ESCAPE FROM ASSOUAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 8 November 1919, Page 7

ESCAPE FROM ASSOUAN.

BRITISH GARRISON’S' PERIL. A stmational narrative of bow the British garrison at Assolan narrowly escaped amulhillaibkm d living the native rising in Egypt last M4rch was ■told by Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. R. Mackesy, C.M.'G., 0.8. E., D.S.O, who returned to Auckland from England! by the troopship Remuera this week. Colonel Mackesy was in command of the Auckland Mounted Rifles throughout the Egypt-Palestine campaigns. “The most interesting part of my career,’’ said the colonel im an interview on the vessel, “was when a party of 60 officers: and their wives escaped massacre by the Bedouins alt Assouan. One day early im March, I came back to Assouan at noon, and found the town in a state of wild excitement.

“The native populace, acting upon Gorman instigation, was rifting against the British garrison. 'Not a moment was to be> lost. I was . the senior officer, and, strange to say, among the junior officers Of thp garrison there was ,on© reprcjsenftative of evjery part of the British Empire. “There vvem 14 English women, in'chitling the Misses E. and M. Me Donald, of Wairarapa, in the town, and the party as a whole showed) the finest snirit ff that I have ever seen. No order was Questioned; they were a.l- - ways cheerful, and the women showed the most wonderful spirit from tl at dreadful nigh*, when we escaped from Assouan until we reached Suez in safety. “Two ways of escape were open to us—-the road and the Nile. We knew thaf, in all probability if we took the road the Bte<Sloui)n» woulldi overtake ns, so we decided to go-south, down- , the river, into the' wilderness. That -night .we took, passegaiont of a Sudan? steamer lying at. anchor off th 0 lOwn, idrewe aonie stray sheep aboard, to keep an cl collected the women in the hotel until t.l\£ moment for escape ; wa.<? ready. To reach. the open river •we had to go through four locks, and iit was arranged that the party should steal aboard in the quiet of the :muu‘ing- :

“We got the. women aboard without : disturbance, and out of the way of stray snipers, but at dawn, just as the little party of officers was moving off, we found that th e natives were putting owfc in their rafts, trying io head us off. Fortunately for us, however, we had the* faster boast*, and though a few .stray shots were fired: on us we reached the open river without, casualty. But, had, we stayed another 1 night in Assouan,” said the colonel, “none of us would have lived to relate our experiences in Suez.” . The escapees sailed 1 down the Nile* for two weeks, and by divers. ways .reached Yamboo, where they landed. According to Colofiel Madkesy this is the first (time that whites hays been allowed to set fool ini Yamboo, a town • where the English are not looked upon favourably by the native population. Fortunately, however, . Colonel Mackesy knew the principal residents, and trouble which was already brewing was norrowly averted. Another boat was procured, and the party left for Wedge, and finally, after 30 days’ strenuous travelling, ' reached Suez in safety, k

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