The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-05

 but these forts were abandoned about a fortnight ago.
 Khartoum and Omdurmap.
 Khartoum In 1883 had population, a small part of which was Dervish, of 50,000; 1t was strongly fortified. After the recapture by the Dervishes and the death of Gordon the city was razed to the ground, but in the interval of the years since the Stanley expedition the Dervishes have established several fac tories among the ruins, chiefly for the manufacture of powder and for the re- pairing of their arms.
 Omdurman, which was formerly stone and sand fort, within twenty-five years has been used principally as depot for Dervish supplies. From lat est accounts the Khalifa had planted here forty-six guns of all sorts, most of which his men had captured from Hicks Pasha at the fall of Khartoum.
 The Anglo-Egy Army.
 The Anglo Egyptian army, which is operating against the Khalifa, is di- vided into six brigades, two of them be- ing British and four of them being com posed of native soldiers under British officers. The whole force numbers about 25,OOO men, of which 10000 are British troops, and 15,O0O Egyptian troops, all perfectly equipped.
 The Khalifa's Forces.
 According to the latest advices the Dervishes have been at their wits ends for ammunition. At Omdurman in 1891 there were about 12,000 Remingtons, re- quiring brass machine-made cartridges, and 5000 different sorts of rifles and smooth boreS. There were four Krupp guns, four or five machine guns taking Remington brass cartridges, and thir- tyo-two brass smooth-bore muzzle- loading mountain guns. It is believed in London that this strength, since the above date, has not been augmented, although the story got abroad year ago that that Abyssinians had sold them some arms captured from the Italians in the spring of 1896 at Adowa. The ammunition at Omdurman has been very bad, and, owing to the in- ferior qualities alike of saltpetre, sul phur, and charcoal, has had range of little more than 600 yards, which may, besides the scarcity of cartridges, ac- count for the Dervishes reserving their fire when attacked at Atbara. There has also been all through great want of Eliminates and neither of these nor the powder which they have to explode can be trusted. Tn order to fill their small-arm cartridges, the Dervishes have been in the habit of emptying the shells they took at Hicks Pasha's de- feat and at the fall of Khartoum, of their bursting charges and grinding the large-grain powder down to suit the smaller cartridges
 Estimates of the Khalifa's present forces vary. According to report made to the Egyptian government in 1895 it stood at between 100000 and 300,- 900 men. A later report placed it at 100000, thus divided: Jehadia, or regu- lar infantry. 34,35O; cavalry, 66o0: spearmen and swordsmen, 64,0OO; the total of small arms of al sorts, 4O,S50 of which not more than 15.OOO were rifles of one kind. However, since this report was presented Tokar, Dongola, Abu Hamed, and Atbara have fallen ten cannon being captured at the latter place and several thousand stand of small arms It is believed in Cairo that not more than fifty rounds per man for small arms existed a month ago, while the shells that did exist were to all intents and purposes solid shot. From the personnel, besides those who have fallen in battle and been taken prisoners, not fewer than 5000 to 10000 in number must be deducted as victims of age and disease, and in ad- dition several tribes have made defec- tion or been massacred in the attempt to leave the blue banner of the Nah di." The Jaalin. who were the bulk of the British adversaries at Abu Klea and Gubut, and who claim to be cousins of the original prophet Moham- med, as they are descended from AL bas," his uncle, are SO far as they have survived on the British Egyptian side So are half dozen of the minor tribes, and the majority of the Bisharln, as we'll as the survivors of the Klababish massacre, whose relations were exter- pated because they gave canels to Lord Wolseley.
 Within the last month hundreds of fugitives. some of them armed. have sought the Anglo Egyptian camps. In the meantime the Khalifa has lost his dniy gunboat. He started to make min ing experiments with disastrous results. According to advices which left the camp at Atbara August 16, he lowered box of gunpowder into the river at Kerreri, near the gunboat Ismaila. The box exploded prematureiy killing the men who were engaged in the mining experiments and destroying the gum boat.
 THE RIISGIhN oAI1nR