Show Jlotcmneh LONDON January 29 A dispatch from Korti states that Metemneh is garrisoned by 13000 of the Mahdis troops under command of Olrrier Pain the excommunist of Paris A dispatch from Gubat says The four steamers sent down the river by General Gordon had not been to Khartoum for a month They had been awaitinK the British at the island above jJetcmneh The vessels are covered witft heavy boards 1 of hard wood outside and then iron plates inside They present a battered appearance being pitted with bullet marks the funnels were thickly indented in-dented with bullet marks The vessels resemble floating houses rather than war ships The British are improving im-proving their defences having learned that force of Arabs was coming from Berber to attack them The troops have been put on half rations |