There We Heard That Messengers Had Arrived From The Prisoners; That They Had Been Taken To Aden By A Man-Of-War; And That They Had Verbally Reported, That Far From Having Been Released, Hand-Chains Had Been Added To The Captives' Previous Fetters.

As we could not find anybody to accompany us through the Soudan (on account of its unhealthiness at that

Time of the year) before the middle of October, we thought it advisable to proceed at once to Aden, in order to gain correct information from the captives' letters, as to their actual condition, and to confer with the Political Resident of that station, as to the expediency of complying with the Emperor's requests, under the totally different aspect matters now presented.

Although Captain Cameron, in several of his former communications, had repeatedly insisted that on no account we should enter Abyssinia, in the note just received he implored us to come up at once, as our declining to do so would prove of the utmost danger to the prisoners. The Political Resident, therefore, taking into consideration Captain Cameron's earnest appeal for Mr. Rassam to acquiesce with Theodore's request, advised us to proceed and hope for the best.

After a short stay at Aden we again returned to Massowah, and, with the utmost diligence, made all our arrangements for the long journey that lay before us. Unfortunately cholera had broken out, the natives were unwilling to cross the plains of Braka and Taka, on account of the malarious fever, so deadly at that time of the year, and it required all the influence of the local authorities to insure our speedy departure.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 79 of 373
Words from 21435 to 21709 of 102802