Ÿþm Icrosoft W

ABYSSINIA BY THE SAME AUTHOR. TUNISIA And the Modern Barbary Pirates. With over 70 Illustrations. Demy 8vo, price 15s. "Very clear and many coloured is the picture of Tunis that rises before us in these pages ... A delightful book of travel. "-Academy. "Eminently entertaining throughout, and the photographs with which it is embellished are very characteristic. "-Morning Post. "An interesting account of Arab and Jewish traits and customs, of the antiquities, the products, and the natural history of the Regency . there is also an interesting chapter on Tripoli, the information is valuable as books on Tunis are either obsolete or prejudiced. "-Scotsman. C. ARTHUR PEARSON, Ltd., Henrietta Street,W.C. ABYSSINIA, Through the Lion-Land To the Court of the Lion of udah BY HERBERT VIVIAN M.A AUTHOR OF "TUNISIA AND THE MODERN BARBARY PIRATES," " SERVIA : THE POOR MAN'S PARADISE," &C WITH 80 ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWO MAPS London C. Arthur Pearson L.td Henrietta Street 1901 C0 MY LADY I DEDICATE THIS RECORD OF A JOURNEY WHEREOF THE GREATEST HARDSHIP WAS HER ABSENCE "'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady; would 'twere done." Preface THE Queen of Sheba made a long journey to visit Solomon, wisest of kings. To- day whoso is wise will wish to explore the land of her descendant, Menelik, King of the Kings of Ethiopia, Conquering Lion of Judah. Tourists have exhausted the interest of modern lands; they have penetrated the fringe of countries, like Turkey and Morocco, where the Middle Ages still survive ; but it has not yet occurred to them to go a step further back, and observe for themselves how men lived and thought forty centuries ago. We delight in roaming amid the ruins of Pompeii because we fancy that every stone has a hidden story of the glorious days of Rome, that we are brought somehow face to face with the old world and may breathe its atmosphere, realising the small details of everyday life as no book can ever suggest them. Yet must we come away with a dull sense of incompleteness. Though stones may speak, they need interpreters as a fossil bone needs a scientist to reconstruct a mammoth. How differently would Pompeii convince us if it had been preserved with all the ancient buildings unimpaired and the populace vii viii PREFACE still pursuing their daily avocations. That is the way in which Ethiopia brings home to us the daily life of Bible kings and patriarchs. We are not left to grope among ruins, but we rub shoulders every hour with men and women whose manners and thoughts, cares and pleasures have remained practically unaltered by the lapse of time. Consider how near to us this strange survival of the old world remains. A luxurious steamer takes us in a few days to the busy port of Aden, home of hospitality; we cross quickly into Africa, we hire camels for our baggage, we bestride our mules, and in a few hours we are wandering among pastoral tribes and approaching the lair of lion or hippopotamus. The religion of Abyssinia is probably the most ancient form of Christianity extant, and I am willing to wager that a description of her ceremonies may appeal even to the most humdrum Protestant amongst us. He may scoff at the dances of priests, who wave their long wands in dreamy cadence, or at the strange stuffed birds which hang suspended from the roofs of churches, but he cannot refuse a tribute to the antiquity of a ritual which reflects the days of King David and the Prophets. Apart from their history and origin, the Abyssinians afford a fascinating study as the only African people who may one day defy and even rival European civilisation. Nobody knows and everybody wants to know what the attitude of Abyssinia is likely to be towards ourselves and our rivals. I hope to be able to throw some light upon this point, for I have talked PREFACE with all sorts and conditions of people in Abyssinia, from the Emperor Menelik II., who gave me an audience of forty minutes, down to members of what might be called the Young Abyssinia Party, who wish to introduce all the barbarism of civilisation into a land which has remained unspoiled since the days of the Queen of Sheba, mother of Menelik I. Yet, let the critical make no mistake. I do not claim to have written an exhaustive monograph of Abyssinia, as I once did of Servia. I offer mere impressions. I shall be satisfied if I succeed in conveying those impressions to the public. At the same time I venture to anticipate a certain interest for the narrative of an expedition by caravan, undertaken by one whose adventures had hitherto been bounded by cities and railways. Any one who goes at all far afield usually tries to make out that his difficulties have been enormous. This is partly due, no doubt, to the desire to be considered bold and brave-a form of vanity from which even the most timid are rarely free. It may also be