The New York herald., 1879-09-23
War Clouds Rising Over Ancient
Ethiopian Realms.
WAS KIRKHAM POISONED?
Misadventures Of an English General and
an American GeoIogist


Colonel Arrendrups expedition Of 1876. the Khedive
of Egypt despatched second expedition into Abys-
sina. under atib Pacha. to avenge the massacre Of
his soldiers led by the gallant but inexperienced
Dane. This second expedition was commanded by q
native. but accompanying the column were several
American officers who had taken service under the
Cross and Crescent after the conclusion of our
civil war One Of these officers General
W. NICE. Dye. graduate of the Military
Academy in the class OF 1s53 and who after serving
for years officer in the United States army.
tered the Khedves service in 1878 colonel of the
Etat major. occupying at Cairo position similar
to that of adjutant general at Washington. When
the Ratib expedition left Cairo, in December, 1875,
General Dye accompanied tho adj jutant general.
and took active part in every movement that fol-
lowed. He was severely wounded at the battle Of
Gura Plain, and actually tho only survivor Of
force nearly Ave hundred strong which for hours
checked the Abyssinian advance on that fated day.
The General is now in this city. engaged in the
preparation of q work to be sent to press by
of our leading publishers. and which will recite
in graphic and popular style the leading events Of
the campaign in which he was SO actively engaged.
Under these circumstances q HERALD reporter in
terviewed General Dye for the purpose Of obtaining
from him a correct account of the General Kirkham
story. together with information about the
tian government. General Dye was found busily
engaged work the manuscript of his forthcola-
ing book. After some preliminary conversation he
entered into explanation Of the present trouble
between the two countries. He said:-
APPEARANCE GENERAL KmKHAM
I'VE left Cairo December s. 1876. arriving at the
port Of Massowah in due course of time. at which
point established our base OF supplies. The lat
ter part OF that MONTH think it was about the
22d-a note received from General Kirkham,
dated at Asmara, Hamasseen. in which he informed
the Egyptian commander-inchief that he had been
directed by HIS Majesty King John OF Ethiopia
to deliver to tho Governor Of Massowah about
one hundred and Hve prisoners. including one
officer, who had been taken in battle at
Gundet. where Arrendrup and his army fell. A few
days later Kirkham himself arrived. He seized
by the Egyptian guard and thrust into filthy cell
in q stone building ON an island near Massowah
where I soon after visited him. He wore forage
cap and cavalry jacket. both gold laced and sup
posed to belong to tho uniform of nh Abyssinian
general; but they were no doubt relics, like himself
Of o moro distinguished service. When he saw me
he commenced vilifying. in round Scottish
accent all who had been in any way imp
Gated in getting him into hts present scrape
ne made much ado about being the ambassador Of
the King OF Kings, route on friendly and diplo-
matte mission to Queen Victoria. He was exceed
ing wrathy because he--Ambassador and q British
subject as well-should be so badly treated Pres
e.tly, however. he calmed down and we entered into
conversation which lasted for some time. General
| Kirkham had been preceded i'll his arrival by two
| English journalists. named Houghton, who the
| Egyptians always insisted suddenly disappeared
from Arrendrups lines. II is only fair to say, how
| ever. that both the Houahtons claimed they
e o IN p tine
| the Houyhtons werc arrested and deprived of the
letters their persons. Soon after this the Gen.
eral himself reached our front He seized and
stripped Of all letters dispatches and
credentials and put into the prison where found
| him. In the cell at the time Mrs. Bender,
the daughter OF DIR. Schimpfer, by his Abyssinian
| wife. Mrs. Bender was the widow OF Austrian
missionary recently decease1 and with her child a
| young daughter, was route for Jerusalem. She
| had simply accompanied General Kirkham to Mas
sowah. and. very properly. was soon liberated and
| sent on her way.
was KrRxIIAM poIsoSEp.
1--WE talked about the Arrendrup expedition and
the unhappy fate Of that accomplished officer. He
| told that the King had been able to assemble
against Colonel Arrendrup only about one quarter
the ] ,ores sAss sGua tn ba ot De
| Egyptians. He also said that once the Abyssinians
greatly feared artillery; but at the Gundet fight
had lost all its moral power. Krkham remained in
solitary confinement Tor several weeks, although q
few OF Americans did all We could to secure him
better treatment. One day, just. before krkham's
| departure for Massowah, Ratib Pacha gave him
dinner At the table he gave Ratib some excellent
advice concerning the Kings forces, and aside
said:-"I do not wish to see any OF the Americans
eaten up. for formed an order of companonshp
| with them when with Ward and Burgoviue and Cor
don in China" THIS Is the same Gordon Pacha
| who is now ut Massowah in command oil the Egyp-
| tian forces, and who, BY this mornings de-
spatches, is To be accorded Interview with King
John. In answer to u question what finally became
Oh General ArIna oenera. Dys saia :-"Aiter ms
| to Massowah, where he was permitted daily cxer-
cise. always. however, accompanied by two guards.
His meals prepared by Arabic cooks and, fear
ing that he would be poisoned he refused to eat
food set before him. IN his daily walks he bought
what he wanted or else called on us in camp
and appeased his hunger. He lived in this
manner through the long, weary months OF
summer until our departure, and early in the
autumn OF 1876 died aud was buried on the banks of
the Red Sea- cannot, of course, say that he was
really poisoned but one thing is certain. If his at
tendants guards got notion into their heads that
the Khedive wanted Kirkhan to be put out OF tho
way they would not hesitate to do what they be-
soned you must not forget that his death
CURED as long ago the autumn OF 1876 aud not
just the other day, as the cable dispatches would
lead one to suppose
"a few days since despatch stated that King John
claims the whole OF the strip of coast which was
ccdc to Es,y ypt i'll 1877 and also several towns and
the territory IN which they are stuated, and that
Gordon Pacha had been authorized to offer the King
certain ports by way of settlement Do you know
anything about thaty' General Dye. speaking on
these points, id.-"The strip of referred 10
was doubtless the Zeyah district, anu cedcd to
Egypt in 1875, not in 1877. i'll consideration OF
| els 600, 10 DO paid the Sultan annually Dy the
knedive. In tho carly part ol tho sixteenth century
this whole coast the Abyssinian ports of The Gulf of
Alden or Indian Ocean, all the ports OF the Red Sea
anu tne whoe Vi ry w were cohquereo oy thc lurks
Since that time there have been frequent wars
between tho Christians OF Abyssinia aud the Mohan-
medans, which resulted almost invariably in favor OF
| the latter. Now, although the ruler OF an ndepen-
dent aud powerful kingdom. King John has to pay
tribute to the Khcdivc of Egypt" "How soy'
| "Well, in this way. lie has positively no ports
whatever All his exports and imports have to pass
through Egyptian ports. These heavily taxed by
Egypt. and thus the King must pay tribute to tho
support OF his country y chief enemy. Besides, tho
shutting him out from all ports prevents the KING
and his people from having access TO civilization or
the other Christian nations of the earth. The
of Attn. Duroro and Tschilloky, on the Red soa.
| not the ones King John wants, or should have.
What he wants, particular is tho port ot Zulah
and perhaps of Massowah, which also originally boz
| longed to Abyssinia Zulab made the base OF
the English campaign under Napier IN 1868 At this
time Egypt occupied the place with perhaps two
| dozen men. aud has claimed 1t ever since. When
Napier loft. kirkhain, who was with him, remained
In the country and soon after entered the service OF