148 NORTH-EAST AFRICA. 



rather the Boasgors, that is " Sons of the Boas," say that their ancestor was an 

 Agau of Lasta, who is said to have fled from his country towards the middle of 

 the sixteenth century to escape the vendetta. Situated as they are, between the 

 hostile lowland Mohammedans and upland Christians, the Bogos have been 

 almost exterminated. In 1858 they numbered merely some 8,400, but this 

 remnant have kept their Bilen language and a few of their Christian practices. 

 Although reduced to a few family communities they have been studied most care- 

 fully, their customs being taken as typical of those found among all the peoples of 

 Northern Abyssinia. 



The community is divided into two classes, the Shumaglieh, or ** elders," and the 

 Tigré, or " clients ; " these latter probably conquered Abyssinians or immigrants 

 that have been received into the tribe. The Tigré is the slave of the Shumaglieh, 

 who, however, cannot sell him, though he may yield him with his lands to another 

 master ; he is even bound to protect him and avenge his insults. The life of a 

 Tigré is valued at that of another, or at ninety-three cows, whereas that of a 

 Shumaglieh is worth another Shumaglieh, or one hundred and fifty-eight head of 

 cattle. The eldest son of a Shumaglieh inherits his father's two-edged sword, 

 white cows, lands, and slaves, but the paternal dwelling falls to the lot of the 

 youngest son, the daughters receiving nothing. Female virtue is highly esteemed, 

 but women have no personal rights or responsibilities, being regarded merely as so 

 much property, and are classed with the hyaena, the most despised animal through- 

 out Abyssinia. The Bogo husband never sees the face or pronounces the name 

 of his mother-in-law, whilst it is criminal for the wife to mention the name of her 

 husband or father-in-law. According to tradition the picturesque country now 

 occupied by the Bogos was once the country of the Roms, who are still com- 

 memorated in song as daring warriors, who " hurled their spears against heaven." 

 These ancient Roms were, perhaps, the advanced pioneers of Byzantine civilisation, 

 or else Adulitains driven into the interior by the Mussulman conquest. 



The Mensas and Mareas. 



North of the Bogos, and occupying the same uplands, dwell the Takueh, also of 

 Agau stock and speaking the Bilen language, whence their name of Bilen, some- 

 times given to them by the Bogos. Like most of their neighbours, and probably 

 with good reason, they pride themselves on being a nation of conquerors, but they 

 have been aborigines of African extraction since time immemorial, and lands 

 formerly belonging to their families are still shown in Hamassen. The Dambellas 

 in the west are also Abyssinians, whilst the Mensa highlanders of the east and the 

 Mdrea in the mountainous region bounded north b}^ the Anseba river, claim to be 

 of Arab origin, and even trace their descent from an uncle of the Prophet. Although 

 peasants, they are half nomads dwelling in tents. Yet the Mensas and Mareas 

 were formerly Christians like the Takueh and Bogos, and the work of converting 

 them to Mohammedanism was not undertaken till the first half of this century. 

 Since their conversion, in times of peril they still often pray to Ezgiabeher, their 



