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GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 73 encircled the west sideof the town. Themarch under a burning sun, oversand and parched earth, was very trying, but only one man fell out, and he, after a time, rejoined the ranks. The distance covered was probably about elevenmiles. Before the town of Tokar, is a bare plain about a quarterofamile across. At four o'clock, GeneralStewart trottedoutfrom thebush into this plain with his staff and half-a-dozen men. He had barely advanced a hundred yards whena man was seenrunning from the town towards him. It was then evident that theenemyhadretiredandleft therelieving force to join hands withthebeleagueredgarrison, of whom onlyabout seventyremained. The besieged,it appeared,hadmade certain terms with the enemy, purchasing theirlives by surrendering their arms and giving the rebels help in their work. Some couple of hundred fugitives from the battle had reached the town,but fled as the British approached. The troops bivouacked on the plainin front of Tokar, where all remained quiet during the night, therebeingno tracewhateverof the enemy. Aboutnine o'clock a large convoy of camels with provisions and water, arrived safely from Fort Baker, causing general gratification.

OnSundaymorning,March 2, the cavalry andmounted infantry, with the generals and their respective staffs, started to visit a large rebel village named Dubbah, some five miles beyond Tokar, where it was rumoureda number of the enemyhad collected. The statement was found to be incorrect,for onnearing theplace the scouts reportedthat nothing living was visible,excepting some goats and cattle. Dubbah proved to be a large,strangling villago,of circular form, covering a mile in area. The huts werebuilt of straw,canvas,canes, andmatting, and were all in a woefulstate of dilapidation. As the troops drewnear a singular sight met their eyes. Outside the village, in some large huts, were stacked a quantity of rifles, and closeby wereBaker Pasha's missing Gatlings and mountain gun, brought there from Tokar. Round about, and in everyhut lay morerifles, heaps of bayonets, cartridges, portmanteaus, saddlery, clothes, stationery, and objects of various kinds— all forming part of the equipmentof Baker Pasha's army. Uniforms were there, pierced with spears, papers,medical instruments, band instruments, and all manner of articles utterly useless to the rebels. The latter had evidently lately beenin Dubbah, for in a hutthere was found the forage cap of a hussar, killed in the cavalry charge of the preceding Friday. From the confused state in which things werefound it was evident there had been a hurried search for objects of value. Here and there in the huts were recently dug holes, sho\vin»-where valuables had been hidden. Great quantitiesof dhurra together withother provisions werestoredin the place. The number of rifles discovered exceeded 1500, and these were at oncedestroyed by the soldiers. From the general appearanceof the walls of Tokar it was evident that no serious attempt had been made against the town. The day following the arrivalof the troops, many of the inhabitants who had fled when the rebels were fighting at El Teb or had gone off in companywith them, returned to Tokar with their families and property. Themen ofthe garrisonstatedthatsince their surrender they had been badly treated by the rebels, whose servants they had agreed to become. A wounded Egyptian artilleryman said that he and seven others had been dragged with ropes from Tokar to El Teb to work the guns. All the otherswerekilled,and he, on trying to escape, was shot in the back by the Arabs,butmanaged to crawl to Tokar duringthe night.

GENERAL SIR GERALD GRAHAM.

lie and his staff being frequently in the thickest of the fight. Herendered himself a mark for the enemyby a large redflag, which was carried beside him, and which attractedaheavyfire. The.loss sustained by the rebels was terribly severe, as many as 2300 of them,it was said, beingburiedon the field by the British troops. Funeral honours were rendered by the latter to the bodies of such officers belonging to Baker Pasha's army as could beidentified.

The troops leftEl Teb at nine the next morning,the cavalry beingdisposedontherightrear,withscouts thrown out ontherightandleftflanks. Ataquarter-pasteleven a halt was orderedfor the purposeof searching the bush on the left, which hadbeen gradually thickening. As this wasfound to be unoccupied, the force advancedwithout any change, the scouts sweeping a large area on both flanks until one o'clock. As by this time Tokar should have been in sight, two squadrons of the 10th Hussars, under Lieutenant-colonelWood, weresent to the front to endeavour to find the town. After the squadrons had galloped about a mile, the scouts reported that Tokar was visible more to the left and east than had been estimated. The directionsas to the necessary changein the line of advancehaving been sentbackto the General, the squadrons continued to moveforward. A number of natives werenow seenrunningin from the towninto the bush, whence they opened fire on the scouts. At three o'clock the infantry cameup, and as the square advanced the cavalry wheeled round from the right, until it manded the 2nd Brigade in the army of Lord Wolseley in Egypt, and had the brunt of the fighting. Helanded the first troops at Ismailia, fought at El Magfar and Tel-el-Mahuta, led the advance to Mahsaneh and to Kassassin, where on August '27, 1881, with 1700 men and three guns, he withstood and beat off the attack of 10,000, with fifteenguns, showingthe highest qualities of a General, caution, firmness, patieoce, pluck, and determination. In the second battle of Kassassin, onSeptember 9, and in the final battle of Tcl-el-Kebir on <he13th, General Graham also took part.

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