The Rebellion in the Soudan

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 308, 27 November 1883, Page 3

T he Rebellion in the Soudan

~\ . ANNIHILATION- OF -THE" 'EGYPTIAN *. J . :. ' troops. ! Alexandria, Nov. 22. — Intelligence haa been received here that the Egyptian army j ' „ in the Soudan, under General Hicks Pasha, has bsen totally annihilated by the rebel followers of Bl Mahdi, the False Prophet, Tbe*&3<3bbny 'received shoVttiat General Hicks had concentrated his entire force,'consisting of 10,000 men and 10 British officers, when an attack "was made by the enemy, tinder Bl Mahdi, the False Prophet, wkosi $ follovrers are said to have numbered 300,000. the "rebels-, Hicks Pasha formed his troops into, a hollow square, 1 and in this position withstood the attack' for three days, during, whiph! time:, the fighting was continuous, and was most desperate on bothjndgfL^At thj^d..o£..theihirdr>dfty! the "^^jKpare wasoroken, and a general route of> toe Egyptians ensued. The enemy fell Qif: the defeated army, and the slaughter 'was terrible, the whole force of 10,000 men,- in** eluding General Hicks and the Jritish'' officers, being, killed* jj » ffekcwpatft §°ft }22.*-lfrJ[Q'Pon6vaß l^, ,coriflM3l^)fid©nt,ie«wpß«P with his 'life""; and a captain of the Egyptian forces in the disguise of a dervish, who has arrived at Khartoum, reports thai on the battlefield he saw 150 wounded survivors of Hicks Pasha's . arm j,. including an artist named Power. The S: " ' Egyptian Government is quite paralysed at the result «f the conflict, and is consulting with Sir Evelyn Wood, who is in command of the Britishtroops in Egypt, as to the best means of quelling the rebellion. Cairo, Nov 23. —1t has transpired that Bir Evelyn Baring, the British ConsulOeneraVhas made a recommendation to the Egyptian Government that the Soudan 0 Should be abandoned — further hostilities not to be proceeded with. , ® V fk>NDOW, Nov. 23.--Through the treachery of a guide the Egyptian army was induped *• to enter a rocky, wooded, and waterjesi defile, where, falling into an ambuscade, Hicks Pasha was unable to. use his guns. 'He maintained his. position Jfor. . three days, but eni' dh the'fourtli* His ; forces™ were "exhausted! by jst; .thirst and entirely destroyed, with the ex- ?• ii, 0 ? °$ PQ&k en prisoners. The Governor "d the' Soudan .. Was „ killed. All the arms, *' ; gun«, inunitibrs, iipd camelsi ,were captured. ■ '^The'rebWldst heavily duririg tke engagement. Thetownof Kordafab has been lo«t, and v the entire Soudan district is ablaze. Thevarious garrisons in the Soudan, numbering about 40,000 men, are retiring on Khartoum, where .the populace are said to be disloyal.— lt has transpired that orders have been forwarded to ; Admiral Sir William Hewitt, commanding the Naval Squadron in the East Indies, to proceed without delay Txrith H.M.S. Euryalus, and other .vessels of his fleet to the Red Sea, with a 1 view of affording British support to Egyptian^ interests in. that, locality. The Admiralty, moreover, has issued orders for a ai; ■■SPftk o**0 ** n P w in the Mediterranean to probeed to the Red Sea to reinforce the Indian squadron. : .*:.* - . , Londok, Nov. 24. — In consequence of the ' h reeetnfannihlilatidn of the Egyptian army in th« Soudan, ..the British Government has decided to postpone the evacuation of Cairo, .and t^e. withdrawal of the portion of the British' troops how in Egypt is for the present postponed^ in accordance with the advice of Major Sir Evelyn Baring, British diplomatic afle&tinEgypti ALIXfKDBiA., Nov. 24. —■ Considerable anxiety isTj'eing felt for the safety of the Egyptian r garrispns;in.the Soudan. According to' latest intelligence, all available troops are being concentrated at Senar and Khar* toum, and are taking up a defensive position in view of a probable attack by the followers, o£Bl Mahdi.