Glimpses of Abyssinia: Or, Extracts from Letters, Ed. by Anna, Lady Erskine

Glimpses Of Abyssinia: Or, Extracts From Letters, Ed. By Anna, Lady Erskine — Douglas Cunningham Graham. This work gathers letters written during Major Graham's missions for the Government of India to the King of Abyssinia in 1841–1843, edited posthumously by his sister. The extracts illuminate the British observer’s experiences at Ankober and across the Abyssinian highlands, with accounts of meeting Sahela Selassie, military campaigns against the Gallas, slave trade networks, and daily life, including dress, cuisine, religion, and music. The narrative alternates between scientific curiosity and political commentary, describing the country’s natural wealth, the king’s authority, and the challenges of travel and diplomacy. It also reflects 19th-century imperial perspectives, detailing interactions with European rivals, missionary aims, and the moral complexities of colonial-era exploration. The editor notes Graham's death in 1856 near England, framing these letters as part of a long correspondence that survived him and offers a vivid historical record of this forgotten corner of Africa.