ORDERS TO HALT. 1 55 and that Lord Wolseley was, like themselves, suffering the pain and mortification of personal sorrow and the conviction that all the efforts which had been made were ineffectual; that the primary object of an arduous campaign, the conditions of which were unparalleled in the history of modern warfare, had been frustrated, and that the declarations that had been made of the intention of the expedition would necessitate the abandonment of Khartum and the withdrawal of our forces from any further attempt to vindicate the authority of the khedive in these western provinces of the Soudan, whatever might be done for the protection of the Red Sea territory and the occupation of Suakim and the eastern borders. The painful intelligence was not made known, however.

General Earle and General Brackenbury kept it secret, and the cause of the immediate orders to halt could only be surmised by the other officers.

Before the receipt of the telegram a message had been sent to Lord Wolseley describing the position of the troops at Birti, the prejDarations for further advance, and the probable movements of the enemy; and he was informed that, though the route was exceedingly difficult both by land and water, a tangled mass of rocks quite unsuited for mounted troops, and affording neither good anchorage nor good ground for bivouacs, no resistance was anticipated on that side Abu-Hamed, so that the column would push on as rapidly as possible consistently with necessary precautions.

To Colonel Rundle at Korosko an intimation had been sent that the march beyond Birti had commenced, and that not only materials for repairing the boats and shoeing the horses would be required, but clothing for the troops. The trousers of the men and those of many of the officers were so worn as to be in tatters and beyond much mending. A prolonged halt would, it was discovered, present even more difficulties than an immediate advance. A messao-e to the chief of the staff at Korti on the 8th of February stated the result of the estimate that had been made during the three days' occupation ot Birti. The strength of the forces was 2966 officers and men drawing rations. A further large quantity