A MASSACRE OF COWARDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 385, 14 May 1908, Page 4

A MASSACRE OF COWARDS.

The blood-red standard of revolt was raised in the Eastern Soudan in 1883, by Osman Digna, for his master, the Mahdi, and force alter force of Kgyptian troops were wiped out of being as completely as if they had never existed, for Osman's ferocious Hadendowars slaughtered and slew like the exterminating hordes of Atlila., After this, Osman invested Suikat and Tokar, and then the Government at Cario began to stir itself in earnest. To relieve these two towns, it hastened to despatch Baker Pasha, then commanding the Kgyptian gendarmerie; but formerly the Colonel of the 10th (Prince of Wales’ Own) Hussars, with a motley army of some 3,700 blacks, Basbi-Bazouks and constabulary, and six guiis. Disembarking his troops at Trinikitat, some distance south of Suakin. Baker, without loss of lime, moved on Tokar ou February 4th, 1884 ; but he had not gone lar before his whole force was overwhelmed with disaster as complete almost as that which had overwhelmed the army of Hicks Pasha in Kordofau. When the Arabs were seen, the Kgyptian scouts began firing wildly and retreated. The cavalry were ordered to charge a small body of the enemy on the right flank ; but, seeing the scouts returning, they also turned tail, and rushed back in confusion on the main body, which at once became panic-struck and could not even form square properly. The enemy then surrounded the Egyptians, when there ensued a scene of butchery which has probably never been equalled. “The Egyptians were shrieking madly, hardly attempting to run away, but trying to shelther themselves one behind the other. Armed with rifle and bayonet, they allowed themselves to be slaughtered without an effort at self-defence, by savages inferior to them in numbers, and armed only with spears and swords.’’ No efforts to the gallant Baker and his British officers (eleven of whom were killed) could induce the Egyptian poltroons to rally and face the foe ; so, seeing that matters were utterly hopeless, he and his staff put spurs to their horses, and charged the enemy, hewing their way out towards the shore through a forest of Arab swords and lances. The Egyptians (who lost 112 officers and 2,250 men, with their guns and Gatlings and 3,000 rifles), were slaughtered as they ran, leaving a long trail of corpses from the main shambles to the shore.