THE KHARTOUM EXPEDITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5478, 9 February 1885, Page 3

THE KHARTOUM EXPEDITION.

An outlino of Wolsolcy's March,

Cairo, December 22.—General Woboley will oomploto tho oencentration of Ins army at .Korti tho first week in January, and will begin his march through tho desert upon Shendy on tho 7th of January. The distance from Korti to Shondy is '200 miles, and General Wolsoloy calculates tho march will occupy sixtoen days, unless he meets with opposition from tho enomy en route. Simultaneously a movement will bo made from Suakim against Osman I.Mgna, in Ordor to secure from attack tlio (lank of tho Nile oxi>odition of General Wolsoloy. Ooneral Stevonson will leave G'iiiro for Sunkim on Wodnosday, to assume command of tho expedition from that place. - Major Chorinsido reports that out of tho garrison at Suakim of 1,200 marines and sailors, thoro aro only 100 effective men. Fresh troops will bo sont to Suakim. General Wolscloy is far from satislied with tho arrangomonts of tho expedition. He has sont furious complaints to tho War Otlicoof tho inefficiency and absolute breakdown of tho transport and commissary services. Although a £ood two months) has elapsed since the pioneer corps left Sarasso, only 1,600 of tho 5,000 mon composing tho full forco of tho expedition have roached Korti. British onvoys havo left Korti for tho Kabbabish an; 4 othor tribes, which aro only weakly attached to El Mahdl's cuuso. Tho onvoys will endeavour to persuade theso tribes to outer into an alliance with tho English-

News From General Gordon. January 11.—It is officially stated that a messenger arrlvod at Khartoum on tho '27 th lilt, bearing a letter from General Wolseloy to Gordon, The messenger left Khartoum on the 20th, but was captured and beaten. The papers entrusted to him by Gordon wera all taken, with tho exception of a small note, which wa9 sown in his clotho*, and which said that all was well at Khartoum. The messenger says he saw live iteamers with troops. They were ongagod In seizing supplies for the Khartoum garrison. The messenger returned to Korti on foot by Way of Baynda.

the March Through tho Doacit. LoSDoy, January 17. —A dospatoh from Gakdul aays that thirty camels dropped dead on the march from Howenjatt. Tho troops suffered severely. A majority of the watorakins leaked, and tho men, yielding to their thirat, exhausted their rations of water prematurely. Very few fell out of line, and the condition of the men under the circumstances was splendid. All bore their hardships bravely, as is evinced by their eioging as cheerily as their parched throats would permit. They are keenly desirous to fight.

Lord Wolseley telegraphs as follows from Korti, under date of January 17th: "A large convoy has returned from Gakdul. The whole route is quiet. Tho convoy rotamed to Howarab. Tho Howaivis tribes start with stores for Gakdul to-morrow. Sulep, chief of tho Kabbabish tribe, has come in. The English boats are now arriving. Out of 800 landed in Egypt, 7SO are still able to be uaed on the river. The others are being repaired. Very few were wrecked."

Colonel Burnaby, with a convoy of grain, joined General Stewart's forces at Gakdul od the 15th inst.

- The London " Standard's " correspondent sends from Howenjatt:—" Wo are experiencing the difficulty of a desorfc march. Thoimmense column starts at two a.m., and the march continues tho whole day. We are going to Gakdul, via Abuhalfa Wells, where we hope to find suiliciont water for men and camels. A small party left at Howenjitt was fired into ono night, but otherwise we have not been moloated. Small parties of Arabs, wearing the Mahdi's uniform, are roaming the deaort yot. Some sell us sheep, and assert there are only a fewrebela at Hetammeh. Tho heat is very trying, The camels go sixty hours without water, and the men are only allowed two pints daily. The water resembles pea soup id thickness. The soldiers freely offer a crown for a tumblerful. If tho Arabs had been in active hostility, thoy would havo rendered the desert impossible, and it would have been necessary for us to carry every oonce of food and water for both men ami animals. Sir Herbert Stewart's force consists prin•dpallyof the Mounted Infantry and Camel Corps, led by a troop ot the 19th Hussars, acting as scouts. It numbers about eleven hundred all told. Gakdul h slightly over one hundred miles from Korti, and about eighty miles from the Nile at Shendy. Of : the wen hundred men, abotit four hundred will be left at Gakdul, where thoy will I entrench themselves, while the others return to Korti, and from there lead on the remainder of. the Cavalry Brigade, with the probable addition of the Royal Sussex Bepment (the 30th), whose boats havo JMt been arriving at Korti. By January 10th, therefore, if not before, Sir Herbert Stewart's column may bo on its way from Gakdul to the Nilo—or to Khartoum-direct -that is to say, via Shendy, whicli lies naif way between Khartoum and Berber. From Shendy to Khartoum tho Cavalry Brigade would have to march only one hundred miles.

General Earlo's Columns. After his intended operations against the Monastara, General Earle will resume his advance up the rivor to Abu Hamoi, where ™c end of the Nile turns southwards to Berber. At Abu Hamed—according to the detailed plans telegraphed—General Earle *ill open communications with Korosko, too then proceed to Berber. His infantry Mgiments will have to row themselves 100 miles from Handab to Abu Hamed, and 120 Bore from the latter locality to Berber. In wefivst-named section there aro at least six M-called cataracts, none of them, however, Wry formidable. These obstacles passed, "Wrest of the voyage will be comparatively pain sailing. The total relieving force 'ambers 2,400 men-viz., 900 infantry and ¥00 of tin mounted biijade, with sixJjMW guns. The vrholo of the expeditoonary force is expected to reach Korti by 08 middle of January.

_ The Commander-in-chief. Lord Wolseley's interviewer in camp •Jw m laudatory terms of him.. He says!: ||j «ismarvellous to see him. Up at five r oeiook or before, he is out and about Kttvely till near noon. All the afternoon "9 works in his room, making work for Pars and making others work; he may Wan hour's exercise at five o'clock, then mm to work till dinner time. To bed, yf.Peroaps afiouple of hours' more inwueotnal labour, about midnight, and up •gaa before five. He is never tired, or met shows .it. He can ride horse « <*nel from early morning till late nrnt j witho«* showing punish•iXv. ni * Personal equanimity and "atWity are rieyer upset."