The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-19
The British Captive. of Theodorus.

}oNsuL cAMERoN's IMPRISONMENT IN ABYssNIA.
Mr.. C. Duncan Cameron, British consul in Abys.
sina, has submitted long report to Lord Stanley,
sarratng the causes that led TO and the suferings
consequent upon his Imprisonment and that of his
fellow Englishmen. There is little in this narra-
five of direct interest to American readers but
chat little We give
l Speaking of his official course, Mr.. Cameron
days that he was as moderate and concilistOry as
the circumstances and his instructions would per-
hit, and that Theodorus was courteous aud re-
Apectfu in all the diplomatic correspondence that
Kassed between them.
The reasons for his Imprisonment he says, were
bis interposition on behalf of Mr.. Stern, an Eng.
lishman, who had been bastinadoed, kept in
chains and other wise il-treated by the Abyssinian
emperor. In consequence Of these efforts in favor
OF his counuyman Mr.. Cameron says he was ar
rested and cast into prison and plundered of all
his property.
81 was taken out of sick bed to be chained :"
says MIR. Cameron, "huddled into a tent with my
own servants and a crowd of Europeans. fettered
10 dirty native and guarded by others covered
with filth and vermin, who not only shared my
bed, but lay across me to prevent my escape.
Afterwards | was fettered with ankle chains,
which were so merciessly hammered on as to
swell one leg to such an extent as to threaten
specification.
i 1.-The next phase in this wretched history was
torture of the most cruel kind with ropes, our
srms being dashed tightly from wrist to arm-pit
fhen brought together as close as possible by
pain force behind our backs, the ropes being
fetted at intervals to produce the effect more
completely, while our chests and stomachs were
likewise tightly corded SO as just TO allow of
breathing. Our clothes were at this torture torn
df our backs, and we were left naked for some
teeks.
Then the rainy season came. This we had to
lheet in our tent, which was mere rent rag, that
20 stitches could keep together.
"0ur tent, shortly after the beginning of the
rainy season, was pitched among the common
prisoners, and the change, accompanied as 1t was
with the greatest rgor in regard to our servants,
Kept us in q constant state of terror.
+ 1--WE were in momentary dread, and not with
cut reason, of death in the most fearful forms.
Fe we're afraid, in fact. even to buy meat, lest
dur money should be taken away, when starva-
zion would soon have finished u.s. as the only
soken of his majesiy's remembrance during those
faiDy months was handful of parched peas for
Zach, doled out to us for few days.
Hunger, daily exposure TO tropical rains, and
constant terror, not unfounded, at the slightest
tovement around, wholly unnerved US.
"M. Bardel was out of his senses during this
teriod. AS for myself was so Frustrated as to
fe barely able to sit up, and was often delirious
Pom sheer weakness. Mr.. kerans was reduced
y q skeleton by darrhea. The remainder of our
larty looked like the inmates Of a madhouse.
Those of us who were weak with illness were COW
fred with vermin.
I"At the close of this. our first rainy season, we
we're dragged In chains from Gondar to Magdala
Sdistance of perhaps two hundred miles, exposed
p the gaze of thousands OF the kings soldiers,
ten put into the common prisonhedge, and re,
1eatedly obliged to share q hut with forty of the
tfuse of the prisoners, the better class being con-
4tered too good for US to be mixed with.
ION the 4th of July, 1865. our right hands were
fained to our foot-fetters, and we remained thus
doubled up, without intermission, until we were
temporarily released from our chains on the Gath
u February, 1866.
Latter joining Mr.. Rassam. /, in common with
Ve other captives, got permission to leave for
4ngland. We we're arrested on the road and
Tought to the royal camp in chains. ! was then
Numbered for the second time.
t"0n reaching the camp our chains were taken
~. but we were prisoners never being allowed to
Fave the royal inclosure without an armed guard.
/" From the 18th of August, 1866. until our de.
lfeianoe by Lord Napier, on the 10th of April,
k68, was in ankle-chaDs at Msgdala."