ABYSSINIA 



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ABYSSINIA 



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ABYSSINIA 



Watch ~Ibv\er Near Custom 

 house 



The Average Native Owe I ling 



Wife Whip of Abyssinian 

 Bridegroom 



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Specimen of Writing 



Location of Abyssinia, 

 Cut off from the Ocean. 



Umbrella 

 Principal Means of Transportation Banana Leaves 



Native Women 

 Grinding Grain 



How the Soldier 

 is Armed 



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means of reaching it is by a narrow winding 

 trail, and mules, horses, donkeys and camels 

 are the means of transportation. There is a 

 railroad from Jibuti, on the French Somali- 

 land coast, south to Harrar, and in time this 

 will penetrate to the capital. Addis Abeba has 

 about 50,000 people, and Harrar is nearly as 

 large. No other town exceeds 5,000.. The only 

 native school in the entire country is in the 

 capital city. 



There is a telephone line between the two 

 s above named, and also three other shorter 

 lines. Telegraph lines connect all the principal 

 cities. However, so little information of a re- 

 liable nature comes out of Abyssinia that th< 

 death of the ruler, Menelik, was reported three 

 times within the year 1913, but not verified 

 until December, when his grandson was known 

 to have ascended the throne. 



Government. In theory the hereditary ruler, 

 negus ncgusti (king of kings) is the su- 

 preme authority; his power is short of ab- 

 solute only as he is swayed by those who must 

 share more or less in governmental control. 

 In tin- provinces he appoints nominal local 

 heads, unless, as is often the case, leaders not 

 of his choice become strong enough to dispute 



authority. No serious uprisings have occurred, 

 however, so far as is known. Local authorities 

 collect taxes; these officials use their own dis- 

 cretion as to the amount they may assess, for 

 there is little restriction upon them. There 

 are three principal governmental divisions, the 

 sub-kingdoms of Tigre, Amhara and Shoa; 

 the latter is the most enlightened and conse- 

 quently the most powerful. 



Other Items of Interest. Most of the rich 

 mud with which the Nile makes fertile its val- 

 ley in Egypt is brought from Abyssinia. 



In Abyssinia the soil is so fertile that two 

 and often three crops a year can be produced. 

 ically all the large game animals of 

 Africa, the elephant, lion, hippopotamus, rhi- 

 noceros, crocodile, leopard, hyena, giraffe and 

 buffalo, are plentiful in Abyssinia. 



The year, which begins in September, con- 

 sists of twelve months of thirty days each. The 

 or in leap year, six, extra days are placed 

 at the end of the year and regarded as holi- 

 days, for the Abyssinians are very fond of 

 ities. 



most of the people are still nominal 

 Christians, but their religion has largely degen- 

 erated into superstition. 



