The New York Herald Newspaper, April 29, 1868, Page 6

6 ABYSSINIA. Napier’s March to Magdala—His Army and Its Difficulties. The Chiefs, Christians and People, as Seen by the British Civilizers. Geography and Topography of the | English Mexico in Africa. Boundaries, Mountains, Rivers, Ravisies, Cli- mate and Resourees of the Empire. THEODORUS’ PEDIGREE AND FAITH. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD. ‘The Province of Tigre—its Geography and Re- sources— March of Napier’s Advance Brigade to Antalo—The Enormous Transport Trains Horrible Fate of the Hindoo MuleteersThe Envoy of Kussai, Chief of Ethiopia, and bis ‘Reception—Tieodorus Advancing Upon Go- bazye—Godnzye’s Stratngem--Zoology-Man- ners and Customs—Hatred of the Natives to Arabs—Disappenrance of three English Offie cersEnropenn Notabilities in Abyssinia. Ciry oF ‘ALO, PROVINCE OF TIGRE, ABYSSINIA, February 17, 1838. Before proceeding with a description of the expe- dition I have thongitt tt better to give a brief sketch of the province in whose capital we are now en- camped. Tigré is now ‘he most Important province of Abys- sinia, and is bounded, a8 you will observe by the map, on the nort by the Bekla, Boja and Takue, and several of the wild tribes of the Shangalla; on the west, task devolved roads that seemed became, while another hill of equal height dark and stern, inclosing an oven-like valiey whic! | teemed with carnivorous an! be steep sides of the op) its way. a dee! rent the precipitous banks of which were lined with rocks, trees, copses and tamarinds, wh were alive with stra cheatah watched for its prey. Here blocks of quartz and felspar rocks reared themselves above us, on whose hot surlaces the horned viper or the cerastes basked, aud the iithe Uzard glided with quickened motion at our approach, into lovely valleys, through which meander murmur- ing streams, in Whose waters wagging their tails, slake theirthirst. In the vaiuable Kusso tree flou whose exudition is considered a §) to which the natives of the count tree is about twenty feet high, with a crooked trunk and clothed with pinicated leaves of a green color. sycamore, with its evergreen branches adds to the beauty ofthe scene. Soon we Jeans the valleys and as- cend the mountains, higher and hi fully 11,000 feet above the level of the sea. descend gradually dow ering shrubs, alo¢s which cover the mountain tops, in full bloom, honeysuckle; then through natural arbors NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNE faced Pagans from Barbary, Janus: treacherous Bengalese; wild "scoking tians from Cairo and “Alexandria, tu 4 fezed Turk from — darli Stam- al; from Palestine, followed by the naked Shoho, the daring, athletic Nubian and the blundering Saxorsite, all riding or walking, chatting and rai they went, with a train of commissary stores two miles long and a Jong, besides a aoheg number of sutlers and natives carrying tobacco, halieb (milk) and barley bread, Including the muleteers, servants, dholy bearers, pottawailas, ghorawallas and natives, there Were over 4,000 men @nd about 7,000 aniiaals in that seven mile procession. A company of the Scinde horse regiment brought up the rear, and before many miles were passed tLe pon them of driving up & lot of sickened wretches who had become falut- hearted on leaving the plateau and descending down to lead to hell, so steep the hills t loomed wy Onclambering up ite hill numbers feli out by he way—sore-footed Hindoo soldiers, who eat nothing but rice, home-sick Arab muletcere and other emaciated wretches, who prayed in pi iteous tones to be left alone to dic.’ Several did fall out and never Tose again, Up steep hills rough with massive rocks, made more difficult by the scorching sun, over rollin, plateaus, past sinilin; jtoral valleys, by robbers’ roosts and the Troe ytes’ caves, the column wound Now the brigade the van of the expedition passed over a gentle rolling country ove wh with anbool bushes, anon it straightened its lines along ravine, down the dry of @ mountain tor- ose branches singing birds, and where the Gradually ravines widen low cows lazily ese valleys ific in cases of worms, a malady sresublect. This leasant opaque ‘the sycamore tree, which ts the ‘iue westand Then we ward through flelds of flow- igher, un’ caused by the interlacing of branches of great trees, and still downward to parts covered with wild olives and thick groves of the berry-bearing cedar tree, where the fragrance of the sweet brier, wild myrtle ‘and other aromatic shrubs was almost overpowering. The various stations on the route to Antalo are by the mountains of Samen; and by the Denakil, Doba pee ae (ean es Miles. and Galia territories on the east and south; including + 1 not leas than four degrees of latitude, and nearly an ae equal extent in a longitudinal direction, The high “4 range of tite Samen hilis, stretching from Waldubba 9 tothe south of Larta, together with the line of the “4 Tacasse, which dows in a northeasterly course along 10 193 its base, sul ly points out the natural boundary 14 Magdala............. 160 between Tizi and the province of Amhara on the | pota) distance ..........- Spee, Cer See west. Tigr¢ is a large and exceedingly populous dis- trict, and contains a number of cities which figure conspicuously in the history of Ethiopia, more especially AXum, Dixan, Chelicut, Antalo, Atige- ratt and Aguila. The first of these cities was the ancient residence of the Abyssinian monarchs, who still go thither for the purpose of velng crowned. Its antiquity is very | great, as it is mentioned by Arrian in the Perlplus of the Erythrean Sea. The modern town of Axum contains about six hundred houses, On the eastern frontier stands the city of Anialo, which ft erly was the scat of government. it is quite a large place, compared with any we have yet seen, and con- tains about twelve hundred houses, constructed of mud and siraw,in the midst of which stands the palace, distingnished by its magnitude rather than by the elegance of its plan or workmanslip. It stands on a hill which rises columu-like out of the Valley, and could be made a very defensthle position, In Itjus province there isa very large convent, the Monastery of Fremon, which has always been the chief establishment of the Jesuits. It is about a mile | in ctreumference, surrounded by wails flauked with towers and pierced for small arms. Atigeratt con- tains @ small fort, andasmall convent where the ‘widow of the son of Subegadis, lately King of Abys- sinia, lives. Atabeyen contains two smail citadels, built on the edge of a rock rising five hundred feet perpendicularly from the plain. Agulla contains the ruins of @ fine temple built by King Lulaba in the | eleventh centu®} to the Greek aint St. Korcas, ‘The floor of this temple, which was marbie, was in many | Places still eutire. It wasa strongly bulit building of M THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEI, Sir Robert Napier, Is a man of ability; he is certain- ly acourteous gentleman, and so is Brigadier Gene- ral Merewether, who looks more like an American than an Englishman. They have both made great mistakes in sanction- ing the engagement of foreign muleteers, Tie Arabs prefer to die by the roadside than go any further; Winle the Hiindoos, Who eat nothing but rice an dhall, become weak-kneed, and die from sheer ex- haustion during the fatiguing marches. From Senafe to Antalo, however many the cross roads, however intricate the bypaths or however expansive the level plateau or dense the banbool forest, no stranger could necd a guide, for the dead mules and horses which