Evening star., 1896-09-11
MOVING ON DONGOLA
All the Troops in the Soudan Expe-
dition on the March.
ENEMY CONSTANTLY RETREATING
Ang|o-Egyptian Scouts Steadily
Pushing On.
REVIEW OPERATIONS

Copyright 1896, by the Associated Press.)
CAIRO, Egypt, September 11.-Dispatches
just received from the front say that the
North StaffordShire regiment numbering
about 800 men, arrived at Kosheh camp,
the southernmost fortified post on the Nile,
yesterday. and will be pushed forward to
Absarrat today. The Sd brigade has
reached Absarrat safely and the main
body Of cavalry Is arriving there.
The cavalry scouts report the DervIshes
still in view south of Duglo but the enemy
retreats at the slightest sign of a forward
movement. The Anglo-Egyptian scouts.
feeling the way for the advance guard,
are steadily pushing on to Kasbar, four
teen miles further south, which will be
the next place occupied.
The troops, black and white, are full OF
enthusiasm and anxious for a brush with
the enemy. The weather is hot in the
extreme, but the soldiers are benefiting
from being on the move.
All the troops taking part in the expedi-
ton are row on the march toward Don
gcla.
Duglo, hitherto held by a small force of
cavalry, is being fortified and added to the
string OF depots connecting the expedition
with Wady Halfa. the real base of supplies.
Ihe Intelligence department reports the
Dervishes gathering i'll force north of Don
COLA. Clashes between the Dervishes ard
the Anglo-Egyptian scouts are expected
at any moment. Thus, the advance of
| the Britsh-Egyptian expedition up the
river Nile with Dongoia, if not Khartoum,
as its objective point, is now in full swing,
after months of struggling with terrific
heat and cholera, during which the work
or railroad building and passing gunboats
In sections up the river and over the cata-
racts has been carried on necessarily, un-
der the direction OF British officers. a num-
Der of whom have already given up their
lives as sacrifice to the task.
Reviewing. the Work Done.
The operations began in March last, when
troops were hurried up the Nile to Wady
Halfa, the southernmost post, although
the railroad ran to Sarras. about forty
miles south from Wady Halfa. Since that
time the railroad, desert campaign line,
has been extended to Akasheh. fifty miles
from the latter place to kosheh, and
the nee to Absarrat about fifty-fte miles
1r the first seven days OF the campaign
over 1000 men. in every way fully equipped,
were moved southwark, in spite of the
great difficulties of transportation, and
now some 1900 men. not including natives
occupied in the transport service, are NOV
Ing south with flotiila of about fifteen
stern-Wheel gunboats, some of them tow
ing over 200 other boats and barges loaded
with supplies, ammunition, etc.
The Cooperating Fleet.
This fleet will keep up constant communi-
which the army is operating. At every sta
tion between Absarrat and Wady Halfa
hospitals for the care of the wounded and
sick have been established. The sirdar, or
commander, of the Anglo-Egyptian expe-
dition. Sir Herbert H. Kitchener, has left
nothing undone to promote the success of
the campaign.
1t is looked upon as more than probable
that the gunboats will play very import
ant part in the campaign. They are from
100 to 175 feet long. have % to q feet beam,
only draw two feet of water when fully
loaded, are able to make about fourteen
miles an hour, carrying large number of
men. and tow barges, etc, carrying many
more men. Each gunboat carries a 12-
FOUNDER quick-fring Maxim gun, able to
mounted forward on an armored citadel
deck. Amidships there is a coming tower
and an electric search-light, another, light
er Maxim, from seven to twenty feet above
the water line, and the armament Of these
deadly boats is completed with two quick
firing 6-pounders and six to eight more
Maxims. Besides these guns. some of the
larger gunboats carry 24-pounder Arm
strongs, capable of delivering a very effect
i've fire at long range.
The hulls of the gunboats are constructed
in sections, enabling them to be taken
very short tine Finally the soldiers on
beard stand in the shallow hull, we'll pro-
tected by the matches. which are capable
BILE portable breastwork.
1t will be seen from these preparations
that the advice given to Hicks Pasha when
he left for khartoum in 1888 with 10000
men, to keep close to the Nile" is to be
closely followed in the present Campaign
Hicks d!sregarded the recommenda ton and
perished with his entire command in the
kordofan district.
Hicks dsregarded the recommendation
and perished with his entire command in
the Kordofan district.
The Troops.
The British troops taking part, in one
way or the other. in the operations are
drawn from the North Staffordshire Regi-
ment. the Surrey Regiment, the Gloucester
Regiment and the I'd Dragoons Royal Ar
tillery and Royal Engineers, Connaught
Rangers, not counting the detachments of
sailors manning the gunboats.
The general upon whom the dervishes
rely to defeat the Anglo-Egyptian troops
is the famous Osman Digna, a thoroughly
tried and able warrior, who was the great
Mahdi's most trusted lieutenant, and who
was with the latter in all his campaigns,
He has been almost constantly in the sad
die for about twelve years, and is a COM
niander thoroughly respected by the Brit
ish.
The number of the Khalifa's followers is
rot known ard cannot be accurately estl-
n ed iS nlo