The Hill Tribes Attack the Egyptian Troops and Defeat Them.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 33, 19 January 1884, Page 4

The Hill Tribes Attack the Egyptian Troops and Defeat Them.

Cairo, December 9. — News reached Aden that a great force of the hill tribes attacked five companies of Egyptian troops which were reconnoitering outside Suakin on the sth instant. Severe fighting ensued, the Egyptians being completely annihilated and all their artillery captured. Spies entered Suakin and reported that hill men were hovering near town. On hearing this, Mahmoud Tapes Pasha, anxious to efface his defeat at Tokkan on the 6th ultimo, on account of which a court-martial is pending, sent forward five hundred black troops and two hundred Bashi Bazouks against the hill tribes. He himself remained at Suakin, At a distance of three hours' march from the town the Egyptians were attacked by several thousand men. The Egyptians fought fiercely, but were cut to pieces, and only

fifty, half of whom were oiiicers, esaaped. The defeat of troops hitherto regarded aa the flower of the array oauses consternation here, as it tends to show the task of opening a route from Suakinto Berber with the material at Baker Pasha's disposal is nearly hopeless.

Bravery of the Blacks. Twenty cavalrymen accompanied the Egyptian force. The total loss was 6SO men. There were two European officers with the force, and the whole was under command of an Egyptian Major. The surviving officers say they were surrounded by 5,000 men. The Egyptians formed a square, the blaok troops being stationed on three faces and Bashi Bazouks on the fourth face of the square. The latter fell back, throwing the black troops into disorder. The blacks fought with great bravery. One gun and all arms and ammunition were lost. In consequence of the disaster, the garrison at Suakin is reduced to 1,000 men. The blacks fought back to back in groups or pairs, some with clubbed muskets. Many rebels were killed. Another account says the fight occurred on the 2nd inst. Twenty-five men had re- : turned to Suakin by the 4th, including fifteen cavalrymen, two officers who ran all the way with news of the disaster, and ten wounded blacks. Dervishes are appearing in Upper Egypt, who propose to preach a holy war. The whole country beyond Egypt proper is ablaze.

Dissensions in El Mandi's Camp. New York, December 9.— A London special of the Bth instant says : — Despatches received at Cairo to-day attribute the failure of El Mahdi to continue his advance on Khartoum to the breaking out of dissensions among the heads of the various ti'ibes marching under his banner. Some of these advocate an advance upon Dongola, while others prefer an attack on Khartoum. The two factions cannot agree on a plan of operation. The Mudir at Dongola reports to the Egyptian Government, moreover, that the defection of the Kabbabbish tribes to El Mahdi, will inevitably occur if the latter's forces continue their advances.