Routes in Abyssinia

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Routes in Abyssinia
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Routes in Abyssinia
Author/Creator Cooke, Anthony Charles
Date 1867
Resource type Books
Language English
Subject
Coverage (spatial) Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, Axum;Lalibela, Eritrea
Source Smithsonian Institution Libraries, DT377 .C77 1867
Description Index. Page. General description of the country of Abyssinia
and of the different routes leading into it. Principal Towns.
Government. Religion and Character of Inhabitants.
Currency. Military Strength of Country. Description of
Theodore. Portuguese Expedition into Abyssinia. Routes to
Magdala from the North. Routes from Massowah and
Ansley Bay to the Highlands. Extracts from the Works of
Travellers. List of Works referred to. Index to Routes. Salt's
Journey from Massowah by the Taranta Pass to Chelicut,
near Antalo. Pearce's Journey from Antalo to Lake Ashangi.
Ferret ct Galinier. Journey from Massowah by the Taranta
Pass to Adowa. Ferret et Galinier. Journey from Gondar to
Adowa, Goundet, and Massowah. Mansfield Parkyns'
Journey from Mafesowah, by Ailet to Adowa. Ditto from
Adowa along the Takazze. Munzinger's Route from
Massowah to Kaya Khor. Col. Merewether's description of
the Agametta Plateau. Do. Report on roads from Massowah
to Ailet. Major Harris* Journey from Tajurreh to Ankobar.
D'Hericourt ditto *' ditto J. Isenberg and Krapf ditto ditto.
Coffin's Journey from Amphilla tiay to Chelicut. Hamilton's
Journeyfjrom Suakim to Kassala. Brace's Journey from
wwfcyp to the Gwangwe. Krapf's Journey from MagdJla by
Lake Haik, &c, to Massowah. Dr. Beke's Journey from
Debra Tabor to Adowa. RuppelTs Journey from Halai to
Addigraht (Ategerat). Rilppell's Journey from Addigraht to
Tackeraggiro (Takirakira). Dr. Beke's Letter on a route from
Ansley Bay to Tohonda. Description of the different
Divisions of the Provinces of Abyssinia. Combes' and
http://www.aluka.org
Tamisier's Journey from Massowah to Adowa. Do. do. do.
Adowa to Devra Tabor. Don Alonzo Mendez. Journey from
Amphilla Bay to Fremona. Lefebvre. Journey from Atebidera
towards the Salt Plain. Do. do. Massowah to Adowa. Do.
do. Adowa to Antalo. Do. do. Adowa to Massowah. Do.
Routes. Bruce's Journey from Massowah to Gpndar.
Steudner's Journey from Chankar (south-west of Gondar) to
Magdala. Line of Advance of the Expedition.
Format extent 229 pages
(length/size)
http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.CH.DOCUMENT.sip100051
http://www.aluka.org
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PresentedtotheHouseofCommons,inpursuanceoftheirAddress dated
November26,1867.,
LONDON:PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY'SSTATIONERY OFFICE,
BYHARRISONANDSONS, ST.MARTIN'SJE .-.1867,
M"2
PREFACE.
THEobjectofthis compilationis tocollecttogethertheinformationontheroutes
inAbyssiniawhichisscatteredthroughtheworks ofdifferenttravellers.This
informationhas been arrangedinthefollowingorder:Generaldescriptionofthe
countryandofthedifferentroutesbywhichitcan beentered.
ShortoutlineofthenatureoftheGovernment,thereligionand characterofthe
inhabitants,thecurrency,themilitarysystemofthecountry,andthe careerand
characterofthepresentEmperorTheodore.
ReferencetothePortugueseexpeditionof1541,andtotheplacesofentranceinto
thecountrywhichhavebeenadoptedbytkavellers sincethe16thcentury.
Detailedaccountofthe routesleadingfromMassowahandAnsleyBaytoGondar
andMagdala.
Extracts fromworks ofvarioustravellers bearinguponthedifferentlinesofroads.
