a voyage to abyssinia-第13部分

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n　some　time　in　quest　of　him；　found　him　with　his　mouth　all　smeared　with　the　blood　of　a　cow　he　had　just　devoured；　the　man　rushed　upon　him；　and　thrust　his　lance　into　his　throat　with　such　violence　that　it　came　out　between　his　shoulders；　the　beast；　with　one　dreadful　roar；　fell　down　into　a　pit；　and　lay　struggling；　till　my　servant　despatched　him。　I　measured　the　body　of　this　lion；　and　found　him　twelve　feet　between　the　head　and　the　tail。



Chapter　II



The　animals　of　Abyssinia；　the　elephant；　unicorn；　their　horses　and　cows；　with　a　particular　account　of　the　moroc。


There　are　so　great　numbers　of　elephants　in　Abyssinia　that　in　one　evening　we　met　three　hundred　of　them　in　three　troops：　　as　they　filled　up　the　whole　way；　we　were　in　great　perplexity　a　long　time　what　measures　to　take；　at　length；　having　implored　the　protection　of　that　Providence　that　superintends　the　whole　creation；　we　went　forwards　through　the　midst　of　them　without　any　injury。　　Once　we　met　four　young　elephants；　and　an　old　one　that　played　with　them；　lifting　them　up　with　her　trunk；　they　grew　enraged　on　a　sudden；　and　ran　upon　us：　　we　had　no　way　of　securing　ourselves　but　by　flight；　which；　however；　would　have　been　fruitless；　had　not　our　pursuers　been　stopped　by　a　deep　ditch。　　The　elephants　of　Aethiopia　are　of　so　stupendous　a　size；　that　when　I　was　mounted　on　a　large　mule　I　could　not　reach　with　my　hand　within　two　spans　of　the　top　of　their　backs。　In　Abyssinia　is　likewise　found　the　rhinoceros；　a　mortal　enemy　to　the　elephant。　　In　the　province　of　Agaus　has　been　seen　the　unicorn；　that　beast　so　much　talked　of；　and　so　little　known：　　the　prodigious　swiftness　with　which　this　creature　runs　from　one　wood　into　another　has　given　me　no　opportunity　of　examining　it　particularly；　yet　I　have　had　so　near　a　sight　of　it　as　to　be　able　to　give　some　description　of　it。　　The　shape　is　the　same　with　that　of　a　beautiful　horse；　exact　and　nicely　proportioned；　of　a　bay　colour；　with　a　black　tail；　which　in　some　provinces　is　long；　in　others　very　short：　　some　have　long　manes　hanging　to　the　ground。　　They　are　so　timorous　that　they　never　feed　but　surrounded　with　other　beasts　that　defend　them。　　Deer　and　other　defenceless　animals　often　herd　about　the　elephant；　which；　contenting　himself　with　roots　and　leaves；　preserves　those　beasts　that　place　themselves；　as　it　were；　under　his　protection；　from　the　rage　and　fierceness　of　others　that　would　devour　them。

The　horses　of　Abyssinia　are　excellent；　their　mules；　oxen；　and　cows　are　without　number；　and　in　these　principally　consists　the　wealth　of　this　country。　　They　have　a　very　particular　custom；　which　obliges　every　man　that　hath　a　thousand　cows　to　save　every　year　one　day's　milk　of　all　his　herd；　and　make　a　bath　with　it　for　his　relations；　entertaining　them　afterwards　with　a　splendid　feast。　　This　they　do　so　many　days　each　year；　as　they　have　thousands　of　cattle；　so　that　to　express　how　rich　any　man　is；　they　tell　you　he　bathes　so　many　times。　The　tribute　paid　out　of　their　herds　to　the　King；　which　is　not　the　most　inconsiderable　of　his　revenues；　is　one　cow　in　ten　every　three　years。　　The　beeves　are　of　several　kinds；　one　sort　they　have　without　horns；　which　are　of　no　other　use　than　to　carry　burthens；　and　serve　instead　of　mules。　　Another　twice　as　big　as　ours　which　they　breed　to　kill；　fattening　them　with　the　milk　of　three　or　four　cows。　　Their　horns　are　so　large；　the　inhabitants　use　them　for　pitchers；　and　each　will　hold　about　five　gallons。　　One　of　these　oxen；　fat　and　ready　to　be　killed；　may　be　bought　at　most　for　two　crowns。　　I　have　purchased　five　sheep；　or　five　goats　with　nine　kids；　for　a　piece　of　calico　worth　about　a　crown。

