n, and being in a constant state of warfare amongst
themselves. Notwithstanding, therefore, its many natural advantages, it
has made no progress in civilisation or prosperity, and the great mass
of the people are ignorant and barbarous in the extreme. The chiefs,
too, are often cruel, bloodthirsty, turbulent, and grasping. Though
their complexion is dark, their features are regular and handsome. They
wear their hair plaited and wound round their head, covered thickly with
butter. Their costume consists of drawers, a cotton shirt, with a white
cotton-cloth cloak, called a shama, having a broad scarlet border, and,
in addition, a lion-skin tippet with long tails. On their right side
hangs a curved sword in a red leather scabbard, and a richly ornamented
hilt, while a hide shield, ornamented with gold filigree bosses, and
with silver plates, is worn on the left arm, and a long spear is grasped
in the right hand. The most invincible enemies of the Amharas have been
the heathen tribes of the Gallas, inhabiting the regions to the south of
Abyssinia. At the end of last century, however, one of their chiefs,
Rass Guka, obtained possession of the person of the then puppet emperor,
and assumed supreme power. He outwardly conformed to the Christian
religion, many of his people following his example.

When in 1838 the Egyptian troops of Mahomed Ali attempted to invade
Abyssinia, they were defeated by Dejatch Confu, chief of Kuara, who had
a nephew, Kasa by name. Kasa was deprived of his father at an early
age, and his mother was reduced to a state of poverty, and compelled, it
was said, to follow the humble calling of a kosso seller. He was sent
to a convent to be brought up as a priest or scribe, but the convent
being attacked by a robber chief, who put most of the inmates to the
sword, Kasa escaped to the castle of his powerful uncle. Here,
listening to the conversation of various chiefs, he imbibed an
enthusiastic love of war and daring exploits. On the death of his
uncle, his cousins quarrelled. He sided with the eldest, was defeated,
and became a robber chief. At length he unfurled the standard of
rebellion, under the pretence of checking oppression and restraining
violence. The queen of the usurping semi-Christian Galla race, of whom
we have just spoken, long hated in the land, sent an army against him.
Her troops were, however, speedily defeated. Finding that force would
not prevail against him, the wily sove