128 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

therefore under fire. The men on board and Keppel with his boat's crew went about the business of getting the clumsy craft off, however, and though the rifle-bullets pattered on her sides and shot and shell were whizzing and roaring overhead and in front of them not a man was hurt. The Arabs at Wad Habashi seemed to have been amazed at the escape of the steamer and at the persistent fight in which they had the worst of it. When they saw the little vessel getting up her steam, and noted that she was gliding away from them, they set up a yell of rage.

As the steamer, with the nuggar in tow, came abreast of the seriba, the men there were told to march about a mile lower down where there was a better place for embarking, and this having been reached without opposition, all were safely on board, and after taking in wood for the fires the rescued rescue expedition was on its way back to Gubat, which was reached before six o'clock the same eveninsf.

None of the natives had deserted even when they might easily have done so while the steamer was under fire and in danger of being crippled; and though a court of inquiry was held at the camp at Gubat, and the captains and reises were tried by courtmartial for the successive wrecks of the two vessels on the return journey from Khartum, and one reis was found guilty, and sentenced to death, but recommended to mercy because he had brought Stuart-Wortley down in the boat. Sir Charles Wilson records his conclusion that both wrecks were accidental, and due partly to carelessness, and partly to the low state of the river and the sunken rocks, which made it difficult to take boats of the size of the Bordein down the cataract, especially when drawing more water than usual because of the turrets and iron plating.

Letters from home had been taken up by Stuart-Wortley on board the Safia, but no communication from head-quarters had been received at the camp at Gubat (Abu-Kru), the only reinforcements which had arrived being the 2nd division of the naval brigade, and the second half-battery of artillery. But all the camels that were of any use had been sent to Gakdul to wait for the reinforcements that were believed to be on their way to Gubat,