154 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



delay, that Captain Harrington decided to build the new 

 Residency in the form of eight large circular tncnls, con- 

 nected by short passages. On January 30th the founda- 

 tions were begun, and I was able to watch the building 

 and get a series of photos. These particular huts were 

 made larger and higher than usual, and extra strong, 

 but the general plan remained the same and is as 



Building the British Residency. 



follows: a circle, usually iS feet in diameter, having 

 been marked out on the ground, a narrow trench 8 

 Inches wide and 18 inches deep is dug, the earth being 

 loosened with iron-shod poles, and scraped out with the 

 hand. Into this are inserted, close together, split wood 

 poles, 18 feet high, the whole being kept together by 

 two bands, made of withies on the outside and of laths 

 of wood (torn from larger pieces with the teeth) on the 

 inside, lashed together with grass-rope. The reason for 

 the laths inside is, that they lie closer to the uprights 



