Travels in Abyssinia and the Galla Country, with an account of a mission to Ras Ali in 1848. From the MSS. of the late W. C. Plowden ... Edited by ... T. C. Plowden

Preface

. This volume has been compiled from the MSS. of the late Walter Chichele Plowden, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in Abyssinia. This gentleman, the youngest son of the late Trevor Chichele Plowden, of the Bengal Civil Service, was born on August 3, 1820. At the age of nineteen he went to India, and joined the firm of Carr, Tagore, & Co., of Calcutta. The sedentary duties of a mercantile life being ill-suited to his genius, he threw up all the advantages of such a career, and in 1843 embarked for England. On his arrival at Suez, en route, he fell in with Mr. Bell, and his ardent and ambitious temperament induced him, on the spur of the moment, without preparation and with limited funds, to join that gentleman in an expedition into Abyssinia, with the object of discovering the source of the White Nile.

He was nearly twenty-three years of age when he thus plunged into this strange country. He remained in it till 1847, when he embarked at Massowah for Suez in a native boat, and was shipwrecked in the Red Sea, narrowly escaping with life, and losing all his property, and especially many valuable MSS. On his PJREFACE. arrival in England, he laid before Lord Palmerston, then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the information he had acquired in his five years of travel, which was deemed to be of sufficient importance to induce that farseeing politician to establish a consulate in Abyssinia, to which post he appointed Mr. Plowden. Accordingly, in 1848, this gentleman returned to Massowah, charged, as his first duty, with a mission to Ras Ali, then the de facto ruler of Abyssinia; and from that time till 1860 he remained in the interior, detained there at first by his duties, and afterwards by the occupation of the road to Massowah by a powerful rebel.

In February 1860, he took leave of King Theodore to return to England. On March 4 he had arrived close to Gondar, on the bank of the Kaka river, where he was suddenly attacked by Dejaj Garred, a chief attached to the rebel, Dejaj Negousee, with 400 followers, and in the encounter received a spear-wound in the chest. In this condition he was taken prisoner, and only given up on payment of a ransom of 1,000 dollars, wiiich was ad vanced by the authorities of Gondar. He was carried into the town, and, after lingering for nine days, died there. He was buried in the King's church, with all the pomp and ceremony of an Abyssinian funeral, the clergy and all the population of Gondar attending his remains to the grave. The MSS., which were forwarded to me after his death, were received in a most mutilated state — loose sheets, some of them unfinished, others illegible, and a volume in pencil-writing so minute, as to be deciphered

PREFACE.

. IX only with the greatest labour and patience. The difficulty of arranging such crude materials into a form suitable for the press may be conceived. But the subject commanding, at the present time, so large a share of public interest, it was thought right to make the effort, and the result is the publication of these sketches of life in Abyssinia, which have, at least, the merit of ori ginality and truth. A posthumous work will always require a special share of indulgence, and it is hoped that such will be accorded to this, the more readily, as it is the production of a very young man, and as the Editor has no personal recollections wherewith to supplement these materials, never having seen his brother since he was seven years old ; and therefore he has felt the more bound, in order to retain the intrinsic character of the work, to give the contents of the MSS. as he found them, avoiding correc tions wherever it was possible.

From the difficulty in deciphering some portions of the MSS., errors may have occasionally arisen in the ortho graphy, and the names of places and things ; but pains have been taken to remedy and correct these, as far as possible, by reference to other books on Abyssinia. Conscious of the imperfections of a work so peculiarly requiring the revision and superintendence of the author, to whose talents the publication of unfinished MSS. can do but little justice, the Editor still hopes that the following pages, in spite of defects of style, will be read with some degree of interest, as the record of one whose best years were devoted, and his life ultimately sacrificed, to X

PREFACE.

. the people of Abyssinia, and to the effort to bring them within the reach of European civilisation. Of the maps which accompany this volume, the one of the Northern Frontier was compiled by my brother entirely from his personal observations, and though it does not pretend to astronomical exactness, its general accuracy may be relied on. The other map is mo delled on the War Office Map of Abyssinia, by the kind permission of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for War. T. C. P. London : March 31, 18G8. PAGE 1 28 62 CONTENTS. CHAPTEK I. THE NORTH AND WEST FRONTIER OF ABYSSINIA. The Empire of Abyssinia — Massowah — Bedouins — Mountain KaDges and Tribes— Their Character, Habits, and Customs- Valley of the Ansuba — Barka — Shankallas — Taltals — Dankali

Chapter II. Abyssinia Proper

Christian Abyssinia — Oral Tradition — The Kibra Negust — Menelek — Mahomedan Invasion — Mahomed Gryne — Decline of the Empire — The Fitha Negust — The Ras — Dejaj Oobeay — Dejaj Bourroo — Teegray and its Subdivisions — Semen — Gondar

Chapter III. The Military Class

The Ras's Insignia aud Household — Costume of the Soldiers — Resemblance to the Feudal Times of Europe illustrated — Their Songs and Warlike Games — The Eas on a Campaign — His Officers, and Order of Encampment — The Soldier ... 45

Merchants — Peasantry — Servants — Women — Chess — The Horse 12G

Chapter VIII

Hot Springs of Goramba — The Baths and Bathing — A Quarrel — Start on a Visit to Toko Brillay of Amhara — Galla Goodena — Ya Amba— The Bachillo— Gwa Maida — Toko Brillay 's Father — Arrive at Toko's Camp — Its Description — Character of the People 160

