22 WITH KITCHEHEE IN THE SOUDAN

and as the smoke cleared away, the effects of the five hours’ bombardment were visible. The forts and batteries were mere heaps of ruins, the guns could be made out lying dis- mounted, or standing with their muzzles pointing upwards.

The ships had not come out scatheless, but their injuries

were for the most part immaterial, although rigging had

been cut away, bulwarks smashed, and sides dinted. One gun

of the Penelope had been disabled and two of the Alexandra. Only five men had been killed altogether and twenty-seven wounded.

^^o sign was made of surrender, and an occasional fire was kept up on the forts to prevent the Egyptians from repairing damages. At one o’clock twelve volunteers from the In-

vincible started to destroy the guns of Fort Mex. Their fire had ceased and no men were to be seen in the fort, but they might have been lying in wait to attack any landing-party.

On nearing the shore the surf was found to be too heavy for

the boat to pass through it, and Major Tulloch and six men swam ,ashore and entered the fort. It was found to be de-

Se?fed, and all the guns but two ten-inch pieces dismounted. The charges of gun-cotton that the swimmers brought ashore with them were placed in the cannon and their muzzles blown

off. After performing this very gallant service the little party swam back to their boat. The British admiral’s posi-

tion was now a difficult one. There were no signs of sur- render; for aught he could tell, fifteen thousand Egyptian troops might be lying round the ruined forts or in the town hard by, in readiness to oppose a landing. That these troops were not to be despised was evident by the gallantry with which they had fought their guns. This force would be aided by the mass of the population, and it would be hazard- ous indeed to risk the loss of fifteen hundred men, and the

reversal of the success already gained. At the same time it was painful to think that the Europeans on shore might be massacred and the whole city destroyed by the exasperated troops and fanatical population.