Amap, compiledfiomtherecordsoftravellers,is given attheend.The
orthographyofnamesoflIplaces, &c.,inAbyssiniaissoindefinite,hardlyany
twor'&vellersagreeing,thatithas beenfoundimpossibletoavoid,inallcases,
discrepanciesofspellingbetweenthe mapsandthetext.Abyssinianvillages and
townsappeartobeoften ofaverytemporarynature,andthoserecordedbyone
travellerareoftennotmentionedbythenextonewhofollowsthesameroute;
someoftheplaces laiddownmaythereforebeno longerin existence,and others
mayhavesprungup.Thedataalsoforlayingdownmanyofthemareofvery
doubtful.accuracy.
CompiledattheTopographicalandStatisticalDepartmentofthe WarOffice,by
Lieut.-ColonelA.C.Cooke,C.B.,R.E.
HENRYJAMES,ColonelR.E.,Director.
INDEX.
PAGE
GeneraldescriptionofthecountryofAbyssinia andofthedifferentroutes
leadingintoit.................................................1
PrincipalTowns.................................................13
Government...................... .... ....................... 14
ReligionandCharacterof Inhabitants................................ 15
Currency.............. ........................................1
MilitaryStrengthofCountry....................................... 18
DescriptionofTheodore.. . . . . . . 22
Portuguese ExpeditionintoAbyssinia................................27
RoutestoMagdalafromtheNorth................................... 30
RoutesfromMassowahandAnsleyBaytotheHighlands.................34
Extracts fromthe Works ofTravellers .................................38
Listof Works referredto...................................... 38
Index to Routes................................................. 39
Salt's JourneyfromMassowahbytheTaranta Pass toChelicut,near
Antalo...................................................42
Pearce's JourneyfromAntaloto LakeAshangi.....................45
FerretetGalinier.JourneyfromMassowahbytheTarantaPassto
Adowa................................................. 47
FerretetGalinier.JourneyfromGondartoAdowa,Goundet,and
Massowah ............56
MansfieldParkyns'JourneyfromMasowah,byAilettoAdowa. 62
Ditto fromAdowaalongtheTakzze............73
MAnzinger's Routefrom Massowahto Kaya Khor................... 75
Col.Merewether's descriptionofthe.gamettaPlateau.............. 79
Do. Reportonroads fromMassowahtoAilet.........8
Major Harris'JourneyfromTajurrehtoAnkobar....................83
D'Hericourt ditto 'ditto.. ...................118
Isenbergand Krapfditto ditto ...................120
Coffin'sJourneyfromAmphillaBaytoChelicut.................... 129
Hamilton's Journey!f mSuakimto Ka'sla.......................130
Bruce'sJourneyfiom tothe1Gwangwe.....................184
Krapf's Journeyfrom -WabyLakeHaik, &c.,toMassowah...... 137Dr.Beke's
JourneyfromDebraTabortoAdowa....................172
Rfippell'sJourneyfromHalaitoAddigraht(Ategerat)...............181
RappeU'sJourneyfromAddig"alttoTackeraggiro(Takirakira). 182Dr. Beke's
LetteronaroutefromAnsleyBaytoTohonda.............183
DescriptionofthedifferentDivisionsoftheProvincesofAbyssinia.... 186
Combes'andTamisier'sJourneyfromMassowahtoAdowa...........189
Do. do. do. .AtdowatoDevraTabor.............191
DonAlonzo Mendez.JourneyfromAmphillaBayto Fremoua.......194 Lefebvre.
JourneyfromAtebideratowardstheSaltPlain........... 198
Do. do. Massowah toAdowa......................200
Do. do. Adowato.Antalo........................202
Do. do. Adowato Massowah.....................205
Do. Routes............................ . ... 208
Bruce'sJourneyfrom MassowahtoGondar...................... 221
Steudner'sJourneyfromChankar(south-westof Gondar)to Magdala.. 24.5 Line
ofAdvanceoftheExpedition.................................251
RETURNtoanAddress oftheHonourabletheHouseofCommons,
datedNovember26,1867;.foe"CopyofaPamphletandAppendicesrelatingto
theRoutesinAbyssinia."
