Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-19
A RETREAT FROM GUB4T.
BULLER WITHDRAWS HIS
FORCES TO ARU KLEA

Mahdl Going to Metemneh in State,
with 10000 Observation-Disclosures in
MahOmet's FOOtsteps-Censure to be
Moved in the Commons To-day.
LONDON, Feb. 1S.-Great anxiety is
felt at the War office as to the position of
Gen. Buffers force at Gubat. FL Mahdi's
reinforcements sent to Metemneh VIII in
crease the force there to 1900 men. The
rebels have ten long range guns, while
Gen. Butler has no heavy guns at all.
GUBAT EVACUATED.
Reports from Abu klea on the evening
of Feb. 13 state that Gen. Butler an
nOunced his intention to evacuate his
position near Gubat and withdraw his
whole force TO Abu Klea, which Is a better
strategic position. After rendering Gen.
GOrdOn's two steamers useless by re-
moving their machinery the whole force
started on the morning of Feb. IA across
the desert and arrived at Abu Klea the next
day without firing a shot. The men are
in cheerful frame of mind. They pre-
fer walking to camel riding.
IN RETREAT TO KORTI.
Arabs who were massed in and around
Metemneh did not notice this movement
for several hours after Gubat hat been de-
serted. The British will retire to Gakdul
wells and may possibly continue the re-
treat to KOrti, in order to concentrate
their forces there under the command of
Gen. Wolseley for a fresh advance. Lord
Charles Beresford displaced the ma
chinery of the steamers in such a way as
to make it impossible for Ell Mahdi's
troops to use them, although leaving them
capable of being repaired when the Brit
ish return.
The total force of Abu Klea, including
the Egyptians and SOudanese now
amounts to LOO, with 1900 cameIs. The
water supply is not sufficient for the men
and camels. 1t is believed that Gen. Bull
ler is awaiting orders to know whether
to retire to Gakdul or advance to Berber
and join Gen. Brackenburg's force. 1t is
said that Mahdi is travelling in state with
4O, 900 to 10000 followers towards Metem-
neh. The force that Gen. Talbot encoun-
tered was an advanced detachment. On
Feb. IA the Mahdi, with his army, was
twenty miles from Gubat. and was march
ing slowly. 1t is estimated that the re-
bells lost eighty men killed during the
Talbot skirmish.
REASON OF ABANDONMENT.
The reason for the abandonment of GU
bat was the advance made by Ell Mahdi
with 5000 men from Omdurman toward
Gubat. The retreat was ordered when
the main body of Arabs was 20 miles off.
but an advance guard of 1900 men with
three cannon were within miles of the
British lines. Gen. Butler had less than
1000 men all told under his command.
WHAT THE CANADIAN BOATMEN SAY.
The Canadian bOatmen who went to
Egypt to help Gen. WOlseley's army
up the Nile cataracts have arrived
here 10 take the steamer for home.
Ihey speak disparagingly of the boats
used by Lord WOlseley's eXpedi-
ton in its journey up the Nile, and de-
clare that they were decidedly too fraiI
for such service. In pulling them over
the cataracts it frequently happened
that their stems would be torn
out, and during the ascent of the
river thirty boats were damaged so that
they were no longer fit for use. Ten of
the NOyageur party were drowned in the
Nile, two others died of fever, and two
We're killed on the railway in Egypt,
The Canadians complain of the severe
neat OF the climate in the SOudan, and say
they suffered great deal from sore ewes
and blisters. They speak in grateful
terms Of the manner in which they were
treated by the British officers attached to
the expedition.
AN EMISsARY's WARNING.
A document is published here which
to have been written by an ennis
sary OF the Mahdi who resides IN England \
1t says, In effect, that the idea of peace is
agreeable to the Mahdi. provided it will
be OF advantage to the MussuImans, The
MahdI considers himself bound to follow |
IN the footsteps of Mahomet, who had |
frequently made treaties of peace with |
Christians and other infidels. The docu.
ment warns England not to compel a |
general Moslem rising, thus Opening the |
gates to flood which would OyerWhelm
the human race.
VOTE OF CENsURE TO BE MOVED.
A conference of Conservative leaders |
was held tonight, at which it was decided |
to submit to the House of Commons a di- |
rect vote OF censure of the Egyptian |
policy OF the government, involving the |
of its past policy and want |
OF confidence ia its future.
NJ. Gladstone, upon the assembling of |
Parliament tomorrow, will speak in de-
tense OF the government and more es-
peclaily IN regard to the SOudan cam
paign.
The powers will sign the Egyptian
finance agreement tomorrow. Sir Stat
ford NOrthcote, IN the House of Com
mons, Will demand the immediate pro-
ductiOn of the agreement.
Ell MAHDI WAITING FOR THE ENGLISH.
An Arabian paper publishes an extract |
from letter from El Mahdi to Osman |
Digna, stating that two attempts to |
cross the White Nile and attack Khar- |
toum in the rear were thwarted by the |
deepnesS of the water and want of boats. |
Therefore he is quietly awaiting at Om- |
durham the arrival of the English army.
He leaves to Osman Digna the defense of |
the route from Suakin, thus ena-
bling them to cut off part of the English |
by either route.
A SLIGHT SKIRNIISH.
KORTI. Feb. 1S.-COl. Sir Redvers Full
Ter telegraphs that convoy of wounded
in charge of Gen. Talbot, while on its way
from Gubat to Gukdal, met a force of |
5000 rebels at point nine miles from
GuOat, and a slight skirmish ensued, in |
which one British soldier was killed. The |
rebels then proceeded towards MetemDeh. |
The fact that they refrained from attack |
ing the English is believed to be due to the |
stringent orders to reinforce the garrison
at Metemneh without engaging the Eng
lish en- route.
Another message from Khartoum saws
the Turkish Bashi BazOuks were traitors,
and were therefore killed when the place
was captured. 1t is reported that Has |
san IeYes' tribe intend to intercept the |
route between here and Gakdul.
VOLUNTEERS ACCEPTED.
Eighty Of the Canadian Voyageurs re-
main at KOrti for further service in the |
Soudan. All the officers offered to re- |
main until the end of the campaign, and |
the offers of three of them-Dennison,
Kennedy and Neilson-were accepted.