of a few 
 eventful hours had succeeded each other so rapidly, kept me 
 awake nearly the Avhole night. I was unable to realize the 
 idea that the dreaded monarch who, only two days before, 
 held the lives of so many Europeans in his power, was now a 
 lifeless mass, sheltered within one of the Franehotsh's huts ; 
 that the Chiefs who had been our jailors, and who from sheer 
 timidity would not have hesitated, at the despot's fiat, to stain 
 their hands with our blood, were at that moment guarded by 
 British sentinels ; and that my old prison-house, where I had 
 lingered out an anxious existence for twenty-two months, had 
 been converted into an asylum for the royal family. Ever 
 and anon I fancied myself in a dream ; then, again, I felt 
 sure that we were free, and that the fear of an ignominious 
 death had passed away. Truly, the deliverance was marvel- 
 lous ; no wonder, therefore, that for a time it should seem 
 doubtful. God moves in a mysterious way ; but the agency 
 of His superintending Providence in the liberation of the 
 captives was too manifest not to call forth from all a humble 
 tribute of praise and thanksgiving for His merciful inter- 
 vention. 
 
 Of the rescuing array — ofScers and men, soldiers and 
 sailors, British and Indian — through which that intervention 
 was wrought out, England may justly feel proud. Bloodless 
 as \\as the campaign ou our side, it was, nevertheless, sig- 
 nalized by a display of the noblest qualities which can adorn 
 the true warrior — self-restraint, patient endurance, and in- 
 domitable perseverance. Incompetent as I am to make any 
 remarks on the purely military conduct and manoeuvres of 
 the Abyssinian Expedition, those are qualities alike appre- 
 ciable by all, and, therefore, humble as the foregoing testi- 
 mony may be, a deep sense of admiration and gratitude 
 impels me to record it.
 
 312 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS ^YELL. Chap. XXYIL 
 
 14^//. — This afternoon Dr. Lumsdaine and Dr. Blanc having 
 examined the bullet-wound in the head of Theodore's corpse 
 reported oilicially that the King had died by liis own hand. 
 The ball had passed outwards from the mouth, which was 
 blackened and scorched by the charge, and the palate had 
 been blown away. 
 
 Sir Eobert Napier could not have conferred a greater com- 
 pliment upon me than that of intrusting the remains of 
 Theodore and the supervision of liis bereaved family to my 
 care, thereby enabling me to prove to the Abyssinians that 
 their late Sovereign had not vainly styled me his " friend." 
 There was nothing, indeed, which the kind-hearted Com- 
 mander-in-Chief would not have done to alleviate the sorrow 
 and add to the comfort of the King's surviving relatives. I 
 had only to submit a request on their behalf, either to him 
 directly or through Colonel Merewether, and it was granted 
 at once. 
 
 Orders having been received after the post-mortem ex- 
 amination that the King's remains were to be interred, I 
 directed the Etshege, Aito Samuel, Theodore's confessor, and 
 two other priests, to have the corpse prepared for burial, 
 according to the Abyssinian custom, wrapped in a suitable 
 shroud, which was generously provided by Samuel. It 
 was an affecting sight to witness the reverence with which 
 the dignitaries of the Church performed these last offices 
 for their departed Sovereign. They approached the life- 
 less body with their sMmmas girt ; and their whole behaviour 
 on the mournful occasion proved that, even in death, Theo- 
 dore had not wholly lost the affection of, at least, some of his 
 subjects. The grave had been previously dug in the church at 
 Mdgdala, and when all the preliminaries were completed, I 
 made over the corjise to the old Chiefs, avIio accompanied the 
 clergy to see it buried. Samuel and I were unable to be present
 
 1868. April. DISMISSAL OF CHIEFS. 3i3 
 
 at the funeral, as Colonel Merewetlier had just come up to 
 the fortress to make arrangements for the future movements 
 of the Queens and the Prince Dajjaj 'Alamayo ; also to dis- 
 pose of the political prisoners and the inhabitants of Mag- 
 dala. In reply to Colonel Merewether's question, what her 
 wishes were regarding her son 'Alamayo, the Itege Teru- 
 Wark said, that as his father, when alive, had made him 
 over to the English, through me, she preferred abiding by 
 his wishes, and was herself ready to follow him wherever 
 he went. The Itege Itamanyo, Theodore's favourite ex- 
 Queen, expressed a desire to return to her native Yadjow, 
 and would leave us in Wtidala, the nearest place to that 
 district. I then accompanied Colonel Merevvether to wit- 
 ness the dismissal of the old Magdala Chiefs and the poli- 
 tical prisoners. The gallant Colonel had a kindly word 
 for all, bade them not fear, and assured them, on the 
 part of the Commaudcr-in-Chief, of a safe-conduct through 
 the Gallas and other deadly enemies, of whom they were 
 in great dread. He also promised to provide all with animals 
 for themselves and their wives, in order to enable them to 
 reach their respective homes with greater ease. Some evil- 
 disposed person having had the cruelty to tell the Chiefs that 
 they would be retained as prisoners, and that several of them 
 would probably be hanged, this authoritative announcement 
 was hailed by thcin with intense satisfaction. 
 
 Early the following morning, I returned to Magdala from 
 the head-quarters at A'roge, with instructions to provide the 
 Chiefs and their families with the proper number of mules 
 and horses from those which had been seized after the 
 capture of the fortress. Almost the whole day was spent 
 on this task, and when the hour came for starting towards 
 A'roge, which was the route which I had been directed to 
 take, we found the road so blocked up by a relief which was
 
 SU ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXYIL 
 
 going on at tlie time between two European regiments, that 
 I had to posti)one our departure till next day, 
 
 l(jth. — Early this morning I Avas informed that one of the 
 gateways leading to Salamge had fallen, and that we could 
 not j5ass that way until the road was cleared. As the Com- 
 mander-in-Chief had ordered that all the Abyssinians should 
 leave the Amba as soon as possible, and as I was moreover 
 anxious to see the royal family safely located at head-quarters, 
 I determined to w^ait no longer. I accordingly took the 
 Queens, who had been furnished with a guard of honour by 
 General Wilby, and tried to escort them to A'roge by the 
 Kafir-Bar Gate ; but on beginning the descent by the narrow 
 path at its entrance, it was discovered that the loads carried 
 by the mules were too bulky to pass that way, without being 
 first discharged and then reloaded beyond the gate. As 
 that process would have occuj)ied an hour or two, we 
 retraced our steps to our old quarters, and on arriving there 
 found that the Salamge Gate had been rendered passable. 
 Thereupon I accompanied the cortege for some distance, and 
 then leaving the Queens in Mr. Waldmeier's charge went 
 to Salasse to distribute swords, shields and spears to the 
 late inhabitants of Magdala, Sir Kobert Napier having most 
 considerately ordered that they should be provided with 
 these arms, in order to be able to defend themselves against 
 attack on the way back to their respective homes. That 
 done, I rejoined ]\Ir. Waldmeier and his charge within half 
 a mile of the pickets, and reached head-quarters towards 
 evening. My tent, which I had brought from Aden, and 
 which was the largest in the camp, had already been pitched 
 for me ; and having ushered the royal party into it, I gave 
 them all the carpets with which the late King had presented 
 me, and which now proved very useful. Meanwhile, the 
 released native political prisoners, the Magdala i^eople, and
 
 1868. April. MAGDALA IN FLAMES. 345 
 
 all other Abyssinians, were located beyond tlie pickets, 
 between the camp and the Amba. 
 
 11th. — I received orders early this morning to proceed to 
 Dalanta with the royal family, under the escort of a detach- 
 ment Avhich was going thither, and there await the arrival 
 of head-quarters. We reached the halting-place at Abbaba 
 in the afternoon, and pitched our tents next to those of 
 my liberated fellow-captives, and of some of the European 
 artisans who had preceded us to the spot. On the way, 
 while ascending the valley of the Bashilo, we had heard 
 the loud consecutive reports caused by the blowing up 
 of the gates of Magdala, and on turning round I saw the 
 lurid flames ascending from that late abode of iniquity, 
 tyranny and bloodshed, proclaiming to the surrounding 
 country far and near that the sceptre of the oppressor of 
 his people was broken, and his last r&fuge reduced to a 
 heap of ruins. Thousands of widows and orphans probably 
 gazed with wonder at the sight, and invoked a blessing 
 upon their English deliverers, who, besides vindicating their 
 own national honour, and adding a fresh trophy to British 
 fame, had saved many a doomed victim from the fate which 
 had been reserved for them by the ruthless Theodore. The 
 two Queens and their attendants could not resist casting 
 a glance behind them, and as the- cherished Itamanyo 
 looked upon the glowing mass, she sighed and said, "Now 
 tliat our lord has gone, may all Abyssinia be consumed 
 by fire ! " Nevertheless, this lady was always cheerful, 
 8i)oke kindly to every one, and while she remained with 
 us was a general favourite with the late King's followers. 
 On the other haml, the Itege Teru-Wark, the de jure Queen 
 Consort, was always silent and dejected, and on inquiring 
 into the cause I was told tliat she was naturally taciturn 
 and reserved, and had ever manifested a dislike for gossip.
 
 346 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXVII. 
 
 In reply to an attempt wliich on one occasion I made to 
 encourage and cheer her, assuring her that she could not 
 have better protectors than the Britisli, she said that she 
 entertained no doubt whatever on that jDoiut, but she felt 
 that her days were numbered, for which she was not sorry ; 
 and then added, " Mine has been a miserable existence since 
 childhood, and I am now looking forward to that happiness 
 which is promised me by our Savioui"." 
 
 18th. — All the troops which had remained behind at A'roge, 
 together with the Commander-in-Chief and his Staff, reached 
 Dalanta to-day, and on the 20th there was a grand review 
 of the wdiole force, at which all the released captives were 
 present. On the 21st the latter, myself excepted, were 
 dispatched with the Second Brigade to Antalo, there to 
 await the arrival of head-quarters. I remained behind in 
 charge of the ex-Queens and the young Prince, and started 
 with them on the 23rd, in the rear of the army. On the 24th 
 we crossed the Chetta valley. Sir Eobert Napier having 
 kindly attached an European guard to the royal suite, I 
 was able to have a separate camp for them, outside that 
 of the force, where all other Abyssinians also who were 
 under the Commander-in-Chiefs protection located them- 
 selves. While at Wadala, before crossing the Takkaze 
 river, the Itege Itamanyo left with her retinue for her 
 native district, Yadjow, under the protection of a new Chief 
 who had rebelled against the Wakshum Gobaze. 
 
