180 The Egyptian Army.

1836.

1887.

Action at Sarras.

The Egyptian army.

men having been mostly killed under Wad en Nejumi, at Toski, he has been often imprisoned by Abdullah, and isof comparatively small account. He is, however, considered to be, strictly speaking, next in succession to Abdullah.

During 1886 the frontier of Egypt was withdrawn to-Wadi Haifa, and the enemy, checked but not daunted by the fight at G-innis, worried and raided and tore up the railway to their heart's content. Numerous small skirmishes occurred, but no serious fighting was destined to take place for another three years.

Although the Khalifa was anxious to carry out at once his plans for the invasion of Egypt, he was prevented by three causes : first, a revolt in Darfur and Kordofan (v. p. 186) ; secondly, attacks by the Abyssinians.

(v. p. 191) ; thirdly, attacks by the Kababish. During 1887 the only fighting of importance on the Nile was Colonel Chermside's action of the 28th April, in which Nur el Kauzi and 200 Arabs were killed at Sarras . A misfortune, however, occurred in the defeat and death, at Mahbass Wells, of Sheikh Saleh and many of his. Kababish, who had repeatedly, by harassing their left flank, prevented Mahdist reinforcements from coming down the river. This great tribe was now split up and hunted down by the enemy until it was almost annihilated.

About this time Charles JSTeufeld, a Grerman merchant,, was captured in the desert and sent to Omdnrman, where he still is.

The small English force was now (4.1.88) withdrawn from the frontier, and the task of defending it devolved entirely on the Egyptian Army. A glance at the history and constitution of the latter will not be out of place here.

After the defeat of Arabi and his army in 1882, Sir Evelyn Wood, aided by a small but competent staff of officers, began the formation of a new Egyptian Army. By January, 1883, it consisted of 8 Egyptian battalions (forming 2 brigades, the first under British and the second under native officers), 1 regiment of cavalry, and 4 batteries of artillery. The IXth Sudanese battalion was raised at Suakin in May, 1884, and in March, 1885, Sir Francis Grenfell