The Indianapolis journal., 1885-02-15
THE ENGLISH AND Ell MAHDI.
Colonel Butler Will To-Day Assault the
Rebel Works at Metemneh.
Arab Messengers Return from Khartoum and
Profess Ignorance of the Capture of the
City and Death of Gordon.
mETEMNEH TO BE ATTACKED.

METEMNEH TO BE ATTACKED.
Butler Will Certainly Assault the Town To-
day-Reports of Wolseley's Spies.
LONDON, Feb. 14-It is now regarded certain
that the attack on Metemneh by the British will
be made tomorrow. News of the result Of the
attack is expected at Korti on Tuesday
Lord Wolseley's disposal Of the forces at Gu
bat, under command of Colonel Butler, depends
upon the result of tomorrow's assault.
General Graham departs for Suakim on the
18th. He will be given the fullest option as to
the time to be occupied by the expedition in reach
ing Berber. 1t is stated, however, that General
Graham intends to make forced march all the
way to Berber from Suakim. If he encounters
Osman Digma, and defeats him, General Graham
believes he can reach Berber within twenty
days. It would require thirty days to complete
the journey with the army making ordinary
time.
The Army and Navy Gazette takes gloomy
view OF the position at Gubat According to
the Gazette, the troops neither retreat across
the desert nor down the Nile. They are COM
PEELED, from the very necessity of their situation,
to entrench themselves where they are and then
hoard their ammunition, live on camel meat and
remain on the defensive until relieved. The
Gazette also says that masses of hostile Arabs
from Khartoum will soon throw themselves in
line between Gubat and Gakdul Wells and
capture the latter place, and perhaps push
northward and attack Korti itself
The Duke of Connaught has requested that he
be assigned to service in the Soudan. He will
retire, in any event. from his command at
Merut, India, on April l.
The Standard this afternoon publishes dis
patch from its correspondent at Korti, stating
that a messenger just arrived at Korti declares
that khartoum has not been captured by the
Mahdi. The messenger asserts that he left
Khartoum six days after Colonel Wilson ap-
peared before the city in the boats sent from
Gubat, and that wnen he (the messenger) left
ment officials do not believe the messengers
story, and state that no official information con-
frming it has been received.
Another dispatch from Korti states that
messengers who have arrived there from Khar-
toum profess ignorance regarding the fall of
Khartoum and the death of General Gordon.
The Muhdir of Dongola refuses to credit the
reports concerning the capture of Khartoum by
the Mahdi and the massacre of General Gordon
and the garrison. The authorities here an
nounce this afternoon that they do not believe
the messengers statements rest on satisfactory
basis
A dispatch from Suakim says: "Spies report
that large assemblage of hostile tribes from
the south has gathered at Tamai The Mahdis
men, the spies say, are perfectly acquainted
vuifh fho OTTO cnFt pv;t:
Klea and Gubat, but they consider them unim-
portant compared with the Prophets success in
capturing Khartoum. The story of this success
has been spread and magnifed everywhere
among Arabs sympathizing with Ell Mahdi, and
all are apparently greatly elated."
Earl Northbrook, First Lord of the Admiralty:
Mr.. Childers, Chancellor of the Excheouer.
and Harcourt Home Secretary, attended
council Of war this afternoon. The Duke of
Cambridge commanders in chief of her Majesty's
armies, to-day, at Aldershot reviewed the
Guards, who have been ordered to Egypt and
pronounced them thoroughly efficient.
At council of war, to-day, it was resolved to
increase the Indian contingent to be dispatched
to the Soudan for General Wolseley's relief to
$500 men, in order to raise the total effective
force which General Graham is to have for his
Suakim expedition to II, 500 men, The council
also reconsidered the previous decision of the
War Office declining colonial offers of military
assistance. Both Earl Northbrook and the Mar
quis of Harrington urged the War Office to as
sent to the requests to embody the colonial con-
tingents in the expedition
The report that FL Mahdi's troops are march
ing to attack Kassalas has led to a renewal of
negotiations with Italy for the dispatch of an
italian expedition from Massowah for relief Of
that garrison.