The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-23 00:00:00

INIIIim

TEE CAPTURii; OF MAGDALA.

In the interests of humanity England has shown
tliat she can forbear to strike, even though insulted by
semi-savage nom:m.li ; but even endurance has an
and when The lore had defied her power and
sneered at her overtures, the time to strike had come,
and Magdala ceased to be known but in history. The
iallowing interesting description of the storming of
that supposed impregnable fortress, and the release of
the captives, is comlenseil from the letter of the special
e.,rrespondent of lie Times :--

WAITING FOR THE MORROW.
Theodore's troot. were the day before yesterday, April 10th
heaten ill a short but sharp engagement by tile tit hrigade
dinost under Ma,olala, and the next morning tuo 01 tile
p,isotters, Mr Flail Licutenant Prideaus, appeared in
c.uuati, vu ith a flag of truce coot by 'llieodore, to make
ices.. Nearly the ulnae day—a very anxious one—was spent
iII parleying. Tlteodore evidently expecting. letter terms than
it was possible for Sir Hobert Napier, without compromising
the national humour, to commie ; hat berme night all tlie
Engli3h julsoners were unconditionally surrendered, man
if y
the other Europeans were site 111 our retell, and very little.
if any, fears were felt clout the fate of the remainder. This
afternoon, as I write, they are m adnally coining instith their
onil baggage :nal a how Inds of presents from Theodore to
'lx commander-in-Chief, 'Flue objects of the Abyssinian
Esp,dition are, h. short, aCcomplished, for the only question
now left to he settled is the comparatively ithimportam,
though by no means unexciting one, whether Theodore sill
surrender Magdala without further fighting, Or Whether it
I Will haVe to be stormed. 'that it call and Will lie taken there
is in w doubt, awl to-morrow will probably see the British flog
waving from the . . , • • • ,

THE RELEASE OF TUE ritIS,,NERs.
You may imagine into what it ktate of confusion and ex-
citement our camp Iris been thrown by all tie no momentous
cots, rika,ill4.: cool! other ni such rapid succession, it ttli so
many at, ions interval, ami hours ut almost unlcearable sus-
pense, and followilig immediately upiol a long, uneventful
campaign, during mhich the most exciting incidents have
;wen the joyful tliSelbVery that 544110 di.trict Prolluced eatable
...cad, or a tragic whisper that the l'imimissariat was running
short of rum. It requires a life-long faith in ligurvs and
tdmanacks to believe that barely a day and a half have
:lapsed since me were bmking forward to the safe delivery lit
tile cal hit or as a doubtful event, and to the possibility of
',mother year of absence from hoine awl rougliiiig it hi
Abyi,inia, supposing Theodore escaped. ,Nleasureil not by
minutes, but hy variety and intensity of sensations, as
I') chologists tell us time should he measured, there are in
a hie ft.w months that would not pass More quickly than
, these short hours. Would that any description of mine
emdtl do justice to them ! BM, Co tar lota this. I ImSe tit
115 I: Ole ill.llllgence of your readers for a report tn:it mast be
II in ten, not only against fan, but in such a 'table .ittesti...,
answers, congratulations, hand-Itakings, tears.
laughter, rumours, contra.lictions, and c.lnmer e,iilli4itloll
as only the preSent OreaSinlirOlild Create, Mill 10 1041 Mg
short of utter blininiess,ilitaf and lwartlessitessciaibi limbo
even a specihl correspionlent impervious. Within lime yards
of tic. little tente o'qbei under whirl. I have it write, lying
at 111) lellala on the ground, Mrs. Had, NM) WaS preVel led
illbess from tanning 11110 camp last light. is at this very
1114.141ent exelialijAiw greetings and col,,iatulations with
Mrs. Nosrlithal, laAli happy :mil live at last, tutor so utility
weary iro.tdlis,,f well-nigh hopeless captivity :li grim'
3,11.11 children are Carr) ing On all allilliated vetivers:dim in ,
a strauge prx, compounded possibly of terman and
Abyssinian t and a stroil.,,,ltinged baby is performial., in
the naive! sal baby labgatio, a solo of its own, Exactly
twenty-four fumes ago tilt-,,' people mere ill Ilionleld,ry tear
of a erne! 41l All, at the nervy of a blurt:4l4.as tyrant, alio
ta, 414: bet...re had, in cold Mood, loachered over, :int M-
ime,. captives, slaying minx with his •.wil hand. and wh,
mad with rage and strong drink, alternately threatened and
nattered them as fear 01 fury cust twenty-
.. lames agei their lives mere lite:tally not worth It
nient's purchase. Now th..y ar,. a safe as live thousand
gallant hi arts r,,dy to shed every ert.p of Hood iti their
deems: cati malt, with friendly faves and friendly
It'll','' on all Ades od tltriti, and 1444, 04110411.1114,11—the Ballots
of 11.0 Ihtizete, of r Mrse, 11. .011Spi.entlai ag they
mereitt the ti.gltt. ef Eriday— almost civ mg over their
I 61114014 . .
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