ABYSSINIA. 



of this valley, and extends across the plain, 

 cutting it in two. The Egyptians occupied 

 both sides of this bed, and distributed them- 

 selves from the banks to about the middle of 

 the heights. Facing them, at the extremity 

 of the plain, they could see the Abyssinian 

 army, which seemed to intend advancing to 

 force the defile occupied by the Egyptians. 

 Osman Pasha established his batteries at the 



head of his army, facing the plain and the 

 Abyssinians. From time to time the latter 

 attempted to break them, and each time they 

 were repulsed by the Egyptian artillery, and 

 already the khedive's troops were shouting 

 victory, when the most horrible of surprises 

 changed their shout of triumph into cries of 

 despair. While the mass of the Abyssinian 

 army was pretending to wish to force the de- 



VIEW IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR MAGDALA. 



file, this was simply a ruse of war. Behind 

 them soldiers had entered the dried-up bed of 

 the stream ; crawling along the ground, they 

 got round the hills on which the Egyptian 

 troops were massed. These hills they ascended 

 from the opposite side, and then, once arrived 

 at the summit, by thousands, men and women, 

 soldiers on foot and on horseback, from behind 

 rocks, trees, and hollows, rushed down with 

 furious cries on the rear flanks of the Egyptians. 

 Dreadful confusion ensued. The Egyptians 

 made no attempt at resistance. Driven on 

 both sides, they rushed into the dry channel ; 

 panic seized them ; the artillerymen abandoned 

 their pieces in the van, and added to the con- 

 fusion. The bulk of the Abyssinian army 

 crossed the valley and engaged with the sol- 

 diers of the Nile. They fought hand to hand. 

 Hassan Pasha, with heroic efforts, then suc- 

 ceeded in gathering around him some of the 

 officers, with 500 or 600 soldiers, who, together 

 forming a compact body, fought their way 

 through the Abyssinians to the intrenched 

 camp. Of the seven battalions and three bat- 

 teries this was all that survived. Kachid Bey, 

 Giebri Bey, Colonel Deye, and many other 

 foreign and Egyptian officers, remained dead 

 or wounded on the field of battle. The fol- 



lowing day, while the intrenched camp, reduced 

 in number to 2,000, was fortifying, the enemy 

 did not appear. The day after that they were 

 seen in the distance, but disappeared before 

 the firing with which they were received. On 

 the 19th they made an assault, but were re- 

 pulsed. A cannon-ball passed close to King 

 John ; he was thrown from his horse, and the 

 assault was interrupted. On the fourth day 

 the Egyptians succeeded in projecting explosive 

 balls into the Abyssinian camp. This caused 

 great terror, and the day after a messenger 

 arrived from King John. "It was time," he 

 said, "to put an end to this struggle. He 

 was ready to make honorable concessions and 

 to come to a humane arrangement." They 

 required him to consent to a rectification of 

 their frontiers, and to return the prisoners, 

 and arms ; in fact, to act as if he had been de- 

 feated. The Abyssinians on the other hand de- 

 manded the cession of Massowah. As this vir- 

 tually implied the complete abandonment of 

 Hamasen, which the Egyptians claimed be- 

 longed to them, the demand was refused, and 

 all available troops were sent to Massowah. 

 In the mean while an Abyssinian chief, Walda 

 Michael, revolted against King John, incited, 

 as it was supposed, by the Egyptians. On Au- 



