43 



ABYSSINIA. 



ABYSSINIA. 



commercial "place, is going to ruin. The town of Gondar alone still 

 retains some importance, though it has greatly declined from its con- 

 dition when the emperors had not yet lost their authority. [GONDAR.] 

 The most important town in the Peninsula of the Abai is Burie, the 

 capital of Damot, but as the governor of the province has lately 

 transferred liis residence to Gudera, it will probably soon share the 

 !' the other towns. The towns of Yaush and Yejubbi, also in 

 the Peninsula of the Abdi, appear to be considerable places. They 

 :xre inhabited by merchants, who have acquired some wealth by their 

 business in the neighbouring market-place of B;iso. 



The kingdom of Shoa forms an exception. Though this state is of 

 modern date, its internal organisation appears to have acquired a con- 

 siderable degree of stability. It has also acquired a power which 

 renders it superior to all the neighbouring chiefs, and enables it to 

 keep them in check. The authority of the king of Shoa extends over 

 the country north of the Hawash from its source to its junction with 

 the river Kassam (40 E. long.). From the last-mentioned place the 

 eastern boundary of Shoa appears to run northward from 10 to 15 

 miles from the ascent of the table-land, until it reaches the river 

 Berkona, an affluent of the Hawdsh. The Berkona runs along the 

 northern boundary on the cast of the table-land. On the table-land 

 itself the boundary is formed by the river Waist, an affluent of the 

 Wan hi'., by the last-mentioned river and its recipient, the Jamma. 

 The western border runs along a line drawn from the point where 

 the Jamma falls into the Abai to the source of the Hawash. Among 

 the Gal 1 . . tribes who inhabit the plains along the banks of the Hawash, 

 and those who reside along the western boundary-line, the authority 

 of the king of Shoa has not yet been firmly established, but the other 

 parts of the country are completely subjected to his sway. 



The capital of Shoa is Antubar. It is situated on the ascent of the 

 table-land, not far from its upper edge, and 8198 feet above the aea- 

 This town is built on two wooded hills, of which the higher 

 and northern one is hedged in with long polos connected by branches 

 of trees, like palisadoes, and on the summit is the king's residence, 

 built of stone, with a thatchu.l roof and numerous out-buildings. The 

 southern hill is clustered with houses, chiefly of wood with thatched 

 roofs, anil they are generally surrounded by a garden, and disposed 

 round the cone in a spiral form. The population may amount to 

 between 8000 and 10,000, exclusive of the king's household, which 

 consi.4t.-i of mure than 1000 persons. The climate of this place is com- 

 pared with a fine spring or autumn in England; the thermometer 

 during August and September never rises above 63 nor falls 



46. 



Manufacture!. When it is considered that the elevated table-land 

 of Abyssinia is very difficult of access from the sea-side, and thai 

 therefore the intercourse between its inhabitants and foreigners 

 cannot be very great, we must admit that they have made con- 

 siderable progress in manufactures. They do not indeed excel in 

 the fabrication of any article, as they have had no instruction from 

 nations, to which circumstance the manufactures of Europe in 

 <-. part owe their perfection. The best article is tanned skins, 

 i are used for bedding or for tents, an important article on 

 Mt of the numerous caravans. Shields mode of the hides of 

 elephants or rhinoceroses are also good. The iron articles come 

 next. Axes and ploughshares as well as spear-heads are made at 

 several places, but knives, sword-blades, scissors, and razors aro only 

 made at Gondar ami at Kirntza, a town situated on the eastern shore 

 .f I ..ike Xan.i, which contains 5000 inhabitants, and is under the 

 authority of the clergy which circumstance protects it effectually 

 evils of war. At Gondar there are guns made, but only 

 by some Greeks, not by the natives. Largo quantities of coarse cotlon- 

 le in several parts of the country by women, especially by 

 thr Falashas, and a finer kind with a red or blue bonier for the more 

 Uy classes of society. The silk manufactures ore limited to some 

 embroidery, made by Holuuimiedani and worn by their women, and 

 to blue strings, which are worn on the neck by all Chi 

 mark of distinction from Mohammedans or heathens. Only a coarse 

 stuff is made from the wool and hair of the black sheep ami 

 which is also employed in making a kind of counterpanes. Coarse black 

 ry is made in every part of the country. Printing has not yet 

 Introduced into Abyssinia, and the copying of manuscript* forms 

 a distinct branch of manufacturing industry. Uiipjiel states that they 

 have brought it to considerable perfection. Their handwriting 

 fine. They use a kind of cane as a pen, and always copy on parchment. 

 iscripts are ! with pictures, which at presontare 



which were made eighty years ago, 

 much superior. He praises also the tattteful manner in 



of these manuscripts is executed. 



Commerce. As Al>y-.sinl'. donothodroB the sea, but is separated 

 from it. by tin: <. iiint.ri.'.' ,,f , or Ad:il, it has no immediate 



inter' -ea-faring nations, but its products are c 



.11 the Red Sea, or to Tajurra (11 50' N. 

 " ulf of Aden. Maumca is about 40 miles 



from the eastern .. m >\ through this place the 



m ril tions is 



ran"' 1 -li visions 



of the country. Tajurra i f r ,, m the nearest 



boundary-lino of Shoa, and 372 miles from AnUObar, by the caravan 



road. The kingdom of Shoa exports its productions through this 

 harbour. 



