221 Part II.

HISTORICAL.

CHAPTER I.

FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE ARAB INVASION (a.d. 640).

The name of Ethiopia,t or Kush, was applied in ancient times vaguely to the East African interior south of Egypt, from about lat. 24° to about lat. 9°. (The name of Nubia, as representing the more northern portion of " Ethiopia," say between the 3rd and the 1st Cataracts, does not appear till Roman times, but for convenience sake that portion will be so termed in the following account. It was termed Kenset by the Ancient Egyptians.)

The whole tract was, as we know, for the most part sandy or rocky desert, rich in minerals, interspersed with oases, but contained along the course of the Nile a valuable strip of territory; while, south and south-east of the point where the Nile receives the Atbara, it spreads out into a broad and fertile region, watered by many streams, diversified by hills and woodlands, and of considerable fertility ; of this but little now remains. This ancient Ethiopia did not, in all probability, include the present Abyssinia.

At no time did the whole of this vast tract — 1,000 miles long by 800 or 900 broad — form a single state or monarchy. Rather, for the most part, was it divided up among an indefinite number of states, or rather of tribes, some of them herdsmen, others hunters or fishermen, very jealous of their independence, and frequently at war one with another. Among the various tribes there was a certain community of race, a resemblance of physical type, and a similarity of language. Their neighbours, the Egyptians, included them all under a single ethnic name, speaking of their land as Ta Kes, Kesh, or Kush, and of the inhabitants as Kashi or Kushi — a term manifestly identical with the Kush of the Hebrews. They were a race cognate with the Egyptians, but darker in complexion, and coarser in feature, not by any means negroes, but still more clearly allied to the negro than the Egyptians were. Their best representatives in modern times are believed to be the Gallas and the like, who are probably their descendants. J From the earliest times there appears to have been a constant infiltration from South Arabia into AbyssiniaJ and the Eastern Sudan ; indeed, the dynastic Egyptians themselves are believed by some high authorities to have been a Semitic tribe which came over from Arabia, landed somewhere about Massaua (?), and proceeded northwards along the coast, leaving colonies as it went, till it struck the valley of the Nile vid Kosseir, the Wadi Hammamat, and Kena (or Koptos). Here they found the Neolithic " New Race," and exterminated or expelled them (?) ; but it is doubtful how far this New Race extended up the Nile valley.

The earliest mention that we have of the land south of Egypt dates from the time of Snefru (? 3rd or 4th Dynasty), g.. 4000 (>.) who conquered the land of the Negroes, and took captive 7,200 men and women, and 200,000 cattle.

An inscription of the Fifth Dynasty informs us that King Assa sent one Ba Ur Tettu to the " Land of Ghosts, b c. 3400 (?). which is south of the land of the Negroes," to fetch him some Pygmies. The quest was successful, and is confirmed (?) by some dwarfish skeletons found in the tombs of that period.

This would seem to show that there were communications, and possibly even a brisk commerce, between the countries at an even earlier date.

* Authorities :— Acknowledgments to the works of Dr. Ktitlge, Piof. Eawlinson, Mrs. Butcher, etc., as mentioned in Appendix H, and to some notes of Mr. Crowfoot, for history up to a.d. 149.3.

A.D. 14!).3 to 1837.— Col. Stewart, " liejiort on the Sudan, 1883," and various other writers.

„ 1837 to 1882.— From "Eeporton the Egyptian Provinces of the Sudan." I.D., 1884. „ 1882 to date.- -Com|)iled from various authorities, mainly Col. Wingate's works, Intelligence Rrports and Publications, i&c. t Ethiopia is nowadays considered to mean Abyssinia, and is the word employed by the ruler of that country to denominate Ills dominions.

\ Vidt also Appendix E.

2 G 2