86 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



direction, but he too had seen nothing to provide 

 sport, 



ya7i. 21. — This morning we had time to look about 

 us before starting ; the township of Gundet lay 

 scattered over the little hills which rose out of this 

 valley. I resolved to go up to the village and 

 procure a goat and some bread. K, had provided us 

 with a document which was stamped with the king's 

 seal ; this, when the Abyssinians saw it, had the 

 effect of making them give what was wanted. The 

 king seldom if ever gives his seal to any one ; and the 

 seal itself, from which the impression is taken, is 

 carried about hung round the neck of one of his page 

 boys. I started with Goubasee and Brou for one of 

 the cluster of huts I saw on the top of the hill ; the 

 servants said it was there the chief of the village 

 resided. The ascent was steep, but we caught the old 

 gentleman sitting outside his house basking in the 

 morning sun ; no doubt he would have bolted if he 

 had had any intimation of our coming. We said, 

 " How d'ye do V and then I showed him the king's 

 seal, and said we wanted a young fat goat, of which 

 there are large herds here. The cattle of Gundet are 

 also very fine. He said if we would come into his 

 house he would talk about it. Well-to-do Abyssinians 

 always have a large round hut set apart for the recep- 

 tion of visitors. His son produced some "tej," which 



