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it does not appear how any of them could die afterwards, either by the finall-pox or meafles. All that is material, however, to us, in this fact, is, that the time of the fiege of Mecca will be the æra of the first appearance of that terrible disease, the mall-pox, which we shall fet down about the year 356; and it is highly probable, from other circumftances, that the Abyffinian army was the firft victim to it.

As for the church Abreha built near the Indian ocean, it continued free from any further infult till the Mahometan conqueft of Arabia Felix, when it was finally deftroyed in the Khalifat of Omar. This is the Abyffinian account, and this the Arabian history of the War of the Elephant, which are ftated as found in the books of the most credible writers of thofe times.

The remainder of Mr. Bruce's first volume is occupied with the following fubjects Perfecution of the Chriftians in Arabia by the Jews-Their defeat by the Abyllinians-Mahomet's Pretenfion to a divine Miffion-Opinion refpecting the Koran-Revolution under Judith, queen of the Abyffinian Jews-And, Reftoration of the line of Solomon from Shoa.

Mr. Bruce opens his fecond volume with a tranflation of the annals of Abyffinia, including a hiftory of that country from the restoration of the line of Solomon, to the period of Mr. Bruce's arrival in Abyffinia.

In the reign of Yafous I. which continued from 1680 to 1704, we find a fingular mark of condefcenfion, which, it feems, however natural, had never occurred before.

"Attended only by his nobility, of whom a great number had flocked to him, he fat down at the foot of the mountain of Wechné, and ordered all the princes of the royal family who were banished, and confined there, to be brought to him.

"During the laft reign, the mountain of Wechne, and thofe forlorn princes that lived upon it, had been, as it were, totally forgotten *. Hannes having fons of an age fit to govern, and his

It is a cuftom in Abyffinia to confine all the younger branches of the royal family to fome mountain; from whence a fucceffor to the crown is called, fometimes as policy

eldeft fon Yafous living below with his father, no room feemed to remain for attempting a revolution, by the young candidates efcaping from the mountain. This oblivion to which they were configned, melancholy as it was, proved the beft ftate thefe unhappy prifoners could have wished; for to be much known for either good or bad qualities, did always at fome period become fatal to the individuals. Punishment always followed inquiries after a particular prince; and all meffages, questions, or vifits, at the inftance of the king, were conftantly forerunners of the loss of life, or amputation of limbs, to these unhappy exiles. To be forgotten, then, was to be fafe; but this fafety carried very heavy diftrefs along with it. Their revenues were embezzled by their officers or keepers, and ill paid by the king: and the fordid temper of Hannes had often reduced them all to the danger of perishing with hunger and cold.

"Yafous, as he was well acquainted with all thefe circumstances, fo he was, in his nature and difpofition, as perfectly willing to repair the injuries that were paft, and prevent the like in future. Nothing tended fo much to conciliate the minds of the people to their fovereign as this behaviour of Yafous.

"In the midft of his relations there now appeared (as rifen from the dead) Claudius, fon of Socinios, the first exile who was fent to the mountain of Wechné by his brother Facilidas, grandfather of Yafous.

"There came from the mountain also the fons of Facilidas, with their families; and likewife his own brothers, Ayto Theophilus, and Ayto Claudius, fons of his father Hatzè Hannes. The fight of fo many noble relations, fome advanced in years, fome in the flower of their youth, and some yet children; all, however, in tatters, and almoft naked, made such an impreffion on the young king, that he burst into tears. Nor was his behaviour to the respective degrees of them lefs proper or engaging. To the old he paid that reverence and refpect due to parents; to those about or as intereft prevails. In the kingdom of Senaar, all the brothers of the prince who fucceeds, are murdered, unless they are for. tunate enough to escape to Abyffinia.

his own age, a kind and liberal familiarity; while he bestowed upon the young ones careffes and commendations, fweetened with the hopes that they might fee better times.

"His first care was to provide them all plentifully with apparel and every neceffary. His brothers he dreffed like himself, and his uncles ftill more richly. He then divided a large sum of money among them all.

