STORY OF ADVENTURE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8162, 20 June 1906, Page 3

STORY OF ADVENTURE.

Renter's Agency hasreaeived details of an expedition, extending over eight months, which was undertaken through tbe comparatively unknown countries between the Abyssinian capital and the north-west of Lake Rudolf in the neighbourhood of the Anglo-Abyssinian boundary. The object of the expedition was to capture Sbifara, an Abyssinian outlaw, who had been murdering and raiding, and had established himself beyond the Abyssinian posts. It was accompanied by the secretary of the British Legation at Adis Abeba. Over 2.000 persons were engaged'in thejwork, including 1,000 of the Emperor's Menelik's troops, the WHOLE BEING UNDER THE COMMAND OF the Abyssinian Fitaurari (General) Damti. Daring the journey several of the expedition were murdered, others died of sunstroke and want of water, and large numbers of animals were speared. The mules also SUFFERED HEAVILY FROM THE CLIMATIC difficulties and there was considerable mortality among them. The party, which started from Adia Abeba, had five weeks' hard marching |beforeJ they joined the main Abyssinian army, which was in readiness at Maji on the Anglo-A by ssinian frontier. After several months progress in the* most depressing circumstances the expedition was compelled to return without effecting the capture of Shifara, who had fled?beyoud the BORDERS ON THE APPROACH of the Abyssinian force and eurreu-, dered himself to tbe nearest Soudan Government post, together with tbe remnant of his followers. Tbe route followed by tbe expedition from Adis Abeba to tbe southwest passes through ' the interesting little Mahommedan State of Djimn.a, which is presided over by its own king, Abagifar, the last of the rulers from whom Menelik has his title of ''King of Kings of Ethiopia," The Ujitnma king owns allegiance to Menelik, but enjoys a complete independence in the administration of his country. The Abyssinian looks on JDjimma much as.tbe American looks on Paris, and certainly the, broad, well-kept roads, with "euphorhia candelabra" and prickly pear, the welltilled fields, the herds of fat cattle grazing in the meadows, : tbe neat bouses fenoed with split bamboo, INTERLACED IfJ A REGULAR PATTERN, and the general air of cleanliness and prosperity afford a pleasing contrast to the squalor and filth which characterise Abyssinian proper. No self-respeoting Djimman is ever seen without a parasol of strins' of date-palm leaves, and the ladies of the country, witb their embroidered white blouses, skirts of softly dressed hide, and "coiffures" of ; closely plaited black hair—too often someone «lse's, for ..laws most be obeyed, and the' Djimman perraquier is a master of his oralt—are a refreshing sight after the Bhapeless bundles of dirty white, reeking of rancid butter, which r.onCeal the beauties of Abyssinia when taking their walks abroad; Beyond Djimma and Kaffa lie fertile and well-watered bat mountainoua countries, whose inhabitants are all alike called Shankallas by the Abyssinians. Some of the tribes were splendid men, rich , copper in colonr, WELL-BUILT AND MUSCULAR, with curious patterns burnt on chest and thigh, and innocent of all clothing save their armlets and head drnaments of iron, brass, or ivory, a few beads, perhaps a girdle of grass-rope or raw hide, a spear, and bn gala occasions a leopard skin and two or three ostrich feathery •marked the big chiefs. , While the expedition was fitting out at Maji, the Abyssinian post in the sonth west, the local Shankalla King died. He was sewn up in; a green bide bag in a sitting position, and placed on the floor of bis hut, and from mileß round bis Fubjeots catre to the lying-in-state,. In the heart of a forest the expedition came suddenly npon a clearing of bardbeaten clay; ALL ROUND WERE THICK ROWS of hqge "gogo" palms, . and on one side four spacious, well-thatohed . hats, and a curious mound, probably sacrificial. I By the side of the hut thousands i of, cowbells, sweejfc in tone as those in a Swiss upland valley, were hang on rude trestles, and swung backwards and forwards by bands of women under the direotion of an old witch. The hard level flooring of the clearing, shook under the feel of hundreds of native warriors, chanting at wild song of death, now ad vanning In a rybthmio rußh, now retreating and leaving two of their naimber in the open, who with their 12ft spears held horizontally, just ov«r their shoulders, the shafts quivering like a snake before it strikes, danoeda wild war-dance, keeping time to tbe chant of tbe chorus. When the dio grew louder the crowd surged round tbe dead king's but suddenly parted, and through the lane thus formed dashed a gleam ing figure adorned with a leopard skin, orange-coloured ostrich , feathers, beads AND BANDS OF COPPER and brass and ivory round his neck and arms. Three times be raebed around the clearing, followed by the shouting, singing warriors, and then disappeared aa quickly, as he had come. The new king had been chosen and approved of. These Shankalla tribes have each their own customs and dialect. Ip one case the ruler might never touch water, and when bis curiosity to see a white man made him break the "taba" his man had to carry him over every stream ■ lest he should be defiled. In another trice when a father is getting on in years, the son bids him CLIMB A TREE AND JUMP DOWN from tbe branches. If the old man staggers on landing tbe son spears hijn on the spot; bis usefulness is ■ over. ■ One tribe had a oustom of sewing chance visitors up in green hides and leaving them to be killed by the contraction of. the; skins; in another tbCb^ly/orfchbdox'way of dealing strangers was to tie them in a handle find roll fhem over a preci- 1

ploe. In the Sorma country, where he natives are elephant hunters, and eaters, the women were of a particularly repulsive type. They made a PRACTICE OP DISFIGURING THEMSELVES by distending their lower lips until they hang almost down to the breast. Thiß is brought about by meana of a saucer of 'clay which they insert in the lower lip.» Throughout the expedition the natives, when not aotively hostile, did their best to obstruct the progress of the force, and the presence of large numners of armed hostile tribes hidden in the thick bush was a continual source of anxiety, for constantly hitherto invisible natives sprang out of the jungle aud speared men and animals. Another difficulty was the extraordinary rapidity with whch the rivers became swollen and inaccessible. Go one occasion a small advance party of the expedition crossed a narrow, shallow, dry, rirer-bed, which two minutes later became a raging torrent, and it was five hours before the main body could begin to cross over.