198 • EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

been confided to the agent of Messrs. Cook, the famous organizers of the "tourist" system, who, however, found that the'sidings and the means for shunting and unloading the trains were exceedinglydefective, and in view of a large movement of troops and military stores would be altogether inadequate.

By that time there was no longer any doubt as to the intentions of the government to send an expedition. Mere "observations" had already taken the form of "operations." On the 14th of August Captain Boordman had taken command of the flotilla of five war steamers on the Nile in place of Captain Bedford. The 56th Regiment, numbering 670 men, had arrived at Assouan at daybreak, to be enthusiastically received, and it was understood at Cairo that Sir Redvers Buller was about to leave England for Egypt to act as chief of the staff to Major-General Earle, who afterwards took command of the forces proceeding by the Nile, and known as "the Nile column." At that date, August 14th, however, it was understood that General Stephenson had been appointed to the direction of the expedition for the relief 01 Gordon.

The troops under orders for Wady Haifa were: — The Royal Sussex and the Essex Regiments, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, and the South Staffordshire Regiment, a squadron of the 19th Hussars, and the Mounted Infantry, making a force of about 3000 men. Drs. Hedley, Maconachie, and Irvine being the medical staff, and chaplains Brindle and O'Neill attached. Commander Hammill, of the Monarch, was also attached to the expeditionary force to superintend the passing of the Nile steamers over the cataracts, with the general naval charge and superintendence over all the boats and steamers above Wady Haifa.

A gun-boat commanded by Lieutenant Reeve, R. N., was at Assouan on the 16th, and quantities of tackle for hauling steamers over the cataracts were beinof hurried thither. Six naval officers and 80 sailors were there with Commander Hammill, but the passage of the steamer Nile over the first cataract was left to the Arabs, and was nearly wrecked because of the hawser which was let go from the bank, being entangled with the paddle-wheels