The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-18 00:00:00

NEWMARKET.

On Wednesday morning Hermit was at steady
work, having several slow canters with Raven.
Blinkhoolie cantered once or twice, and then went
a nice striding gallop for two miles. Jos. Dawson
repeated the work of the preceding day with the
horses then mentioned, and in addition gave Miss
Harriette a long, smart gallop ; while several of
Lord Glasgow's lot were also more or less busy.

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS July 18.

The return of the Bank of France for the week
ending to-day shows the following changes com-
pared with that of last week :
INCREASE.

Notes 19,333,000fr.
Cash in hand

Bills

........ 4,333,000 fr.

Advances 4,000,000fr.

D ECREASE.
Current accounts 4,666,000fr.

WAR WITH ABYSSINIA.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Times :
Sir,—The opinion has been expressed in the
columns of more than one of your contemporaries
that iu the war with the Emperor Theodore now
imminent, a large army would be necessary. Ten
thousand soldiers of all arms aro commonly spoken
of, and even as many as 15,000 men have been sug-
gested. These, with the concomitants, would
amount to a considerable force, and would cost the
nation an enormous sum of money.
The idea of the necessity for such a large force
can only arise from an insufficient acquaintance
with the power and resources of the rulers of Abys-
sinia. Whatever these may have been in past ages
they have become so weakened and exhausted by in.
ternecine wars that the present Emperor and the
entire country under his nominal sway (even were
it united and in subjection, instead of being split
up into parties all in open rebellion) could not offer
any serious resistance to a well armed and disci-
plined European force quite insignificant in num-
bers according to our European Lotions.
The Portuguese expedition into Abyssinia to-
wards the middle of the 16th century will best

trate what is thus advanced.
In July, 15.11, Don Christopher da Gama, youngest
brother of the celebrated Vasco da Gama, entered
Abyssinia with 450 musketeers and six small pieces
of artillery, his object being to assist the Christian
Emperor Claudius against the Mahomedan King of
the neighbouring country of Adel, Ahmed Granye
(" Mahomed Gragne"), who, with assistance
obtained from the Turks, then all-powerful in the
Red Sea, had invaded Abyssinia, conquered the
native troops in repeated battles, and overrun and
devastated most of the provinces of the empire.
Da Gama first met the enemy in Tigre on the
25th of March of the following year (1542), when
a conflict took place of no importance, except that
the Portuguese kept their ground and the Mahome-
dans retreated.
Having united his forces with those of the
Empress, Dou Christopher marched southwards and
encamped in IVoffia, a district of Lasta, near the
edge of the Abyssinian tableland, the enemy taking
up his quarters in Zobul, the neighbouring lownd
country to the eastward of Lasta. In the first i-
stance the native force of Ahmed Granye ("Ahme
the Left-banded") bad consisted of 15,000 foot
and 1,500 horse, with 200 Turkish musketeers; but
he subsequently obtained large reinforcements from
the Turkish Pasha of Zebid, on the opposite shore
of the Red Sea, consisting of 3,000 Turkish in-
fantry, of whom as many as 700 (or, accordiug to
one account, 900) were musketeers, with ten pieces
of artillery, besides numerous voluntee from
Arabia. Don Christopher's army, on thers other
hand, consisted of his 450 Portuguese musketeers,
with, it is true, numerous attendants and camp
followers, to whom were joined about 12,000 native
Abyssinian foot soldiers armed with spears, and
in
a
few horsemen. Ws field-pieces were only six
number, and these in no good condition.
The two armies met in Woffia on the 30th of
August, 1542, when a pitched battle ensued.
At
the first discharge of the Turkish artillery the whole
of Da Gama's Abyssinian allies precipitately lied.
The Portuguese, though thus left to fight single-
handed against so overwhelming a force, offered a
long wounded
their
te
he
e ri
re shi
rs
at av ne
gloet
leader tbheeyw
was taken prisoner and beheaded by the conqueror.
This reverse was soon and signally revenged
The Turkish Contingent from Arabia having
been withdrawn in c9nsequence of disputes
between the Moslem commanders, Ahmed
Granye was left to his own native resources, and
the Portuguese now reduced to about 400 in num-
ber, having joined the Emperor Claudius, a pitched
battle was fought between the Christian and Maho-
medan armies on the 10th of February, 1513, when
the latter were completely defeated and put to
flight, Ahmed himself remaining dead on the field.
From the foregoing details it will be perceived
that the temporary defeat of the Portuguese did not
arise from any superiority on the part of Ahmed
Granye himself, but was caused by the presence of
his Turkish auxiliaries, who, besides possessing a
larger number of muskets and guns, were probably
not much inferior in discipline to the Portuguese
themselves. It was, in fact, as if at the present day
the Emperor Theodore were aided by the Viceroy
of Egypt, instead of the case being that this Prince
could only be glad of an opportunity to unite his
' forces to ours in the invasion of Abyssinia.
Left to his own native resources, the Emperor
Theodore would be even less able to cope with an
European force than was Ahmed, the Left-handed,
himself. Capt. Cameron, writing from Magdaht as
and that n his
lately as the 17th of last April, states that the Em.-
peor had then but 5,000 followers, i
settle it. For
:1
opinion 2,000 filibusters could conquer the country
and 3,000 regular troops bold an
my own part, were the invading European force
muchnot larger than that of Don Christopher de Gama,
I should not despair of their penetrating to Aligdala
and taking it single handed. With the aid of
Waagshum Gobazye, the actual ruler of Tigre and
Lasta, through which provinces they would have to
,taysokurmy'Oellryldobb:dcoiemnet
am,igntiirtochanoneatshyatonfoer.t—relss, th esirir
servant,
Bekesbourne, July 16.

CHARLES BL1E•