New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-09
AFRICAN OPERA BOUFFE.
THE PICTURESQUE NEGOTIATIONS BE-
TWEEN THE RULERS OF RUSSIA
AND ABYSSINIA

| The Abyssinian Mission TO Russia has come. ana
seen, and been decorated What the practical out
| come Of It will be is matter OF doubt Russia -
very much in earnest in seeking to gain foothold
! in Africa on the shore OF the Red Sea About All
the desirable sites there already appropriated by
! England. Italy. France and Germany. and OF course
none OF those Powers will give way to Russia. d,
was thought France would at one time cede her a
tract OF land az Obock. but the negotiations to that
end were frutless SO Russia now turns to Aoys-
slnia and talks OF establishing protectorate over
| that country. AZ such protectorate has Already
been established by Italy, some complications may
arise Probably 1t is Russias desire that they
| shall and that Italy may thus. for the sake OF
peaceful settlement. be moved 10 give ner a lool-
! hold on the coveted coast.
| A leading Russian paper, the "Novosti. arguing
the necessity of gaining secure position there'
says:
To remove the obstacles which stand in the way OF
| our free passage 10 the East Is. OF course, I'M
possible so long as Alden and Perrin remain IN me
hands Of the English but II we cannot remove me- we
! ing ourselves OF the assistance wncn ADysshia Is
Tng to rsnder In tae nTn be- very y
bly, strengthened. and il must always De heIu IN
state Of instant M wa 40 through the canal in
order to prevent the British and Italian warshps
| the waterway on the Red Sea side. our Mediter-
ranean fleet must. of course. have coaling station
as base OF operatone In the Red Sea. and we trust
that our Ministry OF Marine will have little or no
difficulty in Obtaining from AoyT ISL one 90 neF
| Obock and the suba Islands into fortified place
with coal stores arsenas. etc. may leave TO our
OF more adequately protecting tter interests IN the
| % Madagascar was resolved upon France must
| maintain a sufficiently powerful fleet for all pur-
Lastly. we-that is. France and ourseves-must
see that the Abyssnian Coast is protected the
ed into Abyssinian naval harbor, which viii
as base OF at ST the ont hS
gramme that hope to command any degree
Fast and as France is no less interested than
| selves. may depend upon her prompt co-opera-
| ton.
| That s a pretty serious programme Yet II was
entered upon in a manner beftting the opera-bouffe
| stage. II really begun in April. 1891, when
| certain Russian officer Lieutenant Mashkoff. with
| five companions, quietly set out from st. Peters
| burg for Abyssnia. Their departure from St.
Petersburg was not secret but II most unos
tentatious. There was no crowd at the station to
see them off not newspaper reporter
The little party consisted OF Lieutenant Mashkof.
who had dashng military career under General
Komaroff in Central Asia; his brother. a lad just
out of grammar school rough Montenegr.n, named
Zlatytschann Russian monk who was formerly
an army surgeon a sacristan. who was also a good
soldier and young man named Vsevoloshsky. son
OF the Governor OF Tamboff. who had chiefly dis
tnguished himself a sportsman Not one Of
them made the least pretension to scientific at
tainments Yet II ostensibly an expedition for
scientific resources.
To Lieutenant Mashkoff himself belongs the credit
OF conceiv.ng the scheme. II was while Russia and
England were wrangling the Afghan bound
airy. Lieutenant Mashkoff had been among the
foremost OF the aggressors in the movement toward
Herat. But when II became evident that their ardor
had received a positive check he sought some other
field on which TO expend his military energies. So
he wrote letter 10 the Minister OF War suggesting
an expedition to Abyssnia His idea was to gain
a foothold for Russia there and thus be able to
give England annoyance in her Egyptian
operations That the Minister OF War should pay
serious attention 10 such letter written by an I'M
heard-of minor officer remarkable. But he did,
and he answered II. He gave the Lieutenant leave
OF absence and invited him TO come to ST. Peters
burg and talk the matter over. The result OF their
talking was that Mashkoff and Zlatytschann set
out for Africa They carried plenty Of money. and.
luckily for them, each had respondent Russian
military uniform.
They reached Abyssinia; visited several OF the
chief towns and had interview with King Meme
lex. The last-named fact they owed 10 their uni
forms. For not long before them, General Atchi-
non the "Hetman OF the Free Cossacks." had visit
ed Abyssinla and had sought an interview with
Menelek The King demanded his credentials; but
he had Then he inquired how the visitor was
dressed. The reply in plain clothes, rather the
worse for wear Forthwith Meneiek sent out word
that the only interview he would grant would be ono
with the court executioner II the intruder did nos
get out of AbyssInia in a hurry. and Atchlnof got
out So when Mashkof and Xatytschanin arrived
end asked audience, Menelek was suspicious and
wanted their credentials They had none. Then he
asked how they were dressed. The answer was in
raiment Of dazzling spendor. That satisfied him,
and he babe them in. He gave them long
and most cordial audience. in every respect salts
factory to the Russians He spoke with bitterness
against the Italians. accusing them among other
things OF bad faith; spoke OF the gratitude with
which assistance from his brother Of Muscovy"
would be received: invited them to return TO his
kingdom; gave them letter and a verbal message
for the Car and expressed his delight to find that
they were as orthodox the Altoona himself.
Mashkoff and his companion studiously defer
entail the priests and regularly attended service
in the churches. taking part IN the prayers. OBJ
serving the ceremonies and generally making them
selves ali things to all men
On his return TO Russia Mashkoff had numerous
Interviews with several OF the Ministers. and one.
Of an hour or more with the Car himself 1t was
an unprecedented thing for an obscure lieutenant
to be closeted alone with His Majesty. But the
Car was deeply Interested in the matter ana the
result of the interview the sending Of Mash
kofr with his five companions on a second eXpedi-
ton From this he returned in August, 1882. He
bore letters from the King and from the Patriarch
OF the Abysslnan Church 10 the Car filled with
words OF friendship H bore other communications,
States all declaring that the time was ripe FOR Aoys-
sinia 10 be placed under the protection OF RUSSIA,
in both political and ecclesiastical circles. NJ Pobie-
donostsef particularly being outspoken IN MS advo-
cacy of immediate action This procurator or the
Holy synod the most powerful man in Russia after
the car would have had Russia at once formally
proclaimed the protector Of the Abyssinan CHRIS,
tians. many OF whom IL was said were being forced
bv Mahometans TO abjure their faith. He succeed
ed i'm winning the Car himself TO that view. Since
IN Abyssinia the State Church practically controls
the Government. 10 become protector or the Church
would also mean protector OF the state itself The
Abyssiniaus call themselves Christians, though their
religious ceremonias are chiefly Jewish in character.
Their church strictly observes the jewish Sabbath
as well as the Christian Sunday, 50 that manual
labor is forbidden from Friday evening TIL Monday
morning: declares certain animals. ike the goose.
unclean and unfit for human food forbids the con-
sumption OF any but Kosher meat. which Is obtained
by uItering short prayer 10 the Holy Ghost dur
ing the slaughter OF the animal and declares cir
cumcison means OF salvation. They are intensely
hostile 10 both Protestln.s and Roman Catholics.
and SO when they learned u the great State Church