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ABYSSIN lA 



AND ITS PEOPLE; 



LIFE IN THE LAND OF PRESTER 
JOHN. 




JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, 



SSitir i fi^ t&f ; ant tUs^ Colottrttr lEIIiistTalfona 

BY MU. VICNAUD AND £ 



LONDON: 
JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, PICCADILLY. 






WTVAV AWD BOirS, PEIVTEBS, 
Af QUXUr BTBBST, LIKCOLX'S IX X FIELDS. 
LOKDOir, W.G. 



^^r^rr 




AN ABYSSfNIAN DEVOUR[NC RAW BEEF. 

■Siting mi fiul tf tht 4tfiB tf n»*i with hii titSk ataheidintdit 
'rtnmiaiii*ltAhtiU.lucHUaiutffeUtttthis:if-iB\ mt. uiikj!.* 



CONTENTS. 



COBTBNTS •......■ 

To TBI BUDIB ...... 

Abtbbinian Wordb i>r FsignxHT TJbi • - ■ r 

INTBOPUCTIOH . - . . . . I; 

PART I. 

THE COmiTBT AS SEES BT EAALT AKD BECENT 

TKAVELLEES. 

Alvabkz ....... a 

Pbteb Fasz - - . . . - a 

Jeboui Lobo - • ■ ■ ■ -a 

POSCET ..,..-,« 

Jambb Bbvcs ! 

Aikeka — Ahj-ioian Tap« Worm —High Seuonlng 
Recommended — Bathing in Cold Water — Skle of 
Relations — Coatom of TolJi — Cipital o( Tigr^ — Amm 
— SlioiDK StoakB from the Liring Cow— The Falarfiw 
— The King at hia DeTotions — Waking the King — 
Writing Hateriala — Banquet of Raw Fleih — Mairiage 
— Chnrob DeooratJotis - - - - a, 

LOBD ViLBNTIA - - . - - - 4 

Hath. Pkabcb - - . . . .4 

8ai.t'b Votaox : 

A Strange War dutoni — Hatrimonial Ceremoniaa — 
EnKliah Sailor's Freak — Prejodice against aappljilig 
Wat«T— Great Diolika to Bmoe - - -4. 

B*v. SiaiL. OoBAi : 

Religioua Sanctuaries — Ab;asiman UaraLi — The Fa- 
loshat — Caase of Abjiainian Immoralit; — A Remem- 
bnuioa of Btooa— L^ean'a Opinion of Oobat - 4' 

BoTnLL's ExFXDiTiOK • - - ■ b: 



Anil ''"'°~"' 



CONSUL PLOWDEN'S DESCRIPTION OF ABTSSINU, 
iB5a-5. 

, KTBODUCnON - - - - • - 1 1 

Chu-. I. — Qenbsji, Subvbt or ABTaaniu i 

Northani Abywinia - - - -11 

Coif. n. — DlTIBIONH or THX COCHTKY : 

Eit«at ot tha Conntr; — Yegetation — Ths Ambara 
Paople — NatioDttl Tnuta — The Caatom of Gift*— 

Chap. in. — The Vabiods Ci^sbbs ot Abxbbinians : 
TIiG Military CIub— The Landed Proprietora— Pensanta 
and Villagera — The Prieathood — Chriatiaoity in 
Abyaainia — Boniaii CathoUoa — Abyaraniao PrioBta — 
Mabomedana — Tha Tiadinfr Claases — The Mercantile 
ComTDtuiity — ^The Caravana — A Meiohant Chief — The 
Salt Trade— EngliBh HuiDfactniea • • - 1^ 

Cb&F. IV. QOVBBNIIBNT AND LaWB : 

Bee Ali — Feudal Sovereignty — The Chiefa — Jndioial 

Cnatoma— The Inatitntiou ot Elders— The Principle of 

Eqnality — The Conflict for Supramaoy — Defeat of 

BaB Ail — DejoJ Birro — Shankallaa SUvea - - 17 

Cbaf. V. — Thb Qlj.1^ Tbibsb - - ■ . i; 

Cbaf. VI. — Thi Shieos axd BKSoriMB : 

The Bedonine— The Shepherd Tribes— The Province of 
Billayn- The Mogoa Tiibea— The Shankallas - 9C 

Chap. YII. — Abtbbinian Idbah or thb Wokld : 

National CharaateristiOH — Ideas of England — The Abya- 
ainiana and Turks — The Tigrd Coautry — Torke; 
veriui England • • • • - as 

Chap. Vm. — Eihq Theddobe : 

Eing Thoodore'a Conning — Coronation of Kin^ Theo- 
dore — Theodore aappreBBsa StaTsry — Theodore's 
Ideaa of Conquest — A Monk Sentenced — Promise to 
tend an Embaaa? — Difflonlty in NegociatiDg — Abya- 



PARI 

SUGGESTIONS FOE AN 

KOUTKS - 
Sib Sahitsl W. Bakcb'b Sroos 

ThB Klurtonn) oDcI KuBftla Kt 
Majob-Geneilal CoaHI.lK'8 Scui 

Mbbiow&Ii mad otlier Honteii 
Cau. Ubbxwbtbsb's SuooBarioNS 

Musowah Bonlo 
Dft. K&Apv'b Suouestions : 
HoMowiih and THJilmih 

_ Ja, Bskb's SvauEaTioNK : 

^L MwBoWkli ud BaliciU— TlM Co- 

H Qohtagm 

■ noDTEa 

Feknch ExrEBlTloK, IH39.43 — S 
Dillon .... 

T Gonta trom Tajiirmh t« Askobur 



Exchange 

Library 

Univ. of Western 

Ontario 

C- SC' 3 



TT IS ALMOST a tntitm lo say that ike bttttr a 
coTtntri/ it knotoii, the more di_fficull it is to torile a 
book about it. Ju»i note \ee know very little of Abyssinia, 
and lliere/ore adiiU book, provided it contains irustvporthy 
facts concerning lltat region, would be read vnth eagemeti. 
—The Times, October 9, 1867. 

It was in the belief tli&t such a book of facta — facts 
aupplicil by travellers who have visited Abyssinia duriog 
the past half-centviry — would possess some interest to the 
general public at the present moment, tliat tlie following 
work was undertaken. Should it, however, be found 
" dull," thei'e was no necessity for its possessing this 
chamcter, as the information given in books of Abys- 
sinian travel is of the most varied and interesting kind. 

Ko literary merit whatever is claimed for the ]iei^ 
foimance, and all it pretends to bo is a fair and honest 
picture of Abyssinia as it was, and as it is, drawn 
by early and recent travellers. If the Ixjok is of no other 
value, it will at least indicate the aulhoritiea which may 
be consulted by any one desirous of eittending bis know- 
ledge of the country and its people. 

A great deal of nonsense has of late been written 
about the appalling dangers of Abyssinia, and the ex- 
treme difficulties of travelling there tinder any and 
all circumstAnues, and one object of this volume was to 




X Pre/aee. 

show with whfit comparative ease (all things coneiderod) 
several trdvellors — some very indifferently equipped — 
have passed through almost every part of the country. 
As Dr. Jieke remarks concerning the alleged " mountain 
passes and diiBcultics unkuown " [reference is here made 
to an assertion of Lord AufoeU, when speaking of the 
great dangers of travelling in Abyssinia], "itmigjit really 
be imagined that no Europeans had been in Abyssinia 
since the tiiuc of Bruce and Salt. And yet, within the 
last quarter of a century, there are few ' unknown ' 
countries that have been visited and traversed in nil 
directions by so large a number of educated Europeans, 
many of 'whom have published their travels."* 

At the present moment there appear to be three 
classes of advisers upon wliat is commouly known as 
the " Abyssinian Question." The first disbelieve in the 
success of any expedition, and are quite willing that the 
captives should he left to their fate, as " they went to 
Abyssinia of their own accord, or at least with ttieir eyes 
open." The second recommend that an armed expedition 
should be immediately despatched there, and the King 
promptly punished for his insult to British authority. 
The third party, like the second, recommend an armed 
expedition, but they are of opinion that as Abyssinia is 
tlio high road to the intorior of AAica, and occupies an 
important and convenient position adjacent to the shores 
of the Hed Sea, that the officers of the expedition might 
leisurely look about them after tliey had accomplished 
their original task — in other words, that they need not 
be iu any great liasto to leave the country after tliey once 
get there. Of the three classes of advisers it is believed 
tliat the suggestions of the lost will find moat favour with 
our Government, and with the public, too, when all the 

* " The BiitUb CdptivM In Abjuini^" b; Ki. C. Beke, p. 18. 



Pnfaet. 3 

circumstancea and contingeociea of the "AbTsrinian 
Question " are fairly laid before them. 

Two kinds of expeditions have been recommended 
to open the intended campaign — the one to consist of 
a small but highly trained body of men (selected from 
their peculiar fitness for the enterprise), who should 
scour the country in the quickest possible time ; the other, 
to comprise from tea to fifteen tbonsand soldiers, and 
form a commiHsion such as it is now understood 'Uie 
Government are fitting out. The idea of a small ex- 
pedition b no new thing. As early as 1530 the prac- 
ticability of conquering Abyssinia with a small force of 
disciplined troops was entertained by the trained officer 
of the Portuguese monarch. Oviedo, missionary and 
soldier, thus wrote home to the King of Portugal : — " I 
earnestly entreat you to despatch 1500 men, with which 
I undertake to conquer all Abyssinia," The proposal, 
however, was never acted upon. 

It has been suggested that, as ITubia bounds Abyssinia 
on the north and partly on the west, and as Egypt 
occupies the principal seaport o( the country, Massovrah ; 
and England is at the present time on terms of friendship 
■with the Turldsh Government; — we should, therefore, 
requite the insult paid to our country by aiding Egypt 
in subjecting Abyssinia to her rule. Such a course, 
however, is most strongly condemned by all travellers 
who have had experience of Egyptian authority in those 
parts. The Turkish idea of government api>ears to be 
the occupation of a seaport, or trading-post, for the 
purpose of.*ollccting dues and taxes, and then learing 
all the ra' 'the countiy to protect itself and manage 
its aflV^ beat can. If anything is to be done for 

Abv" must not be through the Turks. As Sir 

jker remarks; "The Turks never improve. 



4 Preface, 

There is an Arab proverb that * the grass never gro 
in the footprint of a Turk ;' and nothing can be iu( 
aptly expressive of the character of the nation than tl 
simple adage : Afisgovemment, monoply^ extortion, a^ 
oppressiony are the certain accompaniments of Turh 
administration^ * The testimony of other travellers 
very similar, and the captives themselves — in every wj 
qualified to judge of the character and antipathies of i. 
Abyssinian people— entreat of our Government to a 
entirely independent of Egypt in whatever measiii 
they may take for their release. 

Territorial and political influence on the shores 
the Ked Sea were matters which engaged the eame 
attention of the French Government long before tl 
Suez canal became a subject for discussion through o 
Europe. The importance of the Ked Sea as a she 
cut to India and the countries of the East, was eai' 
seen by French politicians and merchants; and aft 
various independent travellers had returned with stori 
of the fertility and natural wealth of Abyssinia, i 
political confusion and absence ^of scttleil govemniei 
the French authorities determined upon despatching 
completely appointed expedition to examine and rei)o 
upon the several aspects of the country. That the 
might be no mistake, a second expedition was start< 
within twelve months, the instructions given to wlii< 
were similar to those of the first. In jmrt i of tl 
book some of the i^esults of those commissions are give 
and the reader may see for himself how energetic oi 
neighbours have been in making themselves acquaint- 
with a country which might some day become a Freu< 
colony. Ever since the return of the exjK^dition, Frcn< 
agents have occupied some of the princi2)al towns 

• Baker's " Albert N'Yanza,'* vol. t., p. 13. 



Prejace. 5 

provinces in Abyssinia, according, we believe, to the 
admirable instructions contained in M. Lefebvre's report 
(given entire further on for the benefit of my own 
countrymen). They have, very wisely, not busied 
themselves in the squabbles of the different tribes for 
supremacy, or sided with one or other of the chiefs in 
their tights — as our active countryman. Bell, or as our 
unfortunate Consul Plowden certainly did; but they 
have exerted none the less (perhaps more) influence 
upon Abyssinian politics in consequence. We should, 
probably, have heard further about French influence in 
Abyssinia, had the Catholic missionaries, also sent by 
France, been more successful. If these found favour 
under one chief or king, their expulsion or persecution 
was made a political principle by his successor ; and so 
up to this hour they only exert a very small influence in 
this part of the country, nowhere within Theodore's 
jurisdiction. I do not mean to say that the French 
have not as much right in Abyssinia as we have ; but I 
do say that whilst we have been sleeping they have 
been working there, and that whether they sent an 
expedition of scientific and commercial inquiry, or an 
agent, or a consul, they have always been very much 
more successful than we have been.* There can be little 
doubt also that the influence exerted there by them has 
been detrimental to us, and that the present unfortunate 
relations betwixt this country and Abyssinia have at 
least been aggravated by the false reports of certain 
French agents. The impudent stoiy of the Count de 

* At the present moment M. Monzinger, the active French Con- 
sul at Massowah, performs also the consular duties for this country, 
and it must be stated to his credit that he is thoroughly impartial 
in his attentions to both Governments, our political resident at 
Aden continually consulting him on variooa matters connected 
with the expedition now fitting out. 



6 Preface. 

Bisson, and the untruths of Bardel, Consul Cameron's 
agent, are but minor instances of this bad influence. 
The late French consul, M. Lejean, was imprisoned as 
well as our own representative ; but the former obtained 
his freedom because he kept himself aloof from 
Abyssinian quarrels, and because no Englishman tried 
to prejudice a suspicious king against him. 

It is satisfactory to observe a little less ignorance 
concerning King Theodore in our public journals of 
late. Six months ago he was generally spoken of as 
a mere remove from an orang-outang, a naked scare- 
crow, compared with whom the King of Dahomey was 
a polished gentleman. One of the latest exhibitions of 
this ignorance is the cartoon of Punchy where the Abys- 
sinian monarch is represented as a negro of the lowest 
type, with flat nose and huge lips, attired in left-off top 
boots, and a military coat from Monmouth Street — a kind 
of music-hall Jim Crow, crouching and yelping at the 
feet of Lord Stanley, or somebody else, who presents him 
with an ultimatum on the point of a bayonet. From the 
various travellers' description of him, one general portrait 
may be formed — that of a brave, haughty, and unscru- 
piilous chieftain who with certain surroundings might 
make a respectable King, but who, when these were re- 
moved, woidd make a very bad one, and should therefore be 
deposed as soon as possible. In many resjiects the national 
character and customs of Abyssinia resemble those of 
certain tribes of the North American Indians, and if 
both are descended from the lost tribes of the Jews — as 
certain bold speculatists have assured us — the resemblance 
can in this way receive some explanation. Be this as it 
may, Theodore's character is not at all unlike that of 
many Indian chiefs whom I have met — ^a mass of inconsis- 
tencies very difi&cult to European comprehension. Brave 




Pre/aae. 7 

and daring to a fault — untruthfiil and tricky over trifles ; 
forgetful of self as on ancliorite, and exacting of others 
in the extreme in all matters of obeisance and ceremony ; 
chivalroua and forgiving one day, inhumanly cruel and 
bloodthirsty the next. Like all clever sav^es, Theodore 
ia exceedingly crafty. His letters, mostly written in 
the Amliaric dialect, are perfect models of diplomatio 
composition. There is scarcely a phrase which is not 
susceptible of two or more interpretations. Truly, aa 
M. Lejean has remarked, "it may be said of Theodore, 
as it has been said of an illustrious European statesmaa 
— ' If you wish to understand his real sentiments from 
his letters, you must read between the lines.' " Theodore, 
like the rest of his countrymen, detests the Turks ; and I 
am told by a gentleman long resident at Ehartoom of a 
report current there during the Crimean War, that the 
King — then a petty chief — prevailed upon Kas AM to 
despatch two messengers to the Emperor ^Nicholas of 
Hussia, offering him a troop of Abyssinian soldiers to 
join his forces in waging war against the Turks. 

The past history of Abyssinia shows how ill adapted 
is the system of chiefs and petty despotisms to anything 
like a settled condition of country. To all appearance 
Abyssinia has remained in the same disturbed state for 
many centuries — probably ever since the fall of Axum 
and the decline of its grandeur. Mow a chief, superior 
to his fellows, would, after a fashion, rule the country for 
a period ; but his death would as surely be the signal 
for one of those terrible commotions wliich invariably 
leave the country in a worae condition than ever. In 
fact, the history of Abyssinia appears to be made up of 
such recitals as abound in the chronicles of the Old 
Testament — a weary, and almost never-ending series of 
email fights and petty battles, carried on senselessly and 



«f la 8/ain and s 
«»c,„l Jew, and n^ ^ 

I 1«ve .ureonbed to tl 



Prefeux. 9 

selection from their works as may serve to give the general 
reader a very fair idea of life in Abyssinia, from the days 
of Bruce to the present day. 

Fart II. gives one of the best accounts of Abyssinia 
ever written — that sent home to his superiors in office by 
Consul Piowden. It really contaliiB everything that it 
is necessary to know about the country at the jiresent 
time ; its geographical divisions, government, laws, and 
customa. So closely, indeed, Ib the information packed 
in these official despatches, that they very well merit the 
title of " literary pemmicaD," which a correspondent has 
given them. 

Part III. contains the story of the British Captives, 
the detention of whom by King Theodora has invested 
everything relating to Abyssinia with bo peculiar an 
interest at the present moment. 

Part IV, is devoted to those practical sug^stions 
which have recently been made by distinguished travellers 
to our Government, for an armed expedition to Abys- 
sinia, to release the captives. The net results, too, of 
the great French expedition of 1839-43 f"* l"^"^ given 
in the shape of routes to and from every important place 
in Abyssinia. Major Harris's route has been included, 
for the reason that it has been recommended by more 
than one writer that our expedition sliould land at 
Tajurrah, and proceed by way of Ankobar to Debra 
Tabor, or wherever the King and the captives might be 
situated at the time. 

Part V. will not possess much interest for the general 
reader, as it is simply a bibliography, as full as the editor 
could make it, of all the known books published about 
Abyssinia. To the intending traveller in those parts, or 
to the geographical student, it may prove useful. 

The orthography of Abyssinian proper names is 



iiave the names of person 
manner — tUe anthora tlici 
two or tliri'e times in the 
been unable to preservu ii 
]iavticiil;ir. The conijiile 
Book seema to have met 
the chieftain Gobaj-ze ts s<. 
oa the next ho in spoken o 

Our map might hare 
oub. It is, however, b 
aasinl the reuder in ti^cii 
places. Another and niucl 
Of the illustrations, that de 
sowah " would be mora acci 
the Ixland of MasBowah," 
Cuatom-houEe and a small j 
of the Abysaiuian devour 
ek«tch : it is a truthful rep 
of un evcry-^Iay occurrence . 

A» tlte " Bibliography " 
complete, the editor will 
of pHTticulnra of any vor1 



Pnjaee. ii 

B. Maukham, Esq., F.R.G.S., who has been rn^nested 
to accompany the present expe<litioQ for scientific pur- 
poses ; and to Mb. Hexrt A. Borstte, who, not loDg 
since, returned from Gondar by way of Kbartoom. To 
these gentlemen I have to express my best tlianka for 
Unta and suggeetiona. 

J. C. H. 
Oct. 25, 1867. 




THE TZETSEAI FLT. 
A Hhort time sinca it wan very generally belisTSd that tMs 
poiioDons icaect was only one of the m&nj teirara which attended 
travelliDg in Abjuinia. Brace mentionB itj bnt ae he Tisited 
many parte of Afiica, aud wrote hia book aome yeara after his 
totara home, he, in all probability, ened in filing it opon Abjaaima. 
Modem traTetlera declare the oonntry to be qnita free from it, and 
asBore oa it ia only to be mat with aeTeral hnndrad miles distant ; 
Sir S. Dakar, howerer, allDdea to a terrible fly to be mat with here 
which " daatroyB all domeatic imimala." Oor iUnstTotion ia laigvr 
than the actual size. The fly ia Kcaerally seen with the wingg 
closed, and to all appearance reeembles an ordinary anmmer fly. 
Its bite ia almoat certain death to cattle, bqt appeua to be com- 
paratiTely barmleas to hnmaQ beinga. 



'o'-yofland. 
'"'""■-''""■", Duke 

J^^-H'-JoftUeCta, 
•■Bru.J''* ■» '«"" 

""« w made in(« ii.„;_ _ , 





T 



Even our own GoTemment officers appasr to be a 
ignoiant of itii geography as other people ; and bo Ute a 
the present year the Admiralty authoritiea "oTdere« 
H.M.8. Oelaoia into the Bed Sea to visit Massowal 




ABYSSINIA 



AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ABOUT no part of the habitable world has there 
been such prolonged misconception and ignorance 
as about the country of the Habese, or, as we style it, 
Abyssinia. 

To the old classic writers it was the land of monsters 
and of terrors. To the learned of the Middle Ages it 
was the country of Prester John, — a land where the 
mountains were all of pure gold, and the children played 
at marbles with big diamonds, just as ours throw stone 
ones about. Men with long tails, ladies with two heads, 
and scores of other wonders were to be met with here. 
Even the Portuguese travellers who went there could 
only describe the country as either the most horrible and 
depraved, or the most beautiful and moral, which they 
had ever visited. It seems that there has always been 
something in the land which prevented a truthful esti- 
mate being formed of it. Nor have the narratives of 
modem travellers enlightened to any great extent the 
public mind upon this mysterious country. 

Even our own Government officera appear to be as 
ignorant of ite geography as other people ; and so late as 
the present year the Admiralty authorities "ordered 
H.M.S. O^avia into the Ked Sea to visit Massowab 



i 



iMvc lii'ld mkIi an (>|»ii;i<-]i, and liis " Ka>silas, 
Ityssiiiia/' altliouij;li a rlutoiical iioti<»n, srt uis 
led upon this popular uotion of Abyssinian 
Johnson, whose first proso publication was a 
»f Father Lobo, had doubtless been reading the 
pages of the Portuguese chronicles, in one of 
ad this picture of Efat, — " a valley so deep, 
I bj such high and craggy mountains, that 
> appeared to resemble the descent into hell, 
g possession, however, he found it a most 
id fertile district. The inhabitants were 
affectionate; they even made cotton clotlis, 
Hi other arts better than the rest of the 
: yet they were pagans, barbarous. The 
tained much gold." 

t of country lying to the south of Nubia, 
d on its eastern shore by the Bed Sea, is 
ipposed to have been occupied at a veiy 
y a numerous band of adventurers from the 
st of Arabia. They were subsequently known 

) of Habesh^ which sic^nifiAn in Ai«oT«^ « — ' 



IntrodticHon, 15 

century, the inhabitants of AbjssLoia are descended from 
the Jewish tribe of Judah. 

Mr. Salty in his account of Ancient Abyssinia, holds a 
still different opinion. He inclines to the belief that the 
Abyssinians, or Axumites, as they were called by the 
Bomans, are descended from a race of the Aboriginal 
inhabitants of Africa, composed of native Ethiopians, 
who became in the course of time mixed with settlers 
from Egypt. 

Whatever doubt may exist as to their origin, it is 
certain that they differ essentially both in appearance, 
customs, and religion from the surrounding negro tribes. 

That the most fantastic ideas were entertained even by 
learned men concerning this region, the pages of Job 
Ludolphus afford ample evidence. This author candidly 
confesses his work to be but a compilation, derived prin- 
cipally from the accounts of one Gregory, who had spent 
some years in Ethiopia. He also acknowledges himself 
indebted to the writings of Ludovicus Ureta, a monk of 
Valentia ; Balthazar Tellezius, a. Portuguese ; Franciscus 
Alvarezius, and John Bermudes. Unfortunately, not a 
copy of either of these works is to be found in the British 
Museum or the Bodleian Library. While on the one 
hand we are inclined to smile at the fantastic conceptions 
of these early geograi^hers, we must in many instances 
acknowledge the accuracy of the accounts of those cir- 
cumstances which came under their personal observation. 
In the map of Ludolphus, for example, the source of tho 
Blue Nile, and the position of several districts and towns 
are given with marvellous accuracy, while on the same 
sheet is a drawing of a flying monster, wliich for daring 
originality in conception would put to blush Garter 
King-at-Arms, backed by all his heralds and pur- 



1 6 Introduction, » ' 



suiYants. Again, in another place, four monkeys are 
represented as effectually making a stand against two 
particularly ferocious and able-bodied lions, by tlie simple 
expedient of throwing sand in their faces. A much 
earlier author (Seneca), writing of this country, says : — 
^'The stones bum as if in a furnace, not only in the 
middle of the day, bat also towards evening; silver 
unaolders; the footsteps of men are impatient of the 
scorching sand ; the &stening of the standard melts, and 
no exterior covering of outward ornament remains." 

What wonder then that those who read these startling 
accounts of Ethiopia, should ascribe its sovereignty to 
Prester John, and infest its deserts with Basilisks, Sala- 
manders, Grii&ns, and Wy vems ] 

Before describing Abyssinia as it now is, it may just 
be worth while to give a specimen of the nonsense and 
exaggeration which the old chroniclers delighted in styling 
« historical narratives.'* Regarding the general features 
of the country, Ludolphus writes : — 

" The country is situated between the tropic of Cancer 
and the Equinoctial Line, and enjoys a wonderful variety 
of air. The Champion Levels feel the heat, the hilly 
parts are no less subject to cold. For this reason the 
thunders are most dreadful, and frequent tempests terrify 
both man and beasts. Their prodigious mountains over- 
look the clouds themselves — neither Olympus nor Athos, 
here accounted wonders, nor Atlas itself, which the 
ancients fancied to be the support of heaven, is to be 
compared with them. Their rocks of various shapes and 
figures, so amazing steep as not to be ascended ; ^^ (?) (sic) 
inhabited. Their surrounded valleys, rugged, and repre- 
senting abysses for profundity. Metals they also liave, but 
chiefiy gold, did they know how to find it and dig it foith. 



IrUroductian. 1 7 

Their dryest places in winter are overflowed in summer ; 
for those advantages which the rains afford the fields in 
other plao^ the rivers supply in Ethiopia. Among 
those rivers, Nilas, for vastness and fame, far exceeds all 
the rivers of the whole world. Whose fountains so 
diligently sought by the ancients are not only here 
found, but it also now appears that the river Niger is 
no more than its left ohannel. Nor do> all the rivers of 
Habassia, as in other places, empty themselves into the sea, 
but are some of them suckt up in the land, so that it is 
more difficult to find the mouths of those than the sources 
of other streams. Plants they have of admirable virtue, 
and beasts of all sorts, many of which are unknown to us. 
The largest also of fowl and four-footed beasts are here 
to be found. The celebrated unicorn, so curiously sought 
out for in all comers of the world was first seen here. 
Cattle without number, much larger than ours, feed in 
the vast woods, affording pasture sufficient as well for the 
wild as tame." 

And this writer is still by many regarded as the autho- 
rity upon all matters connected with Abyssinian history. 

Under John I. and his son Prince Henry, the Portu- 
guese prosecuted their discoveries along the coast of 
Africa, within five degrees of the equinoctial line. In 
the reign of John II., Bai-tholomew Diaz (in i486) was 
directed to proceed to the southern extremity of Africa, 
and explore the passage to India, then an object of the 
utmost solicitude. After encountering innumerable 
perils, and discovering a thousand miles of new coun- 
lay, he beheld the high promontory which terminates the 
southern coast. He gave it the appropriate appellation 
of Caho Tormentosa, or the Stormy Cape ; but the king 
changed its name to the Cape of Good Hope, which 

tt S B 



** -+*J 



I 



1 8 Introduction. 

it has ever since retained. About the same period 
information reached Portugal of a mighty kingdom in 
the East, governed by a Christian monarch. It was 
immediately concluded that this was the Emperor of 
Abyssinia, to whom the Europeans, in consequence of a 
mistake of Marco Polo, and other Eastern travellers, 
gave the name of Prester John. Hoping to receive 
information and assistance in the prosecution of his 
scheme of reaching the East Indies by sailing round 
Africa, the King of Portugal sent Pedro de Covillam 
and Alphonso de Payva, into the East to search for the 
residence of this unknown potentate, and make him 
proffers of friendship. They were at the same time to 
explore the Red Sea and the coiLsts of the Indian 
Ocean, and gain all the commercial intelligence that 
could be accumulated. Having repaired to Grand 
Cairo, the two travellers proceeded on their journey 
with a caravan of Egyptian merchants, and embarking 
on the Red Sea, arrived at Aden in Arabia. There 
they separated : Payva sailed directly towards Abyssinia, 
where, unfortunately, he was cruelly murdered. Covillam 
visited Hindostiin, sailed to Sofala, and proceeded north- 
wards along the whole eastern coast of Afnca. Return- 
ing to Grand Cairo, he transmitted such favourable 
accounts to tlie Portuguese monarch, that a powerful 
squadron was fitted out, and intrusted to the command 
of Vasco do Gam a, a man whose talents eminently 
qualified him for the mighty enterprise. He sailed 
from Lisbon in June, 1497 ; after passing the Cape, he 
directed his course towaixls the north-cast, along the 
African coast, and after various adventures, came to 
anchor Ixjfore the city of Melinda in Zanzibar. From 
the river Senegal to the confines of this country, the 



ItUroduetion. 



'9 



Portuguese had found & race of men rude and unculti- 
vated, differing from the inhabitants of Europe no less in 
their features and complexion than in their manners and 
institutions. Christopher de Gama and his Portuguese 
fellowers are said to have stormed the fiunous Jew's 
Bock, or Amba Gideon, between the river Tacazze and 
the lake Tzana, and to have put the Mahomedan 
garrison to the sword. This point is about 150 miles 
from Massowah. 

In Joseph Stiicklein's Eeie-BeadireUiunffen, which 
oont^na a report of the travels of the missionaries of 
the Society of Jesus between the year 1643 and 1736, 
much curious information is to be gathered respecting ^ 
the religion of the Abyssinians. Their conversion to/ 
Ghristi&nity is said to have taken place about the year 
327, Athanasiua being at that time Patriarch of 
Alexandria. Some years previously there was living 
in the country a Tyrian, by name Frumentius, who, by 
bis skill and industry, had raised himself to the highest 
office in the realm, second only to the king himself. 
He, being a Christian, determined to take advantage of 
his exalted position by promulgating that faith as much 
as was in his power. To this end he repaired to 
Alexandria, and received &om the Patriarch Athanasius 
the dignity of Bishop of Axum. Armed with ecclesias- 
tical authority he returned to the laud of his adoption, 
where he speedily caused several churches to be erected, 
and soon gathered around him a small but devoted band 
of followers. Frumentius being appointed by the 
Patriarch of Alexandria, naturally taught the peculiar 
dogmas of that church which his successors peri)etuated. 
Hence it occurs that in a small community little more 
than the size of England, surrounded en all sides by 



.." • •'^mJ^^ Jl- -4. -* HI : *i- 



irlA ' 



20 



IntrodtActton, 



Pagans or Mahomedans, the outward forms at least of 
Christianity are preserved, and many primitive rites, 
which in other countries have become obsolete, are still 
retained where they were instituted centuries ago. 
Many attempts have been made by missionaries of the 
Roioan Catholic Church to obtain a footing here, but 
hitherto they have not been attended with success. 
Perhaps one cause of the failure of the early mission- 
aries arose from their not understanding the disposition 
of the people, and attempting to coerce them, as the 
following extract from the report of Jerome Lobo, 
written some years before the expedition of Stiicklein, 
seems to indicate : " lis sont d'un si mauvais naturel 
que si on a la moindre complaisance pour eux, ils devien- 
nent bientot insolens et insui)poi*table8, et qu'on ne pent 
les r^uire k la raison, ni ^tre bien servi, qu'cn agissant 
avec eux k toute rigueur et les menant le baton haut." 



In examining the different published narratives of 
journeys made into Abyssinia, it may be remai-kod that 
the particulars taken from each author have been selected 
rather with the view of forming a tolerably complete 
picture in the reader's mind of what life there really is, 
than for the purpose of either surprising or amusing him. 
The first published record of a journey into Abyssinia 
was issued, in 15 13, at Kome. The author was one 
John Potken. His book was written in Latin. There 
is no copy, we believe, in any of the public libraries in 
this country. 



PART I. 



THE COUNTRY AS SEEN BY EARLY 
AND RECENT TRAVELLERS. 



ALVAREZ, Ii;20. 

THE expedition of wliicli Francisco Alvarez, a friar, 
fumiaheB an account, was fitted out by the King of 
Portugal, in 1520, for tho purpose of converting the Abys- 
sinians to the Roman Oatliulic faith. Tlie party landed 
at Masxowah, and arrived at Sboa tlirough the Tigr^ and 
Amhara country. He speaks with great horror of a feast 
to which they were invited ; he sayii ho scarcely darea to 
mention the principal food — pieces of raw flesh and warm 
blood — wliich the governor and his ladies devoured with 
delight ; but the Portuguese could not allow these dainties 
to enter their lipa. The wine also, or hydromel, " walked 
about with great fury ;" the mistress of the house, though 
concealed behind a curtain, taking her full share. 

After passing through the provinces of Aniham and 
Shoa, the embassy came in view of an almost endless 
range of tents overspreading an immense plain. This was 
the camp of the King of Abyssinia, who, engaged in con- 
tinual war, had no other capital. Their reception was 



PI ■ -^ ..- * 



■; ■•• 



kl^ fl- 



.i.^ 



22 



Abysdnia Described, 



not altogether cordial, the King evidently mistrusting 
their motives in coming to his country ; but he listened 
to their explanations, and at length evinced a more 
friendly disposition. 

PETER PAEZ, 1589. 

J?aM7 Flesh Baiiqitet. — Tliis traveller thus describes a 
banquet at that time. There was no plate, knife, fork, or 
spoon, and no chair to sit upon. Women entered bearing 
baskets of junk resembling broad-brimmed hats, whence 
they drew numerous cakes, with which they entirely 
covered the board. Above these tliey placed the chief 
delicacy — pieces of raw and warm flesh, whicli were 
wrapi>ed in the cakes in jK>rtious so enormous that it 
appeared quite impossible for any mouth to admit them. 
The attendants, however, forced these pellets between 
the jaws of their ma-sters, and continued to stuff the 
gi^ests, one after another, " as if they were stuffing a 
goose for a feast." 



JEROME LOBO, 1 624. 

This traveller reached Abyssinia with the greatest 
difficulty. He mentions the Galla tribes as remarkable 
then for their ferocity and untameable nature. He cor- 
roborates pre^'ious ti*avellers in their statements as to the 
eating of uncooked meat. He says the natives eat raw 
flesh, and adorn themselves with the entrails of cows ; 
they also kill such of their children as happen to be born 
on plundering excursions. The king swore on the head 
of a sheep covered with butter that he would do Lobo no 



James Bruce^ 1769-72. 23 

injury. At Baylin, tlie capital of Danakil, he visited the 
monarch. The place consisted of twenty mud cabins and 
six tents, and the palace he found to consist of one apart- 
ment, which did both for the king and his horse. 



PONCET, 1698. 

PoNCET was the first traveller who reached Gondar by 
way of Khartoom and Sennaar. He travelled down the 
Nile to Siout, thence across country to Sharje, and on to 
Selima in the desert, where he "found a fine spring of 
water ;*' thence to Moshi on the Nile, and on to Dongola 
and KortL From the latter place they crossed the coun- 
try to Dereira, about thirty miles south-west of Shendy 
again meeting the Nile, and then on by the old caravan 
route to Sennaar, from which he appears to have gone by 
the ordinary route of Matamma, and then on to Gondar. 
He met with no other than ordinary travelling difficulties, 
and the country seems to have been very much the same 
then as now. It was in his capacity as a physician, and at 
the special request of the King of Abyssinia, that he visited 
that country. He had been previously established for 
some years at Cairo. 



JAMES BRUCE, 1 769-7 2. 

This must be regarded as the most important of 
all the journeys to Abyssinia. Indeed, several subse- 
quent travellers appear to have visited that country 
more with a view to criticise Bruce's statements than to 
add to our knowledge of the country. Those assertions 
of Bruce, however, which were most loudly discredited 



24 Abyssinia Described, 

at the time have since been corroborated in almost every 
important particular. Bruce had already established his 
flEone as an enthusiastic and successful traveller before he 
set out to explore the sources of the Nile. He presented 
a commanding exterior, was six feet four inches in 
height, possessed iron nerves and an inflexible will. To 
these personal advantages may be ascribed in a great 
measure that almost continual success which appears to 
have attended his travels. He had, moreover, a con- 
tinual fund of good humour ; could bear small iusults ; 
and never struck but at the last moment, when it 
generally produced the required result. The apparent 
ease with which Bruce seems to have passed tlirough 
Abyssinia, when compared with the accounts of recent 
travellers, might almost lead us to suppose that Abys- 
sinia has considerably retrogated since his time. Another 
fact, too, may be mentioned : the natives were quite 
unaccjuainted with the use of fire-arms, and our traveller 
making a free display of these, and discharging them 
occasionally, led himself to be regarded with great awe 
and veneration. The following incidents give some idea 
of Abyssinian life a century ago. The accounts of the 
" banquet " and the " living steaks " are amongst those 
which have been most frequently doubted. 

Arkeko, a large town on the bottom of the bay of 
Massowah (our author i*emarks), has indeed water, but 
labours under a scarcity of provisions ; for the tract of 
flat land behind both, called Samara, is a perfect desert, 
and only inhabited from the month of November to 
April, by a variety of wandering tribes called Tora, 
Hazorta, Shiho, and Doha, and these carry all their 
cattle to the Abyssinian side of the mountains when 
the rains fall there^ which are the opposite six months. 



Abyssinian Tape Worm, 25 

When the season is thus reversed, they and their cattle 
are no longer in Samara, or the dominion of the Naybe, 
but in tlie hands of the Abyssinians, especially the 
governor of Tigr6 and Bahamagash, who thereby, with- 
out being at the expense and trouble of marching 
against Massowah with an army, can make a line round 
it, and starve all at Arkeko and Massowah, by prohibit- 
ing any sort of provisions to be carried thither from 
their side. 

Abyssinian Tape Worm. — The next complaint, as 
common in these countries, is called Farenteit, a cor- 
ruption of an Arabic word, which signifies the worm 
of Pharaoh ; all Irnd things being by the Arabs attri- 
buted to these poor kings, who seem to be looked 
upon by posterity as the evil genii of the country 
which they once governed. This extraordinary animal 
only afiiicts those who are in the constant habit of 
drinking stagnant water, whether that water is ditiwn 
from wells, as in the kingdom of Sennaar, or found by 
digging in the sand where it is making its way to its 
proi)er level, the sea, after falling down the side of the 
mountains, after the tropical rains. This plague appears 
indiscriminately in eveiy part of the body, but oftt*nest 
in the legs and arms. Bruce never saw it in the face or 
head ; but far from affecting the fleshy parts of the body, 
it generally crimes out where the bone has least flesh 
upon it. UiK>n looking at this worm, on its first appear- 
ance, a small black head is extremely visible, with a 
hooked beak of a whitish colour. Its body is seemingly 
of a white silky texture, very like a small tendon bared 
and perfectly cleaned. After its appeairance, .the natives 
of these countries, who are used to it, seize it gently by 
the head, and wrap it round a thin piece of silk or small 



36 Ahyasinia Described, 

bird's feather. Every day, or several times a day, they 
try to wind it up upon the quill as far as it comes 
readily ; and upon the smallest resistance they give over, 
for fear of breaking it. He says he has seen five feet, or 
something more, of this extraordinary animal wound out 
with invincible patience in the course of three weeks. 
No inflammation then remained, and scarcely any redness 
round the edges of the aperture ; only a small quantity of 
lymph appeared in the hole or puncture, which scarcely 
issued out upon pressing. In three days it was commonly 
well, and left no scar or dimple implying loss of substance. 
He himself experienced this complaint. He was read- 
ing upon a sofa at Cairo, a few days after his return from 
Upper Egypt, when he felt, in the fore part of his leg, 
upon the bone, about seven inches below the centre of 
his knee-pan, an itching resembling what follows the 
bite of a musquito. Upon scratching, a small i;umour 
appeared, very like a musquito bite. The itching re- 
turned in about an hour afterward ; and being more 
intent upon reading than his leg, he scratched it till 
the blood came. He soon afterwards observed something 
like a black sjwt, which had already risen considerably 
above the surface of the skin« All medicine i)roved 
useless ; and the disease not being known at Cairo, there 
was nothing for it but to have recourse to the only 
received manner of treating it in this country. About 
three inches of the worm -was wound out ujwn a piece of 
raw silk in the first week, without pain or fever ; but it 
was broken afterwards through the carelessness and rash- 
ness of the surgeon when changing a poultice on board 
the ship in which he returned to France ; a violent inflam- 
mation followed, the leg swelled so as to scarce leave 
appearance of knee or ankle ; the skin, red and distended, 



High Seasoning Recommended, 27 

seemed glazed like a miri'or. The wound was now 
healed, and discharged nothing; and there was every 
appearance of mortification coming on. The great care 
and attention he received in the lazaretto at Marseilles, 
'^by a nation always foremost in acts of humanity to 
strangers," and the attention and skill of the surgeon, 
recovered him from this troublesome complaint Fifty- 
two days had elapsed since it first began ; thii-ty-five of 
which were spent in the greatest agony. It suppurated 
at last ; and by enlarging the orifice, a good quantity of 
matter was discharged. He had made constant use of 
bark, both in fomentations and inwardly ; but he did not 
recover the strength of his leg entirely till near a year 
after, by using the baths of Poretta. 

Illgh Seasoning Recommended, — The natives of all 
eastern countries season every species of food, even 
the simplest and mildest, rice, so much with spices, 
especially with pepper, as absolutely to blister a 
European palate. These powerful antiseptics Providence 
has planted in these countries for this use ; and the 
natives have, from the earliest times, had recourse to 
them in proportion to the quantity that they can procure. 
And hence, in these dangerous climates, tlie natives are 
as healthy as we are in our northern ones. He lays 
down, as a positive rule of health, that the wannest dishes 
the natives delight in are the most wholesome strangers 
can use in the putrid climates of the lower Arabia, 
Abyssinia, Senuaar, and Egypt itself; and that spirits, 
and all fermented liquors, should be regarded as poisons, 
and for fear of temptation, not so much as be carried 
along with you, unless as a menstruum for outward ap- 
plications. Spring or running water, if you can find it, 
is to be your only drink. 



>-*J 



28 Abyssinia Described, 

Bathing in Cold Water, — Never scruple to throw 
yourselves into the coldest river or spring you can 
find, in whatever degree of heat you are. ... In 
these warm countries your perspiration is natural 
and constant, though no action be used, only from 
the tem[)erature of the medium ; therefore, though 
your pores are shut, the moment you plunge yourself in 
the cold water, the simple condition of the outward air 
again covers you with pearls of sweat the moment you 
emerge ; and you begin the expense of the aqueous part 
of your blood afresh from the new stock that you have 
laid in by your immersion. 

Sale of Relations. — Two priests of Tigr6 (as Mr. Bruce 
was told by Kas Michael during a feast at his grand- 
daughter's mariiage) had been long intimate friends. 
They dwelt near the rock Damo. The youngest was 
married, and had two children, both sons ; the other was 
old, and had none. The old one reproved his friend one 
day for keeping his children at home idle, and not putting 
them to some profession by which they might gain their 
bread. The married priest pleaded his poverty, and his 
want of relations that could assist him ; on which the old 
priest offered to j)lacc his eldest son with a rich friend of 
his own who had no children, and where he should want 
for nothing. The proposal was accepted, and the young 
lad, about ten years of age, was delivered by his father 
to the old priest, to carry him to his friend, who sent the 
boy to Dixan and sold him there. Upon the old priest's 
return, after giving the father a splendid account of his 
son's reception, treatment, and prospects, he gave him a 
piece of cotton cloth, as a present from his son's patron. 
The younger child, about eight years old, hearing the 
good fortune of his elder brother, became so importunate 



Sale of Relations, 29 

to be allowed to go and visit him, that the parents were 
obliged to humour him and consent. But the old priest 
had a scruple, saying, he would not take the charge of 
so young a boy unless the mother went with him. This 
being settled, the old priest conveyed them to the market 
at Dixan, where he sold both the mother and the remaining 
child. Returning to the father, the old priest told him 
that his wife would stay only so long, and expected he 
would then fetch her upon a ceiiaiin day, which was named. 
The day being come, the two priests went together to see 
this happy family ; and upon their entering Dixan it 
was found that the old priest had sold the young one, 
but not to the same Moor to whom he had sold his 
family. Soon after these two Moors who had bought the 
Christians, becoming partners in the venture, the old 
priest was to receive forty cotton cloths — that is, £10 
sterling — for the husband, wife, and children. The pay- 
ment of the money, perhaps the resentment of the family 
trepanned, and the appeai*ance of equity which the thing 
itself bore, suggested to the Moorish merchants that there 
was some more profit, and not more risk, if they carried 
off the old priest likewise. But as he had come to Dixan, 
as it were, under public faith, in a trade that greatly in- 
terested the town, they were afraid to attempt anything 
against him whilst there. They began then, as it w^ere, to 
repent of their bargain, from a pretended apprehension 
that they might be stopped and questioned at going out 
of town, unless he would accompany them to some small 
distance ; in consideration of which, they would give 
him, at parting, two pieces of cloth to be added to the 
other forty which he was to take back to Tigr6 with 
him upon his return. The beginning of such expeditions 
is in the night. When all were asleep, they set out from 



30 Abyssinia Described. 

Dixan — the buyer, the seller, and the family sold ; and 
being anived near the mountain, where the way turns 
off to the desert, the whole party fell upon the old priest, 
threw him down, and bound him. The woman insisted 
that she might be allowed to cut or tear off the little 
beard he had, in order, as she said, to make him look 
younger ; and this demand was reckoned too just to be 
denied her. The whole five were then carried to Massowah : 
the woman and her two children were sold to Arabia ; 
the two priests had not so ready a market, and they were 
both in the Naybe's house when Bruce was at Massowah, 
though he did not then know it. The Nay be, willing to 
ingi'atiate himself with Has Michael at a small expense, 
wrote to him an account of the transaction, and offered, 
as they were priests, to restore them to him. But the Ras 
returned for answer that the Nay be should keep them to 
be his chaplains, as he hoped some day he would be 
converted to the Christian faith himself ; if not, he might 
send them to Arabia with the rest ; they would serve to 
be carriers of wood and drawers of water ; and that 
there still remained at Damo enough of their kind to 
carry on the trade with Dixan and Massowah. 

Tfie Custom of Tolls, — At noon they crossed the 
river Balezat, which rises at Addi Shiho, a place on 
the S.W. of the province of Tigr6 ; and after no very 
long course falls into the Mareb, or ancient Astusaspes. 
They encamped here, by the river's side, and were 
obliged to stay this and the following day, for a duty, or 
custom, to be paid by all passengers. These duties are 
called AwideSy i.e. gifis, though they are levied, for the 
most part, in a very rigorous and rude manner ; but they 
are established by usage in particular spots ; and are, in 
flaunt, a regality annexed to the estate. Such places are 



-■-T**- 



The Capital of Tigre. 3 1 

called Ber, Le. passes. There are five of these Awides, 
which, like turnpikes, are to be paid at passing between 
Massowah and Adowa. The small village of Sebow was 
distant from them two miles to the east; Zarow the 
same distance to the S.S.E. ; and Noguet, a village 
before them, were the places of abode of these tax- 
gatherers, who farm it for a sum from their superior, 
and divide the profit pro rata of the sums each has 
advanced. The farmer of this duty values as he thinks 
proper what each caravan is to pay. Some have on this 
account been detuincd for months ; and others, in time 
of trouble or bad news, have been robbed of every- 
thing. 

Tlie Capital of Tigr^, — Adowa consists of about 300 
houses, and occupies a much larger space than would be 
thought necessary for these to stand on, by reason that each 
house hjLs an inclosure round it of hedges and trees — the 
last chiefly the wanzey. The number of tliese trees, so 
planted in all the towns, screen them so that at a distance 
they appear so many woods. Adowa was not formerly the 
capital of Tigr6, but had accidentally become so upon 
the accession of the governor, whose property, or paternal 
estate, lay in and about it. It resembled a prison 
rather than a palace ; for there were in and about it above 
three hundred persons in irons, some of whom had been 
there for twenty years, mostly with a view to extort 
money from them; and, what is the most unhappy, 
even when they had paid the sum of money which 
the governor asked, did not get their delivei*ance from 
his merciless hands ; most of them were kept in cages 
like wild beasts, and treated every way in the same 
manner. Janni, their kind and hospitable landlord, sent 
servants to conduct our travellers from the passage of 



\.t:^m 



32 



Abyssinia Described. 



the river, and met them himself at the outer door of his 
house. He had his own short white hair covered with 
a thin muslin turban, a thick well-shaped beard, as white 
as snow, down to his waist. He was clotlied in the 
Abyssinian dress, all of white cotton, only he had a red 
silk sash, embroidered with gold, about his waist, and 
sandals on his feet ; his upper garment reached down to 
his ankles. He had a number of servants and slaves 
about him of both sexes ; and conducted our travellers 
through a courtyard planted with jessamine, to a very 
neat, and, at the same time, large room, furnished with a 
silk sofa ; the floor was covered with Persian caq)ets and 
cushions. All round, flowers and green leaves were 
strewed upon the outer yard ; and the windows and 
sides of the room stuck full of evergreens, in comme- 
moration of the Christmas festival that was at hand. A 
great dinner was brought, exceedingly well dreHse<l, but 
no consideration or entreaty could prevail upon Janni to 
sit down and partake with Mr. Binice. He stood all the 
time, with a clean towel in Ids hand, though he hnxi plenty 
of servants ; and afterward dined with some visitors who 
had come out of cunosity to see a man amved from so far. 
Adowa is the seat of a very valuable manufacture of 
coarse cotton cloth, which circulates all over Abyssinia 
instead of silver money; each web is 16 peek long of 
i^ width, their value a pataka — that is, ten for the ounce 
of gold. The houses of Adowa are all of rough stone, 
cemented with mud instead of mortar. That of lime is 
not used but at Gondar, where it is very bad. The 
roofs are in the form of cones, and thatched with a reedy 
sort of grass, something thicker than wheat straw. The 
Falashas, or Jews, enjoy this profession of thatching 
exclusively ; they begin at the bottom, and finish at the 



top. The province of Tigr6 is all mountainous ; and it 
has been said, without any foundation in truth, that the 
Pyrenees, Alps, and Apennines are but molehills com- 
pared to them. There is no doubt, however, that one of 
the Pyrenees above St. John Pied de Port is much higher 
than Lamalmon ; and that the mountain of St. Bernard, 
one of the Alps, is full as high as Taranta, or rather 
higher. It is not the extreme height of the mountains 
in Abyssinia that occasions surprise, but the number of 
them, and the extraordinary forms they present to the 
eye. ^me of them are flat, thin, and square, in shape 
of a hearthstone, or slab, that scarce would seem to have 
base sufficient to resist the action of the winds. Some 
are like pyramids, others like obelisks or prisms ; and 
some, the most extiuordinary of all the i*est, pyramids 
pitched upon their points, with their base uppermost,* 
which, if it was possible, as it is not, they could have 
been so formed in the beginning, would be strong ob- 
jections to our received ideas of gravity. 

Axurriy Hie Ancient Capital of Abyssinia, — Its ruins are 
very extensive ; but, like the cities of ancient times, 
consist altogether of public buildings. In one square 
are iovtj obelisks, none of which have any hieroglyphics. 
There is one larger than the rest still standing, but 
there are two still larger than this fallen. They are all 
of one piece of granite : and on the top of that which is 
standing there is a patera exceedingly well carved in the 

* This is one of the statements of Brace whioh have brought his 
veracity into question. Taken literally this description is in- 
correoty but as a fignre of speooli to show the extraordinary forms 
natore has assumed in Abyssinia the traveller is quite correct. 
Salt, p. 251, denies the assertion, but after all admits the possi- 
bility of the occurrence. 

C 



34 Ahyasinia Described, 

Greek taste. Below, there is the door-bolt and lock, 
which Poncet speaks of, carved on the obelisk, as if to 
represent an . entrance through it to some building be- 
hind. The lock and bolt are precisely the same as those 
used at this day in Egypt and Palestine. 

Slicing Steaks from tlie Living Cote, — Soon after they 
lost sight of the ruins of Axum, they overtook three 
travellers driving a cow before them; they had black 
goat-skins upon their shoulders, and lances and shields 
in their hands ; in other respects they were but thinly 
clothed, and appeared to be soldiers. The opw did 
not seem to be fatted for killing, and it occuri'ed to 
our traveller that it had been stolen. Soon afterward 
they arrived at the nearest bank of the river, where 
Mr. Bruce thought to pitch their tent. The drivers 
suddenly tript up the cow, and gave the poor animal 
a very rude fall upon the ground, which was but the 
beginning of her sufferings. One of them sat across 
her neck, holding down her head by the horns, the other 
twisted the halter about her fore-feet, while the third, 
who had a knife in his hand, to Mr. Bruce's great sur- 
prise, instead of taking her by the throat, got astride 
upon her belly before her hind legs, and gave her a very 
deep wound in the upper part of her buttock. Our tra- 
veller at this time was rejoicing, thinking, that when 
three people were killing a cow, they must have agreed 
to sell part of her to them ; and he was much disap- 
pointed upon hearing the Abyssinians say, that they 
were to pass the river to the other side, and not encamp 
where it was intended. Mr. Bruce was very much 
astonished to hear that they were not then to kill the 
coWy that she was not wholly theirs, and they could not 
sell her. This awakened his curiosity ; he let his people 



The Falashas. 35 

go forward, and stayed himself, till he saw, with the ut- 
most surprise, two pieces, thicker and longer, than our 
ordinary beef-steaks, cut out of the higher part of the 
buttock of the beast. How it was done he cannot posi- 
tively say, because judging the cow was to be killed from 
the moment he saw the knife diuwn, he was not anxious 
to view the catastrophe, which was by no means an 
object of curiosity ; whatever way it was done, it surely 
was adroitly, and the two pieces were spread upon the 
outside of one of their shields. One of them still con- 
tinued holding the head, while the other two were busied 
in curing the wound. This, too, was not done in an 
ordinary manner ; the skin which had covered the flesh 
that was taken away was left entire, and flapped over 
the wound, and was fastened to the corresponding part 
by two or more small skewers, or pins. Whether tliey 
had put anything under the skin between that and the 
wounded flesh, our author did not know ; but at the 
riverside where they were, they had prepared a plaster of 
clay, with which they covered the wound ; they then 
forced the animal to rise, and drove it on before them, to 
furnish them with a fuller meal when they should meet 
their companions in the evening. 

The Falashas. — The language of Lamalmonis Amharic;* 
but there are many villages where the language of the 
Ealasha is spoken. These are the ancient inhabitants of 
the mountains, who still preserve the religion, language^ 

* The Amhaiio ia the modem lang^nage of Abyssinia, spoken at 
oonrt, and by people of fashion ; the Falasha is that of the tribes 
professing the Jewish religion ; but the Geez, or Ethiopic, in which 
an the Abyssinian books are written, is the ancient language of the 
conntry, and the oldest dialect of the Arabic, properly so called, in 
existence. 

O 2 



36 Abyssinia Described. 

and manners of their ancestors, and live in villages by 
themselves. Their number w now considerably dimi- 
nished, and this has proportionately lowered their power 
and spirit. They are now wholly addicted to agriculture, 
hewers of wood and carriers of water, and the only jwtters 
and masons in Abyssinia. In the former profession they 
excel greatly, and, in general, live better than the other 
Abyssinians; which these, in revenge, attribute to a 
skill in magic, not to superior industry. Their villages 
Bre generally strongly situated out of the reach of 
marching armies, otherwise they would be constantly 
rifled, partly from hatred, and i)artly from hopes of find- 
ing money. 

The King at his Devotions. — The king goes to church 
regularly, his guards taking possession of eveiy avenue 
and door through which he is to pass, and nobody ia 
allowed to enter with him, because he is then on foot, 
excepting two oflicers of his bed-chamber who support 
him. He kisses the threshold anil side posts of the 
church-door, the steps before the altar, and then returns 
home ; sometimes there is service in the church, some- 
times there is not ; but he takes no notice of the dif- 
ference. He rides u^wtairs into the presence-chamber 
on a nmle, and lights immediately on the carpet before 
his throne; and Mr. Bruce has sometimes seen great 
indecencies committed by the said mule in the presence- 
chamber, upon a I^ersian carpet. 

\V^aki7ig the Kimj. — ^An officer called Serach Massery, 
with a long whip, Tiegins cracking and making a noise, 
worse than twenty Fi-ench postillions, at the door of the 
palace, before the dawn of day. This chases away the 
hyscnas and other wild beasts ; this, tcK), is the signal for 
the king's rising, who sits in judgment every morning. 



The Bcmquet of Bow Flesh. 37 

fasting, and after that, about eight o'clock, he goes to 
breakfast. 

Writing Materials, — Notwithstanding the Abyssinians 
were so anciently and nearly connected with Egypt, they 
never seem to have made use of paper or papyrus, but 
imitated the practice of the Persians, who wi*ote upon 
skins ; and they do so to this day. This arises from theii* 
having early been Jews. Their customs our author 
proves to be similar to those of the Persians, and from 
this great resemblance would suppose that the Abyssinians 
were a colony of Persians, were not the contrary well 
known. 

The Banquet of Bavo Flesh. — rOur author, consistent with 
his plan, which is to describe the manners of the several 
nations through which he passed, good and bad, as he 
observed them, gives some account of a Polyphemus 
banquet, as far as decency will permit him. In the 
capital (he says) where one is safe from surprise at all 
times, or in the country or villages, when the rains 
have become so constant that the valleys will not bear a 
horse to pass them, or that men cannot venture far from 
home, through fear of being surrounded and swept away 
by temporary torrents, occasioned by sudden showers on 
the mountains ; in a woixl, when a man can say he is safe 
at home, and the spear and shield is hung up in the hall, 
a number of people of the best fashion in the villages, of 
both sexes, courtiers in the palace, or citizens in the town, 
meet together to dine, between twelve and one o'clock. 
A long table is set in the middle of a large room, and 
benches beside it for a number of guests who are inWt^d. 
Tables and benches the Portuguese introduced amongst 
them; but bull-liides, spread upon the ground, served 
them before, as they do in the camp and country now. 



38 Abyssinia Described, 

A cow or bull, one or more, as the company is numerous, 
is brought close to the door, and his feet strongly tied. 
The skin that hangs down under his chin and tliroat, 
■which would be called the dew-lap in England, is cut only 
BO deep as to anive at the fat, of which it totally consists, 
and, by the separation of a few small blood-vessels, six or 
seven drops of blood only fall upon the ground. They 
have no stone, bench, nor altar, uj>on which tliese cruel 
assassins lay the aniniars head in this operation. AVe should 
beg his pardon indeed for calling him an assassin, as he is 
not so merciful as to aim at the life, but, on the contmry, 
to keep the beast alive till he be totally eat up. Ha^-ing 
satLsfied the Mosaical law, according to his concei)tion, by 
pouring these six or seven drops upon the ground, two or 
more of them fall to work ; on the back of the beast, and 
on each side of the spine, they cut skin-deep ; then, put- 
ting their fingora between the flesh and the skin, they 
begin to strip the hide off tlie animal halfway down his 
ribs, and so on to the buttock, cutting the skin wherever 
it hindera tlieiu commodiously to strip the poor animal 
bare. All the llesh on the buttocks is cut off then, and 
in solid, square i)ieces, without bones, or much effusion of 
blood ; and the prodigious noLse the animal makes is a 
signal for the com])any to sit down to table. There are 
then laid before every guest, instead of plates, round cakes, 
if we may so call them, about twice as big as a pancake, 
and something thicker and tougher. It is unleavened 
bread of a sourish taste, far from being disagreeable, and 
very e^isily digested, made of a grain called teff. It is of 
different colours, from black to the colour of the finest 
wheat bread. Tiii-ee or four of these cjikes are 
generally put u[)pcrmost, for the food of the person 
opposite to whose seat they are placed. Beneath these 



•--?^« 



The Banquet of JRaw Flesh, 39 

are four or five of ordinarj bread, and of a blackish 
kind. These serve the master to wipe his fingers upon ; 
and afterwards the servant, for bread to his dinner. 
Two or three servants then come, each with a square 
piece of beef in. their bare hands, laying it upon the cakes 
of teff, placed like dishes round the table, without cloth 
or anything else beneath them. By this time all the 
guests have knives in their hands, and the men have the 
large crooked ones, which they put to all sorts of uses 
during the time of war. The women have small clasped 
knives, such as the worst of the kind made at Birming- 
ham, sold for a penny each. The company are so ranged 
that one man sits between two women ; the man with 
his long knife cuts a thin piece, which would be thought 
a good beef-steak in England, while you see the motion 
of the fibres yet perfectly distinct, and alive in the flesh. 
No man in Abyssinia, of any fashion whatever, feeds him- 
self, or touches his own meat. The women take the 
steak and cut it lengthways like strings, about the thick- 
ness of your little finger; then crossways into square 
pieces, something smaller than dice. This they lay upon 
a piece of the teff bread, strongly powdered with black 
pepper, or Cayenne pepper, and fossil salt; they then 
wrap it up in the teff bread like a cartridge. In the mean 
time, the man having put up his knife, with each hand 
resting upon his neighbour's knee, his body stooping, his 
head low and forward, and mouth open very like an idiot, 
turns to the one whose cartridge is first ready, who stuffs 
the whole of it into his mouth, which is so full, that he 
is in constant danger of being choked. This is a mark of 
grandeur. The greater the man would seem to be, the 
larger piece he takes in his mouth ; and the more noise 
he makes in chewing it, the more polite he is thought to 



'^^^i^^r^M'< 




40 Ahysfsinia Described, 

be. They have, indeed, a proverb that says, " Beggars 
and thieves only eat small [>ieces, or without making a 
noise." Having despatched his morsel, wliich he does 
very expeditiously, his next female neighbour holds forth 
another cartridge, which goes the same way, and so on 
till he is satLsBed. He never drinks till he has finished 
eating; and, before he begins, in gratitude to the fair 
ones that fed him, he makes up two small rolls of the 
same kind and form ; each of his neighbours oj)ens her 
mouth at the same time, while with each hand he puts 
their portion into their mouths. He then falls to drink- 
ing out of a large handsome horn ; the ladies eat till they 
are satisfied ; and then all drink together, " Viva la Jove 
et la Jeunesse I " A great deal of mirth and joke goes 
round, very seldom with any mixture of acrimony or ill 
humour. All this time the unfortunate victim at the door 
is bleeding indeed, but bleeding little. As long as they can 
cut off the flesh from his bones, they do not meddle with 
the thighs, or the j)arts where the great ai-teries are. At 
last they fall upon the thighs likewise ; and soon after 
the animal, bleeding to death, Ijecomes so tough, that the 
cannibals, who have the rest of it to eat, find veiT hard 
work to se])arate the flesh from the bones with their 
teeth like dogs. In the mean time, those within are 
very much elvated ; love lights all its fires, and every- 
thing is permitted with absolute freedom. Thei-e is no 
coyness, no delays, no need of appointments or retire- 
ments to gratify their wishes ; there are no rooms but one, 
in which they sacrifice both to Bacchus and Venus. The 
two men nearest the vacuum a jmir have made on the 
bench by leaving their seats, hold their upper garments 
like a screen before the two that have left the bench ; 
and, if wo may judge by sound, they seem to think it as 



Church Decorations, 41 

great a sbame to make love in silence as to eat. Heplaced 
in their seats again, the company drink the happy couple's 
health ; and their example is followed at dilTerent ends 
of the table, as each couple is disposed. All this passes 
without remark or scandal ; not a licentious word is 
uttered, nor the most distant joke upon the transaction. 
These ladies are, for the most part, women of family and 
character, and they and their gallants are reciprocally 
distinguished by the name Woodage^ which answers to 
what in Italy they call " Cicisbeo." 

Marriage. — Although we read from the Jesuits a great 
deal about marriage and polygamy, yet there is nothing 
which may be averred more truly than that there is no such 
thing as marriage in Abyssinia, unless that which is con- 
tracted by mutual consent, without other form, subsisting 
only till dissolved by dissent of one or other, and to be 
renewed or repeated as often as it is agieeable to both 
parties, who, when they please, cohabit together again as 
man and wife, after having been divorced, had children by 
others, or whether they have been married, or had chil- 
dren by others or not. Upon separation they divide the 
children. The eldest son falls to the mother's first 
choice, and the eldest daughter to the father. If there is 
but one daughter, and all the rest sons, she is assigned 
to the father. If there is but one son, and all the rest 
daughters, he is the right of the mother. If the numbers 
are unequal after the first election the rest are divided 
by lot. There is no such distinction between legitimate 
and illegitimate children, from the king to the beggar ; 
for supposing any one of their marriages valid, all the 
issue of the rest must be adulterous bastardy. 

Church Decorations. — The churches are full of pictures, 
painted on parchment, and nailed upon the walls in a 



42 Abyssinia Described, 

manner little less slovenly than you see paltry prints in 
beggarly country ale-houses. 



Lord Valentia, 1802-3. 

In 1802-3, I^ord Valentia, accompanied by Mr. Salt, 
his secretary and draughtsman, visited the principal 
places bordering on the Red Sea, but he does not seem 
to have approached any nearer to Abyssinia than Arkeko, 
from which place Mr. Salt proceeded inland, accompanied 
by Captain Rudland, and Mr. Carter, and seven attend- 
ants, besides a guard of twenty-five of the NayiVs Ascari 
(soldiers), and camel-drivers. Salt describes the road 
from Arkeko to Dixan as being well frequented, and 
perfectly secure, but as carried for some miles along a 
defile, in the bed of a stream. After proceeding for some 
distance, the valley became contracted to a rocky gully, 
bounded on each side, and overshadowed by steep and 
lofty hills. This roarl, in consequence of a terrific 
thunderstorm which suddenly bui-st over the party, was 
in a few hours changed to a rushing torrent. The next 
morning the water having subsided, they proceeded along 
the river as before. After five days journeying, for the 
most pai-t in the bed of the river, Ixjtween overhanging 
rocks on either side. Salt arrived at Aasubah, at the foot 
of the Taranta mountain. The ground here was so 
uneven that they were unable to make further use of 
their camels, and being able to purchase but one bullock, 
their luggage was carried on mens' shoulders. After 
passing Dixan, tlie condition of the country much im- 
proved, afibrding ample subsistence for their mules. 
On arriving at Abha they were courteously received by 



'J-^j 



Nath. Fearcey 1805-10. 43 

he chief there resident. He was seated on a couoh 
surrounded by his attendants, and enveloped in a long 
white mantle, with a deep red border and fiinga No 
one is allowed to go into his presence without uncovering 
to the waist, as a guard against assassination, nor is he 
addressed except in a whisper, with the mouth covered 
and applied close to his ear. At Antalo they were well 
received by the Ras, who, however, regretted that, being 
on unfriendly terms with the Has of Grondar, he could 
not facilitate their progress. The party accordingly 
returned to Massowah by the way of Axum, concerning 
the ancient ruins and monuments of which Salt affords 
some most interesting information. 



NATH. PEARCE, 1805-10. 

For the past sixty years there has generally been some 
adventurous Englishmen in the service of the Abyssinian 
monarch, or one of his chiefs. At the departure of Mr. 
Salt in 1805, he left behind him a sailor belonging to 
the Antelope^ whose name was Pearce, and who, having 
deserted from one of Her Majesty's ships, and wounded 
a soldier on duty at Bombay, preferred the choice of a 
new country to the hazard of punishment and disgrace at 
home. He had spent five years among the half-civilized 
natives of Tigre, sometimes uader the protection of the 
Ras who had promised to befriend him, and occasionally 
trusting to his own resources, when his old master — now 
a British envoy — ^appeared again in the Red Sea. Pearce 
seems to have been extremely useful to Salt from his inti- 
mate knowledge of the country. Our saUor was to Ras 
Selass^ the same as Bell was to Ras Ali and to Theodore — 



-■I 



44 Abyssinia Described. 

general adviser, general in the army, and a '' likman- 
quas." When Salt left, the sailor Pearce refused to go, 
and he was joined in his Abyssinian life by one Coffin, a 
supercargo in Bruce's expedition. His " Life " is well 
worth reading. 



salt's voyage, 1809-10. 

Encouraged by the success which attended him on his 
first expedition, Mr. Salt petitioned the Government to 
fit out a second, with a view of further exploring the 
country, in order to estimate the advisability of establish- 
ing trading connections therewith. To this the Govern- 
ment consented, and the expedition was placed under his 
command. He left England in 1809, i^etumiug in 181 1, 
and from the observations which he made added con- 
siderably to our knowledge of Abyssinia. On arriving at 
Amphilla, on the coast of the Bed Sea, he found it im- 
possible to reach Abyssinia from that place, on account 
of the unfriendly feeling of the Danakils, a tribe who 
occupied the intervening territory. He accordingly sailed 
for Massowah, and taking thence a southerly course, made 
his way as far as Antalo, returning by nearly the same 
route. 

In corroboration of the circumstance mentioned by 
Mr. Bruce, of the natives cutting steaks from a living 
bullock, which statement was almost universally dis- 
credited in England, Mr. Salt writes, that Mr. Pearce, 
who accompanied him, being out one day with a party of 
Lasta soldiers on a marauding expedition, witnessed the 
.same act of barbarity. Two pieces of flesh, weighing 
about a pound, were cut from the animal's buttock, and 



Matrimonial Ceremonies, 45 

devoured, still quivering, by tlie soldiers. After the meat 
liad been taken away, the wounds were sewn up, plais- 
tered over with cowdung, and the animal driven forward. 
In another place, he records having witnessed a Galla 
chief drink a homful of warm blood, as drawn from the 
neck of a cow. 

A strange War Custom. — A most curious yet barbarous 
custom is practised in Abyssinia after a victorious battle, 
the origin of which it is not easy to determine. De Bry, 
writing in 1599, observes : " Victores, victis caesis et captis, 
pudenda excidunt, qusB exsiccata regi in reliquorum pro- 
cerum presentio offerunt," <fec. Mr. Salt states that on 
one occasion he witnessed eighteen hundred and sixty-five 
of these barbarous trophies collected and presented to the 
victorious Ras, It is probably to a remnant of the an- 
cient Phallic worship, which obtained universally in 
Egypt, that the origin of this castom is to be traced. 

Matrimonial Ceremonies, — Marriage here, our traveller 
states, appears, generally speaking, to be a mere civil in- 
stitution ; the priests being rarely called in to sanction 
the rites. When a man is desirous of manning a girl, he 
directly applies to her parents or nearest relativCwM, and 
their consent being once obtained, the matter is considered 
as settled, the girl herself being very seldom consulted 
upon the question. The next subject to be arranged is 
the dower which the girl is to bring, consisting of so 
many wakeas of gold, a certain number of cattle, muskets, 
or pieces of cloth ; and this generally occasions, as in most 
other countries, very serious difficulty. The important 
point being once adjusted, no further difficulty occurs ; 
the friends of both parties assemble, the maniage is de- 
clared, and after a day spent in festivity, the bride is 
carried to the house of her husband, either on his shoul- 



46 AhyMinia Desenbed, 

ders or those of Lis friends ; the mother, at parting with 
her daughter, strenuously enjoining the hus1<iud to a 
strict performance of the conjugal lites. There is another 
and more holy kind of marriage practised in this country, 
where the parties take the communion together, which is 
sanctioned by the priests ; but this becomes of rarer oc- 
currence every year, the people in general preferring the 
ample compact, which can be dissolved at pleasure. 

An English Sailor 8 Freak, — At the wells of Ampliilla 
an incident occurred to one of Mr. Salt*s watering |>arties, 
which shows how it fi'eqnently happens that foreigners, 
from wilfully doing violence to the prejudices of un- 
civilized nations, are themselves the cause of disputes 
which often terminate fatally. One of the sailors know- 
ing the horror with which all Mussulmans regard the 
flesh of the hog, wantonly took a piece of fat pork, and 
rubbed it over the head and neck of a native who had 
been sent to attend the ]>arty. This incensed the man so 
highly that, old and feeble as he was, he caught up his 
shield and spear, and swore by the Prophet he would 
have revenge. At this threat, which would doubtless 
have been carried into execution, the sailor, with some 
reason, became alarmed, when the rest of the party were 
obliged to interfere, and get him off as sj^eedily as ]>ossible 
to the boat. A present of tobacco succeeded in somewhat 
appeasing the old man's wrath ; but the affair was not 
finally arranged until a regular complaint had been laid 
before Mr. Salt by the chief of the tribe, when it was 
settled, with some difficulty, by the payment of twenty 
dollars. 

Frejudioe againti mipplying Water, — It is a singular 
jGm^ mentioned by Salt and other travellers, that there 
ezisti among seyeral Abyssinian tribes a peculiar preju- 



Eev. Sand. Gobat, 183 1-4. 47 

dice against furnishing water to a stranger. They were 
always ready to supply him with milk and bread, but 
never with the first-named necessary. As this does not 
appear to be difficult to procure in the country, the aver- 
sion to bestowing it may possibly arise from some ancient 
superstition, or veneration of the waters, connected with 
the history of the river Nile. 

It is curious to remark, in the writings of this traveller, 
the extraordinary dislike he exhibits towards Bruce. In 
the course of his narrative we find such passages as — 
" Mr. Bruce's account is a gross exaggeration ; " " not a 
particle of truth in his statement;" '^as false in his de- 
ductions as in his premises," &c. Occasionally, we meet 
with such patronizing phrases as — "Mr. Bruce gives a 
very tolerable representation of it" It is difficult to 
account for the feeling which caused Salt constantly to 
sneer at Bruce. Messrs. Combes and Tamisier, on the 
other hand, who passed through the same country some 
years later, write : "La grande analogic que nous avons 
trouvde entre les r6cits de Bruce et les details que nous 
avons puis6s dans les annales du pays, nous a prouv6 que 
le voyageur anglais avait travaill6 consciencieusement ; et 
pour les incertitudes, pour les obscurit^s chronologiques, 
nous avons adopte ses corrections." 



EEV. SAML. GOBAT, 183I-4. 

The Geographical Society's Journal gave a careful 
analysis of this work. Grobat bears honourable testi- 
mony to the character left by Mr. Bruce in Abyssinia. 
This missionary appears to have spent some time in the 



48 Abyssinia Described, 

Tigr6 country with Herr Kugler ; after which he left hia 
friend, and proceeded on by the ordinary road to Gondar, 
where he remained a considerable period. He then re- 
turned to Adowah and went to Debra-Damot, and on to 
Attegerat. Owing to war breaking out he had to leave ; 
he arrived at Massowah, December 10, 1832. Gobat 
appears to have obtruded the importance of his religious 
mission rather too frequently upon European travellers 
who visited the country duiing his residence there, and 
hence their occasional sneers at him ; but the honesty of 
his intentions has never been questioned. It may be as 
well for the reader to learn a little of Abyssinian life 
from a missionary's point of view, as from that of a 
scientific layman. Concerning the Tigv6 country, he 
remarks upon its Cities of Reftige: — 

Religious Sanctuaries. — There are five places in Tigr6 
which are never molested by the troubles and horrors of 
Abyssinian war, on account of the churches established 
in them, — Axum, Waldeba, Gundigundi, Debra-Damot, 
and Debra-AbaL These are places of retreat in time of 
war : property and persons are entirely secure in these 
asylums. Axum is about fifteen miles distant from 
Adowah, and the way thither is not bad. Debra-Damot 
is an invincible natural fortress. Nobody can get to the 
top of this mountain except by being drawn by ropes. 

Ahysmiian Morals. — Dr. Riippell appears to have met 
Gobat at Attegerat. The latter, however, gave the doctor 
but little encouragement, for he assured him that *' all 
Abysainians were rascals, without truth, gratitude, or 
faith." 

The Falashas. — Concerning the Abyssinian Jews, Mr. 
Oobat supplies some interesting particulars, which, as he 
wrote thirty years before Mr. Stem's work appeared, may 




TJie FcUashas. 49 

be worth gh'ing here. The Falashas, or Jews, live so 
retired, and are so separated from the Christians, that 
the latter know scarcely anything either of their doctrines 
or of their manners. They live chiefly in the neigh- 
bourhood of Gondar and Shelga, and to the north-west 
of the Lake Tsana. He did all he could to procure 
information concerning them, but was able to ascer- 
tain one thing only, viz. that they are much more 
ignorant than Christians. Those whom he saw always 
used to send him to one of their learned men when 
he proposed any question to them. They do not 
know of what tribe they are, nor have they any adequate 
idea as to the period when their ancestors settled in 
Abyssinia. Some say that it was with Menilec, the son 
of Solomon, others believe that they settled in Abyssinia 
after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Komans. They 
have, on the whole, the same superstitions as the Chris- 
tians: they are only a little modified after a Jewish 
fasliion. He never observed that they took tlie least 
interest in the idea of the Messiah ; and when he ex- 
amined them on this subject they coldly replied that they 
expected him in the character of a great conqueror, 
called Theodorus, who must soon appear, and whom the 
Christians also expect; but the poor Falashas do not 
know whether he will be a Christian or a Jew. What 
they have in common with other Jews is, hatred to 
Christ. They have a dialect among themselves which 
has no similarity either with the Hebrew or with the 
Ethiopic j but all of them, except some females, speak 
Amharic. He saw but one book in the Falasha dialect, 
written in the Ethiopic character; they told him 
that it was a book of pi-ayere. In fact, they must be 
very ignorant, having no books except in the Ethiopic 

D 



50 Abi/89inia Described. 

language, and being surrounded with innumerable diffi- 
culties which prevent them from learning that language. 
He saw, however, some individuals who know pretty 
well the contents of the Books of Moses. They read the 
Psalms with all the repetitions of * In the name of the 
Father, the Son,' tkc., which the Christians have added 
to them, as well as the Songs of Mary and Simeon ; but 
they do not join to them the Oodass6 Mariam of Ephrem. 
They are much more laborious than the other Abyssinians : 
the building of all the houses of Gondar is their work. 
They do not allow the Christians to enter their houses, 
except by force ; nor do the latter desire to enter them 
for fear of their supernatural influence. All of them are 
considered as bondas or sorcerers, as also are artificers in 
iron and many others. The Falashas, after ha^'ing spoken 
with Christians, never enter their own houses without 
first washing their bodies and changing their dress. All 
the provisions they buy in the market are washed by 
them before they make use of them. Their intercourse 
with the Mahomedans is a little more free than with the 
Christians. They never carry arms, either for attack or 
defence. They maintain their own poor, and will not 
sufier them to beg. 

