y to found a state of his own, and had defeated
the prince of Tigre in pitched battle, he gave himself out to his
followers and to all Abyssinia as Theodore, king of Ethiopia, and was
crowned under that name in his thirty-eighth year.

The ambition of Theodore was still boundless. He gathered an increased
following, conquered tribe after tribe in Abyssinia proper, and
prosecuted a most successful crusade in the country of the Gallas,
subduing descendants of those who had wrought havoc in his native land
from time to time, and established himself at a place nearly a mile
square, and 9000 feet above the level of the sea. The town is known to
us as Magdala.

Gondar was still the capital of Abyssinia, and to it and the country
generally Theodore invited Europeans. Ambitious as he was, and warlike,
the king--for Theodore had become the acknowledged ruler of the nation--
was anxious to develop the resources of his kingdom, and that his people
should be taught trades and industries. He was intelligent enough to
see that Abyssinia could not be a great country if its natives were not
imbued with ideas of civilisation, and if its products were not
purchased by foreigners and their wares imported to the interior. Many
merchants and artisans in search of employment under another flag went
out to Abyssinia, therefore, and found employment; while consuls, or
representatives, of European powers were appointed, and welcomed by
Theodore to his court.

The British consul, Mr Plowden, was killed by a rebel force in March
1860, while on his way to the port of Massowah upon the coast; and so
grieved was Theodore that he commissioned a superior body of his
soldiers, not only to subdue the offending tribes, but to seek out the
murderers of Mr Plowden and to punish them. This was done, and the
king was greatly pleased when the British Government freely acknowledged
he was in no sense to blame for the massacre. They sent out Captain
Cameron to succeed the unfortunate Plowden, and presents were carried
from our Queen. Theodore was delighted, further, to receive Protestant
missionaries from England, and to show other tokens of friendship for
Britannia.

A great change came over Theodore's conduct at length. His temper was
soon ruffled, his pride was unbearable, he practised cruelties upon his
people, and he became cold towards England, more particularly when
months passed away and he received no answer to a letter sent to the
Britis