Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-13
Mr.. Crosby's Narrative.

d
the society, writes:
.Menelik was emperor of the Abys-
sinians by virtue of having conquered
:. great many difficulties. most OF
which yielded only to the sword or
rifle. His father was of klngly
family that processes to trace race; us
ancestry tc' union between solomon
and the Queen of Sheba. Our &C
cepted authorities in respect to Solo
mon do not mention this particular
amour. but that may have been
merely overlooked by time.
Following the well established
custom. / had with me a few gifts to
present to his majesty. who had sent
me goats, bread and tel. Two large
volumes, with illustrations of scenes
of our own country, Of its cities,
mountains, waterfalls etc, I offered
in the hope CT making known the land
of the free. Through the very excel
lent Interpretation of a young Abys-
sinian alta ched to the British agency,
] endeavored to explain the geo
graphical relations of the United
States to the rest of the world, but
1 am quite sure that did not make a
brilliant success. The difference in
time between New York, which 1
mentioned as being our biggest city,
and Adds Abeba seemed to interest
his majesty very much.
'MeneIik seemed to have some ap-
probation of the magnitude of the
Brooklyn bridge and of the Capitol
yet the absence in his own language
of any defined m MEASURE of distance left
me doubtful as to whether, in spite of
his unceasing efforts to understand
things European, he was really able
to mentally interpret such great di
mansions. He never saw a house
the neglected ruins of a considerable
building erected by the Portuguese
about 800 years ago in Gondar, once
Abyssinia'S capital.
'.As the Abyssinian is unable to
make anything save the round hut,
the royal residence was built by East
Indian carpenters of rails waited to-
gether and more or less heavily COW
cred with mud. the roof being straw
and mud thatch. This palace or gebi
might pass for a fairly comfortable
country house. shabby for want of
paint. Nor has Menelfk ever seen a
boat, save the sections Of one of poor
Marchand's little f1otilla lying COY
cred up in front of the gebi. hundreds
OF miles from any navigable water.
Was handwriting Ruler.
'The emperor was clad in modest.
even severe, garb. the chief vestment
being black silk burnous. He wore
stockings. but no shoes. A tightly
drawn turban covered what was said
to be well developed badness. Meme
lex was Woodworking ruler, rising
at or 4 O'Clock in the morning to re-
ceive reports that came in by mule
courier from various sections of his
empire and to dictate responses.
He is said to have been unable to
write. and perhaps would have con-
sidered 1t undignified to use the art
had he possessed it. Till O'Clock in
the morning he was busy with his
dispatches, and, it may surprise
Americans to know. conducted bust
ness with Harar his most important
town. about 200 miles away. by a tele-
phone.
Rode a Mile Wearing Dress Suit.
After o'clock Menelek was ready
20 receive those of his subjects, great
or small, who claimed access to him
and also the occasional European who
travelled to this strange mud-hut cap
ital- He had learned that there are
some costumes appropriate to cere-
monfal occasion. and out Of respect
10 this knowledge l had been advised
by Sir Rennell Rodd to take a dress
suit for presentation to the court.
and this L donned at 8 O'Clock in the
morning and in II rode the mile and
q naii or two miles separating the
British compound from the Gegi.
Menelek gave much detailed atten-
ton to the buildings and the mearer
workshops which his East Indian en-
ployes set up for him.
His capital city contained huts
large and small. which might lodge a
population of about 10000. A con-
siderable part of this city was still
of canvas