On his majesty's service. (explorer Wilfred Thesiger)

At the age of 23 Wilfred Thesiger became the first European to travel through the fabled Sultanate of Aussa, establishing his reputation as one of the century's greatest living explorers. Here he recalls how it all became possible

I was born in the Legation (today's Embassy), which my father was in charge of, in 1910 and spent my childhood, until I was nearly nine, in Abyssinia, as Ethiopia was called in those days. It was an extraordinary childhood and I am convinced that the events in which I was involved and the sights which I saw during those years had a permanent effect on the rest of my life.

My father, accompanied by my mother, travelling with animal transport, arrived in Addis Ababa in December 1909. With its people inheriting a civilisation as old as that of Egypt, and a Christian faith dating back to the 4th century AD, Abyssinia resembled no other country in Africa or anywhere else.

When my parents arrived, the new Legation was still being built. At first they lived in circular, grass-roofed tukuls or mud huts, in one of which I was born; these tukuls still stand there today, 100 years after they were built. I was the eldest of four brothers and, during the years we were in Abyssinia, there were no other European children to keep me company. Over the years I relied increasingly on my brother Brian, who was one year my junior, for companionship. We had learned to ride almost as soon as we could walk. There were no cars in Addis Ababa. My father had a horse-drawn carriage which he sometimes used, otherwise everyone rode everywhere, and we did the same. As I grew older, my father taught me to shoot and enthralled, I listened to his stories about hunting big game, determined that one day I would do the same.

Menelik, the King of Kings of Ethiopia, and one of the greatest in the history of that country, was still alive when my father arrived, but he had recently suffered a stroke and was utterly incapacitated. He lived until 1913, but my father never saw him. Menelik was succeeded while still alive by Lij Yasu, his 13-year-old grandson, whose father was Negus Mikael, the despotic ruler of the northern province of Wollo. Lij Yasu was never crowned; cruelty and arrogance predominated in his character. He had always hated Addis Ababa and spent most of his time in Harar and elsewhere with the Somalis and the Danakil. He became increasingly attracted to Islam, and finally at a mass meeting of Somalis he swore on the Koran that he was a Muslim. As a result he was deposed in 1916 and Menelik's daughter, Zauditu, was proclaimed Empress with Ras Tafari as Regent. Fourteen years later Ras Tafari was to become the Emperor Haile Selassie.

Negas Mikael assembled his forces in Gojjam and prepared to march on Addis Adaba and restore his son to power. Ras Tafari took charge of the government and collected his forces to oppose him. My father was aware that Lij Yasu had been supplying the "Mad Mullah" with ammunition and arms to assist him in his long-drawn-out war against the government of British Somaliland. My father had a great respect for Ras Tafari and was therefore doing all he could to assist him.

Those were exciting days, Brian and I watched fascinated as Ras Tafari's Shoan army passed below the Legation on its way north to give battle to Negus Mikael. Armed with swords and spears, some of them carrying rifles, but all of them with shields, they hurried past on foot, closely packed about their mounted leaders. They were followed at intervals by bands of Galla on horses, wild tribesmen from areas in the south which Menelik had conquered and added to his empire. But this was nothing compared with their triumphant return after their decisive victory at Sagale, only 60 miles from the Legation. All day they had ...