The Movements of Sti/eiman.

ceeded directly to Abugurum, where I arrived at half-past six in the evening. Three more Besingers joined us with their guns, and on the 1st December I reached the river, opposite which, at an hour's distance in the interior, lies the seriba Kutzuk Ali, on a piece of ground that forms a peninsula. We tried hard to find some means of crossing the river, but all the boats had been captured by Babeker when he fled from Jur Gattas, and the river was too wide to be crossed on rafts.

Two hours later Babeker appeared on the opposite bank Avith five hundred men and opened against us a lively fire. Thanks to the favourable position offered by the heights of the bank on our side, which then descended into a valley, their balls struck the ground. My servant, however, was so imprudent as to lead my horse to the water, which was wounded in the foot by a ball. Besides this a woman, who had no business among us, was slightly wounded in the thigh. I occupied the shore with two companies armed with Remington rifles. We fired a shot from a mitrailleuse and the rebels fled.

I don't know who spread in the camp the report that Suleiman had crossed the river with heavy forces, intending to go towards the port of ]\Ieshrael-Rek, and that, having heard of our arrival, he had changed his line of march in order to attack us at once. This report raised a tumult in the camp. To tranquillize my troops I made them construct a trenched camp that very night. I m3rself began to be uneasy on seeing so much cowardice among my people.

Except a few regular troops I had no one on Avhom I could rely ; indeed, all the other armed irregulars were rather an embarrassment than a help.

Finally the sheikh of Aivet arrived. The good