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A few becoming sufficiently excited by these means, they rush from either side into the intervening space. The combat then commences, by each of these singling out his opponent and squatting opposite to him, in their usual attitude, at the distance of a few yards Balancing their spears in a threatening manner, they spar at each other for several minutes, until one conceives he has a favourable opportunity of launching his spear, when, springing to his feet, he darts it with great force and precision. Seldom, however, any injury is thus produced, for his wary antagonist, with his shield dashes it aside, and then endeavours to break it by jumping and stamping upon it, as it lies upon the ground. He, in his turn, threatens with his weapon, his spearless opponent, who, bounding from side to side, in a stooping posture, endeavours to cover with his shield his whole body, save the head, and thus gives no steady object for the aim of the coming missile. At length, the spear being thrown probably with the same harmless effect, both snatch their knives from their girdle, and rush with great impetuosity upon each other, throwing their shields to the ground to admit of their grappling with their left hands, whilst with the right they strike swift and heavy blows at the neck and into the left side. A few moments decide the murderous conflict, and the loud shout of the victor, as he pushes from his front the beavy corpse of the slain, proclaims his success in the gladiatorial combat.

• During the fight, continual shouts of encouragement, or of derision, are raised by the noncombatants, who are waiting only the stimulus of revenge, on seeing a friend or leader killed, or to be prompted by the desire to assist some wounded companion, when they then rush into the conflict, from their previous couchant position, in the rear. No sooner, however, does any one spring forward for this purpose, than he is met by some brave of the opposite side, who runs to encounter him. Sometimes two or three, or even more, hasten for the same purpose; but corresponding opponents leap forward to engage hand to hand in a succession of duels, with those who shew this anxiety to mingle in the fray. In this manner the excitement spreads, pair after pair enter the ensanguined lists, and new comers continue to lengthen out the contest, until one side exhausts its warriors, and the weak and cowardly of that party alone are sitting in the rear. The victors now joined by their reserve friends rush forward to attack these, and kill whoever resists, while the rest, throwing aside their spears and shields, fly for their lives. Thus terminates a sanguinary affair, for of the number of warriors actually engaged, one half, on the side of the defeated party, must be slain; sometimes, with very little loss on the part of the victors.' -Ib. pp. 275-279.

'The habits of the people are in strict accordance with the low state of civilization denoted in this passage. What will our fashionable loungers think of the following description of an African toilette, consequent on the slaughter of a sheep which Mr. Johnston had presented to his companions?

'I was very much amused, when the sheep was slaughtered, by

the contest which took place for the intestines and fat. It was of the usual Adal kind, covered with short hair, entirely white, except the small black head. The tail was large and heavy, consisting principally of a huge deposit of suet overhanging from the rump. Two or three applicants were almost fighting about the possession of this, which I at length settled by dividing between Garahmee and Moosa, who retired with it, borrowing my copper cooking-pot and a large wooden bowl from Zaido, for some purpose or other I could not make out, but which determined me to watch their proceedings to satisfy my curiosity. Having melted the fat over a low fire they soon prepared with camels' dung and dry sticks, they poured the oily liquid into the bowl; Moosa then took his seat upon the ground, sitting between Garahmee's legs, who commenced, with a long skewer-like comb of one prong, to comb out and arrange the rather tangled mass of long stiff curly hair, which was the pride and chiefest care of Moosa. Having tastefully adjusted the ends of the hair, behind and over the ears, in one regular line, and brought it to a level surface all over the head, Garahmee then took a large mouthful of the melted fat from the bowl, and suddenly applying his lips to the surface of the hair, continued to send it in spirts, so as fairly to spread it over every part, and to do it effectually and properly, taking several fresh pulls at the bowl, until he thought a just half was expended, when he got up and exchanged places with Moosa, who did for him the same friendly office. Garahmee, however, was quite bald in front, so all his share of the grease was not only blown over the hair on the back part of his head, but also well rubbed in with the hands. After this operation had been duly performed, the character of their hair was completely changed, and at a distance seemed, Moosa's more especially, as if each had on a skull-cap of frosted silver.'-ib. pp. 142, 143.