Tlie Cause of Abyssinian Imviorality, — The principal 
cause of the corruption of manners in Abyssinia is, after 
their mental enxjrs, their unsettled mode of living. A 
governor, for instance, does not like to remain long at 
the same place, even when there is no war. He resides 
sometimes at one end of the province which he governs, 
and sometimes at the other, with a great number of 
officers and servants. His first wife is frequently obliged 
to remain in the house to which he has taken her ; and 
he, not willing to live alone, takes a concubine. Thus, 



The Cavse of Abyssinian Immorality, 51 

the first sin being committed, he continues to add others 
to the number, until he has lost every feeling of conjugal 
duty. Those who are with him are in the same situation, 
and do the same things. Several women being in this 
manner attached to one man, wlio is not their husband, 
and seeing themselves neglected, endeavour on their jmrt 
to corrupt young men, whose situation should maintain 
them in innocence ; and thus immorality is communicated 
to all the branches of society. Nevertheless, openly they 
maintain much more decency than one would be led to 
suppose, after having read the description which Bruce 
gives of an Abyssinian feast. Mr. Gobat admits that 
such a feast may have taken place among the most sliame- 
less libertines; but excesses of that kind ai'e not cus- 
tomary, either as to theii* cruelty or their indecency. He 
heard people speak of many things ; but he saw less 
indecency in the capital of Abyssinia than in the capitals 
of England, France, and Egypt. In Tigre, with the 
exception of Adowa and Antalo, the women are much 
more reserved than in the interior. The ordinary con- 
sequence of the immoralities alluded to is sloth; from 
which results poverty, together with the desire to live, 
where piide is not offended, in a state of dependence on 
others : the result of which, again, is envy, craftiness, and 
falsehood. The Abyssinians are liars, as well as the 
Arabs ; but they have yet a feeling of shame when dis- 
covered, which the Arabs have not. The first con- 
sequence of falsehood is swearing. Another series of 
vices, wliich also result from illicit connexions (for so he 
calls the polygamy of the Abyssinians, as they know very 
well that it is unlawful), is to be found in the circum- 
stance that the childi*en of one and the same father, who 
are not of the same mother, are always enemies to each 

D 2 



52 Aby»»inia Desa-ihed. 

other in Buch a degree that they cannot endure to see one 
annther ; nor have they any feeling of filial love for their 
father, innsrauch as he generally has a fatherly affection 
only for the children bom of a favourite wife : not to 
mention their jealousies, und the consecjuences thereof; 
which go so far that an adulterer is often killed hy his 
rival. This inconstancy in the intercounie of the sexes 
with each other may bo observed during the whole life of 
a man. It is this that renders tbe Abj-ssinians so liglit- 
Diinded, having nothing constant, but inconstancy itself; 
although the children show less of levity than the 
children of other countries. 

A remembranct of Bruce. — "Yagoube" (Arabic and 
Abyssinian for "James") was a learned man : since him 
no well-informed white man has come to Gondnr. The 
others profeas to know the stars (astrology), and to make 
us believe that they were learned ; because they knew 
that we could not confute them on this article. Mis- 
HonaTy : "Did you know Yugoubel" Lik AUcoa : 
(a learned man, £tk being equal to " Judge ") " I did not 
know him jiersonally : I am too youQg ; but there are 
still old men at Gondar who knew him. He was beloved 
and respected by all the great people of the country." 

LrjearCs opinion of Gobat — "I am compelled to speak 
in severe tones of a man whose good inteutioos and 
morality are above suspiciou ; but never has any traveller 
coDceived such false iileaa of Abyssinia as Mr. Gobat. 
He was zealons and able, but vain and credulous, and of 
all men the ooe least fit to deal with a ])eople whose 
duplicity and trickery are without parallel. He speut 
three years in the coimtiy, preacbiog and arguing with 
the (Ubleras and priests, who, for a glass or two of l«dj, 
would yield any point whatever, and heap upon him 



Eiipptirs Expedition, 1834-7. ; 

tli« most falBoine eulogies, which lie has recorded : 
his journal with a natvete almost incredible." 



euppell's expeditios, 1834-7. 

Da Edward KUppell, an Austrian surgeon, travelled 
through the interior of Abyssinia in 1834-7. He started 
from Cairo for Digetta or Jidda, and from thence to 
Massowah, and on to Attegerat, Sauans Oondar, Kiratza, 
and the Lake Tsana, returning by way of Axurn and 
Adowa. Uiippell had previously published another 
volume of travels in North Africa: "Reise im Nijrd- 
lichen Afrika,'' Frankfurt, 1826, the admirable coloured 
illustrations of animaU to which render the book of 
great intere<>t to naturalists. Dr. Rtippell returned from 
his second African expedition in 1S34, having spent 
above two years in Abyssinia ; his pursuits were not only 
geographical and Btatisticul, but were also directed to 
natural history. He found the difficulties of penetrating 
into that country much diminished since the time of Salt 
and Bruce, but the work of MM. Combes and Tumisier, 
he says, is most unsatisfactory. Tliey were the first 
Europeans who for 200 ycara had gone beyond the pro- 
vince of Gojani, and visited that of Shoa ; yet tliey have 
only implicitly copied the sketch of a map of that 
conntry, which Salt had compiled merely from hearsay, 
and have published it as made from their own observa- 
tions ! Von Katte, the only other traveller, baa done 
nothing moro than copy their map with all its errors. 
Any one pursuing his inquiry into Abyssinian discovery 
will find Ktippell a reliable and intelligent authority. 

The maps given by Ruppell are among the best that 



54 Abyssinia Descrihed. 

have ever been published. Unlike many other plans of 
Abyssinia, no rivers, mountains, or towns, are included 
by the traveller unless he knows of their actual existence. 
So accurate, indeed, are his maps, that it is said by a good 
authority that the variations in the thickness of the lines 
in shading, tnithfally mark the inequalities of the 
sur&ce. 



COMBES et TAMI8IER, 1 835-37. 

These travellers landed at Massowah in 1835, and for 
the space of two years remained principally in the 
southern part of the kingdom. Their account derives a 
certain interest from the circumstance of their travelling 
almost unattended the entire distance, nor were they 
during the whole time once molested. 

Dr. Ruppell does not speak very highly of MM. Combes 
and Tamisier, but it must be remembered that the former 
visited Abyssinia for scientific purposes, while the latter 
gentlemen are content to give us the result of their travels 
in the form of anecdote and gossip — somewhat desultory, 
perhaps, but still affording us a good insight into the 
manners of the people. 

Abyssinian Music, — **If the philosopher, in order to 
understand the genius of a nation, has need to study its 
manners and religion, and if a knowledge of its scientific 
works is necessary to the savant to appreciate its pro- 
gress, it is equally necessary to gain a knowledge of the 
character of a people, to consider its poetry and music. 
For this purpose the following airs are appended, which, 
by their plaintive melody and rude pathos, give us a deep 
insight into the national character of the Abyssinians." 



Anfoine and Amaud AbbadU, 1837-48. 



55 





^^ 



^^^^^g 



The following is frequently to be heard in the kingdom 
of Shoa : — 




A common air of the Southern Gallas :■ 



fe=f 




£a§ 




•z^aiza 



^-Trr^ 





ANTOINE AND ARXAUD ABBADIE, 1 83 7 -48. 

Antoine and Arxaud Abbadie, brothers, bom in 
Ireland, made a journey to Abyssinia in 1837, and re- 
mained there until 1845. The succeeding three years 
they spent in the Galla country. During the course of 
their travels they collected much information regarding 



56 AhytHnia Deseribed. 

the sources of the Nile, the accurstcj of which, however, 
has been doubted ; but their ticcountii of the etlinojrmpby 
and luDguage of the countries they ptiascd tlirotigh are 
very valuable. They forwarded their reports to the 
Geogmpbical Society of France, which were jiubliahed in 
the SitlUtin of that society under the title of " Notes 
snr le hnut flcuve Blanc," 1849. 



M, BOCUET D HEBIC-OUET, l83I)-4a 

During the years 1839 and iS^oM. Kochetd'Hcricourt 
undertook a journey to Abysainia, which was attended with 
such success that two years afterwards he, made a second 
expedition to the kingdom of Shoa, under the auspices 
of the French Academy of Sciences. He describes 
Tajurrah, when he first landed, as being situated in a 
tract of country wretched in the exti-enio. " I know of 
notliing," he writes, " more miserable than the appear- 
ance of tlie village and the surroimding couutiy. On 
the shore a white and burning sand, on which are huddled 
together, indiscriminately, the wretched hovels which 
comiwse this village, and in tlie background bare and 
rugged mountains of volcanic formation. Such is the 
aspect of Tajurrah." From thence he took a south- 
easterly course towards Angolola, in the kingdom of Shoa, 
where he remained some time, and met with Iklajor 
Harris and Messrs. Graliam, Lefebvre, and Petit. 

He thus describes hia introduction to Sahlc-Sallassi, 
the Has of Shoa, at Angolola, The city consists of 
two levels, the higher being reserved exclusively for 
the King and his immediate attendants, and com- 
priiiea about five hundred huta. After ha\-ing passed 



M. Roehet JO'Ilericourf, 1839-40. 57 

through the palisade, with which the upper city is 
aurrounded, he found himself in the first court, which 
was filled with AmharahB. The second court was sur- 
rounded by a thick wall, fortified at the top with stout 
palisades about eight feet high ; passing through this he 
came to the inner court, wherein is situated the house of 
the Raa, which is distisguisbed from the others by being 
built of two stories, the grouod-fioor being used as stables. 
The first-fioor, which is the King's apartment, is reached 
from the outside by wooden stairs. Sahl^-Sel^ie was 
seated on a leathern chair, called by the Abyssinians a 
gerir, his head bare, and hia hair frizzled into little curls, 
a small gold cross was suspended from his neck by a 
blue ribbon, while a laupe, brilliantly embroidered, but 
partially concealed a vest of Indian workmanship 
brocaded with gold beneath ; two massive gold bracelets 
on his wrists, completed his costume. It was at Angolola 
that M. Bochet met with Major Harris and party. He 
asserts that the English expedition was a complete 
fiiilure, occasioned by the number of Harris's attendants 
(thirty-four) : for ou arriving in the country the people 
concluded that conquest was liis only object, which only 
raised suspicion and distrust iustead of amity and good 
feeling. The Has accepted his presenta, but would give 
no orders to supply him and his party with food; the 
consequence was that as the inhabitants of Shoa are 
forbidden to transact business with a foreigner without 
permission, they were almost starved in the midst of 
plenty, and were only too glad to escape from such a 
country. Major Harris's own account differs materially 
from this. 

M. Rochet gives an excellent map of the country, from 
Tajurrali to Ankobai', and some plates, but the latter 



58 Abyssinia Described, 

are too beautiful and refined to be true. For instance, 
the picture representing the King of Shoa reclining on a 
couch, and contemplating the portrait of Louis Philippe 
with the air of a Royal Academician, is a little overdone. 
Peter Faez and Hie Early Travellers. — It is much to 
be regretted that the accounts of some of the eai'liest ti*a- 
vellers have never been given to the public. That there 
were several manuscripts written on Abyssinia, and never 
printed, is evident from the reference which Ludolphus, 
Tellez, and others make to them. Tellez, particularly, 
in his " General History of Ethiopia," quotes largely 
from the writings of Peter Paez, a missionary sent out 
in 1589 — a man of superior talents and address, who, 
instead of attempting to carry his objects by threats and 
violence, successfully applied himself to conciliate at once 
the sovereign and the nation. It is curious to remark 
that this old traveller mentions the fact of raw and warm 
beef being considered the greatest delicacy on the table 
of the King. Several other circumstances, apparently 
discredited by Tellez, have been fully corroborated by 
more recent traveller. 



FRENCH EXPEDITION IN 1 839-43, 
Undee M. Lefebvbe. 

There is one feature of Abyssinian exploration which 
has not been sufficiently dwelt upon by writers seeking 
to explain the present state of affairs in that country. 
The editor alludes to the difierent commissions, scientific 
and commercial, which the French Government have 
from time to time sent out there. Salt's exploring party 
was the only attempt of this kind on the part of our own 



Fraush Expedition t'n 1839-43. 59 

GoTemment, and that was but meagrely fitted out, and 
realized very inconsiderable results when compared 'with 
the magnificent expeditions despatched by Louis Philippe . 
in 1839-43, for the purpose of exploring Abyssinia, and 
reporting as to its fitness for a French settlement. The 
principal commisaion consisted of M. Th6ophile I^febvre, 
president, M. Petit, and M. Quartin-Dillon, with a great 
body of scientific assistants and helpers ; tlie transporta- 
tion being under the command of Vice-Admiral Baron 
de Mackau. Lefebvre attended to the geography, history, 
and commerce of the country ; and his two ftieada all 
that related to science. The routes at the end of this 
work will show the extent of country they passed over, 
and the accuracy with which everything was noted down. 
They travelled through every part of the land, to a 
greater extent, it is believedj than any English traveller 
has attempted ; and on M. Lefebvre's return home, he 
issued the result of the exploration in nine magnificent 
volumes, including three large books of coloured plates, 
containing everything that would be likely to interest 
EuroiJeans. This work should be consulted by any one 
collecting material about Abyssinia, The illustrations of 
natural history are among the finest ever executed in 
colours ; and the bird's-eye views of the country give an 
excellent idea of its characteristics and general appear- 
ance. The ethnology (with coloured portraits) and the 
language of Abyssinia are fully treated of As, how- 
ever, the price of the work is £10, and only a few 
copies were printed, it is not likely to be seen by many 
persona. 

In its scientific results this expedition was eminently 
successful ; personally, to those concerned, it was one of 
the most disastrous connected with Abyssinian explora- 



6o Ahysdnia Described, 

tion. At " MaT Brasio," Messrs. Ferret and Galinier heard 
from M. llouget (one of the expedition) that M. Dillon 
had died, and that four others of the party had shared the 
same fate, all being buried on the same day. Other 
deaths subsequently took place. 

llinta for the Extension of Commerce, — M. Lefebvre, 
who, as has been ali*eady stated, was sent to Abyssinia to 
report on the facilities of extending French commerce in 
that direction, as much as for scientific research, offers 
some very valuable hints on the subject, which English 
merchants might do well to avail themselves of. 

The commerce of Abyssinia, ho writes, though very 
limited, has an individuality of its own ; that is, there 
are certain staple articles which are in constant demand, 
and to swamp the market at once with manufactures of 
which the natives have no idea, would be egregious folly. 
He argues, therefore, that, at first, the importation should 
consist solely of those articles to which the Abyssinians 
are accustomed, and afterwards, as they become more 
civilized, and their wants inci-ease, to introduce other 
products to supply them. The place of all othera to bo 
chosen as an entrepot should be Massowali. It is the 
present centre of all foreign mercantile transactions ; it 
is regularly visited by the caravans which come from all 
parts of the interior, and, moreover, oflfers to ships the 
advantage of an advantageously situated and commo- 
dious harbour. Other places equally adai)ted as ports 
might be selected on the coast of the l^ed Sea, but 
amongst a people so notoriously averse to change as the 
Abyssinians, it would take a long time before the 
caravans could be induced to take that route. Let us 
assume that a commercial company is to be established in 
Abyssinia. Massowah should be the head-quarters ; 



llinU/or Uie Extention of Commerce. 6i 

but ageuta should be located throughout the different 
towns in tbo interior to collect produce, aud keep the 
office at Masaowab informed aa to the articles most in 
demand in their particular districts. The princijNil of 
these agents should reside at Gondar, the commercial 
centre of all Abyssinia. He, or his agents, should visit 
all the little mercliants, and induce them to foi'wavd their 
produce to the head-quarters of the company. Much 
depends on the tact of the Gondar agent ; for the natives, 
being such rogues themselves, are very suspicious of 
others, and much altill will be necessary to induce them 
to make their first venture. Nothing should he abso- 
lutely bought at the place of produotion ; for, in the first 
place, the company could not transport the goods a^ 
quickly or as cheaply as tlie natives themselves, who are 
accustomed to the route ; and, in the second place, the 
merchants, when they arrive at Massowah, tnutt sell, or 
bring their goods back. Aloreovor, having a certain 
market, they could, instead of making but two journeys 
a year, as at present, make three or four, if not detained 
montlis, as they sometimes are, to settle their afiairs. 

The agent at Gondar should have complete control 
over the sub-agents in the interior. He should (wssess 
the perfect confidence of the company, and if not himself 
a partner, should a-i least have considerable interest in it. 
The minor agents, in like manner, should receive a com- 
missioa upon all the business they execute, in addition to 
a fixed salary. It ia absolutely essential that no consider- 
utioQ of expense should stand in the way of appointing 
agents, and new agencies should be established whenever 
an openii^ is presented. 

Having thus given a general outline of the scheme, 
M. XiefebvTe proceeds to enter into further particulani 



62 Abyssinia Described. 

by defining the position of the various agents and 
duties. 

Massgwah. — Greneral entrepot. It is here that both 
exports and imports will be delivered. The manager 
must reside here, whose duty shall be to superintend 
both purchases and sales; and the cashier, who shall 
have sole cliarge of the financial department. These two 
officers and the Gondar agent need l)e the only Europeans, 
all the others might be Abyssinians, who, besides having 
a i)erfect knowledge of their own locality, would be 
satisfied with a very small salary in addition to their 
commission, varying from tw^o to four dollars a month, 
according to the importance of their position. 

Kayekor {on the frontier), — An agent at two dollars 
a month, to transmit letters and facilitate the progress of 
ti-ains. He should forward to Massowah grain and other 
provisions from his neighbourhood. A sure way to get 
grain cheap is to furnish the labourers with oxen neces- 
sary for their work. For the accomodation they give 
half their harvest. 

AxuM (Tigrc). — An Abyssinian at the same salary as 
the last would suffice to give notice of the arrival of 
caravans, which genei'ally remain some time to recruit 
their animals' strength in the good pasturage which sur- 
rounds this tOWTL 

Atebi (Agameh). — This station is important, being 
close by the salt plains. It is from this point that the 
caravans branch off to Lake Alelbad, near which plains 
they procure salt and sulphur. It would be necessary to 
have an intelligent agent located here, with a residence 
and store-house, provided with money to enable him to 
purchase salt in the favourable season, which is from 
September to May : this article is one of the greatest 



importance in the country, for blocks of salt constitute 
the only native cnrrency. Atebi being a sanctuary, or 
place of refuge, the station is not exposed to any risk, 

Antalo {Enderla). — The agent at this market should 
send on the merchandise adapted to the localities of 
Ashangui and Sokota. It is only beyond Ashangui that 
calicoes are much sought after. In Christian Abyssinia 
they are of much less value. 

SoKOTA (Waag). — A first rata agent should be posted 
here. This market does a lai^e amount of business with 
Wadela, which produces wool. The Yedjou country, 
where mules are bred, and Achangui, from whence is 
procured honey, wax, and other articles in demand by 
the Wollos, who sell horses and buy calicoes. 

Yanedja { Wadeia). — The agent here corresponds with 
that at Sokota, and serves as a half-way house between 
that station and the districts of Yedjou, Achangui, and 
WoUo. 

GosDAH. — The commercial and political centre of 
Abyssinia, and the rendezvous of all the caravans whicii 
take from thence the natural products of the country, or 
proceed further into the interior to exchange musk, 
coffee, gold, and ivory, for European goods. Hunters 
resort hither to dispose of elephants' and hippopo- 
tamus^ teeth, as well as rhinoceros, buffalo, ox, and 
antelope horns. It is also the centre of manufacturing 
industry. 

Basso {Gojam). — An agent at this town is very im- 
portant Coffee, ivory, gold collected by the Gallss, and 
musk are sold here. 

Debra Abai (Shiree). — A good agent should be ap- 
pointed here. It is a large market for ivory, cotton, 
rhinoceros and antelope homs and fuis. 



64 Ahysdnia jDescribed. 

Debra Libanos. — Midway between Ankobar and the 
province of Gojam. 

Ankobar {Kfat). — An agent should be placed here to 
purchase merchandise brought up by caravans from the 
south-east, and to forward it to Massowah. 

BiTCUAKA. — An intermediary agency between Gondar, 
Basso, and Ankobar. 

Kaffa (Galla), — An important market for products 
from Centi-al Africa. 

Commercial System of tlie Country, — The greater part 
of the caravans of the Abyssinian merchants come from 
Gondar, and ti'avel to Massowah or Cairo. These trains 
leave at every season of the year, but they are more 
numerous in the month of January, after the end of the 
rains, and in June, before the rising of the rivers. XJn- 
foi*tunately there is no fixed tariff for duties to be paid 
at the different places on the route ; for although a tariff 
is supposed to exist, yet at every post there Ls always a 
dispute between the officers who collect the duties and 
the merchants. When the caravan ai-rives at Massowah 
Abyssinian merchants ])ay a fixed duty of 10 per cent. ; 
Europeans, however, in virtue of a treaty concluded with 
the Porte, only pay 5 per cent. On the return journey, 
having disposed of their produce, and laid in another 
stock, the caravan reunites at Dixan. One portion 
usually takes the eastern route from this place, passing 
through Agameh, Enderta, Lasta, Tehuladere, and " Ouareh 
Kalto.'^ Although this last-named province is at the 
frontier of Shoa, many of its merchants prefer Massowah 
to Tajurmh, as the route by the Azobo valley, Attegerat, 
Enderta, and Agameh are safer. At the same time, tra- 
velling is easier, for the country produces good pastui*age 
for the beasts. 




French Expedition in 1840-41. 65 

As soon as the merchants arrive at Gondar they dis- 
patch a portion of their wares to the markets of Bege- 
meder and Gojam, where they meet with other caravans, 
which transport them to the Grallas countries. The 
merchants who devote themselves to this last-named 
traffic come from Derita, a town entirely Mahometan. 
They usually buy glass ware, which is in great demand 
among the Gallas, although little used by the Abyssinian 
Christians. 

As the people of Gondar, Adowa, and Antalo, are 
almost the only merchants who go to Massowah, it is 
from these three points trading expeditions are made to 
the interior, and it is to them that the small dealers 
repair, both to dispose of their own goods and furnish 
themselves with others. 

The articles principally exported by Abyssinia are 
gold, ivory, coffee, musk, wax, leather, rhinoceros, hip- 
popotamus, antelope, and buffalo horns, tallow, furs, 
ostrich feathers, tortoiseshell, mules, gum, myrrh, senna, 
colocinth, and pearls ; receiving in exchange, cloth, silk, 
blue and red cotton, velvet, calicoes, and muslins, glass- 
ware, antimony, bottles, earthenware, files, and car- 
penters' and goldsmiths' tools, tin, mercury, glass, 
needles, scissors, razors, nails, loaf and soft sugar, 
muskets, sword blades, copper, and tobacco. 



FRENCH EXPEDITION IN 1840-4I. 

Ferbet et Qalinikb. 

At the time M. Lefebvre's commission was being 
fitted out, another expedition, also equipped by the 

E 



66 Abyssinia Described. 

French Grovemment, left for Abyssinia to report more 
especially upon the Tigr6, Amhara, and Samen provinces. 
The gentlemen, under whoso auspices the commission 
sailed, were Captains Ferret and Galinier. They spent 
some time in Egypt, and at Cairo, on their way to Mount 
Sinai, fell in with Mr. Bell, then quite a young man, 
who afterwards connected himself in so tragic a manner 
with the fortunes of Theodore. They subsequently met 
with Lefebvre's expedition. 

As a book of travels it is not as entertaining as many 
others, but it contains a large amount of valuable infor- 
mation on the country MM. Ferret and Galinier were 
specially commissioned to investigate ; and until M. 
Lefebvre published a work under the same auspices, 
eight years later, it was undoubtedly the best which up 
to that date had been written. 

A main object of the expedition were geological and 
astronomical enquiries ; but the printed results do not 
form so imposing a work as the magnificent set of books 
edited by Lefebvre. They do not appear to have pene- 
trated the country to the extent of Lefebvre and his 
party ; and on their map they acknowledge the friendly 
assistance of our Dr. Beke with all honesty. They 
appear to have taken the Tigr^ country as a fair sample 
of the rest of Abyssinia, consequently it is not worth 
while to give particulars of the short journeys pursued 
by them. 

Bell the Englishman, — " Whilst we were admiring the 
travelling arrangements of the Arabian pilgrims, in 
comparison with whom even the Englishman is but a 
poor traveller, and surveying the multitude of new 
fauces around us, a cry of surprise is raised by some of our 
party who have recognised a friendly face — Mr. Bell. In- 



Xrapf and Isenberg, iS^g-42 : 1855. 67 

deed it was he, really Mr. Bell, a young Englishman, biU not 
a touristy thanks to God, At twenty-two years of age, Mr. 
Bell had already visited Egypt, Nubia, the deserts along 
the Euphrates, and he now contemplated the exploration 
of the sources of the Nile. A caprice of the wind takes 
him into the roadsteads of Tor. He sees us, and will 
not part with us, but offers to join our company, which 
of course we are but too glad to accept. From this 
moment our little caravan is increased by a devoted 
companion and a gallant friend, whose lively spirits, 
cheerfulness, and inexhaustible sallies made us very 
often forget the fatigues of our long marches, and the 
tediousness of these interminable journeys in Abyssinia" 
(Vol L, p. 298). 

Fuiiher on they remark : — 

" Mr. Bell has left us for the purpose of surveying the 
sources of the Nile." 



KKAPP AND ISENBEKG, 1839-42 : 1855. 

"When Messrs. Gobat and Kugler left the missions 
founded by them in Abyssinia, their places were taken 
by Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf. The former reached 
Adowa in 1835, and the latter in 1837. Owing to 
opposition, however, from some of the native priests, 
they had to leave the country. They at first proceeded to 
Cairo, a starting point for all parts of the Bed Sea ; and 
when there, they determined upon entering Abyssinia by 
the south, through Tajurrah. Having procured a letter 
from the Pasha of Egypt, a letter of introduction to the 
King of Shoa, they started for Tajurrah. Between the 
years 1839-42, these gentlemen appear to have traversed 

E 2 



68 A hysdnia Described. 

every part of the kmgdom of AbyBsinia and surrounding 
tribes. They spent some time in the King of Shoa*s 
country, mixing with the Gallas, and studying their 
language, customs, and government. The authors pro- 
ceeded as far as Debra Libanos, and accompanied the 
King in one or two expeditions a considerable distance 
to the south and west of Ankobar. In the 3rd part 
Krapf details his journey home by way of Gondar and 
Massowah. Throughout this long journey he encoun- 
tered great hardships and danger. He was plundered by 
one chief, and nearly killed by another, and often had to 
turn in a direction very different from what he desired. 
The result of this compulsory divergence, however, was 
the acquisition of valuable geographical information 
about many parts not previously traversed by other 
Europeans. 

In 1855 Dr. Krapf again visited Abyssinia. It was 
in this journey that he made the acquaintance of King 
Theodore, who was crowned whilst our traveller was 
waiting at Massowah. The return journey was made by 
way of Sennaar and Khartoom. In Part 3 of this book 
are some extracts from Dr. Krapf s description of the 
King, and in Part 5 is his advice to our Government 
respecting the proposed expedition. This gentleman has 
just received the appointment of interpreter and agent to 
that portion of our army now proceeding there. 

JSating Brundo. — ConcemiiDg this peculiar custom Dr. 
Krapf says that the Abyssinians eat raw flesh, which 
they call Brundo. They take most delight in the 
" Shaluda," the double or germinus muscle, of a cow. The 
practice mentioned by Bruce of the Abyssinians cutting a 
piece of flesh from a living cow, and covering up the place 
again, he never witnessed in any part of the country ; but 




Major Harrit, 1841. 69 

with hia own eyes he once saw some Chmti&n Boldiera of 
Shoa, on an expedition Bgainst the Oallas, cut off the foot 
of a live sheep, and then leare the animal to its fate. 
The foot was forthwith devoured raw. He suggests, 
however, that they' may have been in a great hurrj', and 
had not time to slaughter the animal in the regular 
way. 



KAJOK HARRIS, 184I. 

In this year tlie Britisih Government decided upon 
sending a Mission to Salilc Selfisaie, King of Shoa, for 
the purpose of concluding u treaty of Amity and Com- 
merce. The conduct of this embassy was entrusted to 
Major W. G. Hania, who had acquired some reputation 
l^ his previous travels in Africa. The Mission landed at 
Tajurrah, and proceeded inland to Ankobar, the capital 
of Southern Abyssinia, distant about 350 mUes from the 
former town. Harris's travels to the '• Higldanda of 
.•Ethiopia," as he styled the uplands of Shoa, have recently 
acquired fresh notoriety from a quotation taken from its 
pages, which some of the more timorous journals have 
dwelt upon in their leading articles as a sufficient reason 
for the abandonment of any expedition to auch a dismal 
country. The quotation speaks of " a aiiffbcating Pande- 
monium, tohere no xe^yr fanned Ote fevered »kin ; where 
tiiefumace-lUx vapour exlialed almost choking respiration, 
created an indomitable thirst, and not th« smailesl ehade 
or shelter ejiated. Each weary hour brought a grievous 
aeeession, but no ailemation, to the fearfid torments," &.O. 
Harris, however, had acquired the art of literary com- 
position in the Minerva school, and it is only now and 



7 o A hyssinxa Described. 

then that he descends to sober description or plain facts. 
He is an admirable artist, but altogether too gushing a 
writer. Su])erlatives are to be met with in every line. 
The dash and rattle of the books of adventures written 
by military captains forty years ago are conspicuous 
throughout. Everything is either the most beautiful, 
the most ugly, the largest, or the smallest. The sky is 
" the molten vault of heaven ;" the moon does not rise, 
but '* dips her first flickering beam in the unruffled sur- 
face of the oval lake ;" the sun is " the implacable orb ;" 
time "slowly flaps his leaden wing;" foul water is 
" a mephitic fluid /' — everywhere double adjectives and 
adverbs. The quotation just given, too, forms pai-t of a 
description of " The Pandemonium of Bahr Assiil," an 
" unventilated and diabolical hollow," 570 feet below the 
ocean, through which the travellers passed on their way 
to Ankobar. It is the worst place on the route, and as 
Major Harris visited it in July, the worst time was 
selected ; but travellers can now take another route. 
The notes on Natural History appended to the 3 vols. 
are soberly written, and valuable. Major Hanis dedi- 
cated his work to the Queen, and was knighted soon 
after. 

Abyssinian Dandies. — Fops in numbers are to be seen 
at Taj ur rah, who have called in the aid of moist quick- 
lime towards the conversion of the naturally jet black 
peruke to a most atrocious foxy red — when judicious 
frizzing, and the insertion of the wooden skewer, used for 
scratching, completes the resemblance to a carriage mop. 
But this novel pix)ce8s of dyeing, so contrary to that em- 
ployed by civilised beaux, is only in fashion among the 
Somauli, who, in common with the Dandkil dandies, 
employ, in lieu of a down pillow, a small wooden 



SuperalUions of tAe Shoans. 7 1 

bolster,' shaped like a crutcli, which receives the neck, 
and during the houi^s of presumed uncomfortable repose, 
preserves the periwig from derangement. 

Ladies o/TajHrrah. — The softer sex of Tajdrrah, whilst 
young, possess a tolerable share of comeliness, and a 
pleasing expression withal ; but they are speedily past 
the meridian of beauty. A close blue chemise, a plain 
leathern petticoat, or a cloth reaching to tlie ankles, and 
a liberal coat of lard over extravagantly braided ringlets, 
which are knotted with white beads, form the toilet of 
maid, wife, and widow. An occasional necklace of 
coloured beads falling over the sable bosom, a pendant of 
brass or stiver wire of no ordinary dimensions in the ear, 
and large ivory bracelets or anklets, proclaim the be- 
setting foible of the Bex : but omameuta are by no means 
general. Mohamedan jealou-sy tends to the seclusion 
of the better order of females to a certain extent ; but a 
marriage in high life, when the procession passed close to 
the eocampment, afforded an opportunity not always en- 
joyed, of beholding the beauty and fiuihlon of the place. 
The matrimonial shackles are here easily loosed ; and the 
greater portion of the population being deeply eugaged in 
the slave trade with the interior, have their rude houses 
filled with temporaiy wives, who are from time to time 
unceremoniously shipped for the Arabian market, in 
order that the funds accruing from the sale of their 
persona may be invested in new purchases. 

Superstitiona of t/te Shoana. — Amongst the manifold 
superstitions of the people of Susa, a new knife, before 
being used for cutting meat, must be blown upon by the 
priest. Witchcraft has a firm bold upon every mind ; 



72 Abyssinia Described. 

and many a luckless worker in iron is, with his whole 
family, condemned to be burnt alive in his house, as an 
atonement for evil deeds. Theft is punished by sewing 
up the culprit in a green hide, when he is suspended by 
the heels in the market-place, with the stolen property 
about his neck, until the contraction of the drying skin 
at length puts a period to his sufferings — a refinement 
this upon the cruelty of the Emperor Maximin. 

Tlie Queen of SJu>a, — Although the ladies of this coun- 
tiy are kept in strict seclusion, still the Queen did her 
utmost to show a friendly feeling towards the English- 
men, sending daily through her maids of honour trifling 
presents of mead or bread, coupled with complimentary 
inquii'ies, and expressions of deep regret at not being able 
to receive a visit. Her Majesty, however, was cunning. 
She always expected a better present in return than the 
one she gave. 

Even when residing at a distance, commissions were 
continually received through laconic notes on scrolls of 
parchment varying in breadth from one inch to three, 
bearing neither signature nor superscription, and tightly 
rolled up in the end of an Abyssinian candle. Their 
contents revealed some newly-conceived fimcy, such as 
might have been expected from a queen that eats raw 
beef. " The brass in your country is like gold," formed 
the sum and substance of one epistle, "and you might 
therefore order the bracelets to be made of the pattern 
sent by the hands of Dinkenich ;"* and again, " May this 
letter come to the hands of the English commander. 
Are you well ] are you well ] are you quite well ? That 
the soap may not end quick, you will send it in large 

* i. c, " Sbo ia beaatifol "—one of her Majesty's Abigails. 





A YOUNG WOMAN OF ANKOBAR , 
AND A MABRtED WOMAN OF AMPHILLA. 



Slavaty in Shou. 73 

quantitiee, saith Besiljeah." * Not long after her Majesty's 
arrival, an anfortunate child, recently purchased from a 
Gur&giiS slave cararaii, was aent to the Keiideucy, with 
a request that Uvbtheeri might be exchanged for some 
clear a&lad oil which had met with especial approval " for 
medicine for the face;" and great Burpiise waa elicited 
by the information that such a courae of proceeding 
would involve disgrace and criminality, inasmuch as the 
unchristian-tike traflic iu human beings is held in abhor- 
rence beyond the great water. 

Slavery in Shoo. — Cnr^viins, consisting of from one 
hundred to three thousand individtiala of all ages, pass 
through Shoa during the greater portion of the jcar. 
Three-fourths are young boys and girls, many of them 
quite children, whose tender age precludes a bcnse of 
their condition. Even adults are unfettered, and the 
majority are in good s])iiits, ail being well fed and taken 
care of, although many of both sexes arrive in a state of 
perfect nudity. Surrounded by the rovers on horseback, 
they arc driven promiscuously along the road, males and 
females being separated at the termination of each march, 
and made to sit in detached groups comprising from ten 
to fifteen souls, who are deterred from wandering by the 
exhibition of the whip ; but this is rarely used, except 
for the chastisement of the unruly, who may seek to 
effect their escajw. In the eyes of every African, the 
value of a slave increases in the ratio of his distance fiom 
the land of his nativity, the chance of his absconding 
being reduced in the same proportion. The usual prices 
in the Shoan market arc from ten to twenty German 
crowns ; but females possessing superior personal attrac- 
tions often fetch from fifty to eighty, which outlay is 



74 Abyssinia Described. 

returned threefold in Arabia. The profits accruing from 
the trade ai*e thus obviously large ; and notwithstanding 
the murders which are annually perpetrated by free- 
booters on the road to the seacoast, the mortality can 
scarcely be said to exceed that under the ordinary cir- 
cumstances of African life. 

Hints to English Merchants, — These remarks are so valu- 
able, and to the point, that it is difficult to believe they 
came from the writer of the earlier portion of the work. 

Although free to all nations, the eastern coast, from 
Sofala to Cape Guardufoi, has in later yeai-s been little 
frequented by any, save the enterprising American, whose 
star-spangled banner is to be seen waving to the breeze in 
parts where others would not deign to traffic ; and who, 
being thus the pioneer to new countries, reaps the lucra- 
tive harvest which they are almost sure to afibrd. English 
ships froui India have occasionally visited the southern 
ports for cargoes of ivory and ambergris, but the trade 
being yet in its infancy, admitteil of little routine ; and 
in the absence of any rival, the Imam of Muscat is, with 
his daily-increasing territories, fast establishing a lucrative 
monopoly, from Mombas to Zanzibar. 

In most of the inteiior countries lying oppasite to this 
coast, to the south of Shoa, the people unite with an in- 
ordinate i>a8sion for trinkets and finery a degree of wealth 
which must favour an extensive sale of European com- 
modities. In Enirea, Caffa, Gui-iigue, Koocha, and Susa, 
especially, glass-ware, false jewellery, beads, cutlery, blue 
calico, long cloth, chintz, and other linen manufactui^es, 
are in univei-sal demand. That their wants are neither 
few nor trifling may be satisfactorily ascertained from the 
£Bict that the sum of ^£96,000, the produce of the slave 
trade from the ports of Berbera, Zeyla, Tajurrah, and Mas- 



Hints to JSnglishMerchcmt^. 75 

Bowah, is only one item of the total amount annually in 
v^ested in various foreign goods and manufactures, which 
are readily disposed of^ even at the present price of the 
monopolist ; who being generally a trader of very limited 
capital, may be concluded to drive an extremely hard 
bargain for his luxurious wares. 

It would be idle to 8pecul<Ue tipon the hidden treasures 
tJuU may be in store /or that adventurous spirit who shall 
successfully perfoi^m the quest into tJiese coy regions — 
for time and enterprise can alone reveal tliem. But it is 
notorious that gold and gold dust, ivory, civet, and 
ostrich feathers, peltries, spices*, wax and precious gums, 
form a part of the lading of every slave caravan, not- 
withstanding that a tedious transport over a long and 
circuitous route presents many serious difficulties ; and 
that the oven*eaching disposition of the Indian Banian 
and of the Arab merchant, who principally divide the 
spoils on the coast of Abyssinia, offer a very far from 
adequate reimbursement for the toil and labour of trans- 
portation. No quarter of the globe abounds to a gi^eater 
extent in vegetable and mineral productions than tropical 
Africa; and in the populous, fertile, and salubrious 
portions lying immediately north of the equator, the very 
highest capabilities are presented for the employment of 
capital, and the development of British industry. Coal 
has already been found, although at too great a distance 
inland to render it of any service without water com- 
munication ; but the fossil doubtless exists in positions 
the most favourable for the supply of the steamers em- 
ployed in the navigation of the Red Sea. Cotton of a 

* Ginger is exported in great quantities from Gnrugu^ ; and 
amongst other indigenous spices, the Icvrdrima^ which combines 
the flavoTir of the carrawaj with that of the cardamom. 



76 A hyssima DeacrihecL 

quality unrivalled in the whole world is everywhere a 
weed, and might be cultivated to any requisite extent. 
The coffee which is sold in Arabia as the produce of 
Mocha is chiefly of wild African growth; and that 
species of the tea-plant which is used by the lower orders 
of the Chinese flourishes so widely and with so little 
care, that the climate to which it is indigenous would 
doubtless be found well adapted for the high- flavoured 
and more delicate species so prized for foreign exj)orta- 
tion. Every trade must be important to Great Britain 
which will absorb manufactured goods and furnish raw 
material in return. Mercantile interests on the eastern 
coast might therefore quickly be advanced by teaching 
the natives to have artificial wants, and then instructing 
them in what manner those wants may be supplied 
through the cultivated j)roductions of the soil. The 
present is the moment at which to essay thia ; and so 
promising a field for enterprise and speculation ouglit no 
longer to be neglected or overlooked. The position of 
the more cultivated tribes inland, the love of finery dis- 
played by all, the climate, the procluctions, the capabili- 
ties, the presumed navigable access to the interior, the 
contiguity to British Indian possessions, and the proxi- 
mity of some of the finest harbours in the world, all 
combine inducements to the merchant, who, at the hands 
even of the rudest nation, may be certain of a cordial 
welcome. 

If, at a very moderate calculation, a sum falling little 
short of £100,000 sterling can be annually invested in 
European goods to supply the wants of some few of the 
poorer tribes adjacent to Abyssinia ; and if the tedious 
and perilous land journey can be thus braved with 
profit to the native pedlar, what important results might 



Charles Johnston^ 1842-3. 77 

not be anticipated from well directed efforts, by such 
navigable access ^s would appear to be promised by the 
river Gochob ] The throwing into the veiy heart of the 
country now pillaged for slaves a cheap and ample supply 
of the goods most coveted must have the effect of ex- 
cluding the Mohammedan rover who has so long preyed 
upon the sinews of the people ; and this foundation ju- 
diciously built upon by the encouragement of cultivation 
in cotton and other indigenous produce, could not fail to 
rear upon the timid barter of a rude people the super- 
structure of a vast commerce. 

A rick mercantile harvest is assuredly in store for those 
%oho shall unlock the portals of the Eastern coast, and 
sliaU spread navigation upon waters that have Iieretofore 
been ban'en. 



CHARLES JOHNSTON, 1 842-3. 

To undertake this journey into Africa, Johnston re- 
signed a valuable medical appointment in the East, and 
voluntarily assumed the character of an adventurer. Our 
traveller took the route from Tajurrah, on the coast of the 
Red Sea, to Ankobar, the capital of Shoa. He left the 
former town on ist March, 1842, and arrived at Ankobar 
in July following, having retraced his steps to various 
points on several occasions. Messrs. Isenberg and Krapf 
did the journey in seventy-niue days. Johnston does not 
seem to have met with any more real difficulties than the 
two missionaries ; but he lacked their address and power to 
command, and he seems to have been indecisive and trifiiDg. 
At Farree he was imprisoned by Wallasmah, and from 
his paltry prison he escaped to Ankobar. It is curious 



.■)*l 



78 Abyssinia Described, 

to note, in this case of imprisonment of an Englishman, 
that pride on the one hand, and the hope of receiving a 
considerable ransom on the other, induced Wallasmah 
Mahomed, the governor of Efat, to confine our traveller, 
who, when he expostulated with the governor, and told 
him that " his queen would be very angry when she came 
to hear of the letters being taken from her servant," very 
coolly threatened to have him chained, assisting the 
interpretation by placing his two wrists together, as if 
bound. 



MANSFIELD PARKYNS, 1 844-47. 

This traveller spent three years in Abyssinia on a 
prolonged hunting expedition. He landed at Massowah, 
and having hired a few native servants, proceeded through 
almost eveiy part of the country. The narrative of his 
travels is remarkable for the apparent ease with which 
he pursued his way. What constituted a difficulty or a 
hardship to another traveller, was only a pleasurable 
variation to him. As mentioned in the paragraph below, 
he never wore a hat or a boot during all that time, and 
the scorching sun, which frightens most people from Afri- 
can travel, shone upon his bai*e head at all hours of the 
day. The book makes no pretensions to be considered a 
scientific authority, but from the wide extent of country 
traversed and the truthfulness of the journal, it will 
always be valued for its information about Abyssinia. 
After reading Parkyns' narrative, most persons will 
be apt to discredit the extreme difficulties and dangers 
which many of our newspapers have recently assured us 
attend all Abyssinian travel The book was not pub- 
lished until 1853. 



Steaks from the Living Cow, 79 

Steaks from the living Cow, — " What I have described 
has been almost entirely what I have myself witnessed, 
or heard related on the spot. Although I do not bind 
myself to the exactness of a journal in matters of times, 
places, and persons, I have, in only one or two instances, 
deviated from it by combining into scenes vaiious anec- 
dotes, the value of which, as illustrations of my subject, 
would have been lost had they been scattered through 
the work. In some few cases I may have fallen into a 
common error, that of putting down as customs incidents 
which I may have seen, but which, in reality, may 
happen scarcely once in a hundred years. I make this 
remark on account of the reputation poor Bruce got. 
Even to the present day one or two of his stories are 
discredited. I have been often asked about '^ the ateak 
cuifrom the live cow^^ and have only to say, once for all, 
IJh-Tnly believe thaJt Bruce saw what he has staged. While 
I was in Abyssinia a soldier, in conversation with me 
and several others, volunteered a story quite similar to 
Bruce's, both as regards the manner of the operation and 
the reasons why it was performed. On inquiry, he said 
that such a practice was not uncommon among the 
Gallas, and even occasionally occurred among themselves, 
when, as in the case Bruce relates, a cow had been stolen 
or taken in foray. The men who drive her being 
hungry have no alternative but to go on fasting, kill the 
cow, or act as described. The first they will not do; 
the second would imply the necessity of carrying home 
the residue of the meat, or leaving it to the jackals — 
neither of which would suit their inclinations ; so the 
third is adopted. I have heard it remarked that it was 
scarcely possible to believe human beings capable of such 
cruelty. In answer to this I would merely observe that 



So Ahymnia DMcribed. 

no one should venture on Bucli a remark in a country 
vbere «ialmon are crimped, and eeh skinned, alive ; nor 
should they talk of cnielty of any sort tU) the state 
trials, and other books, showing the liorrihle death 
trhicli many of our ancestors suffered for their adherence 
to the Stuart family, be out of print, and the old sen- 
tence for high treason forgotten. The Abyssiiiians cut 
otf the hand, foot, or tongue, or perhaps put out tlie 
eycH for such an offence ; but tliia punishment is a mere 
shadow of the refinement of savage cruelty practised by 
our forefathers not many generations ago, and sanctioned 
by the laws of an enlightened and civilized nation. In 
defending Bruce I am not attempting to |>re]iare the 
reader's credulity for some extraordinaty story of my 
own. I have not got anything man'elloiis to tell — I 
wish I had. All that I profess to do is to enter more 
particularly into the customs of the people I have vL<ited 
than has hitherto been done." 

The Climate. — The highlands of Abyssinia enjoy pro- 
bably as salubrious a climate as any country on the face 
of the globe. The heat is by no means oppressive, a fine 
light air counteracting the power of the sun, At cevtuin 
seasons of the year the low valleys, aa of JInrcb and 
Taccazic, especially the former, are much to be feared, 
from the malaria which prevails, and which bvings on, 
in persons exposed to its influence, most terrible inflam- 
matory fevers, of which four cases out of fii'c are fatal ; 
and even in a case of escaite from death the effects on the 
constitution are such that it will be years l)efoi-e the 
suflerer recovers its shock, if indeed he should ever do bo 
entirely. More than one of the few Europeans who have 
visited Abyssinia within the present century have fallen 
victims to it. Many have died also from dysentery — a 



TJie Value of Sunlight. 8i 

complaint which often comes on in the rainy season as an 
epidemic. These two are the most commonly fatal com- 
plaints of Abyssinia. The season most to be dreaded is 
immediately after the rains (about September), and the 
two or three following months. The cause of the pre- 
valence of malaria at this time of the year is evident : 
the streams, which have been flooded for a long distance 
on each side of their ordinary limits, retire, and leave 
pools and marshy spots full of quantities of putrefied 
vegetable matter, the exhalations from which ai*e the 
cause of the evil. It is seldom that a traveller need find 
himself in these spots during the dangerous season. 
When Mr. Parkyns could get wood he invariably lighted 
two large fires, and slept between them. This plan, though 
not very agreeable till you are used to it, is a capital 
preventative of disease ; for during the day the sun's 
heat raises the moisture in steam, which, when the 
evening becomes cool, descends in the form of dew or 
fog, and in this form is one of the greatest helps to a 
fever. The heat you have around you answers the 
purpose of a local sun, and you are in no more danger 
than during the daytime. 

Tl^e value of Sunlight. — Another practice should also 
be recommended ; that of never venturing abroad in a 
low, unhealthy spot till the sun has risen an hour or 
more. It is customary to hold the sun in great dread. Our 
traveller does not pretend to say whether his constitution 
in this respect differed from that of other men, but, for his 
own part, he never retired into the shade to avoid the 
noonday heat : and for four years never wore any covering 
to his head, except the father scanty allowance of hair 
with which nature had supplied him, with the addition 

p 



82 Abyssinia Described. 

occasionally of a little butter. During the whole of this 
time he suflfered but little inconvenience. 

Jd, Lefebvre's Expedition, — [As Mr. Parkyns was pro- 
ceeding down the Red Sea he fell in at Sukkin with 
poor M. Vignaud, the artist to Lefebvre's expedition, 
1839—43. M. Dillon and others of the commission had 
previously died. See under p. 59.] "On the 15th we 
neared Soukkin, having crossed by mistake to a point a 
considerable distance off. As we arrived in the evening 
we lay outside till morning. Another vessel lay near us, 
outward bound. Aifcer we had been anchored some time 
she sent a boat off to us, requesting me to visit a French 
gentleman, who was lying on board her sick of a fever. 
I immediately went to him, and found it was a M. 
Yignon, who had been for some time in Abyssinia as 
draughtsman to a scientific expedition sent there for 
commercial and other investigations. He had, poor 
fellow ! already lost three of his companions by illness or 
accident, one only besides himself surviving; and I could 
not help feeling that this journey, to which no doubt he 
had looked forward with the greatest pleasure as that 
which was to carry him, after all his dangers and fatigues, 
to rest happy and most deservedly renowned among 
his countrymen and ftiends, would probably be soon 
finished." 

Massowah, — The island is a mere rock of coral, with- 
out a vestige of vegetation to enliven its bare face. There 
are cisterns for collecting the rain-water (no spring 
existing), but most of these have been allowed to fall 
into disuse, and the inhabitants of the island are obliged 
to trust to Ajrkeko, a village on the mainland, distant 
some three or four miles, for their supply. This water, 
moreover, is rather brackish. The extreme heat of the 



Table Guatams, 83 

place would not appear extraordinary to any one ac- 
quainted with its position. 

Clothing not required, — From the day he left Si|ez 
(March 25, 1843), till about the same time in the year 
1849, he never wore any article of European dress, nor 
indeed ever slept on a bed of any sort — not even a 
mattress. The utmost extent of luxury which he enjoyed, 
even when all but dying of a pestilential fever that kept 
him five months on his beam-ends at Khartoom, was a 
coverlid under a rug. The red cap he wore on leaving 
Massowah was soon borrowed of him, and the sandals 
after a month were given up ; and so, as has been before 
said, for more than three years (that is, till he reached 
Khartoom) he wore no covering to his head except a 
little butter, when he could get it; nor to his feet, 
except the horny sole which a few months' rough usage 
placed under them. During the whole of this time he 
never had a headache, though exposed to the sun at all 
hours of the day, and was never footsore, though he 
walked constantly in the roughest imaginable places. 

Tctl>le Customs, — When the master of an Abyssinian 
house takes his meals, all his servants stand round the 
doorway and look on ; which custom, though it has at 
first a disagreeable effect to a stranger, is in reality a 
mark of respect to their superior, showing that they are 
in attendance on him, and not merely eating his bread 
and idling their time away. The master's feeding-time, 
in fact, is a sort of muster for the servants. The dinner- 
tables in great houses are usually of wood, roughly made, 
but frequently also of wicker-work neatly put together. 
When a party is expected, fresh grass is spread on the 
floor, and the tables are ranged of various sorts and 
sizes — ^the highest nearest the master^s end of the room ; 

F 2 



84 Ahyadnia Described, 

some wooden, some wicker, some broad, others nari'ow, 
it being only in a few fashionable establishments that 
two or three of corresponding size can be found. All, of 
course, are very low, being made of the height most con- 
venient for a person seated on the ground ; for chairs 
are unknown in the countr}'. The table being spread, 
the bread is brought in by servants in large baskets 
carried on their heads. If the bread be all made in the 
house, the cakes of inferior quality are ranged at the top 
of each basket, while the better sort are underneath, or 
the different kinds are brought in in different baskets. 
In either case the piles are so arranged on the tables 
that the best sort appears at the top of each pile. It 
often happens, when there is likely to be a great con- 
sumption, that additional bread is borrowed of the 
neighbours or servants of the house. Each basket of 
the subsidy is then carefully examined by the "azzadge," 
or house-steward, and the contents disposed of as above : 
namely, the '^dkgousha'^ and barley bread is laid at the 
bottom, the coarse kind of "teff" comes next, and at the 
top of all the finest white bread. Before each person is 
placed a pile of from eight to ten of these cakes for a 
small party ; but at such an establishment as Oubi's, 
sometimes each guest would have thirty or more cakes 
before him. This is so arranged, because the nobler 
guests are first seated and eat of the finest bread, then 
those of the humbler rank take their places and partake 
of the second class of bread, and so on in succession till 
the coarsest is eaten by the sei'vants and poor fiiends. 
The cakes supply the place of napkins, as the fingers of 
the guests are frequently wiped on them after being 
dipped in the dish or rendered bloody by the raw meat. 
This, however, does not in the least afifect the appetites 



Table Customs. 85 

of those who, coming after, have to eat them. The 
company being assembled, the most distinguished per- 
sonages are requested to be seated, and are placed 
according to their rank by the " Shelika zifan beyt," or 
"Agafilri Adderash," two dignitaries of whose duties, ikc, 
we will more fully speak in the proper place. A good 
deal of politeness sometimes ensues as to precedence ; 
but, all being at last settled down into their places, the 
" soup-b$ '* or cooked dishes, are brought in by the cook- 
women, each of whom receives a piece of bread dipped in 
the dish she has carried. These ai*e placed on the table 
according to their quality, the best nearest the top ; and 
the "asalafy,*'or waiters,* take a piece of bread from before 
each person, and, sopping it in the sauce, return it to 
him. They also serve the guests with meat from the 
dishes, cutting, or with their fingers f tearing it into 
pieces of a convenient size; and in doing this they 
frequently show great favouritism, giving the kidneys 
and tit-bits to one, and the gristle and bones to another. 
They are very attentive, never allowing any one to be 

* The office of " asalafy" in Abyssinia wonld seem to correspond 
nearly with that of the " scissor," " carptor,'* or " diribitor" of the 
ancients. 

t ** I imagine there can be no need for me to say that forks are 
not nsod in Abyssinia any more than they are in other Eststem 
oonntries, except among a few of the Torks, who have very lately 
borrowed their use from the Franks. 

" Many of my friends have asked me if I had oyer eaton with my 
fingers ; and when I replied that I had done so for more than six 
years, and that even when in Egypt I continued to do so par 
prif^ence in my own lodgings, and np to the day I got on board 
the steamer which was to conyey me homeward, they api)eared 
astonished, nay, even horrified. Some of my readers may be 
ignorant of the fact that within the last two centuries forks were 
rare in England." — Jf. Parky ns. 



86 Abyssinia Described, 

a moment imsupplied. The guests take tlieir bread and 
sauce and mix them together into a sort of paste, of which 
they make balls, long and rounded like small puddings. 
These they consider it polite to poke into the mouths of 
their neighbours ; so that if you happen to be a distin- 
guished character, or a stranger to whom they wish to 
pay attention, which was often his case, you are in a 
very disagreeable position ; for your two neighbours, one 
on each side, cram into your mouth these large and 
peppery proofs of their esteem so quickly one after the 
other, that long before you can chew and swallow the 
one, you are obliged to make room for the next. They 
generally succeed in half choking you ; and if you feel 
you are losing the skin of your mouth, lips, and throat 
from the fiery effects of the pepper, you dai-e not ask for 
water, as that would be considered rude ; and the mead 
is seldom served till the dinner is over. While these 
dishes, which are generally made of muttou, are on the 
table, the cow is killed and flayed outside ; and im- 
mediately on their removal the " brundo " is brought 
in, each servant carrying a yet quivering lump in his 
hands. The choicest pieces are carried to the highest 
tables, where are seated the master of the feast and the 
most distinguished guests. There is usually a piece of 
meat to every five or six persons, among whom arises 
some show of ceremony as to which of them shall first 
help himself; this being at length decided, the person 
chosen takes hold of the meat with his left hand, and 
with his sword or knife cuts a strip a foot or fifteen 
inches long from the part which appears the nicest and 
tenderest. The others then help themselves in like 
manner. 

Eating Brundo, — " If I should fail in describing pro- 



Washing before Eating. 87 

perly the scene vhich now follows, I must request the 
aid of the reader's ima^ation. Let him picture to 
himself thirty or forty Abyssiniaus, stripped to their 
waists, squatting round the low tables, each with his 
sword or knife, or ' shotel ' in his hand, some eating, 
some helping themselves, and some waiting their turn, 
but alt bearing in their features the expression of that 
fierce gluttony which one attributes more to the lion or 
leopard than to the race of Adam. The imagination may 
be much assisted by the idea of the lumps of raw pink 
and blue flesh they are gloating over. But I have yet to 
describe how they eat the strip of meat which I have 
jnst made one of the party cut oC A quantity of 
'dillikh,' or 'aou-&-zk,' being laid on hb^ bread, he 
dips one end of the meat into it, and then, seizing it 
between his teeth, white he holds the other end in his 
left hand, he cuts a bit off close to his lips by an upward 
stroke of his sword, only just avoiding the tip of his 
nose, and so on till he has finished the whole strip." 

The "debs," or broiled meat, is brought in nearly at 
the same time with the " brundo." It consists of the 
lib-bonea, with the meat cut In strips, and hanging like a 
tassel from one end. The servant holds the bone in his 
hand, and each of the guests cuts ofi* a strip, and eats it 
with the pepper as he does the "brundo." 

Waging before Eating. — One good custom may here 
be mentioned which the Abyssiniaus have in common 
with the Mohamedans, that of washing hands before 
and after eating and drinking. The " quontach " is a 
servant appointed to bring water before and after meals 
to each guest, usually in a horn, but sometimes, in new- 
iashioned great houses, in a brass ewer. While the 
people are yet eating, tliis servant comes round to every 



88 Abyssinia Described, 

one with a wicker disli-cover or basket, and begs a trifle 
in the name of the Virgin Mary or of the Saviour, 
wherepon each person gives him a portion of what he is 
eating. This is the custom on family party days only, 
when not many persons are assembled ; but at grand 
entertainments this is not usual. On these occasions the 
boys about the house get under the table like so many 
dogs, lying down in all the filth there accumulated, and 
by alternately pinching and caressing the feet and legs of 
the visitors induce them to throw down morsels ; but 
although this is almost always done, it can scarcely be 
said to be so much allowed as winked at. These little 
imps are often very handy, as, when one is half-choked 
by the peppery balls, the easiest way to get rid of them 
is to let them drop unobserved. The boys will not fail 
to pick them up and devour them greedily, even should 
they have been half chewed by you already. Bones 
are often gnawed and regnawed by a dozen mouths 
before the poor patient dog outside is allowed to have 
his turn. 



J. A. ST. JOHN, 1845-46. 

(Oriental Album.) 

This traveller appears to have passed much of his life in 
the East, and his various works upon Egypt, Nubia, and 
other parts of Africa, entitle him to our respect in such 
an inquiry as the present. Mr. St. John does not seem 
to have travelled to any great extent in Abyssinia, but 
the parts visited by him ne has described with much 
clearness. An artist of the name of Prisse was his com- 
panion, and the illustrations by the latter are among the 



A Beautiful GaUa Slave. 89 

best of the kind which have been produced in this 
country. 

Abyssinian Female Slaves, — During his stay at Thebes, 
a small caravan arrived from the interior, with women 
belonging to nearly all the various races which inhabit 
the African continent. It is a rule with the Jellabis to 
dispose first of such females as are wanting in beauty and 
accomplishments, and to reserve their finest slaves for 
the rich market of Cairo; they accordingly, in all the 
towns of the Upper Nile, pen, as it were, in separate 
enclosures the several classes of persons they have for 
sale, crowding the rough and ordinary together, while 
such as are of superior quality are folded in smaller 
numbers apart. To the comparatively poor and ignorant 
Islamites who inhabit that part of the valley, the former 
class only are shown; but when a European presents 
himself, he is indulged with a view of the whole stock, 
from the belief, whether well or ill-founded, that he 
usually possesses more money than wit. Happening to 
be otherwise engaged, Mr. St. John did not accompany his 
fellow-traveller to the Theban slave-market, where among 
other African beauties, he saw a nedt Abyssinian young 
woman, whose countenance greatly interested him. On 
demanding her price, he was told by the Jellabi that he 
should have her in exchange for the double-barrelled gun 
he had in his hand. 

A beautiful OdUa Slave, — Another woman, nominally 
an Abyssinian, but in reality a Galla, he was himself 
desirous of setting free at Cairo, under very peculiar 
circumstances. The Jellabi who owned her, hired in the 
slave-market a separate apartment for her accommoda- 
tion, where she sat on a neat sofa, attired superbly, and 
holding in her hand a small glittering dagger, with 



90 Abt/Minia Detcribed. 

which she played while speaking or spoken to. Her 
beauty was of the rarest kind, and she would have com- 
manded an enormous price, but for the belief of aU those 
that saw her, that she was so fierce and revengeful, that 
no one was quita safe while within her reach. She had 
been there, he was assured, full three months, and had 
attracted hundreds of adinirera, but no purchaser. Her 
face was of the richest and most delicate oval, with 
dimples in the cheek and chin, a short upper lip, a 
mouth formed like that of a Greek statue, and eyee of 
the most lustrous light As she spoke Arabic, our 
author thought it would be quite possible to tame this 
.Ethiopian Medea, by the use of a few magic words ; 
but he found upon inquiry that this pleasure, however 
great it might have been, would have coat him far too 
dear. He could not have sent her back to her country, 
and therefore left her with regret in the hands of the 
Jellabis, who asked for her a sum that might have 
peopled a Turkish har^m. Of the Gallas we have spoken 
already, so that it need only be added in this place, 
that they may be regarded as the Georgians of the South 
in personal beauty ; while, in moral qualities, they are 
exceedingly superior to those Caucasian Amazons. 

Etiiiopian Girlt. — Until thirteen or fourteen yeare of 
age the girls wear no covering, except a short apron of 
thongs round the waist, usually adorned with party- 
coloured shells. Of this they are very proud, and it 
costs them quite as much to part with it as it would a 
European woman to doff her whole costume and sell it to 
a stranger. Mr. St. John witnessed an example of this. 
On descending the river he met two or three very pretty 
girls playing in the ruins of a temple. The little damsela 
appeared to be somewhat alarmed, and retreated slowly 




YOUNQ GIRL OF 1( YEARS t 
N. ABYSSrNtA. 



EthiopiaM Oirig. 91 

towards their mothers, who were sitting down gosHp{uiig 
on the other side of a wall. Their whole stock of cloth- 
ing consisted of the thong-apron above described ; and 
his companion, who desired to bring borne a specimen of 
this primitive garment, made overtures to one of the 
mothers for the purchase of ber daughter's wardrobe. 
Unable to resist the sight of the piastres, she bade the 
girl take it off at once and deliver it to the traveller. 
But the modest little creature demurred, and upon being 
farther pressed burst into tears. TTia friend was obdu- 
rate, and BO was the mother. If she would not strip 
there she was ordered to go behind a wall, which she did, 
crying bitterly all the while ; and when she handed 
over her apron, a few rags were thrown her to replace it. 
She woe at length comforted by being told by her mother 
that the money she had received would purchase her a 
dozen aprons bettor than the one she had lost. Upon this 
abe dried her face, and they walked off with their prize to 
the boat, where, being saturated with castor-oil and mutton 
fat, they found it impossible to keep it in the cabin. It 
was therefore suspended on the mast for purification. 
Exactly the same kind of apron is worn by the Dyak 
girls in Borneo, except that with them it is adorned in 
front by a bright metal plato. 

In one respect the genuine Ethiopian women are 
greatly superior in figure to those of Egypt. The breasts 
are more finely shaped and bettor placed, and do not, 
when women are a little advanced in life, appear to be 
elongated, as among the females lower down the valley. 
"When, however, they reckon any negroes or negressee 
among their ancestors, the case is different. Then the 
breasts are placed low, and shaped like half an orange, 
indicating the unsightly shape they are to assume. 



92 Abyssinia Described, 

It lias been already remarked that these women are 
beautifully formed, and if any parts of the body are more 
finely fashioned than the rest it is the hand and arm. 
No women have prettier or softer hands, and they are 
so small that in general they will pass through the 
bracelet which fits the wrist. A girl of ten years old in 
Northern Europe will commonly be found to have a hand 
larger than a full-grown woman here. Of this peculiarity 
in their figure they are very proud. Mr. St. John once 
purchased of a young manied woman the bracelets she 
wore on her wrists, and when he paid her the money she 
bade him to take them off himself. Her pretty round arm 
was very small, and he thought it would be difficult ; but, 
pressing together the hand like a glove, she enabled the 
ornament to slip off with the greatest ease. With one 
of her companions, who had a bracelet of curious fibre 
and precious stones interwoven, he was not so successful. 
Press her hand how she would it would not come off. 
At this she was evidently much mortified, and, in a 
pettish manner, bade him take out his penknife and 
cut it. 

Their necklaces are of two kinds: a broad throat- 
band, composed of beads of various colours, tastefully 
strung ; and another, which hangs loosely over the 
bosom, consisting of indurated berries, or small precious 
stones, accounted holy because brought from Mecca. 
They wear their hair in innumerable ringlets, in size not 
exceeding one's little finger, falling straight down the 
forehead and head, and kept in form by being plastered 
with mutton-fat. When they stand in the sun this 
melts easily, and dripping on their shoulders and bosoms, 
runs over their whole bodies, diffusing anything but 
fragrance. 



The FcUricirch Salanxa, 93 

M. LE JEAN, 1860-2. 

The late French Consul at Gondar has given us, in 
the pages of the lievue dea Deux Mcmdes (Nov. 1864), the 
result of his experience in Abyssinia. Few men have 
had a better opportunity for studying the institutions 
and customs of the country than this gentleman, and as 
he also suffered imprisonment at the hands of Theodore, 
what he says concerning that monarch possesses a peculiar 
interest at this moment. Fortunately for M. Le Jean, 
no counter influences were used by the other Europeans 
to set the king against him, and, after a short detention, 
and a mock trial to justify it, he was j>ermitted to return 
to France. His report is most graphically and impar- 
tially written, in which latter quality it contrasts greatly 
with other recent French accounts. Sevei-al English 
journalists have of late availed themselves largely of 
M. Le Jean's excellent papers, without, however, ac- 
knowledging the source from whejice their information 
was drawn. 

The FcUriarch ScUania. — The present patriarch of 
Ethiopia (1864) is oue of the most wretched specimens 
of the Coptic clergy. Haughty, violent, avaricious, and 
a meddler, he spends his time between usury, iDtrigue, 
and commerce — and what commerce ! . . . 

The character of Salama was so notorious that one 
day his confessor publicly disclosed his last confession, 
and informed the faithful that the patriarch had nine 
mistresses, of whom two were nuns. His ignorance is 
so proverbial that the professors of theology occasionally 
submit knotty questious to him for solution, which he 
commonly does by excommunicating the inquirers. . . . 

King Theodore, — The fioal battle which placed Theo- 



94 AbyuUiia J>eteribed. 

dore npon the throne was fought at DereakiJi on the 5th 
of Pebniary, 1853. Onbi6 fell by the hand of Kasna" 
himMlf. ClietoD, wounded in the field, dragged himself 
to a cavern hard bj, and there died ; Eokobi^, Onbj^a 
general, passed over with his armj- to the enemy, aod 
Kasai found himself at last in the position he had bo 
long and so ardently coveted. The day following, he 
caused himself to be crowned with regal splendour, in 
the same church at Dereskie which the Tanquiahed 
general had but the day before prepared for his own 
coronation. Kaatd took the name of Theodore, which 
had been borne by a great and glorious Negua who 
reigned about the twelfth century. The fact of aaanmiog 
this name marked the determination of Kasai. A. tradi- 
tion univenially known in Abysainia, and mentioned by 
all travellers since Bruce, asserts that a negus of the 
name of Theodore should restore the Ethiopian empire 
to its former splendour, destroy Islamism, and raise the 
Cross above the Crescent. With consummate audacity 
he .declared that he was the man indicated by the pro- 
phecy. It ia certun that in 18SS every one in Abyssinia 
believed it, if indeed they do not still. 

The first acts of King Theodore II. were stamped 
by s sound judgment and moderation, which contraat 
strangely with his subsequent character. I^ at the 
moment when the bells of Deretikif announced his acces- 
sion to the throne, he had reflected on the troubles 
through which be had so recently passed, and considered 
the means by which he had gained hia present position, 
we can well understand that, looking down from the 

■ In this, u well oa in othot AbTlsiuian proper namei, great 
divenit; of BpeUisg obUina. It u written Kara, Kana, Kami, or 
Katiai. 



King Theodore. 95 

height to which he had climbed, he should have become 
giddy, and that his Bober judgment should have deserted 
him. Never, however, did monarch conduct himself 
more discreetly than at that critical moment, and the 
^programme which he followed for four years amply 
justifies the prepossession with which he was regarded by 
certain Europeans. His ide^ was very simple : he wished 
to regenerate Abyssinia, and to draw from its ancient 
civilization the elements of its restoration. This Utopian 
idea was eminently grateful to the overweening national 
pride of the Abyssinians, and enabled the king to avoid 
that resistance against reforms which Peter the Great 
and the Sultan Mahommed, under similar circumstances, 
could only combat by the efifiision of blood. 

Abyssinia, even during its state of greatest decadence, 
offers to the unprejudiced traveller, the elements of an 
advanced social order. Feudality certainly exists there, 
but scarcely to a greater extent than in England ; the 
institutions are thoroughly democratic, the administrative 
machinery is simple ; the code of laws is that of Jus- 
tinian, with certain modifications necessitated by circum- 
stances ; property is well defined, individual rights are 
guaranteed by appeal to the emperor ; commerce is pro- 
tected ; and political vengeance and the horrors of war 
in a great meamre neutralized by the number and in- 
violability of ghedem (places of refuge). The law in 
itself is good, — it is the fault of the barbarity brought in 
by unceasing anarchy if the nobility be overbearing and 
rapacious, the Church corrupt, justice venal, marriage 
annulled by the contagious example of the aristocracy, 
and the right of refuge and of caravans violated. 
There was no other means according to the doctrine of 
the conqueror of Dereski6, of restoring the integrity of 



96 Abt/ifinia Described. 

the empite, than by euforciog the ancient royal code 
with impartiality and rigour. 

Judicial and religious refarin therefore occupied the 
paramount attention of Theodore. The principal want 
of Abyssinia wati security in travelling, and in fact 
the country generally was infested with bands of rob- 
bers. A royal proclamation dated from the camp of 
Abadjard, near Gondar, in August, 1855, ordered '* that 
every one should return to the profession of their f&thei-s, 
the merchant to hia shop, the peasant to his ploogh," 
The edict was executed with a Draconic rigour — im- 
possibilities do not exist in Abyssinia. The people of 
Tishba, incorrigible bandits, occupying a fortified village 
on the I&g mountain, came to the camp of Theodore 
armed to the teeth, and demanded a confirmation of 
their rights, recognized by David the Great, to exercise 
the profession of their fathers. "What is thatprofeBuonl" 
asked Theodore, calmly. " Bobbers on the highway," they 
insolently replied. " Listen," said Theodore, " your pro- 
fession is dangerous, and agriculture is worth more ; 
descend into the plain and cultivate it ; Lamgh£ ia the 
richest ground in the empire, I myselt will give yon 
oxen and ploughs." They were inflexible. The King 
finished by acceding to their request and dismissed 
them. As they were returning, elate, aa they conceived, 
at having frightened the King into submission, they 
were joined on the road by a squadron of cavalry, the 
chief of whom proceeded to demonstrate that if David 
the Great had authorized them by a charter to live by 
pillage, there was a decree by another King still greater, 
which authorized the soldiers to destroy the robbers. 

Theodore's Appearance atid Character. — He is 49 years 
of age, middle height, of imposing presence, and of 



Tlieodor^a Character and Appearance, 97 

an open and sympathetic cast of countenance. His 
features, less regular than those of Abjssioians gene- 
rally, are expressive and mobile, and have nothing of 
that borrowed dignity which usually stamps the coun- 
tenances of Orientals with an air of solemn insignifi- 
cance. His glance is quick and piercing, while the 
hard lines of his profile plainly indicate the inflexible 
will by which he has bent to the yoke the necks of the 
freest and least tractable people of the East. Exacting 
in others in matters of etiquette, the king allows 
himself full license as regards costume, and affects a 
neglige which, however, never descends to bad taste. A 
simple military cassock, full trowsers, and a girdle, 
wherein are placed his pistols and an English sword, and 
over all a chama, or embroidered toga — such is his usual 
costume. The same disregard of luxury is apparent in 
all his actions : the furniture of his tent is of the mo»t 
simple description, while his residences at Magdala and 
Debra-Tabor are filled with silks and stufis from the 
looms of France and India. On the march, he carries 
the black and clumsy shield of a common soldier, while 
at his side trots a page bearing his *' dress" shield, 
covered with blue velvet, and spangled with imperial 
fleurs-de-lys.* 

Argumentative and even logical in debate, his thoughts 
are frequently conveyed in language most eloquent ; other 
resources failing, however, he is somewhat prone to resort 

• The arms of Abyssinia, as given by Lndolphns, and corrobo- 
rated by Salt, are, a lion passant, either holding in its paws a 
patriarchal cross, or before one fixed in the ground. On the official 
seal, however, attached to the letters of Theodore sent to the 
British €k>Temment, appears a lion counterpassant, and crowned ; 
surrounded with the motto — '*Moa anbasa zaoemoeagada Juda;" 
in English, " The Lion of the Race of Judah has triumphed ! " 

O 



98 Abyssinia Described, 

to au argvmentum ad hominem, which seldom fails in 
gaining the end he has in view. For example, — In Gh>n- 
dar there resided a number of merchants who entertained 
a very subtle difference from the Church respecting the 
nature of Christ. When Theodore heard of it be 
ordered them immediately into his presence. " Do you 
acknowledge the Abouna 9 '* he asked. '' Certainly,** they 
all replied. '^ Then in that case, my children,'* responded 
the king, '< you are rebels if you think differently from 
the Abouna, who is the head of the Church, and from 
me who am the temporal protector. Abjure your 
errors at once, or the public executioner shall exercise 
the functions of his office.'* At that moment the execu- 
tioner, armed with his heavy sword, made his appear- 
ance. The unfortunate victims urged that they had been 
taken by surprise, and requested three days to think the 
matter over. " Good ! " answered the king, " you shall 
have the time you ask for. Let these men,'* he added, 
turning to his guard, *^ be kept without food or drink, and 
in three days bring them again before me." By the 
evening of the second day there was not one of the party 
who did not profess to hold identical] opiDions on the 
nature of Christ with those of the king and Abouna. 

