!.',', I ■'! AM; THE SOUDAN.

irney to Abu-Klea, and the guides had not the courage to accompany him. He therefore had to wait till a convoy started on the following evenincr, and to ride with it to Abu-Klea. after which lie was to push on alone to Korti. It was known aftcrds that he lost his way after parting from the convoy which n iched Gakdul before him; but he took up the route there and rode without a moment's loss of time, so that he reached Korti ' arly on the morning of the 28th, and the commander and the forces at Korti then learned the Litest news of the now weakened if not crippled desert column, of the departure of Sir Charles Wilson to Khartum in two steamers with a detachment of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and of the starting of the convoy for Gakdul under Colonel Talbot, who would return to Gubat on th< 28th, the date off aptain Pigott's arrival at Khartum. ft was then determin< d that on the following day (the 29th fanuary) Sir Redvers Buller should start from Korti on a march across the desert with the Royal Irish Regiment, followed b) the Royal West Kent.

All this was ol course telegraphed to Cairo to Sir Evelyn Baring by Lord Wolseley, who said: — "There has been sharp fighting since the action of the 17th instant, and the men have had extremely hard work and, until the 23d Instant, little sleep. Genera] Stewart, who, I deeply regret, has been severely wounded, has carried out my instruction,. We now hold a strongly-fortified post half-way between Berber and Khartum, and we hold the di ;ert route between it and this place.

On the large island opposite Gubat there is plenty of green forage for horses and camels. Gubat can be held against an) force which the Mahdi can send to attack it.

Four steamers from Khartum under Nusri Pasha arrived at Gubal during a reconnaissance made upon Metammeh on the 2isi inst., and the Pa ha landed some men and guns and took part in 1 he operations, Sir ( . Wilson left for Khartum on the 24th Inst, with two steamers and a detachment of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Metammeh Is occupied by about 2000 men, half of them regulars,