The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-15 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, NO V. 15, 1867.

All that concerns Abyssinia is certain just now
to attract a considerable share of public attention,
and the article on the subject in the last number of
the Quarterly* may confidently be recommended to
the notice of the public. It puts th• question be-
fore us in the most comprehensive manner, and
affords us as correct a notion of the place
as can be expected for Idevised. It is curious to
notice how circumstances change things, and sud-
denly bring a particular spot into notice which
heretofore may have been disregarded. As
it is truly stated here, " Not many months ago
Abyssinia was to the generality of Englishmen
terra incognito. None save a few geographers, the
readers of BRUCE'S Travels,' some missionaries,
and the relatives of the unhappy prisoners at Mag-
dala knew, or cared to know, much about this part
of the world." How striking is the position of
affairs now in respect to that country. Parlia-
ment is to meet next week to arrange
matters, in order that no pains or expense
shall be spared to render the expedition now fit-
ting out a successful one. The general features
of the case, the peculiarities of the place, the sad
condition of the prisoners, and so on, engage the
attention of readers and writers, and form a uni-
versal topic of conversation in many circles. If
anything could have rendered the course pursued
by King TIIEODORE more intolerable than his first
deeds of darkness and violence in putting the Consul
and his companions in chains it would have been
his conduct to Mr. RASSA3I. This was about as
uncalled for as it was impertinent to those who de-
puted him to be the bearer of messages from our
Government to the barbarian KING. It did not
mend matters, and indeed it may be questioned if it
did not make them worse for the Emperor to make
believe that he was friendly disposed towards the
messenger whom he so insulted. Due credit is given
here to the manner in which the British Govern-
ment have endeavoured to settle this awkward
question without having recourse to arms. No
doubt at the very beginning of the affair there was
great inadvertence displayed by the late Govern-

anent, but during the recent steps we do not see
how anything could have been done better
than that which has been effected. Indeed, as
observed, only a very powerful nation could
have afforded to have exhibited so much
patience, or it would have been attributed to a
wrong motive ; "and we doubt whether any reason-
able man who is by habit or experience at all
qualified to judge of such matters could now sug-
gest any other course with any prospect of success,
but either to place the matter in the hands of a
soldier empowered to back his demands by force,
or to leave the Consul and the gentlemen who
went at the bidding of the British Government to
negotiate for his freedom to perish."
Public opinion has virtually succeeded upon the
necessity of sending forth this expedition, and the
next thing to consider is the nature of the country and
the difficulties which an invading force will meet
with. The reputation of England is at stake until
something definite and decided be done to rescue
these unfortunate captives, and we must also bear
in mind that our progress and success in the forth-
coming expedition will be closely watched and
criticised by other countries, and hence no care
and consideration should be spared in the under-
taking. The object of this article is to put before
the readers the " topography of Abyssinia," and
that task is faithfully performed, for no one can rise
from its perusal without having a clearer idea of the
pl tn or a more definite notion of what should be done
to insure success, and what should be avoided to
escape failure. A very natural cinsequence of the
sudden interest and excitement which have been
awakened on the subject is that innumerable advisers
and informers have started up, some of whom con-
tradict the others, and some indeed who make such
extraordinary statements that a little investigation
show their invalidity, as many, if not all, the terrors
and horrors which they set forth are implicitly
credited by certain persons. It is well to have a
good authority to rely upon, and to know for certain
what is true and what is not true in such an impor-
tant venture as that our forces are about to make.
Those hitherto unfamiliar with this subject will be
surprised to study the peculiarities of this country.
Abyssinia may be described as a table land, and yet
it presents to the traveller the " features and diffi-
culties of a highly mountainous country. A
single day's journey may carry the traveller over
plains luxuriant with vegetation, and corn and
flowers, where his progress is rapid and easy. It
may take him through narrow and intricate
valleys, down one steep bank of a river and up
another, by narrow and difficult paths, and may
even oblige him to escalade a mountain's side,
which he can only accomplish by scrambling and
climbing up the face of the rocks."
It follows as a matter of course that for such a
country no description of carriage except " pack
animals" can be relied on, and whichever other
mode may be employed at first, pack animals must
essentially be the carriage in the mountains, and
therefore it is advised that all loads should be made
up in packages suitable for this kind of transport.
A strong body of pioneers can considerably lessen
the difficulties of the attempt, and the saying of
NAPOLEON is quoted for encouragement, when he
declared that where two men could stand abreast
an army might pass. The climate of Abys-
sinia is as varied as its topography, and the
description of it shows that the climate of the high
lands is healthy, equable, and temperate, while that
of the low desert country between the high land and
the sea is hot and unhealthy beyond imagination.
We fully expect that many of the evils said to
abound in Abyssinia will be found pretty much the
same as those of other tropical countries, and that
the field forces, mainly comprising native Indian
troops, will not be much affected by them, and their
experience will show them to be far less serious than
at first supposed. It is very emphatically stated here
that when one country decides upon making war
upon another, it should be well informed upon
certain points, such as " the military forces of
the enemy, the situation of his capital, and the
nature of the country to be operated in as to
supplies." In the present war we have no " ac-

"The Abyssinian Expedition." The Quvierly Review,

Np. 246.