colonel Stewart's reconnaissances. 131 the people were friendly; but at a place farther still, where the expedition arrived in the evening, and sent ten white flags ashore on the Kordofan side, the villagers fled. One man afterwards came, and to him the proclamations were read; and Hassan Beyswore on the Koran that if the people went to the steamers they would not be injured. Six went on board, and all declared for peace, and promised to return next morning bringing with them the sheikhs, to whom they carried letters containing promises of peace. On preparing to send a boat on shore in the morning to fetch the sheikhs, however, large numbers of people were seen to be on the banks with banners, spears, and rifles, waving lances, beating drums, and (those who were on horseback) galloping and prancing their steeds. They were said to belong to the Baggaras, and would not respond to the friendly signs that were made to them; so the steamers pursued the journey twenty miles further, to the village of Sheikh Tuk Ibrahim, where there were about 1500 armed men drawn up with a large body of cavalry, evidently prepared to oppose the landing of the expedition. They did not fire on the steamers, but would not respond to the pacific signals with the white flags; and Colonel Stewart therefore gave the order to return, as the limit of time named by General Gordon had expired. On returning Colonel Stewart held a meeting on the eastern bank, where a large number of sheikhs were present.

Here he learned that Tuk Ibrahim had recently returned from El Obeid with a firman from the " Mahdi" making him chief of the other bank, and authorizing him to levy a host of followers to prevent any landing, but not to cross the river.

Another reconnaissance on the White Nile was made two days afterwards, when Colonel Stewart again issued the proclamations of peace, and again no hostile demonstration was made on either side; but it was said that a shot was fired at a steamer on the way from Khartum to Shendy, about an hour's journey from Khartum. A week afterwards telegraphic communication became uncertain; the tribes on the risfht bank of the Nile between Khartum and Shendy were friendly, and that for the time prevented the advance of the Sheikh el Obeid to the Nile, so that Gordon hoped t<>