The Portland daily press., 1897-10-02

ana 1t WINS in the hope of avoiding this
long journey by water that the British
forces, in earlier expeditions, came to
grief in the desert. The Stewart expe-
dlt1on attempted to make a dash across
the sand, but the bold effort was only
partially successful, for, not being we'll
provided with water, there was great
suffering among the troops and horses,
and nothing of practical value was &C.
complished
General Kitchener followed O conserva.
tive. but far safer plan; his idea has
peen to keep to the river, where he would
nave the support of his guuboats and an
abundant supply of water for the men
and animals, but the Nile has, between
Cairo and Khartoum, no less than six
cataracts, and these must, by one means
or another, be surmounted. Some of
them are not serious obstacles, for by
tightening the boats, removing the guns
and heavy machinery and providing ropes
long enough to enable hundreds of ma
tives to unite their efforts, ight-draught
gunboats have been drawn up, and, as
the Arabs have no heavy artillery, the
light guns mounted on the boats were
sufficient for offensive and defensive pur-
poses; but while Kitchener could safely
rely upon the river for water, the presence
OF the cataracts made 1t unreliable as a
means Of transportation for supplies and
ammunition, and, consequently, he con-
structed railroad to bring forward all
his camp equipage, provisions and mill
tary munitions. The construction of
the road proceeded steadily on, step by
step, with the advance Of the army, and
thus it is expected that a conquest once
made will be held. General Kitchener is
now at Berber and has still one cataract
to Pass ere he reaches Khartoum. In eve
ry engagement which has thus far taken
place between the Anglo Egyptian troops
and the Arabs the former have been
successful, and by fortifying every i'm
portant point in his rear Kitchener will,
it is thought, be able to hold his own even
should a reverse occur. Not content, how
ever, with advancing on Khartoum by
way of the river, portion of the Kitchen
er force is now attempting the passage of
the desert The same cautious policy is
pursued. The force advances a few miles
and sinks an artesian we'll. A deep de-
preston through the Bayudah desert from
south to north was selected as probably
the most likely to afford water, and to
the establishment of the Egyptians and
natives it has been found at about the
depth Of eighty feet. It was the inten-
ton to push line of fortified posts
across the desert straight south from Old
Dongola to Khartoum, and thus attack
the Arabs from two directions at once.
Nearly month ago, it was announced
that spies had reported the evacuation of
Berber by the Dervishes, SO that the ocou-
patton of the place by friendly Soudanes
has been easily effected without fighting.
Berber Is about one hundred miles east
or south from Abu Hamed, which fell
into the hands of the Anglo Egyptian
force after severe fighting on Aug. z.
The Fifth Cataract Is between Abu
Hamed and Berber, and the possession of
the last named place by General Kitchen
er's column enables the gunboats of the
expedition to pass that cataract. as they
passed the Fourth Cataract few days
earlier. Previously in the season it was
understood that the English Government
had not intended to continue the advance
upon Khartoum until next year. but
their plans were necessarily modified by
the action Of the Khalifa, who was SO So
riously alarmed by the rapid advance of
the railroad across the desert that he be-
gan preparations for immediate hostilities
on a hugh scale at Obdurman, opposite
Khartoum. There he collected no less
than 10000 camels three months ago,
preparation to an attack upon the Anglo
Egyptian expedition with the object Of
arresting its progress and preventing the
railroad from reaching the. banks of the
Nile.
Three thousand men are employed in
building this railroad, many of them being
Dervishes who have been captured by the
Anglo Egyptian force. They have proved
good workers, displaying the most cheer
full disposition, and continually laughing
like children amused with new toy
The military railroad cuts across the
Nubian desert in a southeast direction
from Wady Halfa to Abu Hamed, there
by avoiding the long detour that would
have been necessary if the line had been
run around the great bend of the Nile.
The railway is being constructed at the
rate of more than q mile day. This
rapid work involves very hard labor, but
the climate is a healthy one, and the
temperature at night so low that blankets
are necessary for comfort.
The results of the submission of the
Mahdi, If he has submitted to England.
will be more far reaching than is general
~ supposed. When the partition of Africa
was made, British East Africa comprised
the east coast from Kismyayn to Pembi
Island, this district extending into the
Interior, covering portion of the lake
region and the entire upper valley Of the
Nile. To the south of British East Africa
lay the German provinces, while south of
these extended the newly annexed provin-
ces which, with Cape Colony and Beohu-