Staying at Angolahlah.--Waterfall into the Tcherkos river.--
Difficulty in obtaining the stores.--Journey to Ankobar.--
Female slaves of the Negoos.--Belief of the Shoan Church.--
Father Tellez.--Vegetables introduced into Shoa.
_June 1st._--This morning Capt. Harris and Mr. Scott were busily
engaged writing a strong remonstrance to the King upon the subject
of the detention of the latter in Farree, and the seizure by the
Wallasmah, of the despatches and stores. I had waived all consideration
of the indignities offered to myself, as I saw that from some
inexplicable reason Capt. Harris wished to restrict the letter to
a notice of the imprisonment of Mr. Scott; although I was rather
surprised that the letter which was written in English should be taken
by that gentleman himself, with a Persian interpreter, who spoke
Amharic very imperfectly, to explain it. However, they did not see the
Negoos, and beyond the letter being duly entered in the record-book of
the Embassy, no other steps were taken on account of the infraction
of the commercial treaty which had been entered into between Sahale
Selassee, Negoos of Shoa, and Capt. Harris, the representative of Her
Majesty at that court.
During the three succeeding days, numerous bearers brought to
Angolahlah the stores from Farree, and by orders of the Negoos all
were deposited in the palace-yard, nor was one allowed to be touched
or seen by our Ambassador. All this time I amused myself as well as I
could, reading some volumes upon African discoveries; sometimes taking
a short walk along a narrow flat through which a little meandering
stream flowed directly to the Lomee Wans, or Lemon river, which has cut
a deep and wide ravine in front of the village of Tcherkos, celebrated
as being the scene of a dreadful massacre of Christians by a rebel
governor of Shoa, named Matoka, some few years before. This ravine
extends from the south, in a direction towards the north-east, and
joins, or is continuous with that to the west of the town of Debra
Berhan, where the Barissa, in its course to the Jumma, forms, in the
rainy season, some magnificent waterfalls.
Some idea of the depth to which even these early tributaries of the
Abi (Bruce’s Nile) have denuded their channels may be derived from
the fact, that the little stream, along the banks of which I used to
direct my steps, after a course of scarcely two miles, leaps down, in
one unbroken fall, seven hundred feet to join the rivulet below, for
the Lomee Wans deserves no higher title. I can easily comprehend,
therefore, the astonishing fact that after flowing the short distance
of two hundred and fifty miles, the river Abi should be found by Dr.
Beke not more than three thousand feet above the level of the sea,
although flowing through a table land, the general elevation of which
exceeds nine thousand feet.
On the fourth morning of my stay at Angolahlah, a page came from the
King to desire Capt. Harris to attend at the palace. Shortly after this
was complied with, another summons arrived for one of the soldiers, who
was employed as a carpenter, to follow also. In about half an hour, the
whole party returned, the interpreter, Ibrahim, carrying in his cloak
the torn-up, tarpaulin-covered packages of letters. I now learnt that
the Negoos had commanded that the boxes and other things should be
burst open in his presence. This arbitrary command being immediately
complied with, after the first few were examined, he graciously gave
permission for the whole to be removed to the tents of the Embassy,
being satisfied with the willingness shown to gratify him in his most
unreasonable demands. This humiliating concession, I am convinced,
would not have been required had not the monarch felt some jealous
misgivings as to the amount of prerogative he had curtailed himself of
by attaching his signature to the treaty of commerce; the first fruits
of which had been the impolitical letter of remonstrance on a previous
occasion; the innocent writer of which, Mr. Krapf, had already been
made to feel the kingly resentment by the ill-usage that gentleman
received from the chief, Adara Billee, when he endeavoured to return to
Shoa, after an unsuccessful attempt to reach the city of Gondah.
