BAKER PASHA'S DEFEAT NEAR SOUAKIM. ROUT of the COWARDLY EGYPTIANS. (From the Special Correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald.") ON BOARD THE EGYPTIAN S.S. CHEBIN, EN UNKNOWN

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 44, 5 April 1884, Page 3

BAKER PASHA'S DEFEAT NEAR SOUAKIM. ROUT of the COWARDLY EGYPTIANS. (From the Special Correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald.") ON BOARD THE EGYPTIAN S.S. CHEBIN, EN UNKNOWN

As my last letter infoimed you, this communication brings with it important news. The telegraph has told you what to expect, and of the disaster and, &o to speak, annihilation of General Baker's army. Hard things to write about, for one who wa.s personally present, escaped by scarcely less than a miracle, and who has lost in the fray a dozen old personal friends and fellowofiicers, ab well a-? many acquaintances. It will be best merely to relate to you in my own way the experiences of the day, uith the preparations of before, and the retreat of after time.

COLLECTION OF TIIL EXPEDITION The last of Baker Pasha's force landed at Trinkitat, about six hours' run by steamer, on the 1st of February, ju&t a week atro today. We found the beach covered with tents, men, and stores, which were in excellent order. There being no water on shore, water was brought in huge tanks from Souakim, and an Egyptian steamer [ was hard at m ork condensing close by. Entrenchments had been thrown up on the inside of the position in case of attack with lines of about two miles, and outside these two small circular outside earthworks for night occupation. Trinkitat is but a name ; there is no house or inhabitant of the crescent-shaped promontory which encloses the harbour of that name. It is only a sprit of land — actually at present an island — for there is a huge sea morass of mud and water in the rear cutting it off" from the mainland. Next morning Baker ordered a huge working party to cro&s these morasses, and upon an eminence about four miles from Trinkitat he made an entrenched camp. This was to protect the guns in crossing. A few infantry, under General Sartorius, occupied this fort during the nig-ht. No attack occurred, although a few rifle shots were fired at us during the night. In the morning some camels brought us out water ; and at about 11 o'clock the guns— two Krupps and two Gatlings— arrived safely, accompanied by the cavalry (Egyptian and Turkish), and the remainder of the force with General Baker and his staff. To accommodate all these, in number about 4,500, the lines were increased during the afternoon, and several small reconnaissances made. The troops were rested, and the baggage and ammunition carefully seen to, or distributed. For me, this will ever be a memorable night. In a small army such as ours, officers are more thrown together, and are usually upon terms of great intimacy. We sat round a box with our grog and pipes, and passed away a very pleasant hour or two ; many were the opinions asked and given. Some said we should march into Tokar unopposed ; others that we should have a battle half-way on the road, near the vrells. Having to be up early, and to march next morning, we turned in early without tents, and waited for the reveille to turn us out. This sounded at 4 a.m. It was a dull morning, with heavy clouds and raincheerless enough, in all conscience, and not a favourable omen. After a hurried cup of cocoa, which many we were to see no more shared with us in the half-light of a dismal dawn, we packed up the few necessaries we were to take with us, and marched at about 6.30 on the direct road to Tokar. The rain shortly cleared for a while, and a huge double rainbow, unusually distinct, appeared, with one foot at Trinkitat and the other over Tokar, which some of us said was a good sign. We know now. Our formation was as follows : An advance guard about a mile in front, of Egyptian cavalry, as skirmishers, with the usual supports of the same. The General and his

staff, the infantry in columns of companies, flanking on either side tho artillery and Gatlin'g guns. Then tho transport, with water camels and ammunition. Finally, a rear guard of Turkish cavalry. On each outer flank skirmishers from the Egyptian cavalry.

