The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-16 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE SOUDAN.

The news from the Soudan at the end of last week
and on Sunday is summarised in the following tele-
grams from the special correspondent of the Daily
Chronicle :—Dongola, Sunday, 6.10 p.m.—A spy who
has just arrived here from the interior, reports that
El Obeid is llosely invested by Abd Essamad and
other chiefs. A vigorous but unsuccessful attempt
was made to raise the siege of El Obeid by Abu
Angu, who advanced to its relief at the head of a
large force, but after a severe conflict with the
besiegers he was defeated and compelled to retire,
withdrawing to Eddafui, near Abbah, where, it is
rumoured, the Mandi is now stationed. Intelligence,
which has just reached us here, announces the
arrival at Berber of Osman Digna with a small
following.

Soue.ihr, Saturday Evening.—Lord Wolseloy to-
day inspected the various works in Souakim and the
neighbourhood. He also went over the Ganges hos-
pital ship and the other hospitals, and expressed him-
self as highly pleased at the splendid efficiency of the
arrangements made by the Medical Staff Corps.
SUEZ, Sunday Night.—lnformation received from
Souakirn states that the sickness among the British
troops there is very great. Two Egyptian steamers
have arrived here with the garrisons that have been
rescued along the Red Sea littoral.

lelegraphilg from Souakim, on Monday, the
special correspondent of the Morning Post said: For
the last few nights no further attempts to injure the
railway have been made by the rebels. Every night
the armour-plated train runs along the line at slow
speedy carrying thirty men, and flashing the lime
light from time to time. The heat at Tambouk is
now 96deg. in the shade, but at that post everybody
is in good health, while at Handoub the health of the
troops is not by any means satisfactory.

Telegraphing on Tuesday, the special correspondent
of the Standard at Souakim, says: Lord Wolseley,
accompanied by Generals Graham and Freemantle,
and several staff officers. went by train to Otao to-day,
and thence rode to Tambuk, where they inspected the
Scots Guards, under Colonel Trefusis, and the Royal
Engineers, stationed there. The General expressed
himself as highly gratified with the appearance of the
troops. A small party of mounted infantry and
friendly natives formed Lord Wolseley's escort to and
from Otao, whence he returned, as he went, by train.
About a thousand natives of various tribes,
chiefly Amaras, Samaras, and Fedlabs, came in
at Otao to-day. Rifles and ammunition were
given to many of them, and they are certain lo be
valuable auxiliaries, as it is now
.known that Adam
Ali Saddean had special orders from Osman Digna to
destroy the Samara, Fedlab, and Mahomed Guile
tribes, and to carry off all their women. That these
orders were issued is known to the tribes themselves,
and has made them eager to come in and make
common cause with us. If people in England could
realise the terrible fate which will befall the natives
who lave helped and trusted us, if we now entirely
abandon them, I am sure that they would never
allow such a step to be taken. A very small
number of troops would now suffice to hold all
this portion of the country, for the large majority of
the natives are ready to side heartily with us. An
Egyptian battalion or two could garrison Souakim,
and one regiment would suffice to hold the forts up
to Tambouk. All that is required is an efficient and
compact flying column, made up of Mounted
Infantry, Camel Corps, and a small body of
infantry, which could move rapidly in any given direc-
tion, break up gatherings, cut off Osman Digna's grain
supply from the south, and reopen the caravan route.
This is keenly felt by all here. So much has
been spent in men and money, and so little more
is needed now to attain great and lasting results, that
it would be grievous indeed to throw away all that
has been done, to say hothing of the discredit which
would attach to us if we abandoned to ruin and
massacre all who have confided in us and thrown in
their lot with us. The general opinion here is that a
force admirably suited for the work could easily be
raised by English officers in India. Intelligence has
reached us that the Australian Colonies purpose giving
a medal commemorativeof the bond of Imperial Union,
cemented by the employment of the New South
Wales Contingent with the troops. The idea is very
popular here. Enteric fever is greatly upon the
increase. Colonel Robertson, principal Commissariat
officer, Colonel Edwards, commanding the Royal
Engineers, and Colonel Arbuthnot, Deputy Adjutant
General, are among those who are suffering from the
effects of the heat. The Tyne leaves to-morrow with
twelve officers and two hundred men for England.
Eleven thousand cigars sent out by Major Frank
Gildea for the use of the troops have arrived, and
been distributed, and have been gratefully received
by the soldiers.
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