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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a41f168 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51520 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51520) diff --git a/old/51520-0.txt b/old/51520-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4074088..0000000 --- a/old/51520-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8929 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Downfall of the Dervishes, by Ernest N. Bennett - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Downfall of the Dervishes - or The Avenging of Gordon - -Author: Ernest N. Bennett - -Release Date: March 21, 2016 [EBook #51520] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Bold text is denoted by =equal signs=. - - A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}. For example, C^o and L^{td} - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - More detail can be found at the end of the book. - - - - -THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES - -[Illustration: - - _Art Photogravure C^o. L^{td}._ - -_Lord Kitchener of Khartoum._ - -_From a Photograph by Bassano._] - - - - - THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES - - OR - - THE AVENGING OF GORDON - - BEING A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE - FINAL SOUDAN CAMPAIGN OF 1898 - - BY - - ERNEST N. BENNETT, M. A. - - FELLOW AND LECTURER OF HERTFORD COLLEGE, OXFORD - - SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR "THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE" - - - WITH A PORTRAIT, MAP AND PLANS - - - LONDON - METHUEN & CO. - NEW YORK - NEW AMSTERDAM BOOK COMPANY - 1899 - - - - - TO - MY FRIEND - H. R. H. - I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE BOOK - - - - -PREFACE - - -In the following pages I have aimed at furnishing some account of -the interesting experiences which fell to our lot during the recent -campaign in the Sudan. - -My best thanks are due to several friends for the assistance they -have rendered me, and I feel especially grateful to H.H. Prince -Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein and Major Stuart-Wortley, -C.M.G., for their very kind help in supplying me with much additional -and interesting information about the work of the Gunboats and the -Friendly Tribes. - -I must also acknowledge the courteous permission accorded me by the -Editor of the _Westminster Gazette_ to use in the compilation of -this book some of the letters which I had previously contributed to -the columns of his newspaper. - - ERNEST N. BENNETT. - - HERTFORD COLLEGE, OXFORD, - _1st November 1898_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I - - FROM CAIRO TO THE ATBARA - PAGE - Correspondents' Permits--Academic Obstacles--Fellow-Passengers - to Alexandria--French Animosity in - Egypt--Indifferentism of Egyptian Natives--An - Interesting Dinner--Preparations for the Campaign--Egyptian - Magic--A Native "Medium"--Ali buys - a Sword--Departure from Cairo--A Matrimonial - Quarrel--Rumours about the Khalifa--Discomforts - of the Night Journey--The Luxor Hotel--Malevolent - Spiders--Karnak--By Rail to Shellal--Imbecility of - Ali's Brother--Hospital Arrangements--Dreariness - of a Nile Voyage--Cheerfulness of Tommy Atkins--A - Classic Tale of Horror--Death of a Soldier--From - Wady Halfa in a Cattle Truck--Abu Ahmed--First - Night at the Atbara--Chequered Career of the _El - Tahra_--Life at Atbara Camp--The Plagues of Egypt - up to Date--Perverse Camels--Failure of our - Attempts to overtake Lancers 1 - - - CHAPTER II - - FROM THE ATBARA TO WAD HAMED - - A Crowded _Ghyassa_--A Talking Mummy--Slatin Pasha--Animal - Life on the Banks--The Pyramids of Meroe--Work - for Archæologists--A Gaalin Sheikh--A - Dervish Deserter--Abu Klea--A Sandstorm--Arrival - at Wad Hamed--We meet the Sirdar--Types of the - War Correspondent--Entomology--Insect Life in the - Sudan--Desert Circulating Library--Fly-fishing in - the Nile--Military "Fatigues"--Fugitives from - Omdurman--Our Camp Life at Wad Hamed--Thirst - in the Tropics--How we Dined--Good-bye to - Wad Hamed 56 - - - CHAPTER III - - THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE - - Embarkation of Friendlies--The Shabluka Cataract--Our - Delay at Rojan Island--First Glimpse of Omdurman--The - Evening Ride from Hagir--The Joys of - Good Health--Sudanese Wives--Importance of the - "Drink Camel"--An Adventurous Greekling--Mr. - Villiers' Bicycle--Um Teref Camp--Sudanese Music--The - First Dervish--Scorpion v. the "Father of - Spiders"--A Cavalry Reconnaissance--A Rainy - Night--Within Twenty-five Miles of Omdurman--Deserted - Villages--A Disappointing Capture--Seg-et-Taib--The - Water Question--Corpses in the River--The - Khalifa's Army in Sight--The Ridge of Kerreri--Sururab--Gunboats - at Work--Troublesome - Donkeys--Sniping--A Tropical Downpour spoils our - Rest--Mr. Villiers and Myself stung by Scorpions--Chasing - Hares on the March--Cavalry Scouts on - Kerreri--Howitzers in Action--Skirmishing with the - Khalifa's Cavalry--Waiting for the Dervish Advance--The - Khalifa halts--The Evening before the Battle--The - Perils of a Night Attack--False Alarms 105 - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN - - A Comfortable Breakfast--All ready for the Dervishes--Egyptian - Cavalry engage the Enemy--Gunboats to - the Rescue--The Joy of Battle--Here they come!--A - Splendid Spectacle--The Dervishes open Fire--The - First Shell--A Dervish Battery--Effect of our - Shell Fire--Wounded Men--Curious Tricks played by - Bullets--Maxims at Work--A Dervish Cavalry - Charge--Persistent Sharpshooters--The Army leaves - the Zeriba--The Lancers' Charge--Mutilation of the - Dead--Wounded Horses--Killing the Wounded - Dervishes--Renewal of the Fight--Steadiness of the - Sudanese and Egyptians--Final Repulse of the - Enemy--Dreadful Effects of our Fire--Men falling - out--We halt beside a _Khor_--Regimental Music--Escape - of the Khalifa--Death of Hon. Hubert - Howard--A Champagne Dinner in the Street--The - End of Mahdism 156 - - - CHAPTER V - - GUNBOATS AND GAALIN - - The Sirdar's Fleet--Difficulties of Navigation--The Loss - of the _Zaphir_--Concentration of Friendlies at Wad - Hamed--Their Love for Firearms--Rout of a Dervish - Detachment--Gunboats shell the Kerreri Ridge and - Riverside Villages--Some Faint-hearted Friendlies--Gallantry - of the Gaalin--Tuti Island--The Shelling - of the Mahdi's Tomb--Gunboats silence the Forts--Lyddite - Shells--Maxim Fire upon the Fugitives--Gunboats - proceed up the River--The Fate of Gordon's - old Flotilla 203 - - - CHAPTER VI - - AFTER THE BATTLE - - The Mahdi's Tomb--A Wounded Man lands under False - Pretences--Villiers' Bicycle in Omdurman--Loathsome - Streets--The Arsenal--Dervish Ammunition--The - "Man-stopping" Bullet--Awful Effects of Modern - Rifle Fire--The Gordon Memorial Service--Varieties - of Loot--A Tommy's Quaint Mistake--Enrolment - of Dervishes under the Khedive's Flag--Charles - Neufeld--The Austrian Sisters--Slatin Pasha in - Camp--Good-bye to Omdurman--We strike on a - Sandbank--Our Sleeping Arrangements--Failure of - Attempts to move Gunboat--A Soldier Drowned--A - Dead Egyptian--We get off the Bank--Loss of my - Luggage--Cross goes to Hospital--Delays on Homeward - Journey--Mohammedan Divorce Laws--A - Camel dies from the Bite of an Asp--A Good Dinner--From - Alexandria to Marseilles--Announcement of - Cross's Death--The Future of the Sudan 222 - - - - -MAP AND PLANS - - - THE NILE FROM THE ATBARA TO KHARTUM _Facing page 104_ - - THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN (TWO PLANS) _Facing page 202_ - - PLAN OF OMDURMAN AND KHARTUM TO ILLUSTRATE - THE OPERATIONS OF THE GUNBOATS AND THE - FRIENDLIES _Facing page 214_ - - - - -THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES - - - - -CHAPTER I - -FROM CAIRO TO THE ATBARA - - -Towards the end of last July I heard to my great joy, from the editor -of the _Westminster Gazette_, that a permit had been granted me to -act as his special correspondent during the forthcoming campaign in -the Sudan. Sinister rumours had been afloat for a long time to the -effect that the utmost difficulty would be experienced in securing -such permission, and several officials at the Foreign Office had -warned applicants that even in the event of a formal pass beyond Wady -Halfa being accorded, there would be no certainty that correspondents -would be allowed to proceed actually to the front. The baselessness -of these apprehensions was amply shown by subsequent events. War -correspondents in the recent campaign had little to complain of on -the score of any curtailment of their liberty of movement, though the -Sirdar's subsequent refusal to take any pressmen to Fashoda may have -provoked some unreasonable criticism. - -A day or two after the receipt of the Sirdar's permit I happened to -meet at dinner an old college acquaintance, Mr. Henry Cross, who -had rowed five in the 'Varsity boat of 1888. When I told him of my -intended visit to the Sudan, he was all eagerness to join me; but as -he was utterly inexperienced in the sort of travel that would fall -to our lot before Khartum was reached, I did my best to dissuade -him from making any rash resolves of the sort on the spur of the -moment. The daily round of a war correspondent's life amid a charming -environment of scenery and climate is simply delightful, when to the -joys of an open-air existence and abundant exercise there is added -the pleasant excitement which springs from a risk of danger. Such -delights as these I had experienced during the Cretan troubles in -the spring of 1897, but from what one knew personally of tropical -travel, and what one gathered from various accounts of the Sudan, -one realised that the forthcoming campaign would be in the Lancer's -words, already become historical, "no bloomin' picnic." Accordingly -I laid before Cross graphic and horrible pictures of sandstorms and -sunstroke and the other unpleasantnesses which one might expect to -meet amid the torrid plains of the Sudan. Would that my advice had -been acted upon and his bright young life preserved! As it was, -my friend secured a permit through the editor of the _Manchester -Guardian_, and rapidly made his preparations for departure. Our last -meeting before we left Charing Cross was at Bletchley Junction, -and over some railway tea and a couple of buns we made our final -arrangements. - -The great difficulty which I had to surmount before leaving England -arose from a gigantic heap of examination papers which went far -towards filling up my college rooms. The limits of time imposed by -the authorities who preside over the destinies of University and -other examinations appear sometimes to the fevered imagination of the -anxious _employé_ to be strongly flavoured with the ancient Egyptian -spirit of "bricks without straw." Under time pressure of this kind -one's ethical system becomes quite distorted. How heartily one gets -to hate the good little boys and girls who write four or five pages -of cram! With what satisfaction one surveys the work of the stripling -whose indifference or ignorance has curtailed the product of his -mental training within the more reasonable limits of a few lines, to -be marked after a single synoptic glance! However, with the aid of -several hirelings, whose unskilled labour sufficed to execute the -merely clerical portion of my task, I contrived to break the back of -this obstacle to my happiness. The penultimate batch was finished -at the Charing Cross Hotel, the final lot completed just before our -train steamed into Folkestone. - -I shook off the dust of these papers from my garments, and stepped -upon the steamer's deck a free agent. Away with lectures and pupils -and essays, the solemnity of the Senior Common Room, and the -good-humoured toleration of the smart undergraduate! Farewell for -many a week to dear Oxford--with its scouts and "bedders"--porters -and proctors--bursars and battels! Just as I was leaving the walls -of the college a copy reached me from a continental professor of -his _Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha_, to which I had furnished a slight -contribution some months ago. "Pray accept this trifle," I said to a -sorrowful friend, "for your own edification during the 'Long'; I am -now going to another region rich in apocryphal acts, to wit, those of -the war correspondent." - -There is no need to dwell upon the trite journey to Alexandria. -Such a subject may well be left to the pen of the tourist, who, -under the capable management of Dr. Lunn, enjoys at the same time -economic and religious satisfaction, and travels at reduced fares to -further the reunion of Christendom. The Messageries steamer which -conveyed us from Marseilles carried, as is generally the case, -scarcely any passengers, except a conglomerate mass of human beings -at the foc'sle, and very little freight. Nevertheless, thanks to the -enormous subsidy furnished by the French Government, these half-empty -steamers invariably afford good accommodation and excellent -food. On board our boat were Major Mitford and Lieutenant Winston -Churchill. The latter gentleman was going out to be attached to the -21st Lancers, and in the intervals of campaigning conversation and -graphic accounts of his recent experiences on the Indian frontier, -he supplied us with luminous information as to the principles and -practice of Tory Democracy. Another fellow-passenger with whom I -was privileged to enjoy a good deal of pleasant conversation was an -Egyptian Bey of high official rank. As we neared Alexandria, he told -me a great many interesting facts about the bombardment of 1882. He -was present during the engagement, and ridiculed the ground which was -alleged at the time for the action of our ironclads. Sir Beauchamp -Seymour had been ordered from home to "prevent the construction of -fresh fortifications at all costs," and when a number of Arabi's -levies were seen to be shovelling some spadefuls of sand upon the -wretched mounds which stretched towards Ras-el-tin, the concentrated -fire of our warships opened upon the whole line of so-called -"fortifications." The Egyptian artillerymen did their best, although -some of their heaviest guns were not fired from ignorance of their -mechanism; nor was the assistance rendered them by a host of men, -women, and even children, of much practical utility. My friend -told me he saw one of these amateur gunners endeavouring to load a -breech-loading Krupp by shoving a shell wrong way about down the -mouth of the gun! The shell, of course, stuck fast, and its base -projected from the muzzle. - -We reached Alexandria by August 2nd, on which day was fought, exactly -one hundred years before, the Battle of the Nile. The words which -were used to describe this achievement, "It was not a victory, it -was a conquest," might, exactly one month afterwards, have been -well used of another British triumph before the walls of Omdurman! -But whereas the Mahdist enemy has vanished never to reappear, our -ancient adversaries, the French, are still in Egypt with all their -traditional eagerness to thwart and injure us--an eagerness which -seems to be increased, if possible, by their realisation of the -fact that their power in Egypt is gradually waning. I learnt from -an authority of the highest standing that in a list of official -appointments made from day to day there is a marked decrease in the -number of French names, and of course a corresponding increase in -English ones. It is certain, too, that the vast majority of educated -Egyptians are coming to realise clearly the injury which is inflicted -on their country by the obstinacy and perversity of the French, -whose policy is one of sheer obstruction to any measure of progress -suggested by the British advisers of the Khedive, however reasonable -its conditions and beneficial its results. The present scheme of new -irrigation works at Philae, which will bring thousands of fresh acres -under cultivation and increase the revenue enormously, has, needless -to say, received the most violent opposition from the French. How -long are we going to tolerate this absurd political farce? When will -a British Government have the courage to inform the world that we -officially recognise what is already a _fait accompli_, and intend -to remain in sole and permanent possession of a country for which we -have done so much? - -Several amusing stories are told in Cairo of the animosities which -often exist between Englishmen and Frenchmen as individuals. Some -time ago, a naval lieutenant in uniform entered the Bar Splendid, -near the Esbekiyeh Gardens, and called for some refreshment. Three -Frenchmen entered simultaneously, and as the lieutenant raised the -glass to his lips his arm was jogged so roughly that half the liquor -was spilt. He turned to the three Frenchmen, but as they did not -look at him he concluded that the occurrence was a mere accident due -to his neighbours' clumsiness, but unnoticed by them. He therefore -raised his half-filled glass once more, and this time actually -saw one of the Frenchmen deliberately jog his arm. Justly furious -at this uncalled for insult, the Englishman, who was an excellent -"bruiser," laid about him with such vigour and dexterity that in a -twinkling two of his assailants were sprawling on the sanded floor -of the restaurant. He turned to the third. "No, you're too small," -said he, and forthwith seizing the diminutive Gaul by the back of -his collar, he slid him under one of the tables, and, leaving the -trio in their undignified positions, he walked quietly out of the -café and reported the occurrence to his superior officer. Next -day, three Frenchmen, whose features were somewhat discoloured and -bedraggled, rang the bell at the lieutenant's quarters with a view -to "demand satisfaction." But on the doorstep stood the lieutenant's -servant, a huge bluejacket, who informed the visitors that a British -officer could not cross swords with persons of their inferior social -standing. As the Frenchmen were persistent and noisy, the sailor -exclaimed, "Well, it was my master's day yesterday, but, strike me -blue, it's mine to-day!" and with that he cleared for action by -rolling up his sleeves. The sight, however, of his brawny arms, -coupled with a vivid recollection of _le box_ as practised by the -British, appeared to impress the three would-be duellists, and they -speedily withdrew. - -We stayed for several days at Shepheard's, where the semi-comatose -servants gradually awoke from the lethargy which overtakes them out -of the season, and did their best to make us comfortable. The general -torpor which seizes upon Cairo during the hot summer months was -broken during our stay by the incessant despatch of troops to the -front. Every afternoon detachments of infantry and cavalry marched -briskly through the streets towards the station with drums and fifes, -and "Auld Lang Syne" was played as the train steamed away. It was -curious to notice how infinitesimal was the interest which seemed -to be aroused in the passers-by. The Egyptian natives scarcely took -the trouble to glance at the columns as they marched past in full -war kit and brown kharki uniforms. A little knot of Europeans, whose -smallness served to emphasise the emptiness of the hotel, would step -out upon the verandah--where, by the way, the temperature was nearly -100° in the shade--and follow with their eyes the passing battalions; -but otherwise no interest whatever seemed to be aroused by their -departure. The fact is, that it never occurs to Egyptians of the -lower classes that they have any share or lot in what is perpetrated -by the powers that be. They are, as Aristotle expressed it, "slaves -by nature," and centuries may roll by before any other political -sentiment is instilled into this most conservative of nations than -that of fear and acquiescence. At the same time, this lack of -interest is certainly not prevalent to the same extent amongst the -educated and enlightened sections of Egyptian society. Whatever may -be the divergency of opinion _à propos_ of various questions of -internal reform, or larger problems as to the ultimate government -of the country--whatever be the diverse opinions on topics such as -these amongst the educated natives--there is a practically unanimous -approval of two enterprises now in hand--the new _Barrage_ of the -Nile, and the recovery of the Sudan. - -The social life of the upper classes in Egypt is gradually yielding -to European influences. Much has been accomplished in this direction -during the space of a single generation. Egyptian gentlemen, whose -fathers wore the turban and loose native dress, now get their tweed -suits and patent leather boots from English firms. The position of -women too is steadily improving as education advances, and home -life, to the dismay of the "Old Egyptian" party, is being slowly -but steadily revolutionised in the direction of greater freedom and -independence for the ladies. Some time ago I received a most kind -invitation from an Egyptian Pasha to dine with him. I dressed and -drove off to his house, thinking, of course, that I should merely -share a _tête-à-tête_ meal with His Excellency. What was my surprise -to meet in a kind of drawing-room the Pasha's wife and three charming -daughters, who all spoke English, French, German, and Arabic with -fluency! An excellent dinner was served, towards the end of which -a strange compound made its appearance in a large tureen. I was on -the point of declining this delicacy, when it flashed upon me that -the mess of pottage must be meant for plum-pudding, and had been -prepared expressly in my honour. It was even so. As I ladled some of -the pudding into a soup plate I expressed my keen satisfaction at the -appearance of this British dish; and I think that my enthusiastic -remarks led the family to believe that the staple article of diet in -English households was plum-pudding, served at all meals all the year -round. After dinner we returned to the drawing-room, where the Misses -Pasha played admirably a variety of selections from Grieg and Brahms, -and finally, "God Save the Queen," at the close of a very pleasant -evening, which gave me a vivid impression of the advancement which -is being gradually effected in the home life of the more enlightened -Egyptians, though, of course, the liberty enjoyed by my kind hostess -and her accomplished daughters is as yet the exception rather than -the rule. - -Our few days in Cairo were fully taken up with preparations for -the campaign. One consequence of the inrush of officers and -correspondents was a dearth of horses. The neighbourhood had been -ransacked for animals, and if the demand continued it seemed as -though Ammianus' prediction, slightly altered, would become true of -Cairo, "_Creditur jam equos defuturos esse_." The price of riding -horses advanced by leaps and bounds, and as the Government had been -offering from £20 to £25 for them, I thought myself lucky when I -learnt from my friend, Mr. A. V. Houghton, that he had kindly secured -me a passable steed for £17, 10s. Beasts outworn, with irregular gait -and hair in scanty tufts, were being purchased by despairing voyagers -in default of better horseflesh. - -Then came the choice of servants, and many of the individuals who -offered themselves were quaint enough. Before the final selection, -batches were paraded before me from time to time, some of whom were -alleged to be bilingual, nay, even trilingual; but in most cases a -little _viva voce_ examination revealed the fact that their English -consisted of little else than half a dozen "swear words"; others -again were persons with a "past," and so unsuitable for the future. -In Egypt one can rarely put any trust in written "characters," for -such documents, either forged or secured from former servants, can be -purchased in the bazaars at so much a dozen, the price, of course, -varying according to the social status of the master whose signature -they are alleged to bear. All that a disreputable Arab in search of -employment has to do is to ask the shopman for a testimonial to the -zeal and honesty of "Ali" or "Mahmoud," according as his name is one -or the other. After one's choice had fallen upon a comparatively -blameless Ethiopian from Dongola as cook, and a Cairene Egyptian as -_säis_, the rejected candidates were dispersed by the jubilant pair -amid a babel of imprecations heaped upon each others' relatives dead -and alive. Finally, the grateful cook came to me in the evening, and -amid the laughter of my friends, solemnly presented me with a worked -cholera belt, which, he declared, his swarthy daughter had expressly -knitted for my comfort in the Sudan. With many blushes I accepted -this useful present. - -Our stores were purchased from Messrs. Walker of Cairo, a veritable -firm of Egyptian Whiteleys, from whom one can buy anything, from -condensed milk to a trotting camel. It is on occasions like this that -a bachelor, unaccustomed to anything like a quantitative analysis -of the food he consumes from day to day, deplores the absence of -feminine assistance. He knows _what_ he wants but not _how much_ -of it. Acting under the prejudiced advice of a chocolate-coloured -shopman, we laid in large quantities of things comparatively useless, -and neglected the weightier matters. For example, our rice gave out -after three weeks, while we had enough pepper to last us a lifetime. - -We were altogether very busy in Cairo, and had little time for any -side issues. This was a pity, as my companion wished to visit the -pyramids, the mosques, and so on, while I personally wanted to -see something of the magical practices which still prevail to a -considerable extent in Cairo. - -Egyptian magic was, of course, famous in antiquity. The author of -Exodus speaks of it, and, at a later date, Celsus, the able opponent -of Christianity, declared, strangely enough, that Christ worked all -His miracles by means of magic which He had learnt in Egypt! I have -heard on excellent authority that necromancy is still practised in -Cairo, and if our departure could have been delayed I should have -done my best, with the aid of some Egyptian friends, to be present -at one of these _séances_ for the evocation of the dead. Another -species of magic consists of gazing into ink in order to see pictures -prophetic of the future. This practice is, after all, simply a -form of the katoptromancy or crystal-gazing which was used for -divination in the remotest antiquity, and still yields results full -of psychological, if no longer of supernatural, interest. Scripture -appears to contain several references to the curious phenomena which -frequently exist in connection with crystal-gazing. The Hebrew -divination by Urim and Thummim, and by cups, of which we read, was -almost certainly based on this ancient practice; and at a still later -period St. Paul compares our imperfect conceptions of what lies -beyond things temporal to the perplexing images which can be "seen -through a mirror in a riddle" (δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι). -Mr. Lane's delightful book, _The Modern Egyptians_, contains an -account of the ink-gazing which is still carried on by young boys. - -I should like to add to these remarks on Egyptian magic a most -curious account which I had first-hand from an official who was high -in the favour of the late Khedive, Tewfik Pacha. During the critical -weeks which immediately preceded the bombardment of Alexandria, my -informant was suddenly summoned to an immediate audience with His -Highness. Several matters of vital importance were discussed between -the Khedive and his Minister, and the latter went home pledged to -the utmost secrecy with respect to what he had learnt. Soon after -entering his house, his wife mentioned to him that during the course -of the afternoon she had heard from another lady of a wonderful -medium, whom she had asked to call that evening. After a short time -the medium in question, an extremely old woman of the very poorest -class, arrived, and the Minister laughingly promised his wife to test -the genuineness of the visitor's gifts. When admitted to his presence -the old creature almost immediately fell down in a kind of fit, and -to his amazement he heard proceeding from her lips in strange tones, -quite unlike her normal voice, the very words spoken to himself -two hours before by the Khedive under pledge of the most stringent -secrecy! - -Shortly before leaving Cairo my cook Ali appeared before me with a -huge two-handed Dervish sword, which he had purchased out of his -own money for twenty piastres. The creature had already the day -before begged me to buy him a rifle for defensive purposes, as I was -quite unable to eradicate from his mind the belief that his kitchen -utensils and himself might at any moment during the next six weeks -be exposed to an attack from a frenzied rush of Dervishes. I could -not see my way to gratify his wishes in this respect. To have a cook -bending over the fire with a belt full of cartridges, or walking -round one's tent with a loaded rifle--these were indeed added terrors -to the perils of a Sudan campaign. He was, however, permitted to wear -the gigantic sword, as I thought it might come in handy for cutting -wood or opening tins of meat. - -We were not sorry to get out of Cairo. The moist heat which prevailed -in the town clogged all the pores of the skin and was extremely -trying. Just before we left, a detachment of the Grenadier Guards -entrained for the front. These fine fellows were marched from -Abbasseeyeh to the station--no great distance--in the hottest part -of the day, between twelve o'clock and two. When they reached the -station the perspiration was streaming from their faces, and they -were kept at "attention" to prevent them from drinking water in -this condition. But the heat had already begun to tell in several -cases; three men fell prostrate, and quite a number were attacked by -violent sickness. The drainage, too, of the city was in a deplorable -condition. The old native system had been recently abolished, and -during the period of transition sanitation was in a state of chaos. -Which things are an allegory! In consequence probably of the escape -of sewage into water-pipes, enteric fever and diphtheria were far -from infrequent, and quite recently two young officers of the 21st -Lancers had succumbed to these fatal diseases. - -When we arrived at the railway station in the evening _en route_ for -the South, we found our servants already there. But how transformed! -Ali and the _säis_ had exchanged their native cotton garments -for brand new suits of yellow kharki, purchased at my expense. -From some association of ideas in connection with the forthcoming -campaign, they were "got up" in a pseudo-military fashion, with -brass buttons and shoulder straps. As Ali the cook stood before us -in his ill-fitting garments, with an enormous crusading sword in one -hand and a kitchen colander and soup ladle in the other,--a kind of -walking allegory of Peace and War,--we laughed so much that we could -scarcely ask for our tickets. At the last moment a native rushed into -the station closely pursued by his wife. The man was evidently bent -on securing a seat in the train, but his better half disapproved of -this, and as he was getting into the carriage she suddenly struck a -violent blow at his hand luggage. It was a most effective stroke. -The bundle he carried exploded like a shell, and its contents lay -scattered in hopeless confusion over the platform. Long before the -baffled husband could collect the _disjecta membra_ of his travelling -kit, the train steamed off into the darkness, and he was left to -settle matters with his triumphant wife. - -We rapidly left Cairo behind us, and with it the joys and comforts -of civilisation. It was a positive relief to feel that we had now -commenced in real earnest to travel the twelve hundred miles which -separated us from our final goal far away in the Sudan. Still, at the -time of our departure from Cairo, no certainty was felt that there -would be any fighting at all. Rumours were persistently current that -the Khalifa and his forces had retreated from Omdurman. It would, as -somebody said, be simply a case of _cherchez la femme_. If the women -and children became panic-stricken and retired, it was certain that -the Dervishes would lose heart and make a poor show of resistance. -Take, for instance, the case of Berber. Here a vigorous defence -might reasonably have been expected, but it was afterwards found that -an exodus of the women brought about the total evacuation of the -town, which our advancing forces thus occupied without any fighting -whatever. Still it was too early to speculate on the amount of -opposition our troops were likely to encounter. Whether there would -be one or more sharp struggles before we found ourselves face to -face with the ramparts of Omdurman; whether even then those ramparts -would be held by Dervishes driven to bay and fighting with their old -desperate courage, or we should bivouac in a deserted city--all these -things, we felt, lay verily on the knees of the gods! - -Our first taste of discomfort was provided by the night journey to -Luxor. Soon after leaving Cairo the motion of the train raises an -almost continuous cloud of dust, which penetrates into the carriages, -scheme one never so wisely. One may put the glass windows up or -merely raise the wooden venetians according as one prefers the -alternative of being almost asphyxiated by too little air or stifled -by too much dust. Even with the windows up the dust insinuates -itself into the compartment somehow; and if one can sleep through the -night one finds next morning a thick layer of dust over everything, -and reflects with astonishment and dismay on the condition of one's -lungs and internal economy in general. The train was not a "troop -train" in the special sense, but it contained a good many officers. -It is worth noticing, by the way, that Egyptian officers, even of -high military rank, travel second class with British sergeant-majors -and warrant officers. As no horse boxes would be available for the -conveyance of our animals for two days, we were compelled to stay a -couple of nights at the Luxor Hotel. The dreariness of this hotel out -of the season was still more marked than at Shepheard's. Outside, -all blistered by the heat, hung the quaint notice, as a warning to -that species of knicker-bockered tourist who shoots gulls from the -Clacton cliffs, "_Il est défendu de chasser dans le jardin_." The -servants shuffled listlessly about, the long corridors were covered -with dust, and forlorn notices about church services which were no -longer served, and trained nurses who had vanished, were almost the -only outward and visible signs of the past season, with its crowded -_table d'hôte_, the vulgar chatter of American globe-trotters, and -the irritating atmosphere of valetudinarianism. - -At the hotel we met two hard-worked transport officers, Captain Hall -and Lieutenant Delavoy, busied night and day with the incessant -despatch of stores and ammunition to the front. People are often -apt to forget to what an extent the success of a campaign is due to -the honest work of the Army Service Corps and transport officials. -Upon these departmental troops fell the onerous labour of forwarding -for many weeks all the stores required for the feeding of some -twenty-three thousand men and several thousand animals. - -Our recent campaigns in the Sudan have been unique in military -history from the fact that the army's line of communication with -its base was ultimately over twelve hundred miles in length. Every -ounce of food, with the exception of a little fresh meat occasionally -obtained along the line of march, had to be conveyed from Cairo by -river, rail, or camel. The best thanks of the public are due to the -indefatigable labours of the transport officers and men, many of whom -were not brought by their work within the area which will be covered -by the forthcoming medal. - -As we sat at dinner in the cool of the evening under the palms -and tamarisks, somebody chanced to look under the table and saw a -number of large yellowish tarantulas waltzing about our feet. A -panic ensued, and the meeting rose as one man and got upon chairs, -until these repulsive insects were driven away by the waiters. The -incident forcibly recalled the famous congress of ladies which was -convened to demonstrate the Superiority of Woman over Man, and was -broken up by a small box of mice opened by a son of Belial in the -audience. These horrid spiders, whose bite is very painful, and, -in the case of young children, occasionally fatal, seemed to be -ubiquitous at Luxor; nor did they even respect the sanctity of our -bedrooms. Medical psychologists tell of a case in which a gentleman -suffering from hallucinations declared that he saw "pink pachyderms" -in his bath, but was unable to secure a specimen owing to the -rapidity of the creature's movements. But I had much rather see a -pink pachyderm--which may after all be merely subjective--inside my -tub than a brace of tortoiseshell tarantulas, whose objectivity is -undoubted, racing round and round the bath and cutting off one's -retreat. - -We took the opportunity afforded us by our enforced wait at Luxor to -visit the temples. No tickets were demanded, no touts clamoured at -one's heels and interfered with one's reflections. We rode to Karnak -in the moonlight, and after dismounting we were suddenly mobbed by -scores of dogs, who came rushing upon us from the Bedawin houses -near the ruins. The animals became so menacing and approached so -close that I was compelled to use my revolver. The pariah doggie in -Egypt does not seem to be quite like his Constantinople cousin, who -is probably descended partly from the jackals who accompanied the -Turkish armies from their Asiatic settlements. The puppies of these -pariah dogs are, by the way, the dearest little creatures in the -world, with rough woolly coats like tiny bears. - -There is absolutely nothing in the world to compare with the -temple of Karnak in point of magnificence and grandeur. When one -gazes on the colossal pillars, the huge pylons, and the rows and -rows of sculptured sphinxes, it would be alike difficult and -painful to believe that all this mighty effort, this outcome of -the blood and sweat of thousands, could after all be based on a -mere delusion and groundless enthusiasm. On the contrary, one may -wonder whether the full force of the religious motive which raised -these giant structures has not been to some extent lost in later -ages. At anyrate, it seems certain that in the West our religious -consciousness has never been marked by that intense appreciation of -God's omnipotence which underlay the creation of such stupendous -monuments. On the contrary, there seems to be a tendency in modern -Christianity to anthropomorphise the Deity into the official Head of -a scheme of charity organisation, to which the belief in a future -life, so powerful a factor in the ancient religion of Egypt, is -attached as a subsequent phase of subsidiary importance. As the race -grows less and less disposed to endure physical pain and discomfort, -we clamour more and more for tangible and material blessings, and -refuse to be comforted by any contemplation of the problematic -joys of another world. There is something to be said for this point -of view, and much evil has undoubtedly been done by the reckless -bestowal on suffering humanity of "cheques to be cashed on the other -side of Jordan." Still, if this process continues, it is difficult -to realise how, in the conduct of future generations, any place can -be found for a religious and supernatural, as distinct from a merely -ethical, obligation. - -The railway journey from Luxor to Shellal, a village on the river -bank just above the first cataract, where the railway terminates, -ought to have taken about eight hours, but it took over sixteen. -All the trains have third-class carriages or rather trucks, and an -excellent object lesson in Oriental procrastination was afforded at -the moment when the train started. All night long crowds of natives -had been sleeping on the ground just outside the station with all -their curious goods and chattels--beds and bundles and babies--around -them. Scarcely one of them made the slightest effort to get on board -the train until the whistle went, and then a terrific scramble -took place. "Gyppies" of all sizes, sexes, and ages rushed wildly -down the line, trying to hurl their baggage into the carriages -and then climb up after it. This went on for some three hundred -yards, and despite the increasing speed of the train most of these -procrastinating creatures contrived to find some sort of place on -it. If they failed, they simply went to sleep again till the day -following, when they tried again. - -The traffic on this line was enormous, and the rolling stock -available could scarcely bear the unusual strain put upon it. We were -repeatedly stopped on the way by a variety of accidents. First of all -a carriage got off the rails; then an axle became red hot from lack -of grease, and set fire to the woodwork; and finally a train in front -of us left the metals, and a long interval elapsed while two lengths -of rail were taken up and straightened. The line has, from motives -of false economy, been laid in a miserably inefficient manner, and -an official casually informed me that trains ran off the rails about -three times a week. One of the most difficult things to deal with -was the transport of horses and mules. Sometimes one saw a loose box -filled with sixteen mules all kicking together, and on the steamers -accidents continually happened amongst the crowded horses. - -As we ran past Assouan down to the water's edge at Shellal, the -graceful temple of Philae in midstream was flooded with an orange -glow from the setting sun. Along the bank a forest of slender masts -and lateen sails stood out against the sky. Across the river the -strange rocks, bared of all earth and vegetation and polished smooth -by the flying sand, have assumed the oddest shapes, and look for all -the world like the primeval work of some Titanic infant at play. - -The sight of a luggage van at a terminus was enough to drive any -inexperienced voyager to utter despair. When we arrived at Shellal -the moon had not yet risen, and the feeble light of a few lanterns -was all we had wherewith to disentangle our separate lots of luggage -and stores from the general _mélange_. The chaos of luggage was -fearful. Under the weight of two of our store cases an officer's -sword had been bent almost into the prophetic pruning hook, and a -band-box belonging to our one lady passenger had, with all that it -contained, been squashed absolutely flat. Everybody had to see after -his own possessions or he was lost. Later on, as the boat steamed off -from Shellal, an officer who had entrusted the embarkation of his -horse to his _säis_ was horrified to see the man calmly sitting on -the bank smoking a cigarette with the horse beside him. - -During our stay at Shellal we slept in the garden of a shabby -one-storeyed house, dignified with the title of the "Spiro Hotel." -This was run by one of those ubiquitous Greeks who invariably turn -up in the East where there is any chance of making money. All along -the line of advance to Omdurman we were accompanied by Greeks, who -trafficked in bread, fresh meat, and the like. Like the Irishman -and the Jew, the Greek seems to flourish the more the further he is -removed from his native country. - -By this time our horses had caused us such signal inconvenience, -and it was becoming so difficult amid the congested traffic to find -room for them, that Cross and I determined to do without our mounts. -Accordingly, we sold one to an officer at a slight profit, and sent -the other back to Cairo. If British officers could march on foot to -Khartum from the point where rail and river failed us, why shouldn't -we? If one is taking part in a campaign where there is a probability -of a reverse, a sound horse may be useful; but one felt on the -present occasion that, if any running away was to be done, it would -not fall to our lot. - -At Shellal a brother of Ali's, called Mahmoud, suddenly turned up -from some quarter or other, and we annexed him at a moderate rate -of pay. His was the most unskilled labour I have ever witnessed. He -generally drove the tent pegs into the ground sloping inwards, and -with the notches inside instead of out! When he loaded a camel, he -would place a Gladstone bag on one side and a heavy box of stores on -the other, and then looked quite surprised when the camel rose and -the whole structure fell with a crash to the ground. At times like -these his imbecile features would be illumined with a fearful smile, -and if we rebuked his folly and menaced him with punishment, his grin -became broader and broader. When on one occasion I smote him with a -thorn stick, his mirth became so uproarious that we abandoned all -hope of his reformation, and merely gave Ali orders that in future -his brother's activities were to be strictly confined to the hewing -of wood and drawing of water. - -A large base hospital, with two hundred beds, had been established at -Assouan, and throughout the line of advance strenuous efforts were -being made to cope with any demands upon the medical service. It is -generally admitted that at the Atbara fight the medical arrangements -were not as complete as they might have been, and considerable -confusion is said to have been produced by the inadequacy of the -accommodation for the wounded. This time, however, Surgeon-General -Taylor had arrived on the scene, and throughout the campaign there -was no cause for complaint. In addition to base hospitals at Assouan, -Atbara, Rojan Island, and elsewhere, each brigade had no less than -five field hospitals attached to it. The National Aid Society -proffered its assistance, undertaking to send its own transport; but -the Sirdar refused the offer, with the idea probably that an army in -the field ought to supply its own medical requirements. Some of the -officials of the Society were, I heard, incensed at this refusal; -for they alleged, with some reason, that during a campaign nobody -"goes sick" unless he is practically too ill to move about, and -that the voluntary assistance rendered by the Society may be of -the greatest service to a large number of devoted men who, despite -their sufferings, are too keen and patriotic to enrol themselves -on the sick-list--the only means of securing treatment from the -Army Medical Corps. Just before we embarked, a batch of invalided -men passed northwards on their way to Cyprus, where the climate is -comparatively cool in August. Sunstroke was beginning to claim its -victims; a sergeant and a private of the Northumberland Fusiliers had -already succumbed to the heat, which, amid the rocks of Philæ, was -driving the quicksilver up to 110° in the shade. The Nile was still -rising perceptibly day by day, and in one spot I saw hundreds of tons -of Government stores--reserve supplies for ten thousand men--which -would have to be moved, as the waters gave promise of reaching an -abnormal height this year. Scores of natives found employment about -the landing-stage as porters, and were perpetually fighting over the -division of the luggage and the _bakshish_. I noticed four of these -men, during a frantic struggle on the river bank, collapse into the -water, where they still continued their combat of words and blows, -even when occasionally submerged-- - - Quamquam sunt sub aqua sub aqua maledicere tentant. - -We journeyed towards Wady Halfa in the old stern-wheeler _Ibis_, -which was crowded with officers of the Lancashire Fusiliers, and -as it towed a large barge on either side full of the rank and file -of the 2nd Battalion, we made slow progress. There is but little -incident to chronicle on a Nile voyage, and it is difficult to -understand why, even in winter, people select the Nile as the river -_par excellence_ for steamboat tours. The eye falls continually -upon bleak hills and dreary sand plains on either bank, relieved -only by occasional patches of _dhurra_ and date palms, while the -monotony which hangs like a pall over everything Egyptian--landscape, -architecture, sculpture--becomes in time most oppressive and -wearisome. The fact is, that were it not for the social pleasures -one may, or may not, derive from several weeks' sojourn on one of -Cook's steamers, nobody except a few souls really interested in the -antiquities of Upper Egypt would undertake this voyage. - -The Tommy Atkinses were packed like sardines on the barges, but -seemed to be in excellent spirits throughout the voyage. They -continually talked about the coming battle, and were as keen as -possible to get a sight of the Dervishes. All this arose, of course, -from sheer love of adventure and fighting, for the campaign could -scarcely be regarded as undertaken in defence of "our hearth and -home," and was only indirectly waged for the sake of our country. As -we advanced up the river the soldiers grew more musical day by day. -Local lyrics from the North alternated with Moody and Sankey hymns, -and occasionally some very fair attempts at harmony helped to beguile -the tedium and discomfort of the voyage. In one respect the result of -the "territorial system" in our British regiments is not altogether -good. Numerous little _coteries_ exist amongst the men enlisted from -the same families and districts, and the result is that the bonds of -discipline between non-commissioned officers and privates tend to -become relaxed. I noticed, for instance, to my surprise, that some of -the sergeants were sitting down on the deck playing cards with the -men--a species of _camaraderie_ which is certainly not desirable. - -A few hours before we reached Assouan the ruins of Kumombo had come -in sight. This town, the ancient Ombi, was once, if we may trust an -unknown imitator of Juvenal, the scene of a strange and horrible -fight between the residents and some malevolent visitors from -Denderah, a hundred miles farther down the river. The cause of the -encounter has quite a modern flavour about it--each town imagined it -had secured the sole and exclusive means of Salvation-- - - Inde furor vulgo quod numina vicinorum - Odit uterque locus, cum solos credat habendos - Esse deos quos ipse colit. - -The pious citizens of Ombi worshipped the crocodile. At Tentyra -this ugly beast appeared on the dinner-table, and was devoured with -all the added relish which would arise from cooking and eating the -deity of a hostile sect. The Tentyrites, in fact, specialised in -crocodiles. Plunging into the river they climbed upon the saurians' -backs--so Pliny tells us,--and when the crocodile opened his jaws -they neatly placed a cudgel across his back teeth, and so steered -their captive to the shore. After landing they stood round in a -circle and swore roundly at the crocodile, and this scolding so -alarmed the timid monster that it "threw up" all the bodies it had -eaten, which thus secured a respectable funeral. - -Our four days' journey by river from Wady Halfa was only twice -broken, once by an hour's halt at Korosko to send off telegrams and -take on board some chickens and fresh limes. The other halt was a sad -one. A young private of the Fusiliers, after a brief illness, died -of internal hæmorrhage, caused, possibly, by lifting heavy luggage. -There were, of course, no hospital arrangements on board the crowded -barges, but his comrades placed the sick man in as cool a spot as -could be found, and tended him as well as they could. But the case -was hopeless, and on 11th August the poor fellow died. The steamer -drew up beside the bank, and a section of the dead man's company -speedily dug a grave in the dry sand. The colonel read the burial -service, and after a little heap of stones had been piled above the -grave, soon to be obliterated by the drifting sand of the desert, -we steamed on our way southwards. Amid the excitement of battle and -sudden death, one looks with something akin to indifference as men -are struck down by shell-splinter and bullet--it is all part of -the day's work, and all must take their chance. But amid quieter -surroundings the feelings have freer play, and we all felt, I think, -that there was a peculiar element of sadness about this young -soldier's death. As the end approached he lay half conscious in a -corner of the deck, unmindful of all that passed around him--the -swirl and rush of the torrent, and the ceaseless chatter of his -comrades. - - His eyes - Were with his heart, and that was far away-- - -away, perhaps, in the far-off Lancashire village where his boyhood -was spent and his friends awaited his return. - -On 12th August universal dismay was caused on board by the news -that our supply of ice had given out. The Arab _restaurateur_ was -promptly kicked for his gross negligence, but this did little -good. The weather was stifling hot, and unless we wished to drink -lukewarm soda water some means had to be devised. The best thing -to do if one cannot secure ice in the Sudan is to put one's bottles -into a canvas bucket, full of water. The sides are slightly porous -and the consequent evaporation brings down the temperature of the -contents. Otherwise, merely placing the bottles in straw cases, and -then immersing them up to the neck in water, serves to keep the -drink fairly cool. The _restaurateur_, who charged us no less than -eight shillings a day for food, really deserved the kicking which -he received, for ever since the commencement of the voyage he had -consistently dropped one course a day from the dinner, so that if -the journey had been prolonged much further, our dinner promised to -become a negative quantity. - -We were not sorry to leave the _Ibis_ at Wady Halfa, and the -Tommies must have been delighted to get, even for an hour or so, -an opportunity of stretching their limbs. The train, consisting of -a number of horse boxes and open trucks, stood waiting for us, and -after a brief delay we steamed off for our thirty-six hours' run -across the open desert to the Atbara. Cross, Major Stuart-Wortley, -and I found ourselves ensconced in a covered cattle-truck, half full -of baggage; but we got our beds out, and speedily made ourselves as -comfortable as possible under the circumstances. In the middle of -the truck stood a big "zia," and we managed to have this filled with -decent water before we left--a sensible precaution, as only two wells -exist along these three hundred and fifty miles of desert railway; -and when three men have to cook and "wash up" and cool their drinks, -not to mention a succession of personal ablutions, the possession -of a big "zia" full of good water is a great alleviation of the -cattle-truck's discomforts. - -In the old days of vacillation and weakness, which ended in the -surrender of the Sudan, and thus spread untold miseries over -thousands and thousands of square miles, the selection of Wady -Halfa as the frontier of Egypt was made in defiance of the best -expert opinion on the subject. But if the advice of, at anyrate, -one of the experts consulted by the Conservative Government of the -day had reached England a little earlier, it seems very probable -that El Debbeh, the obvious and natural frontier post under the -circumstances of the time, would have been chosen instead of a spot -two hundred and fifty miles farther north. The advice in question -was, I believe, given to Lord Salisbury on a Monday; but as the fate -of the Government was already sealed, and it was known that the -Thursday following would see the Ministry out of office, there was -no time to effect the proposed change, and Wady Halfa was thus left -as the temporary frontier town of the Khedive's loyal provinces, and -an enormous tract of country, which would have been protected by a -garrison at El Debbeh, was left to Dervish control and devastation. - -As we neared the end of our journey the train again skirted the Nile, -and whenever we halted crowds of natives grouped themselves along the -line, either to sell eggs and dates or simply to stare. The railway -is still a source of never-ending wonderment. The simple unmechanical -minds of these Arabs seem to regard an engine as a being endowed with -life and will-power; and quite recently a village sheikh near Berber -protested to a railway official against the cruelty of forcing a -small engine to draw a long line of heavily laden trucks. All these -people are really ex-Dervishes, and I noticed a fair number of the -genuine "fuzzy-wuzzies" amongst them. One of their sheikhs came up -and informed us that when we got to Omdurman the Khalifa would fight -like _Sheitan_ (the devil). These natives appeared to vastly enjoy -the blessings of peace. How vividly impressed they must have been by -the constant succession of trains passing across the desert, laden -with fighting men and countless tons of stores, visible evidences of -the power and wealth of the conquering _Inglizi_! - -As we approached Abu Hamed, the scene of the sharp, brief fight last -year, we noticed some object roll along the side of the line; and -when the train pulled up we learnt that a non-commissioned officer -had fallen off one of the carriages. In a few minutes the missing -Fusilier picked us up, walking along quite coolly without having -sustained a scratch. On a subsequent journey another poor fellow was -not so lucky, for he fell off in the same way, and was instantly cut -to pieces by the wheels. - -The sun was setting as we neared Berber, and in the distance across -the river the outlines of "Slatin's Hill" stood sharply out against -the sky. This was the spot where the fugitive took shelter at a -critical moment when pursuit seemed close upon his heels and -capture imminent. On our own side of the stream the train ran slowly -through the scattered suburbs of Berber, and one realised how, as on -every occasion during the Khalifa's attempts to oppose our advance, -the Dervishes had blundered, by selecting Abu Hamed for the fight -instead of Berber. At the latter place there were fully five miles -of detached mud-huts extending inland from the river. Not a particle -of cover would have been available for an attacking force, and the -expulsion of a resolute body of Dervishes from the shelter of these -mud walls would have cost us dear. - -When the train finally crawled into the vast area covered by the -Atbara camp, it was quite dark, and, amid the confusion, Cross and -I, with two officers, thought it best to sleep as we were on the -ground beside the railway. However, as bad luck would have it, a -heavy shower of rain descended upon our devoted selves just as we -had fallen off to sleep, and the downpour was followed by a strong -wind from the river, which covered our quaternion with a thick layer -of sand and dust. A more unpleasant night it would be difficult to -imagine, as, beside the dust and wet, it was extremely difficult to -breathe amid the clouds of sand. At last I could stand the discomfort -no longer, and, jumping up, I seized my bed and bolted for an -enclosure hard by. Here my onset was suddenly barred by the bayonet -of a sentry, who brought his rifle down to the "charge"; but a little -explanation secured a passage for myself and my half-soaked bed, and -I found an empty tent, to which my three companions came running like -rabbits. - -We enjoyed a few hours' sleep before dawn, and then reported -ourselves to Colonel Wingate and General Rundle, the commandant. We -learnt from the former that the 21st Lancers and some gunners had -crossed the river that day with the intention of making their way -by land to the proposed camp just north of Shabluka. As these were -the last troops who would ascend the left bank of the river, it was -imperative that the two camels which we had purchased for our stores -should proceed at once by the same route; and as this route promised -to be an interesting one, Cross and I determined to accompany our -beasts of burden on foot in the absence of our horses. Accordingly -we secured an order for the transport across the river of ourselves, -our servants, camels, and stores in the old paddle-boat _El Tahra_. -This ancient tub had a rather peculiar history. She had fifteen years -ago formed one of the Government flotilla on the upper Nile. When the -evacuation of the Sudan took place an Egyptian battery fired half a -dozen shells into her and sank her at Rafia to prevent the Dervishes -from making use of her. The _El Tahra_, however, was destined for -something better than this inglorious fate, and she was raised, -patched up, and throughout the recent campaign performed much useful -service. Amongst her more notable achievements was the embarkation of -the officers and crew of the ill-fated _Zaphir_ after they were left -stranded on the bank without an ounce of baggage. The scars inflicted -by her former masters were quite visible, as the big holes torn by -the shells had been neatly covered with iron plating. - -Orientals are wonderfully good at renovating old vessels. A few years -ago I crossed from Galata to Scutari in a vessel which twenty years -ago had been condemned as unseaworthy by our Board of Trade. She -was then bought for a mere song by a Turkish company, which began to -patch her up. In the middle of this process the venerable craft broke -her back and fell in two; but the Orientals were not discouraged. -They set to work again and put the fragments together, and the result -of their zeal and patience has now been steaming to and fro between -Europe and Asia amongst the choppy waters of the Sea of Marmora for -several years. - -The prospect of speedily leaving the Atbara camp behind us was a -pleasant one. The place was absolutely detestable; no one had a good -word for it. The air was full of flying clouds of dust raised by an -interminable succession of blasts from the river. Often before one -could get a cup of coffee to one's lips it was coated with a layer of -dust. In order to keep the eyes from being inflamed one was driven to -wear huge goggles or a gossamer veil over the face. - -In addition to the moral training which is alleged to result from -all forms of worry and vexation, our discomforts during the campaign -frequently possessed an exegetical value. One realised more forcibly -than hitherto the meaning of some of the "Plagues of Egypt." Nile -boils are only too well known amongst the hapless officials who dwell -along the banks of the river. Again, as the ancient narrative speaks -of the dust as the vehicle of malignant forms of insect life, so now -bacilli are spread broadcast by this means. When we woke up in the -morning and shook an inch of dust from our blankets, we were lucky -not to find in addition that our mouths and throats were ulcerated; -and men suffering from enteric fever and other internal inflammations -found their recovery retarded, and often, I am afraid, prevented, -by the penetrating dust which they were compelled to swallow and -breathe, however fast tents were tied up or windows fastened. - -Another abomination was the plague of flies. At meals one made a -sweep to get rid of these beasties and then a rush to convey the -food to one's lips; but even in this brief space a couple of flies -often found time to get their beaks into the morsel and so perished -miserably. Tobacco was useless against these Sudanese flies; they -seemed to enjoy the fumes. The only way to circumvent them was to -sacrifice a little jam on a bit of bread and put it aside to attract -the vermin. In a twinkling bread and jam had become invisible. -Nothing was to be seen but a thick bunch of greedy flies jostling -each other like people at an "early door." - -On 16th August, owing to a series of those vexatious delays which -are inseparable from Eastern travel, we did not get our two camels -to the water's edge until nearly six o'clock, and even then the -perverse beasts absolutely refused to get into the barge which was to -convey them to the other side. At length we tied their legs together, -and then dragged and shoved them over the plank by main force. How -utterly one loathes a camel sometimes! Its disposition is morose and -malignant even from its birth; it is full of original sin, and any -affection lavished upon it is quite wasted. In a word, the camel is a -hopelessly depraved beast-- - - Monstrum nulla virtute redemptum. - -The other day I came across a magazine article by a writer who -claimed to know all about camels, and he spoke sympathetically of -the "soft, purring sound" which issued from the animal's lips. What -an amazing euphemism for the horrid guttural snorts with which the -peevish brute protests against any attempt to control its movements -or put a load upon its back. There is no chivalry in the camel's -breast. It will bite a pound of flesh out of you as you lie asleep, -or if you are riding will suddenly turn round as you are admiring the -scenery and nibble your legs. - -At length the obstinate creatures were ferried over the river, but -before they were loaded and ready to start it was already dark. On -the bank I met Howard for the first time since his Balliol days, and -he most kindly offered to lend me his second horse if I cared to ride -after the Lancers; but as Cross had no horse I decided to stay with -him. - -As Cross, Howard, and myself stood there in the brief twilight, how -little we dreamt that I alone of the trio should live to return from -the campaign! No thought of coming disaster overshadowed us as we -laughed and chatted together. It is not always so. I have personally -known three cases in which brave men, accustomed to the perils of -battle, suddenly experienced a vivid presentiment that they would be -struck down in the approaching fight, and in each case a bullet found -its mark in their bodies. - -Howard rode off, and then Cross and I set out to overtake the column -already encamped thirteen miles away. The general lie of the ground I -knew. If we followed the telegraph lines we should reach the village -of Abu Selim, and thence a sharp turn to the left would bring us to -the Lancers' camp beside the Nile. Starting as we did at seven, we -hoped to reach our goal by midnight, and then a few hours' sleep -would have intervened before a fresh move forward at four next -morning. But the scheme fell through. None of the servants knew the -way in the dark; there was no moon, and the starlight was not strong -enough to show the telegraph posts. We struggled on in the uneven -scrub, pushing through mimosa thorns and falling over logs of palm -wood, while our servants struck matches to look for the hoof-marks of -the cavalry. After two hours of this wearisome work we had advanced -less than three miles, and we saw that the enterprise was hopeless. -We sat down on a stump and reviewed the situation. Neither of us -had been overfed that day. Cross had had some cocoa at dawn, a cup -of bovril at midday, and tea and bread at four o'clock. My own diet -had been the same as his, minus the afternoon meal. I have a great -belief, personally, in the hygienic value of temporary starvation, -but as we sat there in the dark, Cross paid scant attention to my -eulogies upon the utility of emptiness, and very wisely voted for -our immediate return to the starting-place. I did not like to give -up our scheme, but there was not much in the way of alternative, -so after a noisy palaver with our servants, reinforced by three -suspicious-looking Arabs, who emerged from the bush, we finally sent -one camel and two servants along the bank, and after another two -hours' floundering through the scrub, found ourselves again opposite -the junction of the Atbara and Nile. We felt that the stores would -probably pick up the column sooner or later, but as for ourselves, -it would be foolish to be wandering about the west bank, nearer the -Dervish country, without military escort. Woe betide any stragglers -who chanced to fall into the hands of the Dervishes at present! The -best thing to do would be to empty five chambers of one's revolver -and keep the sixth for one's self! - -One of the suspicious-looking Arabs walked back with us and showed us -a dear little hut made of wattled branches, which would shelter us -for the night. Our guide turned out to be a native who had suffered -at the hands of the cruel Mahmoud just before that scoundrel was -defeated and captured at the battle of the Atbara in the spring. He -bared his arm and showed us a hideous wound, now healed over, where a -Dervish spear had cut through his flesh from shoulder to elbow. The -poor man had lost his wife and child--slain, both of them, by the -savage Baggaras. This incident, one among thousands of the same kind, -may give one some idea of the cruel sufferings to which whole tribes -were abandoned by our cowardly evacuation of the Sudan. We had put -our hand to the plough, and then drew back. - -We had a good square meal, washed down by a bottle of claret, the -solitary survivor of four. Its three companions had fallen from the -camel's back, and lay shattered on the ground, with their life-juice -ebbing fast. That night I dreamt that I was shooting rabbits amongst -bracken in Essex, and suddenly awoke, to find myself covered with a -quantity of vegetable matter. Everyone has experienced the curious -feeling of hopeless bewilderment which occasionally comes over a man -when he wakes in the dark amid fresh surroundings, and wonders where -on earth and what on earth he is; whether he is in this world or the -next. I found ultimately that the camel had literally eaten us out of -house and home, for it had ambled up in the night and devoured the -wattled branches of our hut to such an extent that the sides and roof -suddenly collapsed upon our sleeping forms. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -FROM THE ATBARA TO WAD HAMED - - -Early on the morning of the 17th our old friend the _El Tahra_ came -in sight, and we hailed her and crossed again to the Atbara. Next -day, with the rest of the correspondents still remaining in the camp, -we embarked on board a native _ghyassa_ which was towed up the river -by the gunboat _Tamai_. We were thoroughly crowded and uncomfortable -on this miserable barge, and even when we stepped on to the lower -deck of the gunboat the dirt and confusion was indescribable. The -first night I attempted in the dark to get a little exercise in this -way, but I fell over a live goat into the middle of a dead sheep -newly slaughtered, and resolved to do without any further exercise -until I landed. - -The Arab servants were quite happy amid these horrid surroundings, -and according to their wont would sit about in groups telling -stories till the small hours of the morning. One of their tales, -I learnt, concerned a mummy which arose and talked to the Bedawin -who unearthed it. In view of certain evidence which has lately been -forthcoming, it is just possible that some substratum of truth may -have underlaid this weird story. The evidence to which I allude is -contained in the following account, which is alleged to be authentic. - -A short time ago an Englishman who was travelling in Mexico happened -to discover a mummied body of which the extremities were missing. He -carried off his find to the home of a Mexican friend whose guest he -was, and after dinner showed the mummy to the master and mistress -of the house. The case with its contents was placed on the billiard -table, and the trio sat on a couch some distance off, when suddenly -a voice seemed to issue from the box. The Englishman turned to his -host to compliment him on his supposed ventriloquism, when he saw -that both the Mexican and his wife were deadly pale, and the lady in -a fainting condition. He rushed to the case on the table and declares -that as he stooped over it he heard articulate speech issue from -the mummied form inside! The voice, however, was only momentary, and -after a time his host informed him that already before he entered the -room the sound had been heard by his wife and himself proceeding from -the box. - -This mummy is now, I hear, in England, and one authority who has -been consulted suggests that the employment of the Röntgen rays -might perhaps reveal in the mummy's interior some mechanical device -employed by the ancients to produce the semblance of the human voice. -That some contrivance of this kind was known in antiquity seems -almost certain. Priestcraft sometimes caused the statues of gods to -talk, as, for example, the famous statue of Memnon amongst the ruins -of Thebes. In the case before us some vibration may have started -this venerable clockwork into renewed activity, just as nowadays the -pressure of infantile fingers causes the mechanical doll to squeak -and gibber, or cry "Papa," "Mamma." - -At length Colonel Wingate took pity on our abject position in the -_ghyassa_, and we were permitted to leave the society of "Gyppy" -officers and native servants, and have our meals on the upper deck. - -The gunboat conveyed the Staff of the Intelligence Department, -including Slatin Pasha. The long years of hardship endured at -Omdurman have left few traces on Slatin; he is always in excellent -spirits, and a most kind and unselfish travelling companion. He -told me that he was utterly weary of the Sudan, and would, like -many others, be heartily glad to see the last of campaigning in -these torrid regions. He told me, too, many interesting things about -Omdurman and the prisoners still in the Dervishes' power; and how the -Austrian mission-sister had been compelled to marry a Greek by the -Khalifa on the quaint ground that it was indecorous for an unmarried -lady to reside at Omdurman without adequate protection. - -The Nile becomes much more interesting above the Atbara, and the -banks in places are clothed with dense vegetation. We stopped -several times to take in wood for the engine, and at one of our -halting-places, Zeibad, during a ramble on shore, I found the -bushes full of little doves (_turtur Senegalensis_), and a flock -of wild geese got up, offering a fine shot had one carried a gun. -A few hundred yards away I noticed a line of huge Marabout storks. -The plumage of these birds is very striking, and I have heard it -suggested that when on one occasion during the Atbara campaign a -correspondent rode back to camp in hot haste with the report that he -had been chased by Dervishes, he had really fallen in with a line -of Marabout storks, and mistaken their mottled plumage for Arab -"gibbehs." Farther along the bank we skirted a huge marsh--a perfect -paradise for a sportsman: teal, duck, and snipe rose in vast coveys; -on a tall bush a large fishing eagle was perched, which paid scant -attention to the steamer; while at the foot two small crocodiles or -very large water-lizards lay basking in the sunshine. On every side -a multitude of cranes, secretary birds, and the sacred ibis stalked -solemnly about in dignified silence. The whole formed a charming -picture of animal life undisturbed by the presence of man--every -creature working out its own perfection in "delight and liberty." - -The voyage was full of interest. By day we wrote up our diaries, took -photographs of interesting bits of river scenery, or occasionally -got a shot at a wild duck or goose, which formed a welcome addition -to our larder. About half-way to Shabluka we sighted the curious -pyramids of Meroe, thirteen or fourteen in number. These seem to -be often irregular in shape, and are not nearly so large as the -pyramids of Ghizeh or Sakhara. They stand all solitary in a waste -of sand and rock, strange enigmatic relics of a vanished race. The -region of Meroe once formed a kingdom in itself, which succeeded the -Ethiopian kingdom of Napata, lower down the river. The dynasties of -the Meroitic kings attained considerable power, and were able to -retain their independence when the rest of Egypt became subject to -foreign control. Meroe was formerly a flourishing centre for caravan -and river-borne trade, but this seems to have disappeared by the -Christian era, for in Nero's time it is described as a desolate -wilderness, and this fact seems to render untenable the belief that -the Queen Candace mentioned in the Acts was the sovereign of Meroe. -From the time of Justinian to the 14th century Meroe was absorbed in -the kingdom of Dongola, whose inhabitants professed the Jacobite form -of Christianity. Quite recently I heard that an altar had been found -somewhere in the Meroe region with an inscription to Isa (Jesus), who -still lives in the tradition of the country as a great Sheikh. Now -that the Sudan has been opened up, and travellers need not fear a -compulsory experience of the Khalifa's hospitality at Omdurman, one -of the first steps which English archæologists ought to undertake is -the investigation of the countless ruins, tombs, inscriptions, and so -forth, which exist south of Wady Halfa. No one, for instance, has yet -deciphered the script which is met with amongst the ruins in the Wady -Ben Naga. Lepsius explored these ruins in 1844, and published some of -the curious inscriptions in his _Denkmäler_; but until a bilingual -inscription is discovered which will, like the Rosetta Stone, furnish -a clue to this mysterious writing, Egyptologists will continue to -sigh over its inscrutable characters. Professor Sayce had asked me -to bring back some "squeezes" and photographs from the Meroitic -inscriptions; but, alas, on the return journey the squeeze paper and -photographic apparatus were lost by the capsizing of some _ghyassas_, -and so I could do nothing in the cause of palæography. - -A short distance past the pyramids we caught up a curious procession -wending its way along the bank. A famous Gaalin sheikh, Hamara Wad -Abu Sin, was journeying southwards to join the Anglo-Egyptian forces. -This important ally led the way on foot, followed by a retainer armed -with a Remington. Then came a baggage camel carrying the personal -luggage of the chieftain, and the rear was brought up by two men and -two boys. When the gunboat got opposite the old sheikh, he at once -jumped into the river and swam to us, followed by one of the small -boys, who kept his master's bundle of clothes out of the water. Wad -Abu Sin is head of the Shukryeh tribe, and is noted throughout the -Sudan for his personal bravery. His father was _mudir_ of Khartum -under Gordon, and he himself was a prisoner in that town until he -managed to escape through Abyssinia. It was touching to see the old -man's joy at meeting Slatin, his fellow-sufferer under the cruel -tyranny of the Khalifa. - -At Magyrich, on the western bank, we found the Lancers encamped in a -beautiful palm grove, and Cross and I were especially glad to see our -camel with the two servants, who had evidently managed to pick up the -column. Some distance lower down than Magyrich we had already passed -two little groups of Lancers. One batch of twelve stood on the bank, -and asked us to take them on board, as their horses had broken down; -the other party consisted of only two men, whose comrade had just -died of sunstroke, and been buried by the survivors under a mimosa -bush. - -At 5 a.m. a man swam to the boat from the shore, who turned out to -be a deserter from Omdurman. He stated that when he left two of the -Dervish boats were on the point of starting to the South, in order, -perhaps, to fetch grain, and that the Khalifa was at present with his -army, at the outermost of the Omdurman lines of defence, about three -miles to the north of the town. This seemed to confirm the general -belief, which was afterwards verified, that the decisive battle would -not be fought in front of the Kerreri ridge, some ten miles north of -the capital, but in front of Omdurman itself. - -The sight of Metemmeh was full of interest. On the opposite bank lay -the ingeniously constructed forts of Shendy, with solid mud walls, -thirty-five feet thick. Miles back beyond Metemmeh, in the desert, -lay Abu Klea, and between the two the hamlets of Abu Kru and Gubat. -The fighting which we were destined to experience before Omdurman was -as nothing compared with the desperate struggles in 1885, when the -gallant column of British troops fought its way through overwhelming -numbers from Abu Klea to the Nile. Englishmen may well be proud of -this splendid feat of arms, unexampled as it is in the history of the -Sudan campaigns. Major Stuart-Wortley, who was present at the series -of fights from Abu Klea to the Nile, pointed out to me the mud-hut -to which Sir Herbert Stewart had been carried. How pitiful to think -that the lives of this gallant leader and many another brave man were -sacrificed in vain! Instead of helping to save the beleaguered city -and rescue Gordon, the dearly-won victory of Abu Klea only seemed -to hasten the destruction of Khartum. The Mahdist forces were so -incensed by the sight of their wounded comrades brought back after -the battle, that they demanded to be led at once to the assault, and -captured the town almost without resistance. - -We heard, by the way, at Nasri that all the graves of the gallant -men who fell in the fighting from Abu Klea to Metemmeh had been -desecrated by the Dervishes, and that the white bones lay scattered -over the desert. One exception, however, had been made. The -resting-place of Sir Herbert Stewart had not been molested. - -The above news was, I believe, embodied in several telegrams, but was -struck out by the Press Censor, as it was thought likely to cause -pain to many in England whose relatives had fallen in the Abu Klea -campaign. Afterwards, too, some doubts were thrown upon the truth -of the report; but even if the story was well founded, it matters -little. Of our valiant dead we may surely say, in the immortal words -of the Athenian statesman, "They received each one for himself the -noblest of all sepulchres. I speak not of that in which their -remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives.... For -the whole earth is a sepulchre of famous men: not only are they -commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an -unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone, but in the hearts of -men." - -The evening before we reached Nasri Island we were suddenly overtaken -by a terrific sandstorm. Two vast columns of sand rose straight up -from the desert and swept rapidly towards us. The sky was black with -clouds, birds ceased to sing, and the grasshoppers chirruped no -more, as all living creatures, from ourselves downward, prepared for -the coming terror. The _Tamai_ at once tied up to the bank, and we -waited for the hurricane. Suddenly it came rushing upon us. Everyone -clutched books, camp-chairs, cameras, plates, bottles--whatever lay -within reach--and sat tight, while the gunboat heeled over beneath -the shock. The storm was shortlived; streams of sunshine broke -afresh through the clouds, and birds and insects came forth from -their hiding-places, and rejoiced that the tyranny was overpast. We -speedily collected our scattered properties and went on our way. Yet -all night long the lightning flashed incessantly, showing up every -bush and rock on the river bank as clearly as at noonday. - -Nasri Island had been converted into a vast depôt for stores. All -the people who were obliged to remain at this station throughout the -campaign seemed very depressed. There was nothing whatever to do out -of work hours except to prowl along the river bank, on the chance -of slaying a goose or catching a fish. One of the officers came on -board, and, in answer to our query as to his welfare, said he felt -"a bit cheap," as in addition to being soaked to the skin as he lay -in bed, he had been stung by two scorpions during the night. As the -_Tamai's_ condensers had gone wrong, and the engineer seemed to have -lost his head altogether, we tied up to the bank until 2 a.m., and -four more hours brought us to Wad Hamed, where the Sirdar's forces -were to be finally concentrated before the march upon Omdurman. - -We thoroughly enjoyed the week's sojourn at Wad Hamed, as the camp -seemed healthy, and along the Nile there were many charming bits of -scenery. In fact, in some places where the enormous breadth of the -river was broken up into narrower channels, one might almost imagine -oneself on the Thames. The banks were clothed with the bright green -foliage of the nebek and mimosa bushes, which afforded shelter to -innumerable birds. The thorns of the nebek are worse even than those -of the mimosa; they curl inwards, and are very strong. Nevertheless, -the camel rejoices exceedingly when it can seize a mouthful of this -prickly tree, and the yellow berries are not to be despised by human -beings when they are really hungry. There is, however, one feature -which is sadly lacking even in the nicest bits of Nile scenery; there -are no flowers. - -After we had pitched our tents amongst some mimosa scrub, during -which process our barefooted servants leapt about like cats on -hot bricks, we were informed that the Sirdar would receive the -correspondents in his tent. Bennett-Burleigh had arrived in the -meantime, having stolen away from the Lancers' camp and the other -correspondents, and ridden forty miles that day--a fine performance, -if not strictly in accord with military discipline. We thereupon -collected our little cohort of fifteen, and went off to meet the -General. I did not enjoy the interview, which was as barren of -results as it was humiliating. The only parallel to it which I can -think of is that of a row of curates before a brusque and autocratic -bishop. During the brief commonplaces which passed between us, the -general impression conveyed to me was the immeasurable condescension -of our chief in even deigning to address the representatives of -a Press which has never failed to extol even to the verge of -exaggeration the achievements of the Anglo-Egyptian Army and its -leader! How deep the gulf which appeared to separate the Egyptian -commander-in-chief from the civilian correspondent! In short, I -should advise anybody who cannot put his pride in his pocket to avoid -the rôle of amateur war correspondent in Egypt. The professionals -are, I suppose, to some extent inoculated by this time, and cling to -the delusion that correspondents during a campaign are treated like -officers. - -At the same time, I am bound to confess that if I were a -commanding officer I should not be favourably impressed with the -_genus_ "correspondent" as a whole. There is sometimes a blatant -self-conceit and vulgar swagger about a war correspondent which is -very irritating, while in other cases intolerance of discipline -and incessant attempts to override military regulations for mere -private ends have gone far to justify Lord Wolseley's _dictum_ that -correspondents are "the curse of modern warfare." Of course there -are delightful exceptions to this sort of thing to be met with in -a war correspondent's camp. Some of the men who engage in this -most delightful occupation are good fellows in every sense of the -phrase,--brave, generous, and clever,--and it is a privilege to enjoy -the companionship of men like Steevens, Scudamore, Villiers, and -others whom I could name. - -Altogether, the little _kosmos_ of our camp was full of interest, -as the types of war correspondent one meets with vary considerably. -There is the rough man who glories in his roughness, scorns luxury, -and doesn't wash. An excellent fellow in his way, he yet renders -himself more unhappy than he need be by his unstinted devotion to -discomfort. To imitate an ancient Eremite by never changing one's -shirt when you can purchase one for 2s. 11¾d., and to sleep on the -ground when you have got plenty of money to buy a valise bed, may -have certain charms when the weather is fair and you haven't got -fever; but when rain is falling upon you, as it knows how to fall in -the tropics, or you would give half your income for a little shade -from the midday sun, which has got you by the back of the neck and -made you limp and listless--it is then that the swashbuckler and old -campaigner theory breaks down. - -In signal contrast with the above type, one finds the war -correspondent who makes himself as comfortable as possible. His -editor does not grudge the supply, nor he the expenditure, of large -sums of money. He puts on a clean shirt every day, and has his boots -polished in the heart of the desert. He wears beautiful cummerbunds, -and is all glorious within; his underclothing is of wrought silk. -When less fortunate mortals drink muddy water this Sybarite calls for -a whisky and Rosbach, and finishes off a dinner of five courses with -a glass of excellent liqueur. But, after all, why shouldn't a man -make his camp life as pleasant as possible as long as his comforts -don't interfere with other people's? Indeed, so far from this being -the case, the "comfortable" correspondent--as far as my experience -goes--is often a really kind and generous fellow, who never grudges a -friend a share in his good things; and as to his picturesque costume -and careful toilette, a man preserves his self-respect all the better -when he is clean and nicely dressed. The hospitality, too, which, -when camels and servants abound, can be generously dispensed to -agreeable and communicative officers, is a most valuable factor in -the success of a war correspondent's career; its quality is like that -of mercy--it blesses him that gives as well as him that takes. - -Another type meets us in the veterans, the self-constituted _doyens_ -of the pressmen, who claim to regulate the camp and lay down the law -generally. Some old persons of this sort, on the strength of their -own antiquity and their experience of half a dozen campaigns, are -loud in their denunciation of all "interlopers," as they are pleased -to call all gentlemen who pay their own expenses and do literary work -in connection with the campaign. - -Again, all campaigners must know the type of correspondent, -who, ignorant of any language except his own, and speaking that -imperfectly, ill-treats his servants when they fail to understand his -orders. Such persons as this are either too stupid or too lazy to -master even a few common words of the vernacular, yet they imagine -that for £2, 10s. a month they can secure an accomplished linguist -as a servant! "Untwist that knot; not that knot, that other knot! -Great Scot! You," etc. etc. The poor Arab boy stands perplexed and -fearful--he cannot understand this bewildering utterance, and becomes -helpless or makes a bad shot and begins to open a tin of marmalade -or lay the table. Then "thud, thud," as a heavy stick falls on the -servant's bare flesh, or the wretched boy emerges from the tent, his -face streaming with blood from a cowardly blow by his master's fist. -I have known an Arab servant to be followed for yards and beaten most -cruelly with a heavy stick, because, owing to a breakdown of the -telegraph, he was unable to forward a message sent by his master. -The boy was absolutely blameless in the matter, but his master would -not listen to a word of explanation, and the sound of the brutal -strokes he showered upon the servant were audible far away. The -foul abuse bellowed at servants frequently made our camp a disgrace -to the zeriba. Everybody in the East swears at his servants, but -still--whether the proposition be ethically sound or not--there is a -gentlemanly way of swearing--brief and incisive, and not intended to -reach the ears of others than the delinquent. - -Moreover, if one treats one's Arab servants with kindness and -firmness withal, they generally do their best, and often become quite -devoted to their master. When after the battle Mr. Villiers was lost -for some time, and fears were entertained about him, his servant was -full of genuine distress and anxiety. If, on the other hand, no tie -exists between master and servant except fear of the _kurbash_ and -the loss of the paltry wages, what can one expect in the way of zeal -and devotion? - -The yells and screams of fury which commenced at daybreak, and often -made night hideous in the correspondents' camp, were never heard -amongst the officers, who surely had infinitely more to put up -with in the way of discomfort than we had. In short, disgust was -often the prevailing sentiment with which one could contemplate our -own camp, and it was a delightful relief to get away for a quiet, -pleasant chat with one's officer friends. - -There are other types also. The "new hand," some peaceful-looking -journalist who has never fired a shot in his life, even at a bunny, -stands before the door of his tent clad in all the trappings with -which Messrs. Silver adorn the noumenal war correspondent of their -imagination. Every strap in the brand new kit is in its place, and -the poor man is so festooned with cameras and field-glasses and -revolvers and haversacks that respiration must be difficult, as he -bumps along on his gee-gee in an enormous helmet. He cannot ride, to -walk he is ashamed. Yet, if the "new hand's" enthusiasm for a war -correspondent's career is not disillusioned by the stern realities -of a Sudan campaign, he will appear in our next "little war" as an -old hand, and will be all the happier for having left behind him the -outfit dear to the war correspondent of comic opera, and donned a -less intricate but more effective costume. - -Once more, there is the non-journalistic amateur, who, in order to go -through the campaign, has secured a permit to act as a correspondent -for some newspaper. As I was myself a humble member of this class, I -will refrain from criticising its merits and defects, though later on -a brief tribute may well be paid to the memory of two of its members, -who, alas, did not return--Cross and Howard. - -Now, concerning war correspondents enough has been said. Let no one -be offended by fair criticism and good-natured banter-- - - Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas, - Gaudia, discursus, nostri est farrago libelli. - -At the same time it seems likely that the day of the highly paid war -correspondent, with _carte blanche_ to spend as much as he likes, is -almost over. Scores of capable men with a 'Varsity education would -be delighted to do war correspondent's work for a tithe of what is -paid to some of these gentlemen; and as agencies like Reuter supply -excellent telegrams, there is no crying need for additional "wires." -At least one of our leading newspapers was quite uncertain for a long -time as to whether it would send a special correspondent to the -Sudan or not, and an editor remarked to me that the copy sent was -often scarcely worth the outlay. "We don't want to read," said he, -"how our correspondent was bitten by mosquitoes, or left his pyjamas -behind him." - -As my friend Professor Poulton of Oxford had kindly bestowed upon -me a small net and a "killing bottle," I resolved to collect some -butterflies and insects for the University Museum, and made frequent -excursions outside Wad Hamed camp for the purpose. But ill-luck -pursued my untrained efforts at practical entomology. The only thing -the bottle came within measurable distance of killing was myself, -for it got broken almost at the start, and my cook, thinking the -strong-smelling concoction at the bottom was some form of curry -powder or seasoning, had carefully annexed the _débris_ of the -bottle, and was proceeding to use it for culinary purposes, when I -seized the stuff and hurled it into the river. - -The butterfly net also fell upon evil days, for the donkey which -carried it began to roll one evening before its load was removed, -and the apparatus was utterly smashed. The stick and brasswork I -reluctantly left on the field, but the green gauze served to protect -one's eyes and complexion when sandstorms swept through the air. - -In consequence of these disasters my entomology had to be carried out -with ruder implements--to wit, a bath towel and a thick stick. If -a butterfly settled on the ground I stalked it carefully, and then -fell upon it with the towel; but I often rose from the earth with -no butterfly, and nothing in my hands except half a dozen mimosa -thorns. Incensed at failure, one struck at the gaudy insects as -they fluttered past, and sometimes succeeded in braining a few; but -as I gathered up the scattered remains I trembled to think of the -Professor's sarcasms upon the condition of my Sudanese specimens. -The natives used to gaze upon my pursuit of butterflies with looks -of amusement and surprise. What could the Englishman want with these -worthless insects? Were they his totems or fetiches? did he collect -them for gastronomic purposes, or as material for magical rites? I -sometimes offered some trifling _bakshish_ for butterflies, but the -Arabs could never be brought to realise that I wanted variety and -quality as well as quantity. On one occasion a struggling mass of -fifteen or twenty common white butterflies in a matchbox--all exactly -the same--was triumphantly brought me by a small boy. I liberated the -unhappy prisoners, and rewarded the boy with one penny and a severe -lecture.[1] - -As to the other insects in my collection, many of these were so -appallingly ugly and malignant in appearance that one had to pull -oneself together to attempt their capture. A soda-water bottle had -been filled with whisky amid the protests of Cross, who thought this -a waste of good liquor, and when some grisly insect with a striped -body, projecting eyes, and aggressive antennæ appeared inside the -tent, something like this conversation used to take place:-- - -E. N. B.--"Do you mind catching that harmless lepidopt, Cross, while -I hold the bottle?" - -H. C.