The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-30 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN CAPTIVES.

The following communication, written by Lieut.
Prideaux, one of the Abyssinian prisoners, appears
in the Pall Mall Gazette :

" Magdala, Sept. 7.
" A few days ago messengers again arrived from
Gaffat. The news they bring from the King's camp
is of the most unsatisfactory nature. Prisoners in
chains though we be, our position seems to be far
more agreeable than that of the unfortunate Euro-
peans who are in a state of semi-confinement within
the royal camp at Debra Tabor. His Majesty seems
now to set no bounds to his cruelty and ferocity.
When I last wrote he was on a plundering expedition
against the small island of Metraha, in the Lake Tana.
Every inhabitant of that place he consigned to the
flames, with the exception of three Gondar mer-
chants, who had fled thither for security, but who
unluckily reckoned without their host, for they were
plundered of their property, and are now lying in
chains in the camp of the tyrant, and are frequently
tortured for money. Shortly afterwards the King
made a trip to Ifag, one of the most flourishing little
towns in Foggara, on the north-western portion of
Begemmeder. The place was surrounded, and 1,500
of the peasants captured. These were burned alive
in five large houses selected for the purpose. It is
said there is not now a single man, woman, or child
alive between Debra Tabor and Emfras on the
borders of Dembea. In the camp his Majesty has
been playing the same game. It was reported to
him that 2,000 of his soldiers wished to desert ;
they were surrounded by theothers, and their throats
cut like cattle. For two days the camp re-
sounded with the report of fire-arms ; the mothers,
wives, children, and nearest relatives of these
wretched men were being pistolled by the soldiery.
Ladies of good families, the wives of the chiefs,
were stripped naked and tied to posts, where they
were exposed to the noontide glare of the sun ; after-
wards they were tortured with ropes, &c., until a
pistol shot put an end to their sufferings. Un-
mentionable barbarities have been perpetrated on
the miserable women ; 295 chiefs of districts have
had their hands and feet cut off, and then been
left to die of starvation. Still the King's position
does not improve ; desertions continue daily. The
last expedition he made was against Belessa, a
small province between Begemmeder and Lasta.
The peasants, who are more warlike in their
temperament than those of Der-13bn, stood their
ground bravely, and for the first time in his life
the monarch of Abyssinia was repulsed by a hand-
ful of ploughmen. They were led by a certain
Lij Abita, a very old friend of ours, who was for-
merly attached to the King's household, but lately
seized a favourable opportunity for escaping to his
native province. The royal troops occupied a piece
of rising ground, and the rebels were posted on a
similar spot about 400 yards distant. Between them
was a piece of rough and broken ground difficult to
be ridden over. They therefore did not venture to
come to hand-and-hand fighting, but contented
themselves chiefly with hurling defiance at each
other; on the royal side the King was the only man
who did any execution, he being armed with an ex-
cellent English rifle, with which he amused himself
by taking pot-shots at his opponents, and I believe
he did kill bur or five of them. On Lij Abita's
side, one horseman rode down into the plain and
killed a couple of his adversaries, carrying off the
silver mounted shield of one of them, and quietly
chaffing his Majesty as he did so. Nut one of the
6 loyalists' ventured to follow him. His Majesty then
retired from the contest and returned to Debra Tabor
muttering threats of future vengeance against the
disloyal mountaineers who had dared to defend not
only their homesteads and cornfields, but the
very lives of themselves, their wives, and their little
ones, against their Sovereign, and at the date of Mr.
Flad's letter (Aug. 11) be was preparing to march
against them with four or five of the little cannon
his Europeans have made for him. This, however,
is probably only bluster, as generally be never can
execute what he threatens. If he comes at all to
Alagdala, he will probably do so this month ; and
for his advent I can assure you we arc not at all
anxious. Another repulse like that he encountered
at Belessa would quite destroy his prestige, which
is his chief bulwark at present. In Gahint, the
southernmost district of Begemmeder, there is a
powerful rebel at present, named Syoorn Warregna,
who is said to be determined on fighting should his
Majesty pass by that route; while should he re-
solve on the other—namely, via AV addela and
falanta—he would have to encounter the soldiers
of Wagshoom Gobazay in the former, and those of
the Galls Queen Mastyat in the latter district,
these chieftains having billeted their soldiers on the
peasants during the rainy season. Daunt, between
this and Gahint, is also occupied by the Gallas. So,

after all, there are difficulties in the way of his
coming hither, and we earnestly hope never to see
his face again. But still the name of Theodore may
assist him, unless the brave peasants of Belessa give
him such another thrashing as may convince every
one that it is but a name after all. No messengers
have arrived from the coast since I last wrote, now
six weeks since. This is probably on account of the
rivers in Tigre being now full. Thank God, with
the exception of poor Cameron, whoa iron coneti-

tution seems completely broken up, we are all in
good health. I have found an excellent tonic in
the study of Russian ; there is no danger of memory
growing dull while I can still master Sclavonic in-
flections. The rainy season is nearly over ; on
Tuesday fortnight is Kedus Gohannes, the Abys-
sinian New Year's day, when fine weather is sup-
posed to recommence.

