The Battle of Dem Idris.

seriba was given to his two nephews, Mahomed and Ahmet. Old El-Arbab having adopted his natural son Raf ai, the two nephews wanted to kill the latter, but he fled to Niam-Niam, and when he heard of our arrival at Dem Idris, he joined us with fifty Besingers. On the other hand, El-Arbab's two nephews, with their force of about one thousand two hundred men, passed over to the enemy's camp. After the battle, two large villages, Dem Bekir and Dem Gugio, inhabited by numerous Jelabba, sent about six hundred Besingers to assist Suleiman, for they lived exclusively by the slave trade which we wished to destroy, and by Suleiman's fall they would be completely ruined.

This is why it was not possible for me to take the offensive until reinforcements arrived from Makraka. In the meantime the enemy is gathering in his deserters, and has already filled up his losses with new contingents arriving from every part.

All the people that the rebels succeed in capturing, and who are not favourable to them, are sent off to Kordofan. I am unable to assist these villages, because of the strength of Suleiman's force. Surrounded on all sides, I only commanded the ground covered by my cannon. But all round our camp there were many fields of doora, and at four hundred and fifty paces a chor or torrent, whence we procured our water ; meat and salt were not wanting, but we will not speak of butter, coffee or other things, which I consider luxuries. I had left all that at Rumbek, because I had not sufiicient porters, and did not wish to be encumbered with useless things.

We learned from a deserter that Suleiman had sent people to his Dem to make new provisions of ammunition, and to fetch three cannon with which he hoped to force us to come out of our entrenchment.

On the 3rd January, Suleiman appeared. He