n the most sudden summons, to go where the
exigence of affairs demands their presence. And this precaution is no
more than necessary for a prince every year engaged either in foreign
wars or intestine commotions. These towns have each a governor, whom
they call gadare, over whom is the educ, or lieutenant, and both
accountable to an officer called the afamacon, or mouth of the King;
because he receives the revenues, which he pays into the hands of the
relatinafala, or grand master of the household: sometimes the Emperor
creates a ratz, or viceroy, general over all the empire, who is superior
to all his other officers.

AEthiopia produces very near the same kinds of provisions as Portugal;
though, by the extreme laziness of the inhabitants, in a much less
quantity: however, there are some roots, herbs, and fruits which grow
there much better than in other places. What the ancients imagined of
the torrid zone being uninhabitable is so far from being true, that this
climate is very temperate: the heats, indeed, are excessive in Congo and
Monomotapa, but in Abyssinia they enjoy a perpetual spring, more
delicious and charming than that in our country. The blacks here are not
ugly like those of the kingdoms I have spoken of, but have better
features, and are not without wit and delicacy; their apprehension is
quick, and their judgment sound. The heat of the sun, however it may
contribute to their colour, is not the only reason of it; there is some
peculiarity in the temper and constitution of their bodies, since the
same men, transported into cooler climates, produce children very near as
black as themselves.

They have here two harvests in the year, which is a sufficient recompense
for the small produce of each; one harvest they have in the winter, which
lasts through the months of July, August, and September, the other in the
spring; their trees are always green, and it is the fault of the
inhabitants that they produce so little fruit, the soil being well
adapted to all sorts, especially those that come from the Indies. They
have in the greatest plenty raisins, peaches, sour pomegranates, and
sugarcanes, and some figs. Most of these are ripe about Lent, which the
Abyssins keep with great strictness.

After the vegetable products of this country, it seems not improper to
mention the animals which are found in it, of which here are as great
numbers, of as many different species, as in any country in the world: it
is