16 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

disabled steamer and two barges, on which were

the "

Lights." We sympathised outwardly with them,

but inwardly were much pleased that they had broken

their crank, as that meant we should probably take

their place, and be first to go up country. And so it turned out. On arriving at Assouan,

on the 28th, we found orders for the three first

companies* to go on, by the first steamer available,

to Wady Haifa, there to receive our camels and

equipments, and proceed up to Dongola. As we

were not to start till next day, two or three of us

strolled into the town, which was much like all the

other towns we had passed, only larger and some-

what more unsweet, and then went to see a troop

of the Egyptian Camel Corps go through their

evolutions. What struck us most was the extreme

ease with which the beasts were guided only some

half-dozen having nose-reins. They advanced in

companies, wheeled into line, sections right, front

formed, in fact, did everything they had to do with

the greatest precision, and even proceeded to skirmish.

* I.e. ist Grenadiers, ist Coldstream, and ist Scots.