168 
AFRICA SINCE 1888 
ABYSSINIA 
We will now turn from the Transvaal to Ab 5 ’'ssinia and the 
Italian jiossessions on the Red sea, where Italy is engaged in 
what may prove to be a life-and-death struggle. 
Abyssinia, or Ethiopia, as it was formerly called, is the most 
elevated plateau of Africa. The coast of the Red sea is here low, 
dry, and utterly devoid of vegetation, consisting of great sand 
wastes, only relieved by alkali plains,, salt marshes and salt lakes, 
hot, and most unhealth 3 ^ A traveler, writing of this region, sa}'’s ; 
“ The country is a parched, desolate region ; the climate an inten- 
sified, perpetual, torrid heat; the rainfall one or more terrific 
thunder-storms in the year; the occupation of the inhabitants 
tending scanty and wretched flocks and herds, watching the ap- 
})roach of enemies ; their fears always alive for sudden death > 
their hopes for peace.’’ 
The ground rises abruptly to the height of nine or ten thou- 
sand feet, forming a steep mountain chain about six hundred 
miles long, at first parallel to the Red sea, but near Massowah 
the coast trends to the southeast, while the range continuas its 
southerly course. Some of these mountains rise to the height 
of sixteen thousand feet. Far away on the west the countiy 
falls gradually to the Nile valley, and on the southwest to the 
great lakes. The only access to this plateau from the Red sea 
is up great gorges or canyons 1,000 to 3,000 feet in depth, each 
canyon vaiying in width from two or three feet to one hun- 
dred feet, with sudden turns shutting off the view beyond. 
Down these canjmns in the wet season the water rushes with 
great violence, bringing masses of stone and rock ; but the 
greater part of the year they are diy, and the traveler must often 
go from twenty to thirty miles without finding water. This 
plateau when reached is not a level plain, but is broken and 
tossed up b^’’ volcanic action, the mountains assuming wild fan- 
tastic forms, with abrupt, precipitous valleys, only accessible 
through deep passes. The plateaus, between six thousand and 
eight thousand feet above sea-level, are the temperate region, 
never either veiy hot or very cold. Some of the canyons are so 
deep that one can stand on the edge and, looking down, see at 
one glance the vegetation of the frigid, temperate, and torrid 
zones. The rivers flowing through these canyons act as barriers 
to communication, instead of facilitating it. In this region the 
Blue Nile rises and flow's through deep can}mns, falling about 