Theodoras Treachery.— Oi the little reliance which can 
be placed upon the honour of Theodore, M. Lejean 
adduces the following instance : — Negousi^ the rebel 
chief, had long harassed the king by making incursions 
into the country, rapidly retreating towards the moan- 
tains, laden with spoil, at the approach of the royal army. 
At length, in January, 1861, Theodore so hemmed his 
rival in that retreat was impossible. On the evening 
preceding the day of the battle, the voice of a herald was 
heard proclaiming aloud from a neighbouring height-^ 



Theodor^B TrecuAery. 99 

^ Thus i^Maks the Djan-hoi : — I pardon all those who will 
ihiB night quit the camp of Negou8i6, and I assign them 
three places of refuge : — the church of Axum, that of 
Adowa, and mj own camp. As to those whom I shall 
to-morrow find under arms, let th^ expect no mercy." 
At dawn of day scarcely twenty followers remained to 
Negousi^ ; these were all killed except the chief and his 
brother, who were taken alive. When brought before 
Theodore, he promised them their life and liberty if they 
would return to their allegiance ; but the next day he 
ordered their right hands and left feet to be severed from 
their bodies, and by a refinement of cruelty refused them 
a drop of water to assuage their thirst. Both brothers 
died under the fearful operation. As for the other 
insurgents who, in accordance with the king's proclama- 
tion, sought sanctuary in the church, the greater number 
were ruthlessly dragged out and executed. It was on 
this occasion, when Theodore had thus vigorously crushed 
out sedition from his empire, he made a speech to the 
assembled clergy in answer to an address from them, in 
which he used these words : — " I have made an agree- 
ment with God. lie has promised not to come down 
upon the earth to smite me, and I, on my part, have 
promised not to ascend to heaven to molest Him there/* 

Theodore^s Temper. — Another, prominent feature in the 
character of Theodore is the uncertainty of his temper, 
and the suspicion with wliich he regards all the actions 
of Europeans, as the following incidents will show : — 

There happened, just after the confinement of Cameron, 
to be in the country a young Irishman (Mr. Kerens) 
of about eighteen years of age, who, having led for some 
months a perilous life in Nubia in hunting, was induced 
to visit Abyssinia and see its sovereign Knowing that 

G 2 



loo Aht/8»inia Described. 

the king was passionately fond of w^r and thJ chase, he 
brought him a beautiful carpet as a present, wUereon was 
represented the well-known picture of Jules Gerard, in 
the costume of a Spahi attacking a lion. • • Me arrived 
just at the moment ^li^n Mr. Cameron was arrested, and 
in consequence his reception ^as none the more favour- 
able. The hunter presented his carpet. " What imper- 
tinence of these English ! *' said Theodore to his officers. 
" See how one of them has just foretold me by a picture 
that the Turks will kill me. Do you not see that this 
man who is firing at the lion — this Turk — wears a fez ? 
Who is the lion of Ethiopia if it is not myself? Mean- 
while, before the Turks kill me put this Englishman in 
irons." The young man asked in surprise, " What have I 
done ? " " Thou hast done nothing," replied the king in 
a milder tone, " but as I have imprisoned thy consul, thou 
canst not love me, and those who do not love'me ought not 
to gofree^^ Two months afterwards Mr. Cameron received 
a new companion in captivity. It was a young French- 
man, to whom hitherto Theodore a])peared much attached. 
He was absent at the time of Cameron's arrest, and 
yielding to a generous impulse, on his return sought an 
audience of the king and begged him, by the, honour of a 
civilized monarch, to set the captives at liberty. Unfor- 
tunately he spoke the Aiihari^ language vert badly, and 
it seemed that in his conlusioiAhe used rathef a stronger 
word than he intended. \ Lisffn to this ass," said Theo- 
dore, '^ who dares to dictate his orders to me ! Since he 
feels such a lively interest in the consul, let him be 
chained with him." I | 

Flotoden cmd Bell, — Plowden was appointed English 
Consul,^ and in 1849 concluded a treaty of commercel 
with lias Ali. He foresaw the high position to whichl 



1. V. 



a 



Phviden and BelL loi 

Easaa -v/^ destined, and, attaching himself to hioi, 
followed liim everywhere ; not io bia official capacity 
of consul, for that, the Buepicious jealoasy of the Abys- 
sinums woatd never have permitted him. " We do not 
wish," said an Abyssinian chief 10^856 to the French 
consul at Maasowah, " to allow foreign consuls to set 
np for themaelves independent sovereignties in our em- 
pire. We have received Mr. Flowden simply as a 
traveller. But if he had exercised the privileges of bis 
title," added the chief, with a bravado peculiar to his 
nation, "ho would not have lived four-aud-twenty 

This jealousy of foreign consuls is accounted for by the 
fact that the Abysainians look npon the jurisdiction and 
exceptional immunitiea enjoyed by them as constituting 
petty independent sovereignties, each one of vhich they 
regard as a dismembemieut of the empire. 

Mr. Bel) was a retired officer of the English navy, 
attracted to Abyssinia by a love of adventure, and who 
attached himaelf to the person of the future emperor by a 
sympathy which had become almost a species of worship. 
Ijong before the battle of Dereski£, he became attached 
to his fortune whether good or bad, following him like a 
Ikithful dog, and sleeping across the doorway of bis 
chamber, and this sympathy waa in a great measure reci- 
procated. The uegua paid 'great attention to his 
disinterested advice, and induced him to explain to him 
the history, compare the strength, the politics, and pre- 
sent situation of the European States. As a return for 
Ithe &itbful services of Bell, the king bestowed upon him 
the ranll and title of liJcamankuas — that is to say, he waa 
|) one of R)ur personal favourites who are permitfcd in an 
engagement to dress precisely the sambas the kin'g, so as 



I02 Abyssinia Described.- 

to mislead the enemy. It was in the exercise of this 
honourable and perilous office, and in the following 
manner, that Mr. Bell subsequently lost his life. 

Death of BelL — Baffled in his pursuit of Negousi6, the 
king returned to Cipndar, where he learned that Mr. 
Plowden had been murdered by the soldiers of an insur- 
gent chief named Gerred. Some arms discovered in 
their possession furnished sufficient excuse for executing 
a large number. He then marched northwards to 
Woggera in pursuit of Gerred, who, knowing the in- 
feriority of his force, descended to the little plateau of 
Tchober, and resolved to risk what could be, on account 
of the confined space, little more than a duel. Recog- 
nising the king, who approached surrounded by a 
group of offioers, he charged towards him, raised his 
gun to his shoulder, and fired. The king drew back and 
escaped with a slight wound on the shoulder. Instantly 
Mr. Bell, seeing his master in danger, rushed forward, 
and with one well-directed blow laid Gerred lifeless at 
his feet, but was himself, at almost the same moment, 
pierced through with a spear by the hand of Gerred*s 
brother. Thus fell the only two men who seem to have 
understood the Abyssinian character, and who made of 
King Theodore a warm friend instead of a dreaded enemy. 

M, Gobat and the Stviss Missionaries, — The favour 
which these two Englishmen enjoyed doubtless im- 
pressed M. Gobat, a Swiss missionary who after- 
wards became Bishop of Jerusalem, with the idea that 
the present was a favourable opportunity of establishing 
a mission in Abyssinia. Accordingly, in the early part 
of 1856, Mr. Martin Flad and ten of his countrymen left 
Basle for the court of King Theodore. To their surprise 
the king informod them that he would permit no dis- 



Theodore* 8 Vanity Wounded. 103 

cossion of dogma amongst his Christian sabjects, but if 
he chose to try what he could do with the Fal^shes 
(Jews) and the Galla prisoners of war, he was welcome 
to make the attempt. Meanwhile, fortune having sent 
a dozen Europeans to his dominions, the king had no 
idea of not availing himself of their services. Having 
read in the Bible that King David drove to the field of 
battle mounted on a chariot, he gave orders to the mis- 
sionaries to build him one. Having carte blanche as to 
shape and size, they constructed a large machine re- 
sembling an arm chair, which they painted green. Through 
some fault in the construction, the chariot would not 
"travel;" it was therefore borne triumphantly to the 
scene of action on men*s shoulders ; the aboriginal spec- 
tators believing it to be some new weapon of warfare. 
It was soon disabled, and the wreck now adorns the 
royal arsenal of Magdala. Theodore, by no means dis- 
concerted at the failure of this first essay, gave orders to 
his guests to construct for him a mortar and howitzer. 
In Tain did they plead they had no materials. The 
imperial edict had gone forth and must be obeyed. One 
of their number, a Polish deserter from the artillery, at 
length constructed a mould, and the king himself super- 
intended firing the first shot. The result was, as might 
be supposed, — the howitzer burst. Although these contre- 
temps are not assigned as reasons for the ill-feeling 
which subsequently subsisted between Theodore and 
Flad, there is no doubt they tended in a great measure 
to that end. 

Theodore* s Vanity wounded, — During the early part of 
the correspondence which ensued after the death of 
Plowden, Theodore expressed great dissatisfaction that 
the letters from England were not written by Her Majesty 



1 04 A byssinia Described. 

in persoD. '< Who is this Russell ? " he continually asked 
of Cameron. " Cannot your queen write to her brother 
Theodore herself 1 " 

" I know," said Theodore to M. Lejean, " the tactics 
of European governments. When they wish to take 
possession of an Eastern territory, they first of all 
send missionaries, then consuls to strengthen the mis- 
sionaries, and finally, battalions to back up the consuls. 
I am not a Hajah of Hindustan to be bamboozled in 
that manner. I prefer to deal with the battalions first." 

Langtiage. — It is natural to suppose that in a country 
composed of so many petty independent states as Abys- 
sinia, a great diversity of dialect should exist, amounting 
in many instances almost to a different language. The 
first and most important dialect, and that which may be 
said to constitute the national language, is the Gcez. It is 
par excellence the literary language of the country, for it is 
employed in transmitting historical traditions, and i.<« 
used both by the official authorities and the Church. 
Like all languages which have been in existence for any 
considei*able period, it has undergone many changes. 
Its characters have in like manner been differently ex- 
pressed during various epochs, as the inscriptions which 
still remain amply testify. The most ancient characters 
in the country are the Hymiarite, which is supposed to 
be the language spoken by the Abyssinian s before they 
left Arabia. It may be remarked that Hymiarite or 
Geez is nothing but the ancient and now dead Arabic, 
from which we may conclude that it is not the aboriginal 
language of Abyssinia. This, in all probability, is 
Amharic, which, however, has received so many additions 
from the Geez as scarcely to retain its individuality. The 
dialect for the most part spoken in Tigr^ is but a cor- 



A Young Ladr/'a PiUow. 105 

roptioD of Ethiopian, with a considerable admixture of 
other words derived from the neighbouring tribes of 
Oallao. The Agao dialect seema to derive its origin 
from the Sanscrit ; the A.dal likewise points indubitably 
to an Asiatic origin. 



RBV. HENRY BTERN, l86o-I. 

Tbis gentleman, whose name is so painfully associated 
with the present captivity, proceeded to Abyssinia, at the 
desire of the Society for the Promotion of Christianity 
amongst the Jews, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel 
to the Falashas, a remnant of tlie Jewish race who still 
retain a degenerate form of their ancient faitli. Mr. Stem 
travelled by way of the Nile, and entered Abysainia from 
the north-west. In the preface to his work, " Wanderings 
among the Falaahas in Abyssinia," he says that the special 
object of his vi»it to that country did not prevent him 
from coming in continual contact with every other class 
of people ; and as our author has an observant eye, and 
poesessea considerable powers of description, bis book is 
quite as entertaining as it is instructive. The graphio 
letters of Mr. Stem, describing the hardships of his long 
cftptirity, have been reprinted in almost every newspaper 
in the country. His notice of Theodore, from which tlie 
following has been condensed, although varying in some 
particulars from other accounts, has nevertheless a pecu- 
liar interest at the present moment ; the first paragraph 
'will show Mr. Stern's treatment of lesser matters : — 

A Youn^ Zadj/a Pillow. — [It la a curious fact that the 
wooden rest, or hollow pillow, represented in ancient 
Egyptian hieroglyphics as an article of bed furniture in 



io6 Abyssinia Described. 

the time of the Pharaohs, is still in use amongst the 
damsels of Abyssinia.] The chief attention of Ethiopia's 
sallow and copper-coloured maidens is bestowed on the 
ornament of the head, and in this matter they are as much 
swayed by fashion as the most fastidious beauty in the 
Quartier St. Germain, or in the stately saloons of Belgravia. 
Happily their fashions are not subject to the caprice of a 
modiste, or the inventive power of a distinguished 
beauty. The palace at Kamak, and the tombs of 
Theban monarchs, as in times of old so also in the 
present day, furnish the approved and orthodox models 
for the more sanhitioua/riseur. Pride, has, however, in 
all countries to pay a penalty for its indulgence. Thus, 
in Africa, where curl pai)ers have not yet been intro- 
duced, the woman whose hair has undergone the tedious 
process of plaiting, must also, during the night, have it 
protected from becoming dishevelled ; and as this cannot 
so easily be done in a country where a bullock's hide or 

a mat forms the bed, necessity has contrived 
- a bowl-shaped stool in which the neck is 

^^^ wedged, and on this substitute for a pillow 
,4^^^ the vain maiden sleeps in an immovable 
and most uncomfortable posture during the 
tedious hours of the long tropical night. In Abyssinia, 
where the women are particularly proud of their copper- 
coloured charms, very few, even on a journey and with 
fifty pounds weight on their backs, will forget to take 
the wooden pillow and the hollow grease-fiUed gourd. 

E(vrly Life of Theodore. — [It was the following account 
of the Abyssinian monarch which so annoyed the king, 
causing him to bum down the €k>ndar churches and kill 
the priests, because those persons only, he believed, could 
have told the missionary Stem. The latter, too, was 




Baiiy Lift of Theodore. 107 

chained ap and nnmercifully flogged for this and another 
candid remark about the king.] 

Tt'ng TheodoruB, the present ruler of Abyssinia, was 
bom in Qnara, a small province on the western borders 
of Amarah. TTia &ther, Hailu Weleda Oeorgis, though 
a reputed scion of Queen SaWs roiral line, acquii'ed no 
distinction in Ufe, and awakened no sympathy or regret 
at his death. The small fortune of the decesfied noble- 
man was ttoom seized and wasted by greedy relations, and 
the poor mother of Kassa (the surname of the future 
king), like numbers mure in the demoralized country, 
where love is seldom hallowed by the religion that 
belongs to it, was, ere long, driven by want to eke out 
a miserable subsistence by the sale of kosso,* whilst the 
tender object of her affection found a refuge in a convent 
at Tscbangar, twelve hours south-west of Gondar. In 
diis asylum the young orphan might have spent some 
years in di'eary indolence and life-sapping inactivity, had 
not Dejaj !S£arou, a defeated rebel, invaded the sanc- 
toaiy, burned all its huts, and, by killing and mutilating 
helplen boys, glutted his cowardly vengeance on their 
TictoriouB parents. Eassa eluded the inhuman cruelty of 
the dastardly foe, and, under the covert of night, gained 
Hie house of his powerful uncle, Dejaj Confu. 

In thia chieftain's home, which was the rendezvous of 
scheming and discontented rebels, the ardent youth 
imbibed an enthusiastic love of war, and a passionate 
ambition for daring and dangerous exploits. His 
courage, which knew no fear, and shrank ^m no 
obstacle, soon secured him the favour of his guardian, 

■ Tlw KoMo ti«« grow* at an altitude of aboat S,ooo feet. Its 
beaatifdl flowen, which huig in profaaion on erei; branch, ara a 
■pacUa acBinat the tqiewonn, from which all AbrisiDtMU suffer. 



io8 Abyssinia Described. 

and the admiration of his troops. Dejaj Confu, however, 
died, when his two sons and heirs, as it will also some- 
times happen in other lands, had hardly consigned the 
moi-tal remains of their parent to its last resting-place, 
before they began to fight and quarrel about the patrimony. 
Dejaj Goshu BerUy the valiant and crafty governor 
of Daniot and Gqjam^ eagerly watched the issue of this 
fratricidal strife, and when the whole province had been 
reduced to anarchy and disorder, he invaded it with his 
hordes, and, almost without any resistance, made himself 
master of the most fertile and populous part of Abys- 
sinia. Kcusa, who had joined the partisans of the elder 
brother, flew before the ferocious conqueror to Sarago, 
in Alavay where, concealed in the hut of a kind peasant, 
he eluded for more than a month the pursuit of the 
nithless foe. It is narrated that, some years later, when 
Kassa's military successes and triumphs had achieved for 
hiiu the title of Dejaj, he was sent to Alava to repress 
and quell an insurrection in that district. The rebels, 
without resistance, were awed into submission ; and, to 
prevent auy further troubles, every insurgent was 
mulcted in a penalty of feeding for a week half a score 
or more of voracious troops. Kassa's former benefactor 
refused to receive the unwelcome guests, and upon being 
dragged before the chief, he was instantly recognized by 
the recipient of his bounty ; and, amidst the plaudits of 
the soldiery, exalted to the Shumat of Sarago, and 
rewarded with the gift of twenty dollars, eight oxen, 
eight cows, and eight male and female slaves. 

We next find Kassa at the head of a band of seventy 
robbers, in the marshy and malarious borders of the 
western koUa, or low-land. The men became tired of 
their captain's strict diBcipline, and conspired against 




Early Life of Theodore. 109 

him; bat, before their plot was ripe, "the secret was 
divulged, and, in a terrible encounter, Kasaa, with a few 
brKToe, disabled and routed his enemies. With tins 
■mall band of laithful followers, he now joined Derar, 
another desperado, and these two companions for some 
months were the terror of the Tougroiirees and the 
■cour^ of all the Kbowadgeee, or Mohamedan mer- 
chants, on the road between Wochnee and Matammti." 

We next hear of Kaesa as having returned to his home. 
His exploit, however, had made his name known far and 
near, and nnmbers of disaffected reckless chicfn and 
adventurers followed him into his retreat. With tliiit 
band he again sallied forth, ostensibly to aid the oppressed, 
but in realitj to further his ambitious designs. 

The Waisero Menin, mother of Ras-Ali, and nomi- 
nally queen of all the provinces west of the TaccazC-, now 
began to dread the growing power of Kassa ; and, 
prompted by deep, passionate animosity, which invariably 
characterized her proceedings towards those who defied 
her authority, or did not minister to her revolting 
excesses, she despatched a large army to crush, as she 
said, " the Kobho vendor's soa" Informed of the expedi- 
tion, Kassa, without delay, hastened to meet the enemy ; 
bat, no sooner did the latter come in sight of their oppo- 
nents, than they were seized with a panic, and fled to 
Dembea. The cunning woman had now recourse to 
intrigue, and the witchery of soft blandislunents, which 
she had often found more powerful tban her armies, to 
entrap a formidable enemy ; hut Kassa, who saw the bait 
l^ which he was to be caught, met all these overtures 
with indifference or polite evasion. Baffled and embar- 
rassed, the treacherous queen was more than ever intent 
npon revenging herself on the presumptaoos rebel ; and, 



no Ahysdma Described. 

as 0|>en violence and crafty art had equally failed, she did 
not shrink from compassing the redoubtable chieftain's 
death at the high price of her own grandchild's honour, 
the daughter of Has- All, whom she gave him in marriage. 
The young wife, instead of abetting the infamous design 
of her grandmother, with a constancy and affection 
seldom witnessed in that demoralized country, foiled 
every attempt on her beloved husband's life, by diverting 
the dangers which threatened him or herself. 

DR. BEKE, 1865. 

The most recent work of any importance upon our 
subject is the new edition of this author's " British Cap- 
tives in Abyssinia." Believing that he could be instru- 
mental in obtaining the release of the prisoners, he left 
this country in 1865, at the desire of the contributors to 
the "Abyssinian Captives Liberation Fund," and pro- 
ceeded with several valuable presents to the country of 
King Theodore. He went free of any political con- 
nections, relying solely upon his knowledge of Abyssinian 
life, and the justice of the cause he had engaged in. On 
Ids anival at Massowah, difficulties for proceeding into 
the interior presented themselves ; and as it was reported 
that the captives had either been liberated, or were about 
to be. Dr. Beke and his lady soon returned to London, 
some of the presents being afterwards sent to the king by 
Mr. Flad. The above work is a remarkable digest of 
almost everything that has been written and published 
upon the subject of the British captives in Abyssinia. 
Our " Bibliography " at the end will show the number of 
valuable works which Dr. Beke has written, and in Part 
lY. his suggestion for a Government expedition is given. 




PART IL 

CONSUL PLOWDEN'S DESCRIPTION 
OF ABYSSINIA, 1852-5. 



HAYING, in the preceding pages, given a general 
summary of Abyssinian travel and adventure, 
accompanied by a few remarks upon the country, and the 
manners and customs of the people, as they have appeared 
to early and recent travellers, the reader is now presented 
with what is believed to be the best and most truthful 
description of Abyssinia which has yet been written. In 
forwarding his official despatches to the Government it was 
Consul Plowden*s practice to send ^* enclosures.** These 
papers comprised admirable accounts of the history, 
government, topography, and superstitions of the Abys- 
nnian people ; all written for the benefit of Earl Gran- 
ville, then our Foreign Minister. The "enclosures" 
having been separated from the business and other 
despatches, are here given in something like consecutive 
order. 

In 1846-47 the three great divisions, or provinces, 
of Abyssinia were governed as follows : the Amhara 
country by Has Ali ; Tigr^ and Samien by Bas Oobeay 
(or TJbie) ; and Shoa by Sahela Seltoie. No official 
intercourse was maintained with any of these chiefs by 
the British Government until a Mr. Walter Plowden 



112 Abyssinia Described, 

suggested to the Foreign Office the advisability of estab- 
lishing a consulate at the port of Massowah, or some other 
convenient place on the sea-coast. 

This gentleman was the youngest son of a Bengal 
civilian, and was partner in the house of Carr (Dwar- 
banath), Tagore, & Co., from which firm he soon after 
withdrew and started on his i*eturn to Europe. At 
Aden ho fell in with a native *' dhow " from Abyssinia, 
which happened to be there for trading purposes. An 
offer was made him to go to Massowah, and he availed 
himself of it. Plowden was a highly educated man, 
clever, and of engaging manners, and he seems to have 
made friends with some influential Abyssinians very soon 
after his arrival at the port just mentioned. The story of 
an adventurous fellow-countryman living in the interior 
as a chief, or high officer, soon came to his ear, and 
in one of his expeditions to find this bold person, he 
met with Ras Ali, the then reigning monarch of that part 
of Abyssinia. To this chief, or king, Plowden made 
himself so agreeable and useful, that he received a sub- 
stantial acknowledgment in return. Finding in Abys- 
sinia, then, a new field for enterprise, and one in which 
his services would be profitably employed, and, to all 
appearance, fully appreciated, he resolved upon making 
it his future home. 

There was another inducement to stay here. Bell, the 
Englishman, of whom Plowden had heard so much, was a 
man of similar disposition to himself, fond of adventure, 
and preferring activity in an almost unknown part of the 
world to the quieter duties and routine of European 
life. As both were of a generous and open nature, it is 
not to be wondered at that, after they made each other's 
acquaintance, a lasting friendship soon sprang up betwixt 




m^m- 



Consul Plowden, 48-60. 113 

them. Bell,* who had married a chieftain's daughter, and 
occupied a high position in the court of Has Ali, soon 
explained to his new friend something of the undeveloped 
resources of Abyssinia ; and the latter, desirous of bene- 
fiting both his own and his adopted country, quickly 
saw how advantageous active intercourse would be to 
each if the necessary relations were once established. 
With the advice of Bell, he thereupon wrote to Lord 
Palmerston, giving an accurate description of the pro- 
ducts of the country, and explaining how, in his opinion, 
a considerable commerce must ensue if a consulate were 
established at Massowah. He then gave his antecedents, 
and offered himself as a candidate for the office. 

Consul Plowden was appointed by Lord Palmerston, 
and on the 2nd November, 1849, a " Treaty of Friend- 
ship and Commerce *' was concluded betwixt this country 
and Bas AIL By the treaty it was provided that His 
Majesty of Abyssinia should receive an ambassador from 
this country, and " Her Britannic Majesty would, in the 
same manner, receive and protect any ambassador or 



•Mr. William Lees Bell writes : — "My cousin, the late Mr. 
John Bell, who was for many years the adviser of King Theodore, 
was bom in Malta, and in 1837 [Messrs. Ferret and Galinier, 
however, assort that he was a a years of age when they met him in 
1 839 at Cairo, see p. 67] joined the Eaphrates and Tigr6s ezpedi* 
tion ander Colonel Chesney. In oonsoqnenco of his great skill in 
eastern dialects, h6 was left at Aleppo as British Consnl, and 
there he conceived the idea of trayoUing to discoyer the source of 
the Nile. During his journey through Abyssinia he met with a 
chieftain's daughter, a yery beautiful girl, whom he married, and 
thas became the head of the tribe, and chief adviser of the king. 
• • • • My cousin's family in Malta is in possession of a long 
oorrespondence, which frequently refers to the king's designs and 



reaoiirces." 



H 



114 Abyssinia Described, 

consul whom His Majesty or his successors might see 
lit to appoint.*' 

Such is the outline of the story of our first political 
connection with Ahyssinia. That Plowden found many 
more difficulties in his way than he had expected is now 
well known. In order to assist in maintaining order and 
good govomment, he sided with the chief who, to all ap- 
pearance, was the rightful ruler, and who certainly seemed 
to possess the greatest amount of power. After live 
years of fruitless endeaTour, however, his friend Has All 
was, in 1854, overthrown by one of his sons-in-law, who 
induced the Coptic bishop to crown him Emperor of 
Abyssinia. This person was the present King Theodore, 
who, so far from insisting on the observance of the treaty 
of 1849, at first refused altogether to recognize it. 

On Theodore's accession both Consul Plowden and 
Bell at once acknowledged him. Why this course was 
determined upon may be gathered from the opening 
pages of Mr. Badger's admirable " Story of the British 
Captives," given further on. For a recital of the tragic 
events which led to both Bell and Plowden's deaths, the 
reader is referred to M. Lejean's account p. loi, and 
that given by Mr. Badger in Part IIP. of this book. 
Shortly after Bell's death, a Mr. Speedy, formerly an 
officer in the Indian service, entered that of King 
Theodore. It was twelve months after Plowden's death, 
however, before a successor was appointed to the 
English consulate in the person of Captain Cameron — 
a relation of Mr. Plowden, and at present one of the 
unfortunate prisoners in Abyssinia. 

Although Consul Plowden had been instructed to 
reside at Massowah '^for the protection of British 
trade with Abyssinia and • the countries adjacent," yet. 



Consul Plowdeny I S^S'Go, 115 

in order to gain accurate information concerning the 
country, he had been requested by his superiors to make 
excursions as opportunity offered to the different pro- 
vinces and to report upon them. Consul Cameron has 
been much blamed for occasionally quitting Massowah, but 
as that part is not now within the Abyssinian dominions, 
it will be seen from Plowden*s report that it is almost 
impossible to conduct on all occasions the duties of a 
oonsul without visiting the interior. 

In forwarding his first enclosure, ^' Remarks on the 
Social System of Abyssinia," Plowden says : " So peculiar 
is that system ; so difficult to assimilate to European ideas 
^-a difficulty felt by Bruce, and the cause, perhaps, of 
his ill reception in England — that each despatch must 
swell to a volume should I endeavour to explain it in all 
points of view; nor will it ever be thoroughly under- 
stood until, by proximity, a free and frequent communica- 
tion take place betwixt the two nations. I may, by 
affording such information as I possess, induce each to 
think more, perhaps more favourably, of the other ; but 
no efforts of mine can annihilate the 3,000 miles that 
interpose, or Vie more fcUal harrier of the Tiurhish 
domination along the line of coast'* 

It will be remarked that the consul's information is 
somewhat disconnected, but his excuse for this is, " 1 have 
much difficulty in presenting the information I would 
give, in a concise form, as I know of nothing that I can 
refer to analogous with the singular institutions of this 
country." 



H 2 



CHAPTER I. 

GENEOAL SURVEY OF ABV5SIMA, 1S5Z-3. 

IN Gpe«king at all of Abyaunion institationa, it mniit be 
remembered, as a general key to their peculiarities, 
that the form of gorernment and ita military spirit are 
feudal ; whilst in the lawa and cuatoms, the Jewisb 
iDStitutiona are everywhere traceable. 

The title of Baa signified, in the times of prosperoas 
and hereditary succeesion, the Prime Minister and Com- 
mander-iD- chief of the Emperor, and the highest rank in 
the empire. 

The Kas now claims the right, as then po3!iei>3ed bj 
him, of appointing all other chiefs of provinces, and 
officers of every kind, at his will and pleasure; and 
having a sufficiently commanding force at his disposal, is, 
in fact, master and king of the country, the form even of 
consultint; the Emperor having been disregarded for 
many years. 

Amidst the conflictii, however, of great families, whose 
members claim the hereditary chieftainship of different 
provinces, and whose name will at any moment conjure 
into existence a numerous anny for rebellion or rapine, 
the Has is obliged to employ a subtle and tortuous policy, 
rather than violence, in order to retain his contiol over 
those fierce warriors, his equals by birth, impatient of a 
superior, and in some instances sufficiently powerful to 
be nearly independent. The resemblance is apparent to 
the times of Louis XI. and hb rebellious vassals. 



Oeneral Survey of Abyssinia, 117 

Each chief holding the rank of "Dejaj match," quasi 
Doke, appointed by the Has, or as often only obtaining 
his consent afler a successful contest with his own imme- 
diate rivals, is entire master of all sources of revenue 
within his territory, with full power really of life and 
death, theoretically vested in the Eas alone. His feudal 
subjection consists in the obligation to send, from time to 
time, some presents to his superior, and to bear his 
shield ; that is, to follow him to war with as large a force 
as he can muster : against private enemies he is generally 
expected to protect himself. He takes tolls from all 
merchants passing through bis district. 

The most powerful of these feudal inferiors of the Bas 
is the Dejaj match Oobeay, Chief of Yemen, who, having 
added by conquest the whole of Teegray [Tigr6 *] and 
other provinces, has become in point of warlike equipments 
fully the equal of the Eas, possesses every avenue leading 
from the interior to the sea, and acts in every respect as 
an independent sovereign, though still nominally subject 
to the Eas, and paying to him a small yearly tribute of 
5,000 to 10,000 dollars. 

The immediate troops of the Eas consist of a number 
of petty chiefs, governing one, two, or more villages, who 
imitate, as far as they dare, the independence of the 
greater barons, and who take the field, when called on, 
with 5 or 500 men, according to their means. 

Besides these, who are numerous, the Eas has his 
matchlock men, and four or five bands of rude and dis- 

* Consul Flowden's orthography of these native names varies 
oonsiderablj from that adopted by other English travellers, but in 
prononnoing, the result will be found almost identical with the 
renderings of Beke, Krapf , Parkyns, Stem, and recent explorers ; at 
aU events, it was not thought advisable to alter his spelling. 



ii8 Abj/ttinia Sacribed, 

orderly soldiery, his guards. From the lax systeiu of 
goTemment, and the maDiier of [lafiiig these men bj 
qnarteriug them on the coud try-people, with inatmcttonB 
to levy so much gnio or other property, it may .be 
snppoeed that these undisciplined troops, when at a small 
distanoe from the camp, are almost equally independent 
of the Kaa, and frequently are simply organized bands of 
Tobhers, the rather that after the commission of any 
profitable crime they have but to reach the camp of 
some great feudal chief at a distance from the Bas, and 
by entering his serrioe obtain jvcrfect immunity, or, 
would they enjoy in ease their siwit, to take shelter in 
the nearest well-reputed church, which is inviolable aa 
the "city of refuge" of the Mosaic Law. 

Regarding the collection of duties, each chief claims 
them as part of his revenuei<, excepting those levied at 
Gondar, Adowah, and a few other towns, collected by an 
officer called the " Negadeh Raa," who pays a fixed sum 
yearly to the Riia or Oobeay, and extorts as much as he 
can from the merchants for his own profits. 

Custom-houses, or ratlier piusus, have been established 
in Abyssinia on every spot where Nature in that moun- 
tainous country has confined the road to some narrow 
defile, not to be avoided without an immense detour, if 
at all, and near some commanding elevation where a good 
look-out can be stationed, or perhaps at a brook fordable 
only at one spot ; and as the dilTerent cliiefd sometimes 
give orders on the sudden to allow no one to pass, great 
trouble eusnes, not only to merchants, Viiit to all way- 
farers. Frequent quarrels, and even deaths, occur at these 
posts, always kept by armed men, and it requires no 
little temper and knowledge of the country to avoid 



GtfMiral StMTvey of A byasinick. 119 

these inconveniences, or to send messengers, &c., to any 
distance in safety. 

A merchant starts from Massowah for Basso, the last 
mercantile station to the southward of Christian Abys- 
sinia ; he pays at Massowah the import or export duty 
to the Turkish governor : he must then engage a guide 
from the Shohos, an independent tribe inhabiting the 
hills near the coast, and in possession of the only passable 
roads winding through defiles for fifty or sixty miles; 
according to the agreement made, and his appearance, 
wealthy or otherwise, he may pay this guide from ten 
dollars to half a dollar. Arriving then in Oobeay's domi- 
nions, he will be stopped four or five times before he 
reaches Adowah, and on each occasion must arrange with 
those in charge of the tolls as he best can as regards 
payment, the amount being arbitrary, and the system in 
fact one of legalized plunder. On arrival at Adowah he 
pays certain more regulated duties to the Negadeh Eas 
of that town, a douceur, moreover, being expected as the 
price of a friendly settlement of dues. After meeting the 
eqpactions of several minor posts he will next have to pay 
at the town of Doobaruk, in the province of Waggera, 
duties on the same scale with those of Adowah, generally 
about one dollar per mule-load of merchandise ; and being 
then dear of the territories of Dejaj match Oobeay, enters 
tlioee of Has All, whose tolls commence at Gondar. Here 
the duties are nominally settled, though long disputes 
almost invariably occur, and after three or four more 
detentions and payments on a smaller scale in Begemeder, 
he passes the Nile, and arrives in the domains of the 
chiefs of Godjam or DiLmot These may be in a state of 
entire rebellion or of sulky submission to the Has : as in 
the latter case they pay him a fixed tribute, he does not 



1 20 Abyssinia Described, 

interfere with their toll-levjiDg, and the merchant must 
disburse at some eight or ten more stages of his journey 
ere he can reach Basso. 

It is needless to dwell on the danger to the merchant 
in the case of revolted chiefs, who plunder indiscrimi- 
nately, and from whom, even if captured, the recovery of 
any property is hopeless. As tolls are taken each way at 
the places mentioned, all these observations ap{)ly equally 
to exporting as to importing. 

A code of laws called the *' Feth Negust,'* said to have 
been compiled by the Council of Three Hundred, in the 
earlier ages of the Church, and regarded originally as of 
almost equal authority with the sacred writings, is the 
guide of the Abyssinian chiefs in their decision as judges. 
The tweive "Licks" of Gondar originally formed the 
supreme court of justice, a court of final appeal ; but the 
office ceased with the power of the emperors. 

The " Feth Negust " is now expounded by some 
learned priest or scribe, and there are few in the country 
competent to the task. It is frequently consulted, more 
after the fiswhion of the *' Sortes Yirgilianee," the book 
being opened with solemnity, and the iirst passage found 
that appears to bear upon the question being hastily 
dressed to suit the case in hand, and present an aspect 
of oracular wisdom j in this light it is at least regarded 
by the uninformed multitude, that is, the whole nation 
save the priesthood, and it is invariably set aside when 
the passions or whims of the presiding chief seem to 
require it. 

On the accusation of any man in Abyssinia of any 
crime, he has the right to demand to be heard in the 
first instance by his own judge — that is, either the chief 
of his village or the master to whom he is attached for 



General Swrvey of A byaeinia, 121 

the time being — and to be forwarded to his residence, 
together with his accuser, by any authority to whom he 
shall api)eal in the king's name. 

Strangers may be judged by the district chief or the 
chief paramount, as they may choose ; in every way the 
final right of appeal to the supreme ruler exists, but the 
Has, not being strong enough to enforce this right at 
present in the case of Oobeay, the decisions of that chief 
are considered fiual. The chiefs of the Agows of Lasts, 
called the *' Wagshoom," and the chief of Kwora, on the 
borders of Sennaar, although feudally subject to the Has, 
claim also this privilege of final judgment ; but with 
these exceptions the greatest chief may, on the complaint 
of a peasant, be summoned from any distance to appear 
at the Ras*B court, and be obliged personally to answer 
the charge before the '* af-a-uegoos," or king*s mouth, 
an officer who hears all cases, and reports them con- 
cisely to the Has for his verbal decision. 

After an accusation, before the pleadings can com- 
mence, both parties must give security approved of by 
the " af-a-negoos." These -bails or securities are answer- 
able for the execution of the sentence whatever it may 
be, or must suffer it themselves should the principals 
abacond. But at the end of the trial these first securi- 
ties may declare off in case of doubting their principals, 
and others must be found ', the only alternative to the 
convicted party beiug chains. 

In all suits, civil or criminal, there is no prosecution 
by the crown, and no police of any kind. The party 
aggrieved must lay the accusation, find out the aggressor, 
seize him, and convict him as he best may. 

The Mosaic law of blood for blood being in full force, 
when a man is convicted of having killed another. 



122 Abytdnia Deacribnl. 

whether ]>urpoaelj or hf sccideot, or in self-defence, he 
ia handed over to the reUtires of the deceued to be put 
to death hj them, unless thej can be persuaded to accept 
the blood-money, a similar sum being also paid into the 
royal treasury. It not nnfrequently happens that no 
relation ia found sufficiently near of kin to interfere in 
the matter, and the homicide tlien escapes scot-free. 
With the greater chiefs there ia generally a deure to 
adtuiuister justice impartially, when not embarrassed by 
some political motive. 

The power of the Sas of Begemeder, chief of Northern 
Abyaainia, dates neatly from tbe overthrow of the 
afatyee or hatze, or Emperor of Oondar, by Baa Michael 

The present Bas, though no other chief is powerful 
enough to encounter him in tbe field, can only retain his 
title by the maintenance of a large army, and constant 
wars against his rebellious vassals. Of all the inferior 
chiefs " whose title is Dejajmatch," the greatest ia 
Dejajmatch Oobeay, who, partly by tbe concurrence 
of the Baa, and more by subtlety, fortune, and the foroe 
of arms, govema with absolute sway the country from 
near the coaat of the Red Sea to Gondar, and from 
Lasta to Sennaiir ; — tbe only conditions that should 
prevent him from being regarded aa an independent 
sovereign being his title of Dejajmatch, held from the 
Ras, and tbe payment of a tribute of money to him 
yearly aa his feudal superior ; otherwise, the Bas does not 
interfere with his rule over these vast provinces, by 
which lie commanda every avenue to the interior of the 
country available for trade or policy. 

The Baa has been engaged in the aiege of a hill-fort in 
Godjam now for four years ; and another chief in rebel- 
lion, after gaining two battles, has pillaged Oondar, and 



DivisionB of NorUieni Ahyaainia. 123 

rendered all communication with €k>djam circuitous or 
dangerous. 

It is now doubtful if the Dejaj match Oobeay will be 
fiitithful to his allegiance, or rebel in the hope of seizing the 
supreme power. In the latter case, the whole land will 
bristle with arms, and all communication become impos- 
fdble. 

Such is the present political state of Abyssinia. 

DIVISIONS OF NORTHERN ABYSSINIA. 

The boundaries of Northern Abyssinia, at present 
defined as the districts inhabited by Christians, do not 
reach by 90 or 100 miles to the Hed Sea at any point. 
This interval is occupied by various savage tribes : the 
Adaiel, the Azobo Gallas, the Areya Gallas, the 
Danakil, the Taltal, the Shiho, the Habab, and the 
Arab tribes of the Beni Ameer. These have adopted 
more or less strictly the Mussulman faith, and are all, 
excepting the Gallas, wandering tribes, living by their 
flocks or their camels ; governed by no master, and 
occupied with incessant feuds or combats. 

Through the district occupied by the Shiho is the 
nearest route to Abyssinia, and the most practicable. It 
is, indeed, the only one desirable, seeing that it bears 
directly on Massowah, the only good harbour, I believe, 
in the R«d Sea from Sowakin to the Sti-aits of Bab-el- 
Mandeb. 

These tribes of Shiho furnish guides to all passers for 
half a dollar each, and even conduct a party for the same 
Bom; rich native caravans pay according to their numbers, 
bat always moderately, and a white man is, of course, con- 
ndered fair booty, to be fleeced according to the extent 



124 Abyssinia Described, 

of bis ignorance or his fears. Though vexatious by their 
delays, they are never known to rob or ill-treat any 
voyager; they fulfil strictly their contract of safe- 
conduct through their territories into Abyssinia, and 
no reasonable man can iind fault with their moderate 
charge for this. It is true that occasionally the Taltal 
tribes make an incursion and plunder travellers not 
well armed, in spite of the Shiho, watching their occasion 
when the wariiors of the latter tribe are engaged else- 
where ; but this impugns not their good faith, having 
never been suspected of collusion. 

They acknowledge no superior, save the elders of the 
tribe in council, now that the Naibs of Arkeeko are 
politically extinct. 

The Turkish Government occupying the Island of 
Massowah, their Pasha here claims also the coast for 
fifty or sixty miles inland, and forces various feeble 
tribes in those limits to pay tribute ; but, in return, 
affords them no protection when devastated by the Shiho 
or the ruthless soldiery of Oobeay; these people are 
therefore sufficiently miserable and poor. 

[To this report Lord Clarendon replied that — "Her 
Majesty's Government were led by the representations 
formerly made by you to expect that advantage would 
result to British interests from the conclusion of a treaty 
with the rulers of Abyssinia and from the establishment 
of a British consulate in that country. It appears, 
however, from your reports now before me, that there is 
little reason to expect that such will be the case. 

'* Nevertheless, Her Majesty's Government having con- 
cluded the treaty and established the consulate, are 
reluctant to renounce all hope of benefit from those 
measures : but their means of obtaining in this country 



DifficuUies of Political Ititercourse, 125 

informafcioD on which to act are necessanly very limited ; 
and I must have recourse to you for a report as to 
the possibility of your establishiug yourself either at 
Massowah or at any other place on the sea-coast where 
you may retain an influence on the rulers of Abyssinia, 
and fiicilitate communication with the provinces under 
their government. 

** The measure which you have taken, as reported in 
your despatch of the 24th of May, for obtaining a public 
recognition of the treaty and of the obligations resulting 
from it, appears to me to be judicious ; but it is obvious 
from your despatches that tlie difficulty of dealing witfi 
Abyssinia results^ in a great measure, from tlie absence of 
any place on tlie coast with which a safe communicatiofi 
can be kept up ; and it is to the discovery of such a place 
at which you may fix your residence that I would 
particularly direct your attention." 

After six months' preparation, Plowdeu sent home his 
excellent sketch of the laws, customs, government, and 
position of Abyssinia, with a short account of its neigh- 
bours, which follows, expressing a hope that " the report 
may assist in deciding clearly the course to be pursued 
with reference to Abyssinia, for,'' remarks the consul, 
'* struggling with the difficulties of the Abyssinian 
character and institutions ; baffled by their ignorance, 
and more by the want of any supremo authority ; obliged 
by my position to be recognized as a friend to the 
Abyssinian nation, yet forced by geographical circum- 
stances to reside partly at a Turkish port, where the 
governor necessarily regards me with suspicion and 
hatred, as one seducing from him the allegiance of his 
slaves j I can scarcely convey to your lordship an idea of 
the difficulties I have had to contend with."] 



126 



CHAPTER IL 



DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTRY. 



NORTHERN ABYSSINIA is a state isolated from 
the sea and from the civilized world by surround- 
ing tribes of savages, and is fast lapsing from its 
former condition as a Christian realm, governed by one 
absolute sovereign, into subdivisions of small tribes, 
that will hereafter retain probably little of religion or 
civilization. 

It i» separated also from its kindred province of Shoa 
by strong and fierce races called Galla, who are inde- 
pendent, notwithstanding the boastful title of King of the 
Galles assumed by Sahela Selassie and his successor, 
whose actual dominions do not equal a fifth part of the 
Galla territory. 

The country that I name Northern Abyssinia, and 
which is inhabited by professing Christians, is about 
400 miles in length from north to south, inclining 
westerly, and 300 in its greatest breadth, which is from 
north-north-west to south-south-east — that is, from the 
neighbourhood of Massowah to the town of Ayjubay in 
Godjam ; and from Wayhaynee, the limits of the Egyptian 
dominion in that quarter, to the borders of Effat, 
belonging to Shoa. 

Its north-western and western boundary is formed by 
the Pashalic of Sennaar ; partly on the west and to the 
south-west vast forests, frequented by wild beasts, or hot 



Extent of Uie Country. 127 

plains inhabited by negro races, exclude Abyssinia from 
the navigable part of the Blue Nile. To the south, that 
river, an impetnous torrent, forms its boundary, almost 
its safety, from the Grallaa-— excellent horsemen, whose 
delight is war. To the east and south-east the Gallas of 
Borona, Wallo, Worahaimano, and Worrakallo, separate 
it from Shoa. The three last are the stronghold of 
Islamism ; and these are again barred from the sea by 
the savage Adaiel, by whose hordes, led by Mahommed 
Grayne, Abyssinia was nearly destroyed, when saved by 
Portugal and the introduction of firearms. To the east- 
ward again, more northerly, other tribes of Gallas called 
Areya and Azobo still interpose between Abyssinia and 
the searcoast : and to the north-east and north various 
tribes with various tongues, Taltals, Danakil, Shihos, 
Hababfi, &c., everywhere seclude that realm and join the 
dominions of Abba.s Pasha, in the tribes of the Beni- 
Ameer, ruled by the Pasha of Taka. 

A circle is thus completed that must somewhere be 
broken through, either by the Abyssinians themselves, 
had they the power, or by that nation desiring a free 
intercourse with them. 

The tribes I have last mentioned, that seclude 
Abyssinia from the Eed Sea, occupy a stiip of land 
along its coast of 70 to 100 miles in breadth ; and it is 
here that the Turkish Government has occupied several 
points, of which mention shall be made hereafter : and 
although these tribes were foruierly Abyssinians, and 
still, in many places, as at Massowah, speak the ancient 
Ethiopic tongue, as tbey are now completely separated, 
I shall not include them in an account of Christian 
Abyssinia in its present limits. 

Setting aside, therefore, this border along the sea, 



138 Abyminia Deterihaf. 

Abysaioia is a raoge of vast table-lands and fantastic 
mountains, alternating and varying in elevation front 
4,000 to 14,000 feet above tbe Kea level. Deep valleys; 
tbe beds of the larger rivers, intersect this in various 
directions ; but these utreams, however circuitous their 
course, almost all finally join the Blue Nile, or AUii, 
as it is termed by the AbyssiDiiins — these are nowhere 
navigable — and a few mountain torrents only, which, when 
swollen by the rainp, find their way to the Red Sea. The 
abrupt and high ranges from which these torrents descend 
are seen from the coast at the distance of 80 miles 
inland, and mark everywhere, as far north as the 16th 
degree of latitude, the confines of the ChrUtian country. 
The climate, on all the high land, is saluhriouti ; bat 
the valleys, at certain Heasons, are rendered dangerous 
by fevers, particularly the low countries bordering on 
Sennajir, and these valleys produce the richest crops of 
grain. The tropical rains fall plentifully at the same 
season with those of Bengal, from June to Se])tember, 
and the soil, extremeiy fertile, might, from the variety 
of temperature at the difierent elevations, produce 
almost every article of human consumption. Two large 
inland lakes exixt ; the one near Oomlar, called Tana, 
the other, in the province of Tebluderree, called Haik. 
The former is 60 miles in length, studded with islands, 
and abounds in excellent fish, lingular to say, the 
crocodile, that is fouud in most of the large rivers of 
Abyssinia, does not iufest this lake, which swarms, how- 
ever, with hippopotami. The Blue Nile takes iu rise 
a short distance from this, and after foreing its way 
through the waters of the lake at one corner, forms 
nearly a circle round Gudjam, the sontheni province of 
this conutry. 



Vegetation. 129 

The flat and overflowed lands round the Lake Tana 
are kept as pasture for cattle, or partially sown with 
grain ; hut thej are well adapted for the cultivation of 
rice, or sugar-canes, which hoth grow wild ; or of indigo, 
which has thriven in Shoa. 

The cold plains of Waggera and Oodjam, and the 
lofty mountains of Semen, where the blackberry, the 
hawthorn, and the flr, now usurp great part of the soil, 
are fitted for all the productions of northern latitudes. 
The more temperate provinces would probably be favour- 
able to the growth of pepper, spices, and coffee, which 
last has already been planted at Korata ; and even the 
coast, and hottest districts, might give crops of cotton of 
fine quality. Barley, wheat, peas, grain, beans, maize, 
Indian corn, millet, linseed, saffron, oats, and some kinds 
of grain unknown to us, are cultivated with little 
trouble ; a small oblong potato, called " dennicb,** and 
the root of a very nourishing banana, the " ansett," form 
a great part of the food of some districts. 

In the present confusion and supineness not a fiftieth 
part of the surface is, I suppose, cultivated ; while such 
IB the bounty of Nature that Edjow, and other provinces, 
produce two crops per annum on the same ground. 

Fruit-trees, the plum, the orange, the lemon, and the 
peach, grow wild in the jungle ; the vines are luxuriant, 
and the quality of the wine excellent ; numerous streams 
everywhere irrigate and adorn this agreeable land, whose 
rich meadows, lowing herds, sparkling waters, golden 
harvest, and shady trees, often present a scene of 
European beauty to the traveller. 

Gold and copper exist, and iron is found in great 
abundance ; plains of sulphur and various salt?, in 
the province now occupied by the Taltals, supply all 

I 



130 Abt/xamia Detcribed. 

AbjBBiDift with those commodities; aod other wealth 
may lie hid in that volcauic tract. A eearoh for cokI 
wonld, elsewbere, be probably Buccesaful ; but to desoribe 
the mioeral and natural riches of this coaatry shotdd be 
the task of ooe better qualified for the iDTestigation. 

It is a country that combines mineral resourcwi, a 
delightful climate, and tropical luxuriance, with so mnoli 
general salubrity, that no waste of European life need be 
apprehended from frequenting it. 

The temperature of the moderate elerationa is vety 
regular, in some places scarcely varying ten degrees 
throughout the year. Mineral and hot springs abound. 
All the colder provinces, particularly the Galla, are 
&TonrabIe to horse-breeding ; sheep, goats, and cattle, 
thrive throughout the country ; the mulberry has been 
grown ; the potato, lately introduced, flourishes ; and 
food is, in general, found too abundantly, as it is found 
almost without labour. 

But while Nature has done so much, human energy, 
or skill, has done nothing. The utter want of roads and 
bridges — the stagnant, or lawless, nature of the sodal 
system — the obstinate attachment to ancient customs — 
the multitude of rulers, indifferent to everything bnt 
their personal enjoyment — the constant wars, and con- 
sequent insecurity of life and property — are fast ruining 
a country of whose beauty and fertility its inhabitants 
may, with some reason, boast. 

The divisions of language in Christian Abyssinia 
are two, Teegray and Ambaric. The former, a slight 
corruption from the ancient Oeez, itself derived from 
Hebrew and Arabic; and the latter, in my opinion, a 
distinct language, into which have crept many words from 
the former. The Amharic ia now the written language 



The Amhaara People, 131 

of the ooontry, the Qtwz character being used, with 
lome additions. The Teegray dialect is spoken in the 
provinoe of Teegray, bounded by the River Takazzee, 
flowing from the south-south-east to north-north-west, 
and with some variations all along the sea-coast from 
MasBOwah, inclusive, to the port of Aggeek. The 
Amharic, by the rest of Abyssinia, from the Takazzee to 
the Abai : and also in the province of Shoa. In Teegray 
I include the tribe called Agow, that inhabit a district 
at the source of the Takazzee, anciently called the 
kingdom of Lasts, whose origin I cannot divine, and 
whose language is totally different ; and in the Amhara, 
the Agows of Damot, whose language is half Galla. 

The manners of the Amhara are pleasing ; their 
features are generally of the European and Asiatic, that 
is, Arab, cast, and they are remarkably quick and intelli- 
gent. Their standard of morality is very low ; sensual 
pleasures, as intoxication, are gratified without scruple 
and without shame : in general, the interests or con- 
venience of the moment are the only rule of conduct ; 
want of tact and ill-temper the only crimes in their 
eode. 

Two phrases in the Christian doctrine that suit their 
careless temper are much insisted on : '^ that this world 
is fleeting and valueless," and '^ that the indulgence of the 
Creator is infinite," — the one to justify their insouciance, 
the other as removing all check to their follies and enjoy- 
ments. Crimes are seldom committed wantonly, but all 
considerations yield generally to those of interest, in 
prince or people. They have a great contempt for other 
nations, and scarcely know, or do not care, if any exist 
or not ; the tribes on their borders they regard as created 
for the breathing-fields of Abyssinian valour ; liardly 

I 2 



133 Ah/Minia Deteribed. 

believiog that the rain fiJIe, or the ean shines, on other 
lands, they are persuaded that the world beyond the eea 
is a BuccesaioD of barren deserts. The most comtoon 
question to a European is whether corn grows in hia 
country, and sometimea whether there are women ; yet 
ar« they manly, generous, usually hamane and indulgent, 
always polite, and seldom coarse. I attribute their 
faults to ignorance, their virtues to a kindly nature. 
Except tillage of the ground, their pride renders them 
adverse to labour ; but the women are exceedingly 
industrious. 

The people of Teegray are somewhat different in 
character ; with more of the obstinacy of their Jewisli 
blood they are ruder and vainer than the Amhara, noisy, 
talkative, and quarrelsome. Though nearer tUe sea they 
are even more ignorant of other nations ; they despiso 
all the human race but themselves, and generally each 
man, all exuttiug but himself. On the whole, I think 
them inferior to the Amhara, but they are more laborious, 
and more trustworthy individually, though politically 
treacheroup. 

The Agows have a peculiar character as well as 
language; they are sterner, harsher, and more resolute 
than the other Abyssinians, and are proverbial for dis- 
simulation aod hardness of heart, aa well bs extreme 
selfisliiieaa. They jieruiit no interference of the other 
races in their gi^vernment or intetnal policy and lawH. 
They uU speak the Teegray and Amharic as well as their 
own language. They iire always governed by a chief of 
their own race, whose laws, though severe on themselves, 
are just and even encouraging towards strangers. They 
acknowledge, as feudal superior, the Has of Kegemder, 
since the Ikll of the Empress of Oondar. 



NcUioncU Traits, 133 

The inhabitants of each province in Abyssinia have 
■ome peculiar traits ; as Godjam and Kalagoozia are 
finnoos for union, Teegray Central for the contrary; some 
are warlike, some cowardly, some faithful, and some 
treacherous, and so on. 

In some respects they are a happy people. They 
poflBess in their own land all the necessaries and many 
of the luxuries of life in profusion ; they have great 
freedom of speech and action, and are always gay, 
qrstematically, as by constitution. Their conversation, 
often sensible, is always witty. A practical philosophy 
leads them to prefer laughter to tears ; the tragedy and 
the comedy of life are received alike with indifierence or 
a joke. Misfortunes and death are generally met with 
fortitude. It is hard to convince them that they will 
benefit either by our science or our wealth. 
' The most curious point in their character is this, that 
no one is expected to feel ashamed of any crime or vice ; 
mnd whereas in other countries men in committing serious 
crimes are morbidly excited, in Abyssinia they are 
perpetrated with indifference, and generally recounted, 
sometimes by the individual himself, certainly by others, 
with gaiety and laughter. In the same way, females are 
rarely gross or immodest outwardly, seeing that they 
need in no way be ashamed of the freest intercourse with 
the other sex. I have never yet been able to discover 
what an Abyssinian could be ashamed of, except a 
solecism in what he considers good manners, or the 
neglect of some superstitious form of social observance. 
They are peculiarly sensitive, however, to ridicule and 
abuse, whether true or untrue, and half the time of an 
Abyssinian master is pfiissed in deciding disputes on such 
subjects. Some traits, though apparently of slight con- 



134 Abysnnia Described. 

sequence, are often very irksome to a stranger ; for 
instance, every man above the lowest rank has a door- 
keeper, whose duty it is to examine who should be 
admitted, and when. The insolence of this officer rises 
in proportion to the rank of his master. The primitive 
ante-chamber is a court in the open air, without seats, 
often muddy, always filthy ; and as the porter will con- 
trive to keep you waiting, even against his master's 
orders, this system is most disagreeable to a European. 
Further, you wait amongst a crowd, and it is pointed out 
to you that the brothers or sons of the king are there in 
the same position. 

Sometimes the order comes to clear the court, when 
sticks are used without distinction of persons. The 
chiefs affect a trifling and childish manner, to the great 
annoyance of a white man, who has, perhaps, some 
important affairs to speak on, and who, from his more 
energetic feelings, thinks them of greater importance 
than they are. I will not dwell on these matters, but 
the difficulties they raise are not trifling, nor easy to 
vanquish. 

The Abyssinians are superstitious ; they believe in 
the efficacy of amulets ; of writings in jargon mixed 
with Scripture ; in the charms of Mussulmans to control 
the hail and the rain ; in spirits of the forest and the 
river ; in omens ; in fortune-tellers j and in devils that 
may be cast out by spells from their human victim, 
quoting the authority of the New Testament for their 
belief: to these they attribute epilepsy and other in- 
curable diseases. 

One absurdity has, however, led to the death of many 
innocent individuals ; all workers in iron, and some 
others, are supposed to convert themselves into hyesnas, 




Naiional Traits, 135 

and to prey invisibly on their enemies, and many have 
been slaughtered in this belief. It is not worth while to 
enter upon a full accoant of this singular idea, which is 
universal and tenacious, and has its parallel in the *' loup 
garou " of France, and the " wehr-wolf " of Germany. 

Gktmbling appears to be unknown, but they are con- 
stantly betting ; not, however, to gain money, as the 
judge of the forfeit receives it from the loser, the winner 
having thus punished his adversary. This is a fruitful 
source of revenue to the chiefs. 

In their houses they are dirty, and generally in their 
domestic habits, though cleanly in person when their 
means will permifc. 

Save the door-keeping I have mentioned, much free- 
dom exists in their society : in one room a beggar jostles 
a chief, and a dirty rag presses against the white turban 
of a priest, or a thief, perhaps in chains, is seated next 
to an honest man ; nay, the latter will make way for the 
former with much politeness if an older man than him- 
self. So indulgent are they, that even a madman is never 
put under restraint and rarely excluded, though perhaps 
dangerous. Visiting is unceasing amongst the middle 
classes, and hospitality is offered with indiscriiuinate pro- 
fusion according to the means of the proprietor. 

In Abyssinian society no repugnance is even shown to 
those afflicted with apparent and loathsome disease, and 
no man forfeits his position by any crime. Theft is 
in many provinces regarded as an honourable employ- 
ment ; highway robbery as quite excusable, even if ac- 
companied by homiciile ; rape is venial ; and adultery 
regards only the husband. This has probably been the 
national character for many ages, and now that misrule 
and anarchy are superadded, the Abyssinians are uncon- 



I 

1 



into tlie Holy Litnd ami governed Arabi 
fleets trailed to India, and tlieir African d 
bounikd by the White Kile, tlie Ited Sea, j 

They have in general an aversion to cl 

I'eligious observauccs, laws, and cuatoms ; t 
however, nearly forgotten, and their manner 
yearly. Thia, which is charnoteriRtic of t 
great obstacle to iniproveiaeDt. Neither 
progress nor the word exists ; for all ah 
aliUHes, even for injustice, the reason " it has 
»«" is held snffifient even when the error 
In consequence, as notiiing can be stationary 
instilntions are degenerating. 

Tbey are very quick of apprehension at 
speech, and as from childhood they are ac 
select phrases that may be agreeable to the 
are addressing or ueeful to themselveB, ore ah 
nud Bometimes eloquent. It is very difficult t 
to arrive at the truth by questions. 

From c«QBtant exercise the Ahyssiuian^ 
powers of loeiuory ; though a written lanj 
thev wl'l"'" ''-'-' - * ice, and whe 



Naiumai Traits, 137 

In the relations of parent and child the Abjasinians 
are kind and indulgent. The children are obliged by 
law to share their means with their aged parents, and 
generally do so voluntarily. No distinction is made 
between legitimate and illegitimate children, and all 
share alike on the decease of their father. Marriage is a 
civil contract between the parties, dissolved at pleasure, 
and it is usual in old age only to take the sacrament 
together in the church, thereby pledging themselves to 
fidelity and monogamy. The people of Tccgray are less 
lax than the Amharas, amongst whom women arc regarded 
as toys, without the trouble of secluding them in a 
harem. 

They are fond of litigation, and most of them skilled 
in the quibbles and proverbs that are essential to success 
in any dispute. It is the favourite sport of boys and 
children, and the smallest difference of opinion furnishes 
matter for a long and sometimes expensive lawsuit. The 
obstinacy in trifles is a mark perhaps of their Jewish 
blood. Notwithstanding the abundance of food in Abys- 
sinia, nothing is more difficult or occupies more time 
than to provide for the daily wants of an establishment. 
A chief can obtain anything at once, and often without 
payment, where a stranger infinitely richer would, with- 
out his friendship and assistance, run the risk of starving. 
Nothing can be obtained by money except at a market, 
and often at a very great distance. Shops are unknown, 
and almost all trades must be practised in each house- 
bold. Water must be carried for household purposes 
from a distant brook, corn must be converted into flour, 
cookery must be prepared, bread baked, and beer brewed, 
in every establishment according to its numbers, and to 
no office of domestic utility will a man put his hand for 



138 Abyssmia Described, 

any amount of bire. On a journey where no markets 
can be found, all necessaries must be carried at least to 
the next large town, involviDg a very inconyenient 
amount of baggage. 

The AbyssinianSy indeed, demand hospitality at each 
village, and take up their quarters without ceremony, 
often having to fight for the accommodation. 

The personal baggage of a merchant is equal in bulk 
to his goods. In more dangerous times, when baggage is 
a serious impediment, this billeting system becomes an 
imperative necessity for all travellers. On a campaign, 
the country people having fled from their homes on the 
approach of an army, money is entirely useless, and the 
King must either supply the stranger in his camp, which 
he cannot always do, or the latter has the alternatives of 
starvation and foraging. Grass is abundant in the 
country ; but some local potentate or band of villagers 
must in general be propitiated before beasts are allowed 
to feed, and this cannot always be done by money, nor is 
the European character usually disposed to the other 
resource of flattery. An irritable man should not visit 
Abyssinia. 

The greater part of the time of all classes is occupied 
in eating and drinking. The instant any guest is re- 
ceived, no matter at what hour, he must be fed, and is 
not allowed to refuse ; mead is always produced, or 
beer, for they love not dry talking, be it daylight or at 
midnight. The profusion at their meals, and the large 
number of retainers and daily guests that are fed by men 
of rank and wealth, bear a resemblance to the customs of 
our Saxon ancestors. The parallel may perhaps hold 
good in other points. The gates are open in the evening 
to all who demand food and shelter in the name of friend- 



The Custom of Gifts, 139 

ship or religion ; rich and poor are seated at one table ; 
in the house of a great chief public singers chant the 
legends of their heroes, or receive guerdon for reciting 
impromptu stanzas in praise of their host and his guests ; 
nor does the frequent intoxication weaken the likenesa 
Feasts are instituted a certain number of days after 
death, being a point of honour with the relatives of the 
deceased, and encouraged by the priests, who are guests 
by privilege, and who live principally by these general 
banquets ; numerous oxen are slaughtered, and for two 
or three days the streets reel with drunkenness, the 
white turbans of the pastors being conspicuous. The 
rejoicings at each wedding furnish equally good cheer; 
and as it b not difficult to obtain admission, these festivi- 
ties are a great resource to the scribes and all the poorer 
classea I believe the truth of the remark made to me 
by an Abyssinian who had visited Home, *' that while 
the rich in Europe could live more luxuriously, there 
was no country like Abyssinia for the poor /' but he did 
not perceive that this arose from the scantiness of popu- 
lation, the richness of the soil, and the smallness of their 
towns. 

Friendship is measured by gifts. Each chief begs from 
his compeer ; nay, from his own dependant. Nothing 
will so much strike a stranger in Abyssinia as their 
custom of asking without reserve, without shame, for 
anything they may fancy. They are, however, ready to 
make compensation ; they may be offended at a refusal 
of their request ; equally so, if the return be not ac- 
cepted. They cannot imagine that this is not the custom 
all over the world. If an Abyssinian returns a gift and 
saya^ " I require nothing but your friendship," the phrase 
18 studiously polite, and means your gift is not of sufficient 



140 Abyannia Described, 

value. They treat all strangers in the same way. The 
chiefs beg without ceremony, but in return bestow their 
friendship, which is necessary, and sometimes more than 
the value of the gift in their country produce. To 
specify the minutisB of this custom, practised by high and 
low, rich and poor, would be fatiguing. An embassy to or 
from a foreign prince, is a mere calculation of value 
exchanged. The poor make presents to the rich and 
powerful, and receive ten times their cost in return, 
protesting, however, that nothing is further from their 
desire ; nay, so organized is this custom, that if a person 
.bestows a gift on one of equal rank, and does not receive 
an adequate compensation, he can bring an action against 
him as though for debt, and will receive damages by law ; 
this is the favourite manner in which they attack the 
purse of a European, and is a pretty and ingenious 
way to avoid direct begging. An European envoy 
to this country must, in the present state of society, 
exchange presents with the great chiefs, or be 
regarded as an object of charity, and it must be 
done with tact to avoid the imputation of timidity or 
folly. 

The ties of relationship are strong, from mutual inte- 
rest, as a barrier to the exactions of rapacious governors 
and the violence of the soldiery. They count kin to the 
fiftieth cousinship, and a man with many relatives has 
much influence. The military governor is constantly 
changed, but such a man retains a kind of hereditaiy 
power. They do not carry their union to the point of 
sharing their purse ; on the contrary, incessant lawsuits 
are carried on between the nearest relations for land and 
property ; but in moments of danger they stand by each 
other like a Highland clan. They muster in thousands 



National Progress, 141 

to bewail one to whom they refused a loaf while liyiog, 
and they all unite to avenge his death by violence. 

They retain two institutions of Judaism, and cling to 
them with obstinacy. The Saturday in Godjam is held 
of equal sanctity with the Sunday, so that water cannot be 
drawn nor wood hewn from Friday evening to Monday 
morning. Moreover, many animals are considered un- 
clean, as the hare, the goose, in some districts the wild 
boar, and some other animals. 

There are numberless saints' days in the year, on which 
no work is done ; and in the towns they will not even 
suffer others to work, which is most irksome to the 
traveller. 

As a nation, they have never had any element of pro- 
gress within themselves, nor do tbey appear ever to have 
wished for it. Coinage, and architecture in solid ma- 
sonry, have never been attempted, though the Ptolemies 
set them the example of both, as shown by the remains 
of Ax&m, and the gold and copper coins found in those 
ruins to this day. The Portuguese introduced the art of 
brick-burning, and built towers and bridges of excellent 
workmanbhip ; no person in Abyssinia can now make 
mortar. No purely national antiquities of any kind exist. 
Their kings and their people, two thousand years ago, 
mnst have passed their lives as now — seeking only for 
daily splendour or enjoyment, and indifferent to the per- 
petuation of their memory by any monument. 

Though difficult to persuade, no people would be more 
docile under slight coercion. As soon as a chief of firm- 
ness governs in any district, quiet and order prevail to a 
sorprising extent without any police. The word of the 
chief suffices to produce this tranquillity ; but it cannot 
last long, as on his death or removal the means of dis- 



142 A byssinia Described. 

order are anfortunately in every hand. To a foreign 
conquest little resistance would be offered ; they are too 
imaginative to dream of patriotism ; yet, had they any 
national spirit, the rugged nature of their mountain 
passes would offer many difficulties to an invading army. 
This spirit, which is entirely wanting, was supplied in 
their contests with the Mahomedans by fanatical excite- 
ment, and in warring with neighbouring barbarians, by 
the hopes of plunder. Individually they are brave, but 
in masses, being without discipline, are hesitating, and 
little to be feared. 

Having no coinage of their own, the only money that 
passes current in Abyssinia is the German crown of Maria 
Theresa. This is changed, in Teegray, into pieces of doth 
of various lengths, fabricated from cotton of the country 
or of India ; and in the Amhara into blocks of salt, which 
vary in number at each market-place. This salt is cut in the 
plains of the Taltal, near the Eed Sea, and transported 
far into the interior ; it becomes very valuable in the 
Galla provinces, where eight small pieces are sometimes 
exchanged for a dollar, and a hundred will purchase a 
slave. Gold, which under their emperors was used as a 
currency by weight, and was abundant, according to tra- 
dition, has now almost disappeared. The ruler of Shoa 
sent some pounds of fine gold to the court of Gondar, 
moulded in the shape of a mule, in token of fealty. This 
custom was continued till the last forty years. 

The whole dress of the people is of white cotton cloths, 
spun and wove in the country ; nor do they consider a 
foreigner as dressed at all unless he throws one of their 
white mantles over his own apparel. It illustrates curi- 
ously the character of this nation — so vain and stubborn 
in trifles — to see the servants of even a well-dressed 



Commerce, 1 43 

Earopean follow him almost with shame, and the rest of 
the populace regarding him with laughter or sneers ; nor 
IB this a small matter nor a trifling difficulty. The first 
impression does much, and ridicule is harder to vanquish 
than persecution. Socrates, in our modern attire, would 
scarcely be respected in Abyssinia. 

Could difficulties of other kinds be overcome, the dis- 
position of the Abyssinians is, on the whole, favourable 
to the establishment of relations, commercial or political. 
Many of them are liberal, kind, intelligent, hospitable, 
comprehending and desiring justice, and, above all, with 
no repulsive feelings towards us on the score of religion, 
except those excited purposely by the priests. If they 
are lax in morality, it is more from ignorance than a 
vicious nature ; if they cannot always practise the justice 
they admire, it is for the want of a strong hand on the 
justice-seat ; if they arc indolent, it is because little is to 
be now gained by labour; if vain and conceited, from 
being in contact with nations inferior to themselves in 
arts and arms. 

Commerce cannot thrive while there is no efficient 
protection to property, and while their merchants are 
treated as enemies or regarded as slaves on the coast. 
"Whether they would change for the better or the worse, 
under the influence of extended trade and European 
civilization, is a problem that time alone can solve ; but 
a man of liberal mind, while he regrets their anarchy, 
their ignorance, their fanaticism, and their vanity, may 
find something to admire in the individual character, 
nnder so many disadvantages. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE VARIOUS CLASSES OF ABTSSDilANB. 



THERE are no castes in AbysMnia, bnt the peo- 
ple may be divided into four claaiea — military, 
sacerdotal, agcioultaral, and mercantile : the number 
that cannot be included in these is iosignilicaDt — a few 
workmen, as tannera, saddlers, and blacksmith?, dispro- 
portioned even to the wants of the community, and some 
idlers who live by the produce of their farms. 

The military is the most numerous and powerful. AU 
men, save the priests, are armed, it is true ; but those 
who follow arms as a profession, and roam from the 
standard of one chief to another, are easily distinguished, 
though they have no uniform, by their air of military 
license. The regular armies, or masses of men assembled 
under chiefs, are numerous, and throughout the country 
must amount to at least 200,000 ; and, as their system 
rendeiH a large following necessary, 500,000 of idlera 
prey upon the rest. These troops consist of liorse- 
inen, armed with latice, shield, and swords; footmen, 
caparisoned in like manner, and matchlock-men ; they 
liuve no artillery. lu some provinces, as in Edjo, every 
man cspable of hearing arms is a soldier, at least on his 
own land, where he fights and ploughs alternately. Here 
is nUd found the institution of the tournament somewhat 
eimplified. Once or twice a week, by mutual accord. 



TJie Military Close. 145 

the youth of the country, with any strangers that wish 
it^ meet at some river on foot or horseback, to fight 
d routrance, but also with much chivalrous couries}\ 
Female singers, in shrill recitative, stimulate them to 
deeds of valour, and offer their charms as a reward to 
the bravest. 

A constant enmity exists between the military and 
the population in general. Wages being very irregular, 
the former indemnify themselves often by indiscriminate 
plunder. As each chief retains his power by the strength 
of his army only, the soldiers know their own value, and 
change masters without ceremony; moreover, any for- 
tunate soldier may hope to rise to the highest dignities. 
A chief, after a reverse, or even should his adversary 
obtain a high reputation among the men, is in much 
danger of being deserted by his army. Certain bands 
of soldiers are placed under officers appointed by the 
most powerful chiefs, whom, for distinction, I sliall call 
Ras, and these act as his guards and messengers. There 
is no attempt at discipline or exercises; the names of 
the men are never registered, their numbers are scarcely 
ever known. These troops are generally favoured, as 
they are relied on to suppress any mutiny by the rest. 
Besides these, the Bas having distributed his territories 
amongst his followers, they raise forces according to their 
rank and revenues, and follow their feudal chief. With 
rare exceptions, such appointments are not hereditary ; 
indeed, one man seldom retains one long ; but are con- 
ferred on any fortunate favourite or soldier. The will of 
the Eas can in a moment deprive any chief of all his 
power, even of his private property, when, with one or 
two followers, he becomes a hanger-on at the camp, 
awaiting with patience some glimpse of royal favour, or, 

K 



146 Aby$8inia Described. 

if of a more fiery temper, will probably throw himself 
into some wild district where he has family infloence, 
and set his master at defiance. 

The army thus composed is directed in its general 
movements by the Has. On a march no order is ob- 
served ; the whole mass presses on to the next camp, 
baggage and women, horse and foot, in indiscriminate con- 
fusion ; at a precipituous pass or narrow ford many 
accidents happen. In the order of camping some regu- 
larity is observed, the tent of the Has being in the 
centre, and advanced and rear-guards occupying the 
front and rear. The Has also holds a council of war, and 
a plan of attack is laid down and followed up as fair as 
regards the position of the forces of each chief ; but that 
done, every man fights as much as he pleases : the foot- 
men advance or stand still as their courage leads them \ 
the horsemen charge in large or small numbers when and 
where they think fit ; the matchlock men take advan- 
tage of the ground and 6 re when they please, and each 
man when he has killed an enemy shouts his war-cry and 
displays his trophies instead of fighting. Plundering 
begins on the first trifling advantage, and it is ofben very 
difficult to discover on which side is the victory. This 
desultory manner of fighting does not prevent consider- 
able loss of life. The soldiers, when the campaign is 
ended, are dismissed to roam about their respective dis- 
tricts arras in hand, exacting from the peasantry until 
again summoned to the field; in return, the country 
people slay remorselessly all fugitives of either side from 
a field of battle. 

The chiefs keep more or less discipline amongst their 
troops when on the march or in quarters, according to 
their personal character. When provisions become 



The Jlilitary Class, 147 

■oarce in the camp, some district is ordered for plunder, 
and the soldiers are very expert in discovering bidden 
Btorec. 

The military despise all other classes save the priest- 
hood. They love splendour of dress in battle, and some 
of their costume is rich and tasteful. 

In the intervals of international quarrels, the troops 
are kept in good humour by expeditious against the 
nearest tribes of barbarians, not generally with any 
yiews of permanent conquest, but only in search of 
spoil, and that the soldier may revel in bloody trophies 
(the foreskins of the PhilititineR) — the height of his 
ambition. These trophies arc equally sought for in the 
battles of Christian against Christian, and I am uncer- 
tain if it be an ancient custom or introduced only by the 
Gallas, but incline to the latter opinion. After an 
engagement, these disgusting tokens of success are 
heaped before the tent of the king. 

The soldiers seldom receive regular pay, but rewards 
are distributed to the bravest, and the more fortunate 
receive appointments from their respective chiefs. On 
a campaign they are fed by a tax in corn on the friendly 
provinces that are occupied, and which, as the soldiers 
are the tax-gatherers, is soon doubled, or by general 
plunder. 

A silk shirt bestowed by the Ras is the distinction of 
the Abyssinian nobility, and this belongs only to the 
military class. Once bestowed, the honour is for life. 
The highest rank in this nobility is that of Dejajmatcb, 
who is entitled to beat drums before him in the battle, 
to inflict all punishments save death, and often this 
also, and who governs one or two provinces almost 
independently. " Kainnj match *' and "Gerajmatch" 

K 2 



148 Abyssinia Described. 

are slightly inferior ; then come the ** Feetwarari, or 
chief of advanced guards, with some other titles not 
worth inquiring into, and then the crowd of ** possessors 
of shirts," who may govern from ten to thirty villages 
when the Has pleases to bestow his favour. All this 
pystem is the relic of some complicated but exact insti- 
tutions of the Empire of Abyssinia, wherein the Emperor 
being the fountain of all honour, every great officer of 
the household had a title, and with that title a particular 
]>rovince or district. Since the divisions of the kingdom 
have taken place, the Abyssinians themselves have 
f)und it impossible to preserve the rules, and have 
Tieglected or forgotten the scrupulous ceremonials of the 
Court of Gondar. While the lances of the Galla have 
robbed Abyssinia of its fairest provinces, their manners 
and customs are superseding all its ancient institutions. 

There is something of a chivalrous tone in their inter- 
national warfare, apart from one savage practice that I 
have mentioned. An interchange of civilities constantly 
takes place between hostile camps ; messengers are 
respected and prisoners generally well treated, — if of any 
rank even with courtesy. So polite are they that a chief 
will send news to his adversary, if not in the field, of the 
defeat of his army, and the messenger will receive a 
liandsonie douceur. Cruelty and brutality are rare ; 
after a battle, as before, all is good humour and laughter, 
atul the vanquished generally share the feast with their 
victors. Iso violence is offered to women that are cap- 
tured ; and even the ransom is generally fixed with 
amenity. Severities are sometimes practised towards 
thope who are regarded as rebels, but in general an 
Abyssinian conqueror is merciful. With barbarians, 
indeed, as the Shankallas or Taltals, the word is kill ; 



I'he MUitary CIuss, 149 

bat herein they have persuaded tbemselyes that they 
only exercise an undoubted privilege of Christianity. 

To retain the affection of the Abyssinian soldier, 
nothing is necessary but profuse generosity ; his heart is 
in his stomach, aud the chief that slaughters many oxeu 
daily, and pours out mead in torrents, is the god of his 
idolatry. Each meal in a camp resembles a feast, and 
many festivals must also be held, to which all are 
admitted almost indiscriminately. At these carousaln, 
when gorged with raw meat and excited by huge 
draughts of mead, they recite their own warlike deedn, 
make the most vaunting promises of future heroism, and 
often obtain rich gifts in such moments from their 
superiors. Though all are armed and intoxication is 
general, accidents or quarrels seldom occur. These great 
banquets are the life of the soldier, and their barbarous 
plenty and military license are not unimposing. 

Not being accustomed to rely on each other, they are 
absurdly subject to panics. I have seen a whole army 
running at night from a single man, who charged into 
the camp shouting his war-cry. Disciplined, they would 
make good soldiers. 

They have no distinctive dress, but different ways ot 
plaiting their hair to denote the number of men each has 
killed with his own hand. Certain ornaments are also 
permitted only to men of great personal bravery. The 
slaughter of each dangerous beast of the forest is equiva- 
lent to a fixed number of human lives ; and those who 
have never killed are not permitted the distinguished 
privilege of plaistering their heads with fresh butter. 

