FIGHT IN A CAVE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8043, 22 June 1904, Page 2

FIGHT IN A CAVE.

THRILLING INCIDENTS OF A HAND-TO-HANI) COMBAT. Some thrilling incidents of the dervish rout near ",'llig, Italian Somaliland, on April 21, when the enemy's entrenchments were stormed by sailors, . marines, amd infantry, were, telegraphed from Aden in the beginning of May. . * Captain Hood, of H.M.S. Hyacinth, greatly distinguished himself in the close fighting that followed the British charge.' With a sword in one hand and a revolver in the other he entered 1 the caves whence the dervishes were firing and shot down the snipers. Corporal Flowers followed, and' bayoneted a dervish who was in the act of spearing Captain Hood from behindi and Midshipman Onslbw also gal)ant}y bayoneted , Several snipers hidden in caves. Ali Hadjii the Mullah's chief in com* maftd, was wounded" and taken prisoner with several others. When Illig village was burnedi after the victory thousands of rounds of concealed ammunition exploded. The forts 1 and zaribas and the earthworks around the forte, which were six feet thick tind ten feet high, were levelled to the ground. In one of the forts, which were also destroyed, 'th© Hampshires captured an ancient seven-pounder, which the Mullah's men had used against the British. An' other gun was taken by the men of the Hyacinth.