7 JANUARY 1899, Page 9

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

ON Thursday the War Office received information that the last remnant of the Dervish force, under Ahmed Fedil, had, while crossing the Nile at the cataracts north of Rosaires, been attacked and destroyed by Colonel Lewis, in command of the 10th Soudanese and a body of iregnlars. Colonel Lewis with great daring crossed to an island where three- quarters of Ahmed Fedil's force was posted, and, after severe fighting, took the Dervish position, killing five hundred and taking fifteen hundred prisoners. Meantime, Ahmed Fedil, who had got to the opposite bank with some three hundred marksmen, poured a heavy fire upon our troops. They were, however, ultimately dispersed by Maxim fire, but Ahmed Fedil escaped north-west with a few followers. Major Fergueson was, we regret to say, severely wounded, but he is now in hospital at Omdurman and doing well. Six Egyptian officers were wounded, and twenty-nine men were killed and one hundred and eighteen wounded. It was a brilliant little action, and Colonel Lewis is to be heartily congratulated on his success. The troops, who thus trod out the last sparks of Mandism in the Soudan, behaved excellently.