Lord Valentia and Riippel have given some account of the trade of 

 Massowa. Riippel stayed there nearly eight months, and got the 

 following information about the exports : 



Articles. Value Aust. dol. 



120,000 or 24,000 



2000 slaves of both sexes 



150 horns of musk or civet, at 30 ounces, at 2 dollars 



per ounce ........ 



300 pieces of elephants' teeth of cliiferent sixes, at 20 



dollars each ...... 



400 hundredweight of wax, at 20 dollars . . 

 100 hundredweight of coffee from Enarca and Kaffa 



at 10 dollars ...... 



Tanned leather and skins, amounting to . . 

 2000 hundredweight of Tjuttcr, at 8 dollars 

 IToney, wheat, and other kinds of pram . . 

 Gold, about 2000 ounces, at 20 dollars 

 Khcle, a spice which grows only in Enarea, and whicl 



goes in considerable quantities to India . 



9,000 or 1,800 



6,000 or 



8,000 or 



1,000 or 



1,500 or 



16,000 or 



6,000 or 



40,000 or 



1,000 or 



1,200 

 1,600 



200 

 300 



3,200 

 1,200 

 8,000 



200 



dol. 208,500 or 41, 700 



All articles imported into Massowa go to Abyssinia, with the 

 exception of a large quantity of rice from India, dhurra (Jlulcas 

 Soryhum) from Yemen, and dates from Basra, which are consumed 

 in tie town. The articles sent to Abyssinia are raw cotton and pepper, 

 blue and red cotton-cloth, the threads of which are unravelled and woven 

 into the borders of the cloths of native manufacture, raw silk dyed blue, 

 white cambrics, and a small quantity of glazed silks and some common 

 velvet. These articles ore imported from India by the way of Mocha. 

 Articles from Egypt are imported by way of Jedda. These are glass 

 pearls, linen shirts, common red cloth, some articles of glass, common 

 razors, sword-blades, spica celtica, small parcels of red or green morocco 

 leather, zinc, and common Turkish carpets. From Basra are imported 

 bottles of a peculiar shape, of which large numbers aro used in Abyssinia, 

 and a largo quantity of Persian tobacco. 



The bulk of the goods imported into Abyssinia is probably con- 

 sumed there, but some of them find their way into the interior of 

 Africa to supply countries and nations with whose names we are hardly 

 acquainted. They are exchanged for the produce of these countries at 

 Baso, a market-place (not a town) situated in Gojam, 15 or 18 miles from 

 the most southern bend of the Abiti river and a few miles from the towns 

 of Yejubbi and Yaush, where many merchants reside. Dr. Beke has 

 given some account of this trade. The market is held weekly during 

 the season, which lasts about eight months, for during the other four 

 mouths the river cannot be forded. The merchants bring from the 

 southern countries slaves, ivory, coffee, civet, gold, cloth, iron, and 

 cattle. While Dr. Beke was there, the number of slaves imported 

 amounted to 160 individuals of both sexes, and he estimates the weekly 

 average at 200, which gives about 10,000 slaves as the yearly import. 

 They are mostly children, mole and female, from the Galla countries, 

 and other countries south of them, as Kalt'a, Enarea, and Janjero. The 

 number of loads of ivory which was imported when Dr. Beke was there 

 amounted to 76 : a load consisted in some cases of one, most frequently 

 of two, and sometimes of three, four, and even more tusks. The 

 quantity however was stated to exceed the weekly average, whilst the 

 number of slaves was universally admitted to fall much below it. T'.e 

 ivory comes principally from Enarea, and the gold, civet, and coffee 

 from Eiiarea and Kaffa; the other articles come from the Galla 

 countries. Dr. Beke does not mention the since called khele, which 

 Uiippcl enumerates among the articles of export from Massowa : 

 Hiippel states that it is imported from Eiiiireo. 



On comparing tin- imports from these southern countries with the 

 export trade of Massowa, it is evident that most of the exported 

 articles and also most of the imported are not of Abyssinian growth, 

 and that this country produces very few articles for foreign commerce. 

 Nearly all the merchants of the country are engaged in this transit 

 trade. The unsettled state of the country obliges them to travel in 

 cafilahs, and they always keep to the same routes. Gondar may be 

 consiilered as the centre of this commerce, and with the exception of 

 the clergy and slaves almost all its inhabitants are engaged in this 

 trade. Two caravan-roads lead from Goudar to Massdwa. One 

 traverses the table-laud of Wogghera and the Pass of Lamalmon, 

 crosses the Takkazzie in .Shire 1 , and continues through Axum and 

 Adowa to the descent of the table-land. The other, having traversed 

 Wogghera, turns eastward and passes over the Semien mountains by 

 ! : crosses the Tukkazziu at Ber Agow, and continues 

 to Adowa, where it falls into the ro:i ! In Ion-mentioned. Two 

 caravan-roads lead from Goudar to Bdso. The most western runs 

 along the eastern (Hiores of I^ake /ana, crosses the Abai at the bridge 

 which is below the cataract of AUta, traverses the plain of Miecha 

 and the western portion of the Talba Waha range, passes through 

 Domlieclia in Damot, and thence continues to Bdso. The other lies 

 more to the east, goes through the commercial town of Diirita, which 

 has not yet been visited by Europeans, and the market-place at Bada, 

 whence it continues over thn Broken Bridge on the Abai to Muta and 

 thence to Baso. There are several ot her caravan-roods by which the 

 interior commerce u carried on. There are a certain number of 