ascribed to a fear lest the exploit should become hackneyed and the credit of exploring be diminished thereby. After reading all sorts of books on African travel, I imagined that all sorts of hardships, miseries, and dangers would confront me. It was therefore a pleasant surprise to find no poisonous snakes in my bed, no scorpions in my boots, no hordes of wild men lying in ambush for me by the way, and no ferocious beasts prowling into my tent during the small hours. Indeed, beyond such minor discomforts as rain and flies, from which x PREFACE after all we are not quite free in this country, I had small cause for complaint. Nay, further, I can safely recommend this kind of journey as the best tonic imaginable. I soon found I could do all sorts of things which I should never have dreamed to be possible at home, such as riding all night or snatching an hour's sleep by the roadside with a tuft of grass for my pillow in a flood of rain. By proving how easy the thing is, I shall be affording a number of people a very welcome opportunity of doing something new and strange, which they never thought of doing before. I claim to show that anybody who possesses average health and strengtha lady almost as easily as a man-can go through the big game country and visit strange African peoples without much greater danger or discomfort than would be involved in cycling from London to Brighton. This is good news, for which I venture to anticipate a small guerdon of gratitude. H.V. January 15, 1900. [My cordial thanks are due to Colonel Frith, Captain Harrington, Mr. Harold, Colonel Sadler, and Mr. Gerolimato for all the kindness they showered upon me at Aden, Addis Ababa, Zaila, Berbera and Harrar respectively; to Captain Harrington and Captain Powell-Cotton for the loan of their beautiful photographs; also to Mr. Pearson for entrusting me, on behalf of his newspaper, with a mission to Ethiopia.] Contents PAGE PREFACE vii Historical Introduction Origin-Foundation of Aksum-Conversion to Christianity-A Hebrew Dynasty-Prester John-Portuguese Jesuits-Theodore-The Napier Expedition-Italian Aspirations - Menelik - The Empress TaituItalian Intervention-The Treaty of Uchali-Victorious Abyssinia Chapter I THE GARDEN OF ADEN A Bad Name-Street Scenes -Hospitality -The Tanks-Water-Salt Works-Climate 10 Chapter II WAYS AND MEANS Ignorance about Abyssinia-Formalities at Aden-A Programme for Travellers-The Secret of Equipment-The Folly of Filters-The Key to an Abyssinian Heart-Physic and other Fetishes-Snakes and Snake Stories-Recruiting a Retinue-A Phantom Chambermaid"Chits" and Cheats-An Ideal Butler-The Pilgrim-A cordon noir -"Tomboys" 17 Chapter III BRITISH SOMALILAND A Leap in the Dark-From Asia to Africa-Berbera-Bulhar-Zaila-A Colonial Triumph-Somali Constabulary-Administration-SecurityA British Proconsul at Work-The Irish of Africa-Murder as a Sport 36 xi xii CONTENTS Chapter IV THROUGHt THE LAND OF LIONS PAGE Loading Camels-Engaging a Caravan-The Plunge-Passive Resistance -Somali Humour-A Grand Palaver-The Pilgrim's Progress-The Freedom of the Desert-The Monotony of the March-The Desert Described--Gildessa-A Barbaric Dance-A Pagan Love-rite 64 Chapter V ENTERING ABYSSINIA Approaching Harrar-An Ancient and Mysterious Town-Rocky StreetsThe Harrari-The Lion Hotel-Wild Scavengers--Bazaars-A Paradise for Small Incomes-A Health Resort-Farming-Openings for Labour -Mining-Imperial Attentions--Delays at Harrar-Lake AramayaForests-A Telephone Station-Hawash River-AnAlarm inthe Desert-Shoa---A Fairy Ride-Sad Somalis 107 Chapter VI PLEASURES OF PILGRIMAGE Sport-Fearlessness of Game--Jackals-Antelopes-Elephants-Monkeys -A Brush with a Lioness-Birds-Flies-Locusts-Creeping ThingsMoths- Without Matches- Rain Everlasting -Sunburn-A Mule Caravan-Firing Sore Backs- Obstructive Mulemen-A Crisis-A Raid-ImustDrawmyRevolver 140 Chapter VII MENELIK AND HIS CAPITAL Where was the Capital ?-The British Agency- Abyssinian ArchitectureA Movable Capital-Barracks-Locomotion-The British MinisterHorses and Dogs-An Abyssinian Irishman-Climate-Foreign Legations- Captain Ciccodicola-M. Lagarde-Republican State-Russian Officials-Market Day- Horse-dealing-Audience of the EmperorThe Palace-Kissing Hands-Presents- Sympathy for England-An Impression of Menelik-Appearance-Manner- Eduration-Character -Detractors-The Emperor's Band-Habits-TheEmpress 168 Chapter VIII THE ABYSSINIANS AT HOME The Jewry of Africa-Greetings-A Vocabulary for Travellers-Grovelling -Snobs - Insults - Free-and-Easy Manners-Gluttony-Feudal Retairiers - Leechcraft - Gifts -Voices - Costume - Games - MusicDancing-Chattering-Gallas-Dusky Damsels-At the Wells-In the Fields-Perambulators-Good Looks-Hairdressing-Dirt-Marriage 210 CONTENTS xiii Chapter IX ABYSSINIAN ADMINISTRATION PAGE The Succession-" Liberalism "-Taxation-Money-Justice-PrisonersThe Army- Military Prospects-Barbarities of Warfare-Customhouses-H.

Load more