ADVENTISTS, SEVENTH-DAY. 



exception of Count Savoiroux, who was de- 

 tained by Ras Aloula to act as his physician. 



The Change of Commanders. The Italian Gov- 

 ernment ordered Gen. Gene to establish an 

 effective blockade, with the object of prevent- 

 ing the importation of arms into Abyssinia. 

 Count Robilant sent a dispatch severely cen- 

 suring the commandant for purchasing the 

 freedom of the prisoners by the surrender of 

 arms and fugitives, and soon afterward sent 

 Gen. Saletta, the first commander of the Ital- 

 ian troops in East Africa, to relieve him of 

 his post. An Abyssinian bishop, the head of 

 the Order of Jerusalem, while returning from 

 a pilgrimage to the holy city, was detained by- 

 Gen. Gene as a hostage for the safety of Maj. 

 Savoiroix. Letters from the Negus and his 

 general to the French consul, M. Saumagne, 

 proved that he had carried on a hostile in- 

 trigue, though he had been formally instruct- 

 ed by his Government to facilitate their settle- 

 ment at Massowah. In consequence of this 

 revelation, he was removed from his post. 

 Gen. Saletta arrived at Massowah in the middle 

 of April, and took over the command on April 

 23. He notified the merchants in Massowah 

 to recall all their agents in Abyssinia, as he 

 intended to declare a blockade by sea and land. 

 On May 2 he proclaimed martial law, and on 

 the following day announced the blockade of 

 the coast from the Bay of Hamfila on the 

 south to the point opposite the Difnen Islands 

 on the north. A prize court was instituted 

 at Massowah to deal with vessels breaking the 

 blockade. The Negus appointed Ras Aloula 

 governor-general of the Taccaze country as far 

 as the Red Sea, excepting the province of Ma- 

 kalle. Rifles of an improved pattern were dis- 

 tributed among the soldiers of the Ras, and 

 all commerce with the Italians was prohibited 

 on pain of death. On July 11 the Italians lost 

 about 600,000 francs' worth of ammunition by 

 the explosion of their powder-magazine, which 

 was supposed to have been set on fire by Abys- 

 sinians to avenge one of their countrymen who 

 was shot as a spy. There were 10 persons 

 killed and 75 wounded by the explosion. 



Offer of Mediation. On July 12 the British 

 Government communicated its readiness to 

 act as mediator between Italy and Abyssinia, 

 and the Italian Government accepted the prin- 

 ciple of British mediation in its answer, giv- 

 en before the end of the month. No move- 

 ment was undertaken by either side during 

 the summer ; but in August the Italian Gov- 

 ernment chartered steamers for the dispatch, 

 if necessary, of 10,000 troops in the autumn. 

 The Mohammedans on the coast were gener- 

 ally willing to join the Italians against the 

 Abyssinians, and treaties were made by Gen. 

 Saletta with several Arab tribes. 



ADVEjmSTS, SEVENTH-DAY. The following 

 is a summary of the statistics of the Seventh- 

 Day Adventist denomination, by Conferences, 

 as given in the " Seventh-Day Adventist Year- 

 Book " for 1887 : 



Besides the ministers, 166 licentiates were 

 returned. The whole amount of Conference 

 funds was $146,936. The reports show in- 

 crease from the previous year of 27 ministers, 

 15 licentiates, 57 churches, 2,564 members, 

 and $24,295 in Conference funds. 



The International Tract and Missionary So- 

 ciety reported 12,512 members, 247 cities 

 entered by Bible workers and colporteurs, 

 $59,166 received on account of the tract and 

 missionary fund, $27,551 received on account 

 of periodicals, $6,315 on account of the tract 

 and missionary reserve fund, $28,579 pledged 

 and $20,965 paid for home work, $67,351 

 pledged and $18,981 paid to other enterprises, 

 and an excess of $62,356 of resources over 

 liabilities. City missions in 36 cities and 

 towns employed 102 "experienced workers." 

 The General Sabbath-School Association, at its 

 anniversary meeting, adopted a form of con- 

 stitution for State Associations. The Ameri- 

 can Health and Temperance Association had 

 on its rolls the names of nearly 15,000 mem- 

 bers. The Central Seventh-Day Advent Pub- 

 lishing Association returned a net gain from 

 business during the year of $11.849, and a pres- 

 ent valuation of $166,520. Its accounts were 

 balanced at $343,583. The Pacific Seventh-Day 

 Advent Publishing Association returned a capi- 

 tal of $49,692,and total assets valued at $175,741. 

 The Seventh-Day Adventist Educational So- 

 ciety reported the present value of its property 

 and resources as $56,156. About 175 students 

 of the college were attending Biblical lectures. 

 Healdsburg College returned an excess of 

 $15,839 of assets over liabilities. The net re- 

 sources of the Health Reform Institute were 

 returned at $178,014. The average number of 



