The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-15

to fall back upon.
NATIVE TRADITIONS AND HOPES.
ALI the natives that we have met in the
country seem to have an idea that the
English will be annihilated. The Ro-
mans, in the time Of Augustus, made war
upon Candaoe, Queen of Ethiopia, Mo
BANNED, the arch imposter, made war
upon the Christians of Abyssinia, and the
Egyptians under Mohammed Ali essayed
the task of conquering the country, and
all these were defeated. Why not the
English There W, uld be no question Of
their utter humiliation were all the king
doms and provinces of Abyssinia united.
The English have seized propitious mo-
ment to extend their conquests, when the
whole empire is torn by civil war, tribe
against tribe, and all against the King.
Courage, even when seconded by disci.
pine, cannot always overcome the obsta
Giles opposed by the laws of nature
The burning sun, the almost inaccessible
mountains and the scarcity of water and
provisions aid King Theodorus in oppo.
sing the English. The long struggling,
lines OF transport trains conveying the
commissary stores, could by stroke Of
Sheridan tactics be easily captured,s and
the isolated stations along the route des.
troyed one after another. Even now,
when all Heaven and earth seems arrayed
against Theodorus, he has chance to re-
trieve his waning fortunes, and that is by
taking the prisoners along with him and
making what Meriwcther calls "run-
ming game.' I fear if King Theodorus
undertakes that kind of war that England
will sorrow greatly at the weight Of ex.
penses thrown upon her. The G2, 00O,.
900 already spent would be increased to
Gl0O,0O0,000 and this sum for the vim
dication of her dignity and the acquire
mont of prestige.
JOHN BULL COUNTING THE PROFITS.
The English have already turned their
attention to the revenues of the country
and found it to be only G400, 900, but
which might easily be raised to S5,0OO,-
600 per annum if the country was pro-
perly cultivated for agriculture, as might
be expected in state of society where
there are SO few rewards for industry, is
still in very rude condition, the occu.
piers of land trusting much more to the
natural fertility of the soil than to any
system Of management. The ploughs are
so extremely inartfcial, that they consist
of nothing more than crooked stick,
pointed with iron. With fine harvests and
the modern implements of industry what
might the country not produce !? By irri-
cation, seed time and harvest would follow
each other every month ofthe year. In
fact, vegetation never falls asleep 10 this
happy climate. l3@'2a' ~ go '
The natives SOW barley in the beginning
Of May, that is a little before the common.
cement of the monsoon rains; it comes
to maturityin June, and is Immediately
crrried off the fields, that it may not be
destroyed by the excessive MOISTURE
Then they SOW vetches, which likewise
ripen during the rainy season. Iu Sep
tember they sow wheat or teff, and if
they have water they repeat barley or
tares in January. The rent paid to the
king is one-tenth of the crop; but as the
produce is small the peasants never be-
come affluent s 2.l7 haa i44-' . '1.
The number of animals, both tame and
wild, that have been seen by US already
is something wonderful, aud they all seem
different to the animals of other countries.
There are two kinds of COWS; one kind
have wide spreading horns, with humps
on their backs aud are about the size of
the American buffalo. The other kind
the diminutive creatures, with short horns,
and are about the size Of common calf in
our country. The horses arc small, active
animals, very hardy breed, similar to
Mexican mustangs. The Ethiopian hog,
or wild boar, is a perfect monster, with
tusks spreading out like horns. These
afford exciting sport to the enduring hun.
ting propensity Of the English officers
Hyenas, jackals, wild cats, mungos, chea-
tahs, panthers, lions, elephants, wild bnf-
faloes, small ferocious animals, lynxes,
foxes, the addax Gan animal between
COW aud goat, the femme (half rabbits
half fox J, the jerboa, small deer aud host
of others too numerous to mention, have
been seen on the route. Van Amburg and
Barnum could stock a splendid and choice
menagerie and museum out Of the animals
in Abyssinia. AS for birds, | will only
name tho gigantic taceon, hornbill, ibis,
kite, guinea fowl in abundance, kayloe,
hawks, plover, snipe, turkeys, geese, ducks
large quail, clock bird and thousand
others. Each patch of forest and wooded
banks of. rivsrs resouud with such a
strange chorus of voices that it is perfect.
ly deafsning. Under the verdant foliage
of the baobab, the cedar and woody koly-
nall sport scores of monkeys defantly, as if
they knew the soldiers were not allowed
to kill any of them. While the mosqui.
ties are the largest and yet the most timid,
the flies were the smallest and yet the
boldest. This variety ofsights and sounds
affords infinite amusement and serves to
vile away the marches.
81 e.a.an RELIGION. h
The mouotony of travelling was also re-
lieved when passing villages on observing
groups of nude maidens aud lusty lads in
fig leaved dress issue out of their villages,
playing on their reed pipes blithe and
CHEEKY notes of Welcome. Gray headed
elders and village dignitaries came forth
and exchanged their trieudlv salaams. and