The Washington times., 1901-11-10
THE ARMY OF ABYSSINIA.
Facts About Menelik's Forces Re.
lated by British Officers.
Hardships Endured During the Ex-
pedition Against the Mad Muliah-
Discipline Maintained by Personal
Attachment of Men to Leaders

LONDON, Oct. 30.-Two British officers,
Major Hanhury Tracy and Capt. r. z.
Cobbold. were sent by the British Gov
ernment, last spring, to accompany King
Menelik, son of Solomon, Nesus of Abys-
sinia, on his Anglo-Abyssinian expedition
against the slippery Mad Mullah. the De
Wet of Eastern Africa. The two ofii-
GERS. who have just returned. have an en-
tertaining story to tell of the peeuliari-
ties of Menelik's army, and of the coun-
try In which they have sojourned.
THE Abyssinian army" said Captain
Cobbold. has no system of intelligence,
and possesses no maps, and one of our
principal objects was TO supply this de-
ficiency. That we We're enabled to do so
is evidence of the friendly feeling exist
ing between our Government and that or
the Negus, for, although the latter has
often received offers from foreign Gov
ernments, he has never hitherto permit
ted foreign officers to accompany his
army on active service. Ras Makonnen,
the commander-in-chief, personally eN-
pressed his pleasure at our presence, as
it would tend materially to improve our
mutual knowledge of the country. Ihe
force we accompanied numbered some To-
coo men, many of whom fought against
the Italians in the late war and consu-
tuted the flower of Menelik's army. we
succeeded in driving the Mullah's follow
ing in the direction of the British force,
and when he himself escaped, after re-
ceiving several severe defeats, into the
Midjertam country, our supplies having
become exhausted the Abyssinian force
withdrew.
..yYhen we reached the Tugfafan River
the army was practically starving and
was compelled to kill its transport ami
mails, so a return to Harar was decided
upon The heat during the march was eX-
cessive, and the starving soldiers, sat
urated with malaria and dysentery, died
off like rats In our personal caravan We
lost all our ponies and half our baggage
animals.
II cannot but speak highly of the Abys-
sinian troops. I never met with soldiers
who can do SO much work with so Ettle
Discipline is maintained al
most entirely by the personal attachment
of the men TO their leaders. The arma-
ment of the troops, which is very varied,
consists principally of Gras rifles, with
number of Italian magazine
rifles captured at Adowah. Martins and
Metfords are carried by the chiefs and
the officers of high rank. The marksman-
shin of the army leaves much to be de-
sired. and the Gras rifles in particular are
only accurate up to very short range.
"Of drill there is none, and parade
are unknown, but the soldiers
are extremely intelligent, and have no
fear of death. and if they could be made
to submit to the elements of European
discipline they would constitute the finest
body of light infantry-espccially for ma
tive warfare-that could be desired. Theo-
retically every man is mounted. but when
tbs. poorer soldiers lose their mules or
horses they find their pay inadequate TO |
replace them. Horses are only used IN |
the presence of the enemy, and while on |
the march they are led, while the mules |
are ridden.
..The force we accompanied had no field
guns. Those in the possession Of the
Abyssnian army are kept at Ads Ababa,
and consist of the seven batteries and
captured from the Italians.
THE practice of mutilating the slain in
battle still exists. especially among the
Gala soldiery, to whom it is mainly con-
fined. A soldier who can produce proofs
IF eleven victims is entitled to weai : Ia
yer band round his sword"
Asked regarding the mineral wealth Of
the country, CaptSin Cobbold said:
1T is impossible to speak with certainty
OF the future, or of what may be done
when the country is thoroughly exploited. !
At present it is known that the province
of Berri Shengul. which is coterminous
with the Egyptian Soudan. is highly au-
riferous. Menelik obtains much of his
wealth from this source.
prospecting is already going on in
this area, and various concessions have
been obtained from the Emperor of
which British companies seem to have
foir share. This country can be readily
developed from the side of the Soudan,
as the Blue Nile is navigable to within