to go to him, but the Ras refused, asking the Emperor to come to him instead, which so enraged His Majesty that he commanded Ras Michael of Wollo and Ras Waly of Setchu to attack him with their armies. They arrived in the month of August, whereupon Saude left Debra Tabor with his forces and fled to the province of Chelga. The Rases followed him and devastated the whole country. Ras Waly sent messages to Ras Saude requesting him to evacuate the fort at once and to come to him. Saude was captured, put in chains and sent to the Emperor Menilek.

"After the two Rases had devastated the whole country, they returned to Shoa to meet the Emperor. The whole country was now a desert; famine was everywhere, and numbers have continued to die of hunger even to this time. Some country people went with the Rases, because they heard that corn was to be had there; whilst here a dollar's worth of corn was insufficient to sustain a family for one day, and though everybody is working in the fields, the mice are eating up everything. As to ourselves, we were all in rags, whilst to satisfy our hunger we went into the woods and lived on different plants we found, in order to save our lives. With all this, we did not cease speaking to the people of repentance, and, to the praise of God, I may say that many have been converted, and thus it will appear that even this great famine was necessary for the people and has brought a blessing upon them.

"Such a time of misery and tears I have not seen in Abyssinia from my youth up; and it is a marvel that we are still alive. If in a quiet hour I review all that has come over me during my residence in Habesh, and the many difficulties, hindrances and sufferings through which I have had to pass, I feel inclined to shed tears and to sigh: 'Oh! poor wretched Habesh, when will the light of the Gospel rise upon thee, when will the cross of Christ be victorious among the people.' I should prefer, therefore, to live and to work in some other part of the world, but this cannot be, since it is my call to work amongst my own people.

I was

"On the 24th of December, 1891, our venerable mother Emma Adegesh finished her course. with her to the last, because when she became ill she said I must always remain near her- I look upon you as my own son Debtera Beroo; read to me the dear Word of God, that my faith may be strengthened and I may be entering with joy into eternal life.' On being asked whether she was not afraid to die and was sure of eternal salvation, she replied in the hearing of many people: 'I am not afraid of death, for my Saviour has died for me, and through His Llood I have the cleansing of my many and number

less sins of this I am fully convinced and have no doubt that I enter upon eternal rest. I am delighted to think that I shall be where my dear son is, and I have no desire to live here any longer.' She always wanted me to read and explain to her Revelation xxii. When her last hour came, she thanked the Lord for having brought her to the knowledge of the truth, adding with a loud voice:-'Lord Jesus, I am coming to Thee; receive my soul into Thy hands; I believe, I trust in Thee.' And thus this venerable mother, at the age of 93, entered upon eternal rest. With deep mourning we followed her remains into the Church of Madhane Alam (Redeemer of the World) the same where our father and teacher Debtera Beroo is buried.

"I have heard that Debtera Liena and his family have died in consequence of the famine. Whether it be true I cannot say. Debtera Gebra Heiwot has

been heard of in Wadela: whether be be still alive I know not; probably not, otherwise he would have joined us here. Debtera Kendy Fanta has died in Simen. The soldiers of Ras Saude told me a good deal about him. He went about with his family in the camp, begging for some bread and telling the soldiers about Jesus Christ crucified, and asking them to repent of their sins. The soldiers liked to listen to him, and what he said seemed to have made a deep impression upon them. I asked the soldiers why he had not taken to some work, but they said that he was too much emaciated by the famine to undertake

any.

"Afterwards, when on a Missionary tour to Macha, we fell in with the eldest son of Debtera Alamy. He told us that his father had been killed by a leopard in his own hut. The wild beasts have increased very much since the famine.

"During January, 1892, the Dervishes again invaded the country, murdering those they got hold of, and carrying away everything. When we heard this we prepared for flight, but by God's mercy they returned to Matama. Thus we are always, as you see, between life and death. It pleases God to carry us through many difficulties: everywhere we see nothing bu thick clouds our only hope is, that if we sow here in tears, we shall one day reap in joy. These precious words of the Psalmist encourage us to go on working and struggling, that all the Abyssinians may become subjects of our blessed Saviour, and we will hope and believe that this great distress will soon disappear.

"After the Rases had gone to Shoa and the country was quiet, we held a conference, at which the following resolutions were arrived at:-"(1) Argawi, Hiob Negoosie, and Beleta to go on a Missionary tour to

Macha; and (2) Wandem Negusie and Meherat to go to Lasta; and (3) Sanbatu to remain with the families of the brethren, to read the Word with them, and to conduct the school for the children.

"On the 26th of January, 1892, the two brethren started for Lasta with a donkey laden with books and tracts and their own effects.

