All praise must be given to the commissariat for the way in which they

have performed the service from Zulla to this place. Not one day have the

troops been without their rations; and the animals, although they have not

always received their full supply, have yet always had something to eat at

the end of the day’s work. No commissariat officer accompanied the pioneer

force in their march up; but the whole arrangements were made by Conductor

Darcey, to whom the greatest credit is due. During the whole march he did

not lose a single animal, or a single bag of grain. A commissariat officer

has arrived within the last two days; but honour should be given where it

is due, and certainly the greatest credit is due to those noncommissioned

officers for the manner in which, alone and unaided, they have carried out

the difficult duties intrusted to them. Two prisoners were brought in

yesterday. They are part of the gang who have been infesting the pass,

robbing every convoy without a guard of Europeans. They were captured by a

friendly chief, who, with his men, came upon the whole gang. The rest

fled, throwing away their weapons, of which quite a bundle was brought

into camp. The prisoners, being old men, were unable to escape, and were

brought in triumph by their captors into Rayray Guddy, whence they were

forwarded to Colonel Merewether. Their preliminary examination by the

interpreter took place in the open air. The prisoners and their accusers

squatted in a circle, and a number of natives gathered round. These last

were evidently greatly amused and surprised at the formality of the

proceedings,—as the guilt of the accused was undoubted, articles of

European manufacture, such as portions of harness, being found in their

possession,—and the idea being evidently prevalent that we should hang

them at once. They were removed to the guard-tent, and will, I suppose, be

regularly tried, and well flogged, in a day or two.

This expectation was not verified; the prisoners were let off, with an

admonition to behave better in future; and this happened again and again.

The absurd course pursued by our political officer towards native

offenders produced, as might have been expected, very disastrous

consequences afterwards. The natives learnt that our baggage could be

plundered with impunity, and that even when taken red-handed in the act,

the chances were that no punishment whatever would be inflicted. They

naturally ascribed this conduct on our part to fear—for in Abyssinia the

punishment for theft is very severe, the culprit frequently having his

hand cut off—and were encouraged to plunder accordingly. A moderate share

of energy, one grain of common sense among the authorities at Senafe at

this time, so that the first two or three offenders caught plundering our

convoys in open day should have been flogged to within an inch of their

lives, and plundering would have been put a stop to at once and for ever;

and a very great many lives, both of our own muleteers and of the natives

themselves, would have been eventually saved.

It is a great satisfaction to know that in the course of a short time we

shall be able to purchase for the use of the army any number of bullocks

and sheep. We have not been able to do so heretofore, for the absurd

reason that we have had no money. Will it be believed that a body of

troops marching on into a country where it is supposed they would be able

to purchase any quantity of animals for themselves and the army which is

to follow them, should have come up with the military chest totally

unprovided with money? It is almost too preposterous, but it is perfectly

true. A chest of two thousand pounds arrived yesterday under a guard. But

what are two thousand pounds when we want three or four thousand bullocks

alone, and when Colonel Merewether has fixed the price of each at six

dollars and a half—that is, as nearly as possible, thirty shillings?

I shall be able to send you but little news from here. Colonel Merewether

proceeds to-morrow morning forty miles into the interior. He takes with

him a troop of cavalry, a large stock of mules, &c., but he declines

positively to allow a _confrère_ and myself to accompany him. He is civil,

but firm. “The addition of two persons would probably break down the whole

party. Starvation might ensue, and he could not guarantee that we should

be fed.” These are actually word for word the reasons he gives for

declining to allow the only two special correspondents here from

accompanying his force. He can victual himself, Colonel Phayre, three or

four other staff-officers, and a troop of cavalry; but two correspondents

were too much for the resources of the commissariat. We called upon him

twice; we urged upon him that it was a matter of great interest to the

public that we should go forward. We said that we would put him to no

trouble, but would bring our own mules, with ten days’ provisions, if

necessary. He declined positively to allow us to go. He would, when he

returned, give us details, and that was all he would do. The public, in

fact, might read his official report and be thankful; for none other, says

he, shall they receive. Had we arrived here as two unaccredited strangers,

his conduct was perfectly explicable; but provided as we were by the

courtesy of the India Office with letters to Sir Robert Napier, and

furnished by him, in consequence, with a circular letter, requesting all

officers of the army to forward our wishes in every way, we certainly had

not expected to have been refused the chance of availing ourselves of the

very first opportunity which has fallen in our way of sending you

something really new from Abyssinia.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Camp, Senafe, December 23d.

At the time I closed my last letter I had no idea that my next

communication would be dated Senafe. Colonel Merewether’s unaccountable

refusal to allow my fellow-correspondent and myself to accompany him upon

his expedition had rendered our further stay here useless.

Accordingly, an hour or two after the expedition had started from camp, I

packed up a light kit and started for the sea-shore. The road, as far as

the top of the first descent, is now so free from stone that it might be

used as a race-course, but we found that nothing had yet been done with

the zigzag down the face of the hill. However, as we met no mules upon our

way it was an easy descent enough; indeed the whole pass, from end to end,

although it has its difficulties, still presents no real obstacle to a

single traveller. It is only when viewed in the light of a highway for an

army, as the only line of communication up which the stores of 20,000 men

must come, that one considers it to be a really terrible business. No

forage is procurable for the baggage-animals between the sea and Senafe,

seventy miles. A large proportion, therefore, of the mules is occupied in

carrying food for themselves and their companions. The stages, too, for

heavily-burdened animals across an exceedingly-rough road are

distressingly long. Twelve miles a-day, with a pause for an hour to feed

and water in the middle of the day, could be done by heavily-loaded mules

without deterioration of their quality. But here all the stages, except

the last, considerably exceed that distance; and from Sooro to Rayray

Guddy, over thirty miles, is practically without food or water. This is

what makes the Koomaylo Pass so difficult as the highway of an army—want

of forage the whole distance, and long intervals between the

watering-places; to which may be added the disease which infects the pass

and decimates the animals as they go up and down. The mule, although one

of the most enduring of creatures, and capable of sustaining great

privations, is yet a delicate animal. Feed him well, keep him supplied

with water and hay, and he will do wonders; but without regular and

abundant food he falls away rapidly. During the last campaign in Italy

there were thousands of mules engaged transporting provisions up the Tyrol

to Garibaldi. They had great fatigue and long marches, but they were well

fed and had plenty of water; and consequently throughout the campaign I

never saw a dead mule, and hardly one out of condition. Here it is just

the reverse; the mules are greatly fallen off, and although they are now

much better fed, they will be a very long time before they regain their

lost strength. In respect to food a great improvement has been effected in

the last few days. Captain Sewell has been here about a week. He is in

charge of the commissariat, and has purchased considerable quantities of

hay, which is now served out to the mules here, and to their even

worse-off brethren down at Rayray Guddy; for here, at least, in their

intervals of labour the mules were able to graze, while in the valley

there is not a blade of grass to be had. Captain Mortimer, indeed, who is

in charge of the transport division there, only kept his animals alive by

compelling their drivers to go up to the summit of the hills, either

before their day’s work is begun or after it was over, and to cut and

bring down a certain weight of hay. It is very fortunate that vultures are

so abundant in this country. Were it not for them the pass would be

unbearable from the taint of dead animals. Between the top of the pass and

Rayray Guddy, a distance of eight miles, we passed more than that number

of dead mules and ponies, most of which had been only dead three days at

most; and everyone of these had been partially eaten by the vultures, who

keep wheeling and circling in the air overhead, and scarcely is life out

of an animal before these scavengers swoop down upon it. I have seen as

many as seven or eight of these great birds eating and fighting over the

carcass of a single horse. The ride from the bottom of the steep incline

to Rayray Guddy I have already described, and it is certainly the most

beautiful ride of seven miles I ever traversed, the brilliancy and variety

of the foliage, the number and beauty of the humming-birds and

butterflies, all being in addition to the ordinary scenery of a mountain

pass. I find that the great trees I described as tulip-trees are not

really tulip-trees, although their foliage strangely resembles that tree.

Authorities differ as to what they really are; some affirming that they

are banyan-trees, while others say that no banyan-tree was ever seen

without the long pendulous roots from its branches, of which there are

here no trace.

Upon reaching Rayray Guddy we found that Sir Charles Staveley had arrived

there two hours previously from Sooro. He had not heard of the departure

of Colonels Merewether, Phayre, and Wilkins, and as the principal object

of his journey had been to see them, he was of course much disappointed.

However, he determined now he had come so far, to go on to Senafe, and we

decided upon returning with him, as we had now no motive for going down,

and, indeed, it was possible that he might either ride out himself to the

point whither Colonel Merewether had gone, or might send an aide-de-camp

to request him to return, in either of which cases we knew that he would

grant us permission to go. General Staveley was the more disappointed at

the absence of Colonel Merewether because he had taken the precaution of

writing two days previously to announce his coming. The letter, of course,

had not arrived, for the general had performed the distance in three days

from Zulla to Senafe, and the post would take at least two days longer.

Nothing, indeed, can possibly be worse than the postal arrangements, or

rather want of arrangement. Relays of men on foot carry the letters, and

even these do not travel at night. But the great question which everyone

is asking is, “What becomes of the letters?” I have not received a single

letter or newspaper of a later date than November 4th. Some few people

have been more fortunate, and occasionally get a letter or paper; but they

are exceptions. One feels as absolutely cut off from England as if a great

gulf had opened between us. I did hear this morning from someone who had

had the luck to receive an odd newspaper that the amount for the

Abyssinian war had been voted, and we had a hearty laugh over the news

that the expenses were laid at four millions. I only hope that the post

down is a little better regulated than that up, for if not, instead of

getting my letters regularly once a-week, they will probably arrive in a

mass about the end of next June. The general came up here on the 22d. He

will, I believe, start on his return journey to-morrow, whether Colonel

Merewether and his party come into camp or not, as his presence is

absolutely necessary on the sea-shore. It will be unfortunate if he should

miss them after his long journey up here, especially as he had made

certain of seeing them; for the committee of exploration, which consisted

of Colonels Merewether, Phayre, and Wilkins, was dissolved by an order of

General Napier, which was published ten days since, and of which these

gentlemen of course received a copy. General Napier thanked them warmly

for their efforts to carry out their duty, and for the success which had

attended them, but stated that General Sir Charles Staveley had gone to

Zulla to take the command until he himself arrived, and that therefore

there was no longer any occasion for the existence of the committee. In

the face of this order General Staveley could hardly have expected that

these gentlemen would have proceeded on an expedition forty miles into the

interior without any consultation or reference to himself.

An important messenger came into the camp on the afternoon of the 22d. He

stated that he was the servant of Mr. Flad, and, indeed, was identified as

being so by several people in camp. He stated that he had started with a

letter from Mr. Flad, and with one from King Theodore, but that he had

been robbed of them upon the way. He brought, however, one piece of

important and very disagreeable news, namely, that Theodore had marched

from Debra Tabor to Magdala; had raised the siege of that place by the

King of Shoa, and had taken the whole of the captives back with him to

Debra Tabor. This is the most unfortunate occurrence which could possibly

have taken place. As long as the captives were separated from him by his

enemies they were safe; and if, as will in all probability be the case,

the army of Theodore should disband at our approach, and he himself rule

safely in the fortresses of the mountains, where search for him would be

out of the question, we should have marched to Magdala and effected the

release of the prisoners. Now we have no such hope. We may toil on across

mountain and ravine, but we know that our hands are shackled, and that the

tyrant we war against can at any moment purchase peace upon his own terms.

