Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-26
THE DISASTER IN EGYPT.
Especial Cablegram to the Globe. !

Especial Cablegram to the Globe
3 LONDON, Nov. 25,-This has heen q terr;
3 bic week for the Gladstone government
7 Ihe defeat of Hicks Pasha comes simulte
} neous with the conservative victory i,
York. 1t Is impossible as yet to give evel
, forecast of what will be the outcome @
/ affairs in Egypt, a stunned confusion be
} ing the prevalent temper of the public
| mind. Bat the lines are family appearing
on which party politicians will 60. TIL,
general demand is that the evacuation O,
Egypt must Immediately cease; but diver
gence begins when the Soudan is men.
TONED. The radical journals frankly de-
mand that the khe3ive should be advised
or even forced to abandon this unpromis
ing country altogether, and confne his ex.
ertions to defending his own throne and
the original frontiers. But will Ell Mahdi
permit this? Experts declare that, the
leader OF religious revolution, he is bound
TO go on until completely conqueror OF
conquered. The effect of Hicks defeat
atpresent is disastrous to English prestige
everywhere.
The Egyptians hate the English as hay-
ing made the fight, and despiae them as
oelng beaten. The French press is exuIt-
ant and fortells the immediate restor-
alton of French influence at Cairo. The
defeat OF Hicks Pasha was clearly inevita-
BILE, in fact, the expedition was undertaken
against his opinion. Edmund o. Donovan,
the hero of Merv and special correspond
ent OF the Daily NeWs of London, wrote a
private letter some months before the
final catastrophe, describing himself as be-
ing as near to death as possible without
sentence of execution. Hicks army consist
cd OF the remnants of Arabi's forces who
skedaddled at Tel-el-Kebir,-of old men
who have finished their military service,
OF unwilling and undrilled recruits drag
ged In chains to the flag. and
the final battle took place after
Hicks had been marching through water
less desert for thirty days, under incessant
cavalry attacks. Hicks had about 10000
men and FL Mahdi from $4,000 to 100000
men Romantic histories are given of
Mahd1. He Is said to have begun as a car
penter, and to be personally friendly to
christians. He declares himself the pre-
cursor OF Jesus Christ, who will appear in
Egypt and finally become a Mussulman
with all his followers. 1t is thought possi-
BILE that Mussulman fanaticism may spread
to Tunis and give France 80 much to do
that Tonquin will have to be abandoned
and Madagascar conciliated.
O'Donovan's last letter was written to a
personal friend. He says: 81 am waiting
almost as near death as 1t is possible to be
without being under sentence of execution.
However, to die even here with lance head
as big as shovel through me, will meet
my views better than slow sinking into
the grave. We are 1900 miles south of
Cairo, In the midst of wild, unexplored
country. The Egyptians, with whom am
campei on the banks of the Nile, will have
but one chance-one tremendous pitched
battle. The enemy are as Courageous and
fierce as the Zulus, and much better armed. |
Our army is that which ran befo.e a
handful of British forces at Tel-El- -Kebir
We are obliged to march in a SQUARE with !!
our baggage and water camels, 5000 in
number, 10 the midst, less the ensmv,s |
cavalry surprise Us. We only march |
ten miles 4 day. After 10
O'Clock the heat is frirbtfpi.
1t takes four days TO get from one set of
wells to another. Then we find the wells /
filed with stones ar earth, or the rottinp
bodies of men and camels. Then we 90
back again with the enemy lowering on
our TANKS watching every opportunity to
MAKE dash. / am pretty we'll accus-
toned to dangers yet l feel how terrible it
is to face deadly peril in the company of
cravens. L send you flower pluoked from
q shrub at my tent door. I wish I could I
send an addition to your
menageries; green monkeys here come to
drink at the river by thousands; gazelles
wander IN hundreds, all kinds of beautiful
birds can be had for a couple of pence.
L myself have three camels, two droneda-
ries and a horse. Hippopottimi, ,siraffes, and
leopards are our neighbors. In the woods
and rivers we see more crocodiles than are
some twenty nine feet long lie
oasklng on the sand with gaping jaws and
wlnklng eyes. We march out shortly To
hight decisive battle. / fear we shall get
the worst of it, then not man will es-
cape.
CAIRO. Nov. 25.-The khedive solicited
the friendly offices of England on the
questions at issue with Abyssinia. He in
iimated his readiness to rectify the from
tier between Abyssinia and Egypt, if King
John, OF Abyssinia, remains tranquil. The !
Shedive gave an audience to-day to mem
oers of the legislative council and made
an encouraging speech. The council of
decided TO send 1000 cend
d'armes and 5000 Bedouins to Suskim
with that object in view, and negotiations
are progressing with the chiefs of Upper
aad Lower Egypt. The aim of the e1pe-
iitiou viii be to keep an open road be-
tween Suakim and Berbsr, and insure an
avenue for the retreat of the Egyptian
troops from hhsrtoum and SEMINAR. The
irst 500 start on the journey to-day.