 The day before we left Abbaba the Itege Teru-Wark fell 
 sick, but as her ailment was reported to be nothing but a 
 cold, no anxiety was felt as to the result. It turned out, 
 however, that she was suffering from pulmonary disease. As 
 soon as the Commander-in-CIiief was apprised of her indis- 
 position, he appointed his Staff Surgeon, Dr. Lumsdaine, to 
 attend her ; and as she felt rather weak the day after, a palan-
 
 18G8. May. DEATH OF THE QUEEX. 317 
 
 quin was placed at her disposal, with bearers to carry her. 
 In fiict, nothing was wanting on the part of Sir Eobert Napier 
 to relieve and comfort her. Dr. Lumsdaine's assiduity and 
 kindness towards his royal patient could not be surpassed, 
 and the poor lady frequently expressed her gratitude to me 
 for the sympathy and attention which she received both from 
 her medical attendant and the Commander-in-Chief. Despite 
 all our efforts, however, her health gradually declined. Now 
 and then there was a slight rally, but she succumbed at last, 
 and died almost suddenly on the evening of the 15th of May, 
 at Haik-hallet, near Chelicut. I had noticed throughout the 
 journey that the state of the atmosphere had a wonderful 
 effect upon her : when it was fine, her health seemingly im- 
 proved ; but wet or damp weather increased her malady and 
 made her breathing more difficult. There was a heavy fall 
 of rain the evening she died, and at about nine o'clock I 
 ordered a basin of arrow-root with a little port wine to be 
 prepared for her, but her attendant through whom I intended 
 sending it, and who had just left the Queen, informed me 
 that she was too ill to take any food. I then bade him 
 go and ask whether she would like a little gruel ; he 
 came running back immediately with the melancholy tidings 
 that she had breathed her last during his short absence from 
 her. I forthwith repaired to the tent, which was always 
 pitched a few yards from mine, and foun<l tluit the sad intel- 
 ligence was true. There lay the lifeless body, but the features 
 were unchanged, and seemed composed as in a quiet sleep. 
 The Commander-in-Chief, on receiving my report of the 
 melancholy event, directed me to see that she was buried 
 with the honours due to her station. I accordingly dis- 
 patched a messenger during the night to the priests of a 
 large church at Chelicut, requesting them to come early the 
 following morning to arrange for the interment. On dis-
 
 3i8 ALL'S WELL THAT END'S WELL. Chap. XXVIL 
 
 covering that the deceased Queen's paternal grandfather 
 had been buried some years before in a vault in the same 
 church, I directed that her remains should be deposited 
 next to his, and that a suitable monument should be raised 
 over the spot, for which services the priests received pre- 
 payment. 
 
 After the death of the Queen, her mother and most of her 
 attendants returned to their respective homes, well provided 
 for ; the remainder, together with Samuel and other 
 Abyssinians who were still under British protection, accom- 
 panied us to Senaf^. I am happy to say that Sir Robert 
 Napier rewarded all those Abyssinians whose faithful services 
 I brought to his notice; and a great number of the late 
 King's followers, who had assisted me to the best of their 
 power during their master's lifetime, were kindly cared for 
 by his Excellency's orders, so long as they travelled with the 
 army on its return to the coast. 
 
 At Senate all Abyssinian followers were dismissed, except- 
 ing two old dependents of the deceased Queen^ to whom the 
 Prince was strongly attached. His foster-motlier, who be- 
 longed to a Shankela tribe, we were obliged to part with, as 
 her services were no longer needed, and she would have proved 
 a great incumbrance. The late Itege having expressed a 
 wish that her son should continue his Amharic studies, Lord 
 Napier was kind enough, at my recommendation through 
 General Merewether, to allow Alaka Zaunab, the late Keeper 
 of the Royal Archives, and a pious Christian, to be attached 
 as tutor to Dajjaj 'Alamayo. For some reason or other, the 
 Alaka was subsequently discharged, which, if regard be had 
 to the Prince's eventual usefulness to his own country, is 
 much to be regretted. 
 
 We reached Zoolla on the 27tli of IMay, where, in pursuance 
 of instructions to that effect, I consigned the young Priuce
 
 1868. June. HOMEWARD BOUND. 349 
 
 to the care of the local political officer. On the 30tb, I 
 and my late fellow-captives, with the exception of Consul 
 Cameron who remained behind, started in the Peninsular and 
 Oriental Company's steamer * Ottowa,' and in due course 
 arrived at Suez, wliere we left Signer Pietro and all Theo- 
 dore's late European servants. On the 13th, Messrs. Stern, 
 Rosenthal and Flad, with the wives and children of the 
 two latter gentlemen, left Alexandria with me for Brindisi ; 
 my late companions, Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant Prideaux, 
 having left the day before by the route via Marseilles, pre- 
 ceded by Mr. Kerans, who had embarked on board a Liver- 
 pool steamer, on his way to Ireland. Mr. Flad and his 
 family separated from us at Brindisi to go up the Adriatic, 
 while the rest of our party went on to Paris. Leaving Mr. 
 and ]\Irs. Rosenthal there, Mr. Stern and I started together 
 for Calais, and reached British soil once more, in health and 
 safety, on tlie 22nd of June, 1868. The welcome which 
 awaited me from many old and valued friends, whose former 
 hospitality had made England a home to me, outweighed the 
 memory of past sufferings, and in the midst of their cordial 
 sympatliy and generous kindness the anxieties and perils of 
 my sojourn in Abyssinia are fast fading away into the un- 
 reality of a dream. 
 
 Tlie official Report to Government of my proceedings in 
 Abyssinia having been submitted to Parliament, I received 
 in due course the following gratifying reply and handsome 
 a(;knowledgment of the services and endurances of the dif- 
 ferent members of the Mission from her Majesty's Principal 
 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs : — 
 
 ''Foreign Office, December 5t7i, 1868. 
 " Sin, — T have directed a letter to be addressed to you in regard 
 to your financial arrangements during your mission in Abys- 
 sinia, and as I must now hold your accounts to bo virtually closed,
 
 350 ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Chap. XXYH. 
 
 l)e3'ond pucli information as yon may still be able to afford, it is 
 luy duty to signify to you that I sball no longer detain you from 
 your duties under the India Government. 
 
 " I cannot, however, close my correspondence with you without 
 expressing the high sense entertained by Her Majesty's Govern- 
 ment of your conduct during the difficult and arduous period 
 of your employment under this Office. You appear throughout 
 to have acted for the best, and your prudence, discretion, and 
 good management, seem to have tended greatly to preserve the 
 lives and thus to insure the ultimate release of the captives. 
 
 " Your companions, Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant Prideaux, are 
 also entitled to the thanks of Her Majesty's Government, which 
 I request you to convey to them, for the uniform and zealous 
 support which they gave to you during very trying times. 
 
 " The sufferings which you all underwent have been deeply 
 deplored by Her Majesty's Government, and as some compensa- 
 tion, therefore, as well as a testimony of appreciation of good 
 service, they have resolved to present a siun of 5000Z. to your- 
 self, and sums of 2000Z. each to Dr. Blanc and Lieutenant 
 Prideaux. 
 
 " I am, &c., 
 
 (Signed) "Stanley." 
 " Hormuzd Hassam, Esq., 
 
 d-c, tCc, dc." 
 
 Proud of having been judged worthy of such a testimonial 
 from her Majesty's Government, I shall feel prouder still of 
 the approval of the British public, to whose verdict this 
 Narrative of the Mission to King Theodore is now sub- 
 mitted. A Chaldean by birtli, Great Britain is the country 
 of my adoption ; but although I cannot boast of being an 
 Englishman, I can glory in this — that, to the best of my 
 ability, I have endeavoured to emulate the loyalty of her 
 most loyal sous.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 ABAI, EIVEB. 
 
 Abai, river, i. 202 ; ii. 1, 125. 
 Aha-Fakk, ii. 183. 
 Abbaba, halt at, ii. 34."), 347. 
 'Abdallah-abii-Kliuiii" ir, acting Gover- 
 nor of Casala, i. l.")2. 
 'Abdallah ErtciKli, Lieut.-Governor of 
 
 Massnwub, i. CO. 
 'Alxiallah Khali 1, i. .S3. 
 'Ab(l-ul->Ielek, Coptic messenger, i. 
 
 1.54. 
 'Abd-iil-Kcrim, brother to the Nayib of 
 
 Harkiko, i. 71, 85, 88. 118, 122", 132 ; 
 
 leavL-s tlie Mission at Ciisala, 142. 
 'Abd-ur-Kahman Ry, Envoy from 
 
 Egypt, i. 192 ; ii. 24. 
 Ab-hau, i. 71. 
 Ahitu, Lij, ii. 2, 95. 
 Abiina .Salama, the Metropolitan, 
 
 Autiior's letters to, i. 7, 78; his 
 
 character and death at Magdala, ii. 
 
 193-5 ; his opinion of Abyssinian 
 
 marriages, 220. 
 Abu-Sill, Siieikh of Kclarif, i. 153. 
 Abyssinian.s, cliarartcr of, ii. 249 ; their 
 
 kindness to servants, 250. 
 Aehattar, di.-triot, i. 232. 235. 
 Adam, Yai^lwilaka. ii. 185. 
 Adurdi, valley, i. 12S. 
 Aden, dcpartiirf of ^lission from, i. 2 ; 
 
 visit to, 113; return to Massowah 
 
 from, 114. 
 Adina, on lake Tftna, i. .308. 
 Adjuration " by the death of Theodore," 
 
 i. 101 ii. 50. 
 A<lv<iitiirers, European, in Abyssinia, i. 
 
 32, 303. 
 Adwa, or Adowa. i. 103. 
 Ala-Xegus IJahii, ii. 290. 
 Agalari (iolam, a eiuuuberlain, sent to 
 
 Miigdala to release! old captives, ii. 5 ; 
 
 dies of elioKra, 129. 
 Agdv^mCdGr. di.slrict, i. 235, 245, 294. 
 Agows, the, i. 'SMi. 
 Ahmed Ariiy, Chiuf of the Danakil, i. 
 
 37. 
 Aliinel, Imfim of the Willo-fJallas, 
 
 writes to the Author and tlie Abuna 
 
 to siirrr'mler Mugdala to liim, ii. 250. 
 Aidee, i. 90. 
 
 ArTHOR. 
 
 Aigai, i. 133. 
 
 Ailat, i. 53 ; hot-springs at, 57. 
 
 'Ain, i. 85, 90, 120. 
 
 Aito, title, import of, 15G-7. 
 
 Samuel, see Samuel. 
 
 Alaka I'ngada, chief scribe, ii. 55. 
 
 'Alamayo, Dojjaj, only legitimate son of 
 Theodore, ii. 33(5; introduced to 
 Author, 292 ; brought by Author to 
 ^ Zoolla, 349. 
 
 'Alami. Daj_jaj, sent by Theodore to 
 Sir Robert "Napier, ii. 319. 
 
 Alexandria, visit of Mission to, i. 111. 
 
 Ambaa, i. 84, 120. 
 
 Amhara, country and people, ii. 271. 
 
 Amusley Bay, i. 81. 
 
 Ansiiba, i. 125. 
 
 Antalo, ii. 34G. 
 
 Arafat,!. 162. 
 
 Aral, Sheikii of the El-Bakhit, i. 129. 
 
 Ariko, i. 220. 
 
 Armenian, an, his adventures with 
 Theodore, i. 17. 
 
