, 1886-08-20
The KING OF ARYssINIA.

An English Paymaster Gives an 40
count of His Visit to the King.
Capt Harrison Smith, paymaster, R
N, was sent by her majesty's govern
meDt to the king of Abyssinia to present
to him a letter and sword of honor from
her majesty the queen. -On April TO-"
says the captain, 1--WE arrived suddenly
in sight of the kings camp and Lake Ash
augi As we neared camp we were met
by the soldier whom 1 had sent on. He
brought a message from the king. The
king requested me to come at once to
him. The soldier added that the king
had threatened to punish him should he
fail to bring me into camp that evening;
but he begged me to wait a few minutes,
till al escort of 200 men should arrive to
accompany me. The officer command
ing the escort informed me that they
had been ordered to conduct me di-
rectly to the king.
the road, unpack the letters from her
majesty and Lord s., and the swords for
the king and his son. These proceed
ings entertained the soldiers greatly.
The soldiers took up a sort Of formation,
in the centre Of which 1 and tho persons
who were instructed to carry the pres
ents rode. Thus we crossed a plain, and
then climbed the hill on which the king
is building a new palace. There l wa
the beholden Of many hundreds, having
~dismounted and walked to the door Of
the cokel-roofed building in which his
majesty was seated
uAbn,tt y, optor 7 xuao ohr,,hflu otopx>ad
because at the last ome the king had
sent for a chair, which had not yet ar
rived. The chair was brought and
placed with its back against the pole
which supports the roof in the center,
and exactly facing the king. As usual
he was seated on an angerib "a kind Of
bedstead). supported on either side by a
large cushion. On my entering he ex-
tended his arm to its full length, and re-
ceived me in the most codial manner
with his stamina nearly down to his
waist.
AT first l thought he was reckoning
me to a chair, to which his outstretched
hand was pointing, but l loon perceived
his meaning, and having taken his hand
and bowed, / presented her majesty's
letter, enveloped in an imposing en-
broidered cover which / had brought
from Cairo. and which appropriately had
a gold lion resembling the kings seal
worked in the center. Then l laid be-
fore the king the sword in its case with
the lid opened, and afterward the sword
for his son, Ras Aria Selassie. At the
| conclusion of the brief nnouncemen
with which I accompanied each presen-
tation the king bowed and expressed
thanks. He her said he had ordered a
camp to be prepared for me, and that l
must go and rest. l found a large but
very thin tent pitched. and furnished
with an angerib covered with acarpet
and having the two usual cushions.
Other carpets were laid on the ground,
and for some tire / sat in state till my
escort was marched off, and l was left
only with the small guar,l.
an the evening presents OF goods,
consisting of a COW, bread. ghee, tedge
Qiquor made from honey. red pepper,
frewood and fireplaces, and a spoon for
my use arrived, and were continued
regularly during my stay.
ION the 10Th l called on the king at Z
a. IN. Talked. and wrote an
addition to the latter for the
queen. Then was taken out. and ar
rayed with a shirt and trousers. / do
not mean that at the time l wore neither
of these useful articles, hut these were
special garments Of honor. / was also
presented with a lions name, the kings
own mare. a horse, a mule, twenty-one
spears, and a shield. At 11.20 got on the
march. and kept till $40. when we
reached our old camp near Bebbah."-
london Nexs-