a voyage to abyssinia-第8章

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wealth　in　costly　ornaments　for　the　churches　and　vessels　for　the　altars。　　It　is　true　that　this　people　has　a　natural　disposition　to　goodness；　they　are　very　liberal　of　their　alms；　they　much　frequent　their　churches；　and　are　very　studious　to　adorn　them；　they　practise　fasting　and　other　mortifications；　and　notwithstanding　their　separation　from　the　Roman　Church；　and　the　corruptions　which　have　crept　into　their　faith；　yet　retain　in　a　great　measure　the　devout　fervour　of　the　primitive　Christians。　　There　never　were　greater　hopes　of　uniting　this　people　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　which　their　adherence　to　the　Eutichian　heresy　has　made　very　difficult；　than　in　the　time　of　Sultan　Segued；　who　called　us　into　his　dominions　in　the　year　1625；　from　whence　we　were　expelled　in　1634。　　As　I　have　lived　a　long　time　in　this　country；　and　borne　a　share　in　all　that　has　passed；　I　will　present　the　reader　with　a　short　account　of　what　I　have　observed；　and　of　the　revolution　which　forced　us　to　abandon　Aethiopia；　and　destroyed　all　our　hopes　of　reuniting　this　kingdom　with　the　Roman　Church。

The　empire　of　Abyssinia　hath　been　one　of　the　largest　which　history　gives　us　an　account　of：　　it　extended　formerly　from　the　Red　Sea　to　the　kingdom　of　Congo；　and　from　Egypt　to　the　Indian　Sea。　　It　is　not　long　since　it　contained　forty　provinces；　but　is　now　not　much　bigger　than　all　Spain；　and　consists　but　of　five　kingdoms　and　six　provinces；　of　which　part　is　entirely　subject　to　the　Emperor；　and　part　only　pays　him　some　tribute；　or　acknowledgment　of　dependence；　either　voluntarily　or　by　compulsion。　　Some　of　these　are　of　very　large　extent：　　the　kingdoms　of　Tigre；　Bagameder；　and　Goiama　are　as　big　as　Portugal；　or　bigger；　Amhara　and　Damote　are　something　less。　　The　provinces　are　inhabited　by　Moors；　Pagans；　Jews；　and　Christians：　　the　last　is　the　reigning　and　established　religion。　　This　diversity　of　people　and　religion　is　the　reason　that　the　kingdom　in　different　parts　is　under　different　forms　of　government；　and　that　their　laws　and　customs　are　extremely　various。

The　inhabitants　of　the　kingdom　of　Amhara　are　the　most　civilised　and　polite；　and　next　to　them　the　natives　of　Tigre；　or　the　true　Abyssins。　The　rest；　except　the　Damotes；　the　Gasates；　and　the　Agaus；　which　approach　somewhat　nearer　to　civility；　are　entirely　rude　and　barbarous。　　Among　these　nations　the　Galles；　who　first　alarmed　the　world　in　1542；　have　remarkably　distinguished　themselves　by　the　ravages　they　have　committed；　and　the　terror　they　have　raised　in　this　part　of　Africa。　　They　neither　sow　their　lands　nor　improve　them　by　any　kind　of　culture；　but；　living　upon　milk　and　flesh；　encamp　like　the　Arabs　without　any　settled　habitation。　　They　practise　no　rites　of　worship；　though　they　believe　that　in　the　regions　above　there　dwells　a　Being　that　governs　the　world：　　whether　by　this　Being　they　mean　the　sun　or　the　sky　is　not　known；　or；　indeed；　whether　they　have　not　some　conception　of　the　God　that　created　them。　　This　deity　they　call　in　their　language　Oul。　　In　other　matters　they　are　yet　more　ignorant；　and　have　some　customs　so　contrary　even　to　the　laws　of　nature；　as　might　almost　afford　reason　to　doubt　whether　they　are　endued　with　reason。　　The　Christianity　professed　by　the　Abyssins　is　so　corrupted　with　superstitions；　errors；　and　heresies；　and　so　mingled　with　ceremonies　borrowed　from　the　Jews；　that　little　besides　the　name　of　Christianity　is　to　be　found　here；　and　the　thorns　may　be　said　to　have　choked　the　grain。　　This　proceeds　in　a　great　measure　from　the　diversity　of　religions　which　are　tolerated　there；　either　by　negligence　or　from　motives　of　policy；　and　the　same　cause　hath　produced　such　various　revolutions；　revolts；　and　civil　wars　within　these　later　ages。　　For　those　different　sects　do　not　easily　admit　of　an　union　with　each　other；　or　a　quiet　subjection　to　the　same　monarch。　The　Abyssins　cannot　properly　be　said　to　have　either　cities　or　houses；　they　live　either　in　tents；　or　in　cottages　made　of　straw　and　clay；　for　they　very　rarely　build　with　stone。　　Their　villages　or　towns　consist　of　these　huts；　yet　even　of　such　villages　they　have　but　few；　because　the　grandees；　the　viceroys；　and　the　Emperor　himself　are　always　in　the　camp；　that　they　may　be　prepared；　upon　the　most　sudden　summons；　to　go　where　the　exigence　of　affairs　demands　their　presence。　And　this　precaution　is　no　more　than　necessary　for　a　prince　every　year　engaged　either　in　foreign　wars　or　intestine　commotions。　　These　towns　have　each　a　governor；　whom　they　call　gadare；　over　whom　is　the　educ；　or　lieutenant；　and　both　accountable　to　an　officer　called　the　afamacon；　or　mouth　of　the　King；　because　he　receives　the　revenues；　which　he　pays　into　the　hands　of　the　relatinafala；　or　grand　master　of　the　household：　　sometimes　the　Emperor　creates　a　ratz；　or　viceroy；　general　over　all　the　empire；　who　is　superior　to　all　his　other　officers。