 Army, Theodore's, i. 274 ; on tlie 
 march, 292; King's care for, 293; 
 cholera in, ii. 125. 
 
 , British, of rescue, tribute to, ii. 
 
 341. 
 
 A'roge, Theodore at, ii. 224; British 
 camp at. 318, 339. 
 
 Artisan.s, Theodore's European, reach 
 Korata, ii. 14 ; their wives and fami- 
 lies, 27 ; accompany Jlission to Zage, 
 56; general friendliness to the Mis- 
 sion, 07 ; dinner party to, 70 ; their 
 fuial deliverance from Magdala, 327. 
 
 A'shfa, meeting witii Tlieodore at, i. 
 24s ; departure from, 274. 
 
 Asida, a native disli, i. 104. 
 
 Asft.s, i. 71. 
 
 Atbnra, river, i. 148; excursion to, 
 172. 
 
 Atte-Mitryam, tribe, their conversion 
 to Islam, i. 87. 
 
 Autlior, his appointment to the Mission, 
 i. 2 ; his first four letters to Theoilore 
 from Massowah. 5, 41, 01. 107; totho 
 Abftna, 7, 78 ; fo Col. Merewether, 
 100; his first interview with Theo- 
 dore, 248 ; tries to prevent a meeting 
 between Theodore and tiie old cap- 
 tives, ii. 27, 7U ; holds a court to try
 
 352 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 captives, 35; his letter to Theodore 
 on the subject, 40 ; is arraigned at 
 Zage, 84 ; becomes security for the 
 captives, fl8, 14:^; letter to Govern- 
 ment on Theodore's demand for arti- 
 sans, 102; remonstrates with the 
 King, 104, 10(J ; receives visits from 
 Tlieodoro, 108, 130, 155 ; arraigned 
 at Debra Tabor, 141; a prisoner at 
 Miigdala, 100 ; his cliains lightened, 
 197 ; lady visitors to, 207 ; is unfet- 
 tered, 273 ; suggests that Theodore 
 should make overtures to Sir Robert 
 Napier, 307 ; his last interview with 
 the King, 323 ; did not deceive Theo- 
 dore, 327 ; not cursed by him, 337 ; 
 takes cliarge of the remains of Theo- 
 dore and of his ex-Queens, 339, 345 ; 
 safe return to England, 350. 
 
 Awasa, raid ou by Takroories, i. 177, 
 182. 
 
 Awhe, i. 130, 
 
 Baat, i. 128. 
 
 Bagameder, district, revenue of, ii. 
 10. 
 
 Bajirwand Kiinfu, steals Theodore's 
 charmed rifle, ii. 295. 
 
 Bahri. Bitwadilad, ii. 179. 
 
 Biikal, Bitwiiddad, ii. 180. 
 
 Balal-bin-'Abdallah, a tShoho Chief, i. 
 81. 
 
 Biilas, i. 224. 
 
 Baldariiba, what, i. 271. 
 
 Bahviiha, i. 192. 
 
 Barca, Muslims of, attack Christians of 
 Bogos, i. 44 ; incursions of, 120 ; cli- 
 mate of, 129 ; visit from Chiefs of, 
 ih. ; bad water in, 133 ; etymology of 
 mime, ib. 
 
 Bardel, M., Theodore's charges against, 
 ii. 34 ; obtains copy of a dangerous 
 dociuiient, 00; iiis IVicnd.-^hii) with 
 I'ngada Wark, OG, 77 ; in royal favour, 
 93, 97; nicknamed "Shrimps," 117, 
 141 ; betrays j)rojected escape of 
 European artisans, 201. 
 
 Barrako, l{a.s, ii. 277, 333. 
 
 liarriyali, tribe and district of, 132-4. 
 
 Basabir, i, 150. 
 
 Busha, captain of Musketeers, ii. 191. 
 
 Baskets, native, i. 55. 
 
 Beitaiior, Tiieodore at, ii. 25G. 
 
 Bel<e, Dr., report of his arrival at Masso- 
 wah, ii. 25; his letter rcaci;es Theo- 
 dfire, 41 ; impolicy of his mission, 40- 
 50 ; excites the suspicion of the King, 
 
 67 ; reports his imprisonment at Halai 
 to Theodore, 110 ; his return to 
 Europe after promising to visit the 
 King, 144. 
 
 Beni-Atnir, tribe, i. 129-30; visit from 
 Chief of, 131. 
 
 Biancheri, Vicar-Apostolic, i. 9 ; his 
 opinion of Theodore, 29 ; death of, 
 30. 
 
 Bifata, in Me'tcha, ii. 277, 292. 
 
 Biraad, i. 125. 
 
 Birds, at Magdala, ii. 209. 
 
 Bisiiwwir, Basha. a doorkeeper, ii. 185. 
 
 , Bitwiiddad, ii. 109 ; his trial for 
 
 treason, 280. 
 
 Blanc, Dr., his appointment to the Mis- 
 sion, i. 2. 
 
 , Mrs. i. 45. 
 
 Bogos, province, i. 23, 72, 85 : visit from 
 Collector of Customs in, 126. 
 
 Bourgaud, M., ii. 4 ; IMadame, 27. 
 
 Brandeis, Mr., imprisoned at Magdala, 
 ii. 201. 
 
 Brantt', river, i. 236. 
 
 Brundo, raw meat, how eaten, i. 198. 
 
 Busson, Count du, i. 44. 
 
 C. 
 
 Cameron, Consul, letters to tlie Author 
 from, i. 63, 73, 75, 78; Theodore's 
 charges against, 202, 299 ; ii, 33, 
 305. 
 
 Canoes, bulrush, on Eake Tana, i. 309. 
 
 Captives, old, arc liberated and reach 
 Korata, ii. 28 ; to be tried, 31 ; Theo- 
 dore's cliarges against, 33, 34 ; result 
 of trial, 40 ; start homeward, 82 ; are 
 brouglit back to Zage in chains, 91 ; 
 are unfettered, 98 ; niarcli with King 
 and Mission to Korata, 128 ; at CJaf- 
 fat, 133-5; sent to Rlagdala, 159; 
 placed in fetters, 101; their quarters 
 at IMiigdala, 101, 202; their fare at 
 Magdala. 203-4 ; jilaeed uniler strict 
 watcli, 284 ; rclea^^ed from chains, 
 303 ; summoned with Mission to Sa- 
 liimgc, 311; sent back to IMiigdala, 
 315 ; recalled to Salamge, 321 ; dis- 
 missed to British camp, 324. 
 
 Carpendale, Lieut., i, 48, 53, 57, 105, 
 108. 
 
 Casala, arrival at, i. 130 ; ruined state 
 of, 137 ; country betweeu it and Ke- 
 darif, 149. 
 
 Cliiilga, plateau of, i. 207. 
 
 Ciielieut, ii. 348, 
 
 Chetta, valley, ii. 205.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 '6od 
 
 CHOLERA. 
 
 Cholera, in the Hijaz. i. 78 ; at Masso- 
 
 wah, 116; in Theodore's camp, ii. 
 
 124-8. 
 Church, Abyssinian, description of, i. 
 
 217. 
 Clergy, Abyssinian, lav contempt for, i. 
 
 235. 
 Coffin, Mrs., i. 22. 
 Communicants, in Abyssinian Churcli, 
 
 i. 312. 
 Converts, from Islam to Christianity at 
 
 Magdala, ii. 213. 
 Coptic Patriarch, Theodore's charges 
 
 against, ii. 62. 
 Crocodiles, in the Atbara, i. 148, 172. 
 
 D. 
 
 Ddbterfi. Dasta, messenger, i. 213 ; de- 
 corated with the Royal Shirt, ii. 25 ; 
 un-shirts himself, 50 ; in the royal 
 robes, 51. 
 
 Dagrec, valley, i. 72. 
 
 Dagussa, grain, i. 189. 
 
 Dak, island in Lake Tana, i. 315 ; how- 
 reduced by Tlieodore, ib. 
 
 Dakla-Guargis, Dajjaj, i. 81, 103. 
 
 Dakn-ul-Fil, i. 186. 
 
 Dalanta, people of, submit to Theodore, 
 ii. 256 ; ho breaks faith witli them, 
 270. 
 
 * Dail;ousie,' steamer, i. 2, 29. 
 
 Damash, Bitwiiddad, one of Mdgdala 
 Council, ii. 171-4; tried for treason 
 280 ; charged with cowardice, 294 
 his raid again&t the Gallas, 297 
 •wounded at the storming of Magdala, 
 334. 
 
 Danibi'a, district of, i. 215. 
 
 Diirnbi'a, lake of, see Tana. 
 
 Damot, district of, i. 244, 273. 
 
 Dang we, i. 241. 
 
 Danka, i. 294. 
 
 DankOra, i. 232, 308. 
 
 Dasait, i. 92. 
 
 Da.sta, Dajjaj, petty Chief of Magdala, 
 ii. 262. 
 
 Dilwunt, ntrr>city of an insurgent of, ii. 
 242 ; if.s submission to Theodore, 
 269 ; ho breaks faith with its people, 
 270. 
 
 Debni Tabor. Thcorlorp at, ii. 131 ; holds 
 an assize oti the Ca])tivcs at, 141 ; 
 Mi.ssion confined at, 145 ; trial of 
 rebels at, 148. 
 
 Delmonte. Padre, i. 9, 2(;, 60, 113; ii. 
 
 4. 
 Dhdfar, Bitwaddnd, ii. 181. 
 
 vol,. II. 
 
 G^VBE-LUKUM. 
 
 Dharita, a shrewd Mussulman of, i. 
 
 51. 
 Dissee, island, i. .37. 
 Dust-storms, at Massowah, i. 9, 19, 91, 
 
 103 : at Casala, 141. 
 Dwarkin, rivulet, i. 204. 
 
 E. 
 
 ; Earthquake, at Massowah, i. 30. 43. 
 
 Eipperle, Mr., i. 163, 171, 178, 185. 
 
 El-Agamat, i. 71. 
 1 El-'A'zazS, i. 151. 
 i El-Bakhit, tribe, i. 129. 
 I Elephants, i. 82, 128. 
 
 El-Gaidat, i. 157. 
 
 El-J'a'afara, i. 159. 
 
 El-lSIadag, i. 156. 
 
 El-Maradib, i. 187. 
 
 Essler, Mr., imprisoned at Magdala, ii. 
 
 261. 
 
 . Etiquette, Abyssinian, in eating, i. 228 ; 
 
 I in riding, 245, ii. 126; in address, 
 
 I 220, 224; in presentation, 225; in 
 
 drinking, 226. 
 
 Etshege, Superior of Monks, ii. 340-1. 
 
 F. 
 
 Fallake, see Speedy. 
 
 Fanta, a Gondar merchant, i. 114. 
 
 FarOhe, i. 309. 
 
 Fiittam, river, i. 241. 
 
 Fcker-Kasa, a friendly indemnity, ii. 
 35. 
 
 Festival, of the Drum, at Matamma, i. 
 174. 
 