For the future, I shall endeavour to relate the incidents of my
residence in Shoa, with as little allusion to politics as possible, but
the reader must excuse the few remarks I have already made, convinced
as I am, that the physical failure of the expedition on the western
coast of Africa, under Capt. Trotter, is much less to be regretted,
than the great moral injury the cause of African civilization and
English influence in that continent have sustained by the incapability
of one man, and the ill-judged proceedings which characterized his
ambassadorial career. I am not the proper person, however, to sit
in judgment upon any one; but I know from personal experience, that
as regards Southern Abyssinia, the merchant and the missionary must
now seek other situations for carrying out their interesting and
philanthropic projects for the regeneration of Africa.[2]
I found the weather so exceedingly cold, and the time at Angolahlah
pass so uselessly and heavily along, that I was very glad, after a
week’s stay, to be again on the road back to Ankobar. The day previous
to my leaving Angolahlah, I engaged a servant, named Walderheros,
tall, athletic, but of most ill-favoured countenance, so much so,
that “Gool,” to which eastern vampire he was compared by the members
of the Mission, became his cognomen afterwards amongst them. My mule
being saddled, we started early in the morning, as I was desirous of
getting as far on the road as possible before the sun had ascended
so high as to render the ride unpleasantly warm. Walderheros trudged
along on foot by the side of my mule, carrying my carabine behind his
neck, with his two hands resting upon the projecting portions on either
side. He talked incessantly, and it did not seem to matter the least,
that I could not understand a word he said. To check him, I repeated,
with a very grave face, the whole of “My name is Norval.” He listened
patiently to the end, and it then seemed to strike him that we should
amuse ourselves much better, if he were to teach me in his own language
the names of surrounding objects, rather than listen to such another
long rigmarole I was also about to treat him with. Thereupon commenced
my first Amharic lesson, and as I was a willing pupil, and Walderheros
an untiring teacher, I made great progress during the ride.
In this manner we travelled at a slow pace along the undulating broad
highroad that, nearly in a direct line, conducts us from Angolahlah to
the edge of Tchakkah. We met some few travellers, who, as we passed,
exchanged loud and long-continued salutations with Walderheros, kept up
until they were out of all convenient speaking distance of each other.
A moor, or extensive downs, would convey the best idea of the country
around; but though no trees or bushes intercept the sight, the whole
surface was well cultivated with wheat and barley, or preserved as
grazing meadows for the feeding of cattle. Excepting one considerably
excavated valley, two or three miles from Tchakkah, the original level
of the table land is only altered in the places where it is traversed
by shallow water-denuded channels, along which very frequently the road
runs, and the traveller proceeds in a broad hollow way, the flat ridges
on each side of him rising some ten or twenty feet above his head.
I was not sorry at seeing again the already familiar land-mark, Koom
Dingi, although it reminded me of the steep descent beyond. On arriving
at the edge of the table land, I followed the advice of Walderheros,
and dismounted; for however sure-footed in such perilous descents mules
may be, they sometimes slip, as was evidenced by the dead body of one
that lay burst among the rocks below, from a slip over one of the
precipices. I sat down a few minutes whilst my servant ran to a house
in sight, and procured for me the loan of a long slender staff, of some
tough wood, like a spearshaft, which the Shoans generally carry with
them when travelling on foot. By the aid of this, I was enabled to get
along pretty well, dropping carefully from one huge stone to another,
and in this manner, by rough unequal steps, succeeded at length in
reaching the stream of the Airahra. I now mounted again, and forded the
stony bed of the stream, surmounting with some difficulty the miry
bank on the farther side, where the deeply-sunken hoofs of my mule were
pulled with successive snatches out of the soughing tenacious mud.
Half an hour’s ride brought me to the foot of the royal hill of
Ankobar. As we ascend, the road passes midway along its steep side,
which above and below the traveller slopes several hundred feet. Here
we encountered a noisy crowd of chatting romping girls, with large jars
slung between their shoulders by a leathern belt, or rope, which passes
across the breast. They were proceeding to a meadow below, to fill
their jars with water at a little clear stream that fell over a little
ledge of stones as it proceeded to join the Airahra. As I passed them,
I overheard some of them whispering to the other, “Missela Zingero,” a
most complimentary speech certainly, meaning nothing less than that I
was “like a baboon.” These girls were slaves of the Negoos, and their
chief employment consisted of this daily duty of carrying water from
the stream to the palace on the summit of the hill. No less than two
hundred are so employed, and these supply all the water required for
the use of the courtiers and guests, besides a body-guard of three
hundred gunmen, all of whom are daily fed at the royal table.
On my arrival at the Residency, I was again entertained by Dr. Roth
and Mr. Bernatz, who, during the four days I spent with them were as
kind and as attentive as possible. At the end of that time I became
much alarmed at feeling the approach of symptoms threatening a return
of the intermittent fever, from which I had suffered so much during the
previous eight months. I was not long in determining what course to
pursue, but resolved upon leaving Ankobar immediately, and exchange its
damp cold atmosphere for the more genial climate of Aliu Amba.
In Ankobar my time was principally occupied in receiving information
respecting the character and customs of the inhabitants of Shoa, but
these I had more opportunity subsequently of observing for myself.
