TEFF. 
69 
standing their minuteness, are equivalent to double 
or triple the quantity found in an ear of wheat. 
The Abyssinians eat this grain either whole, like rice, 
or ground into flour. The teff produces its seeds in 
less than two months after it is sown ; and, in fa- 
vourable seasons, the inhabitants will make three or 
four harvests in a year. Attempts have been made 
to raise the teff in the southern parts of France, from 
seeds brought from Abyssinia by Mr. Bruce, but 
without success. 
We are indebted to Mr. Bruce for the most cir- 
cumstantial account of the teff ; and as his descrip- 
tion tends in some degree to illustrate the manners 
of the Abyssinians, we shall take the liberty to sub- 
join it in his own words. 
“ This grain is commonly sown all over Abys- 
sinia, where it seems to thrive equally on every sort 
of ground; from it is made the bread which is com- 
monly used throughout Abyssinia. The Abys- 
sinians, indeed, have plenty of wheat, and some of 
it of an excellent quality. They likewise make as 
fine wheat-bread as any in the world, both for co- 
lour and for taste ; but the use of wheat-bread is 
chiefly confined to people of the first rank. On 
the other hand, teff is used by all sorts of people, 
from the king downwards ; and there are kinds of it 
which are esteemed fully as much as wheat. The 
best of these is as white as flour, exceedingly light, 
and easily digested. There are others of a brownish 
colour, and some nearly black ; this last is the food 
of soldiers and servants. The cause of this varia- 
