V n I BRITISH RESIDE NC V 7 5 



old-fashioned row of cottages at home ; this, Mahomed 

 informed us, was the Russian Embassy ; he added 

 that Captain Harrington's compound was a httle nearer 

 to us, but as it lay in a dip of the ground we could not 

 yet see it. 



The British Residency is situated on a kind of 

 terrace, at the foot of a steep hill, a narrow but steep 

 ravine separating it from the Russian Embassy a 

 quarter of a mile oft'. A turf wall some 4 feet high 

 encloses about 10 acres of land, which space is again 

 divided by another turf wall into two unequal portions. 

 In the upper part of the larger enclosure were two 

 tuculs of the usual Abyssinian pattern, but with 

 European doors and windows. These were the private 

 dwellings of Captain Harrington and J\Ir. Baird, his 

 secretary. Slightly nearer the entrance, and to the left, 

 were the two large reception -tents side by side. The 

 first was luxuriously furnished with arm-chairs and 

 lounges, the tables piled with the latest papers and 

 periodicals from home, and with files of Reuter's 

 telegrams, which are forwarded by camel - post from 

 Zeila to Harrar, and thence by telephone. The second 

 and larger served as the mess-tent, where, when seated 

 at a perfectly appointed meal, it was hard to realise 

 you were in the heart of Abyssinia. On the further 

 side of the large tents were other tuculs for Mr. Beru, 

 the interpreter, Mr. Wakeman, the doctor, Bradley, the 

 groom, and the cook-house, while behind these were 

 yet others which contained the stores and the treasure 

 and ammunition, guarded by Soudanese police. The 

 smaller half of the compound was divided into four 



