The Van Buren press., 1896-05-09
FORCES OF KING MENEl.EK.
Or. Smith, the Explorer, on the Causes OF
the Abyssinian Victories.


Or. Smith, the Explorer, on the Causes OF
the Abyssinian Victories.
DR.. A. Donaldson Smith, who has re-
,ently returned from an exploring ex-
petition to the little-l1nown region of
Africa lying to the south of Abyssinia,
Ss some interesting information to
give regarding the Abyssinians them
selves, which serves to explain. to some
extent, the crushing defeat inflicted
Upon the Italian forces at Adowa, q de-
teat which was remarkable considering
he strength of the Italian army and the
| ,act that the soldiers were equipped
With modern rifles and artillery. In
| discussing the matter, DIR. Smith said: \
at must not be supposed that the peo-
pie of Abyssinia are of negro or Nu-
bian type, for no one who has seen them
would confound the two for moment.
| they are much more like the Arabs, al
though they are not, strictly speaking,
! Arabians. Some ethnolgists suppose
| that they are descendants of the an
sient Egyptians, but they themselves,
hat is to say the educated men of the
country, claim descent from the Israel
ties. Indeed, King Menelel1 himself as
serts that he is a scion of the royal
house of Judah. They are tall, wiry
and muscular race, with high foreheads,
ong faces and generalappearance of
intelligence. They have a written
language of their own, the characters
Of which, as in Hebrew, are written
from top to bottom of the page.
I'm religion the Abyssinians may be
said to be Christians to a certain extent.
Coptic priests of the eastern church,
| have been in the country for many gem
erations, and more recently Roman
| Catholic priests from France have made
many converts. The king himself is,
at any rate, nominally, Christian, and
he finds that il increases his authority
to lie regarded as the infallible head of
The church. As far as | could ascertain
the Old Testament is more popular in
The country than the New, partly be-
cause the people regard themselves as
Jews and partly, ] imagine, because it's
| teachings are more in harmony with the
sentiments of the people.
But in the matter OF the war with
The Italians the most important element
has been largely overlooked mean
the influence of the French. France
has important interests in the country.
For years past the French have done a
large trade with the Abyssinians in
firearms, silk goods and perfumes; of
the last the people are passionately
fond. There is good reason to believe
that not only individual Frenchmen,
but regular agents of the French gov
eminent. have been abetting the Abyss
sinians in their resistance to the
italians, and there is no doubt that
through the activity of the French trad
ers the native army has been supplied
with Remington rifles and with French
arms of various kinds. / believe also
that the armies have been drilled by
Frenchmen.
"Nearly all the soldiers are mounted,
but when they are expecting skirmish
it is their custom TO walk, leading their
mules behind them. When they come
in sight of the enemy they fire a few vol
legs and then mount their mules and
charge down into close quarters, using
their sabers and shields. The sabers
are of beautiful workmanship and are
of Abyssinian manufacture. They have
much military ability and are quick at
selling advantage in strategetical po-
sitions.'eSt. Louis Republic.