THE FATE OF COL STEWART'S PARTY. Story of the Death Struggle

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1957, 22 January 1885, Page 4

THE FATE OF COL STEWARTS PARTY. Story of the Death Struggle

A ciiHUiNroNDFVT at Dangola furnishes by letter the following story of the d< atli or Colonel Steuai t and his companions, .'s ascertained l»y Sir Charles Wilson, chief of the Intelligence Department, who went up tin- Nile specially to inquire into tho rumours of the massacre. The mi in of all the stones and reports ns dis closed 1 y the natives— some ot whom had actually witnessed the scenes they described, and others had obtained the news from participators — was that Gordon's colleague, Col. Stewart, together with 24 others -of whom two were Kuroptaus, foui women, and the rest Turks and Kg) ptians— after the bombardment of lkilier, had set out on a steam launch with two boats in tow, tiavelhng northward. The two boats towed were full of men and women. As they nenrcd Abu Ahmed, the apex which the westerly ctu\c of the Nile makes on its way from Iktbcr to Dcbhch, they noticed they were licmg followed by armed bands along the -.hore I'tcacntl) they opened fire on the steam liunch. Those on the launch had to cast their tows adrift, and seek safety in sohtiry fight. Theie is an uncorroborated story that the Mahdi's men pursued .Stewarts party in a boat of tome kind. However that may be, the fate of those in the tow boats is known. Below Abu Ahmed they were all captured by the Robatat tribe, led by Sheikh Abu Heigel. Their lives w ere spared, and they have since been distributed among the tribe between Abu Ahmed and Berber. Colonel Stewart and his companions in the steam launch continued their journey, and succeeded in reaching the vicinity of R.imsah island or Boni island. Thrre the launch ran upon a hidden rock, partly passed over it, when it got caught, arid badly hauled towards the stern. It is believed to ha*e been between the 24th and 28th of September last, and the balance of proof points to near Boni as the actual spot. The wild Arabs are above accuracy in dates, hours, and figures. An examination of the launch doubtless revealed to those on board the hopelessness of continuing their voyage by that means. They had a dingy, w hich enabled thorn to communicate, with the shore, and if there had been any nuggar or other available small boat near we may be sure it would have at once been pressed into sen ice. At first th* natives were frightened, and ran away on seeing the launch, but they speedily returned in considerable numbers to the left bank of the iner, and made friendly overtures to those on hoard to come ashoie. It was explained by those on the hunch they wished to continue their joutney on eunels, and would buy some of those animals. These the natives consented to procure at once, and again the imitations to come a>hoie weie icnewcd, and even tnally acceded to, by at (itst a pait, and litteily by most of those on board the steam launch, who landed on the left hank of the Nile, tint is, the bank on the left hand as the stream flows to the sea. The vill.igeis invited the wrecked paity into their houses and professed entire friendliness. Designedly or otherwise, the chief sheikhs of the Monasseer tribe got to know all about the w lecked party's mo\ cment.s. Kithct just after, or within a iaw liouis of abandoning the launch, the hapless tra\elleis were assassinated Whilst the majoiity wcie resting and o(T their guaid, a horde of Monasseer, under Sheikh Wad Gamr and other sheikhs, whose names are known, burst on them and massacred nearly every member of the party. An officer, whose description tallies with Colonel Stewarts appearance, made a desperate fight for life, and shot down and killed at least one of his assailants. A few made a rush for the dingy, but wcie pursued and killed by the re moi seless savages. Out of the 44 men aboard Hie launch eight only were saved alive ; of these one is known to be a fireman and the other an interpreter. The three Europeans were killed, and their bodies tossed into the Nile, the people of Meiavi and elsewhere detlating t!i it they saw them floating by. The Monasseer confess to a loss in their murderous affray of one man killed and one wounded in the leg, which has been broken. Although the naiiatois had in some instances seen the dead men, not a scrap of paper or peisonal pioperty of any kind belonging to them has as yet been recovered. Means have been taken to bring influence to bear on the Monasseer to procure the release of some of some of the eight prisoners in their hands, and who are now held captive in Sheikh Wad Gann's village.

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