On the return of this destroying expedition, which seems to have turned a very fine country into a desert, the king made a kind of triumphal entry into his capital.  His costume was splendidly savage.  A lion’s skin over his shoulders, richly ornamented, and half concealing beneath its folds an embroidered green mantle of Indian manufacture; on his right shoulder were three chains of gold, as emblems of the Holy Trinity,(!) and the fresh-plucked bough of asparagus, which denoted his recent exploit, rose from the centre of an embossed coronet of silver on his brow.  His dappled war-horse, in housings of blue and yellow, was led beside him; and in front his “champion” rode a coal-black charger, bearing the royal shield of massive silver, with the cross upon it, and dressed in a panther’s hide.  The two chief officers of his army rode either side of the crimson umbrella; at the palace gates, a deputation of priests in white robes received the conqueror with a benediction and a volley of musketry announced his arrival.  The leader of the royal matchlock-men performed a war dance before the Ark as it was borne along, and in the inner court the principal warriors, each carring some human fragment on his lance, flung then on the ground before the royal footstool, and shouted their war praise.

The embassy at length attained personal distinction by the death of an elephant, which one of the party brought to the ground by a two-ounce ball.  The “warriors” were all in astonishment at this feat, to which all had predicted the most disastrous termiration; and “Boroo, the brave chief of the Soopa,” exclaimed in his delight, “The world was made for you, and no one else has any business in it!”

The chief object of the embassy was still to be accomplished—­the formation of something that approached to a treaty of commerce.  Beads, cutlery, and trinkets, had been received from the coast; but the beggary of the nobles for those things was perpetual and intolerable.  They called those ornanents pleasing things, and the cry was constant, “show me pleasing things,” “give me delighting things,” “adorn me from head to foot.”  It is scarcely surprising that the natives should be enamoured of European conmodities; for, though an old commerce had subsisted with Arabia, the supplies brought by the English were of the most exciting kind.  Detonating caps were in great request; treble strong canister powder was also much in demand.  Yet there was some ingenuity amongst themselves; for a young fellow was taken up for making dollars of pewter.  Every spot and letter had been closely represented with punch and file.  “Tell me,” said the king, on the case of this culprit being mentioned to him, “how is that machine made which in your country pours out the silver crowns like a shower of rain?” The hand corn-mills, presented by the British Government, had been erected within the palace walls, and slaves were turning the wheels with unceasing diligence.  “Demetrius, the Armenian, made a machine to grind corn,” exclaimed his majesty in a transport of delight, as the flour streamed upon the floor; “and though it cost the people a year of hard labour to construct, it was useless when finished, because the priest declared it to be the devil’s work, and cursed the bread.  But, may the Sahela Selasse die—­these engines are the work of clever hands.”