Colonel Chermside now wrote pressing letters to John, urging him to relieve Kassala at once, and promising 10,000 rifles in the event of his success; Ras Alula, John’s most valiant general, therefore began to move in September. Fall of Kassala, 30th July, 1885.Meanwhile, however, the gallant garrison had been starved into submission, and the town fell on the 30th July.
Osman Digna came towards Kassala in August, but the Abyssinians and Beni Amer attacked him with great determination at Kufit, 23rd September, 1885.Kufit (23rd September) and utterly routed him, killing 3,000 of his men.
Egypt had on the 6th February handed over Massaua to the Italians, at which the Abyssinians, deeming it an infraction of the Hewett treaty, were seriously annoyed. In consequence Ras Alula refused, after the fight at Kufit, to resume operations against the Mahdists, and retired.
1886.In the beginning of 1886 Osman Digna once more tried to stir up strife in the neighbourhood of Suakin. The tribes, however, did not greet him cordially, and the attitude of the Amarar, Ashraf, and Habab was doubtful. As the year wore on, the Amarar fought against Digna, shut him up in Tamai, and beat him there (6th September). As the Beni Amer, Bisharin, etc., were showing signs of coming in, Osman Digna escaped, and took refuge in the rich delta of Tokar. Here he remained quiet for another year.
1887.In June, 1887, the Abyssinians under Ras Adal advanced into Gallabat, and beat the Dervishes under Wad Arbab, killing the latter. On reinforcements being sent by the Khalifa, under Yunes el Degheim, Ras Adal announced his intention of invading the Sudan with a large army. Abdalla responded by sending 87,000 men, under Abu Anga and Zeki Tumal, against Adal, Battle of Debra Sin.and a great battle was fought in August, 1887, at Debra Sin, 30 miles from Gondar. The Abyssinian army was completely routed, and the Dervishes entered and sacked Gondar. A slight side-issue arose for the moment in the shape of one Nebi Isa, a prophet, who arose at Gallabat in Abu Anga’s rear, but although many Dervishes, including Yunes, believed in him, as opposed to the Khalifa, Abu Anga quickly put a stop to the rising by capturing and hanging the prophet. Other risings occurred on the Blue Nile, among the Rufaa and other tribes, but they were soon suppressed.
1888.At the end of the year Osman Digna advanced again and besieged Suakin. He was, however, beaten in detail, Action of Handub.and fell back on Handub. The latter place was attacked by Colonel Kitchener with some irregulars on the 17th January, 1888, but the attack did not succeed, and Colonel Kitchener received a serious wound in the face.
Fighting continued at intervals during the whole year round Suakin. Abu Girga[185] arrived, but retired again. At last reinforcements were sent from Cairo, including a British contingent,[186] and Sir Francis Grenfell took command. Gemmeiza, 20th December, 1888.A decisive action ensued just outside the walls of Suakin (battle of Gemmeiza, 20th December, 1888), in which the enemy were completely defeated. In the following year a certain amount of local fighting went on near the town, but the tribes were becoming exhausted, and Osman was losing some of his influence.
King John of Abyssinia was meanwhile vowing vengeance for the defeat at Debra Sin, and in April of 1888 a sham Abyssinian deputation visited Omdurman, nominally to bring the submission of Ras Adal, but in reality to spy out the land. Abu Anga advanced again, and was at first successful, but in July Ras Adal smote him hip and thigh, and the Dervish general[187] died in the following January, whilst Ras Adal became King of Gojjam, under the name of Tekla Haimánot. King John was now determined to capture Gallabat and advance on Omdurman; he therefore left Gondar at the end of February, and advanced against Matemma, the capital of Gallabat. Zeki Tumal had fortified this town, and held it with 60,000 men; Battle of Matemma, 9th March, 1889.but the Abyssinians surrounded and overwhelmed them (9th March). During the last stage of the fight, however, Death of John.King John was killed by a stray bullet, whereupon his army retired at once. The Dervishes harassed their retreat and captured the body of their monarch, so to all intents the result amounted to a serious Abyssinian reverse. The Abyssinians are said to have numbered 87,000 men, and outnumbered the Dervishes, vide [p. 108.]
Accession of Menelik.On hearing of this, John’s rival, Menelik of Shoa, seized the throne and proclaimed himself Negus Nagasti, shortly afterwards making a treaty of friendship with the Italians.
1890. 1891.During 1890 Handub was still occupied by the enemy, but in the first days of 1891 Colonel Holled Smith, then Governor, attacked and occupied it during the absence of Osman Digna (27th January). He then followed up his advantage by seizing Trinkitat and Teb, and on the 19th February, after a sharp fight with the enemy at Tokar, Reoccupation of Tokar, 19th February, 1891.he occupied the ruins of that town and the village of Afafit, and drove Osman Digna back to Temerin.