SFOR T IN ABYSSINIA. 1 1 7 



Half-way on our journey here we came to the 

 market-place of Sememmar ; the market is held in a 

 sort of hollow dell by the side of the path that we 

 travelled along. It was a very picturesque sight 

 looking down on the market, the people seated round 

 the sides of a hill like an amphitheatre. Of course 

 we got down to inspect the wares offered for sale : 

 beads, needles, buttons, were among the articles, as 

 well as antimony for blacking the eyebrows and eye- 

 lashes of Abyssinian ladies. There was also a good 

 deal of cotton and grain for sale. The only thing I 

 purchased was a native sword, which cost a dollar, 

 and which I handed over to Goubasee, my gun-bearer, 

 to carry for me. This sword was made, like some of 

 the Indian tulwars, of very soft iron, but sharpened 

 like a razor. Its shape was well adapted for cutting, 

 slightly curved, and the back of the broad blade was 

 heavy and thick. The worst part of an Abyssinian 

 sword is its handle, which is made of wood, with no 

 guard whatsoever. Generally, when a native goes into 

 battle, he ties the handle of his sword round his wrist 

 with a piece of rag or handkerchief There is also 

 another description of sword which they carry. This 

 is a much lighter one, and very much curved, even 

 more so than a Turkish scimitar. I had no oppor- 

 tunity of seeing a native use the sword. What they 

 seemed to excel in most was throwing the spear. 



