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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We Were Fast Asleep, Quite Unaware Of The Glorious Battle That Had
Taken Place A Few Miles From Our Prison, When We Were Aroused By A
Servant, Who Told Us To Dress Quickly, And Come Over To Mr. Rassam's
House, As Messengers Had Just Arrived From His Majesty.
We found
on entering Mr. Rassam's room Messrs.
Waldmeier and Flad, and several
of the Emperor's chiefs, who had come up to deliver the Imperial
message. Then for the first time we heard of the battle of Fahla;
heard, indeed, that we were now safe; that the humbled despot had
acknowledged the greatness of the power he had for years despised.
The Imperial message was as follows: - "I thought that the people
that are now coming were women; I now find that they are men. I
have been conquered by the advance guard alone. All my musketeers
are dead. Reconcile me with your people."
Mr. Rassam sent him back word that he had come to his country to
make peace, and now, as well as formerly, he only wished to see
that happy result obtained; he proposed, he said, sending Lieutenant
Prideaux for himself, and that his Majesty should send Mr. Flad,
or any other European whom he trusted, together with one of his
noblemen, to the British camp to make terms; but that unless he was
willing to deliver over to the Commander-in-Chief all the prisoners,
the proposed steps would be quite useless. The two Europeans and
the other messenger remained some time with us to rest and refresh
themselves:
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