New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS
pp,pr.s .l STERN AFRICA.

tssss "a "a .iioknor Fields.
An account Of the carrier missionary labors OF
DR.. Krsvf relating chiefly to Aby'sinia was pub
Yabed in I643, and at once established the reputa-
Con of the author as a faithful pioneer of ciezi-
Zen on the continent Of Africa and an intelligent
explorer Of its languages and its geography. The
attention of DR.. Krapf, while yet school-boy,
WAS directed to the subject of African discovery,
and the strong bias of his juvenile years has been
fully carried eat in his subsequent life. HIS curlos'
xy wss 6rst awakened by the sight of an atlas OF
the world, which had been presented TO him oy nus
latAer. He wondered why there should be so few
names Of places put down 10 the districts OF Adal
and Somsh on the map of Eastern Africa, and his
exeitable fancy represented them as untrodden by
Ne feet Of Europeans, and largely populated by
Ayena,. of which he had been reading in an odd
volume Of Braee's Travels. His desire to see the
~nkpoyyn regions of the world was stimulated by
NE atady of geography, and when, In his fourteenth
wear. il was discussed in the family circle to what
business he should be brought up, he expressed
f.r h,mst the earnest wish TO become the captain
II sAjp and to Witt foreign lands. The cost OF
avprenticeship and outfit proved too great for the
narrow means OF his father and the plan was given
m He accordingly continued topursue his studies,
deyotine himself with ardortO Greek aud Latin, ana
making some progress in French and Italian.
LOW tnrn WAS given to his mind in his fifteenth year
Nv hearing an essay on missions by the rector of
nj. school and be soon determined to devote his
life 10 the service of the heather. After compet-
me his education at the Missionary College at Basel
IA formed a connection with the London Church
Missionary Society, and in February, 1887, set out
for Abyssinia.
After remaining about year in Adowa, he
determined to penetrate to the Christian Kingdom
of Shoa, whose ruler had expressed an inclination
for a visit from European missionaries. he ar
rived at Ankobar, the capital, 10 June, 1852 and
vas favored with q very friendly reception By the
Aina. Shoa, in its widest sense, includes the
whole Of the Ethiopian highlands, but, in more
Emitted application, comprises only the western
portion OF those highlands. The country has a
f,rti,e coil. an excellent climate, and for q long
time has enjoyed domestic tranquility, having
seen DO enemy within its boundaries. The poPula-
tion of the kingdom ia s'imsted by DIR. krapf ut
upward of million. From west to east, 1t extends
from the Ada desert to the Blue River, nearly
two degrees, and about the same distance from
south to north, from the river Hawash to the for
treas Dair The country is rich in springs, brooks
and rivers, with few lakes. The precious metals
do not abound, but there is plenty of iron, sulphur
and pit coal.
The Government of Sboa ia an absolute mon
arehy. The king is the sole lord and master OF the
country, holding the bodies, lives and possessions
Of his subjects entirely in his power. He has q
Few hundred body guards, armed with muskets,
but no standing army. In case of war, every dis
triet governor is bound to furnish a contingent.
The whole army may muster from 80, 600 to5O, 900
men, of whom about 900 are armed with mus
kets, the rest being equipped with spears, shields,
and swords. The soldiers are mostly mounted Oh
horses or mules
The mass of the population belongs to the Coptic
branch of the Christian church. La the East
here are many Moham,nedans, and ia the South,
Iribes of heather Calais, subject to the ruler Of
Skoa. The ecclesiastical constitution is episcopal
in form The Coptic patriarch in Egypt nomi-
mates the chief bishop of Abyssnia, and their pre-
late ordains all priests and deacons. The candi-
cate for ordination must be able to read and to re-
reat the Nicene creed, upon which the bishop
bresthes on him, bestows on him the sigu of the
cross, and gives him his benedi :tOn with the lay
ing on of hands receiving two pieces of salt as the
ordination fee. The priests and deacons cannot
marry after ordination but if married before, are
not permitted to part with their wives. The du-
lies of the priest are to baptize 10 administer the
Lords Supper, and to recite the htsnies for three
or four hours on Sunday. Preaching is not COM
manded, and is seldom heard in Abyssinia.
The people are more rigid in their fasting than
any other Christian nation. In all they fast nine
months out of the twelve; every Wednesday and
Friday throughout the year; then again forty days
before Easter, twenty-five days after Trinity,
fourteen in August, twenty-five days before Ad-
vent. and on other occasions. But in spite of the
severity Of their ritual observances, they pay little
attention to the practical spirit of religion, aud
habtually violate the precepts of morality. Mar
rage 10 regarded as q civil contract between the
parents and relations OF the bride and bridegroom;
L is seldom consecrated by the Church, and may
be dissolved at pleasure. Although monogamy is
established by the Church, concubinage is general;
the King has five hundred wives, and claims every
beautiful woman that may be pointed out to hun.
Slavery, also, contributes TO demoralze the peo-
ME; Christians, indeed, are not allowed to export
slaves, but they may import them for their own
use; while the King employs thousands OF them
Ter menial and laboriOus services, as wei as MS
own subjects for feudal task work.
Among the tribes in the southern portion OF