The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1882-09-08
EvENING.
V -sELEY's MAsTERLY MOVE

u -
h. "rnsidered as fairly opened.
The mastery manner in which
GzN. Wolseley concealed his designs
no, only from the enemy but even
trun his own men, and at one stroke
tr.,sforrcd his base of operations
Fl ~. Alexandria to lsnaiia, de-
S%es high praise. While even his
own officers supposed that he intend
est to lombard Fort Aboukir, and to
lal division east of it to turn
A;#hi's right flank, he was on his
Ta 10 the Saez Canal. TO mask
{ movement the feet threw some
seeds into Aboukir, while the land
force made Icint from Ramleh on
the afternoon of the 18Th. Early
tho next morning (the 20th the
sailors and marines from the fleet in
ti.e ;iuez Canal seized Port Said at
the north end and lsmailia on Lake
Tim.ah lt the middle Of the Canal,
while detachment Of llighlanders
and marines frcm Suez attacked and
rn'tc4 Arabi's force at Shalief, IL
JA,, g; north OF sSucz, and cleared the
Yatlr0ld to Ismailia. In twenty-four
hours the whole canal and its banks
was in the power Of the English.
During the afternoon of the same
day the fleet from Alexandria enter
ed The Canal with Gen. Wolscley
and the first division Of his army on
board. One of the transports was
loaded with rails, cars and locomo-
tivce for thc railway from lsmailia
to Cairo. The Indian contingent,
which includes three regiments of
cavalry, WAS arriving during the
week, The rapidity and secrecy
with which this whole movement was
executed forestaiIed any attempt
a.aiAs the Canal by Arab as well as
any hindranccs that might have been
.interposed by European diplomacy.
The strategic advantages Of This
change Of base are obvious. In con-
nection with the blockade Of the
coast is igolates Arab from his allies
in Turkey and elsewhere, while it
outiiauks his position at Kcfr ed
Dawar, and opens the most direct
and easy route to Cairo to The Eng
lish army.
Arabls position at Kcfr ed-Dawar
is immensely strong by nature, pro-
tccted as ii is on both flanks by ex-
ten:i.r lakes and swamps, and he
has had ample time to fortify it.
Iicsi!cs the rising Of the Nile,
which is now taking place, will lay
most o. the country between Alex
andra and Cairo under water. The
distance by rail is l3l miles. No
season could be chosen more I'M
ia, arablc for military operations in
Egypt than the months of September
anG October
Gn the other hand the railway
from ismailia to Cairo passes for
about 20 miles through the desert,
and in fact it runs near the bound
AIRY between the desert and the green
plain Of the Delta the rest OF the
way. The distance by rail is just
100 miles. The freshwater canal
from the Nile, which supplies the
towns on the Suez Canal, accom-
panies the railway short distance.
AS it is, 80 feet wide and Z feet deep
on an average, it will be of great use
in transporting heavy guns and sup
plies. Cairo is the key of the situa-
ton This is due not only to its i'm
por;gHce as the seat of Government
and lnc great centre of Mohammcdan
Learning and literature, containing a
population Of at least 400, 900 souls,
bat also TO its geographical position.
Il is situated exactly at the apex Of
the Delta, where the Nile Valley be-
gins, (here only 8 miles wide), on
the dividing line between the Delta
and Upper Egypt, and lines of rah
way radiate from it to Alexandria,