Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-18
Old World Notes.
Full Account of the Death of
Maj. Barttelot.
KILLED BY THE ANGRY NATIVES

Because of His Overbearing Brutality TO
Them-Is the Mahdt Drying Up the
Wholesome Curious Statements About
the Condition of the River-The Ameer
of Afghanistsu in Bad Way-The Rus
sian Threat ON the North.
LONDON, Oct 1S-An official account Of
the death OF Maj. Barttelot has been re-
ceived, which gives the following particu-
lars: Barttelot had become excessively an
noyed at the din caused by the many emas
attached to the expedition in the capacity OF
porters, etc, practicing singing and drum
ming at early hours in the morning and late
hours in the evening. On the morning Of
July 10, in spite of the attempts Of Capt.
Bonny TO dissuade him. he proceeded alone
to a tent whence came the sounds of drum
ming Shortly afterward a shot was heard
and Bartetlot's body was found in front OF
the tent with bullet-hole in his
breast and his clothing near the
wound burned with gunpowder. Professor
Jameson, hearing of the shooting next day,
returned to Barttelot's camp, but found
that the natives had departed, taking with
them the stores. Jameson then retraced his
route TO Stanley Falls, leaving Bonny at
1 Aruwimi. Tippoo lib, the report says was
| intensely grieved at the death of Barttelot.
He had often, he said, warned Barttelot
| against his excessive harshness TO the natives
under him, and predicted dire results of his
persistent overhearing and brutal practices.
Another relief expedition, the dispatches
say, is regarded as almost impossible.
There is fast growing fear among the
lrtN efp
of the Nile, unprecedented in recent times,
is due to the Vaccinations of the Madhi. 1t
is argued that the ancientS were fully aware
that it was possible to defect the course of
the Nile, and in support of this argument
the opponents OF this theory quote from
Ezekiel and Isaiah threats of the desolation of
| Egypt and the turning of her waters from
their course 1t is further alleged that the
king of Abyssinia, in 1904, threatened the
turkish pasha at Cairo to avail himself of
his power to turn the Nile from its course at
some point in the unexplored region through
which the great river runs, and many per-
sons not sharing the fanaticism of the NAH
dis followers are inclined TO the belief that
he, too, has discovered the place and the
means of putting Egypt to death slowly by
drying up her fountain of life.
The troubles of the ameer of Afghanistan
are increasing rapidly. Tortured with the
pains of an incurable illness he is also racked
with the pains OF an unceasing war against
his authority by first one and then another
of the various tribes which comprise his sub
jects. No sooner has he settled, to all APP
pearances, one armed dispute, than be has
another on mis- hands, and frequently the SOL
ders he sends out against horde Of rebels
join the insurgents without so much as the
Formally of a preliminary parley. From
the reports received from the Indian govern
ment Tuesday We learn that a fight between
the ameer's troops and the Tashkurgan rebels
has taken place. in which the loss is stated
to have been 800 of the ameer's army AND
TOO of the rebels killed and wounded. This
vagus and ex parte statement would imply
that the rebels were routed and the rebel
lion, so far as it related to that locality
ended This line of reasoning, however, Il
anybody who knows the Topography of the
region in which the battle is alleged to have
been fought, the character of the inhabit
ants and the methods Of warfare
in vogue, conveys no such idea
Assuming that the rebels los
the greater number of men, though nobod,
|
l ately as stated, the rebels still have the ad
vantage in that they are able TO retire L
Businesses inaccessible to the soldiery Of AT
durrahman, because of their ignorance o
the physical features of the region in whic
they are fighting.
' But it is not with the rebellious tribe
l alone or even in large part that the aimee
o is wagng war There is an irresistible fore
4 | ,,sn5 oh he Il
a patron and presumed protector, the India
: government, can much longer withstand
r Three-ift Of the tribes Of Afghanista
e are incted hv Russian gold or Muse
e vite promises to an interuinable war wit
/ the Cabu government, and the time is nc
k far distant when Russia will interfere osteI
Z sibly to protect her interests, real or imagiu
e ary, but actually 10 obtain foothold in Il
5 Italian protertorates. Already the Russia
IS railway system, which Is the one thing neeC
full to the success of her proposed Indian o.
" erations, is completed TO within a compar
'e lively few miles of the point from viii,
E. Herat may he attacked with reasonable pro
r poets of the fall of that stronghold, and d
a expulsion of the amear from his capital
IT obviously mere question of time.
lie Lord Salisbury still remains at Hattie
n. house where he receives dispatches fro
y. the foreign Office by special messenge
re daily Count Won Hatzteldt, the Germ,
re ambassador, is much annoyed at the pr
he mier's continued absence from his desk
te calls at the foreign office every day on bu
ness. obviously of great Importance, la
each day reiterates his refusal to disclose
nature to any one except the foreign seer
70 ! tary