The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-18 00:00:00

AFTER THE ARsAULT.

All the troops behaved with the most exemplary mode-
ration, and not a eingle outrage was committed by the
soldiers. I would I could say as much (correspn.lt tit of
Post) for their officers, some of whom engaged in the n ast
unseemly struggle over the dead body of the Kisg. .ind
were misguided enough to forget their position and de-
voirs in a mad epirit of rivalry to possess some relic of
their fallen foe. Some allowance is due to the exeiten ,nt
of the moment, and perhaps it would be too cruel to gibbet
their names in print, but the most euadous and indiscitet
were those who from their years and rank were the more
culpable.

Once in the fortress all opposition ceased ; tl ose
who had fought while their King was alive i.el
threw away their arms, and tried to look as Iw:eh
like peaceful citizens as they could ; the sold .ery
crowded up, with the loss of nine or ten woune:ed,
amid redoubled cheers from the women and tears
of joy from the captives, who hobbled arotimi u
fast as their fetters would allow them, and kissed
the hands and feet of their liberators. (lse by
the King's house knelt a gallant sergeant of the
33rd Regiment, with a file in his hand, and aro old
him crowded a dozen captives, whose chains he "as
busily sawing asunder.
Of Theodore himself every correspondent speaks
in terms of horror. The day before our forces ar iced
he had all the captives out, and, before their eyes,
acoordimg to the Herald's correspondent, put tod ath
310 prisoners, many of whom he had kept in chains
for years. Among them were men, women, and
little children. They were brought out, chained,
and thrown down on the ground, their heads
fastened down to their feet. Among this
defenceless and pitable group the brutal ty-
rant went with his sword, and slashed right and
left until he had killed a score or so. Then,
getting tired, he called out six of his musketeers,
who continued to fire among the wretched crowd
until all were despatched. Their bodies were then
thrown over a precipice. The captives describe the
usual mode of execution, by cutting off the holds
and feet, as being a refinement of cruelty. A
slight gash is made round the member, awl it
is then wrenched off by main force, the arteries
being so much twisted that very little loss of
blood takes place. The wretched beings are then
left to die. The bodies referred to were found
at the bottom of a precipice, a putrefying mass.
It is stated that when the King heard of the terms
demanded be made an attempt at suicide, but the
ball which he fired at himself only grazed bis
neck. His body was found, not near those of his
chiefs in the gateway, but alone on the
hill above. It is said that as the chiefs were
shot down be dropped his royal robe of silk to
escape observation, fled front the gateway to a
retired spot higher up on the citadel, and there
shot himself, putting the pistol into his mouth.
From the plainness of his dress the body was not
at first recognised, but as soon as it was identified,
and, on the approach of Sir Robert Napier, drawn
forth into the principal pathway, an involuntary
cheer burst forth from the soldiers around.
The Times correspondent says: "His face seemed
to me rather a disappointing one after all that lue
been said about it, but then it was impossible to
judge properly after death, especially as the el*
was said to be, from its fire and expression, the
most remarkable feature. There was a look of
bloated, sensual indulgence about the cheeks by
no means heroic or kingly, but the forehead was
intellectual, and the mouth singularly determined
and cruel. A very strange smile still lingered
about the lips, as if even in the death.' h.oe his
last thought had been one of triumph at haring
baulked his conquerors by dying a King." He 5511
buried in the church in Magdala, the funeral beini
attended by a military escort of one or two staff

offioers.
We have also an account of the Queen and hes
son. The so-called palace is a dirty rude cabin,
in which were

-
THZ QCZrt AND tiza NON.
A kind-hearted private,finding himself in the neigliboar.
hood of the palace, was prompted by tariosiiy to enter:
floelnd the Queen Lie honest heart could only express hie

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