Fighting in the Soudan

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 26, 15 August 1889, Page 2

Fighting in the Soudan

(From Hobart files, per R.M.S. Aorangi.) London, August 7 The Egyptian troops have evacuated Sarras and occupied Matupa, east of the position formerly held by the dervishes; General Grenfell will return to Cairo on the loth inst. Colonel Wodehouse reports that Wadel sand, the only remaining Emir, and 200 men, with 60 water camels, are on the hills aboye Bellana, intending to reach Matua. There has been some sanguinary fighting in the Soudan this week, resulting in a severe defeat of the Dervishes. The particulars at present received are very meagre, but it appears that on 2nd July Colonel Woodhouse attacked a body of about 3500 Dervishes near Arquin. His force consisted of :lu*ee black battalions, a squadron of cavalry, a camel corps, and a mule battery. The battle was fiercely contested all day, tbe Dervishes being finally driven to the hills, leaving 500 killed and wounded, while over 50 were captured. The action extended oyer a distance of seven miles, the Dervishes retiring foot by foot by foot as the troops advanced. There wera numerous desertions from the enemy's ranks to the Egyptian forces. The loss of the Egyptian army was 80 killed and wounded. Desultory fighting has been going on since, the Dervishes making fierce attempts to reach the wate • from which the Egyptians were cutting them off. The enemy have been driven back to the hills at each attempt mad*? by them to obtain water. "Two hundred Dervishes who came down to the river wore charged by the cavalry and driven back, 20 being k'lled. More than 1000 were cut off and killed, and the remainder are suffering terribly from thirst. Our troops are in excellent spirits and heaitn. .. -.