166 



NOETH-EAST AFRICA. 



siderable extent; the dwellings of the better classes are surrounded by large 

 gardens ; the streets form shady avenues, whence are perceived the conic roofs of 

 the houses amidst the dense foliage of cedars, sycamores, and fruit trees. Koarata, 

 " the pleasantest town in Abyssinia," was till recently the most populous. At the 

 time of D'Abbadie's visit it numbered some 12,000 inhabitants, which in 1864 

 were reduced to 2,000 according to RaflFray, and from 800 to 1,000 according to 

 Stecker, whilst in 1881 all the Mussulmans were forcibly exiled. Nevertheless it 

 is still the centre of a brisk trade, and the numerous fankuas hauled up on the 

 beach attest a considerable movement between Koarata and the towns dotted round 



Fig. 52.— Koarata and Southern Shore of Lake Tana. 

 Scale 1 : 600,000. 



12 MiJes. 



the lake. Koarata owes its importance as a commercial depot to a venerable 

 church, which was formerly a place of sanctuary respected even by the sovereign. 

 On the roads leading towards the sacred hill, large trees designate the boundaries 

 of safety, into which the bishop and the emperor are the only persons who dare 

 venture on horseback. In the vicinity of Koarata are the red sandstone quarries 

 which supply the stone used for the palaces and churches of Gondar. The coffee 

 of this town is exquisite, far superior to that of the hilly Zigheh peninsula, which 

 is visible on the other side of the lake about 6 miles to the south-west, and which 

 is one vast plantation. The town of Zigheh was destroyed by Theodore. 



