Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-21
A Dash at DerviiShes.
Arabs Before Suakim Easily
Driven by the British.
A FIGHT WITH LITTLEGLORY IN IT.

Four Hundred of the Mshdi's Men Killed.
While the British Losses Are Very Light
"A Lively Affair While 1t Lasted. but
the Odds All on One side-Salisbury
States His Policy and Says He VIII Fol-
low Giadstone--Fo Foreign Notes.
LONDON, Dec, sl.-The British troops
fought another battle in Egypt yesterday,
defeating the dervisnes, who have been fer
some time besieging Suakim. Before dawn
yesterday morning the British man-of- war
Starting and an Egyptian steamer moved
up the coast with orders to cover the rebels
at Handoub. At sybresk the forts opened
fire upon the rebel trenches, and the troops
advance! to the attack, the Black brigade
on the right flank, and the cavalry and
the mounted infantry covering them. The
Scottish borderers, the Welsh regiment and
the Egyptian brigade occupied an embank-
ment between the forts, the British infantry
being held in reserve. The forts sheled the
trenches, keeping up terrific
fire. The enemy held their ground
courageously until the Black brig.
ale charged the trenches, which fell
after au hours fighting. The rebels fought
with fanatic4l bravery Two of the enemy's
guns were captured The British force num-
bered 4,000 men.
An official dispatch from Suakim dated
l:25 o'clock says that the enemy loss is
400 The bussars were at that time still
pursuing the fleeing Arabs. The trenches
were nearly lied and two temporary re-
doubts being built
The dispatches received by the Central
News from Suakim state that prominent
feature of the fight was the determined rush
OF the black regiment OF Egyptians upon the
daTvlshes. At one time the husSars made a
brilliant charge and the dervishes, dismount-
ing from their horses, planted their spears
to receive them. On swept the hussars like
an avalanche, riding down the dervsh cav
airy, half Of whom were killed The hus-
snrs Immediately reformed aud made re-
newed charge upon the remaining der
wishes, who fled precipitately. A large por-
ton Of the rebels we're absent from the
fight They were camping at Handoub and
the wells beyond 1t is believed that the
rebels will be reinforced and will renew the
attack soon.
The British force lost twelve men and the
| Egyptians, who, by the way, fought well,
| for wonder, lost forty.
Oman Digma's nephew and twelve der
| wishes were made prisoners in the fight
| They are wounded. Complaints are being
made regarding the quality of the sabres
| furnished the cavalry, three of which were
broken in the attack The men also COM
plain that their movements are hindered BY
their heavy revolvers The emir of Trink-
| itat vas wounded in the battle and is priS-
| oner
| The Times Suakim special says that the
| Arabs taken prisoners tell stories of great
| privation and cruelty at the hands OF the
Mabdi and Osman Digma They say they
were forced to fight, or psrs uaied by prom
ises of pillage, They know nothing of the
alleged capture OF Emin Bey or of the fall of
the equatorial provinces They assert that
Handoub will fall at the first approach of
| troops.
The victory does not cause that enthusiasm
in London which usually follows such an
event The disparity in the losses of the
siies engaged in the unequal struggle proves
! the affair to have been mere butchery, and
! robs the event of the ordinary elements at
| tending battle The British public is not
| enough in sympathy with the expedition at
| Suakim to be delighted to learn that 400
| Arabs have been shot down and many Others
wounded by larger force OF English SOL
diers possessing superior arms and superior
tactics to those of their enemy Willis the
| news may serve to cheer the govern
ment and sustain them in pursuing
their present course at Suakim, fair minded
Englishmen deprecate the slaughter and
do not consider that the victory adds any
lustre to British arms. The comparatively
enormous loss of the dervishes is chiefly
due to the terrible execution OF the i'm
proved machine guns which were used with
murderous effect. The enamy's arms were
poor in comparison to those OF the British
and Egyptian forces, and the formers num-
| bers were small also. The powerful tribes
| about Suakim did not render any assistance
to the dervishes, preferring to await the re-
suit of the fight in the trenches in front OF
the town before making an alliance with the
Arabs One OF The Stars head lines over
the report of the battle reads: -Four Hun
dred Natives Killed Without Cause"
Lord Salisbury juSti1es his course by the
terms Of the treaty OF Paris, whereby Eng
land is bound to uphold the Turkish empire
OF which Egypt is part