The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-09-05 00:00:00

(From Daily Nan Correspondent)

For obvious reasons I must avoid details, but I may
say that the army now here is sufficiently overwhelm.
Ind for any force opposed to it, and more. The diffi-
culties of foreardio,„ supplies to the front also &re
lairly overcome, aud the railway doe and stock, in
spite of the missrebly dila,idated condition in which
the rebels lett them, are getting into working order.
Among our formidabie array of artillery loons Krupp,
ceptured_frout th, Lgyptisne, af‘npvly of ammuni.ion

for which arrived yesterday. Our man, who are in
admirable spline, are anticipating the pleasure of
treating Maui with • oose of his own pills.
'There aie but few cases of suntroke and dysentry.
This gratifying result is greatly owing to the increased
supply of antede and better food, both of which were
rawer deficient on the first arrival of the troupe.
Everywhere I have been struck with the scrupulously
honourable manner in which the troops c.induct them-
selves in claim respect., from Sir Garnet Wolseley down-
wards. There have been • few came of mutilation,
and an instance in which • signaller was treacherously
shut while helping a winded Egyptian with his
water Seek. These are the sole causes of whatever
ind.guatiou or bitterness we may entertain against the
enemy.
The Standard airreepondent telegraphing from
Kassaasin camp on Sunday says; Our transport con.
Unties to be entirely dependent type the alas of railway,
and an advance mint perforce follow the mile line.
There is no scope for strategy or manoeuvring, simply
because the army cannot move independently, but is
tied to the line of railway, a state of things partaking
rather of the nature of a holiday excursion than of a
military campaign.
The heavy Engl eh carts are an utter failure ;the light
Maltese cuts, or Chute known in India sts Leyland's
mole carts, would answer admirably, but of course are
not available. It is aurprising that no efforts have been
made to purchase camels. Had energy been shown in
this direction, I thousands of these animals might
have been by this time available for carriage. Tue
authorities., however, seem content to rely upon the
railway and Canal.
If after the a.tion of the 28th Sir Garnet Wulseley
had been in a position to follow up the enemy and to
attack Tel.el.Kebir the next day, an easy victory
might almost certainly have been won. Now, how-
ever, the enemy has regained confidence, and it wid be
necessary to prepare for a scientific and methodist
advance and attack in force. Want of transport will
prevent the puesibiaty of such • movement for several
dey• yet, and Arabi WIN warning and ample time t,
make his prepeestions. Tana all the advantage gained
at first by our rapid movement on to the dank of the
enemy has been .itoget.her lust.
The fire of our Infantry in the last engagement
appears to have bee, almost innocuous. Only two or
three of the enemy's dead were to .ud on the ground
swept by our rifle tire, whereas our men sufferei pretty
wren ely. The result was the sane at General Alison'.
rec. .nuaiasancs in force from lienuleh, only the
parties were reversed. Then we attacaed and suffered
but Little, while the enemy, who were on the defensive,
suffered heavily. It would thus seem teat modern
breechloaders in the hands of men badly trained in
their use, and very poor shots, are favourable to the
attack rather than the defence.
. • .. . . , .

—.lOur —iiartini-kleurys are apt t 3 renlered
unservialuble by hard ussge. The question is really a
serious one. Several weepons were dissblel

lsat actiou owiug to toe c'srtridges sticking. OiLlrs
aro about to be issued forbidding the use of oil on the
rifies in future, fir this bolds the seeds, and leads to
the hanging up of pasta of the loots and breech

apparatu-s.
Iseisitta, Thursday_ Night. —All has been quiet
to-day at Um front. The troops are beginning to be
more regularly fed since the railway was opened to
Kaasesiu, and the dam in the canal cleared away. The
Gus: is have been doing splendid work on fatigue duty
in clearing the canal, and have shown the mo 4 they
are made of just as much in thus wey as the brave
Household Cavalry by their moonlight charge did on
Monday. Everyone agrees that the Egyptian deport
is a very trying plate a; this season. Yet after
first experience end many sunstrokes our men are
settling down to Egyptian life with great success. They
work with wonderful cheerfulness, and seem all the
better for having plenty to do. The Royal Irish were
on fatigue duty at lemoilia for several day., and did
inure than oe;iues could have been exp:cted to do
under ouch a suit. They looked as mat when they
I marched out to Nefiche as a regiment need Lob. The
Sinlorth thgblanders are now camped rear them.
They had a hard time of it yesterday landing the
baggage, but turned out in magnificent trim for their
short march to the camp. Sir Garnet has good
materials to work with.
Beyond all doubt, this momentary delay is caused
by the need of bringing up supplies, but this careful
aforethought make.' victory all the more probable.
Arabi, on his side, continued to entrench the position
at Tel-el.Kebir, or rather the line of works stretching
northward from Tel-el•Kabir to El Karaim and
barring our road towards Zagazig. It is there that
some hard fighting most take place before very long.
The enemy Is said to have mounted ten heavy guns
to sweep the railway approoch, but this should be
received with caution. de is not likely to be.., more
Wan twelve-pounder field piecea in his lines, and these
are no match for siege guns when they come into
Play.
Ihe advanced Rue's\ force is very strong in
cavalry, so it should he all over with the Arabs when
they are once broken. Their only chance is to escape
by the railway train, and the coal supply will fail
*lent before Long. They even now are obliged to be
very careful in the use of their coal, and run fewer
trains, which hampers them much. It must be dis-
couraging for the enemy to me the great smoke cloud
over Ismailia where our fleet of steamers are busy
condensing water all day. As I rode in across the
burning sande this afternoon the effect of the smoke
cloud in the desert was most strange, as west also the
forest of masts.—Dedy Nom