478 LETTERS TO DR. SCHWEINFURTH.

successfully carried out that the entrenchments of the Danagla were stormed, their huts burnt, and part of their ammunition destroyed. Abdullahi Abd-es-Sammat and his brother Mahmud fell on this occasion. Instead, however, of taking advantage of the victory, the commanding officer ordered a retreat, and though the soldiers and officers urged him to complete the work on the next day, nothing was done; the officers caroused, the men suffered hunger. All that was left of money and goods in the magazine was wasted, and the fate of Amadi can no longer be doubtful. I had written many times to the officer in command, ordering him to send the sick and wounded to Ladé, and the women and children to Makraka, and finally, should the enemy’s forces become too large, to retreat in good time to Lado, which is well and strongly fortified, or to enter Makraka, where there is plenty of corn. But I had received either no answer at all to my letters, or they were so worded that it was evident that sordid self-interest had pushed into the background all thoughts of the welfare and troubles of the province, and of the honour of the Government we serve. In any case, I gave orders to the chief of Makraka to take corn and reinforcements to Amadi as © quickly as possible, even though the latter should consist only of armed Negroes; but he did not carry out my orders, for he could not leave the wretched Makraka spirits. Captain Casati, who had an opportunity of watching the proceedings closely, will be able to give an interesting account of them.

On the 21st and 22d of February J at last received more news from Amadi. Keremallah had arrived there in person with a large following of clerks—including those that had been sent from here—soldiers, and Danagla. He had written to Murjan Aga, the commandant of Amadi, summoning him to surrender. A Sudanese officer from the Bahr-el-Ghazal, attended by some soldiers, had also paid a visit to Murjan Aga, and invited him to join the champions of the faith, but had not uttered a word about Khartum, and Murjan Aga had been so accommodating as to let him withdraw unmolested. I can give the remaining incidents concerning Amadi in a few words. In a very short time the station was surrounded on all sides, and cut off even from the river, though the distance from it is very short, and then the brave soldiers had to endure days of