GENERALDESCRIPTIONOFTHECOUNTRYOF
ABYSSINIAANDOFTHEDIFFERENTROUTES
LEADING INTOIT.
ABYSSINIAis oftenrepresentedon maps asboundedontheeastbytheRedSea.
This,however,isan error.Abyssiniaproperconsistsofahigh mountainous table-
land,theeasternboundaryofwhich maybeconsideredroughlyas followingthe
40thdegreeofeastlongitude.Betweenthis mountainousregionandtheseathere
is atractofarid,low-lying,waterless country,inhabitedbythesavageDanakil
tribes;thisregionatMassowahis onlyafew milesbroad,butitwidensoutto200
or300milesatTajurrah. In climate,inhabitants,soil,cultivation,&c.,thesetwo
regions aretotallyopposite,thehighlandsbeingsalubrious,temperate, generally
wellwatered,andtraversedbypathsineverydirection,whilstthelow country
is
arid,waterless,withfewexceptionstracklessand uncultivated.
This inhospitableregion effectuallycutsoffthehighlands fromall
communicationwiththesea,exceptatthreepoints,Massowahandits
neighbourhoodonthenorth,AmphillaBayabout 100miles tothesouth-east,and
Tajurrahontbesouth.* Fromthesethreepoints theroadsintotheinteriorareofa
verydifferentcharacter, foratMassowahtheyverysoonclimbtheeastern
boundaryofthehighlands,tandcontinuealongtheelevatedland,whilstfrom
Tajurrahtheyhavetotraverse,200or'300 miles, andfromAmphillaBayfrom50
to100miles,ofthelowlyingcountrybeforetheyreachthehighlands.
Thewestern andsouthernboundaries -6f.Abyssn arevery
undefined,buttheymaybetakenrouglyas coterminouswiththeedgeofthe
highlands,asshewnonthemapinthemarginoftheroute mapattheend.
Thedifferentcharacterofthehigh andlowcountryhas animportantbearingon
thenatureofthetransport,for,whilstinthelattercamels arechieflyused,these
animalsareuselessinthehighlands,wheretheyarereplacedby-asses,mules,
oxen.andmen.t
*Travellers speakofothertracks knowntothenatives,butnonehavebeen
explored.
tAcircledrawnwiththecentre atMassowah and Ailetonthecircumference(a
radiusof20 miles),wouldapparentlysweepthe,spursofthemountains where
theydescendintotheplains.Camelscan,however, go much further,astothefoot
oftheTarantapass,about40or50miles.
IThatcamelsareuseless asbeasts ofburdenonthehighlandsseemsbeyonda
doubt.Theyareinvariablychanged atthe,footoftheTarantaPassesforbullocks.
Major Harris onapproachingAnkobar,thecapitalofShoa,fromTajurrahi,
says:Aswellfromthesteepnessoftherugged mountains ofAbyssinia,which
toweredoverhead,asfromthepinchingclimateoftheirwintrysummits,the
camelbecomesuseless asabeastofburden;andnonebeingevertakenbeyond
thefrontier, manyoftheWidasma'sretinuenow gazed attheseungainly
quadrupedt
2 GENERALDESCRITIONOFTIM COVNT3$Y
Thereis alsoawayof approachbySuakim toKassala,an
Egyptiantownonthenorth-westfrontierofAbyssinia. -FromKartoum andother
places ontheNiletherearealsoroadsintotheinteriorofthecountry.
