The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-21
DeryisheS Routed From
Their Stronghold.
~ III
British Egyptian Expedition
Takes DOngola.
The Natives Ran Away When Dark
ness Covered Movements.
Copyright. 1906.

Copyright. 1896.
kerma -on-the- Nile, Sept 21-Don-
goia has fallen and the nominal objective
point OF the British Egyptian ,xpedi-
ton has been reached The river forces
OF the British Egyptian expedition,
pushing up the Nile from El Hahr
landed force at Dongola and occupied
that place before the dervish forces
retreating from El Halr reached that
point. lei Hafir and Dongola are there
fore both In the hands of the expedition,
while the dervish forces are somewhere
between, seeking refuge.
Saturday afternoon the long range
firing continued between the dervishes
on the west bank of the Nile and the ex-
peditionary force on this side. The
Maxim guns, with their sweeping hail of
fire, did great execution in the dervish
ranks, while the field and horse batteries
never allowed the enemy To do anything
with their batteries.
Darkness put an end to the artillery
duel across the Nile water, and stiffness
fell upon both camps. The night was
one of waiting. though the silence of the
desert was once broken by discharge
from the Maxim guns on this side Of the
river
Yesterday morning every one was up
at daybreak. anxious TO know what
change in the situation had developed
during the night and what woud be the
next move, and eagerly scanning the
enemy's camp across the river. There
was no sign Of life in the dervish works,
but soon commotion was perceived
among the boats along the bank, and
native In one OF them was discerned i'm
the act Of waving something as though
for signal to this side Of the river. The
steamer Dal of the expeditionary force
thereupon proceeded to the west bank of
the river, where IL was found that FL
Hafir had been evacuated by the enemy,
under cover of the night. and that not a
dervish fighting man was left in sight.
The detachment on the Dal sent back to
the camp on this side of the river 27
boats, which had been manned by the
native residents OF El Hafir. and loaded
with a great quantity OF grain.
The natives announced that the enemy
had departed, and that Wad Bishara,
the young emir of Dongola, who COM
manded the dervishes. was wounded in
Saturdays fight. A shell from an Egyp-
tan battery burst in his tent, infiicting
wounds on his breast and head, the for
mer being severe hurt.
After the gunboats OF the expedition
had forced their way through past the
forts at El Hafr Saturday and had pro-
ceeded southwark toward Dongola, the
dervishes apparently perceived that El
Hafir was no longer the place for them,
and they prepared to depart. They
buried as many OF their dead as they had
time for. The rest were prepared with
stone around the neck and thrown into
the Nile.
Yesterday afternoon the news ar
rived here that the steamer and gun
boats of the expedition had reached
Dongola and had landed force which
Immediately occupied the treasury and
the grain store. the principal strong
bold of the town. This news was re-
ceived here with delight, as il is sup
posed that the enemy is now marching
between here and Dongola i'm a much
hampered condition, by the reason of the
number of their wounded. Their re-
treat along the river bank is threatened
by the steamers, which can destroy at
any moment the food supply stored at
Dongola.
Saturdays. engagement at El Hafr
seems to have altogether dismayed the
dervishes, who placed great reliance
lieved that tnat fort would be able to
prevent the passage Of any Of the
steamers of the expedition up the Nile.
The artillery fire from this side OF the
river seems to have entirely discon-
certed them, their batteries being de-
stroyed as soon as the smoke from them
indicated a target for the British and
Egyptian gunners.
The native residents of FL Hafir have
welcomed the appearance of the British
and Egyptian expedition, and seem to
regard their advance as assurance of
deliveranoe from the rule Of the khalifa
and the Baggaras. the khalifa's native
tribe, who have exercised cruel
dominion over the Nile tribes From the
description of Saturdays fight. fur
nished by the natives. IL appears that
the dervish cavalry kept out in the des-
ort. watching the fight and waiting for
a landing of opposing forces to take part.
Wad Bishara. the dervish commander
was wounded at about noon, and was
Immediately carried out or range Of the
fire, repeatedly exclaiming TO those who
surrounded him: Allah is against me-"
Wad Bishara decided to cvacuate his
position during the night. He was able
TO remove his guns. but was forced to
leave behind a great quantity OF am
munition for both the artillery and the
rifles. The dervish steamer. which was
sunk by the expeditions horse battery.
was said to have also been loaded with
ammunition and guns
The losses OF the expedition thus far
Is only five wounded, despite the enemy's
hot fire. The field horse battery ana
the men who handled the Maxim guns