THE SCENE AT ABU KLEA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1254, 12 March 1886, Page 3

THE SCENE AT ABU KLEA.

. When the enemy commenced their advance I remember experiencing a feeling a pity mixed with admiration for them, as 1 thought they would all be shot down in a few minutes. I could not have believed beforehand that men in close formation would have been able to advance for 200 or 400 yards over bare ground in the face of MartiniuHenrys. As they advanced the feeling was changed to wonder that the tremendous fire we were keeping up had so little elf cb. When they got within 80 yards the fire of the Guards and Mounted Infantry began to take good effect, and a huge pile of dead rose in front of them. Then to my astonishment the enemy took ground to their right as if on parade, so as to envelope the rear of the square. I remember thinking 11 By Jove, they will be into the i square ! ” and almost the next moment 1 saw a fine old sheik on horseback plant his banner in the centre of the square behind the camels. He was at onoo shot down, falling on his banner. He turned out to be Musa, Emir of the Duguaim Arabs, from Kordofan. I had noticed him in. the advance, with his banner in one hand and a book of prayers in the other,and never saw anything finer The old man never swerved to the right or left, and never ceased chanting his prayers until he had planted his banner in our square. If any man deserved a place in the Moslem Paradise he did. When I saw the oil sheik in the square, and heard the wild uproar behind the camels, 1 drew my revolver; for directly the sheik fell the Arabs began running in tinder the camels to the front part of the square. Sbifie of the rear rank now faced about and began firing. By this fire Herbert Stewart’s : horse was shot, and as he fell, three Ara's ran at him. I was close to his horse’s tail, and disposed of the one nearest to me, about three paces off; and the others were, I think, killed by the Mounted Infantry officers close by. Almost immediately afterwards the enemy retired, and loud and long cheering broke out from the square. Our men had by this time got somewhat out of hand, wild with excitement. It was for a few moments difficult to get them into their places; and if the enemy had charged.agam few of us would have escaped. At one time they seemed likely, as they retired slowly, and for a short time hesitated in the valley before they made their final bolt. During this period of excitement groups of three to five Arabs who had feigned death would start up from the slain and rush wildly at the square. They were met by a heavy tire, but so badly directed that several of them got right up to the bayonets The men did not quiet down until the square was re-firmed on the gravelslope, about fifty yards m advance of the spot where it had stood to meet the attack. Many of the officers and men now went out to bring in waterskins and ammunition-boxes from the camels which had been killed. Curious how one’s feelings get blunted by the sight of blood and horrors. There was one strange incident. An unwounded Arab, armed whh a spear, jumped up and charged an officer. The officer grasped the spear with his left hand, and with his right ran his sworn through the Arab’s body; and there

for a few seconds they stood, the officer being unable to withdraw his sword until a man ran up and shot the Arab. It was a living embodiment of one of the old gladiatoiial frescoes of Pompeii It did no% strange to say, seem horrible, rather, after what had passed, an everyday occurrence. I. used to wonder before how the Romans could look on at the gladiatorial fights ; I do so no longer.—-Sir Charles Wilson’s Journal ,l From Korti to Khartoum.”