"May the guests of the Negoos come quickly!--all is prepared for their
reception," was the message received early the ensuing morning from the
old governor, to whom our party stood specially consigned by the king,
and who was, moreover, an acquaintance made in the late expedition,
where he had appeared in capacity of "wobo," or general commanding the
rear guard. After ascending the steep face of the mountain, and
gradually turning the shoulder of the range, we reached his residence,
occupying the summit of a steep hill, well fortified with palisades and
wicker-work. A deep grove of tall trees on the opposite eminence
concealed the monastery of Kasaiyat, famous as the depository of the
chronicles of Saint Eustathius, and beyond, a wild tract of forest land,
intersected by serpentine rivers, stretched away to the blue hills of
Efrata and Worra Kaloo.
Approaching the residence of Ayto Tsanna, I caused a salute to be fired
in his honour by our escort; and being forthwith ushered into his
presence, we found the kind-hearted and hospitable veteran seated in the
inner porch of his spacious house, where skins had been spread for our
accommodation. Nothing could surpass the munificence of our reception.
Bread, honey, butter, hydromel, beer, poultry, and eggs, were supplied
in princely abundance, whilst oxen and sheep were slaughtered for the
use of the followers, and corn and grass supplied to the numerous train
of horses and mules. A spacious domicile was provided, in which, after
a fire had been lighted to dislodge evil spirits, our repast was spread;
and during the greater portion of the afternoon the liberal and
intelligent host continued to witness the drill of the artillery escort,
performed at his special request, and to converse with evident
satisfaction on the manufactures of Europe, specimens of some of which
he had most unwillingly accepted.
Messengers were in the mean time despatched to five subordinate
governors, with orders to assemble their quotas on the morrow for the
purpose of hunting. The _tooltoola_ resounded through the neighbouring
districts to summon young and old; and in imitation of the royal
proclamations, the mandate went forth by the herald, "that all who
should fail to repair to the wilderness on the day appointed would be
held to have forfeited their property during seven years." The son of
the host, a tall handsome youth, wearing gay necklaces of beads and a
streaming white feather in token of his achievements performed during
the recent foray, had been specially charged with the entertainment of
our followers; and the strength of the potent old hydromel, no less than
the liberality with which it had been dispensed, were but too evident
upon the majority ere the night fell. Loquacity increased with each
additional _gumbo_ that was drained, and loud and boisterous were the
praises of the good cheer within the chieftain's hall.
Amongst the visitors who flocked to behold the white strangers, was a
monk from the adjacent monastery, who proved deeply versed in
traditionary lore. It was diverting to listen to the arguments adduced
by the holy father against the projected hostilities, and one anecdote
considerably staggered the faith reposed by the governor in their
success. "In ancient days," quoth the recluse, "one of the most
powerful monarchs of Ethiopia, whose name I have forgotten, made war
against the elephants with his whole army. The king of the elephants
being sore pressed, took unto himself a mouse to wife, and herein he
displayed his wisdom and sagacity. The mice espousing the quarrel of
their noble kin, entered the imperial storehouses in a countless body--
devoured all the shields, harness, accoutrements, and leather, in a
single night, and thus utterly defeated the project of the king of
kings."
The Amhara possess a most indifferent idea of woodcraft, and never
venture to attack a wild beast unless on horseback, in bodies consisting
of several hundred warriors, armed with every available weapon, when,
according to the approved system of Abyssinian bullying, the animal is
sometimes worried to death. But these expeditions are generally
undertaken with little success, and seldom terminate without many fatal
accidents. He who hurls the first successful spear is entitled to an
honorary reward from the king, and to a triumph in the capital, which is
attended with ceremonies and rejoicings similar to those that celebrate
the return of the murderous foray against the heathen Galla. Owing to
the excess of cultivation on the highlands, Shoa generally presents a
peculiar deficiency of objects worthy of the chase; baboons and monkeys,
it has been seen, are royal game; badgers are believed to be the
"Devil's flock," and are therefore studiously shunned; and hyenas,
although occasionally destroyed, are in many parts of the country
suffered to multiply to an alarming extent, from the existing
superstition that Jewish sorcerers descend from the mountains during the
night, and transform themselves into the likeness of these animals,
whence there could be no good result from their destruction.