The　Abyssins　have　many　sort　of　fowls　both　wild　and　tame；　some　of　the　former　we　are　yet　unacquainted　with：　　there　is　one　of　wonderful　beauty；　which　I　have　seen　in　no　other　place　except　Peru：　　it　has　instead　of　a　comb；　a　short　horn　upon　its　head；　which　is　thick　and　round；　and　open　at　the　top。　　The　feitan　favez；　or　devil's　horse；　looks　at　a　distance　like　a　man　dressed　in　feathers；　it　walks　with　abundance　of　majesty；　till　it　finds　itself　pursued；　and　then　takes　wing；　and　flies　away。　　But　amongst　all　their　birds　there　is　none　more　remarkable　than　the　moroc；　or　honey…bird；　which　is　furnished　by　nature　with　a　peculiar　instinct　or　faculty　of　discovering　honey。　They　have　here　multitudes　of　bees　of　various　kinds；　some　are　tame；　like　ours；　and　form　their　combs　in　hives。　　Of　the　wild　ones；　some　place　their　honey　in　hollow　trees；　others　hide　it　in　holes　in　the　ground；　which　they　cover　so　carefully；　that　though　they　are　commonly　in　the　highway；　they　are　seldom　found；　unless　by　the　moroc's　help；　which；　when　he　has　discovered　any　honey；　repairs　immediately　to　the　road　side；　and　when　he　sees　a　traveller；　sings；　and　claps　his　wings；　making　many　motions　to　invite　him　to　follow　him；　and　when　he　perceives　him　coming；　flies　before　him　from　tree　to　tree；　till　he　comes　to　the　place　where　the　bees　have　stored　their　treasure；　and　then　begins　to　sing　melodiously。　　The　Abyssin　takes　the　honey；　without　failing　to　leave　part　of　it　for　the　bird；　to　reward　him　for　his　information。　　This　kind　of　honey　I　have　often　tasted；　and　do　not　find　that　it　differs　from　the　other　sorts　in　anything　but　colour；　it　is　somewhat　blacker。　　The　great　quantity　of　honey　that　is　gathered；　and　a　prodigious　number　of　cows　that　is　kept　here；　have　often　made　me　call　Abyssinia　a　land　of　honey　and　butter。



Chapter　III



The　manner　of　eating　in　Abyssinia；　their　dress；　their　hospitality；　and　traffic。


The　great　lords；　and　even　the　Emperor　himself；　maintain　their　tables　with　no　great　expense。　　The　vessels　they　make　use　of　are　black　earthenware；　which；　the　older　it　is；　they　set　a　greater　value　on。　Their　way　of　dressing　their　meat；　an　European；　till　he　hath　been　long　accustomed　to　it；　can　hardly　be　persuaded　to　like；　everything　they　eat　smells　strong　and　swims　with　butter。　　They　make　no　use　of　either　linen　or　plates。　　The　persons　of　rank　never　touch　what　they　eat；　but　have　their　meat　cut　by　their　pages；　and　put　into　their　mouths。　　When　they　feast　a　friend　they　kill　an　ox；　and　set　immediately　a　quarter　of　him　raw　upon　the　table　（for　their　most　elegant　treat　is　raw　beef　newly　killed）　with　pepper　and　salt；　the　gall　of　the　ox　serves　them　for　oil　and　vinegar；　some；　to　heighten　the　delicacy　of　the　entertainment；　add　a　kind　of　sauce；　which　they　call　manta；　made　of　what　they　take　out　of　the　guts　of　the　ox；　this　they　set　on　the　fire；　with　butter；　salt；　pepper；　and　onion。　　Raw　beef；　thus　relished；　is　their　nicest　dish；　and　is　eaten　by　them　with　the　same　appetite　and　pleasure　as　we　eat　the　best　partridges。　　They　have　often　done　me　the　favour　of　helping　me　to　some　of　this　sauce；　and　I　had　no　way　to　decline　eating　it　besides　telling　them　it　was　too　good　for　a　missionary。

The　common　drink　of　the　Abyssins　is　beer　and　mead；　which　they　drink　to　excess　when　they　visit　one　another；　nor　can　there　be　a　greater　offence　against　good　manners　than　to　let　the　guests　go　away　sober：　their　liquor　is　always　presented　by　a　servant；　who　drinks　first　himself；　and　then　gives　the　cup　to　the　company；　in　the　order　of　their　quality。

The　meaner　sort　of　people　here　dress　themselves　very　plain；　they　only　wear　drawers；　and　a　thick　garment　of　cotton；　that