Theodore can laugh our efforts to scorn; he knows that he need not

disquiet himself. He can let the expedition approach him. He can chuckle

over the enormous waste of treasure and effort, even if not of human life;

and he knows that at the last moment he can arrest us with the

ultimatum—“Return at once, and I will release my prisoners; move one step

forward, and I will sacrifice every one.” This is very disheartening, and

takes away from the expedition that zest and buoyancy which the thought of

a possible skirmish at the end of the toilsome journey would give it.

Nothing could be more unfortunate than the loss of Theodore’s letter by

Mr. Flad’s servant. It may be that in it Theodore offered to restore the

captives at once upon the agreement that we would advance no farther. It

may be that he held out the threat that the prisoners would be put to

death did we not at once agree to his terms. Altogether it is most

unfortunate. It is to be hoped that Theodore will see the manifest

likelihood of his messenger being stopped upon the way, and will send his

letter in duplicate by some other hand. There is a rumour current among

the natives this morning that Theodore has released the captives, and that

they are upon their way down. There is, of course, no finding out the

origin of this report, but it is most unlikely that he would deliver them

up until, at any rate, he had obtained a promise that we in return would

abandon all idea of advancing upon him.

The disease among the horses still continues. Those who have been the

longest up here appear comparatively safe, but it would seem to require

some time to get the disease out of the blood. Every morning three or four

mules are dragged out of the camp to the foot of the hills, a mile off,

there to be eaten by the vultures. Yesterday afternoon my groom came to me

with the unpleasant intelligence, “Sahib, your baggage-pony ill.” I went

out and found him lying down. Upon the veterinary surgeon arriving he

shook his head, and, pointing to the swollen tongue, said that it was the

disease, and that in a couple of hours it would be dead. We tried

brandy-and-water in the vain hope of reviving him, but it was quite

useless, and in a little over the two hours the pony died, having been

apparently unconscious for an hour and a half previously. Yesterday, too,

the horse of Dr. Lamb, chief veterinary surgeon of the transport corps,

died. Dr. Lamb came up with us a week since. After spending three days

here inspecting the animals he returned, but as he did not wish his horse

to run the risk of again going down into the pass, he left it here in

perfect health, and rode down again upon a baggage-pony. Yesterday the

poor animal died, after the usual three hours’ illness. Dr. Lamb strongly

recommended that all animals which can be spared should be at once sent up

here. Unfortunately none of the baggage-animals, except those which work

the last stage from Rayray Guddy here, can be spared. They must remain

below to carry up provisions and baggage whatever the mortality may be.

General Staveley has ordered that in future 10 per cent of spare animals

shall accompany every train of loaded mules, to take the baggage off those

who give in on the way. He has also ordered that the artillery-horses

shall be instantly sent up here with their native attendants. The soldiers

cannot accompany them, as their warm clothing has not yet arrived. He has

also ordered that the cavalry regiments shall be sent on the instant they

land. The general has taken particular interest in the transport train

since he arrived at Zulla, and it is due to the order he gave and to the

assistance with which he supplied them from the 33d and Beloochee

regiments, that the train down at Zulla has been enabled to make head

against the tremendous difficulties they have sustained owing to the

wholesale desertion among the drivers, and to the uselessness of a great

portion of those who remain. He has divided the baggage-animals which are

in the country into regular squadrons, stationing a number at each station

proportioned to the length and hardship of the journey. General Staveley,

indeed, is the very man for an expedition of this sort. Whatever he sees

is necessary, he takes upon himself the responsibility of ordering to be

done. I consider his arrival at Zulla to have been most providential.

Everything was going wrong, disorder ruled supreme. All this is now at an

end. General Staveley has taken the command, and unity of action is once

more introduced. Whether Colonel Phayre, now that his committee of

exploration is dissolved, may determine to go down to Zulla or to remain

here, is now of little importance, as Major Baigrie, the

deputy-quartermaster-general, is fully capable of carrying on the duties,

supported as he is by the weight of General Staveley’s authority.

This morning the 10th Native Infantry were engaged in clearing a large

space of ground of stones, in order to make it suitable for a

parade-ground. It was wonderful to see how fast they got through the work,

and how much more they accomplished than an equal number of Europeans

would have done in the same time. And this because squatting is the normal

attitude of an Oriental. In this attitude they can remain for hours;

therefore the work of collecting the stones into heaps, which in turn were

carried away in empty rice-bags by another party, was the easiest affair

possible. It is very amusing looking on at these native fatigue-parties,

the varieties of costume are so great. The 10th Native Infantry, like the

Beloochees, is recruited from all parts of India, and contain Mussulmans,

Punjaubees, Sikhs, Patans, Hill-men, and, in fact, specimens of most of

the native races, the Hindostanee proper being greatly in the minority. To

a certain extent these men cling to their own costume, consequently in a

party of a hundred of them on fatigue-duty the variety is astonishing. Men

in red turbans and white turbans, in red, white, or violet nightcaps—these

articles having been served out to these men as part of their warm

clothing—some in coloured jackets, white underclothing, and long drawers,

others with nothing on but the cumberband, or loincloth, some entirely in

white, with their legs covered to the knee. Many are the shades of colour

too, from nearly jet black down to the rich bronze of the Sikhs. Almost

all are fine, well-built men, and all appear to work with good temper and

with a will. The parade is to take place upon the new ground to-morrow

evening. It is not settled yet upon what day General Staveley will leave,

but his present intention is, in case Colonel Merewether returns on the

morning of the 25th, to start the same afternoon.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Camp, Senafe, December 26th.

When I wrote on the 23d instant I had not made up my mind whether I should

spend Christmas here or on the road downwards. But circumstances finally

compelled me to wait here until to-day; and I am glad for several reasons

that I did so. The first and most important was in reference to the story

brought by Mr. Flad’s servant, namely, that Theodore had marched to

Magdala, had raised the siege of that fortress by the rebels, and had

taken all the captives back with him to Debra Tabor. As this news was

brought by a man who was recognised by some in camp as being what he

claimed—Mr. Flad’s servant—his statement was received without suspicion,

and the event was justly considered to be most unfortunate. When, however,

the exploring-party returned, Dr. Krapf, the chief interpreter, examined

the man, cross-questioned him as to time and dates, and found that these

were quite incompatible with the truth, as the man described them as

having taken place in the latter part of October, whereas our last news

from Mr. Flad himself was to November 7th, at which time none of these

movements had taken place. Finding himself thus caught, the man confessed

that his whole statement was a lie. I need not say that this contradiction

of the false news gave the greatest satisfaction to everyone, but the

general feeling was that six dozen, well laid on, would be of enormous

benefit to the man who thus invented false news, apparently merely for the

pleasure of gratuitous lying. Of course he will not be punished, for the

policy pursued with respect to the natives is mild in the extreme. By all

means conciliate natives, by all means pay for all you take, do no wrong

to anyone; but at the same time make them respect you by the firmness with

which you administer justice upon thieves and plunderers, and do not

encourage the people to cheat you by ordering a price at least six or

eight times above their former prices for every animal or article you buy.

The men who were taken in the act almost of robbery down the pass, and

whose preliminary examination I described a week since, have not been

flogged, or, as far as I am aware, in any way punished, nor have three

other ruffians who were captured the following day. The natives put this

forbearance down to timidity on our part. They cannot comprehend that any

other feeling could prevent our punishing these men, who have been robbing

our convoys, now that we have them in our power. It may be a course of

Christian forbearance, but officers whose kits have been plundered are

very sore that fellows of this kind are not summarily punished upon the

spot.

The exploring-party went forward to Attegrat, a place of some size, about

thirty-five miles from here. They went by one route and returned by

another. One line was rather more mountainous than the other, but both

are, I hear, quite practicable, and water, forage, and wood were found in

abundance. At Attegrat a large fair was going on, and very large

quantities of cattle, sheep, goats, ponies, and mules, together with

grain, chillies, honey, &c., were exposed for sale. The appearance of the

escort of cavalry excited the greatest curiosity, and the party were

almost mobbed as they walked through the fair. On parts of the route they

passed through enormous flights of locusts, which the people were

endeavouring to frighten away from their fields by beating drums and

pieces of metal together, and by lighting great fires. The locusts abound

everywhere here; not a bush which has not half-a-dozen of these insects,

hardly a rock without one or two crawling over it. The natives say they

have not had so many for years, and that the crops have been very greatly

damaged by them. The only things which benefit by them are the monkeys and

birds, both of which feed upon them. The natives themselves also eat them

to a certain extent. The method of preparation is as follows: A large hole

is made in the ground. This is lined smoothly with clay. A large fire is

lighted in this, and when this has burnt down the ashes are scraped out,

the hole is filled with locusts, and covered up with clay. When the

insects are sufficiently baked they are taken out and pounded into a fine

powder, which is eaten mixed with rice or flour. At Attegrat the

expedition found blocks of salt used as the medium of exchange: we have

not seen any in this part of the country. In the fair they also saw some

really warm cloths of native manufacture. This is important, as, if the

supply turns out to be abundant, it will save the expense of bringing warm

clothing for the native troops from England. Indeed, warm clothes appear

to me to be a most unnecessary portion of our enormous baggage. The

weather by day, even at this the coldest time of year, and upon one of the

most elevated parts of our journey, is never cold enough for warm

clothing. At night men require an extra blanket for warmth, and this they

might wrap round them over their greatcoat upon unusually cold nights. On

Christmas-eve the general inspected the troops, who performed several

manœuvres. He left on Christmas-day at three o’clock, four hours after the

return of the expeditionary force, and having had a conversation of some

length with Colonels Merewether and Phayre. One good result among the many

brought about by the general’s visit here will be, that we shall now have

some little attention paid to health. A medical officer had been appointed

as sanitary officer, but his appointment, for any good it did, might as

well have never been made. It was not that this officer failed in his

duty, or that there was no need for his services; on the contrary, the

state of the watering arrangements was disgraceful, the native troops

washing, &c. in the pools above those from which the drinking-water was

taken. The water certainly has to filter through the peat before it

reaches the other pools, but that is little satisfaction. It is true that

this was against orders, but the number of sentries posted was quite

insufficient, or else they winked at the proceedings of their

fellow-soldiers. I myself rode past half-a-dozen times, and never without

seeing native soldiers washing on the edge of the pool. The latrine

arrangements connected with the 10th Native Infantry hospital were also

simply scandalous. But worst of all was the state of the pass, dotted with

dead baggage-animals in every stage of decomposition, and the stench from

which was almost overpowering. The sanitary officer had pointed out these

evils, and had applied for power to take on a few natives to burn the

carcasses in the pass. This suggestion, however, had been passed over as

absurd, and he might as well have been in Bombay. Nothing whatever was

done. General Staveley, however, restored this officer to his proper

place, and gave him authority to take on the natives and burn the dead

animals, which, had nothing been done, were offensive enough to have

created the worst epidemic among the advancing troops. Other medical

officers have been appointed to take bands of coolies and clear the

different stages of this pass. The horse-disease still continues very bad.

Of the six horses brought up by the general and the members of his staff,

four were taken ill the day after his arrival here. They do not, however,

appear to have taken it in a virulent form, and will, I hope, get over it.

Yesterday being Christmas-day was of course kept with all honour; that is

to say, with such honours as could be paid. It was hard to believe it was

Christmas-day, especially among native troops; to them, of course, it was

no festival. The day was fine and hot—the thermometer 75° in the shade,

but very hot where there was no shelter. I fastened a large bunch of fir

and of a plant somewhat resembling myrtle to my tent-pole, and two or

three of the other tents were similarly decorated. One of the engineer

officers had quite a triumphal arch of green erected before his tent.

