New-York tribune., 1885-03-21
FIGHTING IN THE DESERT.
ARABS DEFEATED WITH GREAT LOSS.

EGYPTIAN FINANCES
LONDON, March 2O.-General Graham telegraphs
as follows,
"HAsHEEN, March 90 $3.50 p. m.--We moved out
from camp at Clio o'clock this morning, leaving
the Shropshire REGIMENT to guard 1t. On
reaching the first hill, at $50 q. m we found that
the enemy had retired and occupied another hill o
mile and quarter distant After a short halt
the Berkshire and Marines were ordered to clear
the hill, the Indian contingent and the Guards
supporting. This was done very efectually, the
enemy being driven off the ridge, and streaming
south toward Tamai were charged by squadrons Of
Indian lancers in the bush. The cavalry then re-
tired toward the Guards. Many of the enemy
passed the Guards at the foot Of the hill
and made for the hill west of Hasheen. In the val
ley these were shced by the Royal Horse Artillery,
while other parties moving round our right were
engaged in the bush by tho Fifth Lancers.
Meanwhile zareba, with four entrenched posts on
a hill commanding 1t. Is being formed. The ad-
vanced troops have all returned to this position
and will return to our camp, leaving the East Sur
rey Regiment, with two Krupp guns and four
Gardners and water tanks and signal appliances at
the entrenched position. Our killed are two Of
fcers and two men of the British, and five Sepoys.
The wounded are two officers and twenty-slx men
of the British and one officer and ten men of the
Indian contingent The infantry behaved with
great steadiness. The number of the rebels is es-
tImated at 1000. The rebel loss is not known,
but it is heavy. The engagement lasted five hours.
The Arabs carried OIL all OF their dead and wounded.
Natives report that numbers of Osman Digmas
men deserting. having become disheartened.
To-day's fighting was of q noticeably diff.
ferent character from that OF any pre-
ceding engagement. Tho Arabs maintained
DO, a, nwl frnm pach
tion held by them, and avoiding close quarters"
Another account of today's battle is as follows:
There was hot engagement for
few hours, during which the British cav
airy charged repeatedly upon the Arabs, while the
machine guns were worked with deadly effect
whenever their fire could be made available. AT
the end OF the engagement tho Arabs retreated
slowly toward Tamai. The Arab loss in killed
aud wounded Is estimltcd Mt OOO.
The loss of the British IL forty. The Marines drove
the Arabs from the hills and forced them TO retire
to the plain Then the Indian troops charged upon
the Arab position, but were outiianked and an I'M
SUSPECTED body of Arabs succeeded in getting behind
the line. The Indians found themselves between
two fires and they fed. The Marines maintained
a steady firing throughout tho engagement
but tho hoDors OF the day are
probably duo to the Irish Lancers, who changed
the tide of battle by desperate charge and re-
trieved the fortunes Of General Grahnms COM
mand when they seemed almost hopeless.
The British advanced In a hollow square. After
sezing Colonel Bakers old zereba, on the hrst
hills. the troops advanced through pass
and fonnd the enemy on a hill 10 the leit. Inc
enemy soon retired some to the right but the main
body 10 the left with the intention ofcuting oil the
British rear. The Bengal Cavalry started to check
mate this move aud a desperate tight ensued. The
-stIred order allow the infantry to send
a yolley among the scattered enemy. The Arabs
again closed up and pursued tho cavalry around tho
hill whore they met by the guards drawn up
in a square. The Arabs charged the square. hut
were unable 10 approach nearer thah
within twenty yards of the line of bayonets.
The cavalry reformed and charged and scattered
the rebels. Who had been reinforced by those
from the right. The British followed
the fleeing Arabs, pouring not
fire at every point and never allowing
then time TO concentrate BY all the hills had
been cleared of the enemy and occupied by the
British. At 1 O'Clock the firing was renewed
An incessant firing was maintained until the
troops reached the open plain and fortihed
ridge at 8 o'clock. greatly exhausted
with their long engagement under the
blazing sun The aim of the enemy was bad; had
il not been so the British losses would have been
mucb heavier The total loss OF the British was
eleven killed and forty-nine wounded.
The 1cleqraph states that five hours battle was
fought this morning between the British troops ana
the forces of Osman Digna, and that the position
of the rebels was finally captured by the BRUSH.
Tho dispatch saws that the Arab losses were great
DISPATCHES from Korti state that the Mudlr Oh
Gondola is at a point twelve miles above Merawi
with 500 Egyptian troops three field pieces and one
GatlinQ pun He IL also supported by the
Kabbabish and Shayikeh tribes He is about TO
attack tho rebels at Hassanyet and, II successful
IN oyerpowering them, it is his intention to move
AGAINST Bcrber with the hope of Wrestling that inn
nortant centre from the Mahdis forces. There are
reports that the followers OF the Mahdl are desert
ing in large numbers.
The statement that General Lord Wolseley mad
been appointed Governor Of the Soudan was denied
bv Lord Edmund Fltzmaurice in tho House OF
Commons to-day, whD added that he was uhaolo "
impart any further information.
Mr. Gladstone, replying to interrogatores put oy
Sir Stafford Northcote, said that the GoVernipcht
nronosed TO ask Judgment of the House upon the
Egyptian financial agreepent on Maroh 70, vi, a'
the Latest on March 80. IL vas mportah., no sau,
that This Judgment be obtained at the earliest
date possble. because as matters were at present
Egypt was Just able to limp along hhanclahy. Al,
Sir Stafford Northcote, responding, W tho
Premers reply, insisted that It proven tiat tueIe @
was a necessity for the devotion OF addtloha t,'ne
10 n study of the details OF this agreemehl, anu no
gave notice that hc would mako requeS' i'i I" VII
Monday next.
CARDINAL MCABE'S SUCCESSOR.
DupIIN. March 2O.-BlshOp D0nnelly has, IL