 Fetteh-Ncgfist, code of Abyssinian law, 
 ii. 104, 148. 
 
 Fish, .d' Lake Tsina, i. 224 ; flying-fish 
 at Massowah, 103. 
 
 Flad, Mr., i. 50, 52 ; letters to Author 
 from, 62, 75 ; joins Author at Korata, 
 ii. 11 ; sent with letter to the Queen 
 from Theodore, 103 ; testimony to his 
 kind e.\ertions, 206 ; forwards Queen's 
 nply to Theodore fnnu INlassowah, 
 231 ; his account of Theodore's views 
 on the api)roach of the 15ritisli army, 
 266 ; is itllDWcd to reside at Magdala, 
 272 ; sent by Tlieodore to Sir llobert 
 Napier, 319. 
 
 G. 
 
 Gdhana-WadgHnfalo, i. 125. 
 Gftl*-I.ukam. 1. 127. 134. 
 
 2 A
 
 354 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 G^bra, ^uidc from Mataramn. i. 18fi. 
 
 Gabra-Madhnne'Alam, Balambams, Go- 
 vernor of Wandi'ge, i. 808 : ii. 74, 90 ; 
 rebels against Theddore, '21G. 
 
 Gabrie, Fit-awrari, ii. 27G. 
 
 Gabrie, Ras, imprisoned at Magdala, 
 ii. 261. 
 
 Gabza, 1. 70. 
 
 Gadaret, i. Sf., 90, 121. 
 
 GMiro, ii. 128. 
 
 Gaffat, i. 50; captives arrive at, ii. 
 131. 
 
 Gainti Bisawwir, Bitwaddad, one of 
 Magdala Conneil, ii. 181. 
 
 Gallabat, inhabitants of, i. 1.57; govern- 
 ment of, lo8; etymology of name, 
 1.58. 
 
 Gallas, contemptible as assailants, ii. 
 251; raid on the, 295; their mutila- 
 tion of captives, 29G. 
 
 Game, nee Sport. 
 
 Gastineau. M., i. 21. 
 
 Gesho, a plant used in fermentation, ii. 
 119. 
 
 Geta and Getotsh, import of the titles, 
 156-7. 
 
 Gint, i. 205. 
 
 "Girding," ii. 221-224. 
 
 Gishen, i. 206 ; ii. 332. 
 
 Goija, i. 221 ; ii. 76. 
 
 Gajjamy Kasa, i. 196, 233-4. 
 
 Gojje', Dajjaj, one of Magdala Council, 
 ii. 180 ; on a raid against the Gallas, 
 297. 
 
 Gondar, old capital, rumoured sack of, 
 i. 35; glimpso of, 214; sacked bv 
 Theodore, ii. 17. 230-1. 
 
 Gon(ia,wa, river, i. 187. 
 
 Greek priest, mission of, to Theodore, 
 i. 77; ii. 144. 
 
 Guang&l, ii. 192. 
 
 Guinea-wonn, i. 151. 
 
 G&ks, native tournament, ii. 121-2. 
 
 Gumara, river, ii. 130. 
 
 (u'lna, Mt.,ii. 159. 
 
 H. 
 
 Hagiography, Abyssinian, ii. 128. 
 
 Haik-iiallet, death of the ex-Queen 
 T('TU-Wark at, ii. 347. 
 
 Hail, on IMount (iiina. ii. 159 ; hailstorm 
 at Magdala, 265. 
 
 Hallo, messenger, decorated with Royal 
 Shirt, ii. 8 ; death of, 256. 
 
 Hailo. Hitwiiddad, oiieofAIagdala Coun- 
 cil, ii. 174-177 ; cscaiK's from Magdala, 
 276. 
 
 Hailo, Bitwaddad, of Chalga, ii. 181. 
 Hailo Kfisa, Tlieodore's youngest son, 
 
 ii. 336. 
 Haji Adam Korman. .story of his lost 
 
 wife, i. 31 : his opinion of the Aby>;- 
 
 sinians, 83 ; prognosticates the ill- 
 
 suc-css of the I\Iis.<ion. 102. 
 Hall, Mr. Moiitz, kissed by Theodore, ii. 
 
 113; dragged in chains to Magdala, 
 
 277. 
 Hallet-ul-Kanz, i. 154. 
 Hiillet-Wadabein. i. 152. 
 Hallet-Wadab.sin, i. 152-3. 
 Hamarai. 1. 128. 
 
 Humid, Sheikh of the Beni-'Amir, i. 131. 
 Hamus-Gabia, market, i. 220. 
 llaninrua, tribe, i. 134. 
 Harkiko. i. 10 : water at. 14; visit to, 37. 
 Hasan P]ffendi, Kawwas. 1. 44; his 
 
 effrontery, 159; leaves the Mission at 
 
 IMatiimma, 174. 
 Hiisani, Bitwaddad, new Commamlant 
 
 at INlagdala, ii. 283. 
 Hawashet, vallev, i. 132. 
 Hibab, tribe, i. 8(5, 88, 90, 122. 
 Hibub, wells, i. 126. 
 Hippopotami, i. 3 1 2 ; a lucky sliot at, 31 3. 
 Honev, from a tree, i. 173. 
 Hozat, i. 89. 
 Huts, moveable, i. 56 ; of Abyssinian 
 
 soldiers, 275. 
 Hyffinas, i. 48, 205, 212. 
 
 I. 
 
 Ibdnkab, ii. 159. 
 
 Ibrahim, messenger, i. 95 ; his marriage, 
 
 103. 
 Ibrahim, a Shoho, a relative of Samuel, 
 
 i. 66. 
 Idris-Dar, i. 134. 
 Idris Hasan. c.\-Nayib of Harkiko, i. 37; 
 
 visit to, 46. 
 Ifaliad, i. 87. 
 Ik war, i. 55. 
 
 Ilfing, royal female cstaldishment : cap- 
 tives' quarters at Magdala near to, ii. 
 
 162. 
 I'ngada, Ras, Theodore's Prime Minister, 
 
 his history, i. 255-258. 
 I'ngiidit Wark, i. 269, ii. (j6, 150; is put 
 
 In death, 315. 
 Injabara, valley, battle-.'ield, i. 238. 
 I'rkinn, a Chief of Dalanta, liis fidelity 
 
 to tiie Mission, ii. 247, 268, 272. 
 Itainanyo, Queu7i, her sympathy with the 
 
 Captives, ii. 106 ; her robe presented 
 
 to Autiior, 117; her origin and mar-
 
 INDEX. 
 
 355 
 
 ITEGE. j MARCOPOLI. 
 
 riage with Theodore, 218 ; her con- ' Kidana Maryam, a page, brutally mas- 
 version to Chi-istiauity and religions sacred, ii. 315. 
 devution, 21ii ; rotnrns to her home Kiltc, river, i. 235, 308. 
 after the death of Theodore, 346. Kitba, i. 124. 
 
 Itege, Empress. See Itamanyo and Kokai, rivnlet, i. 187. 
 Teru-Wark. Komar, i. 187. 
 
 Iz-nil-Din. Prime Minister at Matamma, Korata, i. 31o, 319; snjouiu of Mission 
 i. 1(;2, 173. at, ii. 1-80. 
 
 j Kwakura, i. 23G. 
 Kwara, i. 207 ; ii. 2Ut3. 
 
 .la'afara, i. 157. 
 
 Jage, i. 128. 
 
 Jarar, ])oint, at Massowah, i. 11, 7'.). 
 
 Jebel Tayif, i. 108. 
 
 Jiddali, arrival uf Mission at, 108 ; town 
 
 of, 109. 
 Juma'ah, Sheikh of Gallabat, i. 1.57 ; 
 
 visit from, 164 ; hurangues liis troops, 
 
 175 ; farewell to, 1^2. 
 
 K. 
 
 Kalamat, i. 123. 
 
 Kaldur-koy, style of serving dinner, i. 
 38, 64. 
 
 Kamants, their character and religion, 
 i. 208. 
 
 Kiln far, i. 85, 92, 120. 
 
 Iviinfu Dajjaj, Tlieodore's father, i. 229. 
 
 Kauoha, i. 224. 
 
 Kiintilia Ilailo, ex-Mayor of Gondar, ii. 
 13; his liistory, 16-20; urges Theo- 
 dore' to release the captives, 106; his 
 credulity, 138 ; imprisoned at Mag- 
 dala, 261. 
 
 Karkue, Mt.. i. 132. 
 
 Kar-Obel, i. 128. 
 
 Kasii, Aito, merchant of Koratn, i. 32 ; 
 arraigned by Theodore, ii. 105. 
 
 Kasha, lia.-jha, a brave Andiara, ii. 301. 
 
 Kasa, Lij, xee Tiieodore. 
 
 Kasn, Lij, a courtier, ii 2. 
 
 Kedfirif," district, i. 151. {See Htillet- 
 Wad:ibsiii.) 
 
 Kedus Mikiiil, church, i. 210. 
 
 Kerans, Mr., ii. 112, 114, 154, 340. 
 
 Kha.sm-ul-Ghirbah, i. 148. 
 
 Khatmia, i. 142. 
 
 KhojalJcdn'w, i. 21, 77, 102. 
 
 Khoja I'anagiotes Kozika, i. 139. 
 
 Khnr-Ithrib. i. 159. 
 
 Klior-ul-(ia.-<h, i. 143. 
 
 Khui-ul-Lail;',h, i. 187. 
 
 Kidana i\hiryam, Ras, Commandant of 
 Miigdaln, ii. 160; his history, 1G7 ; is 
 pii; iti inms. 'I'.V.K 
 
 Lagiista, i. 236. 
 
 Lakaba, i. 130. 
 
 Lebka, i. 86, 121. 
 
 Lejean, M., i. 39 ; Theodore's complaints 
 
 against, ii. OO, 61. 
 Lent, Abyssinian, i. 311 ; ii. 268. 
 Lih, Yashiili.ka, ii. 228, 273. 
 Lij, title, 197. 
 Lisag, i. 214. 
 Lions, i. 86, 123, 188; Theodore's tame, 
 
 ii. 148. 
 Locusts, i. 80 121. 
 Lumsdaine, Dr.. ii. 342 ; his assiduous 
 
 attentions to Queen Teru-Wark during 
 
 her illness, 347. 
 
 M. 
 
 Macraire, M., ii. 117, 145, 154, 261. 
 
 Magamayatat, i. 86, 90, 121. 
 
 Miigdala, dispatch of stores and letters 
 to, i. 64; Captives arrive at, ii. 160; 
 kindness of its Chiefs, 165 ; our 
 guardians at, 167-186 ; our domestics 
 at, 187; i)risou-discipline of, 189; our 
 guards at, 191; gntes of, 192; escape 
 of captives from impracti-'ablc, 193; 
 Captives' quurlers at, 202; fare at, 
 " 203 ; entertainment of public guests 
 at, 205 ; society, 205-6 ; water, soil, 
 and climate, 208-9 ; birds, 210 ; re- 
 ligious reform amonij; soldiery, 211; 
 Divine Service at, 214 ; communica- 
 tion between it and royal camp cut 
 otl', 241; re-opened, 256; Chief's and 
 Kurf>pean arti.sans imprisonal at. 261 ; 
 dismantled l)y TliLodore, 278 ; Theo- 
 dore's entrance into, 279 ; Theodore's 
 siijierstitious views respecting, 305; 
 sturmed by I5ritish, 334 ; dismissal of 
 Chiefs at; 343-4 ; in flames, 345. 
 