Large circular arbours were built up by the 10th Native Infantry and by

the 3d Cavalry, to serve as shelter from the wind while they sat round the

fire after dinner. I was invited by the 3d Native Cavalry to take my

Christmas dinner with them, and a capital dinner it was under the

circumstances. Two huge bunches of fir were fastened to the tent-poles,

the table was formed of the lids of packing-cases, and we sat round upon

boxes and chairs of every height and make. Here was a man on a seat so low

that his chin hardly appeared above the table; next to him one perched up

so high that his knees were on a level with his plate. Nor were the

fittings of the table less various. It was the camp rule that everyone

should bring his own plates, knives, forks, and glasses. Some of us

therefore fed off tin, some off crockery, some off enamelled iron. Some

drank from glasses, some from pewter-pots. The only uniformity was in the

bottle of champagne placed before each diner. Most of us would, I think,

have preferred beer; but there was not a bottle left in the camp, and the

champagne before us had been hoarded for this sacred occasion. The dinner

was various. Mutton and guinea-fowl; spur-fowl and venison; but, whatever

we ate, everyone present religiously took a piece of the joint of roast

beef. It was the only reminder of the occasion. I need not say how

heartily each joined in the toast of “All friends at home.”

I start this afternoon on my way down the pass again to Zulla, and shall

carry this letter down to post there, as the ridiculous arrangements to

which I have before alluded still prevail. A native still creeps up and

down the pass with a bag on his back, and takes his four or five days to

do the seventy miles, whereas two relays of men on mules or ponies would

bring the bag down in fifteen hours easily. As it is, no one knows whether

they will be in time to catch a post or not. In fact, it is a pure

haphazard proceeding.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Zulla, Annesley Bay, January 2d, 1868.

I have been now three days back in Zulla, which is literally crowded with

troops. In respect to the pass, nothing could be more surprising than the

change which has taken place in the road during the fortnight which has

elapsed since I first passed up. This is due to the way in which the

sappers and miners, under officers of the Royal Engineers, and the

advanced companies of the Beloochees, under Major Hogg, have worked. The

latter are at work in the valley below the Rayray Guddy pass, and here

they make very nearly a mile of road a day, along which artillery might be

taken without difficulty. It is wonderful to see the change which they

have effected, and the hearty way in which they work. Not less surprising

is the change which the sappers and miners have effected in the Sooro

Gorge. When I last rode up it, it was, as I described it, all but

impracticable for loaded animals. One had to clamber over a huge boulder

here, to scramble through between two others there. It was a really

difficult proceeding, and loaded camels were unable to get through the

narrow places. Now all this is changed. A path winds here and there among

the rocks, down which I was able to ride my horse without the smallest

difficulty. The worst part of the journey was the passage of the

thirty-three miles between Rayray Guddy and Sooro, without water, except a

bucket of pea-soup-coloured stuff at Guinea-fowl Plain for the animals. It

is proposed to sink more wells at this point, to put up some pumps, and to

establish a small commissariat dépôt, in order that troops may break their

march there. As we rode down this dry parched valley for thirty miles,

occasionally meeting detachments of weary men, who asked us pitifully how

far it was to water, we could not help thinking of one of Colonel Phayre’s

reports, in which he stated, “From Sooro to Senafe, about thirty miles

more, water never fails.” The fact being, not one single drop is to be

found in the thirty miles above Sooro, save at one muddy well.

At Koomaylo I found an astonishing change. The thorn-trees which had lined

the bottom of the valley had been all cut down; a large space had been

cleared as a camping-ground for troops as they march through; fresh wells

have been sunk, and there are some of the American pumps at work,

discharging a stream of clear water, which, flowing through a succession

of tubs, enables the animals to be watered in one quarter the time

formerly occupied. These pumps, which are called “the Douglas

pitcher-spout pump,” are certainly admirable machines. When I had first

heard of their arrival, and of the principle of their construction, I had

not thought it possible that they could be used in such ground as this.

They consist of a number of thin iron tubes like gas-pipes, screwing into

each other, the lowest one terminating in a sharp spike of slightly

bulbous form, so that, being thicker than the rod itself, it only touches

the soil through which it is driven at that point, thus greatly

diminishing the friction and resistance. On to the pipe, at about four

feet from its upper end, is screwed a block of iron, which can be shifted

as the rod gradually descends. A heavy weight of iron, with a hole through

it, is put on the rod above this block, and to this weight ropes are

attached working through pulleys placed on the top of the rod four feet

higher. Two men pull these ropes, and the weight rises, and then falls,

acting as a rammer upon the anvil of iron below. In this manner the whole

rod is driven down, fresh lengths being added as required, and then a pump

is established without the labour of sinking a well. The whole thing is

simple in the extreme, and admirably adapted for clay or gravel soils. It

could, however, hardly be expected to be successful in the bed of a

torrent, where the gravel is mixed with blocks of stone of every size, as

it is evident that a hollow pipe could not be driven through solid rock.

The tube, however, in nine cases out of ten, pushes any obstacle aside,

and reaches the required depth. It is intended to arrange a series of

troughs, so that the animals may be enabled to drink upon their arrival

without the weary hour of waiting which they have now to go through.

Indeed, it is a wonder that serious accidents have not occurred owing to

the eagerness with which the maddened animals struggle and fight to get to

the water. At Koomaylo we found two companies of the 33d regiment. They

have since been joined by another, and the three marched last night on

their way to Sooro. Three other companies of the same regiment marched

from here this morning, and will at once follow their advanced wing, while

the head-quarters and remaining companies go on to-morrow. There is also a

battery of the Royal Artillery at Koomaylo, that is, the guns, and a

portion of the men are there, the horses and drivers having been sent up

to Senafe to be clear of the disease. I met them at Sooro, and the animals

were then all in splendid condition, and not a single horse or

baggage-animal was as yet affected. Great as I had found the changes at

other points along the line, the alterations were as nothing to those

which had taken place at Zulla. The harbour contained more than double the

number of vessels that were here before. It is probable that hardly a

great commercial port in the world contains such a fine fleet of steamers

and sailing-transports as are now lying off this place, of which no one

had ever heard six months ago. The camp, too, was so altered that I had

the greatest difficulty in finding the tent I was in search of, although

it stood precisely where I left it three weeks since. But the place, which

then contained under twenty tents, can now count ten times that number.

The 33d are encamped to the right of the landing-place, at a quarter of a

mile distant. General Staveley and his staff have moved their tents from

the spot where they before stood, in the very centre of the dust and din

of the place, to a little beyond the 33d lines, where General Napier’s

tents are also pitched. The harbour is full of troops, who are clamouring

for carriage to enable them to get on. The Scinde Horse are landing, as

are the 3d Native Infantry. The 25th Native Infantry and her Majesty’s 4th

Foot are there, as are artillery batteries and mountain trains, as are

mules and horses innumerable, and a bewildering amount of stores. Very

large quantities of these latter are now being forwarded to the front, and

3000 of the little cattle and donkeys of the natives have been engaged

upon the service. The price paid is two and a quarter dollars per bag, and

each bullock carries two bags, some of the smaller donkeys taking one

each. The natives are responsible for any loss of stores, but up to the

time I left Senafe not one single bag had gone astray. These animals are

rather a nuisance to meet going down the pass. Our own mules go in

strings, one tied behind the other, and the drivers, if one meets them,

endeavour, as far as possible, to make room for an officer to pass. The

natives, on the contrary, drive their animals in a herd before them,

occupy the whole width of the track, and make no effort whatever to get

their cattle out of the way. It is in vain shouting and being angry. The

Shohos regard one with placid indifference, and you must push your horse

into a thorn-thicket or up a rock to get out of their way. If you happen

to overtake one of these native herds in rather a narrow place, it is

still more provoking, for there is nothing to do for it but to follow

patiently in their train for perhaps half-a-mile, half smothered in the

dust they raise, until the valley opens, and you are able to leave the

path, and get past them among the stones and scrub. These oxen are very

small, but extremely hardy. There is nothing for them in the way of forage

all the way up. All they have to eat are a few leaves from the bushes, and

such handfuls of grass as their masters may get for them by climbing the

sides of the hills, and yet they arrive at Senafe in good condition and

without signs of distress, with their skin smooth, and their eyes bright.

This accession of stores at Senafe is a great assistance. It is an

addition to our stock there, and it is a great relief to the transport

corps to be able to continue their regular work of forwarding regiments,

and stores for present consumption of man and beast. The transport train

is now doing its work very much better; but I shall have more remarks to

make upon them in my next. Brigadier-general Collings started yesterday to

take the command at Senafe, and I expect to find that very material

changes have, in consequence, taken place there. Brigadier-general

Schneider has arrived here, and will take the command at this

landing-place.

The great event of to-day is the arrival of Sir Robert Napier, whose ship,

her Majesty’s steam-ship Octavia, Captain Colin Campbell, was signalled as

about to enter the harbour early this morning. The anchor was dropped at

about half-past ten, and General Staveley and the heads of departments

went off at once to see him. He is to disembark this evening. As it is

war-time, there was no salute or demonstration upon the arrival of the

ship.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Zulla, Jan. 6th.

It is only after a ride or two round camp that one sees how very great are

the changes which have taken place in the last three weeks. I do not know

that anywhere in the world could more objects of various interest, more

life and movement and bustle, be found than in a couple of hours’ ride

through this camp. Start we from the head of the _bunder_—in England

called pier; but here everything has its Indian name. The _bunder_ has,

since I last wrote, been lengthened a few yards, and has been widened at

the end to a width of fifteen or twenty yards. On one side, too, wooden

piles have been driven down, so that the great landing barges can lie

safely alongside and discharge. It will be a great thing when it is

finished in the same way all round the pier-head. Not very pleasant are

one’s first steps upon Abyssinian soil, for the pier is made of great

rough pieces of rock and pumice-stone, painful to walk upon, and utterly

destructive to boots. In spite of this the pier-head is crowded. The hour

at which we start upon our ride is daybreak, and from daybreak until eight

o’clock bathing is allowed from the pier, as also from five to seven in

the evening. Here we have a number of figures, some dressing, some

undressing, some picking their way painfully over the stones to their

clothes, others in the act of plunging into the water, which is at high

tide seven feet deep. Around, the sea is dotted with heads, many of which

we recognise and address. Here is a quartermaster-general, there a colonel

of infantry, next to whom is a drummer-boy, and beyond a dozen privates.

There is no distinction of rank here. Everyone picks out the softest stone

he can find to sit upon, and cares nothing whether his next neighbour be a

general officer or a full private. We pick our way as well as we can

across this bit of rough ground and through the groups of bathers, and

then at ten yards from the head of the pier we come upon smoother ground.

Here is a line of rails, and the surface has been smoothed by spreading

sand over it, an improvement which has only been completed two or three

days since. Before, a walk down the bunder was certain destruction to any

but the most iron-shod pair of boots. By the side of the bunder, where the

rail commences, a large barge is lying. She has just come alongside, and

fifty or sixty mules and ponies, her cargo, are looking over her rail with

excited eyes and restless inquiring ears at the bustle on the quay, and at

this land, which, although they know it not, is destined to be the grave

of many of them. On the pier, awaiting their arrival, is one of the

indefatigable officers of the transport train. He has with him a couple of

men. A long gangway is laid from the barge, which is much higher than the

pier, down on to the stones; on this are thrown some gunny-bags, and then

the animals, some coming readily enough, others resisting strenuously,

snorting and struggling, are led down. As they reach the land their

head-ropes are tied together in fours, and they are sent off with their

drivers to wait at the end of the bunder until all are landed. It is not a

long operation. Ten minutes or so, and then an inspector takes them off,

first to the watering-troughs and then to the lines. Opposite the

landing-barge, on a vacant spot on the pier, a distilling apparatus is at

work. This machine, I believe, partly supplies the sailing-ships, and also

the wants of the fatigue-parties at work on the pier. Next to the barge

lie two native boats discharging stores, which a fatigue-party are loading

into the trucks, under the direction of the officers of the

quartermaster’s or commissariat departments. As soon as the trucks are

loaded, a party of Soumalis seize them and push them along the track to

the yard, shouting their universal chorus as they do so. Next to the

native craft unloading are a number of boats belonging to the ships in

harbour, and which are either supplied to one of the departments, or are

waiting while their skippers are on shore. On the opposite side of the

pier the water is more shallow, and boats never come in here, but it is by

no means empty at present, for there are a couple of hundred men bathing

all along—less adventurous spirits, who do not care for the plunge into

deep water, or for walking over pumice-stones with naked feet.