Neither journey or hunting is ever undertaken without propitious omens,
and should these be wanting, the Amhara will retrace his steps on any
pretext, and patiently await the welcome sign. The sight of the unclean
hare is sufficient to shake the stoutest nerves. An antelope bounding
across the path augurs favourably to success in any undertaking. A fox
barking on the left hand destroys all hope of a happy result, but on the
right hand a prosperous issue may with confidence be anticipated. The
appearance of a white buzzard prognosticates good or evil according to
the position of the tail, and chief of all the numerous birds of ill
omen is the "Goorameila." [Lanius humeralis. Lath.] Death or the most
dire disaster, is certain to follow his portentous croak; and there is
no inhabitant throughout the realm who has not some tale to record in
confirmation of the fatal character of this ominous shrike. That
foolhardy wight who giveth no heed to the warning note of coming
misfortune has never yet been known to escape. He is either balked in
the object of his journey, pillaged, maltreated, or murdered. The omens
must in this instance have proved favourable. Under the personal
guidance of the host, whose hospitality increased rather than abated, we
repaired, on the afternoon of the second day's festivities, to Manya--a
village occupying the high promontory of table-land immediately opposite
to our former encampment at Zumbo. It overlooked the wide extent of
wilderness which was to form the scene of operations on the morrow, but
among which it was deemed unsafe to sojourn, as well on account of the
wild beasts, as of the constant hostile inroads of the Galla and Adaiel.
The route wound by a gradual descent over the Kokfari mountain, so
named from the numerous red-legged partridges, the size of a
guinea-fowl, with which the coverts swarm--thick copses of brushwood and
heather, interlaced with dog-roses, eglantine, and bramble, affording
the most alluring shelter in the vicinity of abundant grain and water.
Beneath the moss-grown branches of a silvery "woira," which leaned its
venerable form over the hill-side fronting the church dedicated to
Emanuel, stood a miniature imitation of the sacred edifice, erected
according to wont upon a pile of stones. Bread, grain, rags, and
feathers, were industriously heaped upon this idol by every passer by,
and the kiss was imprinted with fervent devotion upon the rough stem of
the tree around which the old governor, dismounting from his mule,
fastened a strip of cloth as a votive offering. On reaching our
destination, which by certain of the followers who had sacrificed too
liberally to the jolly god was accomplished with no ordinary difficulty,
several muskets and matchlocks were discharged from the verge of the
cliff, to give notice of our arrival to the Gille and Soopa, two
tributary clans, occupying the low country, who, in obedience to the
summons of the preceding day, were already assembled on the confines of
the hunting ground.
From the Rasa hills, the residence of the formidable Anbassa Ali, whose
domains bound the wilderness of Giddem, Mount Azulo did not appear to be
more than one day's journey; and the Hawash, which is said to flow round
its base, could be distinctly traced in its course through the hot Adel
plains, by the dark line of trees that fringe the banks. The mountain
itself, although far beyond the dominions of Shoa, is renowned as the
most sacred seat of monkery. Continually emitting volumes of dark
smoke, its only inhabitants are Christian friars, who, despising the
world and its vanities, retire thither, unmolested by Galla or
Mohammadan, to spend their days in blissful peace and seclusion.
Universally looked upon as sorcerers, they are believed to live on the
most social terms with the lions and wild goats which share the retreat,
and the tale assigns to the holy fathers an exclusive subsistence upon
fruits, and herbs, and roots, which, together with a pair of wings, are
freely furnished them from Heaven; but it is certain that none who have
yet returned from the pilgrimage have brought back their feathered
appendages,--whilst their lank figure and their sunken eye have
betokened rather the toil of the weary wayfarer than the high enjoyment
of Elysian feasts.
Volume Two, Chapter XXXIX.