WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1931, 5 March 1885, Page 2

WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

i, BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS,) Suaktm, March 4. Tho reinforcements of troops from England and India for Soudan operations are now arriving here. THE BATTLE OF ABUKLEA. (NNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION, FROM AUCKLAND.) London, January 53. Tho special correspondent of tho Morning Post telegraphs that General Stewart, on the 17th January, fought an obstinate battle with the enemy, lasting from 9 o'clock in tho morning till 1 p.m. The correspondent states that the struggle culminated in a desperate charge by the Arabs, numbering over 3000, on the square, from which they were repulsed with great loss. General Stewart left Gakdul on the 18th, and arrived near Abuklea Wells, on the afternoon of the 19th, and observing that the enemy was not far ahead, he determined to halt four miles from the Wells, and there threw up entrenchments, under cover of which the. force bivouacked for the night. During the whole night the enemy maintained a fire from the hills. In the morning General Stewart seeing they did not attack, detemined to advance against them. He therefore left the camels and stores, with the baggage and hospital commissariat, in the entrenchments under guari of 150 men, and at once marched out with the remainder of his force. The advance was made in a square, with the mounted infantry as skirmishers on the front, the Hussars being in skirmishing order on theleft; The enemy saluted us with a hot fire from the hills, by which several of our mon were wounded, among them being the following officers:—Major Gough, mounted infantry; Major Dickson, Lieutenant Lord St. Vincent, and Lieutenant Beach, Life Guards; and Surgeon Mogul, The march was continued, and by tho bold skirmishing of the rifles and mounted infantry, the enemy was admirably driven away, the artillery at the same time keeping up a brilliant firo on their position across tho valley, whero hostile flames flouted in a long lino of our advance. Square was formed in tho following ordor:—Tho left front consisted of two corps of mountod infantry and tho right of two companies of Guards, Tho left faco was composed of two companies of mounted infantry and ono company of heavy dragoons, The right ftco was composed of two companies of Guards and two companies of the Sussex Regiment, and tho .rear face of four companies of heavy cavalry and the camel corps, The artillery was in the centre of the front face, and the Naval Brigade occupied the centre of the rear face. The whole force was on foot, the camels being left behind in an entrenced position, except those allotted for hospital purposes and to convey water and ammunition, which were stationed inside the square. THE ARAB ASSUALT, At 11 o'clock the square was moving on the right incline, in order to enfilade tho enemy, who were distant a quarter of a mile, and had brought their left face towards the Arab force, when suddenly the Arabs leaped up in masses and rushed fiercely at great speed towards the square. The onset was such that the skirmishers had scarcely time to reach the square before tho enemy were following close on their track. A call'was made upon the heavy dragoons, who formed the rear half of the left face and the whole of the rear-face of the formation; but so fierce arid rapid was the rush at this moment that the heavy cavalry was born back by the mases of Arabs, and in a moment the square was forced, the Gardiner gun was jammed, and for ten minutes a desperate struggle raged from the left rear to the centre. There Colonel Burnaby fell dead a spear having severed his jugular vein. General Stewart's horse was shot under him, and as the general fell to the ground at the same moment his orderly was killed beside him. Many of the camels were speared by the Arabs and also soldiers, The whole air was filled with smoke and dust, while shot and sword strokes were the replies to the Arab spear thursts. It was not long before every Arab in the square was killed, and tho rest were beaton off, Throe hearty cheers wero given as the square reformed on fresh ground. The enemy then retreated, when numbers of them rqse from among the dead, and rushed past the square, but not without many being shot, STRENGTH OF THE ENEMY, Tho number of the enemy, according to tiie information given by tho prisoners was 14,000, and they are said to have conaiatod of the followers of tho Mahdi from Khartoum, Khordofan, and Berber, tho latter having especially sent great chiefs. Among those killed, wero the Emir of Metomneh and chief of the Hainira Arabs. One of these ponetrated into square on horseback, AFTER TUB BATTLE. After- tho battle had terminated the Hussars were sent forward to tho wells of Abukek, which were three milos in advanco, hud took possesion of thorn after a few shots had been exchanged. The heat had been extreme, but the men who were without water or food, behaved admirably, Their behaviour was splendid during tho march, and is worthy of the highest praise, and also in faco of the enemy. The wells of Abukola wore reached by the troops at 5 o'clock p.m. where plentiful and excellent water for drinking was obtainable At 8 o'clock that night General. Stewart sent back a portion of the Guards with some of the heavy cavalry Camel Corps and mounted infantry, to fetch everything from tho entrenched post in the rear. They all arrived safely there at 8 a.m,, and on the 18th, on their arrival, the troops had the first food they had partaken of for 24 hours. OUR LOSSES The British losses wero heavy, and the following nine officers were killed : Colonel Burnaby, Majors Atherton (sth Dra?oon Guards), Carmichael (6fch Royal Lancers), and Gough (10th Hussars); Captain Darley and Lieutenant Law (sth Dragoon Guards); Lietenant Wolfe (Scots Greys); and Lieutenants PegotUnd De Lisle, (Naval Brigade). Among the wounded were the Earl of Airlio, Viscount St Vincent, and Major Gough, Mounted Infantry; Major Dickson and Lieutenant Coste} (sth Lancers); Lieutenant Beach (Life Guards)'; Lieutenants Lile and Guthrie, (Artillery) j and SijrgeqnMagill. There wa? 6§ 'inert killed) including 4(5 of the heavy cavalry and Camel dorps, arid 85 wounded, THE ENEMY'S LOSS. The number of the enemy killed is supposed to be 2000. They had 900 special negro riflemen, who proved themselves to be good shots, and as these men kept well on the hills they suffered less than the others. The prisoners in giving an account of the number of their forces reckoned that ten tribes, having an average of 800 men each, were in the field, which would make a total of 8000.

Malarial Fevebs.—Malarial fevers, constipation, torpidity of the liver and kidneyß, general debility, nervousness, and neuralgic ailments, yield readily to this great disease conqueror, Hop Bitters. It repairs the ravages of disease by con verting the food into rich blood, and it gives new life and vigor to tho agedrand infirm. See