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THE ABYSSINIAN CAPTIVES AND THEIR PROSPECTS.

I The Special correspondent of the Melbourne Argus, writing from Lula on January 11th, \ says :— Our news from the captives is that tho King of Shea, who has been besieging Mng- > dala, had retired, and that Theodore is advancing upon that place. This is the very worst news that could come to us. As long I as Theodore was cutoff from Magdala, there \ [ was every hope that as we advanced his j array would disband itself; or that he would retire to his own part of the country and that we should be able to march to Magdala und rescue the prisoners who are confined there. Now of course this hope is at an end. j Theodore has by this time all the captives in his own hands, and is able to dictate his own terms to us. He may now wait quietly until we are close at hand, allow us to strupglo for months through all the difficulties which await us, and then when we get within a few miles of him, he may give us tho option of retiring at once on his ' I giving up the prisoners, with the threat of instantly putting them to death if we refuse his terms. On the other hand he may altogether decline to treat, may send us the heads of the prisoners, and retire to the mountains. Which of these courses he may adopt, it is almost impossible to guess. I confess that, from what is known of Theodorus' character, I fear that the latter alternative is the most probable. He could, had ho so chosen, have delivered up the prisoners long ago, and received thereby any presents or money he might have chosen to ask for. Now things are altogether different. If he yields he yields to force, and his prestige would suffer greatly among his neighbors. Theodorus is a very proud man, and his authority is maintained and his enemies cowed far more by a moral than, by a physical force. v Their armies are much more numerous than his, but his prestige for invincibility keeps them from attacking him. Take away that prestige, show them that he is frightened into giving up the prisoners, and his rule would bo grievously shaken. I cannot but fear, then, that as Theodorus refused to give them up for presents, and machinery, so he will refuse to do so from force, and will kill but never release them. I trust that my forebodings may turn out incorrect, but they arc opinions of many here. In any case, our prospect is bad enough, To have been pnt to an expense of twenty millions of money ; for our army to bo months in a country like this exposed to heat, and rain such has falls perhaps upon no other spot in the world, and to return at best with captives, but without one farthing of compensation for our sacrifices nnd hardships, will be most galling. By tho way, in the enumeration of probable difficulties, I have said nothing of tho rains. They fall upon the Abyssinian plateau during the months of Juno, July, and August, and during that time locomotion is impossible, and the pass from I Cormaylo to Sooro becomes a mighty torrent, in many places twelve or fourteen feet deep. One thing is at present satisfactory. The vaticinations ofthe enumerable prophets of evil, who threatened us with every evil under the sun, have thus far been completely falsified. It was declared to be death for a European to remain upon the plains between Zula and the mountains for twenty- four hours ; on the contrary, the health of the troops is excellent, and the mortality very far below the average. We were threatened with guinea-worm and tapeworm, with, typhus and cholera, with the tetse fly, and even with smallpox. None of these plagues have yet fallen upon us. Wo are very we)l and very jolly. The work is hard, and fatigue parties are constantly at work, but no one minds.and everyone is well and strong, Tho Anglo-Saxon always shows up well under difficult circumstances. Ho grumbles about trifles, is exacting as to his cookery, fractious about change of -weather and temperature ; but give him real hardship, constant work in a burning sun. very little water (nnd that bad) coarse food and everything containing almost half its bulk of dust, and he comes out nobly. Ho makes light of the whole, laughs at the bad food and his state of perpetual sand, is in tho saddle early and late, and is quite delighted if once in n, fortnight he can get a holiday, nnd bo off for n shot at a deor or a spur- fowl, It is this very spirit which makes tho Briton the beet of emigrants ; hardships which would break the spirit, of another man, simply harden a^d strengthen him for his work, and thus, although the greatest grumbler over trifles, John Bull makes the very best man to encounter real hardships

i with a cheerful spirit. I have said that there was little or no illness prevalent, and 1 yet we have a fever camp three miles ■ away, with numerous inmates. This camp contains a number of Bengal coolies, who arrived here, three days since, in a terrible state. Fever had broken out on board, and forty-six had died. They were at once disembarked, and every attention was afforded to them. Six died the next day, but the rest are, I hear, in a fair way of recovery. Last night we had quite a pretty sight. A Turkish frigate is lying in the' harbor, with two smaller consorts. The Pacha who commands, invited Sir Robert Napier and the chiefs of the expedition to dinner, and the ship was most brilliantly illuminated with many hundreds of lanterns along all the lines of her shrouds and rigging. All the heads of the expedition have now arrived. General Malcolm is in command in the front ; and Briga-dier-General Collinge is with him. Here we have Sir Robert Napier, General Stavely, General Willoughby, and Brigadier-General Schneider, the last of whom is in command of this camp. There are still two European regiments and three or four native regiments to arrive. They are expected daily, but the longer they are before coming the better, for a few thousand more men to drink the water here would add very greatly to our difficulties. My next letter will be from the front.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18680416.2.23

Bibliographic details

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2668, 16 April 1868, Page 5

Word Count
1,081

THE ABYSSINIAN CAPTIVES AND THEIR PROSPECTS. Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2668, 16 April 1868, Page 5

THE ABYSSINIAN CAPTIVES AND THEIR PROSPECTS. Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2668, 16 April 1868, Page 5

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