The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-05


lin the costume of the Egyption army.
gentleman OF the highest order. Upon
questioning him how he felt. he said that
mere were days when he felt badly,
while on others he felt worse. For about
three years he had not been able 10 stand
on MS feet. which were swollen consid-
eiab,y. aud at night he was compelled 10
take morphine 10 be relieved 20 some e%-
tent OF his great pain. The use or tins
drug, however, nauseated HIM III me
morning so much that il took away lis
appetite almost entirely. | sat with Gen
eial Colston, and while be did not com
plain in tho least. yet / could tell rem
the frequent moving about or ms poa3
that he was a great sufferer
When 1 explained to General ColstCn
the object OF my visit, and requested
him to give me whatever portion OF MS
experience In Africa be was willing 10 he
published in the columns OF The Times
ne very readily and kindly consented.
THE ABYSSINIANS.
1T is a well-estabished principle SAID
General ColstOn, that when a country
IS occupied by barbarous savages, 4 cav
ilized nation has a right TO take posses
sion of il, and on that ground Africa nas
been divided among the civilized nations
OF Europe There seems 10 me. howevcI
no pretext fer an invasion or
Abyssinia By Italy upon any such ground
The Abysslnian people. or rather its mon
archy, date back from the time OF SOL
onion They claim that their royal house
descended from Menclek. the son OF the
Queen OF Sheba by Solomon, and until
the last twenty or thirty years that
family has reigned over the land. These
peoped first became partly christianized
by the disciple ST. Mark, IN the second
century. and they were finally chris
tanned under the disciple ST. George'
the patron saint OF England. III the
fourth century. For sixteen hundred
wears these people, who are not over
four millions in population, have resist
ed the pressure OF Mahomedanlsm @nd
paeanism They have remained Chris
tians and retained their churches, cathe-
drals. schools, and cities. They have
written history, which goes back about
sixteen hundred years. but which Is ga
possession OF the priests. They are OF
Semitic origin, as their features snow
have handsome forms, and are well punt
when the Arabs conquered EGYPT, IN
the seventh century, they became neIsn-
bors TO Abyssnia. Later Wheh the
Turks conquered Egypt. in 1917, they
overran Abyssinia. and destroyed us
cities ana churches. but were finally
driven out. on what ground should iialy
now pretend the right OF taking posses
sion of their territory? They are rot
sayages: they are certainly more man
half-civilized. They are Christians aad,
though it may be said that their FORM OF
Christianity is debased and corrupt, II Is
very little inferior to the Greek Church
which II resembles very much. They ac-
knowledge allegiance to the hopuc IA
| triarch in Egypt. and when their o"n
patriarch dies they send TO Lsipt 10
| obtain another.
ever since the Italians inyaded Aiys-
| sinia. L expected their defeat, and w'%n
| If aid come. II was a terrible ons When
| | was in the Egyptian army / was sent
| in command of an expedition into tOr-
| dufan. about four hundred miles west or
| the Nile. ana while / was there. the
Khedive thought he would settle the
| question about the disputed boundary
| nrovince OF Bogos by sending two
| detachments. one Of 300 men. and
| two batteries OF six field guns each'
| ana the other OF about l,lOp men
| The first detachment was commanded
! By a Danish colonel named Arrendrup
| the other by Munzinger Pasha Inc
| Abyssinians just wiped them out anu
none of them came back. The hhedlNe'
who had not been dreaming OF defeat.
| then tuouENi AliiN MS iAp-tSi
ed. especially as he had hoped that VIC
tory IN Abyssinia would send up the
value Of the Egyptian bonds. He sent
| an army OF 1900 men. regular Egyptian
| soldiers under a Circassian general, Wit
| General Loring as chief OF stan, and quite
a large number CT American oficers OF
the various stan positions.
THE EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS
"The Egyptian soldiers are as perfectly
| drilled. uniformed. armed, and equipped
as any European army. Their discipline
Is perfect, and their physique superior II
! height and size 10 the lines OF the Brit
ish. French, Italian. and austrian armies
They also had about four batteries. OF sh
Krupp guns each. The infantry were
armed with the American bennington
Owing to the stupidity and cowardlce o
the native officers. who would not lister
to the suggestions of Che Americans wh'
had been sent there expressly to ADVISE
them, the campaign resulted In mos
fearful defeat Only one battle wa
fought: the Egyptian generals and Princ'
Hassan fed from the field before the bal
lie was fairly engaged, and took reiug
in n large fort and enirenched camp
constructed by Colonel S. IA. Locket
formerly of the Confederate army. IN
troops did not break into rout but the
made their way into the fort as soon