154 NORTH-EAST AFRICA. 



and irritable, they are easily led into foolhardy enterprises. Their ambition is 

 insatiable, but when unsuccessful they resignedly accept their ill luck. The sad 

 political state of Abyssinia fully accounts for the vices of its peoples. Continual 

 wars put a stop to all peaceful labours ; the soldiers live by plunder, the monks by 

 alms ; hence all work is despised and left to the women and slaves. Like the 

 Egyptian fellahm, the haughty Abyssinian s do not consider themselves degraded 

 by asking for presents, remarking cynically, " God has given us speech for the 

 purpose of begging." Amongst the Shohos the love of bakshish is pushed to such 

 an extent that many of the chiefs are buried with the hand projecting from the 

 grave, as if still soliciting from their tombs. Disregard of truth is another 

 national vice, veracity being little respected in this country of theological quib- 

 blings, where each interpretation is based on a sacred text. " Lying gives a salt to 

 speech which the pure truth never does," said an Abyssinian to d'Abbadie. 



Agriculture. 



Although the Abyssinians rank as a " civilised people," their agriculture is still 

 in a very rudimentary state ; many of the ploughs have merely a stick or iron 

 lance for the share, which tears up the soil without turning it over. After the seed 

 is sown, the land is never touched till harvest time, whilst certain useful plants are 

 left to grow wild. Even the harvest is neglected, and the gums, yielded abun- 

 dantly by the acacias on the Sahal and Samhar slopes of the Abyssinian chains, are 

 gathered only in the immediate vicinity of the trade routes between Massawah and 

 the plateaus. However, numerous varieties of vegetables are known to have been 

 introduced into the country, notably the vine, at the period of its trade with 

 Byzantium. During the present century Schimper has spread the culture of the 

 potato, the German missionaries have brought over the red cabbage, and Munzinger 

 has introduced several new plants into the country of the Bogos. Were the 

 arable lands cultivated, like those of the more flourishing European colonies, the 

 Abyssinian highlands might supply the markets of the world with coffee and 

 quinine, and the valleys of the advanced spurs might rival the United States in 

 the production of cotton. 



The Arts and Industries. 



The industries, properly so called, are in the same state of neglect as agriculture, 

 although the Abyssinians themselves are sufficiently intelligent and skilful to utilise 

 their own raw materials instead of exporting them to foreign manufacturers. 

 Incessant wars compelling all the able population to bear arms, and the contempt 

 for labour and workmen existing in all feudal and slave countries, have prevented 

 the Abyssinians from developing their natural skill and taste for the industries. 

 All the masonry, carpentering, and upholstering, as well as the manufacture of 

 tools, weapons, and instruments, are left to the Felasha Jews, who are rewarded for 

 their services by being hated and persecuted as hudas — that is, were- wolves — or else 



