Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-22

t'eAris~.ne>. and fersisy of the Ar
rtcau lk-rsisn

ricAn iArrsishs-.
1T Is easier ~ turn u hungry tiger
sshie fr,rn his prey than thoroughly
excited pervish trosu his swOop co an
cueTay," says the military correspond
ent Of HE London telegraph. "His
bali brother In fanaticism and creed.
the Julian vt Afghan ghazi. Is terrible,
but the African and Arab deryish u
superiatively awful. with an incurable
dslirium for his opponents gore. Howl
ing and whirling dervisiies. such n
travellers are specially conducted %
see y hen visiting the east are q com
parativciy harmless sort at lunatiss
compared with those types Of the Afri
can biguts who. converted - Mahd-
issii burn to run smuck with the rest Of
unbclieving humanity. Once fairly
bitten with the tarantula Of Mo.lem
scetSrian zeal. the proselyte Is con-
stunned with the belief that the delights
81 the seventh or any number Of heav-
ems awaits hun il he can only engage
in sturdy, steady hatchery with inf
dels of his own ar any race. IL Is .
matter of Indifference 10 him, il, in the
operation. while he shca,hes. his sword
in his and his Prophets enemy, the lat
ter il doing the same ~ him. Quick
and happy translation he holds as his
sure reward
'.'rhc stiff fight the other day he
tween the Egyptian troops south Of
Wa,y lalfa and Nahdists recalls Ia me
many u bygone incident and fierce
struggle between British an1 Egyptian
truops and forces largely composed of
deryishes. Ambigol cataract where the
skirmish took place. Is about sixty
miles south Of wsdy Halfa There is
an Egyptian outpost at Gcmai. where
the great second cataract proper be-
gins, and another at Sarrass. The one
station is fifteen miles and the other
thirty-thrcc miles farther up the stream,
and the railroad and ironclad train still
rlu through tn both posts No doubt
when the dervish raiders. numbering
four hundred stroLg. were rcpulsed
from the forts. they fell back from the
river towards the easier going tracks IN
land. along which they must have sped
on their camels. The Egyptian cavalry
which, under careful English train
ing. has learned u trust their weapons
contest with the probably
not numbering more than two squad
rous. overlook the raiders 1T the pleas
ant aforetime camp of Ambig"l. There,
no doubt. under the palm trees
grateful shade, hard 10y the rush and
roar OF the mighty river. the Egyptian
u oops at once opened fire upon thcm.
Although the whole Of the eneIay were
unlikely Ia have been dcrvishes-for
these gentry never run away. but, when
necessary, walk ssdately out ~ a fight,
merely IL assume u fresh coign of van
tagc-a sharp engagement seems tn
have ersucd. The Mahdists. nothing
10th. swarmed. mounted and foot, up
the rocky hills. which their pursucrs
hal. with sound, tactical Judgment.
crowned and whence they had opened
tr,.
II think il was ut the hattie of FL
Teb I first made the acquaintance Of
the Maheist dervishes. The FuzzyWuz-
~ Haaendowah trihcsnan il the brav-
est Of the day, but the dervish is hero
ism run crazy. These so-called holy
beggars.' sclf-sworn % devote them
selves u the Prophets cause. came 1T
Gen. Graham's square If marines. High
landmcu ami stout i.ncsmen as II we
had been children to be- frightened by q
cry. Clad in their patch work rags,
with shaved. barred heads. many armed
with no better weapons than sticks,
they charged full Ia front III thy ire
walled square Down they went 10y
scores and hundreds. but others quickly
] ., \
them that day more than one
of them = pierced through and
through with Martini-'Icnry bull
lot wounds. come iierccly ON, reeling
like drunken men. their teeth cleaning
and ewes afame with hatred Happy
were they IL they could but cruSs weap-
ons with our bayonets. When exhaust
eel nature failed them. their last act
was generally u hurl the weapon they
carried. stick. lance or sword. toward
oar ranks aud shout an Arab inpreca-
tion against W.. 'Sosrsnir tNazaruno,l
Al old grayhsircd sheik actually
charged the square. reading the Koran
aloud. which he held in his hands
Later on. when sir Herbert then
ccloncl) stewart charged the worsted
1F1b it"fA4t'n WIN Att> TWO
Of cavalry. their mounted dervishes
f.'csd his whole force and boldly
charged them IN return. Again. at
lanai when the Arabs broke into Gen.
DAVIS square. where was and having
temporarily captured our xix machine
gums. on which they danced In sendish
g,ec. the tiervishes were IN the fore
fiuat of the attack. A big marine. who
had iaycnef.l one Of them found his
rifa cangh. and clutched 10y the fanatic
savage. no strove - reach his focman
With hi> sword. II was ~ the moment
90 we're being driven back and while
the marine taagei ard ssvcre "a re, his
Weapon free. the Keeling drrvish -.
ssyrd with his parting strength ~ slsy
or wonnd our TornuS Atkins. In the
lesper - hattie Of Abu- klea similar
s.rnes o-currrl state H. ~ . fact. u
which | 'ops personal note az the time.
tha, during the melee In which Col
burnsny fell. a dervish. who bad
struck that officer end was promptly