THE SOUDAN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1202, 13 March 1885, Page 3

THE SOUDAN.

DEATH OF GENERAL STEWART.

Cairo, March 6. Latest advises from Korri state, that the British headquarters are about to be moved to Dongola, and that the troops will during the summer be quartered at various points along the Nile between Korti end Dongola. i London, March 5,

Bari Wemysa has given notice in the House of Lords of a motion for the adop tion of an address to the Queen, thanking, her Maj.-aty for accepting tbe loyal offer of New South Wa'es, expressing satisfaction at the similar offers on the part of the other 1 Vonics, and hoping that these may be accepted at the mht time. Mr Evelyn Ashley, Colonial Under secretary, announced to Parliament thij after, noon that a telegram had been sent to the Colonies stating that if fnrthrr forces could, be despatched, to arrive at Son kirn by Sep* ‘ ternber, the Government wo aid gladly accept their -services. Adklmxs 'larch 6. The South Australian Government have received telegrams from the Colonial Office saying that if the Colony, independently or: conjointly, will despatch forces in time to; arrive in Sonakin by Septemlier, the Imperial Government will gladly accept their services. Inquiry will be made as to the number, descriptio.i, and training.of the proffered troops, and stress is laid upon the importance of the whole contingent drilling together for at least a month. The Advertiser newspaper severely condemns the proposal to despatch a South Australian contingent to Egypt. Melbourne March 6. The Victorian Government have received a telegram from Earl Derby similar to that received by South Australia as to the ac oeptanee of further Colonial troops for the Soudan. It is improbable that tbe Ministry will do anything in the matter till Parliament meets. Sydney, March 6. The Governor receiveo a leleg'am yesterday stating that the Queen was greatly gratified at the account of the departure of the New S ahj Wales contingent, an I the enthusiasm displayed by her loyal subjects. The Agent-genera! wires to the Government that the London Times speaks of the embarkation of the tro pj as the m -st gratifying event in the history of the Empire, an I promises a hearty welcome for ih) men at Suakiu. Th-Pail vial; Gazote says that no more cheering lines have appeared in English newspai>er» than those which record the complete success o f tbe movement in New South Wales, and the intense enthusiasm displrye I in Sy 'ney. Cair >. March 7. Lord Wolseley has issued an address to the troops under his command saying that he hopes to lead an army into Khartoum before the end of the year, and that in the meantime preparations mu.t continue to be made for an adva"ca in tbe an ura i. London, March 7. Canada will probably send 300J men to the Son lan. Melbourne, March 7The official Gazette contains a rnemoran dura from tbe Governor thanking, in tbe Queen’s name, those who recen'ly volunteered in Victoria for service in the Soudan. The Argus to-day suggests that the- Go vernment a iiiuld offer to se id money ins’ead of troops for the Soudan, as the Victorian forces may he required f>r local defence in the event of an embrog.io with Russia. March 9. The Age to-day onposes the idea of -despatching a Victorian contingent'to’the Soudan, an 1 advocates the strengthening of locil defences. No enthusiasm is displayed here in connection with the Victorian con tingent. Sy ney, March 9. The Governor has received a telegram from the Lord ‘layer of l.u .don c ngratu 1-iting tbe C deny upon its patriotic supp irt to the Mother Country. London. March 8. Th" statement that Lord Wolseley was suffering from an affection of the eyes is incoirect

General Stewart ami hi comm and were heard from again after the battle at Abu Klea Wells on January 28. The force at the time was entrenched at Metcmneb, and in communication with General Gordon. Stewarts force had several fiah's with the Arabs b fore it reach d Metemneb, r>tew»r himself being bally wouude I. General Wolseley, in a dispatch, records the capture ‘d Metemnch by the B itiah, an I a : so says that Gordon has sent news which shows his position in Khartoum is by no means as desperate as was supposed. He says he could hold out there for years. On the ra irn ug of ivloivlay, January 19. two days after the fight at Aim K1 a, the euemy appearel in force in front of the a I vanning British army, and a short, tierce battle was fought. This occurred at a point three miles from the Nile. 'lhe British' were compe led to sustain a heavy fire for some time. Early in the engagement. General Stewart received his woun 1. Sir Charles Wi son thereupon took command, and works we e hurriedly construct (I under the leaden rain which continued to pout upon them from the enemy's rifles. The

