XIII A COURSING MATCH 135 



had appointed to witness his first coursing match, and, 

 after coffee and biscuits, we got on our ponies or mules 

 and set out at 5.30 in the morning for the trysting-place 

 by the stream below the Residency compound. The 

 meet was to be at six, but, when we arrived on the 

 ground. Captain Harrington and Mr. Baird were already 

 there, the former riding a horse named " Fitaurari " 

 (leader of the vanguard), given him by Ras Makunnen, 

 while the latter was first mounted on the Queen's 

 hackney stallion (in order that the Emperor might see 

 how the new animal behaved), and then changed to 

 Ambalai (white horse), a present to Captain Harrington 

 from Menelik. The Emperor, with his usual punctuality, 

 was just approaching with a large retinue as we arrived. 

 He was mounted on a fine brown mule, with a purple 

 cloth spread over the high pommel and cantle of 

 the saddle, with rather longer stirrups than usual, and 

 a very broad and much -embroidered green leather 

 bridle. There was a large field, and among the high 

 Abyssinian officials present were Ras Walda Giorgis, 

 Dedjatchmatch Abata, Dedjatchmatch Webi, and Ded- 

 jatchmatch Beratu, nephew of Ras Makunnen. Besides 

 these, numbers of Shums and officers with bands of 

 armed attendants were present, and, as most, if not all 

 of these had a spare led horse, the crowd soon swelled 

 to a huge gathering of over 500 mounted men, besides 

 many hundred spectators on foot. Captain Harrington 

 having arranged with the Emperor that two parties of 

 fifty mounted men should be extended on either side as 

 beaters, Menelik and the Rases moved along in the 

 centre while the remainder of the field were ordered to 



