The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-01
THE FALL OF DONG0LA
Dervish Stronghold Taken by
Anglo.Egyptian Forces.
OBJECTIVE POINT OF EXPEDITION
Tho Town Captured by the River De-
tachment, While the Emir's Men
Were at Ell Hafir.

Were at Ell Hafir.
Kerma. on-the- Nile, Sept. 22.-Don-
COLA has fallen, and the nominal OBJ.
jective point Of the British Egyptian
expedition has been reached. The
river forces of the British. Egyptian ex.
petition, pushing up the Nile from Ell
HAIR, landed force at Dongola and
occupied that place before the dervish
forces, retreating from Ell Hafir.
reached that point. Ell Hafir and
Dongola are therefore both in the hands
of the expedition. while the dervish
forces are somewhere between them,
seeking refuge.
Yesterday afternoon-to resume the
connected narrative of the expedition
the long-range firing continued between
the dervishes on the west bank of the
Nile and the expeditionary 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 al
lowed the enemy to do anything with
their batteries.
Darkness put an end to the artillery
duel across the Nile water, and still.
ness 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.
In the. morning everyone was up at
day break, anxious to know what
change in the situation had developed
during the night, and what would 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 a commotion was per-
ceived among the boats along the bank,
and q native in one of them was dis.
cerned in the act of waving something,
as though TO signal to this side of the
river.
The steamer Dial, Of the expedition,
thereupon proceeded to the west bank,
where it was found that Ell Hafir had
been evacuated by the enemy under
cover of night, and that not dervish
fighting man was left in sight. The
detachment on the Dial sent back to the
camp on this side of the river twenty
seven boats, which had been manned
by native residents of Ell Hafr and
loaded with great quantity of grain.
The natives announced that the en-
envy had departed and that Wad Bis
hara, the young emir of Dongola, who
commanded the dervishes, was wound
ed in yesterdays fight. A shell from
an Egyptian battery burst in his tent,
inflicting wounds in the breast and
head. the former being severe hurt.
After the gunboats of the expedition
had forced their way through past the
forts at Ell Hafr yesterday, and had
proceeded toward Dongola, the dervish-
es apparently perceived that Ell 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
round their necks and thrown into the
Nile.
This afternoon the news arrived here
that the steamers and gunboats OF the
expedition had reached Dongola and
had landed force, which Immediately
occupied the treasury and the Gran
store, the principal strongholds Of the
town.
This news was received with delight,
as it is supposed that the enemy is now
marching between here and Dongola in
much hampered condition, by reason
of the number of their wounded.
Their retreat along the river bank is
threatened by the steamers, which can
destroy at any moment the food supply
stored at Dongola, if they cannot hold
the place against the retreating forces
of dervishes until the land forces of the
expedition have advanced to cooperate
with them.
Yesterdays engagement at Ell Hafir
seercs to have altogether dismayed the
dervishes, who placed great reliance
upon the fort at that place. The artil-
lery fire from this side of the river
seems to have entirely disconnected
them, their batteries being destroyed as
soon as the smoke from them indicated
q target for the British and Egyptian
gunners.