14 OCTOBER 1876, Page 3

The Paris correspondent of the Times has beard from an

Egyptian officer in the suite of Prince Hassan the true history of the Khedive's Abyssinian campaigns. The first expe- dition, sent in October, 1875, under Colonel Arendrup, con- sisted of 4,000 men, and was exterminated in the defile of Goundel by a force ten times its own in number, under King John. Three months after, a second expedition, of 6,000 men, under Prince Hassan, got caught in a similar manner, and only 2,000 men escaped the slaughter. King John, however, re- tired his troops, fearing the explosive balls flung by the Egyptians into their camp, but has subsequently completely overwhelmed the remaining army. A third expedition has recently started, the fate of which is as yet unknown, but which is little likely to con- quer a country where white men, well led, secured so nearly bloodless a victory.