well-wooded, and the latter
fertile; with the climate mild upon the whole for so tropical a
latitude. For the people and customs I must refer you to some other
more intelligent member."

MR. STANLEY. "The present Bishop of Jerusalem[18] went to Abyssinia
some years ago; and he has sketched a few interesting particulars
concerning the people. 'As soon as a child is born, it is
immediately taught to drink lukewarm butter, with a little honey.
After the age of six or seven years, the children are considered
servants. The boys are shepherds, till the age of fourteen or
fifteen, and reside with their parents; but if their parents are
poor, they leave them, by their own choice at the age of eight or
nine years, in order to get their livelihood by keeping cattle
elsewhere. The girls are occupied in managing the little affairs of
the house; and begin to fetch water, which is always at a distance,
as soon as they can walk steadily. At the age of eight or nine years
they begin to fetch wood from the mountains. There are some fathers
who send their children into convents to have them instructed; but
there are many who will not do this, lest their children should
become monks: on this account many boys desert their parents, in
order to seek instruction for themselves. Some enter the house of a
priest as servants during the day, and they receive instruction at
night. Others go, after the lessons are over, to get food by
begging. There are also many persons in easy circumstances who
support those children who seek for instruction without the help of
their parents. Nearly all the great men send their children into
convents to learn reading, and to repeat the psalms from memory;
this is all the instruction they receive. The daughters of the
higher class learn nothing but spinning and managing the affairs of
the house; there are, however, a _few_ ladies who can read.'"

[Footnote 18: Right Rev. Samuel Gobat.]

MR. BARRAUD. "They seem early accustomed to habits of industry; but
in other respects, the training of the children is not very rigid:
almost the only crime they punish them for, is stealing. Mr.
Stanley's author, Bishop Gobat, says, he saw a mother, usually of a
very meek temper, and who would not see a man cause suffering to the
smallest reptile, burn the skin off both the hands and lips of her
daughter, only nine years of age, for having dipped her finger into
a jar of honey!"

EMMA. "Oh! how extremely cruel! they surely