When we get to the end of the bunder we mount our horses, which our

gorrawallahs have been holding, and we follow the line of rails. As soon

as we are fairly ashore, we find great piles of stores lying by the rails.

These belong to the land transport stores. Hundreds of great cases, each

containing four Otago mule-saddles. Piles of Bombay pads and of

camel-saddles. Their other stores are sent up to their own lines, a

quarter of a mile farther; but the heavy saddles have not been sent there,

as the line has only been opened to that point during the last two days,

and it is much easier to bring the mules down and to saddle them here than

it is to take the heavy cases on farther. There is a saddling-party at

work now. It consists of a fatigue-party of artillery, directed by an

officer of the transport corps. A Chinese carpenter opens the cases. Two

of the men lift the contents out, and cut the lashings which secure each

separate article of the fittings together. Others stand round and fit the

saddles together—no easy task, for they are extremely complicated. This,

however, is not of so much consequence as it would otherwise be, for, once

put together, they do not require much subsequent unstrapping. Others then

put the saddles and bridles on to the mules, some of which object most

strongly to the operation, pull back violently, turn round and round as

fast as the man with the saddle approaches, and lash out with a steady

power which, exerted in any other way, would be highly satisfactory. In

vain the soldiers try to keep them steady. In vain pat, coax, strike, and

swear. In vain they strap up one of the fore-legs. Some of the beasts are

quite unmanageable, and are only subdued by strapping up a leg, and then

keeping them going round and round upon the other three until quite

exhausted. The cases of the saddlery are broken up, and spread out upon

the ground to pile bags of rice or grain upon—no unnecessary precaution,

for a high tide the other night wetted an immense quantity of hay, and the

stores have been since shifted farther inland. The engineers had

constructed a sort of sand-wall to prevent the recurrence of such an

event; but they calculated without their host. They fortified against the

enemy in front, but made no account of him in the rear. The consequence

was that in the heavy rain of Saturday night the water came rushing down

from behind, and being prevented flowing into the sea by this dam, again

created a small flood, but this time of fresh water, in the commissariat

yard. The commissariat yard when I was last here stood where the transport

yard now stands, but it is now shifted more to the left. The reason of

this was that the commissariat stores, the bundles of compressed hay and

the bags of rice and grain, are not too heavy to be carried ashore by the

natives, while the heavy cases of the transport corps necessarily were put

in the cars. The commissariat stores are therefore principally landed in

native boats, which come into three-foot water, and from which lines of

wading Soumalis bear them to land. The heavier stores, such as barrels of

rum and ghee, are of course landed on the bunder and brought up on the

trucks. Everywhere about the end of the pier is bustle. Here are a party

of Madras coolies moving stores. There are a hundred mules just starting

with provisions for the front. Here come a detachment of one of the

regiments to take charge of some of their baggage just being landed.

Everywhere an energetic officer of the various departments directing the

operations. We now ride on. Leaving the line of rails we turn to the

right, bearing gradually away from the sea. The first group of tents we

come upon are those of the officers of the land transport. They will not

be there long, however, for they have orders to shift over to the other

side, where the lines of their animals are five minutes’ walk away, and at

the extreme right of the camp. Did these officers’ duties lie principally

at their lines, there would be some reason for this; but as it is, they

are either on the bunder landing horses, or else saddling down by the

shore. The duties of looking after the animals in their lines have of

course to be generally supervised by an officer from each division, but

are under the charge of English inspectors, who are sergeants in cavalry

or line regiments. The lines, being to leeward of the camp, are constantly

enveloped in a cloud of blinding dust, so thick that one cannot see fifty

yards. To live in such an atmosphere is next to impossible, especially

when delicately scented by the odour of the three or four thousand mules,

ponies, and oxen, to say nothing of the native attendants close at hand.

The former spot where they were encamped was only five minutes’ walk

distant, and to insist upon these officers living and working close by

their lines is about as reasonable as an order would be for the officers

of the Life Guards to sleep in their stables. I am convinced that General

Schneider will have to revoke his order, for it will be simply impossible

to keep books or accounts in a dust which would be two inches thick in

five minutes upon everything; and although an officer’s comfort or health

may be a very trifling matter, anything which might be an obstacle to his

returning the necessary number of reports and statements will be certain

to be considered.(1) Riding through the transport officers’ lines, we come

upon a line of tents occupied by the medical staff. Then comes a gap, and

then we enter the lines of the European regiments, at present occupied by

portions of the 33d and 4th infantry and artillery. Its appearance bears

little resemblance to that presented by a regiment under canvas at home.

The tents are of an entirely different shape; they are single-poled tents,

and are perhaps fifteen feet square. They have canvas walls of nearly six

feet high, so that one can stand upright anywhere. Above the tent itself

is a cover, which extends over it and projects three feet beyond the

walls, making the tent double over the roof, and forming an awning around

it. About eight inches is left between the two roofs for the circulation

of air. These tents are in their way perfect, but they are extremely

heavy, and will be left here, and the troops will take up with them tents

known as native “routies”—I do not guarantee the spelling of this or any

other native word—which I shall describe hereafter. Not less than the

tents do the men differ from the European standard. The gray suits of

karkee—a sort of stout jean—and the ugly helmets of the same material,

look like anything rather than the garb of the British soldier. Then, too,

the arrangement of the camp looks unfamiliar, for the tents are placed far

asunder. This is necessitated by the great length of the ropes of the

tent. Here, too—strange sight in an English camp—interspersed among the

tents are queer bowers of shrubs, covered with gunny-bags, old sacks, and

other odds and ends. Round these bowers squat swarthy figures scantily

clothed. These are the camp-followers, the attendants on the British

soldier; these their abodes. These men draw his water, pitch his tents,

sweep out his camp—in fact, perform all the work which a soldier in

England does for himself. In India the soldier is a valuable animal. He is

valued at one hundred pounds, and is too costly to be risked by doing hard

work in the sun. He is kept for fighting only, and it is very right that

it should be so. It has been questioned whether it would not have been

better to have brought soldiers direct from England, who are accustomed to

rough it for themselves. There is much to be said upon the subject, to

which I shall some day revert, but at present I am inclined to think that

in this respect the authorities have judged rightly, for judging by the

102° which the thermometer marked here in the shade on New Year’s-day, we

shall have a more than Indian heat—that is, those down upon this plain

will—in the middle of summer, and although the heat in the interior will

probably be nothing to what it will be here, there can be no doubt that

the less men are exposed to it the better. But we must continue our ride.

Just behind the European lines, that is, between them and the sea, is a

line of tents, some of which are of large size, and by the side of one of

these the British ensign is flying. These are the tents of the

head-quarters staff. We turn our backs on this and gallop across the

European lines, that is, inland. There is an unoccupied space of perhaps

four hundred yards, and then we come upon a camp of quite different aspect

from the last. Here the tents are ranged in two lines, and are placed

quite close together, that is, with not more than three or four yards

between them. The neat and orderly appearance of these lines of tents

shows to all the greater advantage after the straggling look of the

European lines. These tents are routies. They are large double-poled

tents, single, but lined with blue bunting. The tents, like the English

bell-tents, reach nearly to the ground, with only a wall of about eighteen

inches in height. The opening is at one end, and extends from the pole

downwards. This is, for a climate like the present, a great drawback, for

the opening is very large and cannot be closed. In a hot climate this

would matter but little; but for a country with heavy dews and cold nights

in winter, and with heavy downpours in the rainy season, it is a very

serious disadvantage. Opposite the long line of the routies are the mess

and officers’ tents. There are two regiments camped in these lines, or,

more properly, portions of two regiments. The men on duty look more like

England than the European troops had done, for they are all in their

scarlet tunics and black trousers. It is only the headgear which is

different. The 3d Native Infantry have blue puggaries round their

forage-caps. The 25th Native Infantry have green. The 10th Native Infantry

wear white puggaries, and the Sappers and Miners black, and this acts as

an easily-distinguished mark between the various native regiments. They

all wear the regulation tunic and trousers, but vary the puggary or

cap-cover according to the taste of their commander. When I say they all

wear the British uniform, I mean that the old sepoy regiments do so. Some

of those who have only been admitted among the regular Indian army of late

years, such as the Beloochees, wear quite different uniforms. I have

omitted to state that in our ride between the 33d and Native Infantry

camps, we passed through some artillery; but these, as well as the sappers

and miners, and the ordnance commissary tents—which, with the telegraph,

railway, and other departments, are pitched near the line of railway—I

must reserve for another letter. We are only making a tour of the outside

of the camp upon the present occasion. Riding on through the native

infantry lines, and crossing a few hundred yards of open ground, we come

to the bazaar, which is on the main road to Koomaylo. The bazaar is

certainly not much to look at. Two or three dozen tents, composed of rough

poles covered with matting, constitute it. As there are no windows to any

of these establishments, it is unnecessary to state that there is no

display of goods. There is an open doorway through which any intending

purchaser enters, and asks for anything he desires. If it is kept there a

box is opened and the article produced, if not he goes into the next shop.

There is a guard of European soldiers at the entrance to the bazaar to

keep order, and their services are not unfrequently called into

requisition. During the last part of our ride we have fairly got into the

dust, which hangs over Zulla in a sort of lurid cloud, and entirely shuts

off all the view, even the nearest hills from the harbour. This dust is

terrible. It fills the eyes, mouth, and nostrils, and equals the dust on

the Champ de Mars in Paris, which I had hitherto considered unrivalled in

the world. Sometimes the wind blows steadily, and then there is one great

uniform swoop of dust; at other times it seems to lull for a while, and

then from three or four spots a straight column ascends, such as burning

piles of green wood upon a calm day might produce. These columns will

remain stationary for three or four minutes, and then move rapidly along,

and woe to the unfortunate tents over which they may pass, for they will

make a clean sweep of every light object, and will leave three inches deep

of sand on everything. In camp phraseology, these little whirlwinds are

called devils. Passing from the bazaar, still moving as before in the arc

of a circle, we come upon the railroad. The railroad has made far less

progress in the last month than anything else here has done; at this rate

it will not be near Koomaylo by next Christmas. I do not hesitate to say

that ten English navvies would have done very much more in the same time;

and as for the Army Works Corps, which we had in the Crimea, they would

have half-finished it to Koomaylo. But this delay is due to no want of

zeal on the part of those who have the direction of it, but simply a want

of method, and of materials, which are, no doubt, somewhere on board ship,

but cannot be got at. Just at this part we pass under some poles with a

fine copper wire extending between them. This is the telegraph, which in a

very short time will be open to Koomaylo, and thence will be pushed on in

a week or so, for the wire is at all the stations along the line of march;

and it would have been completed to Senafe by this time were it not that

the poles have not come to hand, from some reason or other.

