New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-19
RUINS IN ABYSSINIA.
OBELIsKs AND INSCRIPTIONS FOUND BY
MIR. BENT


Abyssinia in 1898 BY, j. Theodore Bent F. s.
cr s. on W he SnhaeT 0y from YeSa
and Aksnm and an Appendix on the M MorphG-
Carson. VI. D.. V. =. a. l. PIP. XIV, 9O9 Long
mans. Green & Co.
Those who are interested in the gossip from
the fell in archaeology will remember para
graph that went the rounds early last year
aludng to the narrow escape of Mr.. Bent and
his wife from capture and possible death In
Abyssinia. This volume explains that incident
II shows that the archaeologist has to get much
Of his Information around the sources of the
Blue Nile in the way proverbial Of a thirsty dog
at Crocodlopolis. that Is while running. No
body, perhaps regrets more than Mr.. Bent HIM
self the fact that he could only stay four months
In the country. and that at last he had to make
a hurried journey to the Italian boundary in
order to evade conflict OF native chieftains
The presence Of the Italians has undoubtedly
made travel in Abyssinia an easier mattey than
It was in the past The main difficulty now
found by the stranger is to maintain such reia-
lions with rival chieftains not to incur the
resentment of either. To accept the good offices
of one is to brave the hatred Of another In
the present case it happened that the very
district, that Of Tigre, In which the antiquities
Of Abysslnia are largely to be found was the
scene Of desultory warfare between two princes
Ras Alula and Ras NIangashah. each of whom
wished to be vlceroy. Alula enjoyed the power
under the Emperor John, but was deposed by
Menelek II, who assigned the province to Man.
gashah Alulu retired to his mountain fortress
and collected his adherents, but was strong
enough only to keep the province In a turmoil
For Mr. Bent and his wife the affair was compli-
Gated by the fact that the Italians favored the
new viceroy. Alua having been the most bitter
foe of the foreigners as long as he had control
OF an army While the pages Of Abyssinian
history are full of struggles similar to that which
has occurred between Alula and Mangashah,
European Interference has rarely, If ever, been
know even In the days Of Roman or Greek i'm
peralism or Of Portuguese explorations. The
archaeoogist came to the border Of the country
then az the presumed enemy Of Ras Alula, and
was forced to accept the protection of the
Italians and OF Mangashah. The consequence
was that every rumored movement OF Aluia be-
came Of vital importance 1t was possible to get
good look at all the relics Of antiquity in sight,
| to take "squeezes" Of all known inscriptions;
| but more detailed investigation was hopeless.
| the soiourn at the ancient city Of Aksum was
| cut short and when the travellers began their
return they found that they must reckon not
|
the more immediate danger Of detention by
| Manpashah The latter evidently intended to
| make his European acquaintances useful. Fortu-
| nately for Mr. Bent and his wife the Italian resi-
| dent at Adova also In great danger be-
| tween the two native factions, and for his own
safety was energetic in securing protection from
the colony. Ten 1Abyssinian soldiers were bribed
! 10 act as escort, and all the Europeans In AdoVa
! made a hasty departure. At a critical moment
| the native soldiers refused to continue the
| tourney but the Italian commander at Add
! Quala. with body Of 400 troops. had crossed the
| border to the rescue of the foreigners 1t was
| "A march OF a day and half 10 the frontier but
| fortunately no trouble occurred with the natives
This incident shows the difficulty that attends
| mere scientific reconnaissance in Abyssna.
More thorough investigation is not to be thought
| Of The superstitous populace would probably
| be provoked TO riot by the sight of an eX-
| cavation Mr. Bent tells how he found a stone
with an inscription built into the wall of house
After long entreaty he got permission to take a
squeeze" Of It. But the woman Of the house
was frightened into Mysteries by the thought that
the COPY thus made was to be used in a wicked
| magical incantation Mr. Bent is convinced that
! digging at Aksum would reveal the buried riches
| Of a high civilization. He must be right II his
theory of the history Of Ethiopia be the true one
In working out the opinion which he has formed
upon the matter, this volume is the proper sequel
To the work on The Ruined Cities OF Mashona-
| land" The author takes the view that the
! ancient ruins I'm both Abyssinia and South Africa
are reminders OF the same race. The elaborate
method used to show that the structures IN
Mashonaland were carefully planned with refer
ence 20 the sun furnishes the key 10 his investi-
cations in Abyssinia where. he IS convinced. the
! traces are numerous of prmeval sun-worshlp'
| In short Abyssinia was united with Arabia FeiiX
politically in early times. In days when syria
and Chaldaea and Egypt not yet a mere
memory. when Western Asia and Northeastern
Africa comprised the civilized world. the south
ern part Of Arabia and the land nearest TO II IN
Africa must not be forgotten. The Sabaean
Empire was as important as It's contemporaries
politically and It was perhaps weather. than any
~ them The commerce of the Indian Ocean
was in its hands All the traffic of Egypt with
the coast OF Africa and Asia had TO pay toll at
the entrance TO the Red Sea. The Sabaeans
must therefore have been powerful at least as
| earlv as the seventh century before Christ ana
probably far earlier and their civilization must
! have lasted into far later times. Mr. Bent brings
| evidence To show that the ordinary notion oil
Iuda,zinr movement in Ethiopia which prepared
The way for Christianity is untenable. and that
the conversion of the people by the Coptic Church
| must be put much later than has been supposed
| Neither the evOutionists In religion nor their
| opponents will get much comfort from Mr.. Bent
| investigations Grippe, who maintains IN MS
| "Cult und Mythen' that modern Abyssinian wor-
| shin is the product of decay, Will be met now by
p.nt,s observation that it is the counterpart Of
the old sun-cult with names changed. but with
hardly any change to speak of In the symbolism.
| The latter quotes from a catechism formerly used
in the Abyssinian Church, n form or words py
| which the sun is made to illustrate the doctrine
| Of the Trinity, being Of one substance out
| having In him three distinct things: rotundity'
| light and heat" The people hold night services
| which end at sunrise. and the Festival OF the
| Cross in September is marked by bonfres lighted
| ON high places The ruins at Aksum. parucu-