The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-09-12 00:00:00

PROM "STANDARD' CORRESPONDENT.
13 110111 Or 1111,11.-ILISIB.

litertianeY, 10.80 sine.
This morning all question as to the fighting qualities
of the Egyptian troops has been set at rest. They at-
tacked us with very great superiority of numbers, they
obtained positions which enabled them to completely
command our camp, they were led by Arabi himself,
and yet allowed themselves to be driven back without
even • show of resistance, directly our men advanced
against them. A few hours will prove whether thsy
will fight behind earthworks, but In the field they are
simply contemptible.
Al mt six o'clock this morning our videttes„ of the
Bengal Lancers, stationed above the camp, were sud-
denly driven in by • large body of the enemy's cavalry.
The latter advanced, firing from horseback, as usual,
and making no attempt to charge. I happened at the
time to be on the high ground near the videttes, and
could make out in the distance, through the misty
morning air, a second end larger line of horsemen
advancing, while acres the desert beyond the smoke
of several trains coming up from Tel-el-Kebir could be
seen, and it wee evident that we were going to have
something more serious than the usual morning ex.
change ot long shots.
Two of the videttes galloped off to camp to give
we rising of the approaching attack. There have been
so many false alarms, an the troops have been so
often called under arms in vain, that the men turned
out listlessly and without any belief that this was
more than the flaunt false alarm.
In the meantime, from the sand bills we could see
the enemy working quietly round our right flank,
their intenti de plainly being to repeat their manmuvree
upon the occasion of the last attack, and to enfilade
our camp from the hills there, Kassamin lying in a
saucer-like depressl.m.
Trooper after trooper was emit off at headlong
gallop to Camp with the tidings, and General Graham
WAS at last convinced of the necessity for speedy
action.
The Infantry and guns moved out from Camp not a
I moment t mu soon, for the enemy's Artillery had already
taken its p et on the crests of the sandhills, and some
of the guns at 00C3 opened upon the moving column,
while others con.entrated their fi e upon the Cramp
itself. As some thirty guns opened fire simultaneously
the scene was f ,r • while lively.
Shells came into Camp in numbers, exploding &mon;
the tents, throwing the dust high in the air. Romeo
I and cattle, panic-struck at the sudden din, broke
picket ropes and fastenings, and careered wildly
through the camp, while the Indian followers shouted
and can trying in vain to arrest the stampede of the
animals. At any other time the scene would have
been laughable in the extreme, but every one's
att-ntion was fixed too much upon the front to take
much notice of what was happening in camp.
As soon as our guns cool I take up ground, they
opened upon the enemy's Artillery, and • hot duel
between the batteries ensiled.
Moving out again t wards the right. I found the
enemy steadily pressing back the 13th Bengal Lanark
who had very smartly turns I out at the first alarm to
sup oort their videtter. In front of the Lancers at a
di.tance of two thousand yards were numerous
battelions of white-c mated Egyptian soldiery. The
enemy's front, extending from their right, which was
thrown scrois the Canal, to their extreme left, could
not have been less the% three miles.
It was impossible nit to give the enemy credit for
skilful tactics, and it was not from any fault of the
leaders that the attack was not successful. Indeed,
for a quarter of an hour, the position of our force and
canto looked exceedingly critical.
The I if .ntry were in imminent danger of being out-
flanked. The commanding positions were all In the
enemy's hands, while line after line of his Cavalry and
Infantry could be seen crossing the sand hills.
The aspect of affairs, however, chuagel as soon as
we a.sumed the offensive. General Drury Lowe,
with his Cavalry, rode out of ()map, and, pushing far
out, in turn threateced the enemy's left, and forced
them to desist from continuing their flanking move-
ment against us. Their Cavalry fell back, and DOW
for over half an hour both sides rode out into the
desert, each endeavouring ti get round the other, and
occasionally halting while the light Artillery on both
sides opened fire.
In the meantime the enemy's Infantry had advanced
on either side of the Canal and railway and down the
slopes of the sand-hills until within eight hundred
yards, when they opened a c mtinuous rifle fire.
The 80th Rifles and the hilliDAS advanced to meet
the enemy coming on by the Canal and railway line,
while the 84th Regiment pressed forward soiled them
on the high ground. The roll of fire was now heavy
and incessant. . . . .. . .

Presently our artillery—although inferior in the
number of their guns —seemed ti obtain the upper
hand by the superi,,r accoracy of their aim, and the
fire of the enemy gra lually slackens'. At about the
Name time our Infantry advance commenced in earnest.
The three regiments named pressed forward, and the
rest of the infantry moved on in support the moment
the 111 /cement fairly develops I Anil( the enemy's
infantry gays way and began to fall back, and the
fight was virtually at an 'el.
It was a singular c dlap.e, for, as we have since
learned from • prisoner, eighteen battalions of the
enemy were engaged, and their appearance, no to the
moment when our infantry advanced, was bold and
resolute. Their fire was tremendous, and the wonder
is where the bullets can have gone. Eighteen
battalions, advantageously posted, and armed with
breeohloaders, should have committed tremendous
destruct' in in the ranks of the five regiments upon
whom they concentrated their fire, but in point of fate
they did soarcely any harm, as we had only two men
killed, a result which is absolutely ridiculous in pro-
portion to the number of man engaged and the weight
of lead expended.
Thus, what was likely to have been • pitched
battle, with all the odds against 11A, was, in its non-
sequenoes. no more than a reconnaissance in force
of the enemy, abandoned as lion as we took the
offensive. That it was not so meant we know from
the prisoner; but it is clear that the Egyptians will
not stand in the open, and that they retreat the instant
we take the offensive.
Upon the first advance of our leoope the Egyptian
artillery abandoned three of their guns; two fell into
the hands of the Marines, the third was captured by
the 60th. When the enemy sew that the guns were
taken, for an instant they halted and made • show of
advancing, ILA if to endeavour to recapture them, but a
volley from the Marines dissipated the idea, and the
retreat continued without further halt.
The Cavalry and ArtillerT opposed to Goners.'
Lowe al's, retired, and at ten o clock In the morning
our troops were halted about four miles distant from
Tel-el.Kebir. They are now reforming line, and
have sent back to camp for breakfast.