--"I think, somehow, that you're better at catching those -beasts than I am; give me the bottle." - -As I had decreed death as the penalty for any creeping thing which -invaded our tent, the noisome creature was, as a rule, gingerly -secured and forced into the spirit, where it speedily died of -_delirium tremens_. Nothing is more unpleasant in tropical countries -than to have a winged insect of great size and energy enter one's -tent in the dark. _Omne ignotum pro terribili_: suddenly the Unknown -makes its presence felt by rising up from the ground with a loud -buzz; it necessarily strikes against the tent pole or the canvas, and -immediately collapses with a thud on the bedclothes or one's face; -and then, after a brief interval for recovery, it recommences its -clumsy gambols and aërial flights. - -Our stock of literature in the Wad Hamed camp was of amazing variety. -We established by usage a sort of Desert Circulating Library, and -novels, old magazines, and even newspapers of venerable antiquity -were eagerly sought for and exchanged. My own parcel of books on -board the _Tamai_ consisted of Whyte Melville's _Holmby House_, -_The Juggler and the Soul_, by Helen Mathers, and a penny edition -of _Quentin Durward_. I was surprised on one occasion to find a -Scotchman engaged in reading Horace's _Satires_ in a new translation -by Mr. Coutts. He knew nothing of the original Latin, but had -purchased the volume, and was wading through the archaic material -with apparent relish. Possibly the jokes of antiquity may have -succeeded in striking that chord in a Scottish temperament which is -so often unresponsive to contemporary humour! Whenever one got a -periodical of any sort, such as _The Wide World_, one did not toy -with it in a dilettante fashion. Every line of it was read from cover -to cover, and even the advertisements of life assurance offices were -perused with some degree of interest amid this comparative dearth of -intellectual pabulum. - -One evening, in an interval of leisure before dinner, I strolled -along the Nile to see if I could add a little fresh fish to our -_ménu_. I had with me one of the excellent rods made for a few -shillings by Slater of Newark-on-Trent, which pack up into very -small compass, and can easily be carried in a hold-all or Gladstone -bag. The river was much too muddy for fly fishing, and one of my -officer friends remarked that the fish would have to jump a foot out -of the water before they saw the fly. Nevertheless I tried a few -casts with a Zulu and a nondescript chub-fly, and after a couple -of rises managed to land a curious fish of the carp (?) tribe with -long barbules, which is called by the Arabs "Abu Shenab" (Father of -Moustaches). There is another very common fish in the Nile of the -bream species. It is shaped like a pair of bellows, and has about the -same flavour when cooked. - -It is always worth while to try a cast or two on unknown waters in -the course of one's travels. This spring I was fortunate enough to -get some excellent sport from a few hours' fly fishing in the Waters -of Merom and the Jordan. The latter river simply teems with fish of -seventeen different species, some of which, including the "Father -of Moustaches," are found elsewhere only in the Nile--a fact which -seems to indicate a connection between the two streams at some remote -period. - -Sir Francis Grenfell told me that a friend of his had landed some -huge fish at the junction of the Nile and Atbara, and during our -stay there a native caught a fish weighing nearly a hundred pounds, -which was served up, I believe, at the Guards' mess. When the Nile -gets lower, some splendid sport might be enjoyed with these monstrous -fish. In fact, when one fishes in a stream like the Atbara, there is -a delightful uncertainty about the nature of the prospective catch. -One never knows what is coming up. That keen sportsman, the late -Sir Samuel Baker, fished in this stream with a live bait 2 lbs. in -weight, and landed fish up to 180 lbs.! On one occasion he tells how -something seized the bait, and would not budge an inch. The dead -weight on the line was tremendous, and Sir Samuel says it felt "as if -the devil himself had got hold of the hook." At last, after placing -his feet against a rock and pulling, something moved upwards in the -water which looked for all the world like a cart wheel. Finally, up -came a huge water-tortoise, which gave one plunge, and broke away -with the hook and several yards of line. - -By day the vast area occupied by the two British brigades, and -various battalions of Sudanese and Egyptians, was full of ceaseless -work, accompanied by a perfect babel of sounds, as fatigue parties -hurried in various directions, and long strings of native labourers -carried loads or hauled at ropes, with their monotonous sing-song -recitation of Koran fragments. The Gregorian chant, which secures the -exclusive devotion of some Churchmen, is doubtless an approximation -to the music of the primitive Church, but solely because that Church -happened to find its earliest home in the East, where no other type -of music has ever been known or appreciated. But there is no more -reason why an Englishman should feel bound to sing ugly Gregorians -than that he should chant the psalms in loose cotton garments without -his boots. In either case the "local colour" is quite un-Western. - -In this, as in all other Sudan campaigns, some difficulty was -experienced by the officers in keeping the soldiers from becoming -almost amphibious creatures. If he had his own way, Tommy Atkins -would have spent the greater part of his time in floundering about -the muddy river. The spirit of sport, so deeply ingrained in the -Englishman, found few outlets during the campaign; but now and then, -in order to witness a good swimming race, Mr. Atkins would gladly -cast a large lump of his rations--bread or biscuit upon the waters. -Arab urchins swim admirably, with that quick hand-over-hand stroke -which primitive tribes always employ; and they judge their distances -so accurately that they rarely miss a crust, even where the stream is -running at the rate of many miles an hour. - -But the troops were, as a matter of fact, always far too busy to get -much time for relaxation, in or out of the water. It is astonishing -that the authorities should have found it necessary to assign such -an enormous amount of work to the officers and men during the -concentration at Wad Hamed. On some days the British troops had no -less than twelve hours' fatigue work! Take, for example, the casual -record of one day's round of work, got through by a certain battalion -in the heat of a Sudan August. The troops were on parade from 4.30 -to 8. They then returned to the camp, and, without being allowed any -breakfast, were set to cut grass. Ten minutes were then allotted for -the morning meal. The next item was wood-cutting, and the digging -of trenches for camp purposes. This fatigue continued till the -midday dinner, and from two o'clock to dark the men were practised -in loading camels. Next morning reveille sounded at four, and then, -although the battalion was on the point of leaving the camp, they -were actually ordered, before their departure, to cut a number of -tree-stumps out of the ground! I do not mention these facts with any -intent to dispute their utility or expediency. The British soldier -does, under normal conditions during peace, infinitely less work -than falls to the lot of his continental brethren. When the Russian -soldier has finished his parades he is set to build walls and make -roads, while Atkins is disporting himself in the cricket or football -field. So it is perhaps not undesirable that our men should learn the -meaning of really hard work occasionally. But it was pleasant to see -how cheerfully the Tommies bore it, at anyrate outwardly; for I never -heard a word of grumbling or "grousing," as they phrase it. Moreover, -from a hygienic point of view, their round of heavy fatigues most -certainly agreed with them. Wonderfully little sickness prevailed in -the ranks, in spite of the fierce heat and the indifferent water, -though the wear and tear removed every ounce of superfluous flesh, -and reduced our men to the condition of those "lean and wiry dogs" -which Plato regarded as a model in the selection of his Republican -warriors. - -The Sudanese, on the other hand, grumbled a good deal. Their -conception of military discipline and obedience are somewhat -rudimentary, and manual labour is distasteful to them. The discontent -which was caused in their ranks by what they deemed excessive fatigue -work culminated finally in a number of desertions. In Wad Hamed -alone there were, I believe, no less than twenty cases of desertion, -and three at least of the scoundrels were recaptured and shot. The -deserters were doubtless making off southwards to join the Khalifa, -for the life of a Baggara Dervish in prosperous times--a mere round -of eating, sleeping, and fighting--would form an ideal existence in -the eyes of an animal like the average Sudanese soldier. - -On the other hand, a constant stream of fugitives began to reach the -camp from the south; in Wad Hamed there were some thirteen hundred -deserters from the Khalifa's dominions. Many of them came down the -river, a motley herd of women and children, with a sprinkling of men -all packed together in native barges. What these poor creatures lived -on I do not know, but I strolled amongst some hundreds of them one -evening, and they all seemed in excellent spirits and quite convinced -that this time, at anyrate, they had put their money on the right -horse. The presence of these uninvited guests caused considerable -embarrassment to the Army Service Corps, but the authorities did -the best they could for them, and in a big camp there are always -a good many pickings which the refugees and vultures might share -between them, though our feathered visitors had rather a pull over -the other bipeds, as they rose betimes, and, according to the ancient -adage, the early bird got the "bully" beef. This beef, by the way, -was always to be picked up. It was issued to the men, for greater -convenience of transport, in 3-lb. tins, which were trisected with a -hammer and chisel for three rations. But, as the men soon got tired -of the meat, and it speedily, after being opened, became uneatable -from the heat, vast quantities of it were thrown away; and I noticed -that the line of railway was often marked for hundreds of yards with -tins of "bully" beef more or less full, which were speedily pounced -upon by Arabs; if any village chanced to be close at hand. - -Occasionally the soldiers got rations of fresh meat, and, what was -almost more welcome, fresh bread, with now and then the additional -luxury--oh, blissful moment!--of a little marmalade. Once a week, -too, a tot of rum was served out, and happy was the orderly whose -task it was to convey the rum rations to his superiors; for the -officers rarely drank the fiery spirit, and when it was given back -it was not wasted. This small weekly allowance was the only strong -drink which Tommy Atkins imbibed throughout the campaign. The deadly -effects of alcoholic excess in a climate like that of the Sudan -are, of course, well known, and in a previous campaign the danger -of allowing the men the use of intoxicants had been so unpleasantly -demonstrated in the case of a certain British battalion, that the -Sirdar very wisely established a system of "total prohibition" -amongst the rank and file. Some rascally Greeks brought casks of -whisky and beer to the Atbara, but the authorities soon discovered -their little game. Most of the alcohol was sent back to Cairo, and -of the remainder, some was put under the military seal and the rest -simply emptied into the sand! - -At Wad Hamed officers and correspondents alike enjoyed a life of -comparative comfort and refinement, which was necessarily impossible -in our subsequent camps during the final week of the campaign. On -ordinary days we woke about five o'clock, when Ali brought us a mug -of cocoa and a biscuit. The biscuit supplied to the Egyptian troops -was of a dark brown colour, and hard as a brick. On leaving Wad -Hamed, Ali went by mistake to the wrong canteen, and brought us a bag -of "Gyppy" biscuit, on which Cross and I subsisted for several days, -and were thankful at the end that we had only lost one tooth each in -that period. The British biscuit was much nicer, comparatively white, -and quite free from "weevils"; for I used to shake my biscuits to -see if I could extract one of these insects, which I much wished to -see. No weevil ever emerged, and I am under the impression that this -insect, which figures so prominently in tales about pirates and "sea -dogs," must be a semi-fabulous creature, to be placed under the same -category as the basilisk and the Barometz lamb. - -After dressing we generally strolled about the camp on the banks -of the river for an hour or so, and then we were quite ready for -breakfast, which ordinarily meant porridge, sardines, bread or -biscuit, marmalade, and tea. As at this time of the day one could -generally secure a little hot water or the remaining contents of the -teapot, I used to devote some time to shaving. This operation was -quite an ordeal in the Sudan. Lather manufactured from muddy Nile -water spread a layer of fine sand over one's face, which speedily -blunted the best steel, and towards the end of the campaign I might -as well have used a piece of hoop iron as try to make my razors work -with cold water. With warm water the torture was somewhat less acute. - -Perhaps it is worth while mentioning in connection with our biscuit -supply that any traveller or explorer who cannot secure flour as he -proceeds, can easily make certain of having a continual supply of -decent bread by the following means. Let him order a quantity of -thick, flat cakes to be made of ordinary bread dough. When these are -thoroughly baked they must be gradually dried either by artificial -heat or by the sun, if its rays are strong enough, until every -particle of moisture is dried up. Bread thus desiccated will last -for months, and when it is wanted a lump is sprinkled with a little -water, and one finds nice spongy bread for breakfast instead of the -hard and monotonous biscuit. Mrs. Theodore Bent first taught me this -bread-lore, and when I explored Sokotra in company with herself and -her husband, we took several sacks of these flat cakes, and were in -consequence never without nice fresh bread. - -In the interval between breakfast and midday we got through a good -deal of work in the way of letter-writing or telegraphing. If one -had nothing to do oneself there was always a certain psychological -interest attaching to the study of one's fellow-correspondents and -their mysterious movements. One of them, after a successful prowl -for news, would appear walking towards his tent with an air of -_nonchalance_ intended to conceal his eagerness to find telegraph -forms. He would dive within the canvas, and then dispatch a servant -with a telegram, which five hours afterwards would be received in -London, and next morning would be read by thousands of eager eyes; -for surely no Sudan campaign has ever possessed a quarter of the -interest which, for some reason or other, the present one has aroused -in the British public. Of course all telegrams had to be brought -to Colonel Wingate and receive his official _visé_ and approval -before being put upon the wires. The utmost precautions were taken -throughout the campaign against any bad faith on the part of the -operatives. All the clerks employed in this service were bound over -in sureties of £240 not to divulge the contents of any telegram. This -was found necessary, inasmuch as during the last campaign several -important telegrams--so I was informed--between the Sirdar and Sir -Francis Grenfell were revealed to others than the lawful recipients. - -After a light lunch about 12.30, everybody, soldier and civilian -alike, lolled about in shirt-sleeves or went to sleep well under -cover of his canvas. Outside the sun blazed down in fury on the -desert, till the rocks became too hot to be touched, and the -rarefied air quivered over the yellow sand. To walk twenty yards in -the open without a helmet might mean death, and even inside one's -tent the heat which penetrated a double roof of thick green canvas -was so intense that a wet towel was very welcome as a protection -for the head. Whenever the surrounding temperature exceeds that of -the surface of one's body there is always a risk of sunstroke, and -it is amazing that during the heat which has prevailed in England -during August and September few people took the trouble to protect -their heads by any additional covering beyond a straw hat. In fact, -Surgeon-Major Parkes states that he had come across many more cases -of sunstroke in England than in Africa, where he had spent many years -amid the vicissitudes of travel and exploration. Furthermore, a -"spinal pad" is almost of as much importance as a good helmet against -sunstroke, yet in the Sudan the use of the spinal pad supplied by -the Government was rather the exception than the rule, and men -walked about in the tropical sun with a helmet on their heads while -their back was protected only by a flannel shirt. Sunstroke acts in -different ways. I have seen the quartermaster of a P. and O. in the -Red Sea suddenly drop as if he had been shot; but, in most cases, -the initial stages--loss of appetite, nausea, and headache--give one -full warning, and if the patient can at once get under some shade -and secure medical assistance, the "touch of the sun," which has -upset him for the time being, passes away without leaving any effects -behind it except a general lassitude for some time. - -About four o'clock the hottest part was over, but the danger of -sunstroke was, if anything, greater, because the oblique rays of -the sun fell upon one's neck, unless, indeed, as was the case with -the rank and file, a "curtain" was attached to the helmet. Nearly -everybody drank tea about this time. There is a kind of notion -abroad that this beverage serves to cool one, but the general effect -produced in the Sudan seemed quite the reverse. Any perspiration -left in one's sebaceous follicles after the genial warmth of the -Sudan had kept us in a sort of natural Turkish bath for six hours, -was elicited by the warm tea, and one realised how easy under such -conditions it would be to lose every particle of one's existing body -in even less than the seven years indicated by medical statistics, -and thus, on good Bishop Butler's showing, secure, together with -revaccination, a frequently recurring proof of one's immortality. - -After tea we were amply compensated for the discomforts of the day -by the delights of a tropical evening. The air was deliciously cool, -and the soft tints of sunset coloured all the landscape. Everyone -recovered his temper, and such pleasures and duties of social life -as survived in the desert occupied our attention from this hour -till bedtime. Men dropped in to see each other all over the camp, -and there was a general atmosphere of "Have a drink, old chap." The -amount of fluid one can consume in these tropical regions is amazing. -Nobody, of course, who has any common sense thinks of drinking much -alcohol in the heat of the day. Lime juice and soda is often taken -at lunch, while some claret or sauterne, or a whisky and Rosbach, -are common beverages in the evening. It is often very difficult -indeed--especially when one is on the march--to keep such luxuries -cool, but the ingenious "sparklets," which were brought out to the -Sudan in thousands, will always, if fairly good water can be got, -provide one with a decent drink, as the sudden liberation of the -compressed gas cools the water as well as aërates it. - -It is worth while being really thirsty and hungry to understand the -pleasures of drink and food. Our English meals follow each other -with such regularity and diversity that one seldom realises what it -means to crave for food and drink as a primary instinct. But oh! the -joy of a deep draught of cool water after long hours of abstention -in the desert, or, what is almost as bad, a long course of brackish -water--saline water, which quenches one's thirst for the moment only -to increase it by the after-taste. Once when I was travelling with -Mr. Bent, I remember how I was walking in a stony ravine after six -days of nothing but brackish water; suddenly, to my delighted vision, -a little brook of limpid water appeared running down to the sea. One -threw oneself flat upon the bank and drank, and drank, and drank! -Hunger is much more easily endured than thirst, and Æschylus did well -to class amongst the most joyful of human experiences the sight of -running water to a thirsty traveller-- - - ὁδοιπόρῳ διψῶντι πηγαῖον ῥέος. - -At the same time, indiscriminate drinking is a tiresome habit, -which can be shaken off with a little practice and determination. -The inexperienced traveller in the East always carries a huge -water-bottle, from which he is continually drinking copious draughts; -but after a few months he learns to drink at meal times, and not to -encumber himself with his water-bottle on every occasion when he is -away from the tent. Education and self-control go largely hand in -hand. Officers stand hunger and thirst much better than the rank -and file, who, in the Sudan, exercised very little self-control in -the matter of drink. Whenever they could get it, the soldiers were -perpetually dipping their tin mugs in the large "zias" or "fantasias" -provided for their use. - -Just before the evening shadows cooled the air too much and made -a chill possible, we spread our india-rubber baths on the ground -and enjoyed the refreshment of a good "tub." The Nile water was so -saturated with mud that when one stood in one's bath upon a thick -precipitate of sand the sensation recalled the seaside paddling of -one's childhood. - -The tropical twilight was all too brief, and darkness fell suddenly -like a pall upon the landscape. Then out came candlesticks and -lanterns, and the one substantial meal of the day made its -appearance. The quality of our _cuisine_ varied considerably. At a -stationary camp like Wad Hamed we sometimes purchased fresh meat -from an enterprising Greek called Loisa, but this was always very -lean and tough, and these fleshpots of Egypt had few charms for us. -The Arabs devour any sort of meat, whatever be the condition of the -beast which supplies it. Two days after the battle of Omdurman, Ali -appeared before the tent with a wretched kid in the last stage of a -rapid decline. He knew I disapproved of loot, and declared that he -had purchased the animal, and intended to fry the liver for me for -to-morrow's breakfast. As the poor kid was far too ill and weak even -to stand on its legs, I declined the suggested dainty. There were -quite enough bacilli prowling around in Omdurman without incurring -the risk of trichinosis. In less than an hour I saw our quaternion -of servants with several guests enjoying a ghoulish banquet off the -remains of the invalid animal. - -Sometimes we had splendid dinners of tinned curry, preserved -pine-apple, and other delicacies; and except on the evening of the -battle, nobody, as far as I know, ever went without his dinner if he -was well enough to eat it. Occasionally, if there was a downpour of -rain or other cause which rendered cooking difficult, we sank to this -sort of level-- - - Potage à la Khalifa. - -(Ingredients--a morsel of emaciated goat with some onions; simmer as -long as possible. Sufficient for two. Seasonable, when one is very -hungry.) - - Bully Beef au naturel. - - Jam. - - Biscuit à discrétion. - - Whisky. Sparklets. Lime juice. Nile water. - -On the 26th of August we were told to hold ourselves in readiness to -embark on the _Metemmeh_ next morning. The Gyppy troops and Sudanese -had already gone, and a general exodus of the British battalions -was taking place. On the evening before our departure I strolled -once more along the river. Scarcely a sound broke the silence; -the busy scene of the day's restless activity was still. The rows -and rows of tents and mountainous heaps of baggage had vanished -like magic; little remained to show that for more than a week some -twenty-two thousand men had lived and moved within this vast area. -Here and there various relics of the encampment lay scattered -about,--soda-water bottles, empty tins, old newspapers, the framework -of blanket tents, and so on,--but the only permanent structure which -marked, and perhaps still marks, the site of the abandoned camp was a -wattled hut which Howard's servant built for him, as his master had -arrived at Wad Hamed without a tent of any kind. An army of vultures -had spread over all the space within the zeriba, and seemed to be -having a good time amongst old sardine tins and fragments of offal -and similar dainties. - -The glow of a tropical sunset was falling on the Nile; yet, beautiful -as it was, the scene lost something from the dead level of the -surrounding prospect. For an ideally beautiful effect of the kind one -needs mountains as well as water. Who, for example, that has ever -seen it, can forget the play of moonbeam and starlight on the lake-- - - When the blue waves roll nightly on deep Galilee? - -It was strange to think that within a week the campaign would be -ended, Gordon avenged, and the Crescent flag flying over the ramparts -of Omdurman--the final goal of all this vast congeries of men and -stores, guns and ammunition. As the postal connection with the -outside world was now to cease until the capture of Omdurman, many -letters had been sent off on the previous day, and for several of -the writers the message which sped home was a final one. Later on, -when the battle had been fought, a man whom I knew showed me a letter -which he was sending off to his widowed mother to tell her that he -had come safe through the fight and was on the point of returning -home. This note reached its destination a day after the receipt -of a telegram announcing his death from fever! Surely it would be -difficult to meet with a sadder and more pathetic instance of the -vicissitudes and uncertainty of human life! - - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] A brief list of the entomological specimens brought back from the -campaign is given on p. 253. - - -[Illustration: - - THE NILE - from the Atbara to Khartum. - Scale 1 : 1,500,000. - -_R. V. Darbishire 1898._] - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE - - -We said good-bye to Wad Hamed on 26th August. Cross and I had, -with several others, selected to go by river rather than by land, -as this would afford us an opportunity of seeing the cataract of -Shabluka, which had become a household word in the army because -of the possibility of Dervish resistance at this point. The rest -of the correspondents accompanied the two British brigades toward -Beled Hagir, our next camping site, just south of the cataract, and -opposite Rojan Island. - -As we were leaving Wad Hamed about forty Gaalins arrived on the -bank, and were embarked on the _Metemmeh_. These friendlies were -wonderfully spick and span, with nice clean clothes. Some of them -were equipped with large Dervish swords, while others had only -sticks, which they carried with a jaunty air at the "shoulder," in -anticipation, no doubt, of the Remington rifles which would be issued -to them before the fight. They were accompanied to the bank by a fine -old sheikh in flowing snow-white robes, and their farewells to the -venerable chieftain were very impressive. In the Sudan people are not -content with a single handshake. When one group is saying good-bye to -another the interchange of courtesies and caresses is interminable. -One man falls on the other's neck, without actually touching his -face or shoulder,--rather after the manner of a stage kiss,--and -then handshaking goes on _ad libitum_ all round, the same two people -often clasping and unclasping their hands half a dozen times or more, -according to the degree of intimacy. - -The Shabluka cataract, through which the flooded Nile rushes with -amazing violence, lies in a gorge which has evidently in remote -ages been torn through the limestone ridge by the river. A width of -a thousand yards is here suddenly compressed into a hundred yards, -and in the face of the terrific current which is thus produced, our -gunboat could barely forge ahead at the rate of one and a half -miles an hour. It is an open secret that the new gunboats built for -the Nile service by Thorneycrofts are regarded as failures by naval -experts. One of them, the _Sheikh_, can only make two miles an hour -against the ordinary Nile current in August. - -Even in the moonlight one could realise the amount of damage which -might have been inflicted by an effective occupation of Shabluka, -upon a force advancing up the river. When we passed the forts, -constructed, after the manner of Dervish engineers, on a level with -the water, we found them deserted, and their guns had been removed. -But if the enemy, who were posted here up to last May, had maintained -their position, we should have been compelled to halt and drive them -out of it from the land side, for none of our slow gunboats could -have forced the gorge had it been lined with artillery. - -We arrived at Rojan Island before daybreak on the 28th, and were -aroused out of sleep in the dark by the pleasing intelligence that -an order had arrived from the Sirdar that we were to be turned out -of the gunboat, bag and baggage, as the vessel was wanted for other -purposes. Floundering about in the semi-darkness we got our luggage -together as well as we could, and in less than twenty minutes found -ourselves sitting on the river bank with our few goods and chattels -round us. It would not have taken the gunboat five minutes to land -us at Hagir on the opposite bank; in fact, after marooning us on the -island, it actually touched at the camp on its return down the Nile. -This was one of several instances in which, during the campaign, -correspondents were treated with an utter disregard of consideration -or even ordinary courtesy. It often seemed as if the Sirdar or his -subordinates went out of their way to cause all the inconvenience -they could to the representatives of the press. Certainly if this -conduct was merely due to oversight or thoughtlessness, it was -bad enough; if it was intentional, it was based upon a petty and -ungenerous abuse of authority. On the present occasion we were left -for seven mortal hours on this treeless island, although the _El -Tahra_ was lying off Hagir, and could easily have been sent across -the river for us. When at last the old ferry-boat came blundering -across, the official in charge, who seemed, from his manner, to have -caught the Sirdar's mental attitude towards correspondents, brusquely -refused to take us over to Hagir, because no one had given him orders -to do so. Consequently the _El Tahra_ left us and recrossed to the -camp with her precious commander, although one of our number was -suffering severely from the sun, and lay prostrate on the ground. As -all our baggage was on the other side of the river, having been sent -on by camels, we had absolutely nothing to protect us from the heat -as it grew fiercer and fiercer every moment, so we simply sat on the -ground and grilled in the sun. The misery of such an experience is -very real indeed when the thermometer stands at 115° in the shade! As -one lies amid a dreary waste of sand and rock, - - sub curru nimium propinqui - Solis in terra domibus negata, - -with the pitiless rays of noontide beating down upon one's head, -visions of iced cups and other delights rise like a mental mirage and -mock one's misery! The thoughts stray far away in fantasy from the -unlovely landscape, and rest upon an English tennis lawn, beside the -cool Cherwell or under the cedars of the Wadham Gardens--the pleasant -game, the refreshment of shade and drink which follows it! - -As there was absolutely nothing else to do on the island--and it is -always a good thing to engage in some more or less arduous work when -one is inclined to take a pessimistic view of one's surroundings--I -scrambled up to the top of Gebel Rojan, a rocky hill about three -hundred feet high. From this Pisgah height one could trace far -away to the south the faint outlines of the hills of Omdurman, our -Promised Land! Below, on the desert plain, three Egyptian battalions -were marching forward, their right flank guarded by squadrons of -cavalry. The rifle barrels and steel scabbards glinted brightly in -the rising sunlight, and the columns themselves looked like sinuous -lines of ants threading their way through the scrub. - -We were all very bad-tempered when the _El Tahra_ returned once more; -but this time, mercifully, the steamer was no longer in the hands -of the punctilious sapper, with his combination of red tape and -rudeness. The new commander ventured upon the independent exercise of -his own common sense, and most kindly conveyed us across the river -without further ado. Whether he was subsequently reprimanded by the -authorities for this act of ordinary politeness I do not know. - -By the time we had landed from the steamer, and the servants had -discovered the whereabouts of our camels and luggage, it was nearly -two o'clock, and the camp had practically broken up. The native -battalions had left early in the morning, as I had seen from the -summit of Gebel Rojan, and had been followed by General Gatacre's -division. The Sirdar and his staff, the Intelligence Department, -the correspondents, and the baggage were to leave at four o'clock; -so there was barely time to get a scratch meal before we saw to -the loading of our camels, and again set out on our forward march -towards Omdurman. Both Cross and I had intended to walk, but Steevens -and Maud most kindly put a couple of their extra horses at our -disposal. The animal I rode was a polo pony from Cairo, in excellent -condition and full of "go." It hated to be alone for a moment, -and if in the scrub it found itself separated from the rest of the -column, either in the rear or on the flank, and the rein was at all -loose, it would suddenly, without any warning, make a clean bolt to -rejoin its companions; and when a borrowed horse tears at full gallop -through mimosa bushes and over the rough sandy soil intersected with -_nullahs_, one is precious glad to be able to return it to its owner -in the evening without a couple of broken knees or worse. - -The air was delightfully cool, with a pleasant breeze from the river, -and this evening ride from Hagir will remain in one's memory as one -of the pleasant experiences of the campaign. The comparative novelty -of our surroundings, and the certainty that now at length we were -within measurable distance of the enemy, filled one with elation -and banished all the petty worries of the morning. As long as one -enjoyed good health, nothing could be more delightful than the simple -pleasures of our open-air existence, with all its hard work and -good-fellowship. But when fever or dysentery gets hold upon a man, -all the glamour of the campaign fades away, and one is forced to -realise all the sordid discomforts of the march. During the recent -advance upon Omdurman many a case of unobtrusive heroism occurred, in -which men, officers and privates alike, refused to avail themselves -of the field hospitals, which would have taken them for the time -being from their battalion, and preferred to march along with the -rest, though their heads were racked with pain and their strength -at vanishing point from fever. If a campaigner could secure from a -fairy godmother or other supra-mundane agency one supreme blessing, -he ought most certainly to ask for health. Yet there is one danger to -which the healthy man is exposed. He finds it difficult, sometimes, -to sympathise with others less fortunate than himself. To many who -enjoy vigorous health there is something positively irritating in a -sick man. It is a painful trait in some characters, and is a survival -possibly of that terrible instinct which leads almost every species -of lower animal to finish off those of their number who become -sick or maimed. I have known a man who experienced this peculiar -irritation in the presence of comrades who were ill, behave in the -most unselfish and generous way to the same men when they were in -sound health; and while he had to force himself, as it were, to show -sympathy with an ailing man, he would fetch water in his helmet for a -wounded donkey, and feel ready to weep at the sight of a dying horse. - -As we rode along the edge of the Nile, well ahead of the crowd of -camels and the Lancer escort of the Sirdar, in order to avoid the -blinding clouds of dust which they raised, we noticed at intervals -along the line of march bands of Sudanese women. These faithful -creatures had managed by some means or other to accompany their -husbands to the front. Although unrecognised officially, and in -consequence not accorded any means of transport, they had contrived -to cross the Nile as stowaways, hidden under forage or flour sacks; -and they were now trudging slowly along with large bundles on -their heads, and in some cases a brace of babies slung over their -shoulders. When they arrived at the camp they cooked their husband's -food, mended his clothes, and introduced a general flavour of -domesticity into the rough camp life. The husbands seemed to be -very kind to their wives and children, and the Sudanese portion of -the camp was dotted with little family groups, each of them formed -under a tree and surrounded by a miniature zeriba. In fact, domestic -life has such charms in the eyes of the Sudanese warriors, that -they become quite depressed and morose if their women-folk are left -behind. The recent revolt in Uganda is alleged by some to have been -largely caused by the refusal of Major Macdonald to allow the wives -of the soldiers to accompany them on the advance northwards--a -refusal which, if it actually occurred, would most certainly run -counter to the military traditions of the Sudan. - -During the earlier part of the day's march Mr. Scudamore's "drink -camel," _i.e._ the animal which carried his stores of alcohol and -soda water, occasionally came to a sudden halt and toyed with the -branches of a nebek or mimosa thorn. At such times his master showed -great kindness and forbearance; he did not urge on the hesitating -beast with gibes and blows, but calling several of us round him, -quietly dismounted and relieved the camel's load by "drinks all -round." How touching an example of humanity towards poor dumb -animals! Let the traveller and explorer, then, always remember that -when the whisky mule halts, it is a kindness to lighten his burden; -if after some hours he jibs and refuses to proceed, fate has clearly -marked out that spot for the site of the camp! The whisky mule must -not be left behind! - -On the occasion of one of these halts I was astonished to see -a diminutive boy in very ragged clothes walking along with two -half-plucked pigeons in his hand and a large bag over his shoulder. -After mounting I rode beside him and found that he was a Greek. His -father and mother kept a small café in Cairo, and the boy, who was -only fourteen and very small for his age, had actually traversed some -twelve hundred miles by land and water in order to sell cigarettes -to the army. This adventurous urchin, Anastasios by name, became a -great pet with the Tommies, who bought his cigarettes and supplied -him with enough fragments of bully beef and biscuit to keep him going -throughout the campaign. As I spoke some Greek, I saw a good deal of -the boy subsequently, and succeeded in getting him allowed a passage -from Omdurman on board the _Metemmeh_; but at Atbara Camp some of -the officials rather needlessly refused to give him a place amongst -the baggage in the open trucks, and when I last saw the imp he was -being led away by a zaptieh, or native policeman, after a desperate -attempt to override authority and hide himself and the remainder of -his cigarette boxes under a heap of luggage. - -During our advance by land from Hagir, Mr. Frederick Villiers' -bicycle was much in evidence. It is astonishing to what a number of -uses this versatile machine may be put in peace and war alike. An -Oxford professor, whose metaphysical researches are combined with -military enthusiasm and the study of minor tactics, has given to -the world a treatise in which is demonstrated with logical acumen -the value of the bicycle as a weapon or rather implement of defence -against a charge of cavalry. The academical tactician suggests, I -believe, that when the enemy's horse are galloping down upon you -their charge may be broken and rendered futile by the terrifying -aspect of a line of cyclists holding their machines in the air and -rapidly spinning the wheels round! No war-horse, it is maintained, -could face this fearsome spectacle, and utter discomfort would -overtake the charging squadrons! What a pity our 'Varsity cyclist -corps were not posted in front of the zeriba at Omdurman to obviate -the necessity of bullets when the Baggara horse came thundering down -upon us! - -But the bicycle can be put to more regular uses in a campaign. -A correspondent, for example, who went through the whole of the -Greco-Turkish War was mounted on his machine, and published a book, -which, under the title of Ὁ Πόλεμος ἀπὸ Ποδηλάτου ("The War from a -Bicycle"), had a great sale in Athens. Still, despite their badness, -roads do exist between Larissa, Velestino, Domoko, etc., whereas in -the sandy, stony deserts of the Sudan the road is a very open one -indeed, and ill adapted for wheeled traffic. In consequence of this, -Mr. Villiers' bicycle, which was of a dull green tint, was usually to -be found in the charge of his servant, who had acquired considerable -skill in controlling the movements of his master's donkey with -one hand and his master's machine with the other. Certainly this -lugubrious-looking bicycle bore the battle and the breeze wonderfully -well, and the maker ought to secure a splendid advertisement out of -it; for tyres which can pass unpunctured through the terrors of the -mimosa scrub, and refrain from bursting under the rays of a Sudan sun -in August, may fairly be recommended for "strong roadster" work in -the country lanes of England. - -It was almost dark when we reached the camp, which has been called -by everyone, as far as I know, "Um Teref," though this is incorrect, -for "Um Teref" is the name of the village on the opposite bank of -the river. Though it was difficult in the twilight to see far ahead -of our column, there was no possibility of mistaking the whereabouts -of the camp, for the wild music of the Sudanese bands was already -in full swing. The first thing these black troops do when they get -into camp is to strike up some of their unearthly tunes, and in the -absence of more normal appliances they have been known to fashion -old tin biscuit boxes into a species of wind instrument. Just as I -got within the zeriba, a squad of these blacks were giving hot chase -to a curious animal, which had been put up in the bush. The hunted -creature ran between my horse's legs; it had a fine brush, with -mottled fur, and looked like a wolverine or some beast of that kind. - -The area required for some twenty-two thousand men, with hundreds -of camels, horses, and mules, was enormous, and we rode hopelessly -about in the gathering gloom, trying to find the space allotted -to correspondents. After a couple of hours' search we at length -succeeded in finding our camels and getting our tents pitched, and -then we did full justice to whatever sort of dinner the ingenuity of -our cooks could contrive for their hungry masters. The camp was an -extremely pretty one, and in places the vegetation by the river banks -was quite luxuriant. Bushes of all kinds, especially the "Dead Sea -apple," were dotted about; and as these prevented one from seeing -more than a hundred yards around, it was difficult to realise the -vast size of the camp. A zeriba had, of course, been formed, and just -behind it thousands of troops lay all night under arms, ready to -repulse any Dervish attempt to surprise the camp by a sudden rush. - -Next morning a rumour got about that during the darkness a Dervish -had crept up to the zeriba and thrown his spear over with a shout of -defiance, and the veritable spear was produced by a sentry of the -Lancashire Fusiliers as a proof of the story's genuineness. The story -was substantially true, for whilst the troops were engaged in forming -the zeriba a Baggara cavalry scout, who, for some reason or other, -found himself within the enclosure, suddenly dashed at a gallop out -of the bush, knocking over several astonished Fusiliers, and hurling -his spear at them as he disappeared in the darkness. - -Scorpions proved most troublesome in all our camps, but they were -especially numerous at Um Teref. In some places they simply swarmed, -and both officers and men, and, still more, native servants, suffered -from their painful stings. Those, like myself, who slept on a -raised bed--_e.g._ the "Salisbury" bed, made by Silvers--were not so -much exposed to risk as the possessors of the "Wolseley Valise"--a -mattress which lies on the ground, and forms a most inviting -hiding-place for creeping things innumerable. The pain experienced by -a European from a scorpion's sting is very acute while it lasts, but -passes off in a few hours. The natives were continually stung, and -one of the correspondents had attained a great reputation from the -skill with which he scarified the affected portions of native bodies, -prior to the application of Scrubb's Ammonia. One poor fellow--a -private in the Lancashire Fusiliers--was stung by a scorpion in three -places along his spine, and speedily died in a state of coma. - -Another insect pest was a huge yellow spider of loathsome aspect and -malignant disposition, called by the natives "Abu Shebek" (Father -of Spiders). This creature was frequently captured and conveyed to -some regimental mess, where it was forced to engage in single combat -with a scorpion. These adversaries were, as a rule, pretty evenly -matched, and the "Warwickshire Pet," a monstrous spider, appeared to -be invincible until it was matched against the "Cameron Slogger," a -redoubtable scorpion, who vanquished his opponent after a desperate -struggle amid loud cheers from the victorious mess. - -In the ordinary course of events we should have moved on from Um -Teref at daybreak on the 29th, but owing to a succession of storms on -the Nile the full complement of gunboats and _ghyassas_ laden with -stores and baggage had not yet arrived, and so the order to march -was countermanded, and we remained in the zeriba for another night. -The extra day, however, was not as pleasant as it might have been -amongst the shady trees, for the violent wind which was retarding -the progress of the gunboats swept incessant clouds of dust over the -camp all the morning. Later in the day, however, the wind sank, and I -enjoyed a delightful ramble along the river beyond the zeriba. Here I -found, amongst other treasures, an enormous brick-red beetle, which -clung to a tree with such pertinacity that I had to cut away a piece -of the branch and boil it and the beetle together before the latter -would abandon his hold and be duly pickled in the whisky. - -Early in the morning some squadrons of Egyptian cavalry and the -Camel Corps had left the camp to make a reconnaissance, but none -of the correspondents were permitted to accompany this force. They -did not, however, lose much, for the cavalry brought back scarcely -any information, beyond the news that fresh tracks had been seen of -Dervish horsemen retreating southwards towards Omdurman. - -On the morning of the 30th we were up by 4 a.m., and the camels -were loaded by lantern-light. Nobody was sorry to rise, for, acting -under orders, we had all struck our tents the night before to save -time in the morning, and, as bad luck would have it, a storm of rain -and lightning burst over the camp about midnight. There are few -things more disagreeable than to have rain pouring down upon one as -one sleeps, or tries to sleep, in the open. When the first heavy -drops begin to fall everybody knows what is to follow, and various -execrations are heard all around in the darkness, as the suddenly -awakened sleepers put some garments on, hide others under the pillow, -and do their best with a mackintosh to turn off the rain and keep -it from collecting in pools under their backs. The Arab servants -are always in the lowest depths of depression when it rains. Their -thin cotton garments soon get soaked through, but I felt somewhat -reluctant to lend them any of my wraps, as on a previous occasion, -during a tropical downpour, I told two Somali servants that they -might cover themselves with my waterproof, and during the night they -each rolled in a different direction, and split my splendid red-lined -mackintosh into two portions. These two Somali boys, by the way, -whenever a heavy shower overtook us in the daytime, always did their -very best to keep their heads dry. They would dash off and thrust -their shaven pates under a rock or inside an old packing-case, and -seemed to be comparatively indifferent about the rest of their black -bodies, which lay exposed to the weather. - -When we left the camp _en masse_ at five, the rain gradually ceased, -and the sun rose in splendour across the Nile. The spectacle -before us was magnificent. Column after column of infantry--black, -chocolate, and white--advanced in perfect order, and squadrons -of cavalry scouted on the flanks and far ahead, searching out -every patch of scrub which might conceal a force of Dervishes. The -Sirdar and his staff advanced in front, and the numerous halts and -consultations which were made showed how carefully and cautiously -the army was advancing. The troops were actually marching in battle -order, ready at any moment to close into square formation if the -enemy appeared; and one realised, as never before during the -campaign, that we were really in a state of war. Our Lancer scouts -had at length come into touch with the enemy, and had even fired a -volley at one of several parties of Dervish horse who were sullenly -retreating through the bush towards Kerreri. - -We were already well within twenty-five miles of Omdurman. Along -the line of march we came across several large Dervish villages, -abandoned by their inhabitants within the last day or two. In the -hurry of flight angaribs (native beds), calabashes, and even a -little food had been left behind. In some spots the fires which -had cooked the last meal of these unfortunate villagers were still -smouldering, and, either from accident or design, several of the -huts had been destroyed by fire. The ground was strewn with fragments -of earthenware cooking-pots, which the poor creatures had carefully -broken up before they fled away to the dubious protection of the -Omdurman walls. Close beside one of the deserted huts a tiny donkey -stood and gazed upon us--the sole surviving occupant of the village. -One of the servants, with a keen eye for loot, immediately annexed -the little donkey; but I refused to take it, as I thought it would -be happier amid its native surroundings, where it could eke out a -precarious living amongst the herbage on the river bank. As I rode -past several of the huts I noticed inside some strips of leather -rudely embroidered with cowries, which had been used to suspend a -gourd of water. The workmanship was so rough that I did not think -this loot worth taking, though several Lancers thought differently, -for I afterwards saw similar trophies hung over their saddles. - -Towards the middle of this day's march a rather amusing incident -occurred. A small party of Lancers scouting in one of the deserted -villages suddenly came across an Arab clad in a fine _gibbeh_, with -a long spear in his hand. Here, at last, was a living Dervish within -five yards! He made no effort to escape, and was at once surrounded -and taken prisoner. On his being searched, five Maria Theresa dollars -were discovered in the folds of his clothing, and the triumphant -Lancers returned to the Sirdar and his staff with the proud -consciousness of having captured the first real Dervish prisoner of -the campaign. After a modest rehearsal of their achievement, they -begged that in memory of the event the _gibbeh_, dollars, and spear -of the captive might be handed over to themselves. No objection -being raised, the prisoner, who, throughout the affair, had looked -not at all alarmed, but only rather bored, was again led off to -be interrogated by the Intelligence Department, when the exultant -Lancers learned that the captive was one of Colonel Wingate's best -spies, and after doing some excellent work in front had been quietly -waiting to rejoin our forces! The five dollars had to be unearthed -from the depths of the Lancers' pockets, and the imitation Dervish -again strutted proudly about with his coat of many colours and his -broad-bladed spear. - -The army advanced over the uneven ground in excellent order. The -long lines, now lost in the hollows, now broken for the moment by -impenetrable masses of thorn bush, kept their formation marvellously -well; and often, as they appeared over the crest of a sandy ridge, -the line was as perfect as on a field day at Aldershot. As regards -actual pace, the Sudanese blacks can easily outmarch the Tommies, and -would invariably have been well in the van if the _échelon_ formation -had not been carefully preserved. - -The day's march on the 30th was not more than some eight or nine -miles. We halted for the night beside the river at a spot exactly -opposite a village called Merreh on the other bank. At some -little distance inland, on our right front, a hill rose up called -Seg-et-taib, and, for convenience, the camp has been generally named -after the hill. Trees and bushes grew abundantly within our zeriba, -and along the margin of the Nile large clumps of bright green grass -were greedily devoured by the ponies, which, like all Oriental -riding-horses, lashed out viciously at each other whenever their -tethering ropes allowed it, and sometimes fought and tore each other -with their teeth like tigers. The river banks at Seg-et-taib were -rather difficult of access, as strips of marshy land ran in every -direction parallel to the stream. Everyone who reached the water on -foot was covered with black slimy mud up to his knees; and as we rode -through the bog our horses sank up to their flanks in the soft ooze, -but managed somehow to flounder through it without rolling over with -their riders. A pleasant spot beneath some trees was assigned for -our camp, but when we reached it we found a bevy of Sudanese ladies -already in possession. A little _bakshish_, however, solved the -difficulty, and the fair ones withdrew, after cleverly tying up pots -and pans and babies within the folds of their voluminous garments. - -At Seg-et-taib my companion Cross, who had been far from well for -some days past, and suffered especially from sleeplessness, became -so ill that I went off in search of his friend, Surgeon-General -Taylor, who throughout Cross' illness was invariably most kind and -thoughtful. This officer at once came to see the patient, and ordered -him to be placed on one of the hospital barges which were being sent -up the river to accompany the advance of the army. This was a great -relief to my mind, as our surroundings were most uncomfortable for a -sick man. We had left behind a good deal of baggage at Wad Hamed, and -all our tent except the outer fly, which afforded us only a feeble -shelter from sun or rain. On the hospital barges, of course, the -invalided men could get proper attention and diet--things practically -impossible in our rough camp life; and although I felt rather -solitary in the absence of my tent companion, I had every hope that -the illness which had attacked him would be speedily checked under -medical treatment. - -During the latter portion of the advance upon Khartum, internal -disorders of various kinds were extremely common. Some of the -medical staff ascribed these derangements to the use of tinned -meat; but after all, the evidence of experts in England seems to -show conclusively that the virulent poison called "ptomaine" is so -rare, that the chance of injury from tinned meats is practically -infinitesimal. Others maintained, with greater probability, that the -drinking water was at fault. The native servants, to save themselves -trouble or a slight wetting, invariably filled their buckets from -the water close to the bank. Anyone who is acquainted with Oriental -habits can realise the peril of drinking such water as this, fouled -as it was by hundreds of horses, mules, and camels, and taken from a -river which is treated as a vast sewer by all the inhabitants along -its banks. - -The water question was, indeed, a big one throughout the campaign. -Some filtered the muddy water as it was, but the process was a -very tedious one, for the Birkfeld filter became choked with mud -after about a pint of water had passed through it, and then all its -internal arrangements had to be cleaned. The native servants were so -stupid at any work of this sort, that one generally had to do one's -filtering for oneself; and the exercise was so vigorous that, by -the time one had filtered a pint, one was thirsty enough to drink -a quart. Another method was to precipitate the mud to some extent -by a few grains of alum; but there are hygienic reasons against the -employment of this astringent in drinking water. The safest plan is -to let the mud settle, and then boil the water. Yet, even if the -water is boiled, one is never secure from bacteria, for fresh germs -may enter it as it cools. Moreover, it is impossible to boil _all_ -the water required for camp purposes; and if a servant "washes up" -the plates and cups in unboiled water, or one plunges one's head into -it, there can be no absolute guarantee against the intrusion of an -evil bacillus into one's system. The only hope is that one's internal -zeriba, so to speak, is well guarded by a valiant line of those good -bacilli whose chief delight--so bacteriologists tell us--is to gather -round the malignant invader and do him to death. Water taken from the -middle of the stream was said to be perfectly wholesome, but even -here the mud held in solution acted as an irritant. There was another -little thing, too, which rather set one against any Nile water at -the Atbara camp, to wit, the fact that almost every day a corpse or -two of the Dervishes killed at the fight--when the Atbara was nearly -empty--were caught up by the flooded stream, and carried down visibly -into the Nile. Still, these bodies were almost mummified from the -heat; so perhaps there was not much danger, after all, to be feared -from their presence in our water supply. - -We again advanced with the utmost caution from Seg-et-taib. The -cavalry searched the scrub, and two gunboats steamed slowly up the -river in support. A party of the Lancers had climbed the hill of -Seg-et-taib, and from this point the Khalifa's forces were at length -seen by British eyes. A vast camp had been pitched about a mile and -a half from the river, in order, probably, to avoid the shells of -the gunboats. It stretched along the Wady Shamba, some three miles -in front of Omdurman. The alignment of the white tents was perfectly -visible with a good glass, and groups of Baggara horsemen were dotted -about the plain in front of the Dervish infantry. No incident worth -recording occurred during this day's advance along the plain, except, -perhaps, a rather gruesome find in one of several deserted villages -through which we passed. On the ground lay the corpse of one of -our native spies; the body was shockingly mutilated and partially -charred, so the poor wretch would seem to have been cruelly tortured -before death. Some six or seven miles ahead of us rose the bleak -ridge of Kerreri like a vast barrier across the line of our advance. -Here it was that the Khalifa had doubtless intended to await our -onslaught, but either his heart failed him at the last moment or the -rapidity of our advance upset his plans. Yet, in refusing to take his -stand on the hills of Kerreri, the Khalifa was acting in opposition -to the sentiment of his followers, who trusted in a prophecy of the -Mahdi, to the effect that one day Kerreri should be the scene of a -great victory over the infidel invaders. "It was called," writes Mr. -Bennett-Burleigh, "'the death-place of all infidels'; and thither at -least once a year repaired the Khalifa and his following, to look -over the coming battleground, and render thanks in anticipation for -the wholesale slaughter of the unbelievers, and the triumph of the -true Moslems." - -_À propos_ of Kerreri, it may be worth noticing how misleading were -the accounts of this prospective battlefield which had appeared in -some newspapers, and how incorrect the maps were. One account stated -that along the _wady_ to the north of Kerreri white quartz stones lay -so thickly on the ground that at night-time the place appears to be -covered with snow. This description was simply absurd. There were -red quartz pebbles, but one came across very few white ones. Again, -the maps led one to suppose that the whole of the aforesaid _wady_ -was densely overgrown with mimosa, whereas I did not see a bush of -any kind whatever as we crossed the gentle declivity leading up to -the ridge. - -We had now arrived at the last camp which we occupied before leaving -Kerreri. Sururab was the least pleasant of all our halting-places, -and we pitched our tents on a bare piece of stony ground utterly -devoid of vegetation. - -Suddenly, after lunch, as we sat under the shade and chatted, there -came borne to our ears the dull booming of artillery. The gunboats -which had accompanied us had advanced beyond Sururab, and were -hard at work shelling the Kerreri ridge, which was occupied by a -Dervish outpost. The sound of the guns was faint, and as the vessels -were some eight miles ahead of us, and the intervening ground was -uneven, we could not, alas, see the effect of their fire, though we -afterwards learnt all about it. - -The space which was allotted to the correspondents at Sururab was so -confined that one could scarcely walk five yards without stumbling -across a camel or tripping over a tent-rope, and the donkeys brayed -so loudly that sleep was difficult. It was intensely annoying to -hear one ass lead off with a full-voiced bray, which died away in -spasmodic gasps. Almost immediately a brother donkey would lift up -his voice and utter a similar succession of notes, and then groups of -donkeys would join in the music, and a species of antiphonal braying -between the _decani_ and _cantoris_ donkeys ranged on either side -of one's tent would continue till one became absolutely savage, and -wished, like Balaam, that one had a sword in one's hand. If an ass -is permitted to get well on with its braying, you cannot stop it; -when in full voice it takes not the slightest notice of a good-sized -stone. I sometimes heard one of my correspondent colleagues call his -servant in the darkness, and say, "Hassan, take that moke away--right -away into the desert--or I'll kill it." The servant would seize the -offender and lead it, still braying, several hundred yards away. But -just as he got back again, the banished animal, dismayed to find -itself alone, would send forth an anxious bray of diabolical energy, -which reached the long ears of its companions, and made matters worse -than before. - -At Sururab, as before, precautions were taken against night attack. -The order went round that lights were to be extinguished and tents -struck. Everyone lay down to rest as he was, in his clothes, and -officers slept with their swords and revolvers buckled on. Most of -us, I think, expected that the enemy, if they refrained from attack, -would at anyrate harass us by "sniping" into our camp during the -darkness. Nothing would have been easier, for, with the exception of -a few native spies, every soul in the army was within the zeriba, and -there was a quantity of scrub just along the river north of the camp -which would have afforded excellent cover for Dervish sharp-shooters. -Against "sniping," little, as a rule, can be done. No form of -retaliation is possible if the "snipers" are well concealed; one -simply has to sit still and take one's chance. Of course in our own -case, camped as we were in an absolutely flat plain, not commanded by -any rising ground, the risks from sniping were not considerable. In -the frontier wars of India, on the contrary, an appalling number of -casualties frequently result from the desultory fire of the hillmen -securely posted amongst the rocky heights above the camp. - -As it happened, our evening at Sururab was scarcely troubled at all -by Dervish bullets. A few rifle shots came from the scrub, and a -bullet whistled overhead as I was chatting with Villiers--the first -one of the campaign! I heard two revolver shots during the night, -but these were accidental, and came from inside the camp. One of the -bullets unfortunately penetrated the thigh of a Warwickshire private, -but he ultimately recovered. - -No one, I think, who experienced the subsequent wretchedness of the -night at Sururab is likely to forget it. There was a threatening look -about the clouds as the sun went down, but we struck our tents and -lay down to sleep hoping for the best. About ten o'clock, however, -we were awakened by heavy drops of rain splashing on our faces, and -then down came the torrent! I had, most fortunately, left my tent -loose upon the ground, so, after putting on my mackintosh, I dragged -a portion of the waterproof tent over me. The exclamations of many -of my colleagues around me showed that they were not so comfortably -bedded. Some had not brought waterproofs with them; others had -packed their tents over night. There is an undeniable satisfaction -during a heavy shower in feeling that one is on the right side of -a window pane, and witnessing the hurried passage along a street -of dripping pedestrians; and as I heard the rain beating down upon -the tent canvas drawn over my bed, I experienced the same sort of -selfish complacency. Clothed as I was in a kharki suit and boots, -and covered over with a blanket, a mackintosh, and the waterproof -canvas, I felt as if I was being boiled alive; but still I was safe -from any moisture _ab extra_. Nemesis, however, was close upon -me in my splendid isolation. I made a slight movement of my hand -under the rug, and instantly felt a sharp prick in the palm. At -the same moment, on the inside of the canvas within six inches of -my face, appeared a large scorpion. I had evidently disturbed the -beast, which stung me and then ran up the canvas. I felt perfectly -horrified for a moment. The idea that the scorpion might run over -my face was sickening. Fancy the effects of a scorpion's sting -in the eye! With a sudden sweep of my arm I dashed the whole tent -covering, scorpion and all, off the bed. Anything in the rain line -was better than scorpions as bed-fellows. All this time the pain in -my hand increased. I tied a piece of string tightly round the wrist -and sucked the wound hard, and then waited for the agony which I -fully expected. Fortunately, however, the pain in an hour's time or -so gradually wore off, and I think the scorpion must have stung me -through the blanket, and so failed to penetrate the hardened skin of -one's palm to an appreciable depth. We were now nearly all in the -same plight. Everybody in the camp, with few exceptions, was soaked -through that night. One general officer told me that, as he found -himself lying in a large pool of water which had collected under his -back, he got up and spent the night sitting in a camp-chair, without -getting a wink of sleep,--a cheerful experience, forsooth! It is -amazing that our men escaped fever after experiences such as these. -During the Emin Relief Expedition, it was noted that every wetting, -whether from wading a stream or a downpour of rain, invariably -resulted in fever to man and beast alike. - -Despite the soaking rain, I dropped off to sleep, but was awaked -about one o'clock by a commotion on my left. Mr. Villiers had also -been stung in the neck by a scorpion, and was in great pain. He told -me the sting felt like a red-hot knife plunged into his flesh, and -the whole of his left side became temporarily paralysed. His faithful -servant rubbed some ammonia into the wound, and after somebody had -given him nearly a bottle of raw whisky, he managed to get to sleep. - -Reveille sounded at 4 a.m., and we all rejoiced to see the dawn. -The rain still fell in sheets, but notwithstanding the inclement -weather, Mr. Scudamore was sitting and calmly shaving himself before -a looking-glass, with a piece of waterproof over his shoulders. -The dripping servants emerged from their nooks and crannies in the -lowest depths of depression, and the camels snorted with increased -petulance as they floundered through the mud to be loaded. The camel -hates wet almost as much as his masters. I have often been amused at -their cat-like unwillingness to put their feet into quite shallow -water. This is due, I believe, to the fact that the animal's feet, if -wetted, have a tendency to crack in the sun and become very painful. - -How servants contrive to light fires with slush all round and rain -pouring down in torrents I cannot imagine, but Ali brought me a cup -of hot cocoa and some biscuit--a delicious meal when one is draped in -soaking garments. - -Villiers awoke from the heavy sleep into which the raw spirit -had driven him, and he and I set out to march with the troops, -who were now streaming from the zeriba. He still suffered from a -semi-paralysis of the left side; but despite this and a general -weakness caused by the virus, he kept up on foot with the infantry -battalions. - -September 1st, drizzling rain and thick mud! The familiar -collocation, helped out by an occasional covey of sand-grouse in lieu -of partridges, brought one's thoughts back to the joys of English -stubble and turnip-field left four thousand miles behind us! As the -sun rose higher in the sky the rain gradually ceased, and as we dried -our spirits rose. The bushes along the line of our march were full -of many beautiful birds with vivid plumage, and a valuable collection -might probably have been put together if anyone had had a light -gun and time to use it. Every now and then, too, a hare would dart -up from its "form" and race across our front, pursued by two small -regimental doggies. These hares, like many other species of animal -in the Sudan, have assumed the colour of their sandy environment -most marvellously. It is almost impossible to see them sitting. They -have ears of extraordinary length, and are altogether odd-looking -creatures. They did not run as well as their British cousins, and -occasionally one was caught by a dog or clubbed by a Sudanese -soldier. I never tasted the flesh, but an officer told me he found it -very good eating. - -Long before we reached Kerreri we saw the figures of several Lancer -scouts silhouetted against the sky-line along the summit of the -ridge. Our cavalry had, as usual, pushed on ahead through the scrub -and climbed the hills. Some of them rode up the lesser slopes -towards the east and west, while others, leaving their chargers -below, clambered up the steep crags in the middle. As Lieutenant -Montmorency and another officer reached the top a Dervish suddenly -fired a "right and left" at them from a huge elephant gun; but -fortunately he missed with both barrels, and then bolted. With the -exception of this man, who seemed to be a sort of "caretaker" in the -empty camp, there was not a Dervish to be seen. The shell fire of -the gunboats had rendered the ridge untenable. In every direction -lay the _débris_ of a deserted camp. Some of the fires were still -smoking, and here and there were dotted the small wattled shelters -which the Sudanese Arabs rejoice to make. In one place a feeble sort -of entrenchment had been commenced, but speedily abandoned. - -By this time the dampness of the early morning had been succeeded -by blazing sunshine. The march was the longest and most tedious one -of the campaign, and scarcely a sound we heard except the muffled -tramp, tramp, of thousands of men traversing the sand. Suddenly, -as we were crossing a dried-up water-course in the Wady Suetne, a -little to the north of Kerreri, the roar of a heavy gun reached our -ears from the south--then another, and another! A general murmur of -satisfaction ran along the ranks. The tired men brightened up, and -stepped out with renewed vigour, while the Sudanese almost broke -into a run from excitement. Major Elmslie's Lyddite battery had got -into position, and was shelling the city from the other side of the -river. As I was a free agent, I ran as hard as I could up the rough -slopes, and reached the crest of the ridge. Little could be seen from -the lower slopes, but from the summit a splendid spectacle presented -itself. The terrible fifty-pounder shells had found the range, and -were playing havoc with the walls and public buildings of Omdurman. -Nothing can resist Lyddite. Thick walls were pierced like brown -paper, and the stones hurled high in the air amid clouds of dust -and flame. A shell had torn a vast hole through the lofty dome-like -structure which covered the Mahdi's sepulchre, the gilded top of -which had been carried clean away. The effect of the shells upon the -wretched people who chanced to be near to the Mahdi's tomb at the -time of the bombardment was truly awful, as I saw with my own eyes -two days afterwards. - -Below on the vast plain, which, broken only by the mass of Gebel -Surgham, stretched from Kerreri to the outskirts of Omdurman our -cavalry were manœuvring with the Baggara horse "very prettily," as -one of the generals remarked. Our regiment of Lancers, three hundred -and twenty all told, would ride pluckily towards the dense masses -of the enemy, and then withdraw as lines of riflemen advanced to -meet them, or large bodies of mounted Baggaras attempted to cut off -their retreat. The Khalifa's entire army, incensed by the bombardment -and by the galling fire which our dismounted troopers took every -opportunity of pouring into them, were now moving forward to attack -and annihilate the infidels. - -With Wauchope's Brigade in front, the infantry and artillery crossed -the ridge sloping down to the river. On the left was the village of -Kerreri, guarded by an ancient redoubt, and here we imagined would be -the site for the camp. But orders were given to continue the march, -so we trudged more than a mile farther, to the deserted hamlet of El -Genuaia. Without further ado, mimosa branches were cut and a zeriba -was formed on a small scale round the village. The heliograph from -the top of Gebel Surgham was flashing incessantly, and keeping the -Sirdar well informed of the whereabouts and progress of the enemy's -advance. The Lancers too came trotting in, having done their best -to delay the onset of the Dervishes. "We expect," said Colonel -Wingate to me, "to be attacked in half an hour." Meanwhile fatigue -parties dragged the bushes on the southern face of our zeriba much -farther away in the direction of Omdurman, and the result was a vast -zeriba extending along the Nile from El Genuaia to a small village -called--so I gathered from the maps--Geren Nebi. The length of the -rough semi-circle must have been over nine hundred yards. Nearer -Geren Nebi it enclosed a number of mud-huts, which were ultimately -used for hospital purposes; and between this part of the zeriba and -our original site, there was a gentle declivity terminating in a -small inlet of the Nile, with thick black mud along its margin. A -little beyond this inlet, towards the south, the plain shelved down -to the river, and within the hollow thus formed the majority of the -baggage animals and native servants were posted. The cover thus -afforded must have been excellent, for I do not think that a single -baggage animal was killed throughout the fight. On the extreme left -of our line lay a gap between the end of the zeriba and the river, -left purposely, I presume, in order to admit the cavalry. Not to go -into more detail than needful about the position of our troops--the -line began on the left side with the 32nd Field Battery R.A., and -an Egyptian battery of twelve-pounder Maxim-Nordenfeldts. Next in -order came the two British Brigades with two Maxim batteries, and the -remaining two-thirds of the zeriba was held by the various native -battalions. Towards the northern side of the zeriba an Egyptian -battery was posted on a little mound of sand. The British infantry -were protected solely by the zeriba, but in front of the native -battalions under Colonels Lewis, Maxwell, and Macdonald ran a shallow -trench. Colonel Collinson's brigade was posted as a reserve inside -the zeriba some distance to the rear of Macdonald's division. - -Ammunition boxes lay in rows behind each company, bayonets had been -fixed, and everyone looked eagerly over the plain for a glimpse of -the advancing Dervishes. For some reason or other, which has never -been adequately explained, the Dervishes did not advance to the -attack that afternoon. The Khalifa's army, after marching forward a -couple of miles, came to a sudden halt, and subsequently withdrew -to its camp for the night. None of the Emirs in the enemy's lines, -with the exception of the wily Osman Digna, had had any previous -experience of British methods of warfare. Still, some at least of -the Dervish leaders must have passed a night of anxiety, full of -gloomy anticipations of coming disaster. The brave Wad-Ed-Nejumi, -just before the battle of Toski, addressed the followers whom he had -led across the terrible Bayuda desert, and warned them in simple, -soldierly words that each one must be prepared on the morrow to meet -his Maker. Thoughts such as this were surely, one would think, enough -to keep the Khalifa and his generals awake that night with the awful -sense of responsibility! Not that the Moslem fighting man, whether -of high or low degree, has any fear of death itself. From what I -have seen of him in action, I should imagine that the contingency of -death never enters into his head as a factor of the fight which need -be regarded. Absolutely convinced as he is of a future existence in -which bravery and devotion will be rewarded, the Dervish faces the -muzzles of Maxim guns with a sword in his hand. It is civilisation -which sets Death upon his throne of terror. The greater the sum of -life's enjoyments the greater the dread of losing them, and as the -nervous organism of mankind becomes relaxed and softened by the -æsthetic and sentimental influences of social progress, physical pain -is accentuated in reality, and dreaded all the more in anticipation. -The ordinary belief in a future life amongst Christian peoples -is, for the most part, so nebulous and indefinite that it fails -altogether as a mainspring of action amid the risks of battle. Thus, -unless other sentimental or utilitarian considerations can step in to -fill the gap, _e.g._ patriotism, or the preservation of hearth and -home, the Christian is invariably at a disadvantage in contending -with his Moslem enemy. Look at the spectacle presented by the -Ottoman Empire, in which millions of Christians have been dominated -for centuries by a small but valiant minority of Osmanlis. - -When it was known that the Khalifa's army had postponed the attack, -a general feeling of disappointment pervaded the whole zeriba. The -men, both white and black, had been as keen as possible; we had all -been waiting for the enemy, and he hadn't come! We were robbed of -our show, and it was positively annoying to hear, instead of the -warlike commands which had prefaced the afternoon, the pacific order -for fatigue parties to leave the zeriba and cut wood for cooking -purposes! What awful bathos! From Khalifa to kitchen utensils, from -battle and murder to bully beef and biscuit! - -Few of the twenty-three thousand men who passed that night within -the zeriba are likely to forget it. We felt certain of a battle on -the morrow, for all doubts as to whether the Khalifa would stand and -fight, or flee away into the uttermost parts of the Sudan, were now -set at rest. The two armies actually lay encamped within five miles -of each other on an almost dead level! The whole of our force, from -the Sirdar downwards, was fully conscious of its strength and its -ability to resist the Dervish assault in the morning. But what if -the Khalifa resolved after all to attack our zeriba under the cover -of night? When one remembers the thinness of our extended line, -our miserably inadequate defences, the stealthiness and rapidity -of the Dervish infantry, the impossibility of accurate fire in the -darkness, the preponderating numbers of the enemy and their splendid -valour,--when one thinks of these and other things which may not be -discussed _coram populo_, one cannot be sufficiently thankful that -the Khalifa refrained from attacking us on that memorable night! Had -such an assault taken place, I feel _absolutely certain_ that of the -brave fellows who in the morning advanced unflinchingly against the -most terrific fire of the century's warfare, a vast number would have -broken through the zeriba in the darkness. The result would have -been terrible beyond words! The cut and thrust of the Dervish sword -and spear, with the cross fire of our own men, might have ended in a -fulfilment of the Mahdi's prophecy, instead of a decisive and almost -bloodless victory for the British arms! - -With the exception of sentries, who were doubled, the troops were -allowed to sleep, though their rest was broken by several alarms -during the night. Two friendly Arabs had been sent out beyond Geren -Nebi with orders, in the event of a Dervish onset, to raise the -peculiar trilling cry which one hears in a higher key from Sudanese -women. Suddenly the trilling sound was distinctly heard, the men -were instantly roused, and our spies came racing in at full speed, -and jumped clean over the zeriba! They pretended that the Khalifa's -army was close upon their heels, but no Dervishes appeared. In all -probability these worthless creatures had been alarmed by some -"sniping" shots from the river bank, or else thought it would be more -agreeable inside than outside the zeriba, and so resolved to get back -and spend a comfortable night. The alarm over, our men lay down once -more; and now a note of comedy was added to the anxiety, for in the -dark a camel, with its forelegs tied together, suddenly ran _amok_ -through the camp, leaping with clumsy bounds over the officers' -_angaribs_, and causing much confusion and laughter. - -During the earlier part of the evening an order had been passed -round that all lights were to be extinguished in five minutes; but, -as usual, a number of people were selfish enough to disobey orders, -and incur the risk of Dervish sniping, rather than get into bed by -starlight. As a matter of fact, a number of shots were fired into -the camp from the Surgham ridge, and some desultory sniping from the -bushes beyond Geren Nebi sent occasional bullets whistling over the -sleeping camp. - -Before I fell asleep, I was astonished to see Cross walking up from -the bank. He seemed much better, and said that he had been terribly -worried all day by the thought that, after all, he might not be -present at the battle. The floating hospital in which he lay was -moored at an island opposite the zeriba, and it seemed doubtful at -one time whether the barge would be moved over to our side. "If it -hadn't," said Cross, "I had made up my mind to swim across the river -to you." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN - - -On 2nd September we rose from our broken slumbers in the dull grey -light of daybreak, and by the time the first sunlight had flushed the -surface of the Nile everybody was hard at work over his breakfast. -When one knows that within an hour or two the normal routine of -regular meals may be rudely interrupted by the exigencies of a whole -day's fighting, it behoves one to eat at least as substantial a -breakfast, if it can be got, as one does in London before catching a -morning express to Edinburgh. Certainly it is impossible to imagine a -more agreeable prelude to a battle than that which we experienced in -our zeriba. There was plenty of time for a really comfortable meal, -without being interrupted by an unpleasantly early visit from the -Dervishes. - -As Cross and I strolled up towards that part of the line held by -the British, I stopped for a few minutes at the huts which had been -converted into temporary shelters for the wounded. Everything was in -its place, and the _angaribs_ and stretchers ready for prospective -employment. Having just emerged from the floating hospital, Cross was -naturally very weak, and one of the medical staff, having noticed -this, gave him a dose of _sal volatile_. Every British soldier -carried on him a little packet of medical requisites for "first aid -to the wounded." The packet was a marvel of condensed utility--lint, -bandages, medicated silk, and other things, all compressed into a -tiny parcel about three inches square. - -By the time I reached the British portion of the zeriba the men were -all in their places, with reserve companies in position a little to -the rear. Every officer had seen to the working of his revolver, -and all the Tommies had opened the breech of their Lee-Metfords and -tested the magazine action--a very necessary precaution amongst the -sand and dust of Egypt. The two batteries on the extreme left were -drawn up, with the grim muzzles of the fifteen-pounders and the -Maxim-Nordenfeldts pointing towards Gebel Surgham. Case upon case of -shells lay ready to hand, and a number of these missiles were spread -out on the sand close beside the gun-carriages. - -Long before the advancing Dervishes came within range and sight of -our infantry, the Egyptian cavalry, some two thousand strong, had -left the northern side of the zeriba, and with the Camel Corps had -come in touch with a large body of the enemy under the Sheikh Ed-Din. -The Dervishes, certainly not less than fifteen thousand in number, -immediately advanced against the Khedival cavalry, expecting, no -doubt, an easy victory over the Egyptians: how often in the past -had the fellahin horsemen fled in utter rout before them! But now -the despised Egyptians retreated in excellent order, dismounting -and firing volleys as steadily as on the parade ground at Cairo. -The Camel Corps were blundering slowly along, scarcely able to keep -ahead of the native spearmen, and were threatened every moment with -annihilation. In fact, throughout the day's fighting, no troops were -exposed to more serious risk than the cumbrous Camel Corps. The -cavalry acted splendidly, halting repeatedly under a hot fire until -the camel men came up. Captain Ricardo of the 17th Lancers, who was -attached to the Egyptian cavalry, told me that he never wished to -command better troops than the "Gyppies" showed themselves to be -under these trying circumstances. Nevertheless, many saddles were -emptied by Dervish bullets, two field-guns had to be temporarily -abandoned, and it would have fared very ill with this gallant corps -if they had been compelled to rely solely on their own efforts. As -it was, the Egyptian battery posted on a knoll at the north-west -corner of the zeriba had got the range of the Kerreri ridge -accurately, and as the triumphant Dervishes appeared amongst the -rocks in full pursuit of the retreating cavalry, round after round -of twelve-pounder shells burst amongst them. At the same moment -the Melik and Sultan had trained their quick-firing guns upon the -Dervishes, and did splendid execution amongst the crowded ranks. -Under this combined fire the enemy wavered, but not for long. They -tried to dodge the projectiles and advance more cautiously under -cover of various rocky gullies amongst the broken ground. It was like -a terrible game of hide-and-seek. The white gibbehs, hidden for some -minutes behind the hill, suddenly reappeared by fresh exits from the -ridge; but shells met them at every turn, and finally the fanatics, -balked of their prey, sullenly withdrew beyond the hills altogether -with most of their wounded, leaving some twelve hundred of their -number dead or dying on the field. - -Inside the zeriba we were all alert and ready. Breakfast was over, -and we simply waited for the enemy. I looked down into the hollow -beside the river where the baggage camels, camp followers, and -servants were stowed away in safety, and saw Ali grasping his -enormous sword. The faithful creature came up and informed me that -he intended to devote his attention exclusively to the defence of -my person during the coming fight. I gently restrained the vaulting -ambition of my cook, and pointed out to him the value of less -ostentatious heroism--the protection, for example, of the camels -from bullets, and the groceries from theft. Having shaken off this -enthusiast, I walked along the zeriba to a point some way below the -Lincolns. A large number of the Tommies had never been under fire -before, _e.g._ the Guards and the Lancashire Fusiliers, and there -was a curious look of suppressed excitement in some of the faces, as -they stared over the desert to catch a glimpse of the enemy they were -at last destined to behold, after many long marches by day and false -alarms by night. Now and then I caught in a man's eye the curious -gleam which comes from the joy of shedding blood--that mysterious -impulse which, despite all the veneer of civilisation, still holds -its own in a man's nature, whether he is killing rats with a terrier, -rejoicing in a prize fight, playing a salmon, or potting Dervishes. -It was a fine day, and we had come out to kill something. Call it -what you like, the experience is a big factor in the joy of living: -one speaks φωνᾶντα συνετοῖσι. Lower down the line the Sudanese showed -their white teeth as they grinned with delight at the prospect of -slaughter. - -Suddenly the Lancers came trotting over the ridge between Gebel -Surgham and the Nile, while several officers galloped across the -plain and reported to the Sirdar that the Khalifa's forces were now -rapidly advancing. The signallers from Gebel Surgham had come in by -this time, and the cavalry, after a temporary halt beyond Geren Nebi, -entered the zeriba by the gap beyond the batteries, and there waited -ready for future emergencies. - -"When they do show themselves," said an artillery officer, "we'll -give them beans," and "beans" they certainly got! Even as he spoke, -a long white streak far away in the distance suddenly spread itself -over the yellow sand; the longed-for moment had arrived! "Here they -come!" was on everybody's lips, and a rustle of excitement ran down -the ranks. - -True enough, on either side of Gebel Surgham, and then on towards the -western slopes of Kerreri, line upon line of Dervish infantry and -cavalry appeared. Gigantic banners fluttered aloft, borne on lofty -flagstaffs. The rising sun glinted on sword blades and spearheads -innumerable, and as the mighty host drew nearer, black heads and -arms became visible amongst the white of the massed _gibbehs_. And -now, too, a dense volume of sound came rolling over the desert as -the fanatical Arabs raised continuous shouts of defiance, mingled -with chants to Allah and the Prophet--their final battle-cry before -the inevitable death awaiting them--the veritable requiem song of -Mahdism! In the clear morning air the pageant was truly magnificent, -a splendid panorama of some forty thousand barbarians moving forward -all undismayed to do battle with the largest army which Great -Britain has placed in the field for forty years. So marvellous -a picture--once seen, never to be seen again--must surely have -impressed itself indelibly upon the memory of all who witnessed it! - -Our men stood unmoved within the zeriba. Suddenly a cloud of white -smoke massed itself along the enemy's front, and one realised that -the Dervishes had opened fire on us. The Khalifa's forces possessed -eighteen thousand Martinis and a still larger number of Remingtons, -captured from the ill-fated army of Hicks Pasha and the various -garrisons of the Sudan. But as none of the Dervishes understood the -sighting of their rifles, and many of them had actually knocked off -the back-sights as a useless encumbrance, their opening volleys at -over two thousand yards, being fired point blank, were useless. They -simply wasted ammunition; for most of the bullets of course struck -the sand hundreds of yards in front of us, and comparatively few got -as far as the zeriba. No response came from our silent ranks for -another five minutes. Then at 6.20 a roar came from the batteries on -the left, and a shell shrieked through the air and burst about twenty -yards in front of the formidable line advancing against the southern -face of the zeriba. Almost simultaneously the other batteries opened -fire on the dense masses of the enemy advancing round the western -slopes of Surgham, and still farther away towards the ridge of -Kerreri. - -The battle had now commenced in dire earnest. As the enemy rapidly -advanced, bullets of all sizes and shapes soon began to whistle over -the zeriba from the Martinis, Remingtons, and nondescript weapons of -the enemy. A battery, too, which they had placed on the western slope -of Surgham, fired at the portion of our line held by the Camerons -and Seaforths. More than forty rounds were fired from these Dervish -field guns, but the shells did little, if any, damage, as, although -the fuses were beautifully timed and the projectiles burst at an -excellent height above the ground, the range was too long, and they -all fell short. Moreover, after the fight some fragments of these -shells were picked up and found to be made of very thin brass casing; -so that the damage they could have inflicted, even had they reached -our lines, must have been inconsiderable. As it was, they burst like -maroons at the Crystal Palace, with a loud report and little else. - -Our own artillery had very soon found the range accurately. The -British fifteen-pounders and the short Maxim-Nordenfeldts of the -Egyptian gunners were admirably worked, and the precision of the -shell fire was marvellous. Scores of shrapnel burst just over the -advancing line, and other shells struck the ground under their feet, -tearing huge gaps in the ranks and throwing up clouds of earth and -stones. The division of the enemy nearest to the zeriba was advancing -over the ridge between Surgham and the river, and with a good field -glass I could see the fearful havoc played by the fire of our guns. -Beneath the descending shower of bullets from a well-placed shrapnel, -a little crowd of men would fall torn and bleeding upon the sand, -and sometimes a shell splinter would crash into a horse and hurl the -animal with its rider to the ground. Despite this awful fire, the -brave Dervishes came steadily on down the slope, though the line of -their march was thickly strewn with dead and wounded. At length, to -complete their discomfiture, the enemy in this part of the field -came within long range of the rifles of the Guards, the Warwicks, -and other battalions lining the more southern face of the zeriba. As -withering volleys were poured into them, in addition to the incessant -shell fire, the remnants of this brave division seemed to realise the -hopelessness of a direct advance, and swerved to their left without -any disorder to join their comrades who had advanced round Surgham -from the west. - -The main attack upon our position had now fully developed, and it -was at this juncture that the Egyptian cavalry and the Camel Corps -regained the shelter of their comrades' trenches after their lucky -escape from Sheikh Ed-Din's spearmen. Thousands upon thousands of -Dervish infantry and cavalry advanced all along the line in a rough -semicircle, with frenzied shouts and a continuous but irregular fire -upon the western face of the zeriba. Towards the left centre the -Khalifa's black ensign stood out above the white _gibbehs_ and red -sashes of his bodyguard--that heroic and devoted band who rallied to -the last round their leader's flag, and died to a man in its defence! - -The din of battle was terrific. The roar of the artillery, the shriek -of shells, the crisp volleys of the Lee-Metfords, and the unceasing -rat-tat-tat of the deadly Maxims were so deafening that it was only -occasionally in brief intervals that one realised that bullets by -hundreds were flying around us. - -Other proofs, however, of this were soon in evidence. In every -direction the medical service men were to be seen carrying the dead -and wounded on stretchers to the rear. As I walked across the zeriba -with the Rifle Brigade, who were ordered to reinforce the line -facing west, three men were hit by Dervish bullets, and immediately -afterwards I saw a corporal of the Camerons shot clean through -the head. As I said above, comparatively few bullets were heard, -but every now and then a man fell to the ground. Colonel Money's -horse was shot under him; he secured another mount, and in a few -minutes his second horse rolled over, pierced by another Dervish -bullet. Shortly afterwards, as I was watching the Maxim fire, a -Highlander suddenly fell over two yards to my left. He was, I think, -shot through the upper part of the arm; but what amused me was the -self-conscious, shamefaced look which came over his face when the -stretcher arrived. He looked sheepishly round to see if anybody -noticed it, and was evidently quite ashamed of being carried off! - -It was interesting to hear various occasional remarks which were -made as flying bullets whistled overhead or made a splash in the -loose sand of the zeriba. After a little experience in being under -fire the ear gets to appreciate the relative distances of these -invisible messengers, but the tendency at first is to imagine that -the passing bullet is much nearer to one than it really is. I -remember hearing a young soldier remark as a bullet whizzed over -us, "By Jove, that nearly got me on the head!" whereas the missile -was yards up in the air. It is, indeed, always satisfactory under -such circumstances to note the whizz of bullets through the air; -for, of course, if you hear the missile, it can't do you any harm. -Some of the Dervish bullets played the oddest tricks. My friend, -Captain Maclachlan of the Camerons, suddenly felt his side drenched -with water, and, looking down, found that his water-bottle had been -pierced from side to side. I found that this little anecdote had -already reached England when I arrived, and had, moreover, been duly -improved upon; for an old lady in the train spoke in sympathetic -tones of the providential escape of the poor invalid officer who had -been saved from a bullet as he lay in bed by the _hot water bottle_ -applied to his side! Another bullet passed through an ammunition -pouch, cutting eight cartridges in half just between the lead and the -cordite without exploding a single one. In another case, a Dervish -bullet bored a hole through the helmet of the man in front, tore the -shoulder-strap from the man behind, then wounded a sergeant in the -leg, and finally dropped harmlessly on the toes of a private in the -rear. - -Between the two Highland battalions was posted a battery of Maxims -under Captain Smeaton, whom