HICKS PASHA'S LAST BATTLE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2334, 2 June 1887, Page 3

HICKS PASHA'S LAST BATTLE.

The Cairo correspondent of the Daily News has discovered among the Egyptian police a man who says that he fought in the battle in which Hicks Pasha and his armyjwere destroyed, and who has related a tale which the correspondent believes to be true. This man says that Hicks Pasha was misled, he believes purposely, into some brushwood while in search ot water, and that while there he heaict firing in the direction of half of his army, which he had placed under the command of Ala Been Pasha. Scouts reported that the Arabs were attacking. While the brushwood in front of the square was being cut the enemy appeared. They had no rifles, nor were shots fired at us. From a gun they fired shell at us, from this; but these fell without exploding. They had now increased rapidly in on foot, others 011 horse —aud poured forth from among the bush and over the two mounds. The horse were on their right, the foot scattered all over to our right front and front. The mitrailleuse now commenced upon them so heavily that they were unable to advance. Wo also kept up a tremendous fusilade with our rifles. Being unable to get at us, they wheeled to their left and streamed down upon cur right flank. They dashed upon the right angle and right centre; but the Krupp and mitrailleuse there made great havoc with them ; upon which they wheeled round again aud made straight at the right angle of the near face, where there was only a muzzle-loader. Here they broke into the square; the right, left, and front faces then turned inward and commenced pouring in a heavy fire upon them, They got in among the camels. The smoke and dust were now so thick I could not sec what was going on; but it seemed to me that fighting was going on for an hour. hen all the ammunition was spent the men used their bayonets. I forgot to mention that on sight of the enemy Hicks Pasha ordered his English officers to draw their swords and have their revolvers ready. _A hand-to-hand fight continued for an immense time. Seeing all was up, Hicks Pasha gathered his English officers around and other mounted men. They fought to the last with desperation, bringing down many. Closely examined, the speaker explained that Hicks Pasha was at the commencement on a red horse, but when all the men were falling he changed and got on a white charger because his first horse was tired. Hicks Pasha and his six officers fought for half an-liour alone ; the battle lasted two hours and a-half. The soldier who tells this story says that he escaped death, along_ with about 150 others, by declaring himself a Mussulman, and lie was afterward told by one of the Arabs—" Hicks Pasha was a terrible man ; he killed a great many of us, and so did the other English officers." Other men talked with wonder of how this little English band kept them at bay. Two Englishmen who did not wear uniforms Were among the killed. "One, sketched, was a stout man, eagle-like nose, elderly, with grey hair. Tiie other was a spare, tall man, with dark brown hair, and narrow, thin face " —evidently Vizetelly and o'Donovan. The correspondent's informant went on to say that, escaping to Khartoum, he became an orderly to General Gordon ; that, being sent down to meet the relieving force at Metemnoh, he accompanied Sit' Charles Wilson to near Khartoum, that afterward he marched to Korti, was sent thence to Cairo with four or five other soldiers who had come from Khartoum, 1