After this Zubeir wrote to the Government, asking for someone to go to take over the country. They sent Bimbashi Mustafa Bey Abu Kheiran with troops, and on their arrival they, acting with Zubeir, conquered the other three provinces of Darfur. The Egyptian troops commanded by Ismail Pasha Ayub arrived shortly after, and with these was sent Hussein Pasha Hilmi as Governor-General of Darfur and Dar Fertit, the latter being garrisoned by irregulars under Suleiman Zubeir.
At the same time Bahr El Ghazal was put under Ibrahim Bey Fauzi.
Hussein Pasha Hilmi was succeeded by Messadaglia Bey, and he in turn by Slatin Bey.
Hofrat El Nahas was detached from Dar Fertit, and with Kebkebia, Kejma and Kulkul were put under El Nur Bey Angara,[183] subject to the Governor-General of Darfur (i.e., Slatin Bey), and the remainder of Dar Fertit, including Faroge, Telgona and Ringi, under Lupton Bey till the time of the Mahdi.
During the Mahdia Karamalla Kirkesawi was made Emir of the Bahr El Ghazal; he took Dar Fertit and brought Lupton Bey, who had succeeded Ibrahim Bey Fauzi, to Khartoum, the Emir Mohd. Zogal taking over Darfur.
After Karamalla’s visit to Dar Fertit, the country ceased to pay any tribute to the Mahdi. It was left unvisited till its re-occupation by the Anglo-Egyptian Government, when flags were sent to, and accepted by, some of the more important sultans.
(b.) THE EASTERN SUDAN.
1883.The Mahdist rising in the Eastern Sudan began towards the middle of 1883, when Osman Digna collected the powerful Hadendoa and other tribes and invested Suakin. The outlying Egyptian garrisons in these parts included Sinkat, 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.
Suakin reverses.In October, 1883, a reinforcing party for Sinkat was cut off by the enemy, and on the 4th November a party intended for Tokar met with the same fate, Commander L. Moncrieff, R.N., being among the killed. Reinforcements from Cairo—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, 4th February, 1884.El Teb his force of 3,700 men was attacked by 1,200 Arabs. His troops behaved like sheep; they were seized with a panic, made no resistance, and were butchered to the number of 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).
Fall of Sinkat.On the 8th February Tewfik, commander of Sinkat, spiked his guns and fought his way out, but he and the whole of his gallant garrison were cut to pieces.