St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-07-20
A Native Of st. Johnsbury Visits King Menelik.
Mrs William Northr,1p MacN1llian. now of London
the First American Lady o Gross the Wilds
Of Abyssinia. Shot Big Came

Mrs. William N. Macmillan returned to
America on the Cedric Saturday and is
now at the Waldorf-Astoria in New
York. She is just back from her long
and perilous journey up the Blue Nile
and is the first American lady to reach
Abyssinia, the country whose King is
so favorably impressed with American
ideas and American goods. Mrs. Mac
MILAN is well remembered in St. Johns
bury, where she was born in 1867, and
is the daughter of Rev. DIR. George N.
and Charlotte (Fairbanks) Webber and
granddaughter of the late Sir Thad-
deus Fairbanks. Shs was a student in
St. Johnsbnry Academy, completing her
education at Smith College and later
taking music lessons with Mary Howe
in Paris. Her father was pastor of the
South church in St. Johusbury from Dec.
5, 1855,-Sept. 13, 1859, was later
pastor at Middlebury and president of
Middlebury College and is now living at
Nortbam pton, Mass. She married Will
lam Northrup Macmillan of st. Louis in
1894, who has been for several years the
London representative of the American
Car and Foundry Company, popularly
known as the car trust. The following
Interesting interview ofthe trip appeared
in the New York Times OF July 1S: SIT
is true enough" said Mrs. Macmillan.
that am the first white woman to cross
Abyssinia, but would rather not have
that fact elaborated upon.
"The object of my trip" she said, twas
to find new trade roads between the Sou
dan and Abyssinia. When I started I
accompanied my husband. He had as
travelling companion Sir John Harring-
ton, the British Minister to the Court of
King Menelik. had my maid, doctor,
a naturalist, and an engineer. We left
New York on Nov. 25. 1902.
"The two points that seem to be most
worthy of note in connection with the
trip are these: We went up the Nile and
the Bouree Rivers in launches at low
water further than they have ever before
been navigated at high water. The trip
would be easy except for the lack of fuel
in that region. Because of this, our pas
sage up these rivers was the most diff
cult part of the whole trip. We'had to
burn wood all the time, which had to be
secured from the rough lands along the
banks whenever it was needed.
"From Cairo we went to Khartoum,
and there our overland journey began.
We left there on Jan. rs, 1908. We had
a mule train and number of bearers
and armed native servants, and made
4 1a 4~.1 81 hI,f fa 70 h
to the foot of the Abyssinian Mountains.
At Pakasu I left Mr.. Macmillan, who
continued southeast to explore Lake
Rudolph. He is there now.
with Sir John Harrington I again
took up the march through Abyssinia.
On entering the country l learned the
second remarkable fact of the trip. We
assembled the passes through the noun
tains with heavily loaded pack train,
a feat never before accomplished, and
thought to be impossible. We passed
through the country of the Shillaks and
Of the Mulers, both of whom were
thought to be uncivilized, but we were
treated as well as could be. For politi-
cal reasons Sir John then left me, and I
continued with my doctor, my maid and |
my body guard.
''During the trip the only people had |
anv fear of were the blacks along the |
upper Nile. OF course, I never left the |
camp without my side-arms or my SER
wants, but was never once threatened.
"There on the upper Nile the people |
who had never seen white face before |
paid no attention to us. They were
beautifully independent, and would not
.ven trade with us. The only thing we
could give them was copper wire, which
hey use as currency, and they wanted
little of that.
'.When l reached Ads Ababa I met
King Menelik in private audience. My
husband had been to see him several
lines, and on that account Twas received
7ery kindly. The king had lost his
a day before and the
ourt was in mourning. There was no
,omp of any kind. The king and all the
ourt attendants wore their Oldest
1othes, which is their manner of mourn
ng: s:r. 80. ,~oaxess;ua
md desirous of bringing his people up to
he standards of European civilization.
lie can speak nothing but his own Ian
,uage, so we were compelled to converse
through an interpreter. l spent week
4 the city.
The results of the trip will not be at
II of benefit to Americans. Englishmen
vtll profit by it. Mr.. Macmillan had no
interest in the ship aside from the oppor-
unities it offered for exploring, shooting
nd fishing. We shot plenty OF big game.
including antelope, crocodiles, and
The day after / left my hus-
and he shot a lion not five minutes from
be camp. / have shot some myself"
Mrs. Macmillan declined to give any
pinions on the probable. result of the
commercial treaty which William 81.
His is carrying to King Menelik. She
aid that what observations she had
1ade would probably not be of interest.
The country is delightful and the trip
vas enjoyable in every way" she said, 81
and intend to return there again very !
oon."