in water at every part. He was equally unsuccessful at the palace, for no one could be made to hear the loud summons at the outer gate, the cold and rain having driven in the wardens to some retreat, and probably amidst the noise of the tempest man's voice was lost; so Walderheros, after some time, returned to the tent unsuccessful, and nearly half drowned.

The night would have just suited Byron, provided he had been wrapt up in some good macintoshes, for now increased the fierce contention of the elements of fire and water. Thunder in the distance boomed heavily, and, quick as the blow of wrath, its dinning rat tat seemed to break the electric cloud directly over head; whilst bright leaping flashes of the most vivid lightning pierced the darkness of tempest and of night with a moment's triumph. Like a bright spear-head glaring for an instant upon a broad buckler of dingy hide, night's darkness, more darkly opposed the recoiling shaft of light, and the muttering echo of the retiring peal, seemed to curse the innoxious effect of its spent force upon earth and her inhabitants.

I sat upon my heels shivering in the middle of my rude bedstead, where the concavity that formed by my weight being in the centre of my hide mattress, made a good pickling tub, and I was very soon ankle deep in a pool of water, whilst to increase the pleasantness of our situation,

the rain succeeded, against every endeavour to prevent it, in putting out the fire.

It was a sad night, and most uncomfortable were my forebodings, whilst Goodaloo, silent and stirless, never moved from the position he had taken after the last vain attempts to keep up a blaze. Walderheros seemed to talk faster the faster it rained, now anathematizing the lazy occupants of the outhouse, then trying to convince me of his superhuman efforts to arouse the gate-keepers of the palace, and sometimes consoling me with the truism that morning must come, and all would be well again. So far he was right, for after suffering nearly a martyrdom during the tedious progress of the early morning hours, no sooner did the light of day begin to appear than the persecuting element stayed its violence, and the recreant rain retired in misty fogs to its fastnesses among the heights in the rear of Myolones.

By sunrise the sky was nearly clear of clouds, birds were singing, and the noise of laughing men told of a reaction in nature, in which I could have gladly participated, but that I was well nigh exhausted, and could scarcely walk to the college of the monks, several of whom now came to beg that I would return to the shelter of their residence; where they said I might eat as much bread and "dillock" as I liked, without any further observation from them.

CHAPTER XX.

Abyssinian dress.-Visit to the Negoos.-Inspection of fire-arms. -Congratulated on my reception.-Return to Aliu Amba.—A troublesome companion.-Pleasant beverage.-Market day.— Numerous visitors.-Home manufacture of cloth.

August 13th.-Every endeavour was now made by the worthy priests to obviate any ill effects from the exposure during the night; fresh billets were piled upon the hearth, and dry clothes being sent for from the palace, with Walderheros' assistance I was soon dressed as a southern Abyssinian. I did not look to advantage, certainly, in my new suit, for the sennafil, a pair of very loose petticoat drawers, fastened by a thick, but soft, cotton rope around my waist, left my white thin legs bare for more than a hand's-breadth above the knee. In lieu of my shirt the long mekanet, or girdle, a narrow band of cloth one cubit wide, and sometimes twenty or even thirty cubits long, was wrapt around my loins, being spread open over my chest, and behind almost as high as my shoulders. It is not usual for the Abyssinians to wear this in the house, but as I thought that I was not quite bound by their habits, considering my present

weak state, I had put it on as a substitute for a shirt. Over all was thrown a most comfortable thick cloth of the softest cotton, more like a light blanket than anything else. This part of the dress, which is called legumbigalla, is about four times the size of a Scotch plaid, and worn very much in the same manner, but is an ordinary, not extraordinary, article of clothing, and is hardly ever off the shoulders of an Abyssinian, except when occupied in some laborious duty.

Being thus attired in the costume of the country, and having drank a bottle of the very strongest barilla tedge, I felt quite recovered, and in reply to a message from the Negoos, inquiring if I were well enough to wait upon him that morning; proposed going at once to the palace, as I was anxious, whilst under the influence of the reaction, to get over a considerable portion of the fatiguing road home.

It was ten o'clock, however, before a second messenger from the Negoos desired me to go immediately to see him, as he wanted me to give an opinion upon the respective merits of a number of rifles and other guns. Accordingly, on arrival at the palace, I was ushered into an inner apartment beyond the large central room, and which corresponded with the porch on the front side, where I had seen his majesty the day before. This opened, however, into a private court, at the farther end of which, was the house assigned to the female

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part of the royal household, as a residence. In the back porch, if I may so term it, therefore, I found the Negoos reclining upon a couch covered with a white cloth, and the usual yellow satin cushions at each end. He was in his customary dress, a large legumbigalla, like the one I had on, only ornamented with numerous bars of the red and blue shumlah, which adds considerably to the value of the cloth. He had also on his feet a pair of red Turkish slippers and white socks, the only European articles of dress he had adopted, and these he only wore in the palace; for whenever I have seen him in the fields around his palaces, he was always barefooted like his courtiers. I have often regretted that I, at that time, did not know how to knit, nothing would have pleased the monarch so much as to have learned the process, and seen growing beneath his fingers a well-formed stocking. In a cold country, situated like Abyssinia, knitting would be a most useful art to introduce among the natives, and I hope, therefore, if any traveller intending to visit that country reads this book, he will make himself acquainted with that mysterious accomplishment, which I can assure him is much easier than he may suppose.

Upon the ground before his Majesty lay some twenty or thirty fowling pieces and rifles, and several pages and attendants were bringing in others from the private armoury, where he keeps the more valuable of his fire-arms. An ox skin