Expected Mortality in Summer.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 6 April 1885, Page 2

Expected Mortality in Summer.

New York, Mar B,—The "Sun's" London cable says:—Thai croakers in the military clubs predict that there will be fearful mortality in the British troops in the Soudan during the coming summer, and they point out in support of their prediction thattyphoid fever is already raging at Korti. Tho medical experts assert, however, that there is no reason why the troops should not remain in good health if the stations for thoir encampment are wisely selected at suitable points along the Nile, and if work is done during the comparatively cool hours of the morning and evening. A society it now forming in London, under the patronage of several members of the nobility, for the purpose of supplying the soldiers with books, newspapers, apparatus for field sports, and material for theatricals. Londos, March 7.—The advance from Suakim beyond Sinkat will not be made until autumn. The intention is to encamp the main body at Sinkat during tho hot weather, the cite selected being 4,000 feet above the s__ level and three days' journey from Suakim. A successful battle with Osman Dijßia will have to be fought beforo the camp csm bo safely established. Under-Secretary Fowler sent a letter to Ins constituents at Wolverhampton defending the purchase of American pumping engines for the Berber railway, on the ground that the contracting firm "had experience in supplying the pumps wanted and had a number ready for shipment. Tenders will be issued to English firms for pumping machinery for the remainder of the line. General Wolseley proposes constant change of position of the troops on the Nile Enteric disease is rife among the men at Korti. The health of General Brackonbury's and General Buller's men, doing active work, is splendid. .

Tbo War Voto.-Suakim Berber Railway. The Secretary of War moved that the forces at the army depots be increased by I, 00! 1"™ °f all arms. He believed the ±.1,d00,000 already voted would cover the cost of military operations in the Soudan. Ihe number of additional men required for next year he estimated at 15,000. Ho believed it would be found advisable to construct short lines of railway for the transportation of troops and supplies around the more serious cataracts of the Nile. Hartington, moving for 3,000 additional men for the army, oxplained that the cost of the autumn expedition against Khartoum will be included in the expenses of the next financial year, and would require another credit. Before leaving t\. Bubject he desired to express tho gratitude of Parliament and the country for services already rendered ty General Wolseley and the troops. Continuing, be said General Graham's force would disperse the rebels and occupy Osman Digna's position. General Graham would then open the route to Berber aa far as possible. If he reached Berber in time he would co-op«rate with General Wolseley in his advance on Khartoum. Tho Suakim Railway would be purely a military structure, but would doubtless eventually lead to the establieh-

ment of a permanent line of rallwav ._ would be an cno-mous advantage in ,i ' operation of the troops. The Gove, was making arrangements for short.ll?*^ railways and a tramway in order .a of tho Nile cataracts. Tho cost of tL! mi "' bo included in next year's fiv n ! on,d ' Tho motion was carried by 98 to 21 "**' the motion for a credit of £942 000 f *^ B tary expenses, Mr Pease (Liberal) Z^ 1' reduction of £100,000 in the eoSl 8' Suakim railway. Northcote thoneht S 6 ' railway was the key-note of therS- °8 the Governmont to establish onV?'' Government in the Soudan. The r> r'** vatives therefore wished to keo 61* Government in the objects it had j!?-"1* Pease's motion was rejected bvlTaT 16*' Tho minority coneisted of all th« D iiellites, one Conservative, and tl mainder Liberals., A resolution t0,. 1 fe' to India the cost of the Indian "&&"' engaged in the Soudan was carried bysSto"

The Mahdl Promises Heavenly 'ww •'' Varna, March 12. — The T „ s*' authorities in the Arabian provinSr.! Hedjaz have seized hundreds of nSS distributed by tho emissaries of El .31 a£ -.feddah, Tokah, Lith, and etC^: towns 9?_r t lt° t S,™ d™- The pS| order the ' 'MhW > organic and tZ 1 the Turks fro^ Aral<S' Promising thattki.'Prophet will soon "^MMitsUtfQ,, his hosts to Mecca, *>"##/? will be at*' displays in the sky as vi.J js*s"**» Jfl doul^. as to his identity. '■;■•■ _$_& Mght Attack at SnaMm Suakim, March 12.— An attack ' made upon the ordnance inclosn.o „.__?**; < by El Mahdi's men last night TnSM ' in answering the challenge of the ___s_3_. replied "Friends f Tilly then _» into tho zareba, overpowered the tiU 7" and attacked the guards; but hearing! r" landing from the gunboat Condor, SS camped, carrying off with them _n\,dead and wounded, except theb.dvrt._J' leader, Abdul, who w/s o_ma?SS' standard bearer. Six British guards Sft killed and seven wounded. •,_** Caiko, March 13,-General Grabam J.creed that the inhabitants of Snaldm __. disarmed, as he has roason to apweLr treachery. Hereafter M y unenluft SSf found with arms will be treated as Jtjjjjjf '; Mutiny in Osman's Camp, Despatches from Suakim state that " mutiny has broken out in Osman Bierf ) camp. The deserters bring terrible taffi' • suffering among the Arabs, and Say oa___. Digna is only able to maintain his autH ; by a system of terrorism, which incln.* - beheading a few mutineers every mor._ro , at sunrise. Tl;

