Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-06-16
Interesting Gossip from Abyssinia.

bune who accompanied General Napier'S
expedition, writes from near Madala,
March IS:
The Abyssinians are a most curious
people. To attempt to give any idea OF
their manners and customs would occu-
py much larger space than letter of
this kind would allow. Amhara, pro-
vince which lies to our right, is to the
other provinces of the Empire what |
Paris is to France. Its people give
manners, customs, and religious exam
pie to the rest of the Abyssinians. They |
are the most civilized and refined of all
the nations in the whole of Africa south |
of Egypt. Gondar, the capitol of Itiopa
as the natives term their country, is Sit
uated in Amhara. Here are the only
manufactures, schools and academies in
Abyssinia.
The people of Gondar work skillful
designs in gold and silver, make excel
lent swords and muskets, and gunpow-
der is also manufactured there, while,
from the fertility of it's agricultural dis
! tricts, Amhara has been called the gran
airy of Abyssinia.
! The province of Wadela, through
which we are now travelling, has long
been one of Theodore's favorite recruit
ing departments. The inhabitants, who
are of very warlike disposition, are
perpetually at war, either with each
other or with their neighbors. The peo-
pie are known by the name of VIOLA
Gallas, and have always possessed more
or less republican ideas, and, of course,
ever since Theodore commenced his ty
rannical career, have been his most ac-
tive enemiss. In appearance, the pro.
vince resembles the rocky plain around
Fort Laramie, in Dakota Territory.
a distinctive feature of chief i'll this
country is a quantity of ghee or clarified
butter with which he anoints his hair,
plated, twisted, curled, and braided as
it is. A peasant contents himself with
simply putting patch OF this yellow
grease on the top of his head, bit a
chief, or a sheik, literally plasters his
Uranium with it, so that the color of his
hair is hardly distingushabe, and his
head is more like q sailors slush bag
: than anything else / can liken it to-.
When the sun shines this grease melts,
and his face resembles IL half roasted
and well-larded goose.
The women have their fashions as well
; as the aristocr9tic Mrs. Grundy, who
lives OIL Fifth Avenue, the recognized
, leader of the creme de la creme of society.
Near the sea coast the women allow
. their hair to grow as long as it can, new
. er disturbing themselves about its ap-
pearance, cleanliness, or growth. On
the table-land, at Senate, they tie it up
f in knot on the top of the head. About
= Ategerath and thence to Autalow, III
Tigre. the women have shaven crowns,
! while multitude of tiny braids bangle
about the sides of the head. In Wog-
gerat. they plait their hair in seven long
rows, extending from the forehead &c
the nape of the neck, and in Wadela the
hair is curled in front, and then folded
4 and twirled up into q gigantic chlgnor
) at the back of the head, which is wei
e creased and kept in order. The Abys
?. sinian females pay more attention tC
their hair than they do their Stockings
l. who are swung carelessly to their backs
= like Indian papooses.
q They are utterly regardless of theil
e bodies, which believe they never wash
~ if | NAV iudge by the dirt with which
= they are incrusted. The clothing of the
e chiefs daughters is very scanty indeed
10 and consists of goat skin wrapped
f. around their ioins, leaving the uppe
a and lower extremitieS exposed to tint
a. vulgar gaze, while the lower classes
a. with the exception of a few, go about il
n a perfect state of nudity. These cone
=. to our camps with loads of grain, ghee
Or butter, honey, clabber, wax, and bread
:. and afford infinite delight to the Englisi
re soldiers. who, verify DeueNe, HAVE les
10 selfrespect than any soldiers in tn
$. world. The females perform the manua
o. labor, till the fields, harvest, aud atten'
$, to other laborious outdoor labor, Will
To- the men wander about listlessly, or d.
,e the marketing, always carrying thei
q. spears and shovels wherever they go.
or The people of Abyssinia are grea
rs Scripture readers. Each family pos
}. sesses over ten copies of the Bible, prin
n ted or written in the Arabic language
20 For the purpose of testing their knowl
s, edge of Holy Writ, your correspondent
,e urged by the interpreter, Capt. Speedy
m the Basha Felecca of Theodore's army
al propounded few questions, such as
n s.Who was the first huuter!' "Wha
TO- was David's fatherl'' "What was tn
name of the man in whose fields Rut
pleaned!" "How many days was Noa
st in the ark7" All of which question
ON we're answered correctly by young fe
he low not over twenty years Of age, wh'
an we found ont afterwards, was also a
de excellent writer. --..
n Every one carries an iron cross attaci
of ed TO a string, which hangs around n
10 or her neck-an ostentatiOus proof tbs
81 he OF she is a Christian. Finding
= | n: 20, ,q,roluoa food frnI