None But Theodore, I Believe, Could Have Directed That Difficult Operation; The Leather Ropes, From Long Use, Were Always Breaking, And We Were Very Much Afraid That Some Accident Might Happen, And That, At The Very Last Stage, The Ponderous Mortar "Sebastopol" Would Tumble Over The Precipice.

We fancied the rage his Majesty would be in; and our close proximity to him made us earnestly pray that nothing of the kind would occur.

The sight was well worth witnessing: Theodore standing on a projecting rock, leaning on his spear, sent his aide-de-camp at every moment with instructions to those who directed the five or six hundred men harnessed to the ropes. At times when the noise was too great, or when he wanted to give some general instructions, he had but to lift up his hand and not a sound would arise from the thousands engaged in the work, and the clear voice of Theodore would alone be heard in the deep silence that his simple gesture had produced.

At last the big mortar was safely landed on Islamgee. We climbed up as fast as we could, and complimented his Majesty on the achievement of his great undertaking; he sent us word to examine the mortar. We all three jumped on the gun-carriage, greatly admired it, and loudly expressed our astonishment and delight to the bystanders. His Majesty was evidently well pleased with the praises we had bestowed upon his great favourite, and made us sit down near him on the verge of the Islamgee plateau whilst the remaining cannons and waggons were being drawn up.

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