We now are approaching the lines of the transport animals. This is the

most interesting sight in the whole camp. Here are long lines of ponies,

just arrived from Suez. Next to them are hundreds of mules of all nations

and breeds. Here are the cart-mules, and 200 light carts, to be drawn by

one or two animals, are ranged near them. Beyond them are the

baggage-mules, 600 in number. All of them have arrived during the last two

or three days; many of them have not yet been saddled, for the unpacking

and fitting together of the saddles is a long and tedious operation. Many

of the mules are not even branded. Beyond them, again, come the

draught-oxen, with their carts. They are the same beautiful white Brahmin

cattle which I saw at Bombay—enormous animals, as strong as camels and

quiet and docile as sheep. Near them are ranged their carts, which are of

altogether different construction from those for the mules. On the ground

under the feet of all these animals is scattered a thick layer of chopped

straw and hay, and their condition and state afford as strong a contrast

as can possibly be conceived to that of the famished, dying animals I

described in the letter I wrote upon landing a month since. This

extraordinary improvement must be assigned to the immense efforts which

all the officers of the Transport Corps have made, and especially to those

of Captain Twentyman, of the 18th Hussars, who during that period has been

in command. But even the exertion of all these officers would have been in

vain had it not been for the strong and cordial assistance which General

Staveley has given to Captain Twentyman. Every suggestion made by the

latter has been indorsed and ordered to be carried out by the general, who

is fully alive to the fact that the Transport Corps is the all-important

branch of the expedition. The animals are all picketed by their head-ropes

to long lines of picket-rope, but no heel-ropes are used. Certainly the

use of heel-ropes adds greatly to the uniformity of the appearance of

picketed animals, as they all retain the same distance from each other and

from the ropes, and there is also the advantage that they cannot kick each

other or any passer-by. On the other hand, it may be said that mules

seldom or never do set to and kick when picketed. I have seen no instance

of their so doing; and I understand from the transport officer that there

have been no cases of mules being injured by kicks received when picketed.

The advantages of their not having foot-ropes are that they have much

greater freedom of position. They can lie down, get up, and move across

the rope, and, in fact, stretch their tired limbs far better than they can

when they are confined by foot-ropes; and, lastly, the mules are not

accustomed to the ropes, and frequently get sore fetlocks from their use.

The balance of advantages is, then, in favour of allowing them to remain

picketed only by their head-ropes, especially as the fastening by the

heel-rope involves driving in pegs and loss of time in roping—matters of

importance when a train arrives late at night with drivers and animals

alike jaded and fatigued. The whole of the animals are now in fair working

condition, with the exception only of about 200 camels, which are out at

Hadoda, where they were sent to recruit, having arrived in too bad a

condition to be set to work. There were more sent out, but some have

returned to work, others have died—many of pure starvation, although there

were stores of grain lying at Weir, within two or three miles, literally

rotting. But the custom is not to give camels grain, but allow them to get

their livelihood by plucking a few leaves from the shrubs. It is not to be

wondered at, then, that the poor beasts gained no strength. This will now

be remedied, for Dr. Lamb, one of the veterinary surgeons of the Transport

Corps, has reported that they are dying of pure starvation; and I

understand that General Staveley at once ordered that grain should be

issued to them.

In my next letter I shall describe the organisation of the Transport

Corps; but at present we must continue our ride, which is now nearly over,

for we have almost completed our circle, and are again approaching the

sea-shore. We pass on our way some strange bower-like structures, whose

progress I have watched for the last few days with some curiosity. I first

saw three or four long lines of sand, which were carefully levelled, and

were four or five yards wide, and perhaps fifty yards long. By each side

of these lines of sand coolies were engaged sticking rods, about the same

length, but thinner, than hop-poles. I could not even guess the object of

these lines. Next day I found that poles had been stuck in across the

ends, and that at distances of four yards across partitions had been made.

Riding close, I saw that in the side row a gap was left as a doorway to

each of these partitions. The next day I found that thinner rods were

being fastened to the tops of the others—along which horizontal pieces had

been tied—and that these were being bent over and twined in the centre, so

as to form a bower. The mystery was now explained. These long rows of

poles were the framework for rows of huts; bushes are to be entwined

between them, and the whole, when finished, will accommodate, or rather

hold, five hundred of the commissariat coolies, for whom they are

destined. We now trot on to the watering-place. The last time I was here

it was one of the most painful sights I ever witnessed to see the animals

watered. They were formed in lines near the miserable little troughs, and

were with the greatest difficulty kept back until these were full. Half

maddened with thirst as they were, it was a service of real danger to

restrain them, and when they were allowed to rush forward it was too often

to find that there was scarcely a mouthful of water each. It was no wonder

that they screamed and struggled and fought. It was a battle for life, in

which the victors moved off unsatisfied, but with sufficient water to

enable them to live until the next scanty supply was issued, while the

vanquished dragged themselves away to die. Thank God this is over now.

There is plenty of water for all. I do not think an animal in this camp

has an insufficiency of water. The trough is long and wide, and the

animals advance on each side and drink as much as they desire. The times

for watering them is from six to eight in the morning, and from four to

six of an evening. A strong fatigue-party are present to pump the water

from the tank into the trough, and to keep order. They are ordered to

leave the trough full when they cease pumping, so that any animal which

may arrive late may not be deprived of its drink.

We have now only to ride along the shore for another 300 yards to arrive

at the commissariat stores on the left of the bunder, from which we

started. Here everything is excellently arranged and managed. The great

piles of stores are covered with tarpaulins and old sails to keep off the

rain; and as it was impossible to procure stones to form a foundation for

the sacks, and to keep them clear of the damp, broken-up packing-cases

were laid down first on the sand, then empty sacks, and then bales of hay

from Bombay, which is much more bulky and less valuable than the

compressed hay from England. No damage of any great extent can therefore

ensue from the heaviest flood. There are two very large wooden stores, in

which articles readily damageable by rain are housed; and there are two

very large framework buildings erected, which only require the corrugated

iron-plates.

Nearly opposite the commissariat a long wooden jetty is in course of

erection. It is already completed for a considerable distance; but the

water is so shallow, that it will have to be carried very much further out

before boats can come alongside to load.

We have now completed our circular ride round the camp; and I must leave

the camps and dépôts lying in the interior of the circle until another

occasion, for I have not yet touched upon the immediate news of the day.

General Napier landed yesterday morning at half-past seven. A guard of

honour of the 4th regiment was drawn up at the end of the pier, and the

various generals here, with their staffs, and the heads of the different

departments, received him. I had heard that he was going to land earlier,

and went down to the waterside just at daylight.

Everything was quiet then, and not a breath of wind ruffled the water.

Presently there was a sign of life in the men-of-war, the Octavia,

Serapis, and Argus. Men began to climb the rigging, and to fasten

man-lines above the yards. Then they came down again, and all was quiet on

board the men-of-war; but the merchant-vessels were now making a move, and

the native boats were putting off towards the ships they were told off to

discharge. In the mean time the guard of honour and the officers took

their places at the head of the bunder. Now a signal is run up to the

mast-head of the Octavia, and, as if by magic, a crowd of white figures

leap up the shrouds of the men-of-war, and run out upon the yards. Another

minute of silence, and then a boat with an awning pulls out from the

after-side of the Octavia, and a few seconds afterwards the thunder of her

guns tells us that the Chief of the invading army has left the ship. Three

minutes later the little guns of the mountain train proclaim that he has

landed; the band strikes up “God save the Queen,” the troops salute, and

Sir Robert Napier has taken command of the forces here.

After all, this is more a ceremony than a reality, for the General has

been ashore examining into all that was going on every day since he came

into harbour. There is a great feeling of satisfaction at his arrival, as,

in the first place, he is a most popular chief, and in the next, nothing

definite could be decided upon as to the movements of troops or on the

plan of the campaign until he arrived. The _on dit_ now is that no more

troops will be sent forward at present, but that the whole efforts of the

transport corps and commissariat will be devoted to accumulating a six

months’ stock of provisions at Senafe. The 33d have already gone on; but

it is now probable that no other regiment will move for another fortnight.

We have at last authentic news from the interior. A letter has arrived

from the prisoners, dated Dec. 15th (I can hardly understand how, at the

Shoho rate of travelling, it can have come so fast), in which they report

that the King of Shoa, who was besieging Magdala, and upon whose

assistance Colonel Merewether had built much, has retired from before the

place, and that it is now open to Theodore. This is certainly bad news.

Not that I have ever put the smallest trust in the assistance of any of

these kinglings. On the contrary, I think that the policy which has been

hitherto pursued with respect to the natives has been a mistake. We should

have never asked for alliance or friendship. We are perfectly strong

enough to go on by ourselves, and were we not it is certain that we could

place no reliance upon any professions of friendship. Why, then, make the

natives think we are weak by asking for allies? Say firmly to each king,

“We are going on through your country to fetch the prisoners beyond. We

are perfectly strong enough to do this, and anything beside which may be

necessary. We go through and return without making any stay. In your

country are many kings and many rivals. We need no assistance, and we know

that if we enter into alliance with one chief we gain the enmity of

another by so doing. We wish not, therefore, to enter into any alliance

whatever. We are friends passing through your country. We require stores,

cattle, &c., and we mean to have them; but we pay for everything we

require, and that at prices which the imagination of the herd-and

flock-owner of Abyssinia never before conceived even in his wildest

dreams.”

There are numerous rumours current in camp that the chiefs are forming an

alliance against us, and that they intend to put their forces in motion to

attack us. But of all this I cannot say that I believe one word. Nor do I

consider it a matter of importance one way or another, for if they do come

they will go away again at a vastly greater rate of speed than they

advance, and will be very much more civil afterwards. After the landing of

the Chief yesterday I went on board the Gomta, which has brought in

nineteen elephants from Bombay, in charge of Captain Annesley, of the Land

Transport Train. They all arrived in excellent condition, having been

perfectly well during the whole voyage, except for two days, when there

was a strong wind, which made them very unhappy. The debarkation was to

begin directly the Commander-in-chief had landed. Accordingly, a party of

sailors and marines came on board from the Octavia. The tackle had been

already fixed, and the barge was alongside. It had been at first proposed

that the animals should have been lowered over the ship’s side into the

water, and allowed to swim ashore; but the difficulty in relieving them of

the slings would have been so great that it was determined, at any rate,

to make the experiment with the barge. The animals were down in the hold,

which was amply high enough even for the largest of them. They were ranged

along on either side, with strong beams between each. They could lie down

or stand up as they pleased. The operation of landing them was

superintended by Captain Annesley, and by one of the officers of the

Octavia. Large blocks were attached to the mainyard, which was

strengthened by extra stays. One of the animals who was in the stall

immediately under the hatchway was selected for the first experiment. The

first difficulty consisted in getting the sling which was of the strongest

canvas, with strong ropes along each side, under him. It was laid down

upon the ground, and the mahout endeavoured to back the animal over it.

Again and again he got him into the right position, but the instant the

sailors pulled to the cords to lift up the sling the elephant made a rush

forward. At last Sergeant Evans, who is one of the first-class inspectors

in the transport train, succeeded in getting the sling under him in his

stall, and then getting on his back, backed him under the blocks, the

sailors keeping the sling in its place until they could get the hooks

fast. Even then all was not finished, for the alarmed elephant continued

trumpeting, and endeavouring to rush back to his stall. Sergeant Evans

managed to get the breast- and hind-ropes fast, and then all that remained

was for the men on deck to work the capstan. The fife struck up, and the

elephant, protesting strongly but uselessly, was gradually lifted off his

feet. Once in the air the great beast’s strength was useless, and he swung

an inert mass, except that as he went through the hatchway he got his

hind-feet against it, and pushed with so much force, that it was feared

for an instant that he would push himself head foremost out of the slings.

