THE ITALIANS IN AFRICA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1611, 16 July 1887, Page 3

THE ITALIANS IN AFRICA

The following graphio description of the fight at Dogali, naar Massowah, In whioh the Italian troops who were engaged were annihilated, 1b from a letter of Count Salembeni, which, was published m the Riforma, an Italian newspaper :—" Still chained to my guard, and In sight by the aoldiers, I was made to climb an isolated bill to the right of the road. Thence I could see the AbysslnUns to the number of 20,000 men, the greater part armed with lances, shields, and heavy sabres, but there were a'»o a good many riflta While the column of De Oristoforis kept np a violent fire the Abyealnlaas executed tbeir encircling movement, profiting by the undulations of the hill and every accidental hiding-place. The Italian fiie, because of the gre<it distance and the smalineqs of the objeotß aimed at, was not at all effective. It was past mid-day when Ral Alulals men had completed their ciroles. The Italian mitrailleuse had long since oeased to act, and Colonel de Ohristoforls had Bent two messages to ask for reinforcements from Monkullo. Shortly after one o'clock the Abysslnlans gave the signal for attack. The drums and tambourines never ceased to beat, and all of a sudden, from every aide, aa if they started out of the ground, a swarm of men darted forward. The cavalry oharged the right of the little hill on which the Italian b had taken their stand, and In a few minutes all was over. The little handful of heroes had performed prodigies. They fall victims to superior numbers, but they sold their lives dearly, fighting man to man, like Hone, the soldiers with their guns and bayonets, th« officers with swords and revolver*, and at the last even having recourse to stones. They all fell, but they had shown the | Abysslnian3 that It is Imprudent to attack j the strong sons of Italy, who " die, but will not surrender." No quarter w«s given to the wounded. The Kai had ordered that they should all be butohered . After having been exposed all day to the fire of my countrymen I was taken to the foot of the hill where they lay dead. The Abysslnlans proceeded to despoil the oorpies, and so I saw soldiers' helmets, officers' caps, bread-saoks, mantles, etc., on the shoulders, necks, or heads of these barbarians, a spectacle which pierced my heart. Never bad I wished so earnestly as on that long day that the Rgb would be as good as his word and mike an end of me. In the Abyssinian camp laments for tho dead — their loss was said to be 2000 men killed and wounded — and rejoicings for the victory were kept up to a lats hour.