I ordered the bugler to sound the advance, and the whole band sounded
the charge with the bayonet (sinjatre doran).
At the inspiriting call, each side of the square advanced at the double
with bayonets at the charge. The crowd, lately so demonstrative, fell
quickly back, and, having thus cleared the square, I told Kittakara to
order every individual of the crowd to sit down upon the ground.
The great mass of people obeyed the order with the discipline of
soldiers, and my troops fell back and re-formed their square as before.
The little square, with a single line of front of twenty men, now
occupied the centre of the clear space.
I lost no time in inquiring for Kabba Rega, whom I insisted upon seeing.
After a short delay he appeared, in company of some of his bonosoora. He
was in a beastly state of intoxication, and, after reeling about with a
spear in his hand, he commenced a most imbecile attempt at warlike
gestures.
Had my eighty men been armed with breech-loaders, I could have mown down
hundreds by a fire from the square, had hostilities been forced upon us;
but, as the greater portion were armed with old muskets, we might have
been overwhelmed by a general rush, when reloading after the first
volley.
