THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 144, 23 May 1885, Page 2

THE SOUDAN.

AFTER THE BATTLE.

'"^KSsfioHowing graphic account of how the night after the surprise was spent m the British zarebas is given by the special correspondent of the Times :— During tho attack the Naval Brigade, with their Gardners, were m two sandbag redonhts, at the extreme corners. -The towards- Tainai -iwas.. the see.no of a desperate struggle. There wore killed Lieutenant Seymour, of the .Dolphin, and. five men of the Naval Brigade, all being terribTy ""sEtßoe3^*with spears. Mr Digan was* -wo..uided. Captain Domville. m com<u;n \ of the gade, had his horse kille-l, as also, had Colonel Kelly ; the; Bri^frie-major ' Qol6nel Kelly 'was-' fieri- jly ■attjifcked'.^ He killed one of his assail mts, but another was just about to. sp ur him m the back,' when Captain Domv!lle shot' the Arab dead. There was a terrible scene after the fight at the corner of tf ie zareba/ near the sandbag redoubt. The ijdejad lay thick. Ten of the Naval Brigade, some Indians, and Lieutenant Seymour,- of the Dolphin, with dead mules and horse's and wounded camels, were seen m one horrible heap. The whole of the ground was studded with the enemy's dead. AH those killed by the Indian troops had fearful wounds.! .; „ .. j' ■ •"/ j '{■■ ■ ■ In the Berkshire zareba-the dead! were all laid out in^ow^. I counted thirteen privates of tli&i-^Fincess Charlotte 'of Wales' (BerJ£^u:«?R6giment) and of tho Royal Engin£|rs^ six of the Naval Brigade, and twoTof the Army Hospital Corps. Near them Ke Lieutenant Swinton, of the Berkshire Regiment,, and Lieutenant Seymour ; the total killed m the zareba being twenty-Aree. In the Indian zareba I counted five dead, but two more are being brought- in, the total being seven. In the 'marines' zareba there are six dead, and. the grand total is thus thirty-six: killed. . All is now quiet, but the whole force is standing to arms round the zarebas. No man"is allowed to leave the ranks. Each corps has now collected its baggage and ammunition, and the few mu'es tlta't remain "alive ; and, as night falls all are reidy f or a renewed attack, which it probable will be made.^ v.i : . . ■ '^y y :. "','■.

It is now nearly dussky and the sky is entirely overclouded^ and no moonlight can reach us.. Three zaretjas are arranged diagonally, with contiguous corners, the middle one being the -largest. Thozareba towards Taraai, from wliich the enemy's attack was directed, is held by the Princess Charlotte' of Wales' (Berkshire Regiment) the middle one by the Indian contingent, and the othei by the Royal Marines. At the extreme corners are" the sandbag redoubts, m each of wliich are two .Gardners; !A deep silence remains throughout the camps, broken only by theories of some;-6f .the eoCmy's wounded outside. The men, wearied, withcutting bushes for\the l^atebas, and witli the march during a very hot day, remain speeclilessj but watchful, and reatty.to.ppen fire at a motaente warning-. In the Berkshire zarcba (\vnere 1 am)' one quarter. of the regiment is toM off to stand to arms m reliefe; wlftistfthei rest lie on the blood-stained sand. The moon has just come out and is now showing brightly; ; AI awalit- rdund the zareba by its light makes the battlefield c. en more ghastly and impressive. Here within the zareba, the ground is encumbered with dead and.-, wounded camels and horses, and is littereH. with clothing and portions of the kits of? the dead and living. In the centre of /jthe zareba, a few water-barrels, arranged m line, form a rendezvous for the officers All over the ground are patches 'of blood and brains. In one corner of the zareba lie the two rows of our dead. Looking from l okr zariba' over tlie plain -whirihifo hfeirly free from bushes for a distance of 100 yards, the "moonlight reveals >a. fearful spe"cfafele... TJie I)6di6s;of JljJßft&emv lie thick over the plain m every imaginable attitude. Immediately beneath the zareba hedge, they are most numerous—^a, proof "of 'the de&perate gaHanir/.^tli jwgich they came on, with spear and shield, knpbkerry and camel stick. But there were others still more' brave ; for from our zareba alone seventy or eighty bodies werV dragged 'out into the plain hv our men before nightfall. ..• The. dead animals it was impossible to. move. . :. The breaking loose of a mule, which galloped madty. across our zareba, followed by a native, has just'eaused a little scare. Two or three, shots" were fired ; the whole- battalion stood t& arms ■( -and instantly there burst from all sides a tremendous f usilade, w-hioh would have destroyed every. . Hying; soiil, . within t : 500 yards of the zareba. Colonel Huyshe at once gave the order to the bugler, to sound " Cease firing !" and the din subsided as suddenly as it had arisen. News has been brought to vs '; that the field telegraph wire is broken^ ?