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CHAPTER X. 
Ha VI NG already given an account of the events that occurred 
during my stay in Abyssinia, which I have considered worthy of 
notice, I shall now proceed to lay before the reader a short ab- 
stract of the history of the country, some general remarks 
respecting its present condition, and a few miscellaneous ob- 
servations whi ch may tend to elucidate its geography. I 
shall not enter, at any great length, into the history of Abyssinia, 
but shall content myself with giving (as far as I have thought 
necessary) a list of the reigning sovereigns, which I have had an 
opportunity of correcting from the best authorities in the country, 
and shall endeavour, in a cursory way, to point out merely such 
particular events, mentioned in the native annals, as are confirmed 
by the writings of cotemporary authors of other nations, and which, 
from receiving their concurrent testimony, may be considered as 
established historical facts. To wade further into the obscure ma- 
terials of these chronicles would be trespassing on the patience of 
my reader, more especially after what has already been attempted 
by Mr. Bruce, who, though he has not published a very correct 
abstract of Abyssinian annals, has, in the modern part at least, 
brought together a highly ingenious compilation, written so cha- 
racteristically, as to afford a very fair general idea of their 
history.* 
* Vol. IIL throughout, and part of lY. 