T11JC ADVANCE. We marched about four miles, when scouts informed us of the presence of considerable numbers of the enemy ahead. Wo presently saw the enemy, and a halt being sounded, a Krupp gun was advanced and three shells sent into the middle of the position occupied by the rebels. They then disappeared, and we again advanced. A mile further ahead the same thing was repeated, with a similar result, and march sounded once more. The wells wore about a mile and a half to our left front, we having movod slightly to the right to avoid a quantity of thick bush difficult for the guns, when about a mile or more ahead, a party of rebels were observed riding across our front towards tho left, evidently trying to turn our right flank, or to ascertain what we were made of, and General Baker ordered tho Turkish cavalry to chargo out after theso men, and to uso sabres, but not pursue too far. We halted for a moment, and were just watching tho Turks charge and the rebels turn in full flight when our attention was suddenly aroused elsowhero by hearing our Egyptian skirmishers commence a wild and heavy firing at apparently nothing at all. They kept up the lire in spite of a bugle sound of " Cease Fire," and a verbal oi'der sent by Baker Pasha to them not to fire at all unless at a distinctly seen foe. They did not pay any attention to this order, and we saw tli em retreating towards Ub bla/.ing away as recklessly and uselessly as ever. All on a sudden wo saw numbers of tho enemy advancing swiftly towards us upon our loft front veiling their war-cry, a sort of hideous "hue-hue."

ATTEMPT TO FOliM A .SQUA11E. General Baker sent General Sartorius back on the instant to form up a square of the infantry -\\ ith the baggage and transport in the middle. This lie essayed to do, but two companies of the Alexandra regiment refused to budge an inch. The guns, Turkish infantry, Bc/ingeis, and Cairo battalion formed up, however, fairly well, and the front and two .sides of the (square looked steady, whilst tho rear side of the square gradually seemed to till up. On came the enemy. Without a word of command the square then opened a tiemcndous lire, undirected. Tho Egyptian cavalry came dashing in, in full Ilight, breaking up the General's staff for the moment, and in full lire of the square, which would .surely have annihilated them all had not the fire been principally directed into the air. All around came the rebels, some with guns, some with spears and swords, some on hoisoback, but mostly on foot. Inside the square the reserve were filing right into the air. Camels and mules with their drivers were mingled in one hopeless mass, and movement of any kind was impossible (Your correspondent was in the square, having misled the oflicei to whom he wis attached as aide-de-camp in the rush.) 1 .saw General Sartorius come along outside the square, and could distinguish, when the smoke permitted, that he was marching in f'ont of the tiring ranks, pushing down their rifles, and entreating the men to fire low and coolly. Then the crush in the square became fearful, and I i-aw tho rebels creeping up rapidly under our fire, and suddenly they were upon us. Our square seemed to be closing in upon itself, and the condition of the inside is quite impossible to be described. As I was swept to and fro upon my horse I .saw the Egyptian cavalry in full flight, and General Sartorius using all his endeavours to arrest and turn them. At the same moment tho Arabs came to close quarters, and I saw the men in front of me cease firing,

THROW DOMN THEIR ARMS, AXD TURN ROUND SHRIEKING. The rebels stabbed several in the back, and this making a small opening, I pushed my horse forward, discharging my revolver as well as I could right into the crowd. 1 was attacked on several sides, and whilst shooting a man on my right, received tv o stabs with a spear in my left side. I turned and shot the man. The .stabs pas.sed through my military greatcoat, which the suddenness of the attack had given me no time to remo\ e, and which was still Avet m ith the heavy rain of the morning. The spear must have cither turned upon a buckle of my sword belt or the brass hook in my jacket which supported the belt, for I felt myself unhurt. I joined General Sartorius in his efforts to turn the Egyptian cavalry, who, followed by the infantry, and in fact by all who had managed to get through the rebels round the square, Mere in full flight. A revolver in front of an officer's face and a threat to fire were of no avail. A wild shake of the head and spurs well set in towards Trinkitat was the only reply. " The day is lost," said General Sartorius ; and I felt it was true. General Baker, who had lost nearly half his staff, and had had very narrow shaves of his own life, then sent Sartorious off to try and arrest the men at the narrowest part, and I returned at once to the rear to see what help I could give. It was a hideous sight. Where the square had been there was a huge mob of Arabs hacking and slicing men whose arms were thrown away, and who submitted to the fatal blow without any attempt at resistance. The Turkish Infantry and European Police were cut down to a man. The guns, stores, camels, mules, everything, were taken by the ememy, just because the Egyptians had left them behind to run away. None ever came back from this moment. i

THE TRAGEDY THEN WAS ENACTED, and the bravest of the whole army had been sacrificed to the damnable cowai-dice of the Egyptians, in whose cause we were all fighting. Here we lost our Pay masterGeneral, Major Morice Bey, a valuable official, for many years in Egypt ; Dr. Leslie, principal medical officer, who,after escaping from the dangers of the Russo-Turkish war, and that between France and Germany, came to Egypt to aid during the cholera, now laid down his life in front of the Soudan rebels. Captain Forrestie Walker, 0. C. Gatlings, one who was saved his fate with General Hicks's army on account of being obliged to return to England from dysentexy, met that fate here. Lieutenant Smith, Lieutenant Carroll of Sartorius's staff', Drs. Carere and Duposte, of the medical department, 36 Europeans out of 38 who went out, and their two officers, Captain Rucca and Lieutenant di Marchi, Major Joseph Taher, in command of the Turkish Infantry, and his lieutenant, Anton Paleoka, and many others. Our officers' mess at camp contained fifteen of us. We are six now ! We went out with 4,500 men, of which 2,332 are gone. But to return to

I THE FLIftHT AND FUBSUIT. Tar as the eye could see, the long stream of cowards ran on. At the rear, where the weaker runners, the wounded, and the old, tailed ofl' or fell, there hundreds of the bare, black savages were butchering all, without exception. They gave no quarter, and it was the sooner over. Two thrusts in the back, and the Egyptian shrieked no more, "I am a Moslem." "Spare me." The howls of the savage drowned tho cry of

mortal agony ; Your correspondent, with another English officer, who joined him later, stayed close at the tail, firing round after round of their revolvers, and doing excellent, work picking off the rebels ono by one as they neared the rear of our men, and so to some extent afc least helping to save their worthless lives. 1 saw one rebel Sheikh mounted on a small bay horse -, he rode him without saddle or reins, and carried a spear and shield. The latter hung at his knee. In addition to this ho held a huge double-edged sword, and I saw him kill four men before I could manage to knock him over. His men immediately hurried round him, and seemed to show much anxiety as to his condition ; so I hope he was an important rebel. Having exhausted my ammunition, and the pursuit having slackened, I then rode forward and reached the Morass fort in time to see that General Sartorius had absolutely failed to arrest the flight of the men. Those had thrown away thoir arms, those had smeared themsolvcs with blood from wounded mon or horses, and protended they were wounded, whilst tho strong and the cavalry, being able to outdistance the rest, were already far off in Trinkitat. General Baker thon entered tho fort, but seeing how hopeless the affair was, determined to march back io Tiinkitat, where General Sartorius was sent to man the entrenchments there.

TIIK SCENE AT TlilNKITAT. The enemy pursued up to the Morass fort, but no further, and we passed on to the Trinlcitat lines across the morasses, now a veritable Slough of Despond. At Trinlcitat the men were rushing still into boats already full, the infantry having thrown away their rifles, and the cavalry— at least a good half of them— having oflsaddled, threw aside their saddles, and let then- horses run loose, so that thoy could not be again sent out. All Egyptian ofliccrs were already safe on board the steamers in harbour, and refused to land. The European oilicors were up all night embarking horses aud stores. The (General cnmplimcnted a few Abyssinian soldiers who had bravely .stuck to the rear, guarding the flight of the Egyptian refugees, and ho said— " [fad I an army composed of men like you I would march right through the country at any moment." On Tuesday morning, the 5th, vie returned to Souakim, whore Admiral llewctt had already landed 1. 50 bluejackets and marines. The to-un -was in great danger of an attack, and I should fancy wilj be attacked as soon asTokar and Sinkathave fallen. Wo hear that England intends to act up to her promises at last, and send an army here. AVo hope so. Meanwhile one more proof has been given, if proof were needed, of the fact that Egyptians cannot and will not makj soldiers, and that ally them as you may with good Turkish and negro fighting men, ofiicer them with brave and competent Europeans, you will only succeed in spreading panic, with the result of serious disaster whenever you go into the field. The rebels on this occasion got a great spoil with over £500 in gold and silver, besides 300 camels, baggage, guns, and ammunition, besides guns and swoids, &c. But the worst of our defeat is the certainty that all the other rebels will now ieel themselves unconquerable. The Mahdi's ranks v> ill be enormously swelled, and in fine, that the rebellion will have ceased to be a local distill bance, and will have become of the gravest Tjational importance. No news of the intentions of the Home Government have yet reached us, but that England has cast a great slur upon her renow n in giving Egypt promises England has not kept, cannot but be evident to the most casual politicians.