1 66 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



morning it was dead : so possibly my unbelief had 

 prevented the charm from working. 1 have heard of 

 such cases in England. 



On Sunday, i8th February, Mr. Baird and I rode 

 up to Entotto, the old capital abandoned in 1892, to see 

 the churches. The way lay past the French Embassy, 

 and along the old main road from the hills to the plain. 

 The track, which wound up the steep face of the hill, 

 was in places worn deeply into the red rock, which was 

 very slippery from the recent rain. On reaching the 

 summit, after pausing to look back on the new capital 

 below us, with far-off Zoquala rising in the distance, we 

 crossed a short stretch of nearly level ground to the 

 gatehouse in the outer wall of St. Mariam's. Just out- 

 side was a little cluster of poor huts, the sole remains 

 of what, not ten years ago, was a populous city. The 

 gatehouse, the usual evil-smelling, dark tunnel-like build- 

 ing, was guarded by strong doors and provided with 

 recesses on either side, the abode of mendicant priests, 

 who beg of the worshippers. In the churchyard, rank 

 grass and a few stunted trees flourished. The Abys- 

 sinians seem to have no idea of a tombstone ; to bury 

 their dead within the wall surrounding the church, where 

 the grave is safe from the prowling hyjena, is all they 

 seem to wish for, and only in rare cases is any special 

 mark set to indicate the spot. The church was of the 

 usual circular form, built on a raised platform of rather 

 roughly laid stones, between which and the steps leading 

 to them the grass was allowed to grow, and, now that 

 there were but few feet to tread on it, flourished luxuri- 

 antly. The windows were originally filled with little 



