58 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



plant called " geshoo " are put into the mixture, to 

 make it ferment ; it is put outside in the shade and 

 left for a day or two. A piece of cotton cloth is 

 strained over the mouth of the large earthenware jar, 

 or " gumbo," and through this the " tej " is poured ; 

 the servant tapping the cloth with his fingers to make 

 the liquid run freely. If one wants to make it stronger, 

 the first brew is used instead of the water ; adding 

 honey and geshoo leaves in the same way. In the 

 time of King Theodore that monarch had tej five 

 years old, which made any one drunk in a very short 

 time ; but those were the " good old times " which 

 we read of 



We ate some lunch, and I took out my gun and 

 went for a stroll ; I shot a large blue crane, and saw 

 some ducks. I went out again with H. in the evening 

 to look out for ducks ; a flock of teal just as it was 

 getting dark came whistling over my head, but I was 

 not quick enough for them. On my way home I shot 

 an owl, which I presented to Fisk for stuffing. He 

 informed me it was identically the same as the barn 

 owl at home. I was rather disgusted, as I thought an 

 Abyssinian owl must be different from the home 

 species ; but he insisted that he had shot lots of them 

 in Norfolk, and said the skin of it was not worth the 

 carriage home. Over this I got rather " chaffed," so 

 I resolved not to shoot any more Abyssinian owls. I 