Aethiopia　produces　very　near　the　same　kinds　of　provisions　as　Portugal；　though；　by　the　extreme　laziness　of　the　inhabitants；　in　a　much　less　quantity：　　however；　there　are　some　roots；　herbs；　and　fruits　which　grow　there　much　better　than　in　other　places。　　What　the　ancients　imagined　of　the　torrid　zone　being　uninhabitable　is　so　far　from　being　true；　that　this　climate　is　very　temperate：　　the　heats；　indeed；　are　excessive　in　Congo　and　Monomotapa；　but　in　Abyssinia　they　enjoy　a　perpetual　spring；　more　delicious　and　charming　than　that　in　our　country。　　The　blacks　here　are　not　ugly　like　those　of　the　kingdoms　I　have　spoken　of；　but　have　better　features；　and　are　not　without　wit　and　delicacy；　their　apprehension　is　quick；　and　their　judgment　sound。　　The　heat　of　the　sun；　however　it　may　contribute　to　their　colour；　is　not　the　only　reason　of　it；　there　is　some　peculiarity　in　the　temper　and　constitution　of　their　bodies；　since　the　same　men；　transported　into　cooler　climates；　produce　children　very　near　as　black　as　themselves。

They　have　here　two　harvests　in　the　year；　which　is　a　sufficient　recompense　for　the　small　produce　of　each；　one　harvest　they　have　in　the　winter；　which　lasts　through　the　months　of　July；　August；　and　September；　the　other　in　the　spring；　their　trees　are　always　green；　and　it　is　the　fault　of　the　inhabitants　that　they　produce　so　little　fruit；　the　soil　being　well　adapted　to　all　sorts；　especially　those　that　come　from　the　Indies。　　They　have　in　the　greatest　plenty　raisins；　peaches；　sour　pomegranates；　and　sugarcanes；　and　some　figs。　Most　of　these　are　ripe　about　Lent；　which　the　Abyssins　keep　with　great　strictness。

After　the　vegetable　products　of　this　country；　it　seems　not　improper　to　mention　the　animals　which　are　found　in　it；　of　which　here　are　as　great　numbers；　of　as　many　different　species；　as　in　any　country　in　the　world：　　it　is　infested　with　lions　of　many　kinds；　among　which　are　many　of　that　which　is　called　the　lion　royal。　　I　cannot　help　giving　the　reader　on　this　occasion　a　relation　of　a　fact　which　I　was　an　eye…　witness　of。　　A　lion　having　taken　his　haunt　near　the　place　where　I　lived；　killed　all　the　oxen　and　cows；　and　did　a　great　deal　of　other　mischief；　of　which　I　heard　new　complaints　every　day。　　A　servant　of　mine　having　taken　a　resolution　to　free　the　country　from　this　destroyer；　went　out　one　day　with　two　lances；　and　after　he　had　been　some　time　in　quest　of　him；　found　him　with　his　mouth　all　smeared　with　the　blood　of　a　cow　he　had　just　devoured；　the　man　rushed　upon　him；　and　thrust　his　lance　into　his　throat　with　such　violence　that　it　came　out　between　his　shoulders；　the　beast；　with　one　dreadful　roar；　fell　down　into　a　pit；　and　lay　struggling；　till　my　servant　despatched　him。　I　measured　the　body　of　this　lion；　and　found　him　twelve　feet　between　the　head　and　the　tail。



