New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-29
ST. NTCHIEL Of 1BTSSINI1.
STRANGE CEREMONIES WITH WHICH HE IS
UONORED BY THE ETHIOPIANS.

10000
An interesting account Is given by a correspondent
Of SIC Temps" Of Paris OF the celebration OF -.
Niclacs day ir Abysslna. 81 Michael IS the patron
saint Of the Empire and accordlnc to the people and
tolr traditions written on parchment AMI stored IN
the archives =. Michael IN Ably siniln general
lie IS pictured upon fiery steed, holding In his hama
smoking gun Other pictures represent him In
lattle terrible encounter, in which the enemy bites
the dust. An inscription beneath records this par
ucnll. engagement our calendar says the cor
respondent merely mentioning him an ordinary
saint II was difficult TO believe that the Ethoplans
had come 10 celebrate this day national festival
4 We had not met on Our morning walk. a procession
Of peasants tramps. crpplcS, bcggars. and eprrs be-
fore the doors Of the Church OF the saviour Me1ah
AlcnO Here there was q generous be,towal of aims
vet all insufficient to satisfy those whose appetIlea
had been arpencd BY long fasting. All these IAN
rsl,I lclucs holding ont hand. Streaming struggling
rolling In The dust in their easernr's TO obtain an
extra ration The pancakes. which represent Abys
,ini,n hr,ad wore snatchci md doyOurci upon the
Instant \ distribution Of blows from the baton more
abundant even THAI that o. the bread. for The p)hc"
arc not at all spariuC I'm this regard. tempered the
;ldor Of the NOR, desperate tn, miserable LOT howl
Ing IN Ter the blows which fell upon their bare heads
,ncr the distribution OF The bread and the blows Of
the cudgci Tie ground. like that OF a battle was
strewn with rags while blood flowed by this time
stormy FRAY was the signal Tor the commencement Of
TIE fc Invites. all in honor Of =. Michael. At I'm
carly hour the Abyssinlan men and women more
devon; than usual ont toward the little Church
~ = Mlclal situated in the Ghenya Bet. Treasure
House which Is AZ the same time III" magazine ana
dep Of supnlio~ This Is thu chapel o. the palace
rt. chief Of . Ghouva Blot Is Il once the receiver
general end 'h' c1rat" Of the pinc : church About
hafpas, here Is n fling Of guns from tn" FaraS
vocala which IS the grand CITY Hail. motley
,,ovl arraycl 81 wilt" robes striped with crimson
fills tle mcclure. The Mrssulm1uS Ianaris. GalaS
ana Arabs urged by curiosity. swell the tlronr. Under
Tho brllan, sun this as,cmbagc is most picturesque
augmented As II Is hy the groups Of pcdlors and
women dressed In roll, OF rod aud blue. ornamenf'd
with an embroidered upon tho brea ia nmc
which recalls TIE fact that il IS long
.ln.o ;he Portuguese passed herr. All at
nee tie ne'c OF trumpet, loud ana
5.cmn cchoc, through space. II l. alwavs the
.amo note. but long ana piercing. As 'o' tn"
trunpot. they are exactly like those that h"r;d the
arrival OF Rhaaames. in Verbs opera d" Ala Then
come the soldiers thcr rifle, their shoulders thcn
Inc d acon, then the priests The lower clergy wear
upon the head a hig. turban Of white muslin. They
old IN the hand "a rattle and the inevitable crut h.
,-hc priests Of nigh rank Of Dalmaua. the mos,
cx.ltod ,na'a) Wear. haiti resembling thu. Of tn
cus,ian prcs's 4 dicntary-hls forehead adorn,l
vl.h golden tiarn-wloc robe I, much Ike that Of
f'ur, pan women c.curs the talbot, the sacred "Od
of tie high altar. a.. ark o. tie Jew. immense
pdri,sO rel and prPe. Dordcrrd AM tulted win
RIOS color, sway auO,c this pro =, ion dominating
The mnltcoorrd sl!k umbrellas Of the priests. Two
banners resembling those carried IN our professions,
r,nrl inc valiant dc~is Of the iilu-tr n It. Michael
Wblc The high priests range themselves along the
u,uu Of GLciy.i Hiei. waving their fan, toward the
;ahot the lower clergy begin serbs Of grotcsPuc
dam g. " hen appear anything but religious Another
fiilado /, fir Wrlc tho women give vent to strange
cli,., which sound like the whistle OF "A locomotive
mn which anonc t.cec natives, are an ind cation OF
cntlusi ST delight. Then h,cins slow Abyssinl1n
,i,nr ringing nasal AMI larharc, accOnpnitd 10y the
noi-c i r.tl - VI Nil" the dance OF the priests con
Times m ORE rhythmic and animated These cont ortons.
Executed with smiles, are supplemented by the clap
rug Of hands Wit tho e0eci OF cdsanCt,. Finally TN
dorce becomes more rapid, AMI We take part In
ycritabc Gradrc I'm which there IS nothing edliNing
IN Elropcnns accustomed TO thr grave ccremoic, OF
thcr country. THIS dance marks IN" end OF the
CEREMONY The trumpcts OF Aida resOund once more,
49,. Tthiopian color' are h1istcd above the Ghcnva
Riot and the guns discharge another vOley dangerous
10 tho eve, Of the ershy the women reconnence
cir cries Of distress. and the procession, priests
tanners lttcrs. pnra.ol, umbrellas. e-c0rting the
tatot. enters the Ghenya bet followed by the
Ealrd SCOPE crowd ., 49,, .,, ,
the th.atrc. The blazing tropical sun overhead r.
mir d d one ~ an enormous calcium heht. willa thN
sdtar. Of the Farns Nngnld was n moving mas, OF
cClor II was the first festival 81 snv ycty n which
had been prcs,n' to Fon>t o. the Passover ana
others which followed having been Interrupted by
the n.itaton 81 TIE epidemic Throlrhon' Abyssinia
rlGIs stlvalS take prOanC accompaniment Of
inuiasiic whlrs and military evolnt' rs. IT, Is In
p1s bl, 20 describe all that | hav' witnessed. and
regret TO adj that this spectacle essentially
pctnr-que Inspired In tn. bcholder nothing Of re-
iipiOus sentiment or sncmrit'