"In the month of December, which is the pleasanteft feafon of the whole year, the fun being moderately hot, the íky conftantly clear and without a cloud, all the court was encamped under the mountain, and the inferior fort ftrewed along the grafs. All were treated at the expence of the king, paffing the day and night in continual feftivals. It is but right, said the king, that I should pay for a pleasure, fo great that none of my predeceffors ever dared to tafte it; and of all that noble affembly, none feemed to enjoy it more fincerely than the king. All pardons folicited for criminals at this time were granted. In this manner having spent a whole month, before his departure the king called for the deftar, (i. e. the treasury book) in which the account of the fum allowed for the maintenance of thefe prifoners is stated; and having inquired trictly into the expenditure, and cancelled all grants that had been made of any part of that fum to others, and provided in future for the full, as well as yearly payment of it, he, for his last act, gave to the governor of the mountain Jarge acceffion of territory, to make him ample amends for the lofs of the dues he was understood to be intitled to from, that revenue. After this, he embraced them all, affuring them of his conftant protection; and, mounting his horfe, he took the keeper along with him, leaving all the royal family at their liberty at the foot of the mountain.

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"This laft mark of confidence, more than all the reft, touched the minds of that noble troop, who hurried every Iman with his utmoft fpeed to restore themfelves voluntarily to their melancholy prifon, imputing every moment of delay as a flep towards treafon and ingratitude to their munificent, compaffionate, and magnanimous benefactor. All their way was moistened YOL. II.

with tears flowing from fenfible and thankful hearts; and all the mountain refounded with prayers for the long life and profperity of the king, and that the crown might never leave the lineal defcendants of his family. It was very remarkable, that, during this long reign, though he was conftantly involved in war, no competitor from the mountain ever appeared in breach of thofe vows they had fo voluntarily undertaken.".

We cannot pass over a fingular inftance of exceffive affection which Yafous discovered for his mistress, Ozoro Keduftè. "It happened, while he was watching the motions of the Galla, news were brought that Ozoro Kęduftè had been taken ill of a fever; and though, upon this intelligence, he dif posed his affairs fo as to return with all poffible expedition, yet when he came to Bercanté, the lady's houfe, he found that he was not only dead, but had been for fome time buried. All his prefence of mind now left him; he fell into the most violent transport of wild defpair, and, ordering her tomb to be opened, he went down into it, taking his three fons along with him, and became fo frantic at the fight of the corpfe, that it was with the utmost difficulty, he could be forced again to leave the fepulchre. He returned first to Gondar, then he retired to an island in the lake Tzana, there to mourn his lost mistress.

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"It has been faid, contrary to all truth, by those who have wrote travels, into this country, that fons born in marriage had the fame preference in fucceffion as they have in other countries, But this, as I have said, is entirely without foundation for, in the first place, there is no fuch thing as a regular marriage in Abyffinia; all confifts in mere confent of parties, But, allowing this to be regular, not only natural children, that is, thofe born in concubinage where no marriage was in contemplation; and adulterous baftards, that is, the fons of unmarried women by married men; and all manner of fons whatever, fucceed equally as well to the crown as to private inheritance; and there cannot be a more clear example of this than in the prefent king, who, although he had a fon,

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Tecla Haimanout, born of the queen Malacotawit in wedlock, was yet fucceeded by three baftard brothers, all fons of Yafous, born in adultery, that is, in the life of the queen. David and Hannes were fons of the king by his favourite Ozoro Keduftè; Bacuffa, by another lady of quality.

"Although the queen, Malacotawit, had paffed over with feeming indifference the preference the king had given his mistress, Ozoro Keduftè, during her lifetime, yet, from a very anaccountable kind of jealoufy, the could not forgive thofe violent tokens of affection the king had fhewn after her death, by going down with his fons and remaining with the body in the grave. Full of refentment for this, the had perfuaded her fon, Tecla Haimanout, that Yafous had determined to deprive him of his fucceffion, to fend him and her, his mother, both to Wechnè, and place his baftard brother, David, fon of Ozoro Keduftè, upon the throne.

"It was therefore agreed to fend a meffage to Yafous by a common foldier, informing him, that he would do well to retire to fome convent for the remainder of his life, and leave the government in the hands of his fon Tecla Haimanout. The anfwer of Yafous may be eafily conceived; he advanced, at the head of his army, to quell this infurrection; but in his march through the low country of Dembea, was at tacked by a putrid fever. This fufpended his operation; and the queen, hearing of the circumftance, privately dispatched two of her brothers, Dermin and Paulus, properly attended, to the place where the king lay ill, two of whom hot and difabled him while fitting on a couch, while Dermin thrust him through with a sword.”

