348 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



Accordingly, on Sunday morning, as soon as the caravan 

 was ready to start, I went up myself to ask for the 

 guide, but, to my surprise the governor, Gerazmatch 

 Tesumer, refused to see me or to give me any assistance. 

 As he had come straight from Adis Ababa, and was 

 perfectly aware of the Emperor's orders, it was evident 

 the air of Gondar has a most pernicious effect on the 

 official mind. However, as time did not permit of my 

 sending another messenger to the capital, I determined 

 to do without his help ; so, making the best arrange- 

 ments I could for three of the sick men who had decided 

 to stay behind, I started on the journey. The only 

 person I had succeeded in engaging in their place was a 

 petty trader named Mongusser, whose chief possessions 

 were an inordinately long sword and a worn-out white 

 pony laden with a marvellous collection of odds and ends. 

 He was confident he knew the road to Adua via Simien, 

 and, whether he did or not, I had to take his word for 

 it, as I could get no one else to guide me. 



It was long after nine o'clock before we finally got 

 clear of Gondar. We crossed the steep valley of the 

 Angrab to the north-east and, looking back, had a fine 

 view of the ruined castles backed by high mountains. 

 An hour later we passed over a stone bridge, 12 feet 

 wide, which spanned a mountain torrent, called the 

 Modetch, on three well-built arches. This structure was 

 still in good repair, but the road on either side was the 

 steepest of rough tracks. Soon after mid-day it began to 

 rain, and everything was very damp before we found a 

 suitable camping-ground at 1.30. The local Shum came 

 to visit me, and informed us that we had now reached 



