The war in Egypt and the Soudan; an episode in the history of the British Empire, being a descriptive account of the scenes and events of that great drama, and sketches of the principal actors in it

BETWEEN GAKDUL AND ABU-KLEA. 1

family, after staying with us some days at Gakdul, were allowed

to go home." This, of course, refers to the occupation of Gakdul

by the first column, which awaited the return of Sir H. Stewart with

the main force. The wells of Gakdul are at the head of a large

circular plain or amphitheatre, surrounded by steep black rocks

300 feet high, which are in turn commanded by the ranges beyond:

a difficult place to defend against an enemy, who might come

suddenly down from the distant ridges on all sides at once.

The garrison of Gakdul, consisting of the guards and a

detachment of 400 engineers, all under the command of Colonel

Boscawen, had their work to do, as we have seen. For defensive

purposes three forts were built on the high ground: Fort Stewart on the rocky hill commanding the gorge leading into the basin of

Gakdul; Fort Boscawen, just over the wells, commanding the

whole ground round the water and the steep gully by which the

water pours into the wells or reservoirs in the rainy season; and

a third smaller look-out post on a rocky spur flanking the two

larger works. Mimosa thorn and scrub were cut down and thrown

so as to block up the gullies leading into the basin, and down

which a force might have approached without being seen. The

fire from the three forts would sweep the whole amphitheatre,

but at a later date Sir Evelyn Wood, when he was in command at

Gakdul, substituted a chain of small "pepper-boxes" for the two

big forts, and so crowned every ridge within range and ensured

our occupation of the high ground. We have noted other

improvements carried out, especially in the arrangements for

watering the camels and horses by means of pumps, hose, and

troughs ; so that 3000 camels a day could be watered without much

difficulty; and on the arrival of Sir Herbert Stewart's column on

the 1 2th this work was so effectually done that though the poor

beasts had had only eight pounds of grain apiece since leaving

Korti, the force was ready to push forward on the following day,

leaving behind as garrison at Gakdul Wells 400 of the Sussex

under Colonel Vandeleur.

Colonel Stanley Clarke had left early in the morning with the

return convoy to Korti, and Major Kitchener went with him—an