Respecting the slaves of the Negoos, in addition to the water-bearers
just spoken of, I learned that he possessed several hundreds of others.
All the gunmen who constitute the body-guard are bondsmen, and of these
there are at least one thousand. These are divided into three bodies,
relieving each other in rotation after one week’s attendance at the
palace; so that these men have entirely to themselves two weeks out
of three, a period always spent with their families. As individuals
distinguish themselves for bravery and loyalty, they obtain grants of
houses and gardens, generally in the immediate neighbourhood of the
royal residences. When they advance in years, or have sons old enough
to attend in their places, larger quantities of land, apportioned
according to merit, are given to them and they become tenants of the
King, only called up for suite and service on the occasions of the
“zemitcharoitsh,” or expeditions. The grown up sons who fill their
places as guardsmen generally reside with their fathers, and in that
case their guns are allowed to be taken home with them; but the general
rule is, that they should deposit them, after the term of duty has
expired, in the armouries attached to the palaces, where they remain
under the charge of the Atta Habta, the chief blacksmith. The gunmen
have but one superior officer, who is termed “Ullica,” or “Shoom.”
The name of the present colonel, if he may be so termed, is Kattimah.
By courtesy he is styled “Atta Kattimah,” Atta being a title of
distinction applied generally to all courtiers of high rank.
The gunmen, whilst on duty at the palace, receive daily two double
handsful of some kind of grain or other; a kind of admeasurement that
reminded me strongly of a similar custom of giving rations to slaves
among the ancient Romans. Beside this, however, they get one good meal
a-day at the King’s own table; at least, in an apartment where he
superintends this diurnal feast of his attendants, who are plentifully
regaled with large teff crumpets and a quantity of ale. With the bread
is always provided some cayenne paste, called “dillock,” composed of
equal parts of the red pods of the pepper and common salt, mixed with
a little “shrow,” or the meal of peas. This is placed in a number of
saucers of red earthenware, which stand in the middle of oblong tables
of wicker work, about one foot and a-half high. A number of these are
placed in the form of a horse-shoe in the banquetting-room, and around,
on both sides, sitting upon the ground, the gunmen range themselves,
sometimes in double ranks. The King presides over all, reclining upon a
yellow satin-covered couch, in a kind of recess, or alcove in one side
of the apartment. The greatest order and decorum is preserved, but no
restraint appears to be laid either upon appetite or quiet conversation.
Upon occasions of festivals, which are exceedingly numerous, an
unlimited amount of raw meat is added to their usual fare. Slave boys
carry about a large lump of flesh, held fast over one shoulder by a
strong grip of both hands, whilst each of the dining party cuts with
his knife such portion he may desire, and then dismisses the boy
with his blessing to the next who requires a like uncooked steak. In
addition to their entertainment by the King when on duty at the palace,
the gunmen receive a monthly pay of from three to seven ahmulahs, or
salt-pieces, according to their length of service. Besides the numerous
gunmen who are generally slaves born in the service of the Negoos,
there is an inferior class who have been purchased from dealers, or
have come to the King as the import duty when Kafilahs of these unhappy
creatures arrive in his dominions. The usual “assair,” or tithe, being
taken as of every other kind of merchandize that is brought into Shoa.
These slaves are employed generally as cutters of wood; and a most
toilsome and ill-requited labour is that which they have to perform,
for the country around Angolahlah and Debra Berhan is so bare of wood
that the inhabitants have no other resource for fuel but the dung of
cattle mixed with mire, which are formed into large flat cakes and
heaped up in storehouses for protection from the weather. I believe
that the quantity of potass in the soil in this part of the country,
contributes considerably to the value of this strange kind of fuel,
as its combination with sundry other elements contained in the dung
saturates the mass with saltpetre.
The Negoos, however, does not employ this kind of fuel in his palaces,
but is supplied by the wood-cutting slaves with the cedar-smelling
pine-tree, called “ted,” or the more adapted for a bright warm fire,
the oil-containing wood of the wild olive-tree; both of which grow
abundantly in the forests of Kundee and Afrabinah, that occupy the
head of some of the numerous valleys sloping towards the Hawash, on
the east of the ridge in front of Ankobar. From these forests, the
stalwart frames of the Shankalli slaves bear long and heavy burdens
of the rended fire-wood up the steep rugged ascent, to the right of
the Hill of Grace; and then, for twenty-five miles, to the palaces of
Debra Berhan and Angolahlah. Upon this painful and laborious duty, not
less than three hundred slaves are employed, who receive daily the
most wretched fare, either a few handsful of parched wheat, or else,
the sour and coarse refuse from the gunmen’s table. Still, these, I
found, were far from being over-worked; for three days are allowed
to each for the conveyance of the load, and the return back from the
distant palaces to their homes, which even these are provided with for
themselves and their families.