Chapter IX

Country of the Wallo Gallas— The Lord of Legambo — Bosso — Life with Toko Brillay — Atrenso Marian — Toko's Son — His Proposals — Amusements and Reviews — Tedra Marian — Leave Toko — Return to Mahadera Mariam . . . . .172

Chapter X. Visit To Dejaj Bourroo Goscho In Gojam

Leave Devra Tabor — Korata — Lake Tsana — Boats — Hippopotami — Bahar Dar — Disturbed State of the Country — Furrus Wagga — Cross the Ava — Mota — Churlish Governor — Cross the Mountains into Gojam — Nazareta — Arrive at Bourroo's Camp — Reception — His Character and Career . . . ] 90

Chapter XI

A Social Party — Dejaj Merso — Immer Sahalo — The Game of Gooks —A Banquet — Bourroo in a bad Temper — Custom on the slaying of an Elephant — Bourroo campaigns — Galla Tribute — Plunder of Rebel Country — Attempt to leave — Obliged to remain — More marching — Scarcity in the Camp . . CONTENTS. XIII PAGE 279 297 - 315

Chapter XII

Plundering — A vicious Horse — The Rains in Gojam — Jungle Travelling — Quit Bourroo — Devra Werk — Keranion — Hospitality and Curiosity — Recross the Ava — A Supper — Return of Fever — Bourroo's Fit-Aurari — Scarcity of Food — Arrive at Bahar Dar 228

Chapter XIII

Lake Tsana — Zeggy — Province of Maycha — My Neighbours — A Fight — Zars — The Ras displeased — Threatening Aspect of Affairs — The Ras pacified — Start to join his Vanguard — Suspect Treachery, and return to Bahar Dar — Disturbed State of the Country — Sporting and Fishing — Bourro Hailo — Leave Bahar Dar for Yawish and the Galla Country . . . 250

Chapter XIV. Visit To The Galla Country

Leave Basso — Crossing the Nile — Aspect of the Coimtry — Costume of the People — Suspicions — Alemannoo Dilloo — The Chiefs of Goodroo— Compulsory Alliance — Galla Customs

Chapter XV

Attack by Gallas of Jimna — Narrow Escape — Their Repulse — Gratitude of Goodroo — Second Attack by Jimma — Perilous Situation — Second Repulse — Leave Goodroo, and recross the Nile — The Galla Nations — Their Institutions and Customs

Chapter XVI. Voyage From Massowah To Suez

Embark for Jeddah — My Fellow-Passengers and Crew — Cross the Sea — Coomfidah — A Hooree — Rough Weather — Short of Water — Jeddah — Nowaboo — Engage a Boat to Suez — Turkish Passenger — Coral Reefs — Arrive at Yambo — Turkish Hospitality CONTENTS. PAGE 333 376

Chapter XVII

voyage TO SUEZ — continued. Leave Yambo — Sheik Marabut — Widy — Moyla — Round Ras Mahomed — Tor — Foul Winds and Heavy Gales — Wrecked — The Desert — Tor again — Suez — Alexandria — And Home !

Chapter XVIII. Mission To Ras Ali

Arrival at Massowah — Turkish Governor — Routes to Adowah — Shiho Tribes of Tora and Asowarta — Monkooloo — Crossing the Mountains — Aidurusso — Kiokhor — Khoda Felassee — Goondet — The Marubb — A Freebooter — Arrival at Adowah, and Reception there ........ 354

Chapter XIX

mission to RAS ali — continued. Doubts of Oobeay — Start for his Residence at Maitalo — See Oobeay — His Career and Character — Return to Adowah — Axum — Cross the Takazzee — Second Visit to Oobeay — Graciously received — Mountain Ranges of Semen — Waggera — Dubaruk — Intelligence of a Plot — Cross into the Province of Kimfaz — Beggala — Belassa — Arrive at Devra Tabor

Chapter XX

mission to ras ali — continued. Camp of Ras Ali — My Reception — His Character — Beggars and Begging Customs — Visit Bell — The Ras resolves on a Campaign into Gojam — Preparations to accompany him — Crossing the Nih- — Banks of the Ava — Rainy Season commences Miseries of the Camp — The Ras takes up his Winter Quarters — I retire to Yawish — Visits — Rejoin the Ras . 4QQ

Chapter XXI

mission to ras ali — concluded. The Ras signs the Treaty — The Camp starving — Plundering The Ras's Anger— Complaint against me — A Tiff with the Ras — Take leave of him, and join my appointed Escort, Amoro Hailo— Start for Maycha by Damot — Hardships of the Journey — Arrival in Begemder ... . " . . contents. XV PAGE

Chapter XXII. Excursion To The Valley Of The Wobas

Abundance of Game— Elephants — Buffaloes — Hippopotami — Antelopes — Return to Yawish 439

Chapter XXIII

Abyssinia in 1848 — Kasai, Dejajmatch of Kwora — His Career — Is crowned as King Theodorus — His Character described — Mr. Plowden's Intercourse with the King — The Rebel Negousee — Mr. Plowden's Death — Vindication of his Conduct — Present State of Abyssinia ........ 453