Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-27
The War In the soudan.
New York Herald.

~" ASAh
KHARToUM, March 9.-Sinee our
arrival here, we have been fully occu.
pied inspecting the garrison, and as
far as possible getting everything
ready for our start up the White Nile
next week. General Hicks has de.
cided, Immediately on the arrival of
the Nordenfeldt guns, which will be
here in six days, to push up theWhite
Nile some two hundred miles, as far
as Kowa. A little to the south of this
place, on both banks of the Nile, is a
strong force of rebels under Faki-
Noosa, the Mahdi's vizier. 1t is pro-
posed to dislodge this force. sweep the
whole OF the western portion Of the
SEMINAR clear of the rebels and estab-
lish posts at intervals along the Nile.
In the meantime it is hoped that the
Abd-el-Kader Pacha, who is on the
eastern side Of Seminar, will continue
his victorious career. If these expec>
tations should be realized six weeks
hence the whole of Seminar will once
more be subject to the Egyptian gov
eminent, and the Generals attention
can then be directed to the subjuga>
ton Of Darfur and Kordofan.
News arrived here yesterday morn
ing that Add. el- Kader Pacha has
second success, 1t appears that on
Saturday last he attacked the rebels at
Sekhedi, six hours from Seminar. Add.
ell Kader's forces consisted of 1900
irregular Tchekwyeh and Aburoff
Arabs. He killed 547 of the enemy !;
among those slain. being Omer and
Amer, two brothers, and Sadyk, a
nephew of Achmet Makashfi. Many
prisoners were taken, among them
being several chiefs. He also captured
a quantity of arms and much cattle.
He has seized the wells, and antici-
pates the speedy surrender of all the
rebels in that part Of SEMINAR.
| am able to-day to send you some
interesting particulars with regard to
the surrender of Obeid, having had an
interview with Jew who has arrived
here from that place, with a passport
from the Mahdi. This Jew, who il
appears is native of Bombay, was
possessed of a considerable fortune, fol
at time when the Governor of 0beid
had no more money the former lent
| him sum Of no less than 500, 900
say about Ell, 900.
The Mahdi further took from hin
| $4,000, all that was remaining to him
and charged him $40 for his passport
AS the Jew was then totally devoid Of
| funds the Mahdi was so obliging as to
lend him $50 to enable him to get To
| Khartoum. 1t appears that from 0
pecuniary point of view the Mahdi
made very fine haul at 0beid. A
sum of 81, 100000 had been lodged il
the treasury FOR the sake of security
| by different merchants. This, of course
was confscated, and the Mahdi
further discovered sum of 81 ,0OO,'
1000 outside the town buried in all
sorts Of unlikely places Altogether
he seems to have looted considerably
over 100000.
The garrison and inhabitants ap'
pear to have suffered great hardships
previous to surrender. They were
reduced to eat gum, and in some in
stances, they say, even the corpses Of
those that we're killed. A hattul Of
grain after the cspitulation was sold
for 500, and a large sackful of the
same fetched $2400.
The garrison of $500 men on taking
an oath on the Koran to remain faith.
full to the Mahdi were permitted to
join his army, keeping their arms
and received 81 month pay.
Six priests and nine sisters belong.
ing to the Austrian mission were cap.
tured, together with sixty-two native
converts. These were all kept in
chains for three days and otherwise
| i'll treated. Finding that all attempts
to make them Fenounoe their religion
were without avail, they we're re,
leased, since which time they appear
to have been fairly treated.
The Austrian Consul here tells me
that twelve days ago he sent courier
to Obeid with some pilgrims returning
from Mecca, begging the Mahdi t.
behave kindly to the missionaries and
to send. them on here, in which case
he would defray all expenses. He,
however, thought it in the last degree
improbable that the converts would
be released.
LEDGER Book Bindery, IL MadiseI