outside of the temple is 117 feet wide and 86 feet high. In front there are 4 enormous sitting colossi, the largest in Egypt or Nobia, except the great sphinx at the pyramids, to which they approach in the proportion of about two thirds. On the top of the temple there is a row of monkeys, 21 in number, in a sitting posture, and each 8 feet high and 6 across the shoulders.

Commerce] The chief trade of Nubia consists in slaves imported from the interior of Africa, and either conveyed northwards into Egypt, or across the Red sea by Suakem to Arabia. The number annually imported is estimated at 5,000, of whom 2,500 are for Arabia and 1,500 for Egypt.

II. SENNAAR.

Situation.] Sennaar is bounded N. by Egypt; E. and S. by Abyssinia; and W. by Kordofan. It extends from 14° to 17° Ñ. lat. A great part of Sennaar being nearly inclosed between the Nile and the Tacazze, formed what was called' by the ancients the island of Meroe, the central seat of the empire of ancient Ethiopia, which repeatedly conquered Egypt.

Soil and Productions.] The country contains many desert tracts, over which the Arabs wander with their flocks; but there is also much fertile land on the banks of the Nile and the Tacazze, where rice, grain, melons, tobacco and the sugar cane grow luxuriantly.

Chief Towns.] Sennaar, the capital and residence of the king, is situated on the Bahr-el-Azrek, about two hundred miles above its junction with the Bahr-el-Abiad, or main branch of the Nile. It is a large city and is supposed to contain 100,000 inhabitants, but the houses are in general poorly built and only one story high.

Population.] The population is estimated at 2,000,000. It consists principally of three distinct classes. 1. The Shilluks, a race of negroes who originally inhabited the country on the upper part of the Bahr-el-Abiad, but in the beginning of the sixteenth century they conquered Sennaar, and their descendents have ever since been the ruling people. 2. The Nubians, or original inhabitants. They are negroes, and make the largest class of the population. They profess Christianity, but have connected with it many Pagan superstitions. 3. The Arabs, who inhabit the desert.

Government and Army.] The government is despotic, the power of the king being unlimited; but several of the provinces are governed by tributary chiefs, and the Arabs of the desert are virtually independent. The standing army, stationed in the vicinity of the capital, consists of about 16,000 men, of whom 1,800 are cavalry and equal to any in the world.

Commerce.] Considerable commerce is carried on at the city of Sennaar, the caravans passing through it on their way to Abyssinia, Arabia, Egypt and the interior of Africa. The commodities drawn from interior Africa, for export to Egypt and

Arabia, are gold dust, ivory, civet, but above all, slaves. The gold has the reputation of being the purest and best in Africa. The foreign commodity chiefly sought after is blue cotton cloth from Surat.

III. ABYSSINIA.

Situation and Extent.] Abyssinia is bounded N. W. and N. by Sennaar; E. by the Red sea; S. and S. W. by the country of the Galla. The limits are not accurately known, but the area is estimated by Hassel at about 500,000 square miles.

Face of the Country.] Abyssinia is entirely a mountainous country. A lofty range, called Lamalmon, bars the entrance from the Red sea. The mountains of Samen, which run along the western bank of the Tacazze, are still more elevated. The mountains of Gojam, which give rise to the Bahr-el-Azrek, or Abyssinian Nile, are not supposed by Mr. Bruce to exceed half a mile in height, and are cultivated to the summit. A lofty range is said to run along the whole southern frontier and is supposed to form a part of the Mountains of the Moon. The height of none of these mountains has ever been accurately ascertained, but some of the summits in the ridge of Samen are known to be covered with snow during the greater part of the year.

Rivers.] The two principal rivers are the Bahr-el-Azrek or Blue river, and the Tacazze. 1. The Bahr-el-Azrek rises near lat. 11° N. and lon. 37° E. and flows almost immediately into the lake of Dembea, through which it passes without mixing its waters, so that the current remains always visible. It issues from the lake at its southern extremity, and pursuing a semicircular course, turns gradually to the north, and flows in this direction through Sennaar, till in lat. 16° N. it unites with the Bahr-elAbiad or principal branch of the Nile. In Abyssinia, and in Europe, till the middle of the last century, this river was always considered as the head of the Egyptian Nile, but the superior magnitude of the Bahr-el-Abiad seems now to be clearly proved. The principal tributaries of the Bahr-el-Azrek are the Dender and the Maleg. 2. The Tacazze rises near lat. 12° N. lon. 39° E. and running in a N. W. direction through Sennaar, joins the Nile in lat 17° 45' N.

