MOCHA. _ 487 
of Shoa and Efat, Tigre regained its independence ; and though 
it has since been nominally held by a Viceroy, under the orders 
of the Emperor, yet it has not unfrequently assumed the right of 
nominating that sovereign to his crown. 
The territories coloured yellow in the map are either subject to 
the command, or acknowledge the influence of Has Welled Selasse, 
forming the division commonly passing under the appellation of 
Tigre, wdiich may be* considered as the more powerful state of 
the three ; a circumstance arising from the natural strength of 
the country, the warlike disposition of its inhabitants, and its 
vicinity to the sea-coast, an advantage that has secured to it the 
monopoly of all the musquets imported into the country, and 
what is of still more consequence, of all the salt required for the 
consumption of the interior. The kingdom of Tigre is bounded 
by the Bekla, Boja, Takue, and several wild tribes of Shangalla 
on the north ; by the mountains of Samen on the west ; and by 
the Danakil, Doha, and Galla, on the east and south ; compre- 
hending an extent of about four degrees in latitude, and about 
the same in a longitudinal direction, and forming in shape the 
irregular figure of a trapezium. The separate divisions and 
sub-divisions in this portion of Abyssinia are extremely nu- 
merous, which I shall endeavour to convey a concise idea of, by 
arranging them under a few general heads, which may be termed 
provinces, premising, at the same time, that the minor districts 
are often spoken of by the Abyssinians in terms of equal impor- 
tance with the larger, thereby introduciog into their accounts a 
confusion that is very difficult to unravel. 
I shall begin according to the mode generally practised by the 
