NEW EMPIRE OF ABYSSINIA. 55 



-said Saleh-Bey to me, some time afterwards, " like mosquitoes to a 

 candle." 



Humiliated and wounded himself with a bullet, Kassa, in some 

 hours, made a marcli of fifty miles, and met upon the frontier an 

 Italian lazarist, Father Biancheri in quest of proselytes. In the dis- 

 ordered state of his mind, he asked him point blank : " Are you the 

 friend or the enemy of our father the Abouna f" "I am the friend 

 of all christians ;" replied the priest evasively. Kassa then informed 

 him of his disaster, and said to him : " These Turks are not braver 

 than we ; but they have the discipline of the Franks. You are a 

 Frank : will you teach my men ?" " I am not a soldier ;" replied 

 M. Biancheri, with embarrassment ; " I am only a poor wanderer for 

 Jesus Christ." And thereupon they parted. 



In his retreat, Kassa caused to be brought to him one of the 

 amman or jugglers, who practise medicine in Abyssinia, in order to 

 extract the ball lodged in his wound. The azmari refused to take 

 the matter in hand till he received a fat cow and a ffomio of mead- 

 The wounded man, destitute foi? the time of everything, sent to 

 Menene for these. But the vindictive princess, delighted with the 

 misfortune of her former conqueror, and profiting by it, only sent 

 him a quarter of beef, adding that a whole cow was too fine a present 

 for a man like him. Kassa dissimulated his rage ; but hardly was 

 recovered of his wound than, mounting his horse, and followed by 

 bis faithful soldiers, he took the road to Gondar, resolved to chastise 

 Menene. The troops of the sovereign who tried to stop him at 

 Tchako, were thoroughly beaten, and, among the prisoners, was 

 found dedjas Oundesad, an arrogant chief who had promised to 

 bring to Menene the son of the Jcousso-\ender, living or dead. 



The chief prisoners were invited to the banquet which was given, 

 according to custom, after the battle. Among them was Ounderad 

 who felt far from sure as to the results of the festivities, when he 

 found himself placed at a bare table, and had put into his hand a 

 herrille or Abyssinian flagon of antique form, filbd Vfith a black 

 looking liquid, while the officers of Kassa ate with savage gusto, and 

 drained mirth from flasks of excellent mead. Kassa, who presided 

 over the banquet, turned towards the conquered, and said to them 

 with courtesy .• " My friends, I am, as you have said, only the son of 

 •a poor vender of Jtousso ; and this reminds me that my mother has 

 sold nothing to-day. I have thought you would not refuse me when 



