The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-28
Customs of Abyssinia.
Enalish Illustrated Maqaztne.

on the southeast side of the valley OF
Adowa. The houses with their little
walled-in gardens of fig, pomegranate, and
olive trees cluster on the slopes and base of
the hills fringing and overhanging the
cliffs of a nullah, through which runs the
rivulet, called Assam, that supplies the
town with water. The streets are so mar
row that in some places it is necessary for
one of the passers to go to the wall, and SO
short and angular are they, and so often
endingin cuks-de-Sac, that the maze at Hamp-
ton-Court Palace in comparison would be
a very small mystery. The rocky and stony
path compels ones mule to think twice be-
fore he takes another step, and if the birds
and hyenas have not quite finished their
repast off some dead animal that has been
thrown across the roadway the mule will
rear and swerve from his course, boiling
back through the labarynth of streets he
has with great difficulty threaded, and the
dilemma soon presents itself of discovering
new route to avoid this block of carrion;
or dismounting to find ones way on foot to
ones destination The majority of houses
have second story, at least sort of attic
under the extinguisher roof of thatch, rim
ming circular frame of dried mud or wood
resting on the angles Of four walls of mud
and stone, either in square, or the ground
plan taking the lines of Greek across, and
the interior face is surrounded by circular
outer wall of the same material.
Within live the occupants, with their
cattle, fowls, dogs, cats, and Noah's ark
of insects, which the natives foster with
the greatest care by not touching soap and
by using very little water. The excessive
disregard to cleanliness is quite a mania
with Abyssinians 1t is not from want
of water. There is plenty; and the famous
soap-tree, called mdoed, grows everywhere,
the seeds of which, when carefully dried in
the sun, may be worked into a good lather
that is very cleansing. An Ethiopian will
tell you without blush that he is neces-
sarily washed at birth, washes himself on
his marriage morn, and hopes to be washed
after death; that once every year he dips
himself in the river on the festival of st.
John, and every morning he vets the end
of his toga with the moisture from his
mouth and freshens up his eyes When
ever he feels hard and uncomfortable he
will anoint himself with mutton fat till his
head and body glisten in the sun. This
extreme junction. on the part of the natives
creates an infammability of body and
wearing apparel, if not dangerous to the
community at large, very often individual
w. when once the clothes are ignited.
On our first arrival at Adowa DIR. Gin
lett was called to two cases of burning, one
was that of little girl who had her right
side literally roasted. Though calling in
the doctor, the parents paid no attention to
his orders, the mother simply crying and
moaning over the little sufferer in the most
helpless way. The child died during the
night, and at sunrise next morning she was
buried, all the mourners after the interment
vending their way to the market-place,
where the women, over two hundred In
number, arrived first, and squatted on the
grass. forming circle around the mother.
Standing up, supported by a companion
who held her gently round the waist, she
swayed herself to and fro, tearing her hair
in her grief, extolling the beauty and good
ness of her lost babe, while her friends
around walled in low tone in sympathy.
Presently the priests, attended by their
men-at-arms and the male mourners, slowly
marched on to the ground and sat down at
respectful distance from the woman,
quietly listening to the funeral dirge till
the time came for the chosen friends to re-
turn to the house of mourning to regale
themselves with beer and tedge. AT the
funerals of old people or chiefs the wailing
by their bereaved friends takes place for
several days. An efigy representing the
dead persona cloth covered over some
cushions generally serves-will be placed
in the centre of the circle of mourners for
the Mark Antony to act unto.
1t was my lot the same day to see an
other custom, an ordinary wedding L
noticed great commotion in one of the
streets, and presently from one of the houses
man came running by carrying woman
in his arms, followed by another man hold
ing over both toga. Close behind them
were men with tomtoms and long trumpets
blowing and beating their hardest, followed
by crowd of young girls and boys clap
ping their hands and jumping for joy.
Gaining the outskirts of the town and ar
irving on the spot where the mourners
walled at the break of day, the bride-for
the abducted lady was no less the happy
one-being deposited ON the ground with
the toga still held over her, became the
centre of boisterous circle, the drums be-
coming more deafening and the trumpets
braying their loudest Several male rela-
tives Of the bride stopped under the toga
to wish her good luck, and though | was
afterwards contradicted by native, am
sure [ distinctly heard loud kissing. Pres
emily. from the direction of the city, the
bridegroom advanced mounted on a mule,
with one or two footmen carrying firearms
and his shield and spear. The presence
of this happy gentleman was the cause OF
more noise from drum and trump, and
when he dismounted, and taking the bride
to his BOSOM kissed her under his new
European umbrella, the little girls and
bows got so excited that | am sure they
would have shouted "Hurrah p but that
expression of enthusiasm is unknown in
Abyssinia; so they shrieked and made a
loud noise, which L suppose did quite as
well.
In Ethiopia marriages are civil contracts
dissolved at pleasure. 1t is only after
many years, if the parties find they still
agree and love each other that they pledge
themselves to fidelity by taking the sacra-
ment together in church. The bridegroom,
directly he is engaged to lady, is not sup
posed to see her till he is about TO marry
her. On the bridal morning she is carried
away by her male relatives to place OF
hiding. Her future husband has to seek
her, and claim her from her people by his
expressions of devotion, love, and long
waiting. There was not much secretlng
the bride on this occasion nor much difh-
Guilty on the part of the bridegroom in
claiming her Many presents were placed
at their feet, consisting of cloth, honey, red
pepper, sheep, and an OK; and they all
returned rejoicing to the town to feast and
drink tedge.
A wedding-feast is like all banquets in
this country, more or less composed Of the
Abyssinian piece de resistance-raw hesh.
If you should happen to be seated near the
open door on these occasions you may see