The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-09
The King Of Kings.

A correspondent of the London Daily
News writes: "It is announced that King
John, of Abyssinia, has appointed Major
Barton to be GeneralissimO of all his
forces. The statement is made that he is
the first European who has ever COM
manded native force of Abyssinians.
This last is not strictly accurate. At the
close of the Abyssinian war in 1868, an
officer by the name of Kirkman, who had
had some experience in India, took ser
vice under King John. Lord Napier of
Magdiala, when leaving the country, made
a present to King John-who was then
known as 'Kassa, the Prince of Tigre'-
of number of old smooth-bOre muskets
and some old artillery guns. Lord Ma
piers idea at the time was that the re-
moval of Theodore, who had been the para
mount powerin Abyssinia, would leave the
country in a very unsettled state, and that
by giving these arms to Kassa he might
be able to prevent the condition of dis
organization from spreading, and thus in
sure something like peace and a chance
of prosperity among the petty chiefs OF
that mountain region. The result has
proved the clear-sighted sagacity of the
man who is now the Governor of Gibral-
tar Kassa had his troops drilled with
the weapons into something like Euro.
pean tactics, which was the first time that
anything of that kind had taken place,
and Dejazmatch Kassa was soon able to
assume the higher title of Negoos Negysi,
or king of Kings the title used by
Theodore. 1t is the custom in taking this
title in Abyssinia, to assume at the same
time new name, such as is the custom
with every Pope, and with individuals en-
tering religious orders. Theodore's orig
inal name was also Kassa--which means
NV Deliverance,' or RANSOM a purely
religious word. The Prince of Tigre took
the name of John, King of the Kings of
Ethiopia SO completely has his power
been established that although the capt.
tai, Axum, is in the north of Abyssinia, yet
when the invasion by the Khedive's troops
took place, last October, he had in his
court about $50 of the most important in
dividuals, as hostages, from ShOa, which
is far south of Magdala, forming in itself
clear evidence that the title is more than
mere empty words. We may also suppose
that it is to these old smooth bore mus
kerry and the guns left by Lord Napier
and Kirkman's drilling we may ascribe
the complete failure of the deliberately
planned campaign of the Khedive's army
last October, when whole columns per-
ished, and, according to reports, in one
case, not single man escaped. Mum
fingers death, which took place during
these attacks on Abyssinian soil, is, of
course, sympathized with, for he was en-
ployed by our authorities during the
march to Magdala, and he was known to
almost all connected with the expedition.
He had been for years in the country, and
was known to the natives, by whom at that
time he was supposed to be respected
but since then he has made himself par
ticularly obnoxious to them, and finally,
he seems to have gone over to their enemy,
the Khedive, in whose service he was
acting, and making war against their
country, when he and all his family were
massacred. Munzinger was Swiss, and
contributed many important papers to
the scientific societies while he was con-
nected with Abyssinia."