732 Mr. A. Henry Savage Landor [May 31, 



Danakils are nice people, but they are occasionally given to killing 

 strangers and mutilating their bodies. They had killed two Arabs 

 and an Abyssinian only a few days before I passed through their 

 country. The Abyssinian soldiers of my escort were terrified when 

 we got near these fellows. Twelve days quick marching took 

 me to Adis-Ababa, where I was hospitably received by Sir John 

 Harrington, our Minister there, and by the few foreigners residing 

 in the place. The Emperor Menelik was extremely kind to me, and 

 received me on several occasions. Adis-Ababa was more like a huge 

 camp than a city. Menelik's palace (or rather series of palaces) had 

 the appearance of factory buildings ; it certainly did not look like 

 an Imperial home. Enclosed within the Imperial walls were the mint, 

 and sheds for traction engines. All sorts of workshops were con- 

 structed round the palace, and in these workshops rather than upon 

 his throne Menelik spent most of his time — as he disliked being 

 bothered with politics. 



I intended saying a few words about Sir John Harrington, 

 the British Minister in Adis-Ababa, and his work. Perhaps you are 

 aware that the remarkable personal influence of this man has been 

 able to save our prestige in Abyssinia at a moment when we had 

 practically lost every atom of power in that country, and we were 

 ready to let that region slip out of our hands. To-day, thanks to 

 the immense respect which our Minister commands in Abyssinia, we 

 have little to fear in political competition with other nations. In 

 fact, anyone who has travelled in Abyssinia will tell you that there 

 are two men in the country who command absolute reverence and 

 fear : one is Emperor Menelik, the other Sir John Harrington. 

 His good, honest advice to the Abyssinians is much appreciated by 

 Menelik, and I think that many of the beneficial reforms that have 

 been made in that country have been due to the good advice that 

 our Minister has given the Emperor. 



I liave no time to enter into the intricate political side of 

 the Abyssinian question. There is little doubt that Abyssinia owes 

 its present independence mainly to the jealousy of the envious 

 European Powders surrounding her. Nevertheless, Abyssinia has 

 now reached a stage when serious development of her capabilities is 

 expected of her, or else division of her land must follow among her 

 grasping European friends. With the French and the English on 

 the Somali coast, the Italians in the Danakil country, and the Anglo- 

 Egyptians in the Soudan pressing her from every side, it is not 

 possible for Abyssinia to remain in her present semi -barbarous condi- 

 tion. Menelik's power is so great that it carries everything before it. 

 His word is law, and is everywhere obeyed in a manner quite amazing 

 to Europeans. Menelik is a kind of god to the Abyssinians them- 

 selves, and if not exactly worshipped by subjected non-Abyssinian 

 chiefs in the country, like the Galla and others, they have nevertheless 

 a wholesome fear of him. The Abyssinians owe, I think, their constant 



