miles up the mountains to Senafe, by a pass which Colonel Merewether had luckily discovered. For both the passes by which it was supposed that the expedition would be able to find its way into the interior had proved absolutely impracticable. Some progress has been made in carrying up supplies for the large force which must presently be encamped at Senafe, but how enormous is that task may be judged from the fact that up these terrible defiles a mule cannot carry more than 200 lbs. besides his saddle-a fourth at least of which must be his own fodder. Except grass, everything has to be supplied from the ships, for the expected supplies of grain are not to be found in the country. "A dry season, an invasion of locusts, and the unsettled state of affairs," have made a famine in the land, and the favour of the chiefs, who have professed their readiness to furnish food, is precarious enough; the leaders of the expedition know well that it may any day be exchanged for treacherous attack. By the beginning of February the bulk of the expedition may be assembled at Senafe; waiting probably even then for more stores, and knowing that a heavy fall of rain would make the roads behind them impassable.

of it as far as "After that the In a word, by

The march to Magdala will then have to begin. Colonel Merewether has surveyed thirty-seven miles Altgerat-and finds the road tolerably good. hardest part of the journey will commence." February, an army of ten thousand men, with immense stores of provisions, will be fairly in the trap-scarcely able to move by reason of their encumbrances, and trusting to the chapter of accidents to find their way back. Truly the situation is not a desirable one for an invading army; and it will need all General Napier's skill to bring them safely out of it. No one doubts that the pluck and energy of British commanders, and British soldiers, are equal to greater emergencies than those which are likely to arise in Abyssinia; nevertheless, we fear that Lord Stanley's words, when he called it "madness" to throw our army "into an unknown country, in a tropical climate, far from the sea, very far from its reserves and its supplies," without much more knowledge than he or anyone else had "as to the means of moving and feeding them

and keeping them in health," will one day be seen to have terrible truth and fitness.

Sir Robert Napier will, no doubt, do all that mortal can do for his own fame's sake, and for his country's sake; but he was not very sanguine of results when he consulted General Sir John Lawrence, and in a minute which he penned upon the subject before the command was put into his hands, he said, "An expedition can hardly fail to entail an occupation of two years' duration in the country of Theodorus, and perhaps ultimately commit us to an Abyssinian Algeria—a project which Consul Cameron had always had in his mind." Yet with that minute in their hands, the Government, in November last, gave Parliament the most confident assurance that the troops being employed simply to rescue the captives would be all safe out of the country before the rainy season commenced. In India, if anything was known or thought at all about the future of the expedition, it was known that it could not do its work within the year, and if we are to believe the Indian papers, it was never intended that it should. So large a force was collected with the express view to a permanent occupation of Abyssinia. It will be a grave matter for inquiry hereafter, whether Her Majesty's Ministers could have been so hoodwinked, or how far they were parties to the deception of the public. One chance of a speedy and happy settlement of the business, held out to us by Lord Stanley, has already proved, not only a delusion, but a snare. His Lordship announced that the Viceroy of Egypt, "with the consent and sanction of Her Majesty's Government," dispatched an embassy to King Theodore to warn him of the consequences of resisting our demand for the release of the captives, and adding that this "afforded a chance that should not be thrown away." But the very idea of such a thing has created dismay in the minds of those who have charge of our expedition; for the interference of the Viceroy is certain to arouse the jealousy and indignation, not only of Theodore, but of his subjects, and may unite the whole warring Abyssinian tribes in one fierce compact against us.

Speedy and complete success can alone prevent the whole story of this expedition from making one of the most dis

graceful chapters in the history of English diplomacy and administration. Consular meddling, the lost letter, Indian intrigue, Foreign Office ignorance, red tape blundering, and frightful waste of money, even supposing that no frightful catastrophe completes the drama, will supply the opponents of the ministry with the materials for a terrible invective.

Supposing, however, that by some bold stroke of policy or happy concurrence of events, the captives are quickly released, and our troops are all safely again in the ships before the foaming torrents come tumbling down the gorges through which roads have just been painfully made-supposing the bill paid, and, that only too happy to have got rid of an awkward business, there is a common understanding to say nothing about the cost shall we be able to close the account in that fashion, and trouble ourselves no further about our work? Consul Cameron anticipates that Abyssinia will supply us with cotton and offer a new market to our traders. Mr. Stern believes that this is just the "terrible revolution" which was needed to open Abyssinia to the gospel. The "terrible revolution" will indeed have been hastened by our invasion, but with far other results, so far as we can forecast, than those which these gentlemen expect. We shall have helped by means of an army of Mohammedans to break up the only Christian kingdom left upon the African Continent, almost the sole remnant-debased and wretched enough, it is true, yet still a very interesting remnant

of the once flourishing and renowned African Church. Immediately on our departure the Egyptians on the north-already grouping the forces on the frontier in expectation of the preyand the Mahommedan Gallas on the south, will rush in and complete the ruin we have begun. Christian Abyssinia will disappear, and there will be an end of all those projects of "trade" which our Consuls professedly went to Abyssinia to promote. A supply of scripture-readers and bibles is sent out with the expedition, but for our own part we do not expect fruit from Bibles sown in the furrows made by cannon balls. Without doubt, ultimate good will come out of this expedition. It will play an important part in that general disclosure of Africa which is now rapidly taking place, throwing the responsibilities of another great Continent, with its degraded

myriads, upon Christendom, to civilize it, to evangelize it, to fit it to take its place in the great world of humanity. Yet it is no less a present evil-a huge blunder and mistake, for which we shall have to pay the inevitable penalty.