lined the track would have guided him on the way to Antaio; and but for these carcases it would have beeu often iinpossible to have found it, for the East Indian sappers and pioneers have done their we a very ineffective manner from Seuafe to ntalo. ‘THE CHIRF OF TIGRE IN COUNCIL—HOW 18 EMPLOYED COLONRL MERBWETHER: Two days belore we parsed through General ee had been visited by the ambassador of Kussai, Chief of Vigré, who came with a well armed retinue num- bering over a hundred men. They were all mounted upon ieet, hardy ponies, but the ambassador and his secretary were mounted upon the same horse. They ail wore clean coarse cotton cloth with the inevita- ble red stripe, and a kind of a high, sicep turban. ‘They rode to the presence of the Geneva! with great pomp and parade of horsemanship, howling barbar- ously and lirowing the spear after the manner of the ‘Turkish Gjeoride, After amusing the General’s statf with several battle manguvres very well executed they alighted frora their horses and salaamed before the Generals pale, ‘The council then com- menced, during which the envoy laid his head in Merewether’s lap, staring up li hts face very inso- Tently; for which, | was tid, Merewether used him very rougily, so there Was reason to suppose that isan insuit and resent it accordingly. large blocks of granite, but as it was said to contain gold, King Subegasis cansed it to be pulled down to search for the treasure. The above cities stand near the road to Antalo which, after a continous march of eleven days from Senafe, the advance brigade under Brigadier General Collins reached. Ii is exactly 140 miles from Senafe and 193 miles from Boola, on Annesley Bay. Our future route lay through the highlands of Abyssinia, after reaching Senafe, which stands al- most on the brink of the tableland overlooking the sea of ridges which lift their scraggy peaks up | inte the very clouds, and look down so frowningly upon the “Feringhee” invaders. Theodorus made a great miziake in not guarding these passes which have adwitted the English into which were good Eastern orations. the whole province. other rebellious chief, and 80 well did Kussai perform his allotted task, that Gobayze confirmed him as ruler over half his province, By and by Wagsbum Gobayze rebeiled against Theodorus, the Emperor of Abyssinia, when Kussai declared himself in favor of ‘Theodorus. Gobayze was 80 incensed that he marched against him with an arms, which was de- feated, npon which Kussai assumed the governorship of Tigré, which tickled Theodorus so much In getting such # strong supporter of his throne, that he er mitted him to retain that which he had won, Hay- ing been successful so far he soars higher, and al- veady fancies himself supreme ruler, as he sigas hima- self Ohief of Ethiopia and seals his letters with the t seai of Abyssin{A, the lion of the tribe of Judah. ‘eeling assuted that Theodorus’ reizn is about to draw to a ciose he seeks to strengthen his claim to the regal dignity @ thaely iriendiy alllance with his dominions. Twenty men within the defeaces or on the heights, with serviccable muskets in their hands, could have defled three thousand; and were | {¢ not that the present ambitious Ras of Tigré is at | variance with his fickle and tyrannical sovereign | advantage might have been taken of the natural | fortresses, which could so evfectively have protected him, and another Thermopylw added to history. A most curious and beth ip J sight is presented | ‘upon attaining the summit of the plateau. Out of | ‘the level plain shoot wp tn the most forward and ob- sive manner a thousand differently shaped bits, | ny of them are solid bouldera,-round and polished | LY egg ris' from ove hundred to fiv indred feet high; 6 sugar loaf, prisms and , yramids, and tiscrowned by a vill r ach he: ‘nich is iniwbited by either the Agemes, Hazortas | or Shihos. These people of the highlands are better dressed | fhan the miseradie black Shihos of the coast; they are also ior There is pienty Mieiligent and ver, independent, | wf forage in the count fs the land a More OF loss evi Liveted, thongh tn nine man | her, yet suttich e use of the . Al few aud soand the Maria Theresa stam} raust be pakd for a coatskin full o: nh will ‘woigh aboutiwenty-two pounds, The same amount of money mus! be pald for two hondred pounds of wood. A half crown, a rupee or a shilling they look | ‘upon with couiea Sr, and angry words or vlows they | resent quickly. | They are of the complexion of our Intians, well proportiones, with fine hands and features, short, if, kept piaited ond always well buttered. When they visit camp they come well armed with spear, Held and a curved sword very like sickle. Inthe ‘use of the shieid they aro very export, Forthe par- eS their experiness an English solaier, oroughiy skilled in the use of the sabre, was od ‘@ strong, athletic Agame. Like lightning the > flew arownd the native’s head, wiih back strokes ghd front baer ad at his head and then at his legs; like @ black shadow the shicid gilted frou side to side and successfully averted every stroke forever fineen minutes. These shields are circular and are made of double oxhide, well tanned and ofled, and are impencivable to sabre or spear. Of old the Ethiopians were famous in their ut iq hms in his exhorta- ye horses, and rage ye chart. | tion, | 5 ota, ani i men come forth—ihe men of ee and Libya that handle the shield.” Their reas is the breechcloth and a cotton robe, with a broad ag pe acress ita ba Cad which , pags like 9 toga. Until within four days’ eh to Anta’ these tribes inhabited ihe country mnrdhgn which o Tynte lay. THE CIVILIZERS ON MARCH. Early on the morning of the 5th instant the ad- vanoe brigade, composed of the Thirty-third regi- meat Eu (mostly Jrish purth regiment na- Give infantry, the Scinde horse, native cayalr, Focket battery of artillery and two mountain | ries, pumbering in all about 2,500 strong, marched | out of Senafe and started for Antale, The with their sheepakin coats and green aniforms, presented a very tn and their officers, who were Bast 1 3 py decked out in the splendid uniform of an o! r of the regiment, with sliver helmefs, sil- ‘ver scabbards, Silver eword handies, gold bilttons, gilver spurs, silver embrolieries, siiken saahes and which must have cost something r) rd while the horves on which they rode ‘wore as ly decorated as their riders, The inf @ry in their dull brown linen uniforns cid noi te ‘well, nor waa their drill, after clevon years’ se: extraordinary. A bend of tw masiclans preceded th $o march was pOTUINT, ANd Wher of “Oheer, boy! iven struck up the well ku cheer.” Tt was certulnl, mivice, for the distance was lox hg gu fot, and the bo sipgarente te qth | hand gave the Sa dry appearance, whion, wih unéertainty of the end of he expedition, might pA Cause the troops to be dejected. “puly, the Huma hid @ somewhas plebald look, wita ory. Hove were rod mod, bla oockneyé from London aud Ce ing, ap their eyes W T3 at everthing; ve looking fat Parsees froin ersia, KcOWlNg, Kindoos from tho banks of the £ dug, bisek eyed, well olled Sikhs from the muraitee; genlicwaniy Sopoys from the Dec- eae, feeowus Svumaii's from Arabia, Umiys | | and the taolated 3 one after atiotii the Ferringivees, by om he imagines le is about to | be made Negashi of the empire. He {s to meet Sir Kobert Napier at tiusscin on the 20th, a small village standing halfway between Adabergen and Dongalo, where a treaty will be made, Gobayze, bia former master, 1s sorely pressed by ‘Theodorus, Who is advancing upon hun with hia whole army, 9) ently careless