Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-28
THE ADYSSINIAN STRUGGLE
Natives Fearless and Meet Slaughter
With Slaughter.
FRANCE AND RUSSIA SLYLY AT WORN
ipcn"'ik Being supplied with Modern
kies and Ammunition = Aby ssintans
Wonderful Lance 1hrvwers,

small nations which they desire 20 PRO
tect."
snaln Is having an uphill GGtt OF It In
dealing with Cuba and Englands clever
intrigue 10 Eobbie up the Tiarevaal mis-
carried. Italy ls having tho ilxht OF her
he IN trying to CONQUER tho NarliNo Abyss
s!nians. and unless she makes startling
improvements, that ancient people may
ovcrwae.m her with defeat
OF all tho petty wars Of tho past few
months Tho Abysninian struggle Is the
most interesting. for the reason that the
people nre Fearless and capable or moet-
Ing slaughter with ralaushler. In their
recent oampaiEs IN MNdarascur the
French hsd only to overcome the deadly
r,iGsna Which per!nrates the leland. he
English IN the struggle with penpren.
tho farce-conicey monarch OF Ashantuc.
mad the zane enemy 20 contend With. hut
TO a lesser dogrru. Spain has some real
lighters opposed to her IA cuba. but Italy
Ia having toe hGgdos, tmo OF them all,
TIE forefdthcrS o. the nooplo ltuly "
tShtlay We're subJccte OF tho qdCrn OF
Shcba. Thur national pride IS Unlimited,
1nd tHey icok dowli upon III other me
tons o. tho world az iaferior to them
w. Christianity. 70 thc European or
hm-rican mind there rs vGrS little In
Ahrsslnia tolp" TO suBEts, tho tluIiou.
riche9 which gstounIed Solomon. IN fact.
ihe whole country nRs n down-at- ,hc-hesl
look. liscRupc thee Hnccntors OF couuticsa
sencra,ioHs ago rnHlse1 40 the greatest
people Ia the world, the Anyssnians OF
tAo present tin'r rcger1 thomaclycS rs
rrc-omluent, Thcy beast OF their civllixn-
ton, but IL Is a Jagged md worn out echo
Of the civilization which relgned thou
sands OF yeats ago.
ARE STIFF FIGHTERS.
But for all that tho Abyssiniana nrs
iphtorA It is now more than u ycur since
Italy began active hosulilics aud today
tho Abysslniaus have tho upper hand
In the light, The reason o. It IS simple.
Italy has about i5.00o mon In the Held
whilu King McnclilI II has about 200,00
only 1O,OlO " the Inter at the outset
were armed with modern rifles. but no is
receiving fresh suppllvr all tho time and
Lis lighting icrcc is steadily improving,
II IN believed that both France and RUS
sta nro silently at work IN the causa Of
Honcllk A former French army officer
was induced some years ago TO cstnh-
lish and direct II powder making fac
tory IN Shna, In the southern end Of
Ahysslnla, and now there IA no danger
OF scarcity OF ammunition, Intelligent
natives now operate tho factory. and Ia
addition to powder mntinE, they turn out
th~'-Huda " cartrldgcH rvcfv dHv,
While Mcnelii; had only 5000 rihes at
the beginning OF the war, 1t Is believed
that AT least 90 600 OF his soldlcra ara
capably armed today Including u large
body NJ cavalry. The rpst are armed with
two-odgcd swords and lanccs. These seem
primitive In those days az scientific death
engines hut IN the mountainous sections
where most or the fighting has hcon done
bpk nj gaftu1hp - trfR ,tv
/ ave been few carefully PINNED battles
since the opcnlnE OF the campaign most
Of the fighting helng OF tho guerrilla or,
der. The AbysslulanH Swoop down on
band OF Italian soldiers. kin ana wound
az many as they can IN few minutes
and then fade away. While the fghtinp
lasts II IL Invariably hand TO hand and
ms good "a the man with tho magazine
rife
WONDERFUL LANCE THROW ERS.
Tho lancors do as much damage as war
riorp armed with rifles Tho Italian ex-
plorcr Crecchl says that no saw II shield
made Of hippopotnnus hide pierced like q
piece of paper by a lance thrown by al
Abyeelnlan at n distance Of 200 feet A
compuctly formed band Of Italian soldlcrs
alord an easy target for the4u lnncor-
Who appear lllso magic, shower thctt
llltFN hlul NlfApI'AN bil0lt lllH LAl bt
trained on them.
But tho Abyssinlans who are ilEhtipr
for tho .ndrpendenco OF their ancient
land are capable Of wnginB war Ia ms
regular way. when fights OF this Kind
nro made II Is believed that tho native
forces are Differed by French and Rus
sian military men, aa tlctias are adopt
cd which are known only TO soldiers Of
tho most modern schools. This Hoenls e
have been the case at Maknll0, which
was surrendered Ivy TIC ltnllans under
Colonel Gnlllauo 10 Ras Makonnen, com
rnnuder Of tho AbyHslnlnhg. few lAy'
ago Tho Italians had held Makpllc since
last fall but they were finally starved
Ont. Tho Italians. with tho rnpid.nr,
runs, would have nnaihllnted tho Abys'
slnInns had they made an assault On the
fortress Of Maknlle
REGARD DEBT AS a CRIME.
Whllo tho Ahysalninns have proved
tbamselyos fighters Of considerable sklli
they are moot Interesting Us "A people loi
tnnny of their customs are tho same which
uroyailed ~ tho times OF The onclent8
pebt Is their particular aDhorrence. To
Le unable to repay loan " u disgrace
Greater thnn iguominious death. for II
riaees a whole family outside the breast
works of respectable society for genera
tlong Thrno thousand years. ago The
I.gyptinn who contracted IA debt AWAY
md 10 give as security mo mummy ol
his father. II he faih1 to release III
corpse OF his parent from the hands Of
tho money lender by repayins tho loan
he was forever disgraced, ana WAX deihet
religious services upon his death.
Tho same spirit aniinates tho Abynain
ian. lie rs taught from babyhood 10 eVoie
debt. both for hln moral ana nhyalfni "e'l
being. The Aby2sllisa law " moro ehPr
geic IN punishing ;hc unfortunate uen.ol
Than was the ancient Egyptian. rhi
debtor is cast into Prison nnd an ron pNhl
fastened around his right WRIT isveri
anv tho creditor and an officer OF the law
yiei, him rua whci h eaga no Is unable
10 nay, i turn Is given to tho screws n
the wrlatDnud, which causes u 20 -inN
INTO Tho flesh. II The Unfortunate mas 10
friends who con Ecrape up tho required
gum. tho wrisihand nhrlnlss and Nhtlukt
,sntli Inc hand r. completely Toverfd' Thon
,bo 1ebtor is released With iin marx "
lila disgrace forever attached 70 MN u
/ ig almost noodless 10 say that Luz low
debte ure contracted IN hbysfinin.
QUAINT RELIGIOUS BELIEFs.
In one way they arc tcmcndously re.
,t.,,ous nnd two out OF every three days
liz ,1ar through. nrc fast dayg The Fir'
81. Nary they pray 70 ma call for pro-
ttcttpn Mothcrhpod 10 The eyes OF III
hLyeslnIanS IS most Agered and thcf vfn
rrate their own nlotlcrE beyond all clne
o'hn WIN OF their nnthcre u law u!id o
Nart OF thor RELIGION. They argue thal
II they obtain ,he good VIII OF The Ni'sif
sl,., .yilt inicrccdr for them With Chrlst
bnd ttnt no VIII follow hi niFiic1 The.
believe that women nre more lenaer'