252 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

the crowded enemy, whilst a rain of bullets from the two Gardner guns at the redoubt, commanded by Lieutenant Paget, at the apex of the northern seriba, mowed wide gaps in the masses of the Arabs as these charged along the front.

The fire was too terrible to be withstood, and the natives fell back to the bushes, where their chiefs strove to re-form them for a second onslaught. Few, however, responded to the call, and soon all who were able to retreat disappeared among the bushes. The whole affair lasted but twenty minutes. There were a few minutes of confused but desperate fighting, of hand-to-hand struggle and imminent danger, five minutes of a terrible sweeping fire into the masses of the enemy, and a few minutes longer completed their dispersal after they began to recoil from the front. For a time nothing could be seen, so dense were the clouds of smoke and sanddust that covered the scene of conflict. Then, when the air cleared, it could be seen how great was the destruction which had been wrought. The whole space which had been cleared of bush for the construction of the seribas was thickly strewn with dark bodies, varied here and there by those of soldiers overtaken before they gained the inclosure, and by the transport animals which had fallen under the cross-fire to which they were exposed. Over a thousand of the Arabs lay dead around our seribas. Their fanatic courage and the manner in which they flung themselves into the face of death called forth the admiration of our troops; but the same fanaticism caused them neither to give nor to accept quarter ; they would feign death that they might spring up and stab a man or hamstring a horse, and it was dangerous to go out to examine their slain lest a seeming corpse should start up and spear the nearest of our men. Several boys of from ten to twelve years of age and some women were found among the corpses. Taking the number who must have fallen in the bush, or have crawled there to die, there can be no doubt that the loss of the enemy exceeded fifteen hundred, including many of their most valiant chiefs. Our victory, however, was by no means cheaply won. Our total loss in the three seribas was, of British, seven officers and sixty-three men killed, and six officers and eifhty-nine men wounded, while the casualties of the Indian infantry amounted to about eighty. This did not constitute the entire loss of the force, for a great many followers were killed in the stampede outside the seriba and in the flight to Suakim.

Among our officers killed were Captain Van Beverholt of the 17th Native Regiment, Lieutenant Swinton of the Berkshire, Lieutenant Seymour; and of the engineers. Lieutenant Newman and Captain Romilly, the latter one of the Romilly's of the old Huguenot family which has been so distinguished in English history.

The hussars, who were patrolling between the seriba and Suakim, were met on their return march to the latter place by some of the 9th Bengal