THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 11, 17 April 1885, Page 3

THE SOUDAN.

[Age Specials.]

Soqaktst, April 8. In a skirmish near Tamai, the Imperial troops had a private killed, and an officer wounded. The New South Wales contingent, who smelled powder for the first time, behaved with great steadiness all through. They had three men slightly wounded, namely Privates Charles Harrison, C. C. Downey, and Learoyd. On this occasion our fellows did not get the share of fighting that was given to some of the other troops, and I think that the General m command wished to ascertain how they would behave m actual warfare before he carried out his promise of brigading them with the Guards. - That he is satisfied is shown by his announce' ment now- that m the general advance we are to, have the place of honor. April 6. The weather is getting very warm, and theheatwherewa now are isintensely dry, just like that of the Darling country, New South Wales. Our fellows stand it very well. Attacks of sunstroke of a slight nature a*re prevalent, principally among the Imperial troops. April 7. The Arabs beat up our quarters on the zareba on the road to Handub last night They came up withont any military order, but m considerable numbers. Warned by their former attacks on our zarebas at Tamai, they made no attempt at a general assault. However, they opened a brisk but harmless fire. They made their appearance on two sides of the zareba, and their bullets, with fewexIceptions, passed over our head;. At the same time the situation was quite sufficiently dangerous to test our men's nerves, discipline, and order under fire, and what these were you will judge, when I tell you, that m the morning the officer m command of our post, General A. J. L. Lyon Freemantle, complimented the New South Wales men on their

general smartness, but more particularly upon the way m which they returned the Arab fire. This was not done at haphazard, but as marksme should" do, taking advantage of every little ooening m the zarebah from which a fair sight of the enemy could be obtained, aiid not , blazing away recklessly, but only fired when there seemed to be something i worth hitting. The Guards and the rest J of the garrison, were equally brisk m re- I turning the Arab fire, and it is supposed j a good many Arabs were hit, and carried ! off by friends. The exchange of firing lasted a couple of hours, after which the Arabs drew off, and we slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. April 8. A camel driver who returned to the head -quarter's camp last night, after having been missing some time, reports that he was taken prisoner during the fight at Hasheen, on March 22ud, between the British, under General Graham, and the Arabs, under Osimn Digna, when the Arabs, though subsequently beaten, fought stubbornly, and for a time threw the Bengal Cavalry into confusion, and severely pressed the Guards for a time. The man was with the Arabs as a prisoner, when our men had the first " brush " with the enemy at Tainai on Friday morning, and when, with the Guards, we drove them back among the lower hills. The camel driver reports that our fire on that occasion was much more destructive to the enemy than was supposed and that they had 250 men killed and wounded. This confirms the impression that the Australians are showing their superiority as marksmen, which I mentioned m my telegram yesterday, when I described the night attack upon the zareba on the road to Handoub. The camel driver says the Arabs were much disheartened, and cannot now be brought v*> to • make a charge upon us. They are burning their villages and retiring inland. Owing to the depressed state of the Arabs they relaxed their watch over their prisoner, who escaped without much difficulty and came into Suakim as I have described. The New South Wales Artillery still remains at head garters close to Suakim, and it is not known whether it will join m the general advance on Berber, or remain m Suakim. The former is, however, most likely, if the report of the camel driver as to the demoralisation of Osman Digna's people be true.