In the midst of an assembly of approximately thirty to forty people, a few of whom died as observed through the binoculars, they began to surge repeatedly to the right and left. Then a group came from the left, and another from the right, causing them to retreat along their path, mercifully on their horses. We then remained for a short while, about ten minutes, without firing. They came to retrieve their dead, and we saw them at the aforementioned distance relative to the height of the hill. Then a few more shots were fired at them, and they dispersed into the forest and reeds. His Excellency General Hicks Pasha then ordered us to march. We marched for half an hour and descended into the lowlands. Suddenly, at a distance, we heard the beating of war drums (1) from the right ahead of us, and we knew their intention was to gather. Not even an hour had passed when the firing began on us from three sides of the square formation. We were marching in a square formation as usual. Hassan Effendi Shawqi, the Bimbashi, had been assigned with a battalion of infantry to guard our rear from enemy attacks that followed us. His actions deserved our thanks, as he exerted his full effort in protecting the camels of the expedition and the fourth side of the square, continuously firing at the rebels as they approached within approximately 150 meters. We were engaged in a fierce skirmish throughout our march. We would march for half an hour and then stop for a few minutes due to the intensity of this skirmish until we reached the point of the wadis. All the observers with binoculars reported the falling of many Arabs, killed from all three sides of the square formation. At times, when we saw the intensity of their firing upon us, His Excellency General Hicks Pasha would order the mountain guns to fire upon them. Upon reaching the aforementioned point, we encamped there after establishing the necessary zariba as usual. It was one and a half hours past noon, and we were all joyful on this day, having taken revenge for those killed among us from the time we set out from Al-Duwaim until here. It is certain that from then on, our entire army gained more enthusiasm and dispelled any illusions they had about meeting the Mahdist rebels, and they needed to remain constantly vigilant, unconcerned about their numbers, knowing their suspicious movements. Despite their heavy gunfire upon us, only one of us was killed and three were wounded.

(1) War drum.