NEWS OF THE WEEK.
-FIORD WOLSELEY on December 16th telegraphed to the War Office to announce his arrival at Korti, a point beyond Ambukol, where he must decide whether he will push across the desert to Shendy, a sixteen days' march, or still proceed by the longer route by the river. He reports all well, the boats having fulfilled his expectations, and the men being in good-heart and the stronger for their "constant manual labour." He has still to wait at least a fortnight before the major portion of his force can reach Korti. Lord Wolseley sends home little news and exercises a strict censorship over the correspondents, believing that intelligence of his movements is constantly conveyed to the Mahdi by the French in Egypt. They have a countryman in the Mahdi's camp, and not only send him intelligence, but spread about the false news which he thinks likely to further the Mahdi's interest. As a rule, this news takes the form of asser- tions that the Mahdi is being deserted, though, as we all know, he has kept up his investment of Khartoum for months. The French in Egypt seem to be half-crazy with anti-English feeling.
