Evening star., 1937-01-17

piring animals flanks Within 5
minutes of the time had given the
range to the marine most Of that buck
had been transferred to Danakil
Stomachs.
Within two days of the capital a
message was received from the court
to the effect that our expedition would
be received on the afternoon of De-
cember l8. The following noon we
were halted five miles from Adds
Ababa by the Frenchman, the Emper-
or's foreign adviser, who had come out
to arrange for our official entry. Tenn
porary camp was made and We shifted
into full military dress while the
diplomatic party donned evening dress
suits and top hats. So much finery
aStride little mules was indeed grotes-
que. After luncheon We moved for
ward in excellent order, the American
commissioner and officers leading, fol-
lowed by the marines and sailors. and
then the string OF camels.
A mile farther on a host OF several
thousand Abyssinian soldiers appeared
extended in several lines across our
path. Ofhcers rode up and down their
ranks Justify welding long, slender
wands with which they whacked the
too eager warrior back into alignment
When their dedjazmatch (generaD
came forward personally to greet the
visitors, his troops made q lane
through which he rode on.
pRESENTLY other hosts of warriors
dashed over the hill on all sorts
OF inconsistencies, zebras, horses
camels and donkeys-many gayly
caparisoned. They were dressed in
the greatest variety of picturesque
costumes, or perhaps one might better
say that they were ornamented, for
only q very few of the highest rank
may, by law, wear clothes to any ex-
tent. Only the dedjazmatch, Of all
these chiefly warriors, might wear
shoes. The others were naked save
for some such wrap as leopard skin
thrown over the shoulders, or a lion
skin hanging down the back with the
name in the hair after the fashion
Of the American Indians eagle feath-
ers. One fanciful effect recall Is
that many were wrapped in vari-
colored ostrich feather boas.
OF course, men of rank wore long
swords and carried decorated shields
and inlaid spears. AS the plain fairly
glittered with mass of such armor
and plumage, it was clear that our re-
ception was blessed with no small
distinction. The throngs of COM
moners could wear only a chamma,
a sort of white cotton sheet wound
about the man, leaving, according to
law, the right arm and shoulder bare.
The rigidity Of the rule about author
ization to wear clothes was illustrated
by our interpreter. Oualdo. At the
coast, just returned from France, he
was dressed as European, even
wearing shoes and derby hat; but
little by little he shed these emblems
of civilization, each article being dis
posed Of reluctantly, until by the
ume we were within two or three days
of seeing his Emperor, he was robeo
only in a borrowed chamma and his
feet were as bare as those of Sheba's s
slaves.
The military demonstration was as
animated a scene as Clusters "last
battle" The mounted warriors were
daShing about wildly and their
bristling spears made waves Of steel,
while the officers over the foot SOL
diers kept necessarily whacking their
woolly heads, without which there
would have been no trace Of uni
formity.
As our sphinzlike Marines sat rigidly
in their saddles they were the OBJ
jective Of this struggling mass Of thou
sands eager to rub their hands against
white skins, apparently to ascertain
the feel, as we rode through their
ranks. They swarmed about US on
prancing mounts during the remainder
Of the march into the capital.