THE JOURNEY BACK. ZIJ Of course it is impossible at this distance to give you positive orders, but Lord Wolseley has every confidence in your miHtary discretion."

This could only be interpreted as a recall, and bitter as the disappointment •ws.s to officers and men it was evident that events had made it necessary for them to return without delay, since if General Duller had been surrounded by the main body of the Mahdi's followers from Khartum Lord Wolseley would not have had a sufficient force at Korti to march into the desert to his rescue. General Brackenbury instantly prepared for the return journey after sending the following reply to Lord Wolseley " I received your telegram this morning, just as the troops were starting up river. I am, by the map, about twenty-six miles from Abu-Hamed. I am not in the immediate presence of the enemy, nor have the patrols, who have been six miles beyond this, had any touch of the enemy. Nor do I anticipate meeting the enemy to-day should I continue my advance. My latest information is that the enemy intend to fight at Abu-Hamed, and I anticipate opposition if I advance upon it. There is a cataract between me and Abu-Hamed, and if opposed it might take some days before I could occupy the place. I am confident I could beat any force opposed to me, but I feel it my duty, in view of the facts contained in the first part of your telegram, to fall back immediately to Abu-Dom, and I shall fall back to Hebbeh to-day.

I shall return by the right bank."

By returning along the right bank as far as Merawi the general would avoid the danger of opposition in the Shukook Pass, and also the possibility of any large force of the enemy assembling at short notice on that side.

There is no need to follow all the details of the return journey. At noon on that same day the boats commenced to move downstream led by Colonel Denison commanding the Canadian voyageurs; the column moving in reversed order from its progress up-stream. On the 25th the destruction of the houses and the sakyehs at Hebbeh was completed. On the 26th the advanced guard was concentrated opposite Salamat. On the way down