 Miihabar, i. 121. 
 
 Mahlal), i. 127. 
 
 Marcopoli, Signor, i. 120, 130, 142. 178, 
 185. 
 
 2 A 2
 
 o56 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 mXrgaf. 
 
 Margaf, robe, ii. 117. 
 
 l\Iiirisn, dish, i. 1'j4. 
 
 Markets, Abyssinian, i. 220. 
 
 Markhani, Mr. C. R., bis ' History of 
 the Abyssinian Expedition,' ii. 338. 
 
 Marmadiyat, watercourse, i. 148. 
 
 Marriages, Abyssinian. ii. 215-220; ^acra- 
 mental, 210 ; second-rate, 219; third- 
 rale, 219. 
 
 Maryam-Wiiha, i. 185. 
 
 Mashisha, Afa-Nepus, deserts to the 
 Gal las from Magdala, ii. 295. 
 
 Mashisha, Eas, eldest son of Theodore, 
 ii. 45 ; introduced to the Autlior, 57 : 
 escapes Irom Magdala, oolj. 
 
 Mashlat, i. 89, 90. 
 
 IVIasir i T2 
 
 Mastyat. Queen of Wello-Gallas, ii. 250. 
 
 Maswiilia. stream, i. 237. 
 
 Matanima. district, government of, i. 
 157; called by Arabs ' Suk-ul-Galla- 
 bat,' 158 ; climate of, 165 ; produce, 
 167; fairs at, 167; slave-trade, 168; 
 horses and cattle, ib. ; revenue and 
 army, 169; review of troops, 171; 
 Festival of the Drum at, 172; return 
 of troops from a raid, 182. 
 
 Mateb, cord, <listii)guisiiing Abyssinians 
 from non-Ciiristians, Kamants forced 
 to wear, i. 209; borne by converts, ii. 
 213. 
 
 ]\Iiltrah-]\raddai, i. 72. 
 
 Mayer, Mr., ii. 24, 324. 
 
 Mckelvie, ii. 112, 145. 
 
 Meat, slaughtered by Christians and 
 Mussulmans, i. 88; raw, see Brundo. 
 
 Meniiek, King of Shoa, proposes to attack 
 Magdala, ii. 250 ; his display and re- 
 treat, 251 ; sends money and a letter 
 to Author, 261. 
 
 Mercwether, Colonel, i. 1, 60, 113; his 
 arrival at Antalo, ii. 275; at Ashangi, 
 302 ; his exertions on behalf of the 
 captives, 325 ; his kindness to the 
 Magdala Chiefs, 343. 
 
 Messages, verbal, custom of sending 
 with letters, ii. 3, 5, 23, 27, 41, 76, et 
 passim. 
 
 Messengers, Abyssinian, their lidelitv, 
 ii. 245-247. 
 
 Metcha, district, i. 273, 289. 
 
 Metropolitan, Abyssinian, see Abfma. 
 
 Millet, large, i. J51; dillennt ways of 
 cooking, 166. 
 
 Milwia, ravine, i. 145. 
 
 Miraad, JJalJaj, i. 65, 73. 
 
 Mircha Warkee, i. 8. 
 
 Mission, to King Theodore, ari-ives at 
 Massowah, i. 3 ; leaves for i'^gypt, 
 
 108; returns to Massowah, 114; de- 
 parture for Casala, 120; reaches Ca- 
 sala, 13G; starts for Kedarif, 142; 
 reacl:es Htillet-Wadabsin, 152; — Ma- 
 tiimma, 160;— Wahne, 188;— Theo- 
 dv)re's camp, 248; — Korata, 316: — 
 Zage, ii. 56 ; disgraced, 83 ; under 
 surveillance at Zage, 89; to be re- 
 tained as hostages, 100 ; march with 
 the King and his armv to Korata, 
 124-128 ;' arrive at Gatia't, 131 ; loca- 
 tion of, there, 133-4; under watch at 
 Debra Tabor, 145; arraigned again 
 at, 152 ; confined at, 153 ; start with 
 Theodore towards Magdala, 159; 
 fettered at, 161 ; quarters at, 202 ; in- 
 vited by Theodore to see mortar 
 brought up to Salamge, 303 ; in 
 tents at Salamge, 312 ; sent back to 
 Magdala, 316 ; liberated and sent to 
 British camp, 325 ; arrival at Zoolla, 
 349; recognition of its services by 
 Government, 350. 
 
 Mohammed Adam, cousin to Nayib of 
 Harkiko, i. 37. 
 
 Mohammed-bin -'Al)d-ur-Rahim, Nayib 
 of Harkiko, i. 37 ; his admii-ation of 
 Theodore, 38 ; his adventure with the 
 King, 39. 
 
 Mohammed Sa'id, messenger, statement 
 of his interview with Theodore, i. 98; 
 Sent with Agafari Golam to release 
 old captives from Magdala, ii. 5. 
 
 Mohammed Sihawy, the lying mes- 
 senger, i. 92, 194 ; a candidate for the 
 Eoyal Shirt, ii. 7; Theodore's apology 
 for him, 9 ; is raised to the rank of 
 Ona, 50. 
 
 Moncfilu, water at, i. 14 ; Consul Plow- 
 den's house at, 19; residence of Mission 
 at, 23 ; heat at, 24 ; French Consul's 
 house, 47 ; duiiier given to Massowah 
 authorities at, 64. 
 
 INlonkeys, i. 70, 160. 
 
 Morland, Lieut., i. 2, 24, 48. 
 
 Mortar, Theodore's large, arrests his 
 progress to Magdala, ii. 257 ; is brought 
 up to Salamge, 303. 
 
 IMudir, of the iJanakil, i. 53. 
 
 Munzinger, M., i. 22, 43, 48. 82, 114; is 
 appointed Britisli Agent at Massowali, 
 115; sent in advance of tiie British 
 expedition to reconnoitre, ii. 273 ; at 
 Dalanta, 276. 
 
 Mutchler, Mr., i. 171, 178, 185. 
 
 N. 
 
 Nafasa, i. 231, 308.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 357 
 
 Nagadras Gabra-Madhen, ii. 11. 
 
 Napier, Sir Robert, liis proclamation, ii. 
 255 ; Lis ultimatum, 265 ; letters to 
 Tlieodore. 317, 319 ; messafi:e iu reply 
 to proffered present from, 5327 ; kind- 
 ness to Theodore's survivinj^ family, 
 342 ; rewards faithful Abyssinians, 
 348. 
 
 Naturalists, German, i. 32, 33. 
 
 Nayibs of Harkiko, i. 37 ; visit to, 37. 
 
 Ntguse, Basha, a religious reformer at 
 Magdala, ii. 212. 
 
 Niir-Habibai, i. 85. 
 
 Obsequies, Abyssinian, ii. 258, 260. 
 Occupations, of males and females iu 
 
 Abyssinia, i. 191, ii. 72. 
 Odis>o, Aito, niussacrcd by rebels of 
 
 Dawunt, ii. 242 ; Theodore's grief for 
 
 him, 243. 
 T)miir 'Ali, interpreter, i. 22. 
 Ona Mohammed, see Mohammed Sihawy. 
 Ondo, ii. 13i). 
 Oo1k% Ras, late Chief of Tigre, d. feated 
 
 by Theodore, i. 284; impriijoned by 
 
 Theodore, ii. 217. 
 Order, of the Cross and Solomon's Seal, 
 
 ii. 44, 48. 
 Order, of the Shirt, see Shirt. 
 
 Palgrave, Mr. Gifford, i. 104, 111. 
 
 'Pantaloon,' H.M.S., i. 29, 61. 
 
 I'ietro, Signor, ii. 154. 
 
 I'lovsdi,'n, Consul, his Report on the 
 military and political career of Theo- 
 dore, i. 282-287. 
 
 Prideanx, Lieut., associated with the 
 Mission, i. 66, 70; sent with mtssago 
 from Theodore to Sir Robert Napier, 
 ii. 319. 
 
 Pric.-its, trial of two Abyssinian, ii. 280. 
 
 Purtoo Effuiidi, Lieut. -Governor of 
 Massowah, i. 3 ; his opinion of Theo- 
 dore, 4 ; of Massowaii, 25 ; kaves for 
 the llijaz, 32 ; meeting with at Jiddah, 
 109. 
 
 Purvis, Captain, i. 20, tJO. 
 
 Queen, her Rritiinnir Majesty, letters 
 to King Themlore from, ii. 38, 231. 
 
 Queens, Tlicodorc's, ii. 33(5. See Itji- 
 manyo and Toru-Wtirk. 
 
 SEVASTOPOL. 
 
 R. 
 
 Raines, General, i. 113. 
 
 Raro, i. 87. 
 
 Ras Harb, i. 108. 
 
 Reade, Consul, i. 111. 
 
 Revenue, oi Abyssinia, ii. 16. 
 
 Rosenthal, Rev. Mr., i. 78 ; Theodore's 
 
 charges against, 300 ; ii. 306. 
 Russell, Earl, suggests tliat a British 
 
 officer should be attached to Mission, 
 
 i. 65 ; his letter to Theodore by Consul 
 
 Cameron, ii. 37. 
 
 S. 
 
 Sabdarat, i. 135 ; view from, 145. 
 
 Sabunja, i. 237. 
 
 Sahatee, i. 53, 60. 
 
 Sakola, i. 276. 
 
 Sahimge, plateau, Theodore reaches, ii. 
 27 ; his large mortar brought to, 303. 
 
 Saliisse, attained by Theodore, ii. 277 ; 
 watclies British camp from, 319. 
 
 Samhar, the, i. 85, 90. 
 
 Samuel, Aito, i. 244 ; liis cliaracter and 
 history, 258 ; appointeil Biildarriba to 
 the jMission, 260 ; his character vindi- 
 cated, 262; his fidelity, 264; arraigned 
 by Theodore, ii. 86, 1U5 ; takes part 
 ■with the Cajitives, 145 ; accompanies 
 Mission to INLigdaia, 159 ; his jtosition 
 at, 161 ; services at, 165 ; death of his 
 wife, 260 ; iu disgrace with Theodore, 
 278 ; restored to royal favour, 280 ; 
 his visit to British camp and return 
 to Magdala with Sir Robirt Napier's 
 reply to Theodore's proffered present 
 of catth', 327. 
 
 Saraba, i. 208. 
 
 Saraf-ul-Bawadra, wells, i. 151. 
 
 Sar-Amb.i, i. 197, 206 : ii. 167. 
 
 Sarmoutsli, creek, in Island of Dak, i. 
 315. 
 
