252 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

Infantry, now made their ddbut as boatmen. With about seventeen men and their kits to one boat, they paddled off on the afternoon of the i ith. Eight boats took the whole lot, a sadly reduced remnant of the magnificent corps which had started across the Bayuda.

Out of 24 officers and 390 men, only 1 1 officers and 252 men were left, the remainder being killed, wounded, or sick. We were under orders to start on the following day ; without regret, therefore, we took over our thirteen boats, packed our kits and ourselves into them, and started in the afternoon with a gentle breeze from the north-east, which took us down-stream at a good rate. Besides sixteen men and one officer, there were two Canadians to each boat, partly to teach us practical boating in the rapids, and partly to get them (the voyageurs) down-stream as soon as possible, for their time of engagement was soon up. It was a beautiful feeling, sailing down-stream in the cool of the evening like this, without a care, after our late toiling in the desert it was one of those things which ought to be felt to be appreciated.