The Portland daily press., 1892-01-19

one man might defend against an army.
If YOU arc bound for the kings court
you will find plenty to look at even be-
fore you get there, and when you do get
there YOU will find more to look at still.
The native dress Of the king and his
mobiles is ut once simple and striking,
consisting Of a long white frock or man
tie, embroidered with. five broad stripes
of bright crimson, which are supposed
to typify the five wounds of our Lord,
for these strange people HISTORIAN
Christians ever since the Thirteenth
century, are extremely devout in their
own peculiar way. and even the dreaded
King John himself--a perfect Abyssinian
Henry VIII-used to hear morning pray
ers and read a chapter of the Bible every
day before going forth to dye his battle
sword in blood or to order off score of
innocent men to instant execution. This
robe is usually tucked up so as to leave
the limbs free below the knee, and the
feet are protected by strong sandals
Most of the Abyssinian grandees are
splendid horsemen, and the reckless way
in which they dash up and down these
precipitous ridges. with the tip of the
foot just touching the silver ring that
serves them as a ssrrup, might COM
mand the applause Of any Gaucho on the
South American pampas.
The kings life guards are picked SOL
diers, all fine and powerful men, armed
with long native rifles and curved
swords Of wonderful keenness and tenn
per. Here and there amid their stately
ranks you may espy ) stalwart fellow
who wears on his neck lions claw set
in gold, decoration which may be
called the Victoria Cross of Abyssinia,
proving as it does that the lion to whom
that claw once belonged has been slain
in single fight by its present wearer-a
feat which even these hardy mountain
eers consider well worthy of notice.
Conspicuous amid the crowd of richly
dressed natiy attendants that surround
the 'sNehgus" (as the Abyssian king is
called is the figure of tall and portly
man in gorgeously embroidered robe,
with flat, shining disk of metal hang
ing upon his broad breast at the end of
a light silver chain, this being the badge
of his Office as the kings head cook. The
r, i is one of the best in the whole king
dom, but it has it's drawbacks, the hold
er of it being bound to remain unmar-
ried, and never to quit the court without
the speci-l leave of the king himself,
which is seldom if ever given. More
over, among this high functionary's
countless duties is the tasting of every
article of food or drink, no matter what
it may be, which is to be set before his
royal master.
One very characteristic feature of this
strange court still remains to be de-
scribed. A little apart from the throng
you will notice large group of hand
some native girls of various ages, from
thirteen to sixteen, arrayed in pictur-
esque national costume, and adorned
with barbaric national finery. A paint
er might object to their receding chins
and thick, pouting lips, but their black,
lustrous, melting eyes, their long, silky
hair and the wonderful symmetry. of
their slim, graceful form, are a study
worthy of Titan himself.
Should the king be pleased with your
address, Or with the presents which every
one is bound to offer him, he will re-
quest or rather command you to take
three or four Of these beauties away with
you as your wives-a courtesy rather
embarrassing to some prim, middle
aged British envoy with a strong minded
wife of his own at home, especially as,
by native custom, it is death for any
+< e. off hxr% tho l1i,,oe
in person. Strangely enough, the young
ladies themselves appear to be quite
satisfied with the custom which thus
transfers them from one master to an
other, like sheep or cattle. Once given
into your possession, an Abyssinian girl
will toll for you, fight for you and If
need should be, die by your side on the
battlefeld-1nore than one weird story
being current here of slender, dark faced
soldiers who were seen fighting side by
side with some of the Italian officers in
the great battle two years ago, and who,
when found lying dead over the corpses
of those whom they had striyen in vain
to defend, were discovered to be women
in disguise.
ST. OuIy OuCO Wlulllu ClO IIC4dOIy VI A1N-
ing men has that strange gift been Of
fered and refused. When the terrible
King John reigned over Abyssinia-a
tyrant whose merciless cruelty was rem
dered doubly formidable by the daunt-
less courage and great abilities by which
it was supported-there came to him on
a public mission d spare, muscular, clear
eyed English officer, who had written
his name in history some years before as
"Chinese Gordon"
In the courtyard of the kings palace
the two men met-the strong. swarthy
Abyssinian in his gorgeous white and
crimson dress, with gold rings in his
ears and lionsl1in sash across his bare.
brawny chest; the Englishman in his
plain. well worn uniform. with the look
of calm, fearless confidence that had
kept up the dropping spirits of his sol
diers ON many hard fought battlefield.
Behind them stood four beautiful native
slave girls, looking wonderingly with
their large liquid eyes at the strange war
rior from beyond the sea who dared to
face their terrible master and talk to