ARRIVAL OF GORDON S STEAMERS. 75 being obliged to show on the high ground we had prepared the whole town for what we were going to do. On nearing it we found the town full of people, and it proved to be strongly held. The natives could be seen bolting in hundreds at the east end, but evidently the walls were manned by the fighting men. From loopholed walls we sustained a well-aimed fire and could practically touch nobody. Our two guns came into action, but did little harm, as common shell goes through these mud walls but only makes a hole where it passes, and with this mud material nothing breaks or catches fire. When close to the town a large force of spears and flags were seen, and we advanced slowly in square hoping to get these to attack. W'hen 600 or 700 yards from the walls, as they would not charge, and our force was too small and too much encumbered already with wounded to attack walls manned by rifles, which would lead to hours of street-fighting, and we could see what a size the town was (being too big for our force to hold, it would rather be a source of danger than otherwise had we taken it), it was decided to retire. No sooner had we taken one step backwards than a round shot was fired at the square and passed over us. Three shells, however, got our range, and the third came plump in the middle. We now deployed and slowly retired, covered by skirmishers and artillery."

While the attack was being made on the town, at about half-past nine in the morning an orderly came from Major Barrow to report that some large flags had been seen in the rear and that they were believed to be those of steamers. This was news, indeed, and Mr. Burleigh of the Daily Telegraph, who had been actively employed all the time, rode off" to see what they were like. There could be little doubt that they were the steamers promised by Gordon, and Sir Charles Wilson sent Lieutenant Stuart-Worlley to confer with those on board and to induce the commander to land some of the soldiers and help our men in the attack on Metammeh.

They were nothing loth, and the delight of our men at sight of the steamers coming stately down the river with the Egyptian flags flying was justified by the alacrity with which the black