my left, beyond the stream, Twenty yards or so through rises the nasal caterwauling this arohway, flanked by a of the neophytes who inhabit garden of flaming chillies, the graveyard of Saint Mikail's brings me to the house of Church. The old church is a my friend, the Alaqa Desta. simple building of the common The house is roughly oval in ootagonal form, and faced with plan, of wattle and daub, with blue plaster. Being low and a steep thatohed roof. Two anassuming, its roof of cor. big posts support the ridge rugated iron does not look out pole. The walls are double, of place; and its old-fashioned the inner having gaps in it eight-pointed cross, each point which give entrance to the orowned with an ostriob's egg, space between it and the outer gives it a distinotive character. one. This space, about four Not far above it stands the feet wide, is divided into new church, & far more pre compartments for various purtentious struoture in grey poses. stone, now being raised by The outer wall stops short the Prince Regent to the six feet on either side of the memory of his father. It door. The sheltered space thus onoe promised to be an orna- left, under the overhanging ment to the landsoape, stand- eaves to right and left of the ing out finely on a little bluff entranoe, has been built up looking over the valley; but, with selid earth to the height alas! it seems that

that money of a couple of feet or so, and won't run to a dome, so, as provides & kind of "stoep." usual in Abyssinia, it will be on one side of this stoep are a case of finis deformat opus, some gorgeous soarlet chillies, and a tin roof and dummy drying, while on the other a olook, whose painted hands couple of small slaves are will register Perpetual noon, enjoying the afternoon sun, will orown an otherwise im. and awaiting the pleasure of poging edifice-not

an

in their master. On the far side appropriate monument to a of the hut sits the Alaqa Desta, strong ruler whose premature on a slightly raised part of the death left his life's work in floor, reading the Psalms of the hands of a weakling son. David to himself in a whisRound the church are grouped pered monotone. small square huts of mud or The Alaqa is a dignitary of stone. These are built over the Chorob. He is not an the graves of departed not- ordained priest or monk, but a bles, and in them live the controls the finances of one of students whose chants now the looal ohurohes. He is, for destroy the

peace of the an Abyssinian, & well - read Sunday afternoon.

man, and is at present engaged A few more twists in my in writing a History of the little lane and I come to an World. He can talk quite arohway in the hedge, framed glibly about seotarian differin oonvolvalus and wild-rose. ences in the European Churches,

and makes occasional mention terrace, and a closer view of of Plato. I doubt if he knows the oity and its approaches much of Plato beyond his greets me, name, but no more do I, 60 I One of the peopliar features am not in a position to throw of the town is the false imstones at the Alaqa on this pression of size and distance point. He talks very interest. wbioh it gives. Everything in ingly on a good many subjects, it is really on a miniature scale. especially on Abyssinian his. The small houses are so very tory of the last century, so we small that the bigger ones look often visit each other. I also quite big, and the eye of happen to own a book in the an observer standing six Geez language, entitled “The hundred yards from its walls Contendings of the Apostles,' refuses credence to its dwarfwhich the Alaqa hopes to ishness, and accepts the imaoquire by fair means or foul pression of a full-sized city at before I leave Harar, and this four times its true distance. fact cements our friendship. Thus the mean little Palace He comes to the door to greet with its crenelated towers me, leads me to a low, round, poses successfully as a fullwooden stool, aud orders the grown mediæval castle, and inevitable coffee.

the stunted minarets of the I learn that since our last mosque lose their stuntedness meeting his wife has presented in the general illusion. him with a son, who is brought, Below the point where I naked and wriggling, by a slave stand, the streamlet of my woman for my inspeotion. The garden gate runs through a lady is in bed in one of the now imposing gorge between recesses in the wall, behind & me and the walls of the town, ourtain. While I am drinking while one of the main apmy coffee, her father confessor proaches to the gates lies at enters. He is a tall black

