New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-05
ABYSSINIA.

,r,-rI.pr py F. uEPPLE HALL BEFORE THE
TRAVELLERS CLUB.
MIR. +. Hepple Hall last night read paper
before the Travellers Club, at No 24' flitaNe" Oh
siuia and the Abyssinians The lecturer COln0N''" ~
oo,i,,, "a nopular error in regard to the geography
60, ,o,ra,bv Of Abyssina. Abysslnia IS situated De-
,, ana fs degrees North latitude, and between 20
and 40 degrees East longitude. The fortethdegIee ey
forming the Eastern boundary OF the country IN otAer
orIs II extends from the neighborhOOd OF Massowah
ne ancient 0ors LabG the town Of Adjuberg in Cod
ion, and from Wayhaynee, the limits Of the Egyptian
dominion in that quarter to tie borders OF Ehatt be-
longing 10 ShOa being miles long and 900 miles broad
knowledge Of the geology Of Abyssinia Will prove one
OF the most valuable acquisitions which can be made
for science in that country. The great feature OF
Eastern Africa. as is now pretty well known,
consists in a more or less marked groove occupied by
water channels. The groove channel runs right
through the continent from north to SOUTH beginning AZ
Alexandra and ending where the lana hairoWs hto nc
cg.ycs the eastern shoulder OF Africa from the rest OF
the continent, much Arabia Is ClcaVcd from Alca
which is 10y the long Red Sea- Iron ana coa arc
known 10 tAl-t in quantities that VIII repay "OLh,5
th,m Thus far M the native acceptauOn OF the word,
mining mcus gUphcrlng; the coal is merely ClGICIe ~
tae surface by the natives ana uscu lor cranpd
utuc lion worked in the country IS ScT oapn
ont of the deep ravnes Of the msn m ,ari,
tuUs. As the route OF the BRUSH eAItin 70 ti,
force toward Magdaa has lam thtousu ~ 6elivint
cOalbcaiIug district there is eyey reason io IN csrcf
that the extent OF this mineral REGION nus pSi
Nj sbry be- developed The value to the British Gov
service EtNtidg I'' Us
Europe and the East OF certain anu iSotc6 The
coal on Tie Ted Sea. cannot well De ONcfes @ 90
hest qualities Of found on the o3nG OF tJ Qa
rira tributary OF the famed river AtDaia WLcH .5eo
IN tir mills Dacossaa sh9l I.>t t Tfo Ila ana
Denha Iue climate of the country has been d Ie[c
topic o. ascos.iI t,o,fs have reached the public
COR r d 20 b.. IhC fact is Iuat the od'c U -A"1
S.' a. NH rcl y be supposed. from the varying ee,
ana cutting wind o. the morrill, WIN the oppressive Icdt
o. he trd zoac In ne deep valleys. and in the low
lands bOrce.n the coast the heat is sometimes all ont
uubesIiuic. Ia lis tent at LuiaA one ln!4s ana nan
nom on the p O.! OF NOVEMBER iast, sAg Jul
ctcy stood 90 IL, and tns too Whilc sun hret1t was
blowing 20 AID around Tie canvas making UWpet',
turo quite hot enough To WASH 70 IeaNe IT, i 3i"
get TO the mountains as soon as IU9S't ti
Independent Of the neat the malaria III me
,w1us is fatal while in the highland ranges the cOd is
5, intense that IT'S sUWCOyered peaks can never DC usCu
S Fam 900 feet. also present marked contrasts in
tLcir respective climates. IT, however We take the aver
r 11 clos, ms climate with the best OF temperate
zone. beautifully temperate, healthy. ana agreeable
fashion OF eating raw meat by the natives;
The Abyssinians, though Jealous oDsetEGl3, VI
The year. are nevertheless very intemperate
people aud many diseases arc TO oe a,S,DiHie G
they derive from Christianity 60 be that there Is no
limit to the mercy the Almighty, and that as life is
short and pleasure fleeing il is advisable seize every
opportunity Of enjoyment. Acting on TINS plausOle
theory they eat more meat, drink more mead OF
small beer commit breaches Of the moral law, and
particularly OF the seventh commandment than any
other Christians III Christcndom or out OF H. me GeM
nous or double muscle, Caledi the Shdu6a forms me
fdvOrite portion OF diet with welEtQ-do people; me
usual food OF the common people are Ie9 nAt G"AeS "a
sour bread called Eugdrd or IJ or Hy3r0met' is tle
customary common drink. Conee and tobacco are
little used being condemned by the Church As regards
tho people is unlike that OF other saw
SIGHT 1nodfcatrns prevailing among the Indian tribes
Of the North American Continent the Arabs OF the Egyp
