The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-23 00:00:00

FOREIGN NEWS.

C 18 DAY.)

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION,
______

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
We have this morning received letters from our
ourrespondenta with the Abyssinian
giving an amount of the art angements fur ft.,
re
turn of the furze to Annts'ey Bay. The lett,.
latest date is April 28, " on the Tacazze."
On the 20th ult. a grand review of the
composing the first division of the force
on the Talanta plain, when his Excellen
sir
Robert Napier complimented the army on th"e
successful termination of their Labours, and
a general order to be read to them. The
captives were present, and the army imm
before them, many eyes streaming with tears
At the close of the review, Sir Robert i n
the captives to the soldiers and sailors, awl
upon Colonel Thesiger, the adjutantv.q.ii I.•
read the following order :
Soldiers of Abyssinia,—The Queen and People of Er At I
entrusted to you a very arduous and dinicult vsia.!tQa
to release our countrymen from a painful awl lm..
tivity, and to vindicate the honour of our ctuier., 1.;1
had been outraged by Theodore, King of Alvst,,, 1 ,
ratulate you with all my heart on the noble iv.,v sr,
you have fulfilled the commands of our Severe,. .e.
have traversed, often under a tropical sun, or tivre.....f
and sleet, four hundred miles of mountainous
country; you have crosse 1 many steep an.l pr- lou.•
ranges of mountains more than ten thousand feet ,n ai
tide,with scanty
wherenty
food,ycn asuppliesd so, couldeo f
yoi
u:nirfo.
lotdrekdsmia:nnyyephariu,..
When you arrived within reach of your enema, •t:
either food or water, in four days you passed the f• ,n.
Ale chasm of the Beshilo and defeated the army of 'it
dore, which poured down upon you from
lofty fortress, in the full confidence of i
yAohn or s tf
eoeft.nt aln
uthhoauyseancd:p
thuarveed
ps.u•ls of
30 pieces of artillery, many of great weight .tel
'Money, with ample store of ammunition. you hr.,
stormed the almost inaccessible fortress of M.,,; 1414.
fended by Theodor, with the &spew'. rum. an of h.,
chiefs and followers. After yin foree.l th.
entrance, Theodore, who never show, .1 re,
distrusted the offer of mercy which had h, :I 1 ' ;
to him, and died by his own hand. You has, r,.. t
only the British captives, but also those of °the- fr ou .3v
nations. You have nutcase(' the chains of it • c...tr,
of the principal chiefs of Abyasihit.
so many victims have been slaughtered, had Lei. o.lth .1
to the flames, and remains only a scorch. ro
complete and rapid succrss is due,
mercy of God, whose hand, I feel amour d. te • e
over us in a just cause ; secondly, t., th, to.;,
spirit with which you have been inspired. ln.li 3.. t•
have forgotten the distinctions of race and Cr. o ;•,
pace with their European contracted. Never h,.,,., • y
entered on a war with more honourable f-tht.,•
yours; this has carried you through ui Lai_ in
clifiiculties. You have been only eager fur flit. ;.;
when you could close with your enemy. The r.
brance of your privations will pass away
but your gallant exploit will live in history. Tic
and the people of England will appreciate your ser .e...
Oa my part, as your cornmardrr, I thank you for
devotion to your duty, and fur the good discipline
have maintained. Not a single complaint bar he,n
to me against a soldier of villagers wilfully molost•
in property or person. We must not
what we owe to our vmmader who have hr, a
labouring for us in the sultry climate of Zoula and th
Pass of Koomsylee, or the monotony of pouts which
maintained our communication. Each and all would
given all they possess to be with us, and they deserve nor
gratitude. I shall watch or er your safety to the mom, at
of your re-embarkation ; and t r the end of my life sh.d!
remember with pride that I have n mmanded you.

E. NAL LEK,
Lieutenant-Garland, Commander-in• Chief.
Camp Dalanta. April 20.

it was fully:expected by our correspondents that
the whole of the force would be at or south ~f
Senaft; by the first week in June. Everythin4
bespoke a rapid march and a speedy re-embiirlsati..l%
though there was some apprehension that the rain;
would overtake the rear guard. Should this he
case the Sooroo pass would be impractie:tb!, but
regiments remaining on the highlands would the ii
go by way of the Taranta pawl to Maitkowalt,nhith, r
transports would be sent for them. Ti.., re-eittb.tr,
ation was expected to commence on fro nth
this month.

The greatest sorrow had been caused t!io
death, from brain fever, of Lieutenant Y—r.
gan, of the Royal Engineers. His renin's r.
interred in the graveyard of St. Cabriers, with
military honours, the Commander in c!,:ti
being present ; and an order regarding 6'.
and paying a high tiibuto to the dvci..isuri
memory, had been issued.

Our letters speak of the postal department eon-
, nected with the expedition as having been aln,,,st
I a total failure, mails havingbeen lost and bags cumin:,
to hand containing only a mass of pulp, letters with-
out envelopes, &c. Alist had been published giviii;
the opening and concluding words of each letta.
The cold on the plateaus during the previtoli
week had been intense, and the pools were covered
with ice, while at Zoula the thermometer b tv.l
at 112 degrees in the shade.
At blagdala the Abyssinians were fighting
vigorously amongst themselves. The Queen (4
the Gallas holds the place, and has taken Ovibaai's
chief man prisoner.

INDIA.
DISASTER IN THE RIVER HOUGH Li
TOTAL LOSS OF THE ETHEL AM)
AGAMEMNON.

We learn from the Cakutta Englishman that a
fatal collision took place on the 23rd ult. between
the merchant ships Agamemnon and Ethel.
According to the report of Captain Wlnnes, of
the latter vessel, both ships were being towed up
the river, and the Agamemnon was towed about
150 yards ahead of the Ethel, but afterwards
dropped down with the tide apparently with the
intention of anchoring on her port quarter or
astern. There appeared to be not sufficient water
for her to anchor in that position, and she then
steamed ahead across the bows of the Ethel, with
the intention of anchoring ahead of that vessel
but in as doing the Agamemnon had a strong cant
to the starboard, having the tide on the port bes,
which caused her to drift down towards the
Ethel, When it was found that a collision would
take place, the stoppers of the chain of the
Ethel were cut, and more chain paid out,
but while in the act of doing this, the Agamcm
non's starboard quarter took the Ethel on the port
bow, and in the collision the chain parted. The
Agamemnon still keeping athwart the Ethel's bows,
an anchor was let go from her, but just at thu
time both the vessels took the ground and then
separated, lying about half a ship's length from
one another. When the Ethel grounded she
gave a heavy lurch to starboard, righted
II again, but with the second lurch capaized,
the. Agamemnon going over about the same
time. When the Ethel capsized the crew were
in different parts of the ship about their duties.
The chief officer, Mr. Bolburt, was on the star-
board side of the deck for'ard and when he found
the ship going over, started to run aft, and it is