In another minute, however, he rose above the hatchway, and was now beyond

the possibility of doing himself or anyone else any harm. Up he rose,

higher and higher, and then he was swung clear of the bulwarks, and

lowered down into the barge. Here his mahout and attendant received him,

stroked his trunk, and soothed him, and he allowed his slings to be taken

off quietly, and stood quite tranquil until two more of his companions

were raised from the hold and lowered to his side. Thus far nothing could

be more satisfactory. Some of the others who landed later in the day gave

more trouble, and had it not been for Sergeant Evans there would have been

very great difficulty with them; but he is, without exception, the most

resolute and fearless fellow I ever saw at work. Had it not been for him

it is questionable whether the elephants would have been got on board at

Bombay on the day fixed for their embarkation, and he was raised from the

position of a third-class to that of a first-class inspector on the spot

for his gallantry.

When these animals were on the barge it was determined to disembark them

before lowering others down, in order to see whether they would walk on to

the pier. A steam launch accordingly took the barge in tow, and steamed

away to the landing-place. These little steam launches are the most handy

and useful things here; no matter how large the barge or how long the

string of laden boats, one of these little craft seizes upon it and rushes

off with it without the slightest difficulty. On arriving at the wharf I

saw at once that we should have a difficulty. The naval authorities who

had charge of the landing had entirely disregarded the nature and

instincts of the animals; and every child who has ever read anything at

all about an elephant has heard that these clumsy-looking animals can get

up and down the most difficult places, but that they have an invincible

objection to trusting themselves upon any platform or bridge, and can only

be induced to do so after many experiments as to its strength. The barge

was nearly four feet above the level of the pier, and as the sides of the

latter slanted somewhat, the side of the barge was distant about a foot

from the jetty. But an elephant would have got down this as easily as a

man would have done. Instead of allowing him to do this, some rails which

had been landed for the line were put from the shore to the barge, the

gangway used by the mules placed upon this, and the elephants were

required to walk down. They naturally objected, especially as they were

not allowed to pause and examine it, but were urged to walk straight on.

This they refused pointblank to do, in spite of the efforts of the mahout,

and the shoving and striking of the attendants behind them. They would not

advance, but lay down to express their determination. At last one of them,

on being forced close to the gangway, kneeled down, and with his head gave

the whole structure a push which moved it several inches. He then stood up

and walked away, having proved to his own satisfaction that we must be

fools to expect an animal his size to walk along such a rickety structure

as that. Still the heads of the debarkation were loth to give up their

favourite idea of a platform. The gangway was taken away, and the marines

and sailors brought rails and laid them tier on tier, gridiron-fashion,

and placed the gangway on that; and thus having formed a sort of step or

platform two feet high, they invited the elephants to step on to it. Again

the elephants positively declined, and everything was again tried except

patience, the one thing needed. Fortunately, just as the naval authorities

were variously discussing the necessity of again slinging the animals and

lowering them into the sea, to walk ashore, Captain Moore, interpreter to

the Commander-in-chief, appeared upon the scene. At his suggestion the

animals were allowed to approach quietly and to kneel down and inspect and

try the structure upon which they were to trust themselves; and in another

quarter of an hour they were all three safely landed.

An order of the day appeared yesterday thanking the pioneer force and

Colonel Field at Senafe for their efforts. There are many remarks down

here upon the fact that while the officers and men who marched up to

Senafe, and have passed a comparatively quiet and pleasant time up there,

have been thanked, there should be no word of praise for the men who have

been working almost night and day down here. If any praise was to be

given, it has certainly been earned by the men who have borne the heat and

burden of the bad times at Zulla. This morning the mountain-guns, made at

Woolwich, were out for practice. These guns have been fully described in

the columns of the English press, I need not therefore enter into any

details. The practice with shell was very fair, the little guns throwing

the shell, which are nearly half their own length, with great precision,

at 2000 yards. They appeared to me, however, to throw rather to the right.

The troops were also out at exercise, and an order has been issued that

all the regiments shall go for a march out every morning. This is as it

should be: it will keep the men in health, and prepare them, to a certain

extent, for the hard work they will probably have to go through when they

once start.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Zulla, January 19th.

This has been a week altogether barren of events. No move of any kind has

been made, or is at all likely to be made, for another fortnight at the

very earliest. The transport train is exclusively employed in taking

provisions to the front, and this is a very tedious process. The mules and

ponies carry nominally a burden of two hundred pounds each, the camels

four hundred pounds; but there are very few indeed of the former capable

of bearing their proper burden, and I think I may say not one of the

latter. Were an attempt to be made to load them to their full weight, the

result would be that one-third of the animals at least would break down in

the first two miles. A great number of animals are in hospital; but a

vastly-greater proportion are still able to perform a certain amount of

work, but nothing like their full quota. These are afflicted with coughs

and lung-affections, which will, sooner or later, bring them into

hospital, and thence to their graves, the victims of overwork, when in a

weakened state, from irregular and scanty supplies of food and water. The

transport train is at present so essentially the corps upon which the

movements of the army depend, that it will not be out of place if I

explain at some little length the constitution and duties of the corps and

its officers. The transport train is commanded by Major Warden, and is

divided into fourteen divisions, each of which, when complete, contains

two thousand animals and twelve hundred men, including drivers, farriers

and smiths, saddlers, &c. Each division is commanded by a captain, who has

two subalterns. He has four inspectors or sergeant-majors, two

second-class inspectors, sergeants; five third-class inspectors,

corporals—all European soldiers. He also has two second inspectors and

five third inspectors—natives; and one hundred native soldiers, who are

supposed to act as assistants.

It will be seen that each division is as strong as three cavalry

regiments; it is composed entirely of drivers collected hastily from all

parts, Egyptians, Arabs, Italians, Greeks, Hindoos, &c.—all men without

the smallest conception of military discipline; and to manage this vast

body of men and animals there are a captain and two officers, and eleven

white noncommissioned officers. Were each division stationary, or did it

move in a body together, the task would be comparatively easy; but it is

scattered over the pass, in convoys of from 200 down to little parties of

twos and fours, with officers’ baggage. The rules which have been drawn up

for the regulation of the corps are admirable on paper, but utterly

impracticable on service. Each native soldier is supposed to have control

over twelve drivers and twenty-five mules, and is himself amenable to a

head muccadum, or fourth inspector, he to a third, the third to the

second, &c. “Each man in charge of a squad is to see that every animal

brought in from duty is groomed, has the feet picked and cleaned, the

provender put before him, the back well sponged with hot water.” “The

saddles will invariably, when taken off the animals, be placed upside down

to dry, pads towards the sun, and afterwards neatly piled up with the

equipments affixed to each, in rear of each squad, dressing from the right

of the line.” All these, and many similar rules, are admirable in theory;

utterly impracticable in the field. A convoy arrives late at night. Its

first task is to unload, and then to place food before the animals, and to

water them if water is attainable; then drivers and animals lie down alike

exhausted, and grooming, picking feet, and arranging equipments, dressing

from the right, are alike unheeded. The officers of this corps have an

almost impossible amount of work to get through. They are supposed to see

their animals watered, to parade those which have to start, to see them

fed, to see them groomed, to examine their backs, to see that the numerous

convoys start at the right time, to look after the polyglot variety of

drivers, most of them speaking Arabic, and other unknown tongues. Then

they have to look after the native soldiers, to send in reports

innumerable, and to keep office-books; they have to perform quartermaster

duties and paymaster duties; they have the pay-sheets, family-payment

rolls, returns of stores, equipments, defaulter-sheets, &c. to make out

with their own hands, unless they take one of the few European inspectors

from his work to act as clerk. “They are further responsible for the good

order and condition of the cattle, and the due preservation and

completeness of their equipments, and must see that each individual

soldier, noncommissioned officer and inspector, does his work.” In

addition to all this, at present they have to be on the pier, seeing the

animals landed, and to inspect the putting together and fittings of the

saddles and equipments, and the issue of warm clothing to the drivers.

This is a slight sketch of the duties which these three officers have to

perform for 2000 animals and 1200 men, with half-a-dozen European

noncommissioned officers to assist them. The inspectors, too, have been in

many cases selected by the officers commanding regiments, without the

slightest reference to their acquirements. Very many of them can hardly

speak a word of Hindoostanee, and are of course perfectly useless. All

this greatly augments the labour and difficulty of the officer. To say

that these last are at work from morning to night is nothing. It is one

incessant round of toil, from five in the morning till seven at night, and

then reports and accounts. If the officers could but do their work their

own way, each for his own division, they would do it—roughly perhaps, but

effectually; but it is this constant demand for reports, and the changes

which are constantly being made in the arrangements, which make the work

far too much to be got through. The great mistake which was committed was

the sending any Hindoo inspectors and soldiers unless all, or at any rate

the greater part, of the drivers had been also Hindoo. Hindoo drivers

would have obeyed Hindoo inspectors and soldiers; the Arabs and Egyptians,

who form the great proportion of the drivers, laugh in their faces. A

Hindoo, too, is not an inventive man—give him his orders, be quite sure

that he understands them, and he will carry them out as long as all goes

straight; but he is a very helpless man if things go wrong. These

mule-drivers are the most utterly reckless of men. If a mule breaks down,

they leave him and his load upon the road. If one breaks down in a narrow

spot they will be a good hour before they come to the resolution to pull

him out of the way and continue their journey. If a cart-wheel gives out,

there it may lie. If an animal has a sore back, or has the disease, or any

other malady, it will never occur to them to say a word about it until he

falls helpless. Altogether, the drivers of the train are a very reckless

lot, who essentially want looking after. The pay offered to the inspectors

of the different classes is very good, and there would have been no

difficulty in obtaining volunteers from English regiments throughout

India, it being of course made a _sine quâ non_ that they should have had

some colloquial knowledge of Hindoostanee. There should have been at least

fifty to each division, and then no convoy of over twenty mules would ever

have gone out without a European to look after them. If one of the animals

had been ill or lame the inspector would report it; if a mule dropped he

would see that the burden was divided among the others; if a wheel had

broken he would make some shift or other to patch it up. He should have

carried side-arms, and would have seen that the animals kept together

without straggling, and would have prevented any looting on the part of

the natives. In fact, he would have saved his pay twenty times over. It is

this utter recklessness on the part of the drivers which has contributed

largely to the great mortality among the animals. They will work the poor

beasts with the most terrific sore backs, until in their agony they can go

no further; then they will turn them loose and steal another from the

lines, so that the veterinary surgeons only find out that animals are ill

when they are utterly beyond work. Were sore backs, lameness, and disease

only reported at the right time, a few days’ rest and a little care would

set most of the animals up; now, frequently the first intimation is

received from someone who, riding along, has seen the poor beast lying

down by the roadside dying.

There has been great discontent excited among these hard-worked officers

of the transport train—some of whom have been at work in Egypt or India

since August last; others of whom have borne the brunt of the worst time

here—at the introduction of a number of other officers over their heads.

The corps was constituted as a corps some months since, and the officers

have been placed according to their regimental rank. According to all rule

and precedent, every officer gazetted to the corps after that would hold

rank—that is, local rank—according to the date of his gazetting into the

corps. Instead of this, they have been placed according to their date of

commission as captain, consequently the whole of the captains who have

been at work here from the landing of the expedition—who have borne the

toil and anxiety from the first—find two or three officers placed over

their heads, and, in fact, if this procedure continue, will at the end of

the campaign be six or seven lower on the list than they were before. This

is the more inexcusable, as fourteen divisions were to be formed, and

fourteen captains were gazetted, thus making the corps complete; and each

man hoped, and had a right to expect, to have a division. Indeed, at first

even the authorities recognised this; and these captains, who wished to

come out to Abyssinia, but could obtain no other appointment, were

gazetted as subalterns in the transport train; and as this was subsequent

to the gazette forming the corps, it was naturally supposed by the other

officers that they came in as junior of that rank. When, however, the

first vacancy occurred in the captains, instead of the senior lieutenant

obtaining promotion as he expected, one of these captain-subalterns was

promoted to the vacancy; and, as he was an old captain, he actually not

only jumped over the heads of all the subalterns, but over those of every

captain who was here when he landed, and thus become second in command of

the transport train. Since then other appointments have been made, and the

original captains at present find themselves going gradually down instead

of rising in their corps. This, after such work as they have gone through,

is not a little hard, and is, I believe, quite without precedent in the

service.

