To Eritrea and Ethiopia: Retracing a Victorian Expedition

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             Expedition bridgeExpedition bridge

To Eritrea and Ethiopia: Retracing a Victorian Expedition

In 1868 the British government mounted an extraordinary bid to rescue a clutch of European hostages deep in the Ethiopian highlands. They built a Red Sea port, then a railway across the coastal plain, and finally imported 44 Indian elephants and commissioned 26,000 local people to serve the soldiers and carry their heavy guns into the heart of Africa.

       Route mapRoute map

A hundred and fifty years later, John followed in their footsteps and looked at the changes that have swept through Eritrea and Ethiopia since then. He says, “It’s very exciting to be back in Africa – a chance to think about how Europe’s relations with the two countries have moved forward, and about how far we still have to go.”

             Eritrean farmersEritrean farmers

“Only the Victorians would have set off on such a mad mission. The captives were being held in a supposedly impregnable hilltop fortress 400 miles inland. Despite arduous conditions, the invaders reached it, freed them, and put an end to the emperor who for four years had been their persecutor. They then looted his rich collection of treasures – which they saw as booty – but to its credit Whitehall resisted the temptation to turn the success into a full-scale colonisation bid. Had it done so, the Horn of Africa’s history might have turned out rather differently. Instead, they simply made their way back to the coast, dismantled the equipment and took their elephants home.”

                Epiphany in GonderEpiphany in Gonder

“As ever, wonderful photos to add to your storytelling, which was gripping and entertaining.”
(International Travel and Holidays Association or Travel Talks), Blackpool

Follow John’s journey as it happened through his monthly updates:

31st December 2017 – 23rd January 2018 – 6th February 2018 – 12th March 2018 – 14th April 2018

First update – Last update

Come to a talk

Listen to John’s From Our Own Correspondent piece about Eritrea for BBC Radio 4.

Book now for this slide/sound show.

View details of talk  ‘The Abyssinian Difficulty’   (Right-click to download)

Back to top – More talks – More about John – Books and how to order – Some impressions
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