''Abyssinia may roughly be stated to be divided into the provinces of: Hamasen, Tigre, Amhara, and Godjam.
The King's authority was recognized fully in Hamasen, Tigre, and Amhara, but not entirely so in Godjam.
Shoa was under a separate king.
Wollo Oromos never submitted to Yohannes. Each province was under a hereditary chief.
In 1869 or 1870, Walad Denkal, the chief of Hamasen, carried on a clandestine correspondence with the Emperor Napleon.
In this he was detected by Yohannes, who imprisoned him at Adwa.
This rendered the people of Hamasen discontented with Abyssinian rule, and some of their chiefs who knew Munzinger made overtures to him, which led to the expedition of Arendrup.
Walad Denakl was thereupon released by Yohannes, and on his promise of fidelity was allowed to return to the Hamasen on the defeat of Arendrup. Then came the greater expedition in 1876, which resulted in a defeat of the Egyptians on the 18th of March, the losses on both sides not much exceeding one another.
Previously, however, to these battles, Walad Denkal came over with all his forces into Egypt and afterward he retired into Egypt, and afterward he retired into Egyptian territory with the Egyptian troops.
Since March 1876, there have been no hostilities between Abyssinia and Egypt.
The Abyssinian troops, being irregulars, and having no system, eat up the country if kept long together.
Every man being a soldier, no one is left to till the fields in a lengthened campaign.
Tribute is exacted twice, and even 3 times a year, and the tax-collectors take twice, and more than twice, the proper tribute.
The result is constant revolts, brought about the illegal levy of taxes by the King's semi-independent chiefs.
Where Yohannes is he is king, and only there.
His position is very difficult; his independent chiefs oppose any standing army, and there-fore will let him form one; for they know it would be their death-knell.
Till a standing army is formed, there can be no quiet in Abyssinia.
Between the frontier of Abyssinia and the Red Sea is the Muslim tribes of the Danakil/Afar.
It is hostile to Yohannes, and forces him to pay tribute if his peoples pass its territory.
These people have never paid him tribute, but did so to Egypt.
The policy of Egypt is now to abstain from any communication with any of the chiefs of Abyssinia, to regard Yohannes and the King of Shoa was independent and to keep clear of all the political questions of both these regions.
There have been only three engagements, in which the Egyptians have twice been worsted, but not in any way so completely as has been represented. Had it suited Egypt to continue the war, she must have eventually prevailed, for the Abyssinians could not keep a large force together for any time.
As it was, several vasal states threw off their allegiance the moment the war ceased, taking advantage of Yohannes's enfeebled condition, and driven to revolt by the increased taxation consequent on the war.
A war broke out during 1877 between Yohannes and King Menelik of Shoa. Nothing was known of this war beyond the fact that, in the middle of Jine, there was a battle in which King Menelik was worsted. Another battle was reported to have occurred on September 17th, in which Menelik was completely defeated, losing, according to a report, 20,000 killed and wounded, and 10,000 prisoners.
King Yohannes, who was slightly wounded, was reported to have lost 9,000 men. It was asserted by some that Menelik had been killed, by others that he escaped with 7,000 men.''
[Appletons' Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events, Volume 2; Volume 17
D. Appleton, 1878 - Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Pages 1-3]
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