The Monticellonian., 1917-03-01


 States Marine Corps recruiting
 service, tells the story of an ex- petition made by small company of marines to the capital of the late Abys- sinian monarch in the latter part of 1903. It is q story of lions and tigers and other wild beasts, of fetes and state dinners, and finally of honors shown to the expedition by the famous black monarch. The account, written by Leonard J. Gates, former marine, and member of the expedition, is in part as follows:
 "The Abyssinian expedition was one of the most hazardous and difficult ever undertaken by military body, and only the services of picked voun- teers with q reputation for courage were accepted. The route lay across lands infested with hostile tribes. through forests and over long stretches Of burning sands, where water holes were miles and miles apart Camels and mules furnished transportation fla cilities.
 ''The American party consisted of five officers, including United States Commissioner Robert r. Skinner and Maj. c. c. Thorpe of the Marine Corps, seventeen marines, five blueiackets, and u messenger. The expedition was inaugurated by President Roosevelt for the purpose of establishing conner cial relations with King Menelik, ruler of Abyssinia a vast area rich in ivory and other valuableS. The efforts of Commissioner Skinner and the little band were successful in every partieu- lar, and the most friendly relations be- States resulted.
 ''The marines and sailors chosen for the party were landed at Djibouti Brit ish Somaliland, in the middle of No- yember of 1903. The season was mid winter for that section of Africa, a condition denoted by the fact that the nights were comparatively cool. frosts being prevalent, but during the day the sun burned the earth with scorching intensity.
 
 From Djibouti railway runs as far as Dire Daouah, and at this sun-baked city camels, donkeys and guides were procured for the long march through unexplored territory. For the first few days the trail led through fertile lands, broken only with occasional desert patches. Stunted mimosa groves and rolling prairies dotted with wandering herds of deer and antelope, made q sight never to be forgotten
 "Fhe forest lands were infested with lions, tigers and various beasts of prey, and from time to time ravaged territory would be encountered, showing where some herd of rowing elephants had devastated the small trees and herbage As to Hons and tigers they were sell dom seen, being nocturnal in their hab- it's, but their presence was too realis- tically portrayed by the disappearance almost nightly of one or more of the mules.
 ''Hyenas were plentiful and during the dark hours they would make the 1OlnuS utStIl WdSltS TlHS 8IIH Ilelr weird laughter. A more gruesome sound than that is impossible to imag- inc. Jackals also added their melan- choly walls to the midnight serenades These wolflike animals have a strange way of calling to one another through the hours before the dawn.
 From some distant knoll one breaks forth in plaintiff cries, shrill and clear rising like a long drawn moan. For q half hour the creature howls, then ceases abruptly. and another lone jack al in an entirely different locality moans through long half hour He likewise ceases his cry as abruptly as his predecessor, while another takes his turn in the music fest.
 'In passing through the wooded areas balloons were often encountered creatures of massive size, their fea. lures almost human in spite of their wild grotesqueness. As though enraged at the disturbance created by the cay alcade, they would beat with huge claws on their broad, hairy chests