The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-09

Fifteen Hundred Bayonets Flashing in the
sun-Ths Duke Of connaught's Command.
From the London Time


Yesterday afternoon battalion of the
Scots Guards and another of the Grena-
diers moved out to Ramleh. AT O'Clock
in the afternoon the soldiers, in the highest
spirits at the prospect of escaping from the
confinement and heat of the crowded
decks, were drawn up along the quay in
full marching equipment The men wore
scarlet tunics, the Scots white helmets. the
Grenadiers light brown. Their water bot
ties were filled, their ammunition pouches
and haversacks well stored. The dressing
of the line was perfect, as Sir John Adye
Sir Archibald Allison, the duke of
Connaught and others passed slow
ly down. The duke looked brown
and healthy, and is growing
a beard He wears long buff riding
boots, and has adopted leather scabbard,
which looks neat and serviceable, and can
not blunt his sword. Sir John Adye as
sembled the officers around him and ut
tered few inspiring words. in the course
of which, however, he reminded them that
their enemy was determined and well
armed Then the band struck up; 1,500
bayonets flashed in the sun; the long col
umn marched into the town. At the head
rode the prince. The route lay through
ruined streets. Here and there turbaned
head peeped from window. At
the corners were gathered scowling Arabs,
and women shrouded in wraps to the eyes.
Half way down the Rue des Spurs, the
scene of the massacre, bold crag jutted
I'D, crowded with stately palm
trees. In the pleasant shade a group of
Arabs-men, women and children-stood
or reclined, their graceful attitudes
brought out clearly by the bright blue sky
in the background. They were much
startled and impressed by the six big
chested pipers, who struck up together
wild Gaelic melody as they strobe by be-
fore the Scots guards. The Arab boys
ran by the side of the pipers; grave, long
robed natives drew closer together, and
certain excitable sailors on leave executed
q hornpipe in the midst of the crowds. AS
the troops went through the great square,
now marked out in piles of charred stone,
the Europeans in the crowd expressed
their admiration of the bearing and phys
ique of the men. What devils, exclaim-
ed stout italian, in tone of rapture, to
friend. All was managed web at the
railway station, except that places had
been so nicely calculated for the Scots that
your. correspondent has to ride on the top
of the guards brake. The train steamed
slowly through an Arab village outside the
town, In which women shook their fists
after US and boys shouted maledictions
through the stone outwork put up by the
French at the battle of Alexandria, on
through groves of beautiful date palms
that swept the carriage roofs, and drew
up finally beyond Ramleh. The force here
disembarked and moved into tents by the
side of the Forty sixth regiment, the Grenar
diers arriving later in the evening. The
Celdstreams are to come to-day.
This morning at 8 o'clock l saw the
cooks busily preparing breakfast for their
comrades. Long trenches of stones were
formed in the sand in the direction of the
wind, and rows of steaming kettles were
singing cheerfully. Hard by, naked war
riors swan and disported themselves in
the foaming waves of the Mediterranean,
whose deep blue expanse touched the hor-
rizon. Some five miles inland, pillars of
smoke showed that Arabs cooks were also
at work, and with glass it was easy to
count his numerous tents and to watch
the white-eoated men busily digging
trenches.