He too was short of food and ammunition, and famine already began to stare the beleaguered garrison in the face.

Meanwhile the enemy had been busy erecting stockades, to bar every outlet from Coomassie.

Many attempts were made to take these entrenchments; but they always failed, as they could not be pushed home, owing to want of ammunition; and the troops became, to some extent, demoralized by want of success.
Although the food had been carefully husbanded, it was running perilously low.

Rations consisted of one and a half biscuits, and five ounces of preserved meat, per day.

Five ponies, brought up by Major Morris, and a few cows kept at the Residency were killed and eaten.