256 Seven Years in the Sotidan.

some hundreds of soldiers to meet it, when our sentries gave the ahirm. My troops, without waiting for orders, rushed upon the enemy, and after a three hours' fight defeated them with much loss on the enemy's side.

.Ja)ii(ari/ SOth. — Ammunition arrived, but still not sufficient.

February Ist. — Suleiman surprised the village of chief GoJi, and after killing many natives, carried off the remainder.

February 2nd. — Suleiman, to revenge himself on Abu Muri, who has joined us, set out to burn his village. I was informed of the movement, and made a demonstration which obliged the enemy to withdraw.

After dinner, a shot fired from Suleiman's camp set fire to one of our huts, and the flames, fanned by the wind, spread all over the camp. Profiting by the confusion, the rebels attacked us en masse. Our ammunition was safely buried, so we had nothing to lose. Before the rebels came close on us we made a sortie, and a furious fight ensued, but a lively fire from the Remington rifles and the cannon forced the enemy to retreat. We pursued to within fifty feet of their camp, when the fire prevented us from making an assault on their strong position, and Ave gradually fell back on our entrenchments. Mean-Avhile seven or eight thousand natives, who had been captured by Suleiman, made good their escape. The rebel loss turned out to be greater than I at first believed. I heard from our spies the next day that they had been carrying the womided away all night, and that among these there were many chiefs.

Some days before this affair I had sent a messenger to Shakka to inform the Grovernor of our critical position, and our need of ammunition.

At the very point of success, I had been obliged to recall my troops, being unwilling to expend our last cartridges. After some delay I received a