252 1886.

1887.

Action -Ai Sarraa.

Khalifa, A.a 1888—1890.

having been mostly killed luuler Wad el Nejunii, at Toski (1889), he was thereafter often imprisoned by Abdalla, and was of comparatively small account. He was, however, considered to be, strictly speaking, next in succession to Abdulla.

During 1886 the frontier of Egypt was withdrawn to Wadi Haifa, and the enemy, checked but not daunted by the fight at Ginnis, worried and raided, and tore up the railway to their hearts' content. Numerous small skirmishes occurred, but no serious fighting was destined to take place for another three years.

Although the Khalifa was anxious to carry out at once his plans for the invasion of Egypt, he was prevented by three causes : firstly, a revolt in Darfur and Kordofan (v. p. 255) ; secondly, attacks by the Abyssinians (v. p. 258) ; thirdly, attacks by the Kababish.

During 1887 the only fighting of imporance on the Nile was Colonel Chermside's action of the 28th April, in which Nut el Kauzi and 200 Arabs were killed at Sarras. A misfortune, however, occurred in the defeat and death, at Matassi Wells, of Sheikh Saleh and many of his Kababish, who had repeatedly, by harassing their left flank, prevented Mahdist reinforcements from coming down the river. This great tribe was now split up and hunted down by the enemy until it had been greatly reduced in numbers.

About this time Charles Neufeld, a German merchant, was captured in the western desert and sent to Omdurman.

KHAUKAS HOUSB, OMDURMAN.

1888.

The Egyptian army.

The small English force was now (1st April, 1888) withdrawn from the frontier, and the task of defending it devolved entirely on the Egyptian Army. A glance at the history and constitution of the latter will not be out of place here.

After the defeat of Arabi and his army in 1882, Sir Evelyn Wood, aided by a small but competent staff of officers, began the formation of a new Egyptian Army. By January, 1883, it consisted of 8 Egyptian battalions (forming 2 brigades, the first under British and the second under native officers), 1 regiment of cavalry, and 4 batteries of artillery. The IXth Sudanese battalion was raised at Suakin in May, 1884, and in March, 1885, Sir Francis Grenfell became Sirdar.* The remaining battalions were raised as follows : — Xth Sudanese, January, 1886. Xlth Sudanese, January 1887 (formed from the Reserve). Xllth Sudanese, November, 1888. Xlllth Sudanese, June, 1886. XlVth Sudanese, March 1896 (disbanded 1902).

1.5th Egyptian, March 1896 (formed from the Reserve). 16th Egyptian, March, 1896 (formed from the Reserve). « 17th Egyptian, 1896 and 1897 (disbanded 1900). 18th Egyptian, 1897 (not complete) (disbanded 1900).

* Sir H. Kitchener succeeded us Sirdar in the spring of 1892.