The First Would Have At Once Put Us To Death Out Of Hatred To The White Men; The Second, Most Probably Would Have Ill-Treated Us Or Have Sold Us To The Highest Bidder.

The great rebels would have acted differently: we should have been, for a time, at least, comparatively free, and allowed to depart on a suitable ransom being given.

Therefore, to Ali, to Gobaz, to Ahmed the son of Mastiate, or to Menilek the King of Shoa, Mr. Rassam's answer was always the same, "Come; invest this place, and then we will see what we can do for you."

It amused us sometimes to watch all these different rivals of Theodore, each of them endeavouring to seize upon Magdala even before Theodore was quite out of the way. Gobaze and Menilek, had both in view to make themselves rulers of Abyssinia, by the possession of Magdala: (indeed the latter had also written before the rainy season, informing the Bishop of his coming to take possession of his amba, and requesting the bishop to take care of his property.) Apart from the great prestige it would confer upon them, they would obtain the three things they rightly judged would most likely insure the fulfilment of their ambitious views: viz., the throne, the Bishop, and the English prisoners. All wanted Mr. Bassam, not merely to help them, but to give them the mountain: they were aware that the chiefs were on friendly terms with us, and supposed that we were in possession of fabulous sums of money, so that, by means of friendship and bribery, we might open the gates to the candidate we selected.

Magdala could only become theirs by treachery: in their immense armies, they could not have found twenty men with sufficient courage to venture on an assault. Magdala had the reputation of being impregnable; and, indeed, against natives badly armed, it was very nearly so. Even Theodore only took possession of it because the Galla garrison, through fear, evacuated the place during the night. He had pitched his camp at the foot of the Amba, and attempted an assault; but soon retired from his hopeless task before the shower of missiles thrown from above. It was not until several days after the Gallas had retired, that one of the chiefs, suspecting the place to be empty, cautiously ventured to ascertain the fact, and returned to inform Theodore that he might quietly walk in as the enemy had disappeared.

CHAPTER XV

Death of Abouna Salama - Sketch of his Life and Career - Grievances of Theodore against him - His Imprisonment at Magdala - The Wallo Gallas - Their Habits and Customs - Menilek appears with an Army in the Galla Country - His Policy - Advice sent to him by Mr. Rassam - He invests Magdala and fires a feu-de-joie - The Queen's Behaviour - Steps taken by the Chiefs - Our Position not Improved - The Effects of Smoke on Menilek - Our Disappointment followed by Great Joy - We receive News of the Landing of British Troops.

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