—— UNCONQUERED th —— Young Ethiopian Nobles. (Prepared by the National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C.) THIOPIA (or Abyssinia), where the world's newest emperor, Ras Taffari, has just taken his throne, is the one sizable and elimatically desirable region of Africa which is not under European influence. It sits aloof on its elevated plateau, woconquered, little known, and almost gnsung. Its autonomous position, Bowever, is not for lack of interest, glace it is larger than the republic of Trance; it has a delightful and Bealthful climate, and its economic pesources have large possibilities. It 8 rather because It has natural gtrategic advantages of location and because it is inhabited by a wonder- fully patriotic and warllke people, who have defended it against all Somers, If we are not too particular in our analogies, Ethiopia might be called Tibet of Africa. It has no Dalal and no forbidden city of Lhasa, with its monasteries, but it does have & numerous religious people, sucient and isolated, living In a mountain stronghold on the top of a continent. It is not now exactly a closed ter- gitory in the way that Tibet is, but it has been practically closed for long periods in the past and foreign travel within its borders has always been very limited. In order to enter it, one must ask permission of the Ethiopians (Abyssinians) themselves, rather than of some European power. With Af- ghanistan and Siam, it is one of the three absolute monarchies left in the world. G beginnings of Ethiopia go back times of myth and legend. Unlike Joi with which some of its early i ry was doubtless connected, It Ms left only scanty and very imper- fect records. ‘That it was peopled from the north, perhaps from ancient udea, with additions from Egypt and ia, is evident, The people, there. fore, are Hamitic and Semitic in ori- gin. Rulers Descended From Solomon, One of their most cherished tradi- flons is that of the descent of their line of rulers from the offspring of Solomon and the mysterious queen Makeda, or, as now designated, the Queen of Sheba, who is supposed to have visited King Solomon at Jerusa- lem about 1,000 B. C. From this time on for some three thousand years their dynasty is believed to have con- tinued, and it Is certain that, in spite ef many civil, religious, tribal and foreign conflicts, they have maintained themselves as a free and independent people. Their territory hss expanded or eontracted from time to time, but its essential integrity has persisted. ejr civil and social customs, lan- ge, and their outlook upon the rest of the world also have remained largely unchanged; so today they stand as anachronisms in a world which is moving at bewildering speed. Although surrounded by negro tribes and having some admixture of negro blood brought In through centuries of slave-holding, the Ethiopian is by no means a negro. He is dark skinned, with hair usually kinky and Ups frequently thick, but he has a good high-bridged nose, well-set eyes, and a firm chin, To this he adds a proud and dignified bearing and a warlike, patriotic spirit, which mark Bim in an outstanding manner, His principal language is Amharic, an ancient Semitic tongue, but many languages and dialects are spoken, There 18 no literature in Amharic and only priests can read and write in Geez, also of Semitic origin, but a dead language no longer spoken, Has a Feudal Government. The government is ap. old-fashioned feudalism, such as flourished in Eu- rope in the Middle ages. Theoretical Iy, the hereditary ruler is all-powerful, with the life or death of every man in his hands. All are subject to his call te arms and, through a system of provincial governors, overlords, and petty chiefs, to taxation and other forms of service, Practically, the system is sabject to some variation; for, in a country with poor communication and many phys- fcal barriers, might can make right bere as elsewhere, aud it I8 sometimes possible for a man to rise to com- parative power through his own ef- fort, Under the fcudal system, as in days of old, the vust mujority of the | i people are vassals in one degree or another, Every little village has its chief, or shum, and around him are his re- tainers. When he travels or appears in public they tag at his heels, and when he is at home they lie about his courtyard like so many hunting dogs, waiting to be called. If he is a big chief, they may number hun- dreds or, on special occasions, thou- sands; if he is of minor importance, they may be only two or three; but every one who can muster as much as one small boy to act as his atten? ant will take great pains to do so. In addition to serfdom, slavery has existed for hundreds of years, and, al- though the present government Is making a sincere effort to mitigate and diminish it, there is little hope that it can soon be entirely abolished. Long before our European ancestors had heard of Jesus of Nazareth, Ethiopians were devout Christians, and Christians they have remained to this day. They are Christians of the Coptic, or Monophysite, branch, which originated In Egypt and is supposed to have reached Ethiopia early in the Fourth century, The priesthood Is very numerous and very powerful and numbers nearly one-fourth of the male population, Ras Taffari and his court in Addis Ababa are a mixture of the old and new. Outside the capital city there | is nothing modern and the customs of the people have not changed for cep turies, Much Beautiful Scenery. Much of the country is beautiful beyond description. Mountains and | valleys, forests and meadows, lakes | and rivers, deep-cut gorges and sheer- | walled canyons, all combine to furnish such a variety of natural conditions | as is rarely to be found. Although a large part of the coun- try is thickly inhabited, the people live in small, round, grass-thatched huts, known as tukuls, which are built in small clusters on the tops of knolls or so nestled into the sides of the hills that they seem always to have been there. Since there are no fences or roads, no telegraph lines, and no wheeled vehicles of any kind, | the appearance of smiling virgin ne ture is everywhere maintained, An expedition of scientists recently spent seven months traveling In Ethiopia. They covered nearly two thousund miles of territory and made pearly two hundred camps, There was scarcely one of these that did pot | provide an atttractive setting and all practical requirements—Ilevel ground for the teuts, water and forage for | the mules, shade, firewood, and oppor | tunity to collect specimens of mar | mals and birds. Ethiopia offers as delightful condi- tions for outdoor life as can be found | anywhere in the world. In the dry season, there is practically no dan- | ger of fever, and Insect pests, with the exception of fleas In the settle ments, offer little or no annoyance The Mountain Nyala, A most interesting Ethiopian anl- mal is the mountain nyala, one of the largest and handsomest of African antelopes and one of the rarest. It is also called giant bushbuck, and on account of its strictly Ethiopian dis- tribution and its great beauty the sug- gestion has been made that it be re christened “Queen of Sheba's ante lope.” Like its relative, the ordinary bush. buck, it skulks and is given to lying in close concealment, Considering its size, its ability to hide In relatively open country is remarkable, Fortunately for the hunter, the nyala does at times appear In the open on high ridges or at the edges of mountain glades. In such places he presents ua mugnificent sight. The natives met in southern Ethi | opia are mainly Gallas, belonging to the most important of the so-called | subject tribes. There are various | brancRes of them, some of which | have extended into the central and even the morthern part of the coun. try, and have become so powerful and so numerous they may almost be re- garded as assimilated. They are probably of Hamitic origin and are lighter in color than the old Ethi. oplans, Although mostly pagan, some | have embraced Christianity, while oth- | ers, especially in the southeast, are | Mohammedans, i Catherine E. Wagner and was born MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS | WORKMEN'S BOARD WAS ENTERTAINED BY D. A. R. | CONFIRMED BY SENATE. The March meeting of the Belle- Former Judge Arthur C. Dale is fonte chapter Daughters of the now chairman of the State Work- American Revolution, held in the men's Compensation Board, in fact parish house of the Episcopal church as well as by name, as his appoint- at State College, last Thursday eve- | ment was confirmed by the State ning, proved to be another outstand- Senate, on Monday night, almost ing event in the chapter's current two months after his appointment year. It was a “mothers and Was announced by Governor Pinchot. daughters” meeting, the mothers and | Senator Scott, chairman of the com- daughters of chapter members being