176 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
the 29th April, the army remained without baggage, marching under the 
arrangements herein detailed. At the same time the scale of ration laid 
down could not be complied with, and the troops were for the greater part 
of the time without rum, sugar, or vegetables. 
The advance to the Teckazee was necessarily slow from 
the size of the different columns, and the very difficult 
nature of the country. A depot was formed at Dildee, and 
it was in light marching order that the ascent to the plateau 
of Wadela (altitude 10,600 feet), was made; the whole 
force being once more collected at Santara. We had been 
for some days in the territory of the Wagshum Gobezai 
whose uncle Jeddah Museecha here visited the camp with a body of light 
horse, whose riding and manoeuvring excited surprise. 
The force started from Santara on the 31st March. 
Magdala was now supposed to be near at hand, but we 
learned to appreciate, the common remark of the soldiers 
that " Magdala was upon wheels.” The table land of Wad- 
dela however resembling in the character of its scenery and 
in its climate, the highlands of Thibet (our thermometer 
stood as low as 19° at night) afforded a pleasant change in our style of 
marching. 
Halting grounds. 
Ashangi, 
Musgeeta, 
Lat, 
Marrowah, 
Dildee, 
Moojah, 
Teckazee. 
Halting grounds. 
Santara, 
Gazoo, 
Abdicoom, 
Scindee, 
Detebor, 
Talanta. 
On the 4th April a depot for sick was formed at Scindee, a reserve of 
ammunition being brought up to that place. 
At Bethor we found ourselves upon the King^s road from Debra Tabor 
to Magdala, and were indeed glad to avail ourselves of this well constructed 
highway in the formidable descent (3000 ft.) to the chasm of the Jeddah. 
The labour of surmounting the corresponding ascent to the Talanta plain, 
made us respect the energy of the “ Mighty Negus” who so recently had 
dragged his heavy ordnance along this route. 
The plateau at this point, enclosed between the Jeddah and the Beshilo, 
is about five miles broad; from its southern edge we plainly distinguished 
Magdala at a distance of about eleven miles. 
Until the 8th the force was detained awaiting the arrival of the 45th 
Boot, but on the 9th the whole division was brought together before making 
the descent to the Beshilo. The 3rd Dragoon Guards only arrived on 
the 12 th. 
The original intention with regard to the distribution of the reserves had 
not been carried out before the conclusion of the campaign, though depots 
were formed at Senafe, Antalo, Dildee, and Scindee. 400 rounds per rifle 
were however forwarded to Senafe, while 200 rounds accompanied the 
troops. 
Of the artillery reserve, the steel batteries were accompanied by their 
first reserve, 5500 rounds per battery remaining at Zulla. 702 common 
shell, 283 case, 889 segment shell, belonging to G/14th B.A. were retained 
at the same place, with 200 rounds for each of the 8-inch mortars. 
A large proportion of shell was early forwarded to the highlands for 
these pieces, and some 50 rounds of common shell were destroyed on the 
return march to save carriage. I have already mentioned the detention of 
three wagons of G/14th B.A., with reserve ammunition at Senafe. 
