from Monflut to Sawadi, also in the mountains N. E. of Syene. A range of porphyry mountains commences on the coast of the Red sea, in lat. 24° N. at Hamra, and reaches to 22 30 in Nubia. Copper is the only metal found here by the ancients. Quarries of red granite reach from the cataracts below Syene. N. W. of that town is a quarry of serpentine, of which the inhabitants make vessels which stand the fire.

Mineral Waters. The Natron lakes are two in number, 3 or 4 leagues long, and about a mile broad, with a solid stony bottom. For 9 months they are without water. In the winter there oozes out of the earth a reddish violet colored water, which fills the lakes to the height of 5 or 6 feet. This is evaporated by the heat of the. spring, and there remains a bed of salt 2 feet thick, which is broken with iron bars. Thirty thousand quintals are produced annually.

NUBIA.

THIS is a country of indefinite extent, lying between Egypt and Abyssinia. On the Nile it may be considered as commencing a little above Syene, immediately under the tropic; and in the same latitude on the Red sea. Its proper southern limit, on the Red sea, is the northern boundary of Abyssinia, in lat. 16°. On the E. bank of the Nile, it reaches a little above the mouth of the Rahad, or Dender; and on the W. bank, as far S. as the cataracts in that river. It extends westward beyond the Bahar El Abiad, as far as the frontiers of Dar Fur.

The northern part of this country is an extensive desert, called the Great Desert of Nubia. Bruce crossed this desert on his return from Abyssinia. The country is here an immense expanse of sand. The only interesting objects remarked by Bruce, were the moving pillars of sand, and the simoom. The pillars of sand at times proceed with great celerity, and at times they stalk with majestic slowness. He saw 11 of them about 3 miles distant. They followed the course of the wind, and often with such rapidity, that the swiftest horse would in vain have attempted to escape them, The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to be about 10 feet. Their tops often seemed to reach to the clouds, and were frequently separated from the bodies. In this case they were immediately dispersed in the air. Sometimes they were suddenly broken near the middle, as if struck with a large cannon shot. Sometimes they pass between the traveller and the sun, and then assume the appearance of pillars of fire. The simoom, or poisonous blast from the desert, at a distance, has the appearance of a haze, in color, like the purple part of the rainbow, but less compressed and thick. The one, which Bruce describes, was not more than 20 yards in breadth and about 12 feet from the ground. It was a kind of blush upon the air, and moved very rapidly. The only resource of the traveller is to fall flat upon the ground with his face to the earth. An inhalation of the fatal atmosphere, which it brings, is soon suc

cecded by death. After the purple meteor has vanished a light air still blows, of a heat to threaten suffocation.

DONGOLA is a town on the E. bank of the Nile, in lat. 19 30 N. and lon. 32° E. It is the capital of the kingdom of Dongola; which lies on both sides of the Nile, and is considerably extensive.

Of SENNAAR, the southern kingdom of Nubia, Bruce has given an interesting description. It may be considered as comprising the country between the Red sea and the Nile, as far S. as the N. W. limits of Abyssinia; as comprehending all the country between the Nile and the Bahar el Abiad, as far S. as the cataracts of the Nile; and also as including the provinces of Shillook and Kordofan on the W. of the latter river. The kingdom of Darfur is its S. W. boundary.

The Shillooks, a black nation, who conquered this country in 1504, were pagans. Soon after they were converted to Mahommedism; when they took the name of Funge, or, conquerors. It is a fundamental law of the monarchy, that the king may lawfully be put to death, when a council of the great officers decrees, that it is not for the advantage of the state that he should reign any longer. The king ascends the throne under an admission of the force of this law; and there is always one officer of his own family, the sid el coon, or master of the household, to whom the death of the king is on such occasions, by law, entrusted. This officer has no vote in deposing him. The only weapon he may lawfully use for this purpose is a sword. The eldest son of the king succeeds by right, and, immediately afterwards, puts to death as many of his brothers as he can apprehend. A female cannot succeed to the throne. The crown, since 1504, has always been in the family of Amrou. The king is styled the Mek of Sennaar. The forces at Sennaar, around the capital, consist of about 14,000 Nuba, who fight naked, having no armor but a short javelin, and a round shield; and about 1800 cavalry, all blacks, mounted on black horses, armed with coats of anail, and broad Slavonian swords. These last are remarkably brave and well disciplined.

