I02 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



part of the garden." So the serpent sneeringly said, 

 " Oh, indeed, do you think so ?" Eve rejoined, " For 

 Avhat reason do you sneer ?" The serpent replied, 

 " You think yourself the only woman in the world ?" 

 and she said, "Yes, and a most beautiful woman." 

 The serpent then said, " Adam often stays away from 

 you, does he not, now .'' I will show you another 

 woman ;" on which he produced a looking-glass. Eve 

 saw her image reflected in it and immediately became 

 jealous. The serpent then said, "If you wish to 

 secure Adam's love for ever and ever, you must eat of 

 the fruit which I will point out to you." So came 

 about the fall of man, according to Abyssinians. 

 This is quite consistent with Abyssinian character 

 and ideas, as probably no people are more vain 

 or conceited than they ; jealousy in all things is 

 one of their chief failings. Abyssinians, in their 

 religion, are great bigots, and the whole country is 

 very much at the present time under the influence of 

 the priests. The king himself is very particular about 

 his religious observances, and priests and monasteries 

 are very often richly endowed. The Abyssinians' 

 hatred of the Mussulman is extreme. They have 

 always looked upon the Egyptians with great ab- 

 horrence as well as terror, for already part of their 

 country called Bogos has been annexed by them. 

 They think that the Mussulman will try and overrun 



