38 A E Y 
never abufcd the'confidence repofedin them; and even in 
the event of death, their fellow-travellers take care of the 
effects of the deceafed for the benefit of their families, but 
in the fir ft place for the difcharge of thofe debts contra&ed 
at Cairo.—It remains only to be obferved, that one of the 
principal branches of trade of the Abylfines is that of 
Haves ; who. are greatly- efteemed in the Indies and Arabia 
for the belt, and moft faithful, of all that the other king¬ 
doms of Africa furnifli. The Indian and Arabian mer¬ 
chants frequently lubftitute them as their fatfors; and, 
on account of their good fervices and integrity, not only 
often give them their liberty, but liberally reward them. 
There is a great difference of climate in this country, ow¬ 
ing to the vaft extent and variety of elevation in different 
parts of the empire, which is very perceptible in its foil 
and produftions. The mountains in many places are not 
only barren, but altogether inaccellible, except by thofe 
who make it their conftant practice to climb amongft them; 
and even by them they cannot be afcended without great 
difficulty and danger. The fliapes of thefe mountains 
are Very firange and tremendous; exceedingly different 
from thofe ol Europe; fome refembling towers and fteeples, 
while others are like a board or date let up on end; the 
bafe being fo narrow, and the whole mountain fo high and 
thin, that it feems wonderful how it can ftand. In the 
valleys, how ever, and flat parts of the country, the foil is 
exceflively fruitful, though in the warmeft places grain 
cannot be brought to perfection. Wine is alfo made only 
in one or two places; but the greateft profufion of fruits of 
all kinds is to be met with every where, as well as many 
vegetables not to be found in other countries. There is a 
vaft variety of flowers, which adorn the banks of the rivers 
in fuch a manner as to make them referable fine gardens. 
Among thefe a fpecies of rofes is met with, which grow s 
upon trees, and is ;auch fuperior in fragrance to thofe which 
grow' on bullies. Among the variety of rare plants to be 
met with in Abyflinia, Mr. Bruce particularly defcribes 
the following. 
i. The papyrus, the ancient material for paper; which 
our author luppofes to have been a native of Ethiopia, and 
not of Egypt as has been liippofed. 2. Baleflan, balm, or 
balfam plant; a tree growing to the height of fourteen or 
fifteen feet, and ufed for fuel along with other trees in the 
country. It grows on the coaft of the Red Sea, among 
the myrrh trees behind Azab, all the way to Babelmandel. 
This is the tree producing the balm of Gilead mentioned 
in Scripture. 3. The fafla, myrrh, and opocalpafum trees. 
Thefe grow likewife along the coaft of the Red Sea. The 
fafla or opocalpafum is ufed in manufactures; and, accord¬ 
ing to'our author, refembles gum adragant, probably tra- 
gacanth. The tree which produces it grow's to a great 
fize, and has a beautiful flower, fcarce admitting of de- 
fcription without a drawing. 4. The ergett, a fpecies of 
the mimofa, is of two kinds ; one called ergetey'dimmo, or 
the bloody ergett, from the pink colour of its filaments ; 
the other ergett el krone , or the horned ergett, with a flow¬ 
er refembling the acacia vera or Egyptian thorn. Thefe 
were both found on the banks of a river named Amo, near 
the great lake Dambea. 5. Enfete, an herbacious plant, 
growing in Narea, in fw'ampy places; but it is fuppofed to 
grow equally as well in any other part of the empire where 
there is heat and moifture fufficient. It forms a great part 
of the vegetable food of the Abyflinians. It produces a 
kind of figs, but thefe are not eatable. When ufed for 
food, it is to be cut immediately above the fmall detached 
roots, or perhaps a foot or two higher, according to the 
age of the plant. The green is to be ftripped from the 
upper part till it becomes white; and, when foft, it affords 
an excellent food wheneaten with milk or butter. 6. Kol- 
quall, a kind of tree, only the lower part of which is woody, 
the upper part being herbaceous and fucculent. The 
flowers are of a beautiful golden colour, and the fruit turns 
to a deep crimfon; fo that the trees make a very beautiful 
appearance. The whole plant is full of a very acrid and 
tauftic milk. 7. Rack is a large tree, growing not only in 
A B Y 
Abyflinia, but in many places of Arabia Felix. Its wood 
is lb hard and bitter, that no worm will touch it; for which 
reafon it is ufed by the Arabs for conftrucling their boats. 