This road has been bearded priest, in exceedingly worn deeper and deeper by the dirty clothes, with the usual passage of generations of way. priestly beef - steak pudding- farors and pack-animals, till it napkin round his head. After resembles a wide communioasalutations, he passes behind tion trenoh, only coming to the the ourtain, and a monotonous surface where a belt of harder singsong begins, which sounds rook is crossed. like the Psalms being read. Away beyond the road the The Alaqa, I am afraid, looks country descends in a series of rather bored by the father undulations to the river Errer, confessor, and pays him no and on the far side rise the attention.

mountain masses which sepsAs I am out for exercise, I rate the Harar Valley from do not stay here long, but once Somaliland. The stark out. more follow the windings of lines of these ranges, thrown my little lane.

A turning into relief by the afternoon brings me

to

open sun, form a wonderful back

my feet.

&

on

an

a

ground to the peaceful beauty way, with its lounging Abysof the fertile valley.

sinian guard. There is nothSoorning the road, I plunge ing in the low flat arohway to steeply down one side of the call for comment. The cultirevine and up the other, to the vation, which elsewhere comes walls of the town. A path almost up to the walls, here runs round the walls, and this recedes and leaves an open under a European régime would space devoted to many unmake an ideal Sunday promen- Bavoury purposes among ade for the looal Edwin and others, to the slaughter of Angelina with their olive- oattle, whose inedible portions branches. Unfortunately it strew the ground and poison now passes over the garbage the air. Here also is a Moslem flang from the walls by genera- burial-ground. Tradition has tions of Hararis. Dogs, carrion- it that in time past the birds, and the purifying heat Hararis were so hard pressed of the sun have done their by the surrounding hostile best to mitigate the offensive- tribes that they were forced ness of the latest additions of to bury their dead imme- . filth, but in spite of their efforts diately outside their gates. there is no need for the warn. This reason no longer holds ing, so familiar at French orogg- good, but force of habit perroads, “Do not loiter here." petuates the custom, So I hurry on my way to my

A little farther on, a few next. objeotive, the Leper hundred yards from the walls, Asylum.

lies the Leper Asylum, its As I go, I pags strings of chapel and native huts neatly women, filing down to the arranged, and planted with stream, with their water-pots eucalyptus and pepper trees. on their heads, or caught up in This asylum is run by the a shawl on their backs: Negroid- Frenoh missionaries, and is looking slave girls, owned by under the charge of my friend Abyssinians, and wearing the Père Charles, who is helped by usual filthy white gown held three or four devoted sisters. by & cord round the waist, or Père Charles is truly Hararis of a rather gipsy jovial monk. He is a living type, their characteristio blaok. testimony to the truth that and-red robe falling like an " & contented mind is a purse exaggeratedly floppy blouse well lined,” though not many outside the wide sash which & "oapon fine" somes his way. oatohes up the skirt high He is of middle height and enough to show their gaudily. pleasing rotundity, and his striped trousers. Most of these rubicund face and understandladies

oaokling away ing eyes diffuse an atmosphere merrily to each other: some of energetio kindness from are attraotive enough as to face above his venerable beard. and figure. All are profoundly

In addition to his labours of dirty.

meroy, Père Charles spends big

his Next, I come to the gate. spare time in farming. Atone

are

end of a long shed is staoked the deed is done with an his season's hay orop, while at ordinary pair of Boissors, the other are the inevitable Though the Sisters have a ohillies drying. Chillies are house apart, almost all their the most profitable of the time is spent teaching or workeasily-grown crops, and Père ing with their patients. Even Charles adds considerably to the Mother Superior quite the revenues of his asylum by simply admits that their work his energies.

demands un dévouement spécial, As is usually the case, he But there is a look of wonderhas been taking vielent exer- ful serenity on their pale tired oise, and is in & transpir. faces, such a serenity as can ation. The sun is getting only be found by the exchange low, and the air is fresh, so we of all that the ordinary person paoe rapidly up and down his holds as worth having, not verandah to avoid a ohill. for the unprofitable peace of a

