The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-09
At THE sEHEsT OF THE kHAL,FA
He Himself Will Lead the Faithful
Against the Invaders.
Fifty Thousand of the Soudanss Best
Warriors TO be Hurled Against the
British vanguard-GreatA Anxiety In
Cairo, Where the Fate of Venture
some Hicks Pas ~ Is Remembered.
hY a.. Assnr,a,ei Prns.


OF news from the front increases the ankle
" here in unofficial circles as 10 ghe fate
OF the vanguard of the Angio-Egyptian
forces operating UP the Nile as prekmin-
sry TO the advance in force upon Dongola,
for which troops are being rapidly concer-
trated at wady Halfa. The news Of the
movement southwark Of the troops has
spread with that wonderful rapidity fire.
oUeutiy noticed as one Of the features Of
campaigning In the Soudan- While the
British intelligence department expert
ences the greatest difficulty in obtaining
Information regarding the movements Of
the Deryishes. the latssr, apparently hay-
Ing spies in all quarters. succeed in trans
mittiag importan, news with lightning
like rapidiiy from one part OF the country
TO the other. Thus. in some mysterious
manner the news OF the Anglo Egyptian
advance has been known TO the most dis
tant quarters OF the Mohammsdan world.
and the departure OF pilgrims for Mecca
has been suspended, which means that tho
khaiifa is calling upon his warriors 10
muster TO the standard. and that the holy
war which he recently proclaimed Is 10 be
pushed with all the desperate energy OF
the Dervish leaders.
The khalifa has decreed that the tribes
Immediately collect and forward TO Om-
durman heavy war tax. that the picked
warriors be hurried TO that camp, ana
that all preparations be made for long
campaign. He expects 10 muster an army
of 5000 men. composed Of the best fight
ing men OF the Soudan. at omdurman by
September. when the Anglo-Egyptian
forces will be met by the Khalifa in per-
son. The latter has called the Dervish
armies from Fashodl and Darfur, and II
Is believed that the siege OF kassaia will
hhortly b. raised. II 1t has no; already been
raised. IN order that the Deryishes now
before the place may be utilized at Khar-
toun and Dongola.
The Khalifa, writing to a shlek of As
scuan under date of December last, said
that he was always ready to submit to the
authority of the khedive of Egypt. as the
representative OF the sultan, but that he
would resist to the death any expedition
coming from Egypt so long as the British
OCCUPY the country" The khaiifa con-
cluded: Il am aware that the British de-
sire 10 have me assassinated, but have
taken precautions that none OF the Euro
pean prisoners shall survive my murder"
Though Wady Halfa Is really the base
of the Anglo-Egyptian operations, Aka
sheh. a place OF little Importance. aboit
ninety miles south of Wady Halfa, II the
present base OF operations 1t Is to that
point thft the light railroad Is being
pushed for the conveyance OF men. sup
plies, etc, and there. IL is believed, the
first fight will occur. for telegraphic COM
munication with the vanguard occupying
Akasheh has already twice been cut on,
and the Dervishes are believed TO be gath
or.ng in force In the vicinity of the place.
hence the anxiety here
Akasheh was occupied by small col
umn OF troops under Maj. Collins with
out opposition on March 20. and since that
time reinforcements ard stores have been
pushed forward by rail where possible.
and by river boats when the railroad
could not he used. Akasheh is now being
strongly fortified.
Merchants here who have business rela-
tons with the Soudanese report that they
have Information OF a great rising and raj
lying of the Dervishes. They confirm the
report that the green flag is up and the
holy war declared. Their opinion is that
5000 men will soon be ready TO intercept
the march of the Anglo Egyptian army
IL the plan of pushing beyond Akasheh is
persisted In. Gen. Kitchener is known
10 be yearning for fresh military glory
Aggressive and self-willed. 1t is feared he
VIII fall into the error recently commit
ted by Gen. Baratieri in Abyssinia. He is
carefully fortifying as he advances, anl
in the event of an ordinary reverse he
may be able TO hold out until English
spccor arrives.
An American gentleman Just down from
Wady Halfa says he met several thousand
going forward. hundreds of whom were
moaning and sobbing like bereayed chil-
dren. No dependence can be placed on
these men. The preliminary skirmishing
so far has given some confidence TO the
Egyptian troops. The policy OF the Sou
danese is evidently 10 draw the invading
army as far from its base this summer
as possible. so that when the main as
sauIt is delivered retreat for IL will mean
slaughter. Many weli-informed people here
express the belief that the fate of Hicks
Fasha awaits the sirdar's column The
DerVtshes are better armed and better
prepared 20 fight than when they checked
Lord Wolselsy's advance The English
as rule pooh-pooh the idea of defeat,
but they are all extremely anxious 1t in
feared that the troubles In MatabeIelans
may emhsrrass the English government
and weaken the support of the poneoIa
expedition which must soon be forthcom-
Ing.
London. April s.-The government OF
Canada today cabIed TO the secretary Of
state for the colonies, Offering q Canadian
militia regiment for service In tho Snudan