The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-21 00:00:00

THE SACKING OF KHARTOUM.

The news on Tuesday morning from Souakim was
reassuring, so far at least as regarded the possibility
of the enemy harassing our forces. "Last night,"
Wrotethe special correspondent of the Daily Chronicle;
"was the quietest that we have had for some time
past. There were one or two alarms, which caused
a little firing from our outposts, but nothing came of
them. It is hoped that the enemy will not in future
be able to penetrate our lines so easily as they have
lately been doing. Our positions have been re-ar-
ranged in the light of our recent experience, and
are now placed with more regard to mili-
tary strategy, so that in the event of a serious
attack upon one point more effective assistance can
be rendered from the forts and the other camps. As
additional safeguards against surprise, some more
trenches have been dug, zarebas constructed, wire en-
tanglements placed around each camp, and additional
patrols of sentries arranged for. The cable-ship
Chiltern will shortly commence to lay a telegraph
cable from this port to Trinkitat, General Graham's
base during the operations against Osman Digna last
year. The heat here is still increasing, but the health
of the troops continues good. The hospital ship
Ganges has arrived."
The terrible tale of the sacking of Khartoum
was told by the special correspondent of the Daily
Telegraph on Tuesday in the following message:
Mohrat, on the Ambukol Road, March 16 (9.40
p.m.)—A messenger has arrived at Dongola from
Omdurman, which place he left about Feb. 10. The
man states that the Mandi has a very large following
of men, women, and children. His followers are
very enthusiastic. Mahomed Ahmed lives among
his people, crossing to Khartoum occa-
sionally to pray, but never sleeping there,
Seatin Bey is in chains at Omdurman, al-
though he has become a Moslem, and is known as
Osman. The Roman Catholic missionaries taken
prisoners at Obeid and Gebel Nuba, seven women and
five men, are at Omdurman, wearing dervishes' dresses
to protect them from insult. The letter this man has
brought with him is written on a piece of calico and
sewn into his shirt. It implores assistance for some
prisoners. I withhold names and details for prudential
reasons. The letter was dated Feb. 3, 1885, and ad-
dressed to the Roman Catholic priest, Padre Vincen-
tini. It states that Don Lingi, the superior of the
Soudan mission, is ill at Obeid. It further begs parties
not to attempt to open negotiations with the 3,landi,
seeking to secure the prisoners' liberation, as it would
but endanger their heads. The misfortunes of those
in his (the Mandi's) toils, the writer declares, have
reached an unfathomable depth. The closing sentenins
of the letter are as follows :

"Khartoum has been sacked, and its people
massacred. We calculate the number of victims at
over 2000. The Consul Hansal was murdered, with
all the Europeans and General Gordon." This
account of the massacre bears out what George, Sir
Charles Wilson, and others have told me of having
seen European and other bodies floating down the
river, some corpses being tied back to
back. Arabs have brought in a report that
a European, assumed to be the Communist
Olivier Pain, pasEed four days ago near Debbeh, going
down the west bank of the Nile. The military
authorities have issued instructions to have him
stopped and his papers secured. A reward of fifty
pounds has been offered to the natives for his arrest.
Captain Besant, of the Egyptian Army, hopes to inter-
cept Pain at Sakyeh-el-Abd. Boats with Egyptians
also patrol the river to prevent his crossing
it. Navigation between Merawi and Korti is now
impossible for steamers. Several fords have formed
in lower reach. From Korti to Fatmeh the river
transport by steamer is practically ended for the
season. Steamers do not now attempt to go more
than ten miles north of ordeh. On my trip in a
pinnace to Ordeh we stuck for hours at different
places; in fact, the Nile might be forded at three
points between Korti and Dongola.