THE ABYSINNIAN EXPEDITION.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 548, 3 February 1868, Page 4

THE ABYSINNIAN EXPEDITION.

The Home News, of the S6th Nov., has the \ following:— Campaigning in the country of King ] Theodore has begun in earnest. Telegra- < phic despatches from Alexandria report ( that the first brigade has landed at Zoulia, ( in Annesloy Bay. The arrival of sue | cessive detachments must have been con- ; tinued, and probably part of the army ] has already been pushed up into the moun- ; tains. i The advanced brigade of the Abyssinian 1 expedition comprises the 3rd Bombay, Ir- ’ regular Cavalry, the 10th Native Infantry, ! two companies of native Sappers, 453 i men of the Land Transport Corps, one : mountain battery, 467 horses and 458 mules. 1 The Overland Mail brings advices from Bombay, to Oct. 29. In the second edition of the Bombay Gazette we find tile following intelligence regarding the pioneer force to Abyssinia:— By the courtesy of Sir Robert Napier we are enabled to publish the substance of the official intelligence received by his excellency from the quarter master-aeneral of the army who accompanied the pioneer force which left Bombay on September 15, and reached Zoulia, Anneslcy Bay, on Oct. 4. The report of the quarter-master-general is generally satisfactory, and it states that tho landing-place selected is near Adulis, in Aunesley Bay. At this point the shore ' shelves gently, but there is good anchorage at a distance of 600 or 700 yards from the shore. About a mile from the shore is the only watering place on the coast, named Mulkutta; and though now at the end of 1 the dry season, the rupply is sufficient. At! , that spot the people of Adulis get water, and there are some thousands of cattle at the coast, which are all watered at Mulkut^a. The fongo of the district is dried up, ! but tho cattle are fed on it, and look sleek ■ and well. The people state that six weeks 1 after tho rains the grass is luxuriant. , About sixteen miles inland there is an abun--1 dant supply of water in the Waa River. . The intervening country is passablo for I carts. The soil nearer the shore is alluvial, . but becaraes stony as the lower hills i from which the river Waa emerges are ap- ; proached. Colonel Phyre had already lined out 1 seven miles of the road during his first two ' or three days on shore, and expected to * reduce tho distance to the Waa River to 14 L miles.

There are two openings in the lower lulls by which the higher land could bo approached. The reconnoitring party considered the spot selected for landing as the best on the coast, and far superior to Massowah, there being no water within seven miles of Massowah. The reconnoitring party purposed to move forward to the Waa River merely to allow the expected advanced guard the advantage of the watering-place, and to give a more extended reconnoissance. A well had been sunk, but the water became more brackish the deeper they got. The beds of the streams, however, afford sweet water. News from Tulla to the 19th November has been received by way of Point de Galle. The reconnoitring force reports favorably of the country. The sanitary condition of the army was excellent; it was to march on the Ist December. Splendid roads were being pushed in all direc tions. In the south ths road is selected by the Soorool Pass, which is o? easy ascent. News of the captives c*me down to the 28th Got. Theodoras was believed to be at Debra. The country was fearfully disorganized, the insurrection extending, and over 100 villages had placed themselves under the protection of the British. 4000 Egyptian troops, under Gen. Arry, had arrived at Massowah; their object was unknown. Mr Austin, the xilucs . correspondent, arrived at Massowah on the 2nd November. ■ On the 2nd, a Brigade leftßombay for Tolls; the Bengal Brigade was embarking at Calcutta.