A Narrative Of Captivity In Abyssinia With Some Account Of The Late Emperor Theodore, His Country And People By Henry Blanc
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Let Us Bring Back These White
Men, Kill Them, And Run Away; Or Fight And Die." Theodore Rebuked
Him In These Words:
- "You donkey!
Have I not killed enough these
two last days? Do you want me to kill these white men, and cover
Abyssinia with blood?"
Though now fairly out of the Imperial camp, and in sight almost of
our pickets, we could hardly credit that we were not the victims
of some delusion. Involuntarily, we would look back, fearful that,
regretting his clemency, Theodore might follow and overtake us
before we reached our camp. But God, who had almost by a miracle
delivered us that day, still protected us; and shortly afterwards,
with grateful and joyful hearts, we entered the British lines; and
heard the gladdening sound of English voices, the hearty cheers of
our countrymen, and shook hands with the dear friends who had
laboured so zealously for our release.
CONCLUSION.
On the morning of the 12th, the day following our deliverance,
Theodore sent a letter of apology, expressing his regret for having
written the impertinent missive of the day before. He at the same
time requested the Commander-in-Chief to accept a present of 1,000
cows; this, according to Abyssinian custom, implying a peace-offering,
which once accepted, removed all apprehension of hostilities.
The five captives who had joined us in January, 1868 (Mr. Staiger
and his party), Mrs. Flad and her children, several of the Europeans,
and the families of all of them, were still in Theodore's power.
The Europeans who had accompanied us the evening before, and who
had spent the night at the camp, were early that morning sent back
to Theodore; and Samuel, who was one of the party, was instructed
to demand that the whole of the Europeans and their families should
be allowed to depart at once. A dhoolee and bearers were also sent
at the same time for Mrs. Flad, whose state of health did not allow
her to ride. Before starting, Samuel was told by Mr. Rassam that
the Commander-in-Chief had accepted the cows: an unfortunate mistake,
as it misled and deceived Theodore, but so far opportune, that it
probably saved the lives of the Europeans still in his power.
When the Europeans who had returned to Selassi to bring down their
families, and Samuel, approached the Emperor, his first question
was, "Have the cows been accepted?" Samuel, bowing respectfully
before him, said: "The English Ras says to you, 'I have accepted
your present: may God give it back to you.'" On that Theodore drew
a long breath, as if relieved of a deep anxiety, and told the
Europeans, "Take your families and go." To Mr. Waldmeier he said,
"You also want to leave me; well, go: now that I have friendship
with the English, if I want ten Waldmeiers I have only to ask for
them." In the afternoon the European workmen and their families,
Mr. Staiger and his party, Mrs. Flad and children, Samuel, and our
servants, all came into the British camp. They had been allowed to
take away their property, and on their departure Theodore, in good
spirits, bade them good-by.
On Saturday, the 11th, Sir Robert Napier had clearly pointed out to
Dejatch Alame, the course he had adopted, and that not only the
captives, but Theodore also, must come into the British camp
before twenty-four hours, otherwise hostilities would begin anew;
but at the urgent request of Dejatch Alame, who knew how difficult
it would be for Theodore to comply with that part of the order
which referred to himself, he promised to extend to forty-eight hours
the term he had fixed upon for his ultimatum to be acceded to.
On the morning of the 18th, the Emperor having not as yet made his
submission, it became necessary to compel him to obey, and steps
were being taken to complete the work so ably begun, when several
of the greatest chiefs of Theodore's army made their appearance,
stating that they came in their own name and in that of the soldiers
of the garrison, to lay down their arms and surrender the fortress;
they added that, Theodore, accompanied by about fifty followers,
had made his escape during the night.
It appears that the evening before, Theodore, on hearing that the
cows had not been accepted, but were still outside the English
pickets, believed that he had been deceived, and that, if he fell
into the hands of the English, he would either be doomed to chains
or to a cruel death. All night he walked about Selassie anxious
and cast down, and towards early morn called upon his people to
follow him. But instead of obeying they retired to another part
of the plain. Theodore shot the two nearest to him; but this daring
act did not quell the mutinous disposition of the soldiery: on the
contrary, they only retreated further back.
With the few men who followed him, he passed through the Kafir Ber,
but had not gone far before he saw the Gallas advancing from all
sides in order to surround him and his party. He then said to his
few faithful followers, "Leave me: I will die alone." They refused;
on that he said to them, "You are right; but let us return to the
mountain: it is better to die by the hands of Christians."
The surrender of the army, the storming of Magdala, the self-inflicted
death of Theodore, are too well-known facts for me to enlarge upon
them I entered the place shortly after it had been occupied by our
troops. One of the first objects that attracted my attention was
the dead body of Theodore. There was a smile on his lip - that happy
smile he so seldom wore of late: it gave an air of calm grandeur
to the features of one whose career had been so remarkable, whose
cruelties are almost unparalleled in history; but who at the last
hour seemed to have recalled the days of his youth, fought like a
brave man, and killed himself rather than surrender.
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