But a more serious and a more striking display was still to follow. The
artillery were to exhibit their powers; and the crowd rushed out, and
scattered over the hill to see its practice. A sheet was attached to the
opposite face of the ravine, the valley rang to the roar of the guns; and
as the white cloth flew in shreds to the wind, under a rapid discharge of
round shot, canister, and grape, amid the crumbling of the rock, and the
rush of falling stones, shouts of admiration rang from hill to hill. This
eventful evening was closed by testimonies of the king's satisfaction, in
the shape of a huge pepper pie from the royal kitchen, with his commands
that his children might feast; and a visit from the royal confessor, a
dwarf enveloped in robes and turbans, and armed with silver cross and
crosier. Seating himself in a chair, he delivered a speech, which affords
as good a specimen of court oratory as any thing that we remember; and
also shows the powerful effect of the presents on the courtly
sensibilities. The speech was as follows:--

"Forty years have rolled away since Asfa Woosen, on whose memory be
peace! grandsire to our beloved monarch, saw in a dream that the red
men were bringing into his kingdom, curious and beautiful commodities
from countries beyond the great sea. The astrologers, on being
commanded to give an interpretation thereof, predicted with one
accord, that foreigners from the land of Egypt would come into
Abysinia during his majesty's most illustrious reign; and that yet
more and wealthier would follow in that of his son, and of his son's
son, who should sit next upon the throne. Praise be unto God, that
the dream and its interpretation have now been fulfilled! Our eyes,
though they be old, have never beheld wonders until this day; and
during the reign over Shoa of seven successive kings, no such
miracles as these have been wrought in Ethiopia!!"