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

THEODORE AT BAY.

It was late in the afternoon of Grad Friday, that Ti,• -
dire made Iris unexpeated attack.. colonel Nhlwartis I, •
distreartened by a cr noising defeat when he had been I, ,
expect an out; victory, and Muting his troops utterly rha..-
raised and deserting itt large numbers, he nest day tried to
htam fawurable terms, hut was reluctantly compelled to
to the unconditional surrender of the prisoners,
Many came into our camp the same night, art! all were safe
in it before the next day. 'Mei rdore was then given twenty. •
four hours to surrender hinc,elf and Magdala, or subject
himself to an attack. fle made no reply. lort early itext
morning—yesterday— the camp was full of rumours, as
usual gontradietory, of his night by night from Mag.lala, and
of a wholesale massacre of the Abyss:Man hostages. Some
of his leading men came early into camp to give themselves
In prisoners, and to surrender Selassee, the lefty peak
wide!, iii the north commands Magdala, and reported that
nearly all I heodore's army had deserted him, lief. ire eight
:clock it was klinWll On trustworthy authority, tit tt Theo-
horehad, irnrtreni. fled from Magilala, ballad rotirrne I al
immediately, probahlv his retreat cut off by the
nerve Wollo Gallas, Ids bitter foes, who thrice his defeat till
inlay had been swarming eagerly around him, like bloc&
lormads on the scent of wounded prey. Unveil to despera-
tion he was lIIIW standme; savagely at bay, prepared to
defend Magdala itself to the last, and sell his life an dearly
as be could.

THE GREAT STRENGTH OF HAGDALA.
Before ten o'clock, all the troops here :except a small
baggage guard —two brigades, mustering 510.11000 men—
were marshalled in order of Mho:, under Sir Chores
Staveky, 1.11 the terrace who-h formed the prihrlpal scene ot
Friday's encounter, immediately under tahla, prepared to
3.41111 a the road up to it. made by Theodore for tins guns.
f nese three hills tomb in fact, a sort of roughly.shaped T.
wept that Selassee ulel Mandela shoat outwards DU eitbei
side away from talda, instead of being at right angles to it,
and as they all flank and protect each other, and are
eonnceted by a in,untain, isolated, :Hid rising ninny hundred
feet alli,ve the plain, and with its sides Iwo en Up into seen ps
mot tenures. most of them perfectly precipitous, they form
togethir a mantel stionkhold which, perhaps, has not its
parallel in the koown we. There at think i may sal)
without exaggeration, lily places between initial mai
Nhigilala at vemeli a small, well-equipped force could niae
at
good stand a4ainst vastly sup,:rior numbers. Of the strength
of Magdela itself it is, perhaps, impossible to OW all ads
quate idea. it is protected by lofty. almost overhanging
s. precipitous that at cat could not climb them, ...veld,
at two points, Mirth and south, at cach of winch a steep
narrow path leads up to a strong gateway. It was lay the
northern gateway, as being on die sale commanded by
Selassee, that our troops had to effect all entrance.

AN INVITATION RESPECTFULLY DECLINED.
In malt r to plc:vent the flight of any armed panty, some of
Captain Murray's Arnastrmags were placed in a mention to
open fire ou AVIILSSCC, in the possible, though very impro-
bable, remit of i.s being re ..erupted by Theodore, or of the
treachery of the party who heal deserted from him and
ottercal to place th.- hill in British hands. .. . They Imo
lamg timc to WAIL idle, drawn up on a spot commandant.;
at view or the southern game, it hile the rest of the troops
wcre sla owly 'making their wao up Theodore's very steep rail ;
and encouraged, perhaps. by. their inactivity, a few of the
enemy', cavalry, 3 heodore himself, it as said, among them.
left 31agalala and began galloping wildly about the lalitha
beneath. tiring occasional shuts, though apparehtly rather in
bravado than in the hope I.f hitting anybody, and challeng-
ing the :aril Light thvalry to canna; on anal algid them. 'I lacy
recognised lietemant Speedy as Theodore's" hasha Felikam, '
anal especially challenged him ; but, much to his disgust,
hail Loch objected to his prim out, being in hopes that the
whole party, ti unattarßeal, naight Ile tempted near enoUgh
for a cavalry cha.ge. emitting them off from Slagthala,

.•
THE ,NIDEIN 6.170:1NG AWAY !

These mansenvres begliMing to tab suspiciously like an
attempt to escape Ivan Mat:data. an ta.w of the ard Light
t'avalry was throwil forward in skirint-hing order, hut with
instruetiens net to fire. Just then a alllati body at infantCittult e)
round tram the other side at the Schism:a., at'siOg
this mammy] e, and also tittmselves rowing in for it fen
shots, prohahly thought that an fight WaS going on, awl Fr-
turned the lire with at vigorous a °Hey foul Lade :Millers.
1111 t. Said, makes many. another instal ot every man any•
What's near with a title in his hand was banginit mid blazing
away as if all Ins 111.0,1/CCti iii tilia and 111 the nest des
landed upon the number lof charVeS Ito laalld get lid tot in at
mina,tc. This naturally created an lailaVisSiall that an actitOl
: wan going Oa SOUleWilerV, and a pa•lP.rai scamper was at oil,
made taint spot wind. CI allillalaiVa at better view of the phdn
before Slagdala, aml on which, to the great delight of the
Sk•ailipt to s. some td Theodore's guns anal OlOrtara Wure oat
esp.eteally found. An artillery officer. Lient,nant Nolan,
happening to he one of the party, promptly resolved to
inc
tin ir own mins against the manly if possible, and this being
ci PlaatiClV.l apparently in the light of a 1111111,011 S praelkai
je e by a few civilians and ° latafol" escaped 11.0111 their
stall ate regimental duties to the Iron'. a saTI. Oi smlths siege
of Magdaia stao carrie.l Oa by a Joao ad all arms, dresses,
and undresses, for more than an ho, r.