151 Bakbashia Khatm 2nd Sergeant - And accordingly, His Excellency General Hicks Pasha has informed us to be aware of what is happening in the army. On Thursday, the first of November, 1883, at 1 AM, we set out from the post of (Al-Wagish) heading for Alouba, and at 4:30 we arrived, by God's grace, at the waters of Jalal Alouba, where we encamped and dug the necessary trench. We passed through a very wooded area. As for the opposition from the infidels, it was as it happened daily. Upon our arrival at the aforementioned pool, the infidels, who were hidden, fired at us. They were no more than ten meters away from the left flank of the fort. When the Bashi-Bazouk cavalry soldiers sensed them, they immediately fired back at them. The fort began to prepare for fear that there might be more of them than us to launch such an attack. After five minutes, we saw none of them. Orders were issued to dig the necessary trench and an additional trench for caution, as we had encamped inside the woods. At 2 AM, a number of shots were fired at us by the infidels near the trench, and immediately the guard soldiers and two Sarog cannons responded to them, keeping them away from the trench. After that, there was no further opposition until morning. As for the important events of this day, a slave named Fadl, a follower of one of the residents of the Dum post, had accompanied us from there hoping to be an expert for us on water sources, like the experts we had with us. When we arrived at the Al-Khunfariya post, His Excellency the Governor-General sent him to scout the pool of (Al-Saranah), about which news had been received. He went and returned with another person, and before him, we learned of the existence of water. The militia [his friendship] was rewarded by His Excellency the Governor-General from the treasury with one hundred Majidi riyals. Then, on the third day, the situation required him again, and he was sent to scout the Al-Nourali pool, and another man was also sent to scout the Khor Al-Nil for us. His Excellency deposited their reward, which he translated to the present time. They did not return, and we were greatly saddened by this, thinking they had been lost on the way or that the Arabs had captured and killed them. We waited from day to day until our hope for their return was cut off, as there was no reason for their not returning and taking what His Excellency had granted them from the government treasury as a promise.