404 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA chap. 



cut out of the base of the hill ; but whether it was indeed 

 the work of human hands, as Bruce and Riippell con- 

 tend, or merely a natural stratum of rock, as Salt insists, 

 I could not determine. 



A large military camp was just opposite us, and, as 

 soon as we were observed, a couple of soldiers came 

 over and ordered me peremptorily to move on. I 

 refused, and they remained to watch us. My mes- 

 sengers now returned and conducted me into a walled 

 enclosure at the south side of the church, where, after 

 passing through a large tucul, I found the Nebrid hold- 

 ing a court in the open. Seated in a chair, with rugs 

 spread on the ground before him, was a good-looking 

 Tigrean of about forty, his head enveloped in the 

 priestly turban of twisted muslin ; for although he is 

 the military governor of Axum, after the death of his 

 first wife he took a vow of celibacy. His features 

 indicated both shrewdness of judgment and force of 

 will in no common degree, so that, when I reached the 

 Italian frontier and learnt something of his career, I was 

 not surprised to hear how quickly he had carved out 

 his own fortunes. He was one of Tecla Haymanot's 

 officers when that king and Menelik fell out, and was 

 taken prisoner by the latter. When subsequently 

 Menelik had to submit to the Emperor John, he laid 

 all the blame of the quarrel between himself and the 

 ruler of Gojam on this man. John threw him into 

 chains and kept him a close prisoner, but by degrees 

 he won his liberty and fought well against the Dervishes. 

 After the death of John he asked Menelik to take him 

 into his service, and gradually rose to his present 



