The daily gazette., 1883-11-23
A VICTORIOUS PROPHET
1HE EGYPTIAN AMY ANNIHl-
LATED.
OVER TEN THOUSAND MEN KILLED
a Three Days Fight Which Resulted In
the Complete AnnihIlatIOn OF the Egypt
Ian Army by the False Prophet.


cAJno, Nov. 28.-Msrchants arriving at
Duem bring accounts of terrible battle be-
tween the troops of Hicks Pacha and the
followers Of I'll Mahdi, the false prophet.
General Hicks' army Is utterly annibiIated.
When Hicks Pacha reached Namua. near
the Obetd Hills, he divided his army into
Two parts, sending one-half to demand the
surrender Of the fortress. FL Mahdi. ad
vancing from the southeast, met this portion
and sent forward dervishes, saying: 1--WE.
like you, are Mussulmans. why iehts
Surrender to the dervishes."
RECKLESS vALoR OF THE ARABS.
They were received with q yolIey. and
lighting then began. Hearing the fring.
General Hicks came up, and his whole force
formed square. The Arabs attacked with
reckless vAlor, the camels stampeded. and
confusion was caused among the camp fol-
lowers, who numbered 1000.
The Egyptians fought well, and at even
ing the Mahdi fell back. Next day he found
allies in the soldiers capturned at FL Obeid.
The battle ragged all day. On the third
morning the square was broken and Gem
eral Hicks force was annihilated.
ONLY ONE SURVIVOR.
The name Of the one surviving European
is given as Power, others say 1t is O'Dono-
van, other Mr.. Villiers.
FURTHER DETAILS.
LONDON, Nov. ga despatch to Reuter,s
Telegram Company, dated Cairo, says the
army oil Hicks Pacha has been destroyed by
the forces of Ell Mahdi, the False Prophet,
The intelligence of the disaster was brought
to Khartoum by a Coptic official. The
lighting is said to have continued from the
% to the 9TH inst. and to have resulted In
the complete annthilation of the Egyptfan
troops. 1t is stated that European artist
was the only person who escaped, II IA
also believed that the correspondent of the
London Graphic, who accompanied Hicks
Pacha, was Killed.
WHERE THE BATTLE WAS FOUGHT.
The force Of FL Mahdi comprised, il is es.
timated 800 goo men and included dervisbes.
Bedouins, mulattoes and regulars, while
Hicks Facha's force aggregated, according
to one account, 10,5OO men and ACCORDING
to another $4,000, including ten British
officers. He was also accompanied by Mr.,
O'Donovan, Of the London Dail,I Ne,os
and an artist connected with a German
paper, The battle was fought near El Obedid,
I'll Mahdi first sent forward the dervishes,
declaring that they would vanquish the
enemy by Divine aid. 'NO
subsequently the regulars Joined in the
aItack and the engagement became general.
The army OF Hicks Pscha, which, early In
the battle was divided into two bodies, was
subsequently reunited, and formed In a
square, which the forces of the False
Prophet broke after three days desperate
fighting.
STARVING IN THE DESERT.
Another dispatch says: The engagement
resulted in the massacre of the Commando.
with Colonel Farquhar, chief of staff; 1--WE
English officer, two German officers, O'Don-
oVan, the war correspondent; Villiers, artist,
IT. z
10 advance $50 miles through a hostile re-
gion, his only supplies being biscuits.
Ihere being no communications open, the
soldiers became alarmed, the heat was in
tense, and the camels died by hundreds.
FOR water the army was dependent on sur
face pools, the enemy having also swept the
country bare of cattle. Nothing had been
heard of the army by the outside world until
rumors of victory were followed by news
of this disaster.
The ~. James Gazette draws moral thus;
I'VE shall hear no more of the withdrawal
OF the British garrison from Cairo"
THE BRITISH WILL NOT WITHDRAW,
LONDON, Nov. 23.-The Marquis of Sails
bury, speaking at banquet at the Carlton
Club last night, said that the defeat of
Hicks Pacha must end all thoughts OF the
withdrawal Of the British troops from
Egypt.
NUMBER OF French papers express the
opinion that the disaster in the Soudan will
lead to the permanent English occupation
of Egypt.
FEARS FOR CAIRo's SAFETY.
LONDON, Nov. 23.-The Stdadard of this
morning publishes the following dispatch
from Cairo.
"El Mahdi is now near Khartoum. he
masters that town there is no good deien-
sible point between him and Cairo. The
situation is desperate.
Even If 1t is possible to concentrate all
the Soudan troops at Khartoum they would
form garrison of only 1000 or 5000 men.
General Woods small army is needed at
home. There are no elements of resistance
to FL Mahdi's hosts.
"The general belief is that Turkey will
reconquer the lost provinces. Egypt alone
Is incompetent. Should the Powers refuse
Turkish Intervention tEey must agree upon
joint acticn or let England undertake de-
finite protectorate. Ell Mahdi will not rest