The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-07-17
REALM OF MENELIK.
GREAT PUNCTILIouSNEsSA6 ABOUT
SALUTATlONS
Greetings Depend Upon Rank and
Time of Day-How Population Is Di-
vided-No Traffic in slaves Is Car
ried on in AbSssinia.

ried on in ABB ssinia.
'Indet adrur This Is not curse,
but Abyssinian for Good morning.!
The words mean literally, How have
you spent the nightT The people OF
King Menelik are very punctillous III
their salutations and have a carefully
graded scale of greetings according to
the person addressed aud the time OF
day. Thus 10 an Inferior or to an init
mate friend instead of "lndet adru
they would say. "lndet adreh pro
nounced "adrech"-eh as In lochl.
Good afternoon would be "lndet
vatu." or watch meaning, How
have YOU spent the morningT And
Good EVENING"" "lndet mashu," or
"masheh." |. e., How have you spent
the day."
There Is a similar complete series of
good-bys Tor people separating at diher-
ent times Two friends parting IN the
evening, say one going home and the
other going TO his club tonly they
haven't clubs In Abyssinla-eXcept
wooden ones. perhaps, would say to
each other "Badehna adar" t'May you
spend the night well'1. which we might
translate, Good night; be good
The Abysslnian calendar is fearful
and wonderful thing. Nearly every
day Is a saints day and is known by
its proper name and not by its date
For instance, II you ask an Abyssinlan
whether certain thing happened on
the nth Of Hadar the equivalent OF
our Nov. 30 he VIII not understand
what you mean. but II you say. Was II
on Abunt Aragwe dhe name for that
day that you stole that sheep" com.
pretending smile will oYerspread his
handsome and intelligent features.
The year is divided into twelve
months Of thirty days each aud at the
end of the year. to make up the 3d5
days. are added i've days, called "Quag-
me-" Each year in succession is called
Matthews. Markos, Lukos, Johannis.
Matthews. Markos and Johannls have
each a "Quagme' Of i've days. but Lu.
kos. or leap year. has n "Quagme" OF
SIX days The Abyssinian year begins
on our Sept II and although, dating ms
we do from tie birth of Christ, they are
nearly eight years behind us In time
Sept II. 1900. was In their calendar LIST
Maskaram, 1891. Their method OF
reckoning the hours of the day Is also
peculiar. 10 our notions. They count
the day as beginning al sunrise aud not
at midnight, as we do. Thus, our Z a.
m. Is their | O'Clock day, aud our y.
m their Il O'clock day; p. III. with us
would be . O'clock night with them aud
our a. NJ. would be their 10 O'Clock
night.
The whole population consists Of two
hfths soldiers. two-afths priests and
one-nfth merchants. at least as far as
the Abyssnians- dominant race
are concerned All tue other necessary
work Of the community is performed
by subject races. like the Gallas or
Somalis, or domestic slaves msstly
prisoners OF war captured III the west
ern negro provinces. All Abyssinlans
except tile very poorest employ slaves
for domestic purposes These are well
cared for and are regarded after time
as members Of the family.
There IS no trade In slaves In Ahys'
slnia. as they can only be procured by
the kings order. which has 10 be shown
to the governor of the province, who
thereupOn gives his sanction. The
slaves, generally boys or girls-the for
mer for outdoor and the latter for In
door work-are purchased from their
parents at an average price of $40 n
head, but the purchaser may never re-
sell them, though he may IL he likes
give them away. The soldiers lead an
easy life and have no work to do except
when called out TO serve on an expedl.
ton. 1t Is true their pay is only So a
year-cash Is scarce In Abyssinia-hut
during peace time they are billeted on
the Calais, a subject race, who are
bound to give them all they need. In
addition to this muniticent rate of pay,
says the London Express, n paternal
government provides the new recruit
at the outset of his military career
with donkey free. But his rifle the
soldier must provide himself, as he
must also maintain his donkey.