





one would suppose that this part of 

 _ at least a million of inhabitanta The 

 eoaslitate the kingdom of Shoa have an 

 ,__ mOea. They are tolerably well p.- 

 state SB which they have lived for a century. 

 ubtion of about half a million. We think 

 that the wholi |rrr-iV* tn *' of Abyssinia may amount to a! m t 

 thne Eft', bat that Aeertamly fidl- -r million*. The 



nt estiawa* fives less than ten individual* to a square mile. 



Kami osMfoUMe three different imose among the inhabitanU of 

 AbT-S. Thebulkof the population belong to ths .Caucasian race, 

 mi la featans do not diftVr from the Beduins of Arabia. They have 

 a* owl toe, a pointed nose, and a well-formed mouth. Their lips 

 an ao* thinker than those of European*, their eyes are lively, their 

 urih wll set, and their black hair is either smooth or slightly curled. 

 They an of a BuddUnx stature. They inhabit almost exclusively the 

 ourthera parts of Amhira, and are also numerous in TignJ and in 

 Ms* of the southern districts of Amhara. The Falaahaa or Jews, the 

 i, and Agows batons; to this nee, notwithstanding the different 

 > which they speak. Another nee is found mingled with 

 it b more cloeely allied to the inhabitants of the interior of 

 Afriea. and U dktinruiahed by a somewhat curved but not pointed 

 one. thick lips, and trw**""*-* eye*, which are not lively, and by 

 black but early, almost woolly, hair, which is very thick set They 

 an most numerous in the northern district* of TigwS, especially in 

 risiiiasiaa and the adjacent countries. The third race are the Oallas. 

 Their fees is round, their nose straight and short, but not pointed, 

 and divided from the forehead by a depression. Their lips are rather 

 thick, but do not resemble those of the negroes. They have small 

 eyes, which an very lively, but deeply set in their sockets, and their 

 nther stout and large. These Oallas constitute the majority 

 of the inhabitanU in the southern provinces of Shoa, and the coun- 

 tries wee* of the Lake Zana and the river Abaij they are also 

 namerous in the armies of the other divisions of the country. There 

 an no negroes in Abyssinia, except the slaves which are brought from 

 the countrm of the Shangallas, who inhabit the border countries to 

 the wort of the p*"*"*" 1 - of the Audi These negroes are the only 

 black* in the country. The colour of the other inhabitants varies 

 from the darkest black brown to the clearest light brown, and does 

 not appear to be peculiar to any of the races. 



The Abyssinians have a dead language, the Oeez or Ethiopian 

 language. The spoken languages an derived from it, and consti- 

 tuU, ae U appears, four dialects, namely, the languages of Amhara, 

 Tigrf, Shoe, and of the Yejjoos. They an comprehended under 

 the name of Amharic languages, and differ considerably from one 

 another; bat thepeople understand one another and do not need 

 aa interpreter. The language of Oondar is considered to be the 

 purest Amharic The language of the Oallas is radically different, 

 and u spoken by the northern Oallas, who inhabit the elevated 

 ngion which extends from the river Wanshit, an affluent of the 

 Jaauaa, on the south, to the Bashilo river and farther on the 

 north, tod by the southern Oallas, who live on the highest part 

 of the southern table 'land of Shoe and the plains contiguous to 

 the Hawash river. Then an also three other languages spoken in 

 Abjamnia, which however an limited to a small number of people. 

 Thin an two tribes called Agows. One of them lives near the western 

 border w the province of Agaumider, which has obtained its name from 

 than) ; and the other at a great distance on the western banks of the 

 Tasiasirte, and extends from the mountains of Lasta to the Plain of 

 We do not know if then is much difference between the 

 i by these two tribes, but they differ materially from 

 The languages spoken by the Falasha and by the 

 , two tribes mhahrUng the Semien mountains and the hilly 

 . west of the table-land of Woggbera, an Dearly identical ; 

 bvt they diAV from the Amharic and Galla languages, according to 

 the ststsamrt of BttppeL He adds to these language* that of the 

 tkhaade, who inhabit the wilderness north of Shin! and 

 a, and who according to his statement an not negroes, but 

 Ihe inhabttante of Hama/ien, or the second race noticed 

 Bat the Hhangalies, who live along the western border of 

 >injmHii. an true necruea, and speak a different language. 



The AbysjsniMM an Coptic Christiana, and Ihe head of their Church, 

 Maiad AMaa, is ordained and sent out by the archbishop ol 



Agnrt 



of the OalUs, as well among tie V 



e*M the sovlhen tribe* M far M they an subject to the king of 

 AW UT. Uso embraced Christianity. In every part of Abyssinia 

 there an BMDT afohamaiedans. . 



SMsT ~^ T ~~ 



dans. They an numerous among the 

 He OalUa, and their numUr is on the increase. Tho 

 n the Beaten mountains and the Oamanta in the hilly 

 . *es of UMtabbJand of Wonhera an a sort of Hebrew,, who 

 eereuvinjes of the Christian community. Many 



- The UalUn who inhabit the bank* of 



* Hasnlsh an etffl heathens, and so an the ShannUas. On the 

 slr.afUke <Uaa uWThTVaitna, who 



sJtna,who an considered heathens, 

 nost of the rites of the Abyssinian Church, 

 l """ U ?^?"^"tnp t which M^nmt 



<HWobs t iTaacse^fthatooinmunity. 



