Dudley Expedition to Abyssinia
In 1973, while searching old files at the Ethiopian Geological Survey, I found an old and tattered journal called the “Report on the Dudley Expedition to Abyssinia” A first late-night reading revealed a fascinating tale of great intrigue involving the Anglo-American Company (a subsidiary of Standard Vacuum Oil Company), several other European companies, the French and British legations in Addis Ababa, several Armenian entrepreneurs, and the Prince Regent of Ethiopia himself, Ras Tafari Makonnen, later Emperor Haile Selassie.
The Anglo American company thought they had an oil concession over SE Ethiopia and sent an oil exploration team there, including American geologist Barnum Brown. After much intrigue and conspiracy, the concession was eventually confirmed and Brown conducted geological surveys by mule and camel caravan in the Chercher, Jijiga and Danakil areas.
My search for other information about the expedition led me to the private papers of Dr Barnum Brown and about 200 photographs taken during the survey. This material has been neglected – though not forgotten – in one of my file cabinets for years and I am now working on it again. Recently, I have collected considerable material from the British National Archives where the Foreign Office records contain an amazing amount of material about the expedition and life in Ethiopia in those times.
I hope to complete work on the Dudley Expedition in 2024.
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