In acknowledging
that they were wrong they acted wisely: it was what we counselled,
nay ordered.
The sitting concluded with the public reading of the Amharic
translation of the Queen's letter, and of the reply which Theodore
said he would send by us.
Though all seemed smooth and favourable, no doubt a storm was
imminent; and shortly afterwards, though everything was as yet
friendly, we should have been far less confident had our knowledge
of Theodore been greater.
On our way to Kourata we had been asked indirectly by his servants
whether we knew anything about boat-making? We replied in the
negative. As I have stated, some of the escort had told Captain
Cameron, that at Kourata he would be employed in ship-building.
There was no doubt that his Majesty had made up his mind to have a
small navy, and I believe that the real reason we were sent to
Kourata, and the Gaffat people to keep us company there, was that
Theodore imagined that we knew more about making boats than we
wished to say, and hoped to coax us into undertaking the work. The
Gaffat people, were told to make boats; they replied that they knew
nothing about it, but would work with any one who could direct them:
at the same time they intimated that his Majesty ought to take
advantage of Mr. Rassam's friendship to ask him to write for some
proper person and instruments; that they had no doubt that on Mr.
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