24 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

By the time the attack took place the company of the Royals and Scots Greys (No 4) had been partly moved from the rear to the left face to fill up the gap caused by the gradual lengthening out of the sides of the square, due to the impossibility of keeping up the strings of camels carrying litters for the wounded, ammunition, and water. By this movement the rear of the square was considerably weakened.

The route taken was parallel to, and a few hundred yards from the wady, or shallow ravine, that ran on the left to the wells of Abu-Klea, in which grew stunted trees, and thick high grass concealing deep water-courses, giving admirable cover for the enemy, and the course of the march was up and down, and across steep hillocks of hard sand which sloped towards the wady, and it was commanded by hills to the right and rear occupied by Arab riflemen.

It was trying ground for camels, hardly a yard of it being level, and also for the Gardner-gun, which was hauled by the blue-jackets.

It will be remembered that the enemy's sharpshooters were firing upon the flanks and rear of the square directly it had started to march from the seriba, and that many men and some officers were killed or wounded; among the latter. Lord St. Vincent and Major Dickson. Skirmishers from the Heavy Camel Regiment were sent out to the rear and the rear flanks to silence the fire of the enemy, and at the same time Lord Charles Beresford and other officers were expressing their concern at the difficulty in keeping the rear closed up because of the manner in which the camels dragged out. Thus, the form and the strength of square were impaired, and the camel -drivers sidling and edging away from the fire of the enemy's riflemen on the right rear pressed out the left corner of the square, though the Gardner-gun was kept up by the grand exertions of the sailors in spite of the interference of the camels. After a very slow march of about two miles the enemy's flags were seen to be in motion, and a large force of Arabs at about 500 to 700 yards' distance sprang up and advanced as if to attack the left leading corner of the square. The square was at once halted and moved to the right on to a slight elevation, a simple movement for men but difficult for camels, manv of which