ON THE MAINLAND. 1 25 landing, and placing a line of black sentries across the island to prevent a surprise. AH Agha went across first with his Bashi-Bazouks and took possession of a little hill, and long as it took to cross in one small boat, the passage was made without any accident of importance. The nuggar was then floated down to a point on the right bank opposite to the steamer, there to wait till the rest of the force had marched down to the same place; for there was the steamer Es Sofia they made her out to be her white ensign flying and the artillery duel going on as briskly as ever. On the bank, when the men landed, Sir Charles Wilson saw the messenger whom he had sent with a note to the commanding officer at the camp in case Stuart-Wortley should not arrive safely, and that messenger declared that on his way he had seen two steamers coming up. What then had become of the other if it had not been sunk by the battery ?

The truth was that there never had been two steamers; but a Soudanese seems almost incapable of telling the exact truth, everything must be exaggerated. Lord Charles Beresford had reached the battery, where resistance was expected, at the earliest possible moment, and had almost passed it when the steamer's boiler was struck by a round shot; she had gone on for about 200 yards further before the engine stopped; she then anchored, the Gardner gun and one of the small guns being plied on the battery* with such effect that the enemy could neither bring their up-stream gun effectually into play, nor show their heads above the parapet.

This was only found out afterwards, when the force from the island had marched down to a point of the shore opposite the steamer, the black soldiers acting as a skirmishing party to cover the right flank of the column, and by their fire causing several horsemen who appeared on the route to beat a hasty retreat. On arriving at the place where the nuggar was waiting they could see that something was the matter with the steamer, and presently made out that those on board were signalling that the boiler had been injured, but would be mended in a few hours. They also learned that if they camped for the night lower down on a part