206 THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES at full speed. On the receipt of this startling information the officers walked to the side of the vessel, and as they did so, the Zaphzr,. which was floundering in a clumsy fashion towards the bank, suddenly gave a heavy lurch to starboard, and seemed on the point of “turning turtle.” A general exodus of natives followed; servants, sailors, and ‘“Gyppy” soldiers sprang out of the nooks and crannies in which they hide themselves on board, and, leaping into the stream, swam easily to the shore. At the same instant General Rundle, Major Dodd, and Lieutenant Micklem jumped from the deck on to the ghyassas at the side. The Zahir, however, righted herself again, but as the fires had been put out by the inrush of water, she drifted slightly and began to settle down. An attempt to get a rope from the ship to the shore failed.

Prince Christian then jumped upon a ghyassa, and lastly, just as the gunboat sank within thirty yards of the bank, Commander Keppel followed his example. Most fortunately, someone had the presence of mind to cut the ghyassas adrift, otherwise they would certainly have been dragged down with the vessel as