NEWS BY MAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 228, 27 September 1898, Page 5

NEWS BY MAIL.

THE CAPTURE OF KHARTOUM.

FEARFUL SLAUGHTER.

DARING DEEDS BY BRITISH MEN

AND OFFICERS.

LONDON, September 5

The War Office received this evening the following- despatch dated at Omdurman yesterday, from General Sir Herbert Kitchener: — 'This morning the British and Egyptian flags were hoisted with due ceremony upon the walls of the palace in Khartoum. 'All the British wounded have left for Abadia in barges towed by steamers. I saw them before leaving. They were all doing well and were comfortable. 'The cavalry sent in pursuit of the Khalifa were compelled to abandon the attempt owing to the exhaustion of the horses, but- I have ordered camel squads to continue the pursuit? Despatches from Omdurman relate that the newspaper correspondent, Howard, who was afterwards killed, participated in the gallant charge of the Twentr-first Lancers. These troops were scouting when, they saw in the basin between 600 and 700 dervishes. The Lancers charged the enemy and suddenly iound themselves face to face with 2000 swordsmen, thus being outnumbered at least four to one. The devishes were hidden from view in a hollow. The Lancers charged through them, re-formed and charged back to recover their wounded, who were being savagely slaughtered. The official list gives the number of British officers killed in the capture of Omdurman as two, while thirteen were wounded. Of the men twentythree were killed and ninety-nine wounded. The loss sustained by the Egyptians was: Officers, one killed, eight wounded; men, twenty killed and 221 wounded. Colonel Rhodes, brother -of Cecil Rhodes, and correspondent of the London 'Times,' was severely wounded, a bullet having " struck him in the shoulder. %