AFRICA SINCE 1SS8 
169 
4,000 feet in less than three hundred miles and cutting Abyssinia 
into Northern and Southern Ethiopia. The volume of this river 
is increased from 6,000 cubic feet per second in the dry season 
to 220,000 in the rain}'- season, and it carries down the earth from 
these high lands to Egypt, which owes its prodigious fertility 
to the Blue Nile. 
From its elevation Abyssinia is healthy, and the climate is said 
to be as salubrious as any on the globe. Th& valleys on the 
western slope are fertile, producing abundant fruits and the vege- 
tation of the temperate and tropical zones. Its lofty ranges are 
the home of Abyssinians, Copts, Arabs, and Jews of the Cauca- 
sian race — partially civilized tribes, once converted to Christi- 
anity, and still calling themselves Christians. The people are 
strong and active, but rude and barbarous. The different tribes 
are generally at war with each other, but at present they are all 
united under one ruler, who claims descent from the Queen of 
Sheba. 
During the ages many attempts have been made to conquer 
the Abyssinians, but this has always been most difficult, as they 
can only be reached either from Egypt up the valley of the Nile 
or from the Red sea through one of the canyons. The latter has 
been the route most usually attempted, with results generally 
disastrous to the invader. The Ab}''ssinians, hidden in the clefts 
of the mountains, behind the rocks and bushes, wait until the 
enemy has reached a difficult part of the canyon before attack- 
ing him. The most notable exception was in 1868, when the 
British, under Sir R. Napier, marched through one of these 
canjmns, captured Magdala, and took prisoner King Theodore ; 
but at that time Theodore had by his atrocities alienated the 
other chiefs and tribes, and through their aid the British passed 
up the canyon without opposition. It was in one of these can- 
yons that the Abyssinians, under Menelek, the Negus Negus or 
King of Kings, as their emperor is called, lying in ambush, 
recently surprised and completely routed the Italians. It is said 
that the Aby.ssinian army of one hundred thousand men was 
sui>])lied with the best i*e})eating rifles ]>y the French and Rus- 
sians, and was aided by French officers. 
The Russians have recently sent an embassy to Abyssinia 
and received an ambassador from that country, and negotia- 
tions are in progress to bring the Abyssinians into the Greek 
church. 
About twenty years ago the Egyptians occupied the whole of 