All the servants of a chief are soldiers; the terms 
become synonymous in a camp, and the proudest chief 
is termed the servant of his feudal superior, and is ready 



15° 



Abijmnvi Dencribnd. 



whenever they meet to perform for him Bny menial 
office. In general they am proud, mutinous, and in- 
snbordinato ; frequent fighta occur in the camp of the 
Kas between rival bodies of tioldiers, though a little 
severity would soon insure obedience. On a late 
occasioD, his guards on the field of battle, instead of 
inarching forward, lay down on the ground, alleging that 
they had been insufficiently fed for some months. The 
Has (Ali), with nnwonted energy, led a charge of 
cavalry over them as they lay. 

Tho soldiers of Teegray are almost all foot, and their 
matchlock-men are very skilful and brave. 

The Galla regiments of t!ie interior are Gne horsemen, 
and, with discijiline, would be a formidable cavalry. As 
it is, they face fire well, and, like the Parthians, dispersiog 
themselves in flight, suddenly wheel round and incloSH a 
rash pursuer. They have a fine breed of horses. The 
horse and weapons of the soldier, whether given him by 
his chief or purchased by himself, are hia own property. 
All wlio can procure them ride mules on the march, the 
horses being always led on the road. Each soldier that 
can afford it keeps a lad to carry hia ehield, a donkey for 
his provisions, and a small tent, and a wife to bring him 
water, make him bread, and wash his feet after a march. 
Aa be b entitled to a monthly allowance of corn for each 
of these attendants, besides extracting all he can from the 
peasantry, and feasting often in his general's tent, or 
wherever else the door-keejier is his friend, it may be 
seen that his condition is not disagreeable ; and, in fact, 
it is the most attractive style of life that the country 
afibrds. A common soldier with a good reputation for 
courage is everywhere respected ; he is flattered and 
caressed by many chiefs, who all strive to secure his 



The MUUary Class. 1 5 1 

aeirices ; his name is suDg in ballads, and he considers 
himself with reason as equal to the proudest in the 
laud. Such a man will enter the tent of anj chief on the 
day of festival, assert his right to the finest portions of 
meat, and demand the strongest mead, not only without 
reproof, but with a cordial reception. And it is the 
passion for such individual distinction, leading to im- 
mediate and solid benefit, with the certainty that any 
one of them may, by good fortune, arrive at the highest 
rank, and command where he obeyed, that inspires a 
love for war in the Abyssinian breast. At the same 
time the pride engendered by this Bepublican soldiering 
induces a fiery impatience of control, and an ambition 
that leads to unceasing rebellions and distraction. 

The great chiefs have generally much dignity of 
manner, and some of them might be models of tact and 
polite suavity, particularly those who have any pride of 
ancestry; but engrossed with the sensual pleasures afforded 
by their wealth and power, and uncertain how long they 
may enjoy them, they never dream of improving the 
condition of their subjects, though often just and indul- 
gent in their rule, as far as the paramount necessity of 
conciliating their armies will permit. 

The Turkish troops have a great dread of the Abys- 
sinians; though it is probable that 5,000 disciplined 
soldiers would beat them anywhere in the field, and 
10,000 suffice for a permanent occupation of the country. 
The Abyssinians are convinced that no other nation can 
compare with them in war. One chief, named Kasoi, 
has lately introduced some improvements into his army, 
which I shall notice in another place. 



Alygtinia Deeerihal. 



THE LANDED PROFRIETOBS. 



While the nobiUt; of the country is eatirelj military, 
there is a kind of middle claats compoeed of the more 
influential proprietors. These, however, from the exi- 
genciea of the tiroes, are also warlike, aod must protect 
their homes and their ploughs, often by the lance and 
the aword. The most powerful of these are found id the 
deep valleys of the Nile, the Takaziee, and other large 
rivers. These rivers form vast clefts in the face of the 
country throughout their course, of several miles in width, 
at the bottom of which, at a depth of 3,000 feet, they 
plough their way betwixt high and precipitous walls of 
rock. The valleys thus formed are intercepted by nigged 
water-courses, whose torrents are uufordable in the rainy 
season. The soil is most productive, and the parts not 
cultivated are clothed with almost impenetrable jungle. 
The paths that conduct the traveller through these 
regions descend along the face of several ranges of preci' 
pices, over njssses of rock, and frequently through passes 
that D hundred men might make good against an army. 

From these peculiarities tbat present conversely the 
difficulties of a mountain territory, the character of the 
inhabitants is brave and independent, and, led by some 
great proprietor, they often defy all the efforts of the 
military chieftains. This proprietor is usually a large 
cultivator, and possesses namerous cattle. He is judge 
of tiie district by common consent, and without appeal. 
The elders, however, always give him their advice ; and 
as he does not pretend to any superiority, save that of 
wealth and courage, and ia always simple in bis habits, 
there exists a real liberty and equality throughout the 
Bociety, with the advantage of union under an acknow- 



J^easarUs and Villa gers, 153 

lodged head in moments of danger. Under his orders 
the youth of the district make predatory expeditions 
against the Gallas, or other neighbouring nations, or pro- 
secute their endless blood-feuds with some adjacent Chris- 
tian clan. These agricultural lords are of great importance 
to the military rulers, who, finding it difficult to seduce 
or force them to submission, flatter and caress them into 
an occasional contribution ; but their valleys being rich 
depots of com, when provisions become scarce one of 
them is marked out for plunder, and, by secrecy and sur- 
prise, the attempt is sometimes richly successful, though 
often the troops are overwhelmed and cut to pieces while 
toiling up the steep and gloomy passes and thorny forests 
by the equally well-armed and more active peasants. 
They generally also receive the *• shirt" I have men- 
tioned, or robe of silk, to give them military rank, and 
attach them to the party of some chief. Occasionally 
they will follow him to war, but rarely on any distant 
expedition. They are rich, hospitable to a proverb, 
proud and manly, and usually skilled in the chase, as 
these provinces afford ample hunting-grounds, abounding 
in large game. 

The peasants of these districts enjoy a genial climate, 
live almost in the open air, and, though hardy in youth, 
soon grow old. They manifest the same impatience of 
restraint and love of liberty as mountaineers in other 
lands. 

There are also rich proprietors on the plains and high 
lands, with family influence and some wealth ; but these, 
from their constant contact with the soldiery, who 
despise and insult them, supply the want of strength by 
politic wiles, and have not the manliness and simplicity 
of their compeers of the low country. 



154 Abi/»Mnia Deacribeil. 

The cultiyfttors of the soil — the small fatraers aad 
peMantry, — thongh etruggling with many difficulties, 
form a nameroos clos^ la spite of bad government, 
military oppression, and tbe constaDt devastations of war, 
they bear directly or indirectly the whole burden of tax- 
ation and the large standing armies. Though seldom 
wealthy, they are rarely in diatresa, and appear attached 
to their way of life. Soldie^ are constantly quartered 
on them, except in some districts that always turn out 
en matte to resist, and where the troops dare not ren- 
tore. 

Villages may be seen everywhere in Abyssinia, perched 
on hills, hidden in moat inconvenient hollows, and tax 
from water. There are two good reasons for this. In 
the valleys the borders of the streams are infected with 
malaria ; and on the plain, if they are too easy of access, 
they are nightly infested by crowds who demand or exact 
hospitality. On any frequented high road manyaniined 
hamlet niay be seen deserted by its inhabitants on this 
account. 

In seasons of war and anarchy an influential coantry- 
man becomes more valuable as a friend tlian any chief, 
and can, through the ties of relationship, forward goods 
and messengers in safety to a distance, when a soldier dai-e 
not quit his camp. These are generally intrusted with 
the collection of rcvenne, and are often made responsible 
for it. They are a kiud of zuiiiindai'd. 

A whole province of cultivators, In times when the 
military are engaged elsewhere, will meet by accord, and 
some thousands of them will attack another province — 
destroying, burning, and bequeathing feuds to distant 
generations. In their culture they would be laborious, 
were it not for the priestly device of saints' days, which 



Peasants and Villagers. 155 

forces the whole population to be idle for a third of the 
year. They plough with oxen, and weed with some care ; 
thej leave their fields fallow or change the crop as expe- 
rience or rather tradition has taught them ; and dig, 
where they cannot plough, the sides of the most precipi- 
tous mountains. The most productive crops are obtained 
on the ground most covered with stones, which they are 
careful not to remove. Durin<^ the rainy season a rich 
verdure clothes every part of Abyssinia that has any 
prospect of reaping the harvest in tranquillity. Irriga- 
tion is practised wherever necessary, the numerous rivu- 
lets rendering it an easy task. No fences are ever made ; 
and during the night, when com is ripening, boys with 
slings keep up a constant warfare with the wild boar, the 
addax, and the porcupine. In some districts large fires 
are necessary to scare the herds of elephants, and every- 
where the watcher is placed on a high platform, iJb be in 
safety from the hyeena and the lion. In general they are 
intelligent, but ruder than the soldier. 

From their present industry, I think that in this 
matter of cultivation they might improve if they had a 
more peaceful government and some security for property, 
and could be persuaded that men may improve upon their 
fathers — that it is better to cross a river by a bridge than 
to wade through a dangerous torrent, or that a mill is 
preferable for grinding com to a slave-girl. The fields in 
the neighbourhood of the towns, where military license is 
in some degree checked by the priests, and the ravages of 
war are less felt, ai*e highly cultivated. Land there sells at 
a good price and is eagerly sought, showing that the sweets 
of tranquil labour are at least appreciated. If, however, 
the government were not strong as well as peaceful, even 
tranquillity might have its dangers, especially in Teegray. 



'■ t- 



156 A lyMinia Dacribed. 

Aa soon as tbe coantr; people gaia Urge profits, and 
mead or beer inflames tbeir blood, the violence and pride 
of their diaposilioa lead them to aim at [lower, and, with- 
out regard to their means, to attack and dieorgaoize 
sodety. They express this "inflation " by one word in 
their own language, which serves as the apology for 
almost every act of folly, and the inhabitants of Teegniy 
have become a proverb in this respect. I am tempted 
to give one anecdote to illustrate the phrase. A few 
years since, seven tnen of Hamazayn, with no other fol- 
lowing, inarched through one hundred miles of country 
to Adowah, to overturn the existing powers and establish 
their own sovereignty, shouting war-cries and invoking 
the assistance of the Virgin. This is an extreme case, 
but describes well enough the disposition of this curious 
people. Each man considers himself as born to great 
destin^ and the smallest spark sets fire to his ambition. 
This is owing to the long-continued weakness of the 
government, and the absence of any body of proprietors 
who are interested in keeping order. Here almost every 
one thinks he ha« something to gain by anarcliy. 

The prosperous or adverse condition of a village de- 
pends almost entirely upon the rapacity or moderation of 
its immediate chief ; and the ryots of a harsh master 
would soon leave him to contemplate empty fields, but 
for a law that empowers him to seize them and force 
them to cultivate or to give security for their share of 
all imposts. The villagers are further interested in pre- 
venting desertion, as, though only three inhabitants 
should remain, they must pay the whole sum at which 
tbe village was originally assessed. The imposts are 
numerous, but vary according to tbe traditionary customs 
of each village. They pay a certain pcrtion in kind to 



Feasants €md Villagers. 157 

the BaSy or other great chief, and sometimes a regular 
tax in money. Besides this, they must famish oxen to 
plough the king's lands. Their immediate governor 
then takes his share in kind of every grain — say a fifthi 
and feeds hesides a certain number of soldiers at the ex- 
pense of each householder. He has rights to oxen, sheep, 
and goats, butter, honey, and every other requisite for 
subsistence. He must be received with joy and feasting 
by his subjects whenever he visits them, and can demand 
from them contributions on fifly pretexts : he is going 
on a campaign, or returned from one ; he has lost a 
horse, or married a wife ; his property has been consumed 
by fire, or he has lost his all in battle ; or the sacred 
duty of a funeral banquet cannot be fulfilled without 
their aid. 

There is in each village one hereditary officer that 
cannot be displaced on any pretence ; and it is this insti- 
tution alone that preserves some appearance of order, in 
the absence of all written documents, amidst the whirl 
of revolutions and the rapid succession of dynasties and 
governors. This humhle officer takes one- tenth of all 
that he collects for his chief When the latter is changed, 
he informs his successor what is left of the last year*s 
revenues, of the boundaries of his land, of the amount of 
imposts, of his various privileges, and all the little secrets 
of the community, so that in a short time the new 
governor is as much at home as the old one. The 
amount of traditional knowledge and memory of these 
persons is often extraordinary. The boundaries that he 
has to define are very simple. A brook, a bush, or stone 
marks the limits of a \dllage j but when their neighbours* 
fields, as often happens, are interlaced, it is a complicated 
taak, and gives rise to endless litigation, often to violence. 



158 Abyssinia DescrihecL 

In forest or plaAo, covered only with grass and jungle, 
and here and there a heap of ruins, should a village be 
rebuilt and cultivation resumed, some such ancient 
peasant is soon found who demands his post, and points 
out from memory the boundaries. The descendants of 
the former inhabitants are sought out under his direc- 
tions, and under a lenient governor all is restored to its 
former condition. When land or houses are sold, 
numerous little children are called to receive a handful 
of peas, and are useful afterwards as witnesses from these 
juvenile recollections. 



THE PRIESTHOOD. 

Though the feudal power of the military chiefs is so 
great, it may be doubted if the influence of the priesthood 
be not more important. That body holds in chains the 
mind of the people ; moulds at will customs, morals, and 
all the social ties, which have consequently remained 
almost unchanged, amidst the change of dynasties, the 
ruinous shocks of international war, and the gradual 
crumbling away of a wide and Christian empire. 

The spirit of Protestantism, or free inquiry, is not 
more welcome in Abyssinia than in other primitive 
churches ; but from the less eager spirit of its people, it 
has not been found necessary to check it by any })enalties. 
Groing to the fountain-head, they teach but one book to 
the children of the laity, ** The Psalms of David ;" and 
without forbidding other learning, discourage it, confining 
it as much as possible to the clergy and the scribes. Their 
great numbers, the almost superstitious reverence of the 
multitude, and the practice of confession and absolution. 



ChritUanity in AbyMainia, 159 

have enabled the priests to pursue this Bystem with 
saooeas. 

All the larger towns are entirely under their control, 
and being cities of refuge, sacred even from the Has, are 
filled with dissolute and dangerous characters. 

This institution is probably a remnant of their Mosaic 
law, and gives them great power over the bodies, as the 
ceremony of confession and the dreadful tbuoder of ex- 
communication do over the imagination, of an ignorant 



The Christianity professed and taught in Abyssinia is 
much materialized. The religion that is elsewhere the 
companion of progress, is here made the stumbling-block 
to improvement; stress, for the most part, being only 
laid on its ceremonies, and many being added that in no 
way belong to it. 

Though they detest the Cliurch of Rome, and indeed 
despise all save their own, quarrelling even with the 
Alexandrian from which they receive their Aboona, or 
high priest, through their love of contradiction, they may 
be thought to have taken some good lessons from the 
former on the means of retaining the population in blind 
submission. 

All church service is conducted in the Geez tongue, 
unknown save to the learned. The Psalms are also in 
that language ; and the ])upil, while encouraged to read 
them, is persuaded that he should not seek to understand 
them, but that he fulfils a high duty by gabbling over a 
number of them daily. No one save the priest himself 
is ever instructed in the Gospel in any tongue. Great 
adoration is paid to the Virgin Mary, and to numberless 
saints and angels. Their churches are filled with pictures, 
to which, when unveiled, the multitude bows with rove- 



i6o Abyntinia Described, 

renoe. FastiDg is rigidly insisted on ; sometimes, however, 
compounded for bj monej. These fasts embrace nearly 
two-thirds of the year ; and most of those who keep theiu 
are convinced that they will be weighed against their 
sins, though this doctrine is not officially taught. So 
much do they attach importance to this and other out- 
ward forms, that a man of '' Hamazayn *' will slay his 
near relative, and returning home calmly, will be horror- 
stricken should his wife have ground flour on a saint's 
day, or prepared his meal before the hours of fasting have 
expired. 

The churches are very numerous, and each church is 
itself an object of devotion, as it is firmly believed that 
the saint whose name it bears actually resides in its sanc- 
tuary. The stones are kissed with awe, and offerings are 
deposited, which the priests receive ; vows are registered 
and prayers are made, with equal fervour, to the Virgin, 
our Saviour, or some traditional martyr of the Abyssinian 
church, from which tbey expect immediate benefit in this 
world, as well as salvation in the next. Miracles, I need 
scarcely say, are not un frequent ; and certain spots oi 
peculiar sanctity perform them almost daily. Whenever 
offerings slacken, and the numbers that kneel at the 
shrine decrease, a picture rolls its eyes, a leper is cleansed, 
or the blind are restored to sight. 

Great respect is paid to all who wear the white turban, 
the mark of priesthood ; they are always addressed as 
*' fieither,*' and as superiors in the second person plural, 
even by chiefs of the highest rank. Any person dying 
without having chosen a father confessor, is denied 
Christian burial ; and so jealous are the priests of this 
great means of power, that they extend the rule to 
strangers. The confessors of the great men are usually 



Ahyuinian Christianity, i6i 

indulgent, and they are permitted to compound for their 
frailties bj the endowiDg of a new church, or handsome 
gifts to an old one. Nor are monasteries wanting to com- 
plete the resemblance to the Koman Catholic Church, and 
to the Aliddle Ages, where every immorality is practised ; 
nor solitary hermits, who dwell in gloomy forests, feeding 
on roots, and exposed to ferocious animals, and who are 
sometimes as sincere as they are useless. Nunneries alone 
are absent from the picture ; though vows of celibacy are 
sometimes taken, if rarely kept, save at an advanced age. 

Christianity is reduced to the simple form of obedience 
to the priest. The Gospel is forbidden in our translations 
into the modern Amharic tongue, nor is there one man 
in ten thousand who knows the commonest precepts of 
his religion. If some few moral ideas are not denied, 
they are never inculcated or insisted on ; and absolution 
can always be obtained for money. So blindly devoted is 
the Abyssinian laity to these astute fathers, that even the 
almost daily spectacle of their drunkenness, excesses, and 
immorality — nay, the knowledge that the confessional 
means " seduction made easy " — excites no feeling of dis- 
gnst and astonishment. 

Thus, it is not wonderful if lying, sexual intercourse, 
intoxication, or manslaughter, are regarded as venial — 
things that might be considered curious as the daily occu- 
pation of professing Christians, were it not for the igno- 
rance in which they are studiously retained, under meshes 
too cunningly woven to be burst by any efforts of their 
own. Their present immorality does not argue a bad 
nature in the Abyssinian ; on the contrary, I am astonishe<l 
that good and moral men are still found : and it is cei tain 
that Christianity, even thus debased, has hitherto saved 
them from the wantonness of crime and excess of cruelty 

L 



i62 Abj/g»iuia iJaeriled. 

th&t stains tlie records of alinoat all African races, and of 
8ome ID other qoarters of tli« globe. It ia necessaiy for 
the Btrangerd in Abjwinia to propitiate the Church, or at 
least to be very careful how he attacks it in hia converm- 
tion. Should an outcry be raifled on snch points as hia 
want of respect for the prieBtB, his not fasting, his eating 
with Mahomedana (which is regarded with horror), or the 
like, he will find it difficult to resist the storm, though 
the Abynsinian persecntor is generally content with banish- 
ment. It was by these means that the English Proteatant 
Mission was nnceremoniotHly ejected, when it was fonnd 
that it was introducing the New Testament to notice in 
the Anihara language, and announcing truths dangerous 
to priestcraft. 

One-third of the lands was originally set apart for the 
Ciiurch, but this portion is now much reduced, though its 
share is atill large. 

The native head of the Ahyaeinion Church is called the 
" Tchegee," and resides at Gondar, his house being a plaM 
of [wculiar sanctity; but the bishop, called "Aboona," 
who receives a reverence almost amounting to worship, is 
always a Copt Ha is sent by the Patriarch of Alexan- 
dria, on conaideration of some thousand dollars collected 
and forwarded by the Abj'ssiniana for his jonmey. The 
present Aboona is said to be the one hundred and 
eighteenth, and is named Salama. His chief residence 
should also be at Qondar, but there have been fierce dis- 
putes in the Abyssinian Church, and the gifts of Sahela 
SeluHsie, of Shoa, prevailed on the Bas Ali to baniah the 
Aboona, who has since been living near Adowah, where 
he liHs Rtill large possessions. All churches must be con- 
Mcrated, all prieata and deocona ordained by him ; crowds 
of pilgrims are always waiting in his court*, Bometimes 



Roman CatkoUcs. 163 

intermixed with men of rank, some to obtain a blessing 
or to be assoiled from deadly sin, a great number to be 
made deacons. Worn with a journey of perhaps months, 
priests are there in flauDting red garments, carrying a 
mysterious box, wherein is kept the '' Holy of Holies*' of 
each Churcb, like the ark of the covenant, — waiting for 
the blessing of the Aboona, which is equivalent to the 
consecration of that Church. His sentence of excommu- 
nication is much dreaded, and he has great influence in 
all the political or warlike movements in the country. 
His residence is an inviolable sanctuary. 

From time to time the Church of Home has made 
great efforts to induce the Abyssinians to recognize the 
Pope of Home as their spiritual head. The Jesuits at 
one time having nearly succeeded, and having lighted 
np the flames of civil war in the time of the Em- 
peror Socinios, £uled at last, and were massacred or 
banished. At this time the struggle is renewed by 
several missions under three bishops to gain a footing in 
this territory. 

Tlie Aboona by interdict, and when that fiedls by in- 
ducing the chief to expel these intruders, carries on a 
war with them with various success ; as to his prestige, 
they oppose money. These missions are under the pro- 
tection of France. 

Even the Aboona, influential as he is, flnds it difficult 
to assert his authority over the banded priests when 
they differ on any doctrinal point ; nor dares he announce 
a truth that may oppose any strong national prejudice. 
Should he say that a Christian is permitted to eat what 
be pleases, he would raise a storm from which his sacred 
character would scarcely protect him. Priesta are per- 
mitted to marry one wife, but not a second time, except 

L 2 



164 Abyssinia Bescrioed, 

tho Aboona and Tchegee, who should lead a life of rigid 
celibacy. 

The only interference of the chiefs in church govern- 
ment is in the appointment of a civil officer in each town, 
who settles all disputes, orders church ceremonials, and 
receives large profits. He must have some learning, and 
is called " Alika." 

The priests have no pay, but the profits on the land 
attached to each church are divided in proportion to their 
several dignities. Then the father confessors extract 
what they can, according to the wealth of their patients ; 
the pious bestow rich offerings for their spiritual welfare, 
and the laity are mulcted on the occasions of births, 
christenings, marriages, deaths, registers of sale and 
purchase, burials, and the like ; so that besides their con- 
tinual feasting at the public expense, they are usually 
well stocked with money, and from their numbers have 
been compared by the Abyssinians to locusts. 

It is just, however, to say that they have preserved 
the Christian faith, impure indeed, but still alive, in the 
midst of foreign invasion, domestic degradation, and the 
extinction of Government, and that it is under their 
protection that agriculture flourishes and villages are 
built where deserts would else be seen. What learning 
exists has also been preserved by them from utter ex- 
tinction. But as they become themselves daily more 
corrupt, society more disorganized, and the law more 
inefficient, Church and people will be lost in utter bar- 
barism, unless Providence have preserved those embers 
of civilization to be cherished into life by some more 
generous and powerful nation. 

Their learning is limited almost to the books of the 
Old and New Testaoent, into which some are admitted 



Abyssinian Priests, 165 

that we coDsider apocryphal ; besides these there are 
some monkish legends, a code of laws, and the chronicles 
of their kings, containing in a mass of rubbish a few 
sentences worthy of notice. All these books, written by 
monks with much labour, were formerly eagerly sought 
for, but are now neglected, almost forgotten. The art of 
painting is nearly lost ; and ornamental missals may now 
be found very cheap, as there are scarcely any pur- 
chasers j the number of persons that can read and write 
is diminishing daily, and the code of laws is becoming a 
mystery to the most learned. There are about four 
hundred works in the country, of which eighty-one relate 
to the Bible. 

Numbers of Abyssinian priests and monks visits 
Jerusalem yearly, and it may be deemed singular that 
these, receiving much kindness at the hands of Europeans, 
do not awaken their countrymen to some knowledge of 
the world beyond, and some better feeling towards their 
fellow Christians than contempt or indiflference. 

It is one of the difEculties of an Envoy, that while 
the Turk regards his intercourse with a jealous eye, and 
the fanatic Mahomedan hates him as the friend of the 
Christians, the Abyssinian too generally regards him as 
a man without religion, that is, without those outward 
forms that he is taught as more important than either 
morality, truth, or humility. These pilgrims generally 
disclaim the reception of any kindness, and declare that 
Franks have no religion. They all eat meat of any kind 
on their journeys, but are most fanatic on their return 
against intercourse with the Mussulman, and fervently 
deny having tasted the abhorred flesh of his shambles, 
declaring that what is killed by a European is also con- 
taminating, his Christianity being most impure. 



i6$ Ahytnnia Detaibed. 

Yet tlieae monka liare &ith, and energjr in their faith, 
though ill-direoted ; for 1,500 jtAra nnrabere have 
worshipped at the tomb of the Saviour, have braved per- 
aecntioD, and devoted themBeiveH to certain death. Many 
of them now risk their lives to visit some forgotten 
shrine, ooce a charch belonging to their fathers, and the 
centre of population and culture, now a few shapeless 
stones in a howling wilderness, the lair of wild beasts, 
and surrounded for many a weary day's joumej by hostile 
tribes of Arabs or negroes, who slay the pilgrim that 
they may not return home with unbloody hands. 

Scribes, or "deftaras," are often mote learned than 
the priests, and equally take advantage of the general 
ignorance. Their principal gain is by writing amulet?, 
and charms against every disease, almost against death : 
it is believed that some of them men by their spells can 
invoke demons and spirits from the watert^ they being 
careful to nourish the delusion by juggling exhibitions 
from time to time. They also profess medicine, and as 
they do not much analyse the effects of their drugs, many 
an unfortanate falls a victim to some poisonous plant 
administered as u love philtre. Most of them are bangen- 
on of the different churches ; they are generally cunning, 
debauched, and mischief-makers. 

Jews are still found in some nnmben, and thongh 
despised are not persecuted ; this may be owing to their 
poverty. They know nothing of the Hebrew tongue ; 
hut some read the Mosaic books in the Geez, and are as 
scrupulous in their ceremonials as their brethren else- 
where. They are the best masons in the country. They 
have no peculiar physiognomy. 

The Koomanta, foand only in the neighbourhood of 
Gondar, are acknowledged by neither Christian, Mossul- 



JfaJiOuiedans. 167 

maD, nor Jew, and have a bastard creed, a compoand of all 
three. Tliey are skilful carpenters, and supply all Gondar 
with wood. They are despised, but being very coura- 
geous, and having lately shown an incliuiug towards 
Christianity, it is not improbable that their distinctions 
will soon disappear ; in any even now have ceased a practice 
which was the chief separating cause. They hung heavy 
weights in the lobe of the ear of the girls, who were 
thereby excluded from any chance of marriage with 
Christians. 

The *• Wytos " are a small clatjs, who live by hunting 
the hippopotamus ; they eat the flesh, and sell the hide 
and teeth. They call themselves Mahomedans, but are 
not recognized by the other followers of that creed. They 
principally reside near the Lake Tana, and are a very 
handsome race. They are regarded with as much aversion 
as the Jews. Eat all these classes are permitted the free 
exercise of their own religious faith. 

There are many Mahomedans in Abyssinia, and in all 
large towns they have a separate quarter, with mosques 
and public prayers. From the advantaj^o that their com- 
merce in shives gives them over their Christian competi- 
tors, the Mussulman traders are the most wealthy, and 
are, therefore, generally appointed to the high post of 
Negadeli Ras, or collector of all customs, literally " head 
of merchants.*' To enforce their authority these keep 
large bodies of armed men, and con6dently predict the 
final triumph of the faith of the Prophet in Abyssinia. 
The Abyssinian Mussulmans, as distinguished from the 
Galla, are all tniders ; they will not eat meat killed by 
Christians, and are frequently their superiors in morality 
and intelligence. They live on terms of equality, good 
humour, and friendship with the Christians, openly 



1 68 Ahysninia Described. 

defend their creed, and receive any proselyte that offers, 
and do not appear to think that the restrictions in the 
Koran respecting strong drinks apply to them at all. 
IVIahomedans and Christians do not intermarry. One 
cannot but admire the toleration of this people, though 
it does not extend to other Christians ; however, no one 
can be molested on account of his opinions, and a small 
concession wi^ always mollify the Church. There is no 
distinction in dress between those who profess different 
creeds, and are all subject to the same law. 

The Mahomedans, like the Christians, do not in general 
seclude their women ; and the latter maintain in general 
the important privilege of displaying their charms. This 
formerly was done by females of all ranks and religions, 
but lately, to imitate the great chiefs, who secluded their 
wives, from jealousy, the custom of a harem is being 
gradually adopted in the towns and by the wealthy. I 
may add here that, in spite of the prevalence of Christi- 
anity, and the abundance of its professing teachers, 
Mussulmans are not alone in the doctrine of plurality, 
almost every man keeping as many handmaidens as his 
means will permit. 

THE TRADING CLASSES. 

The mercantile community are not very numerous, 
and are looked on with much contempt by the military, 
but patronized by the chiefs, whom they conciliate by 
rare presents, in addition to the duties they pay. The 
Mahomedans of Abyssinian extraction, not Galla, follow 
rarely any other pursuit^ and three-fourths of the trade 
are in their hands ; of wealthy Christian merchants, 
there are scarcely twenty in the whole country. The 



The Meroantile Community, 169 

ricb caravans travel in large numbers, and well armed, 
and are as well used to hard fights as the soldiery, espe- 
cially those who reach Enarea. They have no traits 
which distinguish them from any other class of the com- 
munity j and the merchant must stuff his followers with 
meat and mead like the military chief, paying, in 
addition, regular wages. 

The countries richest in commercial produce are the 
Gkdla provinces of Enarea, Djimma, and those adjacent. 
They abound in ivory, zibbad, excellent coffee, wax, and 
spices ; gold is found in the sands, and these districts are 
accustomed to trade with the Abyssinian caravans. Their 
products find one outlet through Shoa and the Adaiel, 
eastward into the Indian Ocean, at the port of Zeyla ; 
another through Abyssinia, by various channels, 
northward, and passing either through Grondar and 
Sennaar, to Egypt, or through Adowah and Massowah, 
into the Bed Sea. A third route is frequented by 
the traders who, following the course of the White 
Nile, also reach Khartoom, and there meet the caravan 
from Qondar. 

The caravans to the Bed Sea are swelled on the route 
by small parties with the produce of Abyssinia — wax, 
coffee of an inferior quality, ivory, buffaloes* horns, hides, 
ghee, honey, and mules. The list may appear limited, 
but little inducement is offered to the trader, either by 
his own unsettled and oppressive government or by 
Turkish apathy on the coast ; and provinces are left 
desert that are capable of growing many valuable articles 
for commercial purposes, while those that exist are but 
half- known, and the quantity of those in use might be 
multiplied fifty-fold by encouragement. Amongst the 
products of Abyssinia, not considered as of value at 



lyo Ahysmma Described. 

present, I may mention aloeB, aniseed, castor-oil, senna, 
ebony, gum, hippopotamus' teeth, saffron, and sulphur. 

Pepper and other spices are now im2)orted from India, 
while there are numerous districts fit for their growth 
between the Bed Sea and Enarea. The quantity of 
coffee might be immensely increased under a tolerable 
government. Among the nomad tribes on the coast, 
an extensive trade in hides, salt-meat, and horns, might 
be created. Should means of destruction become more 
generally known, the quantity of ivory would be much 
increased. Gold and copper veins might be found. The 
valuable zibbad, now monopolized by the king of Enarea, 
might be reared all over Abyssinia, where, though the 
cat exists in a wild state, no one has ever thought of 
domesticating it, which would be an innovation. 

Cotton cloth is the universal and only dress of the 
country, and cotton is imported from Cutch, while 
Abyssinia should be capable of producing largely for 
exportation of a much superior quality. Besides the 
tropical rains, the means of irrigation are everywhere 
abundant ; while the excellent quality of the soil and the 
mildness of the climate would render that resource un- 
necessary for most plantations. Owing to bad govern- 
ment, fertile lands near the sea have been abandoned to 
flocks and herds for a breadth of loo miles between the 
coast and Abyssinia ; and plains of sulphur at seventy or 
eighty miles from Massowah are unkr^own to the Turkish 
governor, that article being imported in small quantities 
from beyond the sea. 

Everything is transported on horses, mules, or 
donkeys ; and the large caravans, moving very slowly, 
are oflben a year from Enarea to Massowah, a distance by 
tlie road of about 750 miles. The slowness of their 



The Caravans, 171 

progress is owing partly to the Datural dif&calties of a 
nigged and mouDtainous country, without roads, but 
still more to the embarrassing institutions of the tribes or 
nations through which they pass. The despots of the 
monarchical Gallas, as Enarea — where, as I have said, 
the richest produce is fonnd, and which town is the great 
mart of this part of Africa — must be propitiated by 
presents and flattery. The slave trade is a great source 
of revenue to those kings ; and for this reason the 
Christian merchants seldom transact business so far in 
the interior, leaving those wealthy reservoirs to the 
Moslem traders in human flesh, through whose influence 
all that part of the country is gradually adopting the 
Mahomedan creed. 

Enarea is frequented by traders from Zanzibar and 
Sajoora, from Massowah and Khartoom, from Darfoor 
and Khoordoofau, and, it is said, even from Darsala and 
Timbuctoo ; but even the frequenters of that depot seem 
to know little of any tribes on the Equator. Constant 
as are the wars between tribe and tribe, the merchants 
are protected by all, and escorted to the limits of each 
province, where they are received under a temporary 
truce by their friends in the other. Should there be an 
intervening wilderness, the trader must trust to his own 
weapons and a stout heart. 

When the caravans having left the dominions of the 
king of Enarea, on the road for Massowah, which most 
concerns us at present, enter the territories of republican 
Gallas, not only each tribe, but each influential indi- 
vidual, and each one who has a hut on the line of march, 
must be paid and caressed. As the best way of eflecting 
this, the merchants camp on the frontier of each district, 
under the protection of some influential inhabitant. 



172 A bysHnia Described. 

and there make their bargain with all those who 
have claims along the line of road. These claims being 
all settled, which may occupy a month or six weeks, 
they make a stretch into the next district, and with each 
tribe the same operation must be repeated. This system 
continues until they reach Basso, the southern province 
of Abyssinia on that road. To reach this halting-place, 
they must cross the river Abbai, or Blue Nile, through 
which valley is the most dangerous part of their progress. 
This wilderness, a hunting-ground for wild beasts, hot 
and desolate, contrasts strongly with the fertile crops of 
Crooderoo that they are leaving, and the fresh pastures 
of Godjam that they hope to reach — a hope not always 
realized. Hundreds of Galla horse lay hidden on the long 
grass and thorny thickets, and are apprised by numerous 
scouts of the numbers and quality of the approaching 
caravan. The Abyssinian Chief of Basso, it is true, 
furnishes a strong escort, but not unfrequently convoy 
and caravan are cut off almost to a man, and that fatal 
spot, yearly the scene of deadly combats, is dreaded by 
the merchant, and rouses all the energy of the traveller. 
Such are some of the labours and dangers of the traders 
to Enarea. 

After reaching Basso, the trading depot being named 
Ayjubay, they are in comparative safety ; but the perils 
they have passed are almost preferable to the endless 
vexations and exactions of the Abyssinian institutions. 

The system of customs is in fact a struggle betwixt 
the merchants on the one hand and on the other tho 
Negadeh Rases, who farm the duties in the large towns, 
and numerous small military governors, who exact what 
they can at other posts — this system leading necessarily 
to loss of time, smuggling, and often bloodshed. 



A Merchcmt Chief. 173 

A Negadeh Has, or chief of merchants, is appointed in 
six towns of Abyssinia — Ayjubay, Derrita, Gondar, 
Sokota, Doobarak, and Andowah. In five of these the 
officer is a Mahomedan ; at Doobaruk, somewhat inferior 
in importance, a Christian. Paying fixed sums to the 
great chiefs, they are permitted to screw all they can out 
of merchants, and keep in their pay large bodies of 
armed men to enforce their severe regulations. They 
are also obliged to do feudal service for the chief when 
called upon. Each Negadeh Has establishes numerous 
minor posts, where the merchants are harassed for small 
sums, and with the military claimants they must com- 
pound as they best can. The right of pasturage and 
trespasses are fruitful sources of contention and delay. 
It is true that the richer traders are generally on good 
terms with the great chiefs by constant presents and 
flattery, and escape pretty easily from his followers ; but 
those on a small scale are plundered unmercifully, and 
their whole property sometimes confiscated on the plea of 
smuggling, true or false. All are despised by the 
military, and for fear of future consequences are obliged 
to receive nightly in their houses insolent and riotous 
soldiers, who, even when receiving hospitality, scarcely 
deign to disguise their contempt. They are also in 
constant fear of being claimed by the chiefs to extort 
money. In the desert parts of the country, if any 
rebels or robbers are in force, they have not unfre- 
quently to fight in defence of their goods in Abyssinia, 
as amongst the Gallas; and the merchants from the 
Province of Walkait, bordering on Sennaar, have another 
danger to encounter ; bauds of negroes, called Shankalla, 
in bodies of 500 and 1,000, often occupy the road in 
ambush, and sometimes succeed in surprising and slaugh- 



174 Abyseinia Described. 

tering an entire caravan. This fend is iininterrui>ted, 
and no quarter is ever given. When the merchant 
has settled for his vexatious tolls, and averted with 
success all human enemies, he has also to encounter 
the difficulties of raging floods, precipitous mountains, 
frightful roads, and wild beasts that destroy his mules. 
Their situation would be much better were Abyssinia 
under one master, instead of being ground by so many 
chiefs, each of whom frames despotic laws in his own 
province, and often makes the forced friendship of a 
merchant for his rivals or the compulsory exactions of 
a rebel whom he himself cannot subdue a pretext 
for a heavy fine. The frontier provinces of Teegray 
towards the sea, Kalagoozai and Hamazayn, are now 
disorderly republics, save a tribute forced on them by the 
arms and the fortune of Oobeay, and will probably 
soon entirely detach themselves from the shaking fabric 
of Abyssinian society ; and here there is no law or pro- 
tection for the trader, save such moderation as self- 
interest may teach the villagers on the road. Combats 
are not unfrequent ; but as it is known that the caravans 
will fight to the death in behalf of their property, being 
generally all they possess, even the most rapacious are 
afraid to push matters to extremity. The mercliants also 
make friends of the most influential proprietors. On 
arriving amidst the Shiho tribes, between these provinces 
and the coast through which they must pass to reach 
Massowah, they suffer great extortions under pretence of 
guides and permission to pass through this territory, 
inhabited by Mahomedans,who acknowledge no sovereign, 
either Turk or Christian, and amongst whom each man 
claims a share of the booty. Having scrambled through 
these valleys, the produce of Enarea at last arrives once 



The Salt Trade. 175 

in the year at Maasowah, where the merchants, if Christian, 
were formerly subject to insult, violence, and injustice; 
but of late years, if not encouraged, have at least been 
treated with decency and moderation — a result to which 
I may, without vanity, believe myself to have contributed. 

A caravan at each halt makes a camp near some spring 
or river. The packages are piled up to the height of 
four or five feet, with spaces left at intervals ; the long 
sticks with which they drive the mules are laid across 
these to form a roof, and soft hides are thrown over all, 
making a series of waterproof cabins, in which the 
wealthy nestle among their goods ; the followers erect 
temporary huts all round, and in the centre the mules 
are tied at night. Numbers of young men are sent to 
cut grass ; others to trade with the nearest villagers for 
supplies. Strict watch is kept all night by the light of 
large wood fires. At daylight they resume their journey, 
and a caravan of two or three hundred mules will be off 
in less than half an hour. The small traders who carry 
goods from market to market, disperse themselves at 
night in the villages amongst their friends, as also do 
those who carry salt. 

Great numbers of men are employed in this important 
commerce, salt being the current money of the kingdom, 
and found only in the Taltal district, not very far from 
Massowah. Small blocks are cut of eight inches in 
length, and slung over the back of a donkey to the 
number of 150 or more, being first brought by camels 
from the arid salt plains in Teegray. Hides are placed 
over as a protection from the rain, and these traders then 
hurry with great speed to every market in the kingdom, 
and young girls may be seen on journeys of several 
hundred miles, carrying sixty pieces on their backs, to 



ff^-'^tzstS^sttttmaii^l^BBBSSZ 



176 Abyssinia Described. 

work out a dowry for themselves. The salt having to 
pay constant toll, becomes rapidly more dear, and while 
in Teegray 200 pieces can be obtained for a dollar, in 
Godjam thirty are considered a high rate, and in the 
Oalla provinces salt is one of the chief luxuries of life. 

The manufactures in request in Abyssinia are almost 
all British. Bed cloth, calico, silks and velvets of all 
kinds, printed cottons, &c., are all imported from Bom- 
bay, as well as red and blue Indian bunting, raw silk, 
Surat tobacco, and Indian manufactured silks. English 
sabres and fire-arms are much in request, but are pro- 
hibited by the blockade of the Turks at Massowah. 
Matchlocks only were admired formerly, but of late years 
percussion guns are in great demand. In all things they 
cry out for English goods. Some kinds of Egyptian 
cloth sell in large quantities, and also Americ(in drill. 
Trieste send glassware and beads, which are required 
principally for the slave-dealers, and the frankincense of 
Arabia supplies the Abyssinian churches. I have already 
furnished an exact list of the exports and imports of 
Massowah. 

It is unnecessary to dwell at present upon the proba- 
bility of developing the commercial resources of the 
Gallas. That they possess them in abundance unknown 
to themselves is certain, but their most important dis- 
tricts are so distant from the coast that no European 
merchant could risk in person so hazardous a journey. 
Nothing but the establishment of a firm government and 
an enlightened system in Abyssinia can much influence the 
condition of these tribes. The Abyssinian merchants will, 
however, communicate whatever impulse they may receive 
from the coast, and push on into the furthest provinces 
with increased vigour. The Abyssinans are greedy of 



English Manufactures, 



177 



gain, and a desire for European luxuries already exists. 
The stimulus of capital and protection on the coast would 
soon cause a great change in their domestic |X)lic7, con- 
Tert their grass wildernesses and thorny forests into 
thriving plantations, and create as large a commerce as 
can exist in a country where water carriage is hopeless, 
and even the introduction of waggons must be the task 
of years, owing to national prejudice, rugged elevations, 
abrupt valleys, and the utter absence of roads and 
bridges. 



M 



f ^4. 



178 



CHAPTER IV. 

GOYERNMENT AMD LAWS. 

THE ancient form of government in Abyssinia was a 
despotic monarchy, with many Persian forms and 
Jewish institutions. This, while powerful, was preferable 
to the present state of lawless violence, and afforded an 
appearance of unity, however ill the law may have been 
executed, as appears by their records. Long before its 
Ml, the inroads of Mahomedans on the coast of the Red 
Sea, and of the Gallas on the southern and eastern 
boundaries, had much reduced the ancient limits of the 
empire, and the royal family had ceased to be regarded 
with respect or fear, even in the few provinces that their 
arms could still defend. 

This monarchy was finally overthrown by Ras Michael 
of Teegray, shortly after the visit of Bruce to Gondar ; 
and that Ras was next attacked and defeated by the 
Gallas, under pretence of avenging the Emperor. The 
son of Ras Michael having been afterwards slain in 
battle by the Mahomedans from Edjo and Worrahai- 
mano, in the general confusion that ensued, a young man 
of no note from the former province, named Gooksa, 
seized the province of Begemder, and received from the 
deposed but still recognized '^ Ahtiee," or Emperor, the 
title of Ras. Here the power of the Church was felt, 
and though by the aid of Mussulman sabres he had over- 



Baa Alu T79 

thrown ChristiaD forces, and felt himself strong enough 
to portion out the country amongst his followers, and to 
contemn the royal shadow at GU)ndar, he was obliged to 
profess the Christian faith, not daring to risk the holy 
war that would otherwise have been kindled by the 
priests. 

He then became virtual ruler of Abyssinia, as far as 
subtlety and force could confirm his title ; but in the 
north, Teegray acknowledged only its native princes, and 
Godjam, in the south, kept him occupied in constant 
wars with various fortune. From that time, nearly 
seventy years, this Galla dynasty has held Begem der, 
and if not acknowledged sovereigns, were most powerful 
pretenders. It is owing to this revolution, and the con- 
sequent number of claimants for power, none of whom 
have succeeded in establishing a permanent and here- 
ditary authority, that relations with Abyssinia have been 
since so difficult and fruitless. 

Has All, the grandson of Gooksa, having received 
tribute and a professed allegiance from the other chie&, 
including him of Teegray, became the sole Eas. Never- 
theless, all men having arms in their hands and many 
leaders heading large armies, the whole period of his reign 
the Eas was in the saddle, and his palace was his tent ; 
being engaged in pursuing those who fled into impreg- 
nable mountain strongholds or pathless wildernesses, or 
in striking down others who withstood his arms in open 
fight, during a period of twenty-two years. Before pro- 
ceeding to a sketch of late events which have hurled the 
Ras from his throne, I will endeavour to give some out- 
line of his career, the manner of government, and the 
administration of justice, since the fall of the Gk)ndar 
monarchy. 

M 2 




i8o Alyeainia Dacnled. 

Bas All has, duriog his reign, orercome three powerful 
cabals of the northern and southern chiefa combined. 
During the government of Has Gooksa, the £ae Welda 
Selasee, in Teegray (to whom an embassy was sent by 
England), and Raa Gibree, in Semen, were independent. 
Oobesy, the grandiion of Kas Gibree, slew Dejaj Saba- 
gardis, the successor of lias Welda Selasee, who also con- 
templated a strict alliance with us ; and after that vic- 
toiy, conquered Teegraj, which proviuce he has held in 
subjection for twenty years. Although Dejaj Oolieay be- 
came, by this acquieitiou of territory, a formidable rival, 
after several severe struggles Le was forced to recognize 
Ras Ali as his chief, to pay him tribute yearly, and to 
send a quota of troops as feudal service. All othera 
being apparently vanquished, the Chief of Oodjam, DejaJ 
Birro, alone held out uncooquered through the whole 
]>eriod of Eas Ali's power. After repeated victories over 
the troops sent against him, an overwhelming force, 
headed by the Bas in person, drove him for refuge to his 
mountain, where he remained shut up for five years. 
During this period was my mission, and while the Baa 
might thus be sud to be, in one way or other, complete 
master of AbyBaiuia. But this mastery, however proud 
a position for himself, secured by a turbulent and liceo* 
tious army, was necessarily factitious, and the numerous 
bands of Galhis, his relatives, brought by him to sustain 
his precarious power, with the difficulty of feeding the 
immense army he kept up, in no way added to the 
security of property and the tranquillity of the land. 
Indeed, he had many troables even in his camp, for the 
great chiefs, though from fear (and yet chafing at the 
obligation) they rendered him feudal service, still asserted 
almost sovereign rights in their several provinces, and 



Feudal Sovereignty. 1 8 1 

maoj of them who claimed descent from the royalty of 
Grondar, or whose ancestors had held high offices under 
the empire, considered themselves with some reason his 
eqaals. Others, again, of inferior pretensions, plundered 
the country, or exacted contributions in proportion to 
their force. The Eas, could all his vassals be united, 
might have mustered at one time 50,000 men of all 
arms, and his rival, Oobeay, 30,000 ; yet many a petty 
adventurer, their equal in birth perhaps, with only 500 
or 1,000 followers, trusting to the strength of his moun- 
tains or valleys and his local influence, continually braves 
these rulers ; and though, after much bloodshed, many of 
them have been reduced to obedience, enough are always 
under arms to render the roads unsafe without a military 
force, or the escort of a strong caravan of merchants. It 
may easily be conceived that each chief, in proportion to 
his importance, deals pretty much as he pleases with 
travellers or merchants on his own ground, and in these 
matters the E.as is too powerless, or too careless, to 
interfere, inasmuch as it is easy to provoke a rebellion 
amongst a soldiery that regard inaction as a penalty and 
war as a delight. Little vigour is shown in suppressing 
these outbreaks, the Ras generally caring little if his 
own supplies are not cut off, or his revenues seriously 
diminished. He generally makes terms with his rebel- 
lious vassals, preferring policy to force. 

The feudal sovereignty of the Ras having been esta- 
blished by the sword, and depending at any time on the 
issue of a battle, in appointing a ^' Bejaj match," or 
governor of a province, he is obliged to be attentive to 
the claims of the great families, who, from their here- 
ditary influence, must be either rulers or rebels in their 
respective districts ; the doubtful alternative of destroying 



i82 Abyssinia Described, 

them he was always too merciful to adopt. These chiefd 
follow him to war, and give him a portion of their 
revenues ; they bestow on their retainers, districts and 
villages as they please ; and the pay of each is the revenue 
he can extract from these allotments. 

The Has reserves for himself a number of provinces, to 
provide for his household officers and troops. The soldiers 
are paid an uncertain sum of money occasionally, and 
have a monthly allowance of corn. This corn is some- 
times measured out from the Ras*s granary ; but more 
often a half-plundering license to quarter themselves in 
the reserved provinces is given. This is not always 
patiently acquiesced in, and bloody struggles ensue, in 
which the peasantry sometimes succeed in expelling the 
soldiery ; the weakness of the Ras generally obliging him 
to overlook such an affair. 

The petty household of a chief who has three or four 
villages, is an exact imitation, on a ludicrous scale, of that 
of one who musters at a word 5,000 horse. He has all 
officers, and no servants ; his " king's mouth,** his major- 
domo, his grand butler, his chief of commissariat, his 
jester, his master of the horse, and so forth ; this, with 
an establishment of perhaps thirty persons, each system 
revolving round its sun or candle. Yet, as every military 
man who is courageous or well connected may hope with 
reason to reach the highest grade, they practise state 
without thinking themselves absurd. The Has is, truly, 
only the most powerful of a number of competitors; 
several of those who acknowledged him as feudal superior, 
maintaining their right to judge without appeal It is 
one favourable trait in this long rivalry, that poison, or 
assassination, have rarely, if ever, been resorted to ; their 
warfare being o|)en, often chivalrous. 



The Chiefs. 183 

The chiefs are generally ro far jast as the paramount 
need of feeding and conciliating their armies will permit ; 
and, of course, where their whims and personal inte- 
rests are not concerned. But though the judgment maj 
be jnst, the poor do not often profit by it. Almost 
all the subordinate governors being rapacious, justice 
must be sought at the fountain-head ; and then with 
the distance they have to travel, over the worst roads, 
the net-work of retainers and favourites about the great 
man, who render it difficult to obtain admission, and 
the local influence of the chief against whose decision 
they appeal — they seldom return home without, in some 
shape, repenting their success. Still it gives them plea- 
sure to succeed ; nor there is any nation that so delights 
in litigation — a proof that, while under a badly organized 
military oligarchy, they are obliged to trust often to arms 
for their defence, they would yield easy obedience to the 
law when administered with vigour and regularity. It is 
not an uninteresting sight to witness the Kas's Court 
filled with suitors of all classes : the multitude in attend- 
ance seated on the grass, no one excluded ; and the 
highest noble, the meanest peasant, standing, pleading on 
equal terms before his judges or himself, and using entire 
liberty of speech. But this well-intended impartiality is 
nullified by the manner of procuring testimony. 

The first step in every cause is to call on both parties 
to find secnrity. These securities must be persons whom 
the judge is certain of being able to seize if necessary. If 
the charge be serious they must be persons of property, 
and are liable both for the appearance of their principals, 
and for the sentence whatever that may be. This custom 
obtains both in civil and criminal law. In default of 
such security, each party is chained by the wrist ; an 



184 Aby88inia Described, 

additional expense, as the chains must be hired, and the 
jailor, that is, the person to whom he is chained, paid a 
sum fixed by law. This bail is the prop of Abyssinian 
society; no commercial or market transfer takes place 
without it In this manner is insured the payment of 
debt or interest, and of the king's revenue. The Abys- 
sinian judge or creditor cares nothing for the principal in 
a cause ; the bail is seized, and in self-defence produces his 
man; and it is an honourable trait that the principal 
rarely absconds. A friend will thus become security in 
cases of murder, though rendering himself thereby liable 
to suffer death, or to pay the price of blood, to them a 
fortune. 

After both parties have given security, the plaintiff 
only is allowed to produce his witnesses : the defendant 
can, when they are called by name, admit or reject their 
evidence; in almost every case great indulgence being 
shown in this respect. The plaintiff stating then that 
he can produce witnesses for his statement, demands a 
** travelling judge." This judge is furnished by the Has, 
usually a common soldier of his guards, on rare occasions 
an officer. His duty is to collect testimony orally, 
wherever the question may have arisen, perhaps 300 
miles distant The parties travel with him, mostly on foot, 
chained, if they have not furnished bail, over this extent 
of ground, and on his return he reports from memory all 
the evidence he has collected by examination of the 
witnesses of the plaintiff; the defendant may cross- 
examine these witnesses. The report is generally fiftithful. 
The parties are then severally demanded if it be true, 
and if they assent, final judgment is given ; if they differ, 
or the chief finds anything suspicious in the case, or if he 
wishes for more information thereon, they must all start 



Jiulicial Cuatonis. 185 

again, and are sometimes kept travelling for a year or 
more. 

It is clear what advantage the rich have over the poor, 
by bribery or endurance. As for false witnesses it varies 
in di£fcrent provinces ; in some scarcely known, in others 
proverbial. If the defendant can expose any flaw in his 
antagonist's argument or evidence, even if accidental, he 
triumphs at once. An Abyssinian suit is much more a 
trial of wordy skill than an elucidation of the truth, and 
the reason is obvious, from the system of ^* Daignanet '* 
judgment in all tribunals save the highest. This is the 
sum paid by the losing party to the judge, whether mili- 
tary or civil, and large according to the importance of 
the case. This is occasionally a safeguard to the poor, 
inasmuch as it is the interest of the judge to decide 
against the one that can afford to pay, when other 
reasons, such as fear or bribery, do not outweigh this. 
The sum is arbitrary ; and the only check upon their 
rapacity is the fear that if too exacting, the country 
people will cease, to dispute, or will decide all cases before 
elders or friends. Moreover the judge has certain per- 
quisites, varying as usual in each province ; on each slip 
of the tongue, on each oath that is taken on the Gosi)e], 
nay, even should excitement cause a movement of the 
hand or a change of position during the pleadings 3 besides 
this, his retainers gain by messages, by bribery, and many 
other ways : it is therefore obviously his interest that 
each case should endure as long as possible, even if he 
be disposed to give a just decision in the end. 

There being no police, it may seem curious how any 
offender is brought to justice, but in ordinary cases this 
is easy, although a daring and decided criminal has 
generally little difficulty in escaping. In a strong case, 



1 86 Abyssinia Described. 

as that of public manslaaghter, the bystanders will seize 
the homicide, not to give a pretext to the chief for levy- 
ing heavy fines on the village or district, and deliver him 
over to the authorities, and so on with other serious and 
criminal cases. In small a£fairs, such as a sudden dispute 
on the high road, the meeting of an absconded debtor, or 
any civil matter, the first decent person to be found is 
obliged to act as a temporary judge, if adjured by the 
** death of the chief" paramount. He must then plaoe 
the accused in bonds, which is done by tying his cloth to 
that of his accuser, and escort or send them to the nearest 
magistrate, who, should the accused demand it, must in 
like manner forward him to his immediate master or 
chief, where the case is first heard, the plaintiff having 
right of appeal : the law in this being however highly 
favourable to the defendant, the plaintiff not being always 
disposed for a long journey. 

Their code of laws is a bad translation from the code 
of Justinian ; three parts of it being occupied with 
Church affairs and regulations, and a small portion only 
with the civil and criminal law, this latter being also 
much mixed up with the institutions of the Pentateuch. 
Bad as it is, there are probably not twenty persons in the 
country that are conversant with it ; and some singular 
judgments are given on its authority, much after the 
fashion of the " Sortes Virgilianae." Though it is con- 
sulted with much ceremony, and considered a sacred 
volume, law is in &ct simplified to the will of the chief. 
Still, the fact of there being a written law has assisted in 
retarding the degradation of the people. 

Usury is permitted according to the agreement of the 
parties, but is checked in practice, and has no ill results 
from the merciful nature of the law for debt. It is 



The Institution of Elders. 187 

generally ruled that a debtor shall paj small sums ac- 
cording to his means, and he cannot be kept in durance 
when he has nothing. Affairs of this kind, however, are 
generally on so small a scale that they are settled by 
arbitration. 

The institution of elders that I have alluded to is not 
perhaps conducive to discipline, but in the existing un- 
certainty of the law is well worthy of notice, and agree- 
able to witness. The decision of these elders cannot be 
reversed by any judge, as both parties solemnly agree 
that it shall be final ; it costs them nothing, and such 
arbitration is seldom refused, even by the most t^sty, 
urged as it generally is in the most good-tempered 
manner. Their mediation can be employed in every 
case where blood has not been drawn. Should any of 
these men be by on the commencement of a dispute, they 
separate the angry, and after patient investigation give 
their opinion, and decide the amount of compensation. 
The decision is usually considered sufficient, and it is a 
point of honour for the triumphant party not to receive 
the fine awarded. The conclusion is that the disputants 
should demand pardon of each other, and accord a mutual 
forgiveness, which is generally cordial and hearty. This 
system would scarcely succeed amidst the complicated 
interests of civilized society, or with the enduring energy 
of Europem passions, but it is to me a redeeming trait 
in the Abyssinian character. It prevents crime and 
tumult more than their military law ; it carries out the 
precepts of the Gospel ; and I cannot believe that the 
nation practising it merits no better name than savage. 
Wife and husband, father and son, brother and brother 
are either reconciled in this way, or if that be found 
impossible, separated with amenity ; and the custom 



1 88 Abyssinia Described. 

being bowed to by the highest equally with the lowest, 
the asperities caused by the inefficiency of the law are 
much softened. These peacemakers are not appointed 
by any Government, bat by common consent ; the in- 
fluential and wealthy inhabitant, the good-tempered, the 
most moral, and particularly the aged, take the office on 
themselves. This custom, though universally accepted 
by the Abyssinians, Christian and Mahomedan, is of 
more weight in the Amhara country than in Teegray, 
owing to the greater good temper and good sense of the 
former people. 

The office of a judge is rather to settle and profit by 
disputes brought before him than to punish offences 
against the law. In case of murder, for instance, unless 
the victim has some relative, who, acting as accuser, 
seizes the homicide himself, proves the crime, and is 
ready to slay him with his own hand, the culprit will be 
untouched — justice furnishing neither accuser nor execu- 
tioner. The said relative may also compound the matter 
for money at his pleasure, the judge receiving a similar 
sum. Add to this the numerous means of esca|)e by 
joining the first band of robbers, or any rebel chief, or 
taking sanctuary in the nearest church, and the insecurity 
to life is easily accounted for. 

In the absence of police, should you seize a robber 
with your own hand, and in so doing inflict on him a 
fatal injury, however flagrant may have been his guilt, 
the relatives of the man, everywhere save in Godjam, will 
demand from justice the right to put you to death in 
cold blood, so rigidly is the Mosaic law of " blood for 
blood*' interpreted, save when the rare good sense of 
some chief induces him to interpose an arbitrary veto. 

Insufficient and embarrassing as are the Abyssinian 



The Principle qf Equality, 189 

laws, it would be well if even these were always observed. 
No sooner has a chief turned his back on a distant 
expedition, than the whole population seizes the occasion 
for settling private grudges, whilst those who have no 
particulai* quarrel amuse themselves by indiscriminate 
robbery, or by making incursions against weaker bar- 
barians by a republican le^y. These disorders may cesise 
on the return of the chief, but inquiry is seldom made, 
or punishment inflicted. Even in times of comparative 
tranquillity travellers are obliged to be well armed to 
insure their safety ; and in periods of disturbance the 
roads are in a state of blockade, save to large parties of 
armed merchants. 

Strangers of any nation or creed, are freely permitted 
to settle in Abyssinia, and to purchase land or houses. 
They have the same rights as other inhabitants, being 
also subject to the same liabilities. The Abyssinians in 
general and the chiefs are more jealous of those who pass 
through their country than of those who remain in it ; 
but if Europeans were to settle in any numbers it is 
probable that fear would induce suspicion. It is this 
theoretical equality of all foreigners in the eye of the 
law, as well as of Abyssinians of all grades with each 
other, that renders it difficult for the mass to understand 
the immunities of a consul or other officer ; though the 
chiefs comprehend it when they choose to lay aside their 
affectation of superiority. In most cases there is nothing 
that delights the Abyssinian more than to assert his 
equality with the white stranger, and to bring him before 
a court of justice ; the latter being, however, sure of a 
lenient, often of a most favourable, construction. 

The great chiefs inflict the punishment of death but 
rarely, except in cases of repeated opposition or rebellion. 



iQO Abyssinia Described, j 

More frequently the hands and feet are lopped off, or 
eyes, tongaes, or ears mutilated. Dangerous political 
opponents are chained often for life in a mountain fort ; 
but chains are in no case considered as a punishment, 
but merely as used for security. The most frequent 
penalty used indiscriminately towards all ranks and classes 
of the community is flogging ; this is performed with the 
ox-whip, and is very severe, but no disgrace is attached 
to its infliction. 

THE OONFUCrr FOR SUPREMACY. 

The wasteful government of a military oligarchy, the 
incessant struggles for mastery, and uncertain tenure of 
all power, the careless sensuality of the chiefs, the 
wretched administration of the law, the utter decay of 
learning, and the selfish corruption of the priesthood, 
have ruined a nation that has suffered little from national 
convulsions or foreign conquest. Individuals are found 
who feel that their nationality is lost, that internal 
feuds are fast dissolving them into petty tribes as savage 
as their neighbours, and that their chiefs still claiming 
the high sounding title of kings, are no better than 
powerful robbers. But it is to be feared that this decay 
cannot be checked by any efforts of their own, and that 
the boast of the Mahomedan, who points at the few 
remaining Christian provinces for his, will be verified. 

Dejaj Oobeay, governing Teegray and all the provinces 
to the north of Gondar, in independent state, save a 
yearly tribute to the Has Ali, and the latter being, appa- 
rently, lord paramount of Abyssinia, having blockaded 
his last enemy in a mountain stronghold in the south of 
Godjam during five years, and reduced him to extremity. 



Defeat of Mae Alu 191 

matters appeared to have some chance of a pacific aettle- 
meDt under one ruler, when an unforeseen and sudden 
storm destroyed these hopes, and plunged the land once 
more into a confusion as great as had followed the 
dethronement of the royal dynasty. 

A chief named Kasai, having great fisunily influence in 
the provinces bordering on Sennaar, forced his way by 
the sword into some notoriety, and married the daughter 
of the Bas AIL Of a proud and impatient spirit, afler 
alternate rebellion and submission, and having defeated 
in numerous battles all the troops that were sent against 
him, he at last threw off all mask, and openly defied the 
Has Ali and his adherents. Having in some measure 
disciplined his troops, for the first time in this country, 
by the assistance of a few Turkish soldiers, he suddenly 
appeared, after extraordinary forced marches, in the 
neighbourhood of the .;as*s blockading camp, and fairly 
challenged him to the combat on the plains of Godjam, 
fisivourable as they are for cavalry, the Baa's pride. 

A pitched battle took place, in which the Has was 
completely defeated, and barely escaped, hotly pursued 
by his adversary. In a second battle he was entirely 
driven from the territories conquered by Gooksa, and 
forced to take refuge in his natal province of Edjo. 
Dejaj Oobeay, in the north, had not even gained time to 
collect his troops when Kasai threatened him with his 
whole force, and obliged him to fly to bis hill>fort in 
great fear. The victory, however, obtained by Kasai 
over the Has bad set free the daring chieftain Birro, son 
of Gosho, from his mountain ; and the latter, to add to 
the complication, enemy as he was of the Bas, had a still 
more deadly feud with Kasai, on account of his father's 
death, slain in battle by the latter. 



192 Abyssinia Deacrihed, 

Kasai, therefore, patched up a temporary peace with 
Oobeay, and hurried to meet this formidable nval, since 
when all parties have feared to enter into decisive conflict. 
A chief of the Teegray dynasty, Balgud Areya, had taken 
advantage of the confusion to raise the standard of revolt 
against Oobeay, but the return of this latter has, for the 
present, repressed any serious disturbances. Affairs now 
stand in a singular position : the Has Ali has returned to 
Devra Tabor, but without any power beyond the range 
of his foragers. Dejaj Kaaai and Dejaj Birro threaten 
each other in Godjam, with large armies, not having yet 
dared the encounter; and Dejaj Oobeay has reoccupied 
Teegray, after having seen by how feeble a grasp he holds 
his power. Numerous other chiefs have all their faculties 
on the alert to seize any chance that may offer ; and it is 
difficult to say in whose hands the reins of power may 
finally remain. In the mean time it is certain that the 
roads are unsafe, commerce checked, justice paralyzed, 
and diplomatic relations im|)0Bsib1e ; and it would be 
idle to hope that the anarchy consequent on these events 
will soon cease. 

Some notice of the character of the four principal 
competitors in the present struggle may be useful here- 
after. 

Has Ali is a humane man, very vain, too indulgent, 
but intelligent, agreeable in his manners, brave, averse 
to change, and of a very whimsical character, affecting, 
and, I believe, feeling great indifference to most things, 
including his own power. He is very difficult to lead, as 
he has no prominent passion to work upon, and will 
admire no idea that does not appear, at least, to emanate 
from him himself. He does not care for flattery, is not 
ambitious, has no pride, is indiflferent to reputation, and 



Dejaj Binv. 193 

can bj no means be excited to anger. Good-natured 
selfishness is his princi])al characteristic. 

Dejaj Oobeaj is acute, inflated with pride, far-seeing, 
and ambitious ; disagreeable and overbearing in manner, 
but straightforward and decided in business. He is 
cowardly in person, but morally brave, very observing, 
grave ; cruel when he deems it necessary, but not wan - 
tonly, and liberal. He is much more feared than the 
Bas ; but being proud and susceptible, is far more easy 
to deal with, some caution being, however, necessary, as, 
when roused, he is capable of any extremities. 

Dejaj Birro, of Godjam, is the most remarkable, 
perhaps, of these chiefs ; as proud as Lucifer, of sur- 
prising talent and penetration, daring, patient, resolute ; 
he has a wonderful command over men's minds for love 
or fear; he is cruel, reserved in public matters, yet 
personally gay, noble in api)earance, profusely generous 
and fond of splendour. His untaught intellect may vie 
with a high European standard ; and had his lot been 
cast in Teegray, where he might have had communica- 
tion with us, he would, perhaps, have been the rege- 
nerator of his country. With but a small province he 
has preserved his independence ; but there his efforts must 
end, and all his abilities be consumed in ceaseless wars 
and harassing intrigues, both the delight of his fertile 
and brilliant mind. His father, Gosho, who lately fell in 
battle, had well earned the title of '^ Father of the white 
men,'* by his conduct towards the few that enjoyed his 
society, or were obliged to his unbounded kindness. 

Dejaj Kasai is vigorous and subtle, daring to a fault, 
and, perhaps, more disposed to innovation than any. He 
has abolished in his army the practice of mutilating dead 
bodies ; taught his soldiers some discipline, makes war 

N 



194 Abyasinia Described, 

without baggage or camp-followers, and encourages 
foreigners. Though proud, his manner is all humility ; 
he is severe, liberal, and usually just, but breaks out now 
and then into unaccountable acts of violence, which indi- 
cate a somewhat unsettled temperament ; he commences 
enterprises with more vigour than he pursues them, and 
is much under the influence of prophets and fortune- 
tellers. 

Should any one of these four chiefs attain supreme 
power, I do not think that he will have the courage to 
attempt that radical change in their feudal system which 
must precede all reform, all hopes of order, or of useful 
foreign alliance. Upon the whole, Dejaj Kasai would be, 
I think, the most desirable. 



The slave-trade is carried on by the Mahomedans alone. 
Christians buy for domestic purposes, but are not per- 
mitted to sell, and the penalty of death by hanging is 
affixed to the act of selling a Christian child. Slaves, 
so-called in Abyssinia, are of two races, Callas and 
Shankallas. In Egypt and Turkey the Abyssinian s 
themselves are ranked in the same category. The Galks 
are the most valued, — the boys for their intelligence, and 
the girls for their beauty. The Gallas are sold by their 
despotic kings in the territories of Enarea and Djimma ; 
but amongst the Republican Galias no trade is carried 
on, save when poverty accepts the gold of the merchant ; 
and even this is unheard of amongst the proud CktUas of 
Azobo^ though so near to Massowah. Female prisoners 
taken in their constant raids are also sold, the male being 
never spared on those oocasions. The Shankallas are all 
taken by predatory expeditions ; and on sacb occasions 



ShaTikallas Slaves. 195 

ihe soldiers are sometimes, though rarely, permitted by 
an Abyssinian chief to sell their booty. 

The Gallas seem to adopt the religion of Islam with a 
fierce avidity, and look back to their own country with 
an affected contempt, too proud to acknowledge their 
love for the beautiful land they may no more hope to see. 
It is singular to see how readily they agree with those 
who have torn them from their homes, and how they 
hate the Christian who has never harmed them. 

The Shankallas are generally indifferent as to their 
creed, and very susceptible of kind treatment. They 
look back with longing to their own land, and often 
women, as well as men, effect the most hazardous escapes. 
They seldom become fanatical in the new faith imposed 
on them. All slaves that are brought to the Bed Sea 
are usually well treated on the road, and the only cruelty 
practised is when a brutal master, for love of gain, pre- 
pares some unfortunate boys to guard the Turkish 
seraglios, tripling their market value. Those who follow 
the course of the White Nile, or by Gondar to Khartoum, 
through countries where water is scarce, undergo great 
hardships, and perish in numbers. The Gallas being 
purchased for a few beads in the interior, this traffic is 
very lucrative. 

The Abyssinians are very sensitive to the suspicion of 
being bom of, or descended from, what they are pleased 
to call a slave, having a shrewd idea of the absurdity of 
such an appellation from themselves ; and since the con- 
quest of Begemder by Has Gooksa, the Gallas of Edjo 
and Worrahidmano have been counted as citizens ; these, 
moreover, having fully adopted the Mahomedan faith, 
and performing duly their pilgrimage to Mecca, are 
excepted by the dealers. * 

N 2 



196 



Abyssinia Described. 



These latter, however, never omit an opportunity of 
stealing infants of any creed; and near the coast a 
regular trade is in this manner carried on by means of 
the Shihos, who declare that it is lawful for them thus to 
supply the market, the custom having been bequeathed 
to them by their fathers. 

A firman by the Sultan Abd-el-Medjid was lately 
publicly read in Massowah, for form's sake, whereby the 
sale or reception of stolen Christian children was pro- 
hibited ; as a matter of course, the Consuls were not 
informed of this, and equally of couree, no steps being 
taken to enforce the order, it was disobeyed the same 
day, and totally forgotten in three. 



197 



CHAPTER V. 



THE OALLA TRIBES. 



THE most important of the other races that occupy 
this portion of Africa is the Galla. These Gallas 
have, at different periods, for some hundred years past, 
seized upon the most fertile provinces of the ancient 
Empire of Abyssinia, and have spread themselves from 
the Bed Sea and the Blue Nile to the equator. They 
are divided into numerous tribes, having the one common 
characteristic of being undaunted horsemen. So strong 
is this propensity, that the tribe of Azobo Gallas, who 
oocu])y a territory between Teegray and the Hed Sea, 
purchase horses from the colder provinces of Worrahai- 
mano and Wallo, and mount 10,000 horse, in a district 
unfavourable to the existence of the animal, and where it 
is never bred. 

Could these tribes, 50 or 60 in number, unite, nothing 
could withstand their numbers and impetuosity, and 
they would trample under foot, like a Scythian host, all 
the land as far as Khartoom ; but, occupied as they are 
by intestine wars, there is little probability of such a 
torrent, unless a chief should arise amongst them like 
Mohamed Gryne, that famous warrior, who led the 
armies of Adaiel, renowned for strength and swiftness of 
foot, even to the vicinity of Gondar ; and would, 350 
years since, have extiuguished the Abyssinian name and 



198 Abyssinia Described, 

faith, but for the timely succour of Portuguese skill and 
valour. 

Amongst the Republican Gallas, taxes are unkuowu ; 
and each man is lord of his hut and the plot of ground 
before it, inherited from his ancestors ; he acknowledges 
DO law ; owes no military service ; and in a ixeneral 
assembly, held in the open air, each one, with his horse's 
bridle on his arm, and scouts watching for the enemy, 
may freely offer his opinion. Fighting is his delight and 
daily occupation ; and scenes recounted of the Trojan 
war may be seen daily enacted, apart the luxuries of gold 
and chariots, amongst a race not deficient in chivalric 
courage. Every man who can afford to buy a horse is a 
warrior ; and each warrior armed, sallies forth daily to 
protect his crops or his castle. When the cry resounds 
that the enemy is in sight, those who have lingered at 
home fling themselves into the saddle, and gallop to the 
contest, with more or less speed, according to their love 
of honour or their fear of death. 

The Crallas are noble in appearance, more grave and 
thoughtful than the Abyssinian, eloquent, strong, and 
generally handsome ; with the pride of a nation of 
warriors, but very courteous and amenable to reason. 
Their women are not concealed, and mix freely in 
society ; they are often beautiful — almost always grace- 
ful ; liberal of their smiles and favours to the brave, and 
Bcoming the coward. I have heard that those tribes to 
the southward are more chaste than these Hepublicans, 
but I much doubt if they anywhere attach a particular 
value to the exercise of their virtue. Each Galla takes 
an many wives as he can afford to keep. Their features, 
when unmixed with other races, are European. Thej 
have no religion, but, without being conscious of it. 



The Galla Tnbes, 199 

retain some forms of Christianity, as fia^ting once in the 
year, observing the feast of the Cross and other festival 
They perform also some rude pagan rites, and have a 
superstitious veneration for certain large trees, to which 
thoy sacrifice animals. One word serves for Gk>d and sky ; 
and while they believe that a Supreme Being created 
them and the world, and orders everything according to 
his will, they have not the least idea of the immortality 
of the soul, nor any credence of a future state. In 
the monarchical provinces the faith of Mahomed has 
made much progress, and the Homan Catholics are 
making a vigorous effort to plant the religion of Christ 
amongst those other Gallas who are on their road to 
KafTa. As these races have, as yet, no priesthood to 
blind them, and no strong prejudices to render them 
deaf, the chances of success are considerable. 

The southernmost provinces of the Galla, Enarea, 
Djimma, Goma, and others, are governed despotically by 
their several chiefs, and supply, by arbitrary coercion, 
slaves for the Turkish market. The tribes bordering on 
Abyssinia are nearly all republics of the purest descrip- 
tion, and do not engage in that traffic South of those 
Gallas are the kingdoms of Djindjero, Kaffa, and Worata, 
each having a different language. The i>eople of Djindjero 
are uncouth in feature, and rude in manners. This pro- 
vince was probably the boundary of the Portuguese trade 
from Melinda ; and the report is prevalent amongst the 
Gallas that cannibalism is still practised in those parts, as 
it certainly is by their neighbours on the confines of 
Zanzibar. They are said to be very numerous and 
brave ; they have something of the Malay feature ; they 
are Pagans, but little is known of their habits or cere- 
monies. 



tiCU^B 



200 Abyssinia Described. 

Kaffa is a wealthy and fertile kingdom ; the inhabitants 
are proud and handsome ; the women often fair and 
very beautiful— even in slavery they are remarkable for 
independence and hauteur. They still retain a recollec- 
tion and traces of the Christian faith, and still venerate 
the ruins of their churches. The Gallas, with whom they 
are incessantly at war, call them, in derision, '* Sydama,*' 
originally signifying Christian ; and it appears that, being 
a numerous and warlike tribe, when abandoned by the 
receding limits of Abyssinian dominion, they must have 
been strong enough to repel the tide of Galla invasion. 
It is said, moreover, that they ardently desire priests and 
instruction in their ancient faith — forgotten, save by 
name. It is to this point that a special mission of the 
Church of Rome is now directed ; and they hope, with 
some reason, to establish a hierarchy in that distant land. 
So little intelligence can be obtained of any tribes to the 
southward of these, that I am tempted to believe that 
towards the equator there must be large tracts of unin- 
habited mountains and impeneti*able forests. 

The province of Worata is south west from Enarea, 
and extends, I believe, to the White Nile, about the 
point where the expeditions of Mohamed Ali stopped, 
and where there is a large mart for traders from Sennaar. 
This route is, however, practicable only for the Arabs 
of Sennaar, who are fever-proof, and are received as 
brethren by the fierce nations that line the banks of the 
great river. 

The despots of Enarea, <!bc., govern their tribes with ab- 
solute sway ; life and death are in their will ; and when 
in want of money they cut off the heads of some of their 
poorer subjects, and sell the other members of the family 
into slavery. The King of Enarea monopolizes the breed 



Tfie Godla Tribes. 201 

of the civet-cat, possessiDg about 3,000, and is thus very 
wealthy. Feasting, hunting, and war are the occupa- 
tions of the King and his nobles ; while the rich crops, 
produced with little labour, and the abundance of 
pasture, combine to cheapen all the necessaries and some 
of the luxuries of life, and diffuse an air of general 
prosperity throughout the country. 

The Gallas of a district named Folio pay a heavy tax 
to the King of Djimma, for permission to purchase boys, 
and prepare them as eunuchs for the Turkish harems; 
the Gallas in general looking on this practice with dis- 
gust, and being seldom guilty of it, though very lucrative. 