A Magnificent Memorial for Gordon. London, March U.-The Gordon 'Utm onal Committee met at the Mansion i_W> to-day. The Prince of Wal7j3| Among the members present1 mM* o'' Du J kox? f E^burgb, Duke of CuSm and Earl Granvil c The object r| meeting was to docide upon the form «_»• the Gordon Memorial should take '-'!__» commitee decided that the memorial. great hospital and sanitarium, to be eA at Port Said, and open to the peoplS nations of the earth. r. e...«\f_. General Graham's Activity Nkw York, March 15.-The "fWi» London cabl^ gram of March ..than. The arrival. 0 f General Graham s.MT , bos already produced an almost niS effect y_ correcting blundeis and iecta™ the ,ines for the defence of Btaffi is still lame from the ejects of t!i Occident in Cairo, but he insisted on malfe a personal inspection of the ganwiut Suakim and of the outlying camps, Hj was unable to make the inspection on'binback, but trudged manfully afoot iritlflu help of a stout cane.. The result olii inspection was by no means safclie-' tory. Ho berated the ongineers' ttnd quarter-masters who had planned tit advance posts, and said openly te was disgusted at their choice of poitions. Ho said they had blmmned In arranging positions so thotmntnalli&'trp "**? be impossible in the event of atimSitd night attack by tho enemy, Getiaif Graham has ordered a radical chahgoiit the dispositions for the defence ks* land side of Suakim, and his advent ii bailed by the soldiers like the odmiigofi saviour. The guards have been put to Unaccustomed drill in handling siege gimi The Egyptions have been'"tent1 wteretr there has been a chance of stopping bullets, and the Indians have been employed ii sallies to terrify the Arabs, ! General Graham's Programme, i General Graham expects*.ty'nib a! goneral advance of his trbopsWirds the j interior some time next%ArHi« first ; objective point will be -Snilal^vifaean '. intrenched summer campiatibetjtabliitad i in a healthy location, and with a snffickct supply of water. It will also!bei;comparatively easy matter to keep bp'iWli-t of communication and supply betweea Sinkat and Suakim. 1 IrciaenUlh, lb British will have to "smaßh"o__n_l%ui before getting to Sinkat Thentheyerpect to await the subsidence of tie toPtpi from tho south, and remain at Sislst ulil the autumn weather shall ranks it practicable to advance upon Berber. . Osw Digna does not appear to have been .otsuited as to his programme. Hekfal**'. a proclamation in which he tells bit M lowers that he is about to demolMHn British, to occupy Suakim, and capture il the ships that transported-tie IoW ' dogp. After occupying Suakim rbe W await the arrival of El Mahdi and Ms b> umphant troops, Then the combinedfcrw . will cross the Red Sea in the -.icwtai ; British transports to Jeddah, in Am. Thence they will march upon Mecca, »to El Mahdi is to be anointedand.mclbw■■ the successor of Mohammed,'' .JBeiriM; proceed to Stamboul, having,;; hohina;|ta : j thejauthorisation of the Moslem #W will smash the false Caliph wW-ooep the Turkish throne. In League With El KaldL Alf.xandbia (Egypt), Marchli-&F Pasha has been arrested, anduiiAfc** documents were found proving .ill* plicity with El Mahdi. He>FM pitabpari a British frigate. Zebehr. Pasha W interned on the island ofCyprus, mm been under surveiltence which pn»W.! made him a prisoner duringtneMß,« years. His wealth, mainly aWT t K ■ slave trade, was confiscated,,(MiWjiM allowed a quarterly stipend eafm ■ that he should not leave AleiandmjWiM the consent of the Khedive. ■,»"'■ Gordon pleaded that Zebehr thowMjM stored to power in the ' Sondati,isff|» that the ex slave kiDg was the only {§&■ had enough nerve and prestigeJMß ■ Arabs in subjection. GeneralGordoti.a* m encountered Zebehr during m_m^m vice in Egypt, and bad bw!*| Zobehr's sons, who had top'fMjM hostage, and whose life became W*"SM an act of treachery onZebebrsprtPSm Gordon was sent to *fflwtoD^« year, both be and Zebebt^M seemed to have agreed toigii.«tCBrB[ It was another of Zebehrs'WVJsß escorted General Gordon acroas ««",;■ from Korosco to Abu Earned. f%.m this escort it is certain that;■*%•s£■ don would never have reached *fSB It has now been discovered byWff-M Government that Zebehr b^,_m^m tinual correspondence with El .™°rijm before and since (the capture of ■«&■ and the killing of GeneraL^M Several other persons are .*!»«!.■[ arrested, including prominenwo'*"'''.«