The fog is lifting on the Nile. The Daily News
correspondent at Assouan, who has been most keen and successful in the collec- tion of news which the paper does not like, telegraphs, on. Thursday, a letter received. there from Mr. Joseph Franco, of, Dongola, a Maltese-subject of the Queen. Mr. Franco states that on June 21st, the Mudir of Dongola, after interviews with Sheikh Hedayed, commanding the Mandi's army near the town, an- nounced that he had accepted the Emirship of Dongola at the hands of the Mandi. He, therefore, ordered all Christians to become Mussnlmans ; and, on their refusal, threw them
into prison. He then informed them,—Europeans as well as Copts,—that unless they yielded they would be sent to El Obeid to be sold as slaves. Thereupon they did yield. It is added that the fall of Berber is certain, fugitives thence having reached Dongola ; and that the Mudir, who con- trols the telegraph, is deliberately deceiving the authorities in Cairo. We have given our reasons elsewhere for believing this letter to be authentic ; and if so, it shows that the Mandi's lieutenants are steadily advancing northward. It is probable that he himself remains at El Obeid, as his spiritual authority cannot be impaired by the success of any General, and he is not a trained fighting-man. He may, however, as some reports have it, be moving, or intending to move, to Khartoum.
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