SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 209 



tent and donkeys. I called at the house of the 

 chicker of the village of Scniemmar, told him who I 

 was, and said that I wanted some chickens and eggs ; 

 he was very civil, and gave them to me at once 

 without any palaver. I asked him if he knew of any 

 news in the country, and I was told that they had 

 heard that Mimleck, the king of Shoa, with whom 

 the king of Abyssinia was at war, had fought and 

 beaten Johannes, the king : I heard afterwards there 

 was no truth in this. Again I travelled on, and, after 

 having passed the place where the market of Se- 

 memmar is held, I came upon Hadji Mahomet and the 

 donkeys, with the tent pitched and everything ready. 

 He told me it would be impossible to go on to Zada- 

 walka that day, so I resolved to stop here, as 

 everything w^as comfortable and there was plenty to 

 eat. Our encampment was just below a pretty little 

 Abyssinian church, which was surrounded by large 

 Oualqual trees. Most of the churches here are built 

 in little groves of these queer-shaped trees. 



March 15. — I went to bed shortly after I got into 

 camp last night, and this morning I found myself 

 better, yet still very ill. I think I must have lost at 

 least a stone in weight, having become dreadfully thin. 

 It was very pleasant to wake up and find oneself in a 

 comfortable little camp-bed, instead of being chilled 

 and cold lying by the half-consumed sticks of a small 