It is in the immense forests on the banks of the 
Decdaysa — a larger tributary of the White Nile than 
even the Abbai — that the finest ivory is found. Herds 
of buffaloes abound ; and there the black panther, the 
fiercest and most beautiful of animals, is slain for his 
skin, highly prized, even where most abundant. 

Smiling as is the climate and fertile the soil of Chris- 
tian Abyssinia, nature has been still more bountiful to 
the Gallas. Green meadows, rich cultivation, troops of 
horses, and brood mares, lofty trees at intervals with 
magnificent spreading foliage, gentle undulations of hill 
and dale, a serene air unpolluted save in Enarea by 
large towns, cleanly and picturesque huts studding the 
whole landscape, and a salubrity proved by the aspect 
of both sexes — such are some of the features of these 
charming lands ; and many a scene of pastoral beauty, 
of bright streams and lowing herds, is daily defaced by 
the trampling hoofs of charging horse, and the bloodshed 
of combats where no quarter is given, and no result 
obtained. 

The southern bank of the immense valley of the 



* 



202 Altysnnia Described, 

Nile is in the hands of the Gallas, and divided through- 
out its length into man j districts ; the difficult passea 
and steep precipices present an inverse resemblance to a 
strong mountain country. The inhabitants are usually 
at peace with the Abyssinian lowlanders immediately 
opposite, and at feud with all others. The Christianity 
and paganism of the two races are becoming gradually 
blended; their languages are spoken indiiierently ; mar- 
kets are weekly frequented on either side of the river ; 
intermarriage is common, and these relatives and neigh- 
bours alternately hold revelry and meet in mortal fight. 
Through the bottom of this valley (an isolated kingdom) 
the Abbai forces a tumultuous jjassage, receiving many 
tributaries from either side, till it swells with its flood 
the White Nile at Khartoom. Tlie bed of the river is 
from 2,000 to 3,000 feet below the level of Godjam ; 
the soil is singularly productive, though the ravages of 
fever balance the advantage. 

All the Gallas speak the same language with slight 
variations ; it is unwritten, and bears no resemblance to 
Ethiopic, Aniharic, or any tongue with which I am 
acquainted ; it is soft and pleasing in sound, but limited. 

Following the course of the Abbai northwards from 
the Enarea caravan road, which passes through the 
province of Gooderoo opposite to Basso on the Abys- 
sinian side, are the provinces of Horro, Amoa, and 
Shinna. 

The Amoro Gallas are the most distinguished of all 
this race for courage, stature, ferocity, and hatred of the 
Christian name. The commerce with this district is 
carried on entirely by Mahometans ; though nearly all 
the principal families of Damot and Agowmiddur (where 
is the source of the Blue Nile discovered by Bruce), 



The GaUa Tribes. 203 

acknowledge their origin from this tribe, and are now 
under Christian rule. 

The Shinna Gallas do not come in contact with the 
AbjBsinians, the Abbai taking there a westerly slope ; a 
large extent of plain intervenes, occupied by negro races 
called Shankalla, and the Galla tribes cease in that 
direction. Further along the course of the Blue Kite 
mingled with these Shankalla are found the Shageyas, who 
submitted, after many a bloody struggle, to the discipline 
of the Egyptian armies ; and the unconquered Shiloks, 
who still defy them, and who, if description be true, must 
be one of the handsomest and finest of African races. I 
may notice here that there is a rumour amongst the 
Gallas and others that a white race exists somewhere in 
the interior ; I do not think it at all unlikely that the 
report has some foundation. 

Passing from Gooderoo eastward, and then northward 
along the banks of the Abbai, the provinces of Kootid, 
Jarso, and some others, are still republicans ; and the 
horsemen of Jarso, calculated at 20,000, have set at 
defiance every effort of the Abyssinian rulers to im|)obe 
even a slight tribute. The King of Shoa is, however, 
making large strides in that direction from the eastward, 
and is much feared by the Gallas in general. On the 
eastern boundary of God jam, the Abbai still dividing 
them, is the vast territory of the Borona Ckdlas ; their 
Chief, Ali Wedajoo, has established nearly a des- 
potic authority, and with his numerous cavalry keeps 
at bay the King of Shoa, and meets on equal terms the 
armies of Northern Abyssinia. The Boronas are pagans, 
and call themselves Christians, though in what their 
£Eiith consists it would be difficult to say. Their northern 
frontier is occupied by the most formidable of the Galla 



lAtfb. 



204 Abyssinia Described. 

races, the Wallo. Here brown heaths and chilliog fogs 
mark an elevation of 12,000 to 13,000 feet above the 
sea-level, and the hardy mountaiueers, who have en- 
grafted the faith of Islam and the fanaticism of its 
followers on their native ferocity, wage pitiless war 
with the King of Shoa and the Borona Gallas, the 
Abyssinians of the province of Amhara, and the Gallas 
of Worrahaimano and Worrakallo, their northern boun- 
dary. They have placed themselves under five or six 
chiefs, distinguished for valour or sagacity, and in case of 
a formidable invasion sometimes unite their forces. 

In general, however, they are always fighting with 
each other ; or, as one told me, it is their daily meal. There 
id still much freedom in their institutions, and their 
chiefs dare not attempt any arbitrary act. Here, as 
amongst the Araba^ are found men who have sworn never 
to fly, and who often sufier a cruel death at the hands of 
the Shoa Christians, as merciless as they are cowardly, 
when taken on the field. Though blood-thirsty, they are 
lionest and hospitable in the extreme, but should never 
be tempted by the sight of fire-arms, for which they have 
an uncontrollable desire. 

The gallas of Worrahaimano, Worrakallo, and £djo 
are all Mahomedans, though some Abyssinian Christians 
still retain their lands here, as in the monastery in 
an island of the Lake Haik, in the province of Tehula- 
derree. The present Has of Begemder having sprung 
from these tribes, they have become in a measure iocor- 
porated with the Abyssinians, and all speak the Amharic 
language. Their singular tournaments I have elsewhere 
mentioned. North-east of these follow the Areya gallas ; 
and northernmost of all the gallas of Azobo, betwixt the 
provinces of Inderta and Wojjerat, in Teegray, and the 



The GaUti Tribes. 205 

Red Sea, from which tribe they are only divided by the 
tribe called DanakiL These gallas are constantly at fend 
with the inhabitants of Teegray, whose chiefs have in 
vain attempted to subdue them. They are republican, 
and have a similar character to all the others, though 
almost isolated ; they have not yet become Mahomedan. 

From the Shinna gallas, west of Damot, to the gallas 
of Azobo, east of Teegray, this race sweeps round Abys- 
sinia in an unbroken semicircle, dividing it from its cog- 
nate kingdom of Shoa, and waging with its inhabitants 
at all points continual war. Had it not been for the 
introduction of fire-arms by the Portuguese, the whole 
country would long since have been overrun by them ; 
and as they are now beginning to appreciate and adopt 
those weapons, it is not improbable that they will soon 
succeed in overwhelming the Abyssinians — a conquest 
necessarily followed by the introduction of the Maho- 
medan faith. The chiefs of Worrahaimano were at one 
time in correspondence with Mahomed Ali to this end, 
and now repeat the assurances of the governor of Mas- 
Bowah, that troops will soon be sent by his master the 
Sultan to take possession of Abyssinia, his lawful in- 
heritance. 

I have stated that a line of country some seventy 
miles in breadth, or more, separates Christian Abyssinia 
from the Bed Sea, being occupied by more barbarous 
tribes, and reaching from the gallas of Azobo to the 
dominions of Abbas Pasha, north-westerly from Mas- 
sowah. 

The northerly neighbours of the Azobo are the Taltals, 
lying east of the district of Agamee, in Teegray ; they 
are nomades, as all that I have now to describe, and call 
themselves Mahometans^ though their creed is far from 



2o6 Abyssinia Described. 

orthodox, and I do not suppose that there is one that 
can read the Koran. It is certain that, by their un- 
ceasing feud with the Abyssinians, they have acquired a 
strong hatred of Christians. They eat little or no com, 
and never sow, living on milk and the flesh of goats and 
oxen. These are generally thriving, as they have the 
benefit of two rainy seasons, and luxuriant pasturage 
nearly all the year round. The rains of Abyssinia extend 
to within fifty or sixty miles of the sea in the months of 
June to September, and the rains of the coast are vari- 
able till the end of March, from October or November. 
They are unacquainted with horses, and are remarkable 
for bodily vigour and speed of foot. In this province are 
the plains of salt and sulphur that supply all Abjrssinia ; 
the road from thence to the sea is nearly a level plain, 
and the direct port is Amphylla. This was the road that 
Mr. Salt proposed to open. It was traversed at great risk 
by an Englishman, Mr. Coffin, who still lives in Abys- 
synia, and by him alone. The English Government had, 
I believe, consented, when the death of the Has Welda 
Selasee, and subsequently that of Mr. Salt, prevented the 
further progress of the affair, which was afterwards lost 
sight of. Mr. Coffin performed this journey, I believe, 
forty-five years ago. 

The Taltals are now treacherous and bloodthirsty even 
towards each other; to strangers implacable and dan- 
gerous. They are hospitable from pride and custom, but 
a hospitable reception by no means insures the life of the 
guest ; and when ft Taltal enters the hut of his relative, 
he lays his sabre across his knee, and places his spear and 
shield ready for his grasp. I attribute something of this 
fierce character to the heating nature of their diet, and it 
may be generally observed amongst the tribes who eat no 

s 



Tfie Galla Tribes. 207 

bread. They are impatient of all yoke, and live independent 
of all law, with here and there a man possessing, like the 
ancient patriarchs, some influence from age and wealth in 
flocks and cattle, or in youth from sagacity and daring. 

These people scarcely know the value of money, and 
the Turkish Government at Massowah, of course, makes 
no attempt to encourage any communication. They are, 
therefore, totally ignorant of the world without, save the 
nearest districts of Abjssinia, but under better manage- 
ment would, no doubt, crowd to the market of Massowah, 
which is now often unfurnished with the necessaries of 
life ; and their province would soon be as safe to visit as 
any other part of the country. Their sulphur should 
form a valuable article for trade, and their territory 
might be highly cultivated, and would afford much pro- 
duce for export, besides bread for the inhabitants. 

Many years since a small body of Turkish troops were 

defeated and destroyed to a man by the Taltals of Kherto, 

having ventured to advance inland from the port of Am- 

» phylla. The attempt has never been renewed, and they 

have no garrison at that place. 

The Danakil, who extend along the sea coast for a 
hundred miles or more, speak a dialect of the Taltal 
language, and have much the same character, being only 
poorer, less vigorous, and less courageous than their 
neighbours of the mountain. Not many years since, 
both these tribes purchased stolen Christian boys, and 
sacrificed them in some superstitious rite ; and although 
one of their chiefs assured me that this practice was dis- 
continued, I doubt him much. 

Camels are bred in great numbers here, and the cattle 
and sheep of the Danakil are also numerous and in good 
condition, but never appear at the Massowah market, 



f 



zoS 



Abyiisinia Detcr'died. 



\ 



thougb withiu six hoors' sail by a dull craft Ostriches 
abound, but are little liuuted, fire-arms being totally un- 
known. JEJIepbanta are plentiful, but are only killed by 
a few Abyssinian hunters, and in small numbers. Tbe 
wild asses are numeroaa on the coast, and the zebra i^ 
aaid to exist in tbe iaterior, as well as the i-hinoccros. 
The wild ass is sometimes taken in pits, bis flesh being 
highly prized by the Arabs of Yemen as medicinal food. 
The salt lake of Boocree, near the coast, formed of a 
filtered deposit at a lower level than the eea, furnishes 
that article for oonenmption to the Sbihos and some 
proTicces of Teegray, but it is not used as a circulating 
inediiun. 



209 



CHAPTER VL 



THE SHIHOS AND BEDOUINS. 



TO the northward of the Taltals is the powerful tribe 
of Shiho, now divided into two branches, called 
Assaworta and Tora. Through their territories pass all 
the roads now in use from Abyssinia to Massowah. Their 
language is said to bear a close affinity to that of the 
Adeial, and there are in it many words of Gralla origin. 
Partly through fear of their Abyssinian neighbours, and 
partly from their love of gain, acquired by being on the 
direct road for commerce, they suffer merchants or tra- 
vellers to pass in safety, furnishing guides for a payment 
]>roportioned to the wealth of the caravan. The road 
for fifty miles is in their undisputed possession, and in^ 
eludes lofty mountains and uaiTow defiles, that only 
require fire-arms to render them formidable ; but though 
these Shihos are constantly at Massowah, and see the 
Abyssinian merchants purchase those matchlocks whose 
force they have often felt, but one instance is, I think, 
known of one of this tribe possessing a musket. 

The mortal fear of innovation afflicts them like all of 
Abyssinian race, so they invest their money in cows, 
living miserably that many of these may be slaughtered 
at their death, and devoured by a weeping assembly upon 
their tombs. They are 6cru))ulous Mussulmans, not even 
touching any intoxicating liquor. In keeping faith they 

o 







2IO Ahymnia Described, 

are more scrupulous than the Taltals, and a guide who 
requires and gives the oath of good companionship may 
be perfectly relied on. Though thieves by ])rofes8ion 
elsewhere, they seldom steal in their own district ; but 
they are very pestilent beggars, their begging not being 
confined to those in distress, but practised by the whole 
tribe, the most wealthy being the most pertinacious, 
saying it is a right they have inherited from their fathern. 
They are annoying, but not dangerous, except if any one 
attempts to pass through their country without a guide, 
when he will be lucky if he escapes with the loss of his 
property. 

The name of merchant is a scandalous reproach amongst 
them, and till very lately, agriculturist also. For the 
last few years they have been attempting to cultivate 
barley with success ; a wonderful step, still limited to a 
few individuals. They always eat bread when they can 
obtain it, exchanging the salt of Boorree for the maize of 
Kalagoozai ; with which Province of Teegray they are 
usually on very good terms. This is a matter of mutual 
interest, as the cattle of the two districts thus enjoy the 
benefit of the double rainy season. They are constantly 
at war with the Taltals with various success. They also 
live in a republican fashion, with certain elders elected by 
themselves to settle disputes, and as the pay of the guides 
goes into a common purse, these elders receive a large 
portion. Owing to the influence that riches must always 
secure, these elections generally fall on the same families, 
and the office has thus become almost hereditary ; but 
they are obliged to be very careful in exerting their 
power, and the rest of the tribe lose no occasion of wordily 
asserting their equality, nor allow any interference in 
their private aflairs. 



Tlie Bedouiiia, 211 

The Shihos are kidnappers by professioD, and avow it 
openly. Hundreds of Christian children are stolen by 
them every year ; when they can, they sell them secretly 
at Massowah, if not^ they are disposed of at Zeyla, from 
whence they are sent to Amphylla, and smuggled across 
to Yemen, if not purchased by the Taltals. Sometimes 
they are kept until they forget their origin and religion, 
or become too resigned to demand any change, and are 
then sold at Massowah as Gallas. These tribes still have 
a respect for the Naibs of Arkeeko, who kept them in 
some order till their own power was destroyed hy the 
Turks, who have substituted nothing in its place. Zeyla 
is a large village about three hours' journey inland from 
the ancient seaport of Adoolis, a city probably founded 
by one of the Ptolemies, opposite the island of Dissee, 
purchased by Lord Valentia. The ruins of Adoolis are 
visible. The proper pronunciation of Zeyla may be 
written thus in German, *' Ziihla.*' Its inhabitants pay 
a small sum occasionally to the Turks — perhaps a hun- 
dred dollars, when threatened, — and are then left to 
smuggle and govern themselves as they please. The 
Shihos have no camels, and are not so rich as the Taltals, 
being also less fierce and intractable. 

THE BEDOUINS. 

On the plains betwixt the Shihos and the sea are the 
Bedouins ; their name is somewhat used as a term of 
contempt, as though one should say the "wanderers" or 
*^ miserables.*' These tribes, though unwarlike, are 
numerous; but as all their many enemies are superior 
to them in force, and as they have no strongholds for 
retreat in their level country, resignation or flight are 

o 2 



212 A hyssin ia Described. 

their firat and last resource under all difficulties. These, 
like the flying-fish, are preyed on by all. Paying a 
small revenue to the Turkish Pasha, who, after extorting 
what he can from their iK>verty, does not pretend to 
protect them, plundered or slain by the Abyssinian 
chiefs whenever leisure or the prospect of booty invites 
them, and frequently beholding their flocks and herds 
hariied by the Shihos, or the peasants of Hamazayn, 
they have little repose and no profit. Their days are 
few and evil, being passed in poverty, degradation, and 
toil ; and when old they are sent by their younger 
relatives to guard the goats or camels, until death finds 
them at the task. To these evils they op])08e a patient 
stupidity worthy of their own camels and the fatalism 
of their creed ; they have, moreover, by nature so gay 
a temperament, that dance and song are for ever 
resounding through their villages ; they are not ashamed 
to work, and are far more useful than all their conceited 
neighbours. 

This race is the only one in these parts willing to 
submit to any government, and demanding only protec- 
tion and tranquillity ; acknowledging at once Turk, 
Kaib, or Abyssinian, king or kaiser, as they may off*er ; 
they not unfrequeutly add a sigh in wishing for the 
mild equity of the English, having, in spite of Turkish 
jealousy, heard fabulous tales of the splendour of Aden 
under our rule. 

With the exception of some villages on the coast, that 
serve as a rendezvous for the small traders who supply 
the island of Massowah with provisions, and whose inha- 
bitants supply by their camels wood, grass, and other 
necedsaries, they are in general a wandering race, camp- 
ing wherever pasturage is to be found, and stretching 



The Sliepherd Tribes. 213 

as far as Hamazayn when permitted. The constant 
exactions of the Turks, if they have impoverished, have 
at least rendered them mild ; and I scarcely think that, 
had they as much courage and independence as the 
adjacent tribes, they would be much better ; as it is, 
they are inoffensive and invaluable as a labouring class. 

The language of the Bedouins, as of the natives of 
Massowah, is a corruption from the ancient Geez, with a 
large infusion of Arabic. Infanticide is common among 
them, and spoken of with indifference. The Turkish 
Pasha, of course, does not interfere, as his revenues are 
not affected. The practice is confined, I believe, to their 
illegitimate children. 

Passing on to the northward from the Shios and 
Bedouins^ we arrive at the last relics of the ancient 
sway of Abyssinia ; shattered and separated from that 
realm and from each other, the tribes of Merosa, Senhait, 
Hallal, Maira (a corruption from Mary or Mariam), the 
Habab and their subdivisions. All these tribes are 
shepherds within their own limits, eat not bread, do not 
cultivate the ground except in Senhait, are all robbers 
beyond their own district, and of course are constantly 
at war with each other. 

They are far more wealthy than the Bedouins, possess- 
ing numerous camels, herds, and flocks that whiten all 
the ground. The soil, generally adapted for the richest 
produce, is left barren from the insecure tenure of all 
property, and the fact that Senhait is almost yearly 
plundered from the attraction of its harvests, is not 
calculated to stimulate the rest to husbandry. These 
tribes not having felt directly the pressure or blessing of 
a Mahomedan government, and being abandoned and 
regarded as savages, fit only to be despoiled by their 




214 Ahysginia Described, 

brethren in Abjasinia, their religion partakes of the 
indefinite character of their position ; their language is, 
however, i)erhap8 the purest dialect of the Geez now 
spoken, not excepting the Teegray. They call themselves 
almost indifferently Christians or Mahomedans, have no 
scruples regarding their butcher, do not fast with either 
party, and a Christian may be found bearing the name of 
Ali, a reputed Mussulman that of George or Paul. A 
half-ruined church still appears here and there, seeming 
singularly out of place, but no priest capable of reading, 
or who knows anything of the faith he professes. In 
some districts, as Maira, the Koran having slightly the 
ascendant, Sheiks and Fokeras ])redominate ; and doubt- 
* less the latter will win the day, as the Abyssinian armies 
regularly ravage and slay their weaker brethren, who are 
consequently beginning to hate the name of Christianity, 
which they only see accompanied by fire and sword. 

Of all these tribes the three families of Habab are the 
most |K)werful and warlike ; their territory extends all 
along the coast, from the confines of the Bedouins, about 
eighty or ninety miles north of Massowah, to Aggeek, 
which is the boundary between the Sultan and the Pasha 
of Egypt. The breadth of this province, from the coast 
to the river Ansubba, is about sixty to eighty miles, and 
embraces a great variety of climate and elevation. The 
tribes of Hallal and Maira occupy a bold range of moun- 
tains that stretches out to the northward like a spur 
from Hamazayn between the deep valleys of Ansubba 
ftnd Barka. Memsa, Biddayl, and other small districts 
are nearer to Abyssinia, and are remorselessly plundered 
by all parties. 

The province of Billayn, on the western bank of the 
Ansabba, oompriBeB the districts of Mogos, Senhait, 




rA» Frovinee of BiUayn. 1 1 5 

Uagari, Beejixik, H&lh&l, and others ; its inhabitanta 
Bpeak the laagnoge of the Agowa of I^kata ; but no tra- 
dition is preserved respecting the period or the manner 
of their )*eparation from the present tribe. 

This proTinco raay be considered as the frontier of 
modern Abyssinia in this direction ; but the race of the 
Beni Ameer, that occupies all the low conntriea and the 
whole length of the torrent Barka, is also undeniably 
of Te^ray origin, tbongh called Arab by the Egyptian 
goTemors of Taka. 

The Beni Ameers do not know a word of Arabic, bnt 
speak a dialect of the Oeez. Having no mountains to 
retire to, and being thus exposed to all attacks, they 
have adopted the Mussulman creed, and now pay tribute 
to Egypt. They still, however, think themselves entitled 
to the privilege of private war, and make expeditions 
against the Christians of Billayn. 

Halhal, the northernmost district of Billayn, has been 
on several occaaiona ravaged by the Egyptian troops, the 
villages destroyed, and the women and children sold into 
slavery ; nnassisted by their natural ruler, the chief of 
Teegray, and having no refuge, it is now five years since 
they declared themselves Mahomedans. The divisions 
of MogOB, Senhait, Beejook, and all the others nearer 
Uamazayn, etill hold out after having been twice plun- 
dered : the details of the last expedition have been 
furnished in my despatohes. 

They are still resolute to retain the religion of their 
fathers ; and with our BBsistance the boundary of Uos- 
sulman iuTasion may at least be fixed here. 

On the eastern bank of the Ansubba, opposite to 
Maira, the district called Asegnddee Bukla is now 
possessed by the Hababs. This was anciently the seat 



«F 



2i6 Ahya»inia Described, 

of an Abyssinian governor, whose sway extended to 
Sowakin, and heaps of ruin still exist, but without any 
inscriptions or other data. 

The Hababs, as I have said, are converted, and are 
nominally ruled by the Pasha of Massowah, but are in 
reality quite iudependent. 

Several chiefs of these tribes have said to me that 
they would gladly resume their ancient creed, were thoy 
assured of protection by the occupation of Massowah by 
a Christian Power. All parties and all religions in this 
part of Africa unite in their cordial detestation of the 
Turks. 

To the southward, and on the same spur of mountains, 
adjoining to Hamazayn, the province of Memsa is expo»ed 
to the same dangers as Mogos. On the one hand, the 
troops of Massowah are close at hand ; on the other, the 
river Ansubba affords an easy access to those of Taka. 

Unless we interfere, this distnct will soon be rent 
from the Christian community, Dejaj Obbeay being 
unable to defend these distant outskirts of his domi- 
nions. If assured of protection, a few intelligent 
teachers might soon infuse sounder moral notions into 
the breasts of the rising 'generation, and no strong ])re- 
judices or associations of cunning priests would here 
obstruct their cflforts, as in Abyssinia Central. 

Memsa is so elevated as to produce excellent wheat 
and barley. In Mogos, maize, Indian corn, and tobacco, 
are cultivated with success ; under better auspices it^ 
surface might be covered with vines ; and it would pro- 
duce coffee and spices, the climate being even and tem- 
perate. Though the mountains at a distance appcur 
abrupt, excellent levels for roads are everywhere found. 
Wood and water are abundant. What hidden mineral 




Tilt Mogm Tribes. ai; 

wealth may exiat I am not competent to Bay. Tliere 
were two churcheH in Mngos, one of whici) lias lately 
been burnt by the Turks ; but no officiating prieRts. 
An ancient cKurch, dedicated to the Triuity, still exiatti 
on the grand mouiitaiu of 'rHa.il Aroba, the " White 
Mountain." This rises squai-e and massive from tjie 
nJley of Barka, and on tlie summit reside some monks, 
who aloDO possess the secret of the nscent ; all the roads 
being overgrown with jungle, and the path in one s|>ot 
passing, it is said, over a rocking and narrow slab that 
bridges a finsuro of imnieu.'ie depth. 

The mountains of Devra ^inai, in Meinsa, leas rugged 
and more lofty, in also the site of pious devotion and the 
abode of several anchoriteii. Here bright and ample 
fountains water lai'gc meadows of pasture, and are shel- 
tered by enormoti.s masses of stone. In one of these 
stones, forty feet in diameter, two clianibera have been 
hewn and adapted to the purposes of a church ; the 
holes in the rocks aronnd shelter the hermit fitim the 
. weather, or are filled with the bones of pilgrims. This 
spot, and iudeed the greater portion of Memsa, would 
forma deiightful sanatorium for residents at Massowah. 

These provinces, like all that have been gradually 
severed from Abyssinia, have no regulated goverament, 
and have assumed, from tlio necessities of their position, 
a resemblance to the Arab Kabylcs. Each tribe, or 
family, is under some influential man, who, though he 
cannot order summarily, can generally succeed in per- 
suading, and who is usually the richest and most talented 
of the race. To him is intrusted the power of inflicting 
such puDishnients m the obligations of social life have, 
by common consent, forced tliem to adopt, hut which, 
however, are rarely necessary ; he also, with other cldeni, 



mimam 



218 Abyssinia Deacrilyed. 

decides disputes regard! Dg property and exercises consi- 
derable power, though with no state and a disagreeable 
amount of vociferation ; he also takes care of his own 
cattle, seldom possessing the luxury of a servant. This 
latter is, indeed, almost unknown to these simple races, 
each man depending on the assistance of his children, 
and regarding them as his truest wealth. One trait is 
honourable to the inhabitants of Mogos; the highest 
respect is paid to strangers, not outwardly, but in fact. 
The Hababs are proverbially treacherous ; and the Beni 
Ameer were certainly so, till restrained by the strong 
hand of Egypt. 

Three hundred men would be sufficient for the govern- 
ment of all these districts. 

The people of Maira are of Bedouin race, and claim 
kin with those near Massowah ; other tribes, as those of 
Barea and Aliguddee, to the westward of Barka, it would 
be useless for me here to describe. The Hababs have, 
for a long period, nomiually at least submitted to the 
Massowah Governor ; but I think that the restoration 
of Halhal, so recently conquered, to its former inde- 
pendence, as a part of the Christian province of Billayn, 
might be demanded ; aud that provioce, with Memsa, 
should be declared to be a portion of Teegray, under our 
protection . 

The only other race that, on the northern frontier of 
Abyssinia, intervene between that country and the Arab 
tribes subject to Egypt, is the Shankalla, partly of negro 
origin, or Nubian. These Shankallas possess a large and 
fine tract country between the rivers known in Abys- 
sinia as the Murrub and Takazzee, and called by the 
Arabs El Gasch and Sbayteet ; their principal village is 
on the former torrent, and known as Maidaro or Belga ; 




TheShonMlaa. 219 

they imvo no form of government, each Tillage being 
quite iiulependent, some elder selected by the rest acting 
as ai'liitrator; nor do they even aaaist each other against 
a common enemy. 

By n;iture I think they ore docile and intelligent ; but 
long-continued enmity and warfare with all the surround- 
ing iiutions has rendered them as blood-thirHty as the 
beasU of prey that abound in their dense forests. Their 
hand in truly against every man. In spite of the incoH^ant 
attacks of Turkx, Arabs, and Abyssinian?, tliey arc so 
pi-olific and tenacious as to retain their native land, and 
otleu do they inflict injuries as great as those they suffer. 
Patient, strong, and enduring alike of fatigue or hunger, 
they proceed many days' journey in search of booty or 
revenge, and oileo, from their ambush, cut olf a whole 
caravan. No one has yet been able to approach them on 
terms of friendship, but in my opinion they have the 
elements of a more social existence abundant amongst 
them. In the Egyptian provinces I found many Abys- 
siniaiiM, whose country and family I knew, that had been 
sold into slavery by these Shankallas. 

They cultivate the ground and possess cattle and 
flocks in abundance ; they live also in great measure by 
hunting and on the wild honey that is found in vast 
qnantities. They have in general no idea of trade, bat 
lately iiave begun to sell ivory through the medium of 
some neutral Arabs on their frontier, in return receiving 
chcquei'ed calicos and cloths of native manufacture ; 



220 



CHAPTER VII. 



ABYSSINIAN IDEAS OF THE WORLD. 



ON all sides Abyssinia is surrounded by barbarous 
tribes. The monks wlio visit Jerusalem conceal 
or falsify their knowledge of other nations ; and the only 
point at which the merchants can meet with other Chris 
tians is at Mussowah, during their annual visits ; for they 
are not permitted to cross the sea with their goods ; the 
Turks being also interested in {ireventing too strict an 
amity with Europe. 

Few Europeans have visited the interioi*, so that it is 
not surprising that so vain a nation should have a con- 
tempt for the Christian races, equivalent to their 
ignorance of them. The Turks they utterly despise, and 
having the advantage of fire-arms in their contests with 
the Gallas and others, they rate themselves as the first, 
almost the only, nation. In general they have a faint 
conception that a few white men exist beyond the sea, on 
a spot of ground not worth mentioning ; but they do not 
believe that Kings or Kingdoms, fruitful soil or genial 
climate, are found save in Abyssinia. A few exceptions 
of intelligent men there certainly are, but these dare not 
enlighten the rest, and are laughed at if they attempt. 

All, even these, are convinced that as a military power, 
none can approach them. These ti-aits are, it is true, 
common enough amongst ignorant races, but they are 



National CharacterUtici. 221 

coriouR, if we consider that no religious differences sepa- 
rate QB, and tliat the stream of pilgrimage, uninterrupted 
for fifteen centnries, has brought no fertilizing waters of 
knowledge to this sterile soil. This ehows either singular 
apathy, impenetrable TaniCj, or suatained deceit ; pro- 
bably all three in ]iretty equal proportions, 

Europe has almost ignored the existence of Abysiiuila. 
The Abyaainlans who formerly ruled Yemen and traded 
to India, were deprived of their conqiiesitB by the imine- 
diat* successors of Mahomed, and their own aea-coaat 
being soon wrested from theu, were shut up in their 
nigged monntains, before the piogresa of arms and civi- 
lization enabled Europeans to inquire into the affairs of 
distant nations. Siuce then uo great effort has been 
made to open a communication, save once for the purpose 
of establishing the authority of the Eoman Catholic 
Church, which disastronHly failed, and the Abyssinian, 
amidst the abundance of hia own country, soon forgot the 
little he ever knew of others. 

It is certain that E).roi)eans are at jiresent but little 
considered in AbyBsinia. An individual, by imitation of 
their manners, by courage, addresses in warlike exercises, 
and a perfect knowledge of their language, may gain 
some influence ; but all that is European in manners and 
dress — often even in ideas — is purely ridiculous in the 
eyes of this ]>eople. For instance, they do not much 
admire strength of mind or firmness of purpose, even 
when conjoined with a rare forbearance and suavity. 
Indeed, the woi-d used by them is also a. synonym for 
obstinate and disagreeable. They admire more a man 
who yields with courtesy to the entreaties or reasoning 
of others, whether persuaded or not. 

The great difEonlty fur an European is to steer between 



22 2 Abyssinia J) escribed, 

too much decision and too much facility. The tbrmer 
will confer on him the appellation of a hrute and general 
dislike ; the latter, of a coward, and general disrespect. 
They themselves having no pride, though much vanity, 
are very apt to estimate what we call manly spirit or 
resentment as ridiculous haughtiness. A man who loses 
his temper is at the mercy of the cool and witty Abys- 
sinian, who (at least the Amhara) will probably over- 
whelm him with polite excuses ; think of him, if he takes 
that trouble at all, as one without good sense or good 
manners ; wonder what brought him so far from his own 
country to get in a passion ; and then give orders to 
admit him no more, unless he hopes to profit largely by 
him. Directly a white man appears, the chiefs begin to 
calculate the amount of presents that they may possibly 
obtain from him, and the best way of extracting them, 
according to the character of the victim, in divining which 
they are singularly adroit ; and the soldiers, with watery 
mouths, hope for the day when so rich a booty may 
become theirs on the highway — a hope which they often 
express before the party principally concerned. It is no 
easy task to maintain a dignified position against the 
combined efforts of ridicule, ill-disguised contempt, and 
unblushing cupidity ; and an European envoy, unless 
strongly supported by a native monarchy ca/n hope to reap 
little benefit from his mission. 

Unhappily the country, a prey to so many mastei-s, 
offers not this support ; and the fall of Eas Ali, who at 
one time bid fair to obtain a power that might be called 
sovereign, has again swept away all prospect of stability. 
Up to the time of Bruce's visit, white men were favoured, 
provided they did not rouse the enmity of the priesthood 
by daring to shake the veil of deceit and darkness thrown 



Ideas of EngUmd, 223 

around the people with so much art ; but, though stran- 
gers were received well, there was always a reluctance to 
permit their departure. In later days the chiefs of 
Teegray, the Has Welda Selassie and Dejaj Sabagardis, 
showed themselyes friends of progress and entered cor- 
dially into the views of Mr. Salt. Death, in both in- 
stances, prevented a solid friendship, and probably some 
lasting fruit. 

After these Oobeay, a stranger, conquered Teegray, 
and adopted a contrary policy. When not contemp- 
tuous, he has always been indifferent to foreigners, nor 
would he listen to tales of improvement and innovation. 
During this period, the general idei^ has been to profit by 
our purses, and to reject all serious purpose or prospect 
of future benefit. Sometimes, through incredulity or in- 
difference, more often from a sense of the uncertain 
duration of their own power, the Eas Ali had good 
intentions ; but sure of nothing beyond his own camp, 
accustomed to temporize, and govern by policy rather 
than vigour, he could do little, even in Christian Abyssinia, 
to assure the position of an Envoy or Consul — nearer the 
<K>ast, nothing. It is evident that some means must be 
found, if possible, to furnish the majority of a nation with 
a more clear idea of the weight of our enmity, the value 
of our friendship, and the reality of our advances; to render 
the wild tribes between Abyssinia and the coast amen- 
able to some authority, and to raise the Turkish blockade 
at Massowah. These results are only to be obtained by 
a nearer approach which shall place the Abyssinian in 
daily contact with the European. It remains to be seen 
if such approximation be feasible. 

As the route vi& Senuaar to Egypt does not concern 
us at present, though at some not distant period it may. 




334 Abyatinia Deteribed. 

the facitiliea afforded by the lodLan Ocean or the Red 
Sea uust be examined. 

The Bed Sea, fi-ota Suez to the Straits of Bab-el- 
]Mandeb, is a Tnrkiali late, and the TiirlcB have jwsseB- 
HioQ of every harbonr woi'Cli mentioning on either shore. 
On the African coast they have gurrisonH at Sowakin, 
Aggeek, and Maasownii, the only harbours where ships 
can lie in comfurt and sutety ; some intci'veikiiig i>ortK 
may be found, but these can only shelter Arab boats, and 
are not worth the consideration of nn Eiii'opcan Power. 
I consider the harbour of Portuguese Bay, as it is com- 
monly called, one tnilo and a half north from Massowah, 
aa inclniled under that name. 

IVIasgowali is, from its jMisition, the natural outlet for 
Abyssinian commeive in the Scil Sea and the only 

AuijihylliL, sixty miles to the southward, is a bad 
roadstead, and a worse landscajii^ ; very unfavourable to 
shipment of good^ and with little water, and of bad 
(jnality. I'his would otherwise, after Bonie trouble with 
the fierce tribe of Tultals, be the nearest point of 
Teegray; and when these were subdued might be ren- 
dered the deiHU of Abyi^siuian commerce. But the dis- 
advantages are insurmountable, and the Turkish govern- 
ment claiina the whole coast. Of the arrangement 
between the British Oovcmmcut and thp Raa Welda 
Selas.'M'e respecting Anii)hylla, proposed by Mr. Salt 
many years since, and I believe partially agreed npoii, 
the Foreign Oflice will probably I'uniish more exact 
records than my hearsay. 

It irt my distinct opinion that whoever jtossessrs 
Mausowah can command the whole comnierce of Aby^ 
Hinia and the GalW, in the Ki-d Sea j Teylay, in the 



The Ahyanniana and Turks, 225 

Indian Ocean, being the only other port with consider- 
ation, but this latter does not bring the European so 
closely in contact with Christian and friendly tribes. 

The Egyptian Government along the northern frontier 
of Abyssinia at least merits the name, and rule?, in some 
order and tranquillity, many ferocious and treacherous 
Arab tribes ; but the Turkish Government at Massowah, 
dependent on Constantinople, of which I have now to 
speak, is not a Government but a blockade just sufficient 
to prevent others from enjoying that which itself cannot 
pretend to profit by, and to maintain a condition of 
hopeless stagnation in all the surrounding provinces. 

The right of Turkey to Massowah is, so far as ancient 
conquest can confer it, indisputable ; but their right to 
anything beyond the island is more to be doubted. The 
Sultan Selim sent his fleets and armies beyond Bab-el- 
Mandeb, occupied Massowah, and built a fort at Dohono ; 
Aden also receiving a Turkish garrison. When the 
empire grew weaker, the troops were withdrawn from all 
these places ; Aden was taken possession of by an Arab 
chief, and Massowah by the Naibs or lieutenants, a 
powerful family, originally dependent on the Emperors of 
Abyssinia, who, having partially shaken off that yoke 
after their adoption of the Mahomedan faith, were again 
subjected by the Turks. When these latter withdrew, 
the Naibs became almost sovereign rulers, but were 
forced to pay a tribute yearly to their powerful neigh- 
bours the chiefs of Teegray. One of these Naibs, to 
increase his importance, or for some other reason, re- 
quested from Jeddah a guard of thirty men commanded 
by an Aga, which request was granted with joy. Bruce's 
account shows that the Naib acted as an independent 
ruler at that time. Many years afterwards, in conse- 

p 



326 Abyinnia DetcrHiei}. 

qiience of family disputes, aa arrnugemeut was entered 
into with the Fash& of Jeddah, whereby the lutt«r bound 
hiiiiHelf to pay to the Naih jj.ooo dollars per Rnnutn, in 
conHderation of which he was allowed to maintain an 
Aga aod sixty men in Massowah, and to receive all the 
duties paid bj| the Abyeoinisn merchantH. 

The island waa thus again ceded to Turkey, tlie main- 
land remaining io the hands of the Naib ; so mncfa so 
that when the French appointed an Agent at Massowah, 
the Naib refused him permissioTi to land, and demanded 
large sums likewise from all missionaries proceeding to 
Abyssinia, uor had the Turkish Governor of the islaud 
any voice in these oiatterB. 

The Xaibs, finding their family feuds becoming more 
entangled, at last adopted the fatal step of demanding a 
firman from the Fasha of Uedjaz, inRulting one of their 
number ; this took place nearly twelve years since. 
During this time also the tribute to Dejaj Oobeay, Chief 
of Teegray, was fixed at 2,000 dollars a-year ; the Naib 
possessing some villages in that province. 

Such was the state of affairs when I returned to 
Elngland in 1847 ; during my stay there great changes 
occurred, which I then pointed out to Her Majesty's 
Government. Massowah was handed over for a year to 
Egypt. I have reason to think that there was then an 
understanding for the invasion of certain jirovinces of 
Teegray at least ; at any rate, Massowah began to rise in 
importance. Instead of an Aga, with 60 soldiers, who 
smoked away their time in the island, an energetic 
Governor, with the title of Bey, and 600 good troopf, 
was sent. He immediately refused the payment of 
t,ooo dollars monthly to the Xaib ; and when the latter 
in return stopped the water supplies, he attacked and 



The Tigre Country, 227 

bamt the village of Dohono, built there a port, and 
proclaimed that all the country along the sea, and for 
forty miles inland, belonged to his master solely; the 
Pasha of the Hedjaz still receives his title of Pasha of 
Abyssinia. 

Since that time, the Naibs have become null. The 
government of Massowah was again handed back to 
Constantinople, and instead of a Bey a Pasha was sent 
direct from the seat of government ; but the change 
from the vigorous administration of Mahomed AH was 
soon felt. The governors from Constantinople, though 
of high rank, have but one thought, the extraction of 
money. They have a Naib, whom they pay 30 dollars 
a month, and send right and left to demand revenue from 
the neighbouring tribes ; and that done, the country 
beyond the island is left to its own resources, and to 
fight its own battles and appoint its own local chiefs. 
Having destroyed the power of the Naibs, the whole 
land is without law or security. 

The chief of Teegray, impatient at the loss of his 
usual tribute (which the Naib could not and the Turks 
would not pay), several times ravaged the old coast, even 
within sight of Massowah and the Turkish fort, and has 
only desisted latterly, owing to my representations. 

The state of interregnum thus established renders the 
road between Massowah and Abyssinia Proper disagree- 
able and dangerous ; every man must there protect him- 
self. Under the infliction of Abyssinian confusion and 
Turkish snpineness, these regions have become mostly 
gloomy forests without settled inhabitants, without law, 
and without a judge, and haunted by robbers and plun- 
derers from every neighbouring tribe. 

Such is the state of the coast ; but as the Pasha of 

p 2 



228 Abyssinia Described, 

Massowah must give some account of the twenty pro- 
vinces supposed to be submitted to his authority, every 
few months he procures the signature of a number ut 
people in Massowah to a paper setting forth that perfect 
order and tranquillity reign everywhere in the Sultan's 
extensive })osseB8ion8 in this part of the world. In a 
manner hitherto believed to be peculiarly Chinese, this 
despatch is always sent when the neighbourhood is most 
disturbed, and when marked disorders have occurred in 
the town. 

The internal administration of the laws in Massowah 
and Dahono, the only spots really in the power of the 
Pasha, depends of course on the personal character of 
each governor. 

Under the present one crimes have been unusually fre- 
quent ; the town is burnt down three or four times a year ; 
the soldiers have been repeatedly in a state of mutiny, 
insulting the Pasha to his face with scarcely even a repri- 
mand, and are now restrained only by the firm conduct 
of their immediate officers ; many robberies have occurred, 
and none have been traced ; there is no })olice ; and his 
justice may be briefly illustrated by his having put in 
prison a respectable merchant who complained of a bur- 
glary, for the reason that it was impossible such a crime 
could have occurred under his administration, and there- 
fore the complaint must be false. 

The greatest jealousy of all Europeans lias invariably 
characterized every governor ; every attempt is made to 
discourage merchants that wish to settle ; and every effort 
that cunning can suggest has been made to lower the 
position of the consuls in the eyes of the natives and tlie 
Abyssinians, and to keep up the illusion that still prevails 
here that the Sultan is Lord of the world. 



Twrkey versus Engkmd, 



229 



The Abyssinians being in contact with the Tarks alone 
of the white races, and these occupying the only practicable 
approaches to Abyssinia, the foreign policy of that coun- 
try resolves itself into three questions : whether it is 
better that Egypt and Abyssinia should be under one 
sovereign ; whether the Turkish Government should be 
obliged distinctly to recognize the independence and 
limits of Abyssinia, and to afford every facility and pro- 
tection to a transit trade, and to the residence of European 
and Abyssinian merchants in their territory for that pur- 
pose ; or whether, and much better, we ourselves should 
break through this blockade, and by securing a point fit 
for the free intercourse of the two races, and where 
European intelligence, wealth, and enterprise might pro- 
duce their full effect, should throw open these rich and 
secluded realms to the efforts of the statesman, the mer- 
chant, and the philanthropist. 



230 



CHAPTER VIII. 



KINO THEODORE. 



BEFORE giving Plowden's account of the Abyssinian 
king and his prospects, it should be stated that the 
consul — trying his very best to be impartial and honest 
in his description — was yet so &r biassed in favour of the 
newly-made monarch, that his report is slightly one-sided, 
although perhaps, on the whole, the most impartial — as 
well as the most graphic — which has been written. The 
reader should turn to Part L, where M. Lejean*s account 
(from a French point of view) of Plowden and Bell at 
Theodore's camp is given. 

Consul Plowden wrote the following at Gondar, in 
Jane, 1855 : — 

On a former occasion I represented Northern Abyssinia, 
independently of Shoa, as being ruled by three chiefs, 
who were generally at variance with each other, and 
whose feudal vassals were most often in a state of secret 
or open rebellion. A remarkable man has now api)eared, 
who, under the title of Negoos, or King Theodorus, has 
united the whole of Northern Abyssinia under his autho- 
rity, and has established tolerable tranquillity, considering 
the shortness of his career and the hazardous wars in 
which he has been and is still engaged. 

From his earliest youth, Dejaj match Kasai regarded 
his present elevation as assuredly destined, but concealed 



King Tlteodore'a Viaimng. 231 

his designs with prud«Dce eqn&l to his daring UDtil ripe 
for execution. First he denied the anthority of the 
queen, mother of Ras Ati, under whom he governed the 
provinces near Sennaar ; defeated in succession all the 
troops she could send against him, and lastly herself, with 
tenfold hie numbers : he protested, however, that he was 
still the faithful servant of Baa Ali, but refused to sur- 
render, except on certain conditions of peace. The Bas 
then sent against him an immense force ; the armies 
camped opposite to each other for some time, tlie Ras not 
wishing to drive matters to extremity ; and in the in- 
terval Kasai fought several minor battles, detected and 
punished some trmtors in his own camp, and introduced 
a little discipline into his army. 

The Ras having sworn to do him no injury, he sur- 
rendered and came to Devra Tabor, where he so com- 
pletely lulled all suspicion that he received all his former 
honours aud provinces from the Kas ; the Queen being in 
a measure disgraced. He returned to Kwora and attacked 
all the low countries towards Sennaar, Shankailas or 
Arabs accustoming his soldiers to war and hardslu]>s. 

His projects not being yet matured, on several occsHions 
when it was confidently reported that he had rebelled, he 
baffled his accusers by suddenly appearing in the Ras's 
camp, and fgllowing him to war in Godjam with about a 
third of his forces, thus quite winning his heart, though 
I ventured to point out to the Ras liis dangerous 
character. 

At last, abont two years and a half t^ he threw off 
the nuuk, and the Ras having sent against him 
Dejajmatch Gosoho, that Prince was defeated and slain 
in battle. 

The Ras now became seriously alarmed, and ordered 



233 Abyttinia Detcribed. 

half bin army under his beat commanderH to attack Iiim ; 
he also called upon Dejajmatcb Oobeay, Chief of Teegray, 
for assistance, and tbat Prince furnished a very large 
contingent. Though numbers were so overwhelming 
against him, Dejajmatcb Kasat met these forces and gave 
them a signal defeat, killing most of the Chiefs ; shortly 
after lie took the daring resolution of attacking the Kas, 
and arriving by forced marches near the camp of that 
Prince in Godjam in the rainy season, sent him adefiauco 
and met him, though so far superior iti cavalry, in the 
open plains. The Ras fought with the utmost courage 
in person ; the loss of life was considerable on both side;*, 
bnt Kasai's determined valour again won the day, Bas 
Ali escaping. 

He then retired from Qodjam, and afforded to Birro 
Goscho, wlio had been for five years besieged by the Eas 
in his mountain fort of Soma, an opportunity of leaving 
that stronghold. 

During some months Dejajmatcb Kasai remained 
tranquil, amusing Dejajmatcb Oobeay at first with friendly 
proposals, aflierwards demanding of that Chief the Aboona 
Salama, who had been banished by Has Ali, with menaces 
in case of non-compliance. Oobeay becoming alarmed 
sent, first, his son with proposals, and, snbsequently, the 
Aboona ; the latter was reinstated in his dignity at 
Gondar, and a peace was made between the chiefs. 
Dejajmatcb Kaaiit then pursued Birro Goscho even to the 
Galla provinces, whore he bad assembled a large force, 
defeated and took him prisoner. 

.He was now strong in guns and troops, ami on his 
return camped in the province of "Wsggera, from whence 
he declared war against Oobeay, reproaching him with 
his falsehood, which was proved, in having sent letters to 



Cortmation of King Theodore. 253 

encourage Birro Goscho. With eome reluctance Oobeay 
kt latit put himself in motion to o|)po8e Dejajoiatch 
Kbsiu, who had advanced into Semen ; the latter, liy 
forced marches, fell suddenly upon hie rival, and in 
two hours defeated him, taking prisoner all hia sons 
and generals with himself; without delay he invested 
Oobeay's strougliolds, which suri'endered at once. 

Tiie fruits of this laut victory were large treasures 
accunuilateil for three generations ; the submission or 
imprisonment of almost all the Chiefs in Abyssinia, and 
the coronation of Dejajniatch Easai by the Aboona 
Salma, under the title of Theodoras, King of Kings of 
Ethiopia. 

Discovering a plot against his life, the King only 
placed in durance those concerned, displaying in all 
things great clemency and generosity, and the ransom 
of Dejajmatch Oobeay was fixed at 120,000 dollars. 

With scarce a week's delay, and in spite of the mur- 
muni of his soldiers, the king marched against Maho- 
medan Qatlas, who had, during his absence, burnt some 
churches, and assembled all the forces of Christian 
Abyssinia, Teegray included, in the province of Diltanto, 
on the borders of Worrahaimaiio, where I found him. 

He may have from 50,000 to 60,000 men of all arms. 

Such baa been his adventurous and warlike career. I 
shall now say a few words on his persoual character, the 
reforms he has effected, the designs he is contemplating, 
and the condition and prosgiccts of the country. 

The king Theudoms is young in years, vigorous in alt 
manly eicercises, of a striking countenance, peculiarly 
polite and engsging when pleased, and mostly display- 
ing gi-eat tact and delicacy. He Is persuaded that he 
is destined to restore the glories of Ethiopian empire 



234 Abyssinia Descried. 

and to achieve great conquests ; of untiring energy, both 
mental and bodily, his personal and moral daring are 
boundlesa The latter is well proved by his severity 
towards his soldiers, even when these, pressed by hunger, 
are mutinous, and he is in front of a powerful foe ; more 
80 even by his pressing reforms on a country so little 
used to any yoke, whilst engaged in unceasing hostilities, 
and his suppression of the power of the great feudal 
chiefs, at a moment when any inferior man would have 
sought to conciliate them as the stepping stones to 
empire. 

When aroused his wrath is terrible, and all tremble ; 
but at all moments he possesses a perfect self-command. 
Indefatigable in business, he takes little repose night or 
day ; his ideas and language are clear and precise ; 
hesitation is not known to him ; and he has neither 
councillors nor go-betweens. He is fond of splendour, 
and receives in state even on a campaign. He is 
unsparing in punishment — ^very necessary to restrain 
disorder, and to restore order in such a wilderness 
as Abyssinia. He salutes his meanest subjects with 
courtesy ; is sincerely though often mistakenly religions, 
and will acknowledge a fault committed toward his 
]>oorest follower in a moment of passion with sincerity 
and grace. 

He is generous to excess, and free from all cupidity, 
regarding nothing with pleasure or desire but munitions 
of war for his soldiers. He has hitherto exercised the 
utmost clemency toward the vanquished, treating them 
rather as his friends than his enemies. His faith is 
signal ; without Christ, he says, I am nothing ; if he has 
destined me to purify and reform this distracted kingdom 
with His aid who shall stay me ) nay, sometimes he is on 



Theodore aappntMS Slavery. 235 

the point of not caring fur human aasifitance at all, and 
this is one reason why he nill not seek with much 
avidity for assistants from or alliance with Enrojie. 

The worat pointn in his character are, his violent anger 
at times, Lis unjielding pride as regards bis kingly and 
divine right, and his taoaticai religious zeal. 

lie liaa begun to reform even the dress of Abyssinia, 
all about his ]>eraou wearing loose flowing trowsers, and 
upper and under vests, instead of the half-naked costume 
introduced by the Gallas. Married himself at the altar, 
and strictly continent, he has ordered or persuaded all 
who love him to follow his example, and exacts the 
greatest decency of manners aod conversation : this 
system he hopes to extend to all claases. 

He has auppressed the slave trade in all its phases, 
save that the slaves already bought may be sold to such 
Christiana aa shall buy them for charity: setting the 
example, he pays to the Mussulman dealers what priM 
they please to ask for the slaves they bring to hiu, and 
then baptizes them. 

He has abolished the barbarous practice of delivering 
over mnrderern to the relatives of the deceased, bandiog 
over offenders, in public, to hia own executioners to be 
shot or decapitated. 

The arduous task of breaking the power of the great 
feudal chiefs — a task achieved in Europe only during the 
reigns of many consecutive kings — A« /itu eomTnenced by 
ehaining almott alt who were dangerous, avowing hit 
intention of liheraliitg them when his poiner shall be «m- 
goiidated. He has placed the soldiers of the different 
provinces under the command of hia own trusty followers, 
to whom he has given high titles, but no power to judge 
or punish ; thuR, in fact, creating generals in place of 



236 Abyssinia Described. 

feudal chieftains more proud of their birth than of their 
monarch, and organising a new nobility, a legion of 
honour dependent on himself, and chosen specially for 
their daring and fidelity. 

To these he gives sums of money from time to time, 
accustoming them to his intention of establishing a 
regular pay ; his matchlock-men are numbered under 
officers commanding from 100 to 1,000, and the king 
drills them in person. In the common soldiers he has 
effected a great reform, by paying them, and ordering 
them to pui'chase their food, but in no way to harass and 
plunder the peasant as before ; the ])easantry he is 
gradually accustoming to live quiet under the village 
judge, and to look no more to military rule. 

As regards commerce, he has put an end to a number 
of vexatious exactions, and has ordered that duties shall 
be levied only at three places in his dominions. All these 
matters cannot yet be perfected, but he intends also to 
disarm the people, and to establish a regular standing 
army, armed with muskets only, having declared that he 
will convert swords and lances into ploughshares and 
reaping-hooks, and cause a plough-ox to be sold dearer 
than the noblest war-horse. 

He has begun to substitute letters for verbal messages. 
After perusing the history of the Jesuits in Abyssinia, he 
has decided that no Roman Catholic priests shall teach in 
his 'dominions ; and insisting on his right divine over 
those born his subjects, has ordered the Abyssinians who 
have adopted that creed to recant ; to foreigners of all 
classes, however, he permits the free exercise of their 
religion, but prohibits all preaching contrary to the 
doctrine of the Coptic Church. To the Mahometans he 
has declared that he will first conquer the Gallas, who 



Theodore's Idean ofConqneat. 237 

have seized on Christian lauds, devastated cbiirchea, aui), 
by force, converted the inhabitants to Islamism ; and 
after that, the MiiBsulmana now residing in Abyssinia 
will have the option of being baptizei) or of leaving the 
country- 

Ue ia pecviiaTly jealous, as may bo expected, 0/ hia 
sovereign rights, and of anything thai appears to Ireneit 
on l/iejn ; lie wisltee, in a uhort time, to send embassies to 
the Great European Poioers to treat with t/iem on equal 
terms. Tha -most difficult trait in his c/utracter is this 
jealousy and the pride tliat, fed by ignorance, renders it 
impossible /or him yet to believe that so great a monariA 
as himself existii in the world. 

In his present campaign he proposes to subdue or 
exterminate the Mahometan Gallas, and perhaps Shoa. 
Next year he will devote to the settlement of Teegray, 
including the tribes along the coast, and meditates the 
occupation of Massowah. After that he wishes to 
reclaim all the provinces lately conquered by Egyjit along 
his northern fi'ontier ; even Khartoum, as his by right : 
nor does iiis military ardour hesitate to dream of the 
conquest of Egypt, and a triumphant march to the Holy 
Sepulchre. 

Some of hia ideas may be imperfect, others im- 
practicable ; but ft man, who rising from the clouds of 
Abyssinian ignorance and childishness without assUtance 
and without advice, has done so much and contemplates 
such large designs, cannot be regarded as of an ordinary 
stamp. 

The king is now, I hear, wasting 'Worrahaimano with 
fire and sword ; the Abysainians but lately accustomed 
to his vigorous sway, and in no way comprehending th« 
grasp of Ilia ideas, already fancy that he will not return, 



338 Abytmiua Dttcribeil. 

mad bring about propbeciea and iliscuntcntfi, fostered by 
Oalla emisMrieB. The countt-y ia disturbed ; but there 
i> only oiie o])cii or dangerous revirlt, beaded by the son 
ai Dejajmatch Oobeay in Semen, who, owing hia life and 
freedom to biit king's mercy, now gives out that he 
himself it. the destiaed TheodoruB. He has gathered 
together a considerable army, aud occupies the road 
between Oondar and Teegray. 

Tlie king itt confident in his strength, and with his 
neual unhesitating courage, looking only to the enemy of 
moet importance and in his front, will not, at present, 
condescend to notice thin ebullition ; but if he retume 
crowned with victory, no mercy will be shown to the 
rebelti, his euemiea will disappear, aud tranquillity will 
be at once restored. 

He will hereafter be quite capable of (»rrying out his 
Tiewa with regard to Mossowab, though he will be unable 
to contend with the Egyptian forceK. 

Should hi- unite all the Gallas and Northern Abys- 
unians, Slwi to TnJDura and Zanzibar, Teegray with the 
■ea-coast and ^lassowali, into one government as he 
)>ur]H)seg, aud a frontier arrangement be made with 
Egypt, Abyssinia may, uudcr his rule, rank as a Chriatinn 
kingdom ; this is the last chance for negotiation and 
treaties. 

ahould he WHO or at aiitf tiine/ail in hu tlitniffn/i, or Jail 
in lallle, lite, tiiianile and attarchif that must enswe will 
Ixiffle alt hviiian calculatiott, and render ptacrful inter- 
ference impofaihk : Abyssinia must then be left to her 
df stiniea, until Home Kuropeau Power shall think it worth 
wliile to coiii|uer and instruct the most fertile of African 
provinces. 

On ap]iroacbing the camp, the intervening country 



A Monk iSeiilenced. 239 

being daogerous to travense on account of the G&llas, I 
reqaeated an escort; the King, to do me honour, sent 
four of his generals with eeveral companies of gunners, 
who accompanied me to the camp with ceremony, the 
King's Antes and drums playing before me, and fired a 
salute of muBketrjr when I approached bis tent The 
tent was filled with all his officers in handsome dresses, 
and the ground was entirely covered with carpets ; the 
King was seated on a conch, splendidly attired, with his 
crown on the pillow and his sword of state held behind 
hiro : the Aboona and the Tchegee were seated on high 
chairs to the right and left — every one else standing. He 
received me with great politeness, and caused me to sit 
down on a carpeb near himself. After a short conversa- 
tion rexpectiog my journey, and on the forms of goTera- 
ment in England and other countries, be told me to 
retire, as I must be fatigued, causing a large tent to be 
pitched for me. 

The next dsy I saw bim again early in the morning. 
After my visit, an Abysainian of the Roman Catholic 
persuasion was brought to trial ; this man the King 
ordered to dispute publicly on bis religious creed with the 
Aboona, saying that if bis reasons were the best he him- 
self would become a convert. The monk refused to re- 
cognize any authority there present, and said he would 
dispute only before the Pope of Kome : the King sent 
for me, and as the monk persisted in obstinate silence, the 
jadges after some discussion gave sentence of death fur 
contumacy to his Sovereign ; which sentence the match- 
lockmen were called out to execute immediately. There 
were above 1,000 persons present ; but even the Aboona, 
who wished to save the man, dared not speak. I rose 



qvip«i 



240 Abyssinia Desci^bed. 

and obtained his life, but could in no way }>ersua(]e the 
King to banish him or release hiui from his chains. 

The evening before the day fixed for my de])arture the 
King sent to me to know the object of my coming. I 
]*eplied that I had not come on the part of the Govern- 
ment or in any official capacity ; but that as I was about to 
visit England, it was important that I should know and 
rei>ort His Majesty's disposition respecting the establish- 
ment of a consulate, and friendly relations generally ; I 
hinted also at what had been arranged with the Bas 
Ali. The King said, " I know nothing of what Ras All 
may have done ; I am young and inexperienced in public 
affairs : I have never heard of a consulate under* the 
former kings of Abyssinia, and this matter must be re- 
ferred to my council and the principal people of my 
court." 

The next day being sick myself, I sent Mr. Bell, who 
is much trusted by the King ; and after several messages 
to and fro the King finally replied as follows, " I cannot 
consent to a consulate, as I find in the history of our 
institutions no such thing ; but for anything else that 
you wish for, now or hereafter, for yourself or other 
English, I shall be happy to i>erform your pleasure, and 
could I receive any consul I should wish for no one more 
agreeable to me, or more esteemed by me, than your- 
self." 

I had ventured to hint that the sea coast and Massowah 
might possibly be given up to him on his consent ; but 
though his ambition was roused at this, he feared the 
clause conferring jurisdiction on the consul as trenching 
on his prerogative, and the time for consideration was 
so short, that though half inclined to Fay yes, he was too 
much startled at my proposals to do so. 



li 



FromtM to send an Jimbatst/. 241 

The next morniiig he offered me some hundred 
dollara for the ezpensea of my journey, aad begged me 
to paM the rainy season in Gondar ; I replied that had 
he received me as consul I should even have followed 
him in his campaigns and have shared his dangers ; but 
that after his refusal, my duty was to retum to my 
country as soon as possible, and that as for the money I 
could not receive it, as I was paid by my own sovereign. 
He spoke to me in the most affectionate manner, gave 
orders for my honourable reception everywhere as far as 
Massowah, and said, " In refusing your request for a 
GODBulate, my only reason ia that it appears an innova- 
tion ; but do you not forget my friendship for you, and 
cause your Queen also to regard me as a friend. After 
the rains I shall send to Her Majesty an embassy and 
letters, and when these wars are finished I vill give 
every favour and protection to Englishmen who may 
viut my country : do you also visit me and write to 
me." 

The Aboona Salama tried in every way to assist me in 
this negotiation ; and it will be seen that the King's 
refusal is hardly a refusal, and that he does not wish to 
break off all treaty with us, but rather the contrary, 
being only startled by the clause about jurisdiction of 
consuls. 

I left the camp with all honour, the King adjuring me 
twenty times not to forget to write to him constantly 
wherever I might be, and giving me his own male to 
ride as a proof of his friendly feelings. I told him that 
I should report all our conversation, and receive the 
orders of my government in couseqneuce ; that I should 
then report the answer to bim, which was all that I was 
authorized to do. 



343 A/iysainia DeBcriliaf. 

Tfae matter was inucli hurried, ae tlip kiiig was on the 
eve of starting against tlie Oallaii, witli whom hia outposts 
were indeed daily skirmiahing ; and my state of health 
wonid not permit of my encountering the fatigues and 
privations of such a campaign. Neither did T think it 
advisable to appear too eager at first, as that might 
arouse his suspicions, and confirm him in an obstinate 

I told him that I was sorry for his decision rather on 
his account than on mine, but that ])e was perfect master 
in his own dominions, and to decide as he pleased. 

There is no doubt that the Roman Catholic Mission 
has caused much jealousy in regard to Europeans, and 
not unnaturally, as that mission obHtinately persists in 
usurping the functions of the Aboona and the Abys- 
sinian clergy, so the king has an undefined but not 
unreasonable fear that we wish in like manner, and by 
friendly appearances, to uenrp the political rights of the 
sovereign ; or rather, hia coiinciUora wish to persuado 
him to this effect. 

I see much to hojic for in these conversations. It i^ 
well to find a king in Abyssinia proud of his dignity, 
alive to his responsibility, capable of considering grave 
matters, and of replying with decision, not lightly giving 
assent to a thing he does not understand, and yet 
seeking for our friendship in all ways that he can un- 
derstand. Nor is it very important to obtain a direct 
accord until such a time aa his power shall be firmly 
fixed. "Whenever he does sign a treaty, to whatever 
effect it may be, he will fully appreciate his obligations, 
and faithfully fidfil them to the extent of his authority. 
Any other Abyssinian would have temporised in the 
hope of obtaining presents, aa did the King of Shoa, 



Diffimlty in ^egoeiating. 243 

Sabels Selassie; bat this mau liaa a noble disdain of 
falsehood or covetonsnesB. 

It is apparent, trom the honourable and friendly manner 
in which I took my leav^ and from the king's expres- 
nous, that he does not regard his refusal as a matter that 
should break off our correspondence, or give ofienoe. He 
has refused rather the form than the substance of onr 
proposals. 

The Aboona Salama and Mr. Bell, who has ever 
exerted himself in my behalf with the ntmost zeal, will 
lorn DO opportunity of explaining to the king the nature 
of a consulate and of our other propositions ; and I 
think that the objections he has taken will be some- 
what modified ere long. He in fiict only wishes to treat 
on equal terms, and considers that bis own laws and 
administration of justice should suffice for all strangers ; 
and that a treaty, if made, should be carried out by 
himself without the envoy having judicial powers, 
though he would aot object to an ambassador to re- 
[tresent the interests of a foreign nation without those 
[towers. 

Two of the principal difficulties that we have hitherto 
had in negotiating with Abyssinia are now in a &ir way 
of disappearing : one vigorous sovereign may replace the 
feudal oligarchy, the proud and rebellious chieftains, that 
have hitherto bewildered all my efforts : the interregnum 
on the coast belonging neithi^r to Turk nor Abyssinian 
may disappear ; and those wild tribes that acknowledge 
no law but their will, no faith but their swords, and that 
hold the passes into Abyssinia, may be taught to acknow- 
ledge a lord and master. The one dilGculty that will 
remain is the want of a seaport in the hands of either 
England or Abyssinia. 



244 Abyssinia Described, 

In the present state of afTairs, there are three ways of 
acting : — 

One, to withdraw altogether the consul from Abyssinia, 
and to cease ail communication with that country. 

The second, to consider that the King proposes to 
attack the Egyptian territory, at least where the 
Egyptian troops have occupied any portion of the 
ancient limits of Abyssinia ; and also that he will pro- 
bably seize on Massowah, unless the Turkisli government 
should defend it with such a force as will render it a 
heavy burden on the finances : therefore to await in 
silence the course of these event*», when probably he will 
recognize the value of our friendly proposals, and seek 
himself for a renewal of them. 

The third, to accept his proposition of nending 
ambassadors, and to trust to their report of their re- 
ception and of our greatness, which information may 
very likely induce the king to accord all we wish ; he 
being already half-disposed to listen to us. 

On the first Her Majesty's government must decide, 
after examining this report, which is not so full as I 
could wish, in consequence of my unwilling detention in 
Gondar, and the near a])proach of the rainy season, 
which makes me fear to delay the departure of my mes- 
bengers. I trust that this measure will not be decided 
on at present. 

With regard to the second, I think that should the 
king agree to our proposals hereafter, it would be better 
for all parties that Massowah should be given up to liim 
on condition that he appoint an European in his service 
as governor. The Turks cannot keep that island in 
future, if the king's power iucreases, without large garri- 
sons ; but the king can stop their trade as he pleases, 






Abj/ieiniin AmhoiaaUora. 345 

and can barags them continually. He would reduce to 
obedience the half'Civili/.ed and iingoverned coaat tribes, 
would reclaim the Hababa and other numerous Cbriatiaiis, 
abolish all interior duties on English imports, would need 
but a small force there for purposes of policy, sod would 
there learn the value of trade and of foreign iotercourse. 

On the other hand, should the Turks remain in an ex- 
pensive and precarious posseaaion, the state of disturb- 
ance aod anarchy along the frontier will always exist 
as at present, or be doubled, unless indeed they should 
follow up their large garriaons with large armies, for 
which the attacks of the Abyssinian king will soon 
afford them a pretozt, and then attempt the conquest 
of the country. 

As regards the frontier towards Egypt, the King will 
probably soon receive there a check that will induce him 
to seek for our mediation, and which will conduce much 
to the enlargement of his ideas. Egypt may be made to 
abandou some of her more recent conquests on the fron- 
tier, and Abyssinia, with a seaport of its own, a settled 
boundary, and a king with civilized ideas, will be worth 
treating with 00 something like equal terms. 

The third proposition aw to receiving the King's ambas- 
sador may be entertained at the same time with these 
ideas suggested by the second ; and it is in my opinion 
the moat feaflible : always supposing that the King returns 
with success from his Galla wars, consolidates his autho- 
rity, extends it over all Abyssinia as I expect, and aenda 
ambassadors of such rank, manners, and intelligence as 
may conduce to hia own honour and subsequent enlighten- 
ment. 

(Signed) Walter Flowden. 

Oondar, June 25, 1855. 



PART III. 



THE STORY OF THE BRITISH CAPTIVES 

IN ABYSSINIA, 1863-4. 

BV THK REV. GEO. PliRCV IS.\DGEK.' 



B£F01vE inquiring into the cauaes which liave led to 
the turture aod captivity of several British subjects 
in Abyuuuia, incltidiDg Captain Cameron, the reudenC 
codbuI, it will be desirable in the finit place to take a 
cursory view of the political condition of the country. 

[ ■ The gentlomoD, to whom tho Editor U indebted for the follow- 
inp able aocoont of tho prewot Abf Bainiaii diSonlty, la thus ipoksD 
of b; M^jor-Goneral CoghUn, oar Uto ConunuidaDt at Aden, irhOD 
he mbmitted bis pToposel for an armed expedition to AbTuima ; " In 
tho ptepwatioD of this scheme I have availed myaolf largely of the 
aaiiataiiM of the Bev. Mr. Badger. The vnlaable eervicei rendered 
bf that gentleman in connection with the Persian expeditionary 
force ; the freqnent mention mode of those Berricoa in the offloial 
deepatebee of tho late Sir James Ontram, and thoir recognition by 
the Governments of India and Bombay, as also by Sir Edward 
Lngard, G.C.B., the present Under-Secretary at War, would be a 
Bnfficicnt warrant tor my roonrring to his ud on a question of this 
natnre ; but, in addition to such reoommondations, I beg to mention 
that on BeTOml occaaoos of political importance I have peraonally 
learned to set a high value on his abilitisa in all matters relating 
to the East."] 



248 Abyssinia Described. 

Without some knowledge on that head it will be 
impossible to appreciate the motives which have actuated 
the outrageous conduct of the king towards our fellow- 
countrymen and Her Majesty's Government. 

Theodorus, the present ruler of Abyssinia, owes 
his elevation to supreme power partly to fortuitous 
circumstances, but mainly to his military talents, 
combined with great personal energy and inordinate 
ambition. For a long period prior to the commencement 
of his public career the titular emperor, claiming descent 
from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, had become 
a mere puppet in the hands of rival vassals, who, whilst 
professing to recognize his authority, deprived him even 
of the semblance of power, and vied with each other in 
their efforts to gain the supremacy. 

About the year 1847 the four great provinces of the 
empire were governed as follows : — " Has Ali reigned over 
Amhara ; Kas Ubie was almost independent over Tigr6 
and Samien ; while Shoa acknowledged the sovereignty 
of Sahela Selassie. In 1849 a treaty of commerce was 
concluded between the British Government and Ras Ali, 
as representing the titular emperor, through the instru- 
mentality of the late Mr. Consul Plowden. Kas Ali had 
also in his interest the services of another Englishman, 
Mr. Bell, who had long resided in Abyssinia and taken 
a prominent part in its political and military affairs. 
At this period he held the rank of general in the Kas's 
army. 

Such were the political divisions of the empire when 
Theodorus first appears on the scene. His origin and 
earliest successes are thus narrated by Dr. Krapf : — 

" His mother is said to have been a vendor of kossoj 
the well-known medicine against the tape-worm, at 




The Briiinh Captives, 1863-4, 249 

Gondar ; while his father, a kinsman of Dejaj Comfa 
(who «8 governor of Dembea had several times defeated 
the Egyptian troops advHucing from SeDnaar), occupied 
an official poet in the province of Ruara in the west of 
Abjsaiola. Easai, ,aB King Theodorus was formerly 
called, learned to read and write at Gondar, and became 
afterwards a soldier in the army of Dejaj Gomfu, who 
recommended bim to his mautAr, Ras AW. The latter 
soon recognized Kasai'a prudence and valour, gave him 
hia daughter in uiarriuge, and an official appointment 
under the superiuten deuce of the faniuus Waisoro 
Menneu, the mother of Baa AH. K.asai rooii quarrelled 
with Waisoro Mennen, defeated her army, took ber 
prisoner, and conquered her fine province of Dembea on 
Lake Tiaoa, which be retained, setting, however, the lady 
herself at liberty. Bas All, recognizing the danger that 
threatened, made over Dembea to the Dejaj Boitu Goshu 
the governor of Gojam, who drove ICasai back towards 
Kuara in the year I80O. Kasai, however, with a band 
of trusty followers, made an incursion into Dembea in 
1SS2, surprised the canip of iJerru Goshu, shot him dead 
himself, and defeated hia army between Dnmbea and 
Jangar, close to Lake Tzana. Ras AH now became 
unessy, and marched, in 1653, against Kasai, but lost a 
decisive battle, and was obliged to fly to the Giillas, 
whilst Easai remained master of the whole of Amhara, con- 
sisting of the entire couutry west of the Taka8»<ie, as far 
as the Blue Biver. After these successes Kasai sent for 
the Abuna,* Abba Salama, who then resided at Adowa in 

•' Tho " Abuna" is the BiBhop of AbysHinit Tha ChriBtians ol 
the oonntry are MoiiophyBit«H like the Copts, and &re ecclesiat- 
tioall; sobjeot to the Coptic Fatnaroh at Curo, who conaeontes 
tlw bishop orei the Ab;uiiiian Chuioh. The Abuna ii always a 



250 Abysninia Described 

Tigr^ his plan being to form an alliance with the head of 
the Church before he attacked Ubie. The Abuna 
replied that he would not come to Gondar so long as the 
Romish priests were tolerated thei*e, which led Kasai to 
expel the priests, and then the Abuna appeared in Gondar 
and formed an alliance with him for the restoration of 
the Abyssinian Church and Empire. Kasafs next step 
was to summon Ubie, the ruler of Tigr6, to pay tribute 
as subject to the Prince of Amhara. Ubie refused, and 
rushed to arms, but lost at the battle of Debruski, in 
Samien, both his kingdom and his liberty, for he was 
taken prisoner.* After this victory Kasai, under the 
name of Theodorus, caused himself to be proclaimed 
King of the Kings of Ethiopia, clearly with reference to 
the old Abyssinian tradition, that a king of the name of 
Theodorus would arise who should make Abyssinia great 
and prosperous, and destroy Mecca and Medina, the two 
chief cities of the Mohammedans in Arabia.t" 

Theodorus was crowned Emperor on the 1 1 th of 
February, 1855. 

Subsequent political events up to the year 1862 are 
described in the following summary by Dr. Beke : — 

^ With the defeat of Ubie, Tigi*6 and his other terri- 
tories fell into the i)ower of the conqueror, who, however, 
did not care to possess himself of them at that moment, 
but marched his army, flushed with victory, southward 

Copt. He has groat inflnenoe over the people, and ozerouBes a 
power only second to that of the soyeroign, of whom, in many 
respects, he is independent. 

* On the death of his first wife, Theodoras, in i860, married the 
daughter of Bas Ubie, on which occasion ho was released and made 
a vassal of the empire. 

t " Travels and Missionary Labours in East Africa," p. 45S. 



The BritUh i'a^ive», 1863-4. 251 

to Shoa, wbich country fell &d easy prey ; and King 
Haila Malaknt, Sabela Selassie's son and successor, 
lia-ving died, Theodoms placed one of his eons in charge 
of the kingdom — or province as it must now be called. 

" Meanwhile a relative of Ubie, named Negosaie, raised 
the standard of rebellion in Tigr6, of wbich province he 
was ren^ized as tbe independent sovereign by the 
French consul at Massowah, as also by Mgr. de Jacobii^ 
the £oman Catholic bishop (who was still at Halu, on 
the frontiers of Tigr£, whither he had repaired on his 
expulsion from Gondar by Theodoms).'* 

It does not appear clear how the British consul and 
Mr. Bell transferred their snpport from Bas All's party 
to that of Theodoms. But as the former was a fugitive 
and the latter had succeeded him in the government of 
Amhara, the consul was probably instructed to recognize 
tbe d» facto sovereign of tbe principal province of the 
empire. Be this as it may, we now fiod the British 
consul on the side of Theodoms, and Mr. Bell holding 
the highest rank in his army. 

"In the month of Febmary, 1860, Mr. Consul 
Plowden, while marching with a small troop of his 
followers,* was attacked by a much larger force, under a 
chief named Gerred, a cou»n of Negussie. Mr. Plowden 
was wounded, taken prisoner, ransomed (by the king),t 
Init died soon after of his wounds. In the December 
following, Theodoras, accompanied by Mr. Bell, advanced 
against Oerred, for the purpose of avenging Consul 

* He wM on Mb vay to Maaaownb. 

f TheodorUB boirowod the mone; from the morchants at Gondar 
to pniohase his rsjiioin. This noblo act having been reported to 
the GoTommeDt in India, n voloable proBent wob sent ia tbe Kiug 
from Bombay, in recognitioii ot his dinutemted Bcnerosity. 



252 Aby8»inla De^mbed. 

Plowden's death. Gerred, with a force of about 2,000 
meD, was encamped in Woldabba, when Theodoru8*8 
advanced guard, led by Bell, made a furious attack on 
them. In the conflict, which was brief, Bell slew Gerred 
with his own hand, but was himself immediately killed 
by Gerred's brother. A considerable number of the 
latter's troops having fallen, the rest threw down their 
arms, and surrendered at discretion, when Theodorus, 
after putting Gerred's brother to death with his own 
hand, decimated the troops who had surrendered — 
butchering in cold blood no less than 150 men* out of a 
total of 1,756 — and then barbarously mutilated and in- 
capacitated for life the remainder. This frightful sacri- 
fice, offered up by a Christian sovereign to the manes of 
two unfortunate British officers may appear incredible, 
but it is nevertheless a positive fact. 

