1 82 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



Food for Abyssinians . . . .2 



Various . . . . .1 



Total . 2 1 



The average weight of a load was 155 lbs., but some 

 were as light as 1 20, while the ammunition pulled down 

 171 lbs. The great thing was to get the loads on 

 either side of the animals as exactly equal as possible. 



Soon after the mules had started, the Negus's chief 

 steward came to pay a visit to Captain Harrington, and, 

 after a drink, watched me trying a .400 express and a 

 .303 for Mr. Baird. I got good shooting out of the 

 first, but the sights of the latter wanted a lot of altering. 

 Then everybody joined in a sort of irregular rifle-match, 

 the old gentleman and several of his followers having 

 a try, but making shocking bad practice. After tiffin 

 I bade adieu to Captain Harrington, my host for over 

 a month, without whose advice and active assistance the 

 journey would have been impossible and I should have 

 been stranded penniless in the heart of Abyssinia. To 

 Mr. Baird, who threw as much energy into learning 

 Hindustani and translating the Ethiopian book of laws 

 from Italian into English, as he did into big-game 

 shooting or polo, it was also hard to say good-bye, and 

 indeed every member of the Agency had done all they 

 could to make my stay among them pleasant, and to 

 help me in my plans. To Mr. Beru, the interpreter. 

 Dr. Wakeman, Mr. McKelvie, and Bradley, I wish to 

 record my thanks for the many acts of kindness each 

 rendered me in his own department. The last word 