and Southern Arabia. 1t consists of large piece Of cloth
called QuGIry ana reproduction, with slight modh-
cation texture and color of the Roman TOgd Great at
tenOn PAID TO their toilet and they cover their heads
with butter. Priests alone wear tuIbans; womens dress
Is Of "A
country cloth and tied round the waist by
small band Of a like material Those who afford It
also wear the GaJecr the ShGma like the men. The
WaiserOs ladies Of rank embroidered calico shirts
lined with common native one some OF these are very
handsomely embroidered When travelling they also wear
the L6oled and The Shand thrown over the head Those
OF the highest rank wear IN addition 10 the ShQ'"d Oue
silk Be7OuS richly embroidered. IL Is needless TO say
that this dress displays the figure 10 great advantage
The spear he SWORD, ana the shield constitute the sol
ders arms. Many acquire great skill IN the use OF the
useless mistchiock5, are held in Much higher
en asscmbdd unse T"' chefs s are and
throughout the country estimated tOamOunt about
100000 These troops consist Of horsemen armed
with the lance, shield and sword foOtmen equipped
Ike manner. and matchbox men. They have artillery
employment the tcrs of soil and their parasites
The AbySsinans are for an African race Woodworking
class; that IS to say, a fuI grown Abysslnan VIII do
about rs mGeh Tork ~ gay as an american err OF
AOur Inc ground requires OILY 70 De scra3heu 70 yeld
abundant harvest twice and sometimes thrice year
II is really farming made easy In field operations the
primitive pillow, 1Osed piece of wood is still used I'm
der anything like well constituted government, the
by law they are obliged to give to Others |
and they are constantly pundered by everyone the
result being that they just manage to subsis and with
all their labor Of semstarvaton clad in
often IN the end perish from utter destuton. Some
idea may be formed OF the number OF Priests In the
country when is known that Gender before its recent
destruction by TheOdOrus contained no less than a
churches, each OF which between two and three |
hundred priests attached In regard to the com
mercc Of the country Mr. Hall said that few merchants
the interior the country trade with Meemma the
Nile, or MOssawOh the Red Sea- The exports are |
ivory, honey cattle, fur hides, feathers, &c and
the cotton clOtn, red SuFdt ClOtn, SILK
baccO for snuff, &c The profits Of the traders are enOr
NOUS. and they generally accumulate great wealth. Hav
ing coinage 1.-THE only money that passes
Maria Theresa. This is changed in Tigre in |
to pieces of cloth and in the Amhara districts |
value in each maketpace 1t is cut III the plains Of the
Sael the Red sea, transported far into the
interior II becomes very valuable IN the Gala provinces
where eight su pieces are sometimes exchanged Tor
dollar, and 100 Will purchase slave. Everything is
transported horses mules, camels, dOnkeys, and
the large moving slowly often year
between Enarea aud MassawOh, distance OF about $50
miles POlygany exists TO great extent All who can
afford keep several wives ahd eOncubnes Ihey diner,
OF It, Ihough there Is such ceremony as a IeHB0us
marriage il much IN favor it binds both for life,
and they prefer the more simple marriage known as the
kings DEATH" form OF marriage as easily dissolved
contracted. when "A man is dcsrOus OF marrying "a
girl he applies directly 10 her parents or nearest rea
tVes and their consent being obtained the matter
is considered as settled The origin Of the still
involved in Obscuriy but the present inhabitants OF
Abyssnia bear striking resemblance TO the type OF peO
pie depicted IN the Egyptian hierOgyphcs, which are
supposed to represent old inhabitants Of Ethiopia.
So the must be ancient one, aud must have
preserved It's purity Of blood through many thousands Of
years Nh Hall, IN conclusion described his discovery
and exploration Of the volcanic island Of Jibbe Teer In
the Sea- lie spent three days there surveying and
securing specimens for the Smithsonian Instituted after
which was closed the Abyssinan programme.
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