Haimanout, in his turn, after reigning two years, was affaffinated by the friends of Yafous, while on a hunting party; in confequence of which, The ophilus, brother to the late king Yafous, was chofen to reign.

Theophilus, a few days after his coronation, having called the whole court and clergy together, declared to them, that his faith upon the difputable point concerning our Saviour's incar nation was different from that of his brother Yafous, or that of his nephew

Tecla Haimanout, but in every respect conformable to that of the monks of Gojam, followers of Abba Euftathius, and that of the iteghè, Malacotawit, Dermin, and Paulus. A violent cla mour was inftantly raifed against the king by the priests of Debra Libanos, as having forfaken the religious principles of his predeceffors. But the king was inflexible; and this ingratiated him more with the inhabitants of Gojam. Not many days after, the king arrested the mafter of the horfe, Johannes Palambaras, the Betwudet Tigi, and several others, all fuppofed to be coneerned in the murder of the late king, and confined them in several places and prifons.

"This laft action of the king entirely relieved the minds of all the friends of Tecla Haimanout from any further fear of being called to account for the murder of Yafous; and, in confequence of this, the queen Malocotawit, with her brothers Dermin and Paulus, and all the murderers of the late king Yafous, came to Gondar that fame winter to do homage to Theophi lus, whom they now thought their greatest protector.

"But the wife and fagasious king had kept his fecret in his own bofom. All his behaviour hitherto had been only diffimulation, to induce his brother's murderers to come within his power. And no fooner did he fee that he had fucceeded in this, than the very first day, while they were yet at audience, he ordered an officer, in his own prefence, to arreft firft the queen, and then her two brothers Dermin and Paulus. He gave the fame directions concerning the rest of the confpirators, who were all fcattered about Gondar, eating, drinking, and fearing nothing, but rejoicing at the happy days they had promifed themfelves, and were now to fee: he ordered the whole of them, amounting to thirty-feven perfons, many of thefe of the firft rank, to be all executed that fame forenoon.

"He began with the queen, who was taken immediately from his prefence, and hanged by the common hangman on the tree before the palace gate; the firft of her rank, it is believed, that ever died fo vile a death, either in Abyffinia or any other country, the

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nanner they had ended the late King's ife, after Dermin had wounded him vith a fword. As they had committed high treason, none of the bodies of hele traitors were allowed to be buried; hey were hewn in fmall pieces with nives, and ftrewed about the ftreets, o be eat by the hyænas and dogs; moft barbarous and offenfive cuftom, o which they strictly adhere to this 'ery day."

Under the reign of the next king, Mr. Bruce takes occafion to speak of he Shangalla, a nation of blacks, who nhabit the Kolla, or low country of Abyffinia.

"The Shangalla were formerly a ery numerous people, divided into liftinct tribes, or, as it is called, diferent nations, living each separately in liftinct territories, each under the goernment of the chief of its own name, nd each family of that name under the urifdiction of its own chief, or head. "Thefe Shangalla, during the fair alf of the year, live under the fhade of rees, the lowest branches of which they ut near the stem on the upper part, and hen bend, or break them down, plantng the ends of the branches in the arth. Thefe branches they cover with he fkins of wild beafts. After this They cut away all the fmall or fuperfluus branches in the infide, and so form fpacious pavilion, which at a distance ppears like a tent, the tree ferving for The pole in the middle of it, and the arge top overfhadowing it fo as to make very picturesque appearance.

“Every tree then is a house, under which live a multitude of black inhapitants until the tropical rains begin. t is then they hunt the elephant, which hey kill by many various devices, as hey do the rhinoceros and the other arge, creatures. Thofe, who refide where water abounds, with the fame

like and molt populous part in Aby!finia. "The moft confiderable fettlement of this nation is at Amba Tzaada, between the Mareb and Tacazzè, but nearer by one-third to the Mareb, and almoft N. W. from Dobarwa. These people, who have a variety of venifon, kill it in the fair months, and hang it up, cut into thongs as thick as a man's thumb, like fo many ropes, on the trees around them. The fun dries and hardens it to a confiftence almost lik● leather, or the hardest fish fent from Newfoundland. This is their provision for the winter months: they first beat it with a wooden mallet, then boil it, after which they roaft it upon the embers; and it is hard enough after it has undergone all those operations.

