GREGOET VOLUNTEERS 93 vishes and, as we heard, the whole population destroy d. Of course Mahmud has the choice of three courses, lie can stay where he is, he can march his whole force to Berber, or he can advance against us here. I don’t suppose that he has any idea of the progress the railway is making from Wady Haifa. He may have heard, and no doubt he has heard, that we are making a road of some sort across the desert in the direction of Abu Hamed, but of the capabilities of the railway he can form no idea, and may well believe that the march of an army across what is practically a waterless desert is a matter of impossibility.

“On the other hand, he knows that we are gathering a considerable force here, and, with his limited knowledge, doubtless supposes that we are going to cross the Bayuda desert to Metemmeh as the Gordon relief column did; or that, if we are not coming that way, we intend to follow the river bank up to Berber. Unquestionably his best course, if he considers, as we may be sure he does, that the force under his command is strong enough to crush us here, would be to push across the desert and fall upon us before reinforcements arrive. But it is reported, and I believe truly, that the Khalifa, his father, has positively refused to let him do so; still, sons have disobeyed their fathers before now.

“ There is, it is true, the difficulty of water ; but that is not so serious in the case of a Dervish force as it is with us. In the first place, they can march twice as far as we can ; in the second place, they are accustomed to go a long time without water, and are but little affected by the heat. Lastly, they have nothing to carry except their weapons, a few handfuls of dates, and their water-gourds. Still, we know that the forces that have one after another arrived here have been greatly weakened by the journey. However, Mahmud may attempt it, for he must know from his spies here, that we have at present no such land transport as would be required were we intending to advance across the desert. He may therefore move at least a portion of his force to Berber, trust-