 Sar-wiiha. rivulet, i. 216. 
 
 Schiller, Mr., imprisfmed at Magdala, 
 ii. 261. . 
 
 Schimjur, Dr., i. 52; letters from, 62, 
 75 ; his oj)inion of the Abyssinians, 
 ii. 14 ; his .sketch map ul' BagiimiSder 
 and ichtliyologieal researches, 24. 
 
 Schwainfurth, Dr., i. 1()3. 
 
 Scnafe, Abyssinian followers dismissed 
 at, ii. 348. 
 
 Servants, Abyssinian, fidelity of, ii. 244- 
 249. 
 
 Sevastopol, Theodore's large mortar, ii. 
 303-4.
 
 358 
 
 i:ndex. 
 
 Sha'ab, i. 85, 91, 121. 
 
 Slia'alah, i. 127. 
 
 Sliajarut, i. 149. 
 
 Shallaka-Shatiisli, i. 240. 
 
 Shamma, etiquette in wearing, ii. 221- 
 224; enveloping liead in, an insult, 
 22tj. 
 
 Shiinkelsi, slaves taken from tlie. i. 1G8. 
 
 Sharo, Inj, i. 100. 
 
 Sheikh Hasb-Allah, i. 150. 
 
 Shells, between Casala and Kedarif, i. 
 150. 
 
 Shirt, Abyssinian Order of tlie, i. 198 ; 
 Theodore proposes to invest tl:e Mis- 
 sion followers witii, ii. 5 ; Theodore 
 and Em-opean shirts, 71. 
 
 Shisharo, valley, i. 72, 73. 
 
 Sliohos, the, i. (J6, 81. 
 
 Shukry, tribe, i. 140; cameleers, 152. 
 
 Slave-trade, at Massowah, i. Gl, G8 ; in 
 Abyssinia, 287-8. 
 
 Snakes, near Lake Tana, i. 226. 
 
 Solib, i. 129. 
 
 Soodan, mutiny in the, i. 141; etymology 
 of name, 150. 
 
 Speedy, Mr., Theodore's complaints 
 against, ii. G3 ; regarded him as an 
 enemy, 330. 
 
 Spies, alleged, sent to Massowah, i. 42. 
 
 Sport, i. 24, 54, 56, 73 ; near Lake Tana, 
 224. 
 
 Staiger, Mr., imprisoned at Magdala, ii. 
 261. 
 
 Stanton, Colonel, i. 110; his opinion of 
 Dr. Bekes mission, ii. 47. 
 
 Steamer, Theodore's imitation, ii. 120. 
 
 Stem, Rev. Mr., letters from, i. G3, 73 ; 
 Theodore's charges against, 299, ii. 
 305 ; his missionaiy Lbours at Mag- 
 dala, 211 ; fidelit}' of his Abyssinian 
 servants, 219. 
 
 Suez, arrival of Mission at. i. 110; re- 
 turn from, 111; homeward journey 
 from, ii. 349. 
 
 " Sugar," see Sukkar. 
 
 Siikkar, Chief of the Atte'-Maryam, i. 
 87-89. 122. 
 
 Suk-ul-Galla])at, sec Matiimma. 
 
 Sunkwaha, i. 204. 
 
 Surur, Mt., i. 132. 
 
 Tabot, or Ark, i. 225-228 ; ii. 2(;(). 
 
 Tacrarait, i. 129. 
 
 Taiila, liitwaddad, sent to re-arrest old 
 captives, ii. 80, IIG; in charge of 
 (Captives sent to Magdala, 152; ini- 
 l)ii.ioned at, 2G2. 
 
 THEODORE. 
 
 Tadla Gwalu, deserts from the royal 
 camp and is proclaimed Chief of 
 Gojjam, i. 238 ; battle between his 
 followers and Theodore, 239. 
 
 Tiigga, Ras, Commander of the Mus- 
 keteers, ii. 45, 277. 
 
 Taka, plain of, i. 145. 
 
 Takkaze, river, i. 35, 63. 
 
 Takroories, i. 157 ; etvmology of name, 
 158 ; disobliging, 170. 
 
 Tana, Lake, passage across, i. 314-317 : 
 shores of. ii. 7 ; shooting with Theo- 
 dore at, 109, 114 ; artillerv-practico 
 at, 111. 
 
 Tankwal, i. 216. 
 
 Tartar, i. 150. 
 
 Tasiimma, Balanibaras, Master of the 
 Horse, impi isoned at Magdala, ii. 262. 
 
 Tasanima, Lij, i. 196, 200, 201, 202; his 
 motlier, 213. 
 
 Ta.sho. Lij, i. 196. 
 
 Ttj, beverage, i. 19'>. 
 
 Teru-Wark, daughter of Dajjai Oobc, 
 married to Theodore, ii. 217," 277, 336 ; 
 makes over her son, 'Alamayo, to the 
 British, 343 ; her death, 347. 
 
 Tigreau, dialect, used at Massowah, i. 14. 
 
 T'issoo Gobaze, rebel Chief of Walkait, 
 i. 35, 74, 102, 188. 
 
 T'issoo Hailo, head of Abyssinian mer- 
 chants trading to Jlassowah, i. 34, 35 ; 
 is imjiri.soned at Magdala, ii. 262. 
 
 Theodore, King, fir.st letter from to 
 Author, i. 93, 115 ; his reception of the 
 Mission, 248 ; his complaints against 
 the old Captives, 248-251 ; orders their 
 relciise, 265 ; his letter to the Queen, 
 ib. ; knowledge of Arabic, 270 ; not a 
 beneficent ruler, 278; his parentage 
 and early youtli, ih.; earlv ex])l()its, 
 280 ; recJives a check at Kediirif, 281 ; 
 marries Tobet, Eas 'All's daughter, 
 281 ; overthrows Has 'Ali and Eas 
 Oobe, 282-284 ; is crowned Emperor, 
 284; his early reforms, 285-6; causes 
 of his waning jiower, 288-9 ; his tits 
 of niclauchdly, 290; rapidity of his 
 marches, 291 ; care for his troops, 293; 
 alleged rea.>ton for delaying answering 
 the Author's letter, 295 ; sends order 
 for release of old Captives, 297 ; his 
 complaints against them, 299 ; otfers 
 to make a treaty, 304 ; presents Author 
 with 5000 doHars, 305; arrives at 
 Zagc, ii. 1 ; his ethics, 9 ; agrees to 
 departure of European artisans with 
 Autlioi-, 12 ; used to believe in the 
 black art, 19; writes that he wishes 
 to "consult" Author, 21; pioposcs to
 
 INDEX. 
 
 359 
 
 decorate members of Mission with the 
 Koyal Shirt, 22 ; intimates tliat the 
 Captives are to be tried, 26 ; arrange- 
 ments thereto, 31 ; seeks an indemnity, 
 32, 35: demands artisans from Eng- 
 land, 39; forgives tlie Captives, 42; 
 sends Author another 5000 dollars, 45 ; 
 his reception of the Slissinu at Zage, 
 57 ; consults Chiefs and European 
 artisans about dettiining the Mission, 
 58, 59 ; his complaints against the 
 Coptic Patriarcli and the Egyptian 
 Government, G2, 63 : against iiis own 
 people, 64 ; directs Author to prepare 
 to leave Abyssinia, 64 ; in European 
 shirts, 71 ; returns a seized packet 
 open to Author, 73 ; changes plan of 
 our return jounu.-y, 76 ; agrees to 
 Author's proposed route, 78 ; orders 
 re-arrest of Captives on their way 
 homeward, SO; his charges against 
 the Author, 84-86; apologizes, 87,92; 
 arraigns tlie Captives at Zage, 93; asks 
 their pardon, 99 ; ciiuses tlie petition 
 from the relatives of the Captives to be 
 read, ib. ; his letter to Queen Victoria 
 asking for artisans, 100 ; his presents 
 to the members of the Mi.-^sion, 107 ; 
 restores part of cash taken from old 
 Captives, 107; visits tlie Author at Zage, 
 108; commemorates Queen Victoria's 
 birth-day, 110; fellsa su[ipli;int with a 
 billet of wood. Ill ; n counts his wars 
 against Turks and (Jallas, 113; his 
 cruelty at Zage, 115; pro])o.ses that the 
 Author should wear a Mdnjaf, 117; 
 attempts imitation of a steamer, 120; 
 his views on taxation, 131 ; courtesy 
 to Autlior at Gatfat, 132-3 ; his de- 
 scent from Alexander, 137 ; praises 
 the English for providing his people 
 with Amharic bibles, 139; his charges 
 against the Autlior at Debra Tabor, 
 141-2; claims India and half tlie 
 world besides, 153; visits Captives at 
 Debra Tabor, 155; believes himself 
 mad, 15() ; proceeds with Captives to- 
 wards Magilala, 158; sends Captives 
 on t^) Miigdala, 159 ; his reiuarlfs on 
 hearing that Author was fettered, 
 163; returns to Debra Tfilior, 164; 
 his difl'erent marriages, 217-219 ; his 
 first letter to Author at Miigdala, 
 228 ; forwards stores to Author, 229- 
 238 ; forwards Queen's letter to him 
 for perusal, 23;;; notitics that lie will 
 keep us at Miigilala, 231 ; deelim s a 
 jiroHered present, 240; cut off from 
 Miigdala, 241 ; his cruelties at thiit 
 
 TOLKEATION. 
 
 period, 241 ; receives copy of Sir 
 Eobert Napier's proclamation, 254 ; 
 reaches Beitahor, 256 ; death of his 
 sister, 258 ; reaches Clietta valley, 
 260 ; his talk about the Author, 264 ; 
 reaches tlie Dalanta plateau, 267; 
 breaks fidth with the Dalanta people, 
 268 ; rciichcs the Bashilo, 271; speaks 
 of a " blood bath," 272 ; sends his 
 valuables to IMtigdala, 276; reaches 
 Salamge, 277 : enters Miigdala, 279 ; 
 tries two priests for defamation, 280 ; 
 tries Chiefs for treason, 281 ; returns 
 to Sahinige, 282 : visits IMiigdala 
 again, 286 ; alleged reason for detain- 
 ing the Mission, 287; summons the 
 Author to an interview, ib. ; his altered 
 appearance, ih. ; refers to the impend- 
 ing attack by the British, 289; re- 
 quests the Author to bury him in the 
 event of his death, ih. ; another al- 
 leged motive for detaining the Cap- 
 tives, 290 ; unfetters Bl;mc iind Pri- 
 deaux, 291 ; hopes the British will 
 not despise him for his colour, 292 ; 
 upbraids his Chiefs at Sahimge, 293 ; 
 his charmed rifle, 295 ; his queries on 
 European warfare, 304 ; recounts his 
 troubles, 305 ; deplores the raggedness 
 of his troops, 306 ; refuses to make 
 overtures to Sir Robert Napier, 307 ; 
 goes oil' on a plundering expedition, 
 308 ; is anxious to hear of the British 
 army, 309 ; Wiitches for its move- 
 ments. 310 ; harangues his troops, 
 313; is determined to let matters 
 take their course, 314 ; orders massacre 
 of native prisoners, 315 ; refuses to 
 receive Sir R. Napier's letter, 317 ; 
 attacks British advanced guard, 318 ; 
 requests Author to open communica- 
 tions with Sir R. Napier, 319; his 
 letter to Sir Robert, 320 ; his anger 
 iit the result of the dejiutatiou to Bri- 
 tish camp, 319; his letter of apology to 
 Sir Robert, 325 ; sends present of cattle 
 to British camp, 330 ; prcpan s to de- 
 camp, //;. ; his ('hiefs and peo])le re- 
 fuse to obey him, 331; prepares fur 
 defence, 332 ; attacks our ciivalry, 
 333 ; retires to tlie gates with a few 
 followers, 334 ; shoots himself, ib. ; 
 summary of his character, 335 ; his 
 wives and issue, 336; his burial, 
 343. 
 
