THE NEW SOUTH WALES TROOPS IN EGYPT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 835, 14 April 1885, Page 3

THE NEW SOUTH WALES TROOPS IN EGYPT.

The Now South Wales troops landed at Souakin on March 29th, raid were met by General Ewart. The men appeared in good health and spirits, and as they marched to camp were cheered enthusiastically by all the troops they passed en route. On the road to the camp the Australians were met by General Graham, who received the contingent, and afterwards congratulated them on their appearance, expressing admiration at the' spirit which induced them to come to the assistance of the Mother Country. Sir Gerald Graham concluded by saying he was proud to have such forces under his command. The Sydney Morning Herald, after a long account of the movement of the Volunteers for the Soudan campaign, who have landed and will possibly stay for some time at Suakin, cruelly publishes this doleful description of the place “ From a letter kindly shown us by Mr Herbert Raymond, written by that gentleman’s brother Percy, who was lately serving as an officer on board one of Hie British steamers conveying troops and boats to Souakin ' This place— Souakin —is about one of the most miserable places I was ever in ; it is nothing but sand ; not a bit of green, and it is fearfully hot. The harbor (if you can call it such) is composed of nothing but coral reefs, and the ships have to be moored at the head and stern to prevent them swinging when the wind shifts, because if they did they would strike on the opposite coral reef, so you can imagine what space there is, and you can imagine how nice it was when we discovered that"we bad to be moored here for six or eight months, and all the sick soldiers on hoard. There was nothing to do except to fish, boat and sail all day. At night time we had a pretty lively time of it, because the. rebels used to come down and pepper away with their rifles. ‘ They never do any damage only waste their ammunition, and as soon as the men-of-war which are down there start firing at them they clear out. They could never understand the electric light. When the men-6f-war put it on them they said it was a second sun. They are a fine set of fellows, and fight chiefly with rifles and spears. We have killed a lot of their men, but up to the time T left no one had been killed on > our side. What damages our fellows is the awfully unhealthy climate. I managed to hang out for three weeks, then I Was seized with the same thing that is killing all, our troops, and that is dysentry. I was laid up on board of the ship for three weeks, and by that time I can assure you I was not worth much, so the doctors ordered me home, which 1 was not sorry to hear.” TEe'date oT this letter is'Decemher 4th, 1884.