The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08
STEWARDS PERIL AT GUBAT
The Arabs Placing Heavy Guns in Posi-
tiOn and Preparing for an Attack.
Indications that England Will Not Push
Operations Actively Until 1t Is Known
Whether Gordon Is Dead or Alive.
STEWARDS DANGER.
The Mahdi Collecting Troops and Preparing
to Make an Attack.


British position near Metemneh. Lord Wolseley
just arrived from Gubat reports that Colonel
Boscowen, commander at that place. is seriously
i'll, and the Mahdi's forces are preparing to at
tack the British camp. The Arabs have several
heavy guns which are being gradually placed
in position to bear on the British camp, and
other field pieces are being prepared for the same
purpose. The natives report that the Mahdi
has 30, 600 men scattered between Berber Shen-
dy and Metemneh, and the force at the latter
place is daily receiving reinforcements.
On his way from Gubat to Khartoum, on Jan.
26. Colonel Wilson was told by natives along the
Nile that Gordon had been fighting hard for
fifteen days. On Jan. 81 the natives had re-
ported Gordon dead. On his return from Khar-
toum to Gubat several natives reported to Will
sons party that Gordon and all the Coptic troops
who stood by him had been captured by Ell
Mahdi's men and put to death. Later on, dur
ing the return journey, several Shagijeh men
| came aboard Colonel Wilson's boat and declared
it was the intention of their tribe to join the Nah
di. These men said Gordon Consul Nicoli, fifty
Greeks and some soldiers when pressed TO des-
peration, shut themselves in the Catholic Church
whittier they had removed quantity of ammu-
milton and provisions
Advices from Gubat, dated Feb l. give gloomy
statements about the condition of Stewartsl little
army there. The men have been placed on
three-quarter rations and these had been once
supplemented with a dole Of beans and fresh
meats. The camels had plenty of forage
Shendy, on the opposite bank of the Nile, and
Metemneh, three miles from Gubat are occa-
sionally shelled by the steamer The
troops are busily employed cleaning the
ground in front of their camps, and in
detached work at the adjoining village. Earth
works have been erected for protection of the
camp from the river front, and have already
greatly strengthened opposition 1t is calculated
they will be completed tonight Several men
who had been wounded in the desert battles
have died in camp since the arrival of the army
at Gubat; the others are doing we'll. The re-
mainder of the Royal Artillery and the naval
Brigade with ten guns, including one Gardner
have arrived convoy has been sent back to
Gakdul Wells for more stores, and forty of the
wounded are taken along Nearly every night
the pickets exchange shots with unfriepdly
Arabs.
A second dispatch received from Stewards
camp at Cuba states that Colonel Wilson had
on the island where he was stranded $50 refu-
gees whom he found along the banks of the
Nile near Khartoum.
During the sitting of the Cabinet, to-day tele-
grams were received at short intervals from
Lord Wolseley. Wolseley expresses a belief
that the entrenched garrisons of Abu-Klea and
Gubat are not endangered, although the contin-
ued absence of news concer ming Lord Charles
Beresford's attempt to relieve Sir Charles Will
son causes anxiety. 1t is rumored that the gov
ernment has telegraphed Wolseley to ascertain,
if possible, before taking decisive action,
whether General Gordon is dead or alive If he
discovers thai he still lives he is instructed to
try to terminate the campaign without further
fighting. This instruction is thought to i'm
ply desire on the part of the government to
secure the release of Gordon and his companions
by means of ransom.
The Observer says: General Wolseley asked
for specific orders as to what he should do in
the event that General Gordon was found dead
After very animated and prolonged discussion
the Cabinet replied that the campaign must be
prosecuted until tine rebellion was suppressed
The War Office reports that no troops can be
spared from Ireland. Ithas been suggested that
the government call out sufficient number of
militia to do garrison duty inplace of the battal
ions to be sent to the Mediterranean.
After Cabinet council this afternoon there
was long conference between Lord Harrington,
Secretary for War, Earl Northbrook, first Lord
of the Admiralty, and Right Hon. Hugh c.
Childers, Chancellor of the Excheouer 1t is
tat hat vuor
patching 5000 troops to Egypt in the quickest
practicable manner, to reinforce General VOL
seley
At the latest report Wolseley was without
definite news of Gordon's fate He had sent
further spies to Khartoum. with promise of
liberal rewards if they could definitely ascertain
whether Gordon was dead or alive.
Advices received tonight from the British
camp near Metemneh, dated Feb. /, say: 'It is
reported that previous to the fall Of Khartoum
the Mahdi sent General Gordon uniform, at
the same time informing him that Khartoum
was in the Mahdi's power. General Gordon fire.
quently tried to make arrangements for the de-
parture of himself and his comrades The lat
ter became disheartened over the non arrival of
the British, and anger and mistrust became
rampant. The two pachas who betrayed the
city were formerly slaves; General Gordon made
them pachas There has been further fall in
the Nile of three feet at Gubat, and navigation
is dangerous"
A dispatch to-day from Wolseley's headquar-
ters states that couriers, accompanied by an es-
cort are now on their way across the Ba.
guda desert and are expected to arrive
at Korti tonight These couriers are conveying
the report of Lord Beresfords attempt to rescue
Col Wilson and party from the island in the
Nile, where they have been hemmed in by hos
tile Arabs.
Views Of Arab Pasha.
CEYLoN, Feb. Arab, in an interview upon
the fall of Khartoum, said he believed, before