GORGEOUS VESTMENTS 



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but mauve in colour. Next him was Petros, the Abuna 

 in the time of the Emperor John, attired in a splendid 

 black velvet robe thickly embroidered in gold, the gift of 

 that Emperor ; over him glittered a magnificent red 

 silk and gold umbrella. Most of his time he spent 

 playing with the large amber beads of his rosary. Those 

 taking part in the ceremony were now arranged in the 

 form of a square, of which the tent already referred to 

 formed the south side. The Emperor, ourselves, and 

 the principal spectators filled the east side next to 

 it, while the remaining sides were kept by a line of 

 priests and their acolytes, holding long sticks with 

 crutch-shaped heads of brass. Just before the com- 

 mencement of the ceremonial, a messenger arrived in 

 hot haste with a chair for Captain Harrington, who, in 

 addition to the Emperor and the two Abunas, was the 

 only person seated during the ceremony. The proceed- 

 ings commenced by a group of some sixteen priests and 

 attendants, with gilt or silver mitres on their heads, 

 emerging from their tents, chanting. The vestments of 

 these ecclesiastics were most varied, including one of 

 yellow brocaded velvet and another with large green 

 flowers, lined with pink and white striped silk ; a third 

 was of purple velvet with flowers in gold, lined with 

 green, while the lesser dignitaries wore burnouses of 

 brown silk, with green, yellow, or blue stripes, or of plain 

 yellow or green. Some carried crutch-sticks with silver 

 or brass heads, others bore brass incense-burners, or 

 large perforated crosses of silver or brass, highly orna- 

 mented and decorated with long red and yellow ribbons 

 and mounted on staves. During the chanting, three 



