They had heard _en route_
that they would have to make boats for Theodore, and were always
anxious and nervous each time a messenger arrived from the Imperial
camp.
Theodore, after plundering Metcha, the fertile province at the southern
extremity of Lake Tana, destroyed the large and populous town of Zage,
and pitched his camp on a small strip of land connecting the promontory
of Zage with the mainland. The Emperor was very attentive;
he sent us 5,000 dollars more, supplies in abundance, and put thirty
milch cows at our disposal; he also sent us lion cubs, monkeys,
&c., and almost every second day wrote civil and courteous letters
to Mr. Rassam. All our interpreters, all the messengers, even Mr.
Rassam's butler, went one after the other to Zag to be invested
with "the order of the shirt." To the messenger who had brought us
down the false intelligence of Captain Cameron's release, he gave
a marguf (silk-bordered) shama, a title, and the government of a
district; and requested Mr. Rassam to love him, and cause him to
be loved by our Queen, as his stratagem had fortunately succeeded,
and had induced us to come to him. When one of our interpreters,
Omar Ali, a native of Massowah, went in his turn to be decorated,
he found his Majesty sitting near the beach making cartridges. He
told him, "You see my occupation; but I am not ashamed of it.
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