I had seen in Crete a year and a half -ago. Just behind the Maxims a detachment of Engineers did excellent -work in organising the ammunition supply. One is always glad to -hear the conduct of this fine corps appreciated, for frequently the -sappers, from the nature of their work, are not sufficiently noticed -in the literature of our "little wars." They did much excellent work -at the Atbara, with scarcely a word of subsequent recognition from -the Press; and here in the Omdurman zeriba they were posted in the -middle of the fighting line, and took their chance as well as anyone -else. - -The Maxims poured forth an unceasing stream of bullets. A belt of -cartridges was fixed, and instantly began to glide through the breech -mechanism; then ta-ta-ta-ta-ta--the belt was empty and thrown aside -to make way for another. It was not difficult to see how the gun was -doing its terrible work, for if the aim became unduly depressed, a -screen of dust and sand was thrown up in front of the enemy's line, -and the only thing needed was a trifling elevation of the barrel. - -There is a sort of fascination about a Maxim in full swing. Water is -placed round the barrel in a metal casing, in order to keep the steel -from becoming red hot. As it is, in three minutes after the water is -poured in it boils furiously, and steam rushes out of the valves. -Still, as long as the barrel is in contact with water of any kind, -all goes well. In the midst of the Dervish attack the water suddenly -gave out in Captain Smeaton's battery, and the machinery would -speedily have ceased work from overheating but for the ready help of -the men who stood by, and immediately emptied their water-bottles -into the empty tubing. The Maxims, thus refreshed, continued their -work, and up to 8.30 a.m. no less than ninety thousand rounds of -ammunition had been fired from these weapons alone. - -About seven o'clock a marvellous attempt to break our lines was made -by the enemy. The Dervish leader in the centre--perhaps Yakub, the -Khalifa's brother--actually dispatched a body of about one hundred -and fifty cavalry against the British position. That any sane man -could be guilty of such criminal folly is almost incredible. The -devoted band galloped towards the zeriba over the open desert in -the very teeth of Maxims and Lee-Metford volleys! Needless to say, -not one of these brave fellows got within five hundred yards of our -lines. The Maxims and rifles rained bullets upon them, the murderous -sheet of lead mowed them down, and they simply vanished from sight. -One heroic leader struggled on in front of his comrades, until he -too, with his beautiful Arab charger, went down like the rest, -and lay there, a silent witness to the magnificent valour of the -Khalifa's followers. Not one man in twenty returned from this wild -charge, which, for the utter recklessness of its bravery, must be -almost unexampled in military history. - -The interchange of shots continued until about 8.30, by which time -the Dervish forces had been practically annihilated, with the -exception of two or three large masses, which had retreated in -excellent order behind the hills on the south-west and north-west. -In fact, during the last half-hour of this portion of the engagement, -the actual rifle fire of the Dervishes had been confined almost -exclusively to a small body of sharpshooters, who had ensconced -themselves in a sandy hollow some nine hundred yards away on our left -centre. These riflemen, being sheltered from the hail of bullets -which whizzed over their heads, continued to make very fair practice -on our ranks for some time. At last a shell from Major Williams' -battery pitched right into the middle of their retreat. What exactly -happened I do not know, but, at anyrate, we were troubled by no more -bullets from _that_ quarter. Throughout the fighting up to this point -I never saw a Dervish _run_; whenever he retreated he simply walked -off the field. I noticed many of the wounded struggle to their feet, -attempt to walk away, and then fall to rise no more as merciless -volleys again struck them to the ground. - -As the Sirdar appeared to think that all danger from Dervish attack -was now past and over, the entire army received orders to leave -the zeriba and march in _échelon_ straight on Omdurman. Meanwhile, -however, the Lancers had advanced over the ridge towards the river, -with orders to harass the enemy and head them off from Omdurman as -far as possible. The troopers trotted off in excellent spirits, glad -to get a chance of some fighting after their forced inaction under -cover during the assault upon the zeriba. - -And now occurred the most graphic and sensational bit of fighting in -the whole battle. A continuous stream of Dervishes was traversing the -plain between Gebel Surgham and the suburbs of Omdurman. But before -the Lancers had advanced far upon the flank of these fugitives they -noticed what appeared to be a body of some two hundred spearmen, who -were partly under cover of a low ridge of sand. These Dervishes soon -showed that they had rifles as well as spears, for a hot fire was -opened upon the cavalry. A charge was at once ordered, and the line -of Lancers galloped down upon the enemy. Before they had reached -the hollow, however, they saw beyond the riflemen a considerable -body of Dervishes, whose presence, thanks to a further inequality -in the ground, had not been revealed till that moment. I have heard -it said that, previous to falling foul of these partly concealed -Dervishes, the Lancers had advanced without any scouts being thrown -forward who might have easily discovered how the land lay. Again, -even when the white mass of men, some fifteen deep, suddenly rose -up before the eyes of the cavalry, there would have been absolutely -no shadow of discredit in retiring; for cavalry are not ordinarily -required to charge unbroken infantry, nor was this course rendered -necessary by the Sirdar's orders. There can be little doubt that if -our men, immediately on sighting the large compact body in the rear -of the riflemen, had withdrawn, dismounted, and poured volleys from -their carbines into the massed ranks of the enemy, they would have -inflicted far greater damage upon the Dervishes, with scarcely any -appreciable loss to themselves. This course was not taken. So far -from halting and retreating, our gallant Lancers quickened their -chargers' pace, and hurled themselves boldly against the double -rampart of fighting men. Colonel Martin led the way, riding well -ahead of his regiment, and, without attempting to use his weapons, -forced a passage through the dense masses in front of him. He did -not, I believe, receive a scratch during this perilous exploit, -though it was almost a miracle that he escaped with his life. A -friend of mine who took part in this famous charge told me that as -the cavalry galloped forward they were met by a perfect hail of -bullets from the riflemen in front, which ought to have emptied -many a saddle, but for the most part flew harmlessly overhead. As -is usually the case in desperate fighting, none of the men who came -safely through the charge appeared to know much about its details. -My informant told me that he noticed an officer--probably Lieutenant -Grenfell--standing a little on one side and fighting with a ring -of Dervishes, three of whom suddenly turned upon himself. As they -advanced he realised that he had better make some use of his weapons, -so whipped out his revolver and shot the foremost Dervish. After this -his horse struggled onward past the rest of the assailants. Until he -had shot this man, he had quite forgotten to draw either sword or -revolver! - -The outer line of the enemy was soon broken up by the impact of -the cavalry, and the riflemen tumbled head over heels amongst the -horses' feet. But much greater resistance came from the two thousand -Dervishes at the back. The confusion was terrible. Lances are not -of much use in a crowd, and if our troopers had used their sabres -they would have suffered less from the heavy sword blades which were -hacking their bodies and hamstringing their horses. If any man was -unhorsed he was as good as dead. The furious Arabs leapt upon him -and slashed at his face till his features disappeared and his flesh -hung in strips. Lieutenant Clerk's charger stumbled and fell forward -as it breasted the edge of the _nullah_, but most fortunately its -master kept his seat, and managed to get through the _mêlée_ unhurt. -This officer was on September 2nd far too ill and weak for any sort -of military duty, but he pluckily kept to his regiment till the day's -arduous work was over, and was then obliged to go into hospital worse -than before. The fighting through the brief period of this charge--a -few minutes all told from beginning to end--was wild and fierce. The -Lancers never flinched in the face of an enemy six times as numerous -as themselves, and, doing what they could with the clumsy lances, -forced a path for their squadrons through the crowd in front. On -the other hand, the Dervishes rejoiced, no doubt, to get to close -quarters with the hated infidels after all the futile attempts and -cruel losses of the morning. Their eyes gleamed with fury as they -crowded round the hated Englishmen, and showered spear thrusts and -sword cuts upon man and beast alike. The cross-handled Dervish sword -is terribly heavy, and the long straight blades of several which I -picked up had been freshly ground for subsequent employment upon the -person of Tommy Atkins. The large Dervish spear, too, when properly -handled, is a most formidable weapon, and if a thrust is driven well -home into the body, the wound from the broad iron head is so wide and -deep that a man has little chance of recovery. - -My readers have all read in the newspapers of some of the many acts -of heroism and narrow escapes which were crowded into the space of -a few minutes. They have heard how gallantly men like Lieutenant -Montmorency and Private Peddar, who had fought their way unhurt -through the Dervishes' line, turned back to save their wounded and -dismounted comrades--how Major Wyndham, when his horse fell dead -beneath him, managed with the help of his friends to push his way -through the press and escape the death which overtook almost every -other Lancer who was unhorsed. - -The enemy's line was completely broken up by the cavalry, and about -seventy of the Dervishes were killed or wounded. But when the Lancers -formed up some three hundred yards on the other side of the hollow, -it was evident from even a cursory glance that the gallant charge -had cost them dear. Lieutenant Grenfell with twenty troopers were -missing, and of the fifty wounded men many were streaming with blood -and scarcely able to keep their saddles. No less than one hundred -and nineteen horses out of three hundred and twenty were killed or -hopelessly wounded, and in some cases the faithful creatures, who -had carried their masters safely through the fight, just managed to -rejoin the ranks and then fell dead. - -After the charge Colonel Martin ordered his men to dismount and fire -volleys at the enemy, who still held their ground. The magazine fire -of the carbines speedily dispersed the Dervishes, and the victorious -Lancers returned to the scene of their charge and recovered the -dead. All the bodies had been horribly mutilated; the faces were -quite unrecognisable, and the flesh of the neck and shoulders was -scored and lacerated in every direction with sword cuts and spear -thrusts. - -Indignation against the Dervishes for such mutilations may easily be -exaggerated. Sickening as it is to gaze upon a comrade's features -hacked out of all human semblance, one cannot forget that the men -who did the deed had seen thousands of their brethren slain by -our awful fire without a possibility of retaliation. It is worth -remembering, too, that the mutilation of the human body is not -the exclusive monopoly of barbaric peoples; anyone who has seen -the effects of shell fire--bodies ripped open, jaws torn off, -and kindred horrors--may find it difficult to differentiate very -markedly between the accursed usages inseparable from every system of -warfare--civilised and barbarous alike. - -While the Lancers had met and engaged the enemy beyond Gebel -Surgham, the whole of the infantry, artillery, and baggage-train -had left the zeriba and advanced in _échelon_ upon Omdurman. The -British battalions led the way on the left; on the right marched the -Egyptians and Sudanese--Maxwell's brigade in front, Lewis's next, -and Macdonald's bringing up the rear. I joined Lewis's men, and as -the line of our advance led us over the ground covered by a portion -of the attack, we speedily found ourselves amongst dead and dying -Dervishes. The first of these I came across was the brave leader -who had led the charge of the Baggara cavalry. He and his horse -were quite dead--both of them riddled with bullets. His spear lay -beside him, and was seized by a Sudanese soldier as a present for -his _bimbashi_. As we marched towards Gebel Surgham, and further out -upon the plain, the efficacy of our shell and rifle fire became more -apparent every yard we advanced. In every direction rows and clusters -of white _gibbehs_ and black bodies lay scattered over the sand. - -Here and there, too, horses were stretched motionless, or else tossed -restlessly to and fro, unable to rise. I cannot account for the fact, -but the sight of a wounded horse is much more painful to myself, -and, I know, to many other men, than the sight of a wounded man. As -one walks over a battlefield one gazes with indifference or vague -curiosity on mangled heaps of human bodies, but where one sees a -horse cruelly torn by a shell splinter, raising and drooping its head -upon the sand, with terror and anguish in its beautiful eyes--such a -sight as this must fill the heart of any lover of animals with pain -and pity. - -Our native battalions were soon busily engaged in killing the -wounded. The Sudanese undertook this task with evident relish, and -never spared a single Dervish along their path. On our left front, -at the foot of the Surgham slope, where the opening shell fire of -the batteries on the left had covered the hillside with dead and -wounded, a large number of servants and camp followers were also -busy. These harpies, intent solely on loot, had armed themselves with -various weapons. Some carried clubs or spears, others had managed -to secure old rifles. They advanced with great caution, and I saw -them fire repeatedly into bodies which were already quite dead, -before they dared to rush in and strip the corpse of its arms and -clothing. These cowardly wretches ought most certainly to have been -prevented from carrying on this irresponsible shooting. They fired -anyhow, without looking to see who was in front, and their bullets -continually ricochetted against the rocks. One of these bullets -passed quite close to the front of our brigade as we advanced, and I -heard that an officer was wounded by another. - -The barbarous usage of killing the wounded has become traditional -in Sudanese warfare, and in some cases it must be looked upon as -a painful necessity. The wounded Dervishes--as I saw with my own -eyes, and on one occasion nearly felt with my own body--sometimes -raised themselves and fired one last round at our advancing line. On -one occasion a wounded Baggara suddenly rose up from a little heap -of bodies and stabbed no less than seven Egyptian cavalry troopers -before he was finally dispatched. Still, when all has been said in -defence of this practice, it is certain that in many cases wounded -Dervishes, unarmed and helpless, were butchered from sheer wantonness -and lust of bloodshed. The whole formed a hideous picture, not easy -to forget. - -Some of the wounded turned wearily over, and paid no attention to -our advance. For many of them, indeed, the bitterness of death was -already past. They lay in the scorching heat, with shattered bodies -and shattered hopes, awaiting the final thrust of the merciless -bayonet. Many of them were doubtless good as well as brave men. They -had trusted in Allah that he would deliver them, but their prayer had -been in vain. There are few experiences in this world more cruel than -the sudden extinction of religious hope, and the dying thoughts of -some of these Dervishes must have been exceeding bitter. - -As I tramped along with Lewis's brigade towards Omdurman, we were -suddenly aware that something had gone wrong on the right flank and -rear of the column. The "ispt," "ispt" of bullets was heard in every -direction, and men began to fall. Turning round, I soon saw what had -happened. The enemy had actually renewed the fight, and an orderly -attack was being made on Macdonald's brigade by the large Dervish -force under Sheikh Ed-Din, which had retreated under the fire of -the gunboats at the beginning of the engagement, and held itself -in readiness behind the Kerreri ridge for this flank attack. At the -same time several other bodies of Dervishes appeared to the west of -Surgham, and also from behind the low hills straight in front. - -The brunt of this fresh attack fell upon the rear brigade. Colonel -Macdonald did not lose a moment. His blacks were at once formed into -two lines, meeting at an obtuse angle, and a steady fire was opened -on the enemy, who advanced with marvellous rapidity. Towards the left -centre, the black standard of the Khalifa rose again to view, and -behind this, and on either flank, line after line of infantry swept -once more over the undulating desert. - -This was the only portion of the fight in which any part of our -position was seriously threatened, and during this second battle--for -it practically amounted to this--the Sudanese and Egyptian infantry -had most of the fighting to themselves. Right well they fought--one -native brigade against some twenty-five thousand Dervishes. Any -wavering or panic on the part of these battalions would have been -fatal, for during the really critical period of the fight they were -quite isolated. Lewis's brigade--their nearest support--was at -least nine hundred yards away, and most of the British columns were -actually out of sight, advancing along the river a mile and a half -in front. The men of the brigade, which comprised the 9th, 10th, and -11th Sudanese and the 2nd Egyptians, were armed with Martinis; and -the smoke of the black powder they used interfered to some extent -with the accuracy of their fire, which always tends, in the case of -native troops, to become rather wild as the excitement of battle -grows upon them. Thus it happened that the enemy managed to get to -much closer quarters with us than previously. Their foremost ranks -sometimes seemed to advance within one hundred and fifty yards of the -Sudanese, and when a perfect flood of Sheikh Ed-Din's infantry was -let loose from the Kerreri slopes upon Macdonald's rear, some of the -Dervishes, despite the withering rifle fire, actually ran up and used -their spears against our men, until they were bayoneted or shot down -at the very muzzles of the rifles. Another brilliant attempt was made -by the Khalifa's cavalry to break the Sudanese lines, and some of the -horsemen got within a few yards of the line before they were shot -down in detail. One determined standard-bearer, with nothing in his -hands except his flagstaff, struggled on heroically to within a dozen -yards of the blacks before he fell, riddled with bullets. - -Efforts had, of course, been made all along the line to lend -assistance to Macdonald in his one-handed struggle. The gunboats had -joined with his own three batteries in shelling the dense masses -under Sheikh Ed-Din, while on the left other batteries had galloped -up, and now from the northern slopes of Surgham poured round after -round of shell upon the indomitable enemy. Three battalions, too, of -the 1st British Brigade had come up at the double, and the Lincolns -had been dispatched to aid in the final dispersion of Ed-Din's -Dervishes amongst the rugged slopes of Kerreri. - -Still, valuable as this help was in completing the rout of the -Dervishes, and driving them off finally beyond the hills to the -west, there is no doubt that the repulse of the enemy was already a -_fait accompli_ long before the British battalions had wheeled to -the right and traversed the long distance--at least one and a half -miles--between their position near the river and the rear of our -advance on the right. Colonel Macdonald had proved once more his -sterling qualities as a leader. The Sudanese had shown that they -could stand absolutely steady under a prolonged fire as well as rush -impetuously to an attack. The "Gyppies," who in the old days of El -Teb and Hicks Pasha's disaster threw away their rifles and were -butchered as they fled or knelt to beg for mercy--these very Fellahin -soldiers, now disciplined and taught the value of self-respect by -British officers, fired regular volleys and stood firm as a rock -against the stream of Dervishes which threatened every moment to -engulf them. - -I noticed, by the way, one very smart bit of fighting during the -movement in support of Macdonald. The brigade under Colonel Maxwell -advanced almost directly upon Gebel Surgham, and a number of Sudanese -were ordered to clear the hill of Dervishes. Up went the blacks like -monkeys. The whole eastern slope of Surgham was dotted with little -white puffs of smoke as the lithe creatures leapt from boulder to -boulder and drove the enemy before them. At the top of the hill the -surviving Dervishes, under the Emir Osman Azrak, made a desperate -stand, but were killed to a man. - -It was not till nearly midday that "Cease fire" again sounded, and -the victorious march to Omdurman was resumed. Scattered bands of -Dervishes were to be seen in the distance, making westward to the -shelter of the hills. Upon the rear of these fugitives the Egyptian -cavalry was let loose; and as they galloped away to the right, and -cut up the stragglers, they felt, no doubt, that they were getting -some sort of compensation for their bad luck in the early morning. -Captain Smeaton lent me his field glasses, which were more powerful -than my own, and far away in front, on a ridge of rock, safe from -cavalry and rifle bullets, I saw a little band of Dervishes--some -sixty in all--painfully making their way to the west. With the -fine binoculars in my hand I could even see the faces of the poor -wretches, the majority of whom seemed to be wounded. Some limped -along unaided over the rough hillside, others were supported by -their comrades. How many hundreds, nay, thousands, of these wounded -Dervishes ultimately succumbed to the fearful injuries inflicted -by the "man-stopping" bullet, no one, I suppose, will ever know -accurately; but one may be tolerably sure that behind the hills many -a poor creature lay down to die. - -In handing Captain Smeaton's glasses back, I noticed that one of -the mules harnessed to the Maxims had just been struck by a bullet, -which passed clean through the animal's neck. The wounded mule, by -name Tommy, was evidently quite a pet amongst the gunners, and though -it looked rather anxious and depressed, it dragged the Maxim with -unabated vigour. - -In places, as we marched along, the ground was strewn thickly with -bodies, as the fire had struck the enemy down in little heaps. In -one spot I saw a ring of nine men and three horses, all evidently -slain by the explosion of a single shell. One Dervish, as I passed, -raised his face to mine with a ghastly smile, as if deprecating our -vengeance, and throwing his _gibbeh_ on one side, displayed an awful -wound. A shell splinter had struck the miserable man full in front, -and literally ripped his body open from side to side. Another man -lay face downward upon the sand, breathing bubbles through a pool of -gore, and actually drowning in his own blood! As a rule, however, the -features of the dead were not distorted. They lay as if asleep, with -a peaceful look upon their faces, and many of them were handsome men -of magnificent build. - -The sun by this time was terribly hot, and, after the excitement of -the fight, the fatigue of the day's work, and the absence of sleep -on the previous night began to tell upon the men. Several halts were -made, and at last a string of camels laden with _fantasias_ (metal -water tanks) made their appearance. The men crowded round, and filled -their bottles to the brim. The water was quite warm, but the troops -drank it with avidity. I filled my bottle, and then, plunging the -whole thing into a bucket, waited till evaporation should cool the -contents. Meanwhile I crawled under a Maxim carriage. The scanty -shade was perfectly delicious, and I should have gone to sleep but -for the mules, which became restless, and kicked out occasionally -with their hoofs in unpleasant proximity to my head. - -After half an hour's halt the onward march was resumed, and we saw -the troops in front about two hundred yards away actually marching -through a mirage of water, rocks, and bushes! Cross tried to -photograph the curious scene, but the result did not prove a success. -Why does one never get a decent photograph of a mirage in the desert? -Men still fell out of the ranks from sheer exhaustion. One would see -a soldier totter on for some yards, trying to pull himself together, -and then suddenly step to one side and sink down on the sand, saying, -"It's no good; I can't go on." On two occasions when this happened, -the exhausted man had drained the entire contents of his bottle, -which had been full an hour ago, and not a drop of water was to -be got from any of the soldiers near! I mention this to show the -utter lack of self-control in the matter of drink which prevailed -amongst the "Tommies." My own bottle was the only one within reach -that contained any water at all, and of course I did what everyone -else would have done, and divided what remained between the two -men, who seemed to be actually dying of thirst. They then got up and -managed to struggle on to Omdurman, their rifles being carried for -them by some of their comrades. A private of the Warwicks suddenly -dropped down dead from heat apoplexy, and was buried on the spot. The -comparatively mild sufferings of our own men turned one's thoughts to -the crowded heaps of wounded wretches left behind us in the desert -to the added tortures of that thirst which invariably accompanies -gunshot wounds. How many thousands, too, of women and children would -soon be weeping with all the wild lamentation of the East over the -brave men who lay in the sleep of death far away upon the plain! -Sorrow is the same all the world over--that dread factor in human -life--and the terrific carnage of the day's fighting had taken away -the bread-winner and protector from thousands of poor homes in the -Sudan, and doomed many a household to starvation. - -The battle was now to all intents and purposes over, and already -vast flocks of vultures were wheeling round and round over the -expanse of desert. Another halt was made on the edge of a _khor_ -on the outskirts of Omdurman. The water of this inlet was thick and -yellow, and in the shallower parts dead animals--horses, mules, and -donkeys--lay about in various stages of decay. Nevertheless, the -thirsty troops rushed down the bank and drank greedily of the foul -water. The want of self-control and common sense at this _khor_ may -quite well be partly responsible for the large number of typhoid -cases which subsequently occurred. As I thought that ten minutes more -of dry throat and parched lips were better than the chance of enteric -fever, I walked down to the Nile. Here I found Captain Ricardo, Lord -Tullibardine, and one or two others sitting under the scanty shade -of a mud-hut, where I joined them after some tremendous draughts of -running water, drunk out of a calabash which I had cut from the neck -of a dead Dervish. Lord Tullibardine kindly gave me some brandy to -flavour the water, and Captain Ricardo recounted the good deeds of -the "Gyppy" cavalry. Then we all lay at full length and indulged in a -little siesta. - -The bugles soon sounded the "advance," and the final order came -that the army was to occupy Omdurman forthwith. The weary troops -advanced once more, and we all waded through the muddy _khor_. The -water reached to our knees, and was very refreshing after the long -tramp over the hot sand. Alongside one of the battalions rode the -Presbyterian chaplain, mounted--oh tell it not in the Kirk, neither -publish it amongst the Elders--upon a looted pony! It was, I think, -a colt which I had seen earlier in the day standing unhurt amongst -a heap of dead Dervishes, and calmly nibbling some scanty blades of -desert grass. - -As we marched on through the apparently interminable suburbs of the -city, the regimental drums and fifes and the Highlanders' bagpipes -struck up some lively tunes. The effect of music at such a time was -simply marvellous: it put fresh heart and vigour into all of us. The -Sudanese, with broad grins on their shiny black faces, played the -various marching tunes of the British regiments, and were loudly -cheered by their white comrades. All along the broad street which -runs through Omdurman to the central square we were greeted by bands -of women, who stood in clusters at the doors, and welcomed us with -curious trilling cries of joy. - -The Khalifa had escaped from the southern end of the town about an -hour before our foremost troops arrived, and had been followed by -a panic-stricken mob of men, women, and children, with camels and -donkeys. In spite, however, of this exodus, the advance battalions, -with the Sirdar and his staff, had met with some resistance from -Dervishes still concealed in the houses along the main street. Here -and there bullets were fired from windows and roofs across the line -of our advance, and troops had to be detailed to clear out these -dangerous assailants. Fortunately, a little light still came from the -setting sun, and the Sudanese were soon able to rid themselves of -their antagonists. Bullets had been repeatedly fired at the Sirdar -and his staff as they advanced, and a little further on destruction -nearly overtook them from the shells of our own field guns. The -Sirdar had ordered the 32nd battery to shell the Khalifa's palace, -and nevertheless saw fit to advance with his staff into the zone -of fire. Suddenly four shells burst in rapid succession above their -heads, close to the Mahdi's tomb and the great square. Everyone -hurried away to shelter, but Howard had already dismounted and -reached an upper room in the Khalifa's palace. Another shell screamed -over the houses, and as it burst a fragment struck Howard on the -back of the head, and killed him instantly--a tragic and untimely -death, when the perils of the day seemed over and rest nigh at hand! -Thus perished a man who was, I believe, absolutely fearless in the -presence of danger. He was my junior at Oxford, but I remember that -as an undergraduate at Balliol he was known for that reckless daring -and courage which in after years led him to seek for adventure in -Cuba, Matabeleland, and finally the Sudan. During the campaign in -South Africa Howard displayed signal ability as adjutant of his -corps; in fact, the splendid courage and unceasing energy which -marked his whole career gave every promise of ultimately securing for -him a still higher fame and distinction. As it was, his young life -was cut short in the very midst of his restless activity, and he -died as he had lived, eager to do his best, and utterly fearless of -everything except failure. - - "The untented Kosmos his abode - He passed, a wilful stranger-- - His mistress still the open road - And the bright eyes of Danger!" - -Our little band of fifteen had received, indeed, more than its fair -share of casualties in the day's fighting. In addition to Howard's -death, Colonel Rhodes had been shot through the shoulder, and another -correspondent had been slightly wounded in the face with a spent -bullet. - -The street fighting was over, darkness had fallen upon the city, and -the weary troops at length bivouacked for the night. In addition to -the wear and tear of the actual fighting, they had marched at least -fifteen miles, for the most part in the full heat of the sun. Many of -the men simply lay down as they were, and at once fell fast asleep. -After the army an apparently endless succession of baggage animals -filed wearily through the town. I gave up all hope of finding camels -and servants amid the general confusion, and betook myself to the -Camerons. The other correspondents went on, and, failing to discover -their baggage, had to sleep on the ground without food or blankets. I -fared much better. Inside my pocket was a small tin of potted meat, -and, as Captain Maclachlan had some biscuits, we intended to devour -these before going to sleep with our helmets for pillows. But a -joyful surprise was in store for us. By a great piece of good luck, -some of the regimental baggage camels happened to pass by, and these -were speedily annexed, with splendid results. My kind host invited -me to dinner, and what a meal we had! On a central packing-case, -which served as a _buffet_, stood several tins of "Suffolk pie" -and ox tongue, and for every man a biscuit or two. How delightful -it was to eat these tinned dainties--the only meat-food which had -passed our lips that day! Then came the crowning mercy. Maclachlan -unearthed a bottle of champagne from some mysterious source, and we -shared the generous wine between us. Our tumblers were the lower -halves of whisky bottles, cut round by string soaked in turpentine -and then set alight. We drank many toasts--the Sirdar, the Army, -Friends in England now Abed, etc. Our fatigues were all forgotten, -and we felt so amiable that I really think that if the Khalifa had -been within reach we should have sent him an invitation to join us, -and bring Osman Digna with him. This dinner-party in the open street -of Omdurman was one of the pleasantest I have ever attended--_olim -meminisse juvabit_! - -At length we wrapped ourselves in blankets for the night, and lay -down upon the sand. All around was heard the heavy, regular breathing -of strong men, utterly tired out by the excitement and labours of the -eventful day. With the exception of occasional shots from Sudanese -looters or Dervish "snipers" across the river, perfect stillness -reigned over the thousands of men who lay in the large open spaces of -the city. Not a sound broke the silence--the camp was asleep, and - - "All that mighty heart was lying still!" - -The moon had risen, and far away on the horizon gleamed the Southern -Cross, like that celestial symbol which inspired the Roman Conqueror -in his bivouac centuries ago, and helped to shape the destinies -of Christendom. _Per hoc vince_--good men of our victory's true -worth, and presage of our future work in these unhappy regions! The -day's carnage had indeed been cruel; blood had been poured out like -water; but there is a mysterious law in the working of Providence -which forbids the continued existence of systems which have ceased -to subserve the cause of progress. Mahdism has proved the most -shameful and terrible instrument of bloodshed and oppression which -the modern world has ever witnessed. It has reduced whole provinces -to utter desolation, so that tracts once smiling and fertile are -now but solitary wastes, the habitation of wild beasts. Thousands -upon thousands of homesteads have been laid in ruins, and the -innocent villagers outraged and tortured and murdered. As I entered -the Mahdi's tomb on the following morning, I saw a band of natives -casting stones with loud curses upon the spot where his body lay; -and scores of unhappy creatures who on the night of the battle -were liberated, after long years of imprisonment, lifted up their -hands, and with streaming eyes thanked God for the destruction of -their oppressor's rule. Mahdism has vanished, never to return, -and once more the arms of Great Britain have advanced the cause of -civilisation and "made for righteousness" in the history of the -century. - -[Illustration: - Battle of Omdurman. - First Dervish attack. - - Battle of Omdurman. - Second Dervish attack. - -_R. V. Darbishire 1898._] - - - - -CHAPTER V - -GUNBOATS AND GAALIN - - -No account of the recent campaign could be in any way complete if -it did not include some mention of the valuable assistance rendered -to the Sirdar and the Anglo-Egyptian forces by the gunboats and the -Friendlies. I have thought it better to keep this portion of the -narrative distinct from the rest, and to mould the present chapter -more or less into the form of a diary. - -The Sirdar's fleet at the end of the campaign consisted of the -following gunboats:--_Sultan_, _Sheikh_, _Melik_, _Fatteh_, _Nasr_, -_Hafir_, _Tamai_, _Metemmeh_, and _Abu Klea_. In addition to these -were the old unarmed _El Tahra_ and, up to 25th August, the gunboat -_Zaphir_. - -The navigation of the Nile was full of difficulty. The river charts -were bad or non-existent, and no _reis_, or native captain, could -really be trusted to keep his boat in the deep channels with any -certainty. Still, it must be remembered that the bed of the Nile is -continually changing its position, and what are deep holes one year -may be turned by next year's flood into shallow pools. On the whole, -it is astonishing that the river service was not frequently overtaken -by disaster. The engines on a boat like the _Tamai_ were always on -the verge of dissolution, the current was terrific, and all the -vessels--gunboats, barges, and _ghyassas_--were loaded down to the -water's edge. The barges, on which the troops were packed together -with barely room to turn themselves, were especially liable to -accident, as they were exceedingly top-heavy and loosely constructed. -I remember seeing a gunboat gently collide with one of these barges -as it lay, fortunately without any crew, off the bank at Wad Hamed. -The whole structure collapsed at once; the top platform fell off, and -in less than two minutes the remains of the barge and all its cargo -that would float were drifting rapidly down the Nile. - -One gunboat alone, the _Zaphir_, was overtaken by serious disaster. -It happened as follows: On 23rd August the _Zaphir_ left the -Atbara at 4 p.m. The officers on board consisted of General Rundle, -Prince Christian Victor, Lieutenant Micklem, R.E., Major Dodd, -R.A.M.C., and, in command of the vessel, Commander Keppel, R.N. -In the _ghyassas_, which were lashed to the gunboat, were packed -"details" of various native battalions. All went well for two nights, -although on the 23rd the _Zaphir_ tied up to the bank in the midst -of a violent storm of wind which suddenly swept over the river from -the desert. At 4.45 p.m. on the 25th of August the officers were -sitting on the upper deck taking tea, when Mr. Poole, the engineer, -suddenly asked Commander Keppel to come below at once. Prince -Christian meanwhile walked forward, and noticed that the ship lay -very low in the water, so much so, in fact, that the rapid current -was washing over the bows. As he walked back to General Rundle, -Commander Keppel rushed up from the lower deck and informed the -assembled officers that water had found its way into the hold, and -the gunboat might go down any moment; meanwhile, he had ordered the -engineer to make for the shore at full speed. On the receipt of -this startling information the officers walked to the side of the -vessel, and as they did so, the _Zaphir_, which was floundering in -a clumsy fashion towards the bank, suddenly gave a heavy lurch to -starboard, and seemed on the point of "turning turtle." A general -exodus of natives followed; servants, sailors, and "Gyppy" soldiers -sprang out of the nooks and crannies in which they hide themselves -on board, and, leaping into the stream, swam easily to the shore. At -the same instant General Rundle, Major Dodd, and Lieutenant Micklem -jumped from the deck on to the _ghyassas_ at the side. The _Zaphir_, -however, righted herself again, but as the fires had been put out -by the inrush of water, she drifted slightly and began to settle -down. An attempt to get a rope from the ship to the shore failed. -Prince Christian then jumped upon a _ghyassa_, and lastly, just as -the gunboat sank within thirty yards of the bank, Commander Keppel -followed his example. Most fortunately, someone had the presence of -mind to cut the _ghyassas_ adrift, otherwise they would certainly -have been dragged down with the vessel as she foundered. On the -return journey from Omdurman I noticed that part of the funnel was -still out of the water, and a twelve-pounder gun projected from the -stern battery a couple of feet above the stream. The whole party -bivouacked on shore that night in rather a destitute condition. -Nobody seemed to know how the leak was caused, but from the time the -inrush of water was noticed, at 5.40, only eleven minutes elapsed -before the vessel sank. A few stores had been saved, and off these -the shipwrecked officers made a meal. Everyone by good luck had -managed to land in his helmet, but otherwise the clothing of the -party was rather nondescript. Prince Christian, for example, had -nothing left except a pair of trousers and a canvas shirt. Next -morning the natives dived about the wreck and fished out some odds -and ends of clothing and baggage. At midday on the 26th, Major -Drage, D.S.O., happened to pass up the river in the _El Tahra_, and -conveyed the _Zaphir's_ crew to Rojan Island, where Commander Keppel -transferred his flag to the _Sultan_, accompanied by Prince Christian -and Major Dodd. - -On the day before the loss of the _Zaphir_, the "Irregulars" or -"Friendlies" had assembled at Wad Hamed. This motley corps was -composed of detachments from the following tribes:--Gaalin, Ababdeh, -Shukriyeh, Batahin, Bishariyeh, Mersalamieh, Gimiab, and a few -Hassaniyeh. All these tribes have for thirteen years been bitterly -hostile to the English and Egyptians, but, thanks to the impolitic -conduct of the Khalifa and the cruel devastation practised by his -generals, many of his adherents amongst these Arab tribes have been -alienated from the Mahdi's successor, and now look forward to an era -of peace and security under a settled government. By far the most -useful and important section of these Friendlies was furnished by -the Gaalin, a brave and warlike tribe, who fought gallantly against -the British at Abu Klea, Abu Kru, and Gubat in January 1885. In July -1897 Khalifa's army under the brutal Mahmoud--who was captured at the -Atbara, and is now imprisoned at Wady Halfa--suddenly, on their march -northwards, attacked the Gaalin, and butchered a large number of them -at Metemmeh. Ever since this treacherous massacre a deadly feud had -existed between this tribe and the Khalifa's government. - -As a fighting force the Irregulars, numbering about two thousand -five hundred, presented a rather quaint appearance. They were -armed with every imaginable weapon. Some had rifles, others were -equipped with old flint and steel muskets, elephant guns, ancient -muzzle-loading pistols, spears, swords, and daggers. Their methods -of locomotion were almost as varied as their accoutrements. Some -were mounted on horses, some marched on foot, others ambled along -on camels, mules, and donkeys. About twelve hundred Remingtons -were supplied at Wad Hamed for distribution amongst the tribes in -proportion to their numbers, and it was a proud day for many of these -picturesque ruffians when they secured one of these rifles. The -possession of guns always seems to exercise a peculiar fascination -over semi-barbarous peoples. A friend and myself once bestowed three -ancient Snider carbines, rubbed bright with Monkey Brand Soap, upon -a small Arabian potentate, who was delighted with the present and -had the rifles carried after him by three almost naked courtiers -wherever he went. We took good care not to give the monarch any -cartridges, but his attendants did not seem to mind the absence of -ammunition. What they liked was to swagger about with the Sniders, -and use them as a sort of glorified walking-stick with the muzzle -stuck into the ground. - -For the command of this extraordinary army the Sirdar had selected -Major Stuart-Wortley, whose military ability and almost unique -experience of Sudan campaigns marked him out as the proper man for -the work of impressing some order and discipline upon the rough and -turbulent material of the Friendly Contingents. Lieutenant Wood also -accompanied the force as staff officer. - -The Gaalin and the other Friendlies crossed over from Wad Hamed, and -were ordered to proceed along the river parallel to the advance of -the Anglo-Egyptian forces on the opposite bank. The various tribal -contingents marched separately under their own sheikhs, and presented -a most picturesque appearance across the river as their white-clad -columns moved in and out of the green bushes. They first came into -touch with the enemy on 29th August, when the village of Gaali was -found to be occupied by a small detachment of Jehadieh infantry and -Dervish cavalry. These were speedily routed by the Friendlies, who -attacked the small force before them in fine style, and captured ten -prisoners. - -On 31st August three gunboats--the _Sultan_, _Melik_, and -_Fatteh_--were ordered to advance up the river from Seg-et-taib and -shell the advance post held by the Dervishes on the Kerreri ridge. -Before midday the gunboats took up a position opposite Kerreri -village, and proceeded to enfilade the Dervish camp on the hill. Some -splendid practice was made, and great confusion was produced by the -twelve-pounder shells as they burst in rapid succession amongst the -enemy, who could be seen rushing about, collecting their property and -striking their tents. The camp was soon rendered untenable by our -fire, and as the Dervishes fled over the plain towards Omdurman, they -were followed by shells from the gunboats, which knocked over about a -dozen cavalry. - -On 1st September some excellent work was done by an effective -co-operation between the gunboats and the Friendlies. At 5.30 a.m. -the _Sultan_, _Sheikh_, _Melik_, _Fatteh_, and _Nasr_ steamed up the -right bank of the river and met Major Stuart-Wortley. It was arranged -that the gunboats should steam on ahead and shell the villages and -forts from the river, while the Friendlies advanced along the bank. -At 9.30 the vessels engaged and utterly destroyed a fort to the -south of Halfayah. The villages of Hejra el Sharg and Halfayah were -next shelled, and as a body of Dervish cavalry emerged into the open -ground, some forty or fifty of them were knocked over by shrapnel. - -On land, meanwhile, the Irregulars had not been idle. Notwithstanding -the shells of the gunboats, several of the villages south of Halfayah -were found to be held in considerable force by the enemy. Major -Stuart-Wortley drew up his men for the attack, but an unexpected -hitch occurred, as the Mersalamieh and Gimiab contingents posted in -front did not seem at all disposed to advance against the Dervishes, -who were waiting for them behind the shelter of numerous mud-houses. -Instead of rushing to the attack, they suddenly halted and danced -a "fantasia" instead! Major Stuart-Wortley did not waste time over -these faint-hearted warriors, but brought up his trusty Gaalin, who, -supported by the other tribes, gallantly attacked house after house, -and routed the enemy, killing a large number, including Isa Zachnieh, -a cousin of the Khalifa, and losing themselves over sixty killed and -wounded. - -The Gaalin made very little use of their rifles in the desperate -fighting which practically cleared the right bank of the Dervishes. -They loaded their guns and fired them into the air, calling upon -Allah to direct the course of the bullets! Then throwing their -Remingtons on one side, they gripped their broad-bladed spears, and -used them so effectively that after the fight the Dervish casualties -stood at three hundred and fifty killed, wounded none! At one moment -Major Stuart-Wortley and Lieutenant Wood were in great danger. A -troop of Baggara horsemen suddenly charged down upon the spot where -they were standing, and the Ababdeh Arabs who were with the two -officers, instead of waiting for the cavalry, simply turned tail and -fled. Immediately after this fighting round Halfayah, two hundred -and fifty Shukriyeh Friendlies were dispatched up the Blue Nile in -pursuit of the Dervishes who had fled. - -By 11.30 on the 1st, the fighting on the right bank was to all -intents and purposes over. Five hundred Gaalin and one hundred and -seventy-five British infantry, made up of details from the Guards, -Rifle Brigade, Highlanders, etc., were embarked on the five gunboats. -The original plan had been to land Stuart-Wortley's levies on Tuti -Island, but this was abandoned owing to the close proximity of the -Omdurman forts--a fact not disclosed on the Intelligence maps--and -the presence on the island of a large force of Dervishes. - -[Illustration: Plan of - -OMDURMAN and KHARTUM - -to illustrate - -The operations of the gunboats and the Friendlies. - - 1. Khartum. | 6. Mosque. - 2. Omdurman. | 7. Mahdi's Tomb. - 3. Gordon's House. | 8. Khalifa's House. - 4. Tuti Island. | 9. Khojali. - 5. Great Wall. | 10. Hejra el Sharg. - -_R. V. Darbishire 1898._] - -Meanwhile Major Elmslie's battery of howitzers had taken up a -position on the bank opposite the centre of Omdurman, and at 1.30 -opened fire on the Mahdi's tomb, at a range of three thousand one -hundred and fifty yards. The two first shells missed their mark, -but played havoc with the neighbouring buildings; the third -wrecked the apex of the dome, and carried away the gilded ornaments -which surmounted it. Later on three other shells crashed into the -structure, tearing enormous holes in the stonework, and utterly -destroying the whole of the interior. Subsequently the howitzers -abandoned their artillery practice on tombs and their violation of -the dead, and engaged in the more satisfactory demolition of the -Omdurman ramparts. Vast breaches were torn in the big wall which ran -along the river, and many of the principal buildings were utterly -destroyed. - -At 2 p.m. the gunboats, with the _Sultan_ leading, advanced farther -up the stream in order to shell the forts of Omdurman. As they -steamed slowly up past the city, the boats were met by a heavy shell -fire, and occasional volleys from Dervish riflemen. The enemy's -shells burst all round the boats, but they only succeeded in scoring -two hits the whole day, one of which splintered some woodwork on a -barge, while the other struck an iron mantlet at an angle and glanced -harmlessly off into the water. At such short range the Dervish -gunners ought most certainly to have made better practice, but the -fact is, that the aim of our quick-firing guns was so marvellously -accurate that it was almost impossible for the enemy to work their -artillery. Thanks very largely to the skill of two Royal Marine -sergeants, our fire silenced one battery after another. In some cases -actually two shells out of three penetrated the embrasures of the -forts, dismounting the guns inside, and doing terrible execution -amongst the Dervish gunners. - -While the twelve-pounder guns were demolishing the forts, the -Maxims were turned with deadly effect on the Dervishes who were -running about the banks. As two more forts in Khartum--one at the -juncture of the Blue and White Nile, the other close to Gordon's -palace--continued to fire upon us, the gunboats steamed past the -ruined city, and speedily converted these last defences of the enemy -into mere heaps of rubbish. At 5 p.m. the Friendlies were disembarked -on the right bank, where they remained with the howitzer battery and -the British detachment under Captain Ferguson of the Northumberland -Fusiliers. The five gunboats then returned and took up a position -off El Genuaia opposite to the zeriba. - -During the battle on the morning of 2nd September, the gunboats were -posted at both ends of the zeriba, and made themselves extremely -useful. As was mentioned above, the fire of these boats lying off -Kerreri village practically saved the Camel Corps from annihilation. -Throughout the rest of the fight, too, a galling shell fire was kept -up on the Dervish forces advancing from the north-west and, more -especially, from the south, over the sandy ridge between Surgham and -the Nile. - -Meanwhile the howitzer battery had again opened fire at daybreak, and -continued its work of destruction amongst the buildings of Omdurman. -The effect of the Lyddite shells was so terrible that the Khalifa -seems to have abandoned his plan of falling back behind the walls -of his capital. This was a most fortunate thing, so far as we were -concerned, for if, after the fearful slaughter of his troops in the -first half of the engagement, the Khalifa had retreated with ten or -fifteen thousand men inside the tortuous streets and crowded houses -of Omdurman, we should have had the utmost difficulty in driving the -enemy out, and could not, in all probability, have occupied Omdurman -on the evening of the 2nd. House-to-house fighting is always a -costly and dangerous business, and had it taken place, the prophetic -estimate popularly attributed to the Sirdar of "one thousand -casualties before Khartum is ours," might well have been realised in -fact. As it was, the Dervishes prepared to take their chance in the -open desert, rather than await our onset under a continual fire of -fifty-pounder shells which burst amid sheets of flame and clouds of -dust, and sent huge fragments for hundreds of yards, wrecking every -obstacle in their path. - -When the battle was over, the gunboats steamed up side by side with -the general advance, and were met at Omdurman by a hot rifle fire -from Dervishes concealed in the houses along the margin of the -river. The streets leading to the southern exit of the town were by -this time crowded with a mass of fugitives. In addition to mounted -Baggaras and Dervish infantry, a mob of inhabitants--men, women, -and children, dragging after them camels, horses, and donkeys laden -with goods and chattels--all this confused stream of human beings and -animals was pressing madly forward in panic-stricken flight. Orders -were given to fire upon the fugitives, and as the artillerymen on the -gunboats, from their raised position, could see well over the walls, -a deadly fire was opened upon the crowded thoroughfares. One street -especially, which led down to the river, was swept by a frightful -hail of Maxim bullets, which mowed the poor wretches down in scores. - -After taking part in the battle and the subsequent destruction of -fugitives, the gunboats proceeded, on the night of the 2nd, about one -hundred miles farther up the river, and returned to Omdurman on 5th -September with the report that they had seen no more Dervishes. - -During the fighting off Omdurman on the 1st, two of the Khalifa's -gunboats were destroyed. There was a pathetic interest attached to -old vessels like the _Bordein_ and _Ismailia_, as they had formed a -part of Gordon's little fleet in the old days of thirteen years ago! -The _Bordein_ had been despatched northwards by Gordon, but, like -the _Abbas_, had been wrecked. She struck on a rock in the Shabluka -Cataract, on 30th January 1885, and foundered, but was subsequently -raised by the Dervishes. When our gunners came within sight of the -vessel, voices were raised to save the old boat for Gordon's sake. -"Don't let us fire on the poor old _Bordein_!" But there is little -room for sentiment or loving-kindness amid the exigencies of warfare, -and under our fire the _Bordein_ was headed for the shore, and sank -as she reached it. - -A still worse fate overtook the _Ismailia_. In some way or other -she fouled one of the mines laid down by the Khalifa's engineers in -midstream; the mine exploded, and the _Ismailia_, literally hoist by -its own petard, was blown out of the water. Two other mines had also -been laid in the channel, near the right bank opposite Omdurman. The -ropes connecting these with the shore were afterwards found inside -the ruined forts, but all our attempts to explode them were futile. -The Dervish steamer which was subsequently captured by the Sirdar on -his way to Fashoda was, I believe, the solitary survivor of Gordon's -ill-starred flotilla. The _Talawahiyah_ had been sunk off Rojan -Island, on 29th January 1885, and was never recovered. The _Abbas_, -which set out from Khartum with Colonel Stewart and Mr. Power on -board,--the one last desperate attempt to reopen communications with -the North,--was wrecked at Hebbeh, between Abu Hamed and Kirbekan, -and now lies there, keel uppermost. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -AFTER THE BATTLE - - -On the morning of 3rd September our troops moved out of Omdurman and -encamped on the banks of the river some two miles to the north. The -moment I had finished breakfast I made for the Mahdi's tomb. The -interior was an absolute wreck. Vast quantities of stones and mortar, -torn away by the Lyddite shells, were heaped upon the floor, and of -the superstructure over the Mahdi's grave only the wooden framework -remained. Some pieces of tawdry drapery which had covered the tomb -lay on the ground, and these I brought away. Outside the tomb, a -little to the right, I came across a truly awful spectacle. One of -the terrible Lyddite shells had burst amongst some unfortunate Arabs -near the Khalifa's palace. Eight men lay dead in a ghastly ring, some -of them torn by horrid mutilations; but the curious point about some -of the bodies was that they were not lying flat, but were sitting on -the ground with fearfully contorted limbs and features. Could this be -due to the deadly fumes of the picric acid contained in the Lyddite? -The stonework of the tomb and the surrounding buildings was often -stained yellow by this chemical. Outside in the open street fragments -of Koran manuscripts were lying about in every direction. - -I then set out to find Cross and the other correspondents. It was -said that they were with the Staff, in strange and unwonted proximity -to the Sirdar's tent. However, as nobody seemed to know where the -Staff was, I wandered about for hours seeking my colleagues in vain. - -As I passed along the river a barge drew up alongside to land the -bodies of the British soldiers who had been killed. From some -misunderstanding a wounded man slid out of the boat amongst the -corpses, and began to walk up the bank, but was promptly sent -back with the reprimand--"D----n you, what do you mean by coming -ashore with this lot? You aren't dead!" Even amid such gruesome -surroundings it was quite funny to see the disappointed look of the -man as he returned to the barge to take his place under a separate -category. - -At last I came by accident upon Cross. The poor fellow was again -in a state of prostration, and was lying under the blanket-tent of -Captain Luther, R.A.M.C., in the camp of the Lancashire Fusiliers. -The officers of this battalion had been most kind to Cross, and as -the day was terribly hot he remained under the shelter of their -tents until the evening, when he rejoined me in our own camp. He -told me that on the previous night he had, like the rest of the -correspondents, failed to get any food, and had slept on the sand -without a blanket, though Steevens, with his usual kindness, had lent -him an overcoat when the night air became chilly. - -At length, after wandering up and down for miles in the blazing heat, -I discovered the whereabouts of our camp out in the desert to the -south-west of the town. All my colleagues were here except Villiers. -Nobody seemed to know what had become him, and as the hours passed -and he failed to turn up we began to get alarmed. His servant had -pitched Villiers' umbrella tent, and beside it stood the bicycle, -which was disfigured by an honourable scar, for the top of the valve -was gone, and Hassan declared that it had been carried away by a -Dervish bullet. I mounted the famous machine, intending to go for -a ride to the execution ground, where several fine gibbets were -standing, but as the back wheel was "buckled" I soon dismounted--with -the proud consciousness, however, of being the first cyclist in -Omdurman! - -The streets of the town were perfectly loathsome. In every direction -lay the decaying bodies of dead animals, and the stench was terrible. -Moslems, from a curious intermixture of humanity and cruelty, never -give a dying animal a _coup de grâce_, and they seldom take the -trouble to bury the carcass. Moreover, in some parts of the town one -could scarcely walk fifty yards without coming across the bodies of -men, and occasionally, I am sorry to say, those of women and little -children. At least five hundred dead people lay scattered about the -streets, some destroyed by Lyddite shells, but the majority pierced -with bullets. I saw some of these corpses lying in the shallow water -near the bank of the river, and as it seemed to be nobody's business -to bury them, it is not surprising that our Guardsmen and other -soldiers contracted the germs of enteric fever at Omdurman! - -Inside the Khalifa's arsenal there were many curious things--spears, -bows and arrows, coats of chain mail, machine guns, Krupps, various -kinds of ammunition, and other warlike apparatus, ancient and modern. -Three carriages of European make were also visible, which were said -to have been used by the Khalifa on state occasions, though these -vehicles could never have got beyond the main streets, for the simple -reason that outside the town no roads exist. - -Most of the Dervish ammunition used in the battle seems to have been -of home manufacture. All the Martini cartridges I picked up amongst -their dead were extremely well made of "solid drawn" brass, and -stamped with a Κ and a Π. I imagine that these letters may stand -for Khartum and Pentekachi, the unfortunate Greek who succeeded in -manufacturing gunpowder for the Mahdi, and was finally blown to -atoms by an explosion of the magazine. On a Martini rifle which I -secured from the battlefield, the Enfield stamp is still visible. -Some disgraceful facts were revealed at the time when Berber was -occupied, and the public documents fell into our hands, for, in -addition to various offers of assistance addressed to the Khalifa -from people in high positions at Cairo, some invoices were discovered -which showed clearly that a certain Manchester firm had supplied the -Khalifa with lead for the manufacture of bullets! It is difficult -to believe that an Englishman could sink so low as to supply his -country's enemy with munitions of war for the sake of filthy lucre! - -A new bullet, by the way, was used in the recent campaign. Its title -is sufficiently significant. It is called the "man-stopping bullet," -and simply means that an ordinary .303 Lee-Metford bullet is scooped -out at the end to the depth of about half an inch. When this missile -strikes an object the hollow nose instantly expands like an umbrella, -inflicting a tremendous shock, which was frequently not secured when -the ordinary solid bullet, with its enormous velocity (two thousand -feet a second at the muzzle), passed clean through an enemy's body, -but failed to administer a sufficiently crushing blow. At Krugersdorp -an ordinary Lee-Metford bullet was driven right through the brain -of a Boer; and so far was the tiny puncture from being immediately -fatal, that the Dutchman walked to church next Sunday--though it is -true that on the Sunday following he went there again in a coffin. Of -course this solid bullet, when it chanced to come in contact with a -bone, served its purpose well, and shattered the bone to atoms. The -first occasion, I believe, on which the Lee-Metford bullet was fired -into a human body was at the well-known Featherstone riots; and I -remember seeing a drawing made by a medical man at the time of the -foot of one of the rioters, which had been struck. Not only was the -lower part of the leg bone completely smashed, but almost every bone -in the foot had been broken more or less by the terrific force of the -bullet. - -_À propos_ of dum-dum bullets, man-stopping bullets, _et hoc genus -omne_, a good deal of false sentiment has been evoked in England -and France. The main object of a soldier in battle is to put his -opponent out of action, and it is found by experience that the -ordinary bullet does not adequately secure this result when employed -against barbarous or semi-barbarous enemies. A civilised combatant, -when he is struck by a bullet--even if the wound be a comparatively -slight one, say through the shoulder--almost invariably sits down -on the ground; but the nervous system of the savage is a far less -delicate organism, and nothing short of a crushing blow will check -his wild onset. Even in the Martini-Henry days scores of Dervishes -rushed upon the British troops at Abu Klea and elsewhere, with the -blood spurting from seven or eight bullet wounds, and then cut and -thrust with deadly effect until loss of blood told, and they fell -dead in or about the square. One of the two British officers who -lost their lives at the Atbara fight was killed by a large elephant -bullet, the hollow base of which had been filled with a fulminate. -This was an _explosive_ bullet, quite a distinct species from the -missile described above. - -The fire from our zeriba, which mowed the Dervishes down in rows and -heaps, must have been simply appalling. The ordinary metaphors of -"rain" and "hail" are scarcely adequate to describe the awful effect -of modern rifles and machine guns when their fire is steady and -concentrated. It is rather a wall of lead than a rain, which, as it -advances, sweeps everything instantly from its track. There must be -a limit to human endurance, one would think, even in the excitement -of battle, and the time may well come when human art will prove -superior to human courage and discipline, and civilised troops will -refuse to expose themselves to what may have become practically the -certainty of death or wounds, or, at anyrate, of enormous risk. The -educational and social forces at work in modern life certainly do not -tend to foster the old-fashioned virtue of unquestioning obedience, -or the consolations to be derived from religious faith. Yet it is -precisely these two things which alone have often enabled a leader to -count with confidence upon a response to his call when he summons his -followers to almost certain destruction--the surrender of life and -all that life holds dear. - -On 4th September, at 9.15 a.m., four gunboats conveyed the Sirdar -and various detachments of troops, with most of the correspondents, -across the Nile to Khartum. We moved alongside the quay in front -of the ruins of Gordon's palace, and the troops formed a rough -semicircle, with the Sirdar, his Staff, and the two foreign -_Attachés_ inside. Four chaplains took their stand with their faces -to the river, ready to conduct a memorial service. At ten o'clock the -Union Jack was run up from one of the flagstaffs which surmounted -the ruined façade of the palace, and almost immediately afterwards -the Crescent flag of Egypt was unfurled. The gunboat _Melik_ fired -twenty-one guns, but as no blank ammunition was forthcoming, -twenty-one shells were sent screaming up the Nile--a most unique and -realistic form of salute! After this hearty cheers were given for Her -Gracious Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Khedive. Then came a -brief and simple service to the memory of the brave man who, thirteen -long years ago, had so often stood on the very terrace which lay in -ruins before us, and, hoping against hope, looked northwards over the -desert--but in vain--for any sign of help from England! The air of -Gordon's favourite hymn was played, and as its cadence fell upon the -ears, one's thoughts recalled the words of the exquisite verses-- - - "I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless, - Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. - * * * * * - When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, - Help of the helpless, oh abide with me!" - -How truly must the spirit of these lines have been felt by Gordon, -that noble and sincere Christian, deserted by man, yet doubtless -sustained by the abiding presence of his Master in life and death. - -During our brief stay at Omdurman every variety of loot was hawked -about the camp for sale. Huge shields of hippopotamus hide, spears, -swords, old rifles, Mahdist coins, and other trophies of battle or -pillage, found ready purchasers. A negro paid me a visit who was -clad in chain mail, cut rather after the fashion of a dress coat. -There was, indeed, quite a flavour of the Margate sands about the -appearance of this Ethiopian, with his striped cotton trousers and -his metallic coat, the tails of which, like those of Burnand's hero, -"positively swept the ground." These suits of mail were beautifully -made of steel rings, and could be purchased for about twenty-five -shillings each; but they were very heavy and awkward things to carry -about. Everybody brought back a Dervish sword or two, which were -often very interesting. Some blades had the famous Ferrara stamp, -others were marked by the mail-clad figure which is said to belong -to the period of the Crusades, from which, at anyrate, the general -pattern of Dervish swords--a straight blade with a plain cross -hilt--seems to date. The pretty _gibbehs_, too, were brought home in -large numbers; there were nearly eleven thousand of them available -for selection on the sandy plain three miles away! The history of -the Dervish _gibbeh_ is rather a quaint one. The original garment -was, of course, the plain white cotton coat of the Arab; but the -Mahdi, who was somewhat ascetic--in theory, at anyrate, if not in -practice--ordered his followers to sew black patches upon their nice -white coats, as tokens of humility. But alas for human frailty, what -was intended to curb the spiritual pride of the faithful became a -direct incentive to the vainglorious adornment of their persons! -The ladies of Omdurman were strongly opposed to the dowdiness of -the black patches upon their husbands and lovers, and, under the -influence of the more æsthetic circles of Dervish society, the white -_gibbehs_ were gradually tricked out with gaudy squares of blue, red, -and purple. - -Many of the dead bodies in the field had rosaries round their necks, -usually made of box or sandal wood. Nobody paid much attention to -these ornaments, but from one point of view they are interesting. Was -the use of a row of beads for religious purposes borrowed from the -Christians by the Moslems, or _vice versâ_? Another curious relic was -an insulator from a Dervish field telegraph, which had been worked -between a point near Gebel Surgham and Omdurman during the battle. -Many of the dead Emirs wore watches, one of which was marked "Dent, -London." - -Our soldiers seemed to thoroughly enjoy the rest at Omdurman. They -had probably some very quaint ideas of our geographical surroundings -and the reason for our presence in the Sudan. On 4th September some -companies of Sudanese who had been sent up the river in pursuit of -the Khalifa were seen returning in the distance with a long string -of Dervish prisoners. There was great excitement amongst the British -troops; whole battalions ran wildly over the sand expecting to catch -a glimpse of the Dervish leader, and I heard one Tommy Atkins say to -his comrade, "'Urry up, Bill, come along; they've cotched the bloody -Khee-dive!" - -In addition to Dervish prisoners who were captured by the active -Sudanese, hundreds came in voluntarily and surrendered themselves. -Many were wounded more or less seriously, but of the rest a large -number were enrolled as soldiers of the Khedive! What amazing -versatility! On one day the Dervish rushes boldly against our shells -and bullets, and on the next he joins us as a comrade in arms! -Some of the French papers declared ungenerously that the Sirdar -had armed these Dervish allies in order to dispatch them against -Major Marchand. Such an act would under the circumstances have been -legitimate, and had these newly enrolled soldiers of the Khedive -been given a free hand, "the evacuation of Fashoda" would have been -ancient history by this time! But of course no such intention ever -entered the Sirdar's head. The brave Marchand certainly deserved a -better fate than to be wiped out by ex-Dervishes. - -The prisoners were released from their fetters on the night of -the battle. Amongst them were a number of jet black Abyssinians, -survivors of the sanguinary battle of Galabat. I saw Charles Neufeld, -and he looked very little the worse for his stay at Omdurman. A -great deal of English sympathy has been wasted on this person. The -harrowing stories we have read in the papers of the poor captive -languishing in hopeless captivity are sheer nonsense. On two separate -occasions Neufeld had the chance of escape, for a clever and -courageous Arab called Oman had been dispatched by the Intelligence -Department to rescue the captive. Neufeld, however, refused to leave -Omdurman unless he was accompanied by a black woman, with whom he -lived. This was obviously out of the question. So Father Rossignoli -was rescued instead, and brought safely to Assouan. - -An infinitely more pathetic case was that of the two Austrian -Sisters who had been compelled to marry Greeks. One of these, who -was childless, returned to Cairo; but the other, who had borne her -husband three children, elected--so I heard--to remain for good -at Omdurman. The poor woman felt that she could never face her -co-religionists at home after her vows of celibacy had been broken. I -remember as I walked along the bazaar on the morning after the fight -I noticed a European woman in Arab dress standing amongst a crowd -of natives. She looked wistfully and sadly at the British as they -passed, and I always regret that I did not speak to her. - -Slatin Pasha soon returned from his pursuit of the Khalifa. The -Egyptian cavalry had followed the tracks of the fugitive for thirty -miles up the river, but as the horses were dead beat and no forage -could be landed from the gunboat accompanying the pursuit, owing to a -long stretch of marshy ground, the squadrons were compelled to return -without the Khalifa. I happened to be strolling past Slatin's tent at -the time, and he called me in and told me how terribly disappointed -he was at the failure of the pursuit. He was kept very busy all the -time we were at Omdurman by continual visits from many old Dervish -friends and acquaintances. One day when I was with him a handsome old -Arab with a white beard came into the tent, and sinking down without -a word, bent his head over Slatin's shoulder and wept. At length -he found words to tell us that his only son had been killed in the -fighting. "Oh, Hassan," said Slatin, and could get no further--his -kind heart was too full of pity; and as he placed his hand on to his -old friend's shoulder and tried to soothe his sorrow, I turned away, -unable to bear the sight of the father's grief. - -As Cross grew no better, and there was little else to do in Omdurman, -I asked Colonel Wingate to allow us a passage on the first gunboat -leaving for the North. Accordingly, on the morning of the 6th, Cross, -René Bull, and myself embarked on the _Metemmeh_, and steamed away -down the river. Nobody was sorry to say good-bye to the repulsive -streets of Omdurman. - -Two barges packed with the rank and file of the Warwicks were lashed -to either side of the _Metemmeh_, which carried on board Colonel -Forbes and the officers of the battalion, together with Lieutenant -Clerk of the 21st Lancers. We were all in excellent spirits, and -fully expected to reach the Atbara in about thirty hours. As steam -and current bore us rapidly past the battlefield in the twilight, the -vultures circling over the distant plain and the broken zeriba by the -river's bank were the only visible signs which remained to tell of -our momentous victory. - -We were not destined to reach the Atbara in thirty hours! The sun had -set, and the _reis_ had been advised to tie up to the banks for the -night; but the obstinate fellow denied the necessity of any stoppage -for another hour or two, so we went tearing down the stream at a -tremendous pace. Dinner was just over--a curious meal, supported -almost entirely by voluntary contributions of tinned meats, rice, -jams, etc.--when, without a moment's warning, a tremendous shock sent -everything and everybody sprawling over the deck. Loud cries of "We -are going over" came from the river, and through the semi-darkness -one could see that the troop barge had been wrenched from its -lashings by the shock, and was heeling over in a terrible manner. -Everybody on board the gunboat shouted "Sit down," "Keep still"; and -it was very fine to see how the soldiers immediately obeyed their -officers, though for the moment they fully expected to be capsized -into the flooded stream. By good luck the detached barge righted -itself and remained fixed in midstream, about thirty yards from the -gunboat and the other barge. - -Nobody quite knew where we were or what had happened, but as it -seemed certain that we were not likely to go much further that night, -we all made preparations for going to sleep. The upper deck was -quite a small affair, and the space at our disposal was curtailed -by the presence of a large table and a number of camp chairs. Over -these few square yards of deck we had to dispose the recumbent forms -of some twenty-six human beings. The result was a sort of Chinese -puzzle. I had always heard that Nature, when she had any close -packing to do, employed the beautiful simplicity of the hexagon, and -suggested a trial of this system; but the theory, owing, probably, to -dissimilarities in our lengths and breadths, would not work at all. -We lay in wild disorder, but so tightly wedged together that it was -impossible to move about when one had finally secured one's berth in -this casual ward! A friend's boots gently reposed upon my pillow all -night, while my own feet were thrust against the ribs of a transverse -form below. - -When the sun rose next morning we saw that the incompetent _reis_ had -run us right on to a sandy island which is submerged when the Nile -is in full flood. The whole of that day was spent in endeavouring to -drag the gunboat and the barges off the sandbank. The _Nasr_, under -the command of Lieutenant Hon. H. L. A. Hood, happened to come along, -and did her best to help us, but the only hawser available snapped -like a thread from the strain put upon it, and the _Nasr_ departed. -The troops were then ordered to get into the shallows and try to push -the barges off. What had been foreseen by several of us happened! -The soldiers managed to shove one of the barges into deep water, -and then several of them, unable to check their movements, found -themselves out of their depths in the strong current. One poor fellow -was drowned under our eyes, and two others were just rescued in a -state of utter exhaustion by natives with life-belts. The whole thing -was a complete muddle, and we all felt angry at the incompetence and -obstinacy which had brought about the needless loss of life. - -Another night was spent on this depressing sandbank, and at dinner -we became aware that something dreadful had attached itself to the -vessel. We looked over the side, and from the space between the -gunboat and the left-hand barge emerged the body of an Egyptian -cavalry man. The corpse bobbed up and down on the swirling waters in -a horribly grotesque fashion. Its spurs had caught the woodwork of -the barge for a few moments and delayed its rapid passage down the -Nile. I remember we remarked, "Oh, it's only a dead Gyppy," and then -went back to our dinner. - -Next day we made a desperate effort to get afloat, and finally -succeeded. Instead, however, of being the first to reach Atbara Camp, -and to secure the earliest train service to Wady Halfa, we had had -the mortification of seeing the Seaforth Highlanders pass us the day -before. - -At Nasri Island I landed to get the tent and other baggage which we -had left behind us on leaving Wad Hamed, but was informed that the -five _ghyassas_ containing officers' luggage--and our own unfortunate -belongings amongst it--had capsized two days before. My precious -tent, two Gladstone bags, and a case of stores lay fathoms deep in -the Nile, and all the consolation I had was to draw up a pathetic -claim for compensation from the impecunious Egyptian War Office. - -By the time we arrived at the Atbara, Cross's illness had increased, -and his temperature had gone up to 100°. The army surgeon on board -the _Metemmeh_ advised him to stay in hospital at the Atbara for a -few days before proceeding to Cairo, and the officer in charge of -the hospital gave the same advice. I had already heard from another -medical man that he did not detect any traces of typhoid symptoms in -Cross; so one thought that he was merely suffering from the common -feverishness which comes from a "touch of the sun," and passes off -after a few days. I remained at the Atbara for a night, and then went -on with the Warwicks to Wady Halfa, leaving a servant with Cross, -who had arranged to follow by the next train in two days' time. - -The remainder of our homeward journey was comparatively uneventful. -The bad luck, however, which seemed to follow the Warwicks delayed us -for twenty-four hours on our journey to Wady Halfa, for the wretched -engines which dragged our cattle pens (first class) and baggage -trucks (third class) repeatedly broke down from overheating and lack -of grease. - -During a short wait at Shellal my servant called my attention to -a woman on the bank, who was apparently in great distress, and -told me that she was weeping because she had been divorced by her -husband. Such cases are often very cruel, for Mohammedan law allows -a husband to write his wife a bill of divorcement without pretext of -any sort. At the same time, he is bound to maintain her for three -months, and her dowry is restored. Many good Moslems deplore the -obsolete character of their divorce laws, which have outlived their -usefulness. Still, it must not be forgotten that in one respect -Moslem wives have for centuries enjoyed a privilege which was not -possessed by Englishwomen until a recent date, namely, the absolute -control of their own money and property. Female education, too, which -is increasing rapidly in the towns, and later on will spread to the -country districts, will doubtless serve to improve the status and -welfare of native women. Monogamy is already almost universal with -the fellahin, and is steadily gaining ground amongst the educated -classes. A good deal of false sentiment is often expended by good -people in England over the lot of their Mohammedan sisters, but they -may rest assured that women all the world over have the amelioration -of their condition very largely in their own hands. Further, a very -slight acquaintance at first hand with Oriental countries will show -one that Moslem home life is full of happiness, and that nowhere in -the world is greater devotion lavished by parents upon their children. - -At Luxor the blessings of civilisation met us again, in the shape of -a nice breakfast at the hotel and a big bath. Most of us had slept -more or less in our ordinary clothes for several weeks, and everyone, -from the Colonel downwards, wallowed joyfully in an unlimited supply -of warm water. As we sat at breakfast, someone told me that a camel -had died just near the hotel from the bite of an asp. The snake, a -little creature some eight inches long, was lying under the sand, -according to its wont, with its head just above the ground. The poor -camel trod on it, and was bitten in the foot. It speedily died, -swollen to nearly double its ordinary size, and the natives lit a -fire over its carcass. The Arabs dread the little asp terribly, -and its bite is nearly always fatal. A special antitoxin has been -prepared by the _Institut Pasteur_ from the serum of horses bitten by -poisonous snakes. A subcutaneous injection of ten cubic centimetres -of this fluid is alleged to be a sure specific against the bite of -any known species of venomous land-snake. But this preparation is -practically useless in the Sudan, as it loses its efficacy if much -exposed to light or to a high degree of heat. Nor has it, so far as I -know, ever yet been tried in the case of any human being bitten by a -deadly snake. I took some with me last year when exploring in Sokotra -with the late Mr. Theodore Bent, but despite the glowing accounts -of the efficacy of _dowa Inglizi_ and offers of large bakshish, -the faith of the natives was never robust enough to allow them to -voluntarily submit to a snake bite for experimental purposes. - -On the final stage of our railway journey from Luxor to Cairo, -Lieutenant Clerk and I shared a carriage between us, and were -extremely comfortable. Ali redoubled his efforts in the cooking line, -and for our final meal in the train, to which we invited a military -chaplain, the Rev. E. H. Pulling, we used up all our remaining tins, -and dined off _pâté de foie gras_, a curried blend of prawns and -chicken, and stewed apricots--a good instance of what a clever Arab -servant can turn out with a spirit-lamp and a couple of tin saucepans -in a crowded third-class carriage. - -After waiting four days in Cairo, and receiving a telegram from -the Atbara which gave me no cause for the least apprehension about -Cross's condition, I left Alexandra on the 17th of September -for Marseilles. On board I renewed my acquaintance with Major -Stuart-Wortley, and amongst the other passengers were Prince Francis -of Teck and Prince Christian Victor. Prince Francis had been very -ill throughout the latter part of the campaign, but during the fight -had risen from his bed, in spite of medical advice, and worked a -Maxim gun with good effect. - -We left Marseilles by the morning _rapide_ on the 21st, and as we -were crossing the Channel on the 22nd, Prince Christian handed me the -_Morning Post_, and pointed to a paragraph which announced the death -of Cross from enteric fever on the 20th. - -The news took away for the time being all the joy of one's return. -Twice I have been fated to lose my travelling companion by death -when the work was finished which we set ourselves to do. Cross was -an old Hertford man, who had rowed five in the 'Varsity boat of -1889, and had afterwards been appointed to an assistant mastership -at Bedford. He had always been very loyal to his old college, and -our successes on the river were largely due to his "coaching." We -shall all--seniors and juniors alike--miss him greatly. In spite -of constant attacks of illness from exposure to the sun, each of -which left him weaker than before, Cross had refused to return -from the front, and, as I said above, had actually dragged himself -out of hospital in order to be present at the battle. But while -his natural vivacity and vigour were to some extent impaired by -physical debility, he was always unselfish in the "give and take" -of camp life, and bore uncomplainingly the many discomforts which -are necessarily experienced by the sick during the advance of an -army. Still side by side with his courageous endurance of physical -suffering, and the coolness which he showed when under fire for the -first time, the central thought which occupied Cross's mind was that -of returning to his beloved work at Bedford. - - "His was a soul whose master-bias leans - To homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes-- - More brave for this, that he had much to love!" - -The Sudan campaign, which, thanks to the Sirdar's wonderful genius -for organisation, has been so thoroughly successful, cannot be -regarded as in any sense final. Unless our recovery of the Nile -banks as far as Omdurman is followed by the possession of the -Bahr-el-Ghazal, we may almost be said to have laboured in vain. If we -stayed our hand at Khartum, or even Fashoda, the same remark which -Lord Salisbury passed on the French possessions in the Sahara, -that "the soil was rather light," would apply equally well to our -arid conquests in the Sudan. The so-called French occupation of the -Bahr-el-Ghazal must not be allowed to count for anything. Their utter -failure as colonisers in French Congo, Senegal, and even Algeria, -and the selfish tariffs with which they seek to exclude foreign -industry from the regions which they reserve for Frenchmen who -never come--these things deprive them of any moral claim to further -annexations of vast territories in the interior of Africa. Moreover, -the Bahr-el-Ghazal was indubitably a province of Egypt before the -Mahdi's revolt, and must be restored to the Khedive intact. Under -British control this fertile province will be able to develop its -splendid resources. Coffee grows wild, timber abounds, and thousands -of square miles are ready for the cultivation of corn, two crops of -which can be grown in a single year. In ancient days Egypt was the -granary of Europe. Rome and Byzantium were dependent almost entirely -upon the Alexandrian corn-ships. In fact, one of the most serious -accusations which could be brought against a citizen was that he -was carrying on intrigues for the stoppage of these vessels. This -actual charge was levied against the great Athanasius himself, and -the philosopher Sopater, who was accused of delaying the corn supply -by magical rites, was promptly decapitated by Constantine "because he -was too clever" (δι' ὑπερβολὴν σοφίας). There is no reason why the -Bahr-el-Ghazal, when connected by river and rail with the sea, should -not take its place as one of the great corn-growing countries of the -world. Again, an exploration of the Nuba region to the north of the -province may lead to the discovery of mineral wealth. At anyrate, -during an earlier campaign, a Dervish caravan was captured by the -forces under Sir Francis Grenfell, and amongst the merchandise was -found a large quantity of gold which had been dug out of the Nuba -Hills. - -But even when the possession and organisation of the Bahr-el-Ghazal -has become an accomplished fact, we find ourselves barred by a belt -of territory some two hundred miles across, from Uganda to the north -of Lake Tanganyika. Despite the vital importance of securing a -road between Uganda and Nyassaland, Lord Salisbury allowed Germany -to make the western frontier of its East African possessions -conterminous with that of the Congo State, and thus completely bar -our advance from north or south. But in this case what was lost by -the weakness of one Government may be recovered by the firmness of -another; and if this result be happily secured, the territories -regained to civilisation by Lord Kitchener's genius will be united to -our vast possessions in the South, and Mr. Cecil Rhodes' magnificent -idea of a British Empire in Africa, stretching from Cairo to the -Cape, will at length be realised in actual fact. - - - - -A BRIEF NOTE ON A FEW ENTOMOLOGICAL SPECIMENS BROUGHT FROM THE SUDAN, -22ND SEPTEMBER 1898. - - -I have handed over my small collection of insects to Professor -Poulton, F.R.S., of Oxford, who has had them set, and has kindly -supplied me with materials for the following list, which may possibly -be of some interest to any reader interested in Entomology. - - -BUTTERFLIES. - -Three specimens of _Limnas Chrysippus_, a Danaine butterfly, -found over all the warmer parts of the Old World. Of these three -butterflies, one is the brown type form (Wad Hamed); one the Alcippus -or Alcippoides variety, with white hind wings (Wad Hamed); one an -Alcippoides, with much less white (near Kerreri). - -Three specimens of _Belenois mesentina_. Two males (Zeidab and Wad -Hamed) are typical. The female (near Pyramids of Meroe) is darker -than usual. The specimen in the Hope Collection nearest to it comes -from Somaliland. - -One _Teracolus_. Very like _T. auxo_. The specimen is a male, small -and white, with orange tip to the fore wing (near Pyramids of Meroe). - -Three very small species of _Lycænidæ_. Two males and two females -(two, Kerreri; two, Rojan Island). - - -MOTHS. - -_Noctuæ._--One _Grammodes stolida_ (Battlefield of Omdurman), exactly -like the Hope Specimens from India. - -One dubious specimen, probably a species of _Pandesema_ (on gunboat -near Shabluka). - -_Bombycidæ._--One small female moth (Luxor), somewhat resembling -_Trichiura cratægi_. - -_Tineina._--Three small pale specimens (two, on gunboats near -Metemmeh; one, Wad Hamed). - - -NEUROPTERA. - -_Trichoptera._--A few species, very pale in colour (Luxor and Abu -Ahmed). - - -COLEOPTERA. - -One Cicindela. A very small and pale species, not represented in the -Hope Collection (Wad Hamed). - -One Buprestid, namely, _Sternocera irregularis_. A large brown -species, with irregular tufts of straw-coloured hair on elytra and -thorax (Um Teref). - -One Longicorn. A large black shining _Prionus_, not represented in -Hope Collection. - -Heteromera. Two species, as yet uncompared with Hope Collection. - -Two Lamellicorns, apparently _melolontha_, or very similar. - - -HEMIPTERA. - -One immature form of a large species, pale in colour. - - -HOMOPTERA. - -Fulgoridæ. One small pale species. - - -ORTHOPTERA. - -Gryllidæ. Two pale species. - -Acridiidæ. Two pale species. - - -HYMENOPTERA. - -One winged ant--dark, with sand-coloured patches. - - -ARACHNIDA--ARANEINA. - -Six species of spiders. One of these is a beautiful mimic of an ant. - - -The above list is necessarily imperfect. It had to be compiled -immediately for the publication of this volume, and there has been no -time to properly "work out" many of the species. It is interesting to -note the pale tint of so many of these Sudanese insects--a manifest -adaptation to environment, for purposes of concealment amid the -yellow sand of the desert. - - - - - PRINTED BY - MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED - EDINBURGH - - - - - A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS - AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF - METHUEN AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS: LONDON - 36 ESSEX STREET - W.C. - - -CONTENTS - - PAGE - - FORTHCOMING BOOKS, 3 - - POETRY, 9 - - BELLES LETTRES, ANTHOLOGIES, ETC., 10 - - ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, 11 - - HISTORY, 11 - - BIOGRAPHY, 14 - - TRAVEL, ADVENTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY, 15 - - NAVAL AND MILITARY, 17 - - GENERAL LITERATURE, 18 - - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 20 - - PHILOSOPHY, 20 - - THEOLOGY, 21 - - FICTION, 24 - - BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, 33 - - THE PEACOCK LIBRARY, 33 - - UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERIES, 34 - - SOCIAL QUESTIONS OF TO-DAY, 35 - - CLASSICAL TRANSLATIONS, 35 - - EDUCATIONAL BOOKS, 36 - - -FEBRUARY 1899 - - - - - FEBRUARY 1899. - - MESSRS. METHUEN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS - - -Travel and Adventure - -THE HIGHEST ANDES. By E. A. FITZGERALD. With 40 Illustrations, 10 of -which are Photogravures, and a Large Map. _Royal 8vo. 30s. net._ - -Also, a Small Edition on Handmade Paper, limited to 50 Copies, _4to. -£5, 5s_. - - A narrative of the highest climb yet accomplished. The - illustrations have been reproduced with the greatest care, and - the book, in addition to its adventurous interest, contains - appendices of great scientific value. - -ROUND THE WORLD ON A WHEEL. By JOHN FOSTER FRASER. With 100 -Illustrations. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - The narrative of a bicycle ride right round the world, which - covered over 19,000 miles and occupied 774 days. The book is full - of adventure and incident, and contains as much matter as the - ordinary book of travel published at six times the price. - -THE HEART OF ASIA. By F. H. SKRINE and E. D. ROSS. With Maps and many -Illustrations. _Large crown 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - This is an account, historical, political, economical, and - descriptive of Russian Central Asia. The first part of the work - contains a concise history of Turkestan, etc. from the earliest - times. No such history has hitherto appeared in any European - language, and many untranslated Oriental works have been put - under contribution by Professor Ross. In the second part Mr. - Skrine gives a complete account of Russian Central Asia, with - all the latest statistics. Great attention has been paid to the - production of accurate maps, and the information contained in - this part of the book may be regarded as semi-official. - -THROUGH ASIA. By SVEN HEDIN. With 300 Illustrations from Photographs -and Sketches by the Author, and 3 Maps. _Two volumes. Royal 8vo. 36s. -net._ - - Extracts from reviews of this great book, which _The Times_ has - called 'one of the greatest books of the century,' will be found - on p. 15. - -CHITRAL: The Story of a Minor Siege. By SIR G. S. ROBERTSON, K.C.S.I. -With 22 Illustrations, 4 Plans, and a Map. A New and Cheaper Edition. -_Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - Extracts from reviews of this remarkable book will be found on - page 15. - -THREE YEARS IN SAVAGE AFRICA. By LIONEL DECLE. With 100 Illustrations -and 5 Maps. Second and cheaper Edition. