DAYS OF WAITING AND PREPARATION. 17

caravan, escorted by Jaalin friendlies, from Berber and elsewhere. Much of the sickness in the army was probably due to the men recklessly drinking unboiled and unfiltered Nile water. At that season the river had sunk into its narrowest bed, and there were back-

washes and sluggish channels full of light-green tinted water. More filters were procured, and extra care was taken with all the water used for domestic pur- poses.

In May there were route marches twice a week, the brigade going off at 5.30 a.m. and returning about 7.30 a.m., all in the cool of the morning or such bearable

temperature as there was in the 24 hours’ daily round

in that month. During these exercises the troops had plenty of firing practice, being taught to blaze away at bushes, and occasionally at targets representing der- vishes. In that way the remainder of the million of tip-filed Lee-Metford bullets were disposed of, for it

had been arranged that there was to be a ‘new cartridge case for the Omdurman campaign. The latest pattern ‘‘man-stopper ” was a bullet fashioned with a hollow or crater at the point, the nickel casing being perforated.

So the days droned past for the British soldiers, with

little to do beyond essaying the impossible of trying to

keep cool. It was often otherwise with the Egyptians, for they had to assist in getting the railroad through to

Dakhala from Ginenetta, in forwarding boats and

stores, and later on in establishing wood stations and cutting fuel for the steamers. The first of the trop-

ical summer rain showers fell at Darmali on the 27th of May. On the 18th of June Major-General Gatacre

B