whether he meet | the Ferringhees or not, although he knows they are in the country. ‘The Wagsbuin is inclined to receive the British force with open arms, as they alturd such an excellent sa‘eguerd to fall back upon. NATIVE TKADITIONS AND MOVES, All the natives that we have met in the country seem fo haye aa idea that the ailsh will be any hilated, ‘The Romana, in the time of Augustus, ma war upon Candace, Queen of Etitopia, Mohamme i, the arch imp: le war upon the Christians of Abyssinia, an: ‘Ypttans under Mohatamed Ali essayed the task of conquering the country, and these were defeated. Why not the English? ‘There would be no question of thelr utter annihilation were all the Kingdoms and provinces of Abyssinia united. The English have seized a pro} ment to ex re 18 Lo all against by diseiplin oppos i by the a r King. Courage, even when secouded ot always overcome the obsiacies ofnature. The burning sun, the is mountains and the scarcity of water and provisions aid King Theodorus in oppos- ing the English. ihe long stragling, lines of trans- port trains conveying te commissary stores, could ya stroke of Sheridan tactic: easily captured, ous along thé rout destroyed hven now, When all Ifeaven and earth scems arrayed against Theodorus, he has a js by tak ng the prisoners aiong with him and making what Merewetier calls a “running game.” If King ‘Theodorus undertakes Mat kind of that England will sorro’ at the weight of expenses thrown upon her, Tad” £20,000,000 alreuly Spent would bo increased to sum for the vindication of her dignity and the ac- quirement of prestige, JONN BULL COUNTING THR PROFITS. The English hove already turned their attention to the revennies of the country and found it to be only $400,000, but which might é be raiged. to 36,004,000 per Sonum if the country was properly cultivited; foragriculture, ag might be expected in & state of ‘society where there are 80 few re- wards for industry, is sti in @ very rude condi- Vion, the occuplors of lund trusting much more to the natural fertility of the soil than to ony system of management. The ploughs are so extremely inartificial that they consist of not ying. more than #& crooked stick, pointed with irom, With dne harvests aud the modern imple ments of indiwiry what might the country not pro- duce? By inigation seed time and harvest would follow each otter every month of the year, In fact, Vegotation never falis asicep In this happy climate. ie matt W barley in the beginnin, a oe of May, that Is # little before the commencement of the mon’ soon rains; it comes to maturity In June, and is nme modiately carried off the fields) that it may not be destroyed by the excessive moisture, Then they sow vetohes, Which likewtse ripen during the rainy season. In Septeiwber they sow wheat or teff, and Bey a erent Tat] (oPcet Dariey or tares in January. ‘The rent paid to tho king is one-tenth of oe re but as the produce is swall the peasants | he] ie pod ; nul anin both tamé and wild, th have been seen by us already is something wonders pa Ay heer ase rent to the animals of or cow a 1 WO kinds of 1 kind have wide sprang on Mi shaury on tele Agha @ bize of i sek (aR Alaa ds A si20 of @ common Our county, The Ne are arial, actlye ante to Mexicon inastangs ‘The Etiloplaa hog, of #1 Hoar, is a perigot monster, Wilh tusks spreading out like ‘horas, These agora exciting sport to the eign nyu ting peopebalty of the English oflcers, NE Jickals, Wid oats, i thers, oDb, ghop uly Wild DTAMATORS, AM furoe. Wuitiade Xof, foxes, the addax (ip aniinal be a cow vida wont), the fonne (half rabbit, haif fox), tue Jerbon, small deer, and @ host of others too Luierous to mention, have been seen on the route, as Vom Ainhure and Gavia could sock a soleadid and | train of mules laden with comp. equipage five miles, arioty of sights and sounds Kussat, the Chief of Tigre, would be apt to consider Your corre- spondent did not arrive in time to hear the speeches, ‘This Kussai was formerly a chief of the western part of Tigré, when Wagsbum Gobazye was governor of Kussal was sent to punish an- nce to retrieve hia Waning fortnoes, and that ,| £100,000,000, and this | & Very hardy breed, ain ret } uNgos, Chestaha, par | een | DAY, APRIL 29, 1868--QUADRUPLE SHEET. choice menagerie and museum out of the animais.in Abyssinia. As for birds, I will name the atic tacean, hornbtil, ibis, kite, guinea fowl in abundance, kayleo, hawks, plover, su!pe, turkeys, geese, ducks, large quail, clock bird and a thousand others. Each patch of forest ani wooded banks of rivers resound with such a strange Chorus of voices that it is per- fectly deafening. » Under the verdant foliage of the baobab, the cedar and we ks sport scores of monkeys deuantiy, as if We soldiers: were not allowed to kill of them, While the mx pines aro Sha lanaes yet the most timid, the files were the smallest and the boldest, This rds infinite amuse- ment and serves to while away the marches, RBLIGION, The monotony of travelling was also relleyed when passing villages on observing of nude maid- ibe, aging oar ro pps a a cheery notes of weicome, Gray healed elders 4 village dignitaries came forth and ex: friendly sal, and made gm fo Te specting our religion, One old centeuar an hobbled up toyour correspond- ent and asked carnestiy whether he was a Christian. «aa Galt SS wae ha ein gar lest C1 ‘was his reply in gely Taree he could muster, which roy ‘ouare Ty brother in Jesus Christ,” after which he took out of his bosom a fancifully ornamented iron cross, which he reverentiy kissed, and to show our love for the Christian religion our followed his example, which so pleased them that accompanied us on cur ourmey for a mile or two, and only parted from ug after exchanging many @ courteous salaam. At of Adabergen the entire population came out and inquired it we were 3. The Mus- sulmans, Parsees and Hindoos with contempt, which contempt ensued hatred. Six Arabs have been kilied and mutilated, and one Hindoo was found rey cut to pieces. Six days’ march from Senafe we came to a country where the peopic were all Christians, Their churches were built of mud snd stone with turrets, were situ- ated in the most lovely places under the evergreen foliage of the sycamore or the baobab, which screened their places of worship from intrusive curt- osity and by this seclusion holy calm served to add to the spirit of devotion by which the Christians in Abyasinia are animated, The summits of many of their churches were per- fect cones, while the walis were encircled by a num- ber of wooden piliars—being trunks of the cellar tree placcd so as to support the edifice—and as the roof projects about eight feet beyond the walls an agreeable walk or collonnade is thereby formed, which proves of tt use in hot or rainy weather. ‘The inside is divided into several apariments nearly according to the directions which are given in the law of Moses. ‘The tirst is a clrole somewhat wider than the inuer one, here the congregation say their prone: Within this is a square, which is divided py a rail or curfhin, corre: to the Holy Place and the Holy of Hoiies in the Jewish Tabernacle. ‘The latter is so narrow that none but the priests are admitted into it. There is someching very fantastic in their mode of conducting divine service. Their musical instru- ments are little druius, which they hang about their necks and beat with both their hands, and this exer- cise is performed by their chief men as well as by the gravest ecclesiastics. They have sticks likewise, with which they strike the ground, accompanying the blow with a motion of their bodies. They