The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-09
DRV|SH FORCES UNDERESTIMATE
The British Advance Guard Is Liable tc
Be Annihilated-An Englishwoman
Defends the Ameer Against
Some Serious Charges.

satisfactory. Even the reaSSuring state
ment made by the secretary of state for
the colonies, Mr.. Chamberlain, has not
changed the public opinion ON the sub
ject, and today he is openly accused of
trifiing with the situation and pretend"
ing that the scanty forces there are able
to cope with the rebellion of the Ma
tabeles and its possible outcome. 1t
seems beyond question that Buluwayo
and Gwelo are the only two stations in
Matabeleland which are in defensive
condition and there is strong possibility
that communication with these towns
will shortly be entirely cut off. Mr..
Chamberlain's Discrimination to have
strong reinforcements of British troops
sent to South Africa is said to arise
from his desire to do nothing which NAV
give color to the French and German
charge that the real object of sending the
reinforcements TO South Africa is to
coerce the Beers.
Then again, the scope of the Soudan
expedition appears to be widening and
there is considerable fear in many quar-
tiers that the government does not rea-
lie the extent of the undertaking. En-
perts in dervish warfare say the Anglo
Egyptian force is inadequate to cope with
the situation and there is acute danger
that communication with the advance
guard of the Egyptian troops will be cut
off and that the latter will be annihilated
before it is possible for the support Of
the British troops to arrive. 1t is ar
gued that reinforcements of at least
10000 troops should be promptly sent to
Africa from India alone, and it is pointed
out that, according to reliable informa-
ton, the khalif's forces are pouring from
the Dongola district with the evident in
tention of getting behind the advancing
force. Should the march be continued
and the troops from India be promptly
landed at Suakim, they will break up
Osman Digna's force and threaten the
rear of the dervishes. In less than
month the whole column of the Anglo
Egyptian army will push up the Nile, will
be concentrated 30 miles from Wady
Halfa ready to march upon Akashe. The
rapid progress of the front shows that
the transport arrangements are work
ing well. Men, arms, ammunition and
stores are being conveyed over a very
difficult route without the slightest
hitch.
Gen. III. II. Kitchener, the sirdar of the
Egyptian forces, will remain at Akasheh
until he succeeds in collecting his COM
plete forces there. In the interim the
camel forces and cavalry will push for
Ndlu " luc ucuEeSl utTNlSI DOSU at
Suada. The dervishes are already
accommodating near Akasheh.
DR.. Hamilton, the Englishwoman,
physician to the ameer of Afghanistan
has three-column letter in the Times
detailing a long conversation which she
had with the ameer on the criticism
aroused in England on his campaign to
tends that the Durand treaty of 1893,
which gave Great Britain rights over
the Chitral district, also gave him full
rights over katiristan and he is fully de-
termined to stand by the treaties, re-
gardless of the consequences. The fears
of possible Russian aggression was the
immediate motive for his action. The
Russians were within a few days march
of Katiristan, could have occupied it
easily and thus would have been within
two days march of Kabul and within gun
shot of other vital positions in Afghan-
stan.
DR.. Hamilton warmly defends the
ameer against the charge of wishing to
eXtirpate or enslave the Kafirs. She
says that, on the contrary, the ameer,
recognizing their splendid fighting powers,
has tried to win their loyalty, so as to
have their assistance against Russian in
vasion
The letter also gives interesting particu-
lars of the slavery situation. DIR. Ham
ilton thinks no foreigner ever had the
entree into Afghan harems, as she has
had, and consequently is able to certify
that no Katirs are enslaved, and that no
tribe in fact, except the Hazars, were
ever reduced to slavery by the Afghans.
Princess Maude of Wales, while riding
bicycle in Regent street early in the
week, on her way to visit her old nurse,
.'skidded" and fell. A policeman prompt
ly helped the princess into a hanson cab.
placed her damaged wheel on the roof
of the cab, and "Harry" returned to
Marlborough House decidedly discom-
fitted.
The report printed in New York news
paper that British expedition has left
Georgetown, British Guiana, to estab-
fish relations west of the Schomburgk
line is officially pronounced to be I'M
founded. 1t is added that the report prob
ably originated in the fact that the colo
NAL government has sent a surveying
party into the country between Puruni
and the Lower Cununi in order to ascer
tain the possibility of making a road or
railway to open the gold fields.
Advices received here from Monte Car
10 show that there is a hitch in regard
to renewing the gambling concession.
According to the terms of the present
contract the Prince of Monaco receives
S25O,OO0 yearly for the exclusive right
to maintain gambling establishment
within the borders of his dominion (the
area of the principally of Monaco is six
square miles.) In addition to 100000,
which are the expenses of the principal
ity, whose population is about $4,000,
the prince now demands 100000 for the
expenses of the principally alone, in adj
dition to the large sums which the Casino
spends annually in the maintenance of
roads, buildings. etc. The receipts from
the gambling tables for the year ending
March 81 were $4,000 under those of
the previous year, and so the company
will only be able to pay 6 per cent divi-
dend. 1t is explained that there is much
less plunging than usual, and that the
people who frequent the Casino are less
desirable classes than formerly.
The hotels of Moscow have already dis
posed of every room available for the
coronation ceremonies and fetes. Suites
of three rooms have been rented at from
$500 to $4,000.
This has been the quietest theatrical
week of the year. Eleven of the import
ant theaters closed voluntarily; the Duke
of York's Drury Lane and the Princess
reopened tonight.
LONDON SOCIETY NOTES.
London, April 4.-(Copyrighted, 1896,
by the Associated Press. 1.-The weather