We have no killed, but have ten or fifteen wounded, most of them very
slightly. One of the Punjaubees who was wounded in the fight three days
before has since died. The loot obtained by the soldiers was generally of
the most trifling description. Pieces of the hangings of the King’s tent,
bits of tawdry brocade, and such-like, are the general total. A very few
got some gold crosses, and other more valuable articles. A general order
has been issued, ordering all valuable spoil to be returned; but I do not
imagine that the amount returned will be large. All the spoil taken, with
the arms, &c., will be sold by auction in a day or two, and the result at
once divided. It is known that considerable sums in dollars and gold have
been buried, and a search is being instituted for them, but without, I
imagine, much chance of success. In my wanderings I came upon a large hut,
which turned out to be the royal cellar. Here the natives were serving-out
“tedge”—which I have already described as a drink resembling small-beer
and lemonade mixed, with a very strong musty flavour—to soldiers. There
were at least a hundred large jars filled with the liquid, which the
soldiers call beer, and which, thirsty as the men were, was very
refreshing. It was now nearly six o’clock, and the soldiers had had
nothing to eat or drink since early morning. I should say that every
soldier in the force supped that night upon fowl. Their value here, except
when offered to us for sale, is merely nominal, and none of the people
took the trouble to take them away; consequently they were running about
in hundreds, and gave rise to many animated chases.
Magdala itself is about half a mile long by a quarter of a mile wide, its
narrow end joining the shoulder to Salamgi, and as this end is rather
narrow, it touches the shoulder only for about fifty or sixty yards. At
this point I should say that the plateau of the fortress is 200 feet above
the shoulder. Upon its other side it would be 1200 feet sheer down. The
33d planted their colours upon the highest spot, and General Napier when
he entered addressed a few words to the men, saying, “that they had made
the attack in gallant style.” Of course, as it turned out, the danger was
slight; but this does not detract from the way in which the regiment went
up to the assault; as, for anything they could tell, there might have been
hundreds of men concealed in the huts immediately behind the gate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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