32 WARS OF THE NINETIES their long tapering yards suggested the chance of a naval engagement. Though the Dervish flotilla counted for nothing, the chief work of the comingfight fell to thenaval elementin the Sirdar's forces. Commander Colville wasordered to lead his three steamers past the Dervish worksand to runup to Dongola. The artillery of the Egyptian army was at the same time to support the squadron by opening fire on the enemy's works across the broad river. Colville led the wayin the Tamai, followed by the Abu marched on to Barji, the gunboats guarding its flank on the river side, the Camel Corps and the cavalry protecting the left or desert flank and scouting in advance. The only sign of the enemy were a few patrols, with which the Egyptian cavalry had somesuccessful skirmishes.

At Barji the forceleft the Nile bank for a time to make a short cut across a bend of the river by the desert track to. Abu Fatmeh. The flotilla, meanwhile, was passing the Hannek cataract, in which it was unfortunately reduced Klea and the Metemneh. The two armies watchedhis advance from the river bank. At first all was grim silence, but suddenly asthe Tamai approacheda point where the heavy earthworkplatform of a,water-ttheel rose from the Nile bank, a battery, cleverly entrenched in the mound, suddenly openedfire, and at the same time a perfect storm of rifle-bullets came from a line of pits near the water's edge. Colville was hit in the wrist, but pluckily stuck to his post on the upper deck of the gunboat. Her deck-houses were from four to three gunboats by the El Tcb sticking fast on arock.

The flotilla and the army were concentrated at AbuFatmehabove the cataract on Friday evening, September 18th. From this point there is open water to Merowi on the northern edge of the Bayuda desert, andthis long reach of the Nile is navigable all the year round. The Dervish position at Kerma was only about three miles distant. The Sirdar resolved to marah upon it before dawn on the 19th and attack at daybreak, the object of the time EGYPTIAN CAVALRY CLEANING THEIR ARMS ON BOARD A TRANSPORT.

being chosen not so much with a view to surprise, as in order to spare the menby marching and fighting in the cool of the early morning and to have a long day for the pursuit. The army advanced in battle array, but at dawn it was found that the Dervishes had abandoned the worksandretreatedacross the river during the night.

From the high ground near strong bodies of Dervishes could be seen on the opposite bank; towards Hafir there were entrenchments near the river, and at some distance out in the desert and a small steamer mannedby Mahdists (one of Gordon's old gunboats) and some feluccas with fairly riddled, and several of her crew were wounded. The engine was reversed, and the boat drifted a little down stream, while the Dervish works were carefully reconnoitred. Then the order was given,"full steam ahead," and the flotilla made a second and this time a successful attempt to pass the battery and rifle-pits, aided by the well-directed fire of the landbatteries, which hadnow taken position at closer range on an island in theriver. The little Tamai ran close up to the battery, drove the enemy's gunners out with a well-burst shell and a shower of bullets from her Maxim and Nordenfeldt guns, and then steamed on up the