252 KHARTOUM CAMPAIGN.

east bank, and were brought-to below the island. There the 37th R.A. Battery was landed, and the Lyddite shell fire was directed against the great wall and the Mahdi’s tomb, the range of the latter being 3200 yards. Many dervishes were seen in and around Omdurman, and a number were noticed upon the right bank. Two of the gunboats remained all night to protect the Lyddite battery, using their electric searchlights to detect any lurking dervishes. The steamers fired that day several hundred shells and 8000 rounds from their Maxims. Captain Prince Christian Victor was attached on board the “ Sultan,” and Prince Teck, who had a sharp attack of fever and had temporarily to abandon his squadron in the Egyptian cavalry, saw that and the next day’s battle from one of the other gunboats.

On the 2nd of September the “ Melik” ran a little way up stream before sunrise and then returned. In the first stage of the battle the ‘“ Nazir,” ‘ Fatah,” “Sheik,” ‘El Hafir” and another protected the south front of the Sirdar’s camp, whilst the ‘“ Sultan,” “ Melik” and ‘‘Tamai” guarded the north end of it. There were over 100 shells were fired from the “Sultan” at 3000 to 2800 yards ranges. The ‘t Melik” found the enemy’s columns with their quick-firing 15 pounders at under 1500 yards range on one occasion. During the second phase of the battle, the “Melik” dropped again down stream, and_ struck Sheikh Ed Din’s column as the enemy advanced to attack Macdonald’s brigade, treating the dervishes to all her artillery. When Omdurman was occupied by