ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA. 



A 



ABYSSINIA, an empire in eastern Africa. 

 The present sovereign, called the Negus, is Men- 

 clek II, formerly King of Shoa, who proclaimed 

 himself Kmperor of Ethiopia on the death of 

 .Johannes who was killed in a battle with the 

 Soudanese dervishes in 1889. The country is 

 ruled by feudal < hicfs, who pay taxes and owe 

 military service to the Emperor. There is an 

 aneient code of Jaw which sets limits to the 

 n-yal prerogative. The Negus maintains a mer- 

 cenary army independent of the retainers of his 

 18, which he has armed with modern rifles. 



Area and Population. The area of the Em- 

 pire of Abyssinia, or Ethiopia, is estimated at 

 44.000 square miles, embracing the kingdoms 

 of Tigiv, Lasia, Amhara, and Gojam, forming 

 Abyssinia proper, the Kingdom of Shoa, the 

 coast lam Is of Uuiiakil, the territory of the Issa 

 and other tributary Somali tribes, and the de- 

 pendencies of the BogOB, Mensa, Habab, Beni- 

 Amer, and other subject tribes in the north. 

 The total population fe estimated at 7,360,000. 

 The inhabitants of Tigre. Amhara. and Shoa, 

 who are the conquering and ruling element, are 

 the Ethiopians, of Semitic < rigin. emigrants in 

 early times from Arabia. They were converted 

 to Christianity in the fourth century, and still 

 practice the rites of the Alexandrian Church. 

 The nlninn. or head of the national Church, re- 

 ceives investiture from the Coptic Patriarch of 

 Alexandria. The name Abyssinia is derived 

 from the Arabic designation of the people, lln- 

 bash ("mixed"), indicating the various inter- 

 mixtures of Arabian. Ilamitic. and negro blood 

 that are found in different parts of the country. 



Kducatioii is in the hands of the clergy, who 

 instruct a limited number of children in choral 

 singing, recitations from the liible. grammar, 

 and poetry. The ceremonial of the Abyssinian 

 Church combines Christian observances with 

 many riles burrowed from Judaism. The He- 

 brew Sabbath and the Christian Sunday are held 

 equally sacred; circumcision is practiced, and 

 .Jewish ceremonies and restrictions regarding 

 foo.l are cii forced. 



There are numerous towns, the largest of 

 which, Ankober, capital of Shoa, has 7,000 in- 

 habitants. 



Productions and Commcrcr. Although the 

 country is fertile, there is little tillage. The 



VOL. XXXI. 1 A 



people are pastoral, raising large herds of cattle, 

 besides sheep and goats. Among the vegetable 

 products are indigo, which grows wild, coffee, 

 cotton, dates, sugar-cane, and grapes. The chief 

 exports are gums, skins, mules, ivory, and but- 

 ter. What external trade there is passes through 

 Massowah. 



The Italian Protectorate. In return for 

 arms and other aid given by the Italians to 

 Menelek while he was contending against rival 

 claimants for the throne, he made a treaty on 

 May 2, 1889. which was construed on the part of 

 the Italian Government as giving a protectorate 

 over the country. After the ISegus had con- 

 quered Tigre and was established on the throne 

 he sent an envoy to Italy, Degiac Makonen. who 

 confirmed and strengthened the compact by 

 signing a treaty for mutual protection m Octo- 

 ber, 1889. When Count Salimbeni, who was 

 appointed Italian minister resident at the Abys- 

 sinian court, arrived at Ankober the Emperor 

 Menelek denied that he had accepted an Italian 

 protectorate or bound himself to. make the Ital- 

 ian Government his intermediary in all dealings 

 with other powers and to give the preference to 

 Italians if he wished to make commercial or in- 

 dustrial concessions to foreigners. Count An- 

 tonelli, who had negotiated the original treaty. 

 was sent out in October, 1890, as a special envoy 

 to bring about a settlement of the question. lie 

 was unable to induce Menelek to change his atti- 

 tude, and on Feb. 11, 1891, he broke off negotia- 

 tions and returned with Count Salimbeni to the 

 coast, bringing away also all the Italian residents 

 in Shoa and Harrar. The Emperor Menelek. 

 who had contracted a loan of 2.000.000 francs in 

 Italy, sent gold to pay the installments as they 

 fell due. The feud between the chief Debeb and 

 the other rival claimants for the throne who 

 were defeated by King Menelek ended in a com- 

 bined attack of Mangascia and lias Alula and 

 their retainers on the camp of Debebon Sept. "JU. 

 1891, and the rout of the last-named, who was 



killed. 



A Russian Expedition. The Russian For- 

 eign Office has watched with keen interest tin 

 successes and setbacks of the Italians in Abys- 

 sinia. The Atchinoff expedition was furthered 

 by only two or three members of the Russian 

 ministry, and was not approved by the Minister 



