39: 



A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA 



1884 he was sent by that king on a mission to England, 

 where he was received by the Queen ; then, when his 

 master had fallen at the battle of Gallabat, fighting 

 against the Dervishes, in 1889, he transferred his 

 allegiance to Ras Mangasha, and was sent by him, 

 after the battle of Adua, on a mission to Lord Cromer at 

 Cairo. When the town of Adua was looted by General 

 Baratieri's troops in 1894, Ledj Marcha lost nearly all 

 his portable property ; but worse was to befall him 

 when Menelik deposed Ras Mangasha from the gover- 

 norship of Tigre and took him away a prisoner to Shoa. 

 Under the new rule, Ledj Marcha received no rent for 

 his land, and had gradually to sell the few things of 

 value that remained to him, in order to buy bread for 

 his household. He had seen no English papers or 

 books since Mr. Wylde had stayed in his house in 

 1896, and was delighted with a pile of old papers and 

 magazines which I presented to him. After he had 

 gone, I picked my way through mud and slush, along 

 narrow lanes shut in by high stone walls, to the church 

 of the Holy Trinity, which we found closed. Luckily, 

 just outside we met the head priest, who greeted me 

 effusively, and, unlocking several doors, led me up to a 

 room in which were stored all the vestments and church 

 treasures. These he began to show me, much to my 

 delight ; but the pleasure was short-lived, for suddenly 

 he bundled some things back into a box, locked it, and, 

 taking my hand, led me out. He had apparently been 

 dining, not wisely but too well, and the tej consumed 

 caused him to be somewhat vacillating both of purpose 

 and gait. 



