1843.] and the Abyssinian Church. 661 



118. Their amusements are few indeed. At rare intervals, shooting 

 vultures and monkeys in the woods, or running down partridges among 

 the hills with their dogs, throwing the spear on foot at a mark, or 

 mimicking the art of war on horseback, moving in the uncouth dance, 

 or singing the war- song in chorus, whilst the games of gibbeta and 

 shuntridge, and the annual throwing the ball at Christmas, fill up the 

 scanty list. 



119. The spear is generally launched at a short distance, and the 

 unsuccessful competitors are obliged to lay down with their faces upon 

 the earth, whilst all the better marksmen trample and triumph over 

 their prostrate necks ; and in the " yombeza," the mounted warriors 

 with blunt lances choose a spacious plain and perform at speed all 

 their evolutions of war, attacking and defending, throwing the reed 

 and receiving upon the shield, and whooping and yelling to proclaim 

 the victory, the delivery of a sure spear thrust, or the hemming among 

 their own number, one of the opposite band. 



120. The " gibbeta" is a game somewhat resembling back gammon, 

 but is played with sixty pewter balls, which are stored in 20 holes 

 over the board ; the distribution of these balls and the judicious heaping 

 up of the stones according to certain complicated rules, constitute the 

 science of the game, which is, however, sufficiently intricate to foster a 

 spirit of betting and gambling, which reigns in full force amongst the 

 nation. 



121. Shuntridge is nearly the Arab game of chess, but the board and 

 the men are very miserable productions of genius ; a few of the moves 

 are somewhat different, and the game is almost entirely confined to the 

 court eunuchs, who bask their portly forms in the verandahs of the 

 palace, and pass away their idle hours in very indifferent play. 



122. On the Christmas, an annual contest takes place between the 

 king's household followers, the dependents of the purveyor general, 

 and the Deek Agavari. A cloth ball is struck with a mallet, and a strug- 

 gle ensues for the possession of the missile; three times the ball is 

 discharged over the plain, and the party are declared victors who have 

 thrice caught it in succession. They enjoy the privilege for the day of 

 abusing the vanquished, the king only excepted ; every tongue being 

 unloosed and the foulest abuse and slander being heaped upon the most 

 illustrious as well as the holiest personages of the court. The day is 



