212 THEODORE II. AND THE 



the arrogance of an upstart who feels himself supported by the masses. It wag 

 reported to him one day that the ifeghe Meuena, in a humorous moment, had 

 called him a slave, in allusion to the sum paid to the patriarch of Alexandria for 

 his nomination. " Yes," said Salama, " I am a slave, but a valuable slave, since I 

 paid 1,000 talaris. If the iteghe were exposed for sale in the market of Metamma 

 she would not bring 12 talaris." With Theodore affairs took a different tuin 

 very quickly, as the following anecdote proves which has too much of the Abys- 

 sinian character for me to substitute my recital for that of the narrator, a simple 

 hacha (captain) of the guard. 



One Sunday morning I was summoned to the presence of the Kegus, about six 

 o'clock. I went trembling, for it was a bad sign to be called to him so early. 

 His majesty said to me: "Bacha George, go and find the Aborina; call him an 

 ass, call him a dog. Go!" I bent u^y head to the ground, and replied : " Sire, I 

 am ready to obey ; but deign to consider that I am merely a captain, and that 

 your sacred words will have more power through the mouth of a ras (1) (colonel). 



" You are right," said the Negus gracefully to me, and he summoned the colonel 

 on duty. I know Salama, and I do not doubt that he answered with a strange, 

 deep tone to this message. Such a state of affairs could not but have a bad issue 

 for one of these two cunning, circumspect, and irreconcileable enemies. Not three 

 years ago the aborina was confined some time at Magdala, and the strictness of 

 hia imprisonment has only been partially concealed by the outward attentions 

 which are bestowed upon him. The Negus is an educated man in an Abyssinian 

 point of view, that is to say, he is versed in national history and theology, while 

 he is very weir'aequainted with the contemporary slate of Europe. He appears 

 to esteem our civilization very highly in the material point of view, whilst in the 

 moral he placed it low enough. These prejudices will be easily explained when 

 Tve consider that five-sixths of the Europeans whom the love of travellmg or the 

 desire of making their fortunes, attiacted into Abyssinia, have left behind them 

 remembrances little calculated to cause the name of Frank to be either loved or 

 honored. The trouble of Tigre, by rendering the name of Abyssinia more fami- 

 liar to our ears, had drawn into this country a large number of advenkirers, engi- 

 neers, founders, drill officers, with problematical certificates. I knew one who, 

 haviiig made large advances of guns to Negousie, had the audacity, after the 

 death of the pretender, to go and present to the victor the account of the manu- 

 facturing expenses. Theodore laughingly gave 1000 talaris to this man and sent 

 bim away. Now such an action would have very different consequeuces. It is 

 not astonishing that, with such ideas, the Negus should be little inclined to favour 

 the tempotaiy emigration of his subjects either to Europe, or to the Mussulman- 

 ish countries. He finds it advantageous to strengthen among his people the 

 proud idea that Abyssinia is the centre and the jewel of the earth, but he knows 

 perfectly well where to stop. If he does not dare to prevent the faithful Amha- 

 ras from making the pi'grimage to Jerusalem, he does what he can to bring it 

 into disfavour, and when they return he likes to question them publicly upon the 

 beauties of the Holy Land, as compared with Abyssinia. The pilgrims quickly 

 declare that the land of Israel is arid, bare, naked, and accursed, with a large 



(1) Eas, a civil title, means constable, and in the mililsary hierarchy is translated colonel. 



