The Yale expositor., 1896-09-25
FROM MANY POINTS.
NEW ITEMS OF VARIOUS KINDS
BRIEFLY RELATED.
full Attack Upon the Khalira's Fol-
lowers and Take Possession of Every
Point Including Dongola.

The city of Dongola, the stronghold
Of the dervishes, against whom the
British Egyptian expedition was
started down the Nile, has fallen. The
river forces of the British Egyptian ex-
petition, pushing up the Nile from Ell
Ilafir, landed force at Dongola and
occupied that place before the dervish
forces retreating from FL Hafir and
reached that place. Ell IIafir and Dom
COLA are therefore both in the hands of
the expedition, while the dervish forces
are somewhere between seeking n
refuge.
Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener's eXpedi-
ton, consisting of $1,000 men, headed
for Dongola and Khartoum, met with
no opposition and did not meet the
dervishes until Kerma, 30 miles from
Dongola, was reached. Several halts
were made at points above Kerma, as
it was thought the dervishes would
give battle at that place, which is just
above the third cataract of the Nile.
| However, the dervishes evidently be-
came alarmed at the strength of the
British Egyptian force and retired
from Kerma after only feeble resist
ance. The British river gunboats did
good work and the field batteries con-
tinued to force the dervishes from one
position to another until they fled to
FL llafir. The British gunboats, how
ever, steamed rapidly for Dongola,
hoping to arrive there before the der
wish forces The program that worked
so well at kerma was repeated at Ell
Hafir and the dervishes retired under
cover of night, having suffered heavy
loss. News was soon received that
the steamers and gunboats had reached
Dongola and had landed force which
| Immediately occupied the treasury and
the grain store, the principal strong
hold of the town. The news was re-
ceived by Gen. Kitchencrs force with
a great deal of pleasure, as the
enemy is supposed to be marching be-
tween there and Dongola in much
hampered condition by reason of the
number of their wounded and their re-
treat along the river bank threatened
by the steamers, which can destroy at
any moment the food supplies stored
at Dongola, if they cannot hold. that
place against the retreating forces of
dervishes until land forces of the ex-
petition have advanced To cooperate
with them. The engagement at FL
Hafir seems to have altogether dis
mayed the dervishes, who placed great
confidence upon the fort at that place.
The native residents of El Hafir well
coined the appearance of the British
and Egyptian expedition and seem to
regard their advance as assurance of a
deliverance from the rule of the kha-
lifa and the Baggaras. the khalifa' S
! native tribe, who have exercised a
cruel dominion over the Nile tribes.
Wad Bishara. the dervish commander.
was wounded at about noon during the
fight at III Hafir and was Immediately
carried out of range of the fire and re-
peatedly eXclaiming To those who sur
rounded him: Allah is against me. .
He was able To remove his guns but he
was forced to leave behind a great
great quantity of ammunition for both
the artillery and the rifles A dervish
steamer was sunk by the expedition 5
horse battery. and was said to have
also been loaded with ammunition and
guns.
1t is the general impression
that the dervishes will not make any
further stand. 1t is evident that Wad
Bishara had brought up all his cffcc-
tive force from Dongola, intending to
make n stand ut FL Iiafir. Even if he
is able 10 recover Dongola from the
river force OF the expedition which has
occupied tilt is not considered possible
that he should make stand there
against the advance of the combined
land river forces.