" Following up his victory over G^rred's detachment, 
Theodorus now marched against the main body of 
NegU8sie*s army, which he completely routed in January, 
1861, Negnssie himself falling into the hands of his 
merciless conqueror, by whom ho was put to death, 
together with several of liis relatives and principal 
adherents. On the unfortunate prince himself was 
inflicted the severest punishment awarded to a traitor 
and murderer. His right hand and left foot were struck 
off, and he was then left, exposed to public gaze, to 
linger till he died. 

" To complete the history of events in the interior, it 
has to be added, that in the beginning of 1861, shortly 
after Mr. Bell's death, a Mr. Speedy, formerly an officer 
in the Indian service, entered that of the Emperor Theo- 

[• The nnmber is giren as 1,500 in some reports. — Ed.] 



Tlie BrUiah Captive*, 1863-4. 253 

doruH,* uid ID the be^nning of 1862, two years aftar 
CoQMul Plowdea's death, his HucceBBor, Gaptaia Cameron, 
arrived at Maeaowah, his official post, whence, following 
the example of bis predecessor, he has proceeded into 
the interior, hearing presents from the Britiih Goveru- 
tnent to the Emperor Theodorus.''t 

It would appear that the relentless aeverity practised 
by tlie King, as recorded in the foregoing quotations, 
did not put an eod to insurrection within his dominionsL 
Various attempts have since been made to limit his 
power and to overthrow his authority, but invariably 
with the same result And if we may credit the reports 
whiob have reached Europe, the king's later triumphs 
have been accompanied with still greater excesses of 
wholesale butchery and cruelty. 

But there is another side to this portrait of Theo- 
dorua, which it would he un&ir to omit in attempting to 
form a just estimate of his character. The following Is 
the testJinoDy of Dr. Krapf, written in 1S55 : — 

" Although friendly and condescending to those about 
him, Theodorus never foi^ete his kingly dignity. What- 

• Mr. Speed; must lisTe qoittod the Borvioo of the Emperor very 
«ooa, rince he koted sbortl; ftftor as cohbqUt Bgent at Maaiiowkli ; 
bat whether reoogniied u iDoh by the Foreign Office I un not 
awue. Being unable to obtain an; salary, he left the ooantr; 
for Anatnlia at the beginning of the prsHent jesr. 

t "The Frenoh and Engliah iu the Bed Sea," pp. 20—22. The 
fortgoing accoant by Dr. Krapf and Dr. Beke of the career of 
Theodorna differs lomewbst from that given b; the Bev. Ur. Stern 
in his "WandBringa among the Falaahas in Abyaainui" bnt the 
diacrepauoiSB are not material. 

Hr. Flad, one of the la; miaaionariea, irho waa preeent when 
Captain Cameron reaohad the royal camp, atataa that " he reoeiTed 
■uoh a reeeptioD tcom the King u no atrangsr has hithertu 



254 Abyssinia Described. 

ever he does is done with the greatest quiet and circum- 
spection. His judgment is quick, his replies brief, but 
decisive. He is friendly to Europeans, to whose advice 
and information he willingly listens. To the jxMr, the 
priests, and the Church, he is extremely liberal. In 
judicial matters he is exact and just, often giving deci- 
sions adverse to the opinions of his councillors, learned 
in the law ; and hence he is continually besieged by 
persons from all parts of Abyssinia who have lawsuits 
|)ending." 

And the Rev. Mr. Stern, writing five years later, 
eulogises the king for having introduced several whole- 
some reforms into the government of the empire. 
Among these he instances the establishment of a new 
code for the regulation of the Church property, com- 
prising one-third of the country, and for the administra- 
tion of its revenues. These extensive domains had 
hitherto been free from taxation ; but 

'^ The King, unwilling to increase the burden of the 
peasant for the benefit of the Church, at once sequestered 
all this property for the use of the state ; and instead of 
swarms of ignorant and vicious priests, who obtained 
ordination that they might live without labour, he 
appointed two priests and three deacons for each church, 
and to these he gave small tracts of land to cultivate for 
their maintenance." 

Another reform equally important in a social point of 
view is thus described by the same author : — 

" According to the canons of the Abyssinian Church 
the king is bound by the same marital laws as a priest, 
and, consequently, if his wife dies he dare not marry 
another. The bereaved predecessors of Theodorus 
scrupulously evaded such a contingency by substituting 



^^ ■ ' '■ "'-■-■ ~-^ 



Tlu: Brili/A CapliveK, 1863-4. 255 

the regularly-storeil harem in the place of the ooe lawful 
wife ; but from thii) disreputable and sinful jiractJce the 
honourable miud of the present ruler sbraiik, and as be 
had no iuclination to cixjocb before braiuleBa eccleaiasticx 
to obtain their licence either to brealc or to obey a 
Divine institution, he took his Bible, and with the 
assistance of Mr. Bell carefully investigated the various 
passages bearing on the question at issue." 

The inquiry proving satisfactory to the Royal con- 
science, the destined queen was brought in state to the 
Koyal bridegroom, and a week after the celebration of 
the civil marriage they received the Holy Communion 
together from the Abuna. 

In order to estimate the importance of this innovation, 
WG are informed by Mr. Stem that civil marriages in 
Abyssinia had almost superceded the solemn unions of 
the Church. An agreement on the part of the man to 
pay hb bride a certain dower wsa the only reqointe to 
make her his wife ; but this contract left the parties at 
liberty to separate whenever they chose. " Paring the 
past few years many chieft;aius, in order to please their 
sovereign, who abhors these licentious alliances, have 
sought the Church's Sacrament to hallow and coufirm 
their matrimonial vow ;" and it may therefore be reason- 
ably anticipated that the more recent example of the 
king will exercise a beneficial moral influence on his 
subjects generally. " If God continues me in life," siud 
Theodorus in reply to Mr. Stem's congratulations on his 
marriage, " I shall eradicate all that is bad among ray 
people, and introduce all that is salutary and good." 

According to the same authority, Theodorus on fais 
accession to jiower had abolished the traffic in slaves 
thronghoiit Abyminia, but had subsequently rescinded 



3^G Abi/Hgiiiia Deta-ibed. 

t]ie ncn~ Uw '' to sjiite t)ie French, who were reported to 
huve lauded an invading army ou the coast in order tu 
re-CBtabUsh tlje Jebuits." 

Further, the Uermaii artizaa niisiiioa Aries, who had 
resided live yeuiB in the coimtry [jrior to 3Ir. Stem's 
viait, "held the king in high esteem for hia probity of 
jeiitiment, [miity of life, and tiinglenesH of puipuae ;" and 
}Ir. Stern liiitjHelf, at the couclusion of his book, freely 
expreiuie!! his upiuion of him in the^e words : — 

" King 'I'iieciiorus, as ia well known, has always mani- 
fested ff.-e».i partiality for Edropeaos ; and any project 
caluulated to enhance the wealth of his empire aud the 
stability of his throne is sure to meet with his couute- 
nauce and Bni)port. Since the death of Mr. Bell, vhose 
judicious coua»elH exerted the most happy iuflaenee orer 
the conduct and actions of the denpot, Borne ntifavourable 
changes have characterized his proceedings ; still it 
admits of little doubt that the jiresent ruler of Abyssinia, 
with all his fmlts — which the circnmatauces of his birth 
and the condition of his country must in some degree 
palliate — is a man far in advance of his people in ideas 
and aspirations, and, whether comiuei'cial eiitcrjirise is tu 
find a new sphere, or the interests of oppressed hutuatiity 
in Africa aj-e to be promoted, by a little cicumspection 
and proper judgment, these and other desirable objects 
may be surely advauced while such a man as Kiug 
Theodorus occupies the throne of Ftliiopia." 

It seems reasonable to infer from the foregoing testi- 
moaies that Air. (item's apology for the despotism and 
inhumanity of Theodoras ia well founded, and that his 
excesses in those respects are due rather to the fact of his 
being a snccesfful parvenu, and to the normal turbulent 
spirit ot the country, than to any inherent cruelty in his 



Th« British Captims, 1863-4. 257 

diBposition. Doubtless, ambition is tbe mainspring of bb 
conduct, but that aoibitioa aima at the ultimate welfare 
of bis Bubjects as well as at self- aggrandisement. Two 
objects, more or lesa intimately connected in his own 
miud with those aspirationa, appear to have engrossed 
his thoughts. First, he believes himself destined to 
extirpate iBlamism from his dominions, and to restore 
the ancient limits of tbe empire hy expelling tbe Turks 
from the seaboard and reconquering Sennaar from the 
Viceroy of Egypt It was probably in order to secure 
co-operation in these designs that, on his accession to the 
throne, Theodorus sougbt tho alliance of the Emperor of 
Russia, the hosilities then existing between the RnsaiajiB 
and tbe Turks seeming to point out the former as the 
nation most likely to forward his views. Animated by 
the same spirit, he was reported at one time to have 
ordered all the Mohammedans in the country to embrace 
Christianity within a fixed period ; and this extreme 
jealousy of the Turkish authorities at Massowah is so 
notorious that many native merchants, fearing to com- 
promise themselves by exciting his suspicions, have ceased 
to frequent that port, and its trade has very much de- 
creased in consequence. 

The other object of the king's solicitude was to establisb 
his recently acquired position with hia own subjects, by 
obtaining the recognition of the principal foreign powers, 
and forming friendly alliances with them. He specially 
coveted the support of France and England, but his 
sympathies and reliance seem to have rested chiefly with 
the latter. As early as 1860 he stated to Mr. Stem, on 
hearing from him bow prisoners of war were treated in 
other Christian countries, " Tou are superior to us in all 
things ; and, if God permit, I shall soon send an embassy 



ijS Ahygainia Deteribftl. 

to Eagland to open the pyes of at leaHt it tew of my 
people." And in n BuLsequeot part of hia narrativfl 
Mr. Stem incidentally mentions that Mr. Bell, before hia 
death, bad expected to accompany the projected Abya- 
ginian mission to Ijondon. 

These two objects of the King's anxiety must be csi'e- 
fuUy borne in mind, as they seem to oiford the most 
probable clue to his subsequent behaviour towards the 
missionnFieB, and especially towards Captain Cameron. 

But before narrating the sufferings of the unfortunate 
captiveB I shall attempt to give a brief account of the 
antecedent position and proceedings of the missionaries 



Protestant misslonB, after having been prohibited for 
many yeai'a, were again located in Abyssinia through the 
medium of Dr. Krapf, accompanied by Mr. Ftad, who 
re-entered the country simultaneously with the expabdou 
of the foreign Roman Catholic bishop and clergy by 
TheoJorus iu 1855, Dr. Krapfs object during that visit 
was to secure the couutenant^ of the new Emperor to the 
contemplated mis.<<ion, which was to 'wnsist of pious 
laymen skilled in various handicraft. On being introduced 
to the Abuna Dr. Krapf " told him that Bishop Gobat 
proposed to send Christian artisans to Abyssinia, whose 
jirimary occupations would be to work nt their trades, but 
who, at the same tiiue, would be the uieaus of spreading 
the Gospel both by ^irecept and example. The Abuna 
rejoined that tho King would be glad to receive skilled 
workmen, and that His Majesty had proposed to write to 
England, France, and Germany for such jiersons." Sub- 
sequently the Abuna commisBione<l Mr. Bell to tell Dr. 
Krapf that he was not to " say anything to the King 
about the religious vocation of the persons whom Bishop 



Tlte BfUiiJi Captivea, 186-34. j$q 

Gobat proposed to send to Abyssinia, but to dwell on the 
known and secular charactei- of the niisaion, as religioua 
matters belonged to the Abuna, who was our ineiid, aod 
would protect and support Sishop Gobat's people as fitr 
as he had it in his power." Dr. Krapf thereupon told 
Mr. Bell " that Bishop Oobat cared not merely for the 
temporal weal and civilization of Abyasiuia, but principally, 
and above all thiuga, for the religious regeneration of the 
country. Mr. Bell replied ; — ' This is very right and 
good, and the Abnna knows it to be such ; but he bids 
me tell you not to speak of it to the King, but only about 
the artisans. For the religious aspect of the matter you 
will have to amuge with the Afauna himself.' " 

On Dr. firapfs introduction to Theodorus by the 
Abuna, the latter " read the letter from Bishop Oobat 
and the Coptic Patriarch. The King immediately asked, 
' Is Gobat well } His letter,' His Majesty continued, 
' pleases me, and E wish him to send me for the present 
only three artisans : a gunsmith, a builder, aud an 
engraver. I will pay them well ; and if they are content 
with what I give them, and satisfy me, I will ask Gobat 
for more workmen.' When the King had said this, the 
Abuna observed, ' Your Majesty, however, will not 
interfere with their religion, but will allow them to live 
in their own belief.' To this the King replied, ' I will 
not interfere with matters of belief, that is your buiuness ; 
in regard to that I will do whatever you advise me.' " 
In accordance with this arrangement. Dr. Krapf informs 
us that four pupils of the Chrishona Institution at Basle, 
headed by Mr. Flad, were subsequently dispatched to 
Abyssinia, where tbey arrived in April, 1856, and were 
well received by TheQdoru& "They forthwith set to work 
to distribute Bibles, which they had brought with tliem. 



sCo Ahi/nniiia Describrd. 

chiefly JD Western Abysainia, and particularly to the 
Falashas," or native Jew?.* 

It deserves to be noticerl here that, as regards tlie King, 
these miasionnries were introduced into the ountry in 
the sole character of artisaiia. AH that [laaiicd in the 
above interview about religion simply bound Theodorus 
to tolerate their individual belief. The original number 
aent ont was Hnbscquently increased, but whether at the 
expreaa wish of the King or not I have been unable to 
ascertain. Most o( these weie tin married. It also 
appears that similar agents from kindred societies in 
England were dispatched to the same field of labour at a 
later date. 

Among the latter was the Kev. Mr. Stern, who had 
travelled niuch in the Bast, and had the reputation of 
buing a devoted missionary. He went out, accompanied 
by Messrs. Brunkhorat and Josephson, under the auspices 
of the London Society for Promoting Christianity among 
the Jews, and reached the Koyal caiDp at Lamgie, vid 
Egypt, in the early part of ISfJO. At his first audience 
bo took occasion to make the following oUiervatioD oa 
some remarks made by the king : " That Christianity 
taught us to love and not to persecute ; to instruct and 
not to oppress the utibelievera. 'Avoonat/ avootiat I 
(true! true! )'hc exclaimed, 'and if this in your design in 
Abyssinia you have my apjiroval to your misfiion, if you 
likewise obtain the assent of the Abuna.' " Fui'ther, on 
asking permission to travel in his realm, Theodorua in- 
staotly replied, " I am your brother and friend, and you 
have my full sanction to visit every province in the 

* TbsN quotatioDs are taken Tarbatim from Dr. Ktapf's "Mis- 
■ionaiT Z-abonn in East Afrioa." 



Tiie Britiih Captives, 1863-4. 361 

Mr. Stern's interview with the Abuna I give in his 
own words : — 

" He," the Abuna, " at first surmised that I had made 
the miuioQ to the Jews a cover to tamper more insidi- 
ously with the belief of the Christiana ; but my reiterated 
solemn aBsurancea that our sole aim and desire was tu 
bi-ing the Falashaa to the knowledge of the Baviour 
removed all his suspicions, and elicited his full and un- 
qualified permission to preach and hold assemblies in 
every Jewish settleuieat throughout the kingdom." 

Haviog thns obtained the consent of the King and 
Abuna to commence o[)erations in the country, Mr. Stem 
fixed OD Genda, a few miles north of the Lake Tzana, 
as the future missionary station, and then returned to 
Europe. 

I must not omit to notice here that in Mr. Stem's 
published narrative he occasionally mentions Dr. Krapfs 
lay misHionaries who had preceded bim in the country. 
Some of these gave him much useful information about 
Abyssinia and its population ; some he found engaged in 
making roads ; while be thus writes uf a colony of three 
of their number who had established themselves at Gafiat, 
on the bill formerly occupied by the late Mr. Consul 
Plowden : — 

" Mr. Flad, one of this little exiled band, together 
with his partner, a well-educated and self-denying 
deaconess from i>r. Fleidner's excellent institution at 
£iuserswerth, were quite an acquisition to our circle. 
This worthy couple, true to their high and holy vocation, 
in the midst of many trials, discouragements, and priva- 
tions, have, during the last six years, unweariedly laboured 
to disseminate God's Word among the garrison at Mag- 
dala and the peasants who, from all jwrts of Abyssinia, 



perioiiicRllj' mi]i[ily the foi't wiili jiroviaionfi. TLej- liai-i 
ciiculatcJ hiinilreds ol'coiiii'sof tlip Scrij>tures, inetnii-teil 
immbers of I'agnns iind Amimrna iti tlip greiit trotlis ol 
salTBtiun, »□<! both by cxFimplc mid precpjit, by relieving 
thf Bick, and by aft'ei,'! innate nnd iiereuusive eiilreAtiei' 
nddrewtnl tn tlio licnltliy, linve bct-ii 'wonderfully succewfiil 
iu removing luuch of nativi' |iri'ju<lico, and in wntteriny 
(iir and wide tlie seed of ttic evei-luntiuj; UomH-l." 

During Mr. Stern'H abxeiico in Kngland lie publixlied 
the work fruni which f bene iinotatimiH are takeu, entitled, 
" Wanderiagtj niiioDg the Falaxha!) in Abysttinia," aad 
returned to that country, accninjinnicd by tlie KfV. .Mr. 
and !Mn>. lto»cntlial, reaching the niisfliunary atatioi) at 
Goiida in the early |.art of 180;'., They entered Abyg- 
siiiia under the moHt f;ivi>nrahlt: jiuRpices, for the king had 
kindly ordereil one of liJM own olliciiilH t" conduct them 
from the lionlers of the cm|iire tii their dentination. In 
the snnie letter in which he iinnounci-N his arrival 51r. 
>>tern nleo e\j>re!).^rR Iiim eunlidence in the continued gootl- 
w-illoftbe Abulia, lielirviiLg that that "dreaded prelate 
would extend the ivgiH of IiIk Riuritnal anthority over the 
miwioii," in case any advcn* conlingcncy should eall fiir 
hi" intervention. 

'■ The political state »i the enuutry," i-ejioi'ts JSIr. Stern, 
ahortly after liis arrival, '■ in just now exceedingly eiitieul. 
Conxpiraciex anion^' the cliiefa and discontent among the 
people have excite<l tli<? King Id a atatc bordering on 
frenzy, and pitilenH actn of tyranny are daily [leriietratcd 
by his orders. Formerly, the di-K]iot'» insatiable ambi- 
tion and licry paiwionB were in some inenHure tempted 
hy religious xeruplex, and n litinibic reverence for Ooil's 
Word. The army and nation reganled him as a 
superior being, chosen to restore peace and prosperity to 









^^^^^t^^^ 


■ 


j^^^^^^^^H 




1 


H^^^H^B^M 


is 


JHI^I^H 



T/tt British Captives, 1863-4. '63 

a bleeding and distracted empire. His moral rectitade 
ftnd th« spotless puritj of his life con6rmed this imprea- 
non, and King Theodonu was the idol of his Bubjecta, 
And the invalnerable hero of the troops. This illmdon 
his present coarse of life has dispelled ; and it will be 
his wisdom to retrieve past mistakes and to avoid past 
errors. I have not yet seen the monaroh, who ia «t 
present on the confines of Qojam ; bnt probably on the 
tetum of my messenger I shall receive a summona to 
repair to the camp. Towards our work he has of late 
been very frieudly, and if our fervent prayers for him are 
heard on high he will before long return to the p*th of 
exemplary virtue from which be has so sadly departed,"* 

The foregoing extract gives a general view of the state 
of afiaira up to the middle of 1863, but it makes no 
mention of a transaction which had occurred during Mr. 
Stem's absence in Europe, and which was destined to 
have an important bearing on the after-fortune of the 
missionaries and especially of Captain Cameron. 

Towards the latter end of 1862 Theodoras carried into 
effect his long-cherished project of writing to the 
Emperor of the French and to the Queen of Great 
Britain. In bis espiatle to the former, if not also in that 
to her Majesty, he exhibited himself aa the champion of 
Christianity, and complained that some portion of the 
ancient empire of Abyssinia was unjustly held by 
iufidel Mussulmans, f In both letters he sought the 
friendly alliance of the Sovereigna addressed, and in 
order to cement that alliance proposed to send an embassy 
to the two courts. How much importance the king 

* Sea Jevrish IiiteUyfenctr tor IfoTMIibM, 1863, pp. 275-8.9. 
t Abont this period ThtodDnis thraatened to invade Sennaw, ■ 
pioTinoe now under ttie jniisdiotion of the Vioeioj of GgTpt. 



264 Abyaginia Described, 

attached to the reception which tbb propoaal would meet 
with will appear in the sequel. His letter to her Majesty 
reached London in February, 1863. 

The next advices from Abyssinia brought the startling 
and moat unexpected intelligence that the B«v. Messrs. 
Stern and Rosenthal had been thrown into chains by tha 
king, and that the farmer had been bt^ateu to auch an 
extent that his life w(u) in jeopardy. It was also stated 
that subsequently, other persons had been involved in the 
alleged ofieuce, and that all tlie Europeans cuuld only be 
regarded aa prisoners at large, under surveillance. This 
intelligence reached Loudun on the 17th March 1864. 

The London Society lost no time in representing the 
utuatioQ of its uiissiouaries to the Government, and Mrs. 
Stern hunibJy implored the intervention of her Gracious 
Msjeaty in behalf of her husband. The official stejia 
taken in consequence are thus stated in the Jewish 
Records for May, 1864 :— 

" Immediately on the receipt of the above news, a week 
before they reached the committee, Lord Kussell directed 
the consul general at Alexandria to open up communica- 
tions with Abyssinia, which we hope and pray may result 
in the liberation of the captives, amongst whom, it is to 
be feared, we must number her Majesty's consul also." 

What measures were adopted liy the consul general in 
consequence of these itistruc lions, have not been made 
public. Thus much is certain, that up to the latest data 
no amelioration had taken place iu the situation of the 
captives. 

Setting aside that subject for the present I Rhall now 
proceed to give an account of the aufieringa of the caji- 
tives, of the offences alleged against thein, and of the 
causes which appear to have ^irovuked the hostility of the 



77m BritUU CaplicM, 1863-4. 165 

king towards Europeans generally, but especially towarda 
our fellow-countrymeu. In ho doing I shall coDdenee the 
narrative written by one who waa ou the spot, and ehared 
for a time in the impriBOnment uf Lis brother nilBsionarieu 
but was Bubseqently released, and reached Europn in 
safety.* I shall append a running commentary in bracketo 
wherever allueloQs are made which may not readily be 
understood by the general reader. 

It a[>pears that in September, 1 863, a message 
(lisintcbed by her Majesty's consul tiMnt Gondar to 
llaasowah, was stopped on the way by the governor ol 
Woggera, who seized the letters and sent the messenger 
buck to Gondar. " With the seizure of these letters 
began the suSeringii to which several Europeans, but 
especially Messrs. St«rn aod Kosenthal, were exDosed." 

[It is highly probable that the jwMjket whh the consular 
mail, and contained communications from the Europeans 
generally, and that the seizure was ordered by Tbeodorns, 
whose suspicions had been excited by some treacherous 
persons about him.] 

Captain Cameron having complained of this outioge to 
the king, the latter took the messenger with him to 
Woggera and sent him to the governor to demand bock 
the letters. The governor told biui that they had been 
lost, and when the man repeated this to the king his 
Majesty replied, "He baa done you justice; give bim 
(the servant) stripes into the bargain," 

[By this time Theodorus hod doubtless become ac- 
quainted with the contents of some uf the letters.] 

It was at tbia unfoituiiate juncture that Mr. Stem, 

■ Ths narratiTe in fall will be found in Christian Wort foi May, 
1S64, k mMt iateteating sjid voloabie psriodioal, published at Good 
Words Office, 32, Ludgate Hill. 



266 Abifigiaia />egcrii>etl. 

who had not seen the king ninoe his return to Abyssinu, 
wnited on his Majesty, accompanieil bj a servant of Mr. 
Flad'B, and another belonging to the consul. The latter 
ftoted as Mr. totem's interjireter, but failing to do so 
satisfactorily, the king was enraged and ordered both 
serrantB to be beaten with cadgeK Unable tn restraiu 
his feelings, Mr. Stem turned round and bit his finger. 
This gesture, it appears, ia regarded in Abyisinia as indi- 
cative of revenge, and the king noticing it ordered Stern 
also to be beaten. The two servants died that night, and 
Mr. Stern, whose life also had been in danger, was subse- 
qnently taken to Oondar by the king chained to a xoldier. 
His papers were then searched, but nothing condemnatory 
was at that time found on him. 

The English consul sent immediately to Mr. Flad, 
requesting him to come to liim to act as his interpreter. 
The king, however, refused to admit the consul to his 
preseace, wljeroujwn the latter wrote a letter, in which 
he referred to the friendship which had long subsisted 
between EngUnil and Abyssinia. Thereat the king 
ordered hini to be asked, '■ Where are the proofs of this 
friendship T He meant the lettei's that were expected 
from England. 

[Allusion is here evidently made tn the letter sent by 
Theodonis to Her Majesty, proposing to send a mission 
to England, ic. That letter, as already stated, reached 
London early in February, 1863. It was now Septerolter 
of the same year, and the king, considering that his 
dignity had been slighted, was highly incensed at the 
delay.] 

Stem having BatiHfactority explained his ignorance of 
the local meaning attached to the gesture of biting the 
finger, no more was said on that subject ; but other 



Tfie Hri(i«k Captiiv^, 1863-4. 267 

charges were hroaght Ag^nst him of disparaging the 
king's conduct, and for having taken certain photographic 

[Mr. Stern had taken out a photographic apjutratOH 
with faim and used it. What the nubjects were which 
excited the anger of the king does not appear ; biit in a 
semi-barbarona country where superstition predominates, 
and in Abyssinia especially, where jealousy of foreign 
surveys is notorioiia, the practice of sketching or taking 
drawings by any other process, without the express 
Mnction of the authorities, is highly dangerous,] 

While in prison Mr. Stem employed h'm time in erasing 
the most obnoxious passages from his journals, but every 
attempt made by the Ahuna and the lay missionariefi in 
his behalf &iled, and the king would not endure the 
slightest interference on the part of the coasul. 

" It must not be left unnoticed," says the writer of the 
narrative, " tliat Stern had ouce in Europe B])okeu some- 
what one-sidedly on the aubject of the labouring mission- 
aries at Oaffat. This wa-s discovered by Stern's jiaiwrs, 
and the king thenceforward began to look upon Steru as 
a common enemy both of himself and of hia friends and 
children, aa he named these people. It must likewise 
have been whispered to the king by some one or other 
that there were exprcesiona adverse to him also to be 
found in Stem's j>apers. These were, therefore, all re- 
examined in the king's prcaence, and the Frenchman, 
Burdel, with the Abyssinian, Beru, were commisBioned 
to translate them, while Steru was forthwith put in fetters. 
Besides this, several memorials by Roaenthal were alao 
found and translated." 

[To explain thia : it appeara that on Mr. Steru'a return 
to Abyssinia he bad found fault with some of the artiian 



i_ 



268 Abytainia De»cnhed. 

missionaries for having, as ]ie judged, eottrel; seculameil 
tbem«elvea and their labours, to the abandouiiient of tlin 
liighor object of their niission. Moreover, they worked 
on !!>iiiidaya in the public service, and several of tliem bad 
contracted alliances with native women. As Mr. Stern 
had doubtlew expressed his opinions on this matter to 
the [lartiett themaelvea, it is moHt likely that ha had also 

aflkir iu which the king had 110 right to interfere ; but 
the artisan mii^sionaries were evidently much more prized 
hy him than their clerical brethren, and be consequently 
chose to esi>oiise their cause. 

[It has been uurmised that the lay missionaneH were 
the Srst to complain ou this subject to the king; but 
such an hypothesis ehonlU not be entertained without the 
clearest proof of their complicity. So much ht certain, 
that oti learning this cause of the king's displeasure, 
they urgently petitioned his Majesty on behalf of the 
prixoners. 

[With more show of reason the treachery is presumed 
to rest with the Frenchman Bardel. This person is 
reported to have entered Abyssinia as an adventurer. 
He is sup])osed to have been in league with the ex|>clled 
Jesuits, and was seeking to ingratiate himself with the 
king, to the hope of getting the French consulship, which 
was vacant at the time. Tbeodoms appears to have 
made use of him to convict the missionaries, but his true 
character being subsequently suspected or discovered, he 
fell into disgrace, and we find his name among those 
enumerated in Captain Cameron's note as being chained 
like himself at Goodar.] 

To proceed. On the 13th of November, 18G3, one 
Baa llailu, with 4,000 soldiers, came to Genda, seized 



The British Captives, 1863-4. 269 

moBt of the misiionarieE^ iacludiog Mrs. Flad, Rnii after 
binding them coDdiicted them to Oondar, treating them 
mont ignominioosly hy the way. The day following they 
reached the royal camp, where heavier chains were laid 
upon tliem, and when the Rev, Mr. Rosenthal was also 
bound. Being literally dragged before the king the latter 
asked Foaenthal wbj he had abused him. Rosenthal 
denied the charge, whereupon the king rejoined, " That 
will appear ; put fetters on his feet." 

It appears by the narratiTe Irom which this account is 
taken that in the indiscriminate seizure of the miaaiouaries 
some had been apprehended by mistake ; among the 
latter were Messrs. Flad, Branders, Staiger, and the 
writer of the narrative — all artizana. These the king 
sent for, and received in a most friendly manner, calling 
theto his children, and directing all their property to be 
restored. Meanwhile Stern and Bosenthal were almoat 
starved, and it was only by bribing the gaolers that 
Captain Cameron aud Mr. Flad contrived to sup])ly them 
with sufficient food to sustain life. 

On the 20th of November there was a grand judicial 
assembly, to which all the Europeans were invited. 
Many thousand spectators formed a semi-circle. On an 
elevation opposite them sat the king, and behind him 
the superior of the monks. On the ground beside the 
throne were Zandel and Bardel, a German and a French- 
man. In the middle of the open space sat the other 
Europeans in a row, and beside them the AbygaitiiaJi 
grandees. The two prisoners stood bound by the arm, 
opposite the king, looking — Stern especially — so wretched 
and squalid that it was pitiable to behold them. 

The chief ground of complaint against Stern was an 
observation in his note-book on a previously notorious 



270 Ahysainia Described. 

action of the king. That is, that having gained a victory 
over the rebel Gerred, who liad put to death the English 
consul, Plowden, the king, partly to punish rebela and 
partly in his indignation at the loss of his beloved 
adjutant, Mr. Bell, had caused the captives to be imme- 
diately massacred as a sin offering. Mr. Stern had 
spoken of this as a cold-blooded murder.* Other remarks 
made against Flad and the [artisan] missionariea iu 
Dama were read out, and Stern was reproached with 
them. The complaints against Boseuthal were still 
more grievous ; but the king regarded him as a novice, 
and did not impute his faults to malignity, whereas he 
hated Stern. 

The upshot of this council was that on consulting with 
his gi*aiuleeH some voted for putting the culprits to death, 
that }>eing the penalty prescribed by Abyssinian law for 
those who revile the king; but others dissuaded his 
Majesty from such a step. The advice of the latter 
prevailed, and the two missionaries were freed from their 
chains and coudned in a tent. 

Two days later the following event served to heighten 
the rage of the king, and to add to the peril of all the 
Europeans concerned : — 

*' On the 22nd November, 1863, a young Englishman 
arrived with the long-expected letters. The packet, 
however, contained no letter from the English Govern- 
ment to the king in answer to the one he had dispatched 
K,, to England. The consul only got a letter, with a kind 

of reprimand, and instructions to go to his post at 
Massowah. This was at the moment a most untoward 
circumstance. If the consul erewhile had his hands 



y 



% 

I 



* Soe the qnotationB from Br. Beke's pamphlet. Mr. Stem had 
pnblished similar statements in his book on AbTsainia. 






The SrilM Ctiplivee, 1863-4. 271 

half bound, they were now bound altogether. The king 
had a right to expect an answer from England ; and a 
bvounible answer would, doubtless, have put bim into 
the best possible humour, for he was desirous of the 
triendship of England. But now it is most improbable 
that the king will ever liberate the captives, or evaa 
let the consul go &ee, unless the expected letters arrive." 

Such is the coDclusioD of the mUsionar3r narrative. 
The following, from an entirely iudepeudeut source, and 
oollccted with great care from natives and Europeans 
who hkd good opportunities of knowing what had 
actually transpired, confirms much of the foregoing with 
the addition of several detoib of some importance : — 

" Many causes are assigned for the rupture which has 
occurred between the king and the Europeans. It b 
alleged, in the firet place, that it had been repotted to 
his Majesty that his so-called European friends were iu 
the habit uf going about abuHiug bim and his government 
to his subjects. Cameron, it is said, had been warned to 
repair to the coaflt. He deferred his departure from day 
to day, and on leaving went to the Egyptian frontier, 
retaming from tbeuce to tionilar. This vexed the king 
exceedingly*, but what brought matters to a crisis was the 
fact that the Rev. Mr. Stern had been seen going about 
the country taking sketches. The latter gentleman was 
Apprehended and taken to Qoudar. On Lis arrival there 
the king had some of his servants flogged for not having 
reported tbeir master'^ doings. This action having 
excited Mr. Stem's anger, he had bim flogged alsa As 

* Boaiiiig in micd tho King's jealoosj of the Torks, and tlut 
uboat tbis poriod he throatened an inVMion of SoimaaT, enoh a 
moremeDt on the port of oar coniul, it it Mtnallf ooenrred, mw 
lilcelj to aidb 



272 Abyfsinia Described. 

ill-luck would bare it, a nioiour was circulated at thia 
time that a French general, iritb numerous foUoweia had 
penetrated into the interior with warlike intentiona. It 
aubsequeotlj turned out that the self-styled general waa 
a French adventurer, with a band of about thirty 
vagabond Italians, Germans, and French meu, whoae 
object it appears was to join the Qallaa ^(ainat - their 
hereditary enemies the AmharaH. No sooner, however, 
did they hear of the king's hostile proceedings towards 
the Europeans than they betook tbemselves to the coast, 
and finally reached Aden and Jiddah in a state of 
extreme destitution. 

" After Mr. Stern had been flogged, all the Europeans 
with the exception of some artisans who worked for the 
king, were ordered to be imprisoned, and amongst them 
the French consul, who bad only been three months in 
Abyssinia. He had provoked the king by protesting 
agaiust one of his judicial acts ; but he was released 
shortly after, reached Massowah broken-hearted, and 
finally left for Jiddah. 

" It is also currently stated that the king was highly 
indignant because he had received no answer to a letter 
which he had addressed to the Queen of England, and 
because the Emperor of the French had replied to him 
through the Minister for Foreign ASairs. In tha 
dispatch of the latter, and with reference to a complaint 
which TheodoruB had made respecting the conduct of the 
Egyptian government, his ^lajesty was told that as a 
Christian sovereign he ought to Rhow a good example io 
the quiet ad mi cist ration of his empire. It is reported 
that when this letter was read out to him Theodrus tore 
it to pieces, and trod it under hia feet." 

Such are the details of this most distressing episode in 



The Srituh Captines, 1863-4. 173 

our relations with Abysmnia. From them the reader 
tnajr foirm hia own judgment of the culpability of the 
di&ereut parties concerned. Fortuitous ciroumetances, 
most adverse to the alleged offenders, ruled throoghoiit. 
Captain Cameron's reported visit to the Egyptian 
frontier has j%t to be confirmed ; hat, if true, it may turn 
out to have been one of duty, or be may have hoped to 
leave the country by that route, and was disappointed. 
The EoT, Mr, Stem's use of a photographic apparatus 
may have been iudiscreet, but cannot be held to justify 
bis barbarous treatment by the King. The obnoxious 
passages in his published writinf^s and private corre- 
spondence constitute a more serious charge. The facts 
stated by him were unquestionably true, but he could 
hardly have auticipated the probability of their being 
brought to the notice of Theodorus. Those who were 
guilty of such treachery deserve the highest reprobation ; 
bnt although the King's anger at the discovery may be 
excused, his escesses of cruelty towards the unwary 
writers, who had moreover eulogized him for bis many 
pruaeworthy qualities, cannot be palliated. It was moat 
unfortunate that no aAswer was sent from this country 
to bis Majesty's letter, and more unfortunate still that 
instead of the e^cpected answer orders were sent to the 
consul to repair to the coast, which orders were seized 
and read by the King while Gaptun Cameron was a 
prisoner at his conrt Of course, such a 'contingency 
could not have been foreseen ; but this fresh blow to his 
wounded dignity very natnrally exasperated the already 
highly oSended despot. There cannot be two opinions, 
however, on his conduct towards Her Majesty's 
consul. It is characterised throughont by a wanton 
disregard of the sacred position attached to the represeU' ' 



374 Abt/mnia Dtmribtd. 

tative of a friendly power, and coustitntw ft deliberate 
and most ontrageouB inault to the Sovereiga and OoTem- 
ment of Great Britain. 

The latest intelligence received direct ^m the ckptirw 
is contained in the following note, which Captain Cameron 
succeeded in despatching to Masaowah. As Mr. 9peedj, 
to whom it was addressed, had previoosly lefl that plaoe^ 
it did not reach Aden till the end of April : — 

"GOHD&B, F^. 14, 1864. 

"Myself, Stem, Rosenthal, Cairns, Bardel, and M'Kilvi^ 
are all in chains here. Flad, Staiger, Branden, and 
Cornelius,* sent to Gaffat to work for King. No leleaae 
nntil civil answer to King's letter arriTes. Mrs. Flad, 
Mrs. Rosenthal, and ohildren, all of us irelL Write this 
to Aden, and to Mrs. Stem, 16, Lincoln's-inn-fields. 

" To C. Speedy, Esq., Massowah." 

The above note reached London on the 25th of May 
last, and steps were immediately taken to interrenfl in 
behalf of the captives. It is stated on reliable authority 
that a letter from Her Majesty was addressed toTheodoruB, 
and that other letters were procured from the Coptic 
Patriarch at Cairo to the King, and also to the Abuna 
of Abyssinia. Mr. HormtiEd Bassam was charged with 
the deliver; of these letters, and in the prosecution of his 

* Moat of tbe above are missionimea, bat two of the namas have 
not been recognized. Baidel, aa olroadj mentioned, is a Fraich- 
nuu. " CMnu," or Croire, iH enppoBed to ba a Fienoh bakor, wbo 
waa smplojed by Captun Cameron. 

" Sent to Qaffat to work for King," does not imply pnniaiimeat. 
It waa the ordinary avooalion of the artisan misBianariea named to 
work at their different trades in tbe royal Bstrioe. Mr. Comelina, 
■ a ccdportenr, is dnoe reported to have died of natnial oanaM. 



Tin Brituh C<g>tiva, 1863-4. 375 

miHUon reaohed Maasowah in a steamer belonging to the 
Indian gOTernmeot on the zoth Angnst 

A more judicioos selection could not have been made. 
Mr. Kassam b well known to the EngHah public as Uanng 
co-operated with Mr. Layard in the excaTationa at 
Nineveh, and was very sacceBBful in keeping ap a good 
nnderstandiug between the Arab tribea. For the taiit 
nine years he has been araistant to the Political Resident 
at Aden, and in that capacity ban been employed by the 
Bombay government on several important commiaaiona. 
His tact and discretion may be relied on implidtly, and 
we may be assored that nothing will be wanting on hia 
part to bring the misaioQ with which he has been 
entrusted to a favourable iasue. 

It is to be deplored that thns &r his efibrts have been 
nnsnccessfaL On arriving at Massowah he immediately 
communicated with the King, apprising him that he was 
the hearer of letters from Her Majesty. Intelligence had 
reached him that the messenger had arrived safely at 
Qondar, but as late as the 4th of November, after having 
been at Massowah for two months and a half, he had 
received no reply whatever from the King. He had 
subsequently despatched another messenger, and by the 
last advices was waiting anxiously for a favourable answer, 
in order that he might proceed at once on his mission. 
Should his visit to Qondar be sanctioned by the King 
a great point will have been gained. It will then depend 
very much on the teuor of the letters of which he is the 
bearer whether Theodoras wilt relent and release the 
captives. That, of coarse, is the primary object to be 
desired, and that secured it will then rest with the British 
government to decide how they will vindicate onr Sove- 
reign's inenlted dignity and a nation's honour on the 



276 



Abffuinia Described. 



haughty despot who has dared to outrage both in the 
person of Her Majesty'B representative and other of her 
loyal subjects. 

Haviug thiia stated the vhole case aa regards onr 
captive fallow-countrymen iu Abysunia, I shall conclude 
by quoting the following extract from & recent letter 
written by Dr. Krap( and puhUahed in CMalum Work 
for December, 1864 : — 

" England has shown herself of late very weak is 
Europe, for which, however, she may be praised, as by 
her conduct in continental a&irs she has prevented a 
general European war. But will ehe allow herself to be 
insulted by barbarous and uncivilised nations, merely from 
a motive of saving money rather than her honour t Will 
not only European but even uncivilised nations saj — 
The English lion has grown old and lost his powerful 
teeth t England may be sure that she will lose the 
respect of Eastern nations if she allow an unprincipled 
despot to ill-treat her own representative and Bubjeota 
with impunity. Neither France nor Russia would endara 
such an insnlc." 

Th« Standard, December 33, 1864. 



CONTINUATION OF THE SIORY OF THE 

BRITISH CAPTIVES IN ABYSSINIA. 

NOVEMBER, 1864, IX) JULY, 1867. 



M' 



[* R. BADOEB. having brought the story of the 
captivity down to the end of the year 1864 
the editor has attempted a continuation to the preMnt 
time. 

It will he remembered that Air. Rassam was still 
waiting at Maasowah after having despatched two mes- 
seogere to the King, informing his Highness of his 
arrival, and requesting permission to proceed into the 
interior. This gentleman arrived here in August, 1864; 
and here he remuned until the latter part of the August 
following. The King, althoagb made acquainted with hia 
arrival, did not immediately trouble himself about the 
new envoy. It is said that he was not pleased with Mr. 
Rasaam's letter, which he interpreted to mean that the 
presents would only be handed over to bim when the 
captives were liberated ; and be was annoyed at the fact 
of common messengers being sent with the document. 
Whether tnie or not, it has also been stated that two 
sharp Abjrssiniana from Theodore's court were despatched 
to Uassowah to report to the King the character of the 
embassy, — in other words, the apparent importance of the 
people compoedng it. At any rate, the monarch took no 



278 A lit/Mtnia Described. 

notice of Mr. BaBsam ; anil aa the rebels were to be met 
with ou every road leading to Lis court, and no escort 
was fortliconiiDg to conduct tlie envoy througlj ditiaffected 
Tigrc, the British represeutatiTe thought proper to stay 
at Massowali, uuder Egyptian protection. The Queen's 
letter, too, which Mr. Baesani hnd to deliver, was found 
to bo without the royal signet, and another one properly 
signed had to be eeut fur from London. 

In the meantime, little or no intelligence waa received 
from the captives. Occaaionally they appear to hare 
smuggled a letter to Mr. Bagsam, of whoee mission they 
had heard ; and Bometimea a letter from Mr. Stem would 
reach England ; but ihe infonuation contained in these 
is very scanty, and we scarcely know anything of what 
transpired with Cameron and his fellow-captives betwixt 
November, i8&^, and July, 1865. It would seem that 
for some months after Mr. Rassam's arrival out, all mat- 
ters affecting the jirisonera were in a state of suapenee. 
The King was undecided what course to pursue until 
Bassam's mission Lad either been accepted or declined. 
Up to July, 18O5, Consul Cameron and the misaionariee 
were still in chains ; the King had scarcely noticed them ; 
and their hardships appear to have been increaaed or 
diminished, along with those of the other prisoners, ac- 
cording to Theodore's temper, rather than from any oat- 
bursts of the monarch specially directed against them. 

A paasage in one of Mr. Stem's letters gives us Bome 
idea of their prison life. It waa during this time also 
that the King expressed so much curiosity concerning 
the pictures in aoroe of our illustrated journala which 
had fallen into bis hands : — " Settled down into regular 
prison babits," says ^Ir. Stern, "our days were idled 
away iu listless inactivity or anxious care. Now and 



The Briikh Ckyttioea, 1864-7. *79 

then our evenings were varied by a quarrel with the 
guards, who, reckless aboat space, thronged in gronpa 
into our tents, and impregnated the already atiflhig 
atmosphere with the putrescent odours of their fcetid gar- 
ments and buttered heads. The Negus, too, oooanoDftlly 
relieved the dulness of our existence by a message to the 
Consul, or the gift of a cow or a few sheep. Sometimes 
he also sent and requested to know the meaning of a 
sketch in the lUiutrated London Neux, sometimes of a 
Bible picture, sometimes of aa illuminated advertiaement 
torn out of an unfortunate Monthly ; hut Tnost of aU was 
the inquisitive descendant of Solomon interested by the 
caricatures of Ptmch I " 

The home Government, finding that Mr. Sassam had 
np to this time accomplished nothing, now began to 
tliink of sending another Envoy. Accordingly Earl 
Russell requested Mr. Gifford Falgrave, the Arabian 
traveller, to undertake a mission to King Theodore. Id 
August, 1865, Mr. Kassam was recalled to Aden, his 
previous residence j but having just at this time received 
intelligence from the Abyssinian Court, he started for 
Suez, and telegraphed to Colonel Stanton at Cairo, that 
the King bad written biro a letter, and Cameron had 
been released, and he now wished to know what further 
should bo done. The news of the release was at once 
flashed to England, Mr. Palgrave's mission was stopped, 
and on the following morning all the London papers gave 
the telegram ; but \t was not long before an interpretation 
of the telegram was published in the same papers : — 
"Consul Cameron had been released fivm his chains 

How this mistake occurred is not now very clear ; s 
fuller despatch informed our Gcovemment of the nature 



aSo Abi/aamia DescrUmL 

of the coirespoD deuce which had passed betwixt Theodore 
and our Euvo^, and of the arraugemeut that the latter 
should set out for the Court as sooa as the rainy aeaflOD 
was over. It may he mentioned that during his absence 
from Mosaowah the Embassy bad been strengthened 
by the arrival of Dr. Blanc and Ijent. Prideaux from 
Aden. 

In October, finding that the disturbances around £ju- 
aala (going in which direction thej would avoid the rebels 
of Tigr6) were at an end, they started for Ifatemmeh, 
and in the despatches sent from thence we learn, 
under date " Nov. 27th, 1865. Maiemma. — Bassam, 
Prideans, and Dr. Blanc arrived here from Massowah by- 
way of Kasaala. Great attention paid to the party by 
brother of the Nayab. Display of military at KmMula 
in honour of Mr. Itassara- Abounastill imprisoned by the 
King. Magdala roads very insecure. King Theodore 
has been prowling about between here and Debra Tabor 
for a week, searching for rebels : he is going to Oojam. 
Mr. Eipperte (missionary) says King expects Bassam; 
and that of late he entertains utter cuntempt for all 
Europeans, and has taken into his head to nickname them 
aU by a certain insulting epithet." Prisoners at Debra 
Tabor in same fettered condition. Mr. Bassam makes 
one strange entry in his despatch : — 

" I am sorry to say that slavery is carried ou in these 
parts on a most extensive scale, I am told that during 
the next two months thousands of unfortunate G&lla 
girls and boys will be brought down to the fair, which is 
held here annually at this time of the year. It is re- 
ported that even missionaries do not scruple to deal in. 
this inhuman traffic How far this assertion can be 
relied on, I am unable to say; but I can vouch for 






/' 



The Britith Captivee, 1864-7. ^Si 

one fact, and tbftt ib, there wee certain lay misraoDarieB 
who have been purobaBiDg slaves for the purpoee of 
briog^g them np in the Christian Eutb, which proceeding 
is not only scandalous, but a disgrace to the name of any 
Christian society." 

Already, and before he had seen them, Mr. Bassam 
appears to have bad no small difficulty vith the captives 
themselves. Cameron had been " spending money heed- 
lessly," and a spirit of dissennoa had sprung up amougst 
them. It is amnsing to remark the particulars in some 
of Cameron's hurried notes to Bassam : " Send me more 
money," he writes to the latter, " and a cuckoo clock, 
and a carpet for tbo messenger's master, who runs great 
risks for us." The King at this time was in the Qojam 
mountains, putBuing the rebels. Bardel, the Frenchman 
who is said to have acted treacherously to the English 
captives, "would bave starved but for money given him 
by Cameron." Both Cameron and his fellow-captives 
were chained hand and foot, but the King of a sudden 
recollected them, and sent them a cow apiece. The mis- 
siouary, Flad, was at Gaffat (Nov. 1865), and in com- 
mtinicstion with Mr. Bassam, adviuug him as to the 
hoped-for interview with the King, to whom Rassam 
bad again sent messengers announcing bis arrival thus 
iar (he had previously despatched messengers from 
Kassala asking for an escort), but without having as yet 
received any reply. 

At last, however, tbe King wrote to Bssaam. This 
wss late in December. He said be would be glad to see 
him if he came to Debra Tabor. Accordingly> our envoy 
started to meet his Majesty, and expected to come up 
with bim near the lake Tzana. 

The letter was civil if not friendly, and it was thought 



282 Abyssinia Described. 

that, notwithstanding the delay and disappointment which 
had occurred, the object of the expedition would after all 
be accomplished. Mr. Bassam wrote home at the time : — 

*' The messengers give great hopes as to the succesB of 
our mission ; and from the munificent way the King has 
treated the whole (seven in number), the aspect of matters 
looks more cheering. He dressed them all handsomely, and 
presented each of them with a fine mule. It is currently 
rumoured that the King had been heard to say that he 
would try the European prison ers again in my presence, 
and that he intended to constitute me a judge between 
him and them on the charge of treason." 

The King had also directed a carriage to be prepared 
to conduct the visitors to the Royal Guard in waiting. 
This is the opening of the King's first letter to Bassam : — 

King Tlieodore to Mr, Bassam. 

{Translation.) 

In the name of the Fatlier, of tlie Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost, one God, praise be to Him for ever. Amen. 
To the beloved and noble Uormuz Rassam. 

After ojfering to you salutations, aivd ashing after your 
good health, we praise God abundantly thai toe are weU 
and in the best of health. We inform you that we have 
received your note dated the 22nd November, and under- 
stood it to the letter, and we thanked the Creator for your 
friendship. Now, oh beloved, we have explained to you 
that the omission of our name to this letter has been 
occasioned by the people whom I used to love, and who 
used to sit on my bed [i.e., at my board], but who had 
reviled us, 

Lieut. -Col. Mere wether, who had recommended Mr. 




TTie BrUuh Captmt, 1864-7. 2^3 

RasMun's miuioD, wrote off joyonalj to his GoTenuneDt 
from Aden : — " I am glad to be able to give exoelleat 
reports of Mr. Baasam's prc^^ress ; as I expected, lie bad 
0DI7 to puab on and reacb Matomma to fiad everything 
Btnooth before him." 

With respect to the moneTS which Oameron was dia- 
tributing so nobly amoDgat all the European priaonera 
alike, an act that had broaght npon him the oensnre of 
both Mr. Bassam and lient-CoL Merewether, the latter, 
oveijoyed at the prospect of a release of the prisooers, 
nov expressed himself — " Charge to her Majesty's 
gorerament all disbursements ; any moneys sent up to 
the oaptiveB were intended for the benefit of the whole, 
and to be distributed by Captain Cameron as he found 
best" 

April 18, 1866. — Matters continued to look very 
cheeriDg with Mr. Raaaani and hie party. A letter 
from our envoy at tbie date says : — 

" We are all now staying at the King's court as hia 
guests, and not a day passes without bis showing us 
marked civility and attention. 

"On the 16th instant all the released prisoners were 
brought before him, and after some charges were read 
before the Ministers of State and nobles to different pri- 
soners, they all confessed their faults, and begged hie 
Majesty's forgiveness. The Emperor very graciously par- 
doned them, and said that henceforth be would love them 
and show them the regard which he has shown me and 
my companions. We all bad another meeting with bis 
Majesty yesterday, and nothing could exceed his conr- 
teous and polite behaviour on that occasion. He told me 
that be wished to see more of me, in order that I might 
benefit him with my friendly adrioe. 




284 Abyssinia Described. : 

" From my letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign 
Afiairs, you will perceive that he wishes to have some 
artisans and instructors of artillery ; and I send, in con- 
junction with him, Mr. Flad, one of the released prisoners, 
to carry the letter to England, and bring back an answer. 
Mr. Flad is a very good man." 

Afler giving all the captives their liberty, the King 
expressed a wish that Mr. Flad should proceed to Eng- 
land as his agent, and obtain artisans and tools. That 
the home Government might render every assistance, 
Mr. Rassam wrote that he had sent Flad *' in conjunc- 
tion " with the King. 

Consul Cameron, too, wrote off to a friend in the 
joy of the moment — '^ Mr. E^ssam will have imparted to 
you the good news of our deliverance from imprisonment, 
and of our having been formally reconciled with his 
Majesty the King Theodore since our arrival here ;" and 
most of the other prisoners announced the good tidings 
of their release to their relations at home. 

From Dr. Blanc's letter, written two days after, we can, 
however, just begin to discover Theodore's policy. Dr. 
Blanc writes : — 

" His Imperial Majesty has just given us some very 
handsome presents, and continues to treat us with the 
kindness he showed us since our arrival in the country. 
A few days ago I sent you an account of the handsome 
hospitality and reception we had met at his hands. The 
Emperor desires, /or tfie sake 0/ friendship, that we sliould 
stay a few months longer in his country ; if it was not for 
our families at home, nothing could be more agreeable 
to us." 

The desire that Mr. Kassam and his friends should not 
leave jtLst yet was the first intimation of the King's in- 
tention in the future. 



The Bntith Captives, 1864-7. ^^5 

After this nothing more was heard direct from Mr. 
liBsutn for some weeks, and the rumour at Alexandria 
that Cameron bad tried to escape without saying "good- 
bye" to the King — which the latter had particularly 
requested — was the only news of any kind that arrived 
in this country from the captives up to the end of June. 

Mr. Flad, who had been despatclied to England for 
artisans and tools, reached Aden, on his way to London, 
June 2iBt ; and as " he had not a change of clothes," and 
was without money, the consul there gave him some. 

It was from Mr. Fiad that the story of Bossam's failure 
in negotiating the release of the captives, and the subse- 
quent imprisonment of all the Europeans, was obtained. 
From him we learnt that, on the very day the King had 
appointed for the captives to leave on their return jour- 
ney, the whole of the party, including Mr. Rasaam, her 
Majesty's envoy, and his companions, Frideaux and Dr. 
Blanc, were suddenly made prisoners by order of the King. 
Mr. Flad, too, was seized and imprisoned along with 
the rest The alleged reason was that the captives had 
started without bidding his Majesty farewell. Rassam 
tried to explain that be iiad come himself to say good- 
bye, but that his Majesty had given the others permission 
to depart at once. This was of no avail. The King did 
not really want them to go, and he only trumped up the 
best excuse he could for detaining theei. Bassam aud his 
two companions were treated with some show of dignity. 
They were allowed to sit on the carpet, and when ordered 
from the King's presence were taken to a tent ; whilst 
the missionaries and other captives were sent to a new 
prison, buill a/ortnight be/ore, to hM Mr. Rateam and At* 
friends I The natives now began to whisper that a tRonth 
previcmdy the King had made up his mind to keep 



386 Abyaainia Deteribed. 

Bassam, in order to get ft "kua" (ft mnsoin) from the 
Qaeeo. 

On one occasion tbe King asked the Earopean artinns 
vhat he should do with Mr. RaaBam. " Let him go," they 
said, "and make friendship with England." "Bat," 
replied the monarch, " if they are gone, what hare 1 1 
An empty hand ! " — in other words, no hostages. 

In Abyssinia, if a man is tnmblesome or obnoxioiu, 
the &shion appears to be for the monarch to have him 
killed ; if any money or inflneace can be made oat <^ 
him, he is kept as a hostage. The personal effects of the 
prisoners were registered ; part was kept by the King, 
the rest was handed back to the owners. Cameron's party, 
at Korata, were made to mount their mules, and taken to 
a village to hear a King's letter read. AH their clothes 
and goods were takea from them, and they were chained 
two and two. Mr. Flad says — "In the evening we were 
brought in two different houses, the ladiesand children to- 
gether with us. We had no bed and nothing to eat^-every- 
thingwaa taken from us. It was something heartrending 
to hear the poor tittle children weeping and crying, one 
asking for a bit of bread, another for milk, and another 
for his supper and his bed." The fearful night panied ; 
they were taken to the other side of the Lake, and tben 
conducted to their prison, a mile off! On the day after, 
they were all brought before his Majesty. Bassam's 
party was utting on the carpet To the soldier who had 
to take Cameron's chain off, the King jestingly said, 
" Take care, don't touch him [Cameron] ; he is unclean." 
Bardel, the Frenchman, was also released. The King 
now commenced questioning i " Why did yon wish to go 
from my country before you took leave of me 1 To 
those who had none, I wished to give money and » 



The SrUUh Captives, 1864-7. ^87 

mnle for the journey ; bat you [Mr. Basmm] uud you 
had males and money enough. For your sake, now they 
are in chaiuB again. From the day you said you wished 
to send them by another road I got sospioioaB, and 
thought that you wished to do so in order that you might 
■ay in your country you had released them by yonr 
prudence or by your power. Who are you ! Are you 
a king 1 Or are you only the servant of the Queen 
of England I" 

The King then otose-queslioned Cameron, Flad, Stern, 
Boaentlial, and the rest ; all of whom pleaded " Quilty," 
as their wisest course. Mr. Stem suggested that, as 
St. Peter bad in a bad hour betrayed his Master, and was 
foi^ven for the act, so King Theodore might forgive him ; 
but the latter did not seem to thiuk so. 

" Did you not call me a wild king, because I killed 
that man at Oondar ) " asked the King of Ronentfaal 

"Yee,Idid." 

"Well, then, that man was a murderer ; and in your 
country they put murderers to death," retorted the King. 

They were now all requested to rise ; and Haasam was 
tdld that as the guilt of the whole party had been con- 
cluaiTely shown to him, he must stay as a hostage, and 
send to England for mechanics " to open the Eiog's eyes." 
After this, the King appeared to be extremely anxiona 
to prove that he waa of noble blood, although his mother 
was poor [she sold tapeworm medicine]. Fifteen wit- 
nesses wei'e immediately called to show that his mother 
come from the line of the ancient kings ; the whole of 
which bmily history Mr. Bssaam and party having 
patiently listened to, the King was again entreated 
to let the prisoners ffx. " Sot now," was the answer. 

On the following day they were all called up to hear 



288 Abyssinia Described. 

Dr. Beke*s petition read, which had just arrived from 
Massowah. [Dr. Beke having offered to take a petition 
from the relatives of the captives to King Theodore, he 
reached the coast just at this juncture.] Cameron read 
the document, and the King seemed somewhat softened. 
It alluded to Flowden, and the time when Theodore was 
fighting for the crown ; and the latter broke out, " It is 
the devil who made me angry with you. From my child- 
hood I liked the English. By the power of God ! I will 
fight the Turks, but I never thought of fighting the 
English. Mr. Hassam, you are the best man I ever 
saw in my life ! I pray you all to forgive me." They 
all knelt down and asked the King to forgive them. 
He replied, " For God's sake, I do forgive you ! " He 
then gave them all liberty to write to their friends, and 
promised shortly to release them. 

For the moment, Dr. Beke*8 appeal seems to have 
touched the better nature of the King, but he soon re- 
lapsed to his old idea of a substantial ransom before 
liberation, and the workmen and implements from Eng- 
land he was determined to have. The King again told 
Hassam that he wished him to stay with him until his 
friend the Queen of England would send him a " kasa,'' 
i. e,y artists, tools, machines, &c, ; for which purpose he 
(Rassam) should write letters, and send one of the 
Europeans, as previously arranged, who would bring back 
the ^^kasa." The King himself dictated this second 
letter, and he again selected Flad to carry it, for the 
reason, he afterwards said, that *Ho a European, his 
heart is his wife, and his eyes are his children. Mr. 
Flad has a wife and three children, whom I will keep 
here, and then I am certain that he will return and 
bring me an answer.** Mr. Flad left at the end of April, 



The British Caplivtg, 1864-7. '^9 

the Sing making a great show of friendship and courtesy 
to Mr. Bassam on the day when he took his departure, 
giving him preeenta, on purpose that the miaMonaiy 
might carry the newB to Europe. The King sent away 
all the soldiers who had been hitherto watching the cap- 
tivea day and night, saying, " Get oS, you naughty people ; 
it ia not necessary that you watch my friends and my 
brother RsBBam." 

Mr. Flad then started, after "taking a beartboming 
leave" of " his wife and dear children, leaving them in the 
hands of the savage Theodore, the cruel, inhuman, and 
sly despot." The missionary ends his letter by begfpng 
that " no public use may be made of it ;" but the Foreign 
Office thought differently, and published the document 
three months aga If, as they say, Theodore gets a great 
many more books and papers concerning himself than is 
generally believed, it is to be hoped that the report of 
Mr, Flad will not fall into the King's hands, or mischief 
may ensue. 

In due course the missionary reached London, when 
he sent to our Government a most interesting account 
of the origin and progress of the captivity, from which 
the following passage may be worth reproducing here : — 

" Captain Cameron, when he first came to Abysunia, 
brought with him M. Bardel, a Frenchman, as secretary, 
a man of very equivocal character ; quarrelling with him 
and separating, he made him his constant enemy. I 
believe he is one of those who put suspicion against Mr. 
RasBBm and the English Government into the heart of 
the King, and who advised him to take hostages from 
England, else they would revenge themselves, after they 
had liberated their subjects. 

"M. Bardel, after having been dismissed, entered the 



ago Ahi/gginUt Described. 

King's service. The King sent him with a letter to tl 
Emperor of France. The coatenta of the letter wei 
similar to that sent hy Captain Cameron to the Queen < 
England. 

[It is now well known that this letter ma Ajorgen 
M. Bardel obtained an audience with an inferior Frenc 
official, but finding that he could gain no admission t 
the Imperial presence, be conoocted a reply to Theodoi 
and dabbed a large imitation official wax seal on th 
outside.] 

"After nine months, M. Bardel returned with an an 
gwer to the King's letter. Though his Majesty was no 
much pleaf«d with the answer of the Emperor Napoleon 
he gave permission to the French consul, M. Lejean, an< 
Dr. Lugard, who had been kept for three or four month 
as ])risoners, to leave his country. [They can scarcely b 
called "prisoners," as they were allowed to go at largt 
to do what they liked, and have what they wanted,— 
Hilly tiiey were bold uob (u lesre without tbe £ing'« par 
mistion. They were never treated like the Britid 
captivea] At that time M. Bardel reported in Abyi 
sinia that the English GoTernment would eend no answei 
to the King, because they like much more the E^yp 
tians than him. From whence M. Bardel had receive* 
this information I don't know. I mUst say, the Qovam 
ment, the newepajyers, and societies like that who aeni 
Dr. Beke^ acted very imprudently since our captun 
began. If some of those letters and despatches shook 
be seat by one of our enemies to King Theodore, thej 
would be enough to provoke him to kill in one day 
not only the Eoglish, but every Surapeao. Until th( 
Oovemmont has succeeded in procuring their releaa^ t)u 
newspapers should write no articles regarding them. Thit 



The BrUiA CapUves, 1864-7. 291 

is now especiallj neoenary, becaiue M. Bardel is again od 
rery friendly tontui with Theodora, and he has his oorre- 
spondeat, Pater Delmanty (Boman priest), at Massowah 
and Hallai. M. Bardel is a man who would not caie 
much if all our people shonld be killed in one day." 

Mr. Flad then gives a particular account of the oanses 
which led to the captivity ; and ends his paper by saying 
that, " if England takes a hostile position against Abjs- 
nnia, there is reason to fear that a btalist like the King 
irould at once slaughter all our people, together with his 
European workmen ; or, as soon as hostile troops enter 
Abyswoia, he might take our people, and retiring to any 
distant Oalla country, he would torture them, in order 
to force them to write, that the troope shall leave his 
dominions. Therefore, it is most desirable to finish with 
this man in peaoe." Both Flad and the other Europeans, 
however, advised a different policy soon after this. 

Just at this time it was reported that the E^gyptians 
had determined upon a descent into Abyssinia, in the 
B(^s country, to settle an old boundary quarrel ; but 
both Mr. Flad and Colonel Merewether begged of our 
Government to request Egypt to abstain from such a 
course at this juncture, as it would certainly be construed 
by Theodore as the result of English interference. 
Whether true or not, the authorities at Cairo denied 
any such intention on their part. 

For some time after Flad left, the King was " more 
kind than ever," inviting Mr. Rassam out on a shooting 
excursion, presenting him with a handsome gnn, and 
giving hia friends fine horses and saddles. To mark 
further bis respect for England, he gave a grand enter- 
tainment on the 24th of May, and fired a royal salute In 
honour of her Majesty's birthday. The oocaaion waa 



I 292 Abf/ssinia Described, 



kept as a general holiday, and nothing but feasting was 
i thought of. It is such freaks as these which make the 

present Abyssinian difficulty so incomprehensible. 

When Mr. Flad had gone, Rassam found that the King 
had a great number of European workmen engaged for him, 
making small cannons and mortars, which, however, were 
so imperfectly formed that the gunners could not hit any- 
thing with them. Bassam wrote to Colonel Merewether, 
at Aden, to send him some books upon artillery practice, 
and begged him to include '' a dozen pieces of shirting, 
and no end of buttons ! ** 

After he had been a few weeks in England, Mr. Flad 
obtained an audience of her Majesty, and he wrote to 
Theodore that he hoped to be back at Massowah in 
October. " Of her Majesty," he wrote, " I have seen 
nothing but friendship. Once I had dinner at her 
Majesty's castle. Queen Victoria is a little grieved, 
saying, ' Why has the Emperor Theodore not sent over 
to me the prisoners, whose relations are daily weeping 
before me?"' In conclusion, Mr. Flad gives the King 
a little European news : '* There is a great war in 
Germany ; the King of Prussia humbled himself before 
Crod, and was earnestly praying, out of which came that 
he got the victory over Austria. Throughout Europe 
is great sickness, and a number of people die every day. 
In Persia sixteen villages were swallowed up from the 
earth." 

In the next communications from the captives we 
learn that cholera had broken out in the royal camp, 
and the King had removed his army to Debra Tabor, and 
sent Hassam with his companions on to GrajOQit. They were 
all well treated up to July 8, but afler that the King's 
manner suddenly changed. Their property was taken 



The Brititli Captives, 1S64-7. 293 

from them ; they were put in irons, and sent off to 
HagdaU. " M. Bardd accompanied them, but apparently 
more as a soldier of the King tlian as a prUtmer." Mrs. 
Flad wrote to her husband, " Samuel has made all this 
mischief^ and certainly he has been influenced by M. 
Bardel, who ie in the King's favour." The miBaiouaiys 
wife, however, was told by Theodore not to be alarmed, as 
she " was the wife of hia son Flad." 

IVhilat the King had been bo earneBtly looking after 
his prisoners, Tussoo Gobezi had conquered the country 
as far aa Qondar. Agowmeder, t4X>, had been taken. 
Waksbam Gobezi had entered Adowa, and all Tigr6 was 
expected shortly to be under his rule. 

It may be remembered that attention has been called 
in various parts of this work to certain French influence 
which from time to time has interfered with English in- 
terests in AbysBinia. We have now to mention a matter 
which may or may not have had a great influence upon the 
jealous and susceptible Theodore. Count du Biason, a 
French adventurer, who proclaimed himself " founder of 
the French colony in Abyssinia," published in August a 
most impudent and false account of affturs in Abyssinia 
in the Joti/mal de Nice, which account was aJlerwards 
copied into Egyptian and other papers. After stating 
that the Emperor had an army of zoo,ooo warriors 
devotedly attached to his cause, .who are anxious to be 
led against the rebels in Tigr6, he asserts that an English 
company has sold arms and ammunition to Gobezi, a 
crazy negro, the leader of the rebel army. He aleo 
charges the governor of Aden with having sent large 
quantities of materials of war for the same purpose. But 
the moat astounding assertion of Da Bisson is yet to 
come. Withont any qualification whatever, he declares 



194 Ai fiimMiii /I t F i hrf . 

tlitt &gl«ikd hm utaAe f i nj i um w »■ »» ■■ mm to the rebel 
dutt, lor ibe [iip ow of poMHHag bmotf ^ Ute wUy. 
I^ tbe Coont praoenK tfca N<««B ■ dcteted, ib« bIm* 

iriD pnGt br it : abe viU beooiBe tbe mtMreH of the 
Bed Sm, aai the centre ot Afnes — the richcM cooDtiy 
IB the vorid. The Bed Scb »iU becMne bat an Fjigii.|[ 
U1e«, utd Efi^Uoil will r»*p %h^ b<M>«6t of tb« works at 
Snez. Itut if victorioiu in Tigr£, the rebeli will hsTe to 
deMcnd to the pUin», where tkej will meet the Ambus 
oeotaani, and a battle of Tiiaoa will be fought, id com- 
{arison with which the pett j wan of Europe will be niera 
diildVplaj — a battle in which no quarter wQl be asked 
or given, no priaoners taken, and from wliicli no fbgitivec 

The black face of Theodore turned pale (sie) with 
nge OD hearing of the sncceMes of the rebels, and their 
Engliiih alliei<. He gave immediate orders to iiiniiii m 
the English prisoner*, and it waa onlj through the inter' 
ventiun of the " belle " Empress their lireii were spared. 

Commodore liassam's embassy, writes the Count, baa 
been attended with the most disastrous results. All the 
members which constituted it are in irons. The King 
refused to n-lease Mr. Cameron, except on the foUowiug 
conditions, which Kassam readily agreed to : — 

1. The immediate return to Calcutta of all the English 
troops collected at Aden. 

2. The relinqaiahing of the Egyptian territory north 
erf Abyssinia, and the dissolution of the Soudanian army 
of the Viceroy. 

To these points he willingly acceded, but Theodore 
informed Mr. Rassam that he must remain in the country 
until the complete execution of the treaty. Ur. Flad wms 
accordingly despatched to England with thii ultimatum, 



•nd on leaviDg the King tbreateiteJ liini tliat if lie did 
■ot retarn hia wife and chiidreii aliould In: Nuld bh hI&vcm. 

SoeliiB the substance of tliiMfiilaore|>ort. Itiiidillicult 
to iM what advantage Du Bidsoii could ex\Mxi from 
inbGahiDgit, naleea it wuh the liojie tlmt Tlicodore uight 
npge him as a French a<,'eDt to amni in ]>iittiiig difWii 
the rcbela of Tigrc, and reprciKiit iiiiu at Ma«iowali or 
<ln«here. That the article was written i'oT Tlieodbro'ii 
tjt there can be but little doubt. 

The qnestion of taking vigorons meuureN agaiubt 
Aeodore was now (Sept. If^GG) begiuuiut; to U waiiuljr 
*BOMed in London [wlitical circles. OA. iKre*eihftr 
m in England couuueDiug the G'^Tfruiuent : ' The 
4nat of punishment liaving been p^wed. -houM U 
*ac&j adhered to. To ensure succeip, lm ]**= thui 
9i000 to 10,000 trooj-B elould be eiLj'.IoytJ, atd for 
ft"B the India Offsets should be co^sal-.r- Howevtr, 
■ afint mea-'^ure it was deterniineJ v, m:.j a Q-eti,* 
I«»byMr. Flad. This kiwr ww =r-_ -.-t ir-Hu-Lj. 
■dwu decorated with the ■■kr?e>i ^s^-' tU^ iw 
inoe miKht be sofficieLiijr imy-&J-t '•' Tifevi-^r* 




296 Abi/8sinia De&cribetL 

Theodore in the peaceable possession of his dominions, 
and in return for this they should expect him to liberate 
the captives forthwith." 

The artizans, with the presents, were sent on to 
Massowah under the care of Col. Merewether, with 
instructions to await the result of the Queens letter 
sent bj Mr. Flad. When the captives arrived from the 
interior, the presents wei*e to be despatched. 

On returning to Massowah, Flad heard gloomy news 
from his wife and friends. The King's conduct, as we 
have seen, became harsher soon after he left. All the 
Europeans, workmen and captives, were confined in the 
natural fortress of Magdala, and employed upon the King's 
work. The women captives were set to making shirts for 
his Highness. Some of the artizans were engaged upon 
cannon of a very large size, and at the foot of the 
mountain the King had his camp. The Tigre country 
being in the hands of the rebels, Flad sent on her 
Majesty's letter, and waited the result. He, however, 
began to think that the letter would not have the desired 
effect, — it was too cold in its friendship for Theodore, 
promised too little, and asked too much ; and he wrote 
home the advice of Captain Cameron which he had just 
heard, '' G^ to war at once !" Theodore, too, began to 
think that he might not get all he asked, for he was heard 
to say, " Mr. Flad is bringing either something good or 
something very bad." It seemed, wrote Mrs. Flad, to 
be his intention to irritate the English Government 
until they conquered back for him all the lost provinces 
of his empire, and for this purpose he took such great 
care of Mr. Bassam, thinking he could make good use of 
him. " I know," he once said, " Mr. Kassam is a great 
man, and some one will come to ask for him." 



The British Captives, 1864-7. 297 

As the state of affaire did not seem encoaraging, Mr. 
Flad expressed a desire to retiim to London, or at least 
to Suez, but the Consul very properly objected to this. 
The next news from the captives was to the i7tli of 
September. Mr. Raesam complained of the harsh treat- 
ment of the King, the result of false reports which had 
been circulated about the intentions of England towards 

" If I live to see you again," he wrote to Colonel Mere- 
wether, " you will be more than surprised to find that 
through the foolish talk of some fools and nilschief- 
makere, the good understanding which I hod established 
between the Emperor of Abyssinia and England are 
destroyed. It is a melancholy a&ir altogether, and I 
trust that I shall have it in my power one day to write 
fully regarding it." 

ACler a few days, the King found, as before, that there 
was no foundation for the reports ; the chains were 
then taken &om their legs, and he once more became 
" friendly." In this way the King's attentions vacillated : 
Bometimea he persisted in laying the oaqiets for them to 
ut upon ; then be ordered them to be donble chained and 
put into a dark room. This change of feeling was doubt- 
less the result of French and other sinister reports 
circulated against the captives. Of counie this continual 
variation iu the monarch's affections was attended by many 
absurdities, and when we learn that he shortly after 
made his appearance at Bassam's tent with a bottle of 
B[)irits and some wine, suggesting that they ought to 
diink each other's health, and act aa Christiana — being 
always ready to forgive each other — one cannot help 
smiling at the bottle Friend and the Obristian King. 
" Don't look at my tux," Theodore said to Cameron one 



298 Abyssinia Described. 

day, '' but look at my heart." Ten days after this they 
were all in chains again, two and two, bread only being 
allowed to three of them. 

It may be imagined that this confinement had begun 
to tell upon the captives. Dr. Blanc^ in a most interest- 
ing letter, written when he was doable chained, says : — 

'^ Abyssinian prison life is a curious one : we are silent 
prisoners, still the friends of his gracious Majesty, and 
treated with the favour only shown to a few privileged 
captives. Want of exei*cise is a great privation ; it is 
very difficult to walk any distance with our irons. A 
ring is hammered on each leg (anything but a pleasant 
<^eration), and three links passed in the rings keep the 
legs in close proximity to one another ; the iron resting 
on the ancle is very painful, so that every morning we pat 
some bandages above the ancle to avoid the friction. Still 
it is a nuisance, as with all care vermin do get into them. 
We have altogether a curious aspect — nothing of the 
officer, the consul, and the reverend ; some of us, I 
amongst them, without shoes or stockings (and that for 
the very good reason that having only a pair of shoes 
I keep them in case (! !) we should ever go out), with 
trousers ripped on the side and buttoned so as to be able 
to put them on, or else made of a very thin Abyssinian 
cloth, so as to be able to pass between the rings. Clothes 
more or less worn out, with straggling beards and shaven 
heads, sunburnt, and altogether seedy-looking, we have 
more the appearance of real criminals than of hostages. 
Mr. Stern is rather breaking down j he worries too mach. 
Cameron is picking up wonderfully— -eats like ten men, 
and absorbs liquid in the same proportion. Mr. Rosen- 
thal is quite well ; and Rassam is fat and well, though 
much older. Prideaux is well too; and I am in ^ar 



The Brilvh Captives, 1864-7. ^99 

health, thongh I have suffered much from nenralgu. 
We are all gettiag grey, even Frideanz, though it doe* 
sot show muoh on account of the natural light colour of 
hu hair. 

" Before coming here, we used to Bay that a good glass 
of ale and a good cheroot were amongst the blessinga of 
civilized life we most regretted ; now we only long for a 
walk, our ambition not reaching even to a ride." 

In December, 1866, Sir Andrew Buchanan reported 
to our GoTemmeut a BQggestion mode by an Armenian 
at St. Petersburg, that the Armenian Patriarch at 
Constantinople could, if applied to, obtain the release of 
the Abyssinian captivea A communication was at onoe 
made to Lord Lyons, and the Patriarch wrote a very 
flattering testimonial to the " manifest virtues with which 
God has endowed King Theodore," and condnded by 
begging the release of " hia Majesty's slaves — the English 
consul and his companions." The letter was duly de- 
spatched ; but, as is now well known, only produced 
one or two &lse telegrams of the liberation of the 
captives. 

