257 of cavalry, and a company of engineers, went and formed a camp or rather an advanced post there. On the i8th a reconnaissance was made to Deberet, and a column from Handoub, composed of Australians, guns, and mounted infantry, co-operated by advancing on Deberet through the Waratab Hills, while a third column from Otao operated towards the same point. A few parties of the enemy were seen retiring, but no resistance was attempted.

On the 19th the Scots Guards, with two guns and a company of engineers, were sent to Tambouk, six miles beyond Otao, to occupy the wells; but nothing was seen of the enemy, though the seriba at Tambouk was fired into on the 23d without any injury being done. Some of the friendlies arrived there with the camel corps, and encamped outside the seriba. On the night of the 26th firing was resumed by the enemy both at Tambouk and Otao, and the telegraph was cut. On the 28th they had scraped some holes under the sleepers of the railway and set fire to them, and an ambuscade was consequently set to watch the line, and an armoured train was ordered to patrol it after dark. General Graham had sent a message to Lord Wolseley urging the desirability of still further crushing the power of Osman Digma before withdrawing, as the force could operate on Sinkat and Tamanieb from Tambouk and Suakim; but there was a report that Lord Wolseley wold soon be on his way to Suakim, and it was understood that the campaign, if not the further occupation of the Soudan, would soon be over. Eighteen miles and three quarters of the projected railway had been laid from Suakim to Otao, at a cost of over ;£"8so,ooo. Osman Digma had been at all events temporarily crippled, and the tribes were falling away from him ; the adherents of the Mahdi at Kordofan were diminishing in number by internal dissensions, and, as we have seen, there were reasons which induced the government to regard these as sufficient grounds for proclaiming a return to the original policy of non-intervention in the provinces which they had at first advised the khedive to abandon.

The deficit on the financial statement for the year arising from unexpected demands for Egypt was ;63,732,ooo, and Mr. Gladstone, in committee of supply, after stating the reasons for asking for a vote of credit of eleven millions, had intimated that further operations in the Soudan would cease, and that the strength of the empire would be made available in other quarters should it become necessary. The railway had been carried forward, but the heat of the climate was almost unbearable, and there was great danger of an army dwindling away by sickness, increased by the fatigue of a harassing campaign.

On the 2d of May Lord Wolseley arrived at Suakim. Some fighting continued with moving bodies of the enemy, and two columns, with about 400 friendlies, marched to Shakool, ten miles south of Otao, to attack a Vol. IV. 70