Abyss in i a may be said to extend between lat

8° and and W., the Sudan W., the Red Sea littoral (Hrythrea, Danakil coun: try, etc.), E., and to the S. the Gallg country. ‘The area within these limitg is about 160,000 square miles, but the present ruler claims a much more ex: tensive territory; and latterly Abys sinia has come to be surrounded by regions belonging to or influenced more or le by Italy, France, and Great Britain. The principal divisions of Aby in i a are the provinces or kingdoms of Shoa in the 8., Amhara in the center, and Tigré in the N., to which may be added Lasta, Gojam, and other territories. Addis Abeba in Shoa is the present residence of the ruler, but the Aby in i an royal residences largely consist of houses very slightly built, and thus resemble more or le permanent camps rather than towns. Other towns are Gondar, Adua, Aksum, Antalo, and Ankober, none with a population exceeding 7,000. The Aby in i ans are of mixed Semitic and Hamitic descent. They were converted to Christianity in the time of the Emperor Const an tine, by some mi ionaries sent from Alexandria. In the 6th century the power of the sovereigns of their kingdom had attained its height; but before another had expired the Arabs had invaded the country, and obtained a footing in Adel, though they were unable to extend their conquests farther. For séveral centuries subsequently the kingdom continued in a distracted state, being now torn by internal commotions and now invaded by external enemies (Mohammedans and Gallas). To protect himself from the last the Emperor of Aby in i a applied, about the middle of the 16th century, to the King of Portugal for a istance, promising, at the same time, implicit submi ion to the Pope. The solicited aid was sent, and the empire saved. The Roman Catholic priests having now ingratiated themselves with the emperor and his family, endeavored to induce them to renounce the tenets and rites of the Coptic Church, and adopt those of Rome. This attempt, however, was resisted by the ecclesiastics and the people, and finally ended, after a long struggle, in the expulsion of the Roman Catholic priests about 1630. The kingdom, however, gradually fell into a state of anarchy, which, about the middle of the 18th century, was complete. The king, or negus as he was called, received no obedience from the provincial governors, who, besides, were at feud with one another, and severally a umed the royal title. Aby in i a thus became divided into a number of petty independent states. A remarkable, but, as it proved, quite futile attempt to resuscitate the unity and power of the ancient kingdom was commenced about the middle of the 19th century by King Theodore, who aimed at the restoration of the ancient kingdom of Ethiopia, with himself for its sovereign. He introduced European artisans, and went to work wiscly in many ways, but his cruelty and tyranny counteracted his politic measures. In consequence of a slight, real or fancied, which he had received at the hands of the British government, he threw Consul Cameron ard a number of other British subjects into prison in 1863, and refused | to give them up. To effect their release an army of nearly 12,000 men, under the command of Sir Robert Napier, was dispatched from Bombay in 1867. The force landed at Zoulla on the Red Sea in November, and marching up the country came within sight of Magdale, the capital of Theodore, in the beginning of April, 1868. After being defeated in a battle Theodore delivered up the captives and shut himself up in Magdala, which was taken by storm on April 13. Theodore was found among the slain, the general opinion being that he had’ fallen by his own hand. | In 1885 Italy a erted a protectorate with disastrous results; defeat by Menelek’s troops at Adowa in 1896 made them abandon all claims except; to the Eritrean colony on the Red! Sea. Menelek transferred his capital | to Adis Abeba, where British, American and French interests became active. In 1908, Mr. R. U. S. Dept. of State, effected a commercial treaty, since when over $1,000,000 of cotton goods are imported annually from the U. S. The Academy of Fine Arts city has tolggraetic and telephonic connection with Jibutil on the Gulf of Aden, whence a railway to Harar and Diré Dawa, 186 m., will eventually reach Adis Abeba. Pop., 3,500,000.