178 A SPORTING TRW THROUGH ABYSSINIA 



the shooting of the owners in cold blood, refused to 

 receive them. That night, letters and telegrams from 

 home arrived, bringing the news of the relief of Kimberley 

 and the driving back of Cronje. This was indeed good 

 news, for to have nothing to report but continual reverses 

 and failures, when asked by the other European represent- 

 atives in the capital how the war was going on, had been 

 most disheartening. To me it was especially welcome, 

 for we looked on it as marking the turn of the tide and 

 the speedy termination of the war. When we first 

 arrived in the capital, and heard how badly things were 

 going, I had debated the question with Captain Harrington 

 whether, as a militiaman, I ought not to return at once. 

 He pointed out that it would take me a couple of 

 months to oret back, that as soon as the reinforcements 

 arrived things must change, and that probably the war 

 would be all over in a very short time, to say nothing of 

 the fact that I had not been recalled. On my return 

 from Managasha we again talked it over, but he told me 

 he was most anxious I should undertake the journey to 

 Massowah, as I was the first European to receive the 

 Emperor's permission to do so. The Secretary to the 

 Russian Legation had asked Captain Harrington to 

 obtain leave for him to travel via Metemmeh to Khartoum, 

 but although Harrington was most anxious to get it for 

 him, the Sirdar did not think that part of the Soudan 

 settled enough for foreigners to travel in safely. Captain 

 Bulatovitch then asked the Emperor to allow him to go 

 north, past Lake Tana and into Erythrea, but this also 

 was refused. The Russian Minister likewise made the 

 same request, but the Negus replied that the road to 