wounded men an I baggage tra n were left under a guard under quickly built earth works, while the rest of the force advanced in face of the ho 'tile fire to a gravel range some distance in front, where large bodies of rebels had esta'dish’d themselves in a strong position. As soon as the British lines came near a tierce charge, led by several exn rs, was mails against them by the rebels. The British tro >ps were ar auged, as usual, in the form of a fqnare, and steadily advanced to meet the wild onslaught of the loudly cheering enemv who were rushing down upon them At the same time the rifles of the British were doing bloody execution. The charge was ch- cked, and not an Arab came within 30 yarcs of the British square. The rebels dil not lo ig stand before the murderous Eus.l sh fire, hut were repulsed with heavy loss, and four emirs were 1< ft dead upon the field and large num hers wounded. About the English losses few delai s have yet been received Th - placo where the battle occurred was a slight

distance beyond the Facat Welle. When General Stewart reached that point he found the enemy hovering a* ou f h'S little army on all si les, and skirting it often with uncomfortable short range, The rebels hail evidently stationed themselves in the vicinity to await his arrival and give him battle. When they began to surround and press upon him, ne de ennined to abide the event, and ordered Ida men to dismount and form a** zareeba ” This was mainly done' with saddles and baggage, and during its construction the rebel rifl men drew nearer anl maintained a hot fire from behind ambushes and such hiding-places as they C 'ubl find among the bashes and high grass. This fire was very well directed, and was most disastrous in its effect upon the British tioops. Twelve m n were soon shot down, a d forty others wounded Among the first killed were Mr Cameron, special correspondent of the London Standard and Mr Herbert, special correspondent of the London Post. General Stewart was one of the tfery wounded. Up was shot in the

shobthe-WOrk-- of making,' tho.' ,, ”iare#l)f*; jfis about complete). The Englmh. troops' front delivered a- terrific fire, .aimed agsjnst the- enemy’s centre, mowing down then'' in such' heaps that 'they ' formed ketnat ' Obstacles,' and interfered so seriously .with the evenness, necessary to tbs success of the onslaught that'its centre linn was brought to a standstill about 60 yards front the-British front,. The force of the general movement wasthus impeded, and parts of the line, like ends of broken timber, reached around the corners of the square. The rebels so dis* p’aoed were limply cut to pieces. When their line was broken the Arabs seemed to break up into band,' each 'of which waged wap on its own account. A detachment, mostly on horseback, went back to attack the “za-eeba,” which was garrisoned by a body of Engli-h soldiers made up of detachments left behind by. each corps which had gone forward in the square. Lord Charles , Beresford. wss in command, and he sustained the attack for two hours, when the enemy • was tcompslted *to retreat, ... During the general attack upon the square only six men were killed .and 23 wbun led on-the English side. Captain Norton worked the-gans-.-datingthis.fight, and the firing did awful execution. Stewart’s force on leaving Gakdul Wells 'consisted of 20i)0 picked fighting men. - I .atest dispatches received at: the War Office show that Lord _SI. Vincent was not, as at first reported, killed in thu battle fought on the 19th inst., i>ut died from wounds received on the 17th at. Ahn Klea; Only two British officers were killed in the “zareeba,” flrht; the others were non-cum-in iasioned officers and recruits. During the advance of the main body to the English from the “ za-eeba,” the garrison left behind* from that point'kept up a heavy fire from their guns and rifles. ,An effort was made to form a redoubt, sonra ‘fifty ya- ds to the right of the zirefiba under pro : tectiou of a st-acly tire,. During the erection of « redoubt one rijin was killed and three wounded. Lor i -Cochrane, with fifty men from the L fe Guards and Soots Gn-vs, hebl the reduubr, at d maintained a heavy fire throughout the buil-img. They did much to repel th- constant rushes ->f tl»e i-nemy. The losses of the rebels d urine the wh de day were estimated at 2000 idlb-d and wounded. Among the enemy we r e mmy slaves, several of whom have submitted to the B-i i-h They say the Mahdi sent them from K barton n, The squ-re re ched ihe Nile at sunset on Monday evening, and encamped for the night Rai l y on Tuesday morning scouting parties made reconnaissances, anil destroys I some empty villages. the inhabitants had watched the military operations from a distance, and afterwards retired to JVletemneh

The rebel force throughout all the engagement was well handled. Two Europeans ire among them, which may explain the fact. A female prisoner sats the B itish fire decimated the enemy, who seemed determined to remain inside Matomneli.

The Qaeen sent a despatch thanking Gene-al Stewart and his troops for their bravery, condoling with them for their losses, and promoting General Stewart to the rank of major-general. Stewart, now holds a strongly fortified post at Gnbat, nor, far f/om Metem-ieh, a place on the Nile halfsway between Berber and Khartoum.