SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. - 237 



actually began running along with me, and singing 

 and laughing. These men had been marching for 

 more than fourteen hours, and during that time had 

 eaten scarcely anything at all ! As I approached 

 Massowah I saw in the distance a steamer l}'ing in 

 the harbour ; this was indeed a great joy to mc, as 

 now I should speedily get home. I was carried into 

 Massowah more dead than alive. I went first to 

 the Div'an, and found that Arrekel Bey was away, but 

 the acting governor knew I was coming, and put 

 me into some rooms over the telegraph office. M. de 

 Sarzec, the French Consul, came to see me, after I 

 had eaten some breakfast ; he was very civil and kind, 

 but he said it was very lucky I had arrived at the time 

 that I did as the steamer was a day late, and, in the 

 absence of the Governor, the man who was acting for 

 him would not have dared to keep the boat waiting. 

 I dined in the evening with the French Company, a 

 mercantile house of which M. de Lanfrey is the 

 manager. They keep all kinds of stores, such as 

 beads, cotton cloth, silk, sugar, etc., which are sold to 

 the Abyssinian merchants, who take them up the 

 country. The dinner was very pleasant, and it was 

 agreeable to have the opportunity of talking to white 

 men again, after having led the life of a savage for 

 some little time. 



Before finishing the account of my journey up the 



