THE SOURCE OF THE BLUE NILE SHOWING LAKE IN THEDISTANCE.
See p. 136.
THE SOURCE OF THE
BLUE NILE
ARECORD OF A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOUDAN TO LAKE TSANA
IN WESTERN ABYSSINIA, AND OF THE RETURN TO
EGYPT BY THE VALLEY OF THE ATBARA
WITH
A NOTE ON THE RELIGION, CUSTOMS, ETC.
OF ABYSSINIA
BY
ARTHUR J. HAYES, L.S.A.(Lond.)
MEDICAL OFFICER, QUARANTINE OFFICE,SUEZ
AND
AN ENTOMOLOGICALAPPENDIX
BY
E. B. POULTON, LL.D., F.R.S.
HOPE PROFESSOR OF ZOOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OFOXFORD
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS ANDMAPS
LONDON
SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE
1905
(All rights reserved)
PRINTEDBY
WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON AND BECCLES.
[v]PREFACE
In Africa the centre ofinterest shifts quickly, from Khartoum to the Cape, from the Congoto Morocco. Before now it has lain in Abyssinia, for Englishmenespecially. It may be found there again. If so, the theatre ofaction will probably be the little known region of WesternAbyssinia, and that district of the Anglo-Egyptian Nile Provincewhich adjoins it.
Geographically, Western Abyssinia dominates the south-east ofthe Soudan. The Soudan, as every one in England knows now, is not acontinuation of the Desert of Sahara, but a land that once flowedwith milk and honey, and may again. It contains vast tracts of soilperfectly adapted for the cultivation of cotton. A hostile forcedescending from Abyssinia has the enormous advantage of moving fromdifficult into easy country with an open line of retreat intoalmost inaccessible mountains. An expedition from the Soudan, onthe other hand, would be confronted, after traversing miles ofuninhabited hilly wastes, by the necessity of forcing its way upmule-paths winding among precipices.
There is no reason why peace should not be permanentlyestablished between Egypt and Ethiopia, if the Abyssinianslave-raids are stopped. But the changes and chances ofinternational politics bring about strange[vi] consequences. Rumours, not withoutfoundation, have been circulated recently of new engagementsentered into by the Negus giving far-reaching concessions toAmericans. Other Powers are busy, and a diplomatic—andspectacular—mission started lately from Berlin for Addis Abbiba.There is room in the country for all nations to find commercialopportunities. But if influences hostile to Great Britain becamedominant in Western Abyssinia, a danger to the Soudan—and not tothe