GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 65 opened a sharp fire. In the morning a large body of them werediscernedmoving,apparentlyinthedirection of Tokar.

and 45,000 rounds of ballcartridge, thoughthe ammunition for theguns hadbeenreduced to twenty-two rounds perpiece. It was true that the town had been shelled for five days, and that a heavy riflefire hadbeenkept up at night-time, but the total loss inflicted during this bombardment, wasmerely twokilledand twelvewounded, out of agarrison of 300 men. The rebel forcenumbered lessthan 1000, so that there wasnofear of an assaultbesides which the authorities were aware that British troops were hasteningto their relief. Inallprobability it was this knowledge which decidedthe capitulation.

Undeterredbythereportof thesurrender of Tokar, and The General's plan of operations was identical with that previously followed by BakerPasha,namely to land at Trinkitat and thence advanceon Tokar. ByFebruary 22,upwards of3000menhad been sent on to Trinkitat, but on that day news reached Suakim that Tokar had surrendered. Thegarrison,itseems, weresogalledby the constant fire of fiveKrupp guns captured by the rebels, and worked by black gunners, that theyaltogether lost heart, and allowed the townspeople,who had longbeenin HIGHLANDERS IN THE BAZAAR AT CAIRO, the circumstanceof its garrison having joinedthe rebel ranks, GeneralGrahamresolved to push onto thatplace from Trinkitat. After a preliminaryreconnaissanceby HussarsandMounted Infantry, the Gordon Highlanders and Royal Irish Fusiliers moved across the lagoon on February 25, and took possession of the fort which Baker Pasha had constructed onthe further side. The road thither was in some places very bad, and the Highlanders, in order that the column should exhibit a widefront, tookoff theirshoesandstockings aud w-aded bare legged through the swTamp on cither side. From early morning the enemy had shown in considerable numbers in the vicinity of the fort, apparentlyviewing the ships and the forces landed from them, with considerable exultation,andregarding the latter as a prey sent by Allahinto their hands. As the troops advanced they fell back, but showedin force some four or five hundred strong, on a ridge nearly two miles distant, brandishing their spears and indulging in defiant prancings. Upon the English cavalry advancing, they still held their ground andbegan firms; at along range; but as it wasevidentthatayetlarger force was concealed behind the ridge, it was notjudged advisableto charge them. Fort Baker having been taken possession of, a favour of a surrender, to take matters into their own hands. Accordingly on the 19th, negotiations were opened with the besiegers through the intermediary of Said Khæmeesa, a merchant of Tokar, who had been imprisoned by the authorities as asympathiser with the rebels, but who was released and dispatched as an emissary to their camp. On the following day Macaur Bey, the governor of the town, a former staunch adherentof Arabi Pasha, and suspected of wilfully surrendering,inpreference to being relieved by theBritish troops, went out with Jacomb Effendi the adjutantmajor, the garrison clerk, aud some hundred and fifty officers and townspeople to arrange terms*. Theyhad a conference, and on thesurrender being arranged, were entertained and feasted, and swore allegiance to the Mahdi. . ,.;, , The surrender was fixed for the next day, and during thenight a few soldiers who were still faithful to their colours succeeded inmakingtheirescape inthe darkness, andbringingthenews to Suakim. Oneofficerhad wanted to fight,°and had tried to rally the troops about him, buthad been overruled by his seniors, who weremostly formeradherents of Arabi. There was no valid reason for the surrender, therebeinganabundance of provisions