NEWS FROM GAKDUL. 7

seriously to interfere with the action of the compass in their

vicinity; the tops of others are composed of small five or six sided

columns, so regular as to resemble artificial paving; others, again,

consist of alternate layers of sandstone and lava, and resemble

giant fortifications and buildings; whilst all around are strewn

globular volcanic bombs of every possible form, hard as glass on

the exterior, and when broken found to be filled with sand of

different colours. Here, again, are long streams of rock resem-

bling lava which, in cooling, has contracted and divided into

regular joints, so that the fossil vertebr^e of some enormous beast

are closely simulated; whilst, as though carelessly thrown about,

here and there are seen the trunks of fossil trees, some of which

are as much as thirty to forty feet long. About fifty-five miles

from Ambukol are the wells of El Howeiyat, of similar character

to those of Hambok, followed by those of Abu Haifa, and next of

Gakdul.

On New Year's Day, 1885, the first boats of the Black Watch

reached Korti; on the 3d of January General Earle, who had

arrived on the ist, left to join the advanced guard of his river

force; and on the 4th the South Staffordshire Regiment passed

the cataract and occupied Handab, where the river column was

to assemble before going forward. On the 5th Lord Charles

Beresford reached Korti with the first division of the Naval

Brigade; and on the same day Sir Herbert Stewart, who was not

expected back for ten days after the first desert column had

marched out to occupy Gakdul, returned, having made such an

expeditious journey that he had left the guards' camel regiment in

occupation, and was now ready to join them with the second

column. The march to Gakdul had been accomplished with great

success, and the enemy, taken by surprise, had not ventured an

attack. Some prisoners—Awadiyeh Arabs—from the neighbour-

hood of Metammeh had been brought in, but little information

could be obtained from them, except a confirmation of the report

that there was a force at Metammeh armed with rifles, and that

General Gordon's steamers were on the river below the cataract.

The entire force at Sir Herbert Stewart's disposal consisted