At the end of January, 1867, Mr. Bassam found means 
to send to our Qovemment a full relation of all that had 
transpired betwixt himself and King Theodore, including 
copies of nearly forty letters written by the latter. The 
hopelessness of obtaining a release of the Europeans by 
civil means now became apparent to CoL Merewether. 
The prisoners themselves had long before advised sharper 
measures ; and he wrote to Lord Stanley, " I feel it my 
duty to state my conviction, that the last chance of effect- 
ing the release of the captives by conciliatory measures 
baa failed." Another letter was then sent to the King 
by Col. Merewether from Aden, although bnt little 



300 Abi/ssinia Described. 

good was expected to come of it. In cypher, Mr. 
Eassam had added at the foot of his last commuDication 
[he was afraid to say in plain language what he thought, 
as the letter might he laid hefore the King], ** Emperor 
has scarcely any country left, so he is desperate.** It was 
known, too, that every day his army was hecoming 
smaller, and that only the superstitious feeling with 
which he was regarded prevented the surrounding chiefs 
from falling upon him at ouce. *' Ahyssinia is wearied 
of him/* said one of his own officials. 

During this time of suspense the artizans and presents 
remained at Massowah. Two French prisoners, it is 
understood, after having been liberated by Theodore, 
entered his employ. A Mr. Kerens also asked for his 
liberty, that he might engage himself^ but he was refused 
'* because he was an Englishman.** This last act indicated 
to the English prisoners that they were again in dis- 
favour. 

The next intelligence (February 15) came from one of 
the missionaries confined at Gaffat. Mr. Staiger sent a 
long gossiping letter which gives an admirable picture of 
their prison life, and the hopes of the captives, but it is 
too long to reproduce here. The pith of it was that the 
captives were becoming heartily tired of the suspense, and 
trusted that vigorous measures would now be taken ; 
they only '^ feared that Mr. Kassam will admit [permit] 
the King again to humbug him." 

Mr. Flad having left Massowah for the interior, had 
now started to meet the King at Debra Tabor, taking 
with him the articles purchased with the King*8 money. 

In April of the present year, as will be remembered, 
Lord Stanley addressed an ultimatum to King Theo- 
dore, giving him three months to liberate the captives. 



Tha BtUuH Captives, 1864-7. 301 

or to tale the conaequenoes of not oomplyioj; with 
that request Since this time further particulars have 
reached us from the prieonera ; but the informatioa 
is of that varying kind which has characterized all 
previous intelligence : now the King is friendly and 
attentive; then he manifests enmity, and half atarvea 
them. Bardel had been making more mischief — enticing 
Staiger and four others to run away with biro, and then 
revealing the project to the King, who rewarded the 
Frenchman, and put the others in chains. It was 
Staiger's wife who wrote to Col. Merewether that the 
King had received a letter from a European at Massowah, 
informing him that the tntentions of the English towards 
him were bod. 

A. spy of the King's was in this town at the end of 
April 1866; hevisited the Catholic (French) Miasion, and 
saw there a priest named Delamont£ [or Delmanty], who 
had a copy of Earl Bussell's despatch to Colonel Stanton. 
This Delamont6 was a correspondent of Bardel, and 
most probably communioated the essence of that despatch, 
which was used by Bardel to promote his own views. 
Of course there is such a thing as unreasonable preju- 
dice ; but when particulars of thia nature come from a 
Tariety of independent sources, it would be absurd to dis- 
n^rd them. 

News up to the end of March only represent the 
country aa in a atill worse plight. The captives were 
treated pretty much the same, but the Kieg'a army had 
dwindled down to 5,000 men, and when several deserters 
had been captured, the King bad them all put into a hut 
and burnt alive. Owing to the rebellion, he held only 
one province, Begemeder ; but now that had revolted, 
and, to add to the general confusion, Tigr4 waa in a state 



302 Abyssinia Described, 

of rebellion against itself. [There is, doubtless, a little 
exaggeration in these two statements.] We are alao 
told : — " His seventy-seven concubines are lodged here 
(Magdala). German workmen employed by him are 
at Gafiat, close by, making implements of war and 
strong drink for his majesty." On May 3rd, Mr. BaBsain 
found means to despatch another letter. From it we 
learn that the King had, on this occasion, vented his 
temper upon all the European workmen at Gaffitt, 
suspicious of their having held secret intercourse with the 
Turks. Some rebels, too, having heard that Flad was 
coming with valuable presents and 3,000 crowns, were 
lying in wait for him. 

It is curious to observe the guarded way Mr. Itassam 
writes : " The temper of our friend is getting worse 
every day ! May the Lord save us ! " "I only hope 
the Government will settle the account with owr friend 
' promptly.^ " . The expression " our friend," if the letter 
should fall into the King's hands, would at least seem 
respectful, and the inverted commas to <* promptly** 
might be understood as the Government saw fit. 

Lately Tussoo Gobezi intercepted a messenger from 
Massowah, who was proceeding to the British prisoners 
with 4,000 dollars. '' Holloa ! " said Tassoo, when the 
man was brought before him, '^ you look rather heavy. 
Where do you come from 1 where are you going ? " The 
man had to tell the truth, and Tussoo replied, '^ Well, 
the English were once friendly with Theodore ; now 
they are offended with him, and can't be sending him 
money ; neither is it right to send money to his prisoners. 
The English don't know me, nor I them ; but I know 
myself. I want the money ; " saying which, he 
took it. 



The BrilUh Captives, 1864-7. 3^3 

The news Bince Ma^ 3rd, giren in the captives' l«tten 
to their friendB, may be Bummarized as follows : — 

" The King is getting more desperate every day." 
" Samuel* is very gloomy aboat the fature. A crisis is 
imminent. A few days ago the King gave orders to 
bum alt the prisoners at Debra Tabor, but postpoued the 
execution until after Easter. Should he put bis threat 
into execution, he will also kill the prisoners on this 
amba [hill], Including the Bishop, and perhaps ourselves." 
" He knows that he is lait, and cares little for what he 
does." [This story of burning alive, witli some of the 
other statements, must be received with caution. The 
captives themselves are, doubtless, so embittered against 
the King and his country, by reason of their unwarrant- 
able i in prison m en t, that they cannot altogether be con- 
sidered as impartial observers of what is taking place 
around them.] After begging the Oovemment to send 
out a force at once, the writer concludes, " Action is, for 
us, life ; — delay, death ! " 

iSlh May, 1867, Magdala. — Flad has arrived at 
Matemmeh, and seen the King, who has been informed 
that unless he released all the prisoners according to the 
Queen's letter, there would be war with England, if not 
with France and Egypt. Theodore replied, " Let them 

* This Stunnel (the Emperor's etewurd) ig Simaet QeOTgis, or 
HQHSein, tha seirant of Dr. Bote when on hia joomo; to Sboa in 
1S40. He joined Major Hiuris's misBioa to tlie King of Shoa in 
the following- year ; and hag sinoe been in the emplojment of Bell 
and King Theodore, Widoly different opinions are entertained of 
Sanmel'H profeagion of friendship for the British oaptireB. Some 
of the DuaBionaiiea uttribate moat of their miafortunsa to hia 
ttMcherooB condaot ; while Mr. Baasam thinks the; might &I1 have 
beea killed long ago bat for his friendly interrention in their 



304 Abyimnia Degeribed. 

Dome." [Before Flad returned, the King bad been imeaajr 
at tbe Hucceiw of his mission to England. He had said to 
the artizauB — now bis prisoners — " When Flad oomes^ i/ 
all is right, you will return to Qaffiit ; if not, knov that 
you are my enemies."] The whole of the workshops at 
Gafikt had been destroyed. Flogging wai going on at 
sncb a rate in the royal camp, that the servants, before 
entering the King's presence, always recommended their 
souls to Qod ! [Ab before remarked, these statemente 
must be received with caution. The same may be said of 
the following.] 

2olli May, Magdala. — All communications with Debi« 
Tabor stopped. Rebels are within sight of the royal 
camp, and as far as Djeddah, thirty miles from bere> "So 
newB from Gafittt for many weeks. We hear they are all 
in chains, including the women. 

iilJiJune, Magdala. — Servants sent to Debra Tabor to 
fetch M. Flad's things, seized and plundered by anofiScer 
who had run away with zoo horsemen from the Eliog's 
camp. The peasants all in arms between this [Magdala] 
and Debra Tabor. We cannot get a messenger to 
venture out. Ras Adeloo Tamaroo, one of the King's 
greatest chiefs, has deserted with all his troops, which 
are about half the entire camp. He has gone to Yedjow, 
bis own province. The country is in the greatest alarm, 
and the King is on his last legs. Tchelga has also 
rebelled ; and D&oont and Talauta, both close here, and 
the former on the Debra Tabor road, expected to go any 
day. All tolerably well in health. 

^oth June, Magdala. — An ultimatum has been sent to 
the King that unless we are at the coast by J7th August, 
other measures will be used. If willing for us to go, he 
can't see us safe out of the country, as it is full of rebels. 



The BritiA Captives, 1864-7. 3°5 

Gflnend opinion ia lie will atick to us to the last Our 
health atill pretty good, except oolde. Trying to make 
onraelvea comfortable for the rainy aeason. Our houae 
repidred, and made water-tight. We have got a little 
garden, — beaos, peas, and auch like. 

4^ JtUy, MasMKaA. — Gondar in poaaesBion of the chief, 
Tuaaoo GobezL 

The lateet account from the priaoners at MagdeU is 
down to July 27. They were then all well. " Rains had 
commenced. The most recent dates from the King's camp 
at Debra Tabor were of the i ith of July. At that place 
there waa heavy rain. All the captives were pretty 
well, and were being well treated. The King's conduct 
to them was cold and indifferent. The country round 
about was in a disturbed state. Direct commuuication 
between the Kiog't) camp and the coast was entirely cut 
off, and comma uications were sent vid Magdela. There 
were no letters from the King." 

This bringa the " Story of the Captivity" down to the 
present time. It will be seen that the prognostication a 
of the King's immediate downfall, made in May, Bad not 
been realized in July j there is, therefore, not mucli doubt 
but that the intelligence we have been receiving of late 
has been very one-»ded and imperfect — as, indeed, it 
would necessarily be when collected hy the captives only 
from around their prison. 



PART IV. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR AN EXPEDITION, 

WIIH ROUTES, 



\\ 



•' \ 



IT is understood that the Govemment has received more 
unsolicited advice upon what is comiuonlj known 
as the "Abyssinian Difficulty" than upon any other 
question of politics which has engaged public attention 
for some time. During many months past the newspaper 
press has teemed with editorial articles and letters from 
correspondents, making comments and offering sugges- 
tions of every conceivable character. Three "Bine 
Books" have already been issued, and amongst the 
hundreds of documents therein printed are some very 
valuable and practical suggestions, and some just as 
absurd and impracticable. 

For instance, one gentleman, in order to obtain a re- 
lease of the captives, suggested that he should be sent 
out as a " Medicine Man," or as an " Acrobat," or 
" Merry Andrew," if he found the Abyssinians preferred 
to be amused rather than cured. Of course, the Grovem- 
ment replied to the proposition that " they would not 
avail themselves of the offer." Other gentlemen have 
volunteered going single-handed, trusting to their bravery 
or to good luck, for accomplishing the release of the 



vf^^^^H^^^^^^^^^H 



-Sir Samud W. Baka'g Suggettiana. 307 

captives. Bat amongst all this advice are aorae sn^es- 
tioDS of great practical valu^ aad the more importaDt of 
these — those whicb have influenced the Government in 
the preparation of the expedition now fitting out — are 
here given. 



SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER'S SUGGESTIONa 

THE EHABTOnU AND CAfiSALA KOVTES. 

[Lord Stanley having asked this eminent traveller 
to assist the Government in appointing and directing an 
expedition against King Theodore, the following sugges- 
tions were sent to the Foreign Office.] 

Juljf 13, 1867. 

Having been requested to offer a written statement 
of the difficulties that would attend an attack npon 
Abyssinia to effect the liberation of the captives, I 
have the honour of laying before your lordship an 
outline of the prindpal features of the frontier, followed 
by certain snggestions that would reduce those difficulties 
to a minimnm. 

The east and west coasts of the Bed Sea are claimed 
by Turkey and Egypt. They are arid and desert, 
generally devoid of fresh water, with a burning tempera- 
ture, from March to the end of September, of 105° to 
120° Fahrenheit in the shade. 

The two principal ports on the west coast are 
Souakim, north latitude 19°, and Massowah, north lati- 
tude 15° 3s'. Both afford good harbonra. Sonakim is 
the most central station, from which radiate the regular 



3o8 Abt/mnia Described. 

caravan -routes to Cas«ala, the capital of the Taka pro 
vince, from siiteen to twenty iJaya' journey for & heavilj 
laden camel ; and the Bame distance to the town o 
Berber, on the Nile, iu latitude 18° north. 

Souakim ia under an Egyptian governor, who car 
collect any cumber of camels from the Arab tribes, witl 
the necessary water-skins for the Desert journey ; thni 
it ia the direct route to Caaaala for all military o^ratiou 
from Egypt The troops are delivered in four days from 
Supz, with their euppliea prepared iu Cairo; thus id four 
dayu and a half they can be supported from head-quarters 
with stores and rein force meuts, transported by railroad to 
Suez, and from thence by steamers to Souakim. 

Tlie water at Souakim is brackish (similar to that of 
Aden) ; therefore a large supply of Nile water should bo 
brought in tanks from Suez, at which place the froah- 
water canal delivers an inexhauxtihle store. 

As the Egyptian authorities are in the habit of trails- 
porting troops direct to Cassala by Souakim, that route 
is free from all diificulty. 

Throughout the Desert route fodder for the camels is 

afforded by numeroDs mimosas ; thus a supply of cora ia 

unnecessary. Water is found every second or third 

day. 

) Cassala, the capital of Taka province, is on the extreme 

I! limit of the Egyptian frontier, bordering the Baaf 

;> (enemies of Abyssinia), through which country a route i» 

i practicable into the heart of Abyssinia. The town of 

ji Cassala is fortified, as the principal arsenal and garrisoii 

1^ of Eastern Upper Egypt. From 6,000 to 8,000 troor>- 

\i are usually quartered in the district. The Burroandin.' 

! country is inhabited by numerous tribes of warlike Aral s 

subject to the Egyptian Government. 



Sir Samuel W. BaJxr'a Suggettioru. 309 

Caasala ia utnated apon the river Gash or Marab, 
irbicli although dr; during the hot moutha, affDrda an 
unlimited sapply of good water from wells dug in its 
sandy bed. During the dry Beaaon,irom 15th November 
until i!it JuDe, the climate la healthy, bat at all other 
seasons the (»uiitrj ia extremely dangeroos. 

The rainy season commences early in June, and con- 
tinues until the middle of September. A peculiar fly 
appears with the first rains, that destroys all domestic 
animals, and would utterly vanquish an army by annihi- 
lating the beasta of transport. The Arabs migrate with 
their flocks and herds at the commencement of the rains, 
and congregate in the desert about Gozerajnp, ninety-six 
miles north of Caasala, which at that season abounds In 
liastnrage and is extremely healthy, and free from the 
fatal fly. 

The great Nubian desert ceases at Gozerajup, which is 
the extreme southern limit of sterility; from that point 
the country is under the influence of the periodical rains; 
the soil is extremely rich as we approach the south, but 
in the wet season it becomes utterly impassable, the mud 
being several feet in depth. 

At the cessation of the nuns, on about September 15, the 
country is a dense mass of high grass and rank vegetation ; 
the torrents are serious obstacles, and no military opera- 
tions can take place nntil November ; at that time the 
grass becomes parched, and the prairies are cleared by 
fire. 

From November i until June i the entire country ia 
most favourable to military movements; no tents are 
required, as there ia no rain for aeven montha ; the ground 
is perfectly dry and so free from dew from December until 
May that the guns do not rust when resting at night 



• f 






310 



Abt/89in{a Described. 






:! 

; 1 



. I 



I ' 

1 

t 



upon the ground ; the men simply require a light blankei 
to protect them from the chill of the night breeze. 

Throughout this country any number of camels can hi 
procured for transport ; cattle, sheep, and goats an 
plentiful ; com, *' dhurra " (sorghum vulgare), is aban< 
dant, at the low price of 15 piastres per rachel (3s. id. foi 
500 lb.). Thus, throughout the southern frontier o: 
Upper Egypt there are abundant supplies, and a fayoor 
able climate for an army from November until June, 
after which a residence in the fertile countries would be 
fatal to man and beast ; accordingly, they most £bJ1 bacli 
with the Arabs to the healthy deserts. 

Accepting Cassala as the base of operations, the com< 
munication would be as follows : — 

Letter post to Souakim, five days, equal to ten days' 
post to Cairo. 

Supplies and reinforcements, twenty (or twenty-five 
days from Cairo. 

Khartoum, the capital of the Soudan provincesy is 
situated at the junction of the Blue and White Niles. 
The population is about 30,000, and it generally contains 
a garrison of about 8,000 troops, while 5,000 or 6,000 
additional regulars and irregulars are scattered through- 
out the province. 

From July until October, the Blue Nile is navigable 
for large vessels to the 11° north latitude at Fazoklo. 

There are five steamers at Khartoum, and numeroos 
vessels that would in a few days transport an army of 
3,000 men to a position within about five days' march of 
Gellabat (Metemma), the principal market town of the 
west of Abyssinia : thus Khartoum would be a base, from 
which ammunition, dbc, could be supplied either direct 
to the camp at Gellabat, or to a point still farther 



Sir Samuel W. Baker's Suggestiom. 311 

Bouth of Fazoklo, that would cut off the retreat of 
Theodoras. 

The difficulties and the advantages of climate enn- 
merated in the description of Casaala are equally appli- 
cable to the position of Oellabat and the Blue Kile, with 
one important exception. Should operations be neceaaaiy 
during the rains, there is no healthy retreat for the 
troops, such as the desert of Gozerajnp, but thej must 
push into the high aud healthy lands of Abyssinia for 
the vet season. 

It will therefore be apparent that great advantages are 
afforded for an invasion of Abysunia from the entire 
line of the Egyptian frontier ; i.e., seven clear months of 
dry weather, with a healthy climate, and two distinct 
bases for operations, Ehartoum and Cassala, both of 
which are free from intermption, and are in direct com- 
munication with Cairo. Thus, the entire forces can be 
engaged in offensive movements, as no protection is 
required to preserve the line of communication in the 
rear ; while the entire frontier is rich in supplies, beasts 
of burthen, and friendly Arabs. On the one hand, there 
is water communication between Suez and Sonatdm ; on 
the other, a navigable river (Blue Nile) and a line of 
steamers between Khartoum and Fazoklo. 

Maasowah has been suggested as a favourable base of 
operation. I cannot see the slightest advantage in this 
position to counterbalance the numerous and serious 
obstacles presented to an invasion from that point, 
Upwards of 300 miles from the capital, this entire dis- 
tance must be traversed through an enemy's conntry. 
An immense force will be necessary to keep open the 
communication with the rear ; there will he no means of 
transport ; neither supplies, as the natives will drive 



Ah,; 



1 Descrlbeil. 



off their flocta and herds to the iuterior upon the ap- 
proach of our troops ; aad the E.iiig Theodorus will be 
daily apprised by spies of their adTonce. Hia first 
movement will bafBe the espedition : with hia rear open, 
he will retreat with the captives to mountaiDous faat- 
nessee in the distant Galla country, aa a fox will steal 
from a covert. 

Aa JDvaaioa of AhyasiDia may bo effected in three 
methods :— 

1. By an alliance with Egypt. 

2. By independent British forces. 

3. By the employment of 4,000 Indian troops, in con- 
junction with a paid Egyptian contingent, commanded 
by a British officer. The Viceroy to hand over 6,00a 
troopa to British aervice. 

In all ciises the attack must take place from the 
Egyptian frontier. Souakim to form the point ile depart 
for troopa acting iu the East. 

I. "Alliance with Egypt." — This would secure the 
object of the expedition without delay. Troopa would 
be aent from Khartoum to Fazoklo and Gellabat, and at 
once cut off the retreat of Theodorus to the Galla, while 
a diviHion from Cassala would cross into Tigri-, and place 
the king between two fires. At the same time a British 
division would occupy a position in advance of Maaaowah, 
and aend an ultimatum, allowing a specified time for 
the safe delivery of the captives at head-quartern, or, in 
default, the combined forces would invade the countiy 
and close in upon the army of Theodorus from three 
points. In case of an alliance with Egypt, a British 
Commisaioner should accompany the Egyptian forces to 
treat with the King Theodorus — to guarantee the retreat 



Sir Sanmel W. Bakei'e Suggeeliotte. 313 

of tlie Egyptian troopa Bhonld the captireB be liberated — 
but to order their advance into Ahygsinia should harm 
beM tbem. The threat of letting loose the TurkB, as 
they are called, upon Abjaeinia irould compel TheodomB 
to terms, as the entire country vould unite in revolution 
against him should be tncur the risk of an Egyptian 
invasion for the sake of the prisoners. 

The reward for the oo-operation of 'Egj^t should be 
that portion of Abyssinia hitherto contested between the 
great chain of mountains that forms a natural boundaiy, 
and the Atbara River on the West 

2. " Independent British forces " woold succeed in 
conquering Abyssinia by an advance as proposed through 
Bouakim ; and the occupation of a position inland from 
Mftssovah, but I do not think they vould succeed in 
liberaUog the captives, as, the rear beiug open, Theodorus 
would retreat with them to the interior. They would 
also have many difficulties to contend with, as the 
Egyptians would not afford them that active assistance in 
procuring supplies and means of transport that they 
would if themselves allied in action. 

3. "The employment of 4,000 Indian troops in con- 
junction with 6,000 men of an Egyptian contingent in 
British pay " would render the expedition entirely inde- 
pendent, and would avoid all ulterior complications with 
Egypt. 

Orders would at once be sent to Khartoum to prepare 
boats and stores, and to expedite 6,000 men, in two 
divisions, to arrive in the last week of October — 2,000 
at Gellabat and 4,000 to the east of Fazoklo, in the rear 
of Magdela, the headquarters of Theodoras and the 
captives. The troops at Qellabat would be supported by 



314 Abyasima De9cribed. 

thoQsands of the Dabaina, Shookerjiah, and Kunana 
Arabs, with unlimited means of transport in camels and 
supplies of all kinds ; while the Indian forces at Caaaala 
would be equally supported by the Haddendowa, Hal- 
longa, Bishareeu, and Hamran Arabs — ^the latter being 
the most magnificent swordsmen of the border tribes. 

The Indian force would consist of 4,000 men landed at 
Souakim, and marched to Cassala as a base for future 
operations. Should reinforcements be necessary, they 
could at once be forwarded from Aden, three days* steam- 
ing from Souakim. 

A division of 2,000 men (Indian troops) would be dis- 
embarked on the coast opposite Massowah, and woold 
afford a demonstration upon the eastern frontier. 

Abyssinia would thus be commanded at three points. 
Theodorus would be taken in the rear by the division at 
Eazoklo, aud his retreat cut off; while an advance of the 
4,000 Indian troops from Cassala into Tigr6 would form 
a nucleus for the rebels already in arms against the king^ 
to rally around. Arrived in Tigr^, the division from 

■ii Cassala could march to the west upon Magdela ; as the 

2,000 division on the coast of Massowah would hold the 

! rear and keep open the communication. 

\ Theodorus would at once be surrounded ; the Egyptian 

division from Fazoklo would march direct ui>on Magdela, 
from which there would be no retreat. Abyssinia would 
be in the possession of the British forces before the ex- 
piration of the dry season. 

A British Commissioner would accompany the Egyptian 
contingent to direct the operations and to treat for the 
liberation of the captives prior to the general advance of 
the three divisions. 



MajoT-Gmeral Cogldaria Svggatiortt. 315 

Abyssinia would be compelled to pay the cost of the 
expedition, and would be oconpied by a portion of the 
British forces as a material guarantee until the final 
settlement of our claims. 



MAJOR-GENERAL OOOHLAN'S SUGGES- 
TIONS. 

HABaOWAH AKD OTHEB BOFrBB. 

[This gentleman, who was formerly our "Political 
Beudent " at Aden, hae had considerable experience in 
Abyseiniau aSairs. It is understood that in the prepara- 
tion of the present armed expedition many of his sugges- 
tione are being adopted by oar Government. General 
Coghlan believes his " scheme " would cost less than the 
last Persian campiugti.] 

March 19, 1867. 

On hearing of the projected expedition. King Theodorus 
may — as he is known to have declared — sacrifice every 
British subject within hia grasp ; or, on the other hand, 
he may liberate the captives, ofier every aatiafaotiou in his 
power, and sue for pardon. 

A year ago the royal army was estimated at 50,000 
fighting men. It is now coojectured not to amoaot to a 
fourth of that number, sud to be restricted to the pro- 
vince of Begamider, while several of the other provinces, 
notably those of Woggera, Wolkait, and Tigr6 on the 
north and north-east, Gojam and Shoa ou the south, and 
Lasta on the east, are in open rebellion against him. 
Further, it is imagined that Bome of the insurgent duels 



3i6 Ahyadnia Described, 

are capable of coping with Theodoras single-handed, bat 
that one and all shrink from the attempt owing to a 
superstitious belief in his inyuluerability. 

Whether such hesitation is to be attributed to that 
motive or not, it is clear that no great reliance can be 
placed on those statements which represent the power of 
Theodorus as tottering to its fall. Similar prognostica- 
tions have been made for years past, and, thus far, have 
not been verified by the result. 

In order, therefore, not to run the risk of under- 
estimating the possible resistance of Theodorus, the more 
prudent course would be to organize a force capable of 
meeting any army which he may be able to bring into 
the field. 

Consul Plowden, who may be regarded as the beat 
authority on all matters connected with the military 
resources of the different chieftains, was of opinion that 
5,000 disciplined troops would beat their combined 
forces, and that 10,000 would suffice for a permanent 
occupation of the country. 

But that statement was made in 1854, one year prior 
to a later despatch which reported the brilliant achieve- 
ments of Kasai, the future Theodorus, who had already 
"united the whole of Northern Abyssinia under his 
sway," and inaugurated a variety of measures calculated 
to consolidate his authority, and greatly to increase his 
military power. 

It would be well-advised, therefore, to assume, in 
estimating the probable means of resistance on the part 
of Theodorus to a foreign invasion, that the defection of 
some of the prominent feudal chiefs has been counter- 
balanced by the strenuous efforts which he has made for 
years past to equip his soldiers with superior weapons^ to 



Major-Qeneral Coghlan'a Suggetlione. 317 

have tbem better drilled and diecipUned, and to add to 
the number and efficiency of bis artitleiy. 

Taking this view of the case, the British expeditioo 
should not conaiflt of less thaa 10,000 men of all arms. 

A smaller force would probablj suffice if full advantage 
were taken of the actual unsettled state of parties in the 
country, to enlist one or more of the insurgent Ghie& 
on our side ; bat wbatever use may he made of native 
co-operation, it would be highly undesirable that the 
commander of the British army should not be in a posi- 
tion to dispense with it, or to avail himself thereof on his 
own terms, or, in case of need, to punish any treachery 
on the part of such auxiliaries. 

Besides, it n-ould seriously detract &om the moral 
effect which may be assumed to form one of the primary 
objects of the expeditioo, to afford the Abyssinians any 
ground for believing that Great Britain could not obtain 
the deured satisfaction without their (xmcurrenoe. 

Another consideration which should not be overlooked 
is, that most of these insurgent chiefs have separate 
interests^ and the greatest discretion will be required to 
avoid exciting a jealousy between them, which might 
induce the discontented to side with Theodoms rather 
than with rivals whose co-operation bad been preferred 
to theirs by the invaders. 

The same reflection should be borne in mind under 
another aspect. It can scarcely be donbted that the 
gloomy anticipations of Consul Flowden twelve years ago 
would be intensified in their fulfilment at the present 
time, in the event of the overthrow of Theodorus by the 
British arms. Writing of the King at that period, he 
remarks, — " Should he now, or at any time, &il in hia 
designs, or fall in battle, the misrole and anarchy that 



3i8 



Ah^mnia Described, 






must ensue will baffle all human calculation, and render 
peaceful interference impossible. Abyssinia mast then 
be left to her destinies, until some European Power shall 
think it worth while to conquer and instruct the most 
fertile of the African proyinces." 

Taking for granted that the €k>Temment entertains no 
such designs as those indicated in the latter clause of the 
above quotation, and that we should retire from Abyssinia 
as 800U as our legitimate objects were secured, it would 
be most undesirable in every way to aggravate the in- 
testine strife which would be certain to follow upon the 
departure of the British force, by fomenting fresh rivalries^ 
or by specially favouring one or more chiefs, who might, 
owing to their temporary alliance with us, secure a pre- 
dominance in the country to the prejudice of more 
rightful competitors. Of course, this subject would 
assume a different phase should it be intended to establish 
order prior to our departure. But that supposition 
gives rise to a variety of considerations which need not 
be discussed here. One precautionary remark, however, 
seems called for, namely, that the abandonment of Abys- 
sinia to anarchy will, in all probability, precipitate an 
attack by the Egyptians from the north, and from 
Massowah, at which latter place there is a much larger 
garrison than there has been for many years past. 

It is by no means intended by the foregoing remarks 
that native co-operation is to be dispensed with altogether. 
It will be advisable, on the contrary, to take every ad- 
vantage of the friendly overtures of the principal chie£i 
occupying the line of march, and, if need be, to secure the 
neutrality of others during the operations of the British 
army, whenever those objects can be secured without 
compromise. They may be made useful as convoys in 



Major-General Coghlatii Sugijestione. 319 

coUectiDg BupplieB, keeping the roads open, obtaining in- 
telligenoe, and in many other Babordioate ways most ser- 
Ticeable to an inTsding army in a foreign country. The 
Mlection of soch anziliaries, and their employment, mnst 
be left to the discretion of the officer in command of the 
expedition. 

The next subject of importance is the route to be 
adopted, in order to reach the high tableland of Ati^s- 
sinia. Of theaa there are several :— 

First, that by Tajoarra (opposite to Aden) to Shoa, 
which has been recommended by Dr. Krap£ But the 
road is rough, desolate, and barren, and in several parts 
almost destitute of water. The French traveller, M. 
Rochet, who traversed it four times, describes it thus :— 
" Je croia pouvoir dire . . . . il y a pen de voyages plus 
fatigants ponr I'caprit et pour le corps, plus p£rilleax ^ la 
foia et plus monotoae que de parconrir les d6serts des 
Adels." Moreover, it ia by no means the nearest route 
to Begamtder, the head-quarters of Theodoras; and 
although the Shoa people would imdotibtedly b« ready to 
co-operate with the British, and might furnish a respect- 
able contingent, nevertheless, as a wide extent of country 
interposes betwixt them and Begamider, inhabited by 
warlike Qallas, who would be as jealous of Shoa asoen- 
dancy aa they may be disaffected towards Theodorus, by 
contracting any alliance with the Bhoans we may run the 
risk of evoking the ant^^nism of their Qalla rivals and 
thereby dispose the latter to gravitate towards the royal 

The nearest route ia unquestionably by Amphila 
(Hanfila), situated on the western shore of the Eed Sea, 
opposite to Hodeida ; but Moresby describes it aa "one 
of the most wretched places on the coast. The village, 



3»P 



Ahjm 



^'Described. 



which hardly deserves the name, conaista of six misen 
huta close to the Eea, on tlie verge of a sandy jilain, i 
does not ap[>eBr callable of fiimiBhiag auy Bupplii 
Consul Flo wdeQ cftlk it "a bad roadstead and b wc 
landscape; very unfavourable to the shipment of goc 
with little water, and tliat of a bad quality." Anotl 
drawback, which he mentions, is the fierce tribe of i 
Taltals, who occupy tlie iuteruiediate region between ' 
coast and the highlands in the interior, and of whom 
know scarcely anything beyond their treachery and h 
barity. The sole udvautage of vicinity, therefore, is qn 
neutiiklized by the difficulties attending that route. 

Of the remaining, two only called for notice, as a 
others that might be suggested are comparatively i 
known, and therefore inexpedient on an occasion 1 
that under consideration, when oiiv object should be 1 
to explore new lines of access, than to take advantagt 
those which long experience has proved to be the m 

The two routes above referred to are, — that by Zu 
in Annesley Bay, to Halai, and that towards the aa 
poiut from Masaowah. The former ia undoubtedly 
nearer road, and was in ancient times the princi 
approach to Tigrf, the £rst Abyasiuian province on 
high table-land. It is but very little frequented 
present ; hence it is not likely to furnish supplies in i 
considerable quantity. Another di-awback is the scan 
of water in the level country around Zulla. Still, 
route is so much nearer to Tigre that it would be desira 
to obtain, if possible, more detailed and reliable in: 
mation respecting its eligibility for an invading army. 

Unless that route, however, ia found to possess ec 
peculiar advantages, the other, vid Massowah, will j 



M(ejor-6eMral Coghla'tis Suggestions. 321 

bably [be fouod the most eli|^ble. It is tbe ordiaary 
cafilah road to and from the interior, and Consul Flowden 
calls it " the most practicable" and " the only one 
desirable." The country for fifty or sixty miles inland is 
inhabited by the Sbihoa, who are accustomed to famiah 
gaides to all travellers, and are nominally under the 
jurisdiction of the Governor of Masaowah. The lofty 
mounttuns and narrow defiles within the above-named 
district are in their undisputed possession, and aa the 
pasiiage is regularly traversed by heavily-laden mules, it 
cannot present any serious obstacles to the impediments 
of an army. The Shihos, though a powerful tribe, have 
no fire-arms ; but instead of opposiug, there is every 
reason to believe that, for adequate remnneration, they 
would be most ready to facilitate the march of our troops 
through their territory. 

Massowah has a good harbour, and being the principal 
emporium of trade in that quarter, offers facilities fur 
obtaining supplies, which would be looked for in vain at 
any other point on the coasL The existence, moreover, 
of a regular government on the island and adjoining 
mainland is another important consideration, ]>re8enting 
as it does perfect security for disembarcatioo, for the 
establishment of a depot, and for co-operating with the 
movements of the expedition generally. 

As Massowah and the neighbourhood form a part of 
the Turkish dominions, subject to the immediate jurisdic- 
tion of the Viceroy of Egypt, it would be requisite to 
procure the imperial sanction for the passage of our army 
through the nentral territory, and for the use pr^pc-sed 
to be made of the aforesaid district. It would be 
politically unadvisable either to ask for or to accept any 
further conceBtdon beyond a general order to the local 



3Z2 Abj/mnia Deacribed. 

authorities to afibrd aach sncconr as may be oo&sisteDt 
with the Bovereigu's rights and the tnaiiitenance of Otto- 
man neutrality. 

Tbe suggested Abyasinian expeditionary force of 10,000 
men should be composed as follows : — 

Two regiments of Irregular Cavalry, Scind or Sikh. 

Three batteries of Light Field Artillery, Armstrong's, 
all of one calibre, for oonvenience in respect of ammmd- 
tion ; and, if the roads are found practicable, add four 
eight-inch mortars in park, and a supply of rooket& 

Two companies of Sappen. 

Three regiments of European Infantry. 

Four regiments of Native Iniantry, one or two of which 
to be Sikh. 

Tbu constitation of the Staf^ and the brigading of the 
force, are matters of detail which need not be diacoBsed 
here. 

Of departmental stores there would be the followmg^^ 

Ordnance park. 

£ugineer stores, 

Commissariat stores. 

Medical stores. 

Quart«rraaster-G«naTal's stores. 

As an unusually large number of baggage animals will 
bo required, owing to the comparatively small size of the 
AbyHsinlan mules, and the difficulty of some of the pnimmi. 
it would be desirable that a lAnd Transport Corps ahoald 
be organized for that special service. 

A competent officer on the Head-Qoarter StaS* might 
be placed in charge of an Intelligence Department, to in* 
elude a line of electric telegraph to be erected as the force 
advances into the interior, in order to keep up rapid com- 
munication with the coast 



Major-General Coghiatii Svggegtiong. 323 

The officer in charge of the Commissariat will make 
arrangements for proviwoniDg the troops on tha estimate* 
prepared by tbe several departments. He will decide, in 
concert with the Political officer, what sappliea may be 
procurable on the spot and in the enemy's territory. 

A good tnipply of rice from India and compreseed 
vegetables from France should be provided. Bags and 
packages generally should not exceed fifty pounds in 
weight ; two of which to be carried by a mule. In the 
event of camels being available, double thai quantity 
would form a load. The same department should be 
provided with a liberal supply of " mussacks " of varions 
sizes. 

The officer in charge of the Land Transport Corps 
would make similar arrangements with the difibrent 
departments for the number of aaimab severally required 
by them. It would further be his duty to provide 
muleteers and forage, pack-saddles, and other harness for 
the baggage moles and camels, as well as suitable equipage 
for »ck carriage. It is conceived tbat the roads are 
impracticable for ambulances, and dooly-bearera from 
India would scarcely be available in sufficient numbers. 
Our chief reliance in this respect must be on the cornels 
and mules of the country. A " kacbava," similar to that 
used in [AfigbaniBtan, but much lighter, would be the 
equip^e best adapted to the purpose, if, camels are pro- 
curable, and a pad, with stirrups, for mules. This subject 
should receive early consideration by the Medical Super- 
intendent in commnnicatioQ with (he Quartermaster- ' 
General's department. 

Austrian Maria Teresa dollars of a.d. 1708 are at 
present the only coin current in Abyssinia, and bricks of 
salt brought from the district of Taltols the only small 



324 Abyssinia Described. 

change. Kupees, though refused at first, were eventually 
received both in Afghanistan and Persia ; but thaw 
countries already }X)sse88ed a silver currency of their 
own, and were therefore better acquainted with the value 
of our coin. As a similar result may not follow in 
Abyssinia, the attention of the Paymaster, in conjunction 
with the Political Officer, should be specially directed to 
this important subject. 

Commanding officers, both of cavalry and infiantry, 
should take care to provide a good supply of boots for 
their men, and shoes for the horses, and should be 
reminded that the climate of the highlands, though 
temperate, is cold engugh to necessitate woollen 
clothing. 

The most rigid economy will be requisite in respect of 
camp equipage, owing to the inferiority of the mules and 
camels of the country, and the ruggedness of the moan* 
tain passes. With the exception of a few tents for durbar 
and other public purposes, none should exceed the 
Indian-pattern soldier^s tent. Officers* must double up. 

As the roads into the interior are generally difficulty 
and would occasionally require to be made for the passage 
of light artillery and heavy baggage, an ample supply of 
the requisite tools should accompany the expedition. 

As the place of debarcation is presimied to be on 
friendly territory, the camp equipage and much of the 
heavy stores might be sent on in advance, and located at 
an eligible point for a camp, at some distance from the 
const, where water* is abundant. On the arrival of the 
troops, they could be marched thither at once, and there 
prepared to advance into the interior. 

It is also siqiposed that prior to such advanoe the 
Political Officer will have entered into amicable relations 



Major-General Co^hlnii'a Suygettiont. 325 

with some of the insurgent chiefs on the line of march, to 
secure their neutrality or co-operation. A judicious 
procUioatian might ftlso be issued, setting forth the 
cause and object of the expedition ; that we should dis- 
CTiminate between friends and foes ; that all eapplies of 
prOTiaions, labour, and carriage, would be liberally paid 
for ; aud that no interference with the different religions 
of the people was intended. 

As regards the qnarter tram which the European 
troops should be drawn, it might be urged that as Itlalta 
ia at about the same distance from Masaowah as Bombaj', 
it would be preferable to send them from the former 
garrison ; but there are solid reasons for preferring the 
despatch of an expedition of this sort from India. In the 
Utter case, the artillery would have to embark and 
disembark once only — a matter of great importance with 
respect to that arm of the (>erTice. It is true that 
European infantry might be moved without much diffi- 
culty through Egypt, and re-embarked at Suez ; still 
regiments from India are to be preferred, because they 
would carry with them a portion of their native followers 
— a class on whom the efficiency of a force on an Eastern 
campaign very materially depends. Moreover, troops 
with officers and stafT of Indian experience would be 
more at home in Abyssinia than any that conld be 
despatched from Europe ; they would have less to 
learn. 

The foregoing remark regarding followers applies par- 
ticularly to hospital establishments, which, it is believed, 
would in that respect be started more complete from 
India than from the European side ; and the probabin 
course of operations renders it important that the medical 
arrangementa should be so efficient as to provide separate 



326 Ahyadnia Described, 

establishments for such dep6t8 as may be expected to be 
left by the force as it moves into the interior, say, in the 

t neighbourhood of Massowah, at Halai, Adowah, or other 

t places of communication between the coast and the head- 

\ quarters of the advanced army. 

Finally, for the avoidance of those differences and 
complications which a divided authority is calculated to 

\ engender, it is desirable that the military command and 

the diplomatic functions should be imited in one person. 

In addition to materially promoting the efficiency and 
success of the expedition, it is just possible, as was 

i^ remarked at the outset, that these preliminary arrange- 

ments, on coming to the knowledge of King Theodoras^ 

I might induce him, through fear of the impending conse- 

f quences, to liberate the captives unconditionally, and to 

sue for an amnesty. In such a case, it would be for Her 
Majesty's Government to decide whether the farther 
progress of the expedition might not be countermanded. 



i 
I 



COL. MEREWETHER'S SUGGESTIONS. 

UASSOWAH BOUTE. 

[The official position occupied by this gentleman at 
j Aden, and his intimate knowledge of Abyssinia, and all 

I J that relates to the present unfortunate captivity, give his 

i ' remarks a special value.] 

Sept 25, 1866. 

The India Office here having been consulted with, the 
force to be employed for operations in Abyssinia shoold 
undoubtedly be sent from India so as to take advantage 




Col. Merewethet's Suggeatixma. 327 

of native troops on account of greater ease of moTement, 
]esa expense, and anffident effect To ensure aticcesB it 
ebould not be less than 9,000 to 10,000 strong. Speak- 
ing briefly, it shonid consist of three brigades of infantry, 
— two haring one European and three native regiments ; 
the other four native regiments : two troops of hone 
artillery, one light field battery, a mountain train, and a 
select body of good native cavalry, a strong brigade. Eu- 
Ti>])ean dragoons, though most excellent in the day, would 
require too mnch material to get them easily through a 
new and difficult country. Snch a force under a good 
general wonld ensure success. It might be organized and 
despatched with the aid of the steamers, so as to allow of 
the campaign being brought to a dose before the summer 
and nuny season next year seta in. One point ia most 
essential, and that ia that the command and political 
relations should he entmsted to one person, the best that 
could be selected; this selection might be left to the 
Government of India. 

The greater part of Ahysunia is now in a state of 
rebellion against the Emperor Tbeodoras ; and when it 
was distinctly proclaimed that war was only being entered 
upon to punish that monarch for his conduct, that private 
property and private rights would be respected, and that 
with the punishment of the king, and the release of the 
British subjects now in confinement, the army would be 
withdrawn, and the country handed over to its legitimate 
mlera, two-thirds of the people would gladly join against 
Theodoras, who ia merely a usurper, and would assist in 
every way. This would especially be the case in the 
province of Tigr6, through which the force would have 
to move in the first instanoe. The distance from 
Massowah, on the coast, to Gondar, the capital, is only 



3z8 Abyssinia JDetcribad 

fourteen good marches, and would easily be done in 
twenty tiays. Masaowah would be the dep6t for aappliea, 
replenished from Egypt and India. At the same time 
that an English force entered from Masaowah, an 
Egyptian one might be moved to act from that Bide. It 
would be a move which would meet with very cordial 
co-operation from that Oo vemment. The manner 
of it might be described on Oovemment deciding oa 
war. 

The above ia merely what was mentioned by me this 
morning, I feel confident that, if Her Majesty's Govern- 
ment decide on severe measures being taken, the whole 
nation will join in acknowledging the necessity and 
justnesH of their adoption. I can speak &om certain 
knowledge that there is a very strong feeling of surprise 
both in Englaud aud on the GcntiDeiit that snch measuree 
have not been before adopted. On the 15th February, 
1S67, be wrote from Aden : — 

More extended knowledge of the country shows that 
the idea of there being any very great difficulty in carry- 
ing out a campaign ia purely imaginary. A friendly 
narrow seaboard lines the easterly frontier of Abyssinia. 
The approaches to the high plateaux are numerous, and 
■ several of them presenting no greater obstacles than could 
be easily overcome by ordinary energy and good manage- 
ment. Once on the plateaux — and they are reached lees 
than sixty miles from the coast at the north-eastern end 
— a healthy climate is found, abundance of good water, 
forage, fuel, and the ordinary supplies of the country, 
meat and grain ("sowaree," a species of millet, sorghum), 
obtainable in any quantity. Of course it would be neces- 
sary, in the first instance, that full commissariat sbotdd 
aooompany the force from Bombay. In the war with 



CoL Merwxiher't SnggeatUme. 329 

Feraia in 1S56-57 every supply was sent from Bombay to 
Busbire and the Eupbratea, and never was aa army so 
admirably furaiehed as that. If operations continued, 
muck would be procured in tbe coontry, especially for an 
army in which the native element cbiefly predominated. 
Tbe Egyptian market would also be close at hand. Camels 
in any number can be obtained along the sea-coast ; also 
&om Bogoa and the Sondan. 

If I was required to offer an opinion as to tbe nature 
and extent of the force to be employed, I should say that, 
taking into consideration tbe existing favourable state of 
aSairs, the following would be ample ; — One troop of 
borse artillery and two light field batteries, or two 
troops and one light field battery ; a full company of 
sappers and miners, a select body; strong brigade of 
native cavalry ; with one European and six native regi- 
ments of infantry, formed into two brigades ; altogether 
making about 6,000 men. Suck a force could be trans- 
ported with comparative ease, and with less impedimenta 
than one having more European element. That snch a 
force, under a good general, would do all that is required 
I am confident ; but to ensure success it will be essential 
that tbe command and political powers be entrusted to 
one person, aa was the cose in tbe Persian war. He 
should be given full powers, authorized to entertain tem- 
porarily sucb Abyssinians as he may find necessary ; in 
lact, left to act in the manner he finds best suited to 
bring tbe campaign to a rapid and successful conclusion. 

On a previous occasion it was suggested that an 
auxiliary force should be moved from Egypt. This I now 
find would be a grave mistake. It would at once turn 
from us the rebels, who would otherwise be our greatest 
assistance. For however much tbe Emperor Tfaeodoms 



<j 330 Ahyaiinia Deecrihed. 

I i is hated, tie Moelem is hated ten times worae ; and were 

I i it knowu that the Turkish Goremmeat (for bo Egypt is 

! I styled) would be engaged in the operations, the whole of 

1' Abyssinia would band against us, and join Theodore in 

1 resisting the detested enemy : not an Egyptian soldier, 

j therefore, should be used, and, at fint^ too much care 

i conld not be taken to prevent the appearance even of 

j employing them. 

; March 4, 1867. 

[ "ftrMessajah, the Missionary Archbishop of the Galla^ 

a Tery intelligent old man, who has lived for twenty-five 
: I years in the Galla and Abyssinian countries, and knows 

I TheodoruB well, assured me he felt convinced Theodonis 

1 would carefully preserve the captives to the very last, as 

j his last resource. 

t ' "I pnt it : might not Theodoms, driven to a stand in 

Magdela, in a fit of desperate iutoxication, cause to be 
murdered, or even murder with his own hand, the whole 
of the captives J He replied. No : the order in the first 
instatice would not be attended to ; in the second, he 
would be restrained and even kOled sooner. There are 
j many friends in Magdela even, he added. 

I " The above is the only coudition under which it would 

be advisable that your intentions should be publicly made 
known. 

" It would, of course, be better if the declaration of war 
and landing of the troops could be synchronous. But it 
appears to me an impossibility, now-a-days, to keep the 
I preparation of the force, which would be going on in 

Bombay, a secrete The press would be sure to get hold 
I of it, and though Theodorus does not see Bombay dailies, 

there are Bombay merchants at Magsowah who would 
not &il to hear from their friends what was going on, and 



Col, Merewether's Suggestions. 331 

get iDBtraclioDS to prepare to profit by tbe coming 
campaign. • • • • 

" With regard to the force to be employed, I consider 
6,000 men ample to enter AbjBainia with, composed as 
recommended. Too many Europeans wonid only tram- 
mel, owing to the larger commissariat required, and 
native troops will be excellent against sacb enemies aa 
we should encouoter. The horse artilleiy and cavalry 
will be the moat nsefnl and important part of the force. 
The latter should only be native. 

" As a precautionary measure another brigade of native 
infantiy might be prepared and sent to the coast as a 
reserve, and to help, if required, in keeping open com- 
munication; but not more than tbe 6,000 mentioned 
should be ordered for tbe force to enter the highlands at 
first. 

[When at Massawah, in April last, Colonel Mere- 
wether went on a short expedition in tbe interior, for 
the purpose of seeing what kind of a country oar troops 
might have to pass through. He describes the roads — or 
tracks — as generally " unsuited to draught artillery, but 
easy enough for mules laden with mountain guna] 

"A finer or richer country than this," he remarku, 
"could not be deured. Tbe scenery and general appear- 
ance very much resemble the 'ghats,' on the western 
coast of India, and the verdare is equal to what is seen 
in those &voured parts immediately after tbe monsoon. 
The reason of this is, that tbe cool season is the rainy one 
in the portion of the country lying between the Abys- 
sinian highlands and the sea. There is a north-east 
monsoon ; in &et, from October to the end of March 
there is some rain every day, but never very heavy, 
nothing approaching the Indian south-west monsoon. 



332 Abi/idnia Described. 

The clim&te is vtry similar to that of Mattemma. A 
April HUD during the day was warm, bat the heat dl 
not make being out to it unpleasant, and io the opei 
plain OF on the hills there was always a delicious, coc 
breeze blowing from the sea. At night there wa 
heavy dew consequent on the recent rains, and it waa w 
cold that blankets were necessary sleeping inside a tent 
Water is obtainable almost everywhere, and wells couic 
easily be sunk. The ascent from Henrote to Fatbak 
with subsequent descent, is, as it at present exists, an 
doubtedly difficult ; bat the track followed weut atraighl 
up the hill. A zigzag might be made at no very greal 
cost, up which laden camels, and even carriages, might 
pass. The country is full of game in the cool months 
Becent traces of elephants were seen, but the guides said 
these animals had passed on to higher grounds to escape 
from the flies, which are very numerous at this season ol 
the year. Tracks of lions, leopards, wild hog and deer, 
were noticed daily ; and of birds, there were abundance 
of guinea fowl, spur fowl, and qutuL 

" The great want in the country is population. Aftei 
leaving Part not a soul was seen. The cultivation at 
Agametta, though nearly ripe, was unwatched. The 
land had been ploughed, and the grain sown in October, 
and the crop leil to mature as it might. The splendid 
grazing-grounda were undisturbed by cattle. From 
inquiries made it appears that the whole of this exten- 
sive and fertile track of country between the mountains 
and the sea, from the Agadey torrent to nearly twenty 
miles north, giving an area of some 400 square mile% 
belongs to one tribe, the Tsanatigli Christians, mustering 
not more than 800 adults. They also bold lands in Abys- 
unia, where they reside in the summer months migrating 



? — 



Dr. Krapfs Suggestitma. 333 

with their cattle, of which they bare large herds, to the 
lowlands nearer the sea, from Octoher to the end of 
April. As they pass down they caltivate patches here 
and there, reaping the produce as they return. This 
dearth of population I cooclade to be owing to the 
absenod of any one fixed good government as before 
mentioned. About Eylat the soil is considered to belong 
to Abyssinia. While the Egyptian Government holds 
the country, it is nominally supposed to protect the 
people. The latter have therefore to pay dues to 
both. 



DE. KEAPFS SUGGESTIONS. 

HABSOWAH AND TAJURBAB. 

[Br. L. Krapf, the learned missionary (whose works 
upon AbysMnia are described in the lat part of this book) 
forwarded the following suggestions to Lord Stanley, in 
October of last year.* This gentleman has very recently 
received the appointment of " Dragoman," or interpreter, 
to the expedition now fitting out] 

It was to be hoped that this humane measure [the 
writer alludes to Mr. Bassam'a mis»on to obtain the 
release of the captives] would be crowned with a happy 
issue, and for a time it appeared very successful indeed ; 
but some ill-advisers, of whom 1 know one perBonally as 
an intriguer from his childhood, turned the king's mind 
to thoughts hostile to England, the humiliation of the 
KogLish having been, in uiy humble opinion, the king's 



334 Abyssinia Described. 

aim from the beginning. We must remember that every 
Abyssinian ruler must have performed some feat which 
the historiographer can note in the annals of the Empire 
as the peculiar exploit by which the reign of the deceased 
king was in a high degree distinguished. When Major 
Harris, whose dragoman I was in 1841, had, at the order 
of his Governmeut, delivered handsome presents to 
Sahela Selassie (the King of Shoa), the royal poets and 
fidngers immediately pronounced it as the peculiarity of 
his reign that the Queen of the white nations had sent 
him tribute. We can, therefore, not be surprised if the 
haughty monarch Theodorus resolved on striving for the 
honour of being reported in the annals of Abyssinia as 
the lion-like king who has humbled the greatest nation 
of Europe, thereby showing himself, as he thinks, the 
worthy successor of David and Solomon, from whom he 
claims his descent. 

Having travelled and resided for eighteen years on the 
East African coast, in Tigr^, Shoa, and Amhara especially 
(as my " Travels," published in i860, at London, may 
show), I think I have obtained some knowledge which, 
under the present circumstances, when a warlike conflict 
between Great Britain and Abyssinia seems unavoidable, 
might be turned to some good account. 

No doubt the British Government will hesitate to 
declare war when they consider that the lives of a number 
of Europeans are at stake in the event of such a declara- 
tion, as the reckless King, on hearing of the English war- 
like demonstrations, might butcher the prisoners and 
other Europeans upon^ whom he can lay hold, imme- 
diately and in cold blood. The question therefore arises, 
whether there is no mode of rescuing the prisoners before 
the King can harm them, and whether there is not some 



Dr. Urajif'a SiiggeHums. 335 

reason to think that the Kiog will delay the execution of 
his wratb. 

Tn reference to the latter question I fuUr believe that 
the King will postpone his bloody deaign, especially when 
he hears that, in case of his killing the Europeans, the 
English will give themselves no rest until they have put 
themaelvea in possession of his person, of his grandees, 
and adviaera. His plan will doubtless be, firs^ to annihi- 
late, as he thinks, the invading tiXK^ps, to make aa many 
prisoners of war as he can, and, finally, return victorkinsly 
to Gafiat, to slaughter all the Europeans together in the 
most cruel manner. He of course has no idea of the 
pOBsibility of being overthrown by the English, as he has 
never lost a battle in his conflicts with Abyssinian and 
Egyptian opponents.* 

But in regard to the speedy release of the prisoners at 
Uagdela and the other Europeans at Gafiat, my hnmble 
suggestion is that the English should send an armameot 
of about 2,000 men to the Island of Massowah, in the 
Bed Sea, whence the King will soon hear the newB, and 
the rumour will swell z,oao into zo,ooo men. This 
news will immediately induce the King to march from 
Western to Eastern Abyssinia to Tigr^ there to meet 
the invading army. But whilst the English land their 
force at Massowah, and move them in forced marches up 
to the high land and frontier of Tigr^ which is about 
four days (eighty or ninety mites) distant from the coast, 
another force of about 1,000 men (chiefly hoise) should 
be sent to the Bay of Tadjourra, opposite to Aden, on 
the African main, whence they would move inland as &r 

[* Thia is not quite ooirect. Thaodoie'a uma hsva mora thin 

once Buffered defeat dt tba handa of Toaaoo Qobaii, as veil aa at 
those of the EgTptuui ttoopa.] 




abound iii wood, ami ; 
to the point ivhcro tlie 
falls into tliu Hawiisli. 
conutry, Wowakallo, ue; 
aea rivulet in 1841. . 
high land, itear Lake Hai 
the flying force would an 
the fortress of Magdels 
douht would BurreuJor it 
besieged at once by a Euro 
sheila and rockets iu case ol 
The Ada), or Diniikil tr 
people the territory bet we 
and the Abyssinian frontier, 
Eaglish force marching th 
object would he clearly sta 
that their own country wonld 
tidequate present were pn 
TheodoruB on account of hi 
bometan coreligionists in the 
p&rts of Abyaainia ; they « 



:^-•,^^■^^ 



Dt. Krap/'a Svygettiong. 337 

dividig his troops, as he baa powerful rivals all around in 
Godjara, in the AVag couotry, and more especislly in 
Tigr^ whose leader, perhaps, would welcome the EnglisU 
coming from Massowsh. 

But as the island of Massowah is, together with the 
country situated between the coast and Tigr^ under 
Turkish sovereignty, the Turkish authorities will, no 
doubt, protest against the Eoglish marching through the 
coast district, a protest in which they might be aided 
by the French Consulate at Massowah. Should this 
be the case, it might be sufficient to keep a maritime 
demonstration near Massowah, and by this compel 
the King to remain in Tigr^, whilst the whole Euglish 
force of 2,000 or 3,000 men would march through the 
Adal oountiy, to which Turkey has no rightful title. 
Should she object to the landing in the Bay of Tad- 
jourra, England can reply, that Captain Haines, the 
Governor of Aden, bad, in 1840, bought the Islet 
Mashaikh, which commands the entrance into that large 
and safe harbour. 

Theodorus never expects an enemy coming from that 
quarter, aa he had never to deal with the Danakil, and 
is entirely unacquainted with the state of things in that 
direction ; so that the English could be in the heart of 
Abyssinia before tba King is aware of it in Tigr£, where 
he will expect the invaders. 

I have taken the liberty to enclose my map of travels, 
which may explain more fully what I mean. The level 
road along a fine perennial stream cannot bub be ac- 
ceptable to a marching army, whilst the mountainous 
terrain from the coast of Massowah, in TigriS, and west- 
wards, will present many difficulties, especially in regard 
to heavy artillery, which in general should be exchanged 



338 Abyssinia Described. 

for that of the lightest calibre, as it will scarcely be 
wanted, except in dealing with fortresses. True, the 
British army, in coming from Massowah, would sooner 
be in the cool climate than in marching over the hot 
plain of the Adal country. In every case the time 
between November and April must be used. From May 
and June it will be fearfully hot in the Dan&kil country, 
and the rainy season will begin in Abyssinia. 

As the King's army consists chiefly of horses, rockets 
and shells will be most eflectual against it. I have seen 
Major Harris throwing one evening the whole Shoan 
army into confusion by firing a few rockets into the air. 
There is no doubt, an English force of 2,000 or 3,000 
men will completely overthrow the numerous army of 
the King in the first encounter, provided the English 
Commandant is on his guard against the stratagems, of 
which the King is very fond, and in which his main 
strength lies. If that were not the case, it would per- 
haps not be worth the trouble and expense to employ 
3,000 men against an Abyssinian army, which may best 
be compared to an immense band of tinkers. 

It would, indeed, be most desirable that Abyssinia, 
which has been harassed by revolutions ever since the 
time of Mr. Bruce (1772), should be regulated, if not 
permanently occupied, by a European Power, for the 
Abyssinians will never be able to elevate themselves 
independently of Europe. Abyssinia excels every other 
country in Africa by its healthy climate, its agricultural 
productiveness, and other capabilities. Extended as the 
Abyssinian empire already is, yet it might seize all 
Central Africa without somebody disputing or opposing 
its conquests. If governed by an enlightened ruler, 
Abyssinia would easily match Egypt, and prove a 



Dr. BeJee'a SuggeUiona. 339 

powerful friend or foe even to India, to which it presents 
the key. 

If the Slave Trade is to be radicalty destroyed in 
Eastern Africa, it must be chiefly done in Abyssinia, 
which presents the high road to Central Africa. 

I have no doubt that ere long Egypt or France will be 
mixed up with that remarkable country, which is a com- 
pound of physical and moral qualities — a compound of 
alpine heiglits and low valleys, of various languages and 
religions, of human physiognomies of all shades; in fact, 
what its name shows, a /Mbes/ii (mixtnre) throughout. 



DK. BEKira STTGGESTIONa 

UASSOWAH ANS ItAHElTA. 
THE CO0PEBA,TI0N OF WAAGSHUM aOBAZYE. 

[This well-known traveller has, at diderent times, 
addressed valuable advice to the Government coucetning 
the beat means of effecting a release of the captives in 
Abyssinia. The following remarks were communicated 
to Lord Stanley.] 

Ajiril 13, 1867. 

Waagnhum Gobazye, the hereditary Prince of Laata, 
and the actual possessor and ruler of Tigr6 and North- 
Ilastern Abyssinia, has a primd Jaeie right to the 
sovereignty of the empire. With a view to the libera- 
tion of the captives at Magdala, the British Government 
should aSord that Prince a certain amount of encourage- 
ment and support. 

A few hundred mnsketa, with an ample supply of ammu- 



340 Abymnta DescribecL 

nition, and a number of Congreve rockets (transportable 
where artillery could not be, and better suited for the 
purpose), and in addition to these a moderate sabsidj in 
money, are all that would be requisite. Perhaps a few 
European soldiers might at the same time be introduced 
to fire the rockets and drill the natives in the proper use 
of the muskets ; but this would depend upon circum- 
stances 

But, in addition to this material support, it would be 
necessary to exert certain moral influences. The Roman 
Catholic Mission, long established at Massowah and in 
North-Eastem Abyssinia, is in friendly if not intimate 
and confidential relations with the Waagshum, or with 
some of the principal chiefi9 acknowledging his supre- 
macy ; and it is essential to the well-being and success of 
any negotiations that may be entered into with that 
Prince or his partisans, that the members of that mission 
should not merely be friendly disposed, but should be 
induced to co-operate with the agents of the British 
Government. 

The sympathies of the Boman Catholic missionaries 
being naturally with France, as the leading Power of 
their religion, it might perhaps be deemed expedient to 
act upon them through the French Government, in which 
case the recognition of Waagshum Gobazye as Emperor 
of Abyssinia might be made by the Governments of 
France and England concurrently. Otherwisey some 
other means of influencing the members of the Boman 
Catholic Mission would doubtless present themselves to 
her Majesty's Government. 

If, as I believe to be the case, there are several French- 
men in the employ of the Waagshum or some of his 
chie&i their services might possibly be rendered available^ 



Dr. Bekis Suggegtiong. 341 

and ao might render anDeceaaar^ the emplofinent of 
EDgliahmen ; and, indeed, unless there should be any 
polidcal objectione to such a course, it might posaibly be 
deemed more prudent, in order to obviate the risk of 
Theodore's attempting the lives of the Bmlsb captiver, 
that in the first instance France and Frenchmen should 
alone show themselves openly. 

The Waagshum, thus aided and supported, should be 
induced to march at once upon Amba Magdala, through 
the upper couutr;, aloug the eastern edge of the table- 
land, the summit of the ghauts. The distance of Magdala 
from the southern eztremitj of Anneslej Bay, in a direct 
line, by the way of 3euaf^ is about 250 geographical 
miles. 

In mentioning this road, it is right to explain that 
there are three ways of penetrating into Central and 
Southern Abyssinia from Masaowah, or its vicinity : viz. 
(i), the lower road, nor th-weet ward, through Bogos, 
Kassala, and Matemmah ; (2) the middle road, south- 
westward, through Hamaseyn and Tigrfi, crossing the 
River Takkazye ; and (3) the upper road, southwards 
by Halai Tokuda, or Senafg, along the high land, in, 
which are the sources of the Takkazye and its tributaries.* 

From the peculiar physical character of the Abys- 
uaiau table-land, the third of these roads is by far 
preferable to the other two, the selection of either of 
which latter for the march of an invading army would be 
attended with considerable loss of time, might occasion 
the illness or even the death of a largo number of men, 
and might even place in jeopardy the success of a oam- 

* These tliree roods are mu'lced approiimately on the map ot 
Abysainia pabliihed in Dr. Bake's work entitled " Tbe Brilisli 
Captivei in Abyssinia." Longnum & Co., 1867. 



34^ Abygtitaa Dacribed, 

paign. It ma^ not be irrelevant to mention that the 
upper road was taken by Don Christopher de Oama, 
when he entered Abyeainia in 1541, at the head of 500 
Portuguese, to osaiat the Emperot agaiDBt the Mohatn- 
medans. 

An erroneous notion ia entertained generally, and even 
by the captives themselTes, respecting Amba Magdala, 
which Mr. Rassam describes as beiBg "situated on a 
mountain in the WoUo Galla country ;" whereas it ia ia 
truth an isolated spur of table-land, by which it ia com- 
manded from on high. 

By occupying Tanta, at the extreme point of the 
plateau of Warrahemano, where the high land begins to 
break down to form Amba ]^Iagdala, which is distant 
from it probably not more than a quarter of mile, the 
Waagshum would have that fortress completely at com- 
mand ; and as Magdnla has no artificial fortificationa 
beyond a few wooden stockades, and the houses and 
erections on it are principally, if not entirely, of wattles 
covered with mud, and are all thatched, a few well- 
directed rockets would soon destroy the whole place. In 
this I speak ou the report of others, and from my 
acqu^ntance with several similar fortresses, not from my 
own personal knowledge of Amba Magdala itself. 

It may, however, be not unreasonable to suppose that 
the garrison, said to consist of only 600 musketeers, and 
1,000 spearmen, might be induced to capitulate. Indeed, 
if the fact be, aa stated, that during four months of the 
year the place is without water, which has to be brought 
from the plain below, it would seem that by cutting off 
the supply — that is to say, preventing the women from 
fetching the water — the garrison might be- reduced to 
extremities, and forced to aorrender at discretion. 



Dr. Behla HuggeHione. 343 

StUI it would Dot be aaScient to leAve matters to talte 
thifl course alooe. Negotiations might be entered into 
with the garrisoD, with the captors themselves, and 
especially with the Abuna or Coptic Bishop, who iB con- 
fined there, but (aa I am informed) not imprisoned ; and 
means might, doubtless, be devised for inducing the 
natives to abjure their allegiance to Tbeodore, and to 
espouse the cause of Gobazye. 

For this purpose, however, it is essential to secure the 
partisanship of the Abuna, as it is on his consenting to 
anoint and crown Gobazye as Emperor, and on his 
actually performing that ceremony, that the final success 
of the whole enterprise would depend. As long aa no 
rival of bis is anointed and crowned, Theodore pos^^esses 
a prestige which no revei^es can absolutely annihilate. 
He is, and must continue to be, " Emperor by the 
election of God " — " [The] chosen of God, King of Kings, 
Theodore of Ethiopia," as he styles himself in hia letter 
to her Majesty the Queen of England. But the moment 
the Abuna takes it on himself to anoint another Emperor 
the crown falls as it were from Theodore's head on to 
that of bis substitute ; and although he may retain or 
regain the throne, if he has the power to do bo, still his 
exclusive right and prestige are gone. It is to prevent 
such an occurrence that Tbeodore keeps the Abuna near 
bis person when they are friends, and places him in con- 
finement when they are enemies. 

The present Abuna waa formerly a teacher in the 
school of the Church Missionaries at Cairo, and was 
consecrated by the Coptic Patriarch at their instance ; 
and he has always been conwdered as devoted to the 
English and Protestant cause in Abyssinia. It may, 
however, be questioned whether hia own personal interest 



544 Ah/tainia Deaoribed. 

is not moBt regarded by him. Be this u it uaj, I 
apprehend there would be no difficulty in the way of 
BGCuriog the co-operation of this prelate, through the 
Coptic Patriarch and the British Church Uismonariea, as 
well as by making it worth his while. Whether it would 
not be practicable to effectuate his escape from AmbA 
Magdala in the first inetinoe would be matter for 
coDsideratioQ on the spot. 

The foregoing suggestions are made on the asBumptiOQ 
that the Emperor Theodore will not be at Magdala, but 
abseot in Godjam on his customary campaign againat 
Tadela Gwalu. Should it happen that he is at Magdala, 
or that he should return thither before the captives have 
been liberated by the one method or the other, then it ia 
to be considered whether the aid of a small British force 
might not be necessary. 

In this case, however, I will presume to recommend 
that an army should not be landed iu North-Eastera 
Abyssinia, so as to have to march through a oonuderable 
extent of country, even though the district tiKversed 
may be under the rule of Waagsbum Oobazye, and their 
inhabitants well disposed towards the invaders. It would 
be showing the game too plainly to Theodore. 

To me it appears — though on strategical operations it 
becomes me to speak with great diffidence — that a small 
body of troops, consisting principally, if not entirely, 
of cavalry, should be landed at Baheita, and should 
proceed by rapid marches direct on SJagdala. The 
distance between the two points is 240 geographical 
miles, of which about zoo are through the low country 
occupied by variooB Baukil tribes, described iu my 
report of December 17, 1864, already referred to, and 
the remaining forty miles are . over the high table-land 



- - ^ 


^^M -~ ■ •■-^ rlTi^ " -J 


--U 


^^r^i' -/llflp-^^^^tjaJ 




^_ 



I}r. Sek^t Suggesliong. 345 

uf AbfSBiata. The road ia marked approximateljr on 
the map. 

The gT0at«r portioD of this road woold be along the 
northern side of the river Aswaah, snd at no great 
distaace from that river, where water would be plentiful; 
and I apprehend there woald be no difficulty tn 
obtaining sufficient b applies. 

Baheita is chosen aa the place of landing, in preference 
to Tadjurrah, becanse the country to be traversed b 
occupied by tribes of the Modiatos (the AsBa-him«ra, or 
Red House of the Danakil), with whom the people of 
Baheita are more intimately connected than are those of 
Tadjurrah, who are a sub-tribe of the Debeni-k-WamA 
(the Ado-himera, or White House). 

These tribes are not numerous, they have no military 
discipline, and are armed only with spear and knife ; 
consequently they could not, if so disposed, offer any 
serious oppositioo to a well-armed and well-disciplined 
European force, however small Besides, their friendship 
and co-operation might easily be secured, as in the case 
of Major Harris's mission to Shoa, iu 1841, which went 
from Tadjurruh to Alin Amba, with an escort of about 
only 8 dozen soldiers. It is true that, when at a short 
distance from Tadjurrah, two of the party were assassi- 
nated ; but this was proved to havo been the result of 
treachery, and partly also from a sufficient guard not 
having been kept during the night. 

The foregoing suggestions are respectfully offered, 
subject to the disadvantage of my not being acquainted 
with all that has occurred since I left Abyssinia, nearly a 
twelvemonth ago. The change of circumstances may 
naturally occasion a modification of the details. I cannot, 
however, but retain the conviction that, with a view to 



346 A byssinia Deacribed, 

the liberation of the captives, and to the safety of their 
lives in the meanwhile, my plan is in substance preferaUe 
either to a formal invasion hj a hostile arlbj or the 
despatch of a diplomatic mission accompanied hj a 
powerful escort, which would be, in fact, only another 
form of an invading army. 

This plan would possess the farther advantage that 
her Majesty's Grovernment would not be pledged to an 
alliance with a potentate who is manifestly unable <' to 
keep open the avenues of approach between the sea-coast 
and the interior,*' but would, on the contrary, be left 
clear to enter into other arrangements as would tend to 
promote friendly commercial intercourse with a portion 
of the globe, the importance of which has too long been 
lost sight of, both as regards the advantages which it 
offers in itself, and yet more so on account of its being 
the natural highway into the interior of the vast 
continent of Africa. 

[The Government having declined to follow Dr. Beke's 
advice, that gentleman sent a second and a third letter ; 
in the last, he quotes the following from the FcUl McUl 
GaaeUe, in support of his opinion : — ] 

Jwne^ 13, 1867. 

The "Egyptian Correspondent" of the Pall Mall 
Gazette^ who sent home the report of the Mohammedan 
Abyssinians, remarks very sensibly that among the 
insurgents ^*we ought to be able to find allies against 
Theodore in the event of its being at length determined 
to effect by force the release of the captives \ for I do not 
believe,'' he says, *' in the success of the mild expedients 
hitherto resorted to. They have now been tried more 
than three years without our being one whit nearer the 




Dr. Bekt'a SuggeitUma. 347 

dosired result than nben the first letter from the Queea 
was sent. Fate may aaaiBt is bringing abont tbe death of 
Theodore by any one or more of his many adverfiaries j but 
if ve are to wait upon fate, it may bring about tbe death 
of the ptisoners likewise, and leave us «itb tbe etigma 
on oar power of baring been unable to cope with a 
resolute chief of Abyssinia ; and it will be snuUl crowing 
over a dead lion, who kept ns at bay while alive, and 
whom we bad no band in subduing. Tbe efiect would 
not be lost on Egypt, or along the shores of the Bed Sea, 
and might have its iufluence in India." 

As regards the choice of an ally among the native 
chiefs, I would beg leave respectfully to repeat my 
recommeadatton of Waagshum Oobazye, who is thus 
described in the Poll Mall Qaaette, by tbe Mobammedan 
Abyssinian already referred to : — 

" In Tigr6, Waksbnm Oobeij, a descendant of the 
rulers of Lasta, holds bis own. He is spoken of as a: 
man of courage and determination, and counts for one of 
Theodore's most potent advergaries ;" which description, 
as far as it goes, is entirely confirmatory of that already 
given by myself in my communication to your lordship 
of tbe I ztb of April last. 

[A letter having appeared in the Pall Mall Oazetle of 
the nth of July, intimating that the Oovemment had 
decided upon sending the expedition on to Massowab, 
and tbence to Magdala, by way of Dobarwa, Axum, and 
Sbirfe, as "the best and nearest route," Dr. Beke, 
addressed another letter to Lord Stanley, explaining that, 
in bis opiuioD, a bad selection had been made, and how 
an invading army following this road would, in all like- 
lihood, meet with sickness and disaster. Camels having 
been spoken of as forming an important feature in tbe 



34^ Abr/BBinia Degaribed. 

expedition, Dr. Beke asnired hia lordship, from a tbrm 
jears' personal experience of travelling in Abyssinia, 
that whilst these animala ai*e osed in the low and desert 
countries, "the general means of transport on the table- 
land (that is to say, throughout AbyssinisL, properly so- 
called) are mules, sssee, and men."] 

Dr. Beke does not recommend (July, 1867) camels for 
trarelliug in the interior : — 

" My own three years' personal experience of travelling 
in Abyssinia is, that whilst cameb are used in the low 
and desert countries, and bullocks in parts of Tigr£ near 
the coast, the general means of transport on the table> 
land — that is to say, throughout Abyssinia, properly so 
called — are mules, asses, horses, and men. When I vent 
to Shoa in 1840, my baggage (like that of Major Harris's 
miaaioD in the year following) was conveyed by camels 
across the deserts of the Danliki] between Tajurrah and 
the frontier of Shoa ; but in all my subsequent pere- 
grinationti through most of the provinces of the empire, 
I used mules and horses, with occasional porters for light 
weights; and on leaving the country in 1843, I took 
my mules do^n to 'Mkuller, opposite Massowah. On 
my recent visit to Abyssinia, my baggage was carried by 
camels from 'Mkuller to the fort of Mount Shumiaite, 
in the valley of the Hadfis, when it was taken up to the 
tableland on bullocks sent down for that purpose by the 
inhabitants of Halai ; and on mj return to Massowah, 
the same people brought it down all the way to Artdko 
on bullocks and asses (with also a few porters), without 
employing camels at all." 



£okUi: French Expedition, 1839-43. 



FRENCH EXPEDITION, 1839-43. 

M. LEFEBVRE and M. DILLON. 

[By far the fullest infonaation concerning the various 
routes m Abyssinia, the distances of places, and the 
nature of the country — whether fertile or barren — 
through which a traveller would have to paaa, is that 
contained jn the great French work describing the 
expedition of 1839-43.] 

•,• All the proper Bwnsi are Fresah renderiags. On pronnn- 
dation the boddiIb will be found identical, or veiy Dearly io, with 
onr own. A oloea aompanKoi of both the English and trench 
orthographies, honerer, would give a atill better lendeiing of these 
native niunes. 

ROUTES FROM MESSOAH TO ADOWA. 



on a mule to WaingouB, acrosB a 
intry. 

Second day.—Q hours, to Medenmmar, the country varyinfr 
in aspect according to the season, withered and parched 
in dry weather, and covered with foliage and verdure in 
the rainy season, when innumerable flocka find pastore. 

Third day.~g hours to Aye-Deresso, in the valleys formed 
by the ridges of the Ethiopian plateau ; the air begbs to 
be more ireih, and there is water to be fonnd during the 
greater part of the journey. 

Fourth day. — 5 hours, to Eay6-Kor. It is the first place 
after Aye-Dereaso, where there is water ; the road nna 
acrofi a woody plain infested by wild animals. 



35© Abyssinia jyescribed. 

Fifth day. — S honTB to Ch&ah. From Kaj^-Kor the road 
ruDB over the Ethiopian plateau, and ecroai a well colti- 
Tftted and densely populated conntry. Cbaah is eitnated 
on the right bank of the Mareb. 

Sixth day.— 4 hours to £ouda Fellaasi. The firat part of 
the road runs aoross a deserted and woody conntiy, 
inhabited by bands of the Chohoa, who are dangeroiu to 
unguarded trarellers. The second part runs across the 
fertile table-land of Sera^. 

Seventh day.—Q hours to Addi-Koala, across the plains, 
watered bj namerona streams. 

Eighth day.— 4 hours to Gondet. on the descent of the table- 
land leading to the valley of Mareb. 

Ninth day. — 4 hours to Addie-Addi. Becrossiug the river 
Mareb. Low-land, woody. Temperature high. 

Tenth day.—"] houra to Chaaguen^. On cultivated hills ; 
where but a small number of villages is seen. 