Père Charles is no politician, cell, but for a laborious existbut he follows current events

devoted to suffering olosely by means of the Havas humanity. wires and month-old now8. Evening is olosing in, and it papers. His comments is time I turned homeward, happenings at home are re. This time my way lies through markably broad-minded yet the town, and I join the vigorous, as beoomes one who, stream of water-oarriers and though no longer of the world, firewood-laden donkeys which is yet very muob in the world. pours through the gate. From He holds forth this afternoon each donkey-load the Abyssinon the Sabbath-keeping habits ian guard snatohes three or of the British, as exemplified four pieces of wood as an by my being on foot and not arbitrary oustoms duty. Just on horseback, and to this inside the gate is a small habit he attributes Britain's market where the wood and greatness.

grass is being disposed of with When

the transpiration a great deal of noisy haggling. has abated, we pass through Should the purohaser be an a little dividing -gate to pay Abyssinian, the bargain is our respeots to the Mother usually closed by his snatoh. Superior and the Sisters. If ing three or four sticks from saints to-day walk the earth, another bandle and uncerethese women are such. Their moniously making off with his waking hours are passed in a augmented purchase, leaving world of horrors. They have the poor old Galla vendor none of the appliances and cluoking with rage like a elaborate arrangements which hen robbed of her ohioks, and mitigate the repulsiveness of with about as much chance of big modern leper asylums. redress. Their only medioine is oorro- Very

different

the sive sublimate, and when a manners when Greek meets finger or a toe is ready to fall, Greek. A bearded Abyssinian

are

squireen is riding his male up “kath” plant, without whioh the street in front of me, & the local Galla seems unable to small half-naked slave - boy exist. On the opposite side of trotting behind him with his the square stands the “Café de rifle. Towards him comes a l'Europe,” & single-storied friend, similarly mounted and building combining the funoattended. In å moment both tions of liquor-shop and general are off their mules, bowing low store. On & railed - off part to each other with drawn-back of the verandah sit the élite foot. As they go through their of Harar's white population, ritual of courtesy, black felt-hat sipping Pernot. There is the olasped to the waist, and long French postmaster, embarnous rakishly cooked up ployé of the Italian Consulate, behind by the curved sabre the Greek bank manager, and which keeps time to their bows one or two Greek or Levantine like & pheasant's tail, they merchants. Thus does the strongly recall piotures of the Continental café habit rise old English Cavaliers. . The superior to

to the most dig. greeting, oulminating in a kiss couraging ciroumstances. on both cheeks, is followed by On another side of the square an equally courteous fareweli, stands the main ohuroh of the and both leap on to their mules town, and one or two dirty and ride on their respective and brutalised-looking priests ways.

loll by its gateway, marked The street I follow is narrow contrasts to the robust energy and rooky. It olimbs steeply of Père Charles or the seembatween the tiny flat-topped ingly asoetie dignity of the shops of the Arab traders, with Alaqa. a fair sprinkling of coffee-shops. Faoing the church is the Many of the oooupants are entrance to the courtyard British subjects, and are parties where Abyssinian justice is in some interminable lawsuit, dispensed on week-days. The in which both sides are in archway of this courtyard is variably lying. I therefore get adorned by two dilapidated a good number of salaams from plaster liong. They would be gentlemen who hope that more imposing if time and politeness will patoh over the weather had not removed the weaker parts of their oases.

front half of one of them, At the top of the hill, the leaving only his hind quarters street opens into the Feress and tail to face his more oomMagalla, or main square of the plete brother across the way. town. At the entranoe to the From the medley of buildings square sit the hordes of pro- whioh flank the yard come the fessional beggars. Most of roars of real live lions, four of them are afflicted with disgust, which help to maintain the ing sores or deformities, or are state of the Dedjazmatoh, or in the state of genial idiooy looal governor. They live in prodaoed by the undue oon- tiny cages where there is gumption of the leaves of the hardly room for them to turn