R)25X vAA 4LIFE IN ABYSSINIA:/ BEING NOTES COLLECTED DURING THREE YEARS' RESIDENCE AND TRAVELS IN THAT COUNTRY.. By MANSFIELD PARKYNS. IN TWO VOLUMES.-VOL. I. WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. L i 4 1985 26Aut Or res erMe tb hiftsef the tight of autUrmising a Trantslation of this Work. - Like an old tale still ; which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep, and not an ear open." WxNTE's TALE, Act. V. Scene 2. Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land I Whose heart bath ne'er within him bum'd, As home his footsteps he hath turn'd From wandering on a foreign strand?" LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS$ STAMFORD STREET. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE VISCOUNT PALMERSTON. MY DEAR LORD, THE personal kindness which you have shown me would perhaps hardly authorize me to affix so illustrious a name to this simple relation of my travels and residence in a part of the world so remote as Abyssinia. But I cannot forget that the same wise and vigorous policy which has welcomed the efforts of freedom throughout Europe, has spread the great protection of the British Crown and power over the solitary and helpless traveller among nations whose deficient civilization permits them to respect only where they fear. With grateful recognition of this service, rendered not only to our own countrymen, but to humanity in general, I remain Your obliged and faithful servant, MANSFIELD PARKYNS. Woodborough Hall, Notts, November, 1853. -a 2 PREFACE. As this work has been a long time on hand, it is probable that many may expect to find in it indications of extraordinary care and painstaking. Lest they should be disappointed, I would forewarn them that, although three years have elapsed since my final return to England (in June, 1850), the pages which I now offer are the offspring of a few days' labour, scattered, with intervals of months, over that periodthe hastily-written, scarcely-corrected production of a time when my mind was fully occupied with other matters. In regard to proper names, I have had much difficulty in their orthography, and am still by no means satisfied with the way in which I have given them. I have, however, endeavoured to follow the course recommended by the Royal Geographical Society, of using the vowels according to the Continental rather than the English mode of pronunciation. Thus, Shetou should be pronounced Shay-too; Tigre, Teegrey; Gaddy, Gahddy, or even nearly Guddy; Cafty, in like manner, almost Cufty; Balgadda, Balgudda, &c. &c. kh and gh are the gutturals like the Arabic t and , and cannot of course be explained in English. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. INTRODUCTION Page 1 CHAPTER 1. Constantinople - Modern Turks, civilized and uncivilized- Plains of Troy - Alexandria - Want of an English Church - State of the lower orders - Egyptian donkey-boys - Hotels- Canal voyage Delta of the Nile - Barrage - Scenery - Kyef - Boulac 19 CHAPTER 11. Sporting equipment - Articles for presents - Leaving Cairo - An evil omen - Desert of Suez - Camel-riding - Stations of the Transit Company - An Englishwoman in the Desert - Warning to her countrywomen - Consequences of a good dinner - Arrival at Suez 38 CHAPTER III. Suez - Population - Wells of Moses - Passage of the Israelites - An Arab boat - Fellow passengers - My berth - Self-invited guests Mode of learning Arabic - The Sherif Mohammed H1shim - "Hum punk " - Arab seamanship - Volcanic remains of the Red Sea Fire on board our vessel - My powder in danger - Fortunate deliverance - Mohammedan legends - Origin of jealousy - Adam with the body of Abel - Joseph the first clockmaker - El Ou~che - The Beni Hassan - The Turk and the Arab - Catching turtles - Communism in feeding - Port of Yambo - Rabba - The holy country - My dragoman Said - Arrive off Jedda - Arabs as companions 48 Viii CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER IV. Jedda - The British Consul - Eastern towns - Native dress - The Fettah el Kheyr - Cockroaches - Soukkin - M. Vignon - Native duels - Mode of treating doctors - Fish - Massawa - Angelo the Jew - The Kaimag'am - The climate of Mass'awa - Its inhabitants and houses - My host - My costume in the East. Page 65 CHAPTER V. The Naib's guide-tax - Moncullou - A way-side bath - Snakes Elephants - Lions . 85 CHAPTER VI. Appearance of the country - Sensations in a tropical climate - Adventure with a viper - Ailat - Game - Boar-stalking - Hot springs - Natural warm bath. 94 CHAPTER VII. Inhabitants of Ailat - Bread-making - The guests' chamber, and its occupants - Bedouin merchants - A persevering marauder - Gregarious habits of the people - Moslem peculiarities of feeding - A Moslem "wake "- Mode of burial - African resurrectionists 103 CHAPTER VIn. A summons to Kiaquor - Providing supper - Practice of true sportsmen - Shooting in England and in Abyssinia - The "Kantafftafa" A sportsman's difficulties - Boar-stalking - Rarity of unprovoked attacks on man by wild beasts - Man-eating tigers - Solitary elephants - Rencontres with wild boars g . 