In their feasts there is a similar want of all which springs out of the refinement of Europe. On one occasion a camel 'that had been ailing many days' was slaughtered, and the revelry which followed is thus briefly described.

'One party of the revellers who sat near my hut, I observed rolling up strips of the flesh, and stowing them away in their affaleetahs for a feast at the next halting place, as the Dankalli certainly prefer the flesh of animals cooked, excepting the liver and other viscera, which are almost always eaten raw. The same party had also come in for the backbone in their share, and after the fleshy parts had been stript off and preserved for a better opportunity of cooking, the assembled circle very fairly, and with much brotherly love, sent the raw juicy bone round, each one taking a fair chop at it with his heavy dagger, and then making a good strong pull at the almost detached piece with his teeth. In this manner they soon cleared and divided the bone, and each one then possessed himself of a single vertebra to look over, and finish his repast, which did not conclude until every bit of the cartilage had been torn off and eaten.'-ib. p. 214. Arriving in Shoa our author was bitterly disappointed at the

state in which he found the British mission under Major Harris. He expected to be received with cordiality by the king, and to proceed at once to the residence in Ankobar. Instead of this, however, he was detained a prisoner, and was threatened with personal indignity, and when subsequently he reached the British officer, a dispute ensued for which it is somewhat difficult to account. We confess that so far as our information extends, our sympathy is with Mr. Johnston, at the same time it becomes us in candour to acknowledge that that information is scarcely such as entitles us to pronounce a judgment. That the embassy has not accomplished any object commensurate with the expence which it involved, may be acknowledged without criminating the capacity or prudence of Major, now Sir William Harris, but there are circumstances alleged by our author which, if true, will satisfactorily account for its failure. An attempt appears to have been made to take advantage of the ignorance of the king, and it is no marvel therefore that he should have been led to regard the English with mistrust and dislike. Mr. Johnston alludes to this with sufficient distinctness in the following passage.

'An answer had been sent to me by Capt. Harris the day before by the messenger now in prison, confined by the Wallasmah for having brought a letter for me, after the king had issued orders that all correspondence between the English already in the country and those arriving should be prevented. Mr. Scott was not at all surprised when I informed him of the circumstance, though I certainly considered such a proceeding to be very much at variance with the conditions and stipulations I was given to understand were contained in the commercial treaty. I could not help remarking this, and Mr. Scott then candidly admitted the king did not know the character or purport of the paper he had signed; and had only been made aware of the new responsibilities he had incurred, by a sharplyworded expostulatory letter, written by Mr. Krapf, in accordance to the dictation of Captain Harris, on an occasion subsequently to the signing of the treaty, when despatches and letters coming up from the coast were intercepted and detained for some time by the orders of the king. Singularly enough, this information was corroborated by Ohmed Medina, who told me that my letter from Dinnomalee had not been carried to Captain Harris, but to the king, who wanted to find out whether the English were his friends or not, and was trying my disposition and that of the commander (Captain Harris) by this harsh treatment of me; a kind of experiment, in fact, to see what would be borne by us, and how far he had limited his authority by attaching his signature to the treaty. Any idea of granting public benefit, at the expense of his prerogative was never entertained for a moment, the intentions of the king being limited to shewing personal favour alone, which he is ever ready to concede even now to English travellers, much as he complains of the conduct of the

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Mission to Shoa as regards their political misdoings; more especially of the great insult offered to him by the unfortunate letter before alluded to, and which was worded so unguardedly, that the king, on receiving it, might well, considering his great regard for Mr Krapf previously, turn to him and say, in a tone that implied write that, my 'Did

more of sorrow than of vol. ii. pp. 21-23.

anger,

you

father?'