Divisions.] Three centuries ago the whole of Abyssinia was firmly and happily united under one sovereign, but internal dissensions and the inroads of the Galla, a barbarous people from the south, have gradually dismembered the finest provinces of this once flourishing empire. The country is now divided into three principal independent states: 1. The kingdom of Tigre, comprehending the provinces between the Red sea and the Tacazze, viz. Tigre proper, Agame, Enderta, Wojjerat, Wofila, Lasta, Avergale, Samen, Zemben, Sire and the kingdom of Baharnegash. 2. Amhara, comprehending, the provinces west of the Tacazze, the principal of which are Ambara proper, Dembea, Damut, Gojam, and Begemder. 3. The provinces of Shoa and

Efat, lying south of the sources of the Tacazza. Besides these divisions, there are several ports on the Red sea, under the government of Arab princes, who acknowledge the sovereignty of the Grand Seignor; and several districts in the interior are occupied by independent tribes.

Climate.] The climate of Abyssinia is on the whole fine. The ranges of mountains, with which it is everywhere intersected, preserve the air cool, and afford a supply of water sufficient to maintain fertility. Most of the towns and villages are delightfully situated on the declivities of the mountains. The deep vallies, from the combined influence of heat and moisture, are somewhat unhealthy.

Soil and Productions.] In consequence of its physical structure, Abyssinia is exceedingly fertile, and is exempted in a great measure from the sand, which dooms so large a portion of Africa to sterility. Wheat is raised in considerable quantity in the high grounds, but the plant most commonly cultivated is teff, which grows on almost every soil, and affords the bread which is in universal use. Among the other vegetable products are the papyrus, so celebrated among the ancients as the original material of paper; balsam, myrrh and other odoriferous products, which are obtained along the coast of the Red sea.

Animals.] There is a great variety of wild animals. Among these are the hyænas, which appear to be the most fierce and untameable of all animals. In most parts of the country they are found in vast numbers, and travellers are in continual danger from them. They are not naturally gregarious, yet sometimes assemble in vast troops, attracted by the scent of dead bodies, which according to the barbarous custom of the country are often left unburied. The elephant and rhinoceros are numerous in the low grounds. Hippopotami and crocodiles abound in all the rivers. The domestic animals are generally the same with those of Europe. The most remarkable is the Galla ox, which has horns of an enormous magnitude. Mr. Salt saw one four feet long, and 21 inches in circumference at its root.

Chief Towns.] Gondar, the capital of the kingdom of Ambara, is situated about 30 miles N. E. of the lake of Dembea. It contains 50,000 inhabitants, and is now in the hands of the Galla, together with the whole province in which it is situated.

Axum, the ancient capital of Abyssinia, lies about 150 miles N. E. of Gondar. It is distinguished for its magnificent ruins. Of these the most remarkable is a large obelisk, which stands in the middle of the principal square. It is 30 feet high and is composed of a single block of granite, curiously carved. The order of architecture is strictly Grecian. Axum contains at present about 600 houses. Adowa, 12 miles E. of Axum, is the capital of Tigre. It contains 8,000 inhabitants, and is remarkable for the extensive manufacture of cotton cloths. It is also the channel by which the communication between the coast and the interior is almost exclusively carried on. The other considerable towns in Tigre are Antalo and Dixan.

Masuah, the principal sea-port of Abyssinia, is situated in lat. 15° 34' N. on a small island in the Red sea, separated from the continent by a narrow channel. Its intercourse is chiefly with Mocha and Jidda, and the imports consist of cotton, spices, piece goods, lead, iron, copper, tin, and European manufactures. The exports are rhinoceros' horns, gold, ivory, honey, slaves and wax. The governor of the city acknowledges the sovereignty of the Grand Seignor. Arkeeko is a sea-port, at the bottom of the bay of Masuah, and not far from the town of the same name.