begin their devotions by sete with their feet on the floor and piaying gently on the drums; but wien they become warin und animated they leave off beat- ing and proceed to leap, dance and clap thelr hands as if in ecstacy ut some tunate bliss, straining ieir voices at the same time to the highest pitch, Lill the, become more like an infuriated crowd than a rell- gious assembly. For this manner of conducting the Teligious services they quote the psalm of David, “O clap four hands, all ye nations.” It is strange with what tenacity {hese people have clung to Christianity when reflecting upon the vizor- ous efforts made to crush it by Mohammedanisio. Though the Crescent rules over {gypt, Christianity, which was preached by St, Mark in the city of Alex- andria, dciles Mohammedanism still, secure in the mountain fastnesses of Abyssinia, FROM ISRAEL, The more I see of these people the more am I con- vinced that they belong to soime of the lost ten tribes of Israel, who, asthe prophecy foretold, should be “distinguishable from Gentiles save by circum- cision vain. The royal standard of Abyssinia dis- plays the lion of the tribe or Judah, to indicate the escent of the Kings from Solomon. ‘The great seal of Abyssinta is the Lion of Judah, and there is a@ pre- diction extant which is cherished by the natives, viz.—that the delivery of Palestine froia the hands of the infidel Moslem and the gathering ther of all ae of israel would be eifected by a king of a. ‘The valleys as we proceeded were better cultivated; hayeocks were seen standing in the vicinity of com- fortable looking houses, Cattle were lowing in the fields; sheep aud goats browsed on the hills, over which shepherd boys, with a goatekin over their backs, wawhed, while playing upon their reed pipes shrill and mournful tunes, Indeed, for many mies a | ety bps of contentment and happiness unveiled to e view such as might be presented in the most civilized or peaceful portions of the globe. REVENGEFUL NATIVES. i A ferocious, blood thirsty and perfidions set of natives occupy the mountain heights, to whom many ure inclined to believe that we owe the death of three English oficers who have been found dead, while others say that one shot himself, while another was killed by am elephant. The oilicers’ names are Col- hei Dunn, of the Thirty-third; Major Cooper, of the Fourth, and a Captain Edwards. ‘I! ‘live in caverns like the ancient and mud. dwelling as s00n as the rains have tains, A TELEGRAPH LINE Fs has been laid all the way from Zoula to Atigeratt, a distance of one hun miles, and It is intended to a the line as faras Antalo as soon 4s practi- cable. EARLY AND MODERN EXPLORERS. All the great Powers of Europe have sent ber ed enced oficers to examine and report on the Abys- sinian expedition. France has sent General Le F—, Captain Herdecourt (a son of General Rochet D. Herdecourt, who made s journa through Ethiopia in 1517 under the auspices of the French Academy of Sciences) and Commandant Galle, of the marine ser- vice. Prussia is represented by Count Secondorit and Captain Sieum, also Dr, Roiif, the African travel- Jer and an author of celebrity. Italy is represented by Major Bacon and Capiain Ossio, officers who served with distinction during the iate war with Austria. The King of- Holland has sent Captain Prince aud First Lieutenant swis. Dr. Louls Kraph and Captain Speedy, Abyss.nian travellers, also Major Levison, the “Old Shekamy,” an author of some repute, are with the expedition. All the above gentiewen are with the advance brigade. ‘ihere are several correspondents also here, four English, two East Indian, two German, two French and one American, the New York H&&ALD correspondent, Your corre-pondent might add that lie, in com- pany with Major Levison, was the first who entered Lie ancient and important city of Aniaic. Geography of Abyssinin, ANCIENT AND MODERN HISTORY OF THE EMPIRER— JTS SITUATION, ENTRANCES, TOPOURAPHY AND IN- HABITANTS. Abyssinia is a vast country of Rastern Aftica, ex- tending between latitude 7 degrees 40 minutes and 16 degrees 40 “minutes north, and longitude 34 de- grees 20 minutes and 43 degrees 20 minutos cast; hounded on the east by Adel, northeast by the Red Sea, northwest by Nubia, and south and southeast by what is known to explorers as the country of the Gallas. . From various sources to hand during the progress of the war in Abyssinia and ihe official topographt- cai reports of the English authorities we compile the following statement of the ancient history and geo. graphy of the enpire:— More than two thousand yoars ago the futher ‘thiopla as the most ants wore of Greek history described distant region of the earth, whose inhal the tallest, most beautiful and “most to’ the human race, Before him the fath poetry had already ung of the Ethiopians, ‘remotest of men,” most just, w ‘whom the immortal gods delight to banque! Beyond the confines of Kaypt, the furthest nation of whom the Greeks knew anything, there rose @ vision of @ mighty empire, glorions, ancient, powerful, rich in gold and jewels and spices, It4 inhabitants dwelt @round the sources of the mysterious Nilg, and, as some thought, had power to resirain or pouNiown Its ferulizing waters, But it was known only by report. No traveller had reached tts disiant borders, No conqueror had marched an ao Within tts srered terriiory. The Persian master of Egypt lad made the attempt and failed. But history repeats itse! and It is, it seema, the lot of England to be perpets: | ally treading in the steps of the ancient heroes, many years ago sie reproduced the cammiigns of Alexauder and Poras in the Punjab, is now about to conclude the baited enterprise of Cam. byses in A Abyssinia 19 revily a most ancient eprire, Which has preserved through Jong aged of lsviation and degradation some reiics of clvDization and Christianity, Surrounded by negro tribes it ail matntains in form and longtiage the igher type of the Semitic race to which it belongs. Penecd on all sides by Mahometan invaders, it haa Not ) Bey eee ayn Log Tome to the Gos. 5 royal asty, derived or! ly — Rie tradition trons Monilek, thé Mia Ring Sato. i) lust Abyasinia beoame ititie more tha 9 nam ‘s 2 feudal times, or Germany ann Nal rg theire la jependent Staten, eel eaten ae hon co rt i My Chrigtianity, fol. by ite ev nm an tal relapae into ite old ophysit 0° tam! reve: shut ence and the Fate ag ® premature an- Flifg the t ry tes have been gradually unclosing and will soon Sir Samet Baker's book, “The Nile Tributaries of Inia,’ does not deal directly with Abyssinia on and the Queeh of Shebe, sank down, Nike the ‘ingians by Fragge, ¥ Lie Cogs! of who ractioally. Me Ans: roving EE Me ARARY Ph test rehabtiltattons, for a collection nei a the latest ; Wa pletor¥ hice fa inabe is esvlewess t" of Abvarinia by whe. Porrnguese ee ite 00) version ot wi ro Wit Che following ch 4 ~ * ‘dues of that soltinhy win rau Mot of Pai comens Hération the oe finng wide open by Britain, , the countey of Theodorus Of this work ese Herce natives ‘roglodytes, or in hoveis constructed with a cone-like roof of rushes Leading @ pastoral life they change their roduced a little verdure on their parched soil, for when the hot sea- son ends on the coast it begins among the moun- | here obliged to unload our bagg: the London Times remarks thus:—We opened Sir Samuel Baker's book with expectation that it would throw some light on thi unknown region to which, not without anxious misgi about to despatch @ British exped! re: re have ‘ed, Baker, in follow! the course of the Abyssinian tributaries of the Nile, did not pass over the