264 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

south-west and east of town some way off. They are quiet. I should take the road from Ambukol to Metammeh, where my steamers wait for you." On the back of the letter was a small plan showing the distribution of the Mahdi's army (20,000 men) and the number and position of his guns.

The arrival of five of Gordon's steamers at Shendy, the fioTitinof round Khartum, the desertion ol some of the Mahdi's followers (the Baggaras), and the report of sickness and starvation in his camp had been made known to General Wolseley and the officers of the expedition by their own messengers before their arrival at Korti; and some hostile bands had been seen on the desert between Debbeh and Khartum, but none were reported between Korti and Metammeh.

All was bustle and excitement at the camp at Korti after the 1 6th of December; troops were arriving by land and water; — the various detachments of the camel corps after their dreary ride along the banks, shaken and stiff with the unceasing jog of the animals, to which, however, they had at last become accustomed; the men who came by water and toiled at the oars, strained and burnt, and with stiffened, blistered hands, but all, as the phrase goes, "fit" and in excellent form, and above all, cheery and determined. Though the Christmas -night festivities were permitted and enjoyed, there was no slackening of exertion, and as quickly as the troops arrived preparations were made for what was already known as "the desert march," while the advanced boats of the river column were being sent on to Belal and the foot of what for some reason the war department named the Gerendid Cataract.

It had been for some days pretty well understood that the original idea of making the advance only by river to Berber and thence to Khartum had been abandoned, and that the only way to rescue Gordon within the time that he might be able to hold out would be to despatch troops across the Bayuda, and the camel regiments had been specially organized for this purpose: the camel battery, camel transport, camel bearers, and camel field-hospital. To those who already knew something of the country and of the desperate