The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-14
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Days Prisoner Of King John
of Abyssinia. i
A Mining Engineer Of the General Staff Of the
Egyptian Army Virtually Made
sg. ty &g.# $50 a Slave.
His Rough Usage by His .Abyssinian Captors :
- Robbed, Beaten and Nearly Starved
-Tardy Justice. s.! 4. ltEs


y Robbed, Beaten and Nearly Starved
Tardy Justice.
Mr. L. II. Mitchell, editor of the Manufac-
turer and Builder, and the Technologist, in |
New York, after a five years sojourn in Egypt,
returned last week to his residence in Brook
lyn, says the Brooklyn Eagle. Mr.. Mitchell
was geologist and mining engineer attached
to the general staff of the Egyptian army, and
early in June, 1876, he was sent with a small
party to Massonah for the purpose Of making
a study of the geology and mineralogy between
the coast of the Red sea and the 3Abyssinian
plateau. Early in February, 1879, the gov
eminent received a telegram stating that Mr..
Mitchell had persisted on the march to the
plateau, having been overloaded by the saw
ages who had seized and forced him to carry
on his back portion of the plumber of his
camp. The rumor of Mr.. Mitchell's death was
false, but he was captive in the hands Of
King John Of Apyssinia. His experience is
unique in the respect that he is the only Amer
lean citizen in the fourth quarter Of the nine
teenth century, who-has been captive slave,
held for ransom, and that by man who calls
himself Christian king. Mr.. Mitchell's
EXPERIENCE AS CAPTIVE
is an interesting one and was worth listening
to, coming from his own lips. After speaking
of. events antecedent to his capture, he went on
to say:
The party of Abyssinians that followed and
captured US numbered about forty men,
all we'll armed some mounted; others on foot
We were taken into the plain short dist
from the ravine up which we had pa
little while before, where We halted - sStH.
haps an hour. Upon arriving at Ane-thesl
Immediately conducted into the preSf 4
one of the Abyssinian chiefs, whom locKeo
seated upon the ground with crowd st,hep;,
soldiers around him. In their midst q tod III
half -empted bottle, which they were 9g4xbg.
with looks of great curiosity mingled with tlssl
trust. The chief said that some of his men
had been drinking from the bottle, and he was
afraid they were going to die He wanted to
know what the liquor was; if it was not good
to drink; if it was not arakee, general name
given by Abysslnians to intoxicating or distilled
liquor at once recognized it as being bot
tie of concentrated nitric acid which had be-
longed to my chest of chemical supplies, and
told the chief that if he wanted to die he might
drink the liquid AT the same time kicked
over the bottle The chief then asked me if
had any remedy by which I was able to cure
tho men who had been drinking, replied that
I had left q case of medicines in my tent and
under guard of soldiers was taken to the
place, where Our tents had been pitched. I
found the medicine chest broken and turned
upside down OF we'll selected stock of
medicines not even seidlitz powder was left
was taken back to the chief and I told him
that his soldiers had destroyed and carried of
my medicines, and that i could do nothing
furthur than recommend that his soldiers who
had been drinking acid should now be filled
with water. To this end we
POURED WATER DOWN THE BURNING THRoATs
of the invalids, whose tongues were swollen to
twice or thrice their natural size. learned
sfterward that they all recovered ~ r
At last, satiated with their work of plumber
and devastation, the robbers were ali assem-
bled on the north side Of the village of Ailet,
now half in ashes. There were about l. 500
of them, horse and foot. In addition to their
usual weapons-the sword, spear and shield
the greater part were armed with guns of va
rious patterns and descriptions. In accordance
with their usual custom each Abyssinan that
had been successful in his work of plumber, or
had made capture, was allowed to take pos
session of whatever he had taken, whether it
consisted Of provisions, merchandise, clothing,
books, scientific apparatus, firearms, ammuni-
ton, or, on the other hand, of sheep, cattle,
men, women and children. --
Mr., Mitchell then gave an account of their
march to the province of Hamaseen. Upon
arriving at the camp of Alluli, the chief Of the
province of Hamaseen, / was conducted be-
tween two long lines of petty officers and col
diers into the presence of this noted Abyssinian
chief. He was seated upon carpet or rug in
common soldiers canvas tent Salutes were
exchanged. The words daban aman fell npon
my ears. Here, then, WAS an assurance from
the man in power that we were to receive good
barbarian treatment, at least that we we're not
to be Intentionally mutilated or killed. I was
now taken to little shelter improvised
from q few cut boughs and a
couple of blankets This was to be
my shelter for the night, Bayourni with me-
Having been taken prisoners BY the same in
dividual We were to be companions in captiv-
ity. The same person held ownership in us
both. Having already at the outset relieved
us of all valuables he still kept vigilant eye
upon whatever articles Of clothing he might
ground in front OF the little shelter, We were
interviewed by many of the Abyssinians, at
tracted thither for the most part from motives
of idle curiosity or with the malicious design
of sardines afforded us a frugul meal Sever
al tins of the latter, also a few cans of peas
had been given us by the Abyssinians The,
did this not from any desire to befriend bu
simply from the fact that they had no relish fo
that kind of food. At last
MY swARTHY CAPToR,
who had been for some time carefully inspect
ing my wearing apparel, as it making de-
cision Of his own mind what article would
serve his purpose best, rudely seized my vest
and by means of signs rather than words IN
umated plainly that must take it of. Oh
jected until l saw that none Of his superiors
were disposed to interfere in my behalf
Then, in order to save myself from having thu
force, quietly gave it to him. He undertook
to put it on hindsi de before, then upsid
down.At last he came to pause ID
was as much puzzled as if tryin
to solve the riddle Of the sphina
ton upon me for something that considere
of great value, revealed to him the mysterie
of the garment, and SO calmed his ruffie
temper passed the night here wedged
between couple of Abyssinians I was vigil
antly guarded on all sides l. was impossible e
attempts TO get outside OF the tent w,thou
awakening my guard we're fruitless.
The next night no shelter was provided
few branches cut from the trees and placed
windward, served merely to break little Il
force of the drizzling storm Of rain that hs
come on. At last, after considerable difficult
fire was lighted, and small party OF Ably
sinian soldiers in whose company we were
pass the night, and who were to be our guard
busted themselves in killing and dressing
sheep. It was cut in pieces and carefully al
tributed among the individuals Of the part
Nothing was allowed to 60 to waste Inde
the entrals even seemed to be looked upon
:. : I. r.