I36 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

The enemy, still gathering on the banks of the Nile, continued to fire on the palace, and began seriously to harass Khartum. For three weeks the people of the town, the troops, and the Bashi-Bazouks had been crying out to make a sortie against the rebels, and the demand grew more urgent after the victory at Halfiyeh; the general opinion being that the enemy were demoralized, and might be defeated. They were drawn up opposite the palace on the other side of the Blue Nile; their lines, being two miles long, about eight distant, and parallel to the Blue Nile, stretched from Halfiyeh to some wooded sand-hills.

On the morning of the 16th Gordon ordered a sortie to be made, and at 8 a.m. two steamers started for Halfiyeh, and the Bashi-Bazouks under their own leaders along with some regular troops advanced across the plain towards the rebels The troops numbered about 2000, and the Bashi-Bazouks and Egyptian regulars were in a long thin line facing the enemy and also parallel to the Blue Nile, while the regulars were in square opposite the centre of the rebel position. On the left flank was a small square of regular Soudan troops with one field-gun, on the right front flank was a handful of mounted troops. The result was disastrous, and afforded another example of the utter worthlessness of Egyptian troops and the treachery of their leaders. The whole engagement could be seen from the roof of the palace, where Gordon and Power were stationed, and where Power remained to witness the scene.

As the Khartum force drew near the rebels the latter began to file away to the right of the line of the Bashi-Bazouks, and disappeared behind the sand-hills. This pretended or supposed retreat commenced at 9/40, and at 10 30 all had disappeared, the enemy's rear being covered by about 60 Arabs mounted on horses and camels. "Our line," said Power, "still advanced, and the artillery fired two shells at the retiring rebels. Our horsemen having entered the woods at the foot of the sand-hills, we saw, to our astonishment, the five principal officers of our force, who had been riding a little ahead, dash back, breaking through their own ranks.

At that moment the rebel cavalry shot out at full gallop from