Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/65

ABYSSINIA 45 various portions of the table land above the sea, each zone of elevation being characterized to some extent by its own particular fauna. It is a noteworthy fact that many of the mammals common to other countries are here distinguished by a much bolder demeanor toward man than that which, they exhibit elsewhere. Elephants are numerous near the coast, and go up to the highlands, even 8,000 ft. above the sea, in the summer months; though the rhinoceros, only one variety of which (R. Tceitloa) is met with, does not range higher than 5,000 ft. Many of the elephants are tuskless, but they are all active and sav- age. The rhinoceros is the black, two-horned species, and feeds on foliage, seldom eating grass. Of the cat tribe, there are at least three species in addition to the Abyssinian lion. The spotted hyaena (H. crocuta) and two spe- cies of jackal are exceedingly common. Of the quadrumana, the great dog-faced baboon (cynocepJialus hamadryas) is found almost everywhere. That peculiar little pachyderm, the hyrax, inhabits its favorite haunts among the rocks at almost every elevation in Abys- sinia from 2,000 ft. above the sea upward. The ornithology of Abyssinia is rich in species, no fewer than 293 having been described by Blanford. Among the birds of prey are found the eagle, the vultux-e, and the handsome Abys- sinian lammergeyer, as well as numerous fal- cons and kestrels. Honey birds, starlings of beautiful plumage, crows, pigeons, several varieties of the cuckoo, swallows, larks, par- tridges, geese, ducks, and guinea fowls abound. "With the exception of lizards, there do not seem to be many reptiles in the highlands. A tree snake, a viper, and several other species of ser- pent occur ; two species of tortoise, and frogs and toads in large numbers, are also met with. The crocodile and python inhabit the trop- ical districts. The agricultural products of the country have already been enumerated. The vegetation of the coast lowlands consists prin- cipally of acacias, which are replaced by syca- mores, dahros (ficus religiosa), and mimosse, in ascending toward the interior. In the pass- es, the beautiful candelabra tree (euphorbia Abyssinica) is found. At an elevation of 6,000 ft. occur juniper trees, which here grow tall and large, the jujube, wild olives, and sev- eral trees of the fig tribe. This vegetation is sub-alpine, and common to the plateaux. The flora of the higher regions is characteristic of the temperate zone, the only tree being the juniper, which grows merely as a bush on the loftier mountain sides and summits, together with lavender, thyme, gentian, and the wild rose. Large dahro trees are generally found about the villages, and a variety of willow oc - curs near streams and in damp places; but though there are some trees on the plains be- low the plateaux, low bushes form the greater proportion of their vegetation. In fact, the only thickly wooded localities are the gorges and ravines. Each of the three principal polit- ical divisions of Abyssinia, Tigre , Amhara, and Shoa, is subdivided into numerous smaller provinces. Formerly the rulers of these three sovereignties were subject to the monarch of the country, but on the decline of the central power in the last century they became practi- cally independent. The town of Adowa, with about 8,000 inhabitants, is the metropolis of Tigr6. Gondar, the seat of government in Am- hara, and formerly the residence of the Abys- sinian kings, is situated in the district of Dem- bea, N. of the Tzana lake, and has a population estimated at 50,000. Ankobar, a town con- taining about 12,000 people, is the present capital of Shoa. The inhabitants of Abyssinia are usually classed into : 1, the Ethiopic people of Tigre, speaking a corrupt form of the ancient Geez language; 2, the Amharic tribes, living in Amhara and Shoa ; 3, the Agows, of Wag, Lasta, and other provinces, who are by some conjectured to be of Pho3nician origin. Be- sides these are the Gallas who have settled in Amhara and Shoa. Coptic Christianity is the prevailing faith, but there are many Moham- medan and Jewish communities. (See ABYS- SINIAN CHURCH.) In point of morality, the latter are generally superior to the Christians. Education is confined almost solely to those intended for the church. Superstition is widely prevalent, and the people are strongly addicted to sensuality and bloodshed. Many peculiar customs prevail, and something of a literature once existed ; but the effect of the long series of civil wars has been to render Abyssinian civ- ilization unworthy of the name. Latterly the rule of the lesser chiefs throughout the country has been the only government of any stability. -The history of Abyssinia surpasses in inter- est that of any other country of Africa except Egypt. Its earliest traditions concern the queen of Sheba, who is said to have ruled over the powerful kingdom of Axum, holding her court at the town of that name, whence she proceeded on her celebrated visit to Solomon. All subsequent legitimate rulers of the nation or of the larger states have claimed to be de- scended from her. About A. D. 320 the pa- triarch of Alexandria consecrated Frumentius bishop of Abyssinia. Through his efforts and those of his successors, all of whom bore the title of abuna salamah (our father of peace), the Coptic church was firmly established. In 522 Caleb, then the reigning sovereign of Axum, led an army into Arabia and subjugated the kingdom of Yemen. The reign of Caleb is described as the golden age of Abyssinian his- tory, during which a high degree of internal and commercial prosperity was attained ; but the Mohammedan invasion of Egypt in the 7th century checked the inflow of civilization from the outer world, and brought the progress of the country to a standstill. For nearly 1,000 years Ethiopia was isolated by the surrounding barriers of Islam. About 1492 Pedro de Covil- ham, who had been sent to the East by King John II. of Portugal in search of the land of