Of the manner* of the Abywinians of Oondar we Imve an elaborate 

 li\ I'.nn-e, which we believe to be heightened with the uaual 

 colouring of that traveller. In his lltli <loxcribes a feaut 



of the higher classes, in which a cow or bull i limught to the 

 the feet are tied ; the 8kin i Btripixxl off the hind quurters ; anil the 

 flesh is cut from the buttock* <re pieces. "Tie 



noise the animal makes," adds Mr. Uruce, with the most comical 

 gravity, "is a signal for the company to sit down to taHe." The 

 licentious termination of the feast exceeds anything that we know of 

 t barbarous nations of the earth, and may at least be doubted 

 until it U confirmed. As to the Abyssinians eating raw flesh occa- 

 sionally, or even frequently, that does not appear to us to be by any 

 means beyond the reach of probability; and, indeed, we find Mr. 

 Pearoe (see Salt, p. 205) corroborating 1 1 f;ir as this that 



some brutal Lasta soldiers, on a marauding e\ hile Driving 



a cow, cut two Btoaks from the rump, which .nil raw, to 



satisfy their craving hunger. The animnl was then driven on to the 

 camp, and killed. But Mr. Pcorce, who had been several years in 

 Tign?, never heard of such feasts as Bruce describes. Mr. Salt, when 

 he was in Abyssinia, met with a learned doctor from Oondar, who had 

 known Bruce, and spoke favourably of him. The feast story, bow- 

 ever, was more than ho would admit, and he expressed great abhor- 

 rence at the thought of it. At the same time he allowed that the 

 licentiousness of the higher orders was carried much farther . 

 kingdom of Ainhara than in Tigrc. Yet Mr. Salt met with many 

 young men at Chelicut, who came from Condor, whose dress and 

 manners created a very fuvoumMe iuiprogsiou ; and he says, " 1 lnuu 

 reason to believe that, in general, the people of Tigrc' are much nulcr 

 in their habits and fiercer in disposition than those of Ainhara." 

 The prince Kasimai Yasous, who was at Chelicut on a visit from 

 Qondar, hod superior accomplishments to most of tho young men in 

 the country, and could both read and write the Oocz with great facility. 



The early Portuguese writers allow the people of Narea the first 

 rank among the Abyssinians for good manners, whil. nit of 



the people of Tigrtf was unfavourable, and in accordance with that of 

 Mr. Salt. Yet thia traveller lived three weeks at Chelicut, saw the 

 Ras daily, and was often invited to bin evening repasts, without 

 seeing or hearing of any of the indecencies and grossness which Mr. 

 Bruce describes : intoxicuti> 'ii, however, is common at feosta. Mr. Salt 

 saw, on one occasion, the ROB'S wife, who was the sister of the enipcr >r, 

 and he describes her form as " elegant, though small ; her features 

 were regular, and, having fine teeth and coal-black hair, she might, in 

 any country have been esteemed handsome." The state of slavery in 

 Abyssinia is an improved condition for the poor Shangalhi, for th.y 

 escape numerous evils it ir\vild state, and are well ti 



Tne Abyssinians are not without authors. Mr. Salt brought to 

 England a manuscript, containing an account of the ROB'S In.-: 

 paign against the Galla, which the lias himself made a present of to 

 Mr. Salt The history was written by a court scribe, in a styl. 

 complimentary to his master. The Has had a jester at court, 

 powers of mimicry, and even of regular acting, were of a MTV high 

 order. A painter was also in his service ; and Mr. Salt ha* 

 (p. 894) an outline of one of his subjects, reprmtiiiting a o 

 between some mounted Abyssinian* ajid Oallas, which con 

 a favourable impression <>f thin artiflt's skill. The Al.y^siniuns :u 

 orally fond of pictures, with which they line the insi<le of their churches 

 and ilecorate their chief a|un y con procure tli> 



-us. Kor more than a century Abyssinia has 

 been in a state bordering on anarchy. An emperor, or as he is 

 a Negus, is the Sovereign of the whole country, but his authority is 

 only nominal ; and his revenues consist of an annual pension of throe 

 hundred dollars, and of a share of the excise levied on the 

 in the market of Qondar. The governors of the p. .'!:>, ! 

 styled Ras, have usurped his authority in tin -ir re.-]>erti\o districts, 

 PH.! transmitted it to their children, they lire alinort continually iu 

 a state of war with one another, ami the stronger expels his neighbour 



V* ]H)sswionis nd nivc* them to his n 

 favour with him. The governor in possession of the tow: 

 creates the emjicror. Mow r.qiid tin- political (lianes I 

 from t! a few years ago eight IHTSOHH v. 



whom had IKVII eiii]K.Tor, an '. weeks or ir 



The country and imputation miller greatly by thiwi wars, to which is 

 owing tho destitute stat "f tin- j,-n at.-;-t pa:t of \, but 



os|>ecially those parts of \ i..l.. i .. v.hi< h !i< n< <th of Lake Zaua, which 

 are usually tho theatr irs. 



Under such circumstances ' useless to attempt to give 



any acc".'.nt of the i-litie.: ..f the country. What was 



true three or four years ago in probably not true now. It will also bo 

 conceived, that there is hardly a place which deserves to bo called a 

 town in our signification of the word. 1 icturing industry 



U too small to collect a number of individuals in one place, and each 

 en n new place for his residence, according to his political 

 views or his caprice. When a place has for some years been tl 



fa chief, it acquires imjmrtance, but its ruin U-gins with his 

 death. Thus the tout iu Tigre, under tho wise and 



incut of id lassc", hod so much improved, that 



when Salt was in the country (ISld) it had a ] ..f 8000, but 



since bis death (1816) it has fallen to decay ; even Ailowa, though a 



