XVI CHURCHES AT ENTOTTO 169 



obstacle to any besieging army. The path seemed to 

 he along the top of a ruined wall, and we climbed down 

 from it into the churchyard, where we found a few fine 

 trees growing. 



I saw no other church in Abyssinia exactly like this 

 one in shape, resembling as it did a very large squat 

 octagonal pagoda, four stories in height. Apparently 

 the Holy of Holies had been built first, with a window 

 piercing each face close up under the eaves. Outside 

 this came the main wall of the church in a larger octagon, 

 not carried quite so high as the sanctuary, which reared 

 itself above the roof. This wall had also one little 

 window far up on each side. Surrounding this again, 

 was a still larger octagon, formed by two tiers of open 

 arched cloisters, the roof starting from below the windows 

 of the church and overhanging a stout wooden gallery, 

 which ran completely round the building above the first 

 story. The priest and the small crowd of hangers-on 

 who accompanied us round St. Mary's having left us, 

 we could find no one to let us into this church. 

 After shouting for some time with no result, we sent 

 off two of our men to hunt some one up, and ascended 

 the broad stone steps leading to the first story, which 

 was apparently used as stables and fuel and fodder- 

 stores. Some outside wooden steps, much out of repair, 

 took us to the gallery, which was in a very dirty state 

 from the number of pigeons and birds of all sorts that 

 nested among the timbers of the overhanging roof. 

 Entering the outer passage of the church by one of the 

 open arches, we found one of the double doors ajar, 

 and were able to go in and wander round, looking 



