THE SOUDAN.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3489, 11 June 1884, Page 3

THE SOUDAN.

News by the Brindisi mail, a week later than tho San Francisco mail says :

—The indignation of the British public against the Government for what is universally regarded as their desertion of General Gordon is steadily rising. The “ Times” and “ Daily Telegraph,’’ and the “ Morning Post” have received cheques amounting to many thousands of pounds for the organisation of a voluntary expedition to relieve Khartoum. One English lady sent a cheque for £SOOO. All the cheques wore returned to the donors, the papers declaring it impossible to relieve the Government fcfrom their responsibility towards Gsrdon. The “ Pall Mall Gazette,” a Liberal organ, Regards the story set forth in tho Blue Book in question as a story of shame, and in summing up the whole correspondence, points out that the Government, after virtually altering Gordon’s mission from one of advice to one of executing, or at least directing, tho evacuation, not only of Khartoum, but of tho whole of tho Soudan, have now determined that the work must bo done on the “ Peace Society ” principle, or not at all. The correspondence published shows the feeling of Gordon himself, as having telegraphed to Earl Granville. General Gordon evidently thinks ho is abandoned, and is very indignant. The latest news from El Obeid is to April 2. The Mahdi has 30,000 or 40,000 followers encamped there, and can rely on tho co-operation of some 80 tribes between the desert and the equatorial provinces. These allies can furnish between 200,000 and 300,000 fighting men. About 40,000 Remington rifles, 60 guns, and an enormous supply of military stores, have fallen into tho Mahdi’a hands through tho various defeats inflicted on the Egyptian army