The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-15

and polished as q pebble, rising from one
hundred to five hundred feet high others
are like sugar loavcs, prisms and pyra
mids, and each height is crowned by vii
lage, which is inhabited by either the Ag
ames, Havortas or Shihus.
These people of the highlands are better
dressed than the miserable black Shhos of
the coast they are also more intelligent
and very independent There is plenty
of forage in the country, as the land is
NJ, re or less cultivated, though in pecu-
liar manner, yet sufficient for the use Of
the Inhabitants. A new ard sound dollar
of he Maria Theresa stamp must be paid
for g atskin full of barley which will
weigh about twenty-five pounds. The
same amount of money must be paid for
two hundred pounds of wood A half
crown, rupee or shilling they look upon
with contempt, and angry words or blows
they resent quickly. =
They are of the complexion of our In
dams, well proportioued, with fine hands
and features, short hair, kept plated and
always well buttered. When they visit
camp they come well armed with spear,
shield and curved sword very like a
sickle. In the use of the shield they are
very expert. For the purpose of testing
their experiences an English soldier,
thoroughly skilled in the use of the sabre,
was pitted against strong, athletic Aga.
me. Like lightning the sabre few around
the natives head, with back strokes and
short cuts, now at his head and then at
his legs but like black shadow the
shield glided from side to side and sue.
cessfully averted every sti oke for over if
teen minutes.
These shields are circular and are made
of double oxhide, we'll tanned aud oiled,
and are impenetrable to sabre or spear
Ofold the Philippians were famous 10 their
use, for Jeremiah, in his exhortation,
says, "Come up ye horses and rage ye
chariots, and let the mighty men come
forth--the men of Ethiopia and Libya
that handle the shield" Their dress is
the breechcloth and o cotton robe, with a
broad red stripe across its centre, which
is worn like toga. Until within four
days march to Antalo these tribes inhab-
tied the country through which our route
lay.
THE oIvILIzERs ON MARCH.
Early on the morning of the 9th inst,
the advance brigade, composed of the
Thirty-third regiment Europeans (mostly
Irish), Fourth regiment native infantry,
the Scinde horse, native cavalry, rocket
battery Of artillery and two mountain bat
terics, numbering in all about $500
strong, marched out of their camp. at Sen
afe and started for Antalo. The Scinde
horse, with their sheepskin coats and
green uniforms, presented a very fine ap.
pearance, and their officers, who were
East Indian Englishmen, were decked out
in the splendid uniform of an officer of
the regiment, with silver helmets, silver
silver sword handles, gold but
tons, silver spurs, silver embroideries, silk
en- sashes and gold epauiets, which must
have cost something like $1,000; while
the horses on which they rode were as
richly decorated as their riders. The in
fantry in dull brown linen uniforms did
not look SO vel, inor was their drill, after
eleven years service, anything extraordi-
nary. A band Of twenty-five musicians
preceded the column, and when the order
to march was given struck up the well
known tune of "Cheer, boys, cheer" 1t
was certainly very good advice, for the
distance was long, the sun parchingly hot,
and the brown appearance of tho plough.
I'D up land gave the country dry appear.
ance, which, with the uncertainty of the
expedition, might perhaps cause the troops
10 be detected. Truly, the column had
somewhat piebald look, with all its fine
haberdashery. Here were red men, black |
men and white men cockneys from Lon
don and Cells from Ireland, cooking up
heir eyes with impudent leers at every
hing; grave looking fat Parsees from
Persia, scowliug Hiudoos from the banks
IF the Indus, olack-eyed, we'll oiled Sikhs
rom the Mahrattas /; geutlemanly Sspoys
from the Decoau, ferocious Soumali's from
Arabia, ugly.faced Pagans from Barbary,
Janus hearted, treacherous Bengalese
Wild looking Egyptians from Cairo and
turbaned and red fezed
Turk FROM his darling Stamboul the lit
,ral, olive-cheeked Jew from Palestine,
followed by the naked Sooho, the daring,
athletic Nubian and the plundering Haz.
'ritte, all riding, walking, chatting and
'moking as they went, with train Of COM
nissary stores two miles long and train
VI mules laden with camp equipage, five
niles long, besides a motley number of
utlers and natives, carrying tobacco, ghee
laleb (milk) and barley bread. Inelu-
ling the muleteers, servants, dholy bear
RS, pattawallas and natives, there were
'ver 1000 men and about 1000 animals
n that seven mile procession.
A company of the Scinde horse regi-,
nent brought up the rear, and before
many miles were passed the task devolved
lpon them of driving up lot of sickened
yretches who had become faint-heartel on
eaving the plateau and descending down
Dads that seemed to lead to he'll, so steep
he bills became, when another hill of
quail height doomed up dark aud stern,
nclosing an oven. like valley which tenn
ID with carnivorous animals. Ou clam
,ering up the steep sides of the opposite
ill numbers fell out by the way-sore-
ooted Hindoo soldiers, who eat nothing