THE KING OF ABYSSINIA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3148, 30 July 1881, Page 4

THE KING OF ABYSSINIA.

I write in haste but I will sum up my impression of Abyssinia. The Eing is rapidly growing mad. He cuts off the noses of those who take snuff, and the lip? of those who smoke. The other day a man went to salute Ras Aloula. In salutins him his tobacco box dropped out. ttas Alonla struck him with his sword, and hi? people finished him. The King is hated jnore than Theodore was. Cruel to a degree, he does not, however, take life. He cuts off the feet and hands of people who offend him. Uβ puts out their eyes by pouring hot tallow into their ears. Several came to tell me this. I remonstrated with the King against his edict forcing men to become Chritian from Mussulman. He said they wished it. I also remonstrated about the tobacco edict, but it was of no use. No one can travel without the King's order if he is a foreigner. You can buy nothing without the King's order —no one will shelter you without his order —in fact, no more complete despotism could exist. Tt cannot last ; for the King will go on from one madness to another. > Vlprs were given that no one w-'i '•> Mppr fti-li me ; rrnr was T to speak t • ■ii ,, !"■ "ffu'-f" , who conducted me to th J-iiiu-.r-o SHciiml in command to Uouln met. liie unr-le and cousin in chains, and r*-;—!«- not ask why Lhey were chained. The King is a man of some forty-five years, a sour, ill-favoured looking b.-ing. He never looks you in the face, but -when you look away he glares at you like a tiger. He never smiles ; his look always changing, is one of thorough suspicion. Hated irad hating all, I can imagine no more unhappy man. Avaricious above all his people, who do i;ot lack this quality, his idea of a free port is that fleets of steamers will arriv>' from the Powers of Europe with presents for him, to which he will reply by sending a loHor with the Lion seal, saying, " You are my brother, my mother, &c. How are you?" Johannia is delighted with her Majesty, because Bhe called him her son. He carries with him nil his great prisoners— the poor Goobasie, with his eyes out, and thereat. At the great feast, on 27, he had one bullock killed for some hundreds of persons.—Colonel G-ordon in Cen-Ir-il A trim.