XVI CHURCHES AT ENTOTTO 167 



panes of glass (here a rare and costly article, which had 

 to be brought hundreds of miles on mule-back) ; but 

 now many of them were boarded up, and only a few of 

 the remaining panes were whole. The roof, however, 

 had been newly thatched, and in fact was hardly yet 

 completed. It was crowned by a fine specimen of the 

 Ethiopian cross. Before the great doors of the entrance 

 to the Holy of Holies were spread some rugs, and on 



St. Mariam's, Entotto. 



these were what I took to be three low seats, until 

 the priest raised the covers and we then saw that they 

 were the sacred drums, such as had been used at the 

 Christmas festival. One was of wrought silver, partly 

 gilt, the other two of pierced silver-work, shining beneath 

 which were portions of red and green coloured wood. 

 These drums are barrel-shaped, about 30 inches long, one 

 end being generally rather larger than the other. The 

 doors, as well as the walls of the inner enclosure, were 