moun- tain ranges that wall in the territories of the Em- ror Theodore, and he has told us nothing about byssinia proper the Switzerland of the ican continent. Except, however, for tlus our ho} respecting this work have not been frustrated; 1 is atypically’ ad ra pleasing manner. Te seri grapl ry ing m: . is hardly necessary to remind our readers of what Sir Samuel Baker has achieved in the matter of exploring in Africa, How, accompanied by his heroic wife, he set forth on his famous expedition to find out the sources of the Nile; how, braving perlis and difficulties innumerable, they made good their Maving eolved the eeograp otoea! probes iett unde: ving solv 1c probie tevmnitiod by Speke and Grant, they beheld the head of the mighty stream issue from the gigantic Albert Nyanza, 18 @ tale got to be soon forgotten by thou- sands in the present generation. ‘his renowned journey settled @ question which haq been # mystery Bince the dawn of history; it shoWed conclusive! that the orizin of the Nile is to be fow lakes of immense size—the Victoria ‘Albert Nyanza, in the centre of Equatorial Africa, “Before, however, the who'e agsien of the Nile could be said to have been ex- plored another question remained obscure—namely, ‘what was the cause of the extraordinary riso of the [ean river at settled periods, and where the foun- ing of its prolific overflow? It has been the good fortune of Sir Samuel Baker to have put this ques- tion algo to rest, and thus to have coupletely un- folded one of the most remarkable secrets of geo- ‘aphy. Before departing on his great expedition fe made a tour with Lady Baker through Nubia and Kgyptian Abyssinia, im order to ascertain the char- er of the affluents of the Nile in those countries; f the genoral result of his discoveries 1s that, while the Victoria and Albert Nyanzas are the parent reservoirs of the Nile, its inundations, with their fertilizing effects, are caused wholly by its Abyssinian tributaries. The volume before us id a record of this interesting and important journey, and it has satisfied us that Sir Samuel Baker ts correct in his views on this subject. General Description of the Country of Abys- sinia and of the Different Routes Leading into It. Abyssinia 1s often represented on maps as bounded onthe eastby the Red Sea. This, however, is an error. Abyssinia proper consists of a high moun- tainous table land, the eastern boundary of which may be considered roughly as following the fortieth degree of east longitude, Between this mountainous region and the sea there is a tract of arid;dow lying, waterless country, inhabited by the savage Danakil tribes; this region at Massowah is only a few miles broad, but it widens out to 200 or 300 miles at Tay rah, In climate, Pentre gnijivation Coy these two regions are totally dppdalte, the hig’ lands being salubrious, temperate, generally well watered and traversed by ppt in every direction, while the low country is arid, waterless, with few exceptions trackless and uncuitivated. This inhospitable region effectually cuts off the highiands from all communication with the sea ex- cept at three points, Massowah and its neighborhood on-the north, Amphilla Bay, about 100 miles to the southeast, and Tajurrah on the south. From these three points the roads into the interior are of a very different character, for at Massowah they very soon climb the eastern boundary of the highlands and continue along the elevated land, whilst from Tajur- Teh they have to traverse 200 or 300 miles, and from Amphiila Bay from 60 to 100 miles of the low lying country before they reach tae highlands, ‘dhe western and southern boundaries of Abyssinia are very undefined, but they may be taken roughly as conterminous with the edge of the highlands, and having the White and. Blue Nile on the west and the Red Sea rather south by east, ROADS FROM MASSOWAH. After traversing thirty or forty miles of hot, low lying desert country the main rvad from Massowah to Gondar ascends the mountains by the Taranta pass. ‘This pass is described by all travellers as one of great difficulty, up which in some places loaded animals can with dtfeulty make their way. It can be avoided by going round to the west, where there are at leust two paths, one of which was followed by Ferret and Galinier, on their return to wah, in 1342, and the other by Mansfield Purkyns, on his w: to Adowa, in 1543. Neither of thege travellers described the same difficuities on reaching the highiand by those routes as are experienced in the Taranta pass. M. Minzinger has also lately given a description of two paths by which the table land can be reached in the direction of Kaya Khor. Of this line Dr. Beke, writing in rg Be says:—‘‘After A the table land of Serawé at Gura descended from Kalyakhor to Massowah by a gradual and easy road, well watered, and Relat two days and a half, very gentle travelling. nis is so much superior to the steep way up the Taranta that itis now generally chosen by the Europeans.” ‘The Taranta pass may also be avoided by tollowing up the Haddas stream to Tohonda. This road was traversed by Krapf, who states that {t is an easy one and that it might be made available for camels. From Annesley Bay Tohonda and Senafe may also be reached. When the highland is reached the country for the whole distance to Gondar and Magdala appears to present alternations of fertile lan barren tracta, mountain passes and defiles, The table land appears to be from aoe to 8,000 feet above the sea, and the mountains rise from it to the helght of 10,000 and 15,000 feet, the whole country Doing | ken and tossed about ina remarkable degree. With the ex- ception of the first 60 or 60 mile after leaving Mas- sowrh there seems to be generally no want of water. ‘There are numer us paths between the villages, but none that deserve the name of roads. Bosides the main road from Massowah to Gondar by Adowa there 8 also, according to Dr. Beke, a second caravan road from north to south of Abyssinia, from Massowah, through Antalo and Socota, Antaio (about latitude 13% d . longi- tude 294; degrees) may be reached either through Addigraut by the route followed by Ruppell and Fer- ret aud Galinier, or through Adowa, as traveiled by Beke, or by an intermediate route followed by Salt. Magdala, according to Dr. Beke and Dr, Blanc, can be more easily reached from the direction of Socota than that of Debra-Tabor. There are numerous streams and givers and high mountain passes to be traversed on those highlan THEIR WATER SYSTEM is peculiar, The water shed runs very near their eastern edge, irom which it results that all the great rivers have théir rise near the eastern side of the table land and then take a westerly course, ‘The principal of these are the Mareb, Takazze, At- bara and Abat or biue Nile, The Takazze crosses the the principal caravan road from Massowah to Gon- dar and is a most forinidable obstacle. Itis described by Purkynsa, who crossed it tn the rainy seaeon, as nearly equal in volume to the Thames at Greenwich, but resembling in rapidity the Rhone when it leaves Lake Geneva. In the dry season it ts fordabie. Bruce describes it as flowing in a “prodigious valley.” Fer- ret and Galinier say;—'*?he ravine in which it runs is one of the sicepest possibie, At Techel atchekon- ne it is not less than 2,000 feet deep; the breadth of the river is about sixty feet, and its depth in March not more than tiree or four feet, it is then fordable almost everywhere, in the rainy season it overflows its bank and its depth fs often from fifteen to eigh- teen feet.” Parkyns says that mountains almost im- preguable by nature are on in this country. MOUNTALS: One important feature of Abyssinia ts the existence ranges of snow-topped mountains in the pro- neces Of Samen and Lasta, which stretch at right angles to the roads ee from the north towards Gondar ant Magdala, and the B nove through which are described as of the most formidable character. The two principal passes leading to Gondar are the Lameimon and Seiki, Of the first, Ferret and Gall- nier say:—""We found ourselves in the Lamelmon, whose suminit, 8,000 feet above the sea, sinks into the plains of Waggara. All at once an immense gulf opened woder our feet. We got off our mules, end, leading them by the bridie, descended the mountains by a precipitous path, blocked with frag- ments of reck, whieh threatened at every step vo precipitate us into the abyss on our left.’ Bruce says of the same pass:—-“We were now ascending the Laimeimon ti rough @ very narrow road, or rather path, for tt scarcely was two feet wide anywhere, It was a sptral, windin, up the side of a mountain, always on the very by i of a precipice. Torrents of water, which Ye wa er SAFY pFo to 3 tongs dort, the side of the moun- tains, had divided thé path tn several places, and opencd to ua a view of that dreadful abysa below which few heads can bear to look upon, We were , and by slow de- grees crawl up the hill, carrying them, little by little, ar our So round those chasms where the was i resected," on und Tamisier thus sperk of the Selkt Pass:—“We then abandoned the banks of the river to monnt by an infernal path, * * Atlength we arrived at the top of ihe prodigious mass. On every side sitll more colossal mountains raised their heads,between which was the path which we had tofollow. * * * After marching two hours we passed the gate called Sancaber, closing the finest and aehape the only road In Abyesinia carried along the side of a high mountatn inaccessible from thy top to the bottoin.’? : CLIMATE, Theae highiands are very healthy. They ave st: by Parkyns to “enjoy LN ts salu’ igus onl mate as any country on the face of the globe, The Bagg is by no means opPresaive, © light gir coun- ict} ng. the power of the Su, o in eat of the yea low Ae as of the Mareb and Tac- ee ly the former, are much to be feared the malaria which prevails and which brit 8 wane, its influence, most torrie Sonata “pais Gaines ee algod oer gla of | Abyssinia, heed ne = gheet rn and tien tivation, ch by ged Knot ‘s crowned with Peaceful” hami raral 5 each crystal brook ayd teeming with 3 1 Cool mouutald zepnsr is redo- ent of ogiantiné and Jasmine, and tho soft green nrf, apangied with elovor, daisies and buttercaps, ie at every ee the aromatic fragrance of the int and thyme,” Krapf, Priel ing near Lake Hl Haik, says:--"‘The climate in the wing is beautuul, neither (vo hot nor teocold, the alt being always re- freshed by the winds blowing from the mountains, ‘Thore ts plenty of water poured out from (he yoius of the nelghbortag mountalns,”” There is a dry and @ rainy season nh those hieh- | » | Whose ca) hich are ruled over the rebe Gobaayes og ay thee south of pA gint ‘ot Novem little more rain falls during | Tzana, and kK ‘to the west of the same lake, the year. be 4 of the Bruce — ume a kept at Gondar Koscam as follows:— Gonaar, are March and April, ein 4.307 6.338 4 . 14.369 Au + 15,569 10.019 Se +, 2.834 1,338 —After which it rained but little more, except at the begt of November. During the rainy season the invariably falls in the afternoon and night. From Bruce’s diary of the weather during the months, it appears that there was hardly a Binge instance of Tain falling between six & M. and moon, + The temperature of the highlands is mild, but at great elevations the cold is severe. Bruce gives a series of dady observations at Gon- dar, 7,420 fcet ve the sca, from which the follow. ing 1s extracied>— 6 4, M. Noon. Degrees, De 61 Lo 66 69 to 75, 63 10 70 69 to 76 66 0.70 10 to 83 59 10 73 67 0 55 60 to 74 73 to 80 60 to 65 63 to 69 55 to OL 66 to 65 55 Lo 58 68 Lo 63 58 to OT 61 to 63 56 to 61 63 to 69 59 to 61 60 Lo 73 59 to 63. 67 to 12 Harris as the temperature of waich is i the bitl Extreme = Extreme Maximum, Minton, gives fo! r3 Ankobar, the capital of Shi country, 8,200 feet above the Mean of Month. eeseesesesss 8 RTS OF ENTRY. ‘The following short account of the different harbors which communicate with the routes that have been mentioned has been furnished by the Hydrographer to the Admiralty:— Massowah.—hight or ten of the largest ships with double the namber of smaller ones could be securely moored in the harbor. There ts also a good harbor calied Daha-leah, larger than Massowah, about a mile tothe north. In both of these the water 1s quite smooth, The fresh water supply is from tanks in the island of Massowah. There is fresh water also at Daha-leah, Fresh water is not abundant either here or in any other part of the Red Sea, but the soppy at Masson could probably be in by digging wells Oh the main 4, * ‘There is a pier With factlities for landing on Masso- wah isiand which is connected with the main land by low, Wet ground about a mile in length. The rainy season is from November to March. It be 380 injles fot sho and legate Revi, Fae navigation for the greater part of the way and safe, and for ti® Whole Way in the daytime for carefully navigaied ships, Annesley Bay.—The water is inconveniently deep. It is described as presenting a remarkable contrast in point of fertility to other spots, bordered by low land producing rich pastures. Fresh water may be pro- cured, Although not so convenient a spot jor naval operations as Massowah, yet if other advantages pre- ponderated in favor of it, it is more than probable that no great difiiculttes would be encountered on account of tie ship’s anchorage, landing, 4c. Saukin.—Tne harbor is very small, the approach is studded with dangers, and there is no outside anchorage. itisextremely hot. Thermometer in May ranges m eigity-nine to ninety-one degrees, in Juhe front ninety-three to ninety-seven degrees, Very much less vegetation than at Massowah. Water pro- cured from wells. E Amophiila is described as tho moat miserable spot on the coast of Abyssinia, In regard to anchorage, facilities for landing, &c., it is not to be compared to Massowah, According to the Admiralty charts itis very circumscribed and intricate. is quite unsafe and ex, to the north. east monsoon, as weil as the erly winds, and it is probable that ships could not lie there, nor a land- ing be effected very often. There is no Ceti but Massowah and its im- mediate neigtbori where ships could lie safely for any time, and where troops and munitions of war could be disembarked with celerity and safety. CITIES AND CHIEF TOWNS. The following are some of the principal towns of Abyssinia:— Gondar, in Amhara—the capital of the kingdom. ‘This town is stated by Heuglin, in 1862, to have con- tained from 6,000 to 7,000 inhabitants, but it is said to have been within ‘the last two or three years to- tally destroyed ee the Emperor Theodore. , Debra Tabor, in Amhara.—Formerly a small vil’ lage. It is now a place of considerable size and the residence of the Emperor Theodorus, Near Debra ‘Tabor is Gaffat, where the European workmen of the Emperor reside, and which may be considered as his arsenal. Adowa, the capital Tigre.