150 THEODORE II. AND THE 



against Tedla-Gualu. Desirous of not losing such an opportunity of maiatainiag 

 the good feelings of the Negus in the interest of the mission with which I was 

 charged, I did not hesitate a naoment to follow him. I thint it proper to employ 

 here some leaves from my journal, to lose none of the remarkable incidents from 

 the commencement of this journey. 



"Feb. 11th 1863." The order for departure was given this morning at 9 

 o'clock. A tumultuous mass of infantry formed the advance as if to reconnoitre 

 the road ; after them followed, richly equipped, the little group called the staffi 

 of which I form a part with the five or six invited Europeans, and in front of us 

 was the Negus, accompanied only by a page who carries his shield. Behind us 

 is a long column of cavalry, while our servants move amongst them, not without 

 danger, and hold our spare horses by the bridle. 



"We pursued for two hours and a half a very good road through a country open, 

 charming, filled with villages and with cultivated fields, which recalls to my mind, 

 in gome degree, the Norman Bocage, between Vinie and Damport. To complete 

 the resemblance, the land, by being intersected by numerous hedges and fences, 

 informs us of a property very much divided, and this, however, is the genera,! 

 law in Abyssinia. This province is called Aferadanet, For nearly eleven hours 

 we descended a somewhat steep declivity, and we saw through the trees a magni- 

 ficent plain, unfolding itself to our view, covered vnth rich meadows, furrowed by 

 a ravine in which roars a furious torrent, and called the Abai or the White Nile. 

 This torrent, which, from the height where I am situated, appears only a thread 

 of foam, corresponds so little with all that I have read about the Abyssinian Nile> 

 that I only allowed myself to be convinced of its truth when I arrived at the Portu- 

 guese bridge, where we halted at noon. 



" This bold construction, due to Portuguese engineers in the tervice of the 

 Negus, resembles, in some respects, the magnificent bridges of the Romans : for 

 instance that of El-Rantara over the Rummel, near Constantinople. It is said 

 that the Portuguese have again found the secret of the Roman cement, vainly 

 sought in our time ; entire pieces of the parapet have fallen along the piers 

 without the furious waters succeeding in separating the stone. Two little forts, 

 guarded by select fusileers, command this important passage. The Negus has 

 taken his place at a window of the lower fort, and we, in groups a little below 

 him, witness the defiling of the troops. This is truly a very fine sight. What is 

 wanting in order and discipline is compensated by the picturesque appearance, 

 and still more by a military ardour which would delight a European officer. 

 Cavalry, infantry, baggage, servants, in fact everything descends, or rather rolls, 

 along in a thick cloud of dust through which thousands of lances flash. They de- 

 file over the bridges, generally four and four, always on the run. Etiquette 

 obliges all the officers to walk while passing before the window where the Em- 

 peror reclines, so that we lose sight of the superior officers, the vassslsoftbe 

 Empire, who are surrounded also by their vassals. I was shown ras Enghedda> 

 the dethroned prince of Godjam, who has remained some yearo in chains, but was 

 recently set free, and now is very jealous against his ancient subjects. He is a 

 Very fine looking man, imposing, and has an appearance somewhat dejected, fierce 

 and startling, which renders him interesting. I distinguish easily, in the crowd, 



