Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-09-07
FROM EGYPT.
Progress OF the RebeiliOn-Oecur-
reDces of the Past " eek and MIsceI-
laneOus Matters in the East


THE water in the fresh water canal
having been falling the last three days
/ thought it necessary, although I had
possession OF Serapeum, to push for
ward and occupy point on the canal
seven miles west of lsmailia, where |
had been warned, the canal would be
rnost seriously damaged.
THE ADVANCE.
II advanced this morning before day-
break with the household cavalry, two
horse artillery guns, thirty mounted
infantry, 900 men from the York and
Lancaster regiment and marines.
After some skirmishing took posses
sion of the dam which the enemy had
constructed across the canal between
the villages MAGYAR and Mahuta. Dur
ing the operations two squadrons OF
the househould cavalry charged the
enemy's broken infantry very CALAMITY.
| soon found that the enemy were be-
ing largely reinforced from Tel ell
Kebir. | could see trains arriving.
thought 1t Inconsistent with traditions
of the queens army to retire before
any number of Egyptian troops, and
so decided to hold the ground until re-
Inducements arrived. All day long
have had an Egyptian force of 10, 600
men, with ten guns, in my front and on
my right flank.
UNDER FIRE.
"Ihe precision of the enemy's artil-
| lery fire was very good, but fortunately
they fired common shell nearly all day,
and when they did fire shrapnel their
fuses were badly adjusted. The enemy
| had their cavalry regiments in line.
Our horses, having recently been on
board ship, were not in condition to
gallop much. The two horse artillery
ms were served with pluck and abil-
| ity. Our casualties have been slight.
Captain Hallam Parr was wounded
through the leg. Lord Melgund received
wound through the hand. Captain
PARIS mounted infantry distinguished
itself. All the troops engaged did well.
Tomorrow (Friday) | shall attack the
enemy's position at Holenke, and hope
| to take possession of the dam which
| they constructed there this morning."
In telegram despatched at two o'clock
| t,4is morning General Wolseley adds
II omitted to say that | had with me
yesterday two Calling guns, worked by
seamen, who did their duty admir-
| ably"
ISMAILIA
Ismailia is mushroom city. Like
domains gourd, 1t sprang up, compare
lively speaking, in night. When the
canal was in course of construction NJ.
| de Lesseps saw the necessity Of build
| ,pn about h,IF
| Port Said and Suez. Such town
would be basis for stores; it would
supply the many thousands of work
men with water and other necessaries,
and, moreover, it would be place
where the principal officials could re.
| side and direct operations on eyery
side. He chose sand ridge opposite
Lake Timsah for the site. Here and
there grew clump o. date palms, but
east and west there stretched the yell
low desert, so bare, SO monotonous and
so uninviting that no eye less sharp
than that OF the great engineer could
have discovered the capabilities of the
place as the site for a town. M. de
Lesseps, however, saw its capabilities.
With his customary energy he set his
ihNil tpcii VIZ WI II. AOilttlS anu
blocks were outlined upon the sand;
stone from adjacent quarries was
brought in abundance, and mortar was
made upon the spot. In few weeks
city had arisen, with houses, streets,
avenues, palaces, public squares and a
public garden. This wonderfully built
town was named in honor of the late
khedive Ismail, and his highness
deigncd to honor it with his presence,
and built stately pleasure house OPP
posite the blue waters of Lake Tinsah
Not far from this viceregal residence
stood elegant chalets belonging to NJ.
de Lesseps, Voisin Bey, the Director
General of the works; M. Lavaleye,
the contractor; NJ. Borel, partner,
and NJ. Dussand, the sub-engineer of
lsmailia. A palace was next erected
for the accommodation of the govern
or, and this building, rising square
and fiat rooted from amid pleasant
garden of eastern and oriental flowers
and shrubs, was a conspicuous object
IN the view of the traveller passing
through the canal on his way either to
or from India. NJ. de Lesseps fed his
magic city, with q copious supply of
water drawn from the Nile at Z4gazig,
and this source supplied not only his
workmen but the thousands of snop-
keepers and others who hocked from
the Levant, Suez, Cairo and Alexan-
dria into Ismailia. The water junction
with Zagazig is named the Sweetwater
Canal and it is inferior in length
and utility only to its great neigh
Dor, the Maritime Canal. Ismailia,
as arranged by NJ. de Lesseps,
stands at the junction of three canals
the Sweetwater Canal from Zagazig to
Ismailia; the Sweetwater Canal that
runs southwark from Ismailia to Suez,
and, of course, the Suez Canal itself.
The water Of the Maritime Canal being
pronounced fit neither for man nor
beast, Ismalia is entirely dependent
upon the Sweetwater supply from IN
gazig. Cut that off and It's inhabitants
must either perish or escape to the
banks of the Nile. Suez also would be
imperiled, as it depends almost wholly
upOn the SWeetwatar Canal from l.