BRIEF NOTICES OF BOOKS.

Natural Theology: an Inquiry into the Fundamental Principles of Religious, Moral, and Political Science. By the Rev. W. R. PIRIE, D.D., Professor of Divinity and Church History in the University of Aberdeen, and Dean of the Faculty of Theology. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London. 1867. We have examined this little treatise with great interest. It is thoroughly practical; one short chapter of twenty pages contains all that is metaphysical in the volume. Dr. Pirie is a believer in the Christian revelation, and in absolute morality. He here expounds the rational foundation of his convictions. He has no sympathy with mere authoritative or traditional belief; as little is he satisfied with the indefinite impressions of religious, moral, and political truth, which content so many. He believes the main argument of his book "to be perfect demonstration." Granting his postulate"that the laws of nature are to be trusted"-we think him warranted in asserting that his argument is "both plain and logically irresistible." It is fair to take for granted the credibility of the laws of human nature. If these are to be challenged, nothing remains but total intellectual scepticism and moral indifference. His arguments are sober, clear, and original; his main conclusions sound, and his practical deductions generally wholesome. In the political section of his treatise, however, he makes too little of personal development, as an element of the well-being of society. Dealings with the Fairies. By GEORGE MACDONALD, M.A.-Edwin's Fairing. By Rev. E. MONRO, M.A.-Lilliput Levee. Illustrated by Millais and others.-Esop's Fables. Illustrated by Wolf and others.-The Washerwoman's Foundling. By WILLIAM GILBERT. A. Strahan and Co.

If any Paterfamilias is looking out for a thoroughly suitable and welcome Christmas present for his little ones, he cannot do better than to purchase this splendid series just published by Mr. Strahan. Of all his recent undertakings there is none which is a more perfect success than this little juvenile library. Authors, artists, publishers, all have done well, and as the result we have these beautiful and attractive volumes, in some of which, many who have passed out of their childhood may find pleasure and instruction. George Macdonald's insight into children is abundantly shown in the wonder

ful portraits of Mattie and Poppie in his last story, and we are, therefore, not surprised to find him so thoroughly at home and so perfect a master of his art in the book he has contributed to this series. We doubt whether any of his larger works reveal more true genius, or more fine and beautiful feeling, than this collection of fairy stories. Mr. Gilbert's tale is equally worthy of commendation. Nor must we, while noticing these gayer and more attractive little books, omit to notice "Hans Christian Andersen's "Will o' the Wisps are in Town, and other Tales," which, though got up in a plain style, is likely to be quite as attractive to the young.

The Symbolical Numbers of Scripture. By the Rev. MALCOLM WHITE, M.A. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark. 1868.

The principle of Mr. White's volume is declared in its title. He regards the "numbers" in Daniel and the Apocalypse as symbolic rather than prophetic, as pointing backwards to some period in Jewish history, the moral principles of which are again unfolding themselves in the history of the Church; and not as furnishing, when the key is arrived at by guessing, a means of calculating dates in the Christian era. The commonly-accepted year-day theory he rightly declares to be an assumption never yet proved. The twelve hundred and ninety days of Daniel, for instance, are three times four hundred and thirty. The number 430 suggests the time of Israel's bondage in Egypt. "We understand the symbol, and the implied reference to Egypt, without fixing down dates, or maintaining that Israel was actually to be sent down again into Egypt. We understand Daniel to mean that triple sufferings, so to speak, were before the chosen of God." The theory is ingenious. A slight tendency to excessive interpretation is manifest in the book, but we are persuaded that Mr. White is correct in looking backward, and not forward, for the key to the symbolical numbers of the Bible. Real instruction is so gained, and a deeper insight into the thoughts of the sacred writers, instead of restlessness, and troubled expectancy, often ending in unbelief.

Parting Counsels. A series of Discourses on Practical Subjects. By the Rev. JOHN ALLEN, incumbent of St. Chrysostom's, Peckham, London: Elliot Stock. 1867.

There is much good sense and right feeling in these discourses ; and we doubt not that the congregation of "St. Chrysostom's, Peckham," will be glad to receive so durable and handsome a memorial of their pastor's teachings. The profits of the volume, we see, are to be devoted to "the fund for removing and enlarging the organ." This appropriation will be quite in accordance with the character of the book. Mr. Allen is evidently a warm advocate of the decorous and beautiful in public worship, for want of which in many churches (he complains in one place) many have been compelled to secede to the Dissenters. We are afraid that sometimes the case is exactly the reverse! Yet our author is no Ritualist; and