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net._ - -THE CAROLINE ISLANDS. By F. W. CHRISTIAN. With many Illustrations and -Maps. _Large crown 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - This book contains a history and complete description of these - islands--their physical features, fauna, flora; the habits, and - religious beliefs of the inhabitants. It is the result of many - years' residence among the natives, and is the only worthy work - on the subject. - - -History and Biography - -THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF SIR JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS, President of -the Royal Academy. By his Son, J. G. MILLAIS. With nearly 300 -Illustrations, of which 10 are in photogravure. _Two volumes. Royal -8vo. 32s. net._ - -A limited edition will also be printed. This will contain 22 of -Millais' great paintings reproduced in photogravure, with a case -containing an extra set of these Photogravures pulled on India paper. -The price of this edition will be _£4, 4s. net_. - - In these two magnificent volumes is contained the authoritative - biography of the most distinguished and popular painter of - the last half of the century. They contain the story of his - extraordinary boyhood, of his early struggles and triumphs, of - the founding of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, now first given - to the world in authentic detail, of the painting of most of - his famous pictures, of his friendships with many of the most - distinguished men of the day in art, letters, and politics, of - his home life, and of his sporting tastes. There are a large - number of letters to his wife describing the circumstances under - which his pictures were painted, letters from Her Majesty the - Queen, Lord Beaconsfield, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Watts, Sir William - Harcourt, Lord Rosebery, Lord Leighton, etc., etc. Among them are - several illustrated letters from Landseer, Leech, Du Maurier, - and Mike Halliday. The last letter that Lord Beaconsfield wrote - before his death is reproduced in fac-simile. Sir William - Harcourt contributes his reminiscences of Millais, and Mr. Val - Prinsep has written a long and most interesting chapter to the - same purpose. - - Not the least attractive and remarkable feature of this book - will be the magnificence of its illustrations. No more complete - representation of the art of any painter has ever been produced - on the same scale. The owners of Sir John Millais' most famous - pictures and their copyrights have generously given their - consent to their reproduction in his biography, and, in addition - to those pictures with which the public is familiar, over two - hundred pictures and sketches which have never been reproduced - before, and which, in all probability, will never be seen again - by the general public, will appear in these pages. The early - chapters contain sketches made by Millais at the age of seven. - There follow some exquisite drawings made by him during his - Pre-Raphaelite period, a large number of sketches and studies - made for his great pictures, water colour sketches, pen-and-ink - sketches, and drawings, humorous and serious. There are ten - portraits of Millais himself, including two by Mr. Watts and Sir - Edward Burne Jones. There is a portrait of Dickens, taken after - death, and a sketch of D. G. Rossetti. Thus the book will be not - only a biography of high interest and an important contribution - to the history of English art, but in the best sense of the word, - a beautiful picture book. - -THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. By EDWARD GIBBON. A New -Edition, edited with Notes, Appendices, and Maps by J. B. BURY, -LL.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. _In Seven Volumes. Demy -8vo, gilt top. 8s. 6d. each. Crown 8vo. 6s. each. Vol. VII._ - - The concluding Volume of this Edition. - -EVAGRIUS. Edited by Professor LÉON PARMENTIER of Liége and M. BIDEZ -of Gand. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - [_Byzantine Texts._ - -THE HISTORY OF PSELLUS. By C. SATHAS. _Demy 8vo._ - - [_Byzantine Texts._ - -A CONSTITUTIONAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY OF ROME. By T. M. TAYLOR, -M.A., Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Senior -Chancellor's Medallist for Classics, Porson University Scholar, etc., -etc. _Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - An account of the origin and growth of the Roman Institutions, - and a discussion of the various political movements in Rome from - the earliest times to the death of Augustus. - -A HISTORY OF EGYPT, FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY. -Edited by W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, D.C.L., LL.D., Professor of -Egyptology at University College. Fully Illustrated. _In Six Volumes. -Crown 8vo. 6s. each._ - - Vol. IV. THE EGYPT OF THE PTOLEMIES. J. P. MAHAFFY. - Vol. V. ROMAN EGYPT. J. G. MILNE. - -ANNALS OF SHREWSBURY SCHOOL. By G. W. FISHER, M.A., Assistant Master. -With Numerous Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - -THE HISTORY OF THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. By CLEMENT STRETTON. With many -Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - Uniform with Mr. Grinling's 'History of the Great Northern - Railway.' - -A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF CYPRUS. By JOHN HACKETT, M.A. _Demy 8vo. -12s. 6d._ - - -Theology - -ST. PAUL, THE MASTER-BUILDER. By WALTER LOCK, D.D., Warden of Keble -College. _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - An attempt to popularise the recent additions to our knowledge of - St. Paul as a missionary, a statesman and an ethical teacher. - -AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. By W. H. BENNETT, M.A., -and W. F. ADENEY, M.A. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - -Oxford Commentaries. - -General Editor, WALTER LOCK, D.D., Warden of Keble College Dean -Ireland's Professor of Exegesis in the University of Oxford. - - Messrs. METHUEN propose to issue a series of Commentaries upon - such Books of the Bible as still seem to need further explanation. - - The object of each Commentary is primarily exegetical, to - interpret the author's meaning to the present generation. The - editors will not deal, except very subordinately, with questions - of textual criticism or philology; but taking the English text - in the Revised Version as their basis, they will try to combine - a hearty acceptance of critical principles with loyalty to the - Catholic Faith. It is hoped that in this way the series may be of - use both to theological students and to the clergy, and also to - the growing number of educated laymen and laywomen who wish to - read the Bible intelligently and reverently. - -THE BOOK OF JOB. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by E. C. S. -GIBSON, D.D., Vicar of Leeds. _Demy 8vo. 6s._ - - -The Churchman's Bible. - -General Editor, J. H. BURN, B.D., Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of -Aberdeen. - - Messrs. METHUEN propose to issue a series of expositions upon - most of the books of the Bible. The volumes will be practical - and devotional rather than critical in their purpose, and the - text of the authorised version will be explained in sections or - paragraphs, which will correspond as far as possible with the - divisions of the Church Lectionary. - - The volumes will be produced in a very handy and tasteful form, - and may be obtained in cloth or leather bindings. - - The first volume will be: - -THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS. Explained by A. W. -ROBINSON, B.D., Vicar of All Hallows, Barking. _Fcap. 8vo. 2s._ -Leather, _3s. net_. - - -Handbooks of Theology. - -General Editor, A. ROBERTSON, D.D., Principal of King's College, -London. - -AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF THE CREEDS. By A. E. BURN, -Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Lichfield. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - -The Library of Devotion. - -_Pott 8vo. Cloth 2s.; leather 2s. 6d. net._ - -_NEW VOLUMES._ - -A SERIOUS CALL TO A DEVOUT AND HOLY LIFE. By WILLIAM LAW. Edited, -with an Introduction by C. BIGG, D.D., late Student of Christ Church. - - This is a reprint, word for word and line for line, of the - _Editio Princeps_. - -LYRA INNOCENTIUM. By JOHN KEBLE. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, -by WALTER LOCK, D.D., Warden of Keble College, Oxford. - - This is edited on the same scale as 'The Christian Year.' Dr. - Lock has corrected the printed text by collating it with the MS. - in the Keble College Library, and has added an Introduction, and - an analysis and explanatory notes to each of the more difficult - poems. - - -General Literature - -The Arden Shakespeare. - -General Editor, EDWARD DOWDEN, Litt. D. - - MESSRS. METHUEN have in preparation an Edition of Shakespeare in - single Plays. Each play will be edited with a full Introduction, - Notes on the text, and a Commentary at the foot of the page. - - The first volume will be: - -HAMLET. Edited by EDWARD DOWDEN. _Demy 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - -The Novels of Charles Dickens. - -_Crown 8vo. Each Volume, cloth 3s., leather 4s. net._ - - Messrs. METHUEN have in preparation an edition of those novels - of Charles Dickens which have now passed out of copyright. - Mr. George Gissing, whose critical study of Dickens is both - sympathetic and acute, has written an Introduction to each of - the books, and a very attractive feature of this edition will - be the illustrations of the old houses, inns, and buildings, - which Dickens described, and which have now in many instances - disappeared under the touch of modern civilisation. Another - valuable feature will be a series of topographical notes to each - book by Mr. F. G. Kitton. The books will be produced with the - greatest care as to printing, paper and binding. - - The first volumes will be: - -THE PICKWICK PAPERS. With Illustrations by E. H. NEW. _Two Volumes._ - -NICHOLAS NICKLEBY. With Illustrations by R. J. WILLIAMS. _Two -Volumes._ - -BLEAK HOUSE. With Illustrations by BEATRICE ALCOCK. _Two Volumes._ - -OLIVER TWIST. With Illustrations by E. H. NEW. _Two Volumes._ - - -The Little Library. - -_Pott 8vo. Each Volume, cloth 2s.; leather 2s. 6d. net._ - - Messrs. METHUEN intend to produce a series of small books under - the above title, containing some of the famous books in English - and other literatures, in the domains of fiction, poetry, and - belles lettres. The series will also contain several volumes of - selections in prose and verse. - - The books will be edited with the most sympathetic and scholarly - care. Each one will contain an Introduction which will give - (1) a short biography of the author, (2) a critical estimate - of the book, (3) short bibliographical details. Where they are - necessary, short notes will be added at the foot of the page. - - The Little Library will ultimately contain complete sets of the - novels of W. M. Thackeray, Jane Austen, the sisters Bronté, Mrs. - Gaskell and others. It will also contain the best work of many - other novelists whose names are household words. - - Each book will have a portrait or frontispiece in photogravure, - and the volumes will be produced with great care in a style - uniform with that of 'The Library of Devotion.' - - The first volumes will be: - -A LITTLE BOOK OF ENGLISH LYRICS. - -PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. By JANE AUSTEN. With an Introduction by E. V. -LUCAS. _Two Volumes._ - -VANITY FAIR. By W. M. THACKERAY. With an Introduction by S. GWYNN. -_Three Volumes._ - -EOTHEN. By A. W. KINGLAKE. With an Introduction. - -CRANFORD. By Mrs. GASKELL. With an Introduction by E. V. LUCAS. - -JANE EYRE. By CHARLOTTE BRONTÉ. With an Introduction by R. BAYNE. -_Two Volumes._ - - -The Little Guides. - -_Pott 8vo, cloth 3s.; leather 3s. 6d. net._ - -_NEW VOLUME._ - -SHAKESPEARE'S COUNTRY. By B. C. WINDLE, M.A. Illustrated by E. H. NEW. - - Uniform with Mr. Wells' 'Oxford' and Mr. Thomson's 'Cambridge.' - - -Fiction - -_A NEW DEPARTURE IN PUBLISHING._ - - Messrs. METHUEN contemplate a very interesting experiment in - publishing. They are about to issue at Sixpence, under the - general title of 'Methuen's Library of Fiction,' stories by - some of the best known writers of the day. A few books will be - reprints, but most will be new works hitherto unpublished in book - form. - - A considerable number of Sixpenny Editions of old books have - already been issued by various publishers, but in no case has - the work of an author of high repute been published in the first - instance at that price. This Messrs. Methuen will attempt, and - the first book thus published will be by E. W. Hornung. Mr. - Robert Barr and Mr. Cutliffe Hyne will follow, and later will be - published books by Mr. Baring Gould and others. In some cases - the same book will be published simultaneously both at Sixpence - and at a higher price. Messrs. Methuen recognise the inevitable - tendencies of an age of cheap literature. The theatre has its - stalls and its pit, the railway its first and its third classes: - so the novelist may well have a double audience, and while the - wealthy will still pay Six Shillings for their novels, those of - limited means will be able to purchase the same book in a decent - but less luxurious form. - -A NEW NOVEL. By E. W. HORNUNG. _Demy 8vo. 6d._ - -JENNY BAXTER. By ROBERT BARR. _Demy 8vo. 6d._ - - -THE COUNTESS TEKLA. By ROBERT BARR, Author of 'The Mutable Many.' -_Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - A romance of adventure. - -THE CAPSINA. By E. F. BENSON, Author of 'Dodo.' With Illustrations -by G. P. JACOMB-HOOD. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -THE HUMAN BOY. By EDEN PHILPOTTS, Author of 'Children of the Mist.' -_Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - A series of studies of the English schoolboy, the result of keen - observation, and of a most engaging wit. - -ANNE MAULEVERER. By Mrs. CAFFYN (Iota), Author of 'The Yellow Aster.' -_Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -RACHEL. By JANE HELEN FINDLATER, Author of 'The Green Graves of -Balgowrie.' _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -BETTY MUSGRAVE. By MARY FINDLATER, Author of 'Over the Hills.' _Crown -8vo. 6s._ - -THE PATH OF A STAR. By SARA JEANETTE DUNCAN, Author of 'A Voyage of -Consolation.' _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN. By E. W. HORNUNG, Author of 'Young Blood.' -_Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -THE PATHS OF THE PRUDENT. By J. S. FLETCHER, Author of 'When Charles -I. was King.' _Crown 8vo, 6s._ - -GILES INGILBY. By W. E. NORRIS. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -ROSE A CHARLITTE. By MARSHALL SAUNDERS. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - A romantic story of Acadie. - -ADRIAN ROME. By E. DOWSON and A. MOORE, Authors of 'A Comedy of -Masks.' _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. By DOROTHEA GERARD, Author of 'Lady Baby,' -'Orthodox,' etc. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - -LONE PINE. By R. B. TOWNSHEND. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - A romance of Mexican life. - -TALES OF NORTHUMBRIA. By HOWARD PEASE. _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - - - -A CATALOGUE OF - -MESSRS. METHUEN'S - -PUBLICATIONS - - -Poetry - - -=Rudyard Kipling.= BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS. By RUDYARD KIPLING. _47th -Thousand. Crown 8vo. 6s_. - - 'Mr. Kipling's verse is strong, vivid, full of character.... - Unmistakeable genius rings in every line.'--_Times._ - - 'The ballads teem with imagination, they palpitate with emotion. - We read them with laughter and tears; the metres throb in our - pulses, the cunningly ordered words tingle with life; and if this - be not poetry, what is?'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - -=Rudyard Kipling.= THE SEVEN SEAS. By _Rudyard Kipling_. _41st -Thousand. Cr. 8vo. Buckram, gilt top. 6s._ - - 'The new poems of Mr. Rudyard Kipling have all the spirit and - swing of their predecessors. Patriotism is the solid concrete - foundation on which Mr. Kipling has built the whole of his - work.'--_Times._ - - 'The Empire has found a singer; it is no depreciation of the - songs to say that statesmen may have, one way or other, to take - account of them.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - 'Animated through and through with indubitable genius.'--_Daily - Telegraph._ - - -="Q."= POEMS AND BALLADS. By "Q." _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'This work has just the faint, ineffable touch and glow that make - poetry.'--_Speaker._ - - -="Q."= GREEN BAYS: Verses and Parodies. By "Q." _Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d_. - - -=E. Mackay.= A SONG OF THE SEA. By ERIC MACKAY. _Second Edition. -Fcap. 8vo. 5s._ - - 'Everywhere Mr. Mackay displays himself the master of a style - marked by all the characteristics of the best rhetoric.'--_Globe._ - - -=H. Ibsen.= BRAND. A Drama by HENRIK IBSEN. Translated by WILLIAM -WILSON. _Third Edition. Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'The greatest world-poem of the nineteenth century next to - "Faust." It is in the same set with "Agamemnon," with "Lear," - with the literature that we now instinctively regard as high and - holy.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -="A. G."= VERSES TO ORDER. By "A. G." _Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. net._ - - 'A capital specimen of light academic poetry.'--_St. James's - Gazette._ - - -=James Williams.= VENTURES IN VERSE. By JAMES WILLIAMS, Fellow of -Lincoln College, Oxford. _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'In matter and manner the book is admirable.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -=J. G. Cordery.= THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER. A Translation by J. G. -CORDERY. _Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'A spirited, accurate, and scholarly piece of work.'--_Glasgow - Herald._ - - -Belles Lettres, Anthologies, etc. - - -=R. L. Stevenson.= VAILIMA LETTERS. By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. With -an Etched Portrait by WILLIAM STRANG. _Second Edition. Crown 8vo. -Buckram. 6s._ - - 'A fascinating book.'--_Standard._ - - 'Full of charm and brightness.'--_Spectator._ - - 'A gift almost priceless.'--_Speaker._ - - 'Unique in Literature.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=G. Wyndham.= THE POEMS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Edited with an -Introduction and Notes by GEORGE WYNDHAM, M.P. _Demy 8vo. Buckram, -gilt top. 10s. 6d._ - - This edition contains the 'Venus,' 'Lucrece,' and Sonnets, and is - prefaced with an elaborate introduction of over 140 pp. - - 'One of the most serious contributions to Shakespearian criticism - that have been published for some time.'--_Times._ - - 'A scholarly and interesting contribution to - literature.'--_Literature._ - - 'We have no hesitation in describing Mr. George Wyndham's - introduction as a masterly piece of criticism, and all who love - our Elizabethan literature will find a very garden of delight in - it.'--_Spectator._ - - 'Mr. Wyndham's notes are admirable, even - indispensable.'--_Westminster Gazette._ - - -=W. E. Henley.= ENGLISH LYRICS. Selected and Edited by W. E. HENLEY. -_Crown 8vo. Buckram, gilt top. 6s._ - - 'It is a body of choice and lovely poetry.'--_Birmingham Gazette._ - - -=Henley and Whibley.= A BOOK OF ENGLISH PROSE. Collected by W. E. -HENLEY and CHARLES WHIBLEY. _Crown 8vo. Buckram, gilt top. 6s._ - - 'Quite delightful. A greater treat for those not well acquainted - with pre-Restoration prose could not be imagined.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=H. C. Beeching.= LYRA SACRA: An Anthology of Sacred Verse. Edited by -H. C. BEECHING, M.A. _Crown 8vo. Buckram. 6s._ - - 'A charming selection, which maintains a lofty standard of - excellence.'--_Times._ - - -="Q."= THE GOLDEN POMP. A Procession of English Lyrics. Arranged by -A. T. QUILLER COUCH. _Crown 8vo. Buckram. 6s._ - - 'A delightful volume: a really golden "Pomp."'--_Spectator._ - - -=W. B. Yeats.= AN ANTHOLOGY OF IRISH VERSE. Edited by W. B. YEATS. -_Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'An attractive and catholic selection.'--_Times._ - - -=G. W. Steevens.= MONOLOGUES OF THE DEAD. By G. W. STEEVENS. -_Foolscap 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'The effect is sometimes splendid, sometimes bizarre, but always - amazingly clever.'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - -=W. M. Dixon.= A PRIMER OF TENNYSON. By W. M. DIXON, M.A. _Cr. 8vo. -2s. 6d._ - - 'Much sound and well-expressed criticism. The bibliography is a - boon.'--_Speaker._ - - -=W. A. Craigie.= A PRIMER OF BURNS. By W. A. CRAIGIE. _Crown 8vo. 2s. -6d._ - - 'A valuable addition to the literature of the poet.'--_Times._ - - -=L. Magnus.= A PRIMER OF WORDSWORTH. By LAURIE MAGNUS. _Crown 8vo. -2s. 6d._ - - 'A valuable contribution to Wordsworthian - literature.'--_Literature._ - - -=Sterne.= THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY. By LAWRENCE -STERNE. With an Introduction by CHARLES WHIBLEY, and a Portrait. _2 -vols. 7s._ - - 'Very dainty volumes are these: the paper, type, and light-green - binding are all very agreeable to the eye.'--_Globe._ - - -=Congreve.= THE COMEDIES OF WILLIAM CONGREVE. With an Introduction by -G. S. STREET, and a Portrait. _2 vols. 7s._ - - -=Morier.= THE ADVENTURES OF HAJJI BABA OF ISPAHAN. By JAMES MORIER. -With an Introduction by E. G. BROWNE, M.A., and a Portrait. _2 vols. -7s._ - - -=Walton.= THE LIVES OF DONNE, WOTTON, HOOKER, HERBERT AND SANDERSON. -By IZAAK WALTON. With an Introduction by VERNON BLACKBURN, and a -Portrait. _3s. 6d._ - - -=Johnson.= THE LIVES OF THE ENGLISH POETS. By SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. -With an Introduction by J. H. MILLAR, and a Portrait. _3 vols. 10s. -6d._ - - -=Burns.= THE POEMS OF ROBERT BURNS. Edited by ANDREW LANG and W. A. -CRAIGIE. With Portrait. _Second Edition. Demy 8vo, gilt top. 6s._ - - This edition contains a carefully collated Text, numerous Notes, - critical and textual, a critical and biographical Introduction, - and a Glossary. - - 'Among editions in one volume, this will take the place of - authority.'--_Times._ - - -=F. Langbridge.= BALLADS OF THE BRAVE; Poems of Chivalry, Enterprise, -Courage, and Constancy. Edited by Rev. F. LANGBRIDGE. _Second -Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d. School Edition. 2s. 6d._ - - 'A very happy conception happily carried out. These "Ballads of - the Brave" are intended to suit the real tastes of boys, and will - suit the taste of the great majority.'--_Spectator._ - - 'The book is full of splendid things.'--_World._ - - -Illustrated Books - - -=John Bunyan.= THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. By JOHN BUNYAN. Edited, with -an Introduction, by C. H. FIRTH, M.A. With 39 Illustrations by R. -ANNING BELL. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - This book contains a long Introduction by Mr. Firth, whose - knowledge of the period is unrivalled; and it is lavishly - illustrated. - - 'The best "Pilgrim's Progress."'--_Educational Times._ - - 'A choice edition.'--_Westminster Gazette._ - - -=F. D. Bedford.= NURSERY RHYMES. With many Coloured Pictures by F. D. -BEDFORD. _Super Royal 8vo. 5s._ - - 'An excellent selection of the best known rhymes, with - beautifully coloured pictures exquisitely printed.'--_Pall Mall - Gazette._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= A BOOK OF FAIRY TALES retold by S. BARING GOULD. -With numerous Illustrations and Initial Letters by ARTHUR J. GASKIN. -_Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. Buckram. 6s._ - - 'Mr. Baring Gould is deserving of gratitude, in re-writing in - simple style the old stories that delighted our fathers and - grandfathers.'--_Saturday Review._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALES. Collected and edited -by S. BARING GOULD. With Numerous Illustrations by F. D. BEDFORD. -_Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. Buckram. 6s._ - - 'A charming volume.'--_Guardian._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= A BOOK OF NURSERY SONGS AND RHYMES. Edited by S. -BARING GOULD, and Illustrated by the Birmingham Art School. _Buckram, -gilt top. Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - -=H. C. Beeching.= A BOOK OF CHRISTMAS VERSE. Edited by H. C. -BEECHING, M.A., and Illustrated by WALTER CRANE. _Cr. 8vo. gilt top. -3s. 6d._ - - 'An anthology which, from its unity of aim and high poetic - excellence, has a better right to exist than most of its - fellows.'--_Guardian._ - - -History - - -=Gibbon.= THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. By EDWARD GIBBON. -A New Edition, Edited with Notes, Appendices, and Maps, by J. B. -BURY, LL.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. _In Seven Volumes. -Demy 8vo. Gilt top. 8s. 6d. each. Also Cr. 8vo. 6s. each. Vols. I., -II., III., IV., V., and VI._ - - 'The time has certainly arrived for a new edition of Gibbon's - great work.... Professor Bury is the right man to undertake this - task. His learning is amazing, both in extent and accuracy. The - book is issued in a handy form, and at a moderate price, and it - is admirably printed.'--_Times._ - - 'This edition is a marvel of erudition and critical skill, and it - is the very minimum of praise to predict that the seven volumes - of it will supersede Dean Milman's as the standard edition of our - great historical classic.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - 'At last there is an adequate modern edition of Gibbon.... The - best edition the nineteenth century could produce.'--_Manchester - Guardian._ - - -=Flinders Petrie.= A HISTORY OF EGYPT, FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO -THE PRESENT DAY. Edited by W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, D.C.L., LL.D., -Professor of Egyptology at University College. _Fully Illustrated. In -Six Volumes. Cr. 8vo. 6s. each._ - - VOL. I. PREHISTORIC TIMES TO XVITH DYNASTY. W. M. F. Petrie. - _Third Edition._ - - VOL. II. THE XVIITH AND XVIIITH DYNASTIES. W. M. F. Petrie. - _Second Edition._ - - 'A history written in the spirit of scientific precision so - worthily represented by Dr. Petrie and his school cannot but - promote sound and accurate study, and supply a vacant place in - the English literature of Egyptology.'--_Times._ - - -=Flinders Petrie.= RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE IN ANCIENT EGYPT. By W. M. -FLINDERS PETRIE, D.C.L., LL.D. Fully Illustrated. _Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'The lectures will afford a fund of valuable information for - students of ancient ethics.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=Flinders Petrie.= SYRIA AND EGYPT, FROM THE TELL EL AMARNA TABLETS. -By W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE, D.C.L., LL.D. _Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'A marvellous record. The addition made to our knowledge is - nothing short of amazing.'--_Times._ - - -=Flinders Petrie.= EGYPTIAN TALES. Edited by W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE. -Illustrated by TRISTRAM ELLIS. _In Two Volumes. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d. -each._ - - 'Invaluable as a picture of life in Palestine and Egypt.'--_Daily - News._ - - -=Flinders Petrie.= EGYPTIAN DECORATIVE ART. By W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE. -With 120 Illustrations. _Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'In these lectures he displays rare skill in elucidating the - development of decorative art in Egypt.'--_Times._ - - -=C. W. Oman.= A HISTORY OF THE ART OF WAR. Vol. II.: The Middle Ages, -from the Fourth to the Fourteenth Century. By C. W. OMAN, M.A., -Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. Illustrated. _Demy 8vo. 21s._ - - 'The book is based throughout upon a thorough study of the - original sources, and will be an indispensable aid to all - students of mediæval history.'--_Athenæum._ - - 'The whole art of war in its historic evolution has never been - treated on such an ample and comprehensive scale, and we question - if any recent contribution to the exact history of the world has - possessed more enduring value.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= THE TRAGEDY OF THE CÆSARS. With numerous -Illustrations from Busts, Gems, Cameos, etc. By S. BARING GOULD. -_Fourth Edition. Royal 8vo. 15s._ - - 'A most splendid and fascinating book on a subject of undying - interest. The great feature of the book is the use the author has - made of the existing portraits of the Caesars and the admirable - critical subtlety he has exhibited in dealing with this line of - research. It is brilliantly written, and the illustrations are - supplied on a scale of profuse magnificence.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=F. W. Maitland.= CANON LAW IN ENGLAND. By F. W. MAITLAND, LL.D., -Downing Professor of the Laws of England in the University of -Cambridge. _Royal 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'Professor Maitland has put students of English law under a fresh - debt. These essays are landmarks in the study of the history of - Canon Law.'--_Times._ - - -=H. de B. Gibbins.= INDUSTRY IN ENGLAND: HISTORICAL OUTLINES. By H. -DE B. GIBBINS, M.A., D. Litt. With 5 Maps. _Second Edition. Demy 8vo. -10s. 6d._ - - -=H. E. Egerton.= A HISTORY OF BRITISH COLONIAL POLICY. By H. E. -EGERTON, M.A. _Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d._ - - 'It is a good book, distinguished by accuracy in detail, - clear arrangement of facts, and a broad grasp of - principles.--_Manchester Guardian._ - - 'Able, impartial, clear.... A most valuable volume.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=Albert Sorel.= THE EASTERN QUESTION IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. By -ALBERT SOREL, of the French Academy. Translated by F. C. BRAMWELL, -M.A., with an Introduction by C. R. L. FLETCHER, Fellow of Magdalen -College, Oxford. With a Map. _Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'The author's insight into the character and motives of the - leading actors in the drama gives the work an interest uncommon - in books based on similar material.'--_Scotsman._ - - -=C. H. Grinling.= A HISTORY OF THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY, 1845-95. -By CHARLES H. GRINLING. With Maps and Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 10s. -6d._ - - 'Admirably written, and crammed with interesting facts.'--_Daily - Mail._ - - 'The only adequate history of a great English railway - company.'--_Times._ - - 'Mr. Grinling has done for a Railway what Macaulay did for - English History.'--_The Engineer._ - - -=W. Sterry.= ANNALS OF ETON COLLEGE. By W. STERRY, M.A. With numerous -Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'A treasury of quaint and interesting reading. Mr. Sterry has by - his skill and vivacity given these records new life.--_Academy._ - - 'A most attractive and admirably illustrated account.'--_Daily - Chronicle._ - - -=J. Sargeaunt.= ANNALS OF WESTMINSTER SCHOOL. By J. SARGEAUNT, M.A., -Assistant Master. With numerous Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - -=A. Clark.= THE COLLEGES OF OXFORD: Their History and their -Traditions. By Members of the University. Edited by A. CLARK, M.A., -Fellow and Tutor of Lincoln College. _8vo. 12s. 6d._ - - 'A work which will be appealed to for many years as the standard - book.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=Perrens.= THE HISTORY OF FLORENCE FROM 1434 TO 1492. By F. T. -PERRENS. _8vo. 12s. 6d._ - - A history of the domination of Cosimo, Piero, and Lorenzo de - Medicis. - - -=J. Wells.= A SHORT HISTORY OF ROME. By J. WELLS, M.A., Fellow and -Tutor of Wadham Coll., Oxford. _Second and Revised Edition._ With 3 -Maps. _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - This book is intended for the Middle and Upper Forms of Public - Schools and for Pass Students at the Universities. It contains - copious Tables, etc. - - 'An original work written on an original plan, and with uncommon - freshness and vigour.'--_Speaker._ - - -=O. Browning.= A SHORT HISTORY OF MEDIÆVAL ITALY, A.D. 1250-1530. By -OSCAR BROWNING, Fellow and Tutor of King's College, Cambridge. _In -Two Volumes. Cr. 8vo. 5s. each._ - - VOL. I. 1250-1409.--Guelphs and Ghibellines. - - VOL. II. 1409-1530.--The Age of the Condottieri. - - 'Mr. Browning is to be congratulated on the production of a work - of immense labour and learning.'--_Westminster Gazette._ - - -=O'Grady.= THE STORY OF IRELAND. By STANDISH O'GRADY, Author of 'Finn -and his Companions.' _Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - -Biography - - -=S. Baring Gould.= THE LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. By S. BARING -GOULD. With over 450 Illustrations in the Text and 12 Photogravure -Plates. _Large quarto. Gilt top. 36s._ - - 'The best biography of Napoleon in our tongue, nor have the - French as good a biographer of their hero. A book very nearly as - good as Southey's "Life of Nelson."'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - 'The main feature of this gorgeous volume is its great wealth - of beautiful photogravures and finely-executed wood engravings, - constituting a complete pictorial chronicle of Napoleon I.'s - personal history from the days of his early childhood at Ajaccio - to the date of his second interment.'--_Daily Telegraph._ - - 'Nearly all the illustrations are real contributions to - history.'--_Westminster Gazette._ - - -=P. H. Colomb.= MEMOIRS OF ADMIRAL SIR A. COOPER KEY. By Admiral P. -H. COLOMB. With a Portrait. _Demy 8vo. 16s._ - - 'An interesting and adequate biography of one who for a quarter - of a century had a prominent part in the administration of - the Navy. The whole book, in fact, is one of the greatest - interest--peculiarly so, it may be, to the naval officer, but - also to the average taxpayer and the reading public.'--_Times._ - - -=Morris Fuller.= THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JOHN DAVENANT, D.D. -(1571-1641), Bishop of Salisbury. By MORRIS FULLER, B.D. _Demy 8vo. -10s. 6d._ - - -=J. M. Rigg.= ST. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY: A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF -RELIGION. By J. M. RIGG. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'Mr. Rigg has told the story of the life with scholarly ability, - and has contributed an interesting chapter to the history of the - Norman period.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=F. W. Joyce.= THE LIFE OF SIR FREDERICK GORE OUSELEY. By F. W. -JOYCE, M.A. _7s. 6d._ - - 'This book has been undertaken in quite the right spirit, and - written with sympathy, insight, and considerable literary - skill.'--_Times._ - - -=W. G. Collingwood.= THE LIFE OF JOHN RUSKIN. By W. G. COLLINGWOOD, -M.A. With Portraits, and 13 Drawings by Mr. Ruskin. _Second Edition. -2 vols. 8vo. 32s._ - - 'No more magnificent volumes have been published for a long - time.'--_Times._ - - 'It is long since we had a biography with such delights of - substance and of form. Such a book is a pleasure for the day, and - a joy for ever.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=C. Waldstein.= JOHN RUSKIN. By CHARLES WALDSTEIN, M.A. With a -Photogravure Portrait, _Post 8vo. 5s._ - - 'A thoughtful and well-written criticism of Ruskin's - teaching.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=A. M. F. Darmesteter.= THE LIFE OF ERNEST RENAN. By MADAME -DARMESTETER. With Portrait. _Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A polished gem of biography, superior in its kind to any attempt - that has been made of recent years in England. Madame Darmesteter - has indeed written for English readers "_The_ Life of Ernest - Renan."'--_Athenæum._ - - 'It is interpenetrated with the dignity and charm, the mild, - bright, classical grace of form and treatment that Renan himself - so loved; and it fulfils to the uttermost the delicate and - difficult achievement it sets out to accomplish.'--_Academy._ - - -=W. H. Hutton.= THE LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE. By W. H. HUTTON, M.A. -With Portraits. _Cr. 8vo. 5s._ - - 'The book lays good claim to high rank among our biographies. It - is excellently even lovingly, written.'--_Scotsman._ - - 'An excellent monograph.'--_Times._ - - -Travel, Adventure and Topography - - -=Sven Hedin.= THROUGH ASIA. By SVEN HEDIN, Gold Medallist of the -Royal Geographical Society. With 300 Illustrations from Sketches and -Photographs by the Author, and Maps. _2 vols. Royal 8vo. 36s. net._ - - 'One of the greatest books of the kind issued during the century. - It is impossible to give an adequate idea of the richness of the - contents of this book, nor of its abounding attractions as a - story of travel unsurpassed in geographical and human interest. - Much of it is a revelation. Altogether the work is one which in - solidity, novelty, and interest must take a first rank among - publications of its class.'--_Times._ - - 'In these magnificent volumes we have the most important - contribution to Central Asian geography made for many years. - Intensely interesting as a tale of travel.'--_Spectator._ - - 'The whole story of the desert adventure is worthy to be added to - the classics of its kind.'--_World._ - - 'These volumes are of absorbing and fascinating interest, their - matter is wonderful, and Dr. Hedin's style is surcharged with - strong and alluring personality. No romance exceeds in its - intense and enthralling interest this story.'--_Birmingham Post._ - - 'One of the most remarkable books of travel of the - century.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - 'Profoundly interesting.'--_Academy._ - - 'A memorable book, gigantic of design, magnificent in execution, - and without doubt one of the outstanding travel-volumes of the - century.'--_Black and White._ - - 'Let any one who is desirous to learn about the wonderful - continent of Asia as no one else can teach him, buy and read this - work.'--_Vanity Fair._ - - -=R. E. Peary.= NORTHWARD OVER THE GREAT ICE. By R. E. PEARY, -Gold Medallist of the Royal Geographical Society. With over 800 -Illustrations. _2 vols. Royal 8vo. 32s. net._ - - 'The book is full of interesting matter--a tale of brave - deeds simply told; abundantly illustrated with prints and - maps.'--_Standard._ - - 'His book will take its place among the permanent literature of - Arctic exploration.'--_Times._ - - 'It yields neither in interest nor in ability to - Nansen's "Farthest North," while its results are no less - valuable.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - 'Crowded with adventures and intensely interesting.'--_World._ - - 'An exciting and thoroughly well-arranged book.'--_St. James's - Gazette._ - - -=G. S. Robertson.= CHITRAL: The Story of a Minor Siege. By Sir G. S. -ROBERTSON, K.C.S.I. With numerous Illustrations and a Map. _Second -Edition. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'It is difficult to imagine the kind of person who could - read this brilliant book without emotion. The story remains - immortal--a testimony imperishable. We are face to face with a - great book.'--_Illustrated London News._ - - 'A book which the Elizabethans would have thought wonderful. - More thrilling, more piquant, and more human than any - novel.'--_Newcastle Chronicle._ - - 'One of the most stirring military narratives written in our - time.'--_Times._ - - 'A masterpiece of narrative.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - 'As fascinating as Sir Walter Scott's best fiction.'--_Daily - Telegraph._ - - 'Full of dashing feats of courage as any romance.'--_Pall Mall - Gazette._ - - 'Not since the appearance of Lord Roberts's "Forty-one Years" - have we had a record of Indian warfare which can be compared with - this glowing and moving story.'--_Daily Mail._ - - 'The enthusiastic admiration of the reader cannot fail to be - aroused.'--_Morning Post._ - - 'A classic of frontier literature.'--_Scotsman._ - - 'Any one proud of his name as Englishman may read in these - stirring chapters abundant justification for his pride.'--_Globe._ - - 'A very fascinating, a singularly delightful book.'--_Glasgow - Herald._ - - 'A noble story, nobly told.'--_Punch._ - - 'Every page is quick with heroism.'--_Outlook._ - - -=H. H. Johnston.= BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. By Sir H. H. JOHNSTON, -K.C.B. With nearly Two Hundred Illustrations, and Six Maps. _Second -Edition. Crown 4to. 18s. net._ - - 'A fascinating book, written with equal skill and charm--the - work at once of a literary artist and of a man of action who is - singularly wise, brave, and experienced. It abounds in admirable - sketches from pencil.'--_Westminster Gazette._ - - 'A delightful book ... collecting within the covers of a single - volume all that is known of this part of our African domains. - The voluminous appendices are of extreme value.'--_Manchester - Guardian._ - - -=L. Decle.= THREE YEARS IN SAVAGE AFRICA. By LIONEL DECLE. With 100 -Illustrations and 5 Maps. _Second Edition. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net._ - - 'A fine, full book.'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - 'Abounding in thrilling adventures.'--_Daily Telegraph._ - - 'Its bright pages give a better general survey of Africa from - the Cape to the Equator than any single volume that has yet been - published.'--_Times._ - - 'A delightful book.'--_Academy._ - - 'Unquestionably one of the most interesting books of travel which - have recently appeared.'--_Standard._ - - -=A. Hulme Beaman.= TWENTY YEARS IN THE NEAR EAST. By A. HULME BEAMAN. -_Demy 8vo._ With Portrait. _10s. 6d._ - - 'One of the most entertaining books that we have had in our - hands for a long time. It is unconventional in a high degree; it - is written with sagacious humour; it is full of adventures and - anecdotes.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - 'Packed with incident and eminently readable.'--_Critic._ - - -=Henri of Orleans.= FROM TONKIN TO INDIA. By PRINCE HENRI OF ORLEANS. -Translated by HAMLEY BENT, M.A. With 100 Illustrations and a Map. -_Cr. 4to, gilt top. 25s._ - - -=R. S. S. Baden-Powell.= THE DOWNFALL OF PREMPEH. A Diary of Life in -Ashanti, 1895. By Colonel BADEN-POWELL. With 21 Illustrations and a -Map. _Cheaper Edition. Large Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A compact, faithful, most readable record of the - campaign.'--_Daily News._ - - -=R. S. S. Baden-Powell.= THE MATABELE CAMPAIGN, 1896. By Col. -BADEN-POWELL. With nearly 100 Illustrations. _Cheaper Edition. Large -Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A straightforward account of a great deal of plucky - work.'--_Times._ - - -=S. L. Hinde.= THE FALL OF THE CONGO ARABS. By S. L. HINDE. With -Plans, etc. _Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d._ - - -=A. St. H. Gibbons.= EXPLORATION AND HUNTING IN CENTRAL AFRICA. By -Major A. ST. H. GIBBONS. With full-page Illustrations by C. WHYMPER, -and Maps. _Demy 8vo. 15s._ - - 'His book is a grand record of quiet, unassuming, tactful - resolution. His adventures were as various as his sporting - exploits were exciting.'--_Times._ - - -=E. H. Alderson.= WITH THE MASHONALAND FIELD FORCE, 1896. By -Lieut.-Colonel ALDERSON. With numerous Illustrations and Plans. _Demy -8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'A clear, vigorous, and soldier-like narrative.'--_Scotsman._ - - -=Seymour Vandeleur.= CAMPAIGNING ON THE UPPER NILE AND NIGER. By -Lieut. SEYMOUR VANDELEUR. With an Introduction by Sir G. GOLDIE, -K.C.M.G. With 4 Maps, Illustrations, and Plans. _Large Crown 8vo. -10s. 6d._ - - 'Upon the African question there is no book procurable which - contains so much of value as this one.'--_Guardian._ - - -=Lord Fincastle.= A FRONTIER CAMPAIGN. By Viscount FINCASTLE, V.C., -and Lieut. P. C. ELLIOTT-LOCKHART. With a Map and 16 Illustrations. -_Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'An admirable book, and a really valuable treatise on frontier - war.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=E. N. Bennett.= THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES: A Sketch of the Sudan -Campaign of 1898. By E. N. BENNETT, Fellow of Hertford College. With -Four Maps and a Photogravure Portrait of the Sirdar. _Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - -=J. K. Trotter.= THE NIGER SOURCES. By Colonel J. K. TROTTER, R.A. -With a Map and Illustrations. _Crown 8vo. 5s._ - - 'A most interesting as well as a lucidly and modestly written - book.'--_Spectator._ - - -=Michael Davitt.= LIFE AND PROGRESS IN AUSTRALASIA. By MICHAEL -DAVITT, M.P. With 2 Maps. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ 500 pp. - - 'One of the most valuable contributions to our store of Imperial - literature that has been published for a very long time.--_Pall - Mall Gazette._ - - -=W. Crooke.= THE NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCES OF INDIA: THEIR ETHNOLOGY -AND ADMINISTRATION. By W. CROOKE. With Maps and Illustrations. _Demy -8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'A carefully and well-written account of one of the most - important provinces of the Empire. Mr. Crooke deals with the - land in its physical aspect, the province under Hindoo and - Mussulman rule, under British rule, its ethnology and sociology, - its religious and social life, the land and its settlement, and - the native peasant. The illustrations are good, and the map is - excellent.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=A. Boisragon.= THE BENIN MASSACRE. By CAPTAIN BOISRAGON. _Second -Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'If the story had been written four hundred years ago it would be - read to-day as an English classic.'--_Scotsman._ - - 'If anything could enhance the horror and the pathos of this - remarkable book it is the simple style of the author, who writes - as he would talk, unconscious of his own heroism, with an - artlessness which is the highest art.'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - -=H. S. Cowper.= THE HILL OF THE GRACES: OR, THE GREAT STONE TEMPLES -OF TRIPOLI. By H. S. COWPER, F.S.A. With Maps, Plans, and 75 -Illustrations. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'Forms a valuable chapter of what has now become quite a large - and important branch of antiquarian research.'--_Times._ - - -=W. Kinnaird Rose.= WITH THE GREEKS IN THESSALY. By W. KINNAIRD ROSE, -Reuter's Correspondent. With Plans and 23 Illustrations. _Crown 8vo. -6s._ - - -=W. B. Worsfold.= SOUTH AFRICA. By W. B. WORSFOLD, M.A. _With a Map. -Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A monumental work compressed into a very moderate - compass.'--_World._ - - -Naval and Military - - -=G. W. Steevens.= NAVAL POLICY. By G. W. STEEVENS. _Demy 8vo. 6s._ - - This book is a description of the British and other more - important navies of the world, with a sketch of the lines on - which our naval policy might possibly be developed. - - 'An extremely able and interesting work.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=D. Hannay.= A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ROYAL NAVY, FROM EARLY TIMES TO -THE PRESENT DAY. By DAVID HANNAY. Illustrated. _2 Vols. Demy 8vo. 7s. -6d. each._ Vol. I., 1200-1688. - - 'We read it from cover to cover at a sitting, and those who go - to it for a lively and brisk picture of the past, with all its - faults and its grandeur, will not be disappointed. The historian - is endowed with literary skill and style.'--_Standard._ - - 'We can warmly recommend Mr. Hannay's volume to any intelligent - student of naval history. Great as is the merit of Mr. Hannay's - historical narrative, the merit of his strategic exposition is - even greater.'--_Times._ - - -=C. Cooper King.= THE STORY OF THE BRITISH ARMY. By Colonel COOPER -KING. Illustrated. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'An authoritative and accurate story of England's military - progress.'--_Daily Mail._ - - -=R. Southey.= ENGLISH SEAMEN (Howard, Clifford, Hawkins, Drake, -Cavendish). By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Edited, with an Introduction, by DAVID -HANNAY. _Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'Admirable and well-told stories of our naval history.'--_Army - and Navy Gazette._ - - 'A brave, inspiriting book.'--_Black and White._ - - -=W. Clark Russell.= THE LIFE OF ADMIRAL LORD COLLINGWOOD. By W. CLARK -RUSSELL. With Illustrations by F. BRANGWYN. _Third Edition. Crown -8vo. 6s._ - - 'A book which we should like to see in the hands of every boy in - the country.'--_St. James's Gazette._ - - 'A really good book.'--_Saturday Review._ - - -=E. L. S. Horsburgh.= THE CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO. By E. L. S. -HORSBURGH, B.A. With Plans. _Crown 8vo. 5s._ - - 'A brilliant essay--simple, sound, and thorough.'--_Daily - Chronicle._ - - -=H. B. George.= BATTLES OF ENGLISH HISTORY. By H. B. GEORGE, M.A., -Fellow of New College, Oxford. With numerous Plans. _Third Edition. -Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'Mr. George has undertaken a very useful task--that of making - military affairs intelligible and instructive to non-military - readers--and has executed it with a large measure of - success.'--_Times._ - - -General Literature - - -=S. Baring Gould.= OLD COUNTRY LIFE. By S. BARING GOULD. With -Sixty-seven Illustrations. _Large Cr. 8vo. Fifth Edition. 6s._ - - '"Old Country Life," as healthy wholesome reading, full of breezy - life and movement, full of quaint stories vigorously told, will - not be excelled by any book to be published throughout the year. - Sound, hearty, and English to the core.'--_World._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= AN OLD ENGLISH HOME. By S. BARING GOULD. With -numerous Plans and Illustrations. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'The chapters are delightfully fresh, very informing, and - lightened by many a good story. A delightful fireside - companion.'--_St. James's Gazette._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= HISTORIC ODDITIES AND STRANGE EVENTS. By S. BARING -GOULD. _Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A collection of exciting and entertaining chapters. Delightful - reading.'--_Times._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= FREAKS OF FANATICISM. By S. BARING GOULD. _Third -Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= A GARLAND OF COUNTRY SONG: English Folk Songs with -their Traditional Melodies. Collected and arranged by S. BARING GOULD -and H. F. SHEPPARD. _Demy 4to. 6s._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= SONGS OF THE WEST: Traditional Ballads and Songs -of the West of England, with their Melodies. Collected by S. BARING -GOULD, M.A., and H. F. SHEPPARD, M.A. In 4 Parts. _Parts I., II., -III., 3s. each. Part IV., 5s. In one Vol., French morocco, 15s._ - - 'A rich collection of humour, pathos, grace, and poetic - fancy.'--_Saturday Review._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= YORKSHIRE ODDITIES AND STRANGE EVENTS. By S. -BARING GOULD. _Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= STRANGE SURVIVALS AND SUPERSTITIONS. By S. BARING -GOULD. _Cr. 8vo. Second Edition. 6s._ - - -=S. Baring Gould.= THE DESERTS OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. By S. BARING -GOULD. _2 vols. Demy 8vo. 32s._ - - -=Cotton Minchin.= OLD HARROW DAYS. By J. G. COTTON MINCHIN. _Cr. 8vo. -Second Edition. 5s._ - - 'This book is an admirable record.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - -=W. E. Gladstone.= THE SPEECHES OF THE RT. HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P. -Edited by A. W. HUTTON, M.A., and H. J. COHEN, M.A. With Portraits. -_Demy 8vo. Vols. IX. and X., 12s. 6d. each._ - - -=E. V. Zenker.= ANARCHISM. By E. V. ZENKER. _Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - 'Herr Zenker has succeeded in producing a careful and critical - history of the growth of Anarchist theory. He is to be - congratulated upon a really interesting work.'--_Literature._ - - -=H. G. Hutchinson.= THE GOLFING PILGRIM. By HORACE G. HUTCHINSON. -_Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'Full of useful information with plenty of good - stories.'--_Truth._ - - 'Without this book the golfer's library will be - incomplete.'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - 'It will charm all golfers.'--_Times._ - - -=J. Wells.= OXFORD AND OXFORD LIFE. By Members of the University. -Edited by J. WELLS, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Wadham College. _Second -Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'We congratulate Mr. Wells on the production of a readable and - intelligent account of Oxford as it is at the present time, - written by persons who are possessed of a close acquaintance with - the system and life of the University.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=J. Wells.= OXFORD AND ITS COLLEGES. By J. WELLS, M.A., Fellow and -Tutor of Wadham College. Illustrated by E. H. NEW. _Second Edition. -Fcap. 8vo. 3s. Leather. 3s 6d. net._ - - 'An admirable and accurate little treatise, attractively - illustrated.'--_World._ - - 'A luminous and tasteful little volume.'--_Daily Chronicle._ - - 'Exactly what the intelligent visitor wants.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -=A. H. Thompson.= CAMBRIDGE AND ITS COLLEGES. By A. HAMILTON -THOMPSON. With Illustrations by E. H. NEW. _Pott 8vo. 3s. Leather. -3s. 6d. net._ - - This book is uniform with Mr. Wells' very successful book, - 'Oxford and its Colleges.' - - 'It is brightly written and learned, and is just such a book as a - cultured visitor needs.'--_Scotsman._ - - 'A very neat and tasteful little volume, intelligently condensing - all available information.'--_Literature._ - - -=C. G. Robertson.= VOCES ACADEMICÆ. By C. GRANT ROBERTSON, M.A., -Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. _With a Frontispiece. Pott 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'Decidedly clever and amusing.'--_Athenæum._ - - 'A clever and entertaining little book.'--_Pall Mall Gazette._ - - -=Rosemary Cotes.= DANTE'S GARDEN. By ROSEMARY COTES. With a -Frontispiece. _Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'A charming collection of legends of the flowers mentioned by - Dante.'--_Academy._ - - -=Clifford Harrison.= READING AND READERS. By CLIFFORD HARRISON. _Fcp. -8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'We recommend schoolmasters to examine its merits, for it is at - school that readers are made.'--_Academy._ - - 'An extremely sensible little book.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=L. Whibley.= GREEK OLIGARCHIES: THEIR ORGANISATION AND CHARACTER. By -L. WHIBLEY, M.A., Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. _Crown 8vo. -6s._ - - 'An exceedingly useful handbook: a careful and well-arranged - study.'--_Times._ - - -=L. L. Price.= ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. By L. L. PRICE, M.A., -Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - -=J. S. Shedlock.= THE PIANOFORTE SONATA: Its Origin and Development. -By J. S. SHEDLOCK. _Crown 8vo. 5s._ - - 'This work should be in the possession of every musician and - amateur. A concise and lucid history and a very valuable work for - reference.'--_Athenæum._ - - -=E. M. Bowden.= THE EXAMPLE OF BUDDHA: Being Quotations from Buddhist -Literature for each Day in the Year. Compiled by E. M. BOWDEN. _Third -Edition. 16mo. 2s. 6d._ - - -Science and Technology - - -=Freudenreich.= DAIRY BACTERIOLOGY. A Short Manual for the Use of -Students. By Dr. ED. VON FREUDENREICH, Translated by J. R. AINSWORTH -DAVIS, M.A. _Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - -=Chalmers Mitchell.= OUTLINES OF BIOLOGY. By P. CHALMERS MITCHELL, -M.A. _Illustrated. Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - A text-book designed to cover the new Schedule issued by the - Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. - - -=G. Massee.= A MONOGRAPH OF THE MYXOGASTRES. By GEORGE MASSEE. With -12 Coloured Plates. _Royal 8vo. 18s. net._ - - 'A work much in advance of any book in the language treating of - this group of organisms. Indispensable to every student of the - Myxogastres.'--_Nature._ - - -=Stephenson and Suddards.= ORNAMENTAL DESIGN FOR WOVEN FABRICS. By C. -STEPHENSON, of The Technical College, Bradford, and F. SUDDARDS, of -The Yorkshire College, Leeds. With 65 full-page plates. _Demy 8vo. -7s. 6d._ - - 'The book is very ably done, displaying an intimate knowledge - of principles, good taste, and the faculty of clear - exposition.'--_Yorkshire Post._ - - -TEXTBOOKS OF TECHNOLOGY. - -Edited by PROFESSORS GARNETT and WERTHEIMER. - -HOW TO MAKE A DRESS. By J. A. E. WOOD. _Illustrated. Cr. 8vo. 1s. 6d._ - - A text-book for students preparing for the City and Guilds - examination, based on the syllabus. The diagrams are numerous. - - 'Though primarily intended for students, Miss Wood's dainty - little manual may be consulted with advantage by any girls who - want to make their own frocks. The directions are simple and - clear, and the diagrams very helpful.'--_Literature._ - -CARPENTRY AND JOINERY. By F. C. WEBBER. With many Illustrations. _Cr. -8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'An admirable elementary text-book on the subject.'--_Builder._ - -PRACTICAL MECHANICS. By SIDNEY H. WELLS. With 75 Illustrations and -Diagrams. _Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - -Philosophy - - -=L. T. Hobhouse.= THE THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE. By L. T. HOBHOUSE, Fellow -of C.C.C., Oxford. _Demy 8vo. 21s._ - - 'The most important contribution to English philosophy since the - publication of Mr. Bradley's "Appearance and Reality."'--_Glasgow - Herald._ - - 'A brilliantly written volume.'--_Times._ - - -=W. H. Fairbrother.= THE PHILOSOPHY OF T. H. GREEN. By W. H. -FAIRBROTHER, M.A. _Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'In every way an admirable book.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -=F. W. Bussell.= THE SCHOOL OF PLATO. By F. W. BUSSELL, D.D., Fellow -of Brasenose College, Oxford. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'A clever and stimulating book.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=F. S. Granger.= THE WORSHIP OF THE ROMANS. By F. S. GRANGER, M.A., -Litt.D. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A scholarly analysis of the religious ceremonies, beliefs, and - superstitions of ancient Rome, conducted in the new light of - comparative anthropology.'--_Times._ - - -Theology - - -=S. R. Driver.= SERMONS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH THE OLD TESTAMENT. -By S. R. DRIVER, D.D., Canon of Christ Church, Regius Professor of -Hebrew in the University of Oxford. _Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A welcome companion to the author's famous - "Introduction."'--_Guardian._ - - -=T. K. Cheyne.= FOUNDERS OF OLD TESTAMENT CRITICISM. By T. K. CHEYNE, -D.D., Oriel Professor at Oxford. _Large Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d._ - - A historical sketch of O. T. Criticism. - - 'A very learned and instructive work.'--_Times._ - - -=H. Rashdall.= DOCTRINE AND DEVELOPMENT. By HASTINGS RASHDALL, M.A., -Fellow and Tutor of New College, Oxford. _Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'An attempt to translate into the language of modern - thought some of the leading ideas of Christian Theology and - Ethics.'--_Scotsman._ - - 'A very interesting attempt to restate some of the principal - doctrines of Christianity, in which Mr. Rashdall appears to - us to have achieved a high measure of success. He is often - learned, almost always sympathetic, and always singularly - lucid.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=H. H. Henson.= APOSTOLIC CHRISTIANITY: As Illustrated by the -Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians. By H. H. HENSON, M.A., -Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. _Cr. 8vo. 6s._ - - 'A worthy contribution towards some solution of the great - religious problems of the present day.'--_Scotsman._ - - -=H. H. Henson.= DISCIPLINE AND LAW. By H. HENSLEY HENSON, B.D., -Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. _Fcap. 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'An admirable little volume of Lent addresses.'--_Guardian._ - - -=H. H. Henson.= LIGHT AND LEAVEN: HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SERMONS. By -H. H. HENSON, M.A. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - 'They are always reasonable as well as vigorous.'--_Scotsman._ - - -=W. H. Bennett.= A PRIMER OF THE BIBLE. By W. H. BENNETT. _Second -Edition. Cr. 8vo. 2s. 6d._ - - 'The work of an honest, fearless, and sound critic, and - an excellent guide in a small compass to the books of the - Bible.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - -=C. H. Prior.= CAMBRIDGE SERMONS. Edited by C. H. PRIOR, M.A., Fellow -and Tutor of Pembroke College. _Crown 8vo. 6s._ - - A volume of sermons preached before the University of Cambridge - by various preachers, including the late Archbishop of Canterbury - and Bishop Westcott. - - -=William Harrison.= CLOVELLY SERMONS. By WILLIAM HARRISON, M.A., late -Rector of Clovelly. With a Preface by 'LUCAS MALET.' _Cr. 8vo. 3s. -6d._ - - A volume of Sermons by a son-in-law of Charles Kingsley. - - -=Cecilia Robinson.= THE MINISTRY OF DEACONESSES. By Deaconness -CECILIA ROBINSON. With an Introduction by the Lord Bishop of -Winchester. _Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - 'A learned and interesting book, combining with no ordinary skill - the authority of learned research with the practical utility of a - descriptive manual.'--_Scotsman._ - - -=E. B. Layard.= RELIGION IN BOYHOOD. Notes on the Religious Training -of Boys. By E. B. LAYARD, M.A. _18mo. 1s._ - - -=W. Yorke Fausset.= THE _DE CATECHIZANDIS RUDIBUS_ OF ST. AUGUSTINE. -Edited, with Introduction, Notes, etc., by W. YORKE FAUSSET, M.A. -_Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d._ - - An edition of a Treatise on the Essentials of Christian Doctrine, - and the best methods of impressing them on candidates for baptism. - - -=F. Weston.= THE HOLY SACRIFICE. By F. WESTON, M.A., Curate of St. -Matthew's, Westminster. _Pott 8vo. 6d. net._ - - A small volume of devotions at the Holy Communion, especially - adapted to the needs of servers and those who do not communicate. - - -=À Kempis.= THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. By THOMAS À KEMPIS. With an -Introduction by DEAN FARRAR. Illustrated by C. M. GERE, and printed -in black and red. _Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo. Buckram. 3s. 6d. Padded -morocco, 5s._ - - 'Amongst all the innumerable English editions of the "Imitation," - there can have been few which were prettier than this one, - printed in strong and handsome type, with all the glory of red - initials.'--_Glasgow Herald._ - - -=J. Keble.= THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. By JOHN KEBLE. With an Introduction -and Notes by W. LOCK, D.D., Warden of Keble College, Ireland -Professor at Oxford. Illus. by R. ANNING BELL. _Second Edition. Fcap. -8vo. Buckram. 3s. 6d. Padded morocco. 5s._ - - 'The present edition is annotated with all the care and insight - to be expected from Mr. Lock. The progress and circumstances - of its composition are detailed in the Introduction. There is - an interesting Appendix on the MSS. of the "Christian Year," - and another giving the order in which the poems were written. - A "Short Analysis of the Thought" is prefixed to each, and any - difficulty in the text is explained in a note.'--_Guardian._ - - -Handbooks of Theology. - -General Editor, A. ROBERTSON, D.D., Principal of King's College, -London. - -THE XXXIX. ARTICLES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Edited with an -Introduction by E. C. S. GIBSON, D.D., Vicar of Leeds, late Principal -of Wells Theological College. _Second and Cheaper Edition in One -Volume. Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d._ - - 'Dr. Gibson is a master of clear and orderly exposition. And he - has in a high degree a quality very necessary, but rarely found, - in commentators on this topic, that of absolute fairness. His - book is pre-eminently honest.'--_Times._ - - 'We welcome with the utmost satisfaction a new, cheaper, and more - convenient edition of Dr. Gibson's book. It was greatly wanted. - Dr. Gibson has given theological students just what they want, - and we should like to think that it was in the hands of every - candidate for orders.'--_Guardian._ - -AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. By F. B. JEVONS, M.A., -Litt.D., Principal of Bishop Hatfield's Hall. _Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d._ - - 'Dr. Jevons has written a notable work, which we can strongly - recommend to the serious attention of theologians and - anthropologists.'--_Manchester Guardian._ - - 'The merit of this book lies in the penetration, the singular - acuteness and force of the author's judgment. 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- font-size:90%; - padding:0.5em; - margin-top:5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; -} - -.transnote p {text-indent: 0em;} - - - </style> - </head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's The Downfall of the Dervishes, by Ernest N. Bennett - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Downfall of the Dervishes - or The Avenging of Gordon - -Author: Ernest N. Bennett - -Release Date: March 21, 2016 [EBook #51520] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="transnote"> -<p><strong>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE</strong></p> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been -corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within -the text and consultation of external sources.</p> - -<p>More detail can be found at <a href="#TN">the end of the book.</a></p> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> - -<p class="p6" /> -<h1>THE DOWNFALL OF -THE DERVISHES</h1> -<p class="p6" /> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" alt="" /> -<div class="caption"> - -<p class="right xs padr2"><em>Art Photogravure C<sup>o</sup>. L<sup>td</sup>.</em></p> - -<em>Lord Kitchener of Khartoum.</em><br /> -<span class="small"><em>From a Photograph by Bassano.</em></span></div> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> - -<p class="pfs180">THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES</p> - -<p class="pfs80">OR</p> - -<p class="pfs150">THE AVENGING OF GORDON</p> - -<p class="p2 pfs100">BEING A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE<br /> -FINAL SOUDAN CAMPAIGN OF 1898</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs80">BY</p> - -<p class="pfs100">ERNEST N. BENNETT, M. A.</p> - -<p class="pfs60">FELLOW AND LECTURER OF HERTFORD COLLEGE, OXFORD<br /> -SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR "THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE"</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs70">WITH A PORTRAIT, MAP AND PLANS</p> - -<p class="p4 pfs80">LONDON</p> - -<p class="pfs100">METHUEN & CO.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">NEW YORK</p> - -<p class="pfs100">NEW AMSTERDAM BOOK COMPANY</p> - -<p class="pfs80">1899</p> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p class="p6" /> - -<p class="pfs60">TO</p> -<p class="pfs70 lsp">MY FRIEND</p> -<p class="pfs90">H. R. H.</p> -<p class="pfs70">I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE BOOK</p> -<p class="p6" /> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE">PREFACE</a></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">In the following pages I have aimed at furnishing -some account of the interesting -experiences which fell to our lot during the -recent campaign in the Sudan.</p> - -<p>My best thanks are due to several friends -for the assistance they have rendered me, -and I feel especially grateful to H.H. Prince -Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein and -Major Stuart-Wortley, C.M.G., for their very -kind help in supplying me with much additional -and interesting information about the -work of the Gunboats and the Friendly -Tribes.</p> - -<p>I must also acknowledge the courteous -permission accorded me by the Editor of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span> -the <cite>Westminster Gazette</cite> to use in the compilation -of this book some of the letters -which I had previously contributed to the -columns of his newspaper.</p> - -<p class="right small">ERNEST N. BENNETT.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hertford College, Oxford</span>,<br /> -<span class="pad2"><em>1st November 1898</em></span>.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</a></h2> - - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER I<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">From Cairo to the Atbara</span></p> - -<p class="right xs">PAGE</p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">Correspondents' Permits—Academic Obstacles—Fellow-Passengers -to Alexandria—French Animosity in -Egypt—Indifferentism of Egyptian Natives—An -Interesting Dinner—Preparations for the Campaign—Egyptian -Magic—A Native "Medium"—Ali buys -a Sword—Departure from Cairo—A Matrimonial -Quarrel—Rumours about the Khalifa—Discomforts -of the Night Journey—The Luxor Hotel—Malevolent -Spiders—Karnak—By Rail to Shellal—Imbecility of -Ali's Brother—Hospital Arrangements—Dreariness -of a Nile Voyage—Cheerfulness of Tommy Atkins—A -Classic Tale of Horror—Death of a Soldier—From -Wady Halfa in a Cattle Truck—Abu Ahmed—First -Night at the Atbara—Chequered Career of the <i>El -Tahra</i>—Life at Atbara Camp—The Plagues of Egypt -up to Date—Perverse Camels—Failure of our -Attempts to overtake Lancers</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER II<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">From the Atbara to Wad Hamed</span></p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">A Crowded <em>Ghyassa</em>—A Talking Mummy—Slatin Pasha—Animal -Life on the Banks—The Pyramids of Meroe—Work -for Archæologists—A Gaalin Sheikh—A -Dervish Deserter—Abu Klea—A Sandstorm—Arrival -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span> -at Wad Hamed—We meet the Sirdar—Types of the -War Correspondent—Entomology—Insect Life in the -Sudan—Desert Circulating Library—Fly-fishing in -the Nile—Military "Fatigues"—Fugitives from -Omdurman—Our Camp Life at Wad Hamed—Thirst -in the Tropics—How we Dined—Good-bye to -Wad Hamed</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_56">56</a></p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER III<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Week before the Battle</span></p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">Embarkation of Friendlies—The Shabluka Cataract—Our -Delay at Rojan Island—First Glimpse of Omdurman—The -Evening Ride from Hagir—The Joys of -Good Health—Sudanese Wives—Importance of the -"Drink Camel"—An Adventurous Greekling—Mr. -Villiers' Bicycle—Um Teref Camp—Sudanese Music—The -First Dervish—Scorpion v. the "Father of -Spiders"—A Cavalry Reconnaissance—A Rainy -Night—Within Twenty-five Miles of Omdurman—Deserted -Villages—A Disappointing Capture—Seg-et-Taib—The -Water Question—Corpses in the River—The -Khalifa's Army in Sight—The Ridge of Kerreri—Sururab—Gunboats -at Work—Troublesome -Donkeys—Sniping—A Tropical Downpour spoils our -Rest—Mr. Villiers and Myself stung by Scorpions—Chasing -Hares on the March—Cavalry Scouts on -Kerreri—Howitzers in Action—Skirmishing with the -Khalifa's Cavalry—Waiting for the Dervish Advance—The -Khalifa halts—The Evening before the Battle—The -Perils of a Night Attack—False Alarms</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_105">105</a></p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER IV<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">The Battle of Omdurman</span></p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">A Comfortable Breakfast—All ready for the Dervishes—Egyptian -Cavalry engage the Enemy—Gunboats to -the Rescue—The Joy of Battle—Here they come!—A -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span> -Splendid Spectacle—The Dervishes open Fire—The -First Shell—A Dervish Battery—Effect of our -Shell Fire—Wounded Men—Curious Tricks played by -Bullets—Maxims at Work—A Dervish Cavalry -Charge—Persistent Sharpshooters—The Army leaves -the Zeriba—The Lancers' Charge—Mutilation of the -Dead—Wounded Horses—Killing the Wounded -Dervishes—Renewal of the Fight—Steadiness of the -Sudanese and Egyptians—Final Repulse of the -Enemy—Dreadful Effects of our Fire—Men falling -out—We halt beside a <em>Khor</em>—Regimental Music—Escape -of the Khalifa—Death of Hon. Hubert -Howard—A Champagne Dinner in the Street—The -End of Mahdism</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_156">156</a></p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER V<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">Gunboats and Gaalin</span></p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">The Sirdar's Fleet—Difficulties of Navigation—The Loss -of the <i>Zaphir</i>—Concentration of Friendlies at Wad -Hamed—Their Love for Firearms—Rout of a Dervish -Detachment—Gunboats shell the Kerreri Ridge and -Riverside Villages—Some Faint-hearted Friendlies—Gallantry -of the Gaalin—Tuti Island—The Shelling -of the Mahdi's Tomb—Gunboats silence the Forts—Lyddite -Shells—Maxim Fire upon the Fugitives—Gunboats -proceed up the River—The Fate of Gordon's -old Flotilla</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_203">203</a></p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100">CHAPTER VI<br /><br /> - -<span class="smcap">After the Battle</span></p> - -<div class="blockquotx"> -<p class="negin2">The Mahdi's Tomb—A Wounded Man lands under False -Pretences—Villiers' Bicycle in Omdurman—Loathsome -Streets—The Arsenal—Dervish Ammunition—The -"Man-stopping" Bullet—Awful Effects of Modern -Rifle Fire—The Gordon Memorial Service—Varieties -of Loot—A Tommy's Quaint Mistake—Enrolment -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span> -of Dervishes under the Khedive's Flag—Charles -Neufeld—The Austrian Sisters—Slatin Pasha in -Camp—Good-bye to Omdurman—We strike on a -Sandbank—Our Sleeping Arrangements—Failure of -Attempts to move Gunboat—A Soldier Drowned—A -Dead Egyptian—We get off the Bank—Loss of my -Luggage—Cross goes to Hospital—Delays on Homeward -Journey—Mohammedan Divorce Laws—A -Camel dies from the Bite of an Asp—A Good Dinner—From -Alexandria to Marseilles—Announcement of -Cross's Death—The Future of the Sudan</p></div> -<p class="rt small"><a href="#Page_222">222</a></p> - - -<p class="p4 pg-brk" /> -<hr class="r30" /> - -<p class="pfs135 wsp">MAP AND PLANS</p> -<p class="p2" /> - -<div class="center fs90"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="95%" summary="maps"> -<tr><td class="tdl smcap">The Nile from the Atbara to Khartum</td><td class="tdr wd30"><em><a href="#I_104">Facing page 104</a></em></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl smcap">The Battle of Omdurman (two plans)</td><td class="tdr"><em><a href="#I_202">Facing page 202</a></em></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl smcap">Plan of Omdurman and Khartum to illustrate the Operations of the Gunboats - and the Friendlies</td><td class="tdr"><em><a href="#I_214">Facing page 214</a></em></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs150">THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES</p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER I</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">FROM CAIRO TO THE ATBARA</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">Towards the end of last July I heard -to my great joy, from the editor of the -<cite>Westminster Gazette</cite>, that a permit had been -granted me to act as his special correspondent -during the forthcoming campaign in -the Sudan. Sinister rumours had been -afloat for a long time to the effect that the -utmost difficulty would be experienced in -securing such permission, and several officials -at the Foreign Office had warned applicants -that even in the event of a formal pass beyond -Wady Halfa being accorded, there would -be no certainty that correspondents would be -allowed to proceed actually to the front. The -baselessness of these apprehensions was amply<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -shown by subsequent events. War correspondents -in the recent campaign had little to -complain of on the score of any curtailment -of their liberty of movement, though the -Sirdar's subsequent refusal to take any pressmen -to Fashoda may have provoked some -unreasonable criticism.</p> - -<p>A day or two after the receipt of the Sirdar's -permit I happened to meet at dinner an old -college acquaintance, Mr. Henry Cross, who -had rowed five in the 'Varsity boat of 1888. -When I told him of my intended visit to -the Sudan, he was all eagerness to join me; -but as he was utterly inexperienced in the -sort of travel that would fall to our lot before -Khartum was reached, I did my best -to dissuade him from making any rash resolves -of the sort on the spur of the moment. The -daily round of a war correspondent's life -amid a charming environment of scenery and -climate is simply delightful, when to the joys -of an open-air existence and abundant exercise -there is added the pleasant excitement which -springs from a risk of danger. Such delights -as these I had experienced during the Cretan -troubles in the spring of 1897, but from what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -one knew personally of tropical travel, and -what one gathered from various accounts of -the Sudan, one realised that the forthcoming -campaign would be in the Lancer's words, -already become historical, "no bloomin' picnic." -Accordingly I laid before Cross graphic -and horrible pictures of sandstorms and sunstroke -and the other unpleasantnesses which -one might expect to meet amid the torrid -plains of the Sudan. Would that my advice -had been acted upon and his bright young -life preserved! As it was, my friend secured -a permit through the editor of the <cite>Manchester -Guardian</cite>, and rapidly made his preparations -for departure. Our last meeting before we -left Charing Cross was at Bletchley Junction, -and over some railway tea and a couple of -buns we made our final arrangements.</p> - -<p>The great difficulty which I had to surmount -before leaving England arose from a gigantic -heap of examination papers which went far -towards filling up my college rooms. The -limits of time imposed by the authorities -who preside over the destinies of University -and other examinations appear sometimes to -the fevered imagination of the anxious <em>employé</em><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -to be strongly flavoured with the ancient -Egyptian spirit of "bricks without straw." -Under time pressure of this kind one's ethical -system becomes quite distorted. How heartily -one gets to hate the good little boys and girls -who write four or five pages of cram! With -what satisfaction one surveys the work of the -stripling whose indifference or ignorance has -curtailed the product of his mental training -within the more reasonable limits of a few -lines, to be marked after a single synoptic -glance! However, with the aid of several -hirelings, whose unskilled labour sufficed to -execute the merely clerical portion of my -task, I contrived to break the back of this -obstacle to my happiness. The penultimate -batch was finished at the Charing Cross -Hotel, the final lot completed just before our -train steamed into Folkestone.</p> - -<p>I shook off the dust of these papers from -my garments, and stepped upon the steamer's -deck a free agent. Away with lectures and -pupils and essays, the solemnity of the Senior -Common Room, and the good-humoured -toleration of the smart undergraduate! Farewell -for many a week to dear Oxford—with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -its scouts and "bedders"—porters and -proctors—bursars and battels! Just as I was -leaving the walls of the college a copy -reached me from a continental professor of his -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha</i>, to which I had -furnished a slight contribution some months -ago. "Pray accept this trifle," I said to a -sorrowful friend, "for your own edification -during the 'Long'; I am now going to -another region rich in apocryphal acts, to wit, -those of the war correspondent."</p> - -<p>There is no need to dwell upon the trite -journey to Alexandria. Such a subject may -well be left to the pen of the tourist, who, -under the capable management of Dr. Lunn, -enjoys at the same time economic and -religious satisfaction, and travels at reduced -fares to further the reunion of Christendom. -The Messageries steamer which conveyed us -from Marseilles carried, as is generally the -case, scarcely any passengers, except a conglomerate -mass of human beings at the -foc'sle, and very little freight. Nevertheless, -thanks to the enormous subsidy furnished by -the French Government, these half-empty -steamers invariably afford good accommoda<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>tion -and excellent food. On board our boat -were Major Mitford and Lieutenant Winston -Churchill. The latter gentleman was going -out to be attached to the 21st Lancers, and -in the intervals of campaigning conversation -and graphic accounts of his recent experiences -on the Indian frontier, he supplied us with -luminous information as to the principles -and practice of Tory Democracy. Another -fellow-passenger with whom I was privileged -to enjoy a good deal of pleasant conversation -was an Egyptian Bey of high official rank. -As we neared Alexandria, he told me a great -many interesting facts about the bombardment -of 1882. He was present during the -engagement, and ridiculed the ground which -was alleged at the time for the action of our -ironclads. Sir Beauchamp Seymour had been -ordered from home to "prevent the construction -of fresh fortifications at all costs," and -when a number of Arabi's levies were seen to -be shovelling some spadefuls of sand upon -the wretched mounds which stretched towards -Ras-el-tin, the concentrated fire of our warships -opened upon the whole line of so-called -"fortifications." The Egyptian artillerymen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -did their best, although some of their heaviest -guns were not fired from ignorance of their -mechanism; nor was the assistance rendered -them by a host of men, women, and even -children, of much practical utility. My friend -told me he saw one of these amateur gunners -endeavouring to load a breech-loading Krupp -by shoving a shell wrong way about down the -mouth of the gun! The shell, of course, -stuck fast, and its base projected from the -muzzle.</p> - -<p>We reached Alexandria by August 2nd, on -which day was fought, exactly one hundred -years before, the Battle of the Nile. The -words which were used to describe this -achievement, "It was not a victory, it was a -conquest," might, exactly one month afterwards, -have been well used of another British -triumph before the walls of Omdurman! But -whereas the Mahdist enemy has vanished -never to reappear, our ancient adversaries, the -French, are still in Egypt with all their traditional -eagerness to thwart and injure us—an -eagerness which seems to be increased, if -possible, by their realisation of the fact that -their power in Egypt is gradually waning. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -learnt from an authority of the highest standing -that in a list of official appointments made from -day to day there is a marked decrease in the -number of French names, and of course a corresponding -increase in English ones. It is -certain, too, that the vast majority of educated -Egyptians are coming to realise clearly the -injury which is inflicted on their country by the -obstinacy and perversity of the French, whose -policy is one of sheer obstruction to any -measure of progress suggested by the British -advisers of the Khedive, however reasonable -its conditions and beneficial its results. The -present scheme of new irrigation works at -Philae, which will bring thousands of fresh -acres under cultivation and increase the -revenue enormously, has, needless to say, -received the most violent opposition from the -French. How long are we going to tolerate -this absurd political farce? When will a -British Government have the courage to -inform the world that we officially recognise -what is already a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fait accompli</i>, and intend to -remain in sole and permanent possession of a -country for which we have done so much?</p> - -<p>Several amusing stories are told in Cairo of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -the animosities which often exist between -Englishmen and Frenchmen as individuals. -Some time ago, a naval lieutenant in uniform -entered the Bar Splendid, near the Esbekiyeh -Gardens, and called for some refreshment. -Three Frenchmen entered simultaneously, and -as the lieutenant raised the glass to his lips -his arm was jogged so roughly that half the -liquor was spilt. He turned to the three -Frenchmen, but as they did not look at him -he concluded that the occurrence was a mere -accident due to his neighbours' clumsiness, but -unnoticed by them. He therefore raised his -half-filled glass once more, and this time -actually saw one of the Frenchmen deliberately -jog his arm. Justly furious at this uncalled for -insult, the Englishman, who was an excellent -"bruiser," laid about him with such vigour -and dexterity that in a twinkling two of his -assailants were sprawling on the sanded floor -of the restaurant. He turned to the third. -"No, you're too small," said he, and forthwith -seizing the diminutive Gaul by the back -of his collar, he slid him under one of the -tables, and, leaving the trio in their undignified -positions, he walked quietly out of the café<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -and reported the occurrence to his superior -officer. Next day, three Frenchmen, whose -features were somewhat discoloured and bedraggled, -rang the bell at the lieutenant's -quarters with a view to "demand satisfaction." -But on the doorstep stood the lieutenant's -servant, a huge bluejacket, who informed the -visitors that a British officer could not cross -swords with persons of their inferior social -standing. As the Frenchmen were persistent -and noisy, the sailor exclaimed, "Well, it was -my master's day yesterday, but, strike me blue, -it's mine to-day!" and with that he cleared -for action by rolling up his sleeves. The -sight, however, of his brawny arms, coupled -with a vivid recollection of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">le box</i> as practised -by the British, appeared to impress the -three would-be duellists, and they speedily -withdrew.</p> - -<p>We stayed for several days at Shepheard's, -where the semi-comatose servants gradually -awoke from the lethargy which overtakes them -out of the season, and did their best to make -us comfortable. The general torpor which -seizes upon Cairo during the hot summer -months was broken during our stay by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -incessant despatch of troops to the front. -Every afternoon detachments of infantry and -cavalry marched briskly through the streets -towards the station with drums and fifes, and -"Auld Lang Syne" was played as the train -steamed away. It was curious to notice how -infinitesimal was the interest which seemed to -be aroused in the passers-by. The Egyptian -natives scarcely took the trouble to glance at -the columns as they marched past in full war -kit and brown kharki uniforms. A little knot -of Europeans, whose smallness served to -emphasise the emptiness of the hotel, would -step out upon the verandah—where, by the -way, the temperature was nearly 100° in the -shade—and follow with their eyes the passing -battalions; but otherwise no interest whatever -seemed to be aroused by their departure. -The fact is, that it never occurs to Egyptians -of the lower classes that they have any share -or lot in what is perpetrated by the powers -that be. They are, as Aristotle expressed it, -"slaves by nature," and centuries may roll by -before any other political sentiment is instilled -into this most conservative of nations than -that of fear and acquiescence. At the same<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -time, this lack of interest is certainly not -prevalent to the same extent amongst the -educated and enlightened sections of Egyptian -society. Whatever may be the divergency -of opinion <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à propos</i> of various questions of -internal reform, or larger problems as to the -ultimate government of the country—whatever -be the diverse opinions on topics such as -these amongst the educated natives—there is -a practically unanimous approval of two enterprises -now in hand—the new <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Barrage</i> of the -Nile, and the recovery of the Sudan.</p> - -<p>The social life of the upper classes in Egypt -is gradually yielding to European influences. -Much has been accomplished in this direction -during the space of a single generation. -Egyptian gentlemen, whose fathers wore the -turban and loose native dress, now get their -tweed suits and patent leather boots from -English firms. The position of women too is -steadily improving as education advances, and -home life, to the dismay of the "Old Egyptian" -party, is being slowly but steadily revolutionised -in the direction of greater freedom -and independence for the ladies. Some time -ago I received a most kind invitation from an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -Egyptian Pasha to dine with him. I dressed -and drove off to his house, thinking, of course, -that I should merely share a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tête-à-tête</i> meal -with His Excellency. What was my surprise -to meet in a kind of drawing-room the Pasha's -wife and three charming daughters, who all -spoke English, French, German, and Arabic -with fluency! An excellent dinner was served, -towards the end of which a strange compound -made its appearance in a large tureen. I was -on the point of declining this delicacy, when it -flashed upon me that the mess of pottage must -be meant for plum-pudding, and had been -prepared expressly in my honour. It was even -so. As I ladled some of the pudding into a -soup plate I expressed my keen satisfaction at -the appearance of this British dish; and I -think that my enthusiastic remarks led the -family to believe that the staple article of diet -in English households was plum-pudding, -served at all meals all the year round. After -dinner we returned to the drawing-room, where -the Misses Pasha played admirably a variety -of selections from Grieg and Brahms, and -finally, "God Save the Queen," at the close of -a very pleasant evening, which gave me a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -vivid impression of the advancement which is -being gradually effected in the home life of the -more enlightened Egyptians, though, of course, -the liberty enjoyed by my kind hostess and her -accomplished daughters is as yet the exception -rather than the rule.</p> - -<p>Our few days in Cairo were fully taken up -with preparations for the campaign. One consequence -of the inrush of officers and correspondents -was a dearth of horses. The neighbourhood -had been ransacked for animals, and -if the demand continued it seemed as though -Ammianus' prediction, slightly altered, would -become true of Cairo, "<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Creditur jam equos -defuturos esse</i>." The price of riding horses -advanced by leaps and bounds, and as the -Government had been offering from £20 to -£25 for them, I thought myself lucky when I -learnt from my friend, Mr. A. V. Houghton, -that he had kindly secured me a passable steed -for £17, 10s. Beasts outworn, with irregular -gait and hair in scanty tufts, were being purchased -by despairing voyagers in default of -better horseflesh.</p> - -<p>Then came the choice of servants, and many -of the individuals who offered themselves were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -quaint enough. Before the final selection, -batches were paraded before me from time -to time, some of whom were alleged to be -bilingual, nay, even trilingual; but in most -cases a little <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">viva voce</i> examination revealed -the fact that their English consisted of little -else than half a dozen "swear words"; others -again were persons with a "past," and so -unsuitable for the future. In Egypt one can -rarely put any trust in written "characters," -for such documents, either forged or secured -from former servants, can be purchased in -the bazaars at so much a dozen, the price, of -course, varying according to the social status -of the master whose signature they are alleged -to bear. All that a disreputable Arab in search -of employment has to do is to ask the shopman -for a testimonial to the zeal and honesty of -"Ali" or "Mahmoud," according as his name -is one or the other. After one's choice had -fallen upon a comparatively blameless Ethiopian -from Dongola as cook, and a Cairene -Egyptian as <em>säis</em>, the rejected candidates were -dispersed by the jubilant pair amid a babel -of imprecations heaped upon each others' -relatives dead and alive. Finally, the grateful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -cook came to me in the evening, and amid the -laughter of my friends, solemnly presented me -with a worked cholera belt, which, he declared, -his swarthy daughter had expressly knitted -for my comfort in the Sudan. With many -blushes I accepted this useful present.</p> - -<p>Our stores were purchased from Messrs. -Walker of Cairo, a veritable firm of Egyptian -Whiteleys, from whom one can buy anything, -from condensed milk to a trotting camel. It -is on occasions like this that a bachelor, unaccustomed -to anything like a quantitative -analysis of the food he consumes from day -to day, deplores the absence of feminine assistance. -He knows <em>what</em> he wants but not <em>how -much</em> of it. Acting under the prejudiced -advice of a chocolate-coloured shopman, we -laid in large quantities of things comparatively -useless, and neglected the weightier matters. -For example, our rice gave out after three -weeks, while we had enough pepper to last -us a lifetime.</p> - -<p>We were altogether very busy in Cairo, -and had little time for any side issues. -This was a pity, as my companion wished -to visit the pyramids, the mosques, and so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -on, while I personally wanted to see something -of the magical practices which still -prevail to a considerable extent in Cairo.</p> - -<p>Egyptian magic was, of course, famous in -antiquity. The author of Exodus speaks of -it, and, at a later date, Celsus, the able -opponent of Christianity, declared, strangely -enough, that Christ worked all His miracles -by means of magic which He had learnt in -Egypt! I have heard on excellent authority -that necromancy is still practised in Cairo, -and if our departure could have been delayed -I should have done my best, with the aid of -some Egyptian friends, to be present at one -of these <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">séances</i> for the evocation of the -dead. Another species of magic consists of -gazing into ink in order to see pictures -prophetic of the future. This practice is, -after all, simply a form of the katoptromancy -or crystal-gazing which was used for divination -in the remotest antiquity, and still -yields results full of psychological, if no -longer of supernatural, interest. Scripture -appears to contain several references to the -curious phenomena which frequently exist in -connection with crystal-gazing. The Hebrew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -divination by Urim and Thummim, and by -cups, of which we read, was almost certainly -based on this ancient practice; and -at a still later period St. Paul compares our -imperfect conceptions of what lies beyond -things temporal to the perplexing images -which can be "seen through a mirror in a -riddle" (<span title="di' esoptrou en ainigmati"><span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι</span></span>). -Mr. Lane's delightful book, <cite>The Modern Egyptians</cite>, contains -an account of the ink-gazing which is -still carried on by young boys.</p> - -<p>I should like to add to these remarks on -Egyptian magic a most curious account which -I had first-hand from an official who was high -in the favour of the late Khedive, Tewfik -Pacha. During the critical weeks which -immediately preceded the bombardment of -Alexandria, my informant was suddenly summoned -to an immediate audience with His -Highness. Several matters of vital importance -were discussed between the Khedive -and his Minister, and the latter went home -pledged to the utmost secrecy with respect -to what he had learnt. Soon after entering -his house, his wife mentioned to him that -during the course of the afternoon she had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -heard from another lady of a wonderful -medium, whom she had asked to call that -evening. After a short time the medium in -question, an extremely old woman of the -very poorest class, arrived, and the Minister -laughingly promised his wife to test the -genuineness of the visitor's gifts. When -admitted to his presence the old creature -almost immediately fell down in a kind of -fit, and to his amazement he heard proceeding -from her lips in strange tones, quite -unlike her normal voice, the very words -spoken to himself two hours before by the -Khedive under pledge of the most stringent -secrecy!</p> - -<p>Shortly before leaving Cairo my cook Ali -appeared before me with a huge two-handed -Dervish sword, which he had purchased out -of his own money for twenty piastres. The -creature had already the day before begged me -to buy him a rifle for defensive purposes, as I -was quite unable to eradicate from his mind -the belief that his kitchen utensils and himself -might at any moment during the next six -weeks be exposed to an attack from a frenzied -rush of Dervishes. I could not see my way to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -gratify his wishes in this respect. To have -a cook bending over the fire with a belt full of -cartridges, or walking round one's tent with a -loaded rifle—these were indeed added terrors -to the perils of a Sudan campaign. He was, -however, permitted to wear the gigantic sword, -as I thought it might come in handy for -cutting wood or opening tins of meat.</p> - -<p>We were not sorry to get out of Cairo. The -moist heat which prevailed in the town clogged -all the pores of the skin and was extremely -trying. Just before we left, a detachment of -the Grenadier Guards entrained for the front. -These fine fellows were marched from Abbasseeyeh -to the station—no great distance—in -the hottest part of the day, between twelve -o'clock and two. When they reached the -station the perspiration was streaming from -their faces, and they were kept at "attention" -to prevent them from drinking water in this -condition. But the heat had already begun to -tell in several cases; three men fell prostrate, -and quite a number were attacked by violent -sickness. The drainage, too, of the city was in -a deplorable condition. The old native system -had been recently abolished, and during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -period of transition sanitation was in a state -of chaos. Which things are an allegory! In -consequence probably of the escape of sewage -into water-pipes, enteric fever and diphtheria -were far from infrequent, and quite recently -two young officers of the 21st Lancers had -succumbed to these fatal diseases.