THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE SOUDAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7002, 25 July 1884, Page 3

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE SOUDAN.

Mr John M'Donald has contributed an in-: tereating paper to the " Nineteenth Century," entitled "With Baker and Graham in the Eastern Soudan." He tells in effeotivo language the deeds of heroism and bravery that took place at the different battles in the Egyptian campaign. Of the British knack of making the best of-everything, we here give a notable example. . "The artillerymen from India had neither horces nor guns; this was aa unavoidable accident of the situation. Thoy got guns from the fleet, they made mules do the work of horses, and somehow they picked up all the necessary accoutrements. The 10th Hussars, also from India, had no horses ; they took over the horses of Baker's Egyptian cavalry. The saddlery was rotten—thero were not even heel-ropes; the horses were badly shod and most wretchedly trained. In a few days, horses and saddlery looked so smart that one could scarcely recognise them." The Highlanders are described as passing through this trying campaign without a murmur, and with the utmost goodhumour. The British soldier's contempt for the Egyptians is pßifectly genuine; his admiration for the enemy can be readily conceived when we quote a common saying in the camp, "The pity of killing such splendid fellows, who, after all, are only rebelling against those rotten Egyptians." So much has been said against our army, its weakuess, the want of military skill shown by the officers, and the slurs cast upon the eonrage of privates, that it is a pleasure to chronicle, from an acknowledged authority, such glowing deeds and gallant bravery a 8 the following: " Swarming out of the ravme close to our right front and right flank, and swiftly running, like so many packs of hound 3, the Arabs fell upon the right front and right flank of the square. On they dashed, in spite of the fire which mowed them down by sccres. Their myriad Bpear-bladea glittered amid the smoke and the dust. I sat on horseback near the front line, behind the halfbattalion of the Highlanders. Viewed from that point, the recoil of the 42nd half-front somewhat resembled the slow swiag of a door on its hinges. . . . He stood out alone, that handsome Highlander, as, with' left leg extended, head turned slightly rightward levelled rifle, he picked out his victims ! Six yards in front of him a tall Arab, with upraised arm, was poising his spear, about to throw or rush. A puff of blue smoke, and the Arab bounded into the air, fell forward on his face as he had been shot through the heart. In a moment or two down went another by a bullet from the same weapon." Captain ScottStevoDson had no elbow-room to u.-ie his claymore, but, being an accomplished boxer, he dealt his Arab foes crashing blows with the ; basket," whioh sent those within his reach down like ninepins. Nor waR his left arm idle. "Colonel By am, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, as he lay upon the ground was assailed by fourorfive spearmen. Crack! crack! crack! wentßyam's (revolver) weapon, dropping or sufficiently maiming an Arab at each touch of the trigger. The colonel rose up, and while the main body of his regiment was breaking into pieces Eome 30 of hiß men rallied round him. There they stood, those true heroes, back to back, repelling with every bayonet thrust the repeated onslaughts of the Arabs who encircled them. Fifteen of Colonel Byam's men fell where they stood—their names are given in. one of General Graham's dispatches.' "AH the 30 were very old soldiers —among the oldest in the regiment, and every man of the 15 who perished bore three or four badges." Such deeds of devotion might be seen in various parts of the field, showing that British valour is not quite dead.

—Some interesting particulars of the American lead-pencil trade have recently been published. With the improved machinery now in use, it is possible for ten men to turn out four thousand penoils a day. The cedar comes from Florida in slabs cut to penoil-length. Four parallel grooves are sawn in each little slab, each g-">ve being destined to hKld the lead, or rather graphite. The so-called leads are kept in hot gi'-.0, and after being inserted in the grooves :i<o covered over with a thin slab of cedar, also glued; then the whole is passed through n moulding-machine, and comes out at the other side in the form of four finished pencils. The graphite is mixed with a variable amount of white clay - the greater the proportion of clay the harder the -pencil—and is ground with moisture into a paste. The paste is pressed into dies, and is baked at a high temperature.