THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 21, 23 June 1885, Page 2

THE SOUDAN.

The soldiers m the Soudan appear to be m queer straits for boots and clothing as may be gathered from the following extract from the letter of a private m the Scots Guards, dated New Dongola, March 19, to a relative living m the neighborhood of Edinburgh : — " You would have thought us a curious lot marching from Abou Haifa Wells. Every man had bad boots ; some had no tops to them, wbila the most had the soles worn through ; some marching with thair feet outside their boots ; while the others again, myself among them, Mntrived to make a pair of sandals an-! tie them to the soles of our.boots, which managed to bring us ; down as far an 's orti on foot. Our trousers were almost as bad, all patched ! over with red an\ yellow leather. A seri geant of marines, who tries his hand afrrhyme, says of us m a song, ♦We are a , ragged regiment now ;' and m another ha calls us the ' Shoeless Brigade/ It was a stiff march, but it was from the centra of the Desert to our old friend onth» Nile. We left Abu Haifa on March 4, and arrived at Korti on March 9, having one day's rest on the way. That was 90 miles m little over four days, and on one pint of water for twenty-four hours."

A lady living m Leeds, England, writes stating that a great deal of ill feeling prevails m that town againgt the English Government with regard to the death of General Gordon at Khartoum. There is wide spread regret thve, not only at the loss of Gordon, but also at the loss of Earle and Stewart, who were considered two of the best men of the array. It is stated tlaat upon the receipt of the news of General Earle's death, Mrs Gladstone went to his widow's residence to offer her condolences. It happened that Mrs Earle's mother (Lady Codrington) was present and gave Mrs Gladstone a bit of of her mind. Many people m Leeds have refuged to subscribe to the Gordon Memorial Fund, not because they have not a proper regard for the memory of that hero, but because Mr Gladstone's name is on the Committee, and " because they regard its presence there as a piece of hypocrisy on the hon. gentleman's part." The same lady states that on April 19 of this year there will be a grander display of primroses than ever, and all the Cffommtivestrom the highest to the lowest wjJJ wear them m remembrance of tmd Beaconsfield, Th* Liberals wanted to start an opposition display, but they coold not agree about either the day or the flower.