</p> - -<p>When we arrived at the railway station in -the evening <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</i> for the South, we found -our servants already there. But how transformed! -Ali and the <em>säis</em> had exchanged their -native cotton garments for <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'bran new suits'">brand new suits</ins> of -yellow kharki, purchased at my expense. -From some association of ideas in connection -with the forthcoming campaign, they were "got -up" in a pseudo-military fashion, with brass -buttons and shoulder straps. As Ali the cook -stood before us in his ill-fitting garments, with -an enormous crusading sword in one hand and -a kitchen colander and soup ladle in the other,—a -kind of walking allegory of Peace and War,—we -laughed so much that we could scarcely -ask for our tickets. At the last moment a native -rushed into the station closely pursued by his -wife. The man was evidently bent on securing -a seat in the train, but his better half<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -disapproved of this, and as he was getting into -the carriage she suddenly struck a violent blow -at his hand luggage. It was a most effective -stroke. The bundle he carried exploded like -a shell, and its contents lay scattered in hopeless -confusion over the platform. Long before -the baffled husband could collect the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">disjecta -membra</i> of his travelling kit, the train steamed -off into the darkness, and he was left to settle -matters with his triumphant wife.</p> - -<p>We rapidly left Cairo behind us, and with it the -joys and comforts of civilisation. It was a positive -relief to feel that we had now commenced -in real earnest to travel the twelve hundred -miles which separated us from our final goal far -away in the Sudan. Still, at the time of our -departure from Cairo, no certainty was felt that -there would be any fighting at all. Rumours -were persistently current that the Khalifa and -his forces had retreated from Omdurman. It -would, as somebody said, be simply a case of -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cherchez la femme</i>. If the women and children -became panic-stricken and retired, it was -certain that the Dervishes would lose heart -and make a poor show of resistance. Take, -for instance, the case of Berber. Here a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -vigorous defence might reasonably have been -expected, but it was afterwards found that an -exodus of the women brought about the total -evacuation of the town, which our advancing -forces thus occupied without any fighting -whatever. Still it was too early to speculate -on the amount of opposition our troops were -likely to encounter. Whether there would be -one or more sharp struggles before we found -ourselves face to face with the ramparts of -Omdurman; whether even then those ramparts -would be held by Dervishes driven to bay and -fighting with their old desperate courage, or we -should bivouac in a deserted city—all these -things, we felt, lay verily on the knees of the -gods!</p> - -<p>Our first taste of discomfort was provided -by the night journey to Luxor. Soon after -leaving Cairo the motion of the train raises an -almost continuous cloud of dust, which penetrates -into the carriages, scheme one never so -wisely. One may put the glass windows up or -merely raise the wooden venetians according -as one prefers the alternative of being almost -asphyxiated by too little air or stifled by too -much dust. Even with the windows up the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -dust insinuates itself into the compartment -somehow; and if one can sleep through the -night one finds next morning a thick layer -of dust over everything, and reflects with -astonishment and dismay on the condition of -one's lungs and internal economy in general. -The train was not a "troop train" in the special -sense, but it contained a good many officers. -It is worth noticing, by the way, that Egyptian -officers, even of high military rank, travel -second class with British sergeant-majors and -warrant officers. As no horse boxes would be -available for the conveyance of our animals -for two days, we were compelled to stay a -couple of nights at the Luxor Hotel. The -dreariness of this hotel out of the season was -still more marked than at Shepheard's. -Outside, all blistered by the heat, hung the -quaint notice, as a warning to that species -of knicker-bockered tourist who shoots gulls -from the Clacton cliffs, "<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Il est défendu de -chasser dans le jardin</i>." The servants shuffled -listlessly about, the long corridors were -covered with dust, and forlorn notices about -church services which were no longer served, -and trained nurses who had vanished, were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -almost the only outward and visible signs of -the past season, with its crowded <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">table d'hôte</i>, -the vulgar chatter of American globe-trotters, -and the irritating atmosphere of valetudinarianism.</p> - -<p>At the hotel we met two hard-worked transport -officers, Captain Hall and Lieutenant -Delavoy, busied night and day with the -incessant despatch of stores and ammunition -to the front. People are often apt to forget -to what an extent the success of a campaign -is due to the honest work of the Army Service -Corps and transport officials. Upon these -departmental troops fell the onerous labour -of forwarding for many weeks all the stores -required for the feeding of some twenty-three -thousand men and several thousand animals.</p> - -<p>Our recent campaigns in the Sudan have -been unique in military history from the fact -that the army's line of communication with -its base was ultimately over twelve hundred -miles in length. Every ounce of food, with -the exception of a little fresh meat occasionally -obtained along the line of march, had to be -conveyed from Cairo by river, rail, or camel. -The best thanks of the public are due to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -indefatigable labours of the transport officers -and men, many of whom were not brought -by their work within the area which will be -covered by the forthcoming medal.</p> - -<p>As we sat at dinner in the cool of the -evening under the palms and tamarisks, somebody -chanced to look under the table and -saw a number of large yellowish tarantulas -waltzing about our feet. A panic ensued, and -the meeting rose as one man and got upon -chairs, until these repulsive insects were driven -away by the waiters. The incident forcibly -recalled the famous congress of ladies which -was convened to demonstrate the Superiority -of Woman over Man, and was broken up by -a small box of mice opened by a son of Belial -in the audience. These horrid spiders, whose -bite is very painful, and, in the case of young -children, occasionally fatal, seemed to be -ubiquitous at Luxor; nor did they even respect -the sanctity of our bedrooms. Medical psychologists -tell of a case in which a gentleman -suffering from hallucinations declared that he -saw "pink pachyderms" in his bath, but was -unable to secure a specimen owing to the -rapidity of the creature's movements. But I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -had much rather see a pink pachyderm—which -may after all be merely subjective—inside my -tub than a brace of tortoiseshell tarantulas, -whose objectivity is undoubted, racing round -and round the bath and cutting off one's retreat.</p> - -<p>We took the opportunity afforded us by our -enforced wait at Luxor to visit the temples. -No tickets were demanded, no touts clamoured -at one's heels and interfered with one's reflections. -We rode to Karnak in the moonlight, -and after dismounting we were suddenly -mobbed by scores of dogs, who came rushing -upon us from the Bedawin houses near the -ruins. The animals became so menacing and -approached so close that I was compelled to -use my revolver. The pariah doggie in Egypt -does not seem to be quite like his Constantinople -cousin, who is probably descended -partly from the jackals who accompanied the -Turkish armies from their Asiatic settlements. -The puppies of these pariah dogs are, by the -way, the dearest little creatures in the world, -with rough woolly coats like tiny bears.</p> - -<p>There is absolutely nothing in the world to -compare with the temple of Karnak in point -of magnificence and grandeur. When one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -gazes on the colossal pillars, the huge pylons, -and the rows and rows of sculptured sphinxes, -it would be alike difficult and painful to believe -that all this mighty effort, this outcome of the -blood and sweat of thousands, could after all -be based on a mere delusion and groundless -enthusiasm. On the contrary, one may wonder -whether the full force of the religious motive -which raised these giant structures has not -been to some extent lost in later ages. At -anyrate, it seems certain that in the West -our religious consciousness has never been -marked by that intense appreciation of God's -omnipotence which underlay the creation of -such stupendous monuments. On the contrary, -there seems to be a tendency in modern -Christianity to anthropomorphise the Deity -into the official Head of a scheme of charity -organisation, to which the belief in a future -life, so powerful a factor in the ancient religion -of Egypt, is attached as a subsequent phase -of subsidiary importance. As the race grows -less and less disposed to endure physical -pain and discomfort, we clamour more and -more for tangible and material blessings, and -refuse to be comforted by any contemplation of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -the problematic joys of another world. There -is something to be said for this point of view, -and much evil has undoubtedly been done by -the reckless bestowal on suffering humanity -of "cheques to be cashed on the other side -of Jordan." Still, if this process continues, it -is difficult to realise how, in the conduct of -future generations, any place can be found for -a religious and supernatural, as distinct from a -merely ethical, obligation.</p> - -<p>The railway journey from Luxor to Shellal, -a village on the river bank just above the -first cataract, where the railway terminates, -ought to have taken about eight hours, but -it took over sixteen. All the trains have -third-class carriages or rather trucks, and an -excellent object lesson in Oriental procrastination -was afforded at the moment when the -train started. All night long crowds of natives -had been sleeping on the ground just outside -the station with all their curious goods and -chattels—beds and bundles and babies—around -them. Scarcely one of them made the slightest -effort to get on board the train until the whistle -went, and then a terrific scramble took place. -"Gyppies" of all sizes, sexes, and ages rushed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -wildly down the line, trying to hurl their -baggage into the carriages and then climb up -after it. This went on for some three hundred -yards, and despite the increasing speed of the -train most of these procrastinating creatures -contrived to find some sort of place on it. If -they failed, they simply went to sleep again till -the day following, when they tried again.</p> - -<p>The traffic on this line was enormous, and -the rolling stock available could scarcely bear -the unusual strain put upon it. We were repeatedly -stopped on the way by a variety of -accidents. First of all a carriage got off the -rails; then an axle became red hot from lack of -grease, and set fire to the woodwork; and -finally a train in front of us left the metals, -and a long interval elapsed while two lengths -of rail were taken up and straightened. The -line has, from motives of false economy, been -laid in a miserably inefficient manner, and an -official casually informed me that trains ran off -the rails about three times a week. One of -the most difficult things to deal with was the -transport of horses and mules. Sometimes -one saw a loose box filled with sixteen mules -all kicking together, and on the steamers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -accidents continually happened amongst the -crowded horses.</p> - -<p>As we ran past Assouan down to the water's -edge at Shellal, the graceful temple of Philae -in midstream was flooded with an orange -glow from the setting sun. Along the bank a -forest of slender masts and lateen sails stood -out against the sky. Across the river the -strange rocks, bared of all earth and vegetation -and polished smooth by the flying sand, have -assumed the oddest shapes, and look for all the -world like the primeval work of some Titanic -infant at play.</p> - -<p>The sight of a luggage van at a terminus -was enough to drive any inexperienced voyager -to utter despair. When we arrived at Shellal -the moon had not yet risen, and the feeble -light of a few lanterns was all we had wherewith -to disentangle our separate lots of luggage -and stores from the general <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mélange</i>. The -chaos of luggage was fearful. Under the -weight of two of our store cases an officer's -sword had been bent almost into the prophetic -pruning hook, and a band-box belonging to our -one lady passenger had, with all that it contained, -been squashed absolutely flat. Everybody<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -had to see after his own possessions or -he was lost. Later on, as the boat steamed -off from Shellal, an officer who had entrusted -the embarkation of his horse to his <em>säis</em> was -horrified to see the man calmly sitting on the -bank smoking a cigarette with the horse beside -him.</p> - -<p>During our stay at Shellal we slept in the -garden of a shabby one-storeyed house, dignified -with the title of the "Spiro Hotel." This was -run by one of those ubiquitous Greeks who -invariably turn up in the East where there is -any chance of making money. All along the -line of advance to Omdurman we were accompanied -by Greeks, who trafficked in bread, fresh -meat, and the like. Like the Irishman and the -Jew, the Greek seems to flourish the more the -further he is removed from his native country.</p> - -<p>By this time our horses had caused us such -signal inconvenience, and it was becoming so -difficult amid the congested traffic to find room -for them, that Cross and I determined to do -without our mounts. Accordingly, we sold one -to an officer at a slight profit, and sent the -other back to Cairo. If British officers could -march on foot to Khartum from the point<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -where rail and river failed us, why shouldn't -we? If one is taking part in a campaign where -there is a probability of a reverse, a sound horse -may be useful; but one felt on the present -occasion that, if any running away was to be -done, it would not fall to our lot.</p> - -<p>At Shellal a brother of Ali's, called Mahmoud, -suddenly turned up from some quarter or other, -and we annexed him at a moderate rate of pay. -His was the most unskilled labour I have ever -witnessed. He generally drove the tent pegs -into the ground sloping inwards, and with the -notches inside instead of out! When he loaded -a camel, he would place a Gladstone bag on one -side and a heavy box of stores on the other, -and then looked quite surprised when the camel -rose and the whole structure fell with a crash to -the ground. At times like these his imbecile -features would be illumined with a fearful smile, -and if we rebuked his folly and menaced him -with punishment, his grin became broader and -broader. When on one occasion I smote him -with a thorn stick, his mirth became so -uproarious that we abandoned all hope of his -reformation, and merely gave Ali orders that in -future his brother's activities were to be strictly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -confined to the hewing of wood and drawing of -water.</p> - -<p>A large base hospital, with two hundred beds, -had been established at Assouan, and throughout -the line of advance strenuous efforts were -being made to cope with any demands upon the -medical service. It is generally admitted that -at the Atbara fight the medical arrangements -were not as complete as they might have been, -and considerable confusion is said to have been -produced by the inadequacy of the accommodation -for the wounded. This time, however, -Surgeon-General Taylor had arrived on the -scene, and throughout the campaign there was -no cause for complaint. In addition to base -hospitals at Assouan, Atbara, Rojan Island, -and elsewhere, each brigade had no less than -five field hospitals attached to it. The National -Aid Society proffered its assistance, undertaking -to send its own transport; but the Sirdar -refused the offer, with the idea probably that an -army in the field ought to supply its own -medical requirements. Some of the officials of -the Society were, I heard, incensed at this -refusal; for they alleged, with some reason, -that during a campaign nobody "goes sick"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -unless he is practically too ill to move about, -and that the voluntary assistance rendered by -the Society may be of the greatest service to a -large number of devoted men who, despite their -sufferings, are too keen and patriotic to enrol -themselves on the sick-list—the only means of -securing treatment from the Army Medical -Corps. Just before we embarked, a batch of -invalided men passed northwards on their way -to Cyprus, where the climate is comparatively -cool in August. Sunstroke was beginning to -claim its victims; a sergeant and a private of -the Northumberland Fusiliers had already -succumbed to the heat, which, amid the rocks -of Philæ, was driving the quicksilver up to 110° -in the shade. The Nile was still rising perceptibly -day by day, and in one spot I saw -hundreds of tons of Government stores—reserve -supplies for ten thousand men—which would -have to be moved, as the waters gave promise -of reaching an abnormal height this year. -Scores of natives found employment about the -landing-stage as porters, and were perpetually -fighting over the division of the luggage and -the <em>bakshish</em>. I noticed four of these men, -during a frantic struggle on the river bank,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -collapse into the water, where they still continued -their combat of words and blows, even -when occasionally submerged—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="la" xml:lang="la"> -<p class="verse">Quamquam sunt sub aqua sub aqua maledicere tentant.</p> -</div></div> - -<p>We journeyed towards Wady Halfa in the -old stern-wheeler <i>Ibis</i>, which was crowded -with officers of the Lancashire Fusiliers, and -as it towed a large barge on either side full -of the rank and file of the 2nd Battalion, -we made slow progress. There is but little -incident to chronicle on a Nile voyage, and -it is difficult to understand why, even in -winter, people select the Nile as the river -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">par excellence</i> for steamboat tours. The eye -falls continually upon bleak hills and dreary -sand plains on either bank, relieved only by -occasional patches of <em>dhurra</em> and date palms, -while the monotony which hangs like a pall over -everything Egyptian—landscape, architecture, -sculpture—becomes in time most oppressive -and wearisome. The fact is, that were it -not for the social pleasures one may, or may -not, derive from several weeks' sojourn on one -of Cook's steamers, nobody except a few souls -really interested in the antiquities of Upper -Egypt would undertake this voyage.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Tommy Atkinses were packed like -sardines on the barges, but seemed to be -in excellent spirits throughout the voyage. -They continually talked about the coming -battle, and were as keen as possible to get -a sight of the Dervishes. All this arose, of -course, from sheer love of adventure and -fighting, for the campaign could scarcely be -regarded as undertaken in defence of "our -hearth and home," and was only indirectly -waged for the sake of our country. As we -advanced up the river the soldiers grew more -musical day by day. Local lyrics from the -North alternated with Moody and Sankey -hymns, and occasionally some very fair -attempts at harmony helped to beguile the -tedium and discomfort of the voyage. In one -respect the result of the "territorial system" -in our British regiments is not altogether -good. Numerous little <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coteries</i> exist amongst -the men enlisted from the same families and -districts, and the result is that the bonds of -discipline between non-commissioned officers -and privates tend to become relaxed. I -noticed, for instance, to my surprise, that -some of the sergeants were sitting down on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -deck playing cards with the men—a species of -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">camaraderie</i> which is certainly not desirable.</p> - -<p>A few hours before we reached Assouan -the ruins of Kumombo had come in sight. -This town, the ancient Ombi, was once, if we -may trust an unknown imitator of Juvenal, the -scene of a strange and horrible fight between -the residents and some malevolent visitors -from Denderah, a hundred miles farther down -the river. The cause of the encounter has -quite a modern flavour about it—each town -imagined it had secured the sole and exclusive -means of Salvation—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="la" xml:lang="la"> -<p class="verse">Inde furor vulgo quod numina vicinorum</p> -<p class="verse">Odit uterque locus, cum solos credat habendos</p> -<p class="verse">Esse deos quos ipse colit.</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">The pious citizens of Ombi worshipped the -crocodile. At Tentyra this ugly beast -appeared on the dinner-table, and was -devoured with all the added relish which -would arise from cooking and eating the -deity of a hostile sect. The Tentyrites, in -fact, specialised in crocodiles. Plunging into -the river they climbed upon the saurians' -backs—so Pliny tells us,—and when the -crocodile opened his jaws they neatly placed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -a cudgel across his back teeth, and so steered -their captive to the shore. After landing -they stood round in a circle and swore -roundly at the crocodile, and this scolding -so alarmed the timid monster that it "threw -up" all the bodies it had eaten, which thus -secured a respectable funeral.</p> - -<p>Our four days' journey by river from Wady -Halfa was only twice broken, once by an hour's -halt at Korosko to send off telegrams and take -on board some chickens and fresh limes. The -other halt was a sad one. A young private of -the Fusiliers, after a brief illness, died of -internal hæmorrhage, caused, possibly, by lifting -heavy luggage. There were, of course, no -hospital arrangements on board the crowded -barges, but his comrades placed the sick man -in as cool a spot as could be found, and tended -him as well as they could. But the case was -hopeless, and on 11th August the poor fellow -died. The steamer drew up beside the bank, -and a section of the dead man's company -speedily dug a grave in the dry sand. The -colonel read the burial service, and after a little -heap of stones had been piled above the grave, -soon to be obliterated by the drifting sand of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -the desert, we steamed on our way southwards. -Amid the excitement of battle and sudden -death, one looks with something akin to -indifference as men are struck down by shell-splinter -and bullet—it is all part of the day's -work, and all must take their chance. But -amid quieter surroundings the feelings have -freer play, and we all felt, I think, that there -was a peculiar element of sadness about this -young soldier's death. As the end approached -he lay half conscious in a corner of the deck, -unmindful of all that passed around him—the -swirl and rush of the torrent, and the ceaseless -chatter of his comrades.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verse16">His eyes</p> -<p class="verse">Were with his heart, and that was far away—</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">away, perhaps, in the far-off Lancashire village -where his boyhood was spent and his friends -awaited his return.</p> - -<p>On 12th August universal dismay was caused -on board by the news that our supply of ice -had given out. The Arab <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">restaurateur</i> was -promptly kicked for his gross negligence, but -this did little good. The weather was stifling -hot, and unless we wished to drink lukewarm -soda water some means had to be devised.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -The best thing to do if one cannot secure ice -in the Sudan is to put one's bottles into a -canvas bucket, full of water. The sides are -slightly porous and the consequent evaporation -brings down the temperature of the contents. -Otherwise, merely placing the bottles in straw -cases, and then immersing them up to the neck -in water, serves to keep the drink fairly cool. -The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">restaurateur</i>, who charged us no less than -eight shillings a day for food, really deserved -the kicking which he received, for ever since -the commencement of the voyage he had -consistently dropped one course a day from -the dinner, so that if the journey had been -prolonged much further, our dinner promised -to become a negative quantity.</p> - -<p>We were not sorry to leave the <i>Ibis</i> at -Wady Halfa, and the Tommies must have -been delighted to get, even for an hour or so, -an opportunity of stretching their limbs. The -train, consisting of a number of horse boxes -and open trucks, stood waiting for us, and -after a brief delay we steamed off for our -thirty-six hours' run across the open desert -to the Atbara. Cross, Major Stuart-Wortley, -and I found ourselves ensconced in a covered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -cattle-truck, half full of baggage; but we got our -beds out, and speedily made ourselves as comfortable -as possible under the circumstances. -In the middle of the truck stood a big "zia," and -we managed to have this filled with decent water -before we left—a sensible precaution, as only -two wells exist along these three hundred and -fifty miles of desert railway; and when three -men have to cook and "wash up" and cool -their drinks, not to mention a succession of -personal ablutions, the possession of a big -"zia" full of good water is a great alleviation -of the cattle-truck's discomforts.</p> - -<p>In the old days of vacillation and weakness, -which ended in the surrender of the Sudan, -and thus spread untold miseries over thousands -and thousands of square miles, the selection of -Wady Halfa as the frontier of Egypt was -made in defiance of the best expert opinion on -the subject. But if the advice of, at anyrate, -one of the experts consulted by the Conservative -Government of the day had reached -England a little earlier, it seems very probable -that El Debbeh, the obvious and natural -frontier post under the circumstances of the -time, would have been chosen instead of a spot<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -two hundred and fifty miles farther north. -The advice in question was, I believe, given to -Lord Salisbury on a Monday; but as the fate -of the Government was already sealed, and it -was known that the Thursday following would -see the Ministry out of office, there was no time -to effect the proposed change, and Wady Halfa -was thus left as the temporary frontier town of -the Khedive's loyal provinces, and an enormous -tract of country, which would have been protected -by a garrison at El Debbeh, was left to -Dervish control and devastation.</p> - -<p>As we neared the end of our journey the -train again skirted the Nile, and whenever we -halted crowds of natives grouped themselves -along the line, either to sell eggs and dates or -simply to stare. The railway is still a source -of never-ending wonderment. The simple -unmechanical minds of these Arabs seem to -regard an engine as a being endowed with life -and will-power; and quite recently a village -sheikh near Berber protested to a railway -official against the cruelty of forcing a small -engine to draw a long line of heavily laden -trucks. All these people are really ex-Dervishes, -and I noticed a fair number of the genuine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -"fuzzy-wuzzies" amongst them. One of their -sheikhs came up and informed us that when we -got to Omdurman the Khalifa would fight like -<em>Sheitan</em> (the devil). These natives appeared -to vastly enjoy the blessings of peace. How -vividly impressed they must have been by the -constant succession of trains passing across the -desert, laden with fighting men and countless -tons of stores, visible evidences of the power -and wealth of the conquering <em>Inglizi</em>!</p> - -<p>As we approached Abu Hamed, the scene of -the sharp, brief fight last year, we noticed some -object roll along the side of the line; and when -the train pulled up we learnt that a non-commissioned -officer had fallen off one of the -carriages. In a few minutes the missing -Fusilier picked us up, walking along quite -coolly without having sustained a scratch. On -a subsequent journey another poor fellow was -not so lucky, for he fell off in the same way, -and was instantly cut to pieces by the wheels.</p> - -<p>The sun was setting as we neared Berber, -and in the distance across the river the outlines -of "Slatin's Hill" stood sharply out against -the sky. This was the spot where the fugitive -took shelter at a critical moment when pursuit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -seemed close upon his heels and capture -imminent. On our own side of the stream the -train ran slowly through the scattered suburbs -of Berber, and one realised how, as on every -occasion during the Khalifa's attempts to -oppose our advance, the Dervishes had -blundered, by selecting Abu Hamed for the -fight instead of Berber. At the latter place -there were fully five miles of detached mud-huts -extending inland from the river. Not a -particle of cover would have been available -for an attacking force, and the expulsion of -a resolute body of Dervishes from the shelter -of these mud walls would have cost us dear.</p> - -<p>When the train finally crawled into the vast -area covered by the Atbara camp, it was quite -dark, and, amid the confusion, Cross and I, -with two officers, thought it best to sleep as -we were on the ground beside the railway. -However, as bad luck would have it, a heavy -shower of rain descended upon our devoted -selves just as we had fallen off to sleep, and -the downpour was followed by a strong wind -from the river, which covered our quaternion -with a thick layer of sand and dust. A more -unpleasant night it would be difficult to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -imagine, as, beside the dust and wet, it was -extremely difficult to breathe amid the clouds -of sand. At last I could stand the discomfort -no longer, and, jumping up, I seized my bed -and bolted for an enclosure hard by. Here -my onset was suddenly barred by the bayonet -of a sentry, who brought his rifle down to the -"charge"; but a little explanation secured a -passage for myself and my half-soaked bed, -and I found an empty tent, to which my three -companions came running like rabbits.</p> - -<p>We enjoyed a few hours' sleep before dawn, -and then reported ourselves to Colonel Wingate -and General Rundle, the commandant. -We learnt from the former that the 21st -Lancers and some gunners had crossed the -river that day with the intention of making -their way by land to the proposed camp just -north of Shabluka. As these were the last -troops who would ascend the left bank of the -river, it was imperative that the two camels -which we had purchased for our stores should -proceed at once by the same route; and as -this route promised to be an interesting one, -Cross and I determined to accompany our -beasts of burden on foot in the absence of our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -horses. Accordingly we secured an order for -the transport across the river of ourselves, our -servants, camels, and stores in the old paddle-boat -<i>El Tahra</i>. This ancient tub had a rather -peculiar history. She had fifteen years ago -formed one of the Government flotilla on the -upper Nile. When the evacuation of the -Sudan took place an Egyptian battery fired -half a dozen shells into her and sank her at -Rafia to prevent the Dervishes from making -use of her. The <i>El Tahra</i>, however, was -destined for something better than this inglorious -fate, and she was raised, patched up, -and throughout the recent campaign performed -much useful service. Amongst her -more notable achievements was the embarkation -of the officers and crew of the ill-fated -<i>Zaphir</i> after they were left stranded on the -bank without an ounce of baggage. The scars -inflicted by her former masters were quite -visible, as the big holes torn by the shells -had been neatly covered with iron plating.</p> - -<p>Orientals are wonderfully good at renovating -old vessels. A few years ago I crossed from -Galata to Scutari in a vessel which twenty years -ago had been condemned as unseaworthy by our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -Board of Trade. She was then bought for a -mere song by a Turkish company, which began -to patch her up. In the middle of this process -the venerable craft broke her back and fell in -two; but the Orientals were not discouraged. -They set to work again and put the fragments -together, and the result of their zeal and -patience has now been steaming to and fro -between Europe and Asia amongst the choppy -waters of the Sea of Marmora for several -years.</p> - -<p>The prospect of speedily leaving the Atbara -camp behind us was a pleasant one. The -place was absolutely detestable; no one had a -good word for it. The air was full of flying -clouds of dust raised by an interminable succession -of blasts from the river. Often before -one could get a cup of coffee to one's lips it -was coated with a layer of dust. In order to -keep the eyes from being inflamed one was -driven to wear huge goggles or a gossamer -veil over the face.</p> - -<p>In addition to the moral training which is -alleged to result from all forms of worry and -vexation, our discomforts during the campaign -frequently possessed an exegetical value. One<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -realised more forcibly than hitherto the meaning -of some of the "Plagues of Egypt." Nile -boils are only too well known amongst the -hapless officials who dwell along the banks of -the river. Again, as the ancient narrative -speaks of the dust as the vehicle of malignant -forms of insect life, so now bacilli are spread -broadcast by this means. When we woke -up in the morning and shook an inch of dust -from our blankets, we were lucky not to find -in addition that our mouths and throats were -ulcerated; and men suffering from enteric -fever and other internal inflammations found -their recovery retarded, and often, I am -afraid, prevented, by the penetrating dust -which they were compelled to swallow and -breathe, however fast tents were tied up or -windows fastened.</p> - -<p>Another abomination was the plague of flies. -At meals one made a sweep to get rid of -these beasties and then a rush to convey the -food to one's lips; but even in this brief space -a couple of flies often found time to get their -beaks into the morsel and so perished miserably. -Tobacco was useless against these Sudanese -flies; they seemed to enjoy the fumes. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -only way to circumvent them was to sacrifice -a little jam on a bit of bread and put it aside -to attract the vermin. In a twinkling bread -and jam had become invisible. Nothing was -to be seen but a thick bunch of greedy flies -jostling each other like people at an "early -door."</p> - -<p>On 16th August, owing to a series of those -vexatious delays which are inseparable from -Eastern travel, we did not get our two camels -to the water's edge until nearly six o'clock, -and even then the perverse beasts absolutely -refused to get into the barge which was to -convey them to the other side. At length -we tied their legs together, and then dragged -and shoved them over the plank by main -force. How utterly one loathes a camel -sometimes! Its disposition is morose and -malignant even from its birth; it is full of -original sin, and any affection lavished upon -it is quite wasted. In a word, the camel is a -hopelessly depraved beast—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="la" xml:lang="la"> -<p class="verse">Monstrum nulla virtute redemptum.</p> -</div></div> - -<p>The other day I came across a magazine -article by a writer who claimed to know all -about camels, and he spoke sympathetically<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -of the "soft, purring sound" which issued -from the animal's lips. What an amazing -euphemism for the horrid guttural snorts with -which the peevish brute protests against any -attempt to control its movements or put a -load upon its back. There is no chivalry in -the camel's breast. It will bite a pound of -flesh out of you as you lie asleep, or if you -are riding will suddenly turn round as you -are admiring the scenery and nibble your -legs.</p> - -<p>At length the obstinate creatures were -ferried over the river, but before they were -loaded and ready to start it was already dark. -On the bank I met Howard for the first time -since his Balliol days, and he most kindly -offered to lend me his second horse if I cared -to ride after the Lancers; but as Cross had no -horse I decided to stay with him.</p> - -<p>As Cross, Howard, and myself stood there -in the brief twilight, how little we dreamt that -I alone of the trio should live to return from -the campaign! No thought of coming disaster -overshadowed us as we laughed and chatted -together. It is not always so. I have -personally known three cases in which brave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -men, accustomed to the perils of battle, -suddenly experienced a vivid presentiment that -they would be struck down in the approaching -fight, and in each case a bullet found its mark -in their bodies.</p> - -<p>Howard rode off, and then Cross and I -set out to overtake the column already -encamped thirteen miles away. The general -lie of the ground I knew. If we followed the -telegraph lines we should reach the village of -Abu Selim, and thence a sharp turn to the -left would bring us to the Lancers' camp -beside the Nile. Starting as we did at seven, -we hoped to reach our goal by midnight, and -then a few hours' sleep would have intervened -before a fresh move forward at four next -morning. But the scheme fell through. None -of the servants knew the way in the dark; -there was no moon, and the starlight was not -strong enough to show the telegraph posts. -We struggled on in the uneven scrub, pushing -through mimosa thorns and falling over logs -of palm wood, while our servants struck -matches to look for the hoof-marks of the -cavalry. After two hours of this wearisome -work we had advanced less than three miles,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -and we saw that the enterprise was hopeless. -We sat down on a stump and reviewed the -situation. Neither of us had been overfed -that day. Cross had had some cocoa at dawn, -a cup of bovril at midday, and tea and bread -at four o'clock. My own diet had been the -same as his, minus the afternoon meal. I have -a great belief, personally, in the hygienic value -of temporary starvation, but as we sat there -in the dark, Cross paid scant attention to my -eulogies upon the utility of emptiness, and -very wisely voted for our immediate return to -the starting-place. I did not like to give up -our scheme, but there was not much in the -way of alternative, so after a noisy palaver -with our servants, reinforced by three -suspicious-looking Arabs, who emerged from -the bush, we finally sent one camel and two -servants along the bank, and after another -two hours' floundering through the scrub, -found ourselves again opposite the junction of -the Atbara and Nile. We felt that the stores -would probably pick up the column sooner or -later, but as for ourselves, it would be foolish -to be wandering about the west bank, nearer -the Dervish country, without military escort.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -Woe betide any stragglers who chanced to fall -into the hands of the Dervishes at present! -The best thing to do would be to empty five -chambers of one's revolver and keep the sixth -for one's self!</p> - -<p>One of the suspicious-looking Arabs walked -back with us and showed us a dear little hut -made of wattled branches, which would shelter -us for the night. Our guide turned out to be -a native who had suffered at the hands of the -cruel Mahmoud just before that scoundrel was -defeated and captured at the battle of the -Atbara in the spring. He bared his arm and -showed us a hideous wound, now healed over, -where a Dervish spear had cut through his -flesh from shoulder to elbow. The poor man -had lost his wife and child—slain, both of -them, by the savage Baggaras. This incident, -one among thousands of the same kind, may -give one some idea of the cruel sufferings -to which whole tribes were abandoned by our -cowardly evacuation of the Sudan. We had -put our hand to the plough, and then drew -back.</p> - -<p>We had a good square meal, washed down -by a bottle of claret, the solitary survivor of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -four. Its three companions had fallen from -the camel's back, and lay shattered on the -ground, with their life-juice ebbing fast. -That night I dreamt that I was shooting -rabbits amongst bracken in Essex, and -suddenly awoke, to find myself covered with a -quantity of vegetable matter. Everyone has -experienced the curious feeling of hopeless -bewilderment which occasionally comes over a -man when he wakes in the dark amid fresh -surroundings, and wonders where on earth and -what on earth he is; whether he is in this -world or the next. I found ultimately that -the camel had literally eaten us out of house -and home, for it had ambled up in the night -and devoured the wattled branches of our -hut to such an extent that the sides and roof -suddenly collapsed upon our sleeping forms.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER II</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">FROM THE ATBARA TO WAD HAMED</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">Early on the morning of the 17th our -old friend the <i>El Tahra</i> came in sight, -and we hailed her and crossed again to the -Atbara. Next day, with the rest of the correspondents -still remaining in the camp, we embarked -on board a native <em>ghyassa</em> which was -towed up the river by the gunboat <i>Tamai</i>. -We were thoroughly crowded and uncomfortable -on this miserable barge, and even when -we stepped on to the lower deck of the gunboat -the dirt and confusion was indescribable. -The first night I attempted in the dark to get -a little exercise in this way, but I fell over -a live goat into the middle of a dead sheep -newly slaughtered, and resolved to do without -any further exercise until I landed.</p> - -<p>The Arab servants were quite happy amid -these horrid surroundings, and according to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -their wont would sit about in groups telling -stories till the small hours of the morning. -One of their tales, I learnt, concerned a -mummy which arose and talked to the Bedawin -who unearthed it. In view of certain evidence -which has lately been forthcoming, it is just -possible that some substratum of truth may -have underlaid this weird story. The evidence -to which I allude is contained in the following -account, which is alleged to be authentic.</p> - -<p>A short time ago an Englishman who was -travelling in Mexico happened to discover a -mummied body of which the extremities were -missing. He carried off his find to the home -of a Mexican friend whose guest he was, and -after dinner showed the mummy to the master -and mistress of the house. The case with -its contents was placed on the billiard table, -and the trio sat on a couch some distance -off, when suddenly a voice seemed to issue -from the box. The Englishman turned to his -host to compliment him on his supposed ventriloquism, -when he saw that both the Mexican -and his wife were deadly pale, and the lady -in a fainting condition. He rushed to the -case on the table and declares that as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -stooped over it he heard articulate speech -issue from the mummied form inside! The -voice, however, was only momentary, and after -a time his host informed him that already -before he entered the room the sound had -been heard by his wife and himself proceeding -from the box.</p> - -<p>This mummy is now, I hear, in England, -and one authority who has been consulted -suggests that the employment of the Röntgen -rays might perhaps reveal in the mummy's -interior some mechanical device employed by -the ancients to produce the semblance of the -human voice. That some contrivance of this -kind was known in antiquity seems almost -certain. Priestcraft sometimes caused the -statues of gods to talk, as, for example, the -famous statue of Memnon amongst the ruins -of Thebes. In the case before us some vibration -may have started this venerable clockwork -into renewed activity, just as nowadays -the pressure of infantile fingers causes the -mechanical doll to squeak and gibber, or cry -"Papa," "Mamma."</p> - -<p>At length Colonel Wingate took pity on -our abject position in the <em>ghyassa</em>, and we were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -permitted to leave the society of "Gyppy" -officers and native servants, and have our -meals on the upper deck.</p> - -<p>The gunboat conveyed the Staff of the -Intelligence Department, including Slatin -Pasha. The long years of hardship endured -at Omdurman have left few traces on Slatin; -he is always in excellent spirits, and a most -kind and unselfish travelling companion. He -told me that he was utterly weary of the -Sudan, and would, like many others, be -heartily glad to see the last of campaigning in -these torrid regions. He told me, too, many -interesting things about Omdurman and the -prisoners still in the Dervishes' power; and how -the Austrian mission-sister had been compelled -to marry a Greek by the Khalifa on the quaint -ground that it was indecorous for an unmarried -lady to reside at Omdurman without adequate -protection.</p> - -<p>The Nile becomes much more interesting -above the Atbara, and the banks in places are -clothed with dense vegetation. We stopped -several times to take in wood for the engine, -and at one of our halting-places, Zeibad, -during a ramble on shore, I found the bushes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -full of little doves (<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">turtur Senegalensis</i>), and a -flock of wild geese got up, offering a fine -shot had one carried a gun. A few hundred -yards away I noticed a line of huge Marabout -storks. The plumage of these birds is very -striking, and I have heard it suggested that -when on one occasion during the Atbara -campaign a correspondent rode back to camp -in hot haste with the report that he had been -chased by Dervishes, he had really fallen in -with a line of Marabout storks, and mistaken -their mottled plumage for Arab "gibbehs." -Farther along the bank we skirted a huge -marsh—a perfect paradise for a sportsman: -teal, duck, and snipe rose in vast coveys; on -a tall bush a large fishing eagle was perched, -which paid scant attention to the steamer; -while at the foot two small crocodiles or very -large water-lizards lay basking in the sunshine. -On every side a multitude of cranes, secretary -birds, and the sacred ibis stalked solemnly -about in dignified silence. The whole formed -a charming picture of animal life undisturbed -by the presence of man—every creature -working out its own perfection in "delight -and liberty."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> - -<p>The voyage was full of interest. By day we -wrote up our diaries, took photographs of -interesting bits of river scenery, or occasionally -got a shot at a wild duck or goose, which -formed a welcome addition to our larder. -About half-way to Shabluka we sighted the -curious pyramids of Meroe, thirteen or fourteen -in number. These seem to be often -irregular in shape, and are not nearly so large -as the pyramids of Ghizeh or Sakhara. They -stand all solitary in a waste of sand and rock, -strange enigmatic relics of a vanished race. -The region of Meroe once formed a kingdom -in itself, which succeeded the Ethiopian kingdom -of Napata, lower down the river. The -dynasties of the Meroitic kings attained considerable -power, and were able to retain their -independence when the rest of Egypt became -subject to foreign control. Meroe was -formerly a flourishing centre for caravan and -river-borne trade, but this seems to have -disappeared by the Christian era, for in Nero's -time it is described as a desolate wilderness, -and this fact seems to render untenable the -belief that the Queen Candace mentioned in the -Acts was the sovereign of Meroe. From the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -time of Justinian to the 14th century Meroe -was absorbed in the kingdom of Dongola, -whose inhabitants professed the Jacobite form -of Christianity. Quite recently I heard that -an altar had been found somewhere in the -Meroe region with an inscription to Isa -(Jesus), who still lives in the tradition of the -country as a great Sheikh. Now that the -Sudan has been opened up, and travellers -need not fear a compulsory experience of the -Khalifa's hospitality at Omdurman, one of the -first steps which English archæologists ought -to undertake is the investigation of the -countless ruins, tombs, inscriptions, and so -forth, which exist south of Wady Halfa. No -one, for instance, has yet deciphered the script -which is met with amongst the ruins in the -Wady Ben Naga. Lepsius explored these ruins -in 1844, and published some of the curious -inscriptions in his <cite>Denkmäler</cite>; but until a -bilingual inscription is discovered which will, -like the Rosetta Stone, furnish a clue to this -mysterious writing, Egyptologists will continue -to sigh over its inscrutable characters. -Professor Sayce had asked me to bring back -some "squeezes" and photographs from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -Meroitic inscriptions; but, alas, on the return -journey the squeeze paper and photographic -apparatus were lost by the capsizing of some -<em>ghyassas</em>, and so I could do nothing in the -cause of palæography.</p> - -<p>A short distance past the pyramids we -caught up a curious procession wending its way -along the bank. A famous Gaalin sheikh, -Hamara Wad Abu Sin, was journeying southwards -to join the Anglo-Egyptian forces. This -important ally led the way on foot, followed by -a retainer armed with a Remington. Then -came a baggage camel carrying the personal -luggage of the chieftain, and the rear was -brought up by two men and two boys. When -the gunboat got opposite the old sheikh, he at -once jumped into the river and swam to us, -followed by one of the small boys, who kept -his master's bundle of clothes out of the water. -Wad Abu Sin is head of the Shukryeh tribe, -and is noted throughout the Sudan for his -personal bravery. His father was <em>mudir</em> of -Khartum under Gordon, and he himself was a -prisoner in that town until he managed to -escape through Abyssinia. It was touching to -see the old man's joy at meeting Slatin, his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -fellow-sufferer under the cruel tyranny of the -Khalifa.</p> - -<p>At Magyrich, on the western bank, we found -the Lancers encamped in a beautiful palm -grove, and Cross and I were especially glad to -see our camel with the two servants, who had -evidently managed to pick up the column. -Some distance lower down than Magyrich we -had already passed two little groups of Lancers. -One batch of twelve stood on the bank, and -asked us to take them on board, as their horses -had broken down; the other party consisted of -only two men, whose comrade had just died of -sunstroke, and been buried by the survivors -under a mimosa bush.</p> - -<p>At 5 a.m. a man swam to the boat from the -shore, who turned out to be a deserter from -Omdurman. He stated that when he left two -of the Dervish boats were on the point of -starting to the South, in order, perhaps, to fetch -grain, and that the Khalifa was at present with -his army, at the outermost of the Omdurman -lines of defence, about three miles to the north -of the town. This seemed to confirm the -general belief, which was afterwards verified, -that the decisive battle would not be fought in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -front of the Kerreri ridge, some ten miles -north of the capital, but in front of Omdurman -itself.</p> - -<p>The sight of Metemmeh was full of interest. -On the opposite bank lay the ingeniously -constructed forts of Shendy, with solid mud -walls, thirty-five feet thick. Miles back beyond -Metemmeh, in the desert, lay Abu Klea, and -between the two the hamlets of Abu Kru and -Gubat. The fighting which we were destined -to experience before Omdurman was as nothing -compared with the desperate struggles in 1885, -when the gallant column of British troops -fought its way through overwhelming numbers -from Abu Klea to the Nile. Englishmen may -well be proud of this splendid feat of arms, -unexampled as it is in the history of the Sudan -campaigns. Major Stuart-Wortley, who was -present at the series of fights from Abu Klea -to the Nile, pointed out to me the mud-hut to -which Sir Herbert Stewart had been carried. -How pitiful to think that the lives of this -gallant leader and many another brave man -were sacrificed in vain! Instead of helping to -save the beleaguered city and rescue Gordon, -the dearly-won victory of Abu Klea only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -seemed to hasten the destruction of Khartum. -The Mahdist forces were so incensed by the -sight of their wounded comrades brought back -after the battle, that they demanded to be led -at once to the assault, and captured the town -almost without resistance.</p> - -<p>We heard, by the way, at Nasri that all -the graves of the gallant men who fell in the -fighting from Abu Klea to Metemmeh had -been desecrated by the Dervishes, and that -the white bones lay scattered over the desert. -One exception, however, had been made. The -resting-place of Sir Herbert Stewart had not -been molested.</p> - -<p>The above news was, I believe, embodied -in several telegrams, but was struck out by the -Press Censor, as it was thought likely to cause -pain to many in England whose relatives had -fallen in the Abu Klea campaign. Afterwards, -too, some doubts were thrown upon the -truth of the report; but even if the story was -well founded, it matters little. Of our valiant -dead we may surely say, in the immortal words -of the Athenian statesman, "They received -each one for himself the noblest of all sepulchres. -I speak not of that in which their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -remains are laid, but of that in which their -glory survives.... For the whole earth is a -sepulchre of famous men: not only are they -commemorated by columns and inscriptions, -but there dwells also an unwritten memorial -of them, graven not on stone, but in the hearts -of men."</p> - -<p>The evening before we reached Nasri Island -we were suddenly overtaken by a terrific sandstorm. -Two vast columns of sand rose straight -up from the desert and swept rapidly towards -us. The sky was black with clouds, birds -ceased to sing, and the grasshoppers chirruped -no more, as all living creatures, from ourselves -downward, prepared for the coming terror. -The <i>Tamai</i> at once tied up to the bank, and -we waited for the hurricane. Suddenly it -came rushing upon us. Everyone clutched -books, camp-chairs, cameras, plates, bottles—whatever -lay within reach—and sat tight, while -the gunboat heeled over beneath the shock. -The storm was shortlived; streams of sunshine -broke afresh through the clouds, and -birds and insects came forth from their hiding-places, -and rejoiced that the tyranny was overpast. -We speedily collected our scattered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -properties and went on our way. Yet all night -long the lightning flashed incessantly, showing -up every bush and rock on the river bank as -clearly as at noonday.</p> - -<p>Nasri Island had been converted into a vast -depôt for stores. All the people who were -obliged to remain at this station throughout -the campaign seemed very depressed. There -was nothing whatever to do out of work hours -except to prowl along the river bank, on the -chance of slaying a goose or catching a fish. -One of the officers came on board, and, in -answer to our query as to his welfare, said he -felt "a bit cheap," as in addition to being -soaked to the skin as he lay in bed, he had -been stung by two scorpions during the night. -As the <i>Tamai's</i> condensers had gone wrong, -and the engineer seemed to have lost his head -altogether, we tied up to the bank until 2 a.m., -and four more hours brought us to Wad -Hamed, where the Sirdar's forces were to be -finally concentrated before the march upon -Omdurman.</p> - -<p>We thoroughly enjoyed the week's sojourn -at Wad Hamed, as the camp seemed healthy, -and along the Nile there were many charming<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -bits of scenery. In fact, in some places where -the enormous breadth of the river was broken -up into narrower channels, one might almost -imagine oneself on the Thames. The banks -were clothed with the bright green foliage of -the nebek and mimosa bushes, which afforded -shelter to innumerable birds. The thorns of -the nebek are worse even than those of the -mimosa; they curl inwards, and are very -strong. Nevertheless, the camel rejoices exceedingly -when it can seize a mouthful of this -prickly tree, and the yellow berries are not to -be despised by human beings when they are -really hungry. There is, however, one feature -which is sadly lacking even in the nicest bits of -Nile scenery; there are no flowers.</p> - -<p>After we had pitched our tents amongst -some mimosa scrub, during which process our -barefooted servants leapt about like cats on -hot bricks, we were informed that the Sirdar -would receive the correspondents in his tent. -Bennett-Burleigh had arrived in the meantime, -having stolen away from the Lancers' camp -and the other correspondents, and ridden forty -miles that day—a fine performance, if not -strictly in accord with military discipline. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -thereupon collected our little cohort of fifteen, -and went off to meet the General. I did not -enjoy the interview, which was as barren of -results as it was humiliating. The only -parallel to it which I can think of is that of a -row of curates before a brusque and autocratic -bishop. During the brief commonplaces which -passed between us, the general impression -conveyed to me was the immeasurable condescension -of our chief in even deigning to -address the representatives of a Press which -has never failed to extol even to the verge of -exaggeration the achievements of the Anglo-Egyptian -Army and its leader! How deep -the gulf which appeared to separate the -Egyptian commander-in-chief from the civilian -correspondent! In short, I should advise -anybody who cannot put his pride in his pocket -to avoid the rôle of amateur war correspondent -in Egypt. The professionals are, I suppose, -to some extent inoculated by this time, and -cling to the delusion that correspondents -during a campaign are treated like officers.</p> - -<p>At the same time, I am bound to confess that -if I were a commanding officer I should not be -favourably impressed with the <em>genus</em> "corre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>spondent" -as a whole. There is sometimes a -blatant self-conceit and vulgar swagger about a -war correspondent which is very irritating, -while in other cases intolerance of discipline -and incessant attempts to override military -regulations for mere private ends have gone -far to justify Lord Wolseley's <em>dictum</em> that -correspondents are "the curse of modern -warfare." Of course there are delightful -exceptions to this sort of thing to be met with -in a war correspondent's camp. Some of the -men who engage in this most delightful -occupation are good fellows in every sense of -the phrase,—brave, generous, and clever,—and -it is a privilege to enjoy the companionship of -men like Steevens, Scudamore, Villiers, and -others whom I could name.</p> - -<p>Altogether, the little <em>kosmos</em> of our camp was -full of interest, as the types of war correspondent -one meets with vary considerably. -There is the rough man who glories in his -roughness, scorns luxury, and doesn't wash. -An excellent fellow in his way, he yet renders -himself more unhappy than he need be by his -unstinted devotion to discomfort. To imitate -an ancient Eremite by never changing one's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -shirt when you can purchase one for 2s. 11¾d., -and to sleep on the ground when you have got -plenty of money to buy a valise bed, may have -certain charms when the weather is fair and -you haven't got fever; but when rain is falling -upon you, as it knows how to fall in the -tropics, or you would give half your income for -a little shade from the midday sun, which has -got you by the back of the neck and made you -limp and listless—it is then that the swashbuckler -and old campaigner theory breaks -down.</p> - -<p>In signal contrast with the above type, one -finds the war correspondent who makes himself -as comfortable as possible. His editor does -not grudge the supply, nor he the expenditure, -of large sums of money. He puts on a clean -shirt every day, and has his boots polished in -the heart of the desert. He wears beautiful -cummerbunds, and is all glorious within; his -underclothing is of wrought silk. When less -fortunate mortals drink muddy water this -Sybarite calls for a whisky and Rosbach, and -finishes off a dinner of five courses with a -glass of excellent liqueur. But, after all, why -shouldn't a man make his camp life as pleasant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -as possible as long as his comforts don't interfere -with other people's? Indeed, so far from -this being the case, the "comfortable" correspondent—as -far as my experience goes—is -often a really kind and generous fellow, who -never grudges a friend a share in his good -things; and as to his picturesque costume and -careful toilette, a man preserves his self-respect -all the better when he is clean and nicely -dressed. The hospitality, too, which, when -camels and servants abound, can be generously -dispensed to agreeable and communicative -officers, is a most valuable factor in the success -of a war correspondent's career; its quality is -like that of mercy—it blesses him that gives as -well as him that takes.</p> - -<p>Another type meets us in the veterans, the -self-constituted <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">doyens</i> of the pressmen, who -claim to regulate the camp and lay down the -law generally. Some old persons of this sort, -on the strength of their own antiquity and their -experience of half a dozen campaigns, are loud -in their denunciation of all "interlopers," as -they are pleased to call all gentlemen who pay -their own expenses and do literary work in -connection with the campaign.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>Again, all campaigners must know the type -of correspondent, who, ignorant of any language -except his own, and speaking that imperfectly, -ill-treats his servants when they fail to -understand his orders. Such persons as this -are either too stupid or too lazy to master even -a few common words of the vernacular, yet they -imagine that for £2, 10s. a month they can -secure an accomplished linguist as a servant! -"Untwist that knot; not that knot, that other -knot! Great Scot! You," etc. etc. The poor -Arab boy stands perplexed and fearful—he -cannot understand this bewildering utterance, -and becomes helpless or makes a bad shot and -begins to open a tin of marmalade or lay the -table. Then "thud, thud," as a heavy stick -falls on the servant's bare flesh, or the wretched -boy emerges from the tent, his face streaming -with blood from a cowardly blow by his -master's fist. I have known an Arab servant to -be followed for yards and beaten most cruelly -with a heavy stick, because, owing to a breakdown -of the telegraph, he was unable to forward -a message sent by his master. The boy -was absolutely blameless in the matter, but his -master would not listen to a word of explana<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>tion, -and the sound of the brutal strokes he -showered upon the servant were audible far -away. The foul abuse bellowed at servants -frequently made our camp a disgrace to the -zeriba. Everybody in the East swears at his -servants, but still—whether the proposition be -ethically sound or not—there is a gentlemanly -way of swearing—brief and incisive, and not -intended to reach the ears of others than the -delinquent.</p> - -<p>Moreover, if one treats one's Arab servants -with kindness and firmness withal, they generally -do their best, and often become quite -devoted to their master. When after the -battle Mr. Villiers was lost for some time, and -fears were entertained about him, his servant -was full of genuine distress and anxiety. If, -on the other hand, no tie exists between master -and servant except fear of the <em>kurbash</em> and the -loss of the paltry wages, what can one expect -in the way of zeal and devotion?</p> - -<p>The yells and screams of fury which commenced -at daybreak, and often made night -hideous in the correspondents' camp, were -never heard amongst the officers, who surely -had infinitely more to put up with in the way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -of discomfort than we had. In short, disgust -was often the prevailing sentiment with which -one could contemplate our own camp, and it -was a delightful relief to get away for a quiet, -pleasant chat with one's officer friends.</p> - -<p>There are other types also. The "new -hand," some peaceful-looking journalist who -has never fired a shot in his life, even at a -bunny, stands before the door of his tent <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'yclad in all'">clad -in all</ins> the trappings with which Messrs. Silver -adorn the noumenal war correspondent of -their imagination. Every strap in the <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'bran new kit'">brand -new kit</ins> is in its place, and the poor man is so -festooned with cameras and field-glasses and -revolvers and haversacks that respiration must -be difficult, as he bumps along on his gee-gee -in an enormous helmet. He cannot ride, -to walk he is ashamed. Yet, if the "new -hand's" enthusiasm for a war correspondent's -career is not disillusioned by the stern realities -of a Sudan campaign, he will appear in our -next "little war" as an old hand, and will -be all the happier for having left behind him -the outfit dear to the war correspondent of -comic opera, and donned a less intricate -but more effective costume.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> - -<p>Once more, there is the non-journalistic -amateur, who, in order to go through the -campaign, has secured a permit to act as a -correspondent for some newspaper. As I was -myself a humble member of this class, I will -refrain from criticising its merits and defects, -though later on a brief tribute may well be -paid to the memory of two of its members, -who, alas, did not return—Cross and Howard.</p> - -<p>Now, concerning war correspondents enough -has been said. Let no one be offended by -fair criticism and good-natured banter—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="la" xml:lang="la"> -<p class="verse">Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas,</p> -<p class="verse">Gaudia, discursus, nostri est farrago libelli.</p> -</div></div> - -<p>At the same time it seems likely that the -day of the highly paid war correspondent, -with <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">carte blanche</i> to spend as much as he -likes, is almost over. Scores of capable men -with a 'Varsity education would be delighted -to do war correspondent's work for a tithe of -what is paid to some of these gentlemen; and -as agencies like Reuter supply excellent telegrams, -there is no crying need for additional -"wires." At least one of our leading newspapers -was quite uncertain for a long time -as to whether it would send a special corre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>spondent -to the Sudan or not, and an editor -remarked to me that the copy sent was often -scarcely worth the outlay. "We don't want -to read," said he, "how our correspondent -was bitten by mosquitoes, or left his pyjamas -behind him."</p> - -<p>As my friend Professor Poulton of Oxford -had kindly bestowed upon me a small net -and a "killing bottle," I resolved to collect -some butterflies and insects for the University -Museum, and made frequent excursions outside -Wad Hamed camp for the purpose. But -ill-luck pursued my untrained efforts at -practical entomology. The only thing the -bottle came within measurable distance of -killing was myself, for it got broken almost -at the start, and my cook, thinking the strong-smelling -concoction at the bottom was some -form of curry powder or seasoning, had -carefully annexed the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</i> of the bottle, -and was proceeding to use it for culinary -purposes, when I seized the stuff and hurled -it into the river.</p> - -<p>The butterfly net also fell upon evil days, -for the donkey which carried it began to roll -one evening before its load was removed, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -the apparatus was utterly smashed. The stick -and brasswork I reluctantly left on the field, -but the green gauze served to protect one's -eyes and complexion when sandstorms swept -through the air.</p> - -<p>In consequence of these disasters my -entomology had to be carried out with ruder -implements—to wit, a bath towel and a thick -stick. If a butterfly settled on the ground I -stalked it carefully, and then fell upon it with -the towel; but I often rose from the earth -with no butterfly, and nothing in my hands -except half a dozen mimosa thorns. Incensed -at failure, one struck at the gaudy insects as -they fluttered past, and sometimes succeeded -in braining a few; but as I gathered up the -scattered remains I trembled to think of the -Professor's sarcasms upon the condition of -my Sudanese specimens. The natives used -to gaze upon my pursuit of butterflies with -looks of amusement and surprise. What -could the Englishman want with these worthless -insects? Were they his totems or -fetiches? did he collect them for gastronomic -purposes, or as material for magical rites? -I sometimes offered some trifling <em>bakshish</em><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -for butterflies, but the Arabs could never be -brought to realise that I wanted variety -and quality as well as quantity. On one -occasion a struggling mass of fifteen or -twenty common white butterflies in a matchbox—all -exactly the same—was triumphantly -brought me by a small boy. I liberated the -unhappy prisoners, and rewarded the boy with -one penny and a severe lecture.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a></p> - -<p>As to the other insects in my collection, -many of these were so appallingly ugly and -malignant in appearance that one had to pull -oneself together to attempt their capture. A -soda-water bottle had been filled with whisky -amid the protests of Cross, who thought this -a waste of good liquor, and when some grisly -insect with a striped body, projecting eyes, and -aggressive antennæ appeared inside the tent, -something like this conversation used to take -place:—</p> - -<p>E. N. B.—"Do you mind catching that -harmless lepidopt, Cross, while I hold the -bottle?"</p> - -<p>H. C.—"I think, somehow, that you're better -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>at catching those beasts than I am; give me -the bottle."</p> - -<p>As I had decreed death as the penalty for -any creeping thing which invaded our tent, -the noisome creature was, as a rule, gingerly -secured and forced into the spirit, where it -speedily died of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">delirium tremens</i>. Nothing -is more unpleasant in tropical countries than -to have a winged insect of great size and -energy enter one's tent in the dark. <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Omne -ignotum pro terribili</i>: suddenly the Unknown -makes its presence felt by rising up from the -ground with a loud buzz; it necessarily strikes -against the tent pole or the canvas, and immediately -collapses with a thud on the bedclothes -or one's face; and then, after a brief -interval for recovery, it recommences its -clumsy gambols and aërial flights.</p> - -<p>Our stock of literature in the Wad Hamed -camp was of amazing variety. We established -by usage a sort of Desert Circulating Library, -and novels, old magazines, and even newspapers -of venerable antiquity were eagerly -sought for and exchanged. My own parcel of -books on board the <i>Tamai</i> consisted of Whyte -Melville's <cite>Holmby House</cite>, <cite>The Juggler and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -Soul</cite>, by Helen Mathers, and a penny edition -of <cite>Quentin Durward</cite>. I was surprised on one -occasion to find a Scotchman engaged in reading -Horace's <cite>Satires</cite> in a new translation by -Mr. Coutts. He knew nothing of the original -Latin, but had purchased the volume, and was -wading through the archaic material with -apparent relish. Possibly the jokes of antiquity -may have succeeded in striking that -chord in a Scottish temperament which is so -often unresponsive to contemporary humour! -Whenever one got a periodical of any sort, -such as <cite>The Wide World</cite>, one did not toy with -it in a dilettante fashion. Every line of it was -read from cover to cover, and even the advertisements -of life assurance offices were perused -with some degree of interest amid this comparative -dearth of intellectual pabulum.</p> - -<p>One evening, in an interval of leisure before -dinner, I strolled along the Nile to see if I -could add a little fresh fish to our <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ménu</i>. I -had with me one of the excellent rods made -for a few shillings by Slater of Newark-on-Trent, -which pack up into very small compass, -and can easily be carried in a hold-all or -Gladstone bag. The river was much too<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -muddy for fly fishing, and one of my officer -friends remarked that the fish would have to -jump a foot out of the water before they saw -the fly. Nevertheless I tried a few casts with -a Zulu and a nondescript chub-fly, and after a -couple of rises managed to land a curious fish -of the carp (?) tribe with long barbules, which -is called by the Arabs "Abu Shenab" (Father -of Moustaches). There is another very common -fish in the Nile of the bream species. It -is shaped like a pair of bellows, and has about -the same flavour when cooked.</p> - -<p>It is always worth while to try a cast or -two on unknown waters in the course of one's -travels. This spring I was fortunate enough -to get some excellent sport from a few hours' -fly fishing in the Waters of Merom and the -Jordan. The latter river simply teems with -fish of seventeen different species, some of -which, including the "Father of Moustaches," -are found elsewhere only in the Nile—a fact -which seems to indicate a connection between -the two streams at some remote period.</p> - -<p>Sir Francis Grenfell told me that a friend of -his had landed some huge fish at the junction -of the Nile and Atbara, and during our stay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -there a native caught a fish weighing nearly a -hundred pounds, which was served up, I believe, -at the Guards' mess. When the Nile gets lower, -some splendid sport might be enjoyed with -these monstrous fish. In fact, when one fishes -in a stream like the Atbara, there is a delightful -uncertainty about the nature of the prospective -catch. One never knows what is coming up. -That keen sportsman, the late Sir Samuel -Baker, fished in this stream with a live bait -2 lbs. in weight, and landed fish up to 180 lbs.! -On one occasion he tells how something seized -the bait, and would not budge an inch. The -dead weight on the line was tremendous, and -Sir Samuel says it felt "as if the devil -himself had got hold of the hook." At last, -after placing his feet against a rock and pulling, -something moved upwards in the water which -looked for all the world like a cart wheel. -Finally, up came a huge water-tortoise, which -gave one plunge, and broke away with the -hook and several yards of line.</p> - -<p>By day the vast area occupied by the two -British brigades, and various battalions of -Sudanese and Egyptians, was full of ceaseless -work, accompanied by a perfect babel of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -sounds, as fatigue parties hurried in various -directions, and long strings of native labourers -carried loads or hauled at ropes, with their monotonous -sing-song recitation of Koran fragments. -The Gregorian chant, which secures the exclusive -devotion of some Churchmen, is doubtless -an approximation to the music of the primitive -Church, but solely because that Church happened -to find its earliest home in the East, -where no other type of music has ever been -known or appreciated. But there is no more -reason why an Englishman should feel bound -to sing ugly Gregorians than that he should -chant the psalms in loose cotton garments -without his boots. In either case the "local -colour" is quite un-Western.</p> - -<p>In this, as in all other Sudan campaigns, -some difficulty was experienced by the officers -in keeping the soldiers from becoming almost -amphibious creatures. If he had his own way, -Tommy Atkins would have spent the greater -part of his time in floundering about the -muddy river. The spirit of sport, so deeply -ingrained in the Englishman, found few outlets -during the campaign; but now and then, in -order to witness a good swimming race, Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -Atkins would gladly cast a large lump of his -rations—bread or biscuit upon the waters. -Arab urchins swim admirably, with that quick -hand-over-hand stroke which primitive tribes -always employ; and they judge their distances -so accurately that they rarely miss a crust, -even where the stream is running at the rate -of many miles an hour.</p> - -<p>But the troops were, as a matter of fact, -always far too busy to get much time for -relaxation, in or out of the water. It is -astonishing that the authorities should have -found it necessary to assign such an enormous -amount of work to the officers and men during -the concentration at Wad Hamed. On some -days the British troops had no less than twelve -hours' fatigue work! Take, for example, the -casual record of one day's round of work, got -through by a certain battalion in the heat of a -Sudan August. The troops were on parade -from 4.30 to 8. They then returned to the -camp, and, without being allowed any breakfast, -were set to cut grass. Ten minutes were -then allotted for the morning meal. The -next item was wood-cutting, and the digging -of trenches for camp purposes. This fatigue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -continued till the midday dinner, and from -two o'clock to dark the men were practised -in loading camels. Next morning reveille -sounded at four, and then, although the battalion -was on the point of leaving the camp, -they were actually ordered, before their -departure, to cut a number of tree-stumps -out of the ground! I do not mention these -facts with any intent to dispute their utility -or expediency. The British soldier does, -under normal conditions during peace, infinitely -less work than falls to the lot of his continental -brethren. When the Russian soldier has -finished his parades he is set to build walls -and make roads, while Atkins is disporting -himself in the cricket or football field. So it is -perhaps not undesirable that our men should -learn the meaning of really hard work occasionally. -But it was pleasant to see how -cheerfully the Tommies bore it, at anyrate -outwardly; for I never heard a word of -grumbling or "grousing," as they phrase it. -Moreover, from a hygienic point of view, their -round of heavy fatigues most certainly agreed -with them. Wonderfully little sickness prevailed -in the ranks, in spite of the fierce heat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -and the indifferent water, though the wear and -tear removed every ounce of superfluous flesh, -and reduced our men to the condition of those -"lean and wiry dogs" which Plato regarded as -a model in the selection of his Republican -warriors.</p> - -<p>The Sudanese, on the other hand, grumbled -a good deal. Their conception of military -discipline and obedience are somewhat rudimentary, -and manual labour is distasteful to -them. The discontent which was caused in -their ranks by what they deemed excessive -fatigue work culminated finally in a number of -desertions. In Wad Hamed alone there were, -I believe, no less than twenty cases of desertion, -and three at least of the scoundrels -were recaptured and shot. The deserters were -doubtless making off southwards to join the -Khalifa, for the life of a Baggara Dervish in -prosperous times—a mere round of eating, -sleeping, and fighting—would form an ideal -existence in the eyes of an animal like the -average Sudanese soldier.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, a constant stream of -fugitives began to reach the camp from the -south; in Wad Hamed there were some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -thirteen hundred deserters from the Khalifa's -dominions. Many of them came down the -river, a motley herd of women and children, -with a sprinkling of men all packed together -in native barges. What these poor creatures -lived on I do not know, but I strolled amongst -some hundreds of them one evening, and they -all seemed in excellent spirits and quite convinced -that this time, at anyrate, they had put -their money on the right horse. The presence -of these uninvited guests caused considerable -embarrassment to the Army Service Corps, -but the authorities did the best they could -for them, and in a big camp there are always -a good many pickings which the refugees and -vultures might share between them, though -our feathered visitors had rather a pull over -the other bipeds, as they rose betimes, and, -according to the ancient adage, the early bird -got the "bully" beef. This beef, by the way, -was always to be picked up. It was issued -to the men, for greater convenience of transport, -in 3-lb. tins, which were trisected with -a hammer and chisel for three rations. But, -as the men soon got tired of the meat, and it -speedily, after being opened, became uneatable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -from the heat, vast quantities of it were thrown -away; and I noticed that the line of railway -was often marked for hundreds of yards with -tins of "bully" beef more or less full, which -were speedily pounced upon by Arabs; if any -village chanced to be close at hand.</p> - -<p>Occasionally the soldiers got rations of -fresh meat, and, what was almost more welcome, -fresh bread, with now and then the -additional luxury—oh, blissful moment!—of a -little marmalade. Once a week, too, a tot of -rum was served out, and happy was the orderly -whose task it was to convey the rum rations -to his superiors; for the officers rarely drank -the fiery spirit, and when it was given back -it was not wasted. This small weekly allowance -was the only strong drink which Tommy -Atkins imbibed throughout the campaign. -The deadly effects of alcoholic excess in a -climate like that of the Sudan are, of course, -well known, and in a previous campaign the -danger of allowing the men the use of intoxicants -had been so unpleasantly demonstrated -in the case of a certain British battalion, that -the Sirdar very wisely established a system -of "total prohibition" amongst the rank and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -file. Some rascally Greeks brought casks of -whisky and beer to the Atbara, but the authorities -soon discovered their little game. Most -of the alcohol was sent back to Cairo, and of -the remainder, some was put under the military -seal and the rest simply emptied into the sand!</p> - -<p>At Wad Hamed officers and correspondents -alike enjoyed a life of comparative comfort and -refinement, which was necessarily impossible -in our subsequent camps during the final week -of the campaign. On ordinary days we woke -about five o'clock, when Ali brought us a mug -of cocoa and a biscuit. The biscuit supplied -to the Egyptian troops was of a dark brown -colour, and hard as a brick. On leaving Wad -Hamed, Ali went by mistake to the wrong -canteen, and brought us a bag of "Gyppy" -biscuit, on which Cross and I subsisted for -several days, and were thankful at the end -that we had only lost one tooth each in that -period. The British biscuit was much nicer, -comparatively white, and quite free from -"weevils"; for I used to shake my biscuits -to see if I could extract one of these insects, -which I much wished to see. No weevil ever -emerged, and I am under the impression that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -this insect, which figures so prominently in -tales about pirates and "sea dogs," must be -a semi-fabulous creature, to be placed under -the same category as the basilisk and the -Barometz lamb.</p> - -<p>After dressing we generally strolled about -the camp on the banks of the river for an -hour or so, and then we were quite ready -for breakfast, which ordinarily meant porridge, -sardines, bread or biscuit, marmalade, and tea. -As at this time of the day one could generally -secure a little hot water or the remaining -contents of the teapot, I used to devote some -time to shaving. This operation was quite -an ordeal in the Sudan. Lather manufactured -from muddy Nile water spread a layer of fine -sand over one's face, which speedily blunted -the best steel, and towards the end of the -campaign I might as well have used a piece -of hoop iron as try to make my razors work -with cold water. With warm water the torture -was somewhat less acute.</p> - -<p>Perhaps it is worth while mentioning in -connection with our biscuit supply that any -traveller or explorer who cannot secure flour -as he proceeds, can easily make certain of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -having a continual supply of decent bread by -the following means. Let him order a quantity -of thick, flat cakes to be made of ordinary -bread dough. When these are thoroughly -baked they must be gradually dried either by -artificial heat or by the sun, if its rays are -strong enough, until every particle of moisture -is dried up. Bread thus desiccated will last -for months, and when it is wanted a lump is -sprinkled with a little water, and one finds -nice spongy bread for breakfast instead of -the hard and monotonous biscuit. Mrs. -Theodore Bent first taught me this bread-lore, -and when I explored Sokotra in company -with herself and her husband, we took several -sacks of these flat cakes, and were in consequence -never without nice fresh bread.</p> - -<p>In the interval between breakfast and midday -we got through a good deal of work in -the way of letter-writing or telegraphing. If -one had nothing to do oneself there was -always a certain psychological interest attaching -to the study of one's fellow-correspondents -and their mysterious movements. One of -them, after a successful prowl for news, would -appear walking towards his tent with an air<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">nonchalance</i> intended to conceal his eagerness -to find telegraph forms. He would dive -within the canvas, and then dispatch a servant -with a telegram, which five hours afterwards -would be received in London, and next -morning would be read by thousands of eager -eyes; for surely no Sudan campaign has ever -possessed a quarter of the interest which, for -some reason or other, the present one has -aroused in the British public. Of course all -telegrams had to be brought to Colonel -Wingate and receive his official <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">visé</i> and -approval before being put upon the wires. -The utmost precautions were taken throughout -the campaign against any bad faith on -the part of the operatives. All the clerks -employed in this service were bound over in -sureties of £240 not to divulge the contents -of any telegram. This was found necessary, -inasmuch as during the last campaign several -important telegrams—so I was informed—between -the Sirdar and Sir Francis Grenfell -were revealed to others than the lawful -recipients.</p> - -<p>After a light lunch about 12.30, everybody, -soldier and civilian alike, lolled about in shirt-sleeves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -or went to sleep well under cover -of his canvas. Outside the sun blazed down -in fury on the desert, till the rocks became -too hot to be touched, and the rarefied air -quivered over the yellow sand. To walk -twenty yards in the open without a helmet -might mean death, and even inside one's tent -the heat which penetrated a double roof of -thick green canvas was so intense that a wet -towel was very welcome as a protection for -the head. Whenever the surrounding temperature -exceeds that of the surface of one's -body there is always a risk of sunstroke, and -it is amazing that during the heat which has -prevailed in England during August and -September few people took the trouble to -protect their heads by any additional covering -beyond a straw hat. In fact, Surgeon-Major -Parkes states that he had come across many -more cases of sunstroke in England than in -Africa, where he had spent many years amid -the vicissitudes of travel and exploration. -Furthermore, a "spinal pad" is almost of as -much importance as a good helmet against -sunstroke, yet in the Sudan the use of the -spinal pad supplied by the Government was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -rather the exception than the rule, and men -walked about in the tropical sun with a helmet -on their heads while their back was protected -only by a flannel shirt. Sunstroke -acts in different ways. I have seen the -quartermaster of a P. and O. in the Red Sea -suddenly drop as if he had been shot; but, -in most cases, the initial stages—loss of -appetite, nausea, and headache—give one full -warning, and if the patient can at once get -under some shade and secure medical assistance, -the "touch of the sun," which has -upset him for the time being, passes away -without leaving any effects behind it except -a general lassitude for some time.</p> - -<p>About four o'clock the hottest part was -over, but the danger of sunstroke was, if -anything, greater, because the oblique rays of -the sun fell upon one's neck, unless, indeed, -as was the case with the rank and file, a -"curtain" was attached to the helmet. Nearly -everybody drank tea about this time. There -is a kind of notion abroad that this beverage -serves to cool one, but the general effect -produced in the Sudan seemed quite the -reverse. Any perspiration left in one's seba<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>ceous -follicles after the genial warmth of -the Sudan had kept us in a sort of natural -Turkish bath for six hours, was elicited by the -warm tea, and one realised how easy under -such conditions it would be to lose every particle -of one's existing body in even less than -the seven years indicated by medical statistics, -and thus, on good Bishop Butler's showing, -secure, together with revaccination, a frequently -recurring proof of one's immortality.</p> - -<p>After tea we were amply compensated for -the discomforts of the day by the delights of a -tropical evening. The air was deliciously cool, -and the soft tints of sunset coloured all the -landscape. Everyone recovered his temper, -and such pleasures and duties of social life as -survived in the desert occupied our attention -from this hour till bedtime. Men dropped -in to see each other all over the camp, and -there was a general atmosphere of "Have a -drink, old chap." The amount of fluid one can -consume in these tropical regions is amazing. -Nobody, of course, who has any common -sense thinks of drinking much alcohol in the -heat of the day. Lime juice and soda is often -taken at lunch, while some claret or sauterne,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -or a whisky and Rosbach, are common -beverages in the evening. It is often very -difficult indeed—especially when one is on the -march—to keep such luxuries cool, but the -ingenious "sparklets," which were brought out -to the Sudan in thousands, will always, if fairly -good water can be got, provide one with a -decent drink, as the sudden liberation of the -compressed gas cools the water as well as -aërates it.</p> - -<p>It is worth while being really thirsty and -hungry to understand the pleasures of drink -and food. Our English meals follow each -other with such regularity and diversity that -one seldom realises what it means to crave for -food and drink as a primary instinct. But -oh! the joy of a deep draught of cool water -after long hours of abstention in the desert, or, -what is almost as bad, a long course of -brackish water—saline water, which quenches -one's thirst for the moment only to increase it -by the after-taste. Once when I was travelling -with Mr. Bent, I remember how I was walking -in a stony ravine after six days of nothing but -brackish water; suddenly, to my delighted -vision, a little brook of limpid water appeared<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -running down to the sea. One threw oneself -flat upon the bank and drank, and drank, -and drank! Hunger is much more easily -endured than thirst, and Æschylus did well to -class amongst the most joyful of human -experiences the sight of running water to a -thirsty traveller—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="grc" xml:lang="grc"> -<p class="verse"><span title="hodoiporô dipsônti pêgaion rheos."><span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">ὁδοιπόρῳ διψῶντι πηγαῖον ῥέος.</span></span></p> -</div></div> - -<p>At the same time, indiscriminate drinking is -a tiresome habit, which can be shaken off -with a little practice and determination. The -inexperienced traveller in the East always -carries a huge water-bottle, from which he is -continually drinking copious draughts; but after -a few months he learns to drink at meal times, -and not to encumber himself with his water-bottle -on every occasion when he is away from -the tent. Education and self-control go largely -hand in hand. Officers stand hunger and -thirst much better than the rank and file, who, -in the Sudan, exercised very little self-control -in the matter of drink. Whenever they could -get it, the soldiers were perpetually dipping -their tin mugs in the large "zias" or -"fantasias" provided for their use.</p> - -<p>Just before the evening shadows cooled the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -air too much and made a chill possible, we -spread our india-rubber baths on the ground -and enjoyed the refreshment of a good "tub." -The Nile water was so saturated with mud -that when one stood in one's bath upon a thick -precipitate of sand the sensation recalled the -seaside paddling of one's childhood.</p> - -<p>The tropical twilight was all too brief, and -darkness fell suddenly like a pall upon the -landscape. Then out came candlesticks and -lanterns, and the one substantial meal of the -day made its appearance. The quality of -our <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cuisine</i> varied considerably. At a -stationary camp like Wad Hamed we sometimes -purchased fresh meat from an enterprising -Greek called Loisa, but this was -always very lean and tough, and these fleshpots -of Egypt had few charms for us. The -Arabs devour any sort of meat, whatever be -the condition of the beast which supplies it. -Two days after the battle of Omdurman, Ali -appeared before the tent with a wretched kid -in the last stage of a rapid decline. He knew -I disapproved of loot, and declared that he -had purchased the animal, and intended to fry -the liver for me for to-morrow's breakfast. As<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -the poor kid was far too ill and weak even to -stand on its legs, I declined the suggested -dainty. There were quite enough bacilli -prowling around in Omdurman without incurring -the risk of trichinosis. In less than an -hour I saw our quaternion of servants with -several guests enjoying a ghoulish banquet -off the remains of the invalid animal.