Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 1.djvu/204

 and irritable, they are easily led into foolhardy enterprises. Their ambition is insatiable, but when unsuccessful they resignedly accept their ill luck. The sad political state of Abyssinia fully accounts for the vices of its peoples. Continual wars put a stop to all peaceful labours; the soldiers live by plunder, the monks by alms; hence all work is despised and left to the women and slaves. Like the Egyptian fellahin, the haughty Abyssinians do not consider themselves degraded by asking for presents, remarking cynically, "God has given us speech for the purpose of begging." Amongst the Shohos the love of bakshish is pushed to such an extent that many of the chiefs are buried with the hand projecting from the grave, as if still soliciting from their tombs. Disregard of truth is another national vice, veracity being little respected in this country of theological quibblings, where each interpretation is based on a sacred text. "Lying gives a salt to speech which the pure truth never does," said an Abyssinian to d'Abbadie. Although the Abyssinians rank as a "civilised people," their agriculture is still in a very rudimentary state; many of the ploughs have merely a stick or iron lance for the share, which tears up the soil without turning it over. After the seed is sown, the land is never touched till harvest time, whilst certain useful plants are left to grow wild. Even the harvest is neglected, and the gums, yielded abundantly by the acacias on the Sahal and Sarahar slopes of the Abyssinian chains, are gathered only in the immediate vicinity of the trade routes between Massawah and the plateaus. However, numerous varieties of vegetables are known to have been introduced into the country, notably the vine, at the period of its trade with Byzantium. During the present century Schimper has spread the culture of the potato, the German missionaries have brought over the red cabbage, and Munzinger has introduced several new plants into the country of the Bogos. Were the arable lands cultivated, like those of the more flourishing European colonies, the Abyssinian highlands might supply the markets of the world with coffee and quinine, and the valleys of the advanced spurs might rival the United States in the production of cotton. The industries, properly so called, are in the same state of neglect as agriculture, although the Abyssinians themselves are sufficiently intelligent and skilful to utilise their own raw materials instead of exporting them to foreign manufacturers. Incessant wars compelling all the able population to bear arms, and the contempt for labour and workmen existing in all feudal and slave countries, have prevented the Abyssinians from developing their natural skill and taste for the industries. All the masonry, carpentering, and upholstering, as well as the manufacture of tools, weapons, and instruments, are left to the Felasha Jews, who are rewarded for their services by being hated and persecuted as budas—that is, were- wolves—or else