Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-03-23

On THE MNY Tc
"HE Recruiters Bulletin, the Of
ficial publication of the United
States Marine Corps recruiting
service, tells the story of an ex-
pedition made by q small company Of
marines to the capital of the late Abys-
sinian monarch In the latter part of
1908 ut is a story Of lions and tigers
leAd 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, a former marine,
and a member of the expedition, is in
part as follows:
"The Abyssinian expedition was one
Of the most hazardous and difficult
ever undertaken by q military body,
and only the services Of picked volun-
teers with a 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 IA
cilities.
"The American party consisted Of
Eve officers, including United States
Commissioner Robert P. Skinner and
Maj. g. c. Thorpe Of the Marine Corps,
seventeen marines, FIVE bluejackets,
and a messenger. The expedition was
inaugurated by President Roosevelt for
the purpose Of establishing CONNER
cial relations with King Menelik, ruler
Of Abyssinia, vast area rich In ivory
and other valuables. The efforts Of
Commissioner Skinner and the little
band were successful in every particu-
lar. and the. most yfriendH relations be-
tween strange people hd the United
States resulted. =. -
'The marines and sailors chosen for
the party were landed at D1ibouti, Brit
ish Somahland, in the middle Of No
vember 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.
Through q Wild Country.
From Djibouti railway runs as far
as Dire Da0uah, 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 a
sight never to be forgotten.
"The 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 lions and tigers they were sell
dom seen. being nocturnal In their hab-
Its, but their presence was too realis-
ically portrayed by the disappearance
almost nightly Of one or more Of the
mules. Such losses occurred in spite
Of the sentinels and numerous fires
constantly kept burning.
"Hyenas were plentiful and during
the dark hours they would make the
rolling desert wastes ring with their
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 q 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 q long-drawn moan. For q
half hour the creature howls, then
ceases abruptly, and another lone jack
al in an entirely different locality
means through a long half hour. He
likewise ceases his cry as abruptly as
his predecessor. while another takes
his turn In the music fest.
I'm passing through the wooded
areas baboons 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 cav
alcade, they would beat with huge
claws on their broad, hairy chests.
which doomed like a muffied drum un-
der the terrific impact. Jabbering and
gesticulating horribly they would glare
upon the weary plodders, uprearing
themselves through the tangled
growths, or swinging wildly through
the trees. Monkeys were numerous
and, at one point. the company narrow
ly escaped destruction before a wild
stampede Of frenzied monkeys and
baboons.