NEWS FROM GAKDUL. 7 seriously to interfere with the action of the compass in their vicinity; the tops of others are composed of small five or six sided columns, so regular as to resemble artificial paving; others, again, consist of alternate layers of sandstone and lava, and resemble giant fortifications and buildings; whilst all around are strewn globular volcanic bombs of every possible form, hard as glass on the exterior, and when broken found to be filled with sand of different colours. Here, again, are long streams of rock resembling lava which, in cooling, has contracted and divided into regular joints, so that the fossil vertebras of some enormous beast are closely simulated; whilst, as though carelessly thrown about, here and there are seen the trunks of fossil trees, some of which are as much as thirty to forty feet long. About fifty-five miles from Ambukol are the wells of El Howeiyat, of similar character to those of Hambok, followed by those of Abu Haifa, and next of Gakdul.

On New Year's Day, 1885, the first boats of the Black Watch reached Korti; on the 3d of January General Earle, who had arrived on the 1st, left to join the advanced guard of his river force; and on the 4th the South Staffordshire Regiment passed the cataract and occupied Handab, where the river column was to assemble before going forward. On the 5th Lord Charles Beresford reached Korti with the first division of the Naval Brigade; and on the same day Sir Herbert Stewart, who was not expected back for ten days after the first desert column had marched out to occupy Gakdul, returned, having made such an expeditious journey that he had left the guards' camel regiment in occupation, and wTas now ready to join them with the second column. The march to Gakdul had been accomplished with great success, and the enemy, taken by surprise, had not ventured an attack. Some prisoners — -Awadiyeh Arabs — from the neighbourhood of Metammeh had been brought in, but little information could be obtained from them, except a confirmation of the report that there was a force at Metammeh armed with rilles, and that General Gordon's steamers were on the river below the cataract.

The entire force at Sir Herbert Stewart's disposal consisted