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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The Servants Had Heard The Good News And Rushed In Before Flad Came
To Us With The Welcome Intelligence.
On the arrival of Flad and
Samuel, we were taken to Mr. Rassam's house, where Mr. Flad delivered
to us from his Majesty the following message:
- "You are neither my
friends nor my enemies. I do not know who you are. I chained you
because I chained Mr. Rassam: now I open your chains because he
promised to be your security. If you run away it will be a shame
for you and for me."
On that we were told to sit down; an iron wedge was first hammered
in where the ring was joined, and when the intervening space was
considered sufficient, three or four loops of strong leather rope
were passed inside the irons, and we were told to put one leg on a
large stone brought in for the purpose. On each side a long pole
was then fixed in the leather loops, and five or six men pulled on
them with all their strength, using the stone as a "point d'appui"
for the lever. As the leather thongs acted on the iron ring, little
by little it gave way and stretched out, until at last it was wide
enough to pass over the foot: the operation was then performed on
the other leg. It took at least half an hour to take mine off, and
even more to open Prideaux's. Though we were delighted at the
prospect of having again the free use of our limbs, we did not enjoy
the rude operation at all; and although (as we were in favour) the
soldiers did their best not to hurt us, still the pain was at times
quite unbearable, as the "point d'appui" now and then slipped from
the stone to the chain itself, and pressing on the shin it seemed
to us as if the leg would be crushed to pieces.
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