ANTALO. 
381 
of its harmony. A copious vocabulary of the language of this 
people is given in the Appendix, as I conceive, that it is more 
likely to be connected with some of the western or southern 
dialects of the Negroes than any other I had the means of ob- 
taining. 
The tribe of Shangalla that resides near the Tacazze has been 
very ably described by Mr. Bnice.* It appears to be a perfectly 
different people in every respect but colour and form, from that of 
Dabanja ; the language of the two tribes being also entirely dis- 
tinct. Two little boys belonging to the Tacazze Shangalla, 
who a short time before had been taken prisoners, much amused 
me, at Antalo, with their playful antics ; dancing and singing in 
a manner peculiar to their nation : one of their songs, which 
they had been taught in their infancy, had something extremely 
affecting in the tune as well as in the words, and it was trans- 
lated to me nearly as follows : 
They come, and catch us by the waters of the 
Tacazze: they make u^^^ slaves. 
Our mothers with alarm flee to the mountains ; 
and leave us alone in strange hands.'' 
Generally speaking, however, the slaves in Abyssinia are very 
happy ; and several of those I conversed with, who had been 
captured at an advanced period of life, preferred their latter mode 
of living to that which they had led in their native wilds; a circum- 
stance which, in a great measure, may be attributed to the docility 
of their character which allows them soon to become naturalized 
among strangers. The situation of slaves, indeed, is rather 
* Vide Vol. IV. p. 28. et seq. 