It grows, like the mangrove, among the falt-water of the 
fea, or about falt-fprings. 8. Gir-gir, or gelhe-el-aube ; 
a kind of grafs found about Ras-el-Feel, growing to the 
height of about three feet four inches. 9. The kantuffa, 
a very noxious fpecies of thorn, much more troublefome 
than any with which we are acquainted, and growing to 
the height of eightor more feet. The flowers have a ftrong 
fmeil like the flower mignionet. 10. The gaguedi, is a 
Ihort tree only about nine feet high, a native of Lamalmon. 
The flowers, which are yellow and very beautiful, turn 
.towards the fun like thofe of the helianthus. n. The 
wanfey, a tree common throughout all Abyflinia; flowers 
exaftly on the firft day the rains ceafe. It grows to the 
height of eighteen or twenty feet; having a thick barkand 
clofe heavy wood ; the firft part of which is white, but the 
reft of adark colour. The flowers are of a beautiful white 
colour; but it does not appear to poffefs any other remark¬ 
able property, though it is held in great eftimation by the 
Abyflinians, and is even worfliipped by the Galla. 12. 
Tlie farek, or Bauhinia acuminata, grows in the country 
immediately adjacent to the fources of the Nile: being 
found by Mr. Bruce fcarce 400 yards diftant from the 
fountain. 13. Kuara, is a beautiful tree, growing in the 
fouthandfouth-weft parts of Abyflinia. It has a fruit like 
a bean, of a red colour, which in the early ages was made 
life of as a weight for gold and diamonds; and lienee Mr. 
Bruce is of opinion that the name of the imaginary weight 
carat is derived. 14. The walkufta, grows in the hotteft 
parts of Ethiopia. It is a flowering tree, with beautiful 
white bloffoms, which do not appear till towards the 
middleofjanuary. The flowers haveno fmeil, and are ac¬ 
counted pernicious to bees. The wood is very heavy. 13. 
The wooginoos, or Brucea antidyfenterica, is common 
throughout the whole empire, but principally on the Ildes- 
of the valleys. It is a fovereign remedy againft the dyfen- 
tery, a very common and fatal difeafe in hot countries. 
Mr. Bruce had experimental proof of its antidyfenteric vir¬ 
tues. 16. Cuffo, or Bankiia anthelmintica, is a very beau¬ 
tiful and ufeful tree, being a ftrong anthelmintic, and ufed 
as fuch by the Abyflinians. Every perfon there, whether 
male or female, is troubled with that kind of worm called 
afcarides\ a great number of which are evacuated every 
month, and the evacuation is promoted by an infu/ion of 
this plant. While taking tins medicine, the patients fe- 
queftrate themfelves from all their acquaintance, and keep 
clofe at home. It is laid, that the want of this medicine 
in other countries is the reafon why the Abyflinians do not 
go out of their own country; or, if they do, that they are 
fbort-lived. 17. Teft’, is a kind of grain fown generally 
throughout Abyflinia; and conftituting the bread com¬ 
monly made ufe of by the inhabitants. They have indeed 
plenty of wheat, and are as fkiiful in forming it into bread 
as the Europeans; but this is only made ufe of by people of 
the firft rank: however, the teff is fometimes of fuch an 
excellent quality, that the bread made from it is held in 
equal eftimation with the fineft wheat. From the bread 
made of this grain a fourifh liquor called bouza is prepared, 
which is ufed for common drink like our fmall beer. A 
liquor of the fame kind, but of inferior quality, is made 
from barley cakes. Some have been of opinion, that the 
ufe of teff occafions the worms above mentioned; but this 
is controverted by Mr. Bruce. Nook, a plant not to be 
diftinguifhed from our marigold eitherin fhape, fize, or fo¬ 
liage, is alfo fown very generally over the country, and fur- 
niflies all Abyflinia with oil for the kitchen and other ufes. 
Abyflinia abounds with a vaft variety of quadrupeds, 
both wild and tame. Immenfe numbers of cattle every 
where prefent themfelves, fome of them the moft beauti¬ 
ful in the world. Buffaloes are here met with in great 
numbers, and are very fierce and untraftable; but there 
are no fuch animals as carnivorous bulls, which have been 
faid to exift in this and other internal parts of Africa. An¬ 
telopes 