Salt plain.] In the eastern part of the kingdom of Tigre is a large plain, about 4 days journey across, and covered with salt. The salt is perfectly pure and hard for about two feet deep; but that lying beneath is coarser and softer till purified by exposure to the air. It is cut with an adze into pieces, which not only serve as seasoning to food, but even circulate as money in Abys sinia. The digging of the salt is attended with considerable danger, from the vicinity of the Galla, who frequently attack those employed, as well as the caravans which convey the salt to Antalo.

Population and Religion.] The population is not less than 4,000,000. It consists partly of Abyssinians, partly of Arabs, partly of the Galla, together with some other negro tribes. The Abyssinians were converted from Judaism to Christianity prior to the middle of the fourth century, but their religion still retains many Judaical observances. They abstain from the meats prohibited by the Mosaic law; they practise circumcision, and keep both Saturday and Sunday as sabbaths. The Coptic patriarch of Cairo is the nominal head of the church, and from him the Abuna or resident head receives his investiture. They have monasteries, both of monks and nuus. Their veneration for the Virgin is unbounded, their saints also are extremely numerous and surpass in miraculous power even those of the Romish calendar. This system of Christianity does not prohibit polygamy. The Galla were formerly idolaters, but a very large proportion of them have been recently converted to Mahometanism.

Political Condition.] The kingdom of Tigre, the most powerful of the three states into which the country is divided, is under an Abyssinian prince whose power is unlimited; Amhara, originally the centre of the Abyssinian power, is now under a chief of the Galla, who is said to be able to bring into the field an army of 20,000 cavalry; the southern provinces of Shoa and Efat are under an Abyssinian prince, who is entirely independent of the sovereign of Tigre. These different states are constantly at war with each other, while at the same time the governors of the smaller provinces are almost continually rebelling against their Sovereigns. Abyssinia thus presents a scene of perpetual bloodshed, from hostilities carried on in the very bosom of the country, nor is a single district for a moment secure from devastation. Manners and Customs.] The manners of the Abyssinians are characterized by a peculiar barbarism and brutality. They seem to have no more regard for the life of a man than for that of a

brute. They kill each other on very trifling occasions, and the dead bodies are left in the streets to be devoured by the dogs and hyænas. They eat the raw flesh of animals immediately after they are slain, while the blood is yet warm; and when on a journey, it is a frequent practice to cut steaks from living animals and then to drive them on, roaring under the pain of the wound.

The Galla.] The Galla are a savage people, who occupy large territories lying south of Abyssinia, and have overrun some of its finest provinces. Very little is known about them or the country from which they originated, but they appear to have been making continual progress for at least two centuries both towards the north and the south. They are of a brown complexion, hardy, and warlike, and particularly well fitted for irregular and desultory warfare. Nothing, it is said, can be more uncouth than the aspect of this people, at least of those tribes who have made no alteration in their original rudeness. They plait their hair with the entrails of oxen, and wear round their waists the same ornaments. They anoint their heads and bodies with melted grease, and, except a goat's skin round their shoulders, leave the rest of the body naked. The Galla are divided into various tribes, which are known by distinct names.

IV. COUNTRIES SOUTH OF ABYSSINIA.

ADEL. This country lies on the coast immediately to the south-east of Abyssinia. The inhabitants are Mahometans. They are not united under one government, but divided into a number of tribes which carry on almost perpetual war with Abyssinia.

BERBERA is the name of the district extending from Adel to cape Guardafui. It is more productive than any other part of the world in gums, myrrh and frankincense; and the fame of Arabia for these valuable aromatics is derived entirely from its being the channel by which the productions of this district are conveyed to foreign countries. Berbera, the principal town, is the seat of a great annual fair, which is resorted to by caravans from a great distance in the interior. This country is inhabited by various tribes of the Somauli, many of whom appear to be very civ ilized and commercial, and a recent traveller of intelligence has given it as his opinion that this would be one of the best routes for penetrating into the interior of Africa, particularly to the sources of the Bahr-el-Abiad.

THE COAST OF AJAN extends from cape Guardafui to the river Magadoxa, or from 3° to 11° 50' N. lat. A great part of it is sandy, flat and barren. According to Mr. Salt, it is chiefly inhabited by different tribes of the Somauti.