The female slaves are still more numerous; independent of the two
hundred employed in supplying the King’s household with water, there
are, at least, one hundred more, who assist in grinding flour, brewing,
and making the “dillock,” or pepper-paste.
There are, however, belonging to this class, a more interesting party
of female slaves, who are kept in the strictest seclusion; for Sahale
Selassee, a descendant of Solomon, continues, as regards his wives
and concubines, the customs of his ancestor’s court. Two hundred of
these young ladies are placed in charge of several eunuchs, and the
establishment, in fact, corresponds in every respect with the hareem
of an oriental monarch. It is not very easy to obtain information
respecting the habits or occupations of these immured beauties; but
the more elaborately-spun cotton thread, that is used for the finer
descriptions of cloths, which are presented by the Negoos to his
greatest favourites and governors, is all made by the members of this
portion of the royal household.[3] The large and fine cloth, valued
in Shoa at thirty dollars, sent by Sahale Selassee, as a present to
our Queen, is woven of thread spun in the palace of Debra Berhan; and
the monarch, sole visitor to the apartments occupied by these royal
cotton-spinners, has no doubt frequently stimulated his favourite
slaves to more careful efforts, as they produced the finely long-drawn
thread, by dwelling upon the munificence and wealth of his Egyptian
sister, our own well-beloved Sovereign.
Besides learning some little of the condition of the slaves belonging
to the Negoos of Shoa, whilst in Ankobar, I also read a considerable
portion of “Ludolph’s Ethiopic History,” a work left in charge of Dr.
Roth, the naturalist of the British Embassy, by Mr. Krapf, when he
returned to Egypt. I had the opportunity of making use of the whole
book upon the doctrine of the Church, contained in Ludolph; and,
also, the interesting almanac which is appended to it; but the former
is such an evident compilation of what ought to be the faith of the
Abyssinian Church, rather than what it ever was, or is at the present
day, that I considered any abstract, or account of the Christians of
Shoa, founded upon it, would be one of the grossest impositions that
could be palmed upon the reading public. I dare not, in fact, attempt
any elucidation of the faith professed by the Negoos and monks of
Shoa. They, certainly, have no universal creed, nor any Articles to
define what is orthodox belief, and what is not. The chief principle of
religion with the heads of the Church in that country seems to be, to
think upon this subject exactly as the Negoos does; for if they do not,
they are very soon considered in the light of heretics; and how far
the principles of the Negoos accord with those of the Abune, or Bishop
of Gondah, may be judged from the fact, that he has often been judged
to be in contempt, by that holy father, and threatened with all the
terrors of excommunication. I confess myself, therefore, unequal to the
task of giving any account of the Christian religion in Shoa. To give
a correct one, would require a man educated entirely for the purpose
by a long study of the subject in all its relations, as connected with
the Greek Church, and the Archbishopric of Alexandria, to enable him
to collect, compare, and arrange that chaos of religious opinions that
seem to characterize the modern Abyssinian faith; and, more especially,
that which is professed in Shoa.
Tellez, in his Travels of the Jesuits in Ethiopia, in the seventeenth
century, sums up all that was known in his time; and I do not think
that any more enlightenment has been vouchsafed since to this
benighted Church. Speaking of the proclamation of the Emperor Socinios
restoring to the Abyssinians their ancient faith, after an unsuccessful
attempt to establish the Roman Catholic religion among them, this
author remarks, “This liberty threw them into many errors; for being
uncertain what to believe, some of their monks affirmed, that Christ
was the Son of God, only by grace; others, that the divinity died with
him on the cross, but that he had two divinities, one of which died,
and the other survived; others said, one person was composed of the
two others, confounded the Divine nature with the human; and others,
being quite puzzled, cried, ‘Christ is true God, and true man, and it
is enough to know that.’ Nor was there less division about consecrating
the cup, some contending it could not be done with any liquor but wine;
others, that it should be water discoloured with six or seven raisins.
At length, they agreed it should be done as was used at Alexandria;
and finding no abler person to inquire of, they put the question to an
Egyptian carpenter, who told them, it was done there in wine; yet they
resolved it should be with water and raisins.”