</p> - -<p>Sometimes we had splendid dinners of tinned -curry, preserved pine-apple, and other delicacies; -and except on the evening of the battle, nobody, -as far as I know, ever went without his dinner -if he was well enough to eat it. Occasionally, -if there was a downpour of rain or other cause -which rendered cooking difficult, we sank to -this sort of level—</p> - -<p class="center"><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Potage à la Khalifa</span>.</p> - -<p>(Ingredients—a morsel of emaciated goat -with some onions; simmer as long as possible. -Sufficient for two. Seasonable, when one is -very hungry.)</p> - -<p class="center">Bully Beef au naturel.</p> - -<p class="center">Jam.</p> -<hr class="r15a" /> -<p class="center"><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Biscuit à discrétion</span>.</p> - -<p class="center">Whisky. Sparklets. Lime juice. Nile water.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the 26th of August we were told to -hold ourselves in readiness to embark on the -<i>Metemmeh</i> next morning. The Gyppy troops -and Sudanese had already gone, and a -general exodus of the British battalions was -taking place. On the evening before our -departure I strolled once more along the river. -Scarcely a sound broke the silence; the busy -scene of the day's restless activity was still. -The rows and rows of tents and mountainous -heaps of baggage had vanished like magic; -little remained to show that for more than a -week some twenty-two thousand men had lived -and moved within this vast area. Here and -there various relics of the encampment lay -scattered about,—soda-water bottles, empty tins, -old newspapers, the framework of blanket -tents, and so on,—but the only permanent -structure which marked, and perhaps still -marks, the site of the abandoned camp -was a wattled hut which Howard's servant -built for him, as his master had arrived at -Wad Hamed without a tent of any kind. -An army of vultures had spread over all -the space within the zeriba, and seemed to -be having a good time amongst old sardine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -tins and fragments of offal and similar -dainties.</p> - -<p>The glow of a tropical sunset was falling on -the Nile; yet, beautiful as it was, the scene lost -something from the dead level of the surrounding -prospect. For an ideally beautiful effect -of the kind one needs mountains as well as -water. Who, for example, that has ever seen -it, can forget the play of moonbeam and -starlight on the lake—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verse">When the blue waves roll nightly on deep Galilee?</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">It was strange to think that within a week the -campaign would be ended, Gordon avenged, -and the Crescent flag flying over the ramparts -of Omdurman—the final goal of all this vast -congeries of men and stores, guns and ammunition. -As the postal connection with the outside -world was now to cease until the capture -of Omdurman, many letters had been sent off -on the previous day, and for several of the -writers the message which sped home was a -final one. Later on, when the battle had been -fought, a man whom I knew showed me a -letter which he was sending off to his widowed -mother to tell her that he had come safe -through the fight and was on the point of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -returning home. This note reached its destination -a day after the receipt of a telegram -announcing his death from fever! Surely it -would be difficult to meet with a sadder and -more pathetic instance of the vicissitudes and -uncertainty of human life!</p> - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> A brief list of the entomological specimens brought back -from the campaign is given on <a href="#Page_253">p. 253</a>.</p></div></div> - - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="I_104" id="I_104"></a> -<a href="images/i_b_104fp-large.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_b_104fp.jpg" alt="" /></a> -<div class="caption"> -<p class="xs"><em>R. V. Darbishire 1898.</em></p> -<p class="rt screenonly small">{Click on map for larger image.}</p> -THE NILE<br /> -<span class="small">from the Atbara to Khartum.<br /> -Scale 1 : 1,500,000.</span><br /> -</div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER III</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">We said good-bye to Wad Hamed on -26th August. Cross and I had, -with several others, selected to go by river -rather than by land, as this would afford us an -opportunity of seeing the cataract of Shabluka, -which had become a household word in the -army because of the possibility of Dervish -resistance at this point. The rest of the -correspondents accompanied the two British -brigades toward Beled Hagir, our next camping -site, just south of the cataract, and opposite -Rojan Island.</p> - -<p>As we were leaving Wad Hamed about -forty Gaalins arrived on the bank, and were -embarked on the <i>Metemmeh</i>. These friendlies -were wonderfully spick and span, with nice -clean clothes. Some of them were equipped -with large Dervish swords, while others<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -had only sticks, which they carried with a -jaunty air at the "shoulder," in anticipation, -no doubt, of the Remington rifles which would -be issued to them before the fight. They -were accompanied to the bank by a fine old -sheikh in flowing snow-white robes, and their -farewells to the venerable chieftain were very -impressive. In the Sudan people are not -content with a single handshake. When one -group is saying good-bye to another the interchange -of courtesies and caresses is interminable. -One man falls on the other's neck, -without actually touching his face or shoulder,—rather -after the manner of a stage kiss,—and -then handshaking goes on <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad libitum</i> all round, -the same two people often clasping and unclasping -their hands half a dozen times or more, -according to the degree of intimacy.</p> - -<p>The Shabluka cataract, through which the -flooded Nile rushes with amazing violence, lies -in a gorge which has evidently in remote ages -been torn through the limestone ridge by the -river. A width of a thousand yards is here -suddenly compressed into a hundred yards, and -in the face of the terrific current which is thus -produced, our gunboat could barely forge ahead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -at the rate of one and a half miles an hour. -It is an open secret that the new gunboats -built for the Nile service by Thorneycrofts are -regarded as failures by naval experts. One -of them, the <i>Sheikh</i>, can only make two miles -an hour against the ordinary Nile current in -August.</p> - -<p>Even in the moonlight one could realise the -amount of damage which might have been -inflicted by an effective occupation of Shabluka, -upon a force advancing up the river. When -we passed the forts, constructed, after the -manner of Dervish engineers, on a level with -the water, we found them deserted, and their -guns had been removed. But if the enemy, -who were posted here up to last May, had -maintained their position, we should have been -compelled to halt and drive them out of it from -the land side, for none of our slow gunboats -could have forced the gorge had it been lined -with artillery.</p> - -<p>We arrived at Rojan Island before daybreak -on the 28th, and were aroused out of sleep in -the dark by the pleasing intelligence that an -order had arrived from the Sirdar that we -were to be turned out of the gunboat, bag<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -and baggage, as the vessel was wanted for -other purposes. Floundering about in the -semi-darkness we got our luggage together -as well as we could, and in less than twenty -minutes found ourselves sitting on the river -bank with our few goods and chattels round -us. It would not have taken the gunboat -five minutes to land us at Hagir on the -opposite bank; in fact, after marooning us on -the island, it actually touched at the camp on -its return down the Nile. This was one of -several instances in which, during the campaign, -correspondents were treated with an -utter disregard of consideration or even -ordinary courtesy. It often seemed as if the -Sirdar or his subordinates went out of their -way to cause all the inconvenience they could -to the representatives of the press. Certainly -if this conduct was merely due to oversight -or thoughtlessness, it was bad enough; if it -was intentional, it was based upon a petty and -ungenerous abuse of authority. On the present -occasion we were left for seven mortal -hours on this treeless island, although the <i>El -Tahra</i> was lying off Hagir, and could easily -have been sent across the river for us. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -at last the old ferry-boat came blundering -across, the official in charge, who seemed, from -his manner, to have caught the Sirdar's mental -attitude towards correspondents, brusquely -refused to take us over to Hagir, because no -one had given him orders to do so. Consequently -the <i>El Tahra</i> left us and recrossed -to the camp with her precious commander, -although one of our number was suffering -severely from the sun, and lay prostrate on the -ground. As all our baggage was on the other -side of the river, having been sent on by -camels, we had absolutely nothing to protect -us from the heat as it grew fiercer and fiercer -every moment, so we simply sat on the ground -and grilled in the sun. The misery of such an -experience is very real indeed when the thermometer -stands at 115° in the shade! As -one lies amid a dreary waste of sand and -rock,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry" lang="la" xml:lang="la"> -<p class="verse4">sub curru nimium propinqui</p> -<p class="verse">Solis in terra domibus negata,</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">with the pitiless rays of noontide beating -down upon one's head, visions of iced cups -and other delights rise like a mental mirage -and mock one's misery! The thoughts stray<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -far away in fantasy from the unlovely landscape, -and rest upon an English tennis lawn, -beside the cool Cherwell or under the cedars of -the Wadham Gardens—the pleasant game, -the refreshment of shade and drink which -follows it!</p> - -<p>As there was absolutely nothing else to do -on the island—and it is always a good thing -to engage in some more or less arduous work -when one is inclined to take a pessimistic -view of one's surroundings—I scrambled up -to the top of Gebel Rojan, a rocky hill about -three hundred feet high. From this Pisgah -height one could trace far away to the south -the faint outlines of the hills of Omdurman, -our Promised Land! Below, on the desert -plain, three Egyptian battalions were marching -forward, their right flank guarded by squadrons -of cavalry. The rifle barrels and steel -scabbards glinted brightly in the rising sunlight, -and the columns themselves looked like -sinuous lines of ants threading their way -through the scrub.</p> - -<p>We were all very bad-tempered when the -<i>El Tahra</i> returned once more; but this time, -mercifully, the steamer was no longer in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -hands of the punctilious sapper, with his combination -of red tape and rudeness. The new -commander ventured upon the independent -exercise of his own common sense, and most -kindly conveyed us across the river without -further ado. Whether he was subsequently -reprimanded by the authorities for this act of -ordinary politeness I do not know.</p> - -<p>By the time we had landed from the steamer, -and the servants had discovered the whereabouts -of our camels and luggage, it was nearly -two o'clock, and the camp had practically -broken up. The native battalions had left -early in the morning, as I had seen from the -summit of Gebel Rojan, and had been followed -by General Gatacre's division. The Sirdar -and his staff, the Intelligence Department, the -correspondents, and the baggage were to leave -at four o'clock; so there was barely time to get -a scratch meal before we saw to the loading of -our camels, and again set out on our forward -march towards Omdurman. Both Cross and -I had intended to walk, but Steevens and -Maud most kindly put a couple of their extra -horses at our disposal. The animal I rode -was a polo pony from Cairo, in excellent con<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>dition -and full of "go." It hated to be alone for -a moment, and if in the scrub it found itself -separated from the rest of the column, either in -the rear or on the flank, and the rein was at -all loose, it would suddenly, without any warning, -make a clean bolt to rejoin its companions; -and when a borrowed horse tears at full gallop -through mimosa bushes and over the rough -sandy soil intersected with <em>nullahs</em>, one is -precious glad to be able to return it to its -owner in the evening without a couple of -broken knees or worse.</p> - -<p>The air was delightfully cool, with a pleasant -breeze from the river, and this evening ride -from Hagir will remain in one's memory as -one of the pleasant experiences of the -campaign. The comparative novelty of our -surroundings, and the certainty that now at -length we were within measurable distance of -the enemy, filled one with elation and banished -all the petty worries of the morning. As long -as one enjoyed good health, nothing could be -more delightful than the simple pleasures of -our open-air existence, with all its hard work -and good-fellowship. But when fever or dysentery -gets hold upon a man, all the glamour<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -of the campaign fades away, and one is forced -to realise all the sordid discomforts of the -march. During the recent advance upon -Omdurman many a case of unobtrusive -heroism occurred, in which men, officers and -privates alike, refused to avail themselves -of the field hospitals, which would have taken -them for the time being from their battalion, -and preferred to march along with the rest, -though their heads were racked with pain and -their strength at vanishing point from fever. -If a campaigner could secure from a fairy -godmother or other supra-mundane agency -one supreme blessing, he ought most certainly -to ask for health. Yet there is one danger to -which the healthy man is exposed. He finds -it difficult, sometimes, to sympathise with -others less fortunate than himself. To many -who enjoy vigorous health there is something -positively irritating in a sick man. It is a -painful trait in some characters, and is a -survival possibly of that terrible instinct -which leads almost every species of lower -animal to finish off those of their number who -become sick or maimed. I have known a man -who experienced this peculiar irritation in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -presence of comrades who were ill, behave in -the most unselfish and generous way to the -same men when they were in sound health; -and while he had to force himself, as it were, -to show sympathy with an ailing man, he -would fetch water in his helmet for a wounded -donkey, and feel ready to weep at the sight of -a dying horse.</p> - -<p>As we rode along the edge of the Nile, well -ahead of the crowd of camels and the Lancer -escort of the Sirdar, in order to avoid the -blinding clouds of dust which they raised, we -noticed at intervals along the line of march -bands of Sudanese women. These faithful -creatures had managed by some means or -other to accompany their husbands to the -front. Although unrecognised officially, and -in consequence not accorded any means of -transport, they had contrived to cross the Nile -as stowaways, hidden under forage or flour -sacks; and they were now trudging slowly -along with large bundles on their heads, and -in some cases a brace of babies slung over -their shoulders. When they arrived at the -camp they cooked their husband's food, mended -his clothes, and introduced a general flavour of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -domesticity into the rough camp life. The -husbands seemed to be very kind to their wives -and children, and the Sudanese portion of the -camp was dotted with little family groups, -each of them formed under a tree and -surrounded by a miniature zeriba. In fact, -domestic life has such charms in the eyes of -the Sudanese warriors, that they become quite -depressed and morose if their women-folk are -left behind. The recent revolt in Uganda -is alleged by some to have been largely caused -by the refusal of Major Macdonald to allow -the wives of the soldiers to accompany them -on the advance northwards—a refusal which, -if it actually occurred, would most certainly -run counter to the military traditions of the -Sudan.</p> - -<p>During the earlier part of the day's march -Mr. Scudamore's "drink camel," <em>i.e.</em> the -animal which carried his stores of alcohol -and soda water, occasionally came to a sudden -halt and toyed with the branches of a nebek -or mimosa thorn. At such times his master -showed great kindness and forbearance; he -did not urge on the hesitating beast with -gibes and blows, but calling several of us<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -round him, quietly dismounted and relieved -the camel's load by "drinks all round." How -touching an example of humanity towards -poor dumb animals! Let the traveller and -explorer, then, always remember that when the -whisky mule halts, it is a kindness to lighten -his burden; if after some hours he jibs and -refuses to proceed, fate has clearly marked -out that spot for the site of the camp! The -whisky mule must not be left behind!</p> - -<p>On the occasion of one of these halts I was -astonished to see a diminutive boy in very -ragged clothes walking along with two half-plucked -pigeons in his hand and a large bag -over his shoulder. After mounting I rode -beside him and found that he was a Greek. -His father and mother kept a small café in -Cairo, and the boy, who was only fourteen and -very small for his age, had actually traversed -some twelve hundred miles by land and water -in order to sell cigarettes to the army. This -adventurous urchin, Anastasios by name, became -a great pet with the Tommies, who -bought his cigarettes and supplied him with -enough fragments of bully beef and biscuit -to keep him going throughout the campaign.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -As I spoke some Greek, I saw a good deal -of the boy subsequently, and succeeded in -getting him allowed a passage from Omdurman -on board the <i>Metemmeh</i>; but at Atbara -Camp some of the officials rather needlessly -refused to give him a place amongst the -baggage in the open trucks, and when I -last saw the imp he was being led away -by a zaptieh, or native policeman, after a -desperate attempt to override authority and -hide himself and the remainder of his cigarette -boxes under a heap of luggage.</p> - -<p>During our advance by land from Hagir, -Mr. Frederick Villiers' bicycle was much in -evidence. It is astonishing to what a number -of uses this versatile machine may be put in -peace and war alike. An Oxford professor, -whose metaphysical researches are combined -with military enthusiasm and the study of -minor tactics, has given to the world a -treatise in which is demonstrated with logical -acumen the value of the bicycle as a weapon -or rather implement of defence against a -charge of cavalry. The academical tactician -suggests, I believe, that when the enemy's -horse are galloping down upon you their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -charge may be broken and rendered futile by -the terrifying aspect of a line of cyclists holding -their machines in the air and rapidly -spinning the wheels round! No war-horse, -it is maintained, could face this fearsome -spectacle, and utter discomfort would overtake -the charging squadrons! What a pity -our 'Varsity cyclist corps were not posted in -front of the zeriba at Omdurman to obviate -the necessity of bullets when the Baggara -horse came thundering down upon us!</p> - -<p>But the bicycle can be put to more regular -uses in a campaign. A correspondent, for -example, who went through the whole of the -Greco-Turkish War was mounted on his -machine, and published a book, which, under -the title of <span title="Ho Polemos apo Podêlatou"><span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">Ὁ Πόλεμος ἀπὸ Ποδηλάτου</span></span> -("The War from a Bicycle"), had a great sale in -Athens. Still, despite their badness, roads -do exist between Larissa, Velestino, Domoko, -etc., whereas in the sandy, stony deserts of -the Sudan the road is a very open one indeed, -and ill adapted for wheeled traffic. In consequence -of this, Mr. Villiers' bicycle, which -was of a dull green tint, was usually to be -found in the charge of his servant, who had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -acquired considerable skill in controlling the -movements of his master's donkey with one -hand and his master's machine with the -other. Certainly this lugubrious-looking -bicycle bore the battle and the breeze wonderfully -well, and the maker ought to secure a -splendid advertisement out of it; for tyres -which can pass unpunctured through the -terrors of the mimosa scrub, and refrain from -bursting under the rays of a Sudan sun in -August, may fairly be recommended for -"strong roadster" work in the country lanes -of England.</p> - -<p>It was almost dark when we reached the -camp, which has been called by everyone, as far -as I know, "Um Teref," though this is incorrect, -for "Um Teref" is the name of the village -on the opposite bank of the river. Though it -was difficult in the twilight to see far ahead of -our column, there was no possibility of mistaking -the whereabouts of the camp, for the -wild music of the Sudanese bands was already -in full swing. The first thing these black -troops do when they get into camp is to strike -up some of their unearthly tunes, and in the -absence of more normal appliances they have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -been known to fashion old tin biscuit boxes -into a species of wind instrument. Just as -I got within the zeriba, a squad of these -blacks were giving hot chase to a curious -animal, which had been put up in the bush. -The hunted creature ran between my horse's -legs; it had a fine brush, with mottled fur, -and looked like a wolverine or some beast -of that kind.</p> - -<p>The area required for some twenty-two -thousand men, with hundreds of camels, -horses, and mules, was enormous, and we -rode hopelessly about in the gathering gloom, -trying to find the space allotted to correspondents. -After a couple of hours' search we -at length succeeded in finding our camels -and getting our tents pitched, and then we -did full justice to whatever sort of dinner -the ingenuity of our cooks could contrive -for their hungry masters. The camp was -an extremely pretty one, and in places the -vegetation by the river banks was quite -luxuriant. Bushes of all kinds, especially the -"Dead Sea apple," were dotted about; and -as these prevented one from seeing more -than a hundred yards around, it was diffi<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>cult -to realise the vast size of the camp. A -zeriba had, of course, been formed, and just -behind it thousands of troops lay all night -under arms, ready to repulse any Dervish -attempt to surprise the camp by a sudden -rush.</p> - -<p>Next morning a rumour got about that -during the darkness a Dervish had crept up -to the zeriba and thrown his spear over with -a shout of defiance, and the veritable spear -was produced by a sentry of the Lancashire -Fusiliers as a proof of the story's genuineness. -The story was substantially true, for whilst the -troops were engaged in forming the zeriba a -Baggara cavalry scout, who, for some reason -or other, found himself within the enclosure, -suddenly dashed at a gallop out of the bush, -knocking over several astonished Fusiliers, -and hurling his spear at them as he -disappeared in the darkness.</p> - -<p>Scorpions proved most troublesome in all -our camps, but they were especially numerous -at Um Teref. In some places they simply -swarmed, and both officers and men, and, -still more, native servants, suffered from their -painful stings. Those, like myself, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -slept on a raised bed—<em>e.g.</em> the "Salisbury" -bed, made by Silvers—were not so much -exposed to risk as the possessors of the -"Wolseley Valise"—a mattress which lies -on the ground, and forms a most inviting -hiding-place for creeping things innumerable. -The pain experienced by a European from a -scorpion's sting is very acute while it lasts, -but passes off in a few hours. The natives -were continually stung, and one of the -correspondents had <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'atttained a great'">attained a great</ins> reputation -from the skill with which he scarified -the affected portions of native bodies, prior -to the application of Scrubb's Ammonia. -One poor fellow—a private in the Lancashire -Fusiliers—was stung by a scorpion in three -places along his spine, and speedily died in a -state of coma.</p> - -<p>Another insect pest was a huge yellow -spider of loathsome aspect and malignant -disposition, called by the natives "Abu -Shebek" (Father of Spiders). This creature -was frequently captured and conveyed to some -regimental mess, where it was forced to engage -in single combat with a scorpion. These -adversaries were, as a rule, pretty evenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -matched, and the "Warwickshire Pet," a -monstrous spider, appeared to be invincible -until it was matched against the "Cameron -Slogger," a redoubtable scorpion, who vanquished -his opponent after a desperate -struggle amid loud cheers from the victorious -mess.</p> - -<p>In the ordinary course of events we should -have moved on from Um Teref at daybreak on -the 29th, but owing to a succession of storms -on the Nile the full complement of gunboats -and <em>ghyassas</em> laden with stores and baggage -had not yet arrived, and so the order to march -was countermanded, and we remained in the -zeriba for another night. The extra day, however, -was not as pleasant as it might have been -amongst the shady trees, for the violent wind -which was retarding the progress of the gunboats -swept incessant clouds of dust over the -camp all the morning. Later in the day, however, -the wind sank, and I enjoyed a delightful -ramble along the river beyond the zeriba. -Here I found, amongst other treasures, an -enormous brick-red beetle, which clung to a tree -with such pertinacity that I had to cut away a -piece of the branch and boil it and the beetle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -together before the latter would abandon his -hold and be duly pickled in the whisky.</p> - -<p>Early in the morning some squadrons of -Egyptian cavalry and the Camel Corps had left -the camp to make a reconnaissance, but none -of the correspondents were permitted to accompany -this force. They did not, however, lose -much, for the cavalry brought back scarcely -any information, beyond the news that fresh -tracks had been seen of Dervish horsemen -retreating southwards towards Omdurman.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 30th we were up by -4 a.m., and the camels were loaded by lantern-light. -Nobody was sorry to rise, for, acting -under orders, we had all struck our tents the -night before to save time in the morning, and, -as bad luck would have it, a storm of rain and -lightning burst over the camp about midnight. -There are few things more disagreeable than -to have rain pouring down upon one as one -sleeps, or tries to sleep, in the open. When -the first heavy drops begin to fall everybody -knows what is to follow, and various execrations -are heard all around in the darkness, as -the suddenly awakened sleepers put some -garments on, hide others under the pillow, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -do their best with a mackintosh to turn off the -rain and keep it from collecting in pools under -their backs. The Arab servants are always in -the lowest depths of depression when it rains. -Their thin cotton garments soon get soaked -through, but I felt somewhat reluctant to lend -them any of my wraps, as on a previous -occasion, during a tropical downpour, I told two -Somali servants that they might cover themselves -with my waterproof, and during the -night they each rolled in a different direction, -and split my splendid red-lined mackintosh into -two portions. These two Somali boys, by the -way, whenever a heavy shower overtook us in -the daytime, always did their very best to keep -their heads dry. They would dash off and -thrust their shaven pates under a rock or inside -an old packing-case, and seemed to be comparatively -indifferent about the rest of their black -bodies, which lay exposed to the weather.</p> - -<p>When we left the camp <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en masse</i> at five, -the rain gradually ceased, and the sun rose in -splendour across the Nile. The spectacle before -us was magnificent. Column after column of -infantry—black, chocolate, and white—advanced -in perfect order, and squadrons of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -cavalry scouted on the flanks and far ahead, -searching out every patch of scrub which might -conceal a force of Dervishes. The Sirdar and -his staff advanced in front, and the numerous -halts and consultations which were made -showed how carefully and cautiously the army -was advancing. The troops were actually -marching in battle order, ready at any moment -to close into square formation if the enemy -appeared; and one realised, as never before -during the campaign, that we were really in -a state of war. Our Lancer scouts had at -length come into touch with the enemy, and -had even fired a volley at one of several -parties of Dervish horse who were sullenly -retreating through the bush towards Kerreri.</p> - -<p>We were already well within twenty-five -miles of Omdurman. Along the line of march -we came across several large Dervish villages, -abandoned by their inhabitants within the last -day or two. In the hurry of flight angaribs -(native beds), calabashes, and even a little -food had been left behind. In some spots the -fires which had cooked the last meal of these -unfortunate villagers were still smouldering, -and, either from accident or design, several<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -of the huts had been destroyed by fire. The -ground was strewn with fragments of earthenware -cooking-pots, which the poor creatures -had carefully broken up before they fled away -to the dubious protection of the Omdurman -walls. Close beside one of the deserted huts -a tiny donkey stood and gazed upon us—the -sole surviving occupant of the village. One -of the servants, with a keen eye for loot, immediately -annexed the little donkey; but I refused -to take it, as I thought it would be happier -amid its native surroundings, where it could -eke out a precarious living amongst the -herbage on the river bank. As I rode past -several of the huts I noticed inside some strips -of leather rudely embroidered with cowries, -which had been used to suspend a gourd of -water. The workmanship was so rough that -I did not think this loot worth taking, though -several Lancers thought differently, for I afterwards -saw similar trophies hung over their -saddles.</p> - -<p>Towards the middle of this day's march a -rather amusing incident occurred. A small -party of Lancers scouting in one of the -deserted villages suddenly came across an Arab<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -clad in a fine <em>gibbeh</em>, with a long spear in his -hand. Here, at last, was a living Dervish -within five yards! He made no effort to -escape, and was at once surrounded and taken -prisoner. On his being searched, five Maria -Theresa dollars were discovered in the folds -of his clothing, and the triumphant Lancers -returned to the Sirdar and his staff with the -proud consciousness of having captured the -first real Dervish prisoner of the campaign. -After a modest rehearsal of their achievement, -they begged that in memory of the event the -<em>gibbeh</em>, dollars, and spear of the captive might -be handed over to themselves. No objection -being raised, the prisoner, who, throughout the -affair, had looked not at all alarmed, but only -rather bored, was again led off to be interrogated -by the Intelligence Department, when -the exultant Lancers learned that the captive -was one of Colonel Wingate's best spies, and -after doing some excellent work in front had -been quietly waiting to rejoin our forces! The -five dollars had to be unearthed from the depths -of the Lancers' pockets, and the imitation Dervish -again strutted proudly about with his coat -of many colours and his broad-bladed spear.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span></p> - -<p>The army advanced over the uneven ground -in excellent order. The long lines, now lost -in the hollows, now broken for the moment -by impenetrable masses of thorn bush, kept -their formation marvellously well; and often, -as they appeared over the crest of a sandy -ridge, the line was as perfect as on a field -day at Aldershot. As regards actual pace, -the Sudanese blacks can easily outmarch the -Tommies, and would invariably have been well -in the van if the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">échelon</i> formation had not been -carefully preserved.</p> - -<p>The day's march on the 30th was not more -than some eight or nine miles. We halted -for the night beside the river at a spot exactly -opposite a village called Merreh on the other -bank. At some little distance inland, on our -right front, a hill rose up called Seg-et-taib, -and, for convenience, the camp has been -generally named after the hill. Trees and -bushes grew abundantly within our zeriba, and -along the margin of the Nile large clumps of -bright green grass were greedily devoured -by the ponies, which, like all Oriental riding-horses, -lashed out viciously at each other -whenever their tethering ropes allowed it, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -sometimes fought and tore each other with -their teeth like tigers. The river banks at -Seg-et-taib were rather difficult of access, as -strips of marshy land ran in every direction -parallel to the stream. Everyone who reached -the water on foot was covered with black slimy -mud up to his knees; and as we rode through -the bog our horses sank up to their flanks -in the soft ooze, but managed somehow to -flounder through it without rolling over with -their riders. A pleasant spot beneath some -trees was assigned for our camp, but when -we reached it we found a bevy of Sudanese -ladies already in possession. A little <em>bakshish</em>, -however, solved the difficulty, and the fair ones -withdrew, after cleverly tying up pots and pans -and babies within the folds of their voluminous -garments.</p> - -<p>At Seg-et-taib my companion Cross, who -had been far from well for some days past, -and suffered especially from sleeplessness, -became so ill that I went off in search of his -friend, Surgeon-General Taylor, who throughout -Cross' illness was invariably most kind and -thoughtful. This officer at once came to see -the patient, and ordered him to be placed on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> -one of the hospital barges which were being -sent up the river to accompany the advance of -the army. This was a great relief to my mind, -as our surroundings were most uncomfortable -for a sick man. We had left behind a good -deal of baggage at Wad Hamed, and all our -tent except the outer fly, which afforded us -only a feeble shelter from sun or rain. On the -hospital barges, of course, the invalided men -could get proper attention and diet—things -practically impossible in our rough camp life; -and although I felt rather solitary in the absence -of my tent companion, I had every hope -that the illness which had attacked him would -be speedily checked under medical treatment.</p> - -<p>During the latter portion of the advance -upon Khartum, internal disorders of various -kinds were extremely common. Some of the -medical staff ascribed these derangements to -the use of tinned meat; but after all, the -evidence of experts in England seems to show -conclusively that the virulent poison called -"ptomaine" is so rare, that the chance of -injury from tinned meats is practically infinitesimal. -Others maintained, with greater -probability, that the drinking water was at fault.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -The native servants, to save themselves trouble -or a slight wetting, invariably filled their buckets -from the water close to the bank. Anyone who -is acquainted with Oriental habits can realise the -peril of drinking such water as this, fouled as it -was by hundreds of horses, mules, and camels, -and taken from a river which is treated as a vast -sewer by all the inhabitants along its banks.</p> - -<p>The water question was, indeed, a big one -throughout the campaign. Some filtered the -muddy water as it was, but the process was a -very tedious one, for the Birkfeld filter became -choked with mud after about a pint of water -had passed through it, and then all its internal -arrangements had to be cleaned. The native -servants were so stupid at any work of this -sort, that one generally had to do one's filtering -for oneself; and the exercise was so vigorous -that, by the time one had filtered a pint, one -was thirsty enough to drink a quart. Another -method was to precipitate the mud to some -extent by a few grains of alum; but there are -hygienic reasons against the employment of -this astringent in drinking water. The safest -plan is to let the mud settle, and then boil the -water. Yet, even if the water is boiled, one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -is never secure from bacteria, for fresh germs -may enter it as it cools. Moreover, it is -impossible to boil <em>all</em> the water required for -camp purposes; and if a servant "washes up" -the plates and cups in unboiled water, or one -plunges one's head into it, there can be no absolute -guarantee against the intrusion of an evil -bacillus into one's system. The only hope is -that one's internal zeriba, so to speak, is well -guarded by a valiant line of those good bacilli -whose chief delight—so bacteriologists tell us—is -to gather round the malignant invader and -do him to death. Water taken from the middle -of the stream was said to be perfectly wholesome, -but even here the mud held in solution -acted as an irritant. There was another little -thing, too, which rather set one against any -Nile water at the Atbara camp, to wit, the fact -that almost every day a corpse or two of the -Dervishes killed at the fight—when the Atbara -was nearly empty—were caught up by the -flooded stream, and carried down visibly into -the Nile. Still, these bodies were almost -mummified from the heat; so perhaps there -was not much danger, after all, to be feared -from their presence in our water supply.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> - -<p>We again advanced with the utmost caution -from Seg-et-taib. The cavalry searched the -scrub, and two gunboats steamed slowly up the -river in support. A party of the Lancers had -climbed the hill of Seg-et-taib, and from this -point the Khalifa's forces were at length seen -by British eyes. A vast camp had been -pitched about a mile and a half from the river, -in order, probably, to avoid the shells of the -gunboats. It stretched along the Wady -Shamba, some three miles in front of Omdurman. -The alignment of the white tents was -perfectly visible with a good glass, and groups -of Baggara horsemen were dotted about the -plain in front of the Dervish infantry. No -incident worth recording occurred during this -day's advance along the plain, except, perhaps, -a rather gruesome find in one of several -deserted villages through which we passed. -On the ground lay the corpse of one of -our native spies; the body was shockingly -mutilated and partially charred, so the poor -wretch would seem to have been cruelly tortured -before death. Some six or seven miles -ahead of us rose the bleak ridge of Kerreri -like a vast barrier across the line of our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -advance. Here it was that the Khalifa had -doubtless intended to await our onslaught, but -either his heart failed him at the last moment -or the rapidity of our advance upset his plans. -Yet, in refusing to take his stand on the hills -of Kerreri, the Khalifa was acting in opposition -to the sentiment of his followers, who trusted -in a prophecy of the Mahdi, to the effect that -one day Kerreri should be the scene of a great -victory over the infidel invaders. "It was -called," writes Mr. Bennett-Burleigh, "'the -death-place of all infidels'; and thither at least -once a year repaired the Khalifa and his -following, to look over the coming battleground, -and render thanks in anticipation for -the wholesale slaughter of the unbelievers, and -the triumph of the true Moslems."</p> - -<p><i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">À propos</i> of Kerreri, it may be worth noticing -how misleading were the accounts of this -prospective battlefield which had appeared in -some newspapers, and how incorrect the maps -were. One account stated that along the <em>wady</em> -to the north of Kerreri white quartz stones -lay so thickly on the ground that at night-time -the place appears to be covered with snow. -This description was simply absurd. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -were red quartz pebbles, but one came across -very few white ones. Again, the maps led -one to suppose that the whole of the aforesaid -<em>wady</em> was densely overgrown with mimosa, -whereas I did not see a bush of any kind -whatever as we crossed the gentle declivity -leading up to the ridge.</p> - -<p>We had now arrived at the last camp which -we occupied before leaving Kerreri. Sururab -was the least pleasant of all our halting-places, -and we pitched our tents on a bare piece of -stony ground utterly devoid of vegetation.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, after lunch, as we sat under the -shade and chatted, there came borne to our -ears the dull booming of artillery. The gunboats -which had accompanied us had advanced -beyond Sururab, and were hard at work shelling -the Kerreri ridge, which was occupied by -a Dervish outpost. The sound of the guns -was faint, and as the vessels were some eight -miles ahead of us, and the intervening ground -was uneven, we could not, alas, see the effect -of their fire, though we afterwards learnt all -about it.</p> - -<p>The space which was allotted to the correspondents -at Sururab was so confined that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -one could scarcely walk five yards without -stumbling across a camel or tripping over a -tent-rope, and the donkeys brayed so loudly -that sleep was difficult. It was intensely -annoying to hear one ass lead off with a full-voiced -bray, which died away in spasmodic -gasps. Almost immediately a brother donkey -would lift up his voice and utter a similar -succession of notes, and then groups of donkeys -would join in the music, and a species of antiphonal -braying between the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">decani</i> and <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">cantoris</i> -donkeys ranged on either side of one's tent -would continue till one became absolutely -savage, and wished, like Balaam, that one had -a sword in one's hand. If an ass is permitted -to get well on with its braying, you cannot -stop it; when in full voice it takes not the -slightest notice of a good-sized stone. I sometimes -heard one of my correspondent colleagues -call his servant in the darkness, and say, -"Hassan, take that moke away—right away -into the desert—or I'll kill it." The servant -would seize the offender and lead it, still -braying, several hundred yards away. But -just as he got back again, the banished animal, -dismayed to find itself alone, would send forth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -an anxious bray of diabolical energy, which -reached the long ears of its companions, and -made matters worse than before.</p> - -<p>At Sururab, as before, precautions were taken -against night attack. The order went round -that lights were to be extinguished and tents -struck. Everyone lay down to rest as he was, -in his clothes, and officers slept with their -swords and revolvers buckled on. Most of us, -I think, expected that the enemy, if they -refrained from attack, would at anyrate harass -us by "sniping" into our camp during -the darkness. Nothing would have been -easier, for, with the exception of a few native -spies, every soul in the army was within the -zeriba, and there was a quantity of scrub just -along the river north of the camp which would -have afforded excellent cover for Dervish -sharp-shooters. Against "sniping," little, as a -rule, can be done. No form of retaliation is -possible if the "snipers" are well concealed; -one simply has to sit still and take one's chance. -Of course in our own case, camped as we were -in an absolutely flat plain, not commanded by -any rising ground, the risks from sniping were -not considerable. In the frontier wars of India,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -on the contrary, an appalling number of -casualties frequently result from the desultory -fire of the hillmen securely posted amongst the -rocky heights above the camp.</p> - -<p>As it happened, our evening at Sururab was -scarcely troubled at all by Dervish bullets. -A few rifle shots came from the scrub, and a -bullet whistled overhead as I was chatting with -Villiers—the first one of the campaign! I -heard two revolver shots during the night, but -these were accidental, and came from inside the -camp. One of the bullets unfortunately penetrated -the thigh of a Warwickshire private, but -he ultimately recovered.</p> - -<p>No one, I think, who experienced the subsequent -wretchedness of the night at Sururab -is likely to forget it. There was a threatening -look about the clouds as the sun went down, -but we struck our tents and lay down to sleep -hoping for the best. About ten o'clock, however, -we were awakened by heavy drops of rain -splashing on our faces, and then down came -the torrent! I had, most fortunately, left my -tent loose upon the ground, so, after putting on -my mackintosh, I dragged a portion of the -waterproof tent over me. The exclamations of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -many of my colleagues around me showed that -they were not so comfortably bedded. Some -had not brought waterproofs with them; others -had packed their tents over night. There is -an undeniable satisfaction during a heavy -shower in feeling that one is on the right side -of a window pane, and witnessing the hurried -passage along a street of dripping pedestrians; -and as I heard the rain beating down upon the -tent canvas drawn over my bed, I experienced -the same sort of selfish complacency. Clothed -as I was in a kharki suit and boots, and -covered over with a blanket, a mackintosh, -and the waterproof canvas, I felt as if I was -being boiled alive; but still I was safe from -any moisture <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">ab extra</i>. Nemesis, however, -was close upon me in my splendid isolation. I -made a slight movement of my hand under the -rug, and instantly felt a sharp prick in the palm. -At the same moment, on the inside of the -canvas within six inches of my face, appeared a -large scorpion. I had evidently disturbed the -beast, which stung me and then ran up the -canvas. I felt perfectly horrified for a moment. -The idea that the scorpion might run over my -face was sickening. Fancy the effects of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -scorpion's sting in the eye! With a sudden -sweep of my arm I dashed the whole tent -covering, scorpion and all, off the bed. Anything -in the rain line was better than scorpions -as bed-fellows. All this time the pain in my -hand increased. I tied a piece of string tightly -round the wrist and sucked the wound hard, -and then waited for the agony which I fully -expected. Fortunately, however, the pain in -an hour's time or so gradually wore off, and I -think the scorpion must have stung me through -the blanket, and so failed to penetrate the -hardened skin of one's palm to an appreciable -depth. We were now nearly all in the same -plight. Everybody in the camp, with few -exceptions, was soaked through that night. -One general officer told me that, as he found -himself lying in a large pool of water which had -collected under his back, he got up and spent -the night sitting in a camp-chair, without -getting a wink of sleep,—a cheerful experience, -forsooth! It is amazing that our -men escaped fever after experiences such -as these. During the Emin Relief Expedition, -it was noted that every wetting, whether -from wading a stream or a downpour of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -rain, invariably resulted in fever to man and -beast alike.</p> - -<p>Despite the soaking rain, I dropped off to -sleep, but was awaked about one o'clock by a -commotion on my left. Mr. Villiers had also -been stung in the neck by a scorpion, and was -in great pain. He told me the sting felt like -a red-hot knife plunged into his flesh, and the -whole of his left side became temporarily -paralysed. His faithful servant rubbed some -ammonia into the wound, and after somebody -had given him nearly a bottle of raw whisky, -he managed to get to sleep.</p> - -<p>Reveille sounded at 4 a.m., and we all rejoiced -to see the dawn. The rain still fell in sheets, -but notwithstanding the inclement weather, -Mr. Scudamore was sitting and calmly shaving -himself before a looking-glass, with a piece of -waterproof over his shoulders. The dripping -servants emerged from their nooks and crannies -in the lowest depths of depression, and -the camels snorted with increased petulance -as they floundered through the mud to be -loaded. The camel hates wet almost as much -as his masters. I have often been amused at -their cat-like unwillingness to put their feet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -into quite shallow water. This is due, I -believe, to the fact that the animal's feet, if -wetted, have a tendency to crack in the sun -and become very painful.</p> - -<p>How servants contrive to light fires with -slush all round and rain pouring down in torrents -I cannot imagine, but Ali brought me a -cup of hot cocoa and some biscuit—a delicious -meal when one is draped in soaking garments.</p> - -<p>Villiers awoke from the heavy sleep into -which the raw spirit had driven him, and he -and I set out to march with the troops, who -were now streaming from the zeriba. He still -suffered from a semi-paralysis of the left side; -but despite this and a general weakness caused -by the virus, he kept up on foot with the -infantry battalions.</p> - -<p>September 1st, drizzling rain and thick -mud! The familiar collocation, helped out by -an occasional covey of sand-grouse in lieu of -partridges, brought one's thoughts back to the -joys of English stubble and turnip-field left -four thousand miles behind us! As the sun -rose higher in the sky the rain gradually -ceased, and as we dried our spirits rose. The -bushes along the line of our march were full<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -of many beautiful birds with vivid plumage, -and a valuable collection might probably have -been put together if anyone had had a light -gun and time to use it. Every now and then, -too, a hare would dart up from its "form" and -race across our front, pursued by two small -regimental doggies. These hares, like many -other species of animal in the Sudan, have -assumed the colour of their sandy environment -most marvellously. It is almost impossible to -see them sitting. They have ears of extraordinary -length, and are altogether odd-looking -creatures. They did not run as well as their -British cousins, and occasionally one was -caught by a dog or clubbed by a Sudanese -soldier. I never tasted the flesh, but an -officer told me he found it very good eating.</p> - -<p>Long before we reached Kerreri we saw the -figures of several Lancer scouts silhouetted -against the sky-line along the summit of the -ridge. Our cavalry had, as usual, pushed on -ahead through the scrub and climbed the hills. -Some of them rode up the lesser slopes towards -the east and west, while others, leaving their -chargers below, clambered up the steep crags -in the middle. As Lieutenant Montmorency<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -and another officer reached the top a Dervish -suddenly fired a "right and left" at them from -a huge elephant gun; but fortunately he missed -with both barrels, and then bolted. With the -exception of this man, who seemed to be a sort -of "caretaker" in the empty camp, there was -not a Dervish to be seen. The shell fire of -the gunboats had rendered the ridge untenable. -In every direction lay the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débris</i> of a deserted -camp. Some of the fires were still smoking, -and here and there were dotted the small -wattled shelters which the Sudanese Arabs -rejoice to make. In one place a feeble sort -of entrenchment had been commenced, but -speedily abandoned.</p> - -<p>By this time the dampness of the early -morning had been succeeded by blazing sunshine. -The march was the longest and most -tedious one of the campaign, and scarcely a -sound we heard except the muffled tramp, -tramp, of thousands of men traversing the -sand. Suddenly, as we were crossing a dried-up -water-course in the Wady Suetne, a little -to the north of Kerreri, the roar of a heavy -gun reached our ears from the south—then -another, and another! A general murmur of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -satisfaction ran along the ranks. The tired men -brightened up, and stepped out with renewed -vigour, while the Sudanese almost broke into -a run from excitement. Major Elmslie's -Lyddite battery had got into position, and was -shelling the city from the other side of the -river. As I was a free agent, I ran as hard -as I could up the rough slopes, and reached -the crest of the ridge. Little could be seen -from the lower slopes, but from the summit a -splendid spectacle presented itself. The terrible -fifty-pounder shells had found the range, -and were playing havoc with the walls and -public buildings of Omdurman. Nothing can -resist Lyddite. Thick walls were pierced like -brown paper, and the stones hurled high in -the air amid clouds of dust and flame. A shell -had torn a vast hole through the lofty dome-like -structure which covered the Mahdi's -sepulchre, the gilded top of which had been -carried clean away. The effect of the shells -upon the wretched people who chanced to be -near to the Mahdi's tomb at the time of the -bombardment was truly awful, as I saw with -my own eyes two days afterwards.</p> - -<p>Below on the vast plain, which, broken only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -by the mass of Gebel Surgham, stretched -from Kerreri to the outskirts of Omdurman -our cavalry were manœuvring with the -Baggara horse "very prettily," as one of the -generals remarked. Our regiment of Lancers, -three hundred and twenty all told, would ride -pluckily towards the dense masses of the -enemy, and then withdraw as lines of riflemen -advanced to meet them, or large bodies of -mounted Baggaras attempted to cut off their -retreat. The Khalifa's entire army, incensed -by the bombardment and by the galling fire -which our dismounted troopers took every -opportunity of pouring into them, were now -moving forward to attack and annihilate the -infidels.</p> - -<p>With Wauchope's Brigade in front, the -infantry and <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'artiilery crossed'">artillery crossed</ins> the ridge sloping -down to the river. On the left was the -village of Kerreri, guarded by an ancient -redoubt, and here we imagined would be the -site for the camp. But orders were given -to continue the march, so we trudged more -than a mile farther, to the deserted hamlet -of El Genuaia. Without further ado, mimosa -branches were cut and a zeriba was formed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -on a small scale round the village. The heliograph -from the top of Gebel Surgham was -flashing incessantly, and keeping the Sirdar -well informed of the whereabouts and progress -of the enemy's advance. The Lancers too -came trotting in, having done their best to -delay the onset of the Dervishes. "We -expect," said Colonel Wingate to me, "to be -attacked in half an hour." Meanwhile fatigue -parties dragged the bushes on the southern -face of our zeriba much farther away in the -direction of Omdurman, and the result was -a vast zeriba extending along the Nile from -El Genuaia to a small village called—so I -gathered from the maps—Geren Nebi. The -length of the rough semi-circle must have -been over nine hundred yards. Nearer -Geren Nebi it enclosed a number of mud-huts, -which were ultimately used for hospital purposes; -and between this part of the zeriba and -our original site, there was a gentle declivity -terminating in a small inlet of the Nile, with -thick black mud along its margin. A little -beyond this inlet, towards the south, the plain -shelved down to the river, and within the -hollow thus formed the majority of the baggage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -animals and native servants were posted. -The cover thus afforded must have been -excellent, for I do not think that a single -baggage animal was killed throughout the fight. -On the extreme left of our line lay a gap -between the end of the zeriba and the river, -left purposely, I presume, in order to admit -the cavalry. Not to go into more detail than -needful about the position of our troops—the -line began on the left side with the 32nd -Field Battery R.A., and an Egyptian battery of -twelve-pounder Maxim-Nordenfeldts. Next in -order came the two British Brigades with two -Maxim batteries, and the remaining two-thirds -of the zeriba was held by the various native -battalions. Towards the northern side of the -zeriba an Egyptian battery was posted on a -little mound of sand. The British infantry -were protected solely by the zeriba, but in -front of the native battalions under Colonels -Lewis, Maxwell, and Macdonald ran a shallow -trench. Colonel Collinson's brigade was -posted as a reserve inside the zeriba some -distance to the rear of Macdonald's division.</p> - -<p>Ammunition boxes lay in rows behind each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -company, bayonets had been fixed, and everyone -looked eagerly over the plain for a glimpse -of the advancing Dervishes. For some reason -or other, which has never been adequately -explained, the Dervishes did not advance to -the attack that afternoon. The Khalifa's army, -after marching forward a couple of miles, came -to a sudden halt, and subsequently withdrew -to its camp for the night. None of the Emirs -in the enemy's lines, with the exception of the -wily Osman Digna, had had any previous -experience of British methods of warfare. -Still, some at least of the Dervish leaders must -have passed a night of anxiety, full of gloomy -anticipations of coming disaster. The brave -Wad-Ed-Nejumi, just before the battle of -Toski, addressed the followers whom he had -led across the terrible Bayuda desert, and -warned them in simple, soldierly words that -each one must be prepared on the morrow to -meet his Maker. Thoughts such as this were -surely, one would think, enough to keep the -Khalifa and his generals awake that night -with the awful sense of responsibility! Not -that the Moslem fighting man, whether of high -or low degree, has any fear of death itself.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> -From what I have seen of him in action, I -should imagine that the contingency of death -never enters into his head as a factor of the -fight which need be regarded. Absolutely -convinced as he is of a future existence in -which bravery and devotion will be rewarded, -the Dervish faces the muzzles of Maxim -guns with a sword in his hand. It is civilisation -which sets Death upon his throne of -terror. The greater the sum of life's enjoyments -the greater the dread of losing them, -and as the nervous organism of mankind -becomes relaxed and softened by the æsthetic -and sentimental influences of social progress, -physical pain is accentuated in reality, and -dreaded all the more in anticipation. The -ordinary belief in a future life amongst Christian -peoples is, for the most part, so nebulous -and indefinite that it fails altogether as a -mainspring of action amid the risks of battle. -Thus, unless other sentimental or utilitarian -considerations can step in to fill the gap, <em>e.g.</em> -patriotism, or the preservation of hearth and -home, the Christian is invariably at a disadvantage -in contending with his Moslem -enemy. Look at the spectacle presented by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -the Ottoman Empire, in which millions of -Christians have been dominated for centuries -by a small but valiant minority of Osmanlis.</p> - -<p>When it was known that the Khalifa's army -had postponed the attack, a general feeling of -disappointment pervaded the whole zeriba. -The men, both white and black, had been as -keen as possible; we had all been waiting for -the enemy, and he hadn't come! We were -robbed of our show, and it was positively annoying -to hear, instead of the warlike commands -which had prefaced the afternoon, the pacific -order for fatigue parties to leave the zeriba and -cut wood for cooking purposes! What awful -bathos! From Khalifa to kitchen utensils, from -battle and murder to bully beef and biscuit!</p> - -<p>Few of the twenty-three thousand men who -passed that night within the zeriba are likely -to forget it. We felt certain of a battle on -the morrow, for all doubts as to whether the -Khalifa would stand and fight, or flee away -into the uttermost parts of the Sudan, were -now set at rest. The two armies actually lay -encamped within five miles of each other on -an almost dead level! The whole of our force, -from the Sirdar downwards, was fully conscious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -of its strength and its ability to resist the -Dervish assault in the morning. But what if -the Khalifa resolved after all to attack our -zeriba under the cover of night? When one -remembers the thinness of our extended line, -our miserably inadequate defences, the stealthiness -and rapidity of the Dervish infantry, the -impossibility of accurate fire in the darkness, -the preponderating numbers of the enemy and -their splendid valour,—when one thinks of -these and other things which may not be -discussed <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">coram populo</i>, one cannot be sufficiently -thankful that the Khalifa refrained from -attacking us on that memorable night! Had -such an assault taken place, I feel <em>absolutely -certain</em> that of the brave fellows who in the -morning advanced unflinchingly against the -most terrific fire of the century's warfare, a -vast number would have broken through the -zeriba in the darkness. The result would -have been terrible beyond words! The cut -and thrust of the Dervish sword and spear, -with the cross fire of our own men, might have -ended in a fulfilment of the Mahdi's prophecy, -instead of a decisive and almost bloodless -victory for the British arms!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span></p> - -<p>With the exception of sentries, who were -doubled, the troops were allowed to sleep, -though their rest was broken by several alarms -during the night. Two friendly Arabs had -been sent out beyond Geren Nebi with orders, -in the event of a Dervish onset, to raise the -peculiar trilling cry which one hears in a higher -key from Sudanese women. Suddenly the -trilling sound was distinctly heard, the men -were instantly roused, and our spies came -racing in at full speed, and jumped clean over -the zeriba! They pretended that the Khalifa's -army was close upon their heels, but no -Dervishes appeared. In all probability these -worthless creatures had been alarmed by some -"sniping" shots from the river bank, or else -thought it would be more agreeable inside than -outside the zeriba, and so resolved to get back -and spend a comfortable night. The alarm -over, our men lay down once more; and now -a note of comedy was added to the anxiety, for -in the dark a camel, with its forelegs tied -together, suddenly ran <em>amok</em> through the camp, -leaping with clumsy bounds over the officers' -<em>angaribs</em>, and causing much confusion and -laughter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span></p> - -<p>During the earlier part of the evening an -order had been passed round that all lights -were to be extinguished in five minutes; but, -as usual, a number of people were selfish -enough to disobey orders, and incur the risk -of Dervish sniping, rather than get into bed by -starlight. As a matter of fact, a number of -shots were fired into the camp from the -Surgham ridge, and some desultory sniping -from the bushes beyond Geren Nebi sent -occasional bullets whistling over the sleeping -camp.</p> - -<p>Before I fell asleep, I was astonished to see -Cross walking up from the bank. He seemed -much better, and said that he had been terribly -worried all day by the thought that, after all, he -might not be present at the battle. The floating -hospital in which he lay was moored at -an island opposite the zeriba, and it seemed -doubtful at one time whether the barge would -be moved over to our side. "If it hadn't," -said Cross, "I had made up my mind to swim -across the river to you."</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER IV</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">On 2nd September we rose from our -broken slumbers in the dull grey -light of daybreak, and by the time the first -sunlight had flushed the surface of the Nile -everybody was hard at work over his breakfast. -When one knows that within an hour or two -the normal routine of regular meals may be -rudely interrupted by the exigencies of a whole -day's fighting, it behoves one to eat at least -as substantial a breakfast, if it can be got, as -one does in London before catching a morning -express to Edinburgh. Certainly it is impossible -to imagine a more agreeable prelude -to a battle than that which we experienced in -our zeriba. There was plenty of time for a -really comfortable meal, without being interrupted -by an unpleasantly early visit from the -Dervishes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> - -<p>As Cross and I strolled up towards that part -of the line held by the British, I stopped for a -few minutes at the huts which had been converted -into temporary shelters for the wounded. -Everything was in its place, and the <em>angaribs</em> -and stretchers ready for prospective employment. -Having just emerged from the floating -hospital, Cross was naturally very weak, and -one of the medical staff, having noticed this, -gave him a dose of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sal volatile</i>. Every British -soldier carried on him a little packet of medical -requisites for "first aid to the wounded." The -packet was a marvel of condensed utility—lint, -bandages, medicated silk, and other things, -all compressed into a tiny parcel about three -inches square.</p> - -<p>By the time I reached the British portion of -the zeriba the men were all in their places, -with reserve companies in position a little to -the rear. Every officer had seen to the -working of his revolver, and all the Tommies -had opened the breech of their Lee-Metfords -and tested the magazine action—a very necessary -precaution amongst the sand and dust of -Egypt. The two batteries on the extreme left -were drawn up, with the grim muzzles of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -fifteen-pounders and the Maxim-Nordenfeldts -pointing towards Gebel Surgham. Case upon -case of shells lay ready to hand, and a number -of these missiles were spread out on the sand -close beside the gun-carriages.</p> - -<p>Long before the advancing Dervishes came -within range and sight of our infantry, the -Egyptian cavalry, some two thousand strong, -had left the northern side of the zeriba, and -with the Camel Corps had come in touch with a -large body of the enemy under the Sheikh -Ed-Din. The Dervishes, certainly not less -than fifteen thousand in number, immediately -advanced against the Khedival cavalry, expecting, -no doubt, an easy victory over the -Egyptians: how often in the past had the -fellahin horsemen fled in utter rout before -them! But now the despised Egyptians -retreated in excellent order, dismounting and -firing volleys as steadily as on the parade -ground at Cairo. The Camel Corps were -blundering slowly along, scarcely able to keep -ahead of the native spearmen, and were -threatened every moment with annihilation. -In fact, throughout the day's fighting, no troops -were exposed to more serious risk than the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -cumbrous Camel Corps. The cavalry acted -splendidly, halting repeatedly under a hot fire -until the camel men came up. Captain Ricardo -of the 17th Lancers, who was attached to -the Egyptian cavalry, told me that he never -wished to command better troops than the -"Gyppies" showed themselves to be under -these trying circumstances. Nevertheless, -many saddles were emptied by Dervish -bullets, two field-guns had to be temporarily -abandoned, and it would have fared very ill -with this gallant corps if they had been compelled -to rely solely on their own efforts. As -it was, the Egyptian battery posted on a knoll -at the north-west corner of the zeriba had got -the range of the Kerreri ridge accurately, and -as the triumphant Dervishes appeared amongst -the rocks in full pursuit of the retreating -cavalry, round after round of twelve-pounder -shells burst amongst them. At the same -moment the Melik and Sultan had trained -their quick-firing guns upon the Dervishes, -and did splendid execution amongst the -crowded ranks. Under this combined fire -the enemy wavered, but not for long. They -tried to dodge the projectiles and advance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -more cautiously under cover of various rocky -gullies amongst the broken ground. It was -like a terrible game of hide-and-seek. The -white gibbehs, hidden for some minutes behind -the hill, suddenly reappeared by fresh exits -from the ridge; but shells met them at every -turn, and finally the fanatics, balked of their -prey, sullenly withdrew beyond the hills altogether -with most of their wounded, leaving -some twelve hundred of their number dead or -dying on the field.</p> - -<p>Inside the zeriba we were all alert and ready. -Breakfast was over, and we simply waited for -the enemy. I looked down into the hollow -beside the river where the baggage camels, -camp followers, and servants were stowed away -in safety, and saw Ali grasping his enormous -sword. The faithful creature came up and -informed me that he intended to devote his -attention exclusively to the defence of my -person during the coming fight. I gently -restrained the vaulting ambition of my cook, -and pointed out to him the value of less ostentatious -heroism—the protection, for example, -of the camels from bullets, and the groceries -from theft. Having shaken off this enthusiast,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -I walked along the zeriba to a point some -way below the Lincolns. A large number of -the Tommies had never been under fire -before, <em>e.g.</em> the Guards and the Lancashire -Fusiliers, and there was a curious look of -suppressed excitement in some of the faces, -as they stared over the desert to catch a -glimpse of the enemy they were at last -destined to behold, after many long marches -by day and false alarms by night. Now and -then I caught in a man's eye the curious -gleam which comes from the joy of shedding -blood—that mysterious impulse which, despite -all the veneer of civilisation, still holds its own -in a man's nature, whether he is killing rats -with a terrier, rejoicing in a prize fight, playing -a salmon, or potting Dervishes. It was a fine -day, and we had come out to kill something. -Call it what you like, the experience is a big -factor in the joy of living: one speaks <span title="phônanta synetoisi"><span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">φωνᾶντα συνετοῖσι.</span></span> -Lower down the line the Sudanese -showed their white teeth as they grinned with -delight at the prospect of slaughter.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the Lancers came trotting over the -ridge between Gebel Surgham and the Nile, -while several officers galloped across the plain<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -and reported to the Sirdar that the Khalifa's -forces were now rapidly advancing. The -signallers from Gebel Surgham had come in -by this time, and the cavalry, after a temporary -halt beyond Geren Nebi, entered the -zeriba by the gap beyond the batteries, and -there waited ready for future emergencies.</p> - -<p>"When they do show themselves," said an -artillery officer, "we'll give them beans," and -"beans" they certainly got! Even as he -spoke, a long white streak far away in the -distance suddenly spread itself over the yellow -sand; the longed-for moment had arrived! -"Here they come!" was on everybody's lips, -and a rustle of excitement ran down the ranks.</p> - -<p>True enough, on either side of Gebel Surgham, -and then on towards the western slopes -of Kerreri, line upon line of Dervish infantry -and cavalry appeared. Gigantic banners -fluttered aloft, borne on lofty flagstaffs. The -rising sun glinted on sword blades and spearheads -innumerable, and as the mighty host -drew nearer, black heads and arms became -visible amongst the white of the massed -<em>gibbehs</em>. And now, too, a dense volume of -sound came rolling over the desert as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -fanatical Arabs raised continuous shouts of -defiance, mingled with chants to Allah and the -Prophet—their final battle-cry before the inevitable -death awaiting them—the veritable -requiem song of Mahdism! In the clear -morning air the pageant was truly magnificent, -a splendid panorama of some forty thousand -barbarians moving forward all undismayed to -do battle with the largest army which Great -Britain has placed in the field for forty years. -So marvellous a picture—once seen, never to -be seen again—must surely have impressed -itself indelibly upon the memory of all who -witnessed it!</p> - -<p>Our men stood unmoved within the zeriba. -Suddenly a cloud of white smoke massed -itself along the enemy's front, and one realised -that the Dervishes had opened fire on us. -The Khalifa's forces possessed eighteen -thousand Martinis and a still larger number -of Remingtons, captured from the ill-fated -army of Hicks Pasha and the various garrisons -of the Sudan. But as none of the Dervishes -understood the sighting of their rifles, and -many of them had actually knocked off the -back-sights as a useless encumbrance, their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -opening volleys at over two thousand yards, -being fired point blank, were useless. They -simply wasted ammunition; for most of the -bullets of course struck the sand hundreds of -yards in front of us, and comparatively few -got as far as the zeriba. No response came -from our silent ranks for another five minutes. -Then at 6.20 a roar came from the batteries on -the left, and a shell shrieked through the air -and burst about twenty yards in front of the -formidable line advancing against the southern -face of the zeriba. Almost simultaneously the -other batteries opened fire on the dense masses -of the enemy advancing round the western -slopes of Surgham, and still farther away -towards the ridge of Kerreri.</p> - -<p>The battle had now commenced in dire -earnest. As the enemy rapidly advanced, -bullets of all sizes and shapes soon began to -whistle over the zeriba from the Martinis, -Remingtons, and nondescript weapons of the -enemy. A battery, too, which they had placed -on the western slope of Surgham, fired at the -portion of our line held by the Camerons and -Seaforths. More than forty rounds were fired -from these Dervish field guns, but the shells<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> -did little, if any, damage, as, although the -fuses were beautifully timed and the projectiles -burst at an excellent height above the ground, -the range was too long, and they all fell short. -Moreover, after the fight some fragments of -these shells were picked up and found to be -made of very thin brass casing; so that the -damage they could have inflicted, even had -they reached our lines, must have been inconsiderable. -As it was, they burst like -maroons at the Crystal Palace, with a loud -report and little else.</p> - -<p>Our own artillery had very soon found the -range accurately. The British fifteen-pounders -and the short Maxim-Nordenfeldts of the -Egyptian gunners were admirably worked, and -the precision of the shell fire was marvellous. -Scores of shrapnel burst just over the advancing -line, and other shells struck the -ground under their feet, tearing huge gaps in -the ranks and throwing up clouds of earth -and stones. The division of the enemy -nearest to the zeriba was advancing over -the ridge between Surgham and the river, -and with a good field glass I could see the -fearful havoc played by the fire of our guns.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> -Beneath the descending shower of bullets from -a well-placed shrapnel, a little crowd of men -would fall torn and bleeding upon the sand, -and sometimes a shell splinter would crash -into a horse and hurl the animal with its -rider to the ground. Despite this awful fire, -the brave Dervishes came steadily on down -the slope, though the line of their march was -thickly strewn with dead and wounded. At -length, to complete their discomfiture, the -enemy in this part of the field came within -long range of the rifles of the Guards, the -Warwicks, and other battalions lining the -more southern face of the zeriba. As withering -volleys were poured into them, in addition -to the incessant shell fire, the remnants of -this brave division seemed to realise the -hopelessness of a direct advance, and swerved -to their left without any disorder to join their -comrades who had advanced round Surgham -from the west.</p> - -<p>The main attack upon our position had now -fully developed, and it was at this juncture -that the Egyptian cavalry and the Camel -Corps regained the shelter of their comrades' -trenches after their lucky escape from Sheikh<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -Ed-Din's spearmen. Thousands upon thousands -of Dervish infantry and cavalry advanced -all along the line in a rough semicircle, with -frenzied shouts and a continuous but irregular -fire upon the western face of the zeriba. -Towards the left centre the Khalifa's black -ensign stood out above the white <em>gibbehs</em> and -red sashes of his bodyguard—that heroic and -devoted band who rallied to the last round -their leader's flag, and died to a man in its -defence!</p> - -<p>The din of battle was terrific. The roar -of the artillery, the shriek of shells, the crisp -volleys of the Lee-Metfords, and the unceasing -rat-tat-tat of the deadly Maxims were so -deafening that it was only occasionally in -brief intervals that one realised that bullets by -hundreds were flying around us.</p> - -<p>Other proofs, however, of this were soon -in evidence. In every direction the medical -service men were to be seen carrying the dead -and wounded on stretchers to the rear. As I -walked across the zeriba with the Rifle Brigade, -who were ordered to reinforce the line facing -west, three men were hit by Dervish bullets, -and immediately afterwards I saw a corporal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> -of the Camerons shot clean through the head. -As I said above, comparatively few bullets -were heard, but every now and then a man fell -to the ground. Colonel Money's horse was -shot under him; he secured another mount, -and in a few minutes his second horse rolled -over, pierced by another Dervish bullet. Shortly -afterwards, as I was watching the Maxim fire, a -Highlander suddenly fell over two yards to my -left. He was, I think, shot through the upper -part of the arm; but what amused me was the -self-conscious, shamefaced look which came -over his face when the stretcher arrived. He -looked sheepishly round to see if anybody -noticed it, and was evidently quite ashamed of -being carried off!</p> - -<p>It was interesting to hear various occasional -remarks which were made as flying bullets -whistled overhead or made a splash in the -loose sand of the zeriba. After a little experience -in being under fire the ear gets to -appreciate the relative distances of these invisible -messengers, but the tendency at first is -to imagine that the passing bullet is much -nearer to one than it really is. I remember -hearing a young soldier remark as a bullet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -whizzed over us, "By Jove, that nearly got me -on the head!" whereas the missile was yards -up in the air. It is, indeed, always satisfactory -under such circumstances to note the whizz of -bullets through the air; for, of course, if you -hear the missile, it can't do you any harm. -Some of the Dervish bullets played the oddest -tricks. My friend, Captain Maclachlan of the -Camerons, suddenly felt his side drenched with -water, and, looking down, found that his water-bottle -had been pierced from side to side. I -found that this little anecdote had already -reached England when I arrived, and had, -moreover, been duly improved upon; for an -old lady in the train spoke in sympathetic -tones of the providential escape of the poor -invalid officer who had been saved from a -bullet as he lay in bed by the <em>hot water bottle</em> -applied to his side! Another bullet passed -through an ammunition pouch, cutting eight -cartridges in half just between the lead and -the cordite without exploding a single one. -In another case, a Dervish bullet bored a hole -through the helmet of the man in front, tore -the shoulder-strap from the man behind, then -wounded a sergeant in the leg, and finally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -dropped harmlessly on the toes of a private -in the rear.</p> - -<p>Between the two Highland battalions was -posted a battery of Maxims under Captain -Smeaton, whom I had seen in Crete a year -and a half ago. Just behind the Maxims a -detachment of Engineers did excellent work -in organising the ammunition supply. One -is always glad to hear the conduct of this fine -corps appreciated, for frequently the sappers, -from the nature of their work, are not sufficiently -noticed in the literature of our "little -wars." They did much excellent work at the -Atbara, with scarcely a word of subsequent -recognition from the Press; and here in the -Omdurman zeriba they were posted in the -middle of the fighting line, and took their -chance as well as anyone else.</p> - -<p>The Maxims poured forth an unceasing -stream of bullets. A belt of cartridges was -fixed, and instantly began to glide through -the breech mechanism; then ta-ta-ta-ta-ta—the -belt was empty and thrown aside to make -way for another. It was not difficult to see -how the gun was doing its terrible work, for -if the aim became unduly depressed, a screen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -of dust and sand was thrown up in front of -the enemy's line, and the only thing needed -was a trifling elevation of the barrel.</p> - -<p>There is a sort of fascination about a Maxim -in full swing. Water is placed round the -barrel in a metal casing, in order to keep the -steel from becoming red hot. As it is, in -three minutes after the water is poured in it -boils furiously, and steam rushes out of the -valves. Still, as long as the barrel is in contact -with water of any kind, all goes well. In -the midst of the Dervish attack the water -suddenly gave out in Captain Smeaton's battery, -and the machinery would speedily have -ceased work from overheating but for the -ready help of the men who stood by, and -immediately emptied their water-bottles into -the empty tubing. The Maxims, thus refreshed, -continued their work, and up to 8.30 -a.m. no less than ninety thousand rounds of -ammunition had been fired from these weapons -alone.</p> - -<p>About seven o'clock a marvellous attempt -to break our lines was made by the enemy. -The Dervish leader in the centre—perhaps -Yakub, the Khalifa's brother—actually dis<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>patched -a body of about one hundred and -fifty cavalry against the British position. That -any sane man could be guilty of such criminal -folly is almost incredible. The devoted band -galloped towards the zeriba over the open -desert in the very teeth of Maxims and Lee-Metford -volleys! Needless to say, not one of -these brave fellows got within five hundred -yards of our lines. The Maxims and rifles -rained bullets upon them, the murderous -sheet of lead mowed them down, and they -simply vanished from sight. One heroic -leader struggled on in front of his comrades, -until he too, with his beautiful Arab charger, -went down like the rest, and lay there, a -silent witness to the magnificent valour of the -Khalifa's followers. Not one man in twenty -returned from this wild charge, which, for the -utter recklessness of its bravery, must be almost -unexampled in military history.</p> - -<p>The interchange of shots continued until -about 8.30, by which time the Dervish forces -had been practically annihilated, with the -exception of two or three large masses, which -had retreated in excellent order behind the -hills on the south-west and north-west.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> -In fact, during the last half-hour of this portion -of the engagement, the actual rifle fire of -the Dervishes had been confined almost exclusively -to a small body of sharpshooters, who -had ensconced themselves in a sandy hollow -some nine hundred yards away on our left -centre. These riflemen, being sheltered from -the hail of bullets which whizzed over their -heads, continued to make very fair practice on -our ranks for some time. At last a shell from -Major Williams' battery pitched right into the -middle of their retreat. What exactly happened -I do not know, but, at anyrate, we -were troubled by no more bullets from <em>that</em> -quarter. Throughout the fighting up to this -point I never saw a Dervish <em>run</em>; whenever -he retreated he simply walked off the field. -I noticed many of the wounded struggle to their -feet, attempt to walk away, and then fall to -rise no more as merciless volleys again struck -them to the ground.</p> - -<p>As the Sirdar appeared to think that all -danger from Dervish attack was now past -and over, the entire army received orders to -leave the zeriba and march in <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">échelon</i> straight -on Omdurman. Meanwhile, however, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -Lancers had advanced over the ridge towards -the river, with orders to harass the enemy -and head them off from Omdurman as far as -possible. The troopers trotted off in excellent -spirits, glad to get a chance of some fighting -after their forced inaction under cover during -the assault upon the zeriba.</p> - -<p>And now occurred the most graphic and -sensational bit of fighting in the whole battle. -A continuous stream of Dervishes was traversing -the plain between Gebel Surgham and -the suburbs of Omdurman. But before the -Lancers had advanced far upon the flank of -these fugitives they noticed what appeared to -be a body of some two hundred spearmen, who -were partly under cover of a low ridge of sand. -These Dervishes soon showed that they had -rifles as well as spears, for a hot fire was -opened upon the cavalry. A charge was at -once ordered, and the line of Lancers galloped -down upon the enemy. Before they had -reached the hollow, however, they saw beyond -the riflemen a considerable body of Dervishes, -whose presence, thanks to a further inequality -in the ground, had not been revealed till that -moment. I have heard it said that, previous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> -to falling foul of these partly concealed Dervishes, -the Lancers had advanced without any -scouts being thrown forward who might have -easily discovered how the land lay. Again, -even when the white mass of men, some fifteen -deep, suddenly rose up before the eyes of -the cavalry, there would have been absolutely -no shadow of discredit in retiring; for cavalry -are not ordinarily required to charge unbroken -infantry, nor was this course rendered necessary -by the Sirdar's orders. There can be little -doubt that if our men, immediately on sighting -the large compact body in the rear of the -riflemen, had withdrawn, dismounted, and -poured volleys from their carbines into the -massed ranks of the enemy, they would have -inflicted far greater damage upon the Dervishes, -with scarcely any appreciable loss to themselves. -This course was not taken. So far -from halting and retreating, our gallant Lancers -quickened their chargers' pace, and hurled -themselves boldly against the double rampart -of fighting men. Colonel Martin led the way, -riding well ahead of his regiment, and, without -attempting to use his weapons, forced a passage -through the dense masses in front of him. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> -did not, I believe, receive a scratch during this -perilous exploit, though it was almost a miracle -that he escaped with his life. A friend of mine -who took part in this famous charge told me -that as the cavalry galloped forward they were -met by a perfect hail of bullets from the riflemen -in front, which ought to have emptied -many a saddle, but for the most part flew harmlessly -overhead. As is usually the case in -desperate fighting, none of the men who came -safely through the charge appeared to know -much about its details. My informant told me -that he noticed an officer—probably Lieutenant -Grenfell—standing a little on one side and -fighting with a ring of Dervishes, three of -whom suddenly turned upon himself. As they -advanced he realised that he had better make -some use of his weapons, so whipped out his -revolver and shot the foremost Dervish. After -this his horse struggled onward past the rest -of the assailants. Until he had shot this man, -he had quite forgotten to draw either sword or -revolver!</p> - -<p>The outer line of the enemy was soon broken -up by the impact of the cavalry, and the riflemen -tumbled head over heels amongst the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -horses' feet. But much greater resistance -came from the two thousand Dervishes at the -back. The confusion was terrible. Lances -are not of much use in a crowd, and if our -troopers had used their sabres they would have -suffered less from the heavy sword blades -which were hacking their bodies and hamstringing -their horses. If any man was unhorsed he -was as good as dead. The furious Arabs leapt -upon him and slashed at his face till his features -disappeared and his flesh hung in strips. Lieutenant -Clerk's charger stumbled and fell forward -as it breasted the edge of the <em>nullah</em>, but -most fortunately its master kept his seat, and -managed to get through the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mêlée</i> unhurt. -This officer was on September 2nd far too ill -and weak for any sort of military duty, but he -pluckily kept to his regiment till the day's -arduous work was over, and was then obliged -to go into hospital worse than before. The -fighting through the brief period of this charge—a -few minutes all told from beginning to end—was -wild and fierce. The Lancers never -flinched in the face of an enemy six times as -numerous as themselves, and, doing what they -could with the clumsy lances, forced a path for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -their squadrons through the crowd in front. -On the other hand, the Dervishes rejoiced, no -doubt, to get to close quarters with the hated -infidels after all the futile attempts and cruel -losses of the morning. Their eyes gleamed -with fury as they crowded round the hated -Englishmen, and showered spear thrusts and -sword cuts upon man and beast alike. The -cross-handled Dervish sword is terribly heavy, -and the long straight blades of several which I -picked up had been freshly ground for subsequent -employment upon the person of -Tommy Atkins. The large Dervish spear, -too, when properly handled, is a most formidable -weapon, and if a thrust is driven well -home into the body, the wound from the broad -iron head is so wide and deep that a man has -little chance of recovery.</p> - -<p>My readers have all read in the newspapers -of some of the many acts of heroism and -narrow escapes which were crowded into the -space of a few minutes. They have heard how -gallantly men like Lieutenant Montmorency -and Private Peddar, who had fought their way -unhurt through the Dervishes' line, turned -back to save their wounded and dismounted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -comrades—how Major Wyndham, when his -horse fell dead beneath him, managed with the -help of his friends to push his way through the -press and escape the death which overtook -almost every other Lancer who was unhorsed.</p> - -<p>The enemy's line was completely broken up -by the cavalry, and about seventy of the Dervishes -were killed or wounded. But when the -Lancers formed up some three hundred yards -on the other side of the hollow, it was evident -from even a cursory glance that the gallant -charge had cost them dear. Lieutenant Grenfell -with twenty troopers were missing, and of -the fifty wounded men many were streaming -with blood and scarcely able to keep their -saddles. No less than one hundred and nineteen -horses out of three hundred and twenty -were killed or hopelessly wounded, and in some -cases the faithful creatures, who had carried -their masters safely through the fight, just -managed to rejoin the ranks and then fell dead.</p> - -<p>After the charge Colonel Martin ordered his -men to dismount and fire volleys at the enemy, -who still held their ground. The magazine -fire of the carbines speedily dispersed the Dervishes, -and the victorious Lancers returned to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -the scene of their charge and recovered the -dead. All the bodies had been horribly -mutilated; the faces were quite unrecognisable, -and the flesh of the neck and shoulders was -scored and lacerated in every direction with -sword cuts and spear thrusts.</p> - -<p>Indignation against the Dervishes for such -mutilations may easily be exaggerated. Sickening -as it is to gaze upon a comrade's features -hacked out of all human semblance, one cannot -forget that the men who did the deed had seen -thousands of their brethren slain by our awful -fire without a possibility of retaliation. It is -worth remembering, too, that the mutilation of -the human body is not the exclusive monopoly -of barbaric peoples; anyone who has seen the -effects of shell fire—bodies ripped open, jaws -torn off, and kindred horrors—may find it -difficult to differentiate very markedly between -the accursed usages inseparable from every -system of warfare—civilised and barbarous -alike.</p> - -<p>While the Lancers had met and engaged -the enemy beyond Gebel Surgham, the whole -of the infantry, artillery, and baggage-train -had left the zeriba and advanced in <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">échelon</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -upon Omdurman. The British battalions led -the way on the left; on the right marched -the Egyptians and Sudanese—Maxwell's -brigade in front, Lewis's next, and Macdonald's -bringing up the rear. I joined Lewis's men, -and as the line of our advance led us over the -ground covered by a portion of the attack, -we speedily found ourselves amongst dead -and dying Dervishes. The first of these I -came across was the brave leader who had -led the charge of the Baggara cavalry. He -and his horse were quite dead—both of them -riddled with bullets. His spear lay beside -him, and was seized by a Sudanese soldier -as a present for his <em>bimbashi</em>. As we marched -towards Gebel Surgham, and further out upon -the plain, the efficacy of our shell and rifle -fire became more apparent every yard we -advanced. In every direction rows and -clusters of white <em>gibbehs</em> and black bodies lay -scattered over the sand.</p> - -<p>Here and there, too, horses were stretched -motionless, or else tossed restlessly to and fro, -unable to rise. I cannot account for the fact, -but the sight of a wounded horse is much -more painful to myself, and, I know, to many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -other men, than the sight of a wounded man. -As one walks over a battlefield one gazes with -indifference or vague curiosity on mangled -heaps of human bodies, but where one sees a -horse cruelly torn by a shell splinter, raising -and drooping its head upon the sand, with -terror and anguish in its beautiful eyes—such -a sight as this must fill the heart of any lover -of animals with pain and pity.