Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-15
GORDON'S DOUBTFULFATE
NATIVE MESSENGERS SKEPTI-
CAL OF RECENT REPORTS.

KhartOum Said to Have Not Yet Fallen
The Gubat Position Looked Upon
as a Dangerous One-Italy to Send
More Troops.
LONDON, Feb. 14.-The Standard this
afternoon publishes dispatch from its
correspondent at Korti stating that
messenger had just arrived at Kcrti, who
declared that Khartoum has not been
captured by Ell Mahdi. The messenger,
the correspondent said, asserts that he
left KhartOum six days after Col. Sir
Charles Wilson appeared before the city
in boats sent from Gubat, and that
when he (the messenger left Gen. Cor
don still held KhartOum. The govern
ment officials do not believe the messen-
gers story, and state that no official in
formation cOntirmatory of it has been
received.
Another dispatch from Korti states that
messengers who have arrived there from Khar-
t0um profess ignorance regarding the fall OF
Khartoum or of the death of Gen. Gordon.
The Mudir of Dongola refuses to credit the
reports concerning the capture of khartoum
by FL Mahdi and the massacre of Gen. Gordon
ana the garrison under his command. The
authorities here announced this evening that
| they did not believe that the messeD gers
statements rest on a satisfactory basis. The
| messengers Wefc,SlX udyS on Ine journey.
! The Times still clings to the hope that Gen.
| Gordon is alive. 1t thinks that the saddle
! bag document was possibly ruse made use
/ of in the hope OF preventing the British ad-
/ vance upon Khartoum by making it appear
/ that it was then too late to rescue Gen. Cor
| don. The Times asks: "If Gen. Gordon has
! been killed and Khartoum captured, why did
not Ell Mahdi let Col. Wilson land and then
| massacre HIM and his party?"
! COUNCIL OF WAR.
At a council of war held tO-day at the War
office it was resolved to increase tie Indian
| contingent to be dispatched to SOudan for
/ to raise the total effective force which Gen.
! Graham is to have for his Suasin expedition
/ to IL 500 men. The council also rocOns dered
! the previous decision of the War office de-
/ clining colonial offers for military assistance.
! Both the Earl of &orthbrook and the Marquis
! of Harrington urged the War office to assent
! to requests to Cmbudy the colonial cOntn-
gents in the expedition.
IN CRITICAL POSITION.
The ArD,y and Nary Gazette takes a gloomy
1 view of the position occupied at present at
Gubat According to the gazette the troops
| can nett ar retreat across the desert, nor
/ down the Nile. They are compelled from the
very necessities of their situation, it is con
| tended, to entrench themselves where they
are and there hoard their ammunition, live on
camel meat and remain on the defensive I'M til
! relieved. Continuing, the Gazette says that
masses of hostile Arabs from Khartoum Will
soon throw themselves in line between Gubat
| place, ami perhaps even push nOrthWard and
| attack kOrtl itself.
A VOTE OF CREDIT TO BE DEMANDED.
! At the approaching session of Parliament
/ the political conflict against the present gov
ernment will open on the presentation of the
I governments demand for vote of credit of
! s., 800, 600 on account of the Suakin eXpedi-
! ton. 1t is unC erstOOd that the Conservatives
| will support the request for new credit, but
| that they viii accompany their vote with q
| vote of censure against the government. An
| early dissolution and appeal to the people is
| now expected and discussed. 1t is believed
! that a majority Of the Liberals, Conservatives
and Parnelltes alike concur in the desire for
an early dissolution.
SOUDAN MERCANTILE SCHEME,
! A gigantic trading corporation, to be called
! "The Royal Soudan Trading Company" is
! being formed in London and Alexandria IiDon
/ the same lines as those upon which were con-
I Quoted the famous East India Company. If
| the corporation succeeds in obtaining the
charter it has already applied for it viii claim
! one of its privileges the right TO build
! railway between Berber and Suakln.
| 1t is now thought certain that an attack on
| Metemneh by the British forces at Gubat will
! be made tomorrow, as contemplated. News
of the result of the attack is expected to ar
1 rive at hOrt on Tuesday next. Lord Wolse-
| ley's disposal of the forces at present at
! Gubat, under command or Col. Butler, de-
! pends upon the result of to-mOrrOws assault.
The Duke of COnnau ght has requested to be
assigned to service in SOudau. He will re-
tire IN any event from his command at Nee
rut, India. on a phi /.
The report that Ell Mahdi's troops are
marching to attack Kassala has led to a re-
newal of negotiations with Italy, and an Ital-
ian expedition for the relief of the garrison at
kassala has been dispatched from MassOWah.
REBELS GATHERING AT TAMSUI.
SUAKIN, Feb. l4.-Sples report that large
assemblage of hostile tribes from the south
has gathered at Tamsui. El Mahdi's men,
the spies say, are perfectly acquainted with
the details of the British victories at AbuKlea
aud Gubat, but they consider them unimpor-
tant compared with the Prophets success in
capturing KhartOum. The story of this sue
cess has been spread and magLifled every
where among the Arabs sympathizing with
FL Mahdl, and they are all apparently elated
over it,
ITALY'S CAMPAIGN.
ROME, Feb. 4.-Dispatches from Massowah
state that the situation there has improved
steadily since the Italian occupation. The
commander of the Saletta has been ordered
TO dlsperss bands of marauders sent to the
vicinity of MassOwah by El Mahdi. 1t is re-
ported that the government will send an
Italian General to MassOWah.
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