The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-24 00:00:00

THE REVOLT 1N THE SOUDAN.

ThA ca;ro Ourreepondent of the Mcendard writing on
Sunday night, iaY's • -

New recsived bore to.day by letter from Jeddah,.
dated the 13th of this month, co firms the rumours re-
ceived last Week 'is to the diathu oncrieff,
Euglish :Consul at Suakim, and on of the
force which he accompsniedo

- It appears that the 'Consul left Suakim with five'
hundred men. e.nd -landed at the port of Toke,, *here
the whole of his force was cut to pieces, only fourteee
men escaping,
On the 12th instant the rebels attacked Snakim
itself, but were repulsed.
A panic,•however, had set in there, and all the in.
habitants were leskving for Jeddah. The Egyptian
Government vessels off Suakim moved some distance
away from the town, The convict statiou of Toka is
in the hands of tbe rebels.

There Is news ,that another tribe has revolted in
Seamier, and Cie; situation has now become extremely
critical.

Either Colonel Hicks will be obliged to return, or a
strong contingent of General Evelyn Wood's army will
have to start at once to the scene of action.

The whole movement has been brought about by the
slave traders of Upper Egypt, who, professing to act
in the name of the Mandi, have stirred up the tribes to
revolt.

A Renter's telegram dated Alexandria, Nov. 19,
says :

Letters received hers from Suakim, dated the Bth
inst., contain accounts from an eye•witnes3 of the
fighting at Toka on the fith inst., fully confirming the
complete defeat of the Egyptian troops. The strength
of the Egyptian, detachment is therein stated at 350
men, with a field gun. They were attacked during
a reconnaissance near Toka by a Mill force of
rebels, and are stated to have thrown their arms
away and taken to flight, despite the efforts
of their commander to rally them. Commander
Moncrieff and four Greeks accompanying him were
reported to have been killed. An Egyptian soldier
asserted that he saw Commander Moncrieff surrounded
by insurgents, and defending himself with his revolver.
When lent seen he had received a thrust in the leg.
The same accounts represent the total loss of the
Egyptians as 86 men and two officers killed. The
in.ureents captured the field gun and arms of the
detachment.

&skim is a seaport town, situated on an island,
near the west shore of the Red Sea, The island lies
near the extremity of a narrow inlet, 12 miles long,
and two miles in width. The entrance to the bay is
only about 60 fathoms wide, but it opens gradually
to two miles. The town is separated from its suburb,
called El Geyf, which stands on the main land, by an
arm of the sea, about 500 yards wide. The harbour is
formed by a projecting part of the continent to the
east of the town. The arm of the sea on the west side
affords an anchorage for ships of any size. The houses
of the town have one or two storeys, and are con-
structed of blocks of madrepores. The suburb El
Geyf is larger than the town itself. Suakina has
three mosques, and El Geyf one. The population of
S,saitim is about 8,000, of whom 3,000 live upon the
island, and the rest at El Geyf. Suakim is an inn•
portant beading place. It exports to Jeddah, Hodeyda,
and other Arabian ports, commodities received from
eastern and central Africa, such as slaves, gold,
tobacco, incense, ostrich feathers, dhurra, water
skins, leathern sacks, tanned hides, butter in a liquid
state, dourn mats, horses, and dromedaries. From
Jeddah and other Arabian ports are imported Indian
and other tissues, as dresses and ornaments for
women, household utensils, sugar, coffee, onions, dates,
and much iron for lances and knives.