138 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

four wounds — all from the sword or spear. There were only about twenty wounded, as the Arabs gave no quarter, and only left the wounded when they believed them to be dead. I doubt whether any will survive. Colonel Stewart got them on board a steamer and transferred them to the hospital. On going back to the camp I met the army surgeon in charge, who coolly informed me that there were no wounded, and was very reluctant to go to the hospital when I told him that there were.

As I write parties of Bashi-Bazouks are carrying the bodies of friends who fell near the camp. Looking from the windows here in the palace, I can see the moonlit plain dotted with white marks in all directions; each mark represents the body of some poor wretch who never had the ideas, the hopes, or the courage of a soldier, and whose only instinct was retreat. All the bodies brought into camp bear the first-inflicted wound on the back.

Our loss is about 200 killed; the enemy's loss has not exceeded four. From this will be clearly seen the worthlessness of the soldiers now left in Khartum, with which the government seems to think General Gordon can work wonders. Officers and men alike are useless as soldiers. To-day they had every advantage on their side, yet sixty horsemen without firearms signally defeated 2000 armed with the best European weapons — Remingtons, bayonets, and revolvers. So terrified were the soldiers during the retreat, that until the Arabs ceased slaying not a shot was fired, nor saw I a bayonet fixed during the day."

The whole force retreated slowly towards the fort with their rifles shouldered, the horsemen of the enemy continuing to ride along the flanks cutting off the stragglers. The men made no effort to stand — two mountain-guns were lost, one of them having been abandoned with sixty-three rounds and fifteen cases of reserved ammunition. The Bashi-Bazouks, as we have seen, streamed off to pillage an unfortunate village near Khartum, and Gordon paid 600 compensation. The steamers which had gone to Halfiyeh to support the attack returned in safety, having done some amount of damage to the rebels.

Long afterwards, that is to say in the early part of 1885, the