The revenue derived from the province of Kordofan consists chiefly of slaves procured from Dyre and Tegia. That of Fezcuclo is in gold; as is that from Atbara and the country E-of the iver of that name. The Welled Ageeb collects all the revenue from the Arabs. It amounts to a very large sum in gold, exceeding that of all the other provinces. He pays it to the Mek. His <own revenues from the Arabs are said to be six times as large.

The dress of Sennaar is very simple. It consists of a long shirt of blue Surat cloth, called Marowty, which covers them from the lower part of the neck to the feet. That of the women covers the neck also. The men have sometimes a sash about the middle. Both sexes go barefoot in the house. Their floors are covered with Persian carpets. In fair weather they wear sandals without, and sometimes a kind of wooden patten, ornamented with shells. Both sexes apoint themselves at least once a day with camel's grease, mixed with civet, and sleep in shirts similarly treated. Their beds are merely tanned bull's hides much softened by this constant

greasing. The principal diet of the poorer sort is millet, made. into flour and bread. The rich make a pudding of millet, and also eat beef partly roasted and partly raw. Their horned cattle are remarkably fine; but the common meat sold in the market is camel's flesh.

The town of Sennaar is in lat. 13. 34 36, N. and in lon. 33 50 50, E. It is built on the west side of the Nile, close to its bank, on ground just high enough to save it from inundations. The site of the town is extensive. The king's palace covers a great deal of ground. It is all of one story, built of clay, and the floors of carth. El-Aice, or Alleis, is the capital of the Shillook country. It is on the Bahar el Abiad, in about lat. 13 30, N. The river dividing On these and the neighboring forms a great number of islands. banks the town is situated. The inhabitants are chiefly fishermen, and sail in their canoes with incredible rapidity.

Herbagi stands on the W. bank of the Nile, in lat. 14 39, N. It is a large and pleasant village, but thinly inhabited, on a dry, gravelly soil. The Welled Agecb, the hereditary prince of the Arabs, resides here, and is subject to the king of Sennaar and his lieutenant, according to treaty. He collects a tribute from all the Arabs, not only of Atbara, but even to the Red sea. The tribes living cast of the Nile and of the Atbara, subject to him, are numerous, rich, and powerful.

Suakem is a port on the Red sea. It is the place of rendezvousfor the caravans, which cross the desert on their way to Jidda.

Formerly Indian goods were brought in large quantities from Jidda to Sennaar; and the articles returned were gold, civet, rhinoceros's horns, ivory, ostrich feathers, slaves, and glass. A caravan also once came from Timbuctoo. At present a small caravangoes yearly from Goos to Suakem, and the Daveina Arabs carry the ivory to Abyssinia.

The climate of this country is neither pleasant nor healthy. At Sennaar, from 70° to 78° of Fahrenheit, is cool; from 79° to 92° temperate. The mercury often rises to 120°. The soil and climate of the capital are very unfavorable to longevity, both in man and beast. "No horse, mule, ass, or any beast of burden, will breed, or even live at Sennaar, or many miles around it. Poultry does not live there. Neither dog.r nor cat, sheep nor bullock, can be prcserved a season.. Neither rose nor any species of jessamine grow there; no tree but the lemon flowers near the city."

To the W. of Shaddly and Aboud, the country is full of trees, which make it a favorite station for camels. The Arabs have immense numbers of these animals. The tribe of Refaa, in 1770, had about 200,000. The tribute of that tribe to the Mek was 250,000 pounds sterling, in gold. There were then 10 such tribes, which owed this species of subjection.

• Bruce.

ABYSSINIA.

Extent. ABYSSINIA extends from lat. 7° to 16° N. and from lon. 35° to 44 E. Its length from E. to W. is about 580 miles, and its greatest breadth about 560. It reaches, on the Red sea, from Masuah to the straits of Babelmandel, 420 miles.

Boundaries. The Red sea lies on the N. E.; the kingdom of Adel, on the E. and S. E.; Gingiso and Alaba on the S.; the Nile on the W.; Sennaar on the N. W.; and the country of the Jahaleen, or wild Arabs, and of the Shankala, or descendants of the ancient Ethiopians on the N.

The Gallas, a wild and marauding nation, have encroached on the limits of Abyssinia, and now occupy various provinces on the S. W. S. and S. E.

Divisions.

