GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 127 " HOW LONG THE PUDDING TAKES TO BOIL1" his force were to open the road to Khartoumby way of Matamah; but, before making a decisive move in that direction, it was considered preferable to secure undisputed passessionof theHoweiyat, Abu Haifa,and Gakdul wellsin the Bayuda desert, which extends from Korti to Matamah. The force placed at Sir Herbert Stew.art's disposal for this purpose numbered 1100 men, mainly belonging to various sections of the Camel Corps, with nearly 2000 camels, many of which carried supplies. Besides a companyof theRoyalEngineers there were 45 men andhorses ofthe 19th Hussars, and detachmentsof the Commissariat and Medical corps. Seven hundred andfifty gallonsof waterweretakenasa reserve,together with 40,000 cartridges, and each mounted mancarried seven days' rations, seven gallons of water, and 150 rounds of ammunition. It was on Tuesday, December 30, that Sir Herbert Stewart and his troops started onthe march across the desert to Gakdul. Thebaggage camels werearranged in column, with from twenty to thirty marching* abreast, and with fifty yards interval between eachtroop. The Guards in front and the MountedInfantry in the rear were in close columnof companies,readyto dismountand form square at a moment's notice. Lord Wolseley inspected the whole, and at aquarter to three the little partyofcavalryscouts,underMajorKitchener,withsome Arab guides, moved off in front. A quarter of an hour later the General gave the order, and the great column got inmotion, strikingstraight off across the undulating and pebblyplain towards the distanthorizon. It was a strange sight to see the 2000 camels with their necks stretching outlike ostriches,and their 4000 pairs of longlegs moving alonginmilitaryarray, until the rising* dust first blended desert, men,and camels in oneuniformgrey hue, and finally hid them from the sight of those who remained in camp. Broad as wasthe face onwhich this strange column marched, it extended fully a mile in leno-th, and would have beenanunwieldy body in case of anattack by the enemy. The Camel Corps andMounted Infantry could have formed up quickly enough, but confusion would probablyhave prevailed amongthebaggage animals, for camels are the most obstinate of creatures, and objectparticularly to sudden andhurried movements. Their Somali drivers, too, could scarcely be expected to be very cool or steady if suddenly assailed by a large body of yellingtribesmen.

The first halt was made in the eveningat a spot nine miles out fromKorti. Itlasted for an hour and a half. GeneralStewart then gave orders for the column to close up, and for the camels to proceed on a broader front.

When they moved on again in the bright moonlight the lengthof the column was reduced therefore to half a mile,andwas notonlyunder bettercontrolon theline of march,but was verymuch more able to resist anysudden attack bythe Arabs. Themarch was continueduntilfour on Wednesdaymorning, whena longhalt was calledand the camelsunloaded. Colonel Barrow and the squadron of the 19th Hussars had preceded the column by some miles with orders to collect wood and light fires at the first halting-place,so that the menmight get their tea there assoonaspossible. Owing,however,toa mistake of their guides,the Hussars took the wrong track, and didnot rejoin the column tillmidnight. When theydiscoveredthat they had gone wrong, they searched along timein vain for thetrack of the column, which,owing to the whole plain being intersected by paths made by herds of gazelles and other wild animals, was by no means easyto detectin the moonlight. There was some excitement among the men when they halted for their first bivouac, owing to the uncertainty as to the whereabouts and disposition of the inhabitants. Only a few huts were visible,and these were deserted. Plenty of green fodder was obtainable, however, and the troops remained on the spot, quite undisturbed,until three in the afternoon, when a fresh start was made. Both men and animals were greatlyrefreshed by the rest, andthe men seemed to vie with each other in the smartness with which theyremounted when the order was given. The formation observed almost throughout the march wascolumn of companies,and theforce was sodistributed that in two minutes three squares could be formedin echelon to resist any attack.