THE SOUDAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11658, 15 August 1898, Page 5

THE SOUDAN.

THE ADVANCE ON KHAETOUM. United Press Association—By Electric TelegraphCopy right. CAIRO, August 13. The 21st Lancers have crossed the Atbara Elver, and will lead the Soudan expedition of 20,000 infantry, 40 guns and 1500 cavalry. Intense heat and sandstorms are being experienced, but the health of tho force is good. The Dervishes massacred a Belgian expedition while boating on Bahr El Jebel,a branch of the Nile.

The following was recently contributed to the “Pall Mall Gazette” by a military correspondent: —lt is not too early in the day to consider the coming operations on the Nile, based on such information as is in the possession of the Sirdar and his Intelligence Department. A first point of vital importance is the military strength left to the Khalifa. It may be fairly inferred that his losses on the Atbara and the probable defections that inevitably follow a failing cause have seriously weakened him, and this is home out by the latest news to hand. It is known on pretty trustworthy authority that he has only some 9000 regular troops now at his disposal; regular only in a sense, that is to say, but undoubtedly good fighting material. In addition to these, the Khalifa has still a considerable force of irregular troops, the Baggara spearmen and horsemen, a body with no very perfect military organisation, but bold, daring fighters, as we have every reason to know. As regards arms, the is reported to possess about 18,000 stand of Remington rifles, not the newest pattern, but good, useful weapons, kept in perfect order, to judge by those that were found in Mahmoud's zareba, which were all beautifully kept and evidently a source -6f pride to,the men entrusted with them. Khartoum is practically deserted, the arsenal being about the only building of any importance left, and, .the only population consists of the operatives and workmen employed there. Omdurman itself is an overgrown native; city, long and fetraggling, mostly meanly-built native huts, all filthily dirty. The IQialifa occupies a sort of central inner citadel, built at a little distance from the river, and surrounded by a wall about 18ft high. Within this enclosure are the treasury, storehouses and barracks of the already-mentioned bodyguard. There is no reason to suppose that this citadel is capable of any defence, at least of a prolonged kind. It lies low, for the ground trends downwards from the nver, and this 18ft wall offers no effective cover to the interior from the fire of gunboats on the river above. Hence, at the approach of danger, the Khalifa will move into his entrenched camp, whi,ch he lias fixed at three miles or more from the river bank, behind some rising ground which, in admeasure, shelters it from the gunboat fire. io make these entrenchments permanently tenable, wells have been sunk within the enclosure, for at that distance from the river it .would be impossible otherwise to support life. But if the Khalifa hopes thus to find shelter from the gunboate whose destructive fire- is the most dreaded of all our attacking forces, he will find it difficult to avoid the new explosive shell of the 5m howitzer battery, which is on the eve of embarkation from. England to join tbe birdar’s command. This battery, under Major Elmslie, R.A., will leave Portsmouth the first week in July, and may be expected at Berber- about the middle of August. It takes out its own horses, its own ammvmi-. tion, and is complete at every point. These howitzers have* an effective range at 400 U yards, and it is pretty certain that their devastating fire will make short work oi the Khalifa’s entrenchments. A great point in taking the offensive with the dervishes is that their shooting takes no effect at over 400yds, so that they are. overmastered and decimated from a distance before they come into action. , ~ Nothin" is more remarkable than the eagerness 0 with which the best of the Khalifa’s men, the blacks more particularly, transfer rtbeau^lefeiimce, to 118 , v f| lerl get "the' chainca. At this moment, there , .are, 700 excellent'black troops, the prisoners taken at the Atbara-, being drilled in our ways at Wady' Haifa, and they are such apt pupils, so skilful in acquiring new manoeuvres, and the use of new weapons, that all these menAvill be effective soldiers, ready for drafting into the Soudanese battalions at the front before the advance is made. No doubt, the black is essentially a mercenary, willing to fight for any master who pays and feeds Mm well, quick enough also to see which is the winning side. But the loyalty of these blacks is strengthened bv their attachment to their white officers, which is soon developed, and lasting bond. So long as their little foibles are dealt lightly with, and these are much of the same kind as our Tommy s they ere contented, and very loyally attached to British rule ; so much so, indeed, that it there were any disaffection among the pure Ecrvptian troops the blacks would certamly ride with us against the others, for whom they have a sovereign contempt. It is always an easy matter to set a Soudanese black at the throat of an Egyptian fellah.