THE CHURCH OF ABBO. 133 



Amba. On a mound of the detached rocks and 

 soil in this situation is built a church, dedicated to 

 " Abbo," the father, the only one I have ever seen 

 so situated except the meeting-houses of the Tabibe 

 sect, who do not pay that respect to ancient supersti- 

 tions that still influences the other Christians of 

 Abyssinia. A sufficient reason, however, accounts 

 for its low elevation. 



At the commencement of the reign of the 

 present Negoos, a great portion of the ancient 

 grove of Abbo and its church still occupied the 

 highest point of the ridge over which we had just 

 come. The denuding operations of the conjointed 

 actions of earthquakes and rainy seasons overcame 

 every endeavour that was made to protect the 

 sacred spot from being encroached upon, it having 

 been one of the most ancient and most revered of 

 the sacred edifices in Shoa. Annually large 

 portions were precipitated into the valley of the 

 Airahra ; and ultimately the last portion of the walls 

 of the church disappeared, after a violent con- 

 vulsion of the earth, and a single line of trees, the 

 remains of a once extensive grove, now marks its 

 former site. The spot is still considered sacred, 

 and so attached were the monks upon the establish- 

 ment, to the ancient edifice, that, observing that the 

 greater portion of the debris had fallen upon the 

 terrace beneath, they determined to erect upon it a 

 representative of the old church, although on so 



