No. 320.
Mr. Beardsley to Mr. Fish.

No. 381.]

Sir: I regret to have to inform you of a serious disaster which has happened to the Egyptian troops who but a few weeks ago crossed the Egyptian frontier and entered the province of Tigre, as mentioned in my dispatch No. 378, of November 26, 1875.

An advanced detachment of the Egyptian troops were drawn into an ambuscade, surrounded by vastly superior numbers of the enemy, and massacred to a man.

The Europeans lost were Colonel Arendruple, whose departure from Cairo for Massowah I reported in my dispatch No. 364, of September 29, 1875; Arakel Bey, governor of Massowah, and Count Ziche.

Fortunately no American officers accompanied the lost detachment.

I shall send you further particulars at an early date.

The result of this disaster cannot be otherwise than embarrassing and prejudicial to the politics and finances of Egypt.

I am, &c.,

R. BEARDSLEY.