109 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER IX. Ailat to Kiaquor - Guinea-fowl - Difficulties of the road - Travelling barefoot -Desert punch -Recipe for picnic bread - A traveller's dinner - Advice as to eating and drinking - The pipe an essential in the East - An ignorant guide -I "Shoho" villages - Language of various tribes - Habits of the Shohos - Their hospitality Their costume contrasted with that of the Abyssinians - Arrival at Kiaquor . Page 117 CHAPTER X. Start for Adoua - Hamasayn - Richness of the soil - Curse of civil war - The priest Coumfou usurps the government of Hamasayn - Aito Habtai, his successor, is defeated by Garra Amlac, the legitimate heir, and the country given up to pillage - Garra Amlac rebels against the Viceroy Oubi, but is subdued by Sh6tou, Oubi's son .. 129 CHAPTER XI. Addy Killawita - The quolquol - An escape - A useful moral Wretched accommodation - Maiya - Shaha - Kouddofelassy Great inhospitality - Beyt Mariam - A missionary - Addy Hai Hai - Curiosity of the people - A fracas - Abyssinian courage The Mareb - A storm - Arrival at Adoua . 137 CHAPTER XII. Missionaries to the heathen - Amount of their success - Moravians in Abyssinia - Their want of tact - Anecdotes of their proceedings They excite the fears and prejudices of the people - Public disputation - Indiscriminate distribution of Bibles - One of the recipients - A modest priest - Inutility of sending Bibles to Abyssinia - Need of education - Means of improving the moral condition of the people - Their extreme ignorance - Importance of their being civilized . ... 147 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER XIII. Adoua - Appearance of the town - Fashionable amusement - Arrival of baggage - Custom-house annoyance - Start on a visit to Oubi Detentions on the road - Addy Nefas - Devra Berbery - A very unprotected female - Difficult travelling - A priest's dwelling "Church property" - Our host's honesty and good nature - Addy Argoud - An uncomfortable night - Mount Haramat - Inaccessible rocks - Arrival at the camp . .Page 161 CHAPTER XIV. Howzayn - The "balder'abba" - Miserable dwellings - Their construction - Our introduction delayed - Difficulty of procuring food - Visitors - My negro servant claimed as a slave and entrapped A present - An Abyssinian camp - The Viceroy and his officers Supplies from Oubi - Drinking-horns . 171 CHAPTER XV. Visit to Oubi - Native pleasantries on our appearance - Oubi's palace Ceremonies on introduction- Oubi's state and appearance- Presents - Sketch of the history of Oubi and his family - His father, Dejatch Hailo Mariam - His mother, Mintafy4 - Hailo succeeds Ras Gavry - His feud with Dejatch MAaro - Oubi marries M'aro's daughterHailo rebels against Ras ImAm - He is defeated by M'aro, who plunders Oubi's provinces - Oubi recovers his territory - Succeeds his father - His brethren - His uncles - His brother Marso's vicissitudes - His children - Domestic condition of the Abyssinians - A present from Oubi 178 CHAPTER XVI. Visit to Weld Inchael - His hospitality - A fight for a lodging - Return to Addy Nefas - My adopted sons - Oubi's generosity - Dispute with the Negadiras resumed - Our reception of his soldiers - He appeals to Oubi - His disappointment - Departure of Plowden A jealous lover - Practice of the women on appearance of a fight Affray with the soldiers - A brave warrior - Tranquillity restored - Preparations for visiting Adioba - Promised perils - Messrs. Plowden and Bell 196 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. CHAPTER XVII. Start for Addy 7bo - Buildings on the road - Features of the country The Abyssinian hornbill - Axum-Remnants of former civilization - The obelisk and sycamore - The town tank - The High Priest's invitation - A distant relation - Native wine and spirits - Facilities for grape-culture - Meagre vintage - Primitive stills - Dwellings - Their construction. Page 205 CHAPTER XVIII. Departure from Axum - Sanctuaries - Abyssinian roads - A native traveller's maxim - The gifts of Nature not appreciated till needed - Advice to the satiated - Appearance of the country - The Village of Wind - Injudicious practice of many travellers - Civility the better policy - Illustration of this theory - A bounteous host - Oubi's "Teskar" - Government mode of obtaining payment Torture of its debtors and other prisoners - Instance of Oubi's cunning - Impolicy of extortion - Our journey resumed - Change of scenery . 212 CHAPTER XIX. Botany and ornithology - Unhealthy valleys - Beauties of the plain Monkeys - Their employments - The Cynocephali