The New York herald., 1868-02-20
THURSDAY, es-T

| Whether shall rescue them il an uncertainty.
| The hostile king who had interpused between
| Debra Taber (rheodore's capitaD and Magdala,
| where the prisoners are almost all confined, aud
who hat iald ~ si,se to the latter place. has de-
moving upon MagdaIa. Ere this. therefore, he
has all the prisoners in his own hands, and the
next question is, will he give them up when we
approach. tie condition of our instant return to
the seashore. or will he put them TO death and
retire to the mountains This ia of course the
all-important point; but which way it will 20 no
one can say. fear myself that he will take the
policy point that way. He is an intensely proud
man, and his rule is upheld as much by
moral as BY physical force. He might
originally have released the captives with
have no doubt that our neighbors would have
thought all the more Of his daring and ceverness
Tor having seized party Of English and compelled
tner nation 70 sue for their liberty aud pay hand.
s0mely for their ransom. II would have been q
feather in his cap that he had got the better Of
white nation. And to deliver the captives when
We approach within few days. march Of him
would have an effect the exact reverse OF this. He
would have defied long as the enemy was in
the distance, and could not afford to yield when
tney were at hand. he would have gained nothing
whatever by his conduct, but would have lost the
presents England offered him, and have forfeited
the friendship Of Power which has always stood
between him and Egypt He would be Inundated
and laughed at. Far more likely, then, according
to all the accounts we have received OF The0dores
character Is it that he will put ali the prisoners
70 death upon our approach aud retire to his
native mountains, where he could remain for
years in perfect safety and return upon our
departure from his country with the certainty that
he could easily overturn any Of his rivals whom
We might have set upon the vacant throne. In
that case-that il, IT Theodore murder the cap
tives and then fleet il difficult in the extreme
to TO see any end whatever to the expedition.
We could hold the country forever but it
would be absolutely useless to US. 1t
may be rich in minerals; but the difficulty Of car
riags would render the working Of mines Of any Of
the baser metals impossible. 1t would be difficult
to reach, being out Of the way OF any of our do
IN nons aud, in fact, no one here has the smallest
idea that there is any intention Of holding Ably.
slnla. There remains, then, two alternatives-the
one to set up as King one Of Theodore's rivals;
the other TO hand the country over to Egypt which
Power was prevented from taking it years ago,
because Great Britain and France espoused the
cause OF this so-called Christian community.
Theodore has been spoken Of by all travellers WHO
have visited him as man OF great talent. There
can bs no doubt that during the conduct OF the
present transaction he has let his temper get the
be- ter OF his discretion, and has allowed his indg
nation AZ the scandalous neglect OF Earl Russell in
not replying to his letter TO lead him to do per-
haps. the most impoltiC action any sovereign ever
committed.
IL is difficult, indeed, to understand what his
object has been throughout the affair, and we can
line OF conduct he will now pursue. He does not
apparently wish for the death Of the captves.
He has no animosity against them personally, as
indeed, they have IN no way offended him. lie
appeared likely that he would accept the splendid
presents England offered him and release them.
What, then, does he want? No one can answer.
What will he do! The same silence. As have
said, fear the worst; but, even if SO, we can
hardly regret for the captives' own sake that we
have undertaken the expedition. Death is prefer.
able to captivity for life in the hands of savage
who occasionally tortures and may at any moment
slay you; and should Theodore commit this last
atrocty he may be very sure that never again will
he sit upon the throne Of Abyssinia, even II Eng.
land has to keep brigade Of soldiers there for the
next twenty years to protect any rival monarch we
may set up In the place OF the tyrant. In the
meantime we need not disguise from ourselves
that the difficulties to be encountered by tho
British force are enormous. The difficulties Of
water and forage have already spoken OF. In
addition to this there are the dangers Of the eli.
mate and its effect upon both men and animals
Upon animals it ID terrible. A strange disease
it. Horses are seized with what at first appears
to be only slight cold. In three four hours
they are dead. The natives Of the interior dread
this scourge so much that they never bring ponies
example, the Third native cavalry lost one
hundred and eighty horses out OF four hundred
and fifty. The transport corps have lost alto.
gether over hissen hundred d;, animals, MIN and have
of SO viruent type ~ IT was at first. but we are
told that IL will be very much worse In the rains
which are shortly expected. AS far a. regards
human life, Mt present the climate appears to agree
with US well enough. There have been two or
three deaths, but less.than the number would have
been In India among an equal body of men. But,
then, we are at present In the month Of January,
and even now the thermometer marks lO9 In q
tent In another three months It will be perfectly
unbearable for a European, and the pass, with its
high mountain sides, will be furnace. Everything
must be out OF this before that, and we must de-
pend for supplies wholly upon the country through
which we march. The Abyssinians, with their
shields and spears, are enemies almost below con.
tempt; but King Climate is . truly formidable
enemy, and any loss we may suffer will assuredly
DO caused by his assault.
Letter from One Of the Captives.
MA9DALA, Dec. 23, 1867.
MY DEAR CHARLoTTg-The imbeci.e proceed
ings OF Menelik, the absence Of all intelligence
from the coast, and the distressing COME ctures
about the advent Of the King have not added 10
the assurance and comfort which we felt on the
first news Of the approach OF our hoped for de-
lverers these and Q variety Of minor dsapp0int-
ments impaired q sadness and gloom to the mind
which invested with its sombre hues our present
and future prospects On Friday, the 18th inst, It'd
ings, however, reached US which caused our hearts
and nerves to Quiver with ecstatic delight. Eng.
land has at length determined to show that sho
has not only the means and the power, but the
will also TO chastse an unreasonable and cruel
barbarian, who, IN his vanity, imagined that for
bearance 10 weakness, and magnanimity cowardice.
Tho invading force, we hear, is strong enough not
only to conquer every province in Abyssnia, down
to the utmost limits OF the Gala country, but
1t will also carry terror and dismay To the
remotest corners Of Africa. All those H.
lusions about the forbidding aspect Of this
land In which fanciful spectators have 30 pro.
fusely INDUCED will vanish like . vision Of the
night SO soon as the troops leave the parched and
feverish plains around the coast. The difference
between the climate Of interior Abyssinia and the
west coast Of Africa 10 as great between an oven
in tie capital Of England and the airy hall OF an
English nobleman in the country. The atmos.
phcrs here is in every respect bracing and sau-
brious the vegetation exuberant but not, as
in the lowlands, rank and steaming; and the
scenery checkered and picturesque and most
lovely. Our friends, the lovers Of the sparkling
aud not inebriating, need not, can assure thsm
fear an inveterste drinking Of the pure liquid, nor
be sparng IN their hbations from the rivers and