The only other serious act of the Fenians was an attempt to release two prisoners confined in Clerkenwell Gaol, who, considering the means adopted, might very well pray to be delivered from their friends. A barrel of gunpowder, placed against the outer wall, was exploded at four in the afternoon, throwing down about sixty yards of masonry and wrecking several houses in the street. But for a warning received by the Governor of the gaol that an attempt was to be made to blow it up, the prisoners would have been at exercise in the yard at the time of the explosion, and almost certainly must have been killed. As it was, twelve persons were killed and 120 were wounded. [Illustration: SIR ROBERT NAPIER, AFTERWARDS LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA, 1810-1890. Born in Ceylon. Commander-in-Chief of Bombay, 1865, and of India, 1870. Raised to the Peerage, 1869, for his services in Abyssinia.] [Illustration: _From a Photograph_} {_by G. W. Wilson & Co., Aberdeen._ PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN. See historical notes on Cape Colony, page 71. Area, including dependencies (estimated), 292,000 square miles; population, 1,800,000, of whom 39,000 are British born; imports (1895), £19,094,880; exports, £16,904,756, including diamonds, £4,775,016; gold, £7,975,637; wool, £2,000,000.] [Sidenote: War with Abyssinia.] The arms of a great and growing empire are seldom allowed to rust from disuse, no matter how pacific the intentions of its rulers may be. Parliament was called together in November 1867 to vote supplies for an Expedition which it had been found necessary to send out to Abyssinia, under the command of Sir Robert Napier. Theodore, King of Abyssinia, a passionate and semi-barbarous despot, had cultivated amicable relations with Great Britain for a number of years, chiefly on account of his friendship for Mr. Plowden, formerly English Consul at Massowah. But Mr. Plowden was dead--killed in an encounter between Theodore and his rebellious subjects; and Captain Cameron, who succeeded to the Consulate at Massowah, had not succeeded in ingratiating himself with the King. Theodore appealed to Queen Victoria to help him against the Turks, and on receiving no immediate reply to his letter, lost his temper and threw all the British subjects he could catch into the cavernous dungeons of his capital, Magdala. Among these captives was Captain Cameron. Mr. Rassam was sent on an embassy to remonstrate with Theodore, who, however, was not inclined to listen to reason. On the contrary, he had the envoy seized, with his companions, Lieutenant Prideaux and Dr. Blane, loaded with chains, and thrust into prison. Lord Stanley now sent to demand the release of the prisoners within three months, and declared that immediate invasion would follow if this were refused. It was a delicate business to convey despatches to the tyrant in his rock fortress, and Theodore never received the ultimatum. The expedition set