The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-09-21

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. d. c.
A Christian nation when our ances-
tors were floundering In paganism,
now as for centuries an African en-
pire-one of the three or four remain
ing empires of the world-and the
only bit of land on the great CONT
nent Of Africa, with the exception OF
the little republic Of Liberia, which
has not been made a possession or a
protectorate Of q European power
such is Abyssinia, little heard Of In
the worlds affairs, but possessing a
history and a promise Of future
economic importance which make it
deserve a different fate.
| The country owes its independence
In large part both directly and indi-
rectly to its geographical environment.
Set upon great plateau, 1t Is nat
ural fortress; and while the natives of
most other sections Of tropical Africa
dwell in enervating jungles or inhos-
pitable deserts, the people Of Abys-
sinia, thanks to their altitude, fertile
soil and temperate conditions in gen.
eral, have an invig0rating climate and
land literally Of milk and honey"
A situation near Arabia and Palestine,
too, has drawn Arabian and Jewish
blood to Abyssinia and has given the
people of the country racial advan-
tage which the African tribes of pure
negro blood have not had.
But while geographical situation has
In many ways been an advantage to
Abyssinia, it has brought its disad-
vantages also. Without access to the
sea for centuries, the Abyssinians, held
to their inland tahlelands without
contact with the outside world, failed
to make the most of their possession
Of a lofty religion and an early start
toward civilization, and have re-
manned a semibarbaric people. 1t is
perhaps remarkable that, isolated as
they were, they maintained their Chris
tianity in any recognizable form. OBJ
servers marvel at the fact that the
principal tenets and observances of
the faith are practically pure rather
than at the growth beside them Of
certain superstitions and laxities.
Cut of From Sea and Nile.
AS the situation now stands, Abys-
sinia is entirely cut off from the sea
and the Nile by the colonies of Euro
pean powers; Italian Eritrea, French
Somaliland and British Somaliland on
the north; Italian Somaliland on the
east; British East Africa on the south
and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ON the
west. But this is mere holding of
the gates by new keepers; since the
rise Of Mohammedan power in the
Near East the country has been cut
off about equally as effectively by
various Mohammedan tribes. Those
people of Arabian blood were able to
take possession of the low desert
lands. but on their invigorating high
lands the Abyssinians were, with rare
exceptions, masters.
Abyssinia Is more than twice the
size of the German republic and of
about the area of California, Oregon
and Nevada together The country
lies in the same latitude as Venezuela
and the southern islands of the Philip
pines, well in the tropics; but because
OF Its general high elevation it has.
like Mexico, much cooler and more
healthful climate than its proximity
to the equator would indicate.
These highlands are from 5000 to
5000 feet above the sea. Their roll.
Ing prairies are well watered and have
a good growth Of grass. The climate
on these uplands is superb. and IL one
desires cooler surroundings there are
mountain chains rising from the pla-
teau in almost all sections of the coun-
try. Some Of these mountains reach
q height Of 1900 Zee: and are topped
BY perpetual snow. Irrigation could
be practiced in Abyssinia to great adj
vantage, but the utilization of the
abundant water supply in that way
seems never to have entered tho minds
Of the natives.
Canyons and Deep Valleys.
The great amount of water which
'uns down from the Abyssinian noun
aims has carved gigantic gorges
through the tablelands, some OF
which, in depth at least. rival the
irc-- canyon of the Colorado. The
'or-- Vt the Blue Nile which flows for
more than half its length through
Abyssinia is from 5000 to 5000 feet
leep In places. The material washed
rom this remote chasm has played an
important part, incidentally. in the
history of the world. Ground into silt |
md deposited through the centuries
md millenniums in the lower valley |
II the Nile, 1t produced there garden
nnf IN