New-York tribune., 1883-12-11
DISASTERS IN EGYPT.

The Egyptian troops have met with another
disaster in tho Soudan. The garrison of Sua-
kim, the port on the Red Sea which is the
natural base of supplies and rcinforcements re-
0uired for military operations in the upper Nile
country, finding itself surrounded with hostile
bands of hill-mcn, planned a sorte With seven
hundred men. This column was attacked a
short distance from the town, and after a'stub-
| born fight was cut to pieces, barely fifty men
| escaping. The victorious hill-men are not fol-
| lowers of the False Prophet. His fanatical
horde has not yet reached the White Nile, but
| Is still concentrated near Obeid, about 700
miles In an air line from Suakim, or not less
than thousand miles by camers track across
the desert. The hill-men near the sea have re-
belled against Egyptian authority on their own
account, repulsng several attacks Of the
soldiery and killing n British Consul. They
have no direct connection with the False
Prophets movement although fanaticism
spreads like flame in the dry tinder of Ma
hometan population. His successes may have
captivated their imagination .dervishes may
have been preaching among them holy war I;
but they have not formally enlisted under his
banner. Their own triumph will render them
impacable foes of the Egyptian Government,
| and will not only endanger the position of the
garrison at Suakin, now reduced to 1000 men,
but will prevent the opening OF the road from
the sea to Berber on tho Nile, and the subse-
ouent relief of Khartoum, if the False Prophet
ventures TO besiegeit
This second disastrous defeat illustrates anew
the ineniciency and weakness OF the Egyptian
troops. The blacks engaged in this action were
considered the flower of the army. IL this
picked force could not resist the onset OF an
i'll organized rabblc, little dependence can be
placed upon tho reinforcements which Baker
pacha is now conducting to Suakim. The
Egyptian soldiers either will not or cannot fight.
That the regiments commanded by Hicks Pacha
should have been vanquished in the desert three
hundred miles from their base OF supplies was
not surprising. That force was recruited
mainly from the rebellious army which had
been stampeded at Tel-el-Kebir. The dlsDand-
ment of Arabis force was suddenly interrupted,
and the rank and file, demOralizcd by defeat,
were shipped to the SOudan as disgraced prls-
oners of war; Hastily armed, commanded by
officers whom they dislilSed, and dragged
against their will into campaign in the desert
under every disadvantage of position, they were
led into battle only to be butchered. ! Their de-
feat was inevitable under the circumstances.
But the sortie from Suakim was conducted by
better class of troops. Although outnumbered
by their foes, they had only been marching
three hours, had quilted comfortable garrison
quarters where they had been well supplied
with provisions, and had the advantages of SUI
perior discipline and organization on their side;
and yet they too were defeated and massaered.
There is no fighting material in the Egyptian
army. whether Arabi's or Valentine Bakers,
the old rcbellious rabble or the inexperienced
eendarmerie. In an emergency it is powerless
and helpless.
The Khedive cannot hold the Soudan or res
gain Kardofan without assistance He is
mainly responsible for disastrous campaign
undertaken against the advice of Lord Dufferin,
Sir Evelyn Barring, and even of Hicks Pacha
himself. He was unwilling to renOunce his fic-
titious authority over the African Empire con-
duered for his predecessors on the throne by Sir
Samuel Baker and Colonel Gordon. The Brit
ish Government is not directly responsible for
the blunders and disasters of Obeid and Suakim,
but it cannot avoid the consequences OF the
Khedive's rash adventures and visionary
schemes of conquest. 1t must either support
him in the Soudan or cut off from Egypt an en-
pire as large rs India and whether 1t indulges
his ambition or dwarfs and paralyzes his
authority, it must garrison his territories per-
manently.