DETAINED BY HIM. 9 



that day if possible. Saying this, I got up, and 

 pointing to the sun intimated that it would be too 

 late unless I started ; but immediately catching hold 

 of the skirt of my blouse he pulled me down again, 

 saying, " I must stay with him, for the King had 

 ordered that I was to remain at Farree, and not go 

 any farther into the country." This was fully ex- 

 plained by Ohmed Medina, who also told me that 

 Ebin Izaak had been obliged to give up the letters 

 and despatches whilst I had been talking to the old 

 man. 



I had been misled, though most unintentionally 

 on the part of Mr. Cruttenden, by his information 

 of the great honour and reverence with which the 

 King of Shoa, Sahale Selassee, treated the members 

 of our political mission, and I had supposed it was 

 merely necessary for me to be the bearer of de- 

 spatches from the coast, to be received with all 

 cordiality and freedom from suspicion as to the 

 motives of my visit on my arrival in Shoa. How 

 disappointed I was may be imagined when, instead 

 of being permitted to proceed at once to the 

 residency in Ankobar, I found myself a prisoner ; 

 and on my telling the Wallasmah that my queen 

 would be very angry when she came to hear of the 

 letters being taken from me, he very coolly 

 threatened to have me chained, confirming the 

 interpretation of Ohmed Medina, by placing his 

 two wrists together as if bound. As I saw he was 

 in earnest, and that if I said anv more it might, 



