of baggage was
still in the valley. A continuation of this led direct to Magdala, and
Theodore seeing it there, apparently unprotected and open to attack,
ordered his men to advance and seize it.

The fortress of Magdala consists of three hills. Magdala itself, the
strongest of the three, upon which the royal town is situate, lay behind
the other two, and, except across a wide neck separating it from them,
was inaccessible, as upon its other three sides it rose almost
precipitously from the plain. The two hills in front were called
Sallasye and Fala. As there was no intention of attacking until the
second division had reached the spot, the troops were ordered to lie
down, and an hour or two passed in inactivity. Then, with telescopes, a
stir could be seen upon the top of Fala, where several guns were in
position. Presently there was a flash, a pause for a second or two, and
then the sound of a ball whistling through the air. This fell near the
Beloochees, who were lying with piled arms on the plateau. Almost
simultaneously a great body of men were seen descending by the road
which led from the neck connecting the hills of Fala and Sallasye. When
the head of this body reached the plateau it broke up, and was seen to
be composed of great numbers of natives, headed by many chiefs on
horseback.

Sir C. Napier at once gave orders for the 4th to advance. Thirst and
fatigue were forgotten in a minute, and at a swinging trot the 4th
passed to the front. The next order was for the Naval Brigade to
advance to a knoll which commanded the plateau, and to open fire with
their rockets upon the crowd of advancing enemies.

The moment was critical, the head of the baggage train had just reached
the plateau from the ravine below, and there was a doubt whether the
enemy would not be upon it before the troops could come to its
assistance. The sailors were but a short time in laying their tubes,
and a cheer broke from the troops as the first rocket whizzed out across
the plateau. The roar and rush of this strange, and to them unknown,
missile caused an instant halt of the advancing crowd of Abyssinians.
The horses of the chiefs swept round and round, and scampered hither and
thither in wild affright. The footmen paused, and for a moment it
seemed as if the attack was coming to an end. Rocket after rocket
whizzed out; but as the Abyssinians soon saw that the destruction
wrought by these missiles bore no proportion whatev