Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-06-11


Girls and GIima GhOI a WallAs-
gCRmp Lifs-A MRy Day Pfcnic!'
a Hia - HH+'
The correspondent of the New York
Herald, writes from Waudach, place
thirty miles east of Magdala, whittier
he had followed Gen. Napier's forces:
"Every portion Of ground was cover
ed with the most luxuriant vegetation.
A ledge of rocks with but scanty soil
teemed with flowers of rarest hue. In
s the gaping cracks and assures, which
afforded excellent dens for the panther
and hyens, juniper pine, bamboo and
the prickly kRntuffa obtained precar-
ious hold. In the valleys where the
soil was deepest the venerable banyan,
the leafy sycamore and the holy all
lent charms to views which no one
could witness without admiring. Tam.
aux, tamarind, milpoos@, peebul, fig,
doum and iuidbe trees grew in the most
extraordinary places. Every turn and
winding round q hill revealed vistas oi
great beauty. Masses OF foliage on the
various trees appeared above us, witt
sky rs blue as ever Italy boast. Giani
woods rose here and there upon knolli
and in hollows, mounted upon the
heights and covering the ravines, open
ing at this and that place into gleamt
of open plain beneath. which grew pnr
Pile and misty in its fearful depth. The
least expanse OF level ground was fruit.
full in herbs and plants, aud a glen en-.
raptured every body with its paradis-
aical loveliness and refreshing YER
dure. The streams, where they traver.
sed valleys, were overhung With olean--
der trees, which met in seemingly low
ing embrace over the delicious waters,
each branch entwined with vine and
clematis, while pendent masses of maid
en- hair dropped as il in sweet sympathy
with these fairy arbUrs. On the mar
gin Of the stream grew the lavender,
wild thyme violets, cowslips, and scores
of other plants and ftwers indigenous
to the soil, whose fragrance charmed
all. ..
When your correspondent has thus
described the scenery of Abyssinia and
been thus lavish of praise without a
particle OF exaggerstion in his descrip-
tioDs of the Alpine flora, the same will
apply to all the Gala country, or as
much of it as we have seen, and shall
have no occasion to diverge from the
actual business of the letter.
The complexion of the inhabitants
has also changed from deep black to
a pale copper hue. The Gallas have
well formed bodies with intelligent
features and finely cut lips, which be-
tray a different origin from the black
Shohoes and dnsky- Nubians of North
Abyssinia. Those pretending to a
knowledge of the physiology of the diff
ferent races which compose the nations
of the Ethiopian empire say that the
Gallas are descendants of D race of
whites who centuries ago conquered
the southeastern provinces Of Abyssin-
ia, driving northward bofore them as
they advanced the puerile natives who
formerly inhabited it. The statement
appears very probable, for, with the
exception of color, they are ss finely
formed and as intelhgently featured as
any race OF whites on the globe. Their
hair, though of a deep black, is silky
and straight, without the kinky or
wavy appearance of that of the Aga
mes, Agows and Shohoes, north of
SAntalo. Their women, who arrive at
puberty at the age of ten, are possessed
of the most voluptuous forms, counten-
ances beaming with latent passion, lips
Just framed to meet amorous kisses, |
eyes swimming with the humidity of |
love, that it is just possible that Maho-
met, during his invasion Of Abyssinia, |
might have seen these beauteous chill. |
dren of the tropics when he conceived |
his houris. Fancy q group Of these
Gala beauties, with arms lovingly en-
twined around each other, sitting un-
der the soft shade OF the evergreens, |
chanting their welcome to us like coo. |
ing doves in the extempore ballads of |
the native bsrds or q band of youths, |
with their shields and lances in rest, |
lifting their voices in chorns to o song |
of joy sung by blind old warrior; |
these are the scenes and incidents
which tend to cheer our progress and |
enliven the march on this crusade, and |
which fatty contradict the exaggerated |
statements of irresponsible writer's in |
Che English newspapers in fact. the |
campaign thus far seems more like |
prolonged May.day picnic, or plea.
sure trip to the tropics, with the ex-
ception Of the difficulties enumerated |
at length above.
Camp life in Abyssinia seems more
like play upon the boards than the
matter Of fact and serious life Of SOL
diers. Its horrible din and hubbub is
equal to any ever heard in the Bowery,
from Canal street to Chatham. In
spite OF command over self, with an
admirable concentratiye power TO col
lect ideas, it is difficult thing not 10
be distracted and driven wild with the
bedlam noises which issue from man
and beast. While reeting for day, /
inhumerable portable shops, consisting
Of baskets, containing the salable com. |,
modities OF the natives, pass and repass
your door, while the owner of each
canvas house puffs forth the merits Of
the articles for sale with as much inn
pudent vigor as the most frowsy faced [
Irish cookie selling her wares IN Liver.
pool These1itinefant vendors are aa
persistent TO sell their edible for 4
'gbgurshi" or or bartsr them Tor q
'igatnise" (shirt) as any Jew olothier
II Chatham street, and II not really