"The same day Hiob Negoosie, Beleta and myself prepared for our tour, and towards noon we started

for Macha, driving before us a donkey laden with books and tracts. We went across many hills, and towards evening we reached the free town Madra Marian. We sought there for Falashas and proselytes, but in vain; at last we lay down under a tree, intending to spend the night there, but were warned by the inhabitants of the town that hyenas and other wild beasts

to

made it dangerous for us. We then went into the town, asked for shelter, but it was refused. When at last it darkened in, we met a monk who gave us permission spend the night with him. Scarcely had we laid down our wearied bodies for some rest, when the rats and bugs began to torment us; so I rose and went out again and made a large fire outside the gate. The monk had

The following day we came into the fine province of Shume. As it was market-day we male a balt. We fell in with a Falasha from Kwara and endeavoured to converse with him, but he told us that he must not speak to us, because he feared that the inhabitants would call him 'Buda' (one who is in connection with the devil and bewitches others) and turn him out of the village. The Abyssinian native Christians believe that the Falashas are 'Budas.' In Dembea the people no longer call the Falashas 'Budas,'because they know from our books and tracts that this is a superstition and altogether wrong. member when you were living at Genda that the people believed that every Falasha was 'Buda'; but they have given it up

a long conversation with us. We showed him from Scripture that all his religion would be of no use to him, unless he was in his heart converted to God. On hearing this he became very angry, and turned us out of doors. At some distance from his house we made a fire and cowered around it, for it was very cold. Then our donkey began to scream, for hyenas came near as if about to attack and kill him; so we had to be up the whole night for our protection until the morning broke,

You re

a

now, seeing so many Falashas became good Christians. The inhabitants of Begemeder are very ignorant and superstitious. They are not better than the heathen, and the Gospel is perfectly unknown to them. There will yet have to be shed much martyr blood until they come to the knowledge that man can only be saved by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

"We intended

to proceed from Shume across the Blue Nile (Abai) to Macha, but we were told that the way was very unsafe and that we had better go by way of Abu Hara, to which, though a greater distance, we could travel with some caravans. We had to stay here for four nights, until we could join caravan for Macha. I was delighted at this, as it gave me an opportunity to speak to the proselytes who had received holy baptism last year, and to read the Word of God with them morning and

a

evening. We had also many opportunities of speaking to the priests and Debteras on the salvation of their souls. On the shore of the Nile we met many Woitos hunting hippopotami. They asked whither we were going, and when we told them of our work they gladly listened; so we were able to tell them a great deal of our Saviour. The Nile carried so much water that we had to cross in the wretched kind of boat belonging to the Woitos, and got wet through. I described a big ship to them, but they could not understand it. They thought it nonsense witchery.

or

"After a long march from the Nile, we reached the village Makual late in the evening. One of our fellow-travellers took us to his home, gave us a supper, washed our feet, and prepared for our sleeping outside his hut. Our bed was an old ragged piece of skin. He spoke very kindly to us and said: 'It is a good thing that you work to bring us wayward men to our Saviour and Redeemer, to make Him known to us, and to preach his Gospel; do tell me of Him and show me the way to become a partaker of His kingdom.' I asked him to make a light to enable us to read to him from our Bible. It was a great joy to us to meet an inquiring soul among these dead Christians. We read to him the story of the prodigal son and told him that the Saviour is ready to receive all who return to Him, and with true repentance confess their sins. All the night through we had such a delightful conversation, and when the day broke he went to his work, and we took leave of him, thanked him for his hospitality, and in my heart I said: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.'

"In the village of Makual we found some proselytes -builders, Gondar people-who have settled there. We spent some days with them, and spoke a good deal of the salvation of their souls, and left them some tracts.

"We then proceeded on our way until we reached the free town Debra Mawi, where you once stood, with some of your first converts, before the tribunal of King Theodore. The walls in the wretched stone houses are still standing as witness of his cruelty, for it was from this place that he proceeded to devastate the fertile province of Dembea, which lies around the beautiful lake of the same name. * The bones of the thousands of human hands and feet which he cut off are still to be seen. I stood still for a while and could but sigh in my heart, 'O king, how much good thou delayedst to do during all thy reign.' We went to the market, trying to find out Falashas

* The illustration on page 27 has been kindly lent by the Rev. A. A. Isales, author of the "Biography of H. A. Stern, D.D."

and proselytes, but found none; we were, however, able to speak to many Abyssinians about the one thing needful. It is our duty to preach the Gospel to every one, that the Lord Jesus may be known loved, and honoured by many.

"From Debra Mawi we went from village to village in different directions and to market places, but met only a few Falashas, and these seemed to neglect even the Old Testament ordinances. I rejoice to have had an opportunity, even in Macha, to sow the Word of God, and I hope and believe that it will not return void, but make an entrance into many a heart.

