THE ABYSSINIAN AND ETHIOPIC GROUPS 371 



Coffee of excellent quality is grown in the district. The best-known industry of Harar 

 is its weaving of tobes, cotton garments, and sashes. These, according to Barton, "as far 

 surpass in beauty and durability the rapid produce of European manufactories as the perfect 

 hand of man excels the finest machinery." 



The Gallas are mainly Pagans, though the Wollo and some of the other northern clans have 

 been converted to Islam. The primitive religion was a fetish- or spirit-worship, including 

 veneration for serpents. The Gallas have a firm faith in omens, which are derived from the 

 examination of the entrails of slaughtered cattle and sheep. The auguries are drawn from 

 the arrangement of the intersecting lines in the layers of fat and membrane. Traces of 

 Mohammedan and Jewish traditions are found amongst the Gallas, partly no doubt derived 

 from their Abyssinian and Mohammedan neighbours. But amongst the Gallas of the Tana 

 Valley, who are further removed from these influences, there are traditions of the creation of 

 the world, and of a first man named Zadami (i.e. Adam), which may be part of their primitive 

 folklore. 



THE DANAKIL. 



The lowland country along 

 the south-western border of the 

 Red Sea, stretching inland from 

 the shore to the foot of the 

 Abyssinian highlands, is the 

 home of the Danakil, or Afar. 

 They are a Hamitic people, 

 allied to the Gallas, to the 

 Agau of Abyssinia, and to the 

 Somali, forming with them 

 and the Beja the Ethiopic 

 branch of the Hamitic race. 

 They are a tall, slim, handsome 

 race, with especially beautiful 

 women. They are brave and 

 warlike, and have practically 

 always maintained their in- 

 dependence, which was 

 threatened by an Egyptian 

 invasion in 1875; but the 

 invading army under Mun- 

 zinger Pasha was annihilated. 



The Danakil dress is a 

 loin-cloth and a tobe, or 

 toga. They frequently leave 

 off the latter, for which they 

 have the excuse of living 

 in almost the hottest area 

 on the globe. 



Their country is barren, 

 and contains many salt lakes, 

 which provide the main 

 Danakil revenue; for the salt 

 is worked into small cakes 

 and exported to Abyssinia, 

 where it passes as currency. A DAHOMEYAN MAN. 



Photo bij K. ( 