</p> - -<p>Our native battalions were soon busily -engaged in killing the wounded. The -Sudanese undertook this task with evident -relish, and never spared a single Dervish -along their path. On our left front, at the -foot of the Surgham slope, where the opening -shell fire of the batteries on the left had -covered the hillside with dead and wounded, -a large number of servants and camp followers -were also busy. These harpies, intent solely -on loot, had armed themselves with various -weapons. Some carried clubs or spears, others -had managed to secure old rifles. They -advanced with great caution, and I saw them -fire repeatedly into bodies which were already -quite dead, before they dared to rush in and -strip the corpse of its arms and clothing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -These cowardly wretches ought most certainly -to have been prevented from carrying on this -irresponsible shooting. They fired anyhow, -without looking to see who was in front, and -their bullets continually ricochetted against the -rocks. One of these bullets passed quite close to -the front of our brigade as we advanced, and I -heard that an officer was wounded by another.</p> - -<p>The barbarous usage of killing the wounded -has become traditional in Sudanese warfare, -and in some cases it must be looked upon as -a painful necessity. The wounded Dervishes—as -I saw with my own eyes, and on one -occasion nearly felt with my own body—sometimes -raised themselves and fired one last -round at our advancing line. On one occasion -a wounded Baggara suddenly rose up -from a little heap of bodies and stabbed no -less than seven Egyptian cavalry troopers -before he was finally dispatched. Still, when -all has been said in defence of this practice, -it is certain that in many cases wounded -Dervishes, unarmed and helpless, were -butchered from sheer wantonness and lust -of bloodshed. The whole formed a hideous -picture, not easy to forget.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span></p> - -<p>Some of the wounded turned wearily over, -and paid no attention to our advance. For -many of them, indeed, the bitterness of death -was already past. They lay in the scorching -heat, with shattered bodies and shattered hopes, -awaiting the final thrust of the merciless -bayonet. Many of them were doubtless good -as well as brave men. They had trusted in -Allah that he would deliver them, but their -prayer had been in vain. There are few -experiences in this world more cruel than the -sudden extinction of religious hope, and the -dying thoughts of some of these Dervishes must -have been exceeding bitter.</p> - -<p>As I tramped along with Lewis's brigade -towards Omdurman, we were suddenly aware -that something had gone wrong on the right -flank and rear of the column. The "ispt," -"ispt" of bullets was heard in every direction, -and men began to fall. Turning round, I soon -saw what had happened. The enemy had -actually renewed the fight, and an orderly -attack was being made on Macdonald's brigade -by the large Dervish force under Sheikh -Ed-Din, which had retreated under the fire -of the gunboats at the beginning of the engage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>ment, -and held itself in readiness behind the -Kerreri ridge for this flank attack. At the -same time several other bodies of Dervishes -appeared to the west of Surgham, and also -from behind the low hills straight in front.</p> - -<p>The brunt of this fresh attack fell upon -the rear brigade. Colonel Macdonald did not -lose a moment. His blacks were at once -formed into two lines, meeting at an obtuse -angle, and a steady fire was opened on the -enemy, who advanced with marvellous rapidity. -Towards the left centre, the black standard of -the Khalifa rose again to view, and behind this, -and on either flank, line after line of infantry -swept once more over the undulating desert.</p> - -<p>This was the only portion of the fight in -which any part of our position was seriously -threatened, and during this second battle—for -it practically amounted to this—the Sudanese -and Egyptian infantry had most of the fighting -to themselves. Right well they fought—one -native brigade against some twenty-five -thousand Dervishes. Any wavering or panic -on the part of these battalions would have been -fatal, for during the really critical period of the -fight they were quite isolated. Lewis's brigade—their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -nearest support—was at least nine -hundred yards away, and most of the British -columns were actually out of sight, advancing -along the river a mile and a half in front. -The men of the brigade, which comprised the -9th, 10th, and 11th Sudanese and the 2nd -Egyptians, were armed with Martinis; and -the smoke of the black powder they used -interfered to some extent with the accuracy of -their fire, which always tends, in the case of -native troops, to become rather wild as the -excitement of battle grows upon them. Thus -it happened that the enemy managed to get to -much closer quarters with us than previously. -Their foremost ranks sometimes seemed to -advance within one hundred and fifty yards -of the Sudanese, and when a perfect flood of -Sheikh Ed-Din's infantry was let loose from -the Kerreri slopes upon Macdonald's rear, -some of the Dervishes, despite the withering -rifle fire, actually ran up and used their spears -against our men, until they were bayoneted or -shot down at the very muzzles of the rifles. -Another brilliant attempt was made by the -Khalifa's cavalry to break the Sudanese lines, -and some of the horsemen got within a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> -yards of the line before they were shot down -in detail. One determined standard-bearer, -with nothing in his hands except his flagstaff, -struggled on heroically to within a dozen -yards of the blacks before he fell, riddled -with bullets.</p> - -<p>Efforts had, of course, been made all along -the line to lend assistance to Macdonald in -his one-handed struggle. The gunboats had -joined with his own three batteries in shelling -the dense masses under Sheikh Ed-Din, while -on the left other batteries had galloped up, -and now from the northern slopes of Surgham -poured round after round of shell upon the -indomitable enemy. Three battalions, too, of -the 1st British Brigade had come up at the -double, and the Lincolns had been dispatched -to aid in the final dispersion of Ed-Din's -Dervishes amongst the rugged slopes of -Kerreri.</p> - -<p>Still, valuable as this help was in completing -the rout of the Dervishes, and driving them -off finally beyond the hills to the west, there -is no doubt that the repulse of the enemy was -already a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">fait accompli</i> long before the British -battalions had wheeled to the right and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -traversed the long distance—at least one and -a half miles—between their position near the -river and the rear of our advance on the -right. Colonel Macdonald had proved once -more his sterling qualities as a leader. The -Sudanese had shown that they could stand -absolutely steady under a prolonged fire as -well as rush impetuously to an attack. The -"Gyppies," who in the old days of El Teb -and Hicks Pasha's disaster threw away their -rifles and were butchered as they fled or knelt -to beg for mercy—these very Fellahin soldiers, -now disciplined and taught the value of self-respect -by British officers, fired regular volleys -and stood firm as a rock against the stream -of Dervishes which threatened every moment -to engulf them.</p> - -<p>I noticed, by the way, one very smart bit -of fighting during the movement in support -of Macdonald. The brigade under Colonel -Maxwell advanced almost directly upon Gebel -Surgham, and a number of Sudanese were -ordered to clear the hill of Dervishes. Up -went the blacks like monkeys. The whole -eastern slope of Surgham was dotted with little -white puffs of smoke as the lithe creatures<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> -leapt from boulder to boulder and drove the -enemy before them. At the top of the hill -the surviving Dervishes, under the Emir -Osman Azrak, made a desperate stand, but -were killed to a man.</p> - -<p>It was not till nearly midday that "Cease -fire" again sounded, and the victorious march -to Omdurman was resumed. Scattered bands -of Dervishes were to be seen in the distance, -making westward to the shelter of the hills. -Upon the rear of these fugitives the Egyptian -cavalry was let loose; and as they galloped -away to the right, and cut up the stragglers, -they felt, no doubt, that they were getting some -sort of compensation for their bad luck in the -early morning. Captain Smeaton lent me his -field glasses, which were more powerful than -my own, and far away in front, on a ridge of -rock, safe from cavalry and rifle bullets, I saw -a little band of Dervishes—some sixty in all—painfully -making their way to the west. With -the fine binoculars in my hand I could even -see the faces of the poor wretches, the majority -of whom seemed to be wounded. Some -limped along unaided over the rough hillside, -others were supported by their comrades.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -How many hundreds, nay, thousands, of these -wounded Dervishes ultimately succumbed to -the fearful injuries inflicted by the "man-stopping" -bullet, no one, I suppose, will ever -know accurately; but one may be tolerably -sure that behind the hills many a poor creature -lay down to die.</p> - -<p>In handing Captain Smeaton's glasses back, -I noticed that one of the mules harnessed to -the Maxims had just been struck by a bullet, -which passed clean through the animal's neck. -The wounded mule, by name Tommy, was -evidently quite a pet amongst the gunners, -and though it looked rather anxious and -depressed, it dragged the Maxim with unabated -vigour.</p> - -<p>In places, as we marched along, the ground -was strewn thickly with bodies, as the fire had -struck the enemy down in little heaps. In -one spot I saw a ring of nine men and three -horses, all evidently slain by the explosion of -a single shell. One Dervish, as I passed, -raised his face to mine with a ghastly smile, -as if deprecating our vengeance, and throwing -his <em>gibbeh</em> on one side, displayed an awful -wound. A shell splinter had struck the miser<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span>able -man full in front, and literally ripped his -body open from side to side. Another man -lay face downward upon the sand, breathing -bubbles through a pool of gore, and actually -drowning in his own blood! As a rule, -however, the features of the dead were -not distorted. They lay as if asleep, with -a peaceful look upon their faces, and many -of them were handsome men of magnificent -build.</p> - -<p>The sun by this time was terribly hot, and, -after the excitement of the fight, the fatigue -of the day's work, and the absence of sleep on -the previous night began to tell upon the men. -Several halts were made, and at last a string -of camels laden with <em>fantasias</em> (metal water -tanks) made their appearance. The men -crowded round, and filled their bottles to -the brim. The water was quite warm, but -the troops drank it with avidity. I filled -my bottle, and then, plunging the whole thing -into a bucket, waited till evaporation should -cool the contents. Meanwhile I crawled under -a Maxim carriage. The scanty shade was -perfectly delicious, and I should have gone to -sleep but for the mules, which became restless,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -and kicked out occasionally with their hoofs in -unpleasant proximity to my head.</p> - -<p>After half an hour's halt the onward march -was resumed, and we saw the troops in front -about two hundred yards away actually -marching through a mirage of water, rocks, -and bushes! Cross tried to photograph the -curious scene, but the result did not prove a -success. Why does one never get a decent -photograph of a mirage in the desert? Men -still fell out of the ranks from sheer exhaustion. -One would see a soldier totter on for some -yards, trying to pull himself together, and then -suddenly step to one side and sink down on -the sand, saying, "It's no good; I can't go on." -On two occasions when this happened, the -exhausted man had drained the entire contents -of his bottle, which had been full an hour -ago, and not a drop of water was to be got -from any of the soldiers near! I mention this -to show the utter lack of self-control in the -matter of drink which prevailed amongst the -"Tommies." My own bottle was the only one -within reach that contained any water at all, -and of course I did what everyone else would -have done, and divided what remained between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -the two men, who seemed to be actually dying -of thirst. They then got up and managed to -struggle on to Omdurman, their rifles being -carried for them by some of their comrades. -A private of the Warwicks suddenly dropped -down dead from heat apoplexy, and was buried -on the spot. The comparatively mild sufferings -of our own men turned one's thoughts to -the crowded heaps of wounded wretches left -behind us in the desert to the added tortures -of that thirst which invariably accompanies -gunshot wounds. How many thousands, too, -of women and children would soon be weeping -with all the wild lamentation of the East over -the brave men who lay in the sleep of death -far away upon the plain! Sorrow is the same -all the world over—that dread factor in human -life—and the terrific carnage of the day's -fighting had taken away the bread-winner -and protector from thousands of poor homes -in the Sudan, and doomed many a household -to starvation.</p> - -<p>The battle was now to all intents and purposes -over, and already vast flocks of vultures -were wheeling round and round over the expanse -of desert. Another halt was made on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -the edge of a <em>khor</em> on the outskirts of Omdurman. -The water of this inlet was thick and -yellow, and in the shallower parts dead -animals—horses, mules, and donkeys—lay -about in various stages of decay. Nevertheless, -the thirsty troops rushed down the -bank and drank greedily of the foul water. -The want of self-control and common sense -at this <em>khor</em> may quite well be partly responsible -for the large number of typhoid cases -which subsequently occurred. As I thought -that ten minutes more of dry throat and -parched lips were better than the chance of -enteric fever, I walked down to the Nile. -Here I found Captain Ricardo, Lord Tullibardine, -and one or two others sitting under -the scanty shade of a mud-hut, where I joined -them after some tremendous draughts of -running water, drunk out of a calabash -which I had cut from the neck of a dead -Dervish. Lord Tullibardine kindly gave -me some brandy to flavour the water, -and Captain Ricardo recounted the good -deeds of the "Gyppy" cavalry. Then we -all lay at full length and indulged in a little -siesta.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p> - -<p>The bugles soon sounded the "advance," -and the final order came that the army was -to occupy Omdurman forthwith. The weary -troops advanced once more, and we all waded -through the muddy <em>khor</em>. The water reached -to our knees, and was very refreshing after the -long tramp over the hot sand. Alongside -one of the battalions rode the Presbyterian -chaplain, mounted—oh tell it not in the Kirk, -neither publish it amongst the Elders—upon -a looted pony! It was, I think, a colt which -I had seen earlier in the day standing unhurt -amongst a heap of dead Dervishes, and -calmly nibbling some scanty blades of desert -grass.</p> - -<p>As we marched on through the apparently -interminable suburbs of the city, the regimental -drums and fifes and the Highlanders' -bagpipes struck up some lively tunes. The -effect of music at such a time was simply -marvellous: it put fresh heart and vigour -into all of us. The Sudanese, with broad -grins on their shiny black faces, played -the various marching tunes of the British -regiments, and were loudly cheered by their -white comrades. All along the broad street<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -which runs through Omdurman to the central -square we were greeted by bands of -women, who stood in clusters at the doors, -and welcomed us with curious trilling cries -of joy.</p> - -<p>The Khalifa had escaped from the southern -end of the town about an hour before our -foremost troops arrived, and had been followed -by a panic-stricken mob of men, women, and -children, with camels and donkeys. In spite, -however, of this exodus, the advance battalions, -with the Sirdar and his staff, had met with -some resistance from Dervishes still concealed -in the houses along the main street. Here and -there bullets were fired from windows and roofs -across the line of our advance, and troops had -to be detailed to clear out these dangerous -assailants. Fortunately, a little light still came -from the setting sun, and the Sudanese were -soon able to rid themselves of their antagonists. -Bullets had been repeatedly fired at the Sirdar -and his staff as they advanced, and a little -further on destruction nearly overtook them -from the shells of our own field guns. The -Sirdar had ordered the 32nd battery to shell -the Khalifa's palace, and nevertheless saw fit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -to advance with his staff into the zone of fire. -Suddenly four shells burst in rapid succession -above their heads, close to the Mahdi's tomb -and the great square. Everyone hurried away -to shelter, but Howard had already dismounted -and reached an upper room in the Khalifa's -palace. Another shell screamed over the -houses, and as it burst a fragment struck -Howard on the back of the head, and killed -him instantly—a tragic and untimely death, -when the perils of the day seemed over and -rest nigh at hand! Thus perished a man who -was, I believe, absolutely fearless in the -presence of danger. He was my junior at -Oxford, but I remember that as an undergraduate -at Balliol he was known for that reckless -daring and courage which in after years -led him to seek for adventure in Cuba, -Matabeleland, and finally the Sudan. During -the campaign in South Africa Howard displayed -signal ability as adjutant of his corps; -in fact, the splendid courage and unceasing -energy which marked his whole career gave -every promise of ultimately securing for him a -still higher fame and distinction. As it was, -his young life was cut short in the very midst<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -of his restless activity, and he died as he had -lived, eager to do his best, and utterly fearless -of everything except failure.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">"The untented Kosmos his abode</p> -<p class="verse4">He passed, a wilful stranger—</p> -<p class="verse">His mistress still the open road</p> -<p class="verse4">And the bright eyes of Danger!"</p> -</div></div> - -<p>Our little band of fifteen had received, -indeed, more than its fair share of casualties -in the day's fighting. In addition to Howard's -death, Colonel Rhodes had been shot through -the shoulder, and another correspondent had -been slightly wounded in the face with a spent -bullet.</p> - -<p>The street fighting was over, darkness had -fallen upon the city, and the weary troops at -length bivouacked for the night. In addition -to the wear and tear of the actual fighting, -they had marched at least fifteen miles, for the -most part in the full heat of the sun. Many of -the men simply lay down as they were, and at -once fell fast asleep. After the army an -apparently endless succession of baggage -animals filed wearily through the town. I -gave up all hope of finding camels and -servants amid the general confusion, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -betook myself to the Camerons. The other -correspondents went on, and, failing to discover -their baggage, had to sleep on the -ground without food or blankets. I fared -much better. Inside my pocket was a small -tin of potted meat, and, as Captain Maclachlan -had some biscuits, we intended to devour these -before going to sleep with our helmets for -pillows. But a joyful surprise was in store for -us. By a great piece of good luck, some of the -regimental baggage camels happened to pass -by, and these were speedily annexed, with -splendid results. My kind host invited me to -dinner, and what a meal we had! On a -central packing-case, which served as a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">buffet</i>, -stood several tins of "Suffolk pie" and ox -tongue, and for every man a biscuit or two. -How delightful it was to eat these tinned -dainties—the only meat-food which had passed -our lips that day! Then came the crowning -mercy. Maclachlan unearthed a bottle of -champagne from some mysterious source, and -we shared the generous wine between us. Our -tumblers were the lower halves of whisky -bottles, cut round by string soaked in turpentine -and then set alight. We drank many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -toasts—the Sirdar, the Army, Friends in England -now Abed, etc. Our fatigues were all -forgotten, and we felt so amiable that I really -think that if the Khalifa had been within reach -we should have sent him an invitation to join us, -and bring Osman Digna with him. This dinner-party -in the open street of Omdurman was one -of the pleasantest I have ever attended—<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">olim -meminisse juvabit</i>!</p> - -<p>At length we wrapped ourselves in blankets -for the night, and lay down upon the sand. -All around was heard the heavy, regular breathing -of strong men, utterly tired out by the excitement -and labours of the eventful day. With -the exception of occasional shots from Sudanese -looters or Dervish "snipers" across the river, -perfect stillness reigned over the thousands of -men who lay in the large open spaces of the -city. Not a sound broke the silence—the -camp was asleep, and</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verse">"All that mighty heart was lying still!"</p> -</div></div> - -<p class="noindent">The moon had risen, and far away on the -horizon gleamed the Southern Cross, like that -celestial symbol which inspired the Roman -Conqueror in his bivouac centuries ago, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -helped to shape the destinies of Christendom. -<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Per hoc vince</i>—good men of our victory's true -worth, and presage of our future work in these -unhappy regions! The day's carnage had -indeed been cruel; blood had been poured out -like water; but there is a mysterious law in the -working of Providence which forbids the continued -existence of systems which have ceased -to subserve the cause of progress. Mahdism -has proved the most shameful and terrible -instrument of bloodshed and oppression which -the modern world has ever witnessed. It has -reduced whole provinces to utter desolation, so -that tracts once smiling and fertile are now but -solitary wastes, the habitation of wild beasts. -Thousands upon thousands of homesteads have -been laid in ruins, and the innocent villagers -outraged and tortured and murdered. As I -entered the Mahdi's tomb on the following -morning, I saw a band of natives casting stones -with loud curses upon the spot where his body -lay; and scores of unhappy creatures who on -the night of the battle were liberated, after -long years of imprisonment, lifted up their -hands, and with streaming eyes thanked God -for the destruction of their oppressor's rule.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -Mahdism has vanished, never to return, and -once more the arms of Great Britain have -advanced the cause of civilisation and "made -for righteousness" in the history of the -century.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="I_202" id="I_202"></a> -<a href="images/i_b_202fp-large.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_b_202fp.jpg" alt="" /></a> -<div class="caption"> -<p class="xs"><em>R. V. Darbishire 1898.</em></p> -<p class="rt screenonly small">{Click on map for larger image.}</p> - -<p class="noindent pad2">Battle of Omdurman.<br /> -First Dervish attack.</p> - -<p class="noindent pad6">Battle of Omdurman.<br /> -Second Dervish attack.</p> -</div></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER V</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">GUNBOATS AND GAALIN</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">No account of the recent campaign could -be in any way complete if it did not -include some mention of the valuable assistance -rendered to the Sirdar and the Anglo-Egyptian -forces by the gunboats and the Friendlies. I -have thought it better to keep this portion of -the narrative distinct from the rest, and to -mould the present chapter more or less into -the form of a diary.</p> - -<p>The Sirdar's fleet at the end of the campaign -consisted of the following gunboats:—<i>Sultan</i>, -<i>Sheikh</i>, <i>Melik</i>, <i>Fatteh</i>, <i>Nasr</i>, <i>Hafir</i>, <i>Tamai</i>, -<i>Metemmeh</i>, and <i>Abu Klea</i>. In addition to -these were the old unarmed <i>El Tahra</i> and, -up to 25th August, the gunboat <i>Zaphir</i>.</p> - -<p>The navigation of the Nile was full of -difficulty. The river charts were bad or non-existent, -and no <em>reis</em>, or native captain, could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -really be trusted to keep his boat in the deep -channels with any certainty. Still, it must be -remembered that the bed of the Nile is continually -changing its position, and what are -deep holes one year may be turned by next -year's flood into shallow pools. On the whole, -it is astonishing that the river service was not -frequently overtaken by disaster. The engines -on a boat like the <i>Tamai</i> were always on the -verge of dissolution, the current was terrific, -and all the vessels—gunboats, barges, and -<em>ghyassas</em>—were loaded down to the water's -edge. The barges, on which the troops were -packed together with barely room to turn -themselves, were especially liable to accident, -as they were exceedingly top-heavy and loosely -constructed. I remember seeing a gunboat -gently collide with one of these barges as it -lay, fortunately without any crew, off the -bank at Wad Hamed. The whole structure -collapsed at once; the top platform fell off, -and in less than two minutes the remains of -the barge and all its cargo that would float -were drifting rapidly down the Nile.</p> - -<p>One gunboat alone, the <i>Zaphir</i>, was overtaken -by serious disaster. It happened as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -follows: On 23rd August the <i>Zaphir</i> left the -Atbara at 4 p.m. The officers on board consisted -of General Rundle, Prince Christian -Victor, Lieutenant Micklem, R.E., Major -Dodd, R.A.M.C., and, in command of the -vessel, Commander Keppel, R.N. In the -<em>ghyassas</em>, which were lashed to the gunboat, -were packed "details" of various native battalions. -All went well for two nights, although -on the 23rd the <i>Zaphir</i> tied up to the bank -in the midst of a violent storm of wind which -suddenly swept over the river from the desert. -At 4.45 p.m. on the 25th of August the officers -were sitting on the upper deck taking tea, -when Mr. Poole, the engineer, suddenly asked -Commander Keppel to come below at once. -Prince Christian meanwhile walked forward, -and noticed that the ship lay very low in the -water, so much so, in fact, that the rapid current -was washing over the bows. As he walked -back to General Rundle, Commander Keppel -rushed up from the lower deck and informed -the assembled officers that water had found -its way into the hold, and the gunboat might -go down any moment; meanwhile, he had -ordered the engineer to make for the shore<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -at full speed. On the receipt of this startling -information the officers walked to the side of -the vessel, and as they did so, the <i>Zaphir</i>, -which was floundering in a clumsy fashion -towards the bank, suddenly gave a heavy -lurch to starboard, and seemed on the point -of "turning turtle." A general exodus of -natives followed; servants, sailors, and -"Gyppy" soldiers sprang out of the nooks -and crannies in which they hide themselves -on board, and, leaping into the stream, swam -easily to the shore. At the same instant -General Rundle, Major Dodd, and Lieutenant -Micklem jumped from the deck on to the -<em>ghyassas</em> at the side. The <i>Zaphir</i>, however, -righted herself again, but as the fires had been -put out by the inrush of water, she drifted -slightly and began to settle down. An attempt -to get a rope from the ship to the shore failed. -Prince Christian then jumped upon a <em>ghyassa</em>, -and lastly, just as the gunboat sank within -thirty yards of the bank, Commander Keppel -followed his example. Most fortunately, someone -had the presence of mind to cut the -<em>ghyassas</em> adrift, otherwise they would certainly -have been dragged down with the vessel as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -she foundered. On the return journey from -Omdurman I noticed that part of the funnel -was still out of the water, and a twelve-pounder -gun projected from the stern battery a couple -of feet above the stream. The whole party -bivouacked on shore that night in rather a -destitute condition. Nobody seemed to know -how the leak was caused, but from the time -the inrush of water was noticed, at 5.40, only -eleven minutes elapsed before the vessel sank. -A few stores had been saved, and off these the -shipwrecked officers made a meal. Everyone -by good luck had managed to land in his -helmet, but otherwise the clothing of the party -was rather nondescript. Prince Christian, for -example, had nothing left except a pair of -trousers and a canvas shirt. Next morning -the natives dived about the wreck and fished -out some odds and ends of clothing and -baggage. At midday on the 26th, Major -Drage, D.S.O., happened to pass up the river -in the <i>El Tahra</i>, and conveyed the <i>Zaphir's</i> -crew to Rojan Island, where Commander -Keppel transferred his flag to the <i>Sultan</i>, -accompanied by Prince Christian and Major -Dodd.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the day before the loss of the <i>Zaphir</i>, -the "Irregulars" or "Friendlies" had assembled -at Wad Hamed. This motley corps was -composed of detachments from the following -tribes:—Gaalin, Ababdeh, Shukriyeh, Batahin, -Bishariyeh, Mersalamieh, Gimiab, and a few -Hassaniyeh. All these tribes have for thirteen -years been bitterly hostile to the English and -Egyptians, but, thanks to the impolitic conduct -of the Khalifa and the cruel devastation -practised by his generals, many of his adherents -amongst these Arab tribes have been alienated -from the Mahdi's successor, and now look -forward to an era of peace and security under -a settled government. By far the most useful -and important section of these Friendlies was -furnished by the Gaalin, a brave and warlike -tribe, who fought gallantly against the British -at Abu Klea, Abu Kru, and Gubat in January -1885. In July 1897 Khalifa's army under -the brutal Mahmoud—who was captured at -the Atbara, and is now imprisoned at Wady -Halfa—suddenly, on their march northwards, -attacked the Gaalin, and butchered a large -number of them at Metemmeh. Ever since -this treacherous massacre a deadly feud had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> -existed between this tribe and the Khalifa's -government.</p> - -<p>As a fighting force the Irregulars, numbering -about two thousand five hundred, presented -a rather quaint appearance. They were armed -with every imaginable weapon. Some had -rifles, others were equipped with old flint and -steel muskets, elephant guns, ancient muzzle-loading -pistols, spears, swords, and daggers. -Their methods of locomotion were almost as -varied as their accoutrements. Some were -mounted on horses, some marched on foot, -others ambled along on camels, mules, and -donkeys. About twelve hundred Remingtons -were supplied at Wad Hamed for distribution -amongst the tribes in proportion to their -numbers, and it was a proud day for many -of these picturesque ruffians when they secured -one of these rifles. The possession of guns -always seems to exercise a peculiar fascination -over semi-barbarous peoples. A friend and -myself once bestowed three ancient Snider -carbines, rubbed bright with Monkey Brand -Soap, upon a small Arabian potentate, who -was delighted with the present and had the -rifles carried after him by three almost naked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> -courtiers wherever he went. We took good -care not to give the monarch any cartridges, -but his attendants did not seem to mind the -absence of ammunition. What they liked was -to swagger about with the Sniders, and use -them as a sort of glorified walking-stick with -the muzzle stuck into the ground.</p> - -<p>For the command of this extraordinary -army the Sirdar had selected Major Stuart-Wortley, -whose military ability and almost -unique experience of Sudan campaigns marked -him out as the proper man for the work of -impressing some order and discipline upon -the rough and turbulent material of the -Friendly Contingents. Lieutenant Wood also -accompanied the force as staff officer.</p> - -<p>The Gaalin and the other Friendlies crossed -over from Wad Hamed, and were ordered to -proceed along the river parallel to the advance -of the Anglo-Egyptian forces on the opposite -bank. The various tribal contingents marched -separately under their own sheikhs, and presented -a most picturesque appearance across -the river as their white-clad columns moved in -and out of the green bushes. They first came -into touch with the enemy on 29th August, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -the village of Gaali was found to be occupied -by a small detachment of Jehadieh infantry -and Dervish cavalry. These were speedily -routed by the Friendlies, who attacked the -small force before them in fine style, and -captured ten prisoners.</p> - -<p>On 31st August three gunboats—the -<i>Sultan</i>, <i>Melik</i>, and <i>Fatteh</i>—were ordered to -advance up the river from Seg-et-taib and -shell the advance post held by the Dervishes -on the Kerreri ridge. Before midday the -gunboats took up a position opposite Kerreri -village, and proceeded to enfilade the Dervish -camp on the hill. Some splendid practice -was made, and great confusion was produced -by the twelve-pounder shells as they burst in -rapid succession amongst the enemy, who -could be seen rushing about, collecting their -property and striking their tents. The camp -was soon rendered untenable by our fire, -and as the Dervishes fled over the plain -towards Omdurman, they were followed by -shells from the gunboats, which knocked over -about a dozen cavalry.</p> - -<p>On 1st September some excellent work was -done by an effective co-operation between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -the gunboats and the Friendlies. At 5.30 a.m. -the <i>Sultan</i>, <i>Sheikh</i>, <i>Melik</i>, <i>Fatteh</i>, and <i>Nasr</i> -steamed up the right bank of the river and -met Major Stuart-Wortley. It was arranged -that the gunboats should steam on ahead -and shell the villages and forts from the -river, while the Friendlies advanced along -the bank. At 9.30 the vessels engaged and -utterly destroyed a fort to the south of -Halfayah. The villages of Hejra el Sharg -and Halfayah were next shelled, and as a -body of Dervish cavalry emerged into the -open ground, some forty or fifty of them were -knocked over by shrapnel.</p> - -<p>On land, meanwhile, the Irregulars had not -been idle. Notwithstanding the shells of the -gunboats, several of the villages south of -Halfayah were found to be held in considerable -force by the enemy. Major Stuart-Wortley -drew up his men for the attack, -but an unexpected hitch occurred, as the -Mersalamieh and Gimiab contingents posted -in front did not seem at all disposed to -advance against the Dervishes, who were -waiting for them behind the shelter of -numerous mud-houses. Instead of rushing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -the attack, they suddenly halted and danced -a "fantasia" instead! Major Stuart-Wortley -did not waste time over these faint-hearted -warriors, but brought up his trusty Gaalin, -who, supported by the other tribes, gallantly -attacked house after house, and routed the -enemy, killing a large number, including -Isa Zachnieh, a cousin of the Khalifa, and -losing themselves over sixty killed and -wounded.</p> - -<p>The Gaalin made very little use of their -rifles in the desperate fighting which practically -cleared the right bank of the Dervishes. -They loaded their guns and fired them into -the air, calling upon Allah to direct the -course of the bullets! Then throwing their -Remingtons on one side, they gripped their -broad-bladed spears, and used them so -effectively that after the fight the Dervish -casualties stood at three hundred and fifty -killed, wounded none! At one moment Major -Stuart-Wortley and Lieutenant Wood were -in great danger. A troop of Baggara horsemen -suddenly charged down upon the spot -where they were standing, and the Ababdeh -Arabs who were with the two officers, instead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> -of waiting for the cavalry, simply turned tail -and fled. Immediately after this fighting -round Halfayah, two hundred and fifty -Shukriyeh Friendlies were dispatched up the -Blue Nile in pursuit of the Dervishes who -had fled.</p> - -<p>By 11.30 on the 1st, the fighting on the -right bank was to all intents and purposes -over. Five hundred Gaalin and one hundred -and seventy-five British infantry, made up of -details from the Guards, Rifle Brigade, -Highlanders, etc., were embarked on the -five gunboats. The original plan had been -to land Stuart-Wortley's levies on Tuti -Island, but this was abandoned owing to the -close proximity of the Omdurman forts—a -fact not disclosed on the Intelligence maps—and -the presence on the island of a large -force of Dervishes.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="I_214" id="I_214"></a> -<a href="images/i_b_214fp-large.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_b_214fp.jpg" alt="" /></a> -<div class="caption"> -<p class="xs"><em>R. V. Darbishire 1898.</em></p> -<p class="rt screenonly small">{Click on map for larger image.}</p> - -Plan of<br /> -OMDURMAN and KHARTUM<br /> -to illustrate<br /> -The operations of the gunboats and -the Friendlies. - -<div class="center small pad4"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="80%" summary="Omdurman and Khartum"> -<tr><td class="tdl">1. Khartum.</td><td class="tdl"> 6. Mosque.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">2. Omdurman.</td><td class="tdl"> 7. Mahdi's Tomb.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">3. Gordon's House.</td><td class="tdl"> 8. Khalifa's House.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">4. Tuti Island.</td><td class="tdl"> 9. Khojali.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">5. Great Wall.</td><td class="tdl">10. Hejra el Sharg.</td></tr> -</table></div></div></div> - -<p>Meanwhile Major Elmslie's battery of -howitzers had taken up a position on the -bank opposite the centre of Omdurman, and -at 1.30 opened fire on the Mahdi's tomb, at -a range of three thousand one hundred and -fifty yards. The two first shells missed their -mark, but played havoc with the neighbouring -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>buildings; the third wrecked the apex of the -dome, and carried away the gilded ornaments -which surmounted it. Later on three other -shells crashed into the structure, tearing -enormous holes in the stonework, and utterly -destroying the whole of the interior. Subsequently -the howitzers abandoned their -artillery practice on tombs and their violation -of the dead, and engaged in the more satisfactory -demolition of the Omdurman ramparts. -Vast breaches were torn in the big wall which -ran along the river, and many of the principal -buildings were utterly destroyed.</p> - -<p>At 2 p.m. the gunboats, with the <i>Sultan</i> -leading, advanced farther up the stream in -order to shell the forts of Omdurman. As -they steamed slowly up past the city, the -boats were met by a heavy shell fire, and -occasional volleys from Dervish riflemen. -The enemy's shells burst all round the boats, -but they only succeeded in scoring two hits -the whole day, one of which splintered some -woodwork on a barge, while the other struck -an iron mantlet at an angle and glanced -harmlessly off into the water. At such short -range the Dervish gunners ought most certainly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -to have made better practice, but the fact is, -that the aim of our quick-firing guns was so -marvellously accurate that it was almost -impossible for the enemy to work their -artillery. Thanks very largely to the skill -of two Royal Marine sergeants, our fire -silenced one battery after another. In some -cases actually two shells out of three -penetrated the embrasures of the forts, dismounting -the guns inside, and doing terrible -execution amongst the Dervish gunners.</p> - -<p>While the twelve-pounder guns were demolishing -the forts, the Maxims were turned -with deadly effect on the Dervishes who -were running about the banks. As two more -forts in Khartum—one at the juncture of the -Blue and White Nile, the other close to -Gordon's palace—continued to fire upon us, -the gunboats steamed past the ruined city, -and speedily converted these last defences -of the enemy into mere heaps of rubbish. -At 5 p.m. the Friendlies were disembarked -on the right bank, where they remained with -the howitzer battery and the British detachment -under Captain Ferguson of the -Northumberland Fusiliers. The five gun<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span>boats -then returned and took up a position -off El Genuaia opposite to the zeriba.</p> - -<p>During the battle on the morning of -2nd September, the gunboats were posted -at both ends of the zeriba, and made themselves -extremely useful. As was mentioned -above, the fire of these boats lying off Kerreri -village practically saved the Camel Corps -from annihilation. Throughout the rest of the -fight, too, a galling shell fire was kept up on -the Dervish forces advancing from the north-west -and, more especially, from the south, -over the sandy ridge between Surgham and -the Nile.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the howitzer battery had again -opened fire at daybreak, and continued its -work of destruction amongst the buildings -of Omdurman. The effect of the Lyddite -shells was so terrible that the Khalifa seems -to have abandoned his plan of falling back -behind the walls of his capital. This was -a most fortunate thing, so far as we were -concerned, for if, after the fearful slaughter -of his troops in the first half of the engagement, -the Khalifa had retreated with ten or -fifteen thousand men inside the tortuous streets<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -and crowded houses of Omdurman, we should -have had the utmost difficulty in driving the -enemy out, and could not, in all probability, -have occupied Omdurman on the evening of -the 2nd. House-to-house fighting is always -a costly and dangerous business, and had it -taken place, the prophetic estimate popularly -attributed to the Sirdar of "one thousand -casualties before Khartum is ours," might well -have been realised in fact. As it was, the -Dervishes prepared to take their chance in the -open desert, rather than await our onset under -a continual fire of fifty-pounder shells which -burst amid sheets of flame and clouds of -dust, and sent huge fragments for hundreds -of yards, wrecking every obstacle in their -path.</p> - -<p>When the battle was over, the gunboats -steamed up side by side with the general -advance, and were met at Omdurman by a -hot rifle fire from Dervishes concealed in -the houses along the margin of the river. -The streets leading to the southern exit of -the town were by this time crowded with a -mass of fugitives. In addition to mounted -Baggaras and Dervish infantry, a mob of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -inhabitants—men, women, and children, -dragging after them camels, horses, and -donkeys laden with goods and chattels—all -this confused stream of human beings and -animals was pressing madly forward in panic-stricken -flight. Orders were given to fire -upon the fugitives, and as the artillerymen -on the gunboats, from their raised position, -could see well over the walls, a deadly fire -was opened upon the crowded thoroughfares. -One street especially, which led down to -the river, was swept by a frightful hail of -Maxim bullets, which mowed the poor wretches -down in scores.</p> - -<p>After taking part in the battle and the -subsequent destruction of fugitives, the gunboats -proceeded, on the night of the 2nd, -about one hundred miles farther up the river, -and returned to Omdurman on 5th September -with the report that they had seen no more -Dervishes.</p> - -<p>During the fighting off Omdurman on the -1st, two of the Khalifa's gunboats were -destroyed. There was a pathetic interest -attached to old vessels like the <i>Bordein</i> and -<i>Ismailia</i>, as they had formed a part of Gordon's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -little fleet in the old days of thirteen years -ago! The <i>Bordein</i> had been despatched -northwards by Gordon, but, like the <i>Abbas</i>, -had been wrecked. She struck on a rock -in the Shabluka Cataract, on 30th January -1885, and foundered, but was subsequently -raised by the Dervishes. When our gunners -came within sight of the vessel, voices were -raised to save the old boat for Gordon's sake. -"Don't let us fire on the poor old <i>Bordein</i>!" -But there is little room for sentiment or -loving-kindness amid the exigencies of warfare, -and under our fire the <i>Bordein</i> was headed -for the shore, and sank as she reached it.</p> - -<p>A still worse fate overtook the <i>Ismailia</i>. -In some way or other she fouled one of the -mines laid down by the Khalifa's engineers -in midstream; the mine exploded, and the -<i>Ismailia</i>, literally hoist by its own petard, was -blown out of the water. Two other mines -had also been laid in the channel, near the -right bank opposite Omdurman. The ropes -connecting these with the shore were afterwards -found inside the ruined forts, but all -our attempts to explode them were futile. -The Dervish steamer which was subsequently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -captured by the Sirdar on his way to Fashoda -was, I believe, the solitary survivor of Gordon's -ill-starred flotilla. The <i>Talawahiyah</i> had -been sunk off Rojan Island, on 29th January -1885, and was never recovered. The <i>Abbas</i>, -which set out from Khartum with Colonel -Stewart and Mr. Power on board,—the one -last desperate attempt to reopen communications -with the North,—was wrecked at Hebbeh, -between Abu Hamed and Kirbekan, and now -lies there, keel uppermost.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a><a href="#CONTENTS">CHAPTER VI</a><br /> - -<span class="fs80">AFTER THE BATTLE</span></h2> - - -<p class="drop-capx">On the morning of 3rd September our -troops moved out of Omdurman and -encamped on the banks of the river some two -miles to the north. The moment I had finished -breakfast I made for the Mahdi's tomb. The -interior was an absolute wreck. Vast quantities -of stones and mortar, torn away by the Lyddite -shells, were heaped upon the floor, and of the -superstructure over the Mahdi's grave only the -wooden framework remained. Some pieces of -tawdry drapery which had covered the tomb -lay on the ground, and these I brought away. -Outside the tomb, a little to the right, I came -across a truly awful spectacle. One of the -terrible Lyddite shells had burst amongst some -unfortunate Arabs near the Khalifa's palace. -Eight men lay dead in a ghastly ring, some -of them torn by horrid mutilations; but the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -curious point about some of the bodies was -that they were not lying flat, but were sitting -on the ground with fearfully contorted limbs -and features. Could this be due to the deadly -fumes of the picric acid contained in the Lyddite? -The stonework of the tomb and the -surrounding buildings was often stained yellow -by this chemical. Outside in the open street -fragments of Koran manuscripts were lying -about in every direction.</p> - -<p>I then set out to find Cross and the other -correspondents. It was said that they were -with the Staff, in strange and unwonted -proximity to the Sirdar's tent. However, as -nobody seemed to know where the Staff was, -I wandered about for hours seeking my colleagues -in vain.</p> - -<p>As I passed along the river a barge drew up -alongside to land the bodies of the British -soldiers who had been killed. From some -misunderstanding a wounded man slid out of -the boat amongst the corpses, and began to -walk up the bank, but was promptly sent back -with the reprimand—"D——n you, what do -you mean by coming ashore with this lot? -You aren't dead!" Even amid such grue<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>some -surroundings it was quite funny to see -the disappointed look of the man as he returned -to the barge to take his place under a -separate category.</p> - -<p>At last I came by accident upon Cross. -The poor fellow was again in a state of prostration, -and was lying under the blanket-tent -of Captain Luther, R.A.M.C., in the camp of -the Lancashire Fusiliers. The officers of this -battalion had been most kind to Cross, and as -the day was terribly hot he remained under the -shelter of their tents until the evening, when he -rejoined me in our own camp. He told me that -on the previous night he had, like the rest of -the correspondents, failed to get any food, -and had slept on the sand without a blanket, -though Steevens, with his usual kindness, -had lent him an overcoat when the night air -became chilly.</p> - -<p>At length, after wandering up and down for -miles in the blazing heat, I discovered the whereabouts -of our camp out in the desert to the -south-west of the town. All my colleagues -were here except Villiers. Nobody seemed -to know what had become him, and as the -hours passed and he failed to turn up we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -began to get alarmed. His servant had -pitched Villiers' umbrella tent, and beside it -stood the bicycle, which was disfigured by an -honourable scar, for the top of the valve was -gone, and Hassan declared that it had been -carried away by a Dervish bullet. I mounted -the famous machine, intending to go for a ride -to the execution ground, where several fine -gibbets were standing, but as the back wheel -was "buckled" I soon dismounted—with the -proud consciousness, however, of being the first -cyclist in Omdurman!</p> - -<p>The streets of the town were perfectly loathsome. -In every direction lay the decaying -bodies of dead animals, and the stench was -terrible. Moslems, from a curious intermixture -of humanity and cruelty, never give a dying -animal a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup de grâce</i>, and they seldom take -the trouble to bury the carcass. Moreover, -in some parts of the town one could scarcely -walk fifty yards without coming across the -bodies of men, and occasionally, I am sorry -to say, those of women and little children. -At least five hundred dead people lay scattered -about the streets, some destroyed by Lyddite -shells, but the majority pierced with bullets.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -I saw some of these corpses lying in the -shallow water near the bank of the river, and -as it seemed to be nobody's business to bury -them, it is not surprising that our Guardsmen -and other soldiers contracted the germs of -enteric fever at Omdurman!</p> - -<p>Inside the Khalifa's arsenal there were many -curious things—spears, bows and arrows, coats -of chain mail, machine guns, Krupps, various -kinds of ammunition, and other warlike apparatus, -ancient and modern. Three carriages of -European make were also visible, which were -said to have been used by the Khalifa on state -occasions, though these vehicles could never -have got beyond the main streets, for the -simple reason that outside the town no roads -exist.</p> - -<p>Most of the Dervish ammunition used in -the battle seems to have been of home manufacture. -All the Martini cartridges I picked -up amongst their dead were extremely well -made of "solid drawn" brass, and stamped -with a Κ and a Π. I imagine that these -letters may stand for Khartum and Pentekachi, -the unfortunate Greek who succeeded -in manufacturing gunpowder for the Mahdi,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -and was finally blown to atoms by an explosion -of the magazine. On a Martini rifle -which I secured from the battlefield, the -Enfield stamp is still visible. Some disgraceful -facts were revealed at the time -when Berber was occupied, and the public -documents fell into our hands, for, in addition -to various offers of assistance addressed -to the Khalifa from people in high positions -at Cairo, some invoices were discovered which -showed clearly that a certain Manchester firm -had supplied the Khalifa with lead for the -manufacture of bullets! It is difficult to believe -that an Englishman could sink so low -as to supply his country's enemy with munitions -of war for the sake of filthy lucre!</p> - -<p>A new bullet, by the way, was used in the -recent campaign. Its title is sufficiently significant. -It is called the "man-stopping bullet," -and simply means that an ordinary .303 Lee-Metford -bullet is scooped out at the end to the -depth of about half an inch. When this missile -strikes an object the hollow nose instantly expands -like an umbrella, inflicting a tremendous -shock, which was frequently not secured when the -ordinary solid bullet, with its enormous velocity<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -(two thousand feet a second at the muzzle), -passed clean through an enemy's body, but -failed to administer a sufficiently crushing -blow. At Krugersdorp an ordinary Lee-Metford -bullet was driven right through the brain -of a Boer; and so far was the tiny puncture -from being immediately fatal, that the Dutchman -walked to church next Sunday—though it -is true that on the Sunday following he went -there again in a coffin. Of course this solid -bullet, when it chanced to come in contact with -a bone, served its purpose well, and shattered -the bone to atoms. The first occasion, I -believe, on which the Lee-Metford bullet was -fired into a human body was at the well-known -Featherstone riots; and I remember seeing a -drawing made by a medical man at the time of -the foot of one of the rioters, which had been -struck. Not only was the lower part of the -leg bone completely smashed, but almost every -bone in the foot had been broken more or less -by the terrific force of the bullet.</p> - -<p><i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'Àpropos'">À propos</ins></i> of dum-dum bullets, man-stopping -bullets, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">et hoc genus omne</i>, a good -deal of false sentiment has been evoked in -England and France. The main object of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -soldier in battle is to put his opponent out of -action, and it is found by experience that the -ordinary bullet does not adequately secure this -result when employed against barbarous or -semi-barbarous enemies. A civilised combatant, -when he is struck by a bullet—even -if the wound be a comparatively slight one, -say through the shoulder—almost invariably -sits down on the ground; but the nervous -system of the savage is a far less delicate -organism, and nothing short of a crushing -blow will check his wild onset. Even in the -Martini-Henry days scores of Dervishes rushed -upon the British troops at Abu Klea and elsewhere, -with the blood spurting from seven or -eight bullet wounds, and then cut and thrust -with deadly effect until loss of blood told, and -they fell dead in or about the square. One of -the two British officers who lost their lives at -the Atbara fight was killed by a large elephant -bullet, the hollow base of which had been filled -with a fulminate. This was an <em>explosive</em> bullet, -quite a distinct species from the missile described -above.</p> - -<p>The fire from our zeriba, which mowed the -Dervishes down in rows and heaps, must have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -been simply appalling. The ordinary metaphors -of "rain" and "hail" are scarcely adequate to -describe the awful effect of modern rifles and -machine guns when their fire is steady and -concentrated. It is rather a wall of lead than -a rain, which, as it advances, sweeps everything -instantly from its track. There must be a limit -to human endurance, one would think, even in -the excitement of battle, and the time may well -come when human art will prove superior to -human courage and discipline, and civilised -troops will refuse to expose themselves to what -may have become practically the certainty of -death or wounds, or, at anyrate, of enormous -risk. The educational and social forces at -work in modern life certainly do not tend to -foster the old-fashioned virtue of unquestioning -obedience, or the consolations to be derived -from religious faith. Yet it is precisely these -two things which alone have often enabled a -leader to count with confidence upon a response -to his call when he summons his followers to -almost certain destruction—the surrender of -life and all that life holds dear.</p> - -<p>On 4th September, at 9.15 a.m., four gunboats -conveyed the Sirdar and various<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> -detachments of troops, with most of the -correspondents, across the Nile to Khartum. -We moved alongside the quay in front of the -ruins of Gordon's palace, and the troops -formed a rough semicircle, with the Sirdar, -his Staff, and the two foreign <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Attachés</i> inside. -Four chaplains took their stand with their -faces to the river, ready to conduct a memorial -service. At ten o'clock the Union Jack was -run up from one of the flagstaffs which surmounted -the ruined façade of the palace, and -almost immediately afterwards the Crescent -flag of Egypt was unfurled. The gunboat -<i>Melik</i> fired twenty-one guns, but as no blank -ammunition was forthcoming, twenty-one shells -were sent screaming up the Nile—a most -unique and realistic form of salute! After -this hearty cheers were given for Her Gracious -Majesty the Queen and His Highness the -Khedive. Then came a brief and simple -service to the memory of the brave man who, -thirteen long years ago, had so often stood on -the very terrace which lay in ruins before us, -and, hoping against hope, looked northwards -over the desert—but in vain—for any sign of -help from England! The air of Gordon's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -favourite hymn was played, and as its cadence -fell upon the ears, one's thoughts recalled the -words of the exquisite verses—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">"I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless,</p> -<p class="verse">Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.</p> -<p class="verse bold"> . . . . . . .</p> -<p class="verse">When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,</p> -<p class="verse">Help of the helpless, oh abide with me!"</p> -</div></div> - -<p>How truly must the spirit of these lines have -been felt by Gordon, that noble and sincere -Christian, deserted by man, yet doubtless sustained -by the abiding presence of his Master in -life and death.</p> - -<p>During our brief stay at Omdurman every -variety of loot was hawked about the camp -for sale. Huge shields of hippopotamus hide, -spears, swords, old rifles, Mahdist coins, and -other trophies of battle or pillage, found -ready purchasers. A negro paid me a visit -who was clad in chain mail, cut rather after the -fashion of a dress coat. There was, indeed, -quite a flavour of the Margate sands about the -appearance of this Ethiopian, with his striped -cotton trousers and his metallic coat, the tails -of which, like those of Burnand's hero, "positively -swept the ground." These suits of mail -were beautifully made of steel rings, and could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -be purchased for about twenty-five shillings each; -but they were very heavy and awkward things to -carry about. Everybody brought back a Dervish -sword or two, which were often very interesting. -Some blades had the famous Ferrara -stamp, others were marked by the mail-clad -figure which is said to belong to the period -of the Crusades, from which, at anyrate, the -general pattern of Dervish swords—a straight -blade with a plain cross hilt—seems to date. -The pretty <em>gibbehs</em>, too, were brought home -in large numbers; there were nearly eleven -thousand of them available for selection on -the sandy plain three miles away! The -history of the Dervish <em>gibbeh</em> is rather a -quaint one. The original garment was, of -course, the plain white cotton coat of the -Arab; but the Mahdi, who was somewhat -ascetic—in theory, at anyrate, if not in practice—ordered -his followers to sew black patches -upon their nice white coats, as tokens of -humility. But alas for human frailty, what -was intended to curb the spiritual pride of the -faithful became a direct incentive to the vainglorious -adornment of their persons! The -ladies of Omdurman were strongly opposed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -to the dowdiness of the black patches upon -their husbands and lovers, and, under the -influence of the more æsthetic circles of -Dervish society, the white <em>gibbehs</em> were gradually -tricked out with gaudy squares of blue, -red, and purple.</p> - -<p>Many of the dead bodies in the field had -rosaries round their necks, usually made of box -or sandal wood. Nobody paid much attention -to these ornaments, but from one point of view -they are interesting. Was the use of a row of -beads for religious purposes borrowed from -the Christians by the Moslems, or <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">vice versâ</i>? -Another curious relic was an insulator from a -Dervish field telegraph, which had been worked -between a point near Gebel Surgham and -Omdurman during the battle. Many of the -dead Emirs wore watches, one of which was -marked "Dent, London."</p> - -<p>Our soldiers seemed to thoroughly enjoy the -rest at Omdurman. They had probably some -very quaint ideas of our geographical surroundings -and the reason for our presence in the -Sudan. On 4th September some companies -of Sudanese who had been sent up the river in -pursuit of the Khalifa were seen returning in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -the distance with a long string of Dervish -prisoners. There was great excitement -amongst the British troops; whole battalions -ran wildly over the sand expecting to catch -a glimpse of the Dervish leader, and I heard -one Tommy Atkins say to his comrade, -"'Urry up, Bill, come along; they've cotched -the bloody Khee-dive!"</p> - -<p>In addition to Dervish prisoners who were -captured by the active Sudanese, hundreds -came in voluntarily and surrendered themselves. -Many were wounded more or less -seriously, but of the rest a large number were -enrolled as soldiers of the Khedive! What -amazing versatility! On one day the Dervish -rushes boldly against our shells and bullets, -and on the next he joins us as a comrade in -arms! Some of the French papers declared -ungenerously that the Sirdar had armed these -Dervish allies in order to dispatch them -against Major Marchand. Such an act would -under the circumstances have been legitimate, -and had these newly enrolled soldiers of the -Khedive been given a free hand, "the evacuation -of Fashoda" would have been ancient -history by this time! But of course no such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -intention ever entered the Sirdar's head. The -brave Marchand certainly deserved a better -fate than to be wiped out by ex-Dervishes.</p> - -<p>The prisoners were released from their -fetters on the night of the battle. Amongst -them were a number of jet black Abyssinians, -survivors of the sanguinary battle of Galabat. -I saw Charles Neufeld, and he looked very -little the worse for his stay at Omdurman. A -great deal of English sympathy has been -wasted on this person. The harrowing stories -we have read in the papers of the poor captive -languishing in hopeless captivity are sheer -nonsense. On two separate occasions Neufeld -had the chance of escape, for a clever and -courageous Arab called Oman had been dispatched -by the Intelligence Department to -rescue the captive. Neufeld, however, refused -to leave Omdurman unless he was accompanied -by a black woman, with whom he lived. This -was obviously out of the question. So Father -Rossignoli was rescued instead, and brought -safely to Assouan.</p> - -<p>An infinitely more pathetic case was that -of the two Austrian Sisters who had been -compelled to marry Greeks. One of these,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -who was childless, returned to Cairo; but the -other, who had borne her husband three -children, elected—so I heard—to remain for -good at Omdurman. The poor woman felt -that she could never face her co-religionists -at home after her vows of celibacy had been -broken. I remember as I walked along the -bazaar on the morning after the fight I noticed -a European woman in Arab dress standing -amongst a crowd of natives. She looked wistfully -and sadly at the British as they passed, -and I always regret that I did not speak to -her.</p> - -<p>Slatin Pasha soon returned from his pursuit -of the Khalifa. The Egyptian cavalry had -followed the tracks of the fugitive for thirty -miles up the river, but as the horses were -dead beat and no forage could be landed from -the gunboat accompanying the pursuit, owing -to a long stretch of marshy ground, the squadrons -were compelled to return without the -Khalifa. I happened to be strolling past -Slatin's tent at the time, and he called me in -and told me how terribly disappointed he was -at the failure of the pursuit. He was kept -very busy all the time we were at Omdurman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -by continual visits from many old Dervish -friends and acquaintances. One day when I -was with him a handsome old Arab with a -white beard came into the tent, and sinking -down without a word, bent his head over -Slatin's shoulder and wept. At length he -found words to tell us that his only son had -been killed in the fighting. "Oh, Hassan," -said Slatin, and could get no further—his -kind heart was too full of pity; and as he -placed his hand on to his old friend's shoulder -and tried to soothe his sorrow, I turned away, -unable to bear the sight of the father's grief.</p> - -<p>As Cross grew no better, and there was -little else to do in Omdurman, I asked Colonel -Wingate to allow us a passage on the first -gunboat leaving for the North. Accordingly, -on the morning of the 6th, Cross, René Bull, -and myself embarked on the <i>Metemmeh</i>, and -steamed away down the river. Nobody was -sorry to say good-bye to the repulsive streets -of Omdurman.</p> - -<p>Two barges packed with the rank and file of -the Warwicks were lashed to either side of -the <i>Metemmeh</i>, which carried on board Colonel -Forbes and the officers of the battalion, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span>gether -with Lieutenant Clerk of the 21st -Lancers. We were all in excellent spirits, and -fully expected to reach the Atbara in about -thirty hours. As steam and current bore us -rapidly past the battlefield in the twilight, the -vultures circling over the distant plain and the -broken zeriba by the river's bank were the -only visible signs which remained to tell of -our momentous victory.</p> - -<p>We were not destined to reach the Atbara -in thirty hours! The sun had set, and the -<em>reis</em> had been advised to tie up to the banks -for the night; but the obstinate fellow denied -the necessity of any stoppage for another hour -or two, so we went tearing down the stream -at a tremendous pace. Dinner was just over—a -curious meal, supported almost entirely -by voluntary contributions of tinned meats, -rice, jams, etc.—when, without a moment's -warning, a tremendous shock sent everything -and everybody sprawling over the deck. -Loud cries of "We are going over" came -from the river, and through the semi-darkness -one could see that the troop barge had been -wrenched from its lashings by the shock, and -was heeling over in a terrible manner. Every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span>body -on board the gunboat shouted "Sit -down," "Keep still"; and it was very fine to -see how the soldiers immediately obeyed their -officers, though for the moment they fully -expected to be capsized into the flooded -stream. By good luck the detached barge -righted itself and remained fixed in midstream, -about thirty yards from the gunboat and the -other barge.</p> - -<p>Nobody quite knew where we were or what -had happened, but as it seemed certain that -we were not likely to go much further that -night, we all made preparations for going to -sleep. The upper deck was quite a small -affair, and the space at our disposal was curtailed -by the presence of a large table and a -number of camp chairs. Over these few -square yards of deck we had to dispose the -recumbent forms of some twenty-six human -beings. The result was a sort of Chinese -puzzle. I had always heard that Nature, when -she had any close packing to do, employed the -beautiful simplicity of the hexagon, and suggested -a trial of this system; but the theory, -owing, probably, to dissimilarities in our lengths -and breadths, would not work at all. We lay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -in wild disorder, but so tightly wedged together -that it was impossible to move about when one -had finally secured one's berth in this casual -ward! A friend's boots gently reposed upon -my pillow all night, while my own feet were -thrust against the ribs of a transverse form -below.</p> - -<p>When the sun rose next morning we saw -that the incompetent <em>reis</em> had run us right on -to a sandy island which is submerged when -the Nile is in full flood. The whole of that -day was spent in endeavouring to drag the -gunboat and the barges off the sandbank. -The <i>Nasr</i>, under the command of Lieutenant -Hon. H. L. A. Hood, happened to come along, -and did her best to help us, but the only -hawser available snapped like a thread from -the strain put upon it, and the <i>Nasr</i> departed. -The troops were then ordered to get into the -shallows and try to push the barges off. What -had been foreseen by several of us happened! -The soldiers managed to shove one of the -barges into deep water, and then several of -them, unable to check their movements, found -themselves out of their depths in the strong -current. One poor fellow was drowned under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -our eyes, and two others were just rescued in -a state of utter exhaustion by natives with life-belts. -The whole thing was a complete -muddle, and we all felt angry at the incompetence -and obstinacy which had brought -about the needless loss of life.</p> - -<p>Another night was spent on this depressing -sandbank, and at dinner we became aware -that something dreadful had attached itself to -the vessel. We looked over the side, and -from the space between the gunboat and the -left-hand barge emerged the body of an -Egyptian cavalry man. The corpse bobbed -up and down on the swirling waters in a -horribly grotesque fashion. Its spurs had -caught the woodwork of the barge for a few -moments and delayed its rapid passage down -the Nile. I remember we remarked, "Oh, -it's only a dead Gyppy," and then went back -to our dinner.</p> - -<p>Next day we made a desperate effort to get -afloat, and finally succeeded. Instead, however, -of being the first to reach Atbara Camp, and to -secure the earliest train service to Wady Halfa, -we had had the mortification of seeing the -Seaforth Highlanders pass us the day before.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span></p> - -<p>At Nasri Island I landed to get the tent and -other baggage which we had left behind us on -leaving Wad Hamed, but was informed that -the five <em>ghyassas</em> containing officers' luggage—and -our own unfortunate belongings amongst it—had -capsized two days before. My precious -tent, two Gladstone bags, and a case of stores -lay fathoms deep in the Nile, and all the -consolation I had was to draw up a pathetic -claim for compensation from the impecunious -Egyptian War Office.</p> - -<p>By the time we arrived at the Atbara, Cross's -illness had increased, and his temperature had -gone up to 100°. The army surgeon on board -the <i>Metemmeh</i> advised him to stay in hospital -at the Atbara for a few days before proceeding -to Cairo, and the officer in charge of the -hospital gave the same advice. I had already -heard from another medical man that he did -not detect any traces of typhoid symptoms in -Cross; so one thought that he was merely -suffering from the common feverishness which -comes from a "touch of the sun," and passes off -after a few days. I remained at the Atbara -for a night, and then went on with the -Warwicks to Wady Halfa, leaving a servant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -with Cross, who had arranged to follow by the -next train in two days' time.</p> - -<p>The remainder of our homeward journey -was comparatively uneventful. The bad luck, -however, which seemed to follow the Warwicks -delayed us for twenty-four hours on our journey -to Wady Halfa, for the wretched engines which -dragged our cattle pens (first class) and baggage -trucks (third class) repeatedly broke down -from overheating and lack of grease.</p> - -<p>During a short wait at Shellal my servant -called my attention to a woman on the bank, -who was apparently in great distress, and told -me that she was weeping because she had been -divorced by her husband. Such cases are -often very cruel, for Mohammedan law allows -a husband to write his wife a bill of divorcement -without pretext of any sort. At the -same time, he is bound to maintain her for -three months, and her dowry is restored. -Many good Moslems deplore the obsolete -character of their divorce laws, which have -outlived their usefulness. Still, it must not be -forgotten that in one respect Moslem wives -have for centuries enjoyed a privilege which -was not possessed by Englishwomen until a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -recent date, namely, the absolute control of -their own money and property. Female education, -too, which is increasing rapidly in the -towns, and later on will spread to the country -districts, will doubtless serve to improve -the status and welfare of native women. -Monogamy is already almost universal with -the fellahin, and is steadily gaining ground -amongst the educated classes. A good deal -of false sentiment is often expended by good -people in England over the lot of their -Mohammedan sisters, but they may rest -assured that women all the world over have -the amelioration of their condition very largely -in their own hands. Further, a very slight -acquaintance at first hand with Oriental -countries will show one that Moslem home -life is full of happiness, and that nowhere in -the world is greater devotion lavished by -parents upon their children.</p> - -<p>At Luxor the blessings of civilisation met us -again, in the shape of a nice breakfast at the -hotel and a big bath. Most of us had slept more -or less in our ordinary clothes for several weeks, -and everyone, from the Colonel downwards, -wallowed joyfully in an unlimited supply of warm<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -water. As we sat at breakfast, someone told -me that a camel had died just near the hotel -from the bite of an asp. The snake, a little -creature some eight inches long, was lying -under the sand, according to its wont, with its -head just above the ground. The poor camel -trod on it, and was bitten in the foot. It -speedily died, swollen to nearly double its -ordinary size, and the natives lit a fire over -its carcass. The Arabs dread the little asp -terribly, and its bite is nearly always fatal. A -special antitoxin has been prepared by the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Institut Pasteur</i> from the serum of horses -bitten by poisonous snakes. A subcutaneous -injection of ten cubic centimetres of this fluid -is alleged to be a sure specific against the bite -of any known species of venomous land-snake. -But this preparation is practically useless in the -Sudan, as it loses its efficacy if much exposed -to light or to a high degree of heat. Nor has -it, so far as I know, ever yet been tried in the -case of any human being bitten by a deadly -snake. I took some with me last year when -exploring in Sokotra with the late Mr. Theodore -Bent, but despite the glowing accounts of the -efficacy of <em>dowa Inglizi</em> and offers of large<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> -bakshish, the faith of the natives was never -robust enough to allow them to voluntarily -submit to a snake bite for experimental -purposes.</p> - -<p>On the final stage of our railway journey -from Luxor to Cairo, Lieutenant Clerk and I -shared a carriage between us, and were extremely -comfortable. Ali redoubled his efforts -in the cooking line, and for our final meal in -the train, to which we invited a military -chaplain, the Rev. E. H. Pulling, we used up -all our remaining tins, and dined off <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pâté de -foie gras</i>, a curried blend of prawns and -chicken, and stewed apricots—a good instance -of what a clever Arab servant can turn out -with a spirit-lamp and a couple of tin saucepans -in a crowded third-class carriage.</p> - -<p>After waiting four days in Cairo, and receiving -a telegram from the Atbara which gave me -no cause for the least apprehension about -Cross's condition, I left Alexandra on the 17th -of September for Marseilles. On board I -renewed my acquaintance with Major Stuart-Wortley, -and amongst the other passengers -were Prince Francis of Teck and Prince -Christian Victor. Prince Francis had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span> -very ill throughout the latter part of the -campaign, but during the fight had risen from -his bed, in spite of medical advice, and worked -a Maxim gun with good effect.</p> - -<p>We left Marseilles by the morning <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rapide</i> on -the 21st, and as we were crossing the Channel -on the 22nd, Prince Christian handed me the -<cite>Morning Post</cite>, and pointed to a paragraph -which announced the death of Cross from -enteric fever on the 20th.</p> - -<p>The news took away for the time being all the -joy of one's return. Twice I have been fated -to lose my travelling companion by death when -the work was finished which we set ourselves to -do. Cross was an old Hertford man, who had -rowed five in the 'Varsity boat of 1889, and -had afterwards been appointed to an assistant -mastership at Bedford. He had always been -very loyal to his old college, and our successes -on the river were largely due to his "coaching." -We shall all—seniors and juniors alike—miss -him greatly. In spite of constant attacks of -illness from exposure to the sun, each of -which left him weaker than before, Cross -had refused to return from the front, and, as -I said above, had actually dragged himself out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> -of hospital in order to be present at the -battle. But while his natural vivacity and -vigour were to some extent impaired by -physical debility, he was always unselfish in -the "give and take" of camp life, and bore -uncomplainingly the many discomforts which -are necessarily experienced by the sick during -the advance of an army. Still side by side -with his courageous endurance of physical -suffering, and the coolness which he showed -when under fire for the first time, the central -thought which occupied Cross's mind was that -of returning to his beloved work at Bedford.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"><div class="poetry"> -<p class="verseq">"His was a soul whose master-bias leans</p> -<p class="verse">To homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes—</p> -<p class="verse">More brave for this, that he had much to love!"</p> -</div></div> - -<p>The Sudan campaign, which, thanks to the -Sirdar's wonderful genius for organisation, has -been so thoroughly successful, cannot be regarded -as in any sense final. Unless our recovery of -the Nile banks as far as Omdurman is followed -by the possession of the Bahr-el-Ghazal, we -may almost be said to have laboured in vain. -If we stayed our hand at Khartum, or even -Fashoda, the same remark which Lord Salisbury -passed on the French possessions in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> -Sahara, that "the soil was rather light," would -apply equally well to our arid conquests in the -Sudan. The so-called French occupation of -the Bahr-el-Ghazal must not be allowed to -count for anything. Their utter failure as -colonisers in French Congo, Senegal, and even -Algeria, and the selfish tariffs with which they -seek to exclude foreign industry from the -regions which they reserve for Frenchmen who -never come—these things deprive them of any -moral claim to further annexations of vast -territories in the interior of Africa. Moreover, -the Bahr-el-Ghazal was indubitably a province -of Egypt before the Mahdi's revolt, and must -be restored to the Khedive intact. Under -British control this fertile province will be able -to develop its splendid resources. Coffee -grows wild, timber abounds, and thousands of -square miles are ready for the cultivation of -corn, two crops of which can be grown in a -single year. In ancient days Egypt was -the granary of Europe. Rome and Byzantium -were dependent almost entirely upon the Alexandrian -corn-ships. In fact, one of the most -serious accusations which could be brought -against a citizen was that he was carrying on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> -intrigues for the stoppage of these vessels. -This actual charge was levied against the great -Athanasius himself, and the philosopher Sopater, -who was accused of delaying the corn supply -by magical rites, was promptly decapitated -by Constantine "because he was too clever" -(<span title="di' hyperbolên sophias"><span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">δι' ὑπερβολὴν σοφίας).</span></span> -There is no reason why the Bahr-el-Ghazal, when connected by -river and rail with the sea, should not take its -place as one of the great corn-growing countries -of the world. Again, an exploration of the -Nuba region to the north of the province may -lead to the discovery of mineral wealth. At -anyrate, during an earlier campaign, a Dervish -caravan was captured by the forces under Sir -Francis Grenfell, and amongst the merchandise -was found a large quantity of gold which had -been dug out of the Nuba Hills.</p> - -<p>But even when the possession and organisation -of the Bahr-el-Ghazal has become an -accomplished fact, we find ourselves barred by -a belt of territory some two hundred miles -across, from Uganda to the north of Lake -Tanganyika. Despite the vital importance of -securing a road between Uganda and Nyassaland, -Lord Salisbury allowed Germany to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> -the western frontier of its East African possessions -conterminous with that of the Congo -State, and thus completely bar our advance -from north or south. But in this case what -was lost by the weakness of one Government -may be recovered by the firmness of another; -and if this result be happily secured, the -territories regained to civilisation by Lord -Kitchener's genius will be united to our vast -possessions in the South, and Mr. Cecil Rhodes' -magnificent idea of a British Empire in Africa, -stretching from Cairo to the Cape, will at -length be realised in actual fact.</p> - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span></p> - - <div class="chapter"></div> -<h2 class="negin2"><a name="A_BRIEF_NOTE" id="A_BRIEF_NOTE">A BRIEF NOTE ON A FEW ENTOMOLOGICAL -SPECIMENS BROUGHT FROM THE SUDAN,<br /> -<span class="smcap small">22nd September 1898</span>.</a></h2> - -<div class="fs90"> - -<p class="noindent">I have handed over my small collection of insects to -Professor Poulton, F.R.S., of Oxford, who has had them -set, and has kindly supplied me with materials for the -following list, which may possibly be of some interest to -any reader interested in Entomology.</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Butterflies.</p> - -<p>Three specimens of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Limnas Chrysippus</i>, a Danaine -butterfly, found over all the warmer parts of the Old World. -Of these three butterflies, one is the brown type form (Wad -Hamed); one the Alcippus or Alcippoides variety, with -white hind wings (Wad Hamed); one an Alcippoides, -with much less white (near Kerreri).</p> - -<p>Three specimens of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Belenois mesentina</i>. Two males -(Zeidab and Wad Hamed) are typical. The female (near -Pyramids of Meroe) is darker than usual. The specimen -in the Hope Collection nearest to it comes from Somaliland.</p> - -<p>One <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Teracolus</i>. Very like <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">T. auxo</i>. The specimen is a -male, small and white, with orange tip to the fore wing -(near Pyramids of Meroe).</p> - -<p>Three very small species of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Lycænidæ</i>. Two males and -two females (two, Kerreri; two, Rojan Island).</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Moths.</p> - -<p><i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Noctuæ.</i>—One <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Grammodes stolida</i> (Battlefield of Omdurman), -exactly like the Hope Specimens from India.</p> - -<p>One dubious specimen, probably a species of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Pandesema</i> -(on gunboat near Shabluka).</p> - -<p><i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Bombycidæ.</i>—One small female moth (Luxor), somewhat -resembling <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Trichiura cratægi</i>.</p> - -<p><i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Tineina.</i>—Three small pale specimens (two, on gunboats -near Metemmeh; one, Wad Hamed).</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Neuroptera.</p> - -<p><i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Trichoptera.</i>—A few species, very pale in colour (Luxor -and Abu Ahmed).</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Coleoptera.</p> - -<p>One Cicindela. A very small and pale species, not -represented in the Hope Collection (Wad Hamed).</p> - -<p>One Buprestid, namely, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Sternocera irregularis</i>. A large -brown species, with irregular tufts of straw-coloured hair on -elytra and thorax (Um Teref).</p> - -<p>One Longicorn. A large black shining <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Prionus</i>, not -represented in Hope Collection.</p> - -<p>Heteromera. Two species, as yet uncompared with -Hope Collection.</p> - -<p>Two Lamellicorns, apparently <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">melolontha</i>, or very similar.</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Hemiptera.</p> - -<p>One immature form of a large species, pale in colour.</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Homoptera.</p> - -<p>Fulgoridæ. One small pale species.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Orthoptera.</p> - -<p>Gryllidæ. Two pale species.</p> - -<p>Acridiidæ. Two pale species.</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Hymenoptera.</p> - -<p>One winged ant—dark, with sand-coloured patches.</p> - - -<p class="p1 center smcap">Arachnida—Araneina.</p> - -<p>Six species of spiders. One of these is a beautiful mimic -of an ant.</p> - -<p class="p1" /> -<p>The above list is necessarily imperfect. It had to be -compiled immediately for the publication of this volume, -and there has been no time to properly "work out" many -of the species. It is interesting to note the pale tint of so -many of these Sudanese insects—a manifest adaptation to -environment, for purposes of concealment amid the yellow -sand of the desert.</p> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span></p> -<p class="p6" /> - -<p class="pfs60"> -PRINTED BY<br /> -<br /> -MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED<br /> -<br /> -EDINBURGH</p> -<p class="p6" /> - - - - - <!-- PUBLISHER'S BOOK CATALOG --> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1C" id="Page_1C">[1C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs180"> -A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS</p> - -<p class="pfs150">AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF<br /> -METHUEN AND COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS: LONDON<br /> -36 ESSEX STREET<br /> -W.C.<br /> -</p> - - -<p class="p2 pfs100 lsp">CONTENTS</p> - -<div class="center xs"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" width="90%" summary="Catalog Contents"> -<tr><td class="tdl"></td><td class="tdl" colspan="2">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">FORTHCOMING BOOKS,</td><td class="tdr wd5">3</td><td class="tdl wd5"> </td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">POETRY,</td><td class="tdr">9</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">BELLES LETTRES, ANTHOLOGIES, ETC.,</td><td class="tdr">10</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">ILLUSTRATED BOOKS,</td><td class="tdr">11</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">HISTORY,</td><td class="tdr">11</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">BIOGRAPHY,</td><td class="tdr">14</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">TRAVEL, ADVENTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY,</td><td class="tdr">15</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">NAVAL AND MILITARY,</td><td class="tdr">17</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">GENERAL LITERATURE,</td><td class="tdr">18</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,</td><td class="tdr">20</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">PHILOSOPHY,</td><td class="tdr">20</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THEOLOGY,</td><td class="tdr">21</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">FICTION,</td><td class="tdr">24</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS,</td><td class="tdr">33</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">THE PEACOCK LIBRARY,</td><td class="tdr">33</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERIES,</td><td class="tdr">34</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">SOCIAL QUESTIONS OF TO-DAY,</td><td class="tdr">35</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">CLASSICAL TRANSLATIONS,</td><td class="tdr">35</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">EDUCATIONAL BOOKS,</td><td class="tdr">36</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<p class="p2 pfs100 lsp">FEBRUARY 1899</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2C" id="Page_2C">[2C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="p2 right xs padr2 smcap pg-brk">February 1899.</p> - -<p class="p1 pfs180 lsp smcap">Messrs. Methuen's</p> - -<p class="pfs120">ANNOUNCEMENTS</p> - -<hr class="r30a" /> -<p class="pfs150">Travel and Adventure</p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>THE HIGHEST ANDES. By <span class="smcap">E. A. FitzGerald</span>. With -40 Illustrations, 10 of which are Photogravures, and a Large Map. -<em>Royal 8vo. 30s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="pind">Also, a Small Edition on Handmade Paper, limited to 50 Copies, -<em>4to. £5, 5s</em>.</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A narrative of the highest climb yet accomplished. The illustrations have been -reproduced with the greatest care, and the book, in addition to its adventurous -interest, contains appendices of great scientific value.</p></div> - -<p>ROUND THE WORLD ON A WHEEL. By <span class="smcap">John Foster -Fraser</span>. With 100 Illustrations. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The narrative of a bicycle ride right round the world, which covered over 19,000 miles -and occupied 774 days. The book is full of adventure and incident, and contains -as much matter as the ordinary book of travel published at six times the price.</p></div> - -<p>THE HEART OF ASIA. By <span class="smcap">F. H. Skrine</span> and <span class="smcap">E. D. Ross</span>. -With Maps and many Illustrations. <em>Large crown 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This is an account, historical, political, economical, and descriptive of Russian Central -Asia. The first part of the work contains a concise history of Turkestan, etc. from the -earliest times. No such history has hitherto appeared in any European language, -and many untranslated Oriental works have been put under contribution by -Professor Ross. In the second part Mr. Skrine gives a complete account of -Russian Central Asia, with all the latest statistics. Great attention has been paid -to the production of accurate maps, and the information contained in this part -of the book may be regarded as semi-official.</p></div> - -<p>THROUGH ASIA. By <span class="smcap">Sven Hedin</span>. With 300 Illustrations -from Photographs and Sketches by the Author, and 3 Maps. <em>Two -volumes. Royal 8vo. 36s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Extracts from reviews of this great book, which <cite>The Times</cite> has called 'one of the -greatest books of the century,' will be found on p. 15.</p></div> - -<p>CHITRAL: The Story of a Minor Siege. By <span class="smcap">Sir G. S. Robertson</span>, -K.C.S.I. With 22 Illustrations, 4 Plans, and a Map. A New -and Cheaper Edition. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Extracts from reviews of this remarkable book will be found on page 15.</p></div> - -<p>THREE YEARS IN SAVAGE AFRICA. By <span class="smcap">Lionel Decle</span>. -With 100 Illustrations and 5 Maps. Second and cheaper Edition. -<em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<p>THE CAROLINE ISLANDS. By <span class="smcap">F. W. Christian</span>. With -many Illustrations and Maps. <em>Large crown 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This book contains a history and complete description of these islands—their physical -features, fauna, flora; the habits, and religious beliefs of the inhabitants. It is -the result of many years' residence among the natives, and is the only worthy work -on the subject.</p></div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3C" id="Page_3C">[3C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="p1 pfs150">History and Biography</p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF SIR JOHN EVERETT -MILLAIS, President of the Royal Academy. By his Son, <span class="smcap">J. G. -Millais</span>. With nearly 300 Illustrations, of which 10 are in photogravure. -<em>Two volumes. Royal 8vo. 32s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="pind">A limited edition will also be printed. This will contain 22 of -Millais' great paintings reproduced in photogravure, with a case -containing an extra set of these Photogravures pulled on India paper. -The price of this edition will be <em>£4, 4s. net</em>.</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>In these two magnificent volumes is contained the authoritative biography of the -most distinguished and popular painter of the last half of the century. They -contain the story of his extraordinary boyhood, of his early struggles and -triumphs, of the founding of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, now first given to -the world in authentic detail, of the painting of most of his famous pictures, of his -friendships with many of the most distinguished men of the day in art, letters, -and politics, of his home life, and of his sporting tastes. There are a large -number of letters to his wife describing the circumstances under which his -pictures were painted, letters from Her Majesty the Queen, Lord Beaconsfield, -Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Watts, Sir William Harcourt, Lord Rosebery, Lord -Leighton, etc., etc. Among them are several illustrated letters from Landseer, -Leech, Du Maurier, and Mike Halliday. The last letter that Lord Beaconsfield -wrote before his death is reproduced in fac-simile. Sir William Harcourt -contributes his reminiscences of Millais, and Mr. Val Prinsep has written a long -and most interesting chapter to the same purpose.</p> - -<p>Not the least attractive and remarkable feature of this book will be the magnificence -of its illustrations. No more complete representation of the <ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'art any painter'">art of any painter</ins> has -ever been produced on the same scale. The owners of Sir John Millais' -most famous pictures and their copyrights have generously given their consent -to their reproduction in his biography, and, in addition to those pictures with which -the public is familiar, over two hundred pictures and sketches which have never -been reproduced before, and which, in all probability, will never be seen -again by the general public, will appear in these pages. The early chapters -contain sketches made by Millais at the age of seven. There follow some -exquisite drawings made by him during his Pre-Raphaelite period, a large -number of sketches and studies made for his great pictures, water colour -sketches, pen-and-ink sketches, and drawings, humorous and serious. There are -ten portraits of Millais himself, including two by Mr. Watts and Sir Edward -Burne Jones. There is a portrait of Dickens, taken after death, and a sketch of -D. G. Rossetti. Thus the book will be not only a biography of high interest and -an important contribution to the history of English art, but in the best sense of -the word, a beautiful picture book.