The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-18 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN CAMPAIGN,

We have advices from the camp at Senafe to the 19th
December. The letters are occupied chiefly with descrip-
tions of the ascent from Raray Guddy to the camp in the
highlands. Of this journey the Post's correspondent
says :—" As we had been marching at a good pace for
nearly three hours, and the distance to Senaft was said to
be only nine miles, we concluded that we had pretty
nearly got home,' but not so ; distances and surveying
officers, one or both, are deceptive. All at once the path
narrowed to about two feet, and then began to ascend
with an abruptness which is not surpassed, if equalled,
by any Alpine pass; the nearest approach to it I have
seen is the Mayenwand adjoining the Grimsel, but even
that is comparatively easy ; and I should like to ask any
one of the numerous tourists who have been there how
they would set about marching an army up it. As
we toiled along with difficulty in single file we found
that a long string of about fifty commissariat
mules, heavily laden, occupied the path ahead, and
effectually impeded all progress up or down, for it
was too narrow to permit any two animals to pass one
another. After waiting with more or less patience for
half an hour I thought I would get on and ascertain whose
mule stopped the way ; this was easier said than done,
and, having scrambled up nearly 200 yards of almost per-
pendicular rock on hands and knees, clinging to bushes and
brambles, and from time to time resting flat on my stomach,
I struggled to the front, and what think you I saw? A
mule lying on his side right across the path, helpless, and
unable to rise, whilst four attendant sepoys looked on,
reclining, with the apathetic nonchalant air which only a
Hindoo can assume, and which is so thoroughly aggravat-
ing to a European, especially when an Englisman.
When I recovered sufficient breath to launch out effec-
tually, my language was decidedly more forcible than
polite, and, as I am master of a few Hindustani
epithets, the reverse of complimentary, I succeeded in
rousing them to action, or what passes for action
in Oriental estimation, but I had to unload and unsaddle
the animal myself, whilt these four precious fellows under-
took the arduous task of holding his head. In ten minutes
the mule was on his legs, and the whole train in motion,
but had no one interfered we should probably all have been
there now. In an hour the summit was attained, and the
Abyssinian highlands lay before us. From my descrip-
tion of the pass, in which I have naught extenuate nor
aught set down in malice,' you will perceive that it is one
of no ordinary difficulty for an army to surmount. lam
sorry that the leaders of the exploring party should have
thought fit to view all the difficulties through
and all the resources of food and water through magnifying
glasses ; it can hardly be advisable that Sir R. Napier, on
his arrival, should be so thorougli"y misled, as he must in-
evitably be, unless they very considerably modify all their
hitherto published reports on the condition, extent, and con-
formation of the 80 or 100 miles which lie between Senafti
and our point of debarkation. This modification of diffi-
culties was doubtless well intentioned, to prevent needless
discouragement, but we all know what forms the pave-
ment of a certain place, and a difficulty once fairly attacked
is more than half conquered ; the longer a man looks at a
fence the bigger it grows ; therefore I say, with all due
deference, I think the reports should have contained a
little more of that indecency termed the naked truth.'
All the troops up here are in excellent health, and there
has not been a single casualty, except among the mule
drivers, who are frightfully exposed to the enormous varia-
tions in the temperature. The horses also thrive, and all
traces of the epidemic which attacked them at Zulla have
disappeared. It would, of course, be advisable to have the
whole force here, but the transport would break down if
such a thing were yet attempted, and the road must be
considerably improved first. Food for man (goats and
oxen, not sheep) is plentiful), but `grain' for horses con-
stantly fails, and the scanty, burnt-up grass collected on
the plain is but a poor substitute. Ducks and geese and
spur-fowl may he shot within a mile or two, but I have
seen no guinea-fowl since Ray ray Guddy. No wild beasts
are visible to the naked eye, although a certain ' Old She-
karry,' who was the astonishment if not the admiration
of the whole camp a few weeks ago, and who has bad con-
siderable experience in America both in loading the rifle
and drawing the bow, gave marvellous accounts of the
ferocious monsters who had crossed his path. Negretti
and Zambra's thermometers, by which Colonel Mere-
wether goes, generally mark from 62 deg. to 65 deg. by
day and from 40 deg. to 46 deg. by night, but the extra-
ordinarily heavy dew makes it appear much colder, and it
is very trying work for the pickets."

The John Bull says Yesterday Sir Stafford North-
cote received a private letter from Colonel Merewether,
dated Senafe, Dec. 27, in which he says that he had
letters from Magdala to Nov 11, and from King's Camp,
Debra Tabor, to October 11. He alludes to the proba-
bility of Magdala being taken by the rebels, and considers
the position of Theodore very critical. The troops are all
well, and the people friendly. He had surveyed the road
to Allegerat, 37 miles beyond Scnaf*S, and had found
no impediments. More water had been found at
Mulkutto since the pumps had arrived from England. He
considered this most fortunate, and was going to send the
pumps further up the country. They had had 3 heavy fall
of rain."

The announcement that a marriage is about to
6e contracted between the Earl Fortescue and Lady Drum-
mond is contradicted, as is also the report of the projected
marriage between Colonel To vvneley and the lion. Mrs.
Stonor.

WILLS AND BEQUESTS.—The will of Mr. John
near Lyme Regis, Devon, has been
provedAimes' of Cv
inLieonediailds'
cm by his brother, Mr. George Henry
Aimes, and his three nephews, Mr. Richard Llewellin,
Mr. Lionel Ames, and Mr. Henry Metcalf Ames.
.The
personal property was sworn under £500,000. The will is
dated November 26, 1852, and there are two codicils, dated
May 9, 1859, and May 30, 1864 ; he died November 16
last, aged 83. He has made liberal bequests to his
into
fifty and has divided the residue of his property
fifty parts among his nephews and nieces. He leaves a
sum of £4,000, the interest to be laid out annually in re-
pairing the boundary wall and keeping in order the plan-
tation, woods, and paths upon the estate called Pinney.
He leaves the furniture and effects belonging to his
mansion of Cleveland to the person in the enjoyment of the
Cleveland estate. He leaves annuities and legacies to his
servants and labourers according to their length of service.
The following are the charitable bequests :—To the Bristol
Royal Infirmary and Bristol General Hospital each £l,0€0;
the Asylum for the Blind at Bristol, the Blind Asylum
and Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Exeter, the Devon and
Exeter Hospital, and the Royal Free
inn-road, each 1::;00.--1he will of Mr. Wilba:n
Llo~ c 1
Wharton, of Dryburn, Durham, was pr gyred in London
under £50,000 personalty by his nephew, Mr. John Lloyd
Wharton, the sole executor. The testator was a membei
of Lincoln's Inn and a magistrate for the county f
Durham, and was high sheriff for that county in 1836.
His will is dated February 11, 1867, and he died No-
vember 15, at the age of 78. He has left legacies to his
servants, and directs that 10s. be given to each of 100 poor
families of the parishes of St. Margaret and St. Cuthbert,
to be selected by the two incumbents.—lllustrated London
Nam