The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1885.
Affairs in Soudan look anything but hopeful. The reported advance of 50,000 Mahdi followers from Khartoum j the abandonment by the British of Gubaton the Nile, above El Metemueh ; and the intention, as stated in our cablegrams to-day, of the British troops to full back on Gakdul, or even Merawi or Korti (the head-quarters of General Wolseley), point to very serious complications having arisen through the first delay in sending relief to Khartoum and its late good and brave defender. The .British Ministerial policy is to evacuate the Soudan country ; but, before doing so, for the troops to go to Khartoum ami break
the power of the Mahdi. It seems, however, that the advance cannot be made before the autumn commences. We are of opinion that a great mistake was made in taking the British army by way of Assouan and Dongola. The difficulties attending the navigation of the Nile and protecting the long path for the transport of supplies and reinforcements are proving too much for even British pluck and endurance. England has always been able to accomplish more by water than by land. Souakim the principal Red Sea port, now in possession of the British, is not more than 300 miles from Berber, and this has all along seemed to us the route which ought to have been taken. Supposing we add another 100 miles to El Metemneh or Shendy, and 100 miles thence to Khartoum: the whole distance from Souakim to Khartoum would be little over 500 miles, whereas by the Nile Khartoum is 1600 miles from Cairo, the starting point. The short cut across the desert from Korti to Metemneh and from Merawi to Gakdul have been attended with as many disasters as would have been met with by the opposition of the comparatively small army of Osman Dignah between Souakim and Berber. And Khartoum would probably a month ago have been occupied by British troops, and Gordon been alive and released.
The latest news from Soudan is that Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart has died from the injuries he received at the battle near Abukela.
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Kumara Times, Issue 2640, 21 February 1885, Page 2
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359The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1885. Kumara Times, Issue 2640, 21 February 1885, Page 2
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