Chapter　II



The　animals　of　Abyssinia；　the　elephant；　unicorn；　their　horses　and　cows；　with　a　particular　account　of　the　moroc。


There　are　so　great　numbers　of　elephants　in　Abyssinia　that　in　one　evening　we　met　three　hundred　of　them　in　three　troops：　　as　they　filled　up　the　whole　way；　we　were　in　great　perplexity　a　long　time　what　measures　to　take；　at　length；　having　implored　the　protection　of　that　Providence　that　superintends　the　whole　creation；　we　went　forwards　through　the　midst　of　them　without　any　injury。　　Once　we　met　four　young　elephants；　and　an　old　one　that　played　with　them；　lifting　them　up　with　her　trunk；　they　grew　enraged　on　a　sudden；　and　ran　upon　us：　　we　had　no　way　of　securing　ourselves　but　by　flight；　which；　however；　would　have　been　fruitless；　had　not　our　pursuers　been　stopped　by　a　deep　ditch。　　The　elephants　of　Aethiopia　are　of　so　stupendous　a　size；　that　when　I　was　mounted　on　a　large　mule　I　could　not　reach　with　my　hand　within　two　spans　of　the　top　of　their　backs。　In　Abyssinia　is　likewise　found　the　rhinoceros；　a　mortal　enemy　to　the　elephant。　　In　the　province　of　Agaus　has　been　seen　the　unicorn；　that　beast　so　much　talked　of；　and　so　little　known：　　the　prodigious　swiftness　with　which　this　creature　runs　from　one　wood　into　another　has　given　me　no　opportunity　of　examining　it　particularly；　yet　I　have　had　so　near　a　sight　of　it　as　to　be　able　to　give　some　description　of　it。　　The　shape　is　the　same　with　that　of　a　beautiful　horse；　exact　and　nicely　proportioned；　of　a　bay　colour；　with　a　black　tail；　which　in　some　provinces　is　long；　in　others　very　short：　　some　have　long　manes　hanging　to　the　ground。　　They　are　so　timorous　that　they　never　feed　but　surrounded　with　other　beasts　that　defend　them。　　Deer　and　other　defenceless　animals　often　herd　about　the　elephant；　which；　contenting　himself　with　roots　and　leaves；　preserves　those　beasts　that　place　themselves；　as　it　were；　under　his　protection；　from　the　rage　and　fierceness　of　others　that　would　devour　them。

The　horses　of　Abyssinia　are　excellent；　their　mules；　oxen；　and　cows　are　without　number；　and　in　these　principally　consists　the　wealth　of　this　country。　　They　have　a　very　particular　custom；　which　obliges　every　man　that　hath　a　thousand　cows　to　save　every　year　one　day's　milk　of　all　his　herd；　and　make　a　bath　with　it　for　his　relations；　entertaining　them　afterwards　with　a　splendid　feast。　　This　they　do　so　many　days　each　year；　as　they　have　thousands　of　cattle；　so　that　to　express　how　rich　any　man　is；　they　tell　you　he　bathes　so　many　times。　The　tribute　paid　out　of　their　herds　to　the　King；　which　is　not　the　most　inconsiderable　of　his　revenues；　is　one　cow　in　ten　every　three　years。　　The　beeves　are　of　several　kinds；　one　sort　they　have　without　horns；　which　are　of　no　other　use　than　to　carry　burthens；　and　serve　instead　of　mules。　　Another　twice　as　big　as　ours　which　they　breed　to　kill；　fattening　them　with　the　milk　of　three　or　four　cows。　　Their　horns　are　so　large；　the　inhabitants　use　them　for　pitchers；　and　each　will　hold　about　five　gallons。　　One　of　these　oxen；　fat　and　ready　to　be　killed；　may　be　bought　at　most　for　two　crowns。　　I　have　purchased　five　sheep；　or　five　goats　with　nine　kids；　for　a　piece　of　calico　worth　about　a　crown。

The　Abyssins　have　many　sort　of　fowls　both　wild　and　tame；　some　of　the　former　we　are　yet　unacquainted　with：　　there　is　one　of　wonderful　beauty；　which　I　have　seen　in　no　other　place　except　Peru：　　it　has　instead　of　a　comb；　a　short　horn　upon　its　head；　which　is　thick　and　round；　and　open　at　the　top。　　The　feitan　favez；　or　devil's　horse；　looks　at　a　distance　like　a　man　dressed　in　feathers；　it　walks　with　abundance　of　majesty；　till　it　finds　itself　pursued；　and　then　takes　wing；　and　flies　away。　　But　amongst　all　their　birds　there　is　none　more　remarkable　than　the　moroc；　or　h