EVACUATION OF AMADI. 479 



great hardship. When the chief of Makraka did at last come 

 up with reinforcements j and when men, hastily collected from 

 all the neighbouring stations, appeared before Amadi, they were 

 too late to break through the blockade. I cannot even yet 

 understand why the commandant of Amadi, knowing, as lie did, 

 that relieving forces had arrived within two hours' march, of 

 the station, never attempted a sortie. The soldiers before 

 Amadi were again and again led to the attack by their officers, 

 but lost their courage, and at last ran away. The chief of 

 Makraka, instead of sticking to his post, collected his scattered 

 men, and went back to Makraka and his spirits. All was then 

 given up for lost. On March 28, a rumour spread abroad in 

 Lado that the garrison of Amadi had cut its way through to 

 Makraka. (On the same day I received letters dated March 

 9, 1885, wherein Dr. Junker's safe arrival at Chief Anflna's 

 was announced.) 



Three soldiers from Amadi came into Lado on March 29. 

 They related that the soldiers had repeatedly urged their 

 officers to make a sortie and cut their way through, but that 

 the latter had always hung back, and probably intended to 

 yield to the enemy. At last the men became desperate, and, 

 led by six brave officers, left the zeriba against the will of their 

 superiors, cut their way through the Danagla, inflicting heavy 

 losses on them, and took the road (at least most of them 

 did) to Makraka. Murjan Aga followed them at last when he 

 found himself deserted. All the soldiers had taken their arms 

 and ammunition with them. There remained behind in Amadi, 

 Hassan Aga, a Sudanese lieutenant, ill ; Mohammed-es-Sayad 

 Effendi, Egyptian captain, voluntarily — after he had urged 

 the soldiers to surrender, and they had refused ; Mustapha- 

 el-Arian EfFendi, clerk, voluntarily ; also some corporals and 

 soldiers, most of whom were ill. I must add that this account 

 was fully confirmed afterwards ; the commandant of Amadi and 

 two of his officers had actually planned a surrender, and had 

 addressed a letter to Keremallah with this intention, but the 

 greater part of the officers retained their honour amidst many 

 faults, and the soldiers in particular behaved splendidly, though 

 for nineteen days they lived on cow-hides, and at last ate their 

 sandals, while their superiors drank spirits and made them- 

 selves comfortable. 



