loo A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



taking in every detail of our appearance. On Captain 

 Harrington saying that Whitehouse was an American, 

 Menelik asked what part of America he came from, and 

 then remarked, " Ah ! you have come by far the furthest 

 to see my country." After we had expressed our thanks 

 for leave to visit his dominions and for the good sport 

 we had enjoyed, we asked for leave for three of us to 

 go to Lake Rudolf, a request which he readily granted, 

 and in addition promised a guide. I next asked for 

 permission to travel north for ibex, but as the inter- 

 preter did not know the name for ibex he described it 

 as a wild goat. The Emperor, however, corrected him 

 in a moment, saying that the Abyssinian name was 

 wala, and that it was only to be found in Simien. 

 Menelik then asked which one of us was going north, 

 and looked hard at me, when the interpreter said I was 

 going alone. He then smiled, said I could go, and 

 promised me letters, guides, etc. Meanwhile, he had 

 sent for a natural history book, and without any hesita- 

 tion turned up a picture of an ibex, which he showed 

 me and asked if that was not the animal I wanted to 

 shoot ? I assented, and Butter then offered to send 

 the Emperor a pair of dogs, an offer which he at once 

 accepted, at the same time jestingly asking, " Who would 

 be his guarantee } " according to Abyssinian custom.' 

 To this Captain Harrington replied that Englishmen 

 required none, their word being as good as their bond ; 

 which was followed by more chaff and repartee, the 

 king laughing heartily. He next asked when we pro- 



' For in Abyssinia it is a universal custom, when a man gives a promise of this 

 kind, for a third party to give a guarantee that he will fulfil it. 



