Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-05-07
An AhyssInlau s'CaIhadraI Town -

- An AhyANilihu 'ShtneohAl AoNh'
A correspondent of the Times with
the Abyssinian expedition takes us
through "the cathedral town of Oheli.
kot": t'Attended by a large crowd OF
men, all clothed in white togas trimmed
with scarlet, and with no protection to
their heads except their curly black
hair, we rode into the center. OF the
town, where, by the river 3sille, stands
the cathedral, embosomed in a grove of
lofty cypress trees. By cathedral let
no one suppose that any massive pile
of lofty architecture was encircled by
these trees. The church is but circu.
lar building one story high, aud rooted
with thatch. 1t is built in three con-
centric circles. The innermost, or
most central, is the holy place where
the ark is kept, where priests alone may
enter, an9 into which we we're not ad.
mitted. The second is ornamented ON
the walls with rude frescoes. These
represent the Madonna and Child, the
Oruci6ction, the StoniDg of ST. Peter,
and other incidents of New Testament
history. The most priced of all are
one of the Madonna encased in metal,
in Russian style, and large fresco of
st. George on white horse killing the
dragon. None of the paintings are ex-
ecuted with the slightest regard to per
spective, and seem to be but rude imi-
tations OF the religious paintings Of the
early medi@val period, Into the second
circle ommunicants are admitted, 1t
was curious to find suspended on its
walls, on either side OF the reading
desk, two parchment scrolls in Tigrean
character, one of which was headed
by the British crown, the mon
ogram "G R." and the words,
"George, King" in letters Of gold.
They must have been left here by Mr.,
Salt, in one OF his missions to Tigre,
in the earlier part Of this century. The
outer circle OF this church is but a
colonnade; its walls are bare OF either
paint or ornament. In it the people
pray aud prayers are publicly read.
Several priests, distinguished from the
laity only by their wearing voluminous
white tuTbans, ,accompanied rs through
the church, and explained to us, through
our interpreter, the designs of the
paintings. All these they asserted to
have been done by the Abyssinian ar
tis ter having seen the church,
We ken to the door of the chief
Hiea' house, and were shown the
late. This consisted of Bi
bic bound in silver plate, two mitres
of the same material, manufactured by
an Italian artist while residing in Abys-
sinia, copper-gilt goblet with the
arms of England, and the motto, "Honi
soft qui NAL q pense," a present from
Salt, and beautiful silver-gilt Greek
cross, which many would have willingly
but which the clergy re-
fused TO part with. While we were
these we were ourselves in.
spected. A thick crowd OF the male
inhabitants gathered around us, and
examined with the greatest curiosity
and admiration our swords, revolvers,
and clothing. Many, showing
the blue cords round their necks, which
in this country mark Christian, inter
rogated us by signs whether We were
christians" On being assured that
we we're SO, greatly pleased, they ejac-
ulated constantly: "rayebl tayeb"-
the Arabic for good" which the
believe to be word in the
English language, and which our SOL
1ieTs believe to be word in theirs,
and which, with the the exception of
'Salaam," is the only means Of inter
between the two.