The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25

ing force into Eastern soudan. which drove oil
the Dcrvishes from Gallabat. and rescued tn
garrison and the inhabitants. who were es
corted safely by way OF Gondar to Massowal
The town OF Gallabat was then occupied by tn
KhPlifa's men. about 10000 in number. mostl
Jaalim trlbesmon, who we're attacked in Janu
airy, 1887. by an immense force OF Abyssinians
horse and loot. under Ras Adal. Chief o
Amhara. The Dervishes were driven out will
great slaughter; the place was fired
the magazine blown up. and tn,
Abyssinians, after ~pillaRing tho town
carried of a large number OF womer
and children into slavery. Again Gallabat. b,
the Khalifa's orders. was occupied by the Der,
wishes under his nephew. Yunis. who made
raids into Abysslnia from time to time and de.
stroyed many villages and churches. Event.
uany. by the p%retence OF a peaceful attitude and
the granting OF free passes to travelling mer.
chants. Yunis tempted Abyssinians to come
down into the Gallabat plain with large mum
beers OF mules, donkeys and horses. together
with other articles OF merchandise. Atreach-
erous attack upon the traders ended in the
slaughter OF many. the seizure Of their goods
and the despatch Of about n thousand as pris-
oners to Omdurman. where. for the most part,
they died OF starvation. In July. 1887. the
Khalifa wrote a letter to the Abyssinian
King. Offering peace on condition OF the
%latter's becoming n Moslem and restoring
all the women and children that he had cap
tured. No reply being made to this docu-
ment. a great force OF Dervishes was gathered
under tho command of Abu Anga. who had
been active against Hicks Pasha's expedition
and In operations OF the Khalifa In other
quarters. He took with him from Omdur-
man over 10000 men armed with Reming-
ton rifles. and about 10000 equipped with
sword and spear. At Gallabat reinforcements
from the neighboring districts raised Abu
Anga's army to over 80. 900 men. Six days
journey from Gallabat the Abyssinians, in
great force under Ras Adal. were encountered
In the great plains of Davra Sin, and a fierce
battle took place. The well-aimed fire from
Abu AnRa's trained rifiemen proved too much
for the wildly charging Abyssinian horsemen,
who fell In thousands. and the conflict ulti-
mately became a massacre. Most OF the
Abyssinian leaders were slain and the camp
was taken. The road to Gondar. the former
capital OF Abyssinia. lay open to the victors.
The place was sacked and burnt. the priests
were flung down from the church roofs.
the male Inhabitants were slaughtered. and
the women and children carried of as
slaves. Anga and HE men. laden with
booty, returned to Gallabat in the last
days OF 1887. One consequence Of the VIC
tory over Ras Adal was that tho tribes on the
VI uCou
Mahdism.
About the same time. Todros Kasa. second
son OF King Theodore OF Abyssinia, suddenly
appeared at Gallabat and offered his services to
the Dervishes against his own countrymen.
He was sent on to Omdurman. whore he was
well received by the Khalifa, who promised to
place him on the Abyssinian throne. In return
Todros undertook that all the Abyssinians
should embrace Islam and pay annual tribute
to the Khalifa. The ruler at Omdurman. short
ly afterward. received a note from King John
Offering to make a treaty of peace. The Sou
danese and the Abyssinians. he urged. were
alike descended from Ham. and it was their
duty to combine against their common enc
mics. the Europeans, whose power was
ever growing in Africa. The Khalifa's re-
ply was that the two peoples might become
good friends II King John would become a
Moslem. otherwise he must brand the Abyssi-
nian ruler as the enemy OF God and His
prophet. and was bound to exterminate him.
Soon after this exchange Of letters between
the rival potentates Abu Anga died at Gallabat, |
and was succeeded in the ommand OF the
principal Dervish force by Zeki Tummal. On
March .. 1889. King John. with an enormous
force under his own command and that Of Ras
Adal and other important chiefs. made an at
tack on Gallabat. TIL Dervish zeriba. or forth
fled camp. was taken by storm after q des-
perate conflict. and confusion was prevailing
among the Khalifa's men when the news
spread among the Abyssinians that their King
had been struck down by a bullet. A panic
arose in the moment Of victory. and the Abyssi-
mans made for the Atbara River. The Dervishes
had suffered great loss. but on the following
day they started in pursuit. and on March IL
up with a large part Of the retiring enemy
encamped on the river bank. In the ensuing
battle the Abyssinians lost heavily and fled.
leaving their Kings dead body. which had been
packe ed in n long DO sealed with wax.
In the hands OF the Dervishes. The head was
cut OF and sent to Omdurman, where 1t was
liked high on a camel's back and paraded up
and down the market place. while a herald went
before and proclaimed that the mighty Negus
had been slain. Among the plunder of the
damp at Atbara was the throne.
rom which the cross had been removed; a
copy OF the New Testament. written on
in Amharic, profusely Illus
rated and Illuminated. and bound I'm q
ripple leather cover; a gold watch marked
'Crosdi. Paris" showing the day OF tho
week and the month OF the year; n tele-
cope and an original letter from Queen Vic
oria to King John, dated in November, 1897.
mourning after the health Of the King and his
amiiy ana expressing an earnest wish to live
IN peaceful and friendly terms with the Negus.
that England. occupying Egypt. had be-
'ome n neighbor to Abyssinia. The Khalifa
lad now attained the zenith of his power. After
he King of Abyssinia's head had been publicly
displayed at Omdurman. his triumphant foe
1t to be sewn in a piece Of leather and
to Wadi-Halfa az a warning to the
and the English that a like fate
waited them. The British and Egyptian re-
'ly wns delayed about nine years. but it was
at last.
Tho connection OF Italy with Abyssinia may
'e outlined In n paragraph. The advance of
he Italians from Massowah had been resented
y King John. and. In 1887. Capt. de Cristo-
and 800 men were all killed by Abyssinian
orces' save one man. who reached the coast,
tripped and wounded. large enforcement