THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN "must have been by their fall to the ground. Behind in the " desert could be seen about three thousand Dervish horse and " foot, waiting out of range of the gunboats to fall on any " force that attempted to cross the river."

This position was protected by deep morasses at each end. Soon after the Egyptian artillery had opened fire, Commander Colville, R.N., arrived in his flagship, the Tamaat, accompanied by the Adu Klea—the gunboat on which we were—and the Metammeh, and so soon as they were abreast of the Dervish forts they poured in their fire, and then dropped down stream until they were out of the enemy's range.

During the three hours' engagement which followed the Egyptian gunboats were struck several times by the Dervish shells, one of which entered the magazine of the Abu Klea, but fortunately did not explode. Seeing that the Dervish fire was not silenced, the Sirdar sent three batteries of artillery and the Maxim battery to take up a position on the Island of Artaghasi, which lay about three quarters of a mile from the Dervish position, and within two hours the Dervish fire was silenced. Whilst this was going on the gunboats were ordered to proceed to Dongola, and the carrying out of this order made it necessary for them to run the gauntlet of the five Dervish guns, which were worked by ex-Egyptian gunners. As they did so, the Dervishes made such good practice that scarcely a square inch of the gunboats escaped being hit by the rifle bullets of the enemy. Whilst the gunboats were making their way south to Dongola the Dervishes fired shots at intervals, chiefly from the place on the west bank where were moored a gunboat, built by General Gordon at Khartum and called At-Ta/ua, and twenty five large sailing vessels laden with grain, which they were trying to discharge. The Dervish loss that day is unknown ; the Egyptian loss was twenty-one killed and wounded.

Wad al-Bishara, the Dervish general, finding out late at night that the gunboats had arrived at Dongola, and being deceived by false information, decided in his mind that the Sirdar intended the Egyptian troops to march on until they were opposite Dongola, and then to make them cross the river. His answer to this ' " Sudan Campaign," p. 60. By An Officer.

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