WARS OF THE NINETIES 54 the district— aproof that all the tribesmen were not yet alienated from Mahdism. But the first result of the victory, nevertheless,was that several chiefs of the same tribe, who had not been present at Abu Hamed during the action, came in, made their submission to Hunter,and promised their help to the Government.

The capture of AbuHamed cost the Egyptian enemy fought desperately, and inflicted heavy loss on the victors. The ioth Soudanese were especially unfortunate,losing their gallant commander, Major Sidney, and his comrade and friend,Lieutenant Fitzclarence,both shot down while leading their men in the hardfight inside the village. An hour after the first shot was fired Abu Hamed was practically in possession COLONEL MAXWELL EXAMINING MAHOMMED EZZAM, THE DERVISH CHIEF TAKEN PRISONER AT ABU HAMED, IN THE GAOL AT WADY HALFA.

army some 200 killed and wounded. The desert march and the surprise and storming of the riverside town were a brilliant feat that, as we shall see, decided the fate of Berber, and added anotherlong stretch of the Nile Valleyto the territory controlled by Egypt. Although Hunter's force outnumbered the Mahdists three to one in the actual fight, it must be remembered that when he started from Kassingar for his difficultinarch he had nomeans of knowing how far Abu Hamed had been reinforced by Berber. It was a plucky venture. He relied on himself and his men to deal,if need be, with a superior force of the enemy, and the complete success of theflying column added not alittle to theyounggeneral'salready brilliant reputation.

of Hunter's force, but even then several of the largehouses were making an obstinate defence, though success was hopeless. It was not till noon that the last of these strongholds was cleared. In one house they held out so stubbornly that at last the Krupp guns had to be brought up to blow their citadel into ruins.

It was found that the men who made this desperate defence, refused to hear of quarter or surrender, and diedfighting to the last,were in all only about 700 strong. Some fifty, mostly mounted men, who dashed out of the village during the assault,and got away to the southeast, were the only ones who escaped— all the rest were killed or captured. They werechiefly men of the Robatat tribe, the inhabitants of