6 



AI5YSSINIA. 



peace. Having made up his mind that the Adigrat - 

 Adua line would not be conceded by Mem-Irk un- 

 less he was thoroughly beaten in battle, and could 

 not even then be defended without a very large 

 military force, Gen. Baldissera favored the restric- 

 tion of Italian colonial operations to the triangle 

 lying between Asmara, Keren, and Massowah. Gen. 

 Ricotti, the Minister of War, calculated that to 

 conduct a war would require the employment of an 

 army of 150,000 men for two years at a cost of 

 1.000,000,000 lire, and that if conquest were to be 

 effected by degrees it would require five years and 

 an expenditure of 1,500.000,000 lire, and even then 

 success would not be certain. Hence it was de- 

 cided to restrict the Italian possessions to Eritrea. 

 Gen. Baldissera therefore anticipated the Negus 

 Menelek's demands by proposing that the boundary 

 of the Italian possessions should be drawn at the 



Kassala. Menelek demanded a war indemnity of 

 12,000,000 lire to be paid before the Italian prison- 

 ers were returned. This the Italian negotiate: 

 fused to pay. While negotiations were pending, at 

 the beginning of the rainy season, the Xegus ret ired 

 with his Shoan army to his own country, taking 

 with him about '-2.00(1 Italian prisoners. By tin- 

 middle of April the Negus's army had returned to 

 Shoa. King Menelek refused to give up immedi- 

 ately the prisoners that were in his hands, and de- 

 clined to accept the condition excluding him from 

 admitting any other European protectorate which 

 Italy proposed as an exchange for the abrogation 

 of the treaty of Ucciali, under which Italy claimed 

 that an Italian protectorate was established. 



While Menelek's forces were retreating Gen. Bal- 

 dissera advanced to Addicaie with the object of 

 relieving Adigrat, which was closely invested by 



ABYSSINIAN PRIESTS DANCINfi HKFOUE A CHfRCH. 



Mareb and Belesa rivers, while Tigre would be 

 placed under a ruler acceptable both to Menelek 

 and the Italians, preferably Makonen. but neither 

 Mangasc.ia nor Sebat. The garrisons were with- 

 drawn from Addicaie and Maihaine, forts that were 

 not strong enough to resist attack, and concen- 

 trated at Adigrat. which was held by 2,000 men, 

 with provisions to last two months. The Negus 

 was willing to conclude peace, and premised to per- 

 mit the evacuation of Adigrat with military honors, 

 and to give up all his prisoners if his terms were 

 accepted. The Italian boundary on the southeast 

 he fixed at Senafe. One of the conditions was that 

 the Italians should construct no new fortifications 

 in Eritrea, but (Jen. IJaldissera informed him that 

 his Government would not consider such a proposi- 

 tion. King Menelek otl'ered to aid the Italians in 

 fighting the dervishes, who were then investing 



20.000 Abyssinians under luis Sebat and lias Man- 

 gascia. By arrangement with Mangascia the Ital- 

 ians were permitted to enter Adigrat and bring 

 relief to the suffering garrison, on condition that 

 they should subsequently evacuate the place and 

 destroy the armament, and fortifications. (Jen. 

 Baldissera as soon as he arrived at the front called 

 upon the three Tigrin generals to give up all their 

 Italian prisoners. Has Agostafari promised to give 

 up immediately those that he had. lias Mangaseia, 

 who wrote that he was commissioned by the Negus 

 to conclude a definite treaty of peace, gave an as- 

 surance that he was prepared to surrender his pris- 

 oners as soon as Adigrat was evacuated by the 

 Italians, [{as Sebat returned an evasive and truc- 

 ulent answer, in consequence of which Col. Stevani 

 was sent out on a punitive expedition. Fie over- 

 took Sebat's force at Amba and killed 12 men be- 