 Ti'ibet, daughter of Rils 'Ali, marries 
 Theodore, ii. 217. 
 
 Toleration, Abyssinian religious, i. 
 319.
 
 360 
 
 l^v'DEX. 
 
 ToUs, ii. 16. 
 
 Tournament, native, ii. 123. 
 
 ' Victoria,' transport steamer, i. 48, 53, 
 eO, 64, 104. 
 
 W. 
 
 Wadala, ii. 148, 270. 
 
 Wahne, i. 188. 
 
 Waitos, near Lake Tana, i. 814. 
 
 Wai'zero Baritu, i. 218. 
 
 Wiiizero Denke, i. 213, 219, 222, 310. 
 
 Wai'zero Mi'nyen, mother of Ras 'Ali, i. 
 281. 
 
 Waka, i. 187. 
 
 Wak.sbum Gobaze, of Lasta, i. 35, 74. 
 81 ; proposes to attack Ma^dala, ii. 
 250 ; rctii-es from before Ma.i^dala, 
 251 ; bis friendliness to the British 
 army, 252 ; designs to attack Theo- 
 dore, 255 ; forwards copy of Sir Robert 
 Napier's nltiraatum to Author. 2G5, 
 
 Wak.slium Tafare, cousin to Waksbum 
 Gobaze, ii. 239, 203. 
 
 Wald-Gabir, Theodore's valet, i. 276; 
 saw Theodore connnit suicide, ii. 327 ; 
 denies that his master cursed on the 
 occasion, 337. 
 
 Wald-Gabriel, interpreter, i. 187; deco- 
 rated with Royal Shirt, ii. 13. 
 
 Wald-Maryam, lesser Cliief of escort, i. 
 196. 
 
 Wal(l-]\Iaryam, messenger, i. 43, 48, 65, 
 77, 104, 
 
 Waldmcier, Mr., bis testimony to first 
 .success of Mission, ii. 43, 44 ; bis 
 zealous co-operation, 206 : Theodore's 
 testimony thereto, 292 ; escorts libe- 
 rated Captives to British camp, 324 ; 
 styled by Theodore his " best friend," 
 326 ; assists Author at Miigdala, 340. 
 
 Wald-ul-'Ammas. i. 156. 
 
 Wald-Salasse Gobaze. i. 69, 70, 231. 
 
 Waldt-lNIdryam, a native Joan of Arc, i. 
 218, 317. 
 
 Walkait, i. 35, ii. 74. 
 
 Wande, Aito, is presented with one of 
 Theodore's dismissed wives, i. 220, 
 317 ; is arraigned by Theodore, ii. 
 105. 
 
 Wandige, district, i. 308. 
 
 Wanzi'ge, village, i, 216. 
 
 Warke', Yashalaka, a doorkeeper at Mag- 
 dala, ii. 185. 
 
 Wasi, Bitwaddad, one of Magdala Coun- 
 cil, ii. 177; heads a raid uj)on the 
 Gallas, 297. 
 
 Wello - Gallas, Theodore's campaign 
 against, i. 74. 
 
 Wiiby, Brigadier-General, ii. 339, 344. 
 
 Worohaimano, Gallas, raid upon, ii. 
 294-801. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Yadjow, Gallas, ii. 218 ; intended to sub- 
 mit to Tluodore, 270. 
 Yashalaka, a Captain of Lancers, ii. 191. 
 Yasmala, i. 234, 808. 
 
 Zaga, i. 130. 
 
 Zage, capital of Me'tcha, ii. 1 ; reception 
 of Mission at, 56 ; arrested at, 83 ; 
 Theodore's cruelties at, 115 ; penin- 
 sula of. its inhabitants and produce, 
 118-120. 
 
 Ziinuab, 'Alaka, keeper of the royal 
 arcliivcs, ii. 192, 349. 
 
 Zanzalima. ii. 80. 
 
 Zand!, ii. 315. 
 
 Zoolla, visit to, i. 81 ; return to. ii. 349. 
 
 Zflgda, i. 236, 307. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 ARCHIBALD NEIL CA]\IPBELL MACLACHLAN, ]\I.A., 
 
 Vicar of Newton Valence, Hants. 
 With Rortrait. 8vo. 
 
 NARRATIVE OF THE BRITISH MISSION TO 
 THEODORUS THE EMPEROR OF ABYSSINIA. 
 
 WITH NOTICES OF THE COUNTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND PEOPLE 
 OF THE A]\[HARAS. 
 
 By HORMUZD RASSAM, 
 
 First Assistant Political Resident at Aden in charKe of tho ^Mission. 
 8vo. 
 
 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES IN 
 
 THE TERRITORY OF ALASKA AND ON 
 THE RIVER YUKON. 
 
 F0R1\IERLY RUSSIAN AMERICA, NOW CEDED TO THE UNITED STATES 
 WITH NOTF.S OF YOYAOFS AND TRAVELS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC 
 
 By FREDERICK WHYMPER. 
 
 ^lap and 30 Illustrations. 8vo. 
 
 THE NILE AND ITS BANKS. 
 
 THEIll ATTIIACTIONS TO THE ARCHiEOLOGIST, NATURALIST. 
 AND THE GENERAL TOURIST. 
 
 r.v REV. A. C. SMITH, Rector of Yatesbury. 
 Woodcnts. 2 Yols., post 8vo.
 
 4 MR. MURUAY'ii QUARTERLY LIST OF WORKS. 
 
 PRINCIPLES AT STAKE. 
 
 ESSAYS ON THE CHURCH QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. 
 
 BY VARIOUS WRITERS. 
 
 Edited by GEORGE HENRY SUMNER, M.A., 
 
 Rector of Old Alresford, Hants, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Winchester. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 I. EiTUALiSM AND Unifokmity. Bj' BENJAMIN SUA 11", M.A., late Fellow of 
 Trinity Coll. , Cambridge. 
 
 II. IXCREASE OF THE EpI.SCOPATE OF THE ClirrvCH OF EXGLAND. LORD 
 
 ARTHUR HERYEY, M.A., Archdeacon of Sudbury, and Rector of Ick- 
 worth-with-Horringer. 
 
 III. Powers and Duties of the Priesthood. R. PAYNE SMITH, D.D., 
 
 Canon of Christ Church, and Eegius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. 
 
 IV. National Education. ALEXANDER R. GRANT, M.A., Rector of Hitcham, 
 
 Suffolk, and late H.M. Inspector of Scliools, 
 V. Doctrine of the Eucharist, considered iu connection with Statements 
 
 recently put forth respecting that Holy Sacrament. THE EDITOR. 
 VI. Scripture and Ritual. T. D. BERNARD, M.A., Rector of Walcot, an.l 
 
 Canon of Wells. 
 VII. Church in South Africa. ARTHUR MILLS, M.A., of P.alliol Coll.. 
 Oxford. 
 VIII. Schismatical Tendency of Ritualism. GEORGE SALMON, D.D., Regius 
 Professor of Divinity in the University of Dublin. 
 IX. Revisions of the Liturgy considered in their bearing on Ritualism. 
 W. G. HUMPHRY, B.D., Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, late Fellow 
 of Trinity Coll., Cambridge. 
 X. Parties and Party Spirit. JOHN SAUL HOWSON, D.D., Dean of 
 Chester. 
 
 One Volume. Svo. 12s. 
 
 Uniform with "Aids to Faith." 
 
 MISSIONARY TRAVELS IN 
 LITTLE KNOWN PARTS OF ASIA MINOR. 
 
 By rev. henry J. VAN LENNEP. 
 
 With Map and Illustrations. 2 Vols. Post Svo. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS OF PAINTING 
 IN NORTH ITALY. 
 
 INCLUDING VENICE, LOMBARDV, PADUA, VICENZA, VERONA, PARMA, 
 FRIULI, FERRARA, AND BOLOGNA. 
 
 FROM THE SECOND TO THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 By J. A. CROWE and G. B. CAVALCASELLE, 
 
 Authors of "The Early Flemish Painters." 
 With Illustrations. 2 Vols. Svo.
 
 MM. MURRAY'S QUARTERLY LIST OF WORKS. 
 A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON 
 
 SHIPBUILDING IN IRON AND STEEL. 
 
 By E. J. REED, C.B., 
 
 Cliiof Couatructor of the Royal N'avy, and Vice-President of the Institution of XuviJ Architects. 
 
 AVitli 5 Plates aud 250 Diaf;r;uus. Svo. 
 
 By Older of the Lords Coinniissioners of the Admiralty, the Examinations iu Iron 
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 This work, which is of an esisentially practical character, gives full detailed descrip- 
 tions of the manner in which the keels, stems, stern-posts, frames, beams, plating, bulk- 
 heads, topsidcs, and other parts of iron ships arc formed, fitted, and fastened ; witii 
 descriptions of the various methods of laying down and building pursued in the principal 
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 A NEW ENGLISH YEKSIUN. 
 WITH COPIOUS ILLUSTRATIVE NOTES. 
 
 Bvr COL. HENRY YULE, C.B., M.R.G.S. 
 
 One Volume. With original Maps aud otlier Illustrations. Svo. 
 
 The Editor aims at producing a Standard Edition of these cla.ssic Travels. Forty 
 years liave elapsed since the publication of Marsden's edition, the liest that wo possess, 
 but in that interval tlie great stream of information on niedi;eval Geograimj' and 
 History of Asia has been constantly bringing fresh materials. The Editor has long been 
 preparing for tlie task. 
 
 This version will l)e based on the old Frencli texts, which are now known to come 
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 THE YOUNG OFFICER'S COMPANION; 
 
 On, ESSAYS ON MILITAliY DUTIES AND (QUALITIES: 
 WITH EXAMPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS FROM HISTORY. 
 
 Bv LTEUT.CEN. LORD DE ROS. 
 
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 LAST WINTER IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
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 Br F. BARHAM ZINCKE, 
 
 Vicar of Whcrstead, and Chaplaiu in Ordinary to tlie Queuu. 
 Post 8vo. 
 
