Meade County news., 1917-03-08


fetal publication of the United
States Marine Corps recruiting
service, tells the story of an ex-
pedition made by small company of
marines to the capital Of the late Abys-
sinian monarch in the latter part of
1908. 1t 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 ]. 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 a 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 fa-
cilities.
"The American party consisted of
five officers, including United States
Commissioner Robert p. Skinner and
Maj. G. @. Thorpe Of the Marine Corps,
seventeen marines, five bluejackets,
and messenger. The expedition was
inaugurated by President Roosevelt for
the purpose of establishing CONNER
cial relations with King Menelik, ruler
of Abyssinia, vast urea rich in ivory
and other valuables. The efforts OF
Commissioner Skinner and the little
band were successful in every particu'
lar, and the most friendly relations be-
tween strange people and the United
States resulted.
''The marines and sailors chosen fOI
the party were landed at Djibouti, Brit.
ish Somaliland, in the middle of No
vember of 1903. The season was mid.
winter for that section of Africa, q
condition denoted by the fact that the
nights were comparatively cool, frosts
being prevalent, but during the day the
sun burned the earth with soorcldnl
intensity.
Through a Wild Country.
-From Djibouti q railway runs as fan
as Dire Daouah, and at this sun-bakeC
city canels, 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 ant
rolling prairies dotted with wandering
herds of deer and antelope, made 9
sight newer to be forgotten.
"The forest lands We're 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 wepe sci
dom seen, being nocturnal in their hab.
Its, but their presence was too reals.
tically 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
weind laughter. A more gruesome
sound than that is impossible to imag.
Inc. Gackals also added their meIan,
chCly walls to the midnight serenades
These wolflike animals have a strange
way Of calling to one another through
the hours before the dawn.
"Frcm some distant knoll one breaks
forth 10 plaintiff cries, shrill and clear,
rising like @ong-drawn moan. For a
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.
I'm passing through the wooded
areas baboOns were often encountered,
creatures of massive size, their fea-
tures almost human in spite Of their
wild grOtesqueness. AS though enraged
at the disturbance created by the cav
bleade, they would beat with huge
claws on their broad, hairy chests,
which doomed like muffled drum un-
der the terrific impact. Jabberlng and
gesticulatlng horribly they would glare
npon 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
~ escaped destruction before a wild
stampede Of frenzied monkeys and
balloons.
Stampede Of Balloons and Monkeys.
"The caravan was proceeding quiet
b. along on a trail banked on one side