Alenelek represents in the main the spirit of progress. As the only country in tropical Afriezt suitable for the residence of white men. with considerable latent resources, and its position in the upper basin of the Nilo. Abyssinia, with its almost impregnable highlands, is an important stronghold on the borders of savage Africa, and a commanding point with relation to surround ing territories under European flags. It has therefore become an object of interest to Euro pean powers since the opening of Africa to trade and colonization.
Italy, eager for lands, began to look in this direction as early as 1870, and having occupied several hundred miles of the Red Sea littoral about Alassfiwah (1881-85), it commenced aggressions upon Abyssinian territory, which would have resulted in open war but for the intervention of England, through the friendly mission of Sir Gerald Portal. The Italians claimed a protectorate over Abyssinia by virtue of a clause in the treaty of Uchali (1889), which read differently in the Amharic and Italian ver sions. Alenelek denounced this treaty in 1893, and when the Italians occupied Kassala in the following year, as an outcome of the Anglo Italian agreement of 1891, defining the spheres of influence of the two nations, Abyssinia re newed hostilities (1895). After sustaining a
terrible defeat at Ado•a. Alareh 1, 1896, Italy was compelled, in the treaty of Addis Abeba (Oc tober 26, 1896), to recognize fully the independ ence of Abyssinia. Great Britain, by treaty, in 1898 ceded to Abyssinia about 8000 square miles of British Somaliland, aml established a political agency at the Abyssinian capital. The title of the Abyssinian sovereign is Negus Negusti, King of Kings, or more fully in English, "King of the Kings of Ethiopia and Conquering Lion of Judah." See ArnicA, section History: ITALY. Consult : NVylde, Modern .1byssinia (London, 1891), a use ful historical and descriptive book by an Eng lish consul-general to the Red Sea; Vivian, Abyssinia (New York, 1901), a recent work by an intelligent observer; Portal, My Mission to Abyssinia (London, 1102) ; •arratire of the British 11 ission. to Abyssinia (London, 1869) ; Markham, .t of the Abyssinian Expedition (London, 1869), containing an excel lent summary of Abyssinian history; Vigni.ras, francaisr en Abyssinic (Paris. 1897) ; lIoTtlfs, M•in,- Mission ranch Abyssinicn (Leipzig, 18R:3); Stanford's Compendium of Geogrnphy and Trnrcl, Volume 1. (London, 1899) ; .1. T. The Sacred City of the Ethio pians ( London, 1893) Welby, Sirdar and Mencick (London, 1901).