CHAP. XXXIV KING JOHN'S INTERPRETER 391 



seemed to be a fair supply, but much dearer than in all 

 the country we had come through. Besides food-stuffs, 

 I saw a good deal of cotton-sheeting, mostly of Indian 

 manufacture, a few ploughshares, and some Italian soap, 

 but no jewellery or leather- work ; not a single curio 

 was to be found, a couple of leopard-skins and a big 

 snake-skin being the only things that 

 interested me. After lunch I was told 

 that an Englishman was coming to see 

 me ; I was naturally eager to know F.-i ^|#^ 

 who he was, where he had come from, 

 etc., but before these questions could 

 be answered, a little group of people 

 approached, and a card was brought 

 me inscribed, " Ligee Marcha Workee 

 of Abyssinia." I went out to meet an 

 old man, who seemed bent down with 

 age and trouble, dressed in what were f,^ ancient picture. 

 once handsome clothes, but now show- 

 ing signs of wear. He greeted me in English, and with 

 an old-world politeness that was in pleasing contrast 

 to anything I had lately experienced. When he was 

 seated and had recovered a little from the exertion of 

 his walk, I gradually learnt something of his history, 

 and afterwards, during my stay in Adua, as I became 

 better acquainted with him, I obtained a fair summary 

 of the whole. I was told that, born in Adua, the son 

 of an Armenian by an Abyssinian wife, he had been 

 sent to Bombay to be educated ; there he had learnt 

 English, and, on his return, had become interpreter to 

 King John, by whom he was held in high esteem. In 



