WHERE BURNABY FELL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2274, 5 February 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHERE BURNABY FELL.

At it we went; the square was closed. I must acknowledge that our men were now mad. We all felt that we must fight for our lives. Retreat was not to bo thought of; if we did so, where could we retreat to, cut off as we were from all support? If we did not win the day we must leave our bones in the desert. The temper of our fellows mounted to the boiling pitch. Each man felt as if he must put forth the power of a giant and as a consequence the butchery was terrible—none dared to flinch. Thus every man on the square had to do his duty, for while the inside resembled a volcano in active eruption, the outside or kneeling ranks had enough to do to keep the other Arabs at a respectful distance. The fighting was literally back to back.

Stabbing and gashing their horses, which were jammed iu a mass, we quickly brought them to the ground, riders and all, when the latter were quickly despatched by dozens of bayonets at once. The Arabs, being packed so tightly together, could neither use their lances nor wield their scimitars without slashing each other, while we did not cease our lunging as long as one breathed. At last they were wiped out, and we again faced outward jind reopened fire, our weapons meanwhile dripping. Five times the enemy charged us with frantic cries and waving banners, and as many times we poured in murderous volleys—no shots wasted.

It was during one of these charges that Col. Burnaby, impatient at the restraint on him, pushed his horse through the ranks of the rear face, and singling out an emir who whs making himself disagreeably prominent, made a, thrust at him, but was rather short; the emir thrust in return with his lance, but Burnaby, with a sneer on his <fcca, parried easily. Two or three Arabs took a hand, but ho disposed of them similarly. It was evident that he now intended to astonish them by his magnificent swordmanship, as he gathered up his reins and tightened his grip on his sabre. But at this juncture another rush was made, the Arabs surged around him, and before ho could turn an Arab thrust at him from behind, piercing his jugular vein. He reeled in his saddle and fell, but springing to his feet, dying though he was, he delivered one tremendous cut at some dismounted Arabs nearest him with such terrible effect us to sever the heads from the shoulders of two of them. As he dropped the Arabs closed in to mutilate him, but a dozen men sprang from the. square and tore his body from them. All this happened so quickly as to bewilder the spectators. It might be asked why it was that the men of the square did not shoot those to whom he was opposed. There are two answers; one was that owing to the velocity of hia movements they were afraid of shooting him while aiming at his adversaries, the other was that those who knew him had such confidence in his ability that they did not like to rob him of his game, never thinking for a moment that the affair would terminate as it did.

Meanwhile the battle raged, the enemy came on like the waves, not to be driven back, but to be be.iten to the earth. Horses and men, they were piled in mounds ; in fact, the great number of their dead and wounded interfered with their movements, while the slightest delay on their part insured certain death, and it was now noticed from their hesitation that they had lost heart. As they came on for the last time, the front of their advance, consisting entirely of white-robed emirs and skeiks, shouting, waving their banners and pointing at us, all our machine guns opened a searching fire, supplemented by hand-clap volleys from the Martini-Henrys, and when the smoke lifted not a live Arab was to be seen within 5000 yards — they were all stretched.

I fear no contradiction when I venture to say that never since Agincourt, not even at lukerman (the soldiers' battle), has a British force fought so terrible a hand-to-hand fight.—Boston Cniiim-nMiil Bulletin.