XXIII THE MESSENGER'S ADVENTURES 249 



heard my story, was very angry, saying : " Is this the way Englishmen 

 are treated, after I have obtained permission for them to travel in the 

 country ! " He told me he would write down my story and send it to 

 the Emperor, and that I must tell the exact truth, and not two different 

 tales. Next morning, Mr. Beru took me to the Gebi, and after Captain 

 Harrington's letter had been read to the Emperor, I was taken before 

 him. He asked me if I was the man who had been robbed of his 

 letters, and then inquired how my master had been treated at Debra 

 Markos. I told him King Tecia Haymanot and the Queen were away 

 when he was in their town, but that the Fitauraris had given us plenty 

 of food and supplied us with guides to Ras Wurgay, who had received 

 my master with every honour and given him lots of provisions. I 

 added that, when we left, the guide, who was a Basha, continually told 

 us that there was plenty of shikar ahead, till my master got tired of 

 these empty promises and said that he had not gone there to hear lies. 

 Then they told him that he would only be allowed to shoot at Simien, 

 and nowhere else, whereupon my master said he would go no further, 

 and forthwith wrote letters and told me to take them quickly to 

 Janhoi. Menelik then asked me how it was that his letters had not 

 been obeyed, and I told him that the people said that the letters 

 ordered that my master was only to shoot at Simien, and on the road 

 there, but not off it. At this the Emperor grew very angry and asked 

 me many questions. The Secretary who wrote the letters was next 

 sent for, and Janhoi asked him how he dared write letters about 

 which there could be any mistake ; and, pulling the man towards him, 

 boxed his ears. He then ordered that a general letter should be 

 written in such terms that no one dare disobey it, and prepared another 

 order to Ras Wurgay, both of which were to be ready on the next 

 day, for me to take back to my master. I told the Emperor that, 

 having been robbed and beaten once, I feared the Ras's soldiers might 

 again molest me, and that I should be left to return to my master 

 empty-handed. The Emperor replied, "Do not fear; you too shall 

 have a letter to show, and the man who stops you or does not feed 

 you on the way shall answer for it." Next day Mr. Beru bought 

 another mule for me, and gave me the three promised letters. I 

 heard it reported that the one to Ras Wurgay had many bad words in 

 it, asking how it was that his man had disobeyed the Emperor's 

 commands, and ordering that the culprit was to be sent in chains 

 to Adis Ababa for punishment. I left the capital eight mornings 



