THE EMPERORS COURTESY 



The performers retired with low obeisances, the tent was 

 rolled up, and the whole assemblage, led by the priests, 

 set out for the palace. 



The Emperor, preceded by his body-guard and with 

 his great officers about him, rode a gaily caparisoned 

 mule. We moved in a parallel direction on his left, while 

 behind came mounted officers, who kept back the soldiers 

 and the crowd. As we approached the outer gate of the 

 palace enclosure, the Emperor saw that there was much 

 crowding, and, knowing that directly he had passed 

 through it would be worse, sent a message for us to go 

 first. Once inside, we turned to the left into a large 

 grass -court, where, on the further side, carpets and 

 chairs were arranged. Here the Emperor took his seat, 

 and we Europeans, including the five Russian doctors, 

 who had also been present at the previous ceremony, 

 arranged ourselves on his left : the two archbishops 

 carrying on an animated conversation a little to his right. 

 As soon as the Emperor was seated, the chanting and 

 dancing recommenced and lasted some half hour. At 

 the conclusion, the Abuna pronounced the blessing in 

 Arabic, which was immediately translated into Amharic 

 for the benefit of the many who did not understand the 

 former language. The crowd, which had by degrees 

 approached too near to the Emperor's group, was driven 

 back by officers armed with sticks. These were used 

 unmercifully, but the soldiers seemed in no way to 

 resent their action. We then again moved off" in 

 the same order as before, threading our way through 

 narrow lanes, courts and gardens, to the Emperor's 

 chapel, a circular building with an open passage running 



