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Updated: June 1, 2025
His Majesty was greatly pleased, so his confidential servants said, with the Queen's letter; and intimated that he would before long release the captives. On the following morning Theodore sent for us. He had no one near him except Ras Engeddah. He was standing at the entrance of his tent, leaning gracefully on his lance.
Tesemma Engeddah, the hereditary chief of Gahinte, fell under his displeasure because after a battle against the rebels he had shown himself "too severe," and our first head-jailor was taken to the camp and put in chains because he had "formerly been a friend" of the King of Shoa. I could adduce hundreds of instances to illustrate his habitual hypocrisy.
A little later we returned his call. We found him in the audience-hall, seated on a carpet; he gracefully saluted us, and made us sit down by his side. To his left stood his eldest son Prince Meshisha, and Ras Engeddah; his workmen were also present standing in the centre of the hall in front of him.
He appeared calm, and remained, for a long time, in conversation with his favourite, Ras Engeddah, who stood below. We were guarded night and day, and could not move a few steps outside the tent without being followed by a soldier; at night, if we had to go out, we were told to carry a lantern with us.
Theodore writes to Mr. Rassam about Mr. Flad and the Artisans His two Letters contrasted General Merewether arrives at Massowah Danger of sending Letters to the Coast Ras Engeddah brings us a few Stores Our Garden Successful Results of Vaccination at Magdala Our Day Guard again Second Rainy Season The Chiefs are Jealous The Ras and his Council Damash, Hailo, &c.
Little did we know at the time the narrow escape we had just had. It appears that, after our departure, Theodore sat down on a stone, and, putting his head between his hands, began to cry. Ras Engeddah said to him, "Are you a woman, to cry? Let us bring back these white men, kill them, and run away; or fight and die."
Rassam, together with Ras Engeddah and Prince Meshisha, were to be made knights of the first order; the English officers of the mission were to be second class; as for the third, I do not know for whom they were destined, unless for such as Bappo, his butler.
For an Abyssinian house it was well built; the roof was almost the best I saw in the country, being made with small bamboos closely arranged and bound with rings of the same material. After Ras Hailo had been sent to the gaol, his house had been made over to the favourite of the day, Ras Engeddah; but, according to custom, Theodore took it away from him to lodge his English guests.
We were greatly rejoiced at the tenor of the Queen's letter: it was plain that at last a higher tone had been adopted, that the character of Theodore was better known, and all his futile plans would be frustrated by the attitude our Government had taken. On the 7th of January, 1867, Ras Engeddah arrived on the Amba, having accompanied thither a batch of prisoners.
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