1843.] and the Abyssinian Church. 645 



the presentation of the ' Dingo,' an established allowance granted from 

 the royal kitchen, bread, mead and pepper, soup daily, and sheep and 

 bullocks being occasionally distributed to upwards of a thousand people, 

 who are on the list as masters of Dingo. Every stranger who comes to 

 the kingdom is amply provided for, and indeed all who make their 

 necessities or their wishes known on the subject, have no reason what- 

 ever to complain of any want of liberality on the part of the sovereign of 

 Shoa. 



67. From the excess of cultivation on the table land, there are few 

 wild animals, except hyenas, hares and field rats ; the death of an otter 

 is considered a rare feat of prowess, and badgers are avoided as the 

 ' devil's sheep,' and the few that burrow in the hills are viewed with 

 very great distrust. Partridges and guinea fowl are hunted down with 

 dogs placed on successive ranges, who, fresh from the nearest station, 

 pursue the quarry the moment he finishes his fight, and very soon pick 

 up the wearied bird. In the low country, the larger animals, elephants, 

 lions, buffaloes, rhinoceros and many species of antelope exist in consi- 

 derable numbers, and as each has a relative value in the scale of honor 

 reckoned according to Galla heads, the brave warriors on the frontier do 

 contrive, at lengthy intervals between, to compass the death of some. 



68. A large body, consisting of several hundreds proceed on horse- 

 back to the cover, armed with every available weapon, and worry the 

 animal to death according to the usual approved system of Abyssinian 

 bullying, riding after him till he is brought to bay, and pouring showers 

 of bullets and lances from a distance into his carcase on the first conve- 

 nient opportunity ; but these hunts are often undertaken without success, 

 and seldom conclude without many fatal accidents. The valiant 

 thrower of the first spear is entitled to the honorary reward from the 

 king at the triumph at entry into the capital, which is attended by the 

 same ceremonies and rejoicings as the advent of a successful military 

 expedition against the heathen Galla. The elephant is reckoned equal 

 to 40 Galla, the lion to 7, and all the other large animals to 5 Galla, 

 killed in battle. 



69. A good equestrian, and a tolerable marksman, His Majesty is in 

 the habit of making Saturday excursions attended by many hundred 

 followers to some favourite retreat, where he remains for hours, shooting 

 what the country chiefly affords, i. e. baboons, vultures and wild ducks ; 