Eleventh day.—$ hours to Adoivs; through verdant and 
well-watered valteya. 

and ROUTE. 

I^rst day.— 6 hours to Oueia. The road is arid, dry, and 
so hot during the day, tliat it is not possible to travel 
except by night. 

Second day. — 5 hours to Hamhamo. The same conntry. 

Third day.— -J hours to Toubo. In the narrow valleys 
crossed by mountain streams, which are never dry. 

Fourth day. — 7 hours to Dixan or Halaye. Ascent of the 
Tarenta. Halaye and Dixan are the first Christian 
villages the traveller meets with after leaving the 

Fijlh day. — 9 hours to Egaereobo. Across a very nneven 

country, the population of which is one of the least 

hospitable of the Abyaainiaa Christians. 
Sixth day. — g hours to Eguelu. Crossing the rivers Tserana 

and Belessa and the mountain chain of Logote. 
Seventh day.'-g hours to Adowa. Crouing the rivers of 

M£mene and Oagnaye : & rioh country. 



Hoatea: FretuA Expedition, 1839-43, 



EOTJTE FEOM MES30AH TO ATEBI. 

For tb« first four daya, see the route to Halaje. 

Fijih day.—'j hours to Segonnete. On the border of the 

Ethiopian tsble-land ; tlie latter part of the journey is a 

slight denize nt, crossing many streams of tittle importance. 
Sixth day, — g hoars to Eihale. Across ut arid and deserted 

coontry. 
Seventh day. — 7 hoars to Addigrate. Asoending a more 

eleratecl level. SJch pastore. Addigrate is the capital 

of the Province Agam6. 
Eighth day.~6 hours to Agoddi. A flat open country : at 

first rich and fertile ; afterirards dry and barren. 
Ninth dai/.—S hours to Atebi. An elevated plateau. Wliite 

barley is the only cereal grown. 

ROUTE FEOM ME3S0AH TO ANTALO. 

To Atebi. See above. 

Tenth day.— 4 hours to Aikamessal, Following the course 
of the stream Alecti, which swollen progressively by the 
waters of tho province of Ouomberla, takes the name 
of the river Agoula. Aikamessal is one of the point* 
through which the caravans descend to the salt plain. 

Eleventh day.— 6 hours to Dessa. On a fertile tableland, 
but sparsely populated. Dessa is also a plaoe of ren- 
dezvous for the caravans descending to the sslt plain. 

Twelfth day. — 5 hours to Eouihaine-Tchelenkot. Following 
the same tableland. 

Thirteenth day. — 6 hours to AntMo. Crossing two small 
rivers Guemb^ia and Antabate ; a populous and well- 
cultivated country. 

EOUTE FEOM MESSOAH TO ABI-ADDI. 

For the first 7 days. See Adowa. 

Eighth day.— 6 hours to Zoungui. In the uneven coontry 
belonging to the region of Uie £o1Ub (lover-land). 



35* 



AbyM. 



% Bewrihed. 



yittd day.— 9 houra to If eretU. The fint part of the road 
ig almost deserted, there beiog no vegetation beyond ■ 
few thickets of Mimoiai across the river Oa^ri, which 
Hows between high banks. Approachioe to Meretta the 
coimtTy presents a less sarage aspect, the sites an veij 
picturesque, and suTToanded by numerous bamleta. 

Tenth day.—S honrs to Abi-Addi. In a country denaely 
populated and resortedtobyagreatnuniberof merehanta 
trading in salt. There is a depot of salt far the prorinoea 

.. of S^mi&ne at Abi-Addi. 



ROUTE FBOM MESSOAH TO AREZA. 

the country of the 

Third day.— J-} hours to Oualiy. The fint station on the 

Ethiopian plateau. 
F<jurth, Fiflh, and Sixth Dayt.— jB hours t^i Arl^za. In the 

lower-land, furrowed bj numerous rarines. Elephants, 

rhiDoceTOB, and buffaloes are fouud here in K^at 

numbers. 



EOUTE FROM MESSOAH TO DEBAB-OODNA. 

Seven days to Adowa. 

Migkth day.— 4 hours to Axum, across a plain cotmtry, 
where tefF and com are principally grown. 

Ninth day.— 6 honrs, to Tambouhb, crossing the stream 
called Maye-Tchout, which waters beautiful meadows, 
thcDce to the hills of Akabsiri^, behind which lies the 
valley of Oaerezela, and thence descending to the valley 
of Tambouhb. 

Tenth day. — 4 hours, to Belasse, having passed the beautiful 
meadows of Seteuboah, and crossed the little mountain 
chain which borders on the north the plain of Chir6 ; 
the road leads to the district of Belasse. 

Eleventh day, — 5 hours, to Maye T^mene, a plain country ; 
cereals and pastures. 



Rottits: Frencli Expedition, iS^i^-^y 353 

2^1/th day. — 6 hoart, to Dcbab Gouna, a plaia coonliy, 
like tKe above. 

EOUTE FKOM MESSOAH TO EaUELA-aOUBA. 

For the fint 3 dayi, see ante. 

Fourth day.— To Kayii-Eor, the fint Btation on the 
table-land. 

JF^/th day.— 3 hours to Kgnola-Ctonra. On leaTing Eaj£- 
K.01 there ie a rather steep incline, but the reBt of the 
road miu acroaa a plain of 00m fields and meadows. 

EOUTE FEOM MESSOAH TO FICHO AND THE SALT PLAIN. 

For the first g days, see Atebi. 

Tenth day. — 3 hours to Assote plain. 

Eleventh day. — 3 hours, descending the eastern declivity 
of the Ethiopian plateau, by reiy steep slopes. 

Twelfth day.^^ hours, to the Wells of Saba, across the bed 
of a torrent full of round pebbles. 

Thirteenth day.— 8 hours, to Uanliel-KetiiS, descending one 
level and entering a tolerably extended plain, for the 
moat part deserted. ITear to Uanliel-EeliiS there are 
a few cultivBted places and scattered huts, inhabited by 
the tribe Taltal of Sor6me. 

FaurteeiUh daj/.—Q hours to Gara. Here the road declines 
■enEibly, and shortly there is nothing else but a burning 
desert, destitute of every bind of Tegetation. The halt- 
ing place is close to the source of the Gar«, which is 
a boiling spring. 

and ROUTE. 

There is another, and by far shorter road to Ficho, mnning 
along the rallcys of the shore, the Salt Lake being but 
at a short distance from the coast, but this road is only 
practicable to the natives. 



EOUTE FEOM MESSOAU TO ADDLABO. 



Eighth day. — To Axum, nee Debabgouna. 

ifiii/A dug. — To Maye-Toimro, ^ town titukted at 

eitremit; of the valley of Tambouiih, where it opens i 

the plaia of Selculo&h. 
TeatA dai/. — To Medebajetab&r, &ii nnaroa ind wot 

country, with many rarineB, aod a great niunber 

streams nhich fall into the rlrer Moreb. 
Eltveiifh day. — To Elaje-Beit, a country of low lai 

abounding witb woodi, difficult to trarel wiUioi: 

Tweljth day.— To Addi-Abti. Approaohing Addi-AbA, tb 
ia a great number of Tillages and weU-caltirated fie 
to be seen, although a great part of the iohabita 
follow the chase, which ii very productive. 

and ROtrrE. 

From Maye-Toaaro there is another road across tb» hilli 
£oyela and the district of Addi-Onfito, leading in 
days' march to Addi-Abo. The inhabitanta which are i 
with on this road ore more hospitable than those of' 
diatricts of Medt>baye-Baber and Kayi5<5eit. 

EOUTE FEOM MESSOAH TO AOSSOBA. 

See the route to Antalo. 

TaelJIk day. — To Kouihaine-Tchelenkot. 

ITiirleenth day, — To Aossoba, across arable land, abonnd 
in meadows and cornfields. Aossoba is situated in 
soutbem limit of Enderta ; the inhabitants ht 
frequent interoonrac with the Taltals and the Gall 
from whom thej purchase Ivor; and the homi of : 
rhiaooeroB. 



Routes: Frmeh Easp^iiion, 1839-43. 



BOUTE FEOM MESSOAH TO A3SA-KELTL 

Thirteenth day. — To Aatdo, whicli see. 

Fourteenth day. — 4 honra U> Addirake, &croi8 the plain of 
Antalo and the river BouUId j entering the province of 
Oaodg^rate, of which Addirake is one of the first 

Fijteenfhday.—e, hours, to Beit-Maria. HavinK crossed the 
plain covered with pastures, and encompaaged by high 
mountains, the road ascends a narron^ valley, watered 
by a large stream falling from the peak of Aladji^. 

Sixteenth day. — 5 hours, to Sessate, along the same valley — 
crossing the hii(h chain of Ouodg6rate by the defile of 
Aladjie. The village of Sessate is built on the oppoeito 

Seventeenth day. — 8 honrs, to TsaUli. Having crossed the 
valley of Atsalla and the mountain chain, which borders 
it on the opposite aide of AladjiS, the road debouches 
into a second valley called Aiba, behind which there is 
a large plain, whence it descends into the basin of D6ba, 
in the middle of which the market Tsaafti is situated. 

Eighteenth day. — 6 hours, to Assa-Eelti. The road runs 
across many valleys, bordered by hills, on which groups 
of hamlets are to be seen. Many districts are thus 
crossed, the most important of which is the Menhane, 
and the Aya, whence, by a steep acclivity, the road leads 
to the Mount Uossobo, where the village Assa-Keiti, 
the residence of the Governor of Achangui is situated. 

BOUTE FROM HESSOi.H TO DEBRA..ABBATE. 

Eleventh day.— To Uaye-Tem^ne, see Debabgouna. 
Tteelfth de^. — 5 hours, to Maye-Cheb^ni ; a plain country. 
Thirteenth day. — 5 hours, to Tembela. Part of the road 

across an uneven country, and the other on a plain, 

producing cotton and maize. 
Foarttentk day. — B hours, to Debra<Abbaye. A woody 

country, interapeiBed by ravinea. The principal enltare 



356 Abj/sinnia Detcribtd. 

is cottoQ. The market of Debn^A-bbajo it one of 
moBt important for iroiy and fun. 

EOUTE FROM MESSOAH TO DEUBELAS3E, 

Sixth day.— To KoudofeUssi. See the rente to Adowa. 

Seventh day, — To DembclMse. 'DctceoA\ag the west 
declivity of the plateau of Scrac. The ioh&bituiti 
Dembelaase are almost ail haatera, and reported to 
cruel and inhospitable. 

EODTE FEOM MESSOAH TO SAMABE. 

The road runs througli Antalo (which Bee) thence m da 
march across the plain of Sahharte, one anf;le of wfa 
touches the ton'n of Sajuanj. It is the proriaioa marl 
for com for the greater part of the Tigr6 ; there is s 
c<Ecellcnt iron, imported bj the inhabitants of the p 
vinceofBona. 



EOUTE FEOM MESSOAH TO SOKOTA. 

The first runs through Achangui, whence in a day and a b 
marcti to Sokota ; it is the high land road. 

The second panacs through Samere aud the valley of Telia 
This road runs across an unhealthy country, and 1 
temperature is exceedingly elevated. 

The market of Sokota is the place of reDdezvoai for I 
merchants going to the provinces of the Gallas of t 
east ) it ia also tlic central point for commercial trana 
tioni with the Ouadela and the Ouellos tribes, w 
produce the Coest irool of Abysabia. 

EODTE FBOM ADOUA TO GONDAK. 

Fourth day. — To Maye-Temtne. See Debab-Goaoa. 

FiJJh day.~To Maye-Cheb^oi. Meadows. 
Sixth day. — To Maye-Zemkale. A plain country. 
SeeenlA day. — To Maye-Aini. Crossing the river Tacca 



Routes: French Expedition, 1839-43. 357 

which flows within a deep ravine. Maje-Cini is litn- 
Bted on the opposite side of Uaye-Temkate, in the 
country of Berra-OuesBSf a. 

Eighth day. — 4 hours, to Maje-Tfclite. As far as Maye- 
Eewate the country is plain and the soil seems to be 
fertile ; neTerthekss, it is almost deserted, most pro- 
bably on account of the ChankallaB, who make frequent 
inroads and murder the scattered inhabitants. Between 
Maye-Aini and Maye-KeBsate, the traveller meets the 
river Sarentia, one of the conflDcnts of the Taccaz^. 
Beyond Maye-Eessate the road crosses many hills, 
where the population is denser. Ealf-way it crosses 
the river Ounguiha. 

Ninth day.—& hours, to Debeubabeur. The country is 
formed bj the ridges of the mountain-chain of Semi^ne, 
forming narrow ralleys between them, in the middle of 
which flow the rivers Enio, Boubeia, Ansia, and Zarima. 
Having crossed this latter river, the road rises con- 
siderably, during two hours' march, till it reaches Debeu- 
babeur, situated on the highest level of the Mount 

Tenth dai/.—s hours, to Debarck. After ascending the ac- 
clivity of Lamalmon, the road debouches into a plain 
conntry belon^ng to the province of Ouoj^u^ra. Before 
reaching Debeubahenr, the dietrict of Oulkefite has to be 
crossed. 

Eleventh day. — 7 hours, to Chimberaz^guiSae. A plain 
country, covered with meadows, and welt populated. 
Climate cold. 

Ticelflh day. — 8 hours, to Izakdebcnr. The same country : 
but the more the traveller advances toirards S.W. the 
table-land becomes lower, and is covered with a number 
of streaniB, which very often atop communication during 
the winter. 

T^irteeatA day. — 6 hours to Gondar. The road continues to 
run on a plain as far as the descent of Bambelo. Before 
reaching Gondar the river Magnetcbe is eroised by a 
bridge. 



Alyesinia Deteribed, 



BOOTE FEOM ADOWA TO BA890. 



ThirUentk day. — To Gondar. See above. 

Fourieenlh day. — To Fcurlcabeur. Having deacended t! 

plateau of Gondar, the road rum along the banlce of tl 

Inke Taann, Iiaving previously crowed the rivew Kai 

and Di^mb^a-Goumara. 
Fifleenth day. — To Ifag. The road continue* by the \a3t 

following the plain bordered by a chain of mountuni 

Hat lummits, on which the tonna of Amba-MBrjun, Kt 

fraze, ic, are huilt. Before reaching Ifag the riv. 

Arnogamo has to be crossed. 
SMeenti day.— To Maderamariam. Leaving Ifag the roi 

crosses the plain of Fognera, watered by the river Bel 

thcu it croaaes a chain of hills, aod the country becom< 

uneven at far na Madfrnmariani. There a a emi 

river, the Goamar, to he crossed on this road. 
Stveateenlh day.— Jo Chim^-Guiorguia. The road paui 

through verdant valleys ; half way the river Gota hu ' 

be crossed. 
Eighlcentk day. — ^To Aadabeit. Across a plain ; travcUe 

encamp on the border of the ravine leading to tl 

Nile. 
2fineUenth Jay. — To Mota. Crossing the Kile, the rot 

reaches Mota, ou the opposite bank. 
Tire/ilie/h i/af.— Ouofite. A plain country j the rive 

Azounri and Tcguidar to be crossed. 
Ticeniy-fiTsl day. — To Debraouerk. A plain country, wil 

iomc hills before reaching Dcbraouerk ; the lire: 

£nnate.Tch£, Guelguel-Tchf, Idane, and PcKa to 1 

crossed. 
Taeiity-sccond day.— To Tebcurte. A level country, vratere 

bj many streams descending from the mountain ehai 

of Teiba-Ouaha. 
licea/y-third day.— To Debeite. Across a few bills whic 
are the ramiGcations of the chain of Telba-Ouaha. Froi 
Debeite the country is generally woody. 



1. - •■*1- .- - , ,* 



Routes: French ExpedUum^ 1839-43. 359 

Twen^'fourth day, — ^To Dagate. Across the rivers Soa, 

Mouga, Betohet, and Bagana. 
Twenty-sixth day. — To Yedje-Oulid. Across the river Yeda. 
Twenty -seventh day, — To Ba8s6. Across the river Tchamoga. 

2nd ROUTE. 

First day, — To I>]enda. A plain country, densely populated 

and fertile. 
Second day, — To Takoussa. The same. 
Third day. — To Denguelbeur. In the province of Agad- 

Medeur. 
Fourth day. — To Atchafeur. On an elevated plateau, with 

good pasturage. Excellent iron is procured here. 
Fifth day, — To Metcha. A plain country, in which are the 

sources of the Blue Nile. 
Sixth day. — To Bouri^. On the declivity of the plateau of 

Aga6-Medeur. 
Seventh day, — To Denguelbeur. Across the narrow passage 

leading to the high land. 
Eighth day. — To Atchafeur. A country furrowed by ravines. 

There are two towns bearing the same name in the pro- 
vince of Aga6-Medeur. 
Ninth day. — To Dcmbetcha. On the chain of Telba-Ouaha. 
Tenth day, — To Godera. Close to this town is the source of 

the river Fetane. 
Eleventh day, — To Bass6. Across the rivers Fetane and 

Bear. 

ROUTE FROM GONDAR TO BOURIE. 
See the routes from Gondar to Bassd. 

ROUTE FROM ADOWA TO CHARIA. 

First day. — Zoungui. Across the districts of Addi-K^r^ 
and Serhi. The soil is rich and well cultivated, although 
mountainous and intersected by ravines. 

Second day, — To Aouzienne. Across the river of Oueri, the 



360 Abyssinia Described. 

bed of which ii rer; deep; the remunder of the road 

TAird day. — To Aonzft. Across the rivera of Selheu &ud 

Gnebft ; the remainder of the ro&d is lerel. 
FouriA day. — To Ar^aa. Acroai the river Agoula. 
Fifth day. — To Aotalo. A plsia couatrj. Across the 

river GnembeU. 
Sixtk day. — To Beit-Maria, crostiDg the river Boaill^. 
Seventh day. — To Seasate, across the high mountain chain of 

O nod gyrate. 
Eighth day. — To TsaAfti, crossing the rivera Ataala and 

Ai-ba. 
Ninth day. — To Achangui, one of the seven districts of tlie 

Province of Doha. In the middle there is a Lake of two 

leagues in diameter. 
Tenth day. — To Late, across en elevated chain bordering 

the lake of Archangui, end debouching into the country 

of Oaa(;ue, of which Late is one of the border towns. 
Eleventh day.— To Tseni-Guedel, croBsing the two parallel 

chains and stopping on the other side of the mount AIna, 

of which Tsera-Guedel is one of the roOBt elevated levels. 
I^eljlh day.— To Onaldia, chief town of the province of 

Yedjou. Having left the high lands of the Lasta, the 

traveller enters a valley the climate of which is temperate. 

The rivers Ala and Bonkonr are to be crossed. 
Thirteenth day. — To Guerado, a Mnssulman district in the 

province of Yedjon. The rivers Ed^fe, Ouaba, ilent, 

and Guenido are to be crossed. 
Fourteenth day. — To Sirba, crossing the districts of Sekala 

and Zfitetcherk, and entering the province of Outehal^. 
Fifteenth day. — To Cossaro, crossing the river U^U^, and 

ascending the valleys of Djari and Zatti. 
Sixteenth day.— To Entchard, following the declivity of the 

chain bordering the valley of £atti on the east. 
Seventeenth day. — To Madjeti^, following the valley of 

Ou6rakallo, in the middle of which flows the river 

Borkenna. 
Eighteenth dt^. — To Ch^r^fa, croaaing the river Tpnkour. 



RouUa: French Expedition, 1839-43. 361 

Tbe road deicendB from the table land of Ouemia to the 
torrent of Sembeleae, the bed of which is then ucended 
ae f&r u Donlloute ; thence it deBcendB KEsin into the 
Tallej of Monke<Mcda, n-aahcd by the rirer Kazaro. 
The eastern declivity of the high roonntaiD chain along 
which the road ie ruoning is here called Gnedme. 

Nineteenth day. — To Arogonratti, across the plain of Ne- 
gncBBo and the rirers Djari, Saour, and Gacha-Belebd^. 
Arogonratti is situated on one of the ridges of the great 
moontun chain in the district of MeugneuBte. 

Tvientieth day. — To Qoudje-Ainba, acroBB the plain of Sdbi. 
Before ascending the Bummit of tbe Gondje-Amba, 
which is situated on an elevated peak, the river BAbi 
has to be crossed. 

Taenfy -first day. — To Tchenno, skirting the plateau of Cboa. 
The valley of Tchenno is watered by tbe river Aouadi. 

To AliyA-Amba. Having passed tbe edge which forms tbe 
southern side of tbe valley of Tchenno, the road crosses 
many torrents descending from tbe monntaias of 
Ankober. AJiy6.Amba is a place 6f rendezvous for tbo 
commercial eichaages between the caravans coming from 
the interior of Abyssinia and those coming by the way 
of Tedjoura, carrying the products of India and Europe. 

BOUTE FBOM OONDAB TO MADJETIE. 
Firtt day.—i hours to Ambamariam, across the rivers Sodi£ 

and Amogamo. 
Second dag. — 5 hours to Derita, following either the heights 

of Ouaiina-Dega or the plain bordering tbe lake. 
Third day. — 7 hours to Debratabor, across the river Eeb. 
Fourth day. — 6 hoars to Esti^, following first an elevated 

plateau, whence tbe lake of Tsana is to be seen, and then 

a part of Godjam and Lasta. 
Fifth doy.—B hours to Tchetch^o, a level country abounding 

iu horses and cattle, crossing the river Tchetch^o. 
SixlA day. — 6 hours to Nebit, a country watered by a great 

number of streams, the greater part of which are the 

confluents of tbe Taccas^. 



^'s^r !»%:£. z.*Ui ■">J«ttai<i»iii , 1 af^.ri^_- ^!s 



362 Abyssinia Described, 

Seventh day, — 7 hours to Daonte, a oountry of high table- 
land, where beautiful wool is to be found, which forms 
one of the most important articles of trade with the rest 
of Abyssinia. 

Eighth day. — 8 hours to Sekala* deoending the high plateau 
by a ridge which debouches into the yalley of Yedjou. 

Ninth day. — 5 hours to Sirba. Crossing the fertile plain of 
Z^tdtcherk, a dependency of Tedjou, and some hills. 

Tenth day. — 7 hours to £ossar6. Crossing the river M^ll^, 
then ascending the valleys of Djari and Katti, the 
traveller arrives at the peak of Kossar6« in a cold and 
humid country. 

Eleventh day. — \ hours to Combolcha, descending the peak 
of Xo88ar6 into the valley of Combolcha, which is on 
every side encompassed by high mountains. 

Twelfth day. — 8 hours to Koterme. Debouching through a 
defile between J^ni-Amba and Igof into the valley of 
Ouarekallo, watered by the river Borkenna. The town 
of Koteme is situated on an isolated mountain pass. 

Thirteenth day. — 7 hours to Madj^ti^, across the river Bor- 
kenna and many of its confluents ; the country is flat 
and woody. 

ROUTE FEOM GONDAE TO MELAKSANKA. 

For the first 7 days to Daonte (see above). 

Eighth day. — 8 hours to Melaksanka, across the Bachelo. 

EOUTE FEOM ADOWA TO GOUEAGUIE. 

For the first aa days to Aliy6-Amba, see ante. 
Twenty-third day. — 8 hours to Dililla; ascending many 

elevated levels, the road enters the province of Boulga, 

on an elevated plateau, at the foot of mount Megueaaz^. 
Twenty-fourth day. — 9 hours to Borra-Addo, following still the 

high land of the Boulga, which is rich in cultivated fields 

and meadows. 
Twenty-fifth day. — 6 hours to Aouaohe, a plain fertile and 

densely populated ; horses are brought from this district. 



Soutes: French Expedhian, 1S39-43. 363 

TmetUy-tixtk i^oy.— 7 hoora to Soddo, rctois a oonntrr com- 
posed of fertile hilla and exteDsirelj wooded. 

Tioentg-tevtnth day. — 9 houn to AbaaU ; the road nuiR botom 
a woodj country. A species of tree, called Zegba, is 
eepeciallf remarkable oo accoont of itt extreme Leigbt. 

Tieentg-eighlh day. — 8 hours to Abimel^lo, a coantry corered 
with cofiee-bves. 

jfWn^y-ni'nlA day. — 7 hours to lake Zoaage. This lake 
occupies the iniijdie of the province of Gonragui^. Id it 
there are seren iilandB, the principal of which if called 
Debrasiua. 



BODTE FBOM ALITO-AMBA TO SAKA. 

Ftrtt day. — 8 hours to Angolola, erossing the torrent of 
Airara and ascending the rise leading to the plateau of 
Choft, Beyond this latter the road runs almost entirely 
across a plain. The country is well-cMiltirated and 
produces oom and barley in abundance, but there is not 
a single tree to be seen. Half-way, one of the conflaents 
of the river Serosa is to be crossed, and two hours after- 
wards the traveller reaches Angolola, crossing tlie river 
ofthe same name. 

Second day. — 8 hours to Fintchoa, across the river Tchatcha, 
and along a conntry thinly populated, although the soil 
seems fertile. 

IRiri day. — 7 hours to Messenr-Medeur, a level country, 
crossing some streams of little importance. 

Fburth day.—g hours to Eogni6, descending to a plain, 
and cTossiug immediately the river Guermama, which 
is one of the confluents of the Aouache. As far ai the 
hills of £ogui£ the road rnns through meadows and 
fields, where com. teH, and vegetables are grown. The 
country is watered by the river Hakaki, which has many 
confluents. 

^Jth day. — 3 hours to Bndod^, descending another step, 
leading into the valley of Aouache, leaving on the east 
the mountain of Foori, and on the west Endotto. At 



364 Abyssinia Described, 

the foot of this plateau the country is covered with 
magnificent pastures extending as far as Endod^. 

Sixth day.^g hours to B^tcho-Ori. Crossing the Aouache 
the traveller enters a densely populated country, where 
barley and com are grown. 

Seventh day. — 10 hours to Oualisso. The road runs still 
across a plain, but the country becomes woody, and is 
intersected by a great number of water-courses which 
fall into the river Ouahab6. 

Eighth day, — 10 hours to Saka. Crossing the river Ouahabe. 
which flows south-east, the country lowers towards the 
south and forms many valleys, separated by low hills, at 
the foot of which cofiee-trees are cultivated. Halfway, 
the Guib^ is crossed, which, by the Abyssinians, is 
considered to be larger than the Nile. 

ROUTE FBOM ALIYO-AMBA TO THE COUNTRY OP 

AOUSSA 

First day. — 6 hours to Tchenno, a hilly country, crossing the 
river Kal^na. 

Second day. — 8 hours to Mafoude, crossing the river Aouadi, 
and passing by the defile of K^raba, through a somewhat 
elevated mountain chain, which forms one of the edges 
of the plateau of Choa. Behind this, there is another, 
parallel to it, which is to be crossed before reaching 
Mafoude. 

Third day. — 4 hours to Mengeuste. Descending the hills of 
Mafoude, at the foot of which the river R6bi is to be 
crossed, the traveller enters into an extended plain, for 
the most part deserted and woody. Elephants and other 
wild beasts are very common. 

Fourth day.—*] hours to Ch6r6fa. Descending the hills of 
Mengeuste and entering the plain of N^gucsso, where 
maize and cotton are cultivated. The plain is watered by 
the river Djaou and three of its confluents, all descending 
from the plateau of Choa. Having crossed the Djaou, 
the road ascends as far as Ch^r^fa. 

Fifth day.-^Q hours, to Saramba. Leaving Ch^r^fa, the 



JlouUs: French Expedition, 1839-43. 365 

road deiceiidi into & fertile and irell-popalated plun, 
the iDhabitsDta of whioli ■» MiuiulmeD. Some hills 
sre aftenrsrdi to bs oroHed, and the road eotera the 
plaia of Mouka-M&Ta, in the middle of which floni the 
nver Nazaro. The town Sanunba is situated on the 
western border of the said plain, at the foot of the 
monatain chain of Guedme. 

Sixth day. — € hours, to Madj^ti^, crossing a second time the 
rirer Nazaro, the road runs to the rise of Doullonte, to 
the anmmit of the valley of Sembelete, and deacends 
there as for aa the Bpot where it deboaches into the plain 
of Chafa. Croasiag the rirer Toukour, and aaceoding 
the plateau of Guemso to Madj^ti^, which ia situated on 
the first level of the latter. 

Setfntk day.— "J houra to B^kid. Manj large streams, 
deaceodinf; from the plateau of Gnemza, water the plain 
of Chafa, which the traveller haa to follow during this 
journey. A little before reaching BSkid the river 
Borkenna is to be crossed. 

Eigkik day. — 8 hours to Leide ; a mountainous country, and 
iuteraected by ravines. 

yiath day.^6 Lours to Ilala ; a cultivated country, inhabited 
by the GaJlas, who are inhospitable to travellers. 

TentA day.—y hours to Ea&b. The aspect of the conotry is 
the same. 

Eleventh day.— 6 hours to TaiL The country is peopled by 
the uncivilized Odal tribes. These tribes are nomade ; 
their wealth connista in flocks and camels. 

I'laelfth day, — 7 hours to Bakarsa, along the banks of the 
river Mflld, which form two narrow skirts of verdnre, 
beyond which the soil is extremely arid. 

I'&irteenth rfay.— 6 hours to Agamti. Following the river 
U611&, ai before. 

J-ourteealh day.— 6 hours to M£ll^, crotsing the river 
^ell^. HaJtin); place on the left bank. 

Fifteenth day. — 7 hours to Arabatessa. The country is in 
general sandy and arid, iuterapened by ixue* tolerably 
peopled. 



366 



Abymnin Dacnbed. 



Sixleentk day.—j hours to Tch^fi. The aane conntiy. 

Seventeenth dag. — 6 houn to Aouua ; croBiing the Aouc' 
the banks of trhich axe woody. Thej are resorted 
bj Qomade tribes, who do not, Lowever, remain the 
as the air ii anhcalthj. Aoasaa is the chief town o 
email province of the country of Adal. The groni: 
round about are cultivateii, but the inhabitanta of Aoui 
join to agricultural purauitg the beoefits of commer 
They make frequent exehanges in trade nith the 
babltanta of the high laud of Abyanioia as well 
with the ports of the Ked Sea, aa Zeila, Tedjoura, B^Io 
&Qd £ide. 



ROnTE FHOM ENTCHAHO TO AOUSSA- 

From Entcliaro to Leide in 5 hours. (For the remunc 
of the road see the Itinerary from Aliyd-Amba 
Aousaa.) 

EODTE FROM AOUSSA TO TEDJOUBA. 

Fint day.—^ hours crossing the Aoaache ; encampment 

Bila. 
Beaind day. — 7 hours to Eourkoura. 
l^ird day.— 6 houra to Arho. 
JVurti day. — 7 hours to Dourgourgoura. 
Fifth day.—y honra to Knball^-. 
SixtU day. — 8 hours to Eaheta. 
Seventh day. — Q hours to Arguita. 
Eighth day. — 8 hours to Heigounoul. 
Ninth day.—<} hours to Tedjoura. 
All along this road the country is inhabited by savage tribe 

it is, therefore, highly important to be always on I 

alert againat their attacks. 



Bouiea: Major Harria, 1841. 



KOTJTE FROM TAJURRAH TO ABKOBAE. 
UAJOB HABBIS, 1841. 





Siitancc. 


Supplj nr 


lii' 




SUlion., 


Mlla 


F„l. 


w««. 


L&UtDdsand Longitada. 


Tfljiirr«h.... 
Ambnlio .... 


3 


4 


Well 
do. 


- 


iut.„'4&35;;N. 

(I.ong.43'o'2o'R 


DdUooI .... 


7 


— 


do. 






8.8^1.. .... 


"4 


4 


do. 

None 


1697 


L»t ii°4o'iS"N. 


BihrAM.!.. 
Gooogoontab 
Allooli 


16 
16 
9 


- 


do. 

Stream 
Pool 


Below 

57° 

228 


1 Long. 42^33' 6" E. 


Badikurroof. . 


16 


— 


do. 






SoggsdS™ .. 
Murmh .... 


8 

4 


- 


do. 
Wdl 


I 


L»t. ii°i93"N. 
L»t. ii°l7'3"N. 


DnJdeo .... 


15 


_ 


Pool 






Gobaad .... 




_ 


Rirer 


1057 


Lit. M°o'S4"N. 


SuDkal .... 


4 


— 


Pool 






Sugg«g^d»„.. 
Dftwilylata.. 

Araiidoo .... 


7 
9 
3 

7 


4 
4 
4 


Nono 
Pool 
Nono 
Pool 


1228 


Ut.,o'53'o-N. 


Fialoo 

Bunirudda .. 


2 
'5 


4 


do. 

Non« 


160s 




Kilulloo .... 
WnrsraiUi .. 


? 


= 


Pool 
do. 


1542 

"752 


Lat. .o'34'33"N. 



368 



Abi/ttinia Dateribed. 





DijUnet. 


Snp^rol 


«i| 














^ 


Purl. 




llf 




Jfagn-koomi.. 




_ 


None 






Miiohit-tolli 




_ 


Porf 






iUdrfm-dubb. 




4 


Nona 






BuIUIlL .... 






d». 






MirOD 




— 


L;ik« 






Moolu-ZuBbit 






Nona 






Burdiidd* .. 




_ 


p™i 






Hio 




— 


None 


— 


L»t9'39' "3"N. 


H«wMh River 




— 


Eirer 


2213 




AiWti 




4 


Pool 






Dstbit™ .... 




4 


Strontn 


2944 




DinomiLli.... 




_ 


do. 






Tlrri 




4 


do. 






AlioAmb*., 




— 


do. 


5*71 




Ankdbar 




- 


de. 


8100 


lL.t.9•34■45'^ 
tIxi[ig.39"S4 0'' 


ToUl dlltanoo 


370 











B7 tbs pusnge oE the PoUr lUr ovar tlw meridiui, the m&gi 
variation at Ank^bor wm obaerred, with th« »id of a well-nigul 
chroDometer, to b« 7° wegteriy. 

Tbe loD^tude wu detenuioed both bj ft taries of luDftra, ma 
tbe edipaes of Jupiter's aatelliCe*; tlia meui of apwardi of 
obMrTAtione being tAkeo. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS RELATING 
TO ABYSSINIA. 



> Comprising, it is believed, a tolemhty perfect lUt qf the booia 
and tracti vihich luiva been pubtiahed upon that country. 



Dl Bim « moribnB 'itadonuAV Q. L. [A traot aoiiinieno[Tig 

" Preapiter JohuieB amico sno EmuineU Borne Qabenuitori 

Bftlnte, At).] Eichitadt, 1478 (P). 4to. [Another edition wu 

priatod at Venice, 148a.] ' 

Id: Pkestbe Jehah [at end] " C7 finent U diTenit^ des hommei, 

dea beetes, des oyaeanz qui eoot en la tene de Preetre Jehan." 

Rouen, 1506. 4to. 
Nabbatio Dt JGthiofia. Johannes Potlceniiu. Rome, 1513. 
£Tioplao Alfabeto en la longne Oleei [Oeez] Tolgumente 

<l»'"»-^'^ Caldea, en Uogiut i latra Etiopa. For Mdnge Fedm. 

151 B. 4to. 
Lb Natxoa.tioni pei I'Ooouid all« Tene di Negri de la BaM»> 

Ethiopia, Jto. ; da A. Teapntio. Milan, 1519. Fol. 
LsoATlo Hagni Ebiaaini ImperatorU Pieabftori Johannia, ad 

Emmanaelem, Lnaitaniie rsgem. Antvtrpiu!, 153a. Second 

edition, DordraH, l6l8. 
EnsTOLJE dnee. — DuTidia ad Gementem BeptUnam. Anno Domini 

1 333 deaainatm, onm artioolia qniboadam de fide et moribna 

(Ethiopnm Chriatianonim, Ao. See Amandoi of Fierikzee 

Cbionioa campendiaaiaBima ad eioidia mimdi, Sx. 1534. Sto. 
Ijmiatio David ^thiopin Begia, ad Clementem Fapl VIT. una onm 

obedientia eiden Sanotiaa, D. S. pnaatita. Bononve, 1533. 

4to. [ADother edition — AntverjiiiB, 11J34. 12mo.] [Anotlier 

edition — AntverpiiB, 1534. 8to.] 
SoTHSCHATT dsc KcEoi^ Darid aiu dam Morenland, den mam 

gemeinlioh nennt Prieatei Johaii, aa Pabat dtnnell* Til. 

Leipsic, 1534. 4*0. 
L'AnBASELAKu di Daild B£ dell' Etiopia al Santiniino B. N. 

Ctemente Papft YII., Ao. Bologna, 1535. 4to. 
OuNiDif geDtiam morea, legea et litna, at moltU olariaaimiB tbtudi 



3 7 o A bjfsnnia Described, 

Hcriptoriboa nnpei ooUecti at noriasime Teoogniii. Jo&nnu 

Aubuiiu BoemnB. Tnbwrg<E, 1536. 8vo. [Them are two 

other editioDB — 1541 and 1570.] 
CoFii dn una letten ohe a muidftto il Prete Juu k1 . . . paator 

da Boma, U qoal naim la sua posaanu e ricbeiz*. Bressa, 

1537. 4to. 
Cbalde£, sea ^tUopicfo linsns institnUanM. E/ime, 1548. 4tO. 

Second and tliird editions, 1553 and 1630. 
Vebdadera Intormi^ da Piaste JoaSo dai Indiaa, ta. For 

Francisco Alrarez. Lisbon, 1540, fol. Tnuiilatod into 

Spanish b? Thonuia da Padilla. AntverjniB, 1557. Bto, 

Another tranalation byMiohael de Selvaa. Toledo, 1558. 8*0, 

Into Frenah hj Andcd Coreal. Anver}, 1558. 8ro. Into 

Italian by O. A. Bomtuiii*. Into Qarman bj Joaohim Hellac. 

1566. Fol. 
Fides, roli^o, in<!re>H]na .^Itliiopain ano Imperio PiaoioaiB Jouuds. 

Damiam de Goee. Paris, 1541, Sro. 
Obedic!I!'.a data ik Fapa Clemanta Vll., in noma dal Preta GJannL 

Per T. Alvarei. In the first Toltime of the " NavigKtionL" 

1550- Fol. 
Natiqationi a viaggi attomo il Mondo. — Oioranni-Battiita 

Eamnsio. Venetia, 1550. 3 vols. Fol. 
EsTA he bna breve relac&o da emboiiado q patriarcba don J. B. 

tronae do Emperador da Ethiopia, chamado Tnlgarmente 

Preate Joao, Ae, 1^65. 4to. 
Tbm Nari^tion and Vjage* of Lewea Vertomaniu, gentleman of 

thft citie of Eome, to tha regiona of Arabia, EgTpte, Peraia, 

Ethiopia, and Eat India, both within and without tha rjrer 

of Ganges in 1 503. TraDalatad ont of Latine into Engljsba 

by Richard Eden. Londra. 1576. 4to. 
*a* See edition of 1863. 
BiHPCBLlCA .£teiofica. — For R. A. Hieronpnoa. SalamaTica. 

1595- Fol. 
Faeadiomata de qaatnor Unguis orientalibna. P. Viotorina. 

Obbis Terrarum Epitome ' in qna Mores, Leges, Bitns onudom 
gentium aollecti oontinentur. Joannes Anbanua Boemna. 
Pariir:, 1596. 8to. Two other editions. 1604 and i6do. 

Nabbatio de .Ethiopia. Anno 1G05. Lndoyioafl de Anredo. 
1609. 



BUtUogn^t/. 371 

Thb Faadli of Fsoioiii, oouttiiiiiv the ansdent manerB and lawsB 
of the peoplee anhkbiliDg ths two parts of the Earth called 
Atrioke &nd Asie. S7 Joaunea Anbaoai Boaama. Tranalated 
b; W. 'Waterman. London, iSog. 4to. Another edition, 
iSia. 4to. 

Ethiopia Obiektu,. — Per Joan Bob SantOB. Evora, 1609. FoL 
TranHlated into FreDobb; C. Charp;. ParU, 16H4. lamo. 

HiSTOKii. da log graiides 7 remotoa BeTHOs de la Etiopia. Pol 
LndoTicoa Uireta. Valencia, t6lo. 4ta. 

HiaTORiA Eodesiaatioon de la Ethiopia, [Tranalation of Ucreta.] 
rulfftcia, 1610. 4to. 

Db ABAaaiNOBCH Bbbus, D&ine Ethiopia) Fatriarobia. P. 
NioolftO Godinho. Lvgduni, 1615. Bvo. 

Db JEIrHiOPiBUH nonnolla ei Libro Vn., de Emendatione tampo- 
mm. Joaeph Joata SoaligST. 1690. miiio. 

SomiAiBE dea lettras ^critea de VEUiiopio, et de celles da !Bo; de 
I'Ethiopio. dit PrsBte-Jau. . . . comprenaiit I'heurenae con- 
Teraion del'Ethiopio. 1615. Bvo. 

Xatubaleza, poHcia, aagrada ? profan, y BitoB de todos EtJopes. 
For Alonso de Sandoval. Sevilla. 1617. 4I0. 

BEI.ACAH Goraldo Estado da Chrtatoiidade de Ethiopia i S«dncan 
do9 SciEmaticoBj EntTada & Recebnneto do Fatrtaroha Dom 
AffoDBO Mendaa ; Obedienoia dada polo Emperadot Seltk 
Segned cora toda bob Corta i Igr^a Somana, & do qna ds 
nova aocedeo no desoobiim^ do Thybet, a que ohamam, 
gram Catajo, composta, e oopiada daa oartaa qae oa Padres 
da Copipanhia de Iebu, egcre neram da India Oriental doa 
annos ds (1 )6i4, 635, et 6^, palo Padre Manoel de Teiga da 
meBma Compaohia, nataral da ViUavieoea. Em Lisboa, 
1618. 4to. 

Bklatio generalii de Statn ChristiaiuB Beli^oniB in .£tbiapia. 
Kmojiuel da Vega, or Veiga. Lisbon^, i6a8. 4to. 

HiSTOiiiE de ce qui s'est pasB^ an Boyaome d'Ethiopie dee Ann^a 
16114, 1 6a &, 1636. For Vega, or Veiga. Pans. 1629. Bro. 

LnTER£ Annns ei .Ethiopia. Manuel de Almeida. Boiaa, 

HiBToiBB de I'Ethiopieen Tannfe 1696 jnaqua i69g. Translated 
from tha Italian of Qorgora, by Emannel Almeida. Paris, 
1619. 

Abticulbn waar op de Compagnie von Ahyssinia, mat alle dia 



372 Ahymnia Deaerihed. 

EjUoder ligghond bj't Ooaten de Cabo boiuB spei, onder den 

gtooteo Heera Preeate Jaau tui AbTwiiua, mit alio njno 

Limiten, Appendentien and DapeudsntisD, A«. Ulrioli, ConBt 

of East Frieslaod. Emden. 1 63 1 ■ 4to. 
Alpb&betdm ^thiopioam aea Abjaunoni. ItoTno, piopag. 1631. 

Bto. 
LrrrBBAB AmiDaa Smeaui et Xthiotdoai, Annomn i6aa-i6s3. 

LndoTioiu Doloebenius. Bomo, 1639. 8to. 
BKl.ATloi'daBeTeTeiidiwimeFatrUTalieD'Ethiopi«,Don Alphonie 

Meodei. Lille, 1633. Tmulktion. The origbul is not 

knonn to eiist. 
Las EaTRAMOES Evenehbhtb da Vo;>g« de Zagaohrut, Prinee 

d'EthiopU, par Beohac te JenDS. Paris, 1635. 4to. 
DiCTiONABiDH £tbioficuii, enm luatitatioiiibiu Onunmatiou. 

P. Jan, Wemmer. ' iioina, 1638. 4to. 
Lbzicon ,£thiopianin. J. WemmeiB. Itotn«, 1638. 4to. 
Okammitica S.TBiotic\. Johaim Emett Otrhaid. Jena, 1617. 

8to. 
Db Ihstauranda ^Xthiopoi lalata. Alonio da Baadoval. 

Madriti, 1647. Fol. 
• Pbiukba t Seodkda partes del preite Jnan de laa India*. [In 

Terse.] 2 part*. Valenda, 1650. 4to, 
HiBToiLiA Di Ethiopia. HietoniaiaB Lobo. Coimbro, 16^ 

Fol. 
HiBTOBiA General de Etiitopia, por Humel d'Almejda 7 BalUutar 

Tellai. Coimhra, 1660. Fol. 
LiiicON ^THiOFicDir. JoM Lodolptu. Tranilatioii. Edited by 

J. M, Wanalebeii. London, 1661. 4to. 
En Itoit Basltriaainf nppa Trenne Eeaon. TFwinjiiwrj, 1667. ^to. 
Tbavelb into tbe Eaet lodiea and the Hogol oountry, from 1S54 

to 1 6G8 1 also to Proster John's CoDntr;, and Persia, and from 

Lisbon to Jerusalem, 1 66(1-70. BjBicbard Bell. 

■a* Manoacript in Sloan Collection. [Sloan, Bi 1.] 
Thx i^te TftAVBl.9 into Bemote Coantriea of the AbisuDB, or of 

Ethiopia Interior, &0. B; Oiacomo Baratti. Truslated by 

G. D. ioinion, 1670. 8to. 
EccLEBiA .Xthiopica. Johann Ulrioh Wild. Argmtinas, 167a. 

Pvo. 
Dbscbii^ion de I'Empire dn PrHe Jean. In the "Beeiieil da 

dirers raja^ea faits en Afriqne." 1674. 4to. 



Bibltoffrapliy. 373 

BEiaB-BiscHBEiBCNO, in di« «ntl%Baen I.^dei der AbTuinai. 

VoD Oiaoomo BBTotti. (Aaiatio Hamoira.) 1676, 4to. 
UiSTOBU ^thiopioa, me breria et loooincta deioriptio Begni 

HabeBBinonun, qubd vnlgo malo Freebjteri JobumiB vocator, 

io. Jobi LndolpM. FrancofuHi ad M., 1661. Fol. Tnut- 

Uted [anon.] into English. London, 1 6R4. Fol. 
CoHMiiiTABiiis ad iiuun HiBtoriam .^hiopio&m, Ac. Jobi 

Lndolphi. Francojurti ad if., 1691. Fol. 
Affendii ad Hi^toriam .SthiopLoua, Ae. Jobi LndolphL 

Franatfurii ad H,, 1693. Fol. 
Appendix SeonndaadHistoTiam .Xtliiopioam, &o. Jobi Lndolphi. 

Francofiirti ad X. 1694. FoL 
•," TheBe fotur oooBtitnte Lndolph'B oompleto History ot 
Ethiopia. In the fiitt, amongst nudtars ineidentally alladed to, 
ia the oorreapoDdenoe of the Abyaaiiiian Princes with the Kings of 
Spain. In the second he gires the Canons of the Apostles, the 
AbyasiDias calendar, a onriona Compntns EcoIeBie9,aiidadisBertation 
upon the ancient langoage of Egypt BJid Northern Africa, and 
eiamplss of the Ethiopia, Amliario, and Galla dialects. 
Ho also published : — 

EpistoUl ^thiopioe ad nmTeisiim HabesBinonim gentam. 
Frannofurti ad M., 1683. Fol, 

Fasti Ecclbbix Alexansbinx. 

Ga^MMXTici.lJiian^AliSAalam.FTancofuTtiadM.,ieg8.Fol. 

Lexicon Amharioo-lAtiiinm oom Indioe Latino copioso. 
Francofurti ad a,, 1698. Fol. 

Lexicon ithiopioo-IaitiDiiiD. Francofiirti ad M., 1699. Fol. 

FsALTERiUK ^TKiOFlctrll. Francofiirti ad M., 1701. 4to. 

QoAXUATlci. LlHaoA^THlOPlcJC Franco/urti ad M., 1709. 
FoL 
Ckubch Histobt of Ethiopia. By Michael Oeddes. Lontlon, 

1696. 8to. 
Manuscript b? Petit-la'Ciaii, pnrtly drawn ap from infonnation 

(omished by AbyssinianB. In the Library at Leyden, 1700. 
A VoTAOB to Ethiopia, &o. By Cbailea Jacques Foncat. Jk>ndon. 

1709. nmo, 
DisBEBTAHio de msiiaa Solis apud JEthiopes. Qeorg Nie Kriegfc. 

Jmw, 1703. 4to. 
Obauhatica ^thiopica. Joh. PhiL Haitmann, Frankfort, 




374 -^ hyssinia Described, 

HoHER nnd fmclitbarer Palxnbaiim des heiligen Erangelii in 

Abyssinien. Theodor Emmp. Augsburg ^ wo, 4to. 
Deb Neue Welt-Bote : Allerhand so Lehr-aU C^eiat-reiclie Brief, 

Schrift nnd Beisebesohreibnngen, seit a 1644 bis 1730. Joseph 

Stoocklein, Jesnit. Augsburg ^ 1738-55. Fol. 
Nachsiehten ans Aegypten, &e. By Charles Jaoqnes Ponoet. 1 728. 
Abtbbinische Eibchen G^ohiohsen yon Anno 1698 bis 1703. 

Beschreibnng de Beiohes, &o. Joseph Stoecklein. 
•<i* See Introduction. Augsbu/rg^ 1748. Pol. 
Voyage Histobique d'Abissinie, by Jer6me Lobo. Paris, 1728. 

8vo. 
Lobo' 8 Histobt of Abtssikia, translated by Joaohim Grand. 

1728. 
An English version of the same. By Dr. Samnel Johnson. Btr- 

minghamj 1735. 8to. 
*4i* This translation derives peonliar interest from the fact of its 
being the learned doctor's first prose work. 
CoNTiNUATio Helationis de Abessinia osqae ad 1705. Le Grand, 

La Hayc, 172S. 8vo. 
Tbatayo dos Descobrimentos antigos e modemos feitos ante a 

Era de 1550, par Antonio Galvum. Lish/rif 1731. Fol. 
Belation Histobique da TEthiopie ocddentale, par Labat. 

Parisy 173a. torn. lamo. 
Sinus Ababici sen Maris Bubri Kinerariom, nsqne ad fines 

Ethiopia}, a. 1540. [In Ant. Matthiei veteris aevi analect. 

Haga:, 1738-] 
HiSTOiBE dn Christianisme d'Ethiopie et d'Arm^nie, par Mathnrin 

Veyssiero La Croze. A la Hay e, 1739. ^^^' 
Theolgqia -^THIOPUM. Joh. Gottofr. Ocrtal. Fiieb, 1746. 8vo. 
BiBLiOTHECA Begio) Berol. JSthiopica. Jo. David Winkler. 

Erangen, 175a. 8vo. 
Fasti Habessinobum sacri, ex veteri gentis po^ta editi. 

David Kocher. Berna:, 1760. 8vo. 
HiSTOBY OF Abyssinia, or Upper Ethiopia. Universal History^ 

vol. XV. London^ 1760. 8vo. 
*«* Contains an admirable aooonnt, derived from the Portuguese 
works. 
DoTTBiNA Chbistiana, composta dal Bob. Bellarmino, tradotta in 

lingua Ethiopia, by Tob. Qe, Ghbragzer, a young Ethiopian, 

appointed Bishop of Adula in 1784. Borne, 1786. 4to. 



Bibliography. 375 

PoiATiecHEB Unteniolit ilbeidie geMtnmtra Oriental apraaliMi. 

Ton J. O. Hasse. Jena, 1786-93. 4 voLs. Bvo. 
AiiFBABBTUU Mhuiosicvx Gheec et Amliarionm. KomiB, 1783. 

T&IYELB to diBCOTer tbe Boorce of tbe Nile, in the years 1766, 6g, 

70, 7t, 73, and 73,by JuuBS Bruce. J^dinAur^fi, 1790. g Tola. 

Ito. 
•«• For a follor acoonnt of the trarels of Brace, see Pago 33. 
Tliis work has probably pasasd throDgh more editioDB tHan any 
other boolc of modem travel. 

LzTTEBA a Claadio Imperatore dell' Etiopia. Bomt, 1790. 
Necih Diutbches Hnasuu. Yon Niebnbr, 1790. Vol. II. 
Dl L'OiuaiHE et de I'Anoiennet^ das Ethiopieng dana I'Afriqoa. 

Par FoormoQt la Cadet. [M^moires de t'AeBdomie des la- 
«:riptioi.e,vol.y,] 
pRACTiacHBB HANDBncH dcr Arabuohm nnd ^tbiopischen 

Sprache, ron Jo. Gottfr. Haase. Jena, 1 793. 8to. 
Dl MiLlTtru ^gyptiomm in ^thiopiam migratione et ooloniiH ibi 

eonditiB. A. H. L. Heeren. [In the Comment. Soc. Gbtting, 

TOL lii.] 

Kabtk Tom Nilatrome, ^gypten, Nabien, and Habesch, &e. Von 

F. L. OUaeefaldt. Weimar, I Boo. Fol. 
On the LANorAOES and IHaleota of Abyuinia, and the CoantriM 

to the Sonth, with YocabnUriea o( 13 LuignageH. By Dr. 

Beke, London, 1605. {Proceedinjs of Philological Society, 

Tol. ii.] 
VoTAOES and Trarels of Oeorge Annede^, Tiacoont Valentia. 

3 ToU. London, 1809. 4to. See Page 43. 
Nabbative of Discovery and Adventure ia Africa. By Malta 

Brun. Faris, l^n. 3 Tola. 8to. 
TOTAOE TO Abissinu and TraTela into the interior of that eoauttjr, 

executed under tbe orders of the Britiih GoTenment, in the 

years iSog and 1810. By Henry Bait. London, 1840. fto, 

with map, oDd 36 plates and ohatti. See Page 35. 
DISCOTEBIES and Trarels in Africa. By John Leyden (1799, 

lamo). Enlarged and completed by H. H array. Edmburuh, 

1817. 9 Tola. Btd. 
^BIOOBAPHT of John Prester. By Count L. Magklotti, in Ftomi>> 

baldi'i ViaggioinEgitto. ii<ini«, 181B. Bro. 
Tbavels in Nubia. By J. L. Burokhaidt. London, \iig. 4ta. 



376 Abyssinia Lescribed, 

•«* Bnrokardt visited Nabia in the year 1813. Few trayellen 
hare done more for geograpliy than this celebrated and mnch- 
esteemed writer. He gives the best aoooant of the actual state of 
society, trade, and governments as they existed when he was in the 
country. 
Life and Abyektubss of Nathaniel Fsabcs. London (abont 

1819). 3 vols. 8vo. See Page 43. 
Essay on the Superstitions, Customs, and Arts common to the 

Ancient Egyptians, Abyssinians, and Ashantees; by Edwd. 

T. Bowdich. 70 pp., 1 6 illustrations. Pam, 18a 1. 4to. 
%* A curious work. The author was the conductor of the 
mission to Ashantee. 
Journal of a Visit to some parts of Ethiopia, by Qeo. Waddington, 

of Trin. Coll., Camb., and the Bev. B. Hanbury, A.M., F.A.S. 

London, i8aa. 4 to., with maps and coarse lithographs. 
Nabbative of Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar, by G. B. 

English. Boston (U.fif.), 1823. 8vo. 
EuBOPiEiiscHE Blsteb, Octr. 94, 1834. A most interesting paper 

on the architectural monuments of Nubia and Abyssinia, by 

Edward Biippel. 
EzEBCiTATiONES ETHiOFiCiE, &c. H. Hupfeld. Xeipstc, 1825. 8vo. 
Votaqe a Mero^, &c., fait dans les ann^s 1819 ^ ]8a2, par 

Fr^ddric Cailliaud. PariSy 1826-17-33. 6 vols. 8vo. 
De Ethiofic2B liuguffi conjugationibus. C. M. Breohsler. Leipsic, 

1827. 8vo. 

ZoOLOGiscHEB Atlas zu Beiseu im n5rdlichen Afrika, von Ed. 
Biippel. Frankfurt-a-M., 1826-31. Fol. 
\ En Lysteliq Historie of John Priest, og af hans store Bigdom 
og Magt. See Bahbeck (K.L.) Dansk og Norsk Nationalvierk. 

1828. 8vo. 

Dissertation on the Oeography of Herodotus, &c. By B. Niebuhr. 

Translation. Oxford, 1830. 8vo. 
Historical Besearches into the Politics, Intercourse, and 

Trade of the Carthaginians, Ethiopians, and Egyptians. By 

A. H. Heeren. Translation by D. A. Talboys. Oxford^ 1832. 

2 vols. 8vo. 
*4i* In Vol. I., at page 294, Mr. Heeren asserts for the Ethio- 
pian or Abyssinian race a gtea.t claim upon our notice, for the most 
cautious and intelligent writers of Chreece hesitated not to place 
them in the first ranks of knowledge and refinement. 



Bihliographif. 377 

IfuBii AND Abtmtnia, oompiled by tha Bav. M. Rnwell. EAvn- 
biiryh, 1833. Ilmo. 

JoUKNAL of Thtee Yeua' Beiidenoe in Abrasima, b; the Bav. 9. 
Oobftt. London, 1834. 8to. See Pago 47. 

Etbiopic Didabcalua, or Ethiopia Version of the Apoatolicil 
ConstitntioDB leoeived in the Chnich of AbjaaitiiA. With an 
Engliih tranilAtion. Edited and tronsUted b; Tho*. Pell 
PUtt, F.A.8. OrientBl Trans. Pond, LotmIotv, 1834. 4to. 

Tbatilb im Ethiopia, i,a., illaatratiDg the Antiqni ties, Arta, and 
Indaatrj of tha anoient kingdom of Mero£. Q. A. Hoakine. 
London, 1835. 4to. 

Abtbsinie: Hiatoice et Deaoription de bona Isa Feaplsa. Par A. 
DeaTer^en. Paris, 1835. 8vo. 

Beiben IK AnTBBlHiEN, Ton Ed. BQppel. Frankfrni-a^H., 1838- 
40. 3 Tola. 8to., 1 plataa fol. 
*** A most eiceUent work, and higUj apoken of b; anbiaqnent 

traTellera. See Vage 53. 

Seise in Abtbbinien im Jahte, :B3e. Ton A. Ton Eatle. Hit 
einerKaite. Bto. Stutgart. 183B. 
■a* A oompilation of 1 80 pages, with a nmp from Combee. The 

work is eridentl; part of a series. 

JorBNAL or A ToTAOE On tho Bahr-Abiad, or White Nile, with 
Borne general Notes on that Bivar, and aome Bemarka on the 
District of Atbara, made in a Tour from Khartonni. Trans- 
lated and partially abridged from a Bepott addceased by H. 
Adolphs Linant to W. H. Leake, Esq., Seorstaiy of the 
Asaocifttion for Promoting the DiaoovBrr of tha Interior Parts 
of Africa. — Journal Oeo^aphical Sneiety, Tol. ii. 

Shout Accovht of Mombaa and the naigbbooring Coast of Af rioa. 
By Liettt Emory, B.N. — Journal Geographical Soeieiy, »ol. iii., 
p. aSo, 

Obsebvatiohb on the Hanners of the Inhabitants who occnpy the 
Sonthern Coast of Arabia and Shores of the Bad Sea, with 
lemarlia on the Ancient and Modem Qeography of that 
qnarter, and the Bouts through the Desert, from Kosir to 
Kenoh. Commnnioatod by James Bird, Esq. — Journal Geogra- 
phical Society, vol. it. 

Extracts from PriTate Memoranda kept by Lord Pmdhos on a 
Journey from Cairo to Sennaar in 1839, desoribiog the Fanin- 
sola of Sennaar. — Jbumul Qeogra/pliical Socict}/, vol. r., p. 3B. 



378 Abyssinia Described. 

CoMMTTincATiONS reepeotmg the Geography of Sonthem Abys- 
Binia. By Dr. Beke. IQeogrwphical Society's Journal, yol. xii., 
p. 84. 1841.] 
BouTE from Aiik6bar to Geden. By Dr. Beke. — Qeogrwphical 
Society* sJowrMil, toI. xii., p. 945. 1842. With a map. The 
return joomey was by a different ronte, to the west of Mount 
Tarmaber. 
Bouts from Ank<5bar to Dima. By Dr. Beke. lOeographical 

Society's Journal^ vol. xii., p. 945. 1842.] 
JoTJKNAiiS of the BeT. Messrs. Isenberg and EIrapf, missionaries 
of the Choroh Missionary Society, detailing their proceedings 
in the kingdom of Shoa, and journeys in other parts of 
Abyssinia in the years 1839 ^^ 1842. London, 1843. B^o- 
*«* Although by the title-page this work seems a joint prodno- 
tion, it is to Mr. Krapf that the credit is mainly dne, Mr. Isen- 
berg haying remained in Shoa bnt a few months. Mr. Krapf 
resided at Ankobar for three years, where he completed the 
translations into Oaila of sereral portions of the Bible, besides a 
grammar and yocabnlary of that language. Mr. Isenberg, on his 
return to England, prepared and printed seyeral useful books in 
Amhario. Prefixed to the journals is a dear and concise geogra- 
phical memoir on Eastern and Central Africa. It likewise contains 
two maps. See Page 67 for an account of Mr. EIrapf's last work. 
BspoRT on the Boute from Tajnrrah to Ankobar travelled by the 
Mission to Shoa, under charge of Captain W. C. Harris, 
engineer, 1841 (close of the dry season). By Assistant-Sur- 
geon B. Kirk, Bombay Establishment. 1843. — Oeographical 
Society's Jowmal, vol. xii., p. aai. 
%* The journey of 372 miles was accomplished in 36 days, 174 
hours being engaged in the actual journey. Each day's experience 
is given in the above report. 

Map of the Boute from Tajurrah to Ankobar. Letter from Dr. 

Beke. — QeographiccU Society's Journal, vol. xiiL,p. 182. 1843. 

On the Countries South of Abyssinia. By Dr. Chas. T. Boke. — 

Oeographical Society's Journal, vol. xiii., p. a^. With a 

map. 1 843. 

Sub iiES Lanquxs Ethiopiennxs. Far A. d'Abbadie. Paris. 

Journal Asiatigue, vol. iL, pp. ioa-107. 1843. 
Continuation of "Boutes in Abyssinia," by Dr. Chaa. T.Beke. 
Jourruil Oeographical Society, voL xiv., p. i. 1844. 



bibliography. 379 

"a* This paper is iwcompiuiied b; » nlnable tn>p, showing tlie 
ftnthor'a routes, doiin^his tniTels of nearlj three jean in Abjuinia, 
from Tajorr&h to Ackobar ; theooe, throngb Shoa and the Oalla 
diitriots, acroBB the Abni into QcjaD, Damot, and Asahmeda; and 
tetoming through Begeneder, Idata, Tembieu and Tigrh to Maa- 
■□wah with two vertical Bectjoiia of AbyeBiuia from east to west 
and from north to lonth. 

Abebhihien nnd die eTanKeliache Kirohe. Bonn, 1 S44. a toIb. 8vo. 
Tbavelb in Soathom AbjsaiuJa. B; Charlei Jolmstou. London, 

1844. 8to. See Pago 77. 
ElK Buck in dag Nil-Qoelland. By Carl Sitter. Berlin, 1S44. 

*a* Contains a coacise acoonnt of Uie ooontriee abont the souicea 

of the Nile. 

Thk H10HI.ANDB OF Ethiopia. ByMajoiW. C. Harria. London, 
11)44. 3 ToU. Sto. See Fs^ 69. 

TOTAQE EK ABTfiBiNiE, ei&jotj pendant lei ann£eB, 1839, 
1840, 1S41, 1B49, 1843, par nne Commission SoientiBqae oom- 
poee do MM. Tb^ophile LafebTre, Liaat. de Yaissean, CbST. de 
la Ugion d'Honnenr ; A.PetitetQiiaTtiD-DiUoD,DoctenrB-H£- 
deoins, Natural] stes da Mnsenm ; Yignand, Dessinatanr. Pabli£ 
par ordre da Soi, soqb les anspioes detl. le Tioe-Amiial Baron 
deHackao, MinistredelaHarine. Partf, 1845-6. 6 toIb. royal 
Sto., and 3 toIb. atlas folio. Sea Page 56. 

Abtbsinu : a statement of foots relative to the transaction* 
between the writer and the late British Political Mission to the 
Court of Shoo. By Dr. Chos. T. Beke. London, 1 B45. Sto. 
3nded. 1846, Bto. 

Second Votaoe, aa royanme dn Cboa. B; Boohet d'Hetioonrt. 
Porij, 1B46. 3to1b. 8to. See Page 56. 

Thi Nile and it« Tributaciea. By Dr. C. T. Bake. Journal Oeo- 
graphical Society. Vol, 17, p. 1. (1B47). 

YoTAQB EH Abtbbinie dsua les ProTmoaa da Tigr^, da 8amen, at 
de I'Amahara, didii i S.A.K. Mona.le Dno de Nemours. 'Par 
HH. Ferret et Galiiiier, CapitaineB aa Corps Boyal d'Etat 
Major. Pans, 1647. 3 torn. Sto. et atlaa folio. 

TsB Obioih of the Qallaa. [Beport of the British Association 
for tbe AdTancement of Soienoe tor 1B47. By Dr. Chaa. T. 
Bake.] London, 184S. Sto. 

The Eoiubika, or Cardamom of Abyssinia. By Dr. Cbas. T. 



380 Ahysfinia Described, 

Beke. jAyndon^ 1 847. 8to. [Pharmaceutical Journal, May, 

1837.] 
An Essay on the Nile and its Tribataries. By Dr. C. T. Beke. 

London, 1847. 8to. 
Christianity among the Gallas. By Dr. C. T. Beke. London, 

1847. 8vo. [British Magaxine.'] 

Description of the Buins of the Chnroh of Martula Mariam in 

Abyssinia. By Dr. Beke. London, 4to. 1847. [Arch^pologia, 

vol. zxxii., p. 38.] 
Beharks on the Mats'hafa Tomar, or the Book of the Letter. 

By Dr. Beke. 870. [British Magazine for March, 1848.] 
Observations sur la Commonioation supposce entre le Niger et 

le Nil. By Dr. Beke. Paris, 1849. [Naxtvelles Annales dei 

Voyages."} 
Die NUiLANDER, oder ^gypten, Nubien nnd Habcsoh. Yon 

C. F. Weiland. Map drawn 1 840 ; oorrected by H. Kiepert, 

1 848, together with the Delta. Weimar, 1 848. 
NoRDosTLiCHES Afrika, oder ^gypten, Nubien nnd Habeech. 

Von F. Handtke. G%an, 1848. 
On Eastern Africa — two papers by Lients. Baker and Cmttenden. 

Journal Geographical Society, vol. xviii., pp. 130 to 136. 1848. 
Memoire justificatif en rehabilitation dee P^res P. PafOz et 

J. Lobo, missionnaires en Abyssinie ; en ce qni oonoeme lenra 

visites k la soarce de I'Abai [le Nil] et k la cataraote d'Alata. 

By Dr. C. T. Beko. Paris, 1848. 8vo. [BulleHn de la 

Soddti de Olographic.'] 
The Geographical Distribution of the Langoagea of Abyaeinia, 

and the neighbouring countries, by Dr. Chas. T. Beke. J?difi- 

hurgh, \%4^. 8vo. [Edinburgh JHexo Philosophical Journal.'] 
Ueber die Geooraphische VERBREiruNO der Sprachen in Abes- 

sinien nnd den Nachbar-Lander. (Translation of the above.) 

Oof /la, 1849. 4to. [Geographische Jahrbiicher.] 
Notes sur le Haut fleuve Blanc, par Antoine et Amaud d* Abbadie 

1837-1845. Bulletin de la Sociiti de Qiographie. Paris. 
Expedition to the Sources of the White Nile. By F. Weme, 

with an Introduction by Carl Bitter. London. 
BsMARKS on the Country between Wady Halfeh and Grebel Berkel 

in Ethiopia. By Sir G. Wilkinson. Journal Geograjihical 

Society, vol. xx., p. 154. 1850. 
Note on Mr. Ayrton*8 paper in vol. 18 of the Journal of the Royal 



B&Hograjphi/. 



38> 



Omgraphical Society. Bj Dr. Beke. Londori, iSso- [Qto- 
graphical Society^ s JourTial^ TOl- XX.] 
Am Ehqdibt into M. A. d'Abbuiia'i journey to Koffa, in th« 
years 1S43 and 1844, to duoover tbe Sooroe of tbe Nile. By 
Dr. ChBB. J. Belts. London, 1B50. Bto. Seoond edition, 

1851, Bto. 

A SomuBT of leeent Nilotio DiHMvery. By Di. Cluta. T. Beke. 

Londcn, 1851- Philoiophical Magaiiae. Hto. 
Thk OstentaIi Albuk. By J. A. St. John. The Dnvinsi by 

E. PriiBe. i^ndon, lAgl. Fol. See page SB. 
ScHiLsiBiJNa der NATUKVEBHALTBiKBaB in Sttd-Abyisinien. 

Ton Dr. J. R. Both. 30 pagei, fto. MS/nehen, iflf^t. 
BcBNXS IK Ethiopia, by J. M. Bematz. Munich and iyondon, 

1852, Fol, 

•»• ContoiQB many iaige and well-eioaatod Tiewa in AbyBeinia, 
klso ffioapa of tbe natives. Boraatz waa the artist appointed by 
UojoT Harris to accompany him on his expedition to Shoa in 
1B41 ; bnt tbe illustratioDS which be oontribated to the published 
aoconnt o( that jonraey (the " Highlands of Ethiopia") are rery 
indifferent when compared with these admirable pictnrea. 
BaBicHTB ana and iiber AbyssioieD. Vod W. F. Sdiiinpar. Wien, 

iBgn. Bto. 
La MotiTBLLB rABBigoB des eioellens traits de Tititi. NonToUe 

iditioD, aogmsntfe des noDTcUes de la terre de Preatie Jehatm. 

Part*, 1853. iGmo. 
Lin IN Abtbbinu. By Hansfield Farkyns. Ltnulon, 1B53. 

a Tola. Bto. See Page 78. 
L'OsiaMT. BjE. Flandin. Paris, 1853, Ac, Fol, 

%* A aeriea of magmficent oolonred prints, iUoainktiiig the 
ooatuineB of tlte Tuioua tribes of Eaatero AFrica. 
On the PaiBicAL Geoobafut of the B«d Sea. By Br. Boiat. 

Jwmal Oeographical Society, Tol. iiiT., p, 3*7. 1B54. 
AbhahdlunO tib. d. iltbiopiicheii Baobea Henfikb Ton Heinr. 

Ewald. Oottingen, 1854. 4to. 
Dx Etbiopicx linuus, TonF. Tach. Lipiia, 1854, 4to. 
Bebicbt Uber dia tou Hemt Dr. Beitz, Vioe-Coaanl fOr Inser> 

Africa, aof seiner Beise Ton Chartam naob Qondar in 

Abyssinien gesBimmalten Gec^raphisch StatistisoheD, Notisen. 

Ton. Ed. Fend. Map. Vienna, 16^. 4to. 
Bbibih in Notd-oat Afnk». Ton T. HengUn, CoEha, iB57> 8|0. 



382 Abysrinia Deaeribed. 

^ LsTTERA inedita del Presie Gioraimi all' Imperatora Carlo lY* 

Liicca, 1867. 8vo. 
G&AMMATiK du iEthiopiaohen Spraohe. Von Prof. Dr. Aug. Dill- 

mann. Levpzig^ »857» 435 PP- 8^o» 
BsASONS for retarzuDg the Gold Medal of the Geographical Society 

of France. By Dr. Beke. 8vo. London^ 1 857. 
EoYPTE KT NuBiB. Par F. Teynard. PaHs^ 1 858. a vola. foL 

*^* Consists principally of illastrationa of costumes. 
Catalogus codionm mannscriptomm bibliotheosB Bodleians 

Oxoniensis. Pars YII. Codices Ethiopici. Dr. A. Dillmann. 

Oxford, 1858. 87 pp. 8vo. 
Catalogue raisonn^ des mannscrits ^thiopiens appartenant k 

Antoine d'Abbadie. FariSj 1859. ^3^ PP* 4^* 
Notes from the Jonmal of F. M. Flad. By the Eev. W. D. Veitch. 

LondoUy 1859. i^mo. 
Db LiNGUiE Ethiopicje cum cognatis lingois oomparatsB Indole 

uniycrsa. E. Sohrader. i860. 4to. 
Notes from the Journal of F. M. Flad, one of Bishop €k>bat'8 

Pilgrim Missionaries. L<mdon, i860. 8vo. 
The Soubceb of the Nile : being a Surrey of the Basin of that 

Biver and of its head Streams ; with a History of Nilotic 

DisooTery. By Dr. Chas. T. Beke. With six maps. London^ 

i860. 8vo. 
Tbayels in Eastebn Apbica. By the Bey. John Krapf. 

London^ i860. 8vo. See Page 67. 
On the Mountains forming the Eastern Side of the Basin of the 

Nile, and the Origin of the Designation " Mountains of the 

Moon." By Dr. Beke. Edinburgh^ 1861. [Edinburgh New 

Philosophical Jowm<xl, October, 1861.] 
Wanderings among the Falashes. By the Bey. H. A. Stem. 

See Part I. London, 1862. 8yo. 
The French and English in the Bed Sea. By Dr. Chas. 

T. Beke. [From the St. Jameses Chronicle.'] London^ 1 86a. 

8yo. 3d. Edit. 1862. 
Who discovered the Sources of the Nile? A letter to Sir 

Boderick I. Murohison, Pres. B. G. S. By Dr. Beke, London^ 

1863. 8yo. 
Lexicon Linguaa Ethiopice, &c. Chr. A. Dillmann. Part I. 

Leipzig, \^6\. 4to. — Part II., 1863. 
ERpEBUiBSE meiner Beise nach Habesch im Gefolge seiner Hoheit 



BihliograjJijf. 383 

des rogierenden Herzoga tod SftohMn-Kobni^-Qothft, Emit H. 

Von Dr. A. C. Biehm. Hambtag, 1863. 444 pp. 8to. 
■«• An interosting soieatiflo work upon Abysgiiiia, in which 
treqamit reference ia made to BUppel'a prerions work. 
JonsNET TO Abisbinu. B7 6. W. Baker. Journal 0/ the Oeo- 

graphical Bociely, TOL uxiii., p. 037. iB6a- 
BEBCKBiiBiTNa einer Beiae noah Habeaoh. Yon A. £• Brehni. 

Hamburg, 18(13. 8vo. 
Tbatels op Ludovico di Taktheha in EgTpt, Syria, Arabia 

Deserta uid Aiabia Felix, in Peraia, India, and £Ulil>piI^ A.B. 

1503 — 1508. Traoalated by Winter Jonea, Esq. Edited, with 

Notes and Introdnotion, by Bot. Q. P. Badger. BaLlityt 

Bociety, 1863. BtO. 
BiESE DBS TsxiassoN, Ton Bamim, dnroh Nord-Ost Afrika, in 

don Tahren, 1859 and i860. Von K. HarlmaDD. Berlin, 1863. 

Fol. and 4t(i. 
*ir* ContainH aerenl good platea and a map. 
Ebtue deh deux MoHDEa. Paris, 1864. Second «oriB«, Tol. Mt. 
*a* Two moat intareating and ably written articlea on King 
Theodore, by M. Gaillannie Le Jean, late French Consul at Qoudar, 
are contained in the NoTember and December aombera. See 
Page 93. 
B118E DBS Herzogb Ebnbt, noch Aegypten nnd der Lasdem der 

Habab. Leipiig, 1864. Fol. 
*a* Ttuii expedition was nndertaken in 1 861 by Hia Highneaa 
Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Ootha, accompanied by a nomerona party 
of friends and attendanti. They landed at Massowab, and, taking 
a north- westerly course for abont 60 miles, reached Keren. The 
boolc is elaborately got up, with colonred plates, photographa, Ao., 
bnt relates more to sport than to aoienoe. Dr. Bcehm had giTen 
the scientiGc reBolts of the expedition in a work pabliahed the year 

A LEiTrnnB on the Sources of the Nile, and on the means requisite 
for tbeir final determination. By Dr. Cbas. T. Beke. London, 
1864. Bvo. 

Ost-Afsicahiscke Stttqien. Von M. Mnniinger. ScJiiShavsen, 
:864. 8to. 
*«* This gentleman is the French (and of late also tbe English 

Tico) consul at Moeaowah. He is a native »f Switzerland, and has 

(or many years been settled at Keren, the principal place in Bogos. 



*r^Sa% '<'n n^^^iiijjftim 



384 



Abyssinia Described. 



M. Mnnzinger has married a natiTe lady ; and betwixt the duties 
of his bi-oonsnlar appointment and mercantile porsnita, he has yet 
found time to write some rery yalnable works upon Africa. 
The British Caftiyxs in Abyssinia. By Dr. Chas. T. Beke. 

Xrondon, 1865. 8to. Second Edition, 1867. 
Thb Abyssinian Caftiyxs. By the Ber. H. Stem. Lojuion, 1 866. 

8vo. 
The Albert N* Yanza, and Explorations of the Nile Sources, with 

maps, illustrations, and portraits. By Sir Samuel Baker. 

London, 1866. 2 vols. 8yo. 
Chrsstomathia Ethiopiga. Prof. Dr. Aug. DUlmann. Leipzig, 

1866. agi pp. Svo. 
Letters from Misrionaries in Abyssinia. London, 1 866. Bto. 
Becbnt Intelligence from the Rer. H. A. Stem, with extracts 

from letters of Mr. Bosenthsl. London, 1866. 8to. 
Narrative of a Joxtrnet through Abyssinia in 1862-3, with an 

Appendix on " the Abyssinian Ci^^tiYes QuestiOiP*" By Henry 

Dufton. London, 1867. 
*«* The latest published work of any value upon t^e country. 
It contains three Maps, mostly compiled from those drawn up by 
Dr. Beke. 



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