This quotation appeared so apt and so true a picture of the present
state of Christian belief in Shoa, that I have not hesitated to
introduce it here. I should be happy, indeed, to see demonstrated that
anything consistent or universal upon that subject is entertained;
and in that case I should not mind being told, that I had erred in my
conclusions from a want of proper knowledge upon the subject.
It must be observed, however, that in matters of Church ceremony the
Shoans affect the formula of the Alexandrian Church. But even on
this subject we find that a great schism exists, by the contemptuous
disregard of tabots, robes, and all outward show whatever, with which
the Tabeeban sect celebrate the rites of their worship. To term
these people a sect, is not so correct, perhaps, as to call them a
caste, for all artisans in Shoa, and I believe in other parts of
Abyssinia, are so designated. Blacksmiths, potters, carpenters, in
fact, all manufacturing artisans, are called “Tabeeb,” and, from this
circumstance, when first I heard of their mysterious religious rites,
I considered that they would be found to be a community of Freemasons.
Even now I give them the credit of practising the primitive customs
of the early Church of Christ, as it approaches very much to that
simple worship of God which, from the internal evidence contained
in some of the Church letters of St. Paul, we may suppose to have
distinguished the meetings of Christians in the apostolic age. It is
from this circumstance, I connect them in origin, singularly enough,
with our institution of Freemasonry; although the primitive purity of
their parent assemblies has been much better preserved in the simple
ceremonies practised by the Abyssinian Tabeebs, than in the festive
orgies of the mysterious brotherhood of Europe. I quit this subject for
a time, and return to Ankobar.
Whilst staying with Dr. Roth, I frequently accompanied him to a small
garden attached to the old house, where Dr. Beke resided during his
visit to Shoa. On one occasion our attendant dug up a considerable
quantity of potatoes, which had been planted by Mr. Krapf. The
seedlings had been sent from Tigre, in northern Abyssinia, by Mr.
Isenberg, and the return crop seemed very favourable. At present no
advantage has resulted to the natives by their introduction, for the
hatred which seemed to exist against everything English extended even
to the real benefits that were offered to the Shoans.
Who can help regretting the great mistake of the missionary, in
calling political aid to his assistance, but he erred solely by
his zeal to extend his opportunities of conferring good upon his
fellow-creatures. He grieves now for influence, founded upon respect,
that is gone for ever; and from my heart I sympathize with him, for the
utter prostration of hope that Abyssinia should become the centre of
enlightenment for the rest of the unhappy continent of Africa.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] I had fancied that the political tactics of the
Shoan Embassy were unparalleled in history. The
“Heimskringha,” or “Chronicles of the Kings of
Norway,” record, however, a somewhat similar display
of resplendent genius:--“At this time a king called
Athelstan had taken the kingdom of England. He sent
men to Norway to King Harold with the errand that
the messengers should present him with a sword, with
the hilt and handle gilt, and also the whole sheath
adorned with gold and silver and set with precious
jewels. The Ambassadors presented the sword-hilt
to the King, saying, ‘Here is a sword, which King
Athelstan sends thee, with the request that thou wilt
accept it.’ The King took the sword by the handle,
whereupon the Ambassadors said, ‘Now thou hast taken
the sword, according to our King’s desire, and
therefore art thou his subject, as thou hast taken
his sword.’ King Harold saw now that this was a jest,
for he would be subject to no man. But he remembered
it was his rule whenever anything raised his anger to
collect himself and let his passion run off, and then
take the matter into consideration coolly. Now he did
so, and consulted his friends, who all gave him the
advice to let the Ambassadors, in the first place, go
home in safety.”--_Mr. Laing’s Translation._
This is in every particular so curiously analogous to
our late political doings in Shoa, that I could not
induce myself to abstain from inserting it here as
a note. Even the hint of personal violence in the
last sentence exactly corresponded with the treatment
of the Embassy whilst in Shoa, after the ill-judged
letter of remonstrance had been sent; for had it not
been for the moderation of the offended monarch, it
would indeed have been “Shanta fo, Shanta fo,” for the
whole party. It was too late to find out that Sahale
Selassee was “a novice in European diplomacy,” only
when the total failure of the Mission attested the
want of tact and of all knowledge of human nature by
the parties employed by a liberal and too indulgent
Government.
[3] The Abyssinian word for thread, “fatalah,” has
something in its sound that recalls the idea of the
three spinners, typical of man’s destiny. If, as is
probable, the mythological representation of the
Greeks be of Egyptian origin, then the word “fatalah,”
may have some connexion with our word fate.