The New York herald., 1868-06-01
The Cannouade and It's Enects.

before Magdala (April 14 correspondence of the
London Times
Napdala has been taken. and Theodorus, killed by
lie own hand lies, under the guard OF British SEN
Try the last and strongest OF the wondrous series
of his strongholds. Ii would be affectation to pity
tyrant who himself knew no pity, who was as un-
scrupulous and crafty as he was was cru cruel and who had
indeed every reason TO style himself the "Scourge Of
GOdn sent to punish the people.
Yesterday nothing grSss was left lei to the
upon our revolted senses strange m % smell for
our party look over TIE edge Of steep cr, Amos.
6 beginning o play e SSa Snd thsrss guns on
q ledge about fifty feet below them, lay two large
each other in ghasty confusion, their limbs protrud.
ing from the mass In all sorts of Iepulsive attitudes
and contortoas and presenting altogether scene
oil horror such as no pen could adequately describe
could any pen be found to undertake the task.
OF the strength of Magdaa itself it is perhaps i'm
that cat could not Climb them, C except At two
narrow path leads up to strong gateway. It was
by the northern gateway, being on the side COM
Sa Rsa to effect an an
another instant every man anywhere near with "a
rife IN his hand was banging and blazing away as
pended upon the number of charges he could get rid
Of in minute. This naturally created an impression
that an action was going on somewhere, and gen.
era scamper was at once made to a spot which com.
manded better view OF the plain before Maglaa,
and which. to the great delight of the scanperers
some of Theodorus' guns and mortars were upex-
pectedly found. AN artillery officer, Lieutenant
. NOLAN, aappenlag TO be one Of the party promptly
resolved to use their own guns against the enemy
possible, and this being considered apparently in the
hght OF humorous practical joke by few civilians
anu 'loalers" escaped from their staff Tegimental
duties TO the front, sort Of comic siege Ma2daa
was carried on by force OF all arms, dresses and
undresses for more than an hour.
One OF these excursions led oddly enough, to the
unearthing OF NJ. Bardel. the Frenchman who has
been suspected OF poisoning Theodorus' mind against
the CaPtives. On the first of the enemy's guns being
fired by Lieutenant Nolan a woman rushed out
rantcally from small tent the line of the fire.
evidently under the impression that her tent was
about to undergo q heavy cannonade and with
YEN xenement @ gesilcuations offered TO capuate. The
teH was entered, and there in bed 10 the intense
astonlshment OF every one, was found a EurOpean.
who proved TO be NJ Bardel.
After this incident the siege OF Macdala was re.
suined anu TO the intense gratiicatiOn Of the be-
slegng force, one round shot from Theodorus' own
gun was sent bobhing along the ground sufficiently
near him and his small party to induce them TO re-
treat into Magdala and desist from the attempt they
nad hitherto been making to carry gun up there.
After this the firing ceased altogether on the part of
the Seseged and became very languid the part OF
the besiegers.
feel that as patriot, perhaps the less say OF
ahis siege the better For fully half IN hour the
stormng party remained most OF them buddled
helplessly in the path and if Major Cooper.
who commanded them, had not found O
gate there might have been heavy loss OF life
AZ IL was, hity determined men might have done
great mischief but luckily Theodorus had not appa-
renfiy more than half dozen-his principal chiefs
who really meant TO die at their post in his cause
Al irst the perfect tu defe7 raised by the Sniders
az tne mead OF the storming column moved up the
path, did, no doubt, admirable service. volley fol-
lowed voley with binding, deafening veheuience
an instant's intermisson, round every crack and
crevce OF the gate and adjoining stockade, leaving
which an opposing shot could safely he fred, such
as might wen have shaken far cooler and more ex-
perenced foe than the Abyssnian.
Magdala Is remarkable stronphod-so en-.
phaucaily one in ten thousand-that some Of our
emgineers with something OF sir ucius o'rriggers
was not soutly defended and more scientifically