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

NEWS OF THE MAHDI AND GORDON'S
LETTERS.

Telegraphing on Tuesday night from Souakim, the
special correspondent of the Daily News
.says: "A
reconnaissance was made this morning, and some
cavalry manoeuvres took place. A large body of the
enemy came from the hills, but no shots were fired.
One hundred and fifty of the Mounted Infantry have
arrived from Cairo. The 19th Hussars are leaving
for Cairo in order to proceed to the Nile. The
Egyptian Camel Corps will follow them. Two
hundred and twenty navvies arrived to-day to work
upon the Berber and Souakim Railway, which is
advancing as fast as possible." The same journal
on Wednesday gave prominence to the following
letter from a Korti correspondent : " The
Englishman sent by Gordon's friend has
returned into camp from Metemmeh. He was sent
away with the non-combatants, sick, and wounded.
He was present at the skirmish eight miles from
Metemmeh. The column was attacked by a convoy
of the enemy's who were taking in ammunition to
Metemmeh. The effect of the attack was very serious
to some of the wounded: three men became delirious,
and one died an hour afterwards. At the critical
moment, luckily, one of our own convoys, came up,
consisting of some of the Light Camel Corps. They
had heard the firing. The enemy then retired,
evidently thinking the English were everywhere.
On our side four men were wounded and
two killed, one being one of Gordon's sol-
diers. Our convoy marched through thick
scrub, after completing their breakfast, at
which they had been so rudely interrupted. The
messenger referred to succeeded in getting through
packet of letters to Gordon sent by his friends. UV
knows these reached, because answers to thee'
,have
been received. Three messengers were Elle& at
different times. One messenger from Gordon whO
had carried letters is reported to have got drunk , at
Metemmeh, and to have boasted of having letters ql2.

iirilielzed, nailed up by the ear to a post
in tho market place, and ultimately his head was
cut off. The Mandi sent down SGOO men to Abou
Tluch (not Abu Klea, as generally written).
These were Bagara - Duem men perhaps
Shellochs, but they called themselves Duem
men; short-haired men. The local tribes were more
than these, consisting of Hassanieh, Jahlien—divided
into three different tribes (Abadieh, Gibillab, and
Hamiab)—Shakyeh, and a mixed lot of Berberines.
The Duem people from South Kordofan seem to have
lost most in proportion. One thousand arrived from
Perim, and only twelve survived. The Abadieh tribe
were heavy losers, as the prisoners stated that they
have lost 600 out of 1111. Olivier Pain is believed
to be at Khartoum, where the Mandi is said to be,
by-the-bye. On passing the old battle field at Abu
Tluch the messenger tells me that they came across
six wounded men of the enemy, one of whom be-
seeched Lord Cochrane, guiding the column, to
kill him; but he and the others were brought
on to the Wells. The surgeon, who had at first mis-
taken them for some of our Aden boys, was not a
little surprised at recognising the Mandi's uniform
on the second one he was dressing. Many more of
the enemy's wounded men had crawled in to the
Wells, and to the honour of the nation, they
were being looked after by the medical staff there.
The camp of the rebels, which was three miles
distant from the battle - field of Abou Tina,
has lately been found by some scouts from the
Wells. There was some grain left there. The
mortality of camels continues on the line of
march, because there is no grain. The allow-
ance is only at Jhaggddul, 21b. per diem. At
the river, however, there was plenty of green
food. The messenger already referred to declares
that it is absolutely necessary, to smash up' (kus-
suk) Mahomet Achmed's power if we wish to prevent
the spread of this fanatical insurrection, which has
every chalice, if unchecked; of reaching Egypt via
the Nile. The Mandi, in reality, does not care so
much about Souakim and the Eastern Soudan, his
declared mission being first of all to depose the Sul-
tan of Turkey. Then, passing through Egypt, to
proceed to Mecca, from whence he intends to com-
mence the task of regenerating the Mussulman
world. His particular vengeance is to fall on
Tripoli, as he has been declared all over that
country to be a humbug (guddeb). The uncle
of the Mandi, who went to pay his dutiful
nephew a visit some short time ago, and took the op-
portunity of remonstrating with him for being the
cause of the deaths of so many of the faithful, was
incontinently put in irons, and remains there. All of
the men of Gordon's army just arrived here have
medals made of lead given by Gordon. They are in
imitation of the Medjidie.' I regret to say they are
selling these as curios to Europeans, tho poor
blacks and Bashi-Bazouks being without money.
It may be a sentimental idea, but for myself I think
it a shame to buy these. Some of the men, how-
ever, I am pleased to say, are very proud of them,
and one man told me he would not take £2O for his.
They are as a body a fine soldier-like body of men,
though in rags. Several of their comrades, when Sir
E. Wilson's steamers were wrecked, ran away, it is
supposed, to Khartoum, where they had left their
families. It is believed that the women have been
divided among the followers of the Maliaas was done at
Obeid. The Mandi's army is on its way to Metemmeh,
and will probably go to Berber. Should Khartoum
be threatened he himself has promised to come
down."