THE 



ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA. 



A 



ABYSSINIA, an empire in eastern Africa. 

 The ruler, whose title is Negus Negusti, or King 

 of Kings, is Menelek II, who when King of 

 Shoa, contesting with rival claimants the suc- 

 cession to the throne, rendered vacant by the 

 death of Johannes II in battle with the der- 

 vishes, signed at Ucciali a treaty with the Ital- 

 ians in return for arms and other aid. This 

 treaty was signed on May 2, 1889, and con- 

 firmed in October of that year, after his posi- 

 tion on the throne was secure. Under it Italy 

 claimed a protectorate over Abyssinia, which 



Oct. 26, 1896, by which Italy renounced the pro- 

 tector^ te over Abyssinia, and Menelek recognized 

 as Italian territory all the country north of the 

 Mareb, Balesa, and Muna rivers. 



The Government of Abyssinia, or Ethiopia, 

 is of a feudal character. The Kingdom of Tigre, 

 in the northeast, the central Kingdom of Am- 

 hara, Go jam, next to it, and the powerful King- 

 dom of Shoa make up Abyssinia proper, the de- 

 pendencies of which extend into Somaliland as 

 far as Harrar, and embrace a large part of the 

 country of the Gallas. 



THE GIMP, OK CITADEL, AT GONDAR. 



was recognized by other European governments, Besides the country to the north of Tigre, 



tut was steadily denied by Menelek. In 1895 that was formerly a part of Abyssinia, with the 



the Italians occupied Tigre, the northernmost port of Massowah, Italy reserved in the treaty 



kingdom of the empire, and advanced into Am- of Adis Abeba a strip 180 miles wide, extending 



hara as far as the city of Adowa, near which along the coast of Somaliland, having taken over 



their army was surprised and surrounded by an the coast stations formerly belonging to Zan- 



overwhelming force on March 1, 1896, and utterly zibar. All the rest of Somaliland, except the 



routed. Through the mediation of Russia a part belonging to Great Britain and the French 



treaty of peace was concluded at Adis Abeba on territory around Jibutil, is claimed by Abys- 

 VOL. xxxix. 1 A 