 "No one would now think of -waiting a continuous narrative of travel in tlie United 
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 PLATINUM, TIN, NICKEL, COBALT, ANTIMONY, BISMUTH, ARSENIC, 
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 By JOHJ^ PERCY, M.D., F.R.S., 
 
 Lecturer on Jletallurgy at the Government School of Mines. 
 
 With Illustrations. 8vo. 
 
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 INFORMATION, ARRANGED ALPPIABETICALLY 
 
 UNDER ONE HUNDRED HEADS. 
 
 For the Use of Owners, Occupiers, Buyers, and ]5uildcrs o'l Houses. 
 By ROBERT KERR, Architect; 
 
 Author of " The Gentleman's House," &c. 
 AVitli Plans. Post 8vo. 
 
 CHRISTIANITY, 
 
 VIEWED IN ITS RELATION TO THE PRESENT STATE OF SOCIETY 
 
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 BEING A THIRD SERIES OP MEDITATIONS. 
 
 ?>Y M. GUIZOT. 
 
 Post 8vo,
 
 MB. MUR RAY'S QUARTERLY LIST OF m)RK(<. 7 
 
 HISTORY OF EUROPE DURING THE FRENCH 
 REVOLUTION. 
 
 FROM THE SECRET ARCHIVES OF GEK.MANV, &l-. 
 By professor VON SYBEL, 
 
 Univer.sity of Bonn. ' 
 Vols. III. and IV., completing tlie Work. Svu. 
 
 A COPIOUS ENGLISH GRAMMAR. 
 
 A METHODICAL, ANALYTICAL, AND HISTORICAL TREATISE ON THE ORTHOGKAPHY, 
 PROSODY, INFLECTIONS, AND SYNTAX OF THE ENGLISH TONGUE. 
 
 "With numerous Authorities, cited in the order of historical development. 
 By Professor EDWARD MAETZNER, of Berlin. 
 
 TUANSLATED 
 
 liY A MEMBEl! OF THE PHILOLOGICAE .sOCIETY OF LONDON. 
 
 3 Vols. Svo. 
 
 A COURSE OF LECTURES ON GENERAL 
 JURISPRUDENCE; 
 
 OR, THE PHILOSOPHY OF POSITIVE LAW. 
 By the late JOHN AUSTIN, 
 
 Ban-istcr-at-Law. 
 
 Edited auil re^■ised 
 
 By ROBERT CAMPBELL, 
 
 Ailvojiito(oi" the Scotch Bar), and of Lincoln's hin, Barristev-at-Law. 
 Third Edition. 2 Vols. Svo. 
 
 This New Edition has bec-ii revised witli the a.ssisLanre of notes of ihc Lectures as origi- 
 nally deliverc.l, tak.-u l.y Mr. J. S. Mill, and kindly lent to the executors of the late 
 Sarah Austin, by whom tli<; former ..'ilitioii was [.iv[«ar.il and edited iVom the author's 
 original maiiuscriids. 
 
 A DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN ANTIQUITIES. 
 
 (JOMPi;iSlN(; THF mSTOllY, INSTITUTIONS, AUCH.KOLUOY, GEOGKAPHY. 
 
 AND 15I0GI!API(Y OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, FROM THE TIMES 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES TO THE AGE OF CHARLEMAGNE. 
 
 UNDEK THE GKNERAL SUPERINTENDENCE OF 
 
 WM. SMITH, LL.D., 
 
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 MIL MURRAY'S QUARTERLY LIST oF WORKS. 
 
 THE STRENGTH OF IRON AND STEEL. 
 
 TUAXSLATED FKO.Al TilE SWEDISH OF K. STYFFE. 
 
 By CHRISTER P. SANDBERG, C.E. 
 
 With a Pkeface by JOHN rEUCY, M.D. 
 With 11 Lithographs. Svo. 
 
 FACT AND ARGUMENT FOR DARWIN 
 
 By fritz I\IULLER. 
 
 With imiuei-ou.s Hlustiatioiis ami Additions Ly the Author. 
 TUANSLATED FROM THE GeHMAX BY W. S. DALLAS. 
 
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 ON MOLECULAR AND MICROSCOPIC 
 SCIENCE. 
 
 By MARY SOMERVILLE, 
 
 Author of " Physical Science," &e. 
 Witli muiierous niustrations. 2 Vols. Tost Svo. 
 
 A COPIOUS AND CRITICAL 
 ENGLISH-LATIN DICTIONARY. 
 
 COMPILED FIJOM OIHGLXAL SOURCES 
 By WM. SMITH, LL.D., and THEOPHILUS D. HALL, M.A. 
 
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 LIVES OF THE WARRIORS OF THE 
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 By GENERAL SIR EDWARD GUST. 
 Vol. \. Post Svo. 
 
 A CLASSICAL AND BIBLICAL ATLAS. 
 
 Edited ]iv ^\^M. SMITH, LL.D. 
 Pakt l.-GKEECE, and THE ISLANDS OF THE .EGEAN. 
 PaktII.— THE HOLY LAND AND COUNTRIES OF THE lillJLF. 
 
 Fol io.
 
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 THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 Edited, with a short, practical Commentary, 
 By rev. EDWARD CHURTON, M.A., 
 
 Archdeacon of Cleveland, 
 AND 
 
 REV. W. BASIL JONES, M.A., 
 
 Archdeacon and Prebendary of York. 
 
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 Second Edition. 2 Vols. 8vo. 
 
 A NEW, UNIFORM!, AND POPULAR EDITION OF 
 
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 Vol. I. To be comjileted in 4 Monthly Vols. Post Svo. 6s. each. 
 
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 INITIA GR/ECA, PART III. 
 
 GUKKK PKO.SE COJIPOSITION. 
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 10 MB. MURRAY' ti QUARTERLY LIST OF WORKS. 
 
 HISTORY OF POTTERY AND PORCELAIN, 
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 By JOSEPH MARRYAT. 
 
 mUrd Edition, revised and greatly enlarged. AVitli niany additional Illustrations. 
 
 Medium 8vo. 
 
 NOTES ON VENETIAN CERAMICS. 
 
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 Sixth Edition, embodying the latest alterations in the law. Svo, 
 
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 Being Illustrations of the Power, Beneficence, and Desi.gn in the Works of Creation. 
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 Nciv Edition, in One Volume. Post Svo. 
 
 THE HARVEST OF THE SEA. 
 
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 Sccoiul Edition. With Illustrations. Svo.
 
 MR. MURRAY'S QUARTERLY LIST OF WORKS. 11 
 
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 AX EPIT02IE OF THE HISTORY OF EUROPE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES. 
 
 With, additional Notes and Illustrations. 
 
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 Post 8vo. Uniform with the " Student's Hume." 
 
 HANDBOOK TO THE CATHEDRALS 
 
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 With Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 
 
 A CATALOGUE OF THE WORKS OF 
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 PLAIN SERMONS 
 
 PREACHED TO A COUNTRY CONGREGATION. 
 
 By rev. J. J. BLUNT, B.D., 
 
 Late Margaret Professor at Cambridge. 
 Fifth Edition. Complete in 2 Vols. Post Svo. 
 
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 SMALLER HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE 
 
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 GREECE: 
 
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 With nearly 600 Engi-avings, illustrative of the Scenery, Architecture, Costume, and 
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 Fifth Edition. Royal Svo. 2l5.
 
 12 Mli. MUURAt'S QUARTERLY LIST OF WORKS. 
 
 FORD'S HANDBOOK OF SPAIN. 
 
 ANDALUSIA, GRENADA, lilADKID, HONDA, MALAGA, &c., &c. 
 
 A new Edition, tliorouglily revised on the spot, describiupj all the Eaihvays, uew Inus, &c. 
 
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 HANDBOOK FOR CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 With general directions for TKAA'ELLIXG IN TURKEY. 
 Being Pact I. of a new Edition of THE HANDBOOK OF TURKEY. 
 
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 A GRAMMAR, DELECTUS, EXERCISE BOOK, AND VOCABULARIES, FOR THE USE 
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 By WILLIAM SMITH, LL.D. 
 
 Wth Ed'Uim, with the Accidence adapted to the "Public School Latin Primer." 
 
 12ino. 3s. G(/. 
 
 "At the request of several teachers in'c]iarinp; hoys for the Public Schools, who 
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 who are j)rcparing boys for schools in which the ' Public School Primer' is adopted." — 
 Preface to Wth Ediliun.
 
 Albemaki.e Stkeet, 
 
 Novanber, 1868. 
 
 MR. MURRAY'S 
 
 LIST OF NEW WORKS. 
 
 NOW READY. 
 
 LORD LYTTON. 
 
 THE RIGHTFUL HEIK. 
 
 A DRAMA, IN FIVE ACTS. 
 By riiii Author of "Richelieu," "The Ladv of Lyons." 
 
 Secodd Edition. 8vo. Is. (id. 
 
 CHARLES DARWIN, F.R.S. 
 
 THE VARIATION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS 
 UNDER DOMESTICATION. 
 
 Witli Illu.stmtions. 2 Vols. 8vo. 286-. 
 LADY DI BEAUCLERK. 
 
 A SUMMER AND WINTER IN NORWAY. 
 
 Third Edition. "With Illustrations by the Author. Small 8vu. {is. 
 
 DR. CUTHBERT COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST ON THE 
 SHORES OF THE CHINA SEA. 
 
 BEING OBSERVATIONS IN NATURAL HISTORY DUKINU A VOYAUi:, 1866-7. 
 With Illustrations, bvo. 16?.
 
 14 MR. MUMliAY'S LIST OF NEW WORKS. 
 
 PROF. VON SYBEL. 
 
 EUnOPE DUKINCI THE FKENCH 
 EEVOLUTION. 
 
 FOUNDED ON DOCUMENTS AND PAPERS 
 
 FROM THE SECRET ARCHIVES OF GERMANY. 
 
 Traiislated from the Gennaii, with tlie Author's aid, 
 
 By WALTER C. PERRY. 
 
 Vols. I. and II. Svo. lis. 
 
 LORD-JUSTICE WOOD, F.R.S. 
 
 THE CONTINUITY OF SCEIPTUKE, 
 
 AS DECLARED BY THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD AND OF THE 
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 Second Edition. Post Svo. 6s, 
 
 COUNTESS BROWNLOW. 
 
 REMINISCENCES OF A SEPTUAGENARIAN. 
 
 FROM 1802 TO 1815. 
 Third Edition. Post Svo, 7s. ti'^. 
 
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 THEIR SETTLEMENTS, CHURCHES, AND INDUSTRIES. 
 Third Thousand. Svo. 16a'. 
 
 MR. FOSTER KIRK. 
 
 THE COJIl'LKTION (JF 
 
 THE HISTORY OF CHARLES THE BOLD, 
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 KISS FBEBE. 
 
 OLD DECCAN DAYS: OR, HINDOO FAIRY 
 
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 REV. DR. BARRY. 
 
 MEMOIR OF SIR CHARLES BARRY, R.A., 
 
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 MR. ANDREW BISSET. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF 
 
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 THE COMPLETION OF THE 
 
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