A Forhinaie Ambush.

in their present circumstances ; and all this without loss on our side.

Among the prisoners was Sheikh Cottu, an influential head of the tribe in the district of Dem Suleiman. This sheikh had been forcibly dragged with them by the rebels, to prevent him from helping us to gather together the native population dependent on him, and enlist them in our ranks. The capture of Cottu was a real blessing to us, for he had a close acquaintance with all the localities in the country, and could lead us to the villages where Ave should find corn whenever Ave needed it ; and thus Ave were not obliged to Avander without guide amongst enemies.

After such fatigues it Avas only just that I should allow my braAe soldiers some repose, all the more because we were all wet to the skin, and it would haAe been too much to expect if I had ordered the march to be continued.

I then decided to go to Baku, a large seriba, where, as I learned from the prisoners, all the band of fugitives who had escaped from the late fights at Dem Idris and Dem Suleiman were to meet. The distance from the elevated plain, Avliere we had destroyed the bands of Rabi and Idris, to Baku, was, according to Cottu, only a day and a half's journey, but there existed a difficulty which spoiled my plan.

Between the plain and Baku extended an immense forest void of villages, torrents or Avells, and Ave were a numerous troop, without either skins or buckets in which we could at least have carried a scanty provision of Avater. I learned besides that the ground Avas so sandy that Avhen rain fell it was immediately absorbed. Then there was another consideration, that the rebel bands probably destroyed all the grain they met with on their flight, and I should find myself in the same predicament as before, unable to feed my peojle, and, if T could get no proAnsions in a neighbouring village, should