THE SOUDAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 15

THE SOUDAN.

DEFEAT OF THE DERVISHES. OVER TWO THOUSAND KILLED. A GALLANT CHARGE LED BY HIGHLANDERS. THE BAYONET RESISTLESS. FOUR THOUSAND PRISONERS TAKEN. CAPTURE OF MAHMUD. Caiko, April 4. Ifc is reported that the Darvishes are furious at Mahmud for his concealment of the capture of women at the recent British attack on Shandy. April 5. General Kitchener, with the main army of the Soudan expedition, has advanced to within five miles of the enemy, and is now encamped at Abadar. Mabmud has sworn his followers on the Koran never to desert him. April 6. A British reconnaissance approached within 200 yards and shelled Mahmud's camp. Two thousand cavalry and 2000 infantry sallied out and a smart action ensued, during which the Egyptians lost 16 and the Dervishes 200. The Egyptian cavalry had frequant hand-to-hand encounters with the enemy, displaying great gallantry, April 7. General Kitchener has advanced another eight miles. In the la3t engagement TJmbatis, th« Mahmud's son, was killed. Lieutenant-colonel Parsons, Governor 0! Suakim, who is at present on a mission to Kassala, reports that several conflicts have taken placa whh the Dervishes, who threaten to invade Ei-ythrea. London, April 9. Advices to hand state that General Kitchener with 13,000 men, 24 guns, and 12 Maxims, after a weary night march, conducted with perfect silence, halted a quarter of a mile from Mahmud's position ,on Friday morning. As the dawn broke 14,000 Dervish troops were located behind a zariba, which was concealed by a labyrinth of earthworks and, trenches.

The British immediately opened a fierc* bombardment, which destroyed the zaribaj killing many of the enemy. f Three brigades, with the Cameron and Seaforfch Highlanders leading and with pipers playing, charged the earthworks in the face of a leaden hail. They succeeded in carrying the camp at the bayonet's point without check. The Dervishes, who displayed conspicuous gallantry, lost over 2000 men, ultimately breaking into a headlong rout, losing all their standards, 10 guns, and ammunition. Four thousand prisoners were taken, and the Soudanese captured Mahmud hiding in a hole. Oiman Digna, however, fled early in the engagement. The British and Egyptians displayed extraordinary steadiness. Captain Urquhart (of tha Cameron Highlanders) and Lieutenant Gore (of the Seaforth Highlanders) were killed. Fourtean British officers were wounded and 10 British privates killed and 90 wounded. Fourteen Egyptian officers and 51 privates were killed and 319 wounded. The ' army gave General Kitchener a tremendous ovation at the conclusion of the battle. April 10. Twelve important emirs were amongst the dervishes killed. Captain Findlay, of ' the Cameron Highlanders, succumbed to wounds received in the battle. April 11. The Queen, the Kaiser; the Khedive, and Lord Salisbury sent congratulations to General Kitchener. Har Majesty was greatly rejoiced over the victory, and inquired after the welfare of the wounded. The troops cheered with great enthusiasm on reading tha various messages. A thanksgiving service was held for the victory. Mabmud is haughty and sullen. Replying j to General Kitchener he said, "I have to do ■ what I ara told to do ; so have you."

A prtssnt to the bridegroom at a recent wedding in the Manawatu district was aa elaborate mou? etrap, with tha legend, " Caught at last." Asia is growing in population faster than cither Europe or America, the gain in India alone between 1881 and 1891 reaching 33 millions. A new mystery has been discovered in connection with the far from /> unromantic name of ByroD. In an article, "At Byron's Grave," in the British Weekly, it is related that many yeara, after Byron* body had been buried at Hucknall Torkard a stranger came and rented a small cottage — removed some ten years ago — hard by the churchyard : — "Nobody knew her ; she lived alone ; and wo may' bo sure tao J gossips of the time had in her a favounta exercise for their tongues. She is described ta a thin, handsome lady, who always wore white garments, and from her little window, which commanded ,*a easy view of the chancel, the ■was often seen by night and day gszing j ' earnestly ab the place where the poet rests, as j if keeping 'a ceaseless ' vigil over his tomb. I . . . She of Sen requested the sexton to bury j her, when she died, close under the wall of [ Byron's tomb, and the old sexton says he does j nob know why ha did not carry out her wish, for he might have laid her close to the wall instead of 30 feet away.**' Will the forthcoming works on Byron reveal the identity of the j • White Lady ' ? "