Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-21
BELLIGERENr BRITONs.
Euakim Arabs ScOrched With
Shot and Shell.
1.-THE ENEMY STILL FLYING
Many Matters of Rather Minor I'm
portance Wired Yesterday
From Near and Far.

From Near and Far.
A ssociated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
SUAKlx, December 20.-The combined
force of the British and Egyptians made
an attack yesterday upon the rebel posi-
ton. They stormed the redoubts and
trenches, and after brilliant engage
ment lasting half an hour, drove the en-
emy into the brush. The rebels reported
their loss thousand killed. The British
encamped in the rebel position. The
victory is complete. The British
lost four killed and two wound
cd. During the gallant cavalry
charge the Egyptian and Black regi-
ments charged the trenches and carried
them brilliantly, loeing two killed, thirty
wounded. The only officers wounded in
the attack were two Egyptians. The
rebel loss is now stated to be four
hundred.
Before dawn the British man-of. war
Startling and an Egyptian steamer
moved up the coast, with orders to cover
the rebels at Handoub. At daybreak the
forts opened fire upon the rebel trenches,
and the troops advanced to the attack,
the Black Brigade on the right flank, the
cavalry and mounted infantry covering
them. The Scottish Borderers and the
Welch Regiment and the Egyptian Brig
ade occupied the embankment between
the forts. The British infantry was held
in reserve. The forts shelled the
trenches, keeping up terrific
firing. The enemy held his ground with
intense courage until the Black Brigade
charged the trenches, which fell after
half-hour's hard fighting. The rebels
fought with fanatical bravery. Two of
the enemy's guns were captured. The
Naval Brigade did splendid work. The
Scottish Borderers are now at work
entrenching the rebel position, the
enemy retreating toward Hasheen and
lamar. The British force numbers
1900.
The hussars, who followed the flying
Arabs. returned after chasing the enemy
to within four miles of Handoub. The
enemy is still flying.
THE STANDARDS STORY.
The Standards Suakim special says
At 430 this morning the man-of-war
Racer opened battle by shelling the ene-
my's trenches. The ships up the coast
followed suit and landed parties, who
lighted fires and placed dummies in po-
sition. This had the effect of deceiving
the enemy coming from Handoub. The
whole force moved towards the enemy's
left flank with the naval detachment
with machine guns; the cavalry and
mounted infantry scouting and protect
ing the TANKS and rear. The two lines
comprising the battallions in double COM
panies rushed towards the left corner of
the enemy's trench; the British infantry
and Egyptian reserve lining the embank-
ment between the water forts. General
Grenfell and staff occupied the position
to the left of the water forts. From 5
O'Clock a heavy salvo of guns and NOR
tars from every fort bore on the trenches.
THE SITUATION AT THE CLOSE.
The trenches are nearly filled and two
temporary redoubts are being built for
the joint forces. They will bivouac on
the field to night.
The naval detachment with the
machine guns, remain in the trenches.
The man. .of-war Startling has been sent
and all the available steamers to anchor
off Handoub, in order to prevent the
force from Handoub coming upon the
troops. During the action the Dervishes
were severely punished. A quiet night
is expected.
Osman Digna's nephew and twelve
Dervishes have been captured, and all
are wounded. Serious complaints are
made concerning the quality of the
sabres and revolvers furnished to the
troops. Several cavalrymen returned
with broken sabres and in many in
stances their revolvers became clogged
and rendered useless.
THE TORY DILEMMA.
LONDON, December 20.-In speech
at Scarborough, Lord Salisbury said the
Ministry had no intention of entangling
the country in Soudan expedition, but
they could not abandon Suakim. As long
as the Kbedive desires, England will
maintain the Red Sea ports. It would be
madness to surrender Suakim when they
were on the verge of suppressing slavery.
By the Treaty of Paris, England is bound
to uphold the integrity of the Sultan's
empire.
LATEST OF THE FIGHT.
LONDON, December 20.-A dispatch
from Suakim says: A feature of the
fighting was the determined rush upon
the trenches by the Blacks and
Egyptians. The Dervishes fought with
the utmost bravery, great many
Of them dying in the trenches. The
charge of the Hussars is also specially
mentioned. When the Dervish cavalry
saw them coming they dismounted and
planted their spears in the ground, but
this proved no obstruction to the Hussars,
who swept down upon the Dervish horse
men like an avalanche, cut through their
ground. The Hussars then reformed
and charged the remaining Dervishes,
who fed. A large portion Of the rebel
forces were not engaged in to-day's fight
ing, being absent, camping at Handoub
and the Wells beyond. 1t is believed
the rebels will be enforced and make an
attempt to retake their last position.