</p></div> - -<p>THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. -By <span class="smcap">Edward Gibbon</span>. A New Edition, edited with Notes, -Appendices, and Maps by <span class="smcap">J. B. Bury</span>, LL.D., Fellow of Trinity -College, Dublin. <em>In Seven Volumes. Demy 8vo, gilt top. 8s. 6d. -each. Crown 8vo. 6s. each. Vol. VII.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The concluding Volume of this Edition.</p></div> - -<p>EVAGRIUS. Edited by Professor <span class="smcap">Léon Parmentier</span> of -Liége and <span class="smcap">M. Bidez</span> of Gand. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="right">[<em>Byzantine Texts.</em></div> - -<p>THE HISTORY OF PSELLUS. By <span class="smcap">C. Sathas</span>. <em>Demy 8vo.</em></p> - -<div class="right">[<em>Byzantine Texts.</em></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4C" id="Page_4C">[4C]</a></span></p> - -<p>A CONSTITUTIONAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY OF -ROME. By <span class="smcap">T. M. Taylor</span>, M.A., Fellow of Gonville and Caius -College, Cambridge, Senior Chancellor's Medallist for Classics, -Porson University Scholar, etc., etc. <em>Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>An account of the origin and growth of the Roman Institutions, and a discussion of -the various political movements in Rome from the earliest times to the death of -Augustus.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">A HISTORY OF EGYPT, from the Earliest Times to -the Present Day.</span> Edited by <span class="smcap">W. M. Flinders Petrie</span>, D.C.L., -LL.D., Professor of Egyptology at University College. Fully Illustrated. -<em>In Six Volumes. Crown 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - -<p class="fs90"> Vol. IV. THE EGYPT OF THE PTOLEMIES. <span class="smcap">J. P. Mahaffy.</span></p> -<p class="fs90"> Vol. V. ROMAN EGYPT. <span class="smcap">J. G. Milne.</span></p> - -<p>ANNALS OF SHREWSBURY SCHOOL. By <span class="smcap">G. W. Fisher</span>, -M.A., Assistant Master. With Numerous Illustrations. <em>Demy 8vo. -10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<p>THE HISTORY OF THE MIDLAND RAILWAY. By -<span class="smcap">Clement Stretton</span>. With many Illustrations. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Uniform with Mr. Grinling's 'History of the Great Northern Railway.'</p></div> - -<p>A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF CYPRUS. By <span class="smcap">John -Hackett</span>, M.A. <em>Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs150">Theology</p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>ST. PAUL, THE MASTER-BUILDER. By <span class="smcap">Walter Lock</span>, -D.D., Warden of Keble College. <em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>An attempt to popularise the recent additions to our knowledge of St. Paul as a -missionary, a statesman and an ethical teacher.</p></div> - -<p>AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. -By <span class="smcap">W. H. Bennett</span>, M.A., and <span class="smcap">W. F. Adeney</span>, M.A. <em>Crown 8vo. -6s.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">Oxford Commentaries.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">General Editor, <span class="smcap">Walter Lock</span>, D.D., Warden of Keble College<br /> -Dean Ireland's Professor of Exegesis in the -University of Oxford.</p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p>Messrs. <span class="smcap">Methuen</span> propose to issue a series of Commentaries upon such -Books of the Bible as still seem to need further explanation.</p> - -<p>The object of each Commentary is primarily exegetical, to interpret -the author's meaning to the present generation. The editors will not -deal, except very subordinately, with questions of textual criticism or -philology; but taking the English text in the Revised Version as their -basis, they will try to combine a hearty acceptance of critical principles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5C" id="Page_5C">[5C]</a></span> -with loyalty to the Catholic Faith. It is hoped that in this way the series -may be of use both to theological students and to the clergy, and also to -the growing number of educated laymen and laywomen who wish to read -the Bible intelligently and reverently.</p> -</div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>THE BOOK OF JOB. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, -by <span class="smcap">E. C. S. Gibson</span>, D.D., Vicar of Leeds. <em>Demy 8vo. 6s.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">The Churchman's Bible.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">General Editor, <span class="smcap">J. H. Burn</span>, B.D., Examining Chaplain to the Bishop -of Aberdeen.</p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p>Messrs. <span class="smcap">Methuen</span> propose to issue a series of expositions upon most -of the books of the Bible. The volumes will be practical and devotional -rather than critical in their purpose, and the text of the authorised version -will be explained in sections or paragraphs, which will correspond as far -as possible with the divisions of the Church Lectionary.</p> - -<p>The volumes will be produced in a very handy and tasteful form, and -may be obtained in cloth or leather bindings.</p> - -<p>The first volume will be:</p> -</div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE GALATIANS. -Explained by <span class="smcap">A. W. Robinson</span>, B.D., Vicar of All Hallows, Barking. -<em>Fcap. 8vo. 2s.</em> Leather, <em>3s. net</em>.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">Handbooks of Theology.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">General Editor, <span class="smcap">A. Robertson</span>, D.D., Principal of King's College, -London.</p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF THE -CREEDS. By <span class="smcap">A. E. Burn</span>, Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of -Lichfield. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">The Library of Devotion.</p> - -<p class="pfs80"><em>Pott 8vo. Cloth 2s.; leather 2s. 6d. net.</em><br /> -<em>NEW VOLUMES.</em></p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>A SERIOUS CALL TO A DEVOUT AND HOLY LIFE. -By <span class="smcap">William Law</span>. Edited, with an Introduction by <span class="smcap">C. Bigg</span>, D.D., -late Student of Christ Church.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This is a reprint, word for word and line for line, of the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Editio Princeps</i>.</p></div> - -<p>LYRA INNOCENTIUM. By <span class="smcap">John Keble</span>. Edited, with -Introduction and Notes, by <span class="smcap">Walter Lock</span>, D.D., Warden of Keble -College, Oxford.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This is edited on the same scale as 'The Christian Year.' Dr. Lock has corrected -the printed text by collating it with the <span class="fs80">MS</span>. in the Keble College Library, and has -added an Introduction, and an analysis and explanatory notes to each of the more -difficult poems.</p></div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6C" id="Page_6C">[6C]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="p1 pfs150">General Literature</p> - -<p class="pfs100 antiqua">The Arden Shakespeare.</p> - -<p class="pfs80">General Editor, <span class="smcap">Edward Dowden</span>, Litt. D.</p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p><span class="smcap">Messrs. Methuen</span> have in preparation an Edition of Shakespeare in -single Plays. Each play will be edited with a full Introduction, Notes on -the text, and a Commentary at the foot of the page.</p> - -<p>The first volume will be:</p></div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>HAMLET. Edited by <span class="smcap">Edward Dowden</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">The Novels of Charles Dickens.</p> - -<p class="pfs80"><em>Crown 8vo. Each Volume, cloth 3s., leather 4s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p>Messrs. <span class="smcap">Methuen</span> have in preparation an edition of those novels of Charles -Dickens which have now passed out of copyright. Mr. George Gissing, -whose critical study of Dickens is both sympathetic and acute, has written -an Introduction to each of the books, and a very attractive feature of this -edition will be the illustrations of the old houses, inns, and buildings, which -Dickens described, and which have now in many instances disappeared -under the touch of modern civilisation. Another valuable feature will be -a series of topographical notes to each book by Mr. F. G. Kitton. The books -will be produced with the greatest care as to printing, paper and binding.</p> - -<p>The first volumes will be:</p></div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>THE PICKWICK PAPERS. With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">E. H. New</span>. -<em>Two Volumes.</em></p> - -<p>NICHOLAS NICKLEBY. With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">R. J. Williams</span>. -<em>Two Volumes.</em></p> - -<p>BLEAK HOUSE. With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">Beatrice Alcock</span>. <em>Two -Volumes.</em></p> - -<p>OLIVER TWIST. With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">E. H. New</span>. <em>Two Volumes.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">The Little Library.</p> - -<p class="pfs80"><em>Pott 8vo. Each Volume, cloth 2s.; leather 2s. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p>Messrs. <span class="smcap">Methuen</span> intend to produce a series of small books under the -above title, containing some of the famous books in English and other -literatures, in the domains of fiction, poetry, and belles lettres. The series -will also contain several volumes of selections in prose and verse.</p> - -<p>The books will be edited with the most sympathetic and scholarly care. -Each one will contain an Introduction which will give (1) a short biography -of the author, (2) a critical estimate of the book, (3) short bibliographical -details. Where they are necessary, short notes will be added at the foot -of the page.</p> - -<p>The Little Library will ultimately contain complete sets of the novels -of W. M. Thackeray, Jane Austen, the sisters Bronté, Mrs. Gaskell and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7C" id="Page_7C">[7C]</a></span> -others. It will also contain the best work of many other novelists whose -names are household words.</p> - -<p>Each book will have a portrait or frontispiece in photogravure, and the -volumes will be produced with great care in a style uniform with that of -'The Library of Devotion.'</p> - -<p>The first volumes will be:</p></div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>A LITTLE BOOK OF ENGLISH LYRICS.</p> - -<p>PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. By <span class="smcap">Jane Austen</span>. With an -Introduction by <span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas</span>. <em>Two Volumes.</em></p> - -<p>VANITY FAIR. By <span class="smcap">W. M. Thackeray</span>. With an Introduction -by <span class="smcap">S. Gwynn</span>. <em>Three Volumes.</em></p> - -<p>EOTHEN. By <span class="smcap">A. W. Kinglake</span>. With an Introduction.</p> - -<p>CRANFORD. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Gaskell</span>. With an Introduction by -<span class="smcap">E. V. Lucas</span>.</p> - -<p>JANE EYRE. By <span class="smcap">Charlotte Bronté</span>. With an Introduction -by <span class="smcap">R. Bayne</span>. <em>Two Volumes.</em></p> -</div> - - -<p class="p1 pfs100 antiqua">The Little Guides.</p> - -<p class="pfs80"><em>Pott 8vo, cloth 3s.; leather 3s. 6d. net.</em><br /> - -<em>NEW VOLUME.</em></p> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>SHAKESPEARE'S COUNTRY. By <span class="smcap">B. C. Windle</span>, M.A. -Illustrated by <span class="smcap">E. H. New</span>.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Uniform with Mr. Wells' 'Oxford' and Mr. Thomson's 'Cambridge.'</p></div> -</div> - - -<p class="pfs150">Fiction</p> - -<p class="pfs100"><em>A NEW DEPARTURE IN PUBLISHING.</em></p> - -<div class="fs80"> -<p>Messrs. <span class="smcap">Methuen</span> contemplate a very interesting experiment in -publishing. They are about to issue at Sixpence, under the general title of -'Methuen's Library of Fiction,' stories by some of the best known writers -of the day. A few books will be reprints, but most will be new works -hitherto unpublished in book form.</p> - -<p>A considerable number of Sixpenny Editions of old books have already -been issued by various publishers, but in no case has the work of an author -of high repute been published in the first instance at that price. This -Messrs. Methuen will attempt, and the first book thus published will be -by E. W. Hornung. Mr. Robert Barr and Mr. Cutliffe Hyne will -follow, and later will be published books by Mr. Baring Gould and -others. In some cases the same book will be published simultaneously -both at Sixpence and at a higher price. Messrs. Methuen recognise the -inevitable tendencies of an age of cheap literature. The theatre has its -stalls and its pit, the railway its first and its third classes: so the novelist<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8C" id="Page_8C">[8C]</a></span> -may well have a double audience, and while the wealthy will still pay Six -Shillings for their novels, those of limited means will be able to purchase -the same book in a decent but less luxurious form.</p></div> - -<div class="advert"> -<p>A NEW NOVEL. By <span class="smcap">E. W. Hornung</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 6d.</em></p> - -<p>JENNY BAXTER. By <span class="smcap">Robert Barr</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 6d.</em></p> - -<hr class="r30a" /> -<p>THE COUNTESS TEKLA. By <span class="smcap">Robert Barr</span>, Author of -'The Mutable Many.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A romance of adventure.</p></div> - -<p>THE CAPSINA. By <span class="smcap">E. F. Benson</span>, Author of 'Dodo.' With -Illustrations by <span class="smcap">G. P. Jacomb-Hood</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>THE HUMAN BOY. By <span class="smcap">Eden Philpotts</span>, Author of 'Children -of the Mist.' <em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A series of studies of the English schoolboy, the result of keen observation, and of a -most engaging wit.</p></div> - -<p>ANNE MAULEVERER. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Caffyn</span> (Iota), Author of -'The Yellow Aster.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>RACHEL. By <span class="smcap">Jane Helen Findlater</span>, Author of 'The -Green Graves of Balgowrie.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>BETTY MUSGRAVE. By <span class="smcap">Mary Findlater</span>, Author of -'Over the Hills.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>THE PATH OF A STAR. By <span class="smcap">Sara Jeanette Duncan</span>, -Author of 'A Voyage of Consolation.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN. By <span class="smcap">E. W. Hornung</span>, -Author of 'Young Blood.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>THE PATHS OF THE PRUDENT. By <span class="smcap">J. S. Fletcher</span>, -Author of 'When Charles I. was King.' <em>Crown 8vo, 6s.</em></p> - -<p>GILES INGILBY. By <span class="smcap">W. E. Norris</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>ROSE A CHARLITTE. By <span class="smcap">Marshall Saunders</span>. <em>Crown -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A romantic story of Acadie.</p></div> - -<p>ADRIAN ROME. By <span class="smcap">E. Dowson</span> and <span class="smcap">A. MOORE</span>, Authors of -'A Comedy of Masks.' <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. By <span class="smcap">Dorothea -Gerard</span>, Author of 'Lady Baby,' 'Orthodox,' etc. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<p>LONE PINE. By <span class="smcap">R. B. Townshend</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A romance of Mexican life.</p></div> - -<p>TALES OF NORTHUMBRIA. By <span class="smcap">Howard Pease</span>. <em>Crown -8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap pg-brk" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9C" id="Page_9C">[9C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs120">A CATALOGUE OF</p> - -<p class="pfs180 lsp smcap">Messrs. Methuen's</p> - -<p class="pfs120 lsp">PUBLICATIONS</p> - -<hr class="r30a" /> -<p class="pfs135">Poetry</p> - - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>Rudyard Kipling.</b> BARRACK-ROOM -BALLADS. By <span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span>. -<em>47th Thousand. Crown 8vo. 6s</em>.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Kipling's verse is strong, vivid, full -of character.... Unmistakeable genius -rings in every line.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'The ballads teem with imagination, they -palpitate with emotion. We read them -with laughter and tears; the metres throb -in our pulses, the cunningly ordered -words tingle with life; and if this be not -poetry, what is?'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Rudyard Kipling.</b> THE SEVEN -SEAS. By <em>Rudyard Kipling</em>. -<em>41st Thousand. Cr. 8vo. Buckram, -gilt top. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The new poems of Mr. Rudyard Kipling -have all the spirit and swing of their predecessors. -Patriotism is the solid concrete -foundation on which Mr. Kipling has -built the whole of his work.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'The Empire has found a singer; it is no -depreciation of the songs to say that -statesmen may have, one way or other, -to take account of them.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p> - -<p>'Animated through and through with indubitable -genius.'—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>"Q."</b> POEMS AND BALLADS. By -"Q." <em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'This work has just the faint, ineffable touch -and glow that make poetry.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>"Q."</b> GREEN BAYS: Verses and -Parodies. By "Q." <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d</em>.</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>E. Mackay.</b> A SONG OF THE SEA. -By <span class="smcap">Eric Mackay</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Fcap. 8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Everywhere Mr. Mackay displays himself -the master of a style marked by all the -characteristics of the best rhetoric.'—<cite>Globe.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. Ibsen.</b> BRAND. A Drama by -<span class="smcap">Henrik Ibsen</span>. Translated by -<span class="smcap">William Wilson</span>. <em>Third Edition. -Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The greatest world-poem of the nineteenth -century next to "Faust." It is in the -same set with "Agamemnon," with -"Lear," with the literature that we now -instinctively regard as high and holy.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>"A. G."</b> VERSES TO ORDER. By -"A. G." <em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A capital specimen of light academic -poetry.'—<cite>St. James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>James Williams.</b> VENTURES IN -VERSE. By <span class="smcap">James Williams</span>, -Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford. -<em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'In matter and manner the book is admirable.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. G. Cordery.</b> THE ODYSSEY OF -HOMER. A Translation by <span class="smcap">J. G. -Cordery</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A spirited, accurate, and scholarly piece -of work.'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10C" id="Page_10C">[10C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs135">Belles Lettres, Anthologies, etc.</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>R. L. Stevenson.</b> VAILIMA LETTERS. -By <span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span>. -With an Etched Portrait by -<span class="smcap">William Strang</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. Buckram. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A fascinating book.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p> - -<p>'Full of charm and brightness.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'A gift almost priceless.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p>'Unique in Literature.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>G. Wyndham.</b> THE POEMS OF WILLIAM -SHAKESPEARE. Edited -with an Introduction and Notes by -<span class="smcap">George Wyndham</span>, M.P. <em>Demy -8vo. Buckram, gilt top. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This edition contains the 'Venus,' 'Lucrece,' -and Sonnets, and is prefaced with an -elaborate introduction of over 140 pp.</p> - -<p>'One of the most serious contributions to -Shakespearian criticism that have been -published for some time.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'A scholarly and interesting contribution -to literature.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p> - -<p>'We have no hesitation in describing Mr. -George Wyndham's introduction as a -masterly piece of criticism, and all who -love our Elizabethan literature will find a -very garden of delight in it.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Wyndham's notes are admirable, even -indispensable.'—<cite>Westminster Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Henley.</b> ENGLISH LYRICS. -Selected and Edited by <span class="smcap">W. E. -Henley</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. Buckram, -gilt top. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is a body of choice and lovely poetry.'—<cite>Birmingham -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Henley and Whibley.</b> A BOOK OF -ENGLISH PROSE. Collected by -<span class="smcap">W. E. Henley</span> and <span class="smcap">Charles -Whibley</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. Buckram, -gilt top. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Quite delightful. A greater treat for those -not well acquainted with pre-Restoration -prose could not be imagined.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. C. Beeching.</b> LYRA SACRA: An -Anthology of Sacred Verse. Edited -by <span class="smcap">H. C. Beeching</span>, M.A. <em>Crown -8vo. Buckram. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A charming selection, which maintains a -lofty standard of excellence.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>"Q."</b> THE GOLDEN POMP. A Procession -of English Lyrics. Arranged -by <span class="smcap">A. T. Quiller Couch</span>. <em>Crown -8vo. Buckram. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A delightful volume: a really golden -"Pomp."'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. B. Yeats.</b> AN ANTHOLOGY OF -IRISH VERSE. Edited by <span class="smcap">W. B. -Yeats</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An attractive and catholic selection.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>G. W. Steevens.</b> MONOLOGUES OF -THE DEAD. By <span class="smcap">G. W. Steevens</span>. -<em>Foolscap 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The effect is sometimes splendid, sometimes -bizarre, but always amazingly -clever.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. M. Dixon.</b> A PRIMER OF -TENNYSON. By <span class="smcap">W. M. Dixon</span>, -M.A. <em>Cr. 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Much sound and well-expressed criticism. -The bibliography is a boon.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. A. Craigie.</b> A PRIMER OF -BURNS. By <span class="smcap">W. A. Craigie</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A valuable addition to the literature of the -poet.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>L. Magnus.</b> A PRIMER OF WORDSWORTH. -By <span class="smcap">Laurie Magnus</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A valuable contribution to Wordsworthian -literature.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Sterne.</b> THE LIFE AND OPINIONS -OF TRISTRAM SHANDY. By -<span class="smcap">Lawrence Sterne</span>. With an Introduction -by <span class="smcap">Charles Whibley</span>, -and a Portrait. <em>2 vols. 7s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Very dainty volumes are these: the paper, -type, and light-green binding are all very -agreeable to the eye.'—<cite>Globe.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Congreve.</b> THE COMEDIES OF -WILLIAM CONGREVE. With an -Introduction by <span class="smcap">G. S. Street</span>, and -a Portrait. <em>2 vols. 7s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Morier.</b> THE ADVENTURES OF -HAJJI BABA OF ISPAHAN. By -<span class="smcap">James Morier</span>. With an Introduction -by <span class="smcap">E. G. Browne</span>, M.A., and a -Portrait. <em>2 vols. 7s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11C" id="Page_11C">[11C]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>Walton.</b> THE LIVES OF DONNE, -WOTTON, HOOKER, HERBERT -<span class="smcap">AND</span> SANDERSON. By <span class="smcap">Izaak -Walton</span>. With an Introduction by -<span class="smcap">Vernon Blackburn</span>, and a Portrait. -<em>3s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Johnson.</b> THE LIVES OF THE -ENGLISH POETS. By <span class="smcap">Samuel -Johnson</span>, LL.D. With an Introduction -by <span class="smcap">J. H. Millar</span>, and a Portrait. -<em>3 vols. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Burns.</b> THE POEMS OF ROBERT -BURNS. Edited by <span class="smcap">Andrew Lang</span> -and <span class="smcap">W. A. Craigie</span>. With Portrait. -<em>Second Edition. Demy 8vo, gilt top. -6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This edition contains a carefully collated -Text, numerous Notes, critical and textual, -a critical and biographical Introduction, -and a Glossary.</p> - -<p>'Among editions in one volume, this will -take the place of authority.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>F. Langbridge.</b> BALLADS OF THE -BRAVE; Poems of Chivalry, Enterprise, -Courage, and Constancy. -Edited by Rev. <span class="smcap">F. Langbridge</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d. -School Edition. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A very happy conception happily carried -out. These "Ballads of the Brave" -are intended to suit the real tastes of -boys, and will suit the taste of the great -majority.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'The book is full of splendid things.'—<cite>World.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs135">Illustrated Books</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>John Bunyan.</b> THE PILGRIM'S -PROGRESS. By <span class="smcap">John Bunyan</span>. -Edited, with an Introduction, by <span class="smcap">C. H. -Firth</span>, M.A. With 39 Illustrations -by <span class="smcap">R. Anning Bell</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This book contains a long Introduction by -Mr. Firth, whose knowledge of the period -is unrivalled; and it is lavishly illustrated.</p> - -<p>'The best "Pilgrim's Progress."'—<cite>Educational -Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'A choice edition.'—<cite>Westminster Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>F. D. Bedford.</b> NURSERY RHYMES. -With many Coloured Pictures by <span class="smcap">F. -D. Bedford</span>. <em>Super Royal 8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An excellent selection of the best known -rhymes, with beautifully coloured pictures -exquisitely printed.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> A BOOK OF -FAIRY TALES retold by <span class="smcap">S. Baring -Gould</span>. With numerous Illustrations -and Initial Letters by <span class="smcap">Arthur -J. Gaskin</span>. <em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. -Buckram. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Baring Gould is deserving of gratitude, -in re-writing in simple style the -old stories that delighted our fathers and -grandfathers.'—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> OLD ENGLISH -FAIRY TALES. Collected and -edited by <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. With -Numerous Illustrations by <span class="smcap">F. D. -Bedford</span>. <em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. -Buckram. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A charming volume.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> A BOOK OF -NURSERY SONGS AND -RHYMES. Edited by <span class="smcap">S. Baring -Gould</span>, and Illustrated by the Birmingham -Art School. <em>Buckram, gilt -top. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>H. C. Beeching.</b> A BOOK OF -CHRISTMAS VERSE. Edited by -<span class="smcap">H. C. Beeching</span>, M.A., and Illustrated -by <span class="smcap">Walter Crane</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. -gilt top. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An anthology which, from its unity of aim -and high poetic excellence, has a better -right to exist than most of its fellows.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs135">History</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>Gibbon.</b> THE DECLINE AND -FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. -By <span class="smcap">Edward Gibbon</span>. A New Edition, -Edited with Notes, Appendices,</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>and Maps, by <span class="smcap">J. B. Bury</span>, LL.D., -Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. -<em>In Seven Volumes. Demy 8vo. Gilt -top. 8s. 6d. each. Also Cr. 8vo. 6s. -each. Vols. I., II., III., IV., V., and -VI.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12C" id="Page_12C">[12C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The time has certainly arrived for a new -edition of Gibbon's great work.... Professor -Bury is the right man to undertake -this task. His learning is amazing, -both in extent and accuracy. The book -is issued in a handy form, and at a -moderate price, and it is admirably -printed.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'This edition is a marvel of erudition and -critical skill, and it is the very minimum -of praise to predict that the seven -volumes of it will supersede Dean Milman's -as the standard edition of our great -historical classic.'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p> - -<p>'At last there is an adequate modern edition -of Gibbon.... The best edition the -nineteenth century could produce.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Flinders Petrie.</b> A HISTORY OF -EGYPT, <span class="smcap">from the Earliest Times -to the Present Day</span>. Edited by -<span class="smcap">W. M. Flinders Petrie</span>, D.C.L., -LL.D., Professor of Egyptology at -University College. <em>Fully Illustrated. -In Six Volumes. Cr. 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot pad2"> - -<p><span class="smcap">Vol. I. Prehistoric Times to -XVIth Dynasty.</span> W. M. F. -Petrie. <em>Third Edition.</em></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Vol. II. The XVIIth and -XVIIIth Dynasties.</span> W. M. -F. Petrie. <em>Second Edition.</em></p></div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A history written in the spirit of scientific -precision so worthily represented by Dr. -Petrie and his school cannot but promote -sound and accurate study, and -supply a vacant place in the English -literature of Egyptology.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Flinders Petrie.</b> RELIGION AND -CONSCIENCE IN ANCIENT -EGYPT. By <span class="smcap">W. M. Flinders -Petrie</span>, D.C.L., LL.D. Fully Illustrated. -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The lectures will afford a fund of valuable -information for students of ancient -ethics.'—<cite>Manchester Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Flinders Petrie.</b> SYRIA AND -EGYPT, FROM THE TELL EL -AMARNA TABLETS. By <span class="smcap">W. M. -Flinders Petrie</span>, D.C.L., LL.D. -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A marvellous record. The addition made -to our knowledge is nothing short of -amazing.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>Flinders Petrie.</b> EGYPTIAN TALES. -Edited by <span class="smcap">W. M. Flinders Petrie</span>. -Illustrated by <span class="smcap">Tristram Ellis</span>. <em>In -Two Volumes. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d. each.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Invaluable as a picture of life in Palestine -and Egypt.'—<cite>Daily News.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Flinders Petrie.</b> EGYPTIAN DECORATIVE -ART. By <span class="smcap">W. M. Flinders -Petrie</span>. With 120 Illustrations. -<em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'In these lectures he displays rare skill in -elucidating the development of decorative -art in Egypt.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. W. Oman.</b> A HISTORY OF THE -ART OF WAR. Vol. <span class="fs80">II.</span>: The -Middle Ages, from the Fourth to the -Fourteenth Century. By <span class="smcap">C. W. -Oman</span>, M.A., Fellow of All Souls', -Oxford. Illustrated. <em>Demy 8vo. 21s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book is based throughout upon a -thorough study of the original sources, -and will be an indispensable aid to all -students of mediæval history.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'The whole art of war in its historic evolution -has never been treated on such an -ample and comprehensive scale, and we -question if any recent contribution to -the exact history of the world has possessed -more enduring value.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> THE TRAGEDY -OF THE CÆSARS. With numerous -Illustrations from Busts, Gems, -Cameos, etc. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. -<em>Fourth Edition. Royal 8vo. 15s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A most splendid and fascinating book on a -subject of undying interest. The great -feature of the book is the use the author -has made of the existing portraits of -the Caesars and the admirable critical -subtlety he has exhibited in dealing with -this line of research. It is brilliantly -written, and the illustrations are supplied -on a scale of profuse magnificence.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>F. W. Maitland.</b> CANON LAW IN -ENGLAND. By <span class="smcap">F. W. Maitland</span>, -LL.D., Downing Professor of the -Laws of England in the University -of Cambridge. <em>Royal 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Professor Maitland has put students of -English law under a fresh debt. These -essays are landmarks in the study of the -history of Canon Law.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13C" id="Page_13C">[13C]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>H. de B. Gibbins.</b> INDUSTRY IN -ENGLAND: HISTORICAL OUTLINES. -By <span class="smcap">H. de B. Gibbins</span>, -M.A., D. Litt. With 5 Maps. <em>Second -Edition. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>H. E. Egerton.</b> A HISTORY OF -BRITISH COLONIAL POLICY. -By <span class="smcap">H. E. Egerton</span>, M.A. <em>Demy -8vo. 12s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is a good book, distinguished by accuracy -in detail, clear arrangement of facts, -and a broad grasp of principles.—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p> - -<p>'Able, impartial, clear.... A most valuable -volume.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Albert Sorel.</b> THE EASTERN -QUESTION IN THE EIGHTEENTH -CENTURY. By <span class="smcap">Albert -Sorel</span>, of the French Academy. -Translated by <span class="smcap">F. C. Bramwell</span>, -M.A., with an Introduction by <span class="smcap">C. R. -L. Fletcher</span>, Fellow of Magdalen -College, Oxford. With a Map. -<em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The author's insight into the character -and motives of the leading actors in the -drama gives the work an interest uncommon -in books based on similar -material.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. H. Grinling.</b> A HISTORY OF -THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY, -1845-95. By <span class="smcap">Charles H. -Grinling</span>. With Maps and Illustrations. -<em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Admirably written, and crammed with -interesting facts.'—<cite>Daily Mail.</cite></p> - -<p>'The only adequate history of a great -English railway company.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Grinling has done for a Railway what -Macaulay did for English History.'—<cite>The -Engineer.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Sterry.</b> ANNALS OF ETON -COLLEGE. By <span class="smcap">W. Sterry</span>, M.A. -With numerous Illustrations. <em>Demy -8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A treasury of quaint and interesting reading. -Mr. Sterry has by his skill and -vivacity given these records new life.—<cite>Academy.</cite></p> - -<p>'A most attractive and admirably illustrated -account.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>J. Sargeaunt.</b> ANNALS OF WESTMINSTER -SCHOOL. By <span class="smcap">J. Sargeaunt</span>, -M.A., Assistant Master. -With numerous Illustrations. <em>Demy -8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>A. Clark.</b> THE COLLEGES OF -OXFORD: Their History and their -Traditions. By Members of the -University. Edited by <span class="smcap">A. Clark</span>, -M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Lincoln -College. <em>8vo. 12s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A work which will be appealed to for -many years as the standard book.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Perrens.</b> THE HISTORY OF -FLORENCE FROM 1434 TO -1492. By <span class="smcap">F. T. Perrens</span>. <em>8vo. -12s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A history of the domination of Cosimo, -Piero, and Lorenzo de Medicis.</p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Wells.</b> A SHORT HISTORY OF -ROME. By <span class="smcap">J. Wells</span>, M.A., -Fellow and Tutor of Wadham Coll., -Oxford. <em>Second and Revised Edition.</em> -With 3 Maps. <em>Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This book is intended for the Middle and -Upper Forms of Public Schools and for -Pass Students at the Universities. It -contains copious Tables, etc.</p> - -<p>'An original work written on an original -plan, and with uncommon freshness and -vigour.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>O. Browning.</b> A SHORT HISTORY -OF MEDIÆVAL ITALY, <span class="fs80">A.D.</span> -1250-1530. By <span class="smcap">Oscar Browning</span>, -Fellow and Tutor of King's College, -Cambridge. <em>In Two Volumes. Cr. -8vo. 5s. each.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot pad2"> - -<p><span class="smcap">Vol. i.</span> 1250-1409.—Guelphs and -Ghibellines.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Vol. ii.</span> 1409-1530.—The Age of -the Condottieri.</p></div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Browning is to be congratulated on -the production of a work of immense -labour and learning.'—<cite>Westminster -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>O'Grady.</b> THE STORY OF IRELAND. -By <span class="smcap">Standish O'Grady</span>, -Author of 'Finn and his Companions.' -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14C" id="Page_14C">[14C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs135">Biography</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> THE LIFE OF -NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. By -<span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. With over 450 -Illustrations in the Text and 12 -Photogravure Plates. <em>Large quarto. -Gilt top. 36s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The best biography of Napoleon in our -tongue, nor have the French as good a -biographer of their hero. A book very -nearly as good as Southey's "Life of -Nelson."'—<cite>Manchester Guardian.</cite></p> - -<p>'The main feature of this gorgeous volume -is its great wealth of beautiful photogravures -and finely-executed wood -engravings, constituting a complete -pictorial chronicle of Napoleon I.'s -personal history from the days of his -early childhood at Ajaccio to the date -of his second interment.'—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite></p> - -<p>'Nearly all the illustrations are real contributions -to history.'—<cite>Westminster -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>P. H. Colomb.</b> MEMOIRS OF ADMIRAL -SIR A. COOPER KEY. -By Admiral <span class="smcap">P. H. Colomb</span>. With -a Portrait. <em>Demy 8vo. 16s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An interesting and adequate biography of -one who for a quarter of a century had a -prominent part in the administration of -the Navy. The whole book, in fact, is -one of the greatest interest—peculiarly -so, it may be, to the naval officer, but also -to the average taxpayer and the reading -public.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Morris Fuller.</b> THE LIFE AND -WRITINGS OF JOHN DAVENANT, -D.D. (1571-1641), Bishop of -Salisbury. By <span class="smcap">Morris Fuller</span>, -B.D. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>J. M. Rigg.</b> ST. ANSELM OF -CANTERBURY: <span class="smcap">A Chapter in -the History of Religion</span>. By -<span class="smcap">J. M. Rigg</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Rigg has told the story of the life -with scholarly ability, and has contributed -an interesting chapter to the -history of the Norman period.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>F. W. Joyce.</b> THE LIFE OF -SIR FREDERICK GORE OUSELEY. -By <span class="smcap">F. W. Joyce</span>, M.A. <em>7s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'This book has been undertaken in quite -the right spirit, and written with sympathy, -insight, and considerable literary -skill.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. G. Collingwood.</b> THE LIFE OF -JOHN RUSKIN. By <span class="smcap">W. G. -Collingwood</span>, M.A. With Portraits, -and 13 Drawings by Mr. -Ruskin. <em>Second Edition. 2 vols. -8vo. 32s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'No more magnificent volumes have been -published for a long time.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'It is long since we had a biography with -such delights of substance and of form. -Such a book is a pleasure for the day, -and a joy for ever.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. Waldstein.</b> JOHN RUSKIN. By -<span class="smcap">Charles Waldstein</span>, M.A. With -a Photogravure Portrait, <em>Post 8vo. -5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A thoughtful and well-written criticism of -Ruskin's teaching.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>A. M. F. Darmesteter.</b> THE LIFE -OF ERNEST RENAN. By -<span class="smcap">Madame Darmesteter</span>. With -Portrait. <em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. -6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A polished gem of biography, superior in -its kind to any attempt that has been -made of recent years in England. -Madame Darmesteter has indeed written -for English readers "<em>The</em> Life of Ernest -Renan."'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'It is interpenetrated with the dignity and -charm, the mild, bright, classical grace -of form and treatment that Renan himself -so loved; and it fulfils to the uttermost -the delicate and difficult achievement -it sets out to accomplish.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. H. Hutton.</b> THE LIFE OF SIR -THOMAS MORE. By <span class="smcap">W. H. -Hutton</span>, M.A. With Portraits. -<em>Cr. 8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book lays good claim to high rank -among our biographies. It is excellently -even lovingly, written.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'An excellent monograph.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15C" id="Page_15C">[15C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs135 pg-brk">Travel, Adventure and Topography</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>Sven Hedin.</b> THROUGH ASIA. By -<span class="smcap">Sven Hedin</span>, Gold Medallist of the -Royal Geographical Society. With -300 Illustrations from Sketches -and Photographs by the Author, -and Maps. <em>2 vols. Royal 8vo. 36s. -net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'One of the greatest books of the kind -issued during the century. It is impossible -to give an adequate idea of the -richness of the contents of this book, -nor of its abounding attractions as a story -of travel unsurpassed in geographical -and human interest. Much of it is a -revelation. Altogether the work is one -which in solidity, novelty, and interest -must take a first rank among publications -of its class.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'In these magnificent volumes we have the -most important contribution to Central -Asian geography made for many years. -Intensely interesting as a tale of travel.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'The whole story of the desert adventure is -worthy to be added to the classics of its -kind.'—<cite>World.</cite></p> - -<p>'These volumes are of absorbing and fascinating -interest, their matter is wonderful, -and Dr. Hedin's style is surcharged with -strong and alluring personality. No -romance exceeds in its intense and enthralling -interest this story.'—<cite>Birmingham -Post.</cite></p> - -<p>'One of the most remarkable books of travel -of the century.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'Profoundly interesting.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p> - -<p>'A memorable book, gigantic of design, -magnificent in execution, and without -doubt one of the outstanding travel-volumes -of the century.'—<cite>Black and -White.</cite></p> - -<p>'Let any one who is desirous to learn about -the wonderful continent of Asia as no one -else can teach him, buy and read this -work.'—<cite>Vanity Fair.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>R. E. Peary.</b> NORTHWARD OVER -THE GREAT ICE. By <span class="smcap">R. E. Peary</span>, -Gold Medallist of the Royal Geographical -Society. With over 800 Illustrations. -<em>2 vols. Royal 8vo. 32s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book is full of interesting matter—a -tale of brave deeds simply told; abundantly -illustrated with prints and maps.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'His book will take its place among the permanent -literature of Arctic exploration.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'It yields neither in interest nor in ability -to Nansen's "Farthest North," while its -results are no less valuable.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p> - -<p>'Crowded with adventures and intensely -interesting.'—<cite>World.</cite></p> - -<p>'An exciting and thoroughly well-arranged -book.'—<cite>St. James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>G. S. Robertson.</b> CHITRAL: The -Story of a Minor Siege. By Sir -<span class="smcap">G. S. Robertson</span>, K.C.S.I. With -numerous Illustrations and a Map. -<em>Second Edition. Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is difficult to imagine the kind of person -who could read this brilliant book without -emotion. The story remains immortal—a -testimony imperishable. We are face -to face with a great book.'—<cite>Illustrated -London News.</cite></p> - -<p>'A book which the Elizabethans would have -thought wonderful. More thrilling, more -piquant, and more human than any -novel.'—<cite>Newcastle Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'One of the most stirring military narratives -written in our time.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'A masterpiece of narrative.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'As fascinating as Sir Walter Scott's best -fiction.'—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite></p> - -<p>'Full of dashing feats of courage as any -romance.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Not since the appearance of Lord Roberts's -"Forty-one Years" have we had a record -of Indian warfare which can be compared -with this glowing and moving story.'—<cite>Daily -Mail.</cite></p> - -<p>'The enthusiastic admiration of the reader -cannot fail to be aroused.'—<cite>Morning -Post.</cite></p> - -<p>'A classic of frontier literature.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'Any one proud of his name as Englishman -may read in these stirring chapters abundant -justification for his pride.'—<cite>Globe.</cite></p> - -<p>'A very fascinating, a singularly delightful -book.'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p> - -<p>'A noble story, nobly told.'—<cite>Punch.</cite></p> - -<p>'Every page is quick with heroism.'—<cite>Outlook.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. H. Johnston.</b> BRITISH CENTRAL -AFRICA. By Sir <span class="smcap">H. H. -Johnston</span>, K.C.B. With nearly -Two Hundred Illustrations, and Six -Maps. <em>Second Edition. Crown 4to. -18s. net.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16C" id="Page_16C">[16C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A fascinating book, written with equal -skill and charm—the work at once of a -literary artist and of a man of action -who is singularly wise, brave, and experienced. -It abounds in admirable -sketches from pencil.'—<cite>Westminster -Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A delightful book ... collecting within -the covers of a single volume all that -is known of this part of our African -domains. The voluminous appendices -are of extreme value.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>L. Decle.</b> THREE YEARS IN -SAVAGE AFRICA. By <span class="smcap">Lionel -Decle</span>. With 100 Illustrations and -5 Maps. <em>Second Edition. Demy 8vo. -10s. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A fine, full book.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Abounding in thrilling adventures.'—<cite>Daily -Telegraph.</cite></p> - -<p>'Its bright pages give a better general -survey of Africa from the Cape to the -Equator than any single volume that -has yet been published.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'A delightful book.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p> - -<p>'Unquestionably one of the most interesting -books of travel which have recently -appeared.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>A. Hulme Beaman.</b> TWENTY -YEARS IN THE NEAR EAST. -By <span class="smcap">A. Hulme Beaman</span>. <em>Demy -8vo.</em> With Portrait. <em>10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'One of the most entertaining books that we -have had in our hands for a long time. -It is unconventional in a high degree; it -is written with sagacious humour; it is -full of adventures and anecdotes.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'Packed with incident and eminently readable.'—<cite>Critic.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Henri of Orleans.</b> FROM TONKIN -TO INDIA. By <span class="smcap">Prince Henri of -Orleans</span>. Translated by <span class="smcap">Hamley -Bent</span>, M.A. With 100 Illustrations -and a Map. <em>Cr. 4to, gilt top. 25s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>R. S. S. Baden-Powell.</b> THE DOWNFALL -OF PREMPEH. A Diary -of Life in Ashanti, 1895. By Colonel -<span class="smcap">Baden-Powell</span>. With 21 Illustrations -and a Map. <em>Cheaper Edition. -Large Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A compact, faithful, most readable record -of the campaign.'—<cite>Daily News.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>R. S. S. Baden-Powell.</b> THE MATABELE -CAMPAIGN, 1896. By Col. -<span class="smcap">Baden-Powell</span>. With nearly 100 -Illustrations. <em>Cheaper Edition. Large -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A straightforward account of a great deal -of plucky work.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. L. Hinde.</b> THE FALL OF THE -CONGO ARABS. By <span class="smcap">S. L. Hinde</span>. -With Plans, etc. <em>Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>A. St. H. Gibbons.</b> EXPLORATION -AND HUNTING IN CENTRAL -AFRICA. By Major <span class="smcap">A. St. H. -Gibbons</span>. With full-page Illustrations -by <span class="smcap">C. Whymper</span>, and Maps. -<em>Demy 8vo. 15s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'His book is a grand record of quiet, unassuming, -tactful resolution. His adventures -were as various as his sporting -exploits were exciting.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>E. H. Alderson.</b> WITH THE -MASHONALAND FIELD -FORCE, 1896. By Lieut.-Colonel -<span class="smcap">Alderson</span>. With numerous Illustrations -and Plans. <em>Demy 8vo. -10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A clear, vigorous, and soldier-like narrative.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Seymour Vandeleur.</b> CAMPAIGNING -ON THE UPPER NILE -AND NIGER. By Lieut. <span class="smcap">Seymour -Vandeleur</span>. With an Introduction -by Sir <span class="smcap">G. Goldie</span>, K.C.M.G. With -4 Maps, Illustrations, and Plans. -<em>Large Crown 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Upon the African question there is no -book procurable which contains so -much of value as this one.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Lord Fincastle.</b> A FRONTIER -CAMPAIGN. By Viscount <span class="smcap">Fincastle</span>, -V.C., and Lieut. <span class="smcap">P. C. -Elliott-Lockhart</span>. With a Map -and 16 Illustrations. <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An admirable book, and a really valuable -treatise on frontier war.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>E. N. Bennett.</b> THE DOWNFALL -OF THE DERVISHES: A Sketch -of the Sudan Campaign of 1898. By -<span class="smcap">E. N. Bennett</span>, Fellow of Hertford -College. With Four Maps and a -Photogravure Portrait of the Sirdar. -<em>Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17C" id="Page_17C">[17C]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>J. K. Trotter.</b> THE NIGER -SOURCES. By Colonel <span class="smcap">J. K. -Trotter</span>, R.A. With a Map and -Illustrations. <em>Crown 8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A most interesting as well as a lucidly and -modestly written book.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Michael Davitt.</b> LIFE AND PROGRESS -IN AUSTRALASIA. By -<span class="smcap">Michael Davitt</span>, M.P. With 2 -Maps. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em> 500 pp.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'One of the most valuable contributions to -our store of Imperial literature that has -been published for a very long time.—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Crooke.</b> THE NORTH-WESTERN -PROVINCES OF -INDIA: <span class="smcap">Their Ethnology and -Administration</span>. By <span class="smcap">W. Crooke</span>. -With Maps and Illustrations. <em>Demy -8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A carefully and well-written account of one -of the most important provinces of the -Empire. Mr. Crooke deals with the land -in its physical aspect, the province under -Hindoo and Mussulman rule, under -British rule, its ethnology and sociology, -its religious and social life, the land and -its settlement, and the native peasant. -The illustrations are good, and the map -is excellent.'—<cite>Manchester Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>A. Boisragon.</b> THE BENIN MASSACRE. -By <span class="smcap">Captain Boisragon</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'If the story had been written four hundred -years ago it would be read to-day as an -English classic.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'If anything could enhance the horror and -the pathos of this remarkable book it is -the simple style of the author, who -writes as he would talk, unconscious of -his own heroism, with an artlessness -which is the highest art.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. S. Cowper.</b> THE HILL OF THE -GRACES: <span class="smcap">or, the Great Stone -Temples of Tripoli</span>. By <span class="smcap">H. S. -Cowper</span>, F.S.A. With Maps, Plans, -and 75 Illustrations. <em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Forms a valuable chapter of what has now -become quite a large and important -branch of antiquarian research.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Kinnaird Rose.</b> WITH THE -GREEKS IN THESSALY. By -<span class="smcap">W. Kinnaird Rose</span>, Reuter's Correspondent. -With Plans and 23 -Illustrations. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>W. B. Worsfold.</b> SOUTH AFRICA. -By <span class="smcap">W. B. Worsfold</span>, M.A. <em>With -a Map. Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A monumental work compressed into a -very moderate compass.'—<cite>World.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs135">Naval and Military</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>G. W. Steevens.</b> NAVAL POLICY. -By <span class="smcap">G. W. Steevens</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This book is a description of the British and -other more important navies of the world, -with a sketch of the lines on which our -naval policy might possibly be developed.</p> - -<p>'An extremely able and interesting work.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>D. Hannay.</b> A SHORT HISTORY -OF THE ROYAL NAVY, <span class="smcap">From -Early Times to the Present Day</span>. -By <span class="smcap">David Hannay</span>. Illustrated. -<em>2 Vols. Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d. each.</em> -Vol. I., 1200-1688.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'We read it from cover to cover at a sitting, -and those who go to it for a lively and -brisk picture of the past, with all its faults -and its grandeur, will not be disappointed. -The historian is endowed with literary -skill and style.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'We can warmly recommend Mr. Hannay's -volume to any intelligent student of -naval history. Great as is the merit of -Mr. Hannay's historical narrative, the -merit of his strategic exposition is even -greater.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. Cooper King.</b> THE STORY OF -THE BRITISH ARMY. By Colonel -<span class="smcap">Cooper King</span>. Illustrated. <em>Demy -8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An authoritative and accurate story of -England's military progress.'—<cite>Daily -Mail.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>R. Southey.</b> ENGLISH SEAMEN -(Howard, Clifford, Hawkins, Drake, -Cavendish). By <span class="smcap">Robert Southey</span>. -Edited, with an Introduction, by -<span class="smcap">David Hannay</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18C" id="Page_18C">[18C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Admirable and well-told stories of our naval -history.'—<cite>Army and Navy Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A brave, inspiriting book.'—<cite>Black and -White.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Clark Russell.</b> THE LIFE OF -ADMIRAL LORD COLLINGWOOD. -By <span class="smcap">W. Clark Russell</span>. -With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">F. Brangwyn</span>. -<em>Third Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A book which we should like to see in the -hands of every boy in the country.'—<cite>St. -James's Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A really good book.'—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>E. L. S. Horsburgh.</b> THE CAMPAIGN -OF WATERLOO. By -<span class="smcap">E. L. S. Horsburgh</span>, B.A. With -Plans. <em>Crown 8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A brilliant essay—simple, sound, and -thorough.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. B. George.</b> BATTLES OF -ENGLISH HISTORY. By <span class="smcap">H. B. -George</span>, M.A., Fellow of New -College, Oxford. With numerous -Plans. <em>Third Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. George has undertaken a very useful -task—that of making military affairs intelligible -and instructive to non-military -readers—and has executed it with a -large measure of success.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs135">General Literature</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> OLD COUNTRY -LIFE. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. With -Sixty-seven Illustrations. <em>Large Cr. -8vo. Fifth Edition. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'"Old Country Life," as healthy wholesome -reading, full of breezy life and movement, -full of quaint stories vigorously -told, will not be excelled by any book to -be published throughout the year. -Sound, hearty, and English to the core.'—<cite>World.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> AN OLD ENGLISH -HOME. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. -With numerous Plans and Illustrations. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The chapters are delightfully fresh, very -informing, and lightened by many a good -story. A delightful fireside companion.'—<cite>St. -James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> HISTORIC -ODDITIES AND STRANGE -EVENTS. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. -<em>Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A collection of exciting and entertaining -chapters. Delightful reading.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> FREAKS OF -FANATICISM. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring -Gould</span>. <em>Third Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> A GARLAND OF -COUNTRY SONG: English Folk -Songs with their Traditional Melodies. -Collected and arranged by <span class="smcap">S. Baring -Gould</span> and <span class="smcap">H. F. Sheppard</span>. -<em>Demy 4to. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> SONGS OF THE -WEST: Traditional Ballads and -Songs of the West of England, with -their Melodies. Collected by <span class="smcap">S. -Baring Gould</span>, M.A., and <span class="smcap">H. F. -Sheppard</span>, M.A. In 4 Parts. <em>Parts -I., II., III., 3s. each. Part IV., 5s. -In one Vol., French morocco, 15s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A rich collection of humour, pathos, grace, -and poetic fancy.'—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> YORKSHIRE -ODDITIES AND STRANGE -EVENTS. By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. -<em>Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> STRANGE SURVIVALS -AND SUPERSTITIONS. -By <span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. -Second Edition. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>S. Baring Gould.</b> THE DESERTS -OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. By -<span class="smcap">S. Baring Gould</span>. <em>2 vols. Demy -8vo. 32s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Cotton Minchin.</b> OLD HARROW -DAYS. By <span class="smcap">J. G. Cotton Minchin</span>. -<em>Cr. 8vo. Second Edition. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'This book is an admirable record.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Gladstone.</b> THE SPEECHES -OF THE RT. HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, -M.P. Edited by <span class="smcap">A. W. -Hutton</span>, M.A., and <span class="smcap">H. J. Cohen</span>, -M.A. With Portraits. <em>Demy 8vo. -Vols. IX. and X., 12s. 6d. each.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19C" id="Page_19C">[19C]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>E. V. Zenker.</b> ANARCHISM. By -<span class="smcap">E. V. Zenker</span>. <em>Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Herr Zenker has succeeded in producing a -careful and critical history of the growth -of Anarchist theory. He is to be congratulated -upon a really interesting -work.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. G. Hutchinson.</b> THE GOLFING -PILGRIM. By <span class="smcap">Horace G. -Hutchinson</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Full of useful information with plenty of -good stories.'—<cite>Truth.</cite></p> - -<p>'Without this book the golfer's library will -be incomplete.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'It will charm all golfers.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Wells.</b> OXFORD AND OXFORD -LIFE. By Members of the University. -Edited by <span class="smcap">J. Wells</span>, M.A., -Fellow and Tutor of Wadham College. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'We congratulate Mr. Wells on the production -of a readable and intelligent -account of Oxford as it is at the present -time, written by persons who are possessed -of a close acquaintance with the -system and life of the University.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Wells.</b> OXFORD AND ITS -COLLEGES. By <span class="smcap">J. Wells</span>, M.A., -Fellow and Tutor of Wadham -College. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">E. H. New</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo. 3s. -Leather. 3s 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An admirable and accurate little treatise, -attractively illustrated.'—<cite>World.</cite></p> - -<p>'A luminous and tasteful little volume.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'Exactly what the intelligent visitor -wants.'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>A. H. Thompson.</b> CAMBRIDGE AND -ITS COLLEGES. By <span class="smcap">A. Hamilton -Thompson</span>. With Illustrations by -<span class="smcap">E. H. New</span>. <em>Pott 8vo. 3s. Leather. -3s. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>This book is uniform with Mr. Wells' very -successful book, 'Oxford and its Colleges.'</p> - -<p>'It is brightly written and learned, and is -just such a book as a cultured visitor -needs.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A very neat and tasteful little volume, -intelligently condensing all available information.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>C. G. Robertson.</b> VOCES ACADEMICÆ. -By <span class="smcap">C. Grant Robertson</span>, -M.A., Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. -<em>With a Frontispiece. Pott 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Decidedly clever and amusing.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'A clever and entertaining little book.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Rosemary Cotes.</b> DANTE'S GARDEN. -By <span class="smcap">Rosemary Cotes</span>. With -a Frontispiece. <em>Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A charming collection of legends of the -flowers mentioned by Dante.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Clifford Harrison.</b> READING AND -READERS. By <span class="smcap">Clifford Harrison</span>. -<em>Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'We recommend schoolmasters to examine -its merits, for it is at school that readers -are made.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p> - -<p>'An extremely sensible little book.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>L. Whibley.</b> GREEK OLIGARCHIES: -THEIR ORGANISATION -AND CHARACTER. By <span class="smcap">L. -Whibley</span>, M.A., Fellow of Pembroke -College, Cambridge. <em>Crown -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An exceedingly useful handbook: a careful -and well-arranged study.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>L. L. Price.</b> ECONOMIC SCIENCE -AND PRACTICE. By <span class="smcap">L. L. Price</span>, -M.A., Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>J. S. Shedlock.</b> THE PIANOFORTE -SONATA: Its Origin and Development. -By <span class="smcap">J. S. Shedlock</span>. <em>Crown -8vo. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'This work should be in the possession of -every musician and amateur. A concise -and lucid history and a very valuable -work for reference.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>E. M. Bowden.</b> THE EXAMPLE OF -BUDDHA: Being Quotations from -Buddhist Literature for each Day in -the Year. Compiled by <span class="smcap">E. M. -Bowden</span>. <em>Third Edition. 16mo. -2s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20C" id="Page_20C">[20C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs135 pg-brk">Science and Technology</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>Freudenreich.</b> DAIRY BACTERIOLOGY. -A Short Manual for the Use -of Students. By Dr. <span class="smcap">Ed. von -Freudenreich</span>, Translated by -<span class="smcap">J. R. Ainsworth Davis</span>, M.A. -<em>Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Chalmers Mitchell.</b> OUTLINES OF -BIOLOGY. By <span class="smcap">P. Chalmers -Mitchell</span>, M.A. <em>Illustrated. Cr. -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A text-book designed to cover the new -Schedule issued by the Royal College -of Physicians and Surgeons.</p></div> - - -<p><b>G. Massee.</b> A MONOGRAPH OF -THE MYXOGASTRES. By <span class="smcap">George -Massee</span>. With 12 Coloured Plates. -<em>Royal 8vo. 18s. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A work much in advance of any book in -the language treating of this group of -organisms. Indispensable to every -student of the Myxogastres.'—<cite>Nature.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Stephenson and Suddards.</b> ORNAMENTAL -DESIGN FOR WOVEN -FABRICS. By <span class="smcap">C. Stephenson</span>, of -The Technical College, Bradford, -and <span class="smcap">F. Suddards</span>, of The Yorkshire -College, Leeds. With 65 full-page -plates. <em>Demy 8vo. 7s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book is very ably done, displaying an -intimate knowledge of principles, good -taste, and the faculty of clear exposition.'—<cite>Yorkshire -Post.</cite></p></div> - - -<p>TEXTBOOKS OF TECHNOLOGY.</p> - -<p> Edited by <span class="smcap">Professors</span> GARNETT -and WERTHEIMER.</p> - - -<p>HOW TO MAKE A DRESS. By <span class="smcap">J. -A. E. Wood</span>. <em>Illustrated. Cr. 8vo. -1s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A text-book for students preparing for the -City and Guilds examination, based on -the syllabus. The diagrams are -numerous.</p> - -<p>'Though primarily intended for students, -Miss Wood's dainty little manual may be -consulted with advantage by any girls -who want to make their own frocks. The -directions are simple and clear, and the -diagrams very helpful.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - -<p>CARPENTRY AND JOINERY. By -<span class="smcap">F. C. Webber</span>. With many Illustrations. -<em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An admirable elementary text-book on the -subject.'—<cite>Builder.</cite></p></div> - -<p>PRACTICAL MECHANICS. By -<span class="smcap">Sidney H. Wells</span>. With 75 Illustrations -and Diagrams. <em>Crown 8vo. -3s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs135">Philosophy</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>L. T. Hobhouse.</b> THE THEORY OF -KNOWLEDGE. By <span class="smcap">L. T. Hobhouse</span>, -Fellow of C.C.C., Oxford. -<em>Demy 8vo. 21s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The most important contribution to -English philosophy since the publication -of Mr. Bradley's "Appearance and -Reality."'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p> - -<p>'A brilliantly written volume.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. H. Fairbrother.</b> THE PHILOSOPHY -OF T. H. GREEN. By -<span class="smcap">W. H. Fairbrother</span>, M.A. <em>Cr. -8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'In every way an admirable book.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>F. W. Bussell.</b> THE SCHOOL OF -PLATO. By <span class="smcap">F. W. Bussell</span>, D.D., -Fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford. -<em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A clever and stimulating book.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>F. S. Granger.</b> THE WORSHIP -OF THE ROMANS. By <span class="smcap">F. S. -Granger</span>, M.A., Litt.D. <em>Crown -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A scholarly analysis of the religious ceremonies, -beliefs, and superstitions of -ancient Rome, conducted in the new -light of comparative anthropology.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21C" id="Page_21C">[21C]</a></span></p> - -<p class="pfs135">Theology</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>S. R. Driver.</b> SERMONS ON SUBJECTS -CONNECTED WITH -THE OLD TESTAMENT. By <span class="smcap">S. -R. Driver</span>, D.D., Canon of Christ -Church, Regius Professor of Hebrew -in the University of Oxford. <em>Cr. 8vo. -6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A welcome companion to the author's -famous "Introduction."'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>T. K. Cheyne.</b> FOUNDERS OF OLD -TESTAMENT CRITICISM. By -<span class="smcap">T. K. Cheyne</span>, D.D., Oriel Professor -at Oxford. <em>Large Crown 8vo. -7s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A historical sketch of O. T. Criticism.</p> - -<p>'A very learned and instructive work.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. Rashdall.</b> DOCTRINE AND -DEVELOPMENT. By <span class="smcap">Hastings -Rashdall</span>, M.A., Fellow and Tutor -of New College, Oxford. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An attempt to translate into the language -of modern thought some of the leading -ideas of Christian Theology and Ethics.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A very interesting attempt to restate some -of the principal doctrines of Christianity, -in which Mr. Rashdall appears to us to -have achieved a high measure of success. -He is often learned, almost always sympathetic, -and always singularly lucid.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. H. Henson.</b> APOSTOLIC CHRISTIANITY: -As Illustrated by the -Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians. -By <span class="smcap">H. H. Henson</span>, M.A., Fellow of -All Souls', Oxford. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A worthy contribution towards some solution -of the great religious problems of the -present day.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. H. Henson.</b> DISCIPLINE AND -LAW. By <span class="smcap">H. Hensley Henson</span>, -B.D., Fellow of All Souls', Oxford. -<em>Fcap. 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An admirable little volume of Lent addresses.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. H. Henson.</b> LIGHT AND -LEAVEN: <span class="smcap">Historical and -Social Sermons</span>. By <span class="smcap">H. H. Henson</span>, -M.A. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'They are always reasonable as well as -vigorous.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>W. H. Bennett.</b> A PRIMER OF -THE BIBLE. By <span class="smcap">W. H. Bennett</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 2s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The work of an honest, fearless, and sound -critic, and an excellent guide in a small -compass to the books of the Bible.'—<cite>Manchester -Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. H. Prior.</b> CAMBRIDGE SERMONS. -Edited by <span class="smcap">C. H. Prior</span>, -M.A., Fellow and Tutor of Pembroke -College. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A volume of sermons preached before the -University of Cambridge by various -preachers, including the late Archbishop -of Canterbury and Bishop Westcott.</p></div> - - -<p><b>William Harrison.</b> CLOVELLY -SERMONS. By <span class="smcap">William Harrison</span>, -M.A., late Rector of Clovelly. -With a Preface by '<span class="smcap">Lucas Malet</span>.' -<em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A volume of Sermons by a son-in-law of -Charles Kingsley.</p></div> - - -<p><b>Cecilia Robinson.</b> THE MINISTRY -OF DEACONESSES. By Deaconness -<span class="smcap">Cecilia Robinson</span>. With an -Introduction by the Lord Bishop of -Winchester. <em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A learned and interesting book, combining -with no ordinary skill the authority of -learned research with the practical utility -of a descriptive manual.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>E. B. Layard.</b> RELIGION IN BOYHOOD. -Notes on the Religious -Training of Boys. By <span class="smcap">E. B. -Layard</span>, M.A. <em>18mo. 1s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>W. Yorke Fausset.</b> THE <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">DE -CATECHIZANDIS RUDIBUS</i> -OF ST. AUGUSTINE. Edited, -with Introduction, Notes, etc., by -<span class="smcap">W. Yorke Fausset</span>, M.A. <em>Cr. 8vo. -3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>An edition of a Treatise on the Essentials -of Christian Doctrine, and the best -methods of impressing them on candidates -for baptism.</p></div> - - -<p><b>F. Weston.</b> THE HOLY SACRIFICE. -By <span class="smcap">F. Weston</span>, M.A., -Curate of St. Matthew's, Westminster. -<em>Pott 8vo. 6d. net.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A small volume of devotions at the Holy -Communion, especially adapted to the -needs of servers and those who do not -communicate.</p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22C" id="Page_22C">[22C]</a></span></p> - -<p><b>À Kempis.</b> THE IMITATION OF -CHRIST. By <span class="smcap">Thomas à Kempis</span>. -With an Introduction by <span class="smcap">Dean -Farrar</span>. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">C. M. -Gere</span>, and printed in black and red. -<em>Second Edition. Fcap. 8vo. Buckram. -3s. 6d. Padded morocco, 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Amongst all the innumerable English -editions of the "Imitation," there can -have been few which were prettier than -this one, printed in strong and handsome -type, with all the glory of red initials.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Keble.</b> THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. -By <span class="smcap">John Keble</span>. With an Introduction -and Notes by <span class="smcap">W. Lock</span>,</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>D.D., Warden of Keble College, -Ireland Professor at Oxford. Illus. -by <span class="smcap">R. Anning Bell</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Fcap. 8vo. Buckram. 3s. 6d. -Padded morocco. 5s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The present edition is annotated with all -the care and insight to be expected from -Mr. Lock. The progress and circumstances -of its composition are detailed -in the Introduction. There is an interesting -Appendix on the <span class="fs80">MSS.</span> of the -"Christian Year," and another giving -the order in which the poems were -written. A "Short Analysis of the -Thought" is prefixed to each, and any -difficulty in the text is explained in a -note.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs100 antiqua">Handbooks of Theology.</p> - -<p class="pfs100 small">General Editor, <span class="smcap">A. Robertson</span>, D.D., Principal of King's College, London.</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>THE XXXIX. ARTICLES OF THE -CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Edited -with an Introduction by <span class="smcap">E. C. S. -Gibson</span>, D.D., Vicar of Leeds, late -Principal of Wells Theological College. -<em>Second and Cheaper Edition -in One Volume. Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Dr. Gibson is a master of clear and orderly -exposition. And he has in a high degree -a quality very necessary, but rarely -found, in commentators on this topic, -that of absolute fairness. His book is -pre-eminently honest.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p> - -<p>'We welcome with the utmost satisfaction -a new, cheaper, and more convenient -edition of Dr. Gibson's book. It was -greatly wanted. Dr. Gibson has given -theological students just what they want, -and we should like to think that it was -in the hands of every candidate for -orders.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - -<p>AN INTRODUCTION TO THE -HISTORY OF RELIGION. By -<span class="smcap">F. B. Jevons</span>, M.A., Litt.D., Principal -of Bishop Hatfield's Hall. -<em>Demy 8vo. 10s. 6d.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Dr. Jevons has written a notable work, -which we can strongly recommend to -the serious attention of theologians and -anthropologists.'—<cite>Manchester Guardian.</cite></p> - -<p>'The merit of this book lies in the penetration, -the singular acuteness and force of -the author's judgment. He is at once -critical and luminous, at once just and -suggestive. A comprehensive and -thorough book.'—<cite>Birmingham Post.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION. -By <span class="smcap">R. L. Ottley</span>, M.A., -late fellow of Magdalen College, -Oxon., and Principal of Pusey House. -<em>In Two Volumes. Demy 8vo. 15s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Learned and reverent: lucid and well -arranged.'—<cite>Record.</cite></p> - -<p>'A clear and remarkably full account of the -main currents of speculation. Scholarly -precision ... genuine tolerance ... -intense interest in his subject—are Mr. -Ottley's merits.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs100 antiqua">The Churchman's Library.</p> - -<p class="pfs100 small">Edited by J. H. BURN, B.D.</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>THE BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH -CHRISTIANITY. By <span class="smcap">W. E. Collins</span>, -M.A., Professor of Ecclesiastical -History at King's College, -London. With Map. <em>Cr. 8vo. -3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>An investigation in detail, based upon -original authorities, of the beginnings -of the English Church, with a careful -account of earlier Celtic Christianity.</p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An excellent example of thorough and fresh -historical work.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - -<p>SOME NEW TESTAMENT PROBLEMS. -By <span class="smcap">Arthur Wright</span>, -Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23C" id="Page_23C">[23C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Bold and outspoken; earnest and reverent.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN -HERE AND HEREAFTER. By</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><span class="smcap">Canon Winterbotham</span>, M.A., -B.Sc., LL.B. <em>Cr. 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A most able book, at once exceedingly -thoughtful and richly suggestive.'—<cite>Glasgow -Herald.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs100 antiqua">The Library of Devotion</p> - -<p class="pfs100 small"><em>Pott 8vo, cloth, 2s.; leather, 2s. 6d. net.</em></p> - - <div class="advert"> - -<div class="blockquot pad1"> -<p>'This series is excellent.'—<span class="smcap">The Bishop of London.</span></p> - -<p>'A very delightful edition.'—<span class="smcap">The Bishop of Bath and Wells.</span></p> - -<p>'Well worth the attention of the Clergy.'—<span class="smcap">The Bishop of Lichfield.</span></p> - -<p>'The new "Library of Devotion" is excellent.'—<span class="smcap">The Bishop of Peterborough.</span></p> - -<p>'Charming.'—<cite>Record.</cite></p> - -<p>'Delightful.'—<cite>Church Bells.</cite></p></div> - - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE. -<ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'Newly Translanted'">Newly Translated</ins>, -with an Introduction and Notes, by -<span class="smcap">C. Bigg</span>, D.D., late Student of Christ -Church. <em>Second Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The translation is an excellent piece of -English, and the introduction is a masterly -exposition. We augur well of a -series which begins so satisfactorily.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. By <span class="smcap">John -Keble</span>. With Introduction and -Notes by <span class="smcap">Walter Lock</span>, D.D., -Warden of Keble College, Ireland -Professor at Oxford.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The volume is very prettily bound and -printed, and may fairly claim to be an -advance on any previous editions.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. A -Revised Translation, with an Introduction, -by <span class="smcap">C. Bigg</span>, D.D., late -Student of Christ Church.</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A practically new translation of this book, -which the reader has, almost for the first -time, exactly in the shape in which it -left the hands of the author.</p> - -<p>'The text is at once scholarly in its faithful -reproduction in English of the sonorous -Church Latin in which the original is -composed, and popular.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A beautiful and scholarly production.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p>'A nearer approach to the original than -has yet existed in English.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p></div> - -<p>A BOOK OF DEVOTIONS. By <span class="smcap">J. -W. Stanbridge</span>, M.A., Rector of -Bainton, Canon of York, and sometime -Fellow of St. John's College, -Oxford.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is probably the best book of its kind. It -deserves high commendation.'—<cite>Church -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="pfs100 antiqua">Leaders of Religion</p> - -<p class="pfs100 small">Edited by H. C. BEECHING, M. A. <em>With Portraits, Crown 8vo. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<p class="fs70"> A series of short biographies of the most prominent leaders of religious -life and thought of all ages and countries.</p> - -<p class="fs70">The following are ready—</p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>CARDINAL NEWMAN. By <span class="smcap">R. H. -Hutton</span>.</p> - -<p>JOHN WESLEY. By <span class="smcap">J. H. Overton</span>, -M.A.</p> - -<p>BISHOP WILBERFORCE. By <span class="smcap">G. -W. Daniell</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>CARDINAL MANNING. By <span class="smcap">A. W. -Hutton</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>CHARLES SIMEON. By <span class="smcap">H. C. G. -Moule</span>, D.D.</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>JOHN KEBLE. By <span class="smcap">Walter Lock</span>, -D.D.</p> - -<p>THOMAS CHALMERS. By Mrs. -<span class="smcap">Oliphant</span>.</p> - -<p>LANCELOT ANDREWES. By <span class="smcap">R. -L. Ottley</span>, M.A.</p> - -<p>AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY. -By <span class="smcap">E. L. Cutts</span>, D.D.</p> - -<p>WILLIAM LAUD. By <span class="smcap">W. H. -Hutton</span>, B.D.</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24C" id="Page_24C">[24C]</a></span></p> - -<p>JOHN KNOX. By <span class="smcap">F. MacCunn</span>.</p> - -<p>JOHN HOWE. By <span class="smcap">R. F. Horton</span>, -D.D.</p> - -<p>BISHOP KEN. By <span class="smcap">F. A. Clarke</span>, -M.A.</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>GEORGE FOX, THE QUAKER. -By <span class="smcap">T. Hodgkin</span>, D.C.L.</p> - -<p>JOHN DONNE. By <span class="smcap">Augustus -Jessopp</span>, D.D.</p> - -<p>THOMAS CRANMER. By <span class="smcap">A. J. -Mason</span>.</p> - - </div> - </div> - -<p class="pfs70">Other volumes will be announced in due course.</p> - - -<p class="pfs135 pg-brk">Fiction</p> - -<p class="pfs60x bold lsp">SIX SHILLING NOVELS</p> - -<p class="pfs100x bold">Marie Corelli's Novels</p> - -<p class="pfs80x"><em>Large crown 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>A ROMANCE OF TWO WORLDS. -<em>Eighteenth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>VENDETTA. <em>Fourteenth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>THELMA. <em>Twentieth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>ARDATH: THE STORY OF A -DEAD SELF. <em>Eleventh Edition.</em></p> - -<p>THE SOUL OF LILITH. <em>Ninth -Edition.</em></p> - -<p>WORMWOOD. <em>Eighth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>BARABBAS: A DREAM OF THE -WORLD'S TRAGEDY. <em>Thirty-third -Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The tender reverence of the treatment -and the imaginative beauty of the writing -have reconciled us to the daring of -the conception, and the conviction is -forced on us that even so exalted a subject -cannot be made too familiar to us, -provided it be presented in the true spirit -of Christian faith. The amplifications</p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p> of the Scripture narrative are often conceived -with high poetic insight, and this -"Dream of the World's Tragedy" is -a lofty and not inadequate paraphrase -of the supreme climax of the inspired -narrative.'—<cite>Dublin Review.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE SORROWS OF SATAN. -<em>Thirty-ninth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A very powerful piece of work.... The -conception is magnificent, and is likely -to win an abiding place within the -memory of man.... The author has -immense command of language, and a -limitless audacity.... This interesting -and remarkable romance will live long -after much of the ephemeral literature -of the day is forgotten.... A literary -phenomenon ... novel, and even sublime.'—<span class="smcap">W. -T. Stead</span> in the <cite>Review -of Reviews</cite>.</p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="p1" /> -<p class="pfs100x bold">Anthony Hope's Novels</p> - -<p class="pfs80x"><em>Crown 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>THE GOD IN THE CAR. <em>Eighth -Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A very remarkable book, deserving of -critical analysis impossible within our -limit; brilliant, but not superficial; -well considered, but not elaborated; -constructed with the proverbial art that -conceals, but yet allows itself to be -enjoyed by readers to whom fine literary -method is a keen pleasure.'—<cite>The World.</cite></p></div> - -<p>A CHANGE OF AIR. <em>Fifth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A graceful, vivacious comedy, true to -human nature. The characters are -traced with a masterly hand.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - -<p>A MAN OF MARK. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Of all Mr. Hope's books, "A Man of -Mark" is the one which best compares -with "The Prisoner of Zenda."'—<cite>National -Observer.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>THE CHRONICLES OF COUNT -ANTONIO. <em>Third Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is a perfectly enchanting story of love -and chivalry, and pure romance. The -Count is the most constant, desperate, -and modest and tender of lovers, a peerless -gentleman, an intrepid fighter, a -faithful friend, and a magnanimous foe.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p></div> - -<p>PHROSO. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">H. R. -Millar</span>. <em>Third Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The tale is thoroughly fresh, quick with -vitality, stirring the blood.'—<cite>St. James's -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25C" id="Page_25C">[25C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A story of adventure, every page of which -is palpitating with action.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p>'From cover to cover "Phroso" not only -engages the attention, but carries the -reader in little whirls of delight from -adventure to adventure.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p></div> - -<p>SIMON DALE. Illustrated. <em>Third -Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'"Simon Dale" is one of the best historical -romances that have been written for a -long while.'—<cite>St. James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A brilliant novel. The story is rapid and -most excellently told. As for the hero, -he is a perfect hero of romance.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'There is searching analysis of human -nature, with a most ingeniously constructed -plot. Mr. Hope has drawn the -contrasts of his women with marvellous -subtlety and delicacy.'—<cite>Times.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="p1" /> -<p class="pfs100x bold">Gilbert Parker's Novels</p> - -<p class="pfs80x"><em>Crown 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>PIERRE AND HIS PEOPLE. -<em>Fifth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Stories happily conceived and finely executed. -There is strength and genius in -Mr. Parker's style.'—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite></p></div> - -<p>MRS. FALCHION. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A splendid study of character.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'But little behind anything that has been -done by any writer of our time.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A very striking and admirable novel.'—<cite>St. -James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE TRANSLATION OF A -SAVAGE.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The plot is original and one difficult to -work out; but Mr. Parker has done it -with great skill and delicacy. The -reader who is not interested in this -original, fresh, and well-told tale must -be a dull person indeed.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE TRAIL OF THE SWORD. -Illustrated. <em>Sixth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A rousing and dramatic tale. A book like -this, in which swords flash, great surprises -are undertaken, and daring deeds -done, in which men and women live and -love in the old passionate way, is a joy -inexpressible.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - -<p>WHEN VALMOND CAME TO -PONTIAC: The Story of a Lost -Napoleon. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Here we find romance—real, breathing, -living romance. The character of Valmond -is drawn unerringly. The book -must be read, we may say re-read, for -any one thoroughly to appreciate Mr. -Parker's delicate touch and innate sympathy -with humanity.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>AN ADVENTURER OF THE -NORTH: The Last Adventures of -'Pretty Pierre.' <em>Second Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The present book is full of fine and moving -stories of the great North, and it -will add to Mr. Parker's already high -reputation.'—<cite>Glasgow Herald.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE SEATS OF THE MIGHTY. -Illustrated. <em>Ninth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The best thing he has done; one of the -best things that any one has done lately.'—<cite>St. -James's Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Parker seems to become stronger and -easier with every serious novel that he -attempts. He shows the matured power -which his former novels have led us to -expect, and has produced a really fine -historical novel.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'A great book.'—<cite>Black and White.</cite></p> - -<p>'One of the strongest stories of historical -interest and adventure that we have read -for many a day.... A notable and successful -book.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE POMP OF THE LAVILETTES. -<em>Second Edition. 3s. 6d.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Living, breathing romance, genuine and -unforced pathos, and a deeper and more -subtle knowledge of human nature than -Mr. Parker has ever displayed before. -It is, in a word, the work of a true artist.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - -<p>THE BATTLE OF THE STRONG: -a Romance of Two Kingdoms. -Illustrated. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Gilbert Parker has a master's hand in -weaving the threads of romantic fiction. -There is scarcely a single character which -does not convince us.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'Such a splendid story, so splendidly told, -will be read with avidity, and will add -new honour even to Mr. Parker's reputation.'—<cite>St. -James's Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26C" id="Page_26C">[26C]</a></span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'No one who takes a pleasure in literature -but will read Mr. Gilbert Parker's latest -romance with keen enjoyment. The mere -writing is so good as to be a delight in -itself, apart altogether from the interest -of the tale.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Nothing more vigorous or more human has -come from Mr. Gilbert Parker than this -novel. It has all the graphic power of</p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p> his last book, with truer feeling for the -romance, both of human life and wild -nature. There is no character without its -unique and picturesque interest. Mr. -Parker's style, especially his descriptive -style, has in this book, perhaps even more -than elsewhere, aptness and vitality.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - </div> - - -<p class="p1" /> -<p class="pfs100x bold">S. Baring Gould's Novels</p> - -<p class="pfs80x"><em>Crown 8vo. 6s. each.</em></p> - -<p class="xs">'To say that a book is by the author of "Mehalah" is to imply that it contains a -story cast on strong lines, containing dramatic possibilities, vivid and sympathetic descriptions -of Nature, and a wealth of ingenious imagery.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p class="xs">'That whatever Mr. Baring Gould writes is well worth reading, is a conclusion that may -be very generally accepted. His views of life are fresh and vigorous, his language -pointed and characteristic, the incidents of which he makes use are striking and original, -his characters are life-like, and though somewhat exceptional people, are drawn and -coloured with artistic force. Add to this that his descriptions of scenes and scenