% Osman Digna : a.d. 1883 — 1885. 257 (6.) THE EASTERN SUDAN.

The Malidist rising in the Eastern Sudan began towards the middle of 1883, when Osman Digna collected the 1883. ipowerful Hadendoa and other tribes and invested Suakin. The outlying Egyptian garrisons in these parts included Kinkat, Tokar, Kassala, Gira, Gedaref, Gallabat, and one or two smaller posts in Northern Abyssinia, and by the end |of the year they were mostly besieged by the enemy.

In October, 188.3, a reinforcing party for Sinkat was cut off by the enemy, and on the 4th November a party intended Suakin for Tokar met with the same fate. Commander L. Moncrieff, R.N., being among the killed. Reinforcements from Cairo— inverses.

■"2,620 men, mostly constabulary — were despatched under Colonel Valentine Baker, but before he reached Suakin another disaster occurred on the 2nd December, by which nearly 700 men were cut to pieces near Tamanib. Baker started in January, 1884, to relieve Tokar, but on arriving at El Teb his force of 3,700 men was attacked by 1,200 Arabs. His El Teb, 4th troops behaved like sheep ; they were seized with a panic, made no resistance, and were butchered to the number of February, 2, .300, Baker and most of his English officers escaping with the utmost difficulty. 3,000 rifles and four Krupp guns '*' fell into the enemy's hands (4th February).

On the 8th February Tewfik, commander of Sinkat, spiked his guns and fought his way out, but he and the whole Fall of of his gallant garrison were cut to pieces. Sinkat.

General Graham was thereupon sent with a small British expedition of 4,000 to relieve Tokar, and having gained British a briUiant victory at El Teb (29th February), succeeded in his task, and sent 600 of the Suakin Egyptian garrison back exiiedition, to Cairo. On the 13th March Graham advanced again, and, beating the enemy thoroughly at Tamai, swept them back February into the hills. The idea was then mooted of a dash across to Berber, but it was eventually dropped, and Graham's 1884. troops retired. Major Chermside being appointed Governor-General at Suakin. Tamai, 13th March, 1884. In April the garrison of Gedaref made terms with the enemy and surrendered. Fall of In order to evacuate Kassala and Amadib, the help of King John of Abyssinia was now called in, and in June Oedaref. Admiral Sir W. Hewett, R.N., and Mason Bey, visited him and concluded a treaty to this effect, by which he was to Abyssinian have Bogos and Keren if he succeeded in his task. Later on he agreed also to relieve Gira and Gallabat. Mission.

Kassala had been besieged since November, 1883, and was beginning to feel hard pressed. Its garrison consisted of 1,6(X) regulars and 2,300 irregulars, including a force of Bashi-Bazuks, under the command of Ahmed Bey Iff at ; the Beni Amer and Hamran tribes in the neighbourhood were also loyal.

In August Mason Bey, now Governor of Massaua, ordered Ahmed Bey Iffat to retire ; but this was found to be .impossible, as more than half the garrison was composed of natives of the district. John now proposed to relieve iKassala, but he was told that the case of Gallabat was more urgent ; he therefore began his preparations, and Bogos ras handed over to him on the 12th September.

During this latter month Great Britain took over Berbera and Zeila from Egypt, and in November Harrar was Evacuation [landed over to the natives and the evacuation began. 6,-500 of the garrison were sent down to the coast without ° Berbera, icident, and, under the auspices of Majors Hunter and Heath, a new government was established under the native j-jai-rar. 5mir Abdullahi Mohammed Abd El Shakur. 1885.

[Harrar, it may be noted here, remained under its Emir till the beginning of 1887, when Abdullahi was decisively iefeated at Chalanko by Menelik, and the town occupied by the Abyssinians.]

On the fall of Khartoum becoming known another British expedition, assisted by Indian and Australian troops, Second ras despatched to Sualcin under the command of General Graham. Its objects were to crush Osman Digna, to occupy the '''*:'!' ladendoa country, to make a railway towards Berber (at all events as far as Ariab), and to prepare for the opening jgg " ' ii the Suakin-Berber road when the Nile Column had captured Berber.

The expedition, numbering 13,000 men, arrived at Suakin on and about the 12th March, and remained for a couple {of months. During this time it fought several actions, at Hashin (20th March), Tofrek (McNeill's zeriba, 22nd March), Tofrek, 22nd »nd Tamai (3rd April), but none of these were decisive. The railway was carried as far as Otao, but on the retirement ggg*'*' lof the expedition (17th May) it was abandoned.

At the end of November, 1884, the garrison of Gallabat joined hands with the Abyssinians, and decisively beat jthe Mahdists. They were definitely relieved in February, 1885, and retired to Massaua via Abyssinia. Amadib and IJ<*jj'| "'' |Gira were also relieved, in April and July, 1885, respectively, and the garrison at Senhif" handed over their post to jj];!,''' Vbyssinia on the 19th April. Gira, and Colonel Chermside now wrote pressing letters to John, urging him to relieve Kassala at once, and promising 10,000 Senhit.

[rifles in the event of his success ; Ras Alula, John's most valiant general, therefore began to move in September. Mean-Iwhile, however, the gallant garrison had been starved into submission, and the town fell on the 30th July. Fall of " Kassala, * Keren. .30th July, 1885.