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

THE BATTLE.

They knew not then of what those mule-loads consisted
but they knew it before half an hour had elapsed, for they
bad caught hold of the scorpion by the tail. In leu time
than it takes to tell it, a oil' was made for the 4th King's
Own, and they were off down the hill at the double to
meet the approaching wave ; the pioneers had opened •
vigorous and well-directed fire ; the rockets of the Naval
Brigade were spreading c outernation among the
enemy, the guns of Colonel Peon's Mountain Bat-
tery (shortly termed the "steel Penns") were in
full play, and the battle was general. It was a
fine sight to see the men who Lad been toiling all day
without food or water, and were now to all appearance
completely exhausted, throw down their great coats, seize
their rifles, and, wet se they were, charge down one
through • narrow ravine, and up another hill till within a
hundred and fifty yards of the enemy, when volley upon
volley from the Spiders proclaimed what could sometimes
be but faintly seen through jungle and haze—that the
harvest of death was fast being gathered in. The 4th
King's Own were Cu the right, supported by the 10th com-
pany of Roy►l Engineers, the Belooohees, and the Sappers.
From a bill in the centre the Rocket Battery kept its novel
and destructive bolts flying now among the wavering
crowd, now among the gunners on the bastion of Fable ;
and on the left the Mountain Train and Major Chamber-
lain's well-tried and never-wanting Ilusbees from the Pun-
jaub frontier worked right well together. Colonel Cameron,
not waiting for the whole of his regiment to form up after
passing the narrow ravine, took two companies and pro-
ceeded rapidly forward, leaving orders for the remainder to
reinforce him on debouching from the gorge. This they
quickly did, and, notwithstanding the difficult nature of
the ground, the seven companies there present were iu com-
plete skirmishing order in an incredibly short 'pace of
time. Nor were the Engineers and Belouchees idle. The
Abyssinians had once or twice attempted to turn the right
flank of the line, when the supports, wheeling to the
right, drove them as often into a crowd in which a rocket
ur shell would cause fearful havoc. When the retreat
became general, the mountain train battery was divided,
two of its guns being sent on with the pioneers, two kept
in the centre, and two on the right front, at all of which
positions the power and accuracy of these handy little
pieces of ordnance were fully exemplified. It ought to be
mentioned that the Punjabeer, loth to waste powder and
shot upon such foes, charged with the bayonet, killing
their enemies by scores. Two companies of the 4th, which
were on duty as baggage guard, did excellent service at
the head of the Beahilo ravine.

The pluck of the Abyssinians is proved by one

writer after another. To describe the fight after
the Snider came into place, says the correspondent
of the Times, would be only to describe a battue.
It sharp, short cracks following each other in
breathless succession were the death knell of the

Abyssinian cause. The unfortunate foe had no
longer even the shadow of a chance, but went
down like grass before the scythe. How they kept
their ground at all when Snider', mountain guns,
and rockets had begun to get fairly at them is a
marvel.
The Post says that the want of cavalry was felt.
With a couple of hundred sabres, Theodore's men
would all have been cut to pieces. The
enemy's guns on the heights continued firing,
but hardly any shot or shell fell in the
plain. The victims took advantage of the
shelter afforded by every bush and stone, and
continued to tight, retreating. By half-past 6
o'clock all was over. During the whole action,
the thunder and lightning vied with the roar and

flash of the cannon. Not oue man on our aide
was killed, and only 19 were wounded. The Pun-

jaub Pioneers came in for the severest part of the
fighting. They surprised the enemy in a ravine,
getting so close to them that bayonets and spear.,
were used, and ghastly groups of from 5 to 20 Abys-
sinians huddled together in corners from which no
escape was possible, showed next morning how
fierce, though unequal, the contest had been.
Theodore himself did not come out.

Cameron, look not much the worse for their cow
finement.

Easter Monday saw the British forces engaged ill
storming the fortress. Captain Speedy was sent
on in advance to proclaim that none who laid down
their arms would be injured. Part of the ascent
was an almost inaccessible track, fit only for or.e
mule at a time, and up which it was almost impot.
Bible to convey the scaling ladders and guns,
It was a picturesque sight to see the long line of infantry
in red, and green, and grey, with the mountain•traia nat.
Win on mules, and the Armstrong@ on elephants, winding
up the precipitous sides of the Fa& and Isimpact, down
whieh streamed thousands of Abyuinians, seeking refuge
on the plain below until the storm of war should be over.
Nut a shot was fired on either side until a parry of
3rd Bombay Cavalry and the Royal Engineers had
reached within about a thousand yards of the
fortress. Then a body of horsemen, among sh,rn
was Theodore himself, rode out and fired a few
shots, retreating under cover on finding that they
were well within reach of British bullets, One
let, it is said, struck the ground between Theodore's
horses' feet. On the plain opposite the gates were
found 20 of Theodore's cannon and mortars, which
were instantly used against him. A desultor, •re
was continued fur some time, and the sigm! 8
given for