CHAP. XXVI A COURTEOUS PRIEST 287 



lake, are under the special protection of the Emperor and 

 King Tecla Haymanot. 



An hour's march took us to the foot of Gorgora, 

 where the headman of the village of Bichien met me 

 with an offering of fresh milk. I did not wish to halt, 

 as I had found by experience, that if I once got left 

 behind the caravan, its rate of progress immediately fell 

 off fifty per cent ; but he was very pressing, and, as I did 

 not wish to offend him, I dismounted and sat down under 

 a tree which he pointed out. I had not been seated a 

 couple of minutes, when I found myself invaded by an 

 army of fleas, which were swarming up my legs, not by 

 ones and twos, but by tens and hundreds. At the same 

 moment my men became equally aware of their presence, 

 and for the next few minutes w^e were all hopping about 

 in concert, vainly endeavouring to shake off the little 

 pests. Refreshments under such conditions being out of 

 the question, I mounted my mule, and, turning a deaf 

 ear to the headman's entreaties, resumed my journey. 

 Poor fellow, he followed me some way, loudly protesting 

 that he knew nothing of the fleas ; but my only reply 

 was that he ought to have known, as it was his own 

 ground. 



Just below the village of Changar, a man met us with 

 a message that I had better camp there, as it was on the 

 road to Gondar, and that I could easily ride over to 

 Chelkar and back, see Dedjatch Cubudda, and then 

 continue my journey on the morrow. So we camped on 

 a hot, open plain, some distance from the lake. The 

 head priest, to whom this village belonged, came down 

 to see me, bringing with him some milk and honey. He 



