The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-21 00:00:00

THE APPROACH OF THE BRITISH TROOPS.

Orithe evening of Tuesday, the 7th of April, we received
an intimation that we were to descend the mountain the
following morning in order to have an interview with the
King. We immediately concluded that we were not to
return, and our apprehensions were not lessened when we
learnt that all the native prisoners, some 500 in number,
were also summoned below. At daybreak Mr. Flad
came to us, accompanied by Bitwaddad Hassanee, the
new chief of the Amba, and we were directed to dress
ourselves quickly and make our way down. As we
were passing out of the compound, beyond which we had
notset our feet for nineteen months, the tears of our ser-
vants suilic:e ntly indicated the fate they believed to be in
s ore for us. However, off we went, and in about half an
hour reached the centre of Salamgl, where the King was
seated on a stone, dressed in a richly:brocaded silk shirt,
woven with gold thread, and white silk trousers—in short,
presenting much the appearance of a harlequin. To our
relief he politely accosted us, and, seeing that Cameron
was much exhausted and fatigued, motioned him to a seat.
He then moved forwards a few steps, and directed Rassam,
Blanc, Cameron, and myself to seat ourselves nearhim. The
rest of the prisoners remained standing at a respectful dis-
tance behind. While a tent which he had ordered to be pre-
pared for our reception was being pitched, the King
entered into a desultory conversation with Mr. Rassam, in
the course of which he alluded to the story of Damocles,
indicating thereby the troubles which always impend over
the heads of monarchs. Twenty minutes were spent in
this manner, at the end of which we were ushered into
the tent which had been got ready for us, and where
breakfast was brought to us after a short time. In the
course of the day our tents and baggage werebrought down
from the Amba, and we were ordered by the King to put
ourselves in the way we formerly used to do. Before
this, however, he had been boasting much among his
own soldiers, trying, as I believe, to keep up their spirits,
which were rather damped by the prospect of a speedy
encounter with our troops. Among other things he told
La body of 250 men, whom he was despatching to Aroge,
that directly they sa yv the English approach they were
to fire off their pieces at them ; the English would reply,
but directly they had fired one volley they would be
enable to load again in time to withstand the shock of the
Abyssinian spear ; " in which case," added he, " you will
enrich yourselves with spoil compared to which the rich
dress I am wearing is but an insignificant prize."
Before proceeding to the top of Selasse hill, from
which he is in the habit of making his reconnaissances,
he ordered the execution of seven prisoners, including the
young wife and infant child of one of his servants who
had escaped from Magdala a few months ago ; these were
ruthlessly shot, and their remains flung over the nearest
precipice. We saw nothing of his Majesty the next day,
but in the afternoon received a message to the effect that
he had seen the British troops descending the Bashilo,
and had remarked among them four elephants and some
white animals, which we surmised to be Berbera sheep.
A short time afterwards a friend of ours (for we had a few
friends at Magdala) came to Mr. Rassam, and implored us
to keep within our tents, for the King was in a fearful
passion, and was then issuing an order to kill all his
native prisoners, who were confined in a few houses a
couple of hundred yards off. The repeated discharge of
firearms, which we heard soon afterwards, confirmed the
sad story, and it was with many misgivings that we asked
ourselves, " What next ?" At dusk, however, the King
returned, and we returned to our tents comparatively at
our ease. From what I have heard it appears that the
King rushed down mad with rage and arackee, and call-
ing out one of the prisoners, hacked him to pieces with his
own sword. Another speedily met the same fate. The
third was a boy about ten years of age. His youth and
innocence (for it was his father who had been the
offender) were no protection. He was mangled in the same
way as the two others. The cutting and slashing went on
in this manner for some time, when the King, finding
this mode of execution too slow for his impatient spirit,
ordered out the musketeers. The remainder were then
quickly shot down, and thrown over the low cliff, the
force of the shock in several cases opening the chains of
the wretched victims. Those whose quivering limbs
chewed any signs of life were fired on from above till the
murderous work was completed. As we gazed on that
dreadful heap of corpses, animated but a few days before
with life and hope, no one could harbour the slightest feel-
ing of sympathy which otherwise the fate of one would
have elicited who like a brave man had met his own doom
some short hours since.

THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT.

Early the next morning (Good Friday) we were informed
by a message from the King that we were immediately to
return to the Amba, as being a place of greater security
than Selamg6 in case of a skirmish. Before he lett he
informed Mr. Rassam that in case he sent a messenger, or
even if one of our servants were missing, the covenant
between them would be broken. This looked much as if
he wished to pick a quarrel with us, as it was quite impos-
sible for us in prison to prevent our servants going when
they felt disposed. However, as the means of averting
his anger, a conciliatory answer was returned through
Mr. Flad. A few minutes afterwards a messenger
arrived, bearing a letter from Sir Robert Napier, dated
April 3, and demanding onr release in civil terms.
This the King refused to receive, and we immediately
returned to our old prison-house, not sorry to escape from
the dreaded presence of the incomprehensible monarch.
In the evening we all of us heard the distant discharge
of cannon many times repeated, together with what ap-
peared to be volleys of musketry many times. Confined in
the small compound in which were situated our prison-
houses, it was impossible for us to glean intelligence from
any one outside, and it was therefore only left to us to form
our conjectures as to the mysterious sounds. They could
only arise either from a conflict between the King and
his English foes, or from his Majesty having a grand
" fakaring," or boasting, down below, in which case he
always fires his heavy guns. Our doubts were only set at
rest very late in the evening, when they were solved most
satisfactorily. Concerning the " battle of Fala" I shall say
nothing. I was not there, and you will have learnt all
the details from a thousand other sources long ere this.
About 10 p.m. we were aroused from sleep by the arrival
of Messrs. Flad and Waldmeier, who were the bearers of
a message from the King, to the effect that his troops had
been defeated by the English, and that he wished to be re-
conciled to them. Mr. Rassam replied that the only way to
bring about his object was to send an envoy with proposals
of peace onhis part, and he would be happy to despatch one
of the officers attached to the mission on his own part,
naming me at the same time as the person whom he
-would be willing to send. Mr. Flad and his com-
panions then took their departure, but owing, to the
Vacillating temper of the King, did not return till
after daybreak. I was then told to prepare myself,
and as soon as I was dressed descended the hill
in company with Mr. Flad, who had been sole messenger
the second time. The King was sitting on a stone, dressed
in his ordinary manner. He received us very graciously;
and immediately ordered one of his best mules to be
saddled for my use. Noticing that I was rather exhausted
after our rapid walk and almost sleepless night, he added
to his gift a horn of mead, in order to refresh us on the
road. We were then dismissed with the message, " I had
thought before this that I was a strong man, but I have
now discovered that there are stronger. Now reconcile
me." We then left him, accompanied by Dejaj Alame,
his son-in-law, for the British camp at Aroge, where we
arrived after a two hours' ride, and were warmly greeted
by the many friends I had not seen for so long a time, and
had scarcely expected ever to see again.