WARS OF THE NINETIES. 126 that run into the Blue Nile. If Menelek had beenanxious at once to help the Sirdar's operations and establish a good claim to anenlargement of his borders on this side,he might easily have overwhelmed the Dervish force inGedaref. But he observed strict neutrality,keeping allthe while alargearmy together nearhis capital.

of the Abyssinian highlands the plains and marshy watercourses of the Upper Nile region are especially deadly. No menare more subject than theAbyssinians to the enervatingeffects of a malariouscountry.

In the highlands bordering on the lowerBlue Nileregion a large force of Abyssinians hadbeen got together under one of the fighting chiefs, RasMakonnen. Rumourspoke of them as the possible vanguard of an army with which Menelek was prepared to assert his claims after thefall ofKhartoum gavehim freedomof action; tillthenhe wasboundby his treatywithEngland to a benevolent neutrality towards the Anglo-Egyptian forces. It is quite possible that Makonnen's real mission was to observe the Dervish force under the Emir Ahmed Fedil, about 3,000strong, whichgarrisoned the district of Gedaref. This province borders on the Abyssinian highlands, and is watered by rivers His ambassadors were sent to Paris and St Petersburg,andhe gave the French aconcession for a railway,which was to run fromJibutil,near Obok, tohis capital, and to be continued (if all went well) along the southern slopes of the Abyssinian plateau and into the Nile Valley towards Fashoda. Work was actually begun on thisrailway,but although this pointed to active co-operation with France in the struggle for the Nile Valley, Menelek kept his own counsel as to his real plans, hoping,no doubt, to get large advantages from England as. the price of his ultimateneutrality.

DERVISH COAT, SWORD, AND SHIELD.