This country, according to Mr. Bruce, is divided into the following provinces, viz.

4. Begemder

Names. Bruce tells us, that the Chronicle of Axum, the most ancient Abyssinian history, declares that the Sheba, or Saba of the scriptures, whose queen visited Solomon, was Abyssinia.

Religion. The Jewish religion is said, by Bruce, to have been prevalent in Abyssinia, till near the middle of the 4th century. Frumentius, a disciple of St. Athanasius, at Alexandria, and the first Christian bishop of Abyssinia, was ordained about A. D. 333. This was about the time of their conversion; and the primitive faith of the Abyssinians having been received through this channel, must have accorded with the peculiar tenets of the Greek church. The first attempt to spread the Romish faith was made about the year 1450, in the reign of Zara Jacob. In 1632 their hierarchy was abolished. They were allowed however to remain in the country, till 1714, when their clergy were executed. Since that time there have been few or no Catholics in the country.

The patriarch of the Abyssinian church, is styled the Abuna. By an ancient canon, he must not be a native of the country, and is always sent from Egypt. The priests have their maintenance assigned to them in kind, and do not labor. The direction and distribution of the church revenues, is wholly in the hands of officers, appointed by the king. All the clergy are deplorably ignorant, heretical in their tenets, and licentious in their lives. There is no country in the world, in which there are so many churches as in Abyssinia. It is seldom that less than 5 or 6 are in sight, in any part of the country; and, on a commanding ground, one may see s times as many. They are usually planted near running water, for the purposes of purifications and ablutions, in which they strictly observe the Levitical law. They are all round, with thatched 1oofs; and their summits are perfect cones. The inside is cover

ed with wretched daubings of their various saints. Among these, are St. Pontius Pilate, and his wife; St. Balaam, and his aes.

Government. The government is an absolute monarchy. The crown is hereditary in one particular family, supposed by the Abyssinians to be that of Solomon, by the queen of Sheba. The royal council is composed of the great officers of state. When Bruce left the country, the power of the king was insignificant; the Ras, or governor of Tigre, having almost the whole direction of the government. The different capital punishments are crucifixion, flaying alive, lapidation, and plucking out the eyes.

Population. We have no data on which to form a correct judgement of the population of this country. It has been estimated at 3,000,000. Hassel reckons only 1,800,000.

Army. Bruce says, that the largest armies ever collected in the country, were at the battle of Serbraxos. The rebels had then 60,000 men, and the king 40,000. The usual amount of the army does not exceed 20,000. Hassel, however, reckons the number at 40,000. The cavalry is good. The king's household troops consist of 8000 infantry. They are armed with matchlocks. Most of the other troops have only lances and shields.

Revenue. The royal revenue is paid partly in ounces of gold; and partly in honey, cattle, horses, cloths, and various other arti cles.

Manners and Customs. The principal part of the dress of the natives is a large cotton cloth, 24 cubits long, and 11⁄2 broad, with a blue and yellow stripe round the bottom. They are very beautiful and light. When they ride they hold the stirrup between the great and second toes. Even the king rides bare-footed: Almost all the houses are built of clay, with thatched conical roofs. The chief articles of food are cakes of unleavened bread, and raw flesh, which as far as possible they cut from the animal while living, that it may be the more tender. The ordinary marriage is contracted by mutual consent without any ceremony, and is dissolved by the dissent of either party. As soon as this takes place, both parties marry again. They also divide the children, the eldest son falling to the mother and the eldest daughter to the father. The country has for many years been the scene of civil wars, which have called into exercise all the ferocious passions, and exhibited a constant succession of treachery, murder, and assassination.

Cities. GONDAR, the capital, is in lat. 12 34 30 N. and in lon. 37 33 E. It is situated on a bill of considerable height, surrounded by a deep valley. The river Kaha flows N. of the town, and the Angrab skirts the hill on the S. They together almost encircle the town, and unite a quarter of a mile from it, at the foot of the hill. The top of the hill is a plain of very considerable extent. The length of the town is 3 miles from E. N. E. to W. S. W. and its breadth 1 mile. It contains about 10,000 houses, and about 50,000 inhabitants. Immediately on the bank, opposite Gondar, is a large Mahometan village, of about 1000 houses. The royal palace is at the W. end of the town, in the middle of a square court, which is a mile in circumference. A substantial double stone wall surrounds