"From Macha we intended to go on to the province of Damot, when the news startled us that the Dervishes had invaded the country, and the governor of Agawmeder was on the way to Macha to plunder and take whatever he could lay his hands on. So we had to return, reaching Abu Hara again on the 4th of March. Our proselytes received us with joy, greeting us with the words, 'Thank God, that you our brethren have returned to us in safety.'

"After having rested for some days with them, we went on to Debra Tabor. The dear brethren Negoosie and Meherat had also returned from Lasta. We praised God, who had hitherto led and protected us, and given us strength and courage to undertake these distant journeys in order to proclaim His Word. We also prayed that we might still be helped in our work and duty, and be found faithful in carrying on the holy war as long as we are alive, and till we are allowed to lay down our weapons and rest in the arms of Jesus.

"And you, dear friend, please continue to pray for us that we may not be overcome by the power of darkness and that we may not be put to shame before God and men on that great day; but that, after a life struggle to stand before the Son of God, we may all of us hear the blessed words, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

'Hitherto I have written only of our Missionary journeys; now let me tell you that on the 28th of December last year a truly converted Falasha family received holy baptism at Debra Tabor. The man cannot read, but he has kept the Word he has been taught in his heart like Mary, and has tried to walk in the faith and to become partaker of God's kingdom. He was an inhabitant of Alafa, but by the inroads of the Dervishes was forced to take refuge at Begemeder. He was earning his bread as a weaver in the camp of Ras Saude, but when there was no more work for him, the famine being so great, he went to Lasta. We accompanied him with the Word of God for a long while. Then we took leave of him

with many tears and said: 'Go in the peace of your and our God until we meet again before His throne.'

'We are keeping school with the few children of our proselytes; sometimes children of Christians are found among them. I cannot speak of a large number of children, because the state of our country is so unsafe, and the many proselytes and we ourselves are fugitives constantly on the move, and such we must remain until the Lord gives rest to our country. We plan, ere the rainy season commences, and if the political state of the country allows it, to undertake a Missionary tour to Dembea, Alafa, and Chelga. I dare say we could do a great deal, if only there were peace in the country. Meanwhile we must struggle on and suffer and sow in tears.

"On Sundays and holydays we read and preach the Gospel to the people, which is not without blessing and comfort for many a poor and empty heart. May the Lord continue to assist us and make us a savour of life unto life to all people!

'We have come here to Abu Hara because living is cheaper, and we have more opportunities of going about and preaching. If brother Negoosie had not brought our half-year's salary in January, we should probably have all died of hunger by this time. I can say that all the employed brethren are doing their work zealously for the Lord, resolved to deny themselves everything and to abide in Him. We live in love and unity, and do not omit every day to pray together and to read God's Word, which is a great comfort to us.

In a village where they stayed for some days, in the dead of night, the inhabitants came armed with shields and spears, and said: 'You brought with you a new doctrine, therefore many of our people became ill. Formerly you were Falashas, now you are Budas' (masters of witchcraft inspired by the devil). Restore our people to health; else we will murder you as we do sheep.' We replied: We are not Budas; there are none in the whole world. The new doctrine which we brought is the teaching of Christ and of the Apostles; by our power we cannot restore your sick people to health, but we will pray to God that He may have mercy on them.' We intended removing the proselytes to another place, but we did not succeed in this, and had to leave them amongst these barbarous people.

"In the month of June we were informed that Fanta David with the traders took their return via Setchu. I sent three proselytes to meet him there, or on his way, that he might not be alone. After three weeks the brethren returned hunger-stricken and looking miserable, and bringing the sad news that Fanta David with the traders had been attacked by robbers by night, plundered, and murdered. This the people of Gergera, where the bloody deed happened, related. Letters, money, and mules are lost; how much money he had we do not know, but we suppose he carried our half-yearly salary.*

Now all of us, including the proselytes, are in extreme wretchedness. On account of the enormous prices of victuals, the supply of cash is gone. What will this end in? -suffering, hunger, and death. On the 16th of June I despatched two brethren to Massauah, but after a fortnight they returned, because owing to the rains the rivers were overflowing and the road was very insecure. All this is very depressing. Last year we were suffering hunger; we ate grass and herbs like cattle; and the prospect of this year amounts to the same. We are but wicked Abyssinians who need the chastising rod of our God: we and our fathers have sinned; our woes and afflictions are indescribable. The Lord is leading us through heavy tribulations. May He help and strengthen us, that we may abide faithful even unto death, that after all this heavy work and these many tribulations we may be granted to enter into eternal joy and to see Him whom we love and for whom we

suffer!

"Up to the end of May, the School was well frequented by the children of proselytes and Chris

* The messenger had 800 dollars, equal to £160. Half of this sum was the salaries of the brethren, the other half to serve as support for the sufferers from the famine.