Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-09-20
lProm.our Reg ular Correspondent
Foreign Letter.
SuEz. EGYPT. Sept. 1, 49,

SUEz. EGYPT, Sept. l, 1882.
When the gunboats Mosquito" and
"Seagull" departed from 'Suez l was for
tunate enough to be of the party. From
time to time we caught glimpses of the
land force toiling through heavy sand;
but when we neared Shaloof, small rail-
way station, those with whom VIC were
supposed to cooperate were nowhere TO
be seen. But to the gallant Captain Hast
ings, of the "Euryalus," who commanded
the expedition, this was detail. A
detachment of soldiers was speedily landed
to discover that the dam had been blown
up with dynamite and that the liquid,
which at Suez is more precious than gold,
was rushing in 4 torrent to lose itself in
the salt stream. The ship engineers were
set at work at once to repair the breach,
while Captain Hastings and the rest eau.
tiously mounted the sand ridge in hopes
of discovering the perpetrators of this
outrage. Ping!-a bullet shot-another
"a dozen. The Arabs were evidently
lurking in numbers, hardly concealed by
the broken ground. The Highlanders,
divided into sections, spreading right and
left, advanced to the second ridge and
directed sharp fusillade at the ambushed
enemy, whilst a party on tho extreme
right made for the locks, and were speed
lily in possession.
There the happy thought occurred to an
officer, named Lang, to try to secure a
boat and send it lower down and help the
troops across the sweet-water canal.
Without'a moments hesitation he Invested
himself of his raiment, swan across
under the fire Of the enemy and possessed
himself OF the boat. He thereupon took
what clothes he could find, requistioned
the boots of dead Egyptian officer and
proceeded with his work. Meanwhile the
Naval Brigade and the Highlanders were
attempting to drive the enemy from the
mound, or hill with fiat top, which stands
isolated on the plain, and from this point
the sight was curious one. Egyptian
soldiers were holding up theit rides at
arms length overhead, firing wildly at
the gunboats' main-tops, just visible over
the sand banks, whence the gatlings were
doing fearful havoc. For three hours did
the Highlanders and the Marine Brigade
fire at the Arabs without being able ia
dislodge them. Ultimately the right hand
company succeeded in taking them in
flank, under Captain Hallet, making splen-
did practice at a thousand yards, aud tn
fire becoming absolutely unbearable, the
Arabs withdrew from their strong position
rushed heller SHELTER across the open
pace, leaving trail of dead TO mark
their track. Their own firing was aston.
ishingly bad, which will be readily under
stood when we consider that the Seatorth
men showed themselves fearlessly, dis
daininS cover, and that not man wa!
touched, while the Arabs left fully l2(
dead behind them. 4G prisoners and q
wounded.
Five hours and half brought the affai
to conclusion, and we spent an amusing
hour in questioning the prisoners. At frs
they were terribly frightened, having beer
told many yarns concerning British atroc
tiles, but they soon plucked up courage
cried for water and cigarettes, and resigned
themselves calmly to a better fate thai
they have endured probably for many
years As a lot they were worn, Old an,
haggard. One man, Il private, confessed
to so years Of age, and told us that many
of their troops were brought to the lielC
in irons to fight. Indeed we found some
irons among the debris on the tield-one
of which weighed and found it ter
pounds.
The dead had received horrible wounds
They were surrounded with ammunition
endless cartridges and splendid Remington
rifles; and in most instances their kit
were Of u sumptuous description-nea
little knapsacks, better water bottles tina,
ours, cambria handkerchiefs, praying car
pets and books.