The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-31
ACROSS ABYSSINlA
AN AMERICAN wOMAN's DARING
TRIP.

Chicago Tribune.

4
/ Chicago Tribune
Mrs. w. n. Macmillan of st. Louis
the first white woman to explore the
ancient kingdom of Abyssinia has ar
| rived In London bearing gifts from
King Menelik and q hundred trophies
of her adventures in the wilds of the
African jungles. She brings. too a
thousand views taken in the far land
where lived the Queen of Sheba and
| where lie the famed mines of Cphir,
that gave Solomon his wealth.
The stories of her experiences by
| land and water, the lion hunts which
she witnessed, and the narrow escapes
| of her party from the attacks of saw
| age tribesmen have excited London So
ciety, and Mrs. Macmillan, who has the
gift of narrative and Is we'll and wide-
| ly known on account of past triumphs
| in London. promises to become the
rage If she remains or returns for the
winter season.
The young woman Is handsome and,
except for the sun-browned state of
her face, would be fair She is inclined
to give all the glory of the unusual
expedition to her husband. William
Northrup Macmillan. who organized
and equipped it at his own expense.
first white woman to hazard such a
Journey remarkable in many ways, al
though Its purpose failed from q
scientific point of view. and the ulti-
mate destination was abandoned before
the explorations had been we'll begun
Mrs. Macmillan says that the only
bitter memory of her trip is of the
murder of NJ Dubois de Saulle, CORE
spondent of the Paris Figaro, who &C
companied the expedition until 1t
reached Oder, where he was set upon
in the night by prowling natives and
brutality murdered. King Menelik at
once authorized Macmillan to capture
the culprits or revenge the crime, and
two weeks were spent searching the
villages. At the head of fifty Abyssin-
ian guides and soldiers placed at his
command by Menelik, the young Amer
lean explorer ransacked the towns and
jungles of the neighborhood, narrowly
evading a pitched battle and accom-
plishing the arrest of the murderers at
last only by the authority expressed in
badge of authority bearing the king
seal which he wore on his breast.
Under Protection of the King.
During the anxious days while her
husband was prosecuting this search,
Mrs. Macmillan was obliged to remain
in Oder, guarded by two camel women
and twenty-five native subjects of
Menelik She was treated with every
evidence Of respect by the inhabitants
for it was known that the expedition
was under the protection of the king
whose fame as a fierce judge and
swift executioner Is known in every
corner of the remote land. When the
slayers of NJ. de Caulle had been turn
ed over to the authorities, the caravan
proceeded on its march to Ads Abeda
the royal city, where King Menelik re-
ceived them with every mark of hos
pitality. loading them with gifts Of
ivory and costly tapestries and evinc
ing the keenest interest In the plans
of the explorers.
1t was not Mr.. MacMillan's first trip
into Abyssinia, for three years ago he
penetrated the jungles from Jibuti.
ty camels and a company of natives
made up OF twenty-five Christians and
twenty-five Mohammedans. The sole
purpose of that journey was to hunt
big game, and the young American
leaped at once into the good graces OF
the natives by staying three full grown
lions with his own rife. The fame OF
his exploits reached the king, VINO
caused a gold medal. surmounted with
a copy of his royal seal, to be struck
off and inscribed with the name Oh viii
liam Northrup Macmillan. The badge
was intrusted to Ras Makonnen, Meme
lliks favorite minister and probable sue
cessor, with instructions to bestow 1t
upon the American hunter at King Ed
wards coronation festival in London.
whittier the Abyssnian noble was
bound to represent his sovereign.