The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-21

weeks lduring which they were actively en-
gagged In completing their own schemes). the
first foundations OF the new treaty port system
were laid. Upon the arrival Of the Japanese con-
sui at Su-chau the local officials proceeded to Of
fer him as the site OF the settlement paddy field
situated some seven miles from the city. and in
| reply to his vigorous protests they gravely re-
| ferred him to the Viceroy at Marking or
| the Tsung-l- Yamen. The consul's posi-
| tion was q difficult one recourse to n
threatening attitude being impossible In
view Of the political situation at Pokine.
| and OF this fact the Chinese were
only too we'll aware he therefore based
his claims on the text OF the shimonoseki
| Treaty and claimed thereunder-for three
| weeks-the right OF japanese merchants to
| trade ana reside within the city Itself. Subse-
| quently however. he expressed his readiness
to forego this right on grounds Of general and
| local expedlency. and to accept settlement In
| tho immediate vicinity outside the walls. That
this would be the eventual solution the Uhl-
nese had long foreseen. and since suitable sites
were few In number. they had devoted their
energies in the meantime to securing. In tho
name OF purely imaginary CONNER
cial company" all available land in the
| best positions near the city This was
effected by the simple expedient OF
| dlspossessing the native owners with
| nominal compensation in the name OF
the Government. but as the operation. to-
| gether with tho demarcation OF the commercial
/ company's new properties. occupied consider
able time. 1t was necessary to prolong the Jap
anese negotiations by the introduction OF many
absurd conditions. Eventually. after six weeks
| work. during which time the Japanese consul
| was frequently taken by tho officials to
| visit certain interesting fields In the neigh
| borhood OF the site frst offered to him.
! the Chinese professed their Willingness to
| allow the settlement to be established close
! to the city walls. The consul then disco
vered that the only suitable site had been
clearly defined and surrounded by the impos-
| Ing boundary stones OF the commercial COM
| pany aforesaid. while the land included in
| the area OF the proposed settlement had been
| converted into Chinese Government property
and was offered for sale at prices considerably
| higher than those which would otherwise have
| prevailed among the people" The original
| native owners were thus deprived Of their just
| rights in their property IN fact not calculated
| to raise the foreigner in their esteem) and the
| treaty rights OF the foreign merchant were
adroitly circumvented. A precisely similar
procedure was followed at Hang-chau. where
| the native owners were dispossessed OF their
| lands by the local officials at purely nominal
| prices and the foreign settlement. cut and
| dried. was offered for sale in lots by the same
| officials at rates which produced substantial
| profit
| party Of young Engshmen organized by
| Mr. Well lundcl and Lord Lovat started last
| November on a sporting and scientific exred-
| ton across Somalilnnd. through southern
! Ahyssinia. or Shoa. and the country to the
| west hitherto quite unknown. thence to the
| Blue Nile and back by way Of Khartoum One
| OF its members Dr.. K6ttlitz. has returned
| with an interesting account OF Emperor
Mene'ik's domin'ons. He says:
| There Is telephone running between
Menelik's capital and Harar distance OF
about three hundred miles. This line.
| which is the only sign OF civilization
in that portion OF the country. is kept
| in very bad repair. 1t was constructed
| by Franco Russian company in which
Menclik is n shareholder. The stations. which
| are about two days march apart, are mere
| matched huts surrounded by strong. high
| stockades. The dirty eastern hut with It's
| hbyssinian attendant affords a striking con-
| trast with the telephone and the instructions to
| Ring up Adds Aheha.' At one OF these sta
| lions. when about half-wa to the capital we
heard that Mcuelik had left there with his
army to receive the submission Of Ras Man
gasca. We then tried to telephone through to
| Capt Harrington. the British Resident at
| Adds Abeba A Frenchman at the other end
OF the line tried his best to prevent this. and II
| was only through hearing one OF the British
| interpreters talking on the line that we sue
ceeded in getting through. During the
months journey between Harar and the
capital we we're constantly passing ivory
| caravans going to Harar. We also met
| parties In charge OF Russians and French
men connected with political missions
and few French missionaries. 1t was very
| hot work crossing the Hawash plain and most
| OF our travelling had to he done late in the day
and into night. Afterward the ascent OF
the central plateau made the conditions more
| pleasant
| THE Abysslnan capital Is about five miles
| square. and Is simply an aggomeration OF
| round. matched huts. made OF bamboo and
grass. without windows or chimneys. There
| are nc roads OF any description. The better
class houses are surrounded by stockades
Menelik's so-called palace is merely a collec-
ton OF somewhat larger houses Of the same
type. He is now having few stone houses
constructed by Indian workmen. For the
past two seasons Capt. Harrington.
who formerly resided at leila. has
lived in the canita The British Resi-
dency consists merely OF a couple OF large
tents with number Of smaller ones all en-
closed in a turf-walled compound. Beside
Capt. Harrington. the only British subject liv-
ing there is a man named MKelvy. who has
had an extraordinary career. Formerly an Of
fcer's servant. he was one OF the original pris-
oners OF Magdala. and was tortured among the
rest. He elected to remain in Abyssinia. and for
thirty seven years he has lived rs an Abyssin-
ian. He has adopted their dress and customs.
and when Cant. Harrington first went to Adds
Abeba he had actually forgotten his own Ian
guage. This. however. soon came back. and
he ia now employed as an interpreter at the
Residency. He lives In the capital with his
Abyasinian wife, and has lost all semblance OF
| his own nationality"
Dr. Kottlitz gives an interesting account OF
Zouquaa the famous sacred mountain. a
sort Of African Lourdes. Of which he says:
Mount Zouquala. the mysterious sacred
mountain OF the Abyssinians. Is forty miles
from the capital 1t is 10000 feet high. and in
the form Of truncated cone. At it's summit
and in the crater is a remarkable lake three
quarters OF a mile long. which Is a yeritabe