1.RoadsfromMassowah.-Aftertraversing30or40miles ofhot,low-4ying
desertcountry,the mainroadfromMwasyaht9Gondarascendsthemountainoby
theTarantapass.Tbippassisdescribedbyalltravellersasoneof greatdifficuty,
ip.Vhiehinsomeplaces loadedanimalscan withdifficultymaketheirway.Itcan
beavoidedbygoingroundtothewest,wherethe,6$iieatleasttwopaths,oneof -
whichwas 'followedbyFerretsai4(alinier,ontheirreturnto Massowah,in1842,
andtheothqbyMansfieldParkyns,onhiswaytoAdowa,in1846.Nitherofthese
travellersdescribethesamediffictltiesonreachingthehighlandbythoseroutes
asareexperiencedintheTarantapass.M.Miinzingerhasalso latelygiven a
descriptionoftwopaths bywhichthetable-land canbereachedinthedirectionof
KayaKhor.OfthislineDr.Bekle, writingin1842,says "afterquittingthetable-
landofSeraweatGura, Idescended fromKaiyakhortoMassowahbyagradual
andeasyroad,wellwatered,andoccupyingtwodays anda-half,verygentle
travelling.Thisis somuchsuperiortothesteepwayuptheTarantathatitisnow
generallychosenbyEuropeans." TheTarantapassmaybealsoavoidedby
followinguptheHaddas streamtoTohonda;thisroadwastraversedrbyKrapf,
whostatesthatitisaneasyoneandthatitmightbemad1available for casnIes.
FromAnsleyBayTohondaahdSenafemayalsobereached.
When.thehighlandisreached,thecountryforthewholedistancetoGondarand
MagdalsIappearstopresentalternationsoffertileland,rockybarrentracts,
mountainpahes anddefilet.Thotable-land appearstobefrom5,000to8,000feet
abovetheseA; andthemountainsrisefromittotherightof10,000mnd15,000
feet,thewhole countrybe~ih-roken andtossedaboutinaremarkabledegree.
Withtheexcqptionofthefirst50,or60miles afteriav,ingMassowah,there
seemstobegenerallyno wantofwater.Therearenumerouspaths between the
villages,butnone*Iatdeservethenameofroads.MansfieldParkyns says on
this'head,"'Forsomedistanceafterpassingthechurchwecontinuedii thegreat
Gondarroad.Thisappellationmaygiveanideaof macadamising,withfootpaths
alongside,fences,&c.,bukthorethehigh roadis onlyatrackwornbyuse,anda
littlelarerthanthesheep paths,fromthefactof morefeetpassiugoverit.The
utmostlabourbestowed onanyroadinthiscountryiswhensometraveller,vexed
withathornthatmayh apentostrikehis face,drawshisswordandcuts off the
spray.Jvpn
forthefirsttime." Inall viewsofthetablelandofAbyssinia,,of which many
existintheworks of Lefebvre, Salt,Lordvalentia,&c.,acamelisneverdepict,
mulesandhorses,onthecontrary, enteringfrequentlyintothelandscape,whilst
insketches takeninthelowcountriesthecamelisaninvariablefeatue. Theonly
exceptiontothis ruleIhaveeverfoundisinthecaseofthejoaureyof 'Don
AlonzoMendeafromAmphillaBaytoPremona,inwhich,afterhavingreached
thebighilands bytheSenafePass,hestillspeaks ofhis"cameldrivers."
AMMROUTESLEAMNOTOASYSSINIA.
.Aisis rarelydone;and Ihavebeenastonishedatseeingmanyhighways,and
evensomeofthemostused,rendered almostimpassablebythenumberofthorns
whichareallowedtoremainspkeadacross them." Thetrackhewas following
whenhepennedtheseobservations,is thegreat caravanroadfromGondar,the
capitalofAbyssinia,totheRedSea. FerretandG,h'merthusalludestotheroads
;-" Lecheminquenoussuivons estundesplusfrquentsdel'Abyssinie;c'estpar
14queles caravanesserendent&lameretqu'ellesenreviennent.Nevous y
trompezpascependant,cecineressembleguirekundenos grandsbhemins,kces
routescomuiercialesquitraversentnbtreFrance;unsentiertDutsimplementrien
qu~unsentier. Lepieddesvoyageurs l'atrace entement,etilserpenteauhasard
surlesfiancedescollines,aumilieudes prairies;9ketI&itcStoiequelques
arbres6pineux ;prenezgardealors,vous courezrisqued'yd6chirervosvftements
etvosjambes."
