CHAPTER XVI 



Collecting dollars — A sick mule and a natixe vet — Entotto the old capital 

 — St. Mariam's — The ruined fort — St. Raguel's — An angry priest — 

 Curious pictures — A thunderstorm — The tent wrecked — Compound 

 swamped — Loss of life. 



Ox my arrival in the capital I found that Captain Har- 

 rington had quite recovered, and with Mr. Baird had 

 been training the polo ponies. Nasser had collected 

 eleven useful-looking mules, so that at last I had enough 

 animals to start with, but now another serious difficulty 

 presented itself. I had calculated that I must take at 

 least I 500 dollars with me for the journey, and this sum 

 could not be collected. There is never a large supply 

 of coin in the capital, but now there was even less than 

 usual, as the various Europeans who had lately started 

 for the coast, including M. Ilg, the Russian minister and 

 doctors, M. Savoure, the French merchant, and others, 

 had between them carried away a large sum. Moreover 

 Captain Harrington needed all his spare cash, as his 

 weekly expenses for building operations were heavy. 

 Although Captain Harrington and Captain Ciccodicola 

 both enlisted the services of the chief merchants to 

 collect dollars for me, the absence of the Emperor and 