—This 1s the second city in the kingdom, % is stated by MM. Ferret and Galinier to have contained in 1840 not more than 4,000 inhabitants. Heuglin, in 1862, put the popula- tion at 6,000, ‘The miserable nature of Abyssinian towns may be Judged of by the description given by Mansfield Parkyns, in 1643, of this, the second city of theempire, Hesays:— “{ own I rather expected to see columns or obelisks, if not an acropolis, on some of the neigh- boring hills, Judge, then, of my astonishment when, on arriving at this great city, the cara of one o! the most powerful kingdoms of Eth opie, 1 found nothing but a large straggling village of huts, some fat roofed, but mostly tuatched with straw, and the walls of allof them butit of rough stones, laid to- ther with mud, in the rudest possible manner, ing wet, moreover, with the rain, the place pre- senied the most miserably dirty appearauce.” Mr. Dufton, who visited Adowa, puts its popula- tion at 10,000. Antalo—the capital of Enderta, and one of the principal towns of Vigre. Jt is said by Ferret and Galinier to contain from 200 to 300 houses, Chetteut, near Anialo.—This town ts said by Le- febvre and Ferret and Galinier to contain about 3,000 inhabitants. Sokota—the capital of Laag aud Wasta, is a place of considerable size, Dixah, tn Tigre.—This {s the first town that is met with afier surmounting the Taranta passes. Ferret and Galinier say of it:— “A group of wretched huts, scattered irregularly on the top of a barren mountain, a miserable village, containing about 1,600 souls, Christians and Mussul- mans—there is Dixah.”” azega—the eee of Hamazen, sald by Henglin to contain from 1,600 to 2,000 inhabitants, Abdviaddy—the capital of Tembien, Mr. Dufton says that the place is Mahomedan, and has an occa sionai market, and that, when he entered it, about 2,000 prone, were assembied in the market place. Addigraht—the capital of Agame. Howw2en, or Aouissienne—the capital of Haramat. Mota—a large town in Godjum, said by Dr. Beke to contain 3,000 inhabitants. Ankobar—the capital of Shoa. ‘Angolala,—This 18 a piace of Showa. It is said to contain fron habitants, Aliya Amba,—This ts a large m: arfd is sald by D’fiéricourt to con 3,000 inbabiiants, The Government of Abyrsiniae Abyssinia is one of the most ancient monarchies in the world, and has been governed from time imme- morial by an emperor, The form of government and its military spirit aro feudal. Bach chief hold- ing the rank of dejajmatch is entire master of all sources of revenue within his terrl- tory, and has practically full power of life and death, His feudal subjection consists in the obligation to send from time to time presents to iis superior, apd to follow him to war with as large @ force as he can muster, It has resulted from this that the great feudatories have become practically independent rulers, and that the Emperor has been or an} » pad te sgcession of Theodorus, a y in the hands of one or other of them. Dr. Beke thus descrives the relations which subsist between the Emperor and the chiefa:—‘Abyssinia,”” he says, “is au hereditary monarchy, under the sway of an Emperor claiming descent from Solomon, King of Isract, and the Queeh of Sheba, Though this ons mere flotion, there are fow Whristian Vvereigns Who can show a more illustrious lineage than the Emperors of Ethiopia, whose progenitors re- ceived the Christian faith, and @ native version of the Holy Scriptures as early as the fourta ceniury, when the how civilized nations sf Eyroy were tn a state of barbarism, The occupiers 0 if throne of thelr once absolute ancestors have! considerable time past been mere puppets in the hands of one or the other of thelr powerful vassals; the form having been kept up of nominating au Em- ba of the aclent as aaa who, however, solo ing Oo: & staal C1 ae toils of the ly markets of that oy. Since the commen of the present tury the seat of ment and the person of the Em- ror have remained, though with occasional tn- rruptions, in the hands of the chiefs of a power. ful tribe of ‘edgu (Edgow) Gallas, who for three gepenrn, have been able to secure to themselves dignity of Ras, or Vizier, of the empire—that 4a to say, to become Its sovereigns in greeting but in hale. This sovereignty within the central portion of the empire has, however, been far from giving ha the command over the surrounding provinces. m the contrary, each ruler of a province bas mostiy acted as an independent soverel and if at an time he has found himself strong enough to mare: upon the capital io has done so, placed upon the throne another puppet Emperor, an eon, by him appointed as, or Vizier, til stronger rival than himself could turn him out and take his place, Under such clrounsiances it is not to be wondered at that there should be at one time half 9 dozen titular emperors, and that the Gov- ernor of each of the principal provinces siiould have assumed the tite of Ras, and continued to bear it, even When no longer in power.” siderable size in 4,000 to 4,000 tn- et town In Shoa, from 2,000 to Thy three al provinces of ths empire are Tiaré, Amhara, in which Go ja the capital is sita- ated, and Shoa. The governFrs of these have all at | diferent times assumed the titte of Ras, Three other vrovinves of some importance ara Laaia and Weed, Th Ti and Shoa have gea- from, or acknow- wer at Seo enhances for, as the eemunications ber ‘at Massowah necessarily lows that that province the cay ‘The lane fers froin thas in the wane province of Shoa is alm . ost Wane Gall if. that of Amhara by th tribe. Shoa has been for a lon; pendent and has been govern My of princes, to one of whom the fndian sent a special embassy under Major Harris in 1841, Religion and Charagter of the Abyssinians, The greater part of the inhabitants of Abyssinia. are Christians of the Uoptic sect; they hold many of the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith, such as priestly absolution, fasts, worship of saints, con.” ventualism, &c. They also follow many Mahomedan practices, such as circumcision, ceremonial uncleans ness, abstaining from meat prohibited by the law of Moses, &c., and in thelr laws and customs Jowish institutions are often traceable. Many of their names betray also a Jewish, or at all events Biblical, origin, such as Debra Tabor (Mount Tabor), Debra Libanos (Mount Lebanon), Antiokla, &c. Their Christianity has degenerated into little more tha form, and they are described as pricstridden end superstitious to the last degree, The head of the church is a Bishgp or ‘‘Abuna,” who is consecrated by the Patriarch of Alexandria, and by whom the emperors of Abyssivia are crowned, Much weight is attached to this ceremony, a8 inay be gatherc from the fact that the as of Tigré in 1840 thought it worth while to go to great expense to send a to Alexandria to have an Abuna appointed, in the hopes that he would con- secrate an Emperor who would be ® puppet in-ow hands, and give him the supreme cominaud, present Abuna fs out of favor with Theodorus for the allcged cause that he imparted to the missionaries his doubts of the autuenticiiy of the descent of Theo- sore pottee from the Queen of Sheba. That the authority, however, of the Abuna is still ized, seems probable from the fact that it is stated in a recent letter from the captives that if the reb: Gobazye were to take Magdala and get bi crowned by the Abuna he would be recognized aa Emperor by the Abyssinians, OF the religious character of the people Mr. Dufton says:—“Christian liberty is entirely unknown, ag the people are bound down to unmeaning forms an ceremonies, and the obseryance of fasts which extoud over two-thirds of the year. Their calendar is crammed full of saints, and the gaye ft the Reet by no means sulice for them all, 80 it they inst have morning celebrations and evens ing celebrations, One cannot wonder at this whem their latitudinarism leads them