The Mudirieh of Sennaar was still far from being pacified, and, on the 9th June, a force of 20,000 rebels was reported to be a day’s march from the town of that name. The insurrection was also reported to be spreading to the districts south of Karkoj.
7th June.
Defeat of Yussuf Pasha near Jebel Gadir.
Towards the end of May Yussuf Pasha, who had done little or nothing since March, was ordered to advance from Kawa against the Mahdi, still supposed to be somewhere near the mountain of Gadir. After great delays he set out with a large disorganized force of several thousand men and swarms of camp followers. The rains had begun, and progress was slow. On the 7th June he was face to face with the rebels in a densely wooded country. A seriba (or stockade of prickly shrubs) was commenced, and the troops were formed up inside it in a hollow square. The rebels, however, broke in upon them, and defeated and utterly routed the whole force. This crushing defeat gave a fresh impetus to the insurrection.
13th June.
1882.
Despatch of reinforcements to Fashoda.
On the 13th June 400 men were sent by steamer to reinforce the garrison of Fashoda, and on the 29th a battalion, which had arrived at Kartoum from Senheit,[293] was also sent on there. These reinforcements were placed under the command of Rashid Pasha, whose orders had been altered, and who had only accompanied the troops for Kordofan as far as Tur-el-Hadra.
Events in Darfur. 17th June.
20th July.