From a distance, a side of the fortifications, His Excellency the Hakem, and His Excellency General Hicks Pasha. I arrived until I reached them, and the army was still advancing into the forest in a precarious situation. His Excellency the Hakem said to the bugler, who was attached to His Excellency Hicks Pasha, "Sound the assembly for the Commandant out of respect for him." But the matter was not clarified. His Excellency the Hakem was upset more than twenty times, and it was not clarified for him. Finally, the bugler began to sound the call. His Excellency General Hicks Pasha ordered him to stop the call. His Excellency the Hakem advanced towards a high hill, upset, knowing that the distance to the axis was still far, and besides the danger, the army could not reach it except at night, and this is not permissible due to the thirst that afflicted the soldiers. I came to him, and His Excellency General Hicks Pasha remained standing... in the mentioned area. And His Excellency the Hakem began calling out for someone, but they did not find him. By chance, he looked at the Kabbashy, who informed him that the bugler's order was to sound the call for the fort to return to this hill and that there was no need to advance, as the distance to the axis was far. It was 11 o'clock Arab time. When the fort was reached, the bugle cut off the direction of the bugler's sound, and we headed towards the hill. Upon reaching the top of it, we could see the soldiers and the baggage extremely safe, each group on its own, at a distance of approximately two to three thousand meters. The first to ascend the hill from the army were the Tuwayjiya and the Dafa' al-Kurub. When His Excellency General Hicks Pasha saw this, he was compelled to return towards the hill. The soldiers and the baggage continued to ascend the hill towards the call of all the army buglers. We did not rest until 2 o'clock Arab time at night. All the soldiers who reached the hill were immediately ordered by His Excellency the Hakem to cut acacia trees to build a stockade, fearing that the enemy would seize this cursed opportunity. The soldiers encamped on the hill in a disorganized manner due to the narrowness of the place, so much so that each person did not know where his companion was. Every soldier and every officer, wherever they ended up on the hill, slept fearing thoughts about this matter. His Excellency the Hakem was going around the perimeter of the fort, reassuring the soldiers and encouraging them to dispel the confusion of thought that had afflicted them, as they were speaking in ignorant terms. Some said that the government's intention with this expedition was only to eliminate us, and if that were not the case, the English Commandant would not have led us into the forest. Some said that he was ready to kill himself.