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There was every evidence of a high civilization in all that we saw within the city,

which, in connection with the humane treatment that had been accorded all

prisoners upon the long and tiresome march, encouraged me to hope that I might

appeal to some high officer here for the treatment which my rank and birth

merited.

We could converse with our captors only through the medium of interpreters who

spoke both Chinese and Abyssinian. But there were many of these, and shortly

after we reached the city I persuaded one of them to carry a verbal message to the

officer who had commanded the troops during the return from New Gondar,

asking that I might be given a hearing by some high official.

The reply to my request was a summons to appear before the officer to whom I

had addressed my appeal. A sergeant came for me along with the interpreter,

and I managed to obtain his permission to let Victory accompany me--I had never

left her alone with the prisoners since we had been captured.

To my delight I found that the officer into whose presence we were conducted

spoke Abyssinian fluently. He was astounded when I told him that I was a Pan-

American. Unlike all others whom I had spoken with since my arrival in Europe,

he was well acquainted with ancient history--was familiar with twentieth century

conditions in Pan-America, and after putting a half dozen questions to me was

satisfied that I spoke the truth.

When I told him that Victory was Queen of England he showed little surprise,

telling me that in their recent explorations in ancient Russia they had found

many descendants of the old nobility and royalty.

He immediately set aside a comfortable house for us, furnished us with servants

and with money, and in other ways showed us every attention and kindness.

He told me that he would telegraph his emperor at once, and the result was that

we were presently commanded to repair to Peking and present ourselves before

the ruler.

We made the journey in a comfortable railway carriage, through a country which,

as we traveled farther toward the east, showed increasing evidence of prosperity

and wealth.

At the imperial court we were received with great kindness, the emperor being

most inquisitive about the state of modern Pan-America. He told me that while

he personally deplored the existence of the strict regulations which had raised a

barrier between the east and the west, he had felt, as had his predecessors, that

The Lost Continent