The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-03-27
KING MENELEK II.
THE DOUGHTY MONARCH WHO
WIPED OUT AN ITALIAN ARMY.
Striking Peculnrities of the Ruler OF
Abyssinia-A Remarkable People OF
Ancient Civilization The Beautiful
woman OF That Country.

Abyssinla-A Remarkable People al
Ancient Civilization The Beautiful
woman OF That Country.
Mcrelek H.. the dusky King OF the
Abvssinians. had suddenly sprung in.
to fame. says the New York journal,
by inhicting a crushing blow upon
the Italian forces, which sought to
bring him to submission. This semi
barbarian who rules large area in
Africa lust to the south of the Sou
dan and bordering partly ON the Red
Sea is the first African of modern times
to show fighting qualities of high
order and true military skill in hand
| ling large masses Of men. By wiping
out a whole Italian army almost at II
single blow King Menelek has taught
lesson to European powers.
| The Abyssnans have curious form
of civilization which antedates Chris
! tianity. There Is a large admlxture
| of Caucasian blood among them.
King Menelek claims to be descended
from the Queen of Sheba. Abyssin
| ia is alleged too the Sheba of Scrip
ure, and the blood of King Solomon.
it is claimed, runs through the royal
house.
The Queen of Sheba after her visit
to King Solomon was followed by Il
large number of jews upon her return
to Abyssinia. Numerous Greeks and
Portuguese subsequently took up their
residence in the country, and then be
came absorbed among the native pop
ulation.
The characteristic African features
are almost wholly missing among the
Abyssinians. They have intelligence,
stability of character, courage, skill
and qualities of endurance not to be
found in any of the races of more pure
Africans. These perhaps are some OF
the reasons why the Abyssinians re-
fuse to give up their country 10 for
eigner without struggle, and why
they have shown soldierly qualities
that will make them everywhere re
spected because they will be feared.
King Menelek's followers took every
advantage of their Typographical sur
rounding, Just as the Indians do in
the west. They hid in the passes and
crevices of the mountains, with which
their country is plentifully supplied
and drew the enemy into ambush by
ingenious and plausible schemes. Then
an enormous army, apparently form
less and ignorant of tactics, sprang
as if out of the ground. Means of at
tack that are strikingly novel were
used. Rifles, shot-gu spears and
sabres were employed by the half saw
age hordes of King Menelek and huge
boulder. were rolled down from the |
upon the helpless Italian
troops below.
This signal victory is the greatest !
in hiGtnrE pF \ hVS.
sinia, which stretches far back beyond /
the dawn of European civilization. No
\ frican sovereign of modern times has
ever achieved a triumph against Eu-
ropean arms comparable to this
King Menelek is no old man whose
early death may be looked for to throw
scrambing by Europeans. He is
comes from family of warriors, of
which he is now the greatest.
The King is surrounded by many
of barbaric splendor. On
Either side of King Menelek. when
le goes with his troops To command
II battle. slave carries an umbrella.
These royal umbrellas are ornamented.
They are of a bright, rich red, and
rave heavy fringes of gold and silver
.rcund the edge. \ knob of gold
the top of each umbrella.
The purpose of these two umbrellas, :
which are carried on either side of
King Menelek in battle, is To distin q
,uish him, and, incidentally, To shade {
lin from the fierce African sun. /
denelek in battle wears an enormous :
lat. This royal hat is hereditary :
~ Il q hu |
Queen of Sheba 1t looks somewhat /
With a wide. stiff brim. Nobody but I
roops is permitted to wear hat like =
owever. in battle without this hat. $
worries and gold and silver Pins I
ticking from lis hair.
The Abyssinians are fond of red, black /
nd white. White is royal color in !
byssinia and Meneiek's mantle is big Il
argest bed IN the world. This he y
,hen he walks. Throwing aside this h
mia reveals himself AS strong built p
bNtlluI sdNdSt' Nlt VI iil'7 liloct -
triking characteristics of his dress is t
u enormous silver wristet that reach t
5 from the elbow to the wrist of his y
ight arm. This procaims his to his y
-oops as the slayer of any warriors t
. battle. A similar wristlet is worn b
y many OF his leading chieftains. "
King Menelek rides a horse that is "a
lmost weighted down by an elaborate G.
arness, oinamented with gold, silver al
nj precious stones. His horses are "
he finest Arabian thoroughbreds and m
e owns hundreds of the best speci "
ems in Africa. These horses can pt
imb the steepest and rockiest noun dl
ms in Abyssinia. m
The skin of the black leopard. as Al
ell as lion skins, also figures con er
,icuousy iu the dress of King Me, Oh
.lek. These he has lined with scarlet ca
9th and fitted with amulets. He vi
rs gorgeous cloak made of the skin
black named lion and set with
ecous stones, having an immense tn
asp of gold. The elaborate ward on
be of this barbaric chieftan, whose VT
owess has now astonshed Europe, 10,
lewise includes cloak made from
g skins of the unborn calf, which oy
We peculiar luslre like that of
lvet. He also possesses aeeces of -