CHAPTER XX 



Debra Markos, capital of Gojam— The market— We excite much interest 



My men are feasted — I visit the palace — Italian cannon — The 



governor of the city — A relative of the king calls — Freed captives 

 from Khartoum — I resume my journey — A friendly high-priest — A 

 beautiful valley — Dembatcha, capital of Damot — A picturesque town 

 — Duiker-shooting. 



Next day the guide said we should reach Debra Markos, 

 more often marked on the maps as Moncorer, the 

 capital of the province of Gojam and the headquarters of 

 King Tecla Haymanot. Four hours' march over a series 

 of grassy valleys and across a narrow, but deep, muddy 

 stream, brought us in sight of the town, which crowns a 

 ridge running from north to south and about a mile and 

 a half long. The palace buildings are at the north end 

 and consist of six principal tuculs and innumerable smaller 

 huts, the whole enclosed by a fine stone wall, ten feet 

 high and two feet thick. The whole of the eastern slope 

 of the hill on which the capital is built is covered with 

 huts and little enclosures, and the buildings being much 

 less scattered than at Adis Ababa, the place looks more 

 like a town than does Menelik's capital. After crossing 

 a small stone bridge (or rather a stone dam pierced with 



20S 



