XIV TAKE LEA VE OF THE NEGUS 149 



to describe the dcx-p snow of the Kashmir valleys, the 

 marches aUnio; the frozen Indus, and how, while after 

 Ovis amnion and yak on th(' Tibetan plateau, at 18,000 

 feet elevation, I had seen no running water for a month. 

 In all of this he seemed much interested, often turning 

 to his officers and asking questions, which showed his 

 knowledge of the geography and zoology of the countries 

 under discussion. " How many yak had 1 shot? What 

 was the size of the beast, and did the wild ones have 

 white tails? " These were but a few of the questions he 

 [)Lit to me. To my inquiry if His Majesty could tell 

 me anything of a beast called i>odar, which I heard was 

 to be found in Simien, and which from its description I 

 thought must be a bear, Menelik, after asking several of 

 those about him, remarked that he knew nothing of such 

 an animal, and then added, " Vou must remember that 

 you go to exj)lore .Simien and tell us what is there, for 

 the remoter parts of that country we never visit." 

 Then the conversation turned on weapons for game- 

 shooting ; Menelik asked me about the paradox gun, 

 one of which Captain W'ellby was sending him as a 

 present. I described how useful I had found it both in 

 India and Africa for shooting small game for the pot, as 

 well as big game. This led to his asking me what 

 countries I had visited, what was my age, how long I 

 had been travelling, and what part of England I came 

 from? It was evident that, if he could safely leave 

 his country, nothing would give him greater pleasure 

 than travelling. "Had I been in Russia?" "No," I 

 replied. " .Ah ! " said he, "you should go, for it must be 

 a great country." This seemed to open up a trcsh train 



