THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 3, 1 June 1885, Page 4

THE SOUDAN.

LORD ' WOLSEfiEY'S; QAM FAtGN: Referring to Lord Wolsele^'s failure m the Soudan, the London . 2HmeS'S'd\d :— We stated some time ago that the key to what was otherwise inexplicable m Lord- -Wolseley's movements would be found m the deficiency of transport. It appears that out belief w#s>: well i founded. The purchase of camels was, for reasons of economy, stopped early m the campaign;.- and the^ marches of Sir Herbert Stewart's column and the frequent going to and fro of convoys rapidly used up the' camels, which were occasionally four or five days without water, and without other food than the dry coarse grass to be picked up m tlie desert. They appear also to have suffered from' bad loading and from bad saddles not properly fitted. There was no chance of giving them rest "till; thbir galls were healed, and at length the air was absolutely poisoned by the' stench from their wounds ami sbrps. Hence it was as much, as -could ;be managed to^ turn out a sufficient number of camels to carry sick and wounded, and the barest necessaries including water. To accumulate stores was out of the question. How poor General Bullets- resources jin the shape of transport" were is sho.wn by the fact that when he quitted Abu Kru oh his return march ihe had only 1,179 camels to 1,695 officers and men, and that m -consequence a large Amount of- valuable stores, had to be. abandoned. ~ I '. * •