SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 245 



mulating at Massowah for some time, the government 

 in Egypt not allowing merchants to ship these hides 

 to Suez, as there was cattle disease at the time in 

 Abyssinia. I sat on the deck most of the day, enjoy- 

 ing the cool and pleasant breeze of the harbour. 

 Just before dinner M. de Sarzec came to sec me, and 

 I persuaded him to stay and dine with us ; he was 

 very entertaining, and he told us a long story of how 

 he had very nearly been murdered by the natives at 

 Fogera, in the south of Abyssinia. This is the place 

 where Consul Plowden, some time before, had been 

 killed. I wrote letters to K., and gave them to Gou- 

 basee to take to Adowa. I likewise left some 

 money behind with the French Consul for H., on 

 his return to Massowah. 



March 29. — At daybreak the steamer sailed for 

 Suez. I was better to-day, as an Arab doctor of 

 Massowah had given me some opium and ipeca- 

 cuanha. This had improved me, as also, probably, 

 the change to sea air had a great deal to do with it. 

 The engineer's cabin was on deck, and so I was as 

 comfortable as I well could be on the dirty little 

 steamer. I had laid in a stock of provisions at Mas- 

 sowah, and had also brought down two small sheep 

 from Asmarra ; so with the help of the S}'rian cook 

 we promised not to fare badly. 



March 30.— -I was a little better this morning, and 