The arrangements for the position of the divisions have been so frequently

altered during the past fortnight that I am quite unable to say where they

are now posted. It was originally arranged by Captain Twentyman—at the

time he was in command—that each division should have one station, and

pass the stores from station to station. This was afterwards entirely

altered, and it was ordered that each division should work from Koomaylo

up to Senafe, and a captain was sent up to send the animals down for the

purpose. Forty-eight hours afterwards another captain was despatched to

entirely countermand these orders, and to make perfectly fresh

arrangements, and these again have been altered during the last day or

two. I need not say that these constant and needless changes add very

greatly to the difficulties with which the officers of the train have to

struggle. At present the stores from here to Koomaylo are carried by

camels, and thence taken up by mules, oxen, and ponies from station to

station.

Strangely enough, the through system, as it was called—that is, the

sending animals right on for days with the same loads—was persevered in to

the very end of the campaign, although it could be mathematically proved

that the relay system was in every respect greatly superior. Captain

Ellis, of the transport train, sent in a table to the authorities, which

proved conclusively that the same number of mules would carry one-sixth

more goods in a given time by the “relay” system than by the “through.”

But the other advantages were even greater; an officer stationed at any

given place had the men and animals of his division always under his eye.

He would get to know both man and beast; he would soon find out which men

did their work and which failed in it. The drivers and mules would each

have its allotted place, and an infinity of confusion would be avoided;

the arrangements for drawing forage for the animals, and food for the men,

for cooking, &c. would have all been simple and practicable. Indeed, in

every single respect, the relay system possesses immense advantages. It

could not, of course, have been adopted beyond Antalo, but the saving of

labour and life, the increase of efficiency, regularity, and discipline,

from its introduction between Zulla and Antalo, would have been enormous.

I am unable to say how many animals are at present at work—probably nine

or ten thousand, and this number, devoted entirely to the conveyance of

commissariat stores as they are at present, would carry really large

amounts forward, were it not that they carry their own forage, and were

they of proper strength; but unfortunately a very large number of them

have lung-disease, brought on by insufficient and irregular water and

food. The number in hospital is terrible. There are at present about 700

mules and 700 camels in hospital, and the deaths are over 200 a-week. This

is a terrible mortality; but were all the others in good working order, it

would matter comparatively little; the worst is, that very many are

poorly, and will fill the hospital ranks far quicker than death or

discharge empty them. There are nominally ten veterinary surgeons to the

force under Veterinary Surgeon Lamb, an officer of great experience; only

five of the ten have arrived, and these are terribly overworked, as they

have no staff, and have to inspect, prescribe, and administer medicines

themselves. No time should be lost in filling up the ranks of the

veterinary surgeons, and in giving them assistance, for when the numbers

are complete they will have at least 100 such animals each to attend to,

and these not trifling cases, but terrible sore backs, the last stages of

lung-disease, and the local plague. The authorities appear to have thought

the lives of the native drivers, officers, and non-commissioned officers,

of no consequence whatever, for although there will be 280 Europeans and

18,000 native drivers when the corps is complete, there is not a single

surgeon appointed for them! And this although the great part of the force

will be stationed at small stations along the road, at which there will be

no troops whatever, and of course no medical officer. The men are very

liable to broken limbs and injuries from the kicks of the animals, and to

illness from hardship and exposure; and yet to this numerous body of men,

nearly equalling in number the whole of the rest of the expedition, there

has not been a single medical man appointed!

The animals which appear to support the hard work and irregular food with

the least deterioration are the bullocks. Of these a very small number

indeed have been ill, and the deaths amount to only one or two weekly.

They look in really good condition, and perform their work admirably.

Indeed, the greater part of the mules and ponies look in fair condition,

and they have certainly no lack of food, except at the up-stations. Very

great credit is due to the commissariat department, who have done very

well, and against whom one never hears a complaint. Since the first

landing they have had an abundance of stores for the men; and no instance

has, as far as I have heard, occurred of men being unable to obtain their

proper rations. The Commander-in-chief is making every effort to

strengthen the transport train, and has gazetted a number of unattached

subalterns for it. He has also, I believe, applied to the native regiments

here for volunteers for that corps; among the subalterns, I hear, there

have been few, if any, answers in the affirmative. I understand that the

European regiments have also been applied to for volunteers among the

noncommissioned officers and men, to act as inspectors in the train. Among

these, as among the officers, I hear the appeal has not been responded to.

The work of the train is tremendously hard; and men fancy, and perhaps

with reason, that they have less chance of going forward to the front in

the train than they would have in their own regiments. There would have

been no difficulty originally in obtaining any number of men from the

regiments not coming to Abyssinia, as men would have volunteered for the

very reason that makes the men here refuse to do so—namely, that they

wished to see the war; in addition to which, as I have said, the pay in

the train is really very good.

But, after all, what is most required by the transport train is a

commanding officer of far higher rank than a major. The transport train

is, as I have shown, a collection of fourteen divisions, each as numerous

as three cavalry regiments, the whole equalling in men alone the rest of

the expedition. To command this immense corps a brigadier-general of

energy and standing should have been selected—a man who would see the work

done, and at the same time insist on being allowed to carry out his plans

in his own way, without interference from others. As it is, everyone has

advice to offer to the transport train, and, while throwing the blame of

everything that goes wrong upon their shoulders, men do little to assist

them; think nothing of sending for transport animals, and then keep them

waiting for hours; start at times which render it impossible that the

animals can be watered; send in their requisitions at all sorts of odd

times; and, in fact, show no regard whatever for anything but their

personal convenience. Major Warden does his best, and works indefatigably;

but it requires an officer of much higher rank and of great firmness and

decision. The present would be a great chance for an officer to make

himself a name. To have successfully managed so enormous a corps as the

transport train under such extreme difficulties as have already, and will

in future visit it, would be a feather in the cap of the most

distinguished officer.

It is a moot question, whether it would not have been far better to have

done here as in India—namely, to put the transport train under the

commissariat; and the overwhelming majority of opinion is, that this would

have been a very preferable course. In the first place, the commissariat

have no responsibility whatever. They have simply to hand over at Zulla so

many thousand bags of rice, sugar, biscuit, &c., and to say to them,

“Deliver them in certain proportions at such and such stations along the

road.” This done, their responsibility ceases. If there is a deficiency

anywhere, they have only to say, “We handed over the stores at Zulla in

ample time, and if they have not arrived it is no fault of ours.” I cannot

but think that it would be far better for the commissariat to have a

transport train of their own. In India they have proved over and over

again that they are capable of carrying out their transport arrangements

admirably. During the mutiny there was hardly a case occurred where the

commissariat did not manage to have the food up ready for the men at the

end of the day’s march. For the conveyance of military stores and baggage,

the transport train should be perfectly distinct from that of the

commissariat. So many mules and drivers should be told off to each

regiment, and that regiment should be responsible for them. One of the

officers and a sergeant or two would be told off to look after them, and

see that they were properly fed, watered, and looked after. The

transport-train officer with the division would be in charge of spare

mules, and exchange them when required for regimental mules which might

have fallen sick by the way; in addition to which, a certain proportion of

spare mules for casualties might be handed to each regiment. In case of a

halt of a few days only, the mules would remain in charge of the troops;

but if the halt were likely to be prolonged, the mules would be handed

over to the transport officer, and by him used to assist the commissariat,

or upon any duty for which they might be required.(2)

The elephants have been handed over to the commissariat train. They walk

backwards and forwards between this place and Koomaylo, and take large

quantities of stores forward. The natives are never tired of watching the

huge beasts at their work, and wondering at their obedience to us. This

astonishes them, indeed, more than anything they have seen of us, with the

exception of our condensing water from the sea. One of them was speaking

the other day to an officer, who is thoroughly acquainted with Arabic.

“You say you are Christians,” the Shoho said; “this cannot be, for you

wear no blue cords round your necks. You are sons of Sheitan. You are more

powerful than the afrits of old. They could move mountains, and fly across

the air, but they could never drink from the sea, they could never change

salt-water into fresh. You must be sons of Sheitan.”

No troops have gone forward this week, with the exception of two companies

of the 25th Native Infantry, who have gone out to Koomaylo to furnish

guards and fatigue-parties there. No troops have landed, with the

exception of considerable numbers of the Scinde Horse. I was anxious to

see this regiment, which I have seen highly praised in books, but which

Indian officers with whom I have conversed on the subject have generally

spoken of in terms the reverse of complimentary. I confess that their

appearance is not imposing. The men are dressed in long green frock-coats,

green trousers, black belts, and sabretasches, red sash round waist, and

red turban. A picturesque uniform in itself; but the long coat has a

clumsy effect on horseback. Their horses are, without exception, the very

ugliest set of animals I ever set eyes on. A greater contrast between

these men and horses and the smart 3d Cavalry at Senafe could hardly be

conceived; and yet the men individually are a fine set of fellows, indeed

are almost too heavy for cavalry. The great point which has always been

urged in favour of the Scinde Horse is, that they carry their own baggage,

and are independent of commissariat or transport train. This is, of

course, a most valuable quality; and in India, where forage and provisions

are purchased readily enough, it is probable that the regiment may be able

to move about to a great extent on its own resources. Here it is

altogether different, and the regiment have indented upon the transport

train for just as many baggage-animals as other cavalry corps would

require. The only use of the herds of ponies which they have brought with

them is, to carry very large kits for the men’s use—a matter of no

advantage whatever to the public service, and, on the contrary, involving

great expense, as these ponies were brought from India at the public

expense, and have now to be fed and watered. I shall probably have to

return to this subject during the campaign, as this system is one which

has been strongly advocated and as strongly attacked among Indian

officers. The railway continues to creep forward, and the first engine

made a trial trip to-day upon it. Although there is little more to do than

to lay the sleepers into the sand and to affix the rails, there is at

present only a mile complete. One dry watercourse has been crossed, and

here iron girders have been laid; but these nullahs should be no obstacle

whatever to the progress of the work, as parties ought to be sent forward

to get the little bridges, or any small cuttings there may be, finished in

readiness, so that no pause may be occasioned in the laying the line. The

country, with the exception of these little dry watercourses, which are

from three to five feet deep, is perfectly flat; and the railway might, at

any rate, be temporarily laid down with great ease and rapidity,

especially with such a number of men as are employed upon it. As the work

is being carried on at present without either method or plan or judgment,

it is impossible even to predict when it will be finished to Koomaylo.

It is a great pity that the matter was not put into the hands of a regular

railway contractor, who would have brought his plant, gangers, and

plate-layers from England, _viâ_ Egypt, in three weeks from the date of

signing the contract, and who would, with native labour, have had the line

open to Koomaylo, if not to Sooro, ere this. I am not blaming the engineer

officers who are in charge of the railway. They exert themselves to the

utmost, and have no assistance in the way of practical gangers and

platelayers, and have neither tools nor conveniences of any kind. Indeed,

the actual laying down of a line can hardly be considered engineers’ work.

