The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-08-25
THE KING or AsYssINlA.
An . EnEiish paynastsr Gives an Ae-
n count of M visit 70 the Klnk.


An English paynAstsr Give, an Ae-
count q fIii vIsit % the Klns.
Capt. Harrison Smith, paymastsr. R.
n, vas sent By her majestyS govern
ment 70 The king Of Abyssinia 70 present
to him letter and sword Of honor from
her majesty The queen. son April 10"
says the captaip, I'VE arrived suddenly
In sight Of ticking camp and Lake Ash.
augi. AS we neared camp We were me.
by tho soldier whom had sent on. BE
brought amessage from the king. The
king requested me TO come a. once TO
him. The soldier added that the king
had threatened 10 punish him should be
fail to bring me INTO camp that evening"
but he begged me TO witt a few minutes,
till an escort Of 200 mon should AIrive 70
accompany me. The officer command.
Ing tie Escort informed me that they
had been ordered TO conduct me d.
rectly to the king.
4 was obliged to change clothes on
the road, unpack the letters from her
majesty and Lord s., and the swords for
the king and his son. These proceed
ings entertained tile soldiers greatly.
The soldiers took up sort Of formation,
in the centre Of which | and tliepersons
who were instructed to carry the pres
ents rode, Thus We crossed a plain, and
then climbed the hill on, which the king
Is building a new palace. There l was
the beholdCn Of many hundreds, having
dlSmounted and walked to tile door Of
the cokel.roofed building in which his
majesty was seated.
About to enter wasabrubtly stopped,
because ut tie last moment the king had
sent for q chair, which had not yet ar
rived. Tie chair was brought and
placed with It's back against the pole
which supports the roof In tie center,
and exactly facing the king. AS usual
he was seated on an angerlb "a kind Of
bedstead). supported on either side by a
large cushion, On my entering he ex-
tended his arm to its full length, and re-
ceivOd ME in the most Codial manner
with his stamina nearly down TO his
waist.
AT first I thought he was reckoning
me to a chair, to which his outstretched
hand was pointing, but soon perceived
his meaning, and having taken his hand
and bowed, 1prcsented ler maiesty's
letter, enyeloped in an imposing EN-.
broidered cover which l had brought
from Cairo, and which appropriately had
agold lion resembling the kings seal
worked in the center. Then laid be-
fore the king the sword in its case with
the lid opened, and afterward the sword
for his sou, Ras Aria Selassic. At the
conclusion Of the brief announcement
with which l accompanied each prcsen-
tation the king bowed and expressed
thanks. He then said he had ordered a
camp to be prepared for me, and that l
must go and rest. l found large but
very thin tent pitched, and furnished
with an angerib covered with carpet
and having the two usual cushions.
Other carpets were laid on the ground,
aud for some time l sat in state till my
escort was marched of, and ! was left
only with the small rtlar.l.
an the evening presents Of goods,
consisting Of a COW, bread, ghoe, tedgo
liquor made from honey, rsl pepper,
drOwood and firepIaccs, and spoon for
my use arrived, and were continued
regularly during my stay.
ION the 10th | called on the king at Z
n, m. Talked, and wrote an
addition to the latter for the
queen. Then was taken out, and ar
rayed with shirt and trousers. do
not mean that at the time wore neither
Of these useful articles, hut these were
special garments OF honor. was also
presented with lions name, the kings
own mare, horse, mule, twenty.one
spears, and shield. At 1l:9O got on the
march, and kept till $40, when we
reached our old camp near Dehbah."-
London News.