" P.S.—Since I wrote the preceding portion of
my letter we have been having a little excitement
on the mountain. On Thursday morning two men
of note, one the son of a man who was formerly a
great favourite of the King, now dead, by title Afa
Negoos (mouth of the King), and the chief steward
or treasurer, Bedjerwand Coufu, together with
some soldiers and servants, managed to effect their
escape from the Amba. Their flight being disco-
vered they were hotly pursued by a party of sol-
diers, but were successful in reaching the Galla
country, where the soldiers did not venture to follow
them. In the evening an expedition, consisting of
200 musketeers and an equal number of spearmen,
went t) the village where the fugitives had taken re-
fuge, about eight hours' journey from here. • They
took the inhabitants by surprise, slaughtered several
Gallas, and plundered all the cattle and horses they
could lay their hands upon. However, they over-
looked a small house in which were the chief of the
district, the Afa Negoos, and Bedjerwand. These
three ran off and aroused the inhabitants of the
neighbouring villages, and as the plunderers were
retreating they were surprised to :see themselves fol-
lowed by several bands of Gallic horsemen, who
harassed them dreadfully and nearly took the chief
of the expedition, Bitwaddad Damash, prisoner.
The Amba soldiers retreated fighting as well as
they could, and succeeded in shooting the chief of
the Gallas, Mohammed Hamza, a great favourite
of the Queen's. At last they reached the edge of
the plain, whence a sort of ravine led to the
Amba, and whither the Gallic soldiers, being all
mounted, could not follow them. Here they were
comparatively safe, but the Gallas contrived to
annoy them by hurling large stones at the retreat-
ing soldiery. About three p.m. yesterday they ar-
rived here, having been delayed on the road by hav-
ing to carry a large number of wounded men. They
managed, however, to carry with them a goodly
amount of spoil, including several Galla prisoners,
who have, I fear, but a sad fate before them. The
loss on the Galla side is said by the Aruba people
to be very great, but, of course, but little reliance
is to be placed on their statements. Of the Aruba
people about 12 have been killed, and several
more are likely to die of their wounds. Over 100
are said to be wounded, several very badly, and Dr.
Blanc has been busy all the morning lending aid to
the sufferers. Bitwaddad Damash has received two
slight wounds, and in his haste to descend the de-
clivity was unfortunate enough to lose his two
horses, his musket, his shield, and even his leopard-
skin war pelisse, which was either thrown away by
.him to lighten his load, or was snatched off his
shoulders by some purloining Galla. The Gallas
also have a few prisoners, among them one of the
bravest chiefs of the mountain, who was hit with a
stone on the head and left for dead by his comrades.
Sixteen or twenty muskets have been captured by
the Gallas, and nearly all the shields and spears of
the Magdallites. Altogether it was a most disas-
trous affair for the mountain. They have certainly
got a little booty, which was driven off before the
Galla attack, but this does not compensate for so
many killed and wounded. Besides, they did not
attain their object, the capture of the Afa NegoOS
and Bedjerwand, who were bravely fighting on the
side of the Gallas. Worst of all, it is the King's
strict orders that no soldier should leave the moun-
tain to fight or plunder, and this command has been
disobeyed with unsuccessful results. I would not
give sixpence for the life of the Ras of the Amba
or of Damash when this is known at Debra Tabor.
However, the Gallas will be pretty sure to rise now,
and lead us all a dance by stopping all messengers.,

COUNTRY MARKETS.

LEEDS-TUESDAY.

We had the usual attendance of the trade to-day, and
a fair business in wheat took 'lace at an advance of about
2s per qr upon the prices of last Tuesday. Good [Arley at
late rates, but inferior is cheaper. Oats and beaus un-
altered.

LIVERPOOL—TUESDAY.
IVe had a good attendance to-day of both the town and
country trade at our market, but advanced prices checked
sales, and hardly any business was done—mostly retail ;
white wheat may be quoted 4d to 6d per lOOlb, and rod 3d
to 4d dearer on the week. Flour was saleable at about
the rates of Tuesday last. Indian corn in limited request,
at 50s per 4801 b for prime American mixed, and 528 for
prime white. Oats and oatmeal in moderate demand.
Beans at 3s, and peas at 2s per qr advance.