"The Dobenah, the most powerful of all the Shangalla, who have a fpecies of fupremacy or command over all the reft of the nations, live altogether upon the elephant or rhinoceros. In other countries, where there is lefs water, fewer trees, and more grafs, the Shangalla feed chiefly upon more promiscu ous kinds of food, as buffaloes, deer, boars, lions, and ferpents. These are the nations nearer the Tacazze, Ras el Feel, and the plains of Sirè in Abyffinia, the chief of which nations is called Baasa. And fill farther weft of the Tacazzè, and the valley of Waldubba, is a tribe of thefe, who live chiefly upon the crocodile, hippopota mus, and other fifh; and, in the fummer, upon locufts, which they boil firft and afterwards keep dry in baskets, moft curiously made with split branches. of trees, fo clofely woven together as to contain water alnioft as well as a wooden veffel.

"This foil, called by the Abyffinians Mazaga, when wet by the tropical rains, and diffolving into mire,

being no longer tenable, they retire with their respective foods, all dried in the fun, into caves dug into the heart of the mountains, which are not in this country bafaltes, marble, or alabafter, as is all that ridge which runs down into Egypt along the fide of the Red Sea, but are of a foft, gritty, fandy ftone, easily excavated and formed into different apartments. Into these, made generally in the steepest part of the mountain, do thefe favages retire to fhun the rains, living upon the flesh they have already prepared in the fair weather.

weft, are obliged to pay a certain number of flaves.

"When a fettlement of these is furprifed, the men are all flaughtered; the women, alfo, are many of them flain, many throw themfelves down precipices, run mad, hang themfelves, or ftarve, obftinately refusing food.

"The boys and girls under feventeen and eighteen years of age, (the younger the better) are taken and educated by the king, and are fervants in all the great houfes of Abyffinia. They are inftructed early in the Chriftian religion; and the tallest, handsomest, and beft inclined, are the only fervants that attend the royal perfon in his palace.

"I cannot give over the account of the Shangalla without delivering them again out of their caves, because this return includes the hiftory of an ope- "The Shangalla have several wives, ration never heard of perhaps in Eu- and thefe very prolific. They bring rope, and by which confiderable light is forth children with the utmost eafe, and thrown upon ancient hiftory. No fooner never reft or confine themselves after does the fun pafs the zenith, going delivery, but washing themselves and fouthward, than the rains inftantly the child with cold water, they wrap it ceafe; and the thick canopy of clouds, up in a foft cloth made of the bark of which had obfcured the fky during their trees, and hang it upon a branch, that continuance, being removed, the fun the large ants, with which they are inappears in a beautiful fky of pale blue, fefted, and the ferpents may not devour dappled with fmall thin clouds, which it. After a few days, when it has gafoon after disappear, and leave the thered ftrength, the mother carries it heavens of a molt beautiful azure. A in the fame cloth upon her back, and very few days of the intenfe heat then gives it fuck with the breaft, which the dries the ground fo perfectly, that it throws over her fhoulder, this part begapes in chafms; the grafs, ftruck at ing of fuch a length as, in fome, to The roots by the rays, fupports itself no reach almost to their knees! more, but droops and becomes parched. To clear this away, the Shangalla fet fire to it, which runs with incredible violence the whole breadth of Africa, paffing under the trees, and following the dry grafs among the branches with fuch velocity as not to hurt the trees, but to occafion every leaf to fall,

"A proper diftance is preferved between each habitation, and round the principal watering-places; and here the Shangalla again fix their tents in the manner before defcribed. Nothing can be more beautiful than thefe fhady habitations; but they have this fatal effect, that they are difcernible from the high grounds, and guide their enemies to the places inhabited.

The country now cleared, the hunting begins, and, with the hunting, the danger of the Shangalla. All the governors bordering upon the country, from the Baharnagafh to the Nile on the

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"The Shangalla have but one language, and of a very guttural pronunciation. They worship various trees, ferpents, the moon, planets, and stars in certain pofitions, which I never could fo perfectly understand as to give any account of them. A ftar pafling near the horns of the moon denotes the coming of an enemy. They have priests, or rather diviners; but it should seem that thefe were looked upon as fervants of the evil-being, rather than of the good. They prophecy bad events, and think they can afflict their enemies with fick nefs, even at a distance. They generally wear copper bracelets upon their wrifts and arms..

"I have faid the Shangalla have each feveral wives. This, however, is not owing to any inordinate propensity of the men to this gratification, but to a much nobler caufe, which should make European writers, who object this to

them,

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