The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-08 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN WAR.

SIR R. NAPIER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR I
INDIA. (Received May 4, 1868.)
(No. 986.)
•
Camp, Scindee, April 3, 1868.
Sir,—l have the honour to submit the accompa-
nying reports on the several departments working
under the orders of the Quartermaster-General's
Department, Abyssinian Field Force, together with
a distribution map, showing the disposition, on the
Ist instant, of the several corps in Abyssinia.
I have, &c ,
R. NAPIER, Lieutenant-General,
commanding Abyssinian Field Force.

Report on the several Departments Working
under the Orders of the Quartermaster-General's
Department, Abyssinian F ield Force :
" Camp, Abdikoom, April 1.
" LAND TRANSPORT CORPS.
"The last return received from the Director,
Transport Train, dated 14th inst., shows 5,322
camels, 10,309 mules, 1,460 ponies, 6,037 pack
bullocks, 534 draught bullocks, 15 donkeys, 273
mule carts, 270 bullock carts in the corps, being an
increase of 640 camels, 506 mules, 516 ponies, 1,759
pack bullocks, 15 donkeys, 8 bullock carts, since
date of last report.
" Of these, 6,505 mules are already on duty with
the highland trade, which, since the date of last
report, has been ordered to work from Addigerat to
the front, the lowland trade being employed for
the whole distance from Zoolla to Addigerat. 500
mules of the highland train are reported sick, and
the number of sick animals in the lowland train is
as follows :-1,856 mules and ponies, 897 bullocks,
264 camels.
"Orders have been issued for the highland train
to be completed, if possible, to 8,000 mules, to work
south of Antalo, and all sick animals in the high-
land train not likely to be fit for work within a
month are being sent down to Zoolla, to avoid the
necessity of carrying up the provisions for the mule-
teers in charge of them.
" Conventions for the carriage of Commissariat
stores in advance of Antalo have been made with
the natives of the country from Antalo to Attala,
Attala to Ashangi, Ashangi to Lat, Lat to Dil-
dee, Dildee to Tacazze, and from Tacazze on to
Bet Hor.
" The convention from Attala to Asbangi broke
down about the 29th ult., but arrangements are
now being made for another convention between
these two stations.
" The officer sent to Berbera to purchase animals
for the Transport Train has succeeded in obtaining
1p ,oOr6t9s purchasebullockstha that
nthi
mear
le andanimals
resources
cse
sd thisoonf
descriptionktehyes ;
pl
place
cee is h
atchvo
eci:rtbei g
,en
eunin
butv very
retyo-
much over-rated, that mules and ponies are very
scarce, and the few he has seen have been of the
very worst description. Camels, he states, can be
purchased in large numbers, but no report of the
number obtained has yet been received.
" Another officer, sent to Hodeida, has succeeded
in purchasing about 400 powerful camels, which by
this time ought to have been landed at Zoolla.
" Nearly the whole of the mules of the highland
train are employed in moving troops, ammunition,&c., on to the front, and those of the lowland train
in conveying Commissariat stores and provisions
from Zoolla to Addigerat and the intermediate sta-
tions.

RAILWAY,

,‘ The Commanding Engineer reports that on
the 21st ult. eight miles and 80 yards of the rail-
way from Zoolla toKoomaylee bad been completed,
leaving three miles 1,680 yards of the line still
to be completed, and that the earthwork had been
completed for the whole distance. The commissariat
were working six trains a day, carrying provisions,
&c., in addition to which other trains conveying mi-
litary plant to to the Koomaylee end of the line were
being run daily.

" TELEGRAPH.

4, The last report, dated 22d ult., regarding the
telegraph, states that the line had been completed
to Agoola, 35 miles from Antalo, on that date, and
Lieutenant St. John, R.E., the officer in charge,
expected .that it would reach Antalo yesterday, the
31st ult. He reports that the line has been work-
ing fairly during the last week, though two more
interruptions have occurred between Senafe and
Aeldigerat. He estimates the traffic on the line
roughly at 200 messages per diem.
" PHOTOGRAPHERS AND SIGNALLERS.

"The photographers have been employed in pho-
tographing, printing, and mounting plans executed
by the Quartermaster-General's Department of the
route followed by the army ; these plans are used
as distribution maps. All the baggage of the army
having been left at Lat, the photographic apparatus
was left there also, but has since been ordered up.
The signallers have lately on several occasions
proved
very
betweenusefulh
te Ist and 2d Brigades h
n communicating
oneorders
march distant from each other.