Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/252

 trast with the little donkeys, scarcely bigger than a Newfoundland dog, and earrying burdens larger than themselves, or mounted hy uatives whose feet dangisdta the sround. Fhe people here are of every race known tu the east, and we met one unmistakable “Johnny” with pigtail and slanting, ai- mond eyes, Whe told mein “pigeon English" that he was cook ous steamer fir tlie harbs Hut most ef the natives we met were Abys- -fulans, very black, with Asiatic, not negro features, and hair cultivated in tong eork- xevew curls, sticking oul in all direetions, aud by the application of lime faded out from black toa dingy brown. ‘These shoek head, in whieh both sexes seom to take great vride, were not unlike tite preyatling ptvle rif haivat home, The appearance of the women was by mo means attractive. Af were cnornous silver ear ornaments and io of glass beads, anklets and ann nilots more Inussive than ornamenta]. One couple especinity attracted our atteation. They were gofnp In the niest exquisite style of Abyssinian art, especially the yougn worm, ond seemed to ercate quile asensation on the road, She was profusely decorated and wore jp hier nose a large ring wilh the three pearls, indicating that she was 2 bride. filer * fella’. wool, originally black, hac heen celeral to a dingy blonde, aml wis elsborstely curled until it would 1 « half Dbishel ineasure. ‘The jady yode a donkey and the #roont walked by her side (varefooted, of course), and so absorbed were they in eth ather that we drove slowly by and stared at them without attracting their notice.

The entrance to the town was through a deep gorge, where for aspace of 100 yards the walls rose front eighty to one hundred web in heieht on cach side. A. massive geteway and cannon guarded the entrance. and a squad of native soldiersin red cots ‘ikhs fram Jndiz), presented arms as wr passed. Emerging from the narrow ravine the town was before us, oceuping a basin about 2 mile in diameter, evidently the erates of an extinct yoleano. A cirele of jegged peaks siurounded it, some of them covered with forts and batteries. Seyer2] regiments of troops are quertered here in any stone cantonments, forming a large fort in the centre of the town. Notwithstand- ing its desolate and oven-like situation, Adenissaidto be quite healthy frum Oc- teber te April. If the “fires are put out” during these months, the terrific, schorching [sic] heat of summer must give the inhabitants a