This country, according to Ludolf, was:conquered by the
negush, Melek Seghed, and the king was converted.*•. They
resemble the Abyssins, and were reported by Gregorius to be
the finest race of people as well- as the most virtuous among
them, or in theirvicinity.
7. Ludolf enumerates the people of Gamba, a kingdom or
province to the eastward of Narea, among the natives of
Abyssinia who have peculiar languages. He says that there
are eight principal tongues in the empire of Habesh, but
among them he .mentions those of the Galla and the Shan-
kala or Shangalla, who do not properly belong to the number
of genuine Abyssinian races.
We do not as yet know whether all the above-mentioned
idioms are .really distinct languages, or, what is more probable,
only dialectic varieties of a much smaller number of
mother-tongues. We are assured by Ludolf, that the king-i
doms or provinces near to Amhara have languages which
are akin to the Amharie but differ widely as dialects.- Be-
gember has a peculiar dialeGt. In Angot, Elat, Gojam, and
Shoa, one and the same dialect prevails. Ludolf seems to
suppose the language of Gafat to be a very remote dialect of
the Amharie, but he says that the idiom of Dembea is entirely
a distinct language, both from the Amharie and Tigrana. It
may be the language of the Falasha, who were formerly very
numerous in Dembea. In a following section I shall make
some remarks on the relations of the Abyssinian languages
to each other and to the old Gheez or Ethiopic.
S e c t io n III. - On the Physical Characters of the Abyssinian
Races.
The principal nations of Abyssinia, namely, those who inhabit
the highlands, the Shangalla tribes who live in the low
forest countries and chiefly beyond the limits of the empire
being obviously excluded, bear a; general resemblance to
each other in physical characters, and may be said to have,
in common, a national physiognomy. Considerable varieties
of features and complexion have been remarked between in-
* Hist. Abyss, lib. i. c. 3.
dividuals, and in particular families ; but no traveller in Abyssinia
has reported that the people : of Tigré' are distinguished
by any remarkable traits from the natives of Amhara, and
we are expressly assured by Mru Salt, that the Agows very
much resemble the other Abyssinians, under which name he
evidently comprisés both the races above mentioned, attributing
to them a common character. .
By this national character of conformation the Abyssins
are associated with that class, oe African nations which I
have proposed to denominate by the term Ethiopian, as distinguishing
them from Negroes.- The distinction has indeed
already.; been. established by Baron Larrey, Dr. Ruppell,
M. de Chabrol; and others. Some of these, writers include in
the same department the Abyssinians, the native Egyptians,
and the Barâbra, separating them by; a broad line from the
Negroes/ and by almost as broad a line from the Arabs, and
Europeans. Thé Egyptians?‘or Copts, who form oneribranch
ofthis;- stock, have, according to Larrey, a *fyellow dusky
complexion, like that of the Abyssins. Their countenance
is; full without being puffed ; their pyeÿ are beautiful, clear,
almond-shaped, languishing ; their cheek-bones-are projecting,^
their noses nearly straight, rounded at the point; their
nostrils ; dilated ; mouth of moderate size ; their ; lips thick ;
their teeth white, regular, and scarcely projecting; their
beard and hair black and crisp.”* In all these characters
the Egyptians, according to Larrey, mgree with the Abys^
sins, and are distinguished from the Negroes.- “ En effet
les Nègres Africains ont les dents plus-larges, plus avancées,
les arcades alvéolaires plus étendues et plus prononcées,
les lèvres plus épaisses, renversées, et la bouche plus fendue :
ils ont aus$i les pommettes moins saillantes, les joues plus
petites, et les yeux plus ternes: et plus-ronds, et leurs cheveux
sont lanugineux.” With this description he contrasts that of
the Abyssins, who are distinguished by large eyes and a
* “ Les Qobtes ont „un ton de peau jaunâtre et fumeux comme les Abyssins ; leur
visage est plein, sans être bouffé ; leurs yeux sont beaux, limpides, coupés en
amande, et d’un régard languiséant: les pommettes sont saillantes; le nez est
presque droit, arrondi à son sommet ; lès narines sont dilatées ; la bouché moy enne ;
les lèvres épaisses ; les dents blanches, symmetriques-, et peu saillantes ; la barbe
et les cheveux noirs et crépus.”—Description de l ’Egypte.