THE FATE OF STEWART AND POWER. 247 his hand. He made signs to the people, who were all gathered near the house. They immediately divided into two parties, one entering the house, the other rushing down towards those gathered on the bank shouting and waving their spears. Hussein was with the party who had landed when they charged down, and on seeing the move he and the rest threw themselves into the river. The natives fired, killing some of the swimmers; many others were drowned, and the rest speared as they came near the bank.

Hussein swam to the island and hid there till dark, when he was made prisoner with some others and sent to Berth He heard that Colonel Stewart and the two Englishmen were killed at once.

Hassan Bey held the blind man before him so that they could not spear him. They spared his life, and he afterwards escaped to Berber. Two artillerymen, two sailors, and three natives are still alive at Berber, where they were sent by Suleiman. All the money found on board and in the victims' pockets was divided among the men who did the murder. Everything else of value was placed in two boxes and sent under a guard to Berber. The bodies of Stewart, Power, and the others were thrown in the river.

It will, perhaps, be convenient, in view of the consecutive character of the narrative, if we here follow the further details afterwards made known from information obtained by Major Kitchener: — " The steamer struck a rock at the entrance of the Monassir cataracts, just below the island of Kanaiett, on the small island of Um-Dewermat. Stewart, Power, and the French consul were on board. Stewart ordered the spare ammunition to be thrown into the river, and, after spiking the small gun, threw it also into the river.

The inhabitants were at first much alarmed, and ran away, but Stewart sent the reis Mohammed on shore to reassure them, and promised them peace. The natives sent word at once to Suleiman Wad Gamr, who came to the house of Etman Fakir, a blind man living on the right bank of the river, who has considerable influence over Suleiman, and was his principal adviser during the subsequent proceedings.