The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-05 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

The daily journals begin to publish letters from
special correspondents, en mute for Abyssinia, but none of
them seem to have got farther than Aden or Bombay. At
the latter city the expedition is as popular as it is =-
popular at home, coming as it does to vary the monotony
of an Anglo-Indian soldier's life. The rest of India seems
equally sanguine. The Priced of India, one of the leading
Anglo-Indian papers, considers that " the difficulties are
trifling enough, and become lees so as our information
enlarges ;" and a wild scheme, worthy of Colney-
hatch, for sending :MO volunteers into the hears of
Abyssinia (one patriot actually offering to embark 2,000!.
in the speculation) has been discussed by • portion
lof the prom in all soberness and gravity. The
other day, when the first regiment to sail, the 10th
Native Infantry, required a few men to complete their
number, so many volunteers came forward from two regi-
ments in garrison with them, that the 10th could have
doubled its strength in an hour. The army is in capital
temper and spirits, and has complete confidence in its
chief. aa the chief difficulty against which the army will
have to contend will probably be that of transport over
precipitous mountains and narrow defiles, the one great
object which is being steadily kept in view throughout
the preparations, and to which all others are
made subordinate, is light equipment, of a kind
always, if necessary, tptabla to mule carriage.
More than half the native soldiers who go to Abyssinia
in the transports will live for ten days or so on
parched corn. Omnipotent and capricious cute, though
it allows them to eat and sleep, will not allow them to
cook when on the " black water," so they are given rations
of parched grain, with • little sugar and ghee to savour it
and water to wash it down. Of the followers, or non-
combatants, who, being mostly of a lower caste than the
soldiers, are less troubled with scruples of this kind, the
great majority will as soon cook on board ship as any-
where else.

The correspondent of the Tilers says:—" I should be
sorry wantonly to harrow the British taxpayer's feelings,
but at may perhaps be as well to mention a fact or two that
may help to prepare him for the little Abyssinian account
in store for him. The expenditure of the Commissariat
Department for food in Bombay itself alone, not counting
money spent in other parts of this Presidency or elsewhere,
and exclusive of transport, purchase of animals., medical
stores, &c., is estimated at 100,000/. a month, and the ex-
pedition is not to advance into Abyssinia until it has seven
months' food actually collected, and • three months' re-
serve guaranteed ready as soon as wanted. Heavy an this
the cost of transport is proportionately heavy."
The place chosen for debareation is Ansley Bay. 20
miles south of Massowab, lat. 15 15 N., long. 39 45 W.
the bay faces towards the north. Anchorage good in deep
water. It is approached from the south coast without
any unusual difficulty, all the impediments being visible.
The bindle a sandy plain, with patches of brushwood, but
no forest. It abounds with both large and small game.
Drinkable water is not to be found within 16 miles of the
coast but at that distance a good and abundant supply
was discovered in one of the deep ravines which intersect
the country at right
:fn les to the coast line. All the
troops that can be s will be at once marched up to
this high land, but wonting parties will be required
to land stores, make piers, &c. A number of Chinese
carpenters accompany this brigade to put up commissariat
sheds, which have been made in Bombay, ready to be at
once fitted. The water for these working parties will
have to be supplied from the ships. Colonel Iferewether's
party were busily employed in making a pier to land
troops and stores.

A supplement to the London Gazette, pub-
lished last evening, contains a proclamation by her
Majesty convening a meeting of the peers of Scotland at
Holyrood-house, Edinburgh, on the 27th inst., to nomi-
nate and choose another peer of Scotland in the room
of Henry Francis Baron Polwarth, deceased.