MR POWER’S DIARY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1187, 28 November 1884, Page 3

MR POWER’S DIARY.

The following diary of the eiege of Khartoum, from the pen of Mr Power, appears in the Times of September 29th:

“ Khartoum, Anril 28th.—Since my last telegram of April 21 we have been almost daily engaged with the rebels who now surround Khartoum. General Gordon is busily engaged ip laying mines in front of the works in all directions. Yesterday and to-day the rebels came down- to the village onposite and fired heavily on the palace. We returned the fire with artillery and musketry, and on both occasions the Arabs retreated. There waa no loas on our side. 'The town is qniet, half' the ‘population before the siege began Vefrtbvef to the rebels, thus weakening our ranks. General

Gordon is fawning ration*, to ,thq poor, m i food is very dear. We have corn and bi *• cuits'for about four months. General Qoidon issued paper money and arrears to. the Soldiers, who were thus paid off. General Gordon has sent emissaries to offer to all the slaves of the rebels their freedom if they will abandon their masters and come in. If they do this it wilt be a fear" fal blow ta the rebels. The General has 1 hired large mission premises on the river, and: removed all the ammunition there; and in case of an attack with artillery on the it will be perfectly safe. A messenger from Segid Mahomet Osman, of Kassala, an Emir of Mecca, and chief among the Mussulmans in the Soudan, has come in, bringing a letter from tbe Segiel, stating that he has beaten the rebels around Kassala, and tells General Gordon to be of good heart, and he and his men will come to his relief, . In such respect is this man held that the rebels did not dare to stop the bearer of the letter One of General Hicks’s bandsmen came in lost night from El tibeid. The Madid has sent two guns, forty boxe* of shells, »nd sixty Kerningtons to be used against Saleh Bey, wh > is stillholding out against the rebels at Mesalimah. This soldier states that Blatter Bey,: at Dariour, has not surrendered to the Mahilt. The Blue Nile is'slowly rising, and in ten or fifteen days the steamers will be able Ito smite the rebels hip and thigh, -The health of the town is excellent. We, the Englishmsn, are welt and hopeful. There are now around the lines, in addition to other obstacles, such as crowsfeet of broken glassware entanglement, and chevaux dt Jrise, three lines of land torpedoes or percussion minps. They are enormously powc fal, and much feared by the Arabs. We ha«f no news whatever of the intentions of Her Majesty’s Government. We learned to day that a man with the post from Berber was taken by the rebels and killed. We have been now five months closely besieged, and can hold out but two months longer. Tbe soldiers and tbe people liv ein hopes of English relief, as since last May there are daily reports of the English advancing from Dongola and Kassala. The Arabs have strong forts with cannon along the river, and push the siege vigorously as ever. General Gordon has protected the steamers with bullet-proof plates of soft wood and iron, and on tbe six armoured barges has put up castles 20ft. high, giving double line of fire. Before the siege 8,000 to 10,000 men left, and have joined the. rebels. The troops to be loyal must bo paid, and General Gordon is badly off for money, none of that which left Cairo having reached Khartoum. He has reached L 50,000 worth of paper money. Pood is daily distributed to the poor since March 23. The following are the chief events of the siege March 23. Hassan and Segid Pashas were put to death for treachery in the battle of the 16th, in which we lost 350 killed and wounded. April 16 to 20.—Attacks by tbe rebels on the Palace from the village opposite. Fearful loss of life to tbe Arabs from mines 27th.—We heard of the surrender of Saleh Bey, at Esalimicb, to the rebels, with fifty shiploads of food, seventy boxes of cartridges, 20,000 rifles, and a steamer. May I.—As ilHeer commanding the engineers having put down a mins ot 781b of powder trod on it, and with six soldiers was blown to pieces. May 3.—A man reported to be English arrived at Berber. 6 th.—Heavy attack from the Arabs at the Blue Nile end of the works. Great loss of life from the mines placed at the Bnii. 7th.—Great attack from tbe village opposite ; nine mines exploded there, killing 113 rebels. The Arabs kept up fire all day. Colonel Stewart, with two splendidly directed shots from Krnpp’s 20-pounders at the Palace, drove them out from their principal position. Daring tbe night the Arabs loophole! the walla ; bat on the 9tb we drove them out. They had held the place for three days. 23th.—Colonel Stewart while working a mitrailleuse at the Palace was wounded by the lehels’ fire,but is now quite'well. 23th —During the expedition up tbe White Nile, Saati Bey put ajshellinto an Arab magazine, and a great explosion followed—sixty shells going off. During May anil June a steam expedition was made daily under Saati Bey. Out locs was slight; many cattle were captured. June 25.- Mr Cnzzie, English Cons sul at Berber, who is with the rebels, came to our lines, and told us of the fall of Borher. He has been sent to Kordofan. 30th —Saati Bey captured forty ardebus of corn from the rebels, and killed 200 of them. July 10.-Saati Bey, having burnt Kalakala and three villages, a'tacked Gotareb, but together with three officers was killed. Colonel Stewart had a very narrow escape. Saati's loss is serious. 29th,—We beat the rebels out of Buri, on the Blue Nile, kdling mmibois and capturing muni: ions and 80 rifles. Two steamers advanced to El Fan, clearing thirteen rebels from the forts, and breaking two cannon. Since the seige bigan our locals under 700 killed; since March, 178. No day passed without firing, yet our losses are not 700 killed. We have had many wounded, but as a rule the wounds are slight. Since the siege General Gordon has caused biscuits and corn to be distributed to the poor, and up to this time there has been no cause of anyone seriously wanting food. Everything has gone up about 3000 per cent, in price, an f meat is, when you can get it, 8s or 9 1 an ober. The classes who cannot accept relief auff,-r most. Since the despatch which arrived the day before yesterday, all hopo of relief from the British Govemm-nt is at an end. When our provisions, which may last two month’, are eaten, we must fall. Nor is their any chance'with the soldiers we have, besides the great crowd ot women and children, of our being able to cut our way through tbe Arabs. We have nut steamers for all, and it is only from s’eamers we can meet the rebels. One Arab horseman is enough to put 200 of the bulk of our men to flight. The day Saati Bey was killed, eight men with spears charged 20 of onr men armed with Eemi'gtons. The soldiers fled at once, leaving Saati and his vakeel to 1 c killed. A blick officer cut down three Arabs, and five others chased our . men. hut an Arab horseman coming up, rode through the flying mass, catting down seven. Colonel Stewait, who was una med, got, off by a fluke, the Arabs not having seen him. With such men ns these we can do nothing. The negroes are the only men we can depend on. Un July 29 a flotilla of five armoured steamers and four armored barges with castles went up to Garcfeur, on the Blue Nile. On the way up (re cleared 13 small forts, but at Garetenr found large strong forts and earthworks rivetted with the tranks of palm trees. There were two cannon in one fort. For eight hours we engaged these forts, and with a Krnpp 20 pounder disabled their cannon. The Arab fire was terrific, but owing to the bullet proof armor on all the vessels, our loss was only three killed and thirteen wounded, This evening wo drove the rebels, who were in great numbers, out of the forts. In three days General Gordon will send two steamers towards Seonaar, and it is hoped they will retake the steamer Mehcmet Ali, which tbe rebels took from Saleh Bey. Genera' Gordon is quite well. Colonel Stewart bar qn'te recovered from his wounds. I an quite well and happv.’’