THE WAR IN SOUDAN.

Kumara Times, Issue 2688, 4 May 1885, Page 2

THE WAR IN SOUDAN.

[REUTER’S TELEGRAMS.] By Electric Telegraph —Copyright,

ARRIYAL OF GEN. WOLSELEY AT SUAKIN, (Received May 4, 2.15 p.m.) SUAKIN, May 3, General Lord Wolseley arrived here to-day from Dongola. * THE FALL OF KHARTOUM. The Kbasm Mous has heard more respecting General Gordon through the natives, and thinks the following is the truest account of the fall of Khartoum. The first to enter the city were the Gaulin tribe, who entered by the Messalamia Gate. The place was pillaged and the people massacred. Y/hen he went upon the steamers with Sir Charles Wilson they saw many bodies in the Nile, occasionally observing dead men tied back to back. Two days' befoie the fall of the city, the Mahdi got a lot of things made resembling the English helmets, and paraded them in sight of the townspeople, telling them these were the helmets of soldiers whom he had killed. General Gordon, with

a number of Shagiehs, got into the Catholic Church. The Mahdi called upon him to surrender. This Gordon refused to do. The place was then shelled and knocked to pieces, everybody in it being killed.

GORDON’S MESSAGE TO THE MAHDI. Information has reached the camp at Korti of the following interesting and singularly striking incident which occurred during the later stage of the defence of Khartoum by the lamented General Gordon. The Mahdi wrote an autograph letter in which he exulted over the wreck of the gallant Stewart’s steamer and his subsequent murder. In order to assure Gordon of the truth of the news he forwarded a detail of all the books and papers found on board the vessel, and among the copies of several documents which he sent he repeated a return showing the state of the ammunition and supplies in the beleagured garrison at the time when Stewart started on his ill-fated journey. General Gordon wired from the palace to the officer in charge of the guard at the gate, to tell the bearer of the message to inform the Mahdi that it would have no effect upon him however many men he had killed, or however much papers or imformation he had obtained, adding that the Mahdi might have gained the success of which he boasted, but that the occurrence would not make a whit of difference to him, and he thus concluded his defiant reply :—“I don’t care what forces you have. lam made of iron, and I intend to hold on here.”