OF civilization IN AFRICA.

A writer in the Natal Alcrciirif says :

“A day’s mat ell from Anduwa, betw e en

tw'o liills at the end of a vast and fettih*,

valley. are the ruin.s of Axutn. To thi."

incrcdilile flights of stone .steps coiulnct

the traveller up to the suiiiraits of the

hills, in one of xvhieh are found deep

grottoes and vast halls cat out of the

rocks and ornamented -w-iih columns.—

Tliere, according to the traditions of the

country, is the tomb of the G.iueen o^^a-

ba. The adjoining valley, shaded b^ma-

jf-stic tiees, is filled by the remains of the

city, consisliiig of liiige blocks of stone.

Very little of the debris reveal their for­

mer purpose. There may, however, he

disiiiigiiished two groups of fourteen or

fifieen obelisks, tliimvii down. Some of

theiu are covered with ornaments, and

are not less than ihirty-.'ix feet in length.

'Fhe.-e masterpieces of ancii nt architect-

nre reveal to us the tact of an ancient civ-

iliz.iiioii in the heart of Africa, whicli has

disappeared again tlionsaiids of years

since. Neibnlir tells n.s of a ni'glity

Abyssinian erujiire existing here, men­

tioning, in parlienbu-, .Salia, and says it

was so powerlul that even tlie Roman and

PaUlienian stiei’gth could not prevail a-

gainst it. 'I'he last statement was taken

from a Greek insetiplion. found among

the ruins, eiigravcil on ."tone. On the re­

verse side i-; another engraving in some

aueient l.tngnago, wliieli has tint yet been

deeiplieii-il. 'Flie tiibcs guard tlu-se in-

ins w irh ji alotis cme. No living animal

is tiliowfii to lie killed in llietn. no ti o

pennitted to be destroved ever} llang

coiineeiid wiili them being held s.aetcd,

a-" bi longing to a god or an evil pow er.

A ini.-(.--ienary, wlio penetrated to w ithin a

sbort (li.-tan.ct' (>f tlu* inins, writes: “Ui

tins con.(try w-i-n- iu.'(> found soine n rv

old guns ill bi.le in the iie'untain. We