298 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap, xxvi 



way ; beyond this we came upon a large, untidy court, 

 overgrown with jungle and weeds. In the middle of 

 this court stood the church, the stonework still nearly 

 perfect, though only a few blackened beams remained 

 of the roof. The holy books and a few of the chief 

 treasures had been taken to the strongest of the three 

 towers, which the priests had managed to defend suc- 

 cessfully against the assaults of the enemy. Passing by 

 the stone pillars which had supported the roof of the outer 

 circular cloister, nine feet in width, we entered a second 

 passage, 1 5 feet across, by one of its eleven doors. This 

 again gave access to the space round the Holy of Holies, 

 where service used to be performed, and the chief 

 worshippers congregated. The sanctuary itself measured 

 18 feet across the eastern wall, in front of which the 

 ark had stood, and 21 feet from north to south. The 

 lower walls, 3 feet 6 inches thick, were built of squared, 

 dressed stone, while the upper part, supported on cor- 

 belled arches, was circular in form and built of rough 

 stone. This upper part was pierced by a single small 

 window facing the east, while below each of the other 

 three sides had a wide doorway, the panels in which, as 

 well as the outer wall of the sanctuary, had been covered 

 with pictures. 1 noticed several stones carved with a 

 circular design of si.xteen rays, but whether this repre- 

 sented the sun or not none could tell me. There were 

 two other carvings of a figure like a trident. When I 

 left, the priests brought me a little bottle of native spirit, 

 saying they were very poor and that this was all they had 

 to offer. I accepted their kindly gift, and, giving them 

 a small present in return, started on my way to Gondar. 