Besidesthemain roadfromMassowah toGondarbyAdowa,thereis also,
accordingtoDr.Beke,asecond greatcaravan readfromnorthtosouthof
Abyssinia,fromMassowah,throughAntaloand Socota. Antalo(aboutlatitude
13*,longitude0911)may-bereachedeitherthroughAddigrahtbytheroute
followedbyRiippelandFerretandGalinier,orthrough Adowa, astravelledby
reke,orbyanintermediateroutefollowedbySalt. Magdala,accordingtoDr.
Beke* andDr.Blanc,canbemoreeasilyreached fromthedirectionofSooota
thanfromthatofIPevra-Tabor.
Therearenumerousstreamsandriversandhigh mountainpassestobetraversed
onthesehighlands.Theirwatersystemispeculiar,Byaglanceatthe mapatthe
endofthevolmneitwillbeseenthatthewatershedrunsveryneartheireastern
edge,fromwhichitresultsthatallthegreatrivers havetheirriseneartheeastern
sideofthetable,land, andthentakeawesterlycourse.Theprincipaloftheseare
theMareb,Taceazze,Atbara,and AbaiorB14eNile.TheTakazzecrosses the
prineipalcaravan roadfiomMassowahtoGondarandisamostformidable
obstacle. ItisdescribedbyParkyns,who crosseditintherainyseason,asnearly
equalinvolumetotheThames,atGreenwich,but resemblinginrapiditythe
Rhonewhenitleaves Lake Geneva;inthedryseasonitis fordable;Brace
describesitasflowingin a"prodigious valley." FerretandGaliniersay "the
ravineinwhichitrunsis oneofthesteepestpossible.AtTchellatchekennet itis
notlessthan2,000feetdeep,thebreadth oftheriverisabouf60feet,andits
depthinMarchnot morethan3or4feet,itis thenfordablealmosteverywhere.In
therainyseasonitoverflows itsbank,anditsdepthisoftenfiom15to18feet."
Parkynssays thatmountains,almostimpregnablebynature,arecommoninthis
country.
OneimportantfeatureofAbyssiniaistheexistenceof
SLatrto SeretwyofStatefor War,9thAu~us.,1867.
+t'=hikanon Map.
4 GENERALDESCRIPTIONorTHECOU1IftY
rangesofsnow-topped mountainsintheprovinces ofSameUand Lasta,which
stretchatrightangles totheroadsleadingfromthenorthtowards Gondarand
Magdala,andthepasses throughwhicharedescribedas ofthemostformidable
character.ThetwoprincipalpassesleadingtoGondararetheLamalmon and
Selki.Ofthefirst,FerretandGaliniersay:" Wefoundourselves inthe
Lamelmon,whosesummit,8,000feetabovethesea,sinksintotheplainsof
Waggara.Allatonceanimmensegulfopenedunderourfeet. We gotofrour
mules,and,leadingthem bythebridle,descended themountainsbyaprecipitous
path,blockedwithfragmentsofrock,whichthreatenedateverysteptoprecipitate
usintotheabyss onourleft."
Brucesays ofthesamepass:"WewerenowascendingtheLamelmonthrougha
verynarrowroad,orratherpath,foritscarcelywas twofeetwideanywhere.It
wasaspiral,windingup thesideofamountain,alwaysontheveryblinkof a
precipice. Torrentsofwater,whichinwinter carryprodigiousstonesdown the
sideofthemountains,haddividedthepathinseveralplaces,andopenedtousa
viewofthatdreadfulabyssbelowwhichfewheads canbeartolookupon.We
werehereobligedtounloadourbaggage,and,byslowdegrees,crawlupthehill,
carryingthemlittlebylittleuponourshouldersroundthosechasmswherethe
roadwasintersected."
Combes andTamisierthus.speakoftheSelkiPass:"Wethen abandonedthe
banksoftherivertomountbyaninfernal ath....- Atlengthwearrivedatthetolj