Evening star., 1896-03-28


been cut off. and hundreds of naked and
bleeding bodies, the faces of which were DIS
torted with pain and fear. and the eyes of
which were protruding and Slaring. Some
of the bodies were burned. Some had been
dubbed and hacked with swords, and all
were mutilatad in such a way as cannot
here be described.
In this battle above referred to the Egyp-
tians lost between five and six thousand
men, all Of whom were well armed, and
who had cannons to assist them in their
fighting. At the signal for the charge the
AbyssiniaEs came right up to the batteries.
They were armed with swords, pistols, guns
and shields. They jumped behind the rocks
at the time of firing, and though an inces-
SAINT fire of rocket, shell and shot was
thrown at them, they came to the very
jaws of the batteries and finally took them.
How the Abyssinians Treat Their
Prisoners.
In this battle they killed one thousand
men. wounded sixteen hundred and cap
turad as Irisore ers two thousand one hum
dred and eighty-six. OF the two thousand
prisoners, one thousand We're massacred in
cold blood the next day. Those who were
saved belonged to their captors, and their
fate was even worse than that of those who
were killed. In the first place. the prison.
ers were all stripped and then made to run
along, NAKED, with their captors at the
point of the lance. They were jabbed with
the lances if they did not keep up, and
some of those who escaped and got back to
Gen. Dyes camp came in bloody from head
to foot. Many of them had been shot, then
cut, lanced and speared and speared again.
Many had their hands cut off, and. in addi-
ton to tbs, had Scmeter cuts on their
heads. shoulders and necks. Some of the
prisoners " ere bound hand and foot after
having been stripped, ard were kept for
some time without food or water and then
slaughtered in cold blood. Often victim
was partly unbound and told to run for his
life He was pricked with the spear to
hurry him on, and then shot down after he
mad gone but a few steps.
How Some American Prisoners Were
Treated.
During this battle one CT the American
surgeons who were connected with the khe-
dives army was taken prisoner. This was
Maj. johnson of Tennessee Gen. Dye had
sent him from one part of the field to an
other with a message for Gen. Loring. His
mule baked, and he had to get. off and
make the trip on foot. He was pursued by
an Abyssnian, who threw his spear
through the doctors leg and thus captured
him. The Abyssinians at once stripped him
to the skin They tied his arms behind him
ard made him walk for days thus, naked,
with almost nothing to eat and drink ul.-
der a burning sun. The Abyssinians rode
on horseback, but Maj johnson was drag
ged along on foot. When he fell behinl
JaDDeu Inelr spears INTO MIN TO make
him keep up. He did the best he could, for
in all directions he saw his friends forced
by spears to flee for their lives and then
shot down as they ran. At night he had to
sleep among the mountains with no cover
ing, and he almost perished from the cold.
At one time he was seized by three blood
thirsty AbyssiEians and taken off into the
mountains. His guards sharpened their
swords at every large rock by which they
passed, and gave him to understand that
they intended to kill him. They had made
all preparations for his murder when
horseman was seen coming afar Off. 1t
was courier from the king, who ordered
the men to bring back the captive Mai.
johnson was then kept in the camp and
watched over by Abyssinian boys, who
threatened him with knives, and tortured
him in other ways. The boys troubled him
SO that at last he could stand it no longer,
and concluded to thrash them if he had to
die for 1t; He gave one of them good
licking. His action caught the attention of
one of the chiefs. who took him to be his
slave, and from this time he was well
treated until peace was brought about and
he was exchanged The nervous wear and
tear was such, however, that it almost
killed him.
They Eat Raw Meat.
During this campaign Gen. Dye was asso-
ciated for some time with Gen. .Kirkham. who
lad been an English officer connected with
the Abyssinian king. He met a number of
other Abyssinians, and he obtained some
interesting stories about the people and
Ieir customs. Gen. kirkham said that the
AbySSlnianS were great gluttons and he
told how he had seen three Abyssinians
devour fifteen pounds of meat at one sit
ting. klrkham said that after a feast the
Abyssinians often throw themselves on
their backs and permit their fellows to
walk up and down their abdomens
They are very fond of raw meat and thew
Ike 1t when warm from the animal The
beef Is usually slaughtered right where it
is eaten, often at the door of the tent. and
the guests at the table are fed with de-
licious morsels of the smoking flesh. One of
the greatest of Abyssinian travellers was
James Bruce. He describes how he saw the
Abyssinians cut steaks from living COW.
His story has been greatly doubted, but all
travellers say that the Abyssnians are fond
ing through the country he met three Abys-
sinians driving a cow. Just as he passed
them they threw the poor animal on the
ground. One of them then sat upon her
heck, holding down her head by the horns.
The other twisted halter about her fore
feet, while the other cut steak out of her
rump. They cut out a piece bigger than
two ordinary beefsteaks, first laying back
the skin, and after the steaks were cut ont
fastening the skin on again with two small
skewers OF pins. They plastered clay over
the wound and then drove the COW onward
to the camp, where they intended to eat it.
Bruce describes a banquet of raw flesh
where the cows were cut up by inches out
side the door, being cut in such way as
to keep the animals alive as long as possi-
BILE, the flesh being eaten as soon as it was
taken in. He tells how the Abyssinians eat
raw meat. They cut it into long strips and
then putting one end of the strip in their
mouths and holding the other in the left
hand, the man cuts off bit of the meat with
an upward blow of his scimeter. The Abys-