The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-04-24
Egyptian Corruption.

d2rrar 70 SueZ. 1n6S6 Hltn udo opon'
many years-twelve L was told-in the
equatorial province. Mostof them were
completely broken down. But they
| lad no medical attendance. and nothing
! 20 eat or drink except parehed grain
md muddy water The Egyptian Gov
eminent may be unable to afford either
| food or physic, but in that case 1t has
40 right to extend what it is pleased to
all its sway over three thousand miles
Of land southwark from the Medlter-
ranean. For enduring his worse than
logs life the Egyptian soldier IN these
provinces receives seventy-flve plasters,
or considerably less than pound per
month. The men complain that, even
with their meager rations. they can
scarcely keep body and soul together
with such pay. With better class OF
officers and an increase OF pay TO IZO
piasters the service might be rendered
both popular and efficient.
The evidence. which has been col
lected on the point-namely, the rela-
tons between the Egyptian Government
and that of Abyssinia- extremely
discreditable to the former. BY gov
ernment need not necessarily be meant
the ministry at Cairo. With the best
intentions in the world the khedlVe' s
advisers may not have been able TO
control his highness' representatives IN
the southern territories. L am only
speaking of the conduct of these par
ticular representatives. They are uni
versally mistrusted and despised. Ras
Alou a, commander-in-chief of the
Alb ssinian army pointedlyaccnsesthem
of sharing in the plumber of caravans,
and Egyptians themselves generally be-
lieve that the charge is only too we'll
founded. 1t is doubtless true that
Abyssinians are as guilty of aiding and
abetting in brigandage as any OF the
n hhedive's officials; but Ras AlOula, on
behalf of King Johannes, contends
that those offenders are renegades
and outlaws, who would be imprisoned
if they returned to their own country.
The very fact that Abyssinian caravans
are sometimes looted within two hours
Journey of Massowah, and the plundeI
publicly sold in the market-Place OF the
town, suggests reflections more un'
favorable than otherwise to Muktal
Bey, the local governor. Said Muktar,
the other day: Bring the thieves tc
me, and [ shall punish them" What
would London householder say if the
police authorities should give like
reply to his complaints about burglary
on his premisesp Theinstance ia which
on that occasion, Muktar's protection
was asked for was that of the robbery
of a large company of merchants and
priests who were on their way iron
Abyssinia to Egypt and Palestine
There were about hundred of them II
all. The priests had $1,000 in cash
One of the merchants had fifty ounce!
of gold dust There was considerable
quantity of other property. BESIDE:
sheep and mules. Soon after entering
the narrow strip of territory which
divides Abvssnia from the sea, ant
which the Egyptians claim as their own
the caravan was attacked and plundered
Some of its members were killed anC
, woun led, and the rest escaped, afte
, having been pretty well stripped OF thei
clothes, to Massowah. They have sine
had the sati faction of seeing their Owl
property exposed for sale in the bazaar
This is merely a typical case. Wha
irritates the Abyssinian minister mos
|, of all is the Indifference with which th'
Egyptian governor of Massowah re
,, cards his demands for redress. or a
any rate tor inquiry. The natural re
suit has been that the AbyssiDlan
: accuse the Egyptian officials OF copart
nership Sith the thieves and hrigands
A still more fragrant exhibition Q
rascality on the part of Egyptian otfi
! cials is their participation in tine profit
of the slave trade. 1t is a mistake t
imagine that the slave trade is e.tinc
in the Red Sea. Arab dhows carr
slaves every day from the western port
to Hoded da, Mocha, and other place
on the eastern shore, where they ar
conveyed to Mecca, the chief slaV
> market in southwestern Asia. A capita
ton tax on every slave who leaves a
Egyptian port finds its way to tn
pockets of the Khedive's officials. 1t
one of the means by which they increas
, their frequently meager salaries. In
> chief slave-dealers in the souther
: provinces are Abou Bekr Pasha. GOV
! erpor of leila, and his two sons. Thes
three worthless derive a good incom
!, from the export of Gala girls an
: eunuchs to the Arabian coast.
o The Abyssinian Christians are a
/. fanatical in their way as any Moham
;. medans. The former boast that the
n are the only Christian State ia Africa
;. that theirs is an original and indepent
1 ent church. purer than the Church
t Rome; and that they have even cor
ceived the idea of crusade again:
!. some of their half-subject tribes whic
have not abandoned the rites of heatt
enism. No one who has heard of th
Massowah church bell can doubt th
religious zeal of the Abyssinians. Th
= bell, it seems, was bought by thel
:, some three or more years ago,
Egypt, and paid for. 1t was brougl
- up to Massowah by steamer, but specl;
:, arrangements had to be made for tt
= overland carriage of monster weigl
= ing quarter of ton. The Egyptian
= will not forward it and the Abyssiniar
:, will not take it away. The detentio
= of the bell is one of King Johns P,
: grievances, but has caused as much ii
:. feeling between Egyptians and Abyssil
II ians as the "theeiit'' Of the provin,
!, i of Bogos by the late Khedive's office
!. Munzinger Bey.
g So long as Egyptian governors d
- cline to attempt the capture OF brigan:
:, who carry their depredations to with
- two miles of the provincial capital,
= long will Abyssinia be justified in pr
% testing on behalf of her traders
o Massotrah Cor. London Nelcs.
g Edward King tells one of the mo
n delightful anecdotes of Carlyle yet p'
70 forth. That portentous pseudo-philos
a- pher. Mallock. called on the old Scotcl