ABYSSINIA. 



ADVENTISTS. 



gust 17th he attacked the royal forces at a place 

 of some importance, called Zakzaga, in Hama- 

 sen. The battle lasted six hours, and ended in 

 the complete defeat of the king's troops, who 



HILL FORT BETWEEN MAI AND ABACA. 



were put to flight. Zakzaga was given up to 

 pillage, followed by an indiscriminate slaughter 

 of old men, women, and children. Mr. Lager, 

 a well-known Swedish missionary, who, to- 



ABYS8INIAN WA 



gether with his three servants, had taken ref- 

 uge in a native temple, was dragged out and 

 murdered in cold blood. An Englishman, who 



is supposed to have held some post in the Abys- 

 sinian arrny, together with some half-dozen 

 Greek traders, shared the same fate. Beside* 

 this town, fifteen villages are said to have been 

 burnt, and the number of the victims is esti- 

 mated at 1,500. Mrs. Lager was taken prisoner, 

 but was released after being detained for four 

 days. It was stated that Walda Michael's sol- 

 diers were all armed with Remington rifles, 

 which were supposed to have been furnished 

 by the Egyptians. Immense quantities of these 

 weapons had been purchased by Egypt during 

 the past years. It is possible, of course, that 

 the many reverses which were sustained by 

 the Egyptian troops when in Abyssinia, and 

 which resulted in their leaving the country 

 without their arms and superfluous baggage, 

 may account in some measure for the fine 

 equipment of some portions of the native 

 Abyssinian regiments; but it was evidently in 

 the interest of the khedive, in his struggle 

 with King John, to incite rebellion among 

 the powerful native chiefs, and furnish them 

 with the means of successfully seconding him. 



The King soon succeeded in reducing the 

 rebels, and then marched on Massowah, which 

 he was reported to have captured during Au- 

 gust. It was also reported that Ratib Pasha, 

 one of the ablest Egyptian generals, had been 

 killed in the defense of that city. 



ADVENTISTS. SEVENTH-DAT ADVENTISTS. 

 A special session of the Seventh-day Adventist 

 General Conference was held at Battle Creek, 

 Mich., beginning March 31st. Fifteen dele- 

 gates were present, representing the State Con- 

 ferences of California, Ohio, New York, Min- 

 nesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, 

 Maine, and Iowa, or ten out of the fourteen 

 State Conferences. Letters were also received 

 and read in behalf of the Kansas, Vermont, 

 and Ohio Conferences, in behalf of the cause 

 among the Norwegians in the United States 

 and Europe, in behalf of the cause in Sweden 

 and in Virginia. The meeting, it was stated 

 by the president, was held to consider what 

 means could be furnished to meet the demand 

 for a more extensive and active prosecution of 

 the work of the denomination among the peo- 

 ple of the United States, and the scenes of its 

 operations in Europe. Highly-favorable re- 

 ports of the work were made from the several 

 State Conferences, Canada, and Colorado. The 

 publication was recommended of a small hymn- 

 book for use among the Swedes. A resolution 

 was passed recommending the devotion by 

 members of the church of one-tenth of their 

 income to the cause of God. The ministers 

 were advised to set this duty before the 

 brethren, and a committee was appointed to 

 prepare a tract upon the subject of systematic 

 benevolence. Efforts were ordered to raise 

 $10,000 to establish a press in Europe. The 

 management of the Hygienic Agency was ap- 

 proved, and increased activity in the prosecu- 

 tion of the health reform and the publication 

 of books on that subject was recommended. 



