Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-08-10
NO. 80.

| autuoIlZeu the EnSIlSn aQmlral at
Port Said to take what steps he thinks
necessary in the canal, and has confer
red on him the title of Governor of
the Isthmus. The Suez canal COM
pany passed special resolution de-
claring that as the khedive could not
authorize the making of the Suez
canal without the sanction OF the sui
tan, he las no power to interfere with
| it.
IN THE CAMPS.
Face to face are the armies of the
Egyptians and the British, and an &C.
ton is impending. The Egyptians,
should they be defeated, have Cairo
and the Libyan desert to fly to. The
British, with Alexandria at their back
and an Alexandria, moreyer, which
is covered by the guns of one of the
strongest fleets that ever went forth to
do battle with an antagonist-have a
tolerably secure place of retreat in the
event of any disaster Detailing their
arms. The routine of the British sol
dler's life in the time of warfare is SIM
liar to that of the American. In the
morning he must fall into the ranks at
bugle call and answer to his name.
Later he has to take his turn at guard
or picket duty. He may have to fall
into patrolling party or take part in a
reconnaissance; then when he has
nothing more to do, he May lounge
about among the tents, smoking his
clay pipe or chatting with 81 comrade.
The scene differs strangely in the camp
of the Egyptians. There the majority
of the soldiers are dressed in a mongrel
European fashion, with the tarboosh
or fez as the most conspicuous national
characteristic of their uniform; but
there is minority whose picturesque
costumes are distinctly Oriental. The
Bedouin, with his gaudily-colored ker-
chief wrapped about his head, leaving
ends that float upen his shoulders, his
long, white, mantle-like garments. and
his sandalled feet; the Soudanese, with
white turbans, flowing raiment,
and baggy trousers; the Abyssinian
adventurer, who dresses as he pleases,
much as his brother the Nubian does
all form a singular contrast with the
quietly uniformed soldiers of the Greg
ular" force. On the eve of battle these
soldiers show different scene in camp
from that which their antagonists pre-
sent. Sitting cross-legged in front Of
their tents, which are but pieces of
thin canvas stretched on cross-sticks,
and are so low that their occupants
have to enter them by crawling, they
assemble In groups and pass around
the chibOuque or narghileh, the bub-
bling sound of which as the smoke
passes through the water is almost the
only sound that is heard except the
neighing or the stamping of the horses
that are picketed by the heels behind
the camps irregular lines.
An officer gallops along and warns
them to be ready, They rise hastily to
their feet, crawl into their tents for
their arms, and hustle up together
before they finally fall into line. But
they do it all with very little noise. 1t
is possible to find not a noisy but a
hilarious group but this is generally
and laughter-loving faithful from the
SOudan have surrounded story-teller,
whose narrations of the deeds of genii
or the merry tricks among mortals of
lesser supernatural worthless alternately
excite their decp-voiced wonder or their
spontaneous, child like mirth. A British
soldier seeing an Arab or Egyptian
camp, and noting the recumbent posi-
ton and stOical manner of the majority
of its occupants, might imagine that
such people as these had no energy for
fighting but ne would be egregiously
mistaken. A French traveller, who
recently closely observed the Egyptian
army and all its incongr uous elem ents
of pure fel abeen-Copts, Berbers,
Nubians, western Christians, Turks.
Abyssinians, and Soudanese-came to
this conclusion: They are admirably
rained, drilled and disciplined under
he supervision Of an exceedingly able
staff Of Am erican and other foreign
officials, and the result is that "a finer
looking soldier than an Egyptian sol
der can be seen nowhere" Such is q
brief sketch of the troops that are now
waiting" Arabi's men are strongly
posted in the vicinity of Ramleh; but
his strongest position IL on the narrow
neck of land which stretches from the
Aboukir lake to the northern verge of
Mareotis. With a broad country be-
hind him, railway, and plenty of
water in the Manmoudish canal. Arab
Bay ought to be able to make stub
born resistance to any British force at
tempting to move along the neck and
drive him from his position. A con-
spicuous feature of that neck of land
is that it is flied with marshy ground,
which will seriously interfere with the
free movements both Of British cav
airy and artillery. The ground Arab
has CHOSEN is, on the contrary, firm
enough to permit of very effective
maneuVering.