THE RECONOUEST OF THE SOUDAN. 51 near theriver to be by no means easyfor troops, and impossible for guns. There was a desert track farther from the river bank, striking the Nile again at Dakfila, or Dakshila, 25 miles in advance, by which the guns could be sent, but want of water would make it difficult for infantry. So it was decided to send the guns forward by the desert track, and keep the rest of the force nearer the Nile. Starting at midnight on August 2nd, the troops reached far fifty men of the column had fallenout, two from sunstroke, the rest from sore feet. On the fifth, fourteen miles were covered in three hours, starting at midnight, the best march accomplished so far.

Hunter hadby this time received information from his friendly scouts and spies that Abu Hamed, now about thirty-six miles distant, was not strongly garrisoned, but that the Robatat sheikhs who held it for the Khalifa expected-DERVISH FUGITIVES FLOATING DOWN THE NILE FROM A1IU HAMEL Sclmi atseven a.m.by a track" so infamouslybad that it wasmarvellous how menand animals got overit." The column was now abreast of the Shukuk Pass on the other side of the river,the scene of Earle's victory at Kirbekan twelve yearsbefore. A single battalion was pushed on in advance by another night march to Dakfila to serve as a guard for the guns. They arrived therejust an hour before the battery. The rest of thecolumn followedlater, and the wholeforce was concentratedat Dakfilaon August 3rd. The next stage was a long inarch of eighteen miles overdeep sand to ElKab, at the head of the cataracts, and it took just eighteen hours, starting at midnight and marching till near sunset. So large reinforcements from Berber. He resolved to push rapidly forward and strike before his enemy could receive the expectedsuccour.

Marchingat midnight onAugust6th,hecovered another eighteen miles by eight o'clock next morning,and then halted for theday on the river bank at Ginfidab to rest his men and make the final arrangements for next morning's battle. Justeighteenmilesseparatedhimfromhis enemy, who he hoped and believed wereunaware of his ach. At half-past five in the evening the march was resumed andcontinued till three a.m. on Saturday, August 7th, when a halt was made on a sandv ridge at Ginnifar, a little over two miles from the town. Here the men rested to