SURROUNDING ABYSSINIA. 115 



inhabitants of either water-shed also resemble each 

 other in their colour, being a dark brown, modified 

 by parentage and descent, for the complexion of the 

 inhabitants of Tigre and Angotcha, approaches to 

 the red colour of the real Abyssinian, whilst the 

 skins of the Gallas around the sources of the Whab- 

 bee have a duskier inclination towards the original 

 colour of their Dankalli and Shankalli parents. 



To the north of Dembeacha, around the lower 

 course of the Tacazza, European travellers attest 

 the existence of Shankalli, whilst the officers 

 attached to the exploring armies of Mahomed Allee, 

 found them also all along the course of Bahr ul 

 Assareek to Fazuglo, and report them as extending 

 an indefinite distance to the south. On the 

 other hand, I have seen and spoken with Shan- 

 kalli or negroes who had been brought into Shoa 

 from beyond Kuffah, Enarea, and Limmoo ; and 

 Ibrahim also was most particular in stating that all 

 around those places to the south was the black 

 country, Tokruah, the Amharic name for that colour, 

 and which is the origin of the general native desig- 

 nation of interior Africa, and is synonymous with 

 Sudan, derived from the Arabic Asivard, black. 



The inference that is to be derived from this fact, 

 of the Shankalli being found in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of a very light complexioned people, 

 is, that the high table land of Abyssinia suddenly 

 slopes, on its south and west sides, from the eleva- 

 tion of ten or twelve thousand feet, to a low 

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