to commemorate Balaam and his ass, Pontius Pliate and his wife ang Bach like doubtful saints, In addition to the hi of the Bible and Apocryphal books they have mi local saints who have at various times astonish byssinia by their miracles ang prod! ws Gk aiok iedhiomnl Saerstioncee the epastinea are orthodox in their belief, the ane truths of our religion being received alike by them as by us; but, beiug void o! oe charity which edifleth, their kno led, has only tended to pu them aud the. intolvrance with whieh they lool upon thelr Mahomédan and Jewish hélghbors is even greater than that of those people theine selves towards Christians. What renders their pride the more offensive is that the Mahomedans and Jews are in every way tivir superiors, possessing, with an equal amount of intelligence, far greater mechanical genius and superior habits of industry. Ali the manufacturers of cotton cloth are Mosicms; all the builders and ariisans are Jews, But pride i} not their oaly fault; they are deceitful, lying, insin- cere; their breasts are 8.ldom stirred by generosity towards others or in gratitude for benefits received, and, added to all, they are inhospitable.”” bs Dr. Gobat, the present Bishop of Jerusalem, de scribes them as very immoral and licentious, priest ridden and bigoted, but hospitabie to travelers and with no crueily in their dispositions. The reiigion of the Abyssinians tends to increase their isolation from the Mahomdan tribes who oo- cupy the low lands by which Abyssinia 1s sur- rounded—the Shohos on the north, the Basé and Hamrau Arabs on the west, the Danakils, Tantals, aa Gallas aud Wollo Gallas on the east aud soutl Currency of Abyssinia, The only European coin that is @urrent in Abys- sinia is the Maria Theresa dollar of A. D. 1780, and it is necessary that it should have certain distinctive marks—viz., @ diadem of pearis, a pearl brooch on the shoulder and the mint mark 8.F. Dr. Beke says that, even if the dollar is of the correct kind, should these marks not be perfectly distinct he has known the na- tives to refuse it, Its value is about 4s, 3d. This dollar is no longer in circulation in Austria, but is still coined at the government mint for exportation to the Levant, &c. For smatier monetary transactions the circulating medium consists of blocks of salt eight inches long by one and a half inches in breadth. , These are called in Shoa, according to Dr. Beke, &moiés, and in Tehelga, to the west of Gondar, according to Mr, Dufton, tsho. Their value is phn by the former as two and @ haif pence, a! by the latter as from two pence to_ three nce; it varies probably according to the ance from the source of supply. These biocks of salt are ob- tained from a ae salt piain situated between Amphilla bay and Atebidera, which is thus quainuy described by Don Alonzo Mendez, Patriarch of Abyssinia, who traversed it in 1625:—"The boundary between the kingdoms of Dancali and ‘Tygre is a plain four days’ ppasney in length and one in breadth, which they call the country of salt, for there is found ail that they use in Ethiopia, Instead of money! being bricks almost a span long and four fingers thick and broad and wonderfully white, fine and hard, and there is never any miss of it, though they carry away never so much; and this quantity is go great that we met a caravan of it, wherein we bo~ lieved there could be no less than 600 beasts of bur. den, camels, mules and asses, of which the camels carry 600 of those bricks and the as: 140 or 1 and these cobtinuaily going aad coming. They tell many stories concerning tis salt feild, and amongst the rest that in some paris of itthere are houses that look like stone, in which they hear human voices and of several other creatures, and that they call such as pass that way by their names, and yel nothing can be seeen. The Moorish commander told me that aa he went by thére witha lion Ras Cella Chistos sentto Moca, three or four of his servauts vanished on & sudden, and he coukl never hear of them aiterw: In one place there is a mount of red salt, which is Mach used ia physic, This ts to be passed over by night, becuase the heat Js so violent in the day that wravel+ Jers and beasts are stifled, aud the very su0es up as if they were laid on burning coais, We tered upon it at three in the afternoon, and tt pleased God that the sun clouded, which the reuegade Moor atiributed to his prayers.” Mr. Du a ‘S$ that Abbi Addy in Tembien ‘la the last place where the salt of Amhara is taken-ad money, hearer one gets to the coast, Where are the salt mines, of course the less is the value of tia mineral; aud Tigré cotton cloth takes its place as a medium of exchange. Military Strength of Abyssinia. It is very diMeult to estimate the military strength of a country like Abyssinia, as, from what has vec before stated of the nature of the government, tt will be seen that the forces which a sovereign of Abys sinia can bring into the fleld will depend very muck upon his own personal Character and upon tie num- ber of chiefs over whom he has any influence, in # memorandum communicated by the Foreiga Ofiice to the Royal Geographical Society of Engiand in 1565, thore 4g the following paragraph bearing upoit this Subjéct:— ‘ “The immediate troops of the Ras consist of a number of petiy chieis, governing one, two oF more vill Who imitaie, a8 far as they dare, the independence of the greater barons, and wha take the field when cated on with five hundved men, ‘according to their means. Besides these, who are numerous, the Ras has his matoh lock men, and four or five bands of rude and disordeny soldiery, his guards. Fromthe low sys tem of governmont, and the manner of paying these men by quartering them on the country people, with instructions to levy so much grain or other property, it may be supposed that these undisciplined troop: when at a smail distance from the camp, are alm equally Inependent of the Ras, and frequeatly arp simply organized bands of robbers, 0." +o = King Theodore, MS PEDIGREB AS TRACED BY HIMSELF. The following is King Theodore's pedigree, accord> ing to his own account, given just before the Engitsm invasion:— PROCLAMATION. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Hoiy Ghost, one God, The King of Kings, Theodore, create’ by the Trinity its servant, fnstailed py and made Prin to his children given to him by God and to al! th Franks (Europeans) by your God and the God of our friend Theodore, Who appeared to Moses om ount Sinai and In the Red who appeared to Joshua at Jericho, who through his servant Saiauel the asses that ty hen he was soekiny anointed Saul wi! fr m his Creator, were lost, who, when Saul turned commanded Samuel to anotnt David Solomon was King after David, according to the word of the prophot and of his father, notwiths!and- ing that Adonias (AdonYjah), against the will of G was proclaimed King by the people and obtatus favor in their sight, Solomon, by the Queen Azyeb (the southeast), begat Mentiek, who becain King of Ethiopia. From Mentiek down to the dynast, of the Gallas, all the kings Were stageplayers (az méri), Who sought from God neither wisdou nor atrength; but with His help the means of raising ap the empire were found when God cli Mo, Lis Aere vant, to be king. My countrymen said, “ihe river is dried wp; its bed is ompty;” and they (nsuited ine bos cause my Motier Was poor and called me the son of a beggar, Butthe Turks knew the greatnose of 1 father, Who made them his tribulares os far ag the onuers of Kuypt and io the gates of their cities, My fathor and my tmoher descended from David aad from Soiomod. aaa thet