Mr. Johnston represents the religious faith of the Shoans, as involved in considerable obscurity, and shrinks from any attempt to elucidate it. I dare not,' he says, 'attempt any elucidation of the faith professed by the negoos and monks of Shoa; they certainly have no universal creed, nor any articles to define what is orthodox belief and what is not. The chief principle of religion with the heads of the church in that country seems to be to think upon the subject exactly as the negoos do; for if they do not, they are very soon considered in the light of heretics.'

The Church Missionary Society, it is well known, have for some time laboured in Abyssinia, and at one period with good prospect of success. This prospect however has been overclouded, and according to our traveller, mainly by the interposition of political agencies. Who can help regretting,' he remarks, the great mistake of the missionary in calling political aid to his assistance, but he erred solely by his zeal to extend his opportunities of conferring good upon his fellow creatures. He grieves now for influence founded upon respect that is gone for ever; and from my heart I sympathize with him, for the utter prostration of hope that Abyssinia should become the centre of enlightenment for the rest of the unhappy continent of Africa.' It is not indeed to be wondered at that the agents of a society framed and supported by a state church, should readily avail themselves of such assistance. It was accordant with their creed, was in harmony with the constitution of the hierarchy whose name they bore, and might, by minds trained after their fashion, be expected to promote their religious calling. But as in all similar cases, so in this, the most calamitous results fol- lowed a departure from the laws of Christ. The interposition of political influence awakened the suspicion of the civil power. The teacher of Christianity lost his distinctive and ennobling character; his hold on the confidence of the people was sacrificed; he became an object of mistrust; and is now a wanderer from the land which once promised a cheering return to his pious labours.

Of Mr. Johnston's religious tenets we know nothing more than the volumes before us supply. From a passage in the first volume, (p. 269), we conclude that they pertain to the unitarian school, in the ultimate prevalence of which as 'the

sect to whom is reserved the glory of reuniting in one faith, the present divided family of man,' he appears to exercise the fullest confidence. In this anticipation we do not of course indulge, as we cannot agree with him in the too favourable view which he takes of Islamism. Differing on this point, which is only incidentally alluded to, we part from him with respect as a sensible and candid writer, in whose company it is pleasant to travel, and from whose pages both amusement and instruction may be derived.

Art. III. Geschichte der geistlichen Bildungsanstalten. Mit einem Vorworte, enthaltend: Acht Tage im Seminar von St. Euseb. in Rom. Von Dr. Augustin Theiner. Mainz, 1835.

Histoire des Institutions d'Education Ecclesiastique.

Par Augustin Theiner, traduit de l'Allemand par Jean Cohen, Bibliothécaire à St. Geneviève. Paris, 1841.

We have separated this work from others which were named with it in a previous article, that we might by a distinct, and purely biographical, notice of it, obtain a place for some remarkable details, for which there would not have been room, in a mixed article, bearing upon practical objects, and secure a greater variety of interesting matter, relating to the seminaries of Romanism, than would otherwise have been practicable. It is the production of a man whose course has excited no small attention on the continent, especially in Italy and Germany. The younger of two brothers, who under the influence of Thaddæus Dereser, capitular of the cathedral at Breslaw and professor of theology in the university, some time since took a prominent part in the Silesian movement for the restoration of a German national church, in opposition to the ruling ultramontane principles, he became known to the learned world by the publication of his able work on the constrained celibacy of the Roman clergy, Die erzwungene Ehelosigkeit der Katholischen Geistlichkeit,' printed in two volumes at Altenburg, in 1828. This work to which, though written almost wholly by himself, the name of his brother, John Anthony, was also prefixed, was not only distinguished for the diligence and care with which the very numerous original sources of information had been investigated, but was, besides, remarkable as the work of a man under twenty-four, who had in early life contended with great privations, being the son of a poor shoemaker, who was able to afford him no assistance in his studies. Through the reputation this work acquired for him, he obtained, in the

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