Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1860-10-13
SNlstellaneous,
Travels in AbesSinia.

From O Few work issued by Tcknor e
Fields, Of Boston, by the Rev. DR.. j. l..
X rapt, being travels and missionary labors in
Eastern Africa, during u residence OF e:gh.
teen years-we make the following extracts {:
No Christian people upon earth are so
rigid IN their fasting as the Abesslnians.-
They fast, in all, nine months out OF the
twelve every Friday and Wednesday through.
out the year, then again forty days before
Easter, twenty-five days after Trinity, four
teen days in August, twenty-five days before
Advent, aud on other occasions. Yet, in
spite of this, and of close conformity to the
| outward obse:vances OF u severe ritual, the
woetul departure from the pure teaching OF
| the Gospel, and q complete absence Of culture
and Knowledge have produced, generally and
| individually, a sad social condition IN Abess
MIA. Montgomery, 1t is true, is established 0y
the church, but concubnage is habitual and
general, the king and his five hundred wives
leading the way with a bad example iol
whenever beautiful woman was pointed out
to him he sent for her. The daughters O
many graudees must in this way serve tC
effect political alliances, and Sahela Selassi it
actually wished for au English princess to
consolidate his alliance with great Britain.
.The Dokos have no chief, no laws, no
ground, but live solely on fruits, roots, mice
serpeuts, ants, honey, and the like, climbing
trees and gathering The fruits Re monkeys
ard both sexes go completely naked. They
have thick, protrudng lips, Hat noses and
small eyes the hair is not woollY and i
worn by the women over the shoulders. The
nails on the hsUds and feet are allowed ia
grow like the talons OF yultures, and are used
IN digging for ants, and in tearing to pieces
the serpents which they devour raw, Tor they
are unucquainted with fire. The spine o
the snake is the only ornament worn rounc
the neck, bot they pierce the ears with {
sharp-pointed piece Of wood"
The way to Massowa lay through every
description of country fruitful valleys ant
plains, mountain heights, past desert wilder
nesses sometimes amid dense populations
sometimes where no human soul was to bt
found and for the most part, we had to beg
for food and shelter. Occasionally Moaam
medan would receive US hospitality, occasln
ally Christian in the latter case thu
motive frequently was to receive an amue
against illness, or some magical cure iron
the white man I; for it is common belief II
Abessiuia, that all white men come from
Jerusalem, where they think there is no sick
ness, and all is plenty and spleudor."
| ub VI Paibis
though after very superficial aud degener
ate fashion, aud they practice circumcision
do not work on Fridays and Sundays, an'
observe the festivals of saints. lncredibl
and fabulous appears the statement whicl
Dilbo made to me respecting the relation be
tween husband and wife, which was 20 tb
effect that there is public resort set spar
for the husband, where no woman is permit
ted to appear, and where no wife must ca
or drink with her husband, under penalty Q
three years Imprisonment. Husband an
wife see each other only at night, neve
meeting during the day. The wife remain
in the Utmost portion OF the house, the hus
band occupying the other part. Such seps
ration of the sexes is unknown in Abessinii
and wonld presuppose that the inhabitants {
Kafia are Mohammedans, with whom th
isolation Of their women is the rule"
"On the second day after my arrival
b Zanzibar | was presented by the Epglis
Consul to the Sultan Said-Said, commonl
called by Europeans by bis other title, Il
Imaum Of Muscat. His palace lies outsit
the city, and it's exterior reminds the visit
- 70 Of German or Swiss manufsctory. Wht
~ the consul appeared with me at the entran'
OF the palace, the sultan, accompanied by oil
of his sons and several grandees, came for
= to meet US, displaying a cordescehNon al
st courtesy which bad not beforemet with
the hands OF any Oriental ruler. lie co
Luei,l us iuto the audience.chamber which