An engineer makes the surveys and plans, and sees that the bridges, &c.,

are built of proper materials; but he is not a professed railway-maker,

and is ill-calculated to direct a number of natives, who neither

understand his language nor have a conception of what he is aiming at. It

needed a body of thorough navvies, a couple of hundred strong, such as we

had in the Crimea, to show the natives what to do, and to do the

platelaying and skilled portion of the work themselves. When I say the

railway has been, and will be, of no use to the advancing expedition, I of

course except the line of rails down upon the pier and up to the stores,

as this has been of the very greatest utility.(3)

The photographing party are up the pass, and have executed some excellent

views of the gorge. The engineers have succeeded in sinking pumps at

Guinea-fowl Plain, or, as it is now called, Undel Wells, and have got a

plentiful supply of good water. This is most important and gratifying

news. The journey from Sooro to Rayray Guddy, thirty miles, without water,

was the trying part of the journey forward, and if the animals could speak

not a few of them would lay their illnesses to that long and distressing

journey. It is true that there was generally a little water to be had at

the old well, but this was so deep and so difficult to get at, that,

although a party of three or four animals could be watered there, it was

quite impossible that a largo convoy could be watered. Now a large dépôt

of provisions and forage will be established there, and the journey will

henceforth be divided into five day’s marches, of nearly equal length.

Fresh animals arrive here every day, and the amount of stores of every

description which is poured on shore is really surprising. Nothing could

work better or more evenly than do all the departments here. There is no

confusion of any sort, and the issue of rations and stores, and the

general arrangements, work as smoothly as at Aldershot. The military bands

play morning and evening, and all is as quiet and according to rule as if

we had been six months and intended to stay six months more upon this

plain, twenty-four hours’ sojourn upon which was declared by our prophets

of evil to be fatal to a European. The only thing in which we differ from

a stationary camp is that there are no parades. Everyone is at work upon

fatigue-duty. Every available man is ordered off to some work or other,

and as we have with pioneers, coolies, hired natives, and soldiers, four

or five thousand men here, we really ought to make considerable progress

with our railway, which is now the only work of importance, with the

exception of the wooden commissariat jetty, and the never-ending task of

receiving and landing stores. Up to three days ago there was a piece of

work in progress which was a great joke in camp. I mentioned in a former

letter that the commissariat stores having been flooded, the engineers

built a dam which was intended to keep out the sea, but which on the first

heavy rain kept in the water and caused a fresh-water flood instead of a

salt one. Colonel Wilkins then resolved upon a work on a large scale; on

so large a scale, indeed, that there were reports through the camp that

“he had determined on raising the whole African coast three feet,” while

others more moderate denied the exactness of this, and said that he was

merely “seized with a desire to show the Bombay people how reclamations

from the sea ought to be carried out.” The last report was nearer to the

truth than the first, for his intention was to raise the shore from one

jetty to another, a distance of about 400 yards, the shore to be raised

being thirty or forty yards in width, and needing three feet of additional

height at the very least. The material to be used was sand. Accordingly,

about a thousand men worked for a week with baskets at what their officers

called mudlarking, and had not the sea fortunately interposed, they might

have worked for another six months longer, with the certain result that

the very first time a high tide, accompanied by wind, set in the work

would altogether disappear; sand having—as most children who have built

castles upon the Ramsgate sands are perfectly aware—an awkward knack of

melting away when beaten upon by the sea. Fortunately, before more was

done than making a sort of bank next to the sea, and when the labour of

filling the whole shore behind this to the same level began to be apparent

even to the most obstinate, the sea rose, came over the dam, covered the

low ground behind three feet deep, entered the commissariat stores, and,

as it could not escape, did considerably more damage than it would have

done had the shore remained as it was before the labour of a thousand men

for a week was expended upon it.

The rainy season, like most other things connected with Abyssinia, has

turned out a myth. It was to have come in November, then it was postponed

to December, then the 1st of January was named as the latest time, and

yet, with the exception of one heavy shower, we have had no rain whatever.

The dust is blowing again in perfect clouds. We taste it in all we eat and

in all we drink. Grit is perpetually between our teeth. As for our hair,

what with sea-bathing and what with dust it is approaching fast to the

appearance of a hedgehog’s back. Were it not for the evening bathe I do

not know how we should get on. A great improvement has been effected in

this respect during the last ten days. The end of the pier is now kept for

officers only, the rest being devoted to the men. This is a great boon,

and makes the end of the pier quite a pleasant place of assembly of an

evening. Everyone is there, and everyone knows everyone else, so that it

forms the grand rendezvous of the day. Our meeting-room is the sea, our

toilet strict undress. I only wish that the water we use internally were

as pleasant as the salt-water is for bathing, but the fact is, it is

almost undrinkable. Why it is so no one seems to know; but there is no

question as to the fact. It is extremely salt, and has a strong earthy

taste in addition, and occasionally a disagreeable smell. Why it should be

salt I know not, but can only suppose that the condensers are worked too

hard, and that salt-water goes over with the steam. The earthy flavour and

unpleasant smell which it sometimes has I attribute to the fact that the

water which comes on shore from the ships must be bad. I have smelt

exactly the same odour in water on board ship. The bad taste is so strong

that it cannot be disguised or overpowered by the strongest admixture of

spirits. By far the best water here is made by the condenser at the head

of the pier, and this is served out to the European regiments, who are

camped rather nearer to it than the native regiments are. Filters remove

to a certain extent the earthy taste, but they do not alter the saline. A

more serious matter even than the badness of the water is the fact that

the supply has several times within the last ten days been insufficient,

and hundreds of animals have had to go to their work in the morning, or to

their beds at night, without a drop of water. It is this which lays the

foundation of the lung-diseases, fills our hospitals with sick animals, to

say nothing of the suffering caused to them. When the Scinde Horse, with

their numerous baggage-animals, have moved forward, it is to be hoped that

the naval authorities will be able to supply a sufficiency of drinkable

water for the rest of the camp. The party of engineers have just begun a

work which, when completed, will enable a much larger amount of stores to

be landed daily than can at present be accomplished. They are driving

piles so as to lengthen the pier some twenty or thirty yards, and to form

a pier-head, on all sides of which lighters and boats can lie alongside to

unload instead of only at one side, as at present. The commissariat wharf

is also making considerable progress, and when this and the new pier-head

are completed, the amount of stores which can be daily landed will be very

large. As it is, it is wonderful what immense quantities of stores are

landed and sent up the pier in the trucks by the commissariat,

quartermaster, transport train, and engineer departments. Many hands make

light work, and there is abundance of labour here, and a boat comes

alongside, and its contents are emptied and placed upon a railway-truck in

a very few minutes. Were a double line laid down the pier—which was

specially built for it—and two or three connections or crossings laid

down, so that full trucks could go out, and empty ones come in without

waiting for each other, the capacity of the pier would be vastly greater

than it is. Why this is not done no one seems to know. With the abundance

of labour at hand it might be made in a day without interfering with the

working of the present line. A great improvement has taken place in the

conveyance of the post between this and Senafe. Ponies are in readiness at

the various stations, and the mails are taken up in two days. Things are

in fact getting into order in all the branches of the service, and with

the exception of the water-supply and the ridiculously-slow progress of

the railway, there is little to be wished for. The Punjaub Pioneers, whose

arrival I mentioned in my last letter, are an uncommonly fine body of men.

Their loose cotton dress and dark claret-brown turbans, and their picks

and shovels slung across their shoulders, in addition to their arms and

accoutrements, give them the appearance of a corps ready for any work; and

this they have quite borne out. They have brought a number of ponies with

them, and are fit for any service. The corps which have thus far arrived

from Bengal and Madras have certainly done very great credit to these

Presidencies, and make it a matter of regret that Bombay should have

endeavoured to keep as far as possible the monopoly of an immense

expedition like the present in her own hands. The Lahore division of the

mule-train arrived here in the most perfect order. The saddles,

accoutrements, &c., arrived with the mules, together with the proper

complement of drivers, complete with warm clothing, &c. This division were

therefore ready to take their load and to march up the very day after

their landing, without the slightest confusion or delay. Of course the

animals from Egypt and the Mediterranean could not arrive in this state of

order, but there was no reason whatever why the Bombay division should not

have arrived in a state of complete efficiency, instead of the animals

coming by one ship, the drivers in another, the officers and inspectors in

a third, and the accoutrements and clothing scattered over a whole fleet.

Madras, too, has done well, although her contingent is a very small one.

The Madras Sappers and Miners have greatly distinguished themselves, and

the Madras dhoolie corps, which was raised and organised by Captain Smith,

of the commissariat, has turned out of the very greatest utility. They

have worked admirably, and have been quite willing to do any work to which

they were set, however foreign it might be to the purpose for which they

were engaged. Numbers of them have been transferred to the transport

train; and, indeed, so useful has the corps proved, that orders have been

sent to Madras for another of equal strength.

We had quite a pretty sight here the other night. The Pacha on board the

Turkish frigate, which with two small consorts is lying in the harbour,

invited Sir Robert Napier and the other generals, with their respective

staffs, and the commanding officers of regiments and departments, to

dinner. The frigate was illuminated with hundreds of lanterns hung along

her shrouds and yards. The dinner was spread on the quarter-deck, which

had awnings both roof and sides, so that it formed a perfect tent. The

dinner was very good, and the fittings and ornaments of the table

admirable. The sight, to men who had been for the last month eating off

pewter and drinking out of tin cups, of a pile of porcelain plates, which

were evidently some of Minton’s or Copeland’s best work, would be almost

tantalising, and the dinner was enjoyed proportionately to its being so

exceptional a circumstance. There was no making of speeches or drinking of

healths, but the men-of-war and other boats as they left the frigate with

their guests gave a hearty cheer to the Pacha for his hospitality. There

is still a great want of boats in the harbour, and it is most difficult to

get out to a ship to see a friend or to buy stores. Many of the ships are

not unloading, and the men have nothing to do. It would be an excellent

plan to authorise some of these vessels to send boats to shore to ply for

hire, at a regular tariff. The men would like it, as they would gain good

pay, and it would be a great boon to us on shore.

There is no news from the front, with the exception of that brought in

just as the last mail was leaving, namely, that Theodore was moving

towards Magdala, and that the Waagshum with his army was watching him. As

Waagshum had neither the force nor the courage to hold the passes between

Debra Tabor and Magdala—which, according to all accounts, a hundred men

might easily hold against a thousand similarly armed—I do not think that

the news that he was watching Theodore was of any more importance than if

it had been “a troop of baboons are watching Theodore.” I have not the

least faith in these barbarian allies of ours. They will do nothing, and

will demand great presents for it. Except that it amuses our “political

agent,” I do not see that the slightest possible utility can come from

these native chiefs. The only king of any real importance is the King of

Tigre, upon whose territory we are already encamped at Senafe. I hear that

the purport of the message brought in by the ambassador or envoy who

arrived before Christmas was to request that an envoy might be sent to him

to enter into negotiations, and to arrange for a meeting between himself

and the Commander-in-chief. In consequence, Major Grant, of Nile

celebrity, goes forward to-morrow, with Mr. Munzinger, our consul at

Massowah, who acts as political adviser and interpreter. They will, I

understand, go on from Senafe with a small guard of eight or ten cavalry.

They will call upon the King of Tigre as official envoys, and will assure

him of our friendship, and inform him that Sir Robert Napier is anxious to

see him, and will meet him at Attegrat in a short time. I have now

finished the news of the week, with the exception only of an adventure

which befell Captain Pottinger, of the quartermaster’s department. He was

ordered to reconnoitre the passes leading from Senafe down to the head of

Annesley Bay. He started with eight men, and had proceeded about forty

miles when he was met by a party of armed Shohos, 100 strong. They ordered

him to return to Senafe under pain of an instant attack. Of course Captain

Pottinger, with his eight men, would have had no difficulty in defeating

the 100 Shohos, but had blood been shed serious complications might have

ensued, and he very wisely determined that it would be better to retire,

as his mission was not one of extreme importance. This little affair is of

itself of no consequence, but is worth notice as being the first time

since our arrival here that the natives have in any way interfered with an

armed force, however small. In my next letter I hope to be able to speak

of at least a probability of a forward movement.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Zulla, January 22d.