BRITISH ENGINEER CROSSES DANAKIL IN ABYSSINIA

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6803, 5 January 1929, Page 4

BRITISH ENGINEER CROSSES DANAKIL IN ABYSSINIA

Passage of Upper and Lower Said To be First Done by Europeans LONDON. An account of what is claimed to bo the first crossing by Europeans of the Upper and Lower Danakil regions of Abyssinia is published in The Times. The journev was accomplished by L. M. Nesbitt," a British mining engineer, accompanied by two Italian traders, T. Pastori, and G. Rosina, with a caravan of 15 natives, 25 camels and 4 mules. The party started from Hawash Bridge station on the Jibuti-Addis Abcba Railway, on March 13, zig-zag-ged along tho course of the Hawash River to the Sultanate of Aussa, wlioro they were met by an escort from the

Sultan, who, after a period of mistrust, gave the travellers safe conduct to the borders of his dominions. Thence they marched north to the Biru Sultanate, where water holes are four or even six days apart and tho heat is extreme owing to the greater part of the land being several foot below sea level. Ultimately they arrived at AssaleDolol, on the borders of the Italian colony of Eritrea, reaching the coast village of Mersa Fatima a few days later on July 1. Mr Ncsbit is expected to lecture before the Royal Geographical Society at an early date.