The Last of the Khalifa.

Manawatu Herald, 7 December 1899, Page 2

The Last of the Khalifa.

■■ ■ ♦ The authorities have received further particulars with regard to the recent defeat of the Dervish army at Gedid on the Blue Nile, by the forces under Colonel Sir F. R. Wingate, Director of the Military Intelligence Department of the Egyptian Army. It appears that Colonel Wingate's battery of six Maxims proved irresistible, and the enemy on finding themselves unable to withstand it began to retire. The tactics of the Egyptians, however, rendered this impossible. When it was found that escape was hopeless, the Khalifa told his emirs to remain with him and die ; then spread--ing out his sheepskins on the ground he sat down to await death, surrounded by his followeis. The Khalifa was shot through the head, heart and limbs, his emirs being equally riddled. The Egyptian troops swept over the group unaware of the Dervish leader's fate until afterwards. The body of the Khalifa was subsequently recovered by Colonel Wingate. Further despatches received from Sir Francis Wingate indicated the nature of his tactics, which, as already reported, led to his troops marching sixty miles and fighting two decisive battles within sixty-one hours. It seems that Colonel Wingate found his army to be greatly out')umbered by the Dervishes who were prepared to oppose him, by tactful manoeuvres, however he succeeded in engaging their two main divisions separately. In this way he was able to intercept the section headed by Ahmed Fedil, and after defeating that at Abu Adel, he met the Khalifa himself, at Gedid, signally defeating both.