NEW EMPIRE OF ABYSSINIA. '^'J 



and, in these, especially the churches. Theodore marched against 

 them. Oarhet retired, and the negns, taking as the base of his 

 operations the left bank of the Bachilo, set himself to conquer the 

 whole land of the Ouollos. They, commanded by Adara-Bille, 

 bravely offered battle to the negus, and were cut to pieces ; their 

 chief was left upon the field, and the prisoners were maimed without 

 mercy. The survivors relinquished the contest in the open plain 

 and retired to the mountains, leaving the victor to pillage the level 

 country, and carry away thousands of captives, whom he distributed 

 among his soldiers. The negus then selected, for winter quarters, 

 the post of Magdala, impregnable by Abyssinians, upon the left 

 bank of the Bachilo : he made it at once his arsenal and chief state 

 prison, and accumulated there thousands of muskets, which, thanks 

 to long inaction and improper handling, are, to-day, nearly, useless. 

 Theodore, although victorious, had lost the greater part of his 

 army, and for the present relinquished his designs upon the Ouollos. 

 Another design occupied him altogether elsewhere. The narrations 

 of our countrymen. Rochet d'Hericourt and of Major Harris have 

 made known to us the kingdom of Choa, founded a century and a 

 half ago by a fortunate chief, who took advantage of the negus' 

 feeble government to dismember the empire and form a dynasty 

 upon the extreme south-eastern frontier. The military policy of 

 Theodore the Second required that this branch, broken off by revo- 

 lution, should return to the parent stem, and circumstances were 

 favourable for its accomplishment. Death had seized upon Tahle- 

 Talassie, a sagacious prince, although hardly the African Solomon of 

 whom more recent travellers speak. His son, Melchot, was far from 

 inheriting his political sagacity, or rather a sly good nature that con- 

 cealed an energy which the vassals took good care not to come in 

 opposition to. Theodore marched from Magdala upon Aukober, the 

 capital of Choa, and Melchot came against him with a numerous 

 and well-disciplined army. Upon the night preceding the battle, 

 Melchot died suddenly. It were easy to make strange conjectures 

 upon this opportune death ; but what proves Theodore beyond the 

 suspicion of poisoning, is that no word of it has been breathed in a 

 country so distrustful as Abyssinia. The nobles, filled with conster- 

 nation, met in council. They all agreed, above everything else, to 

 support the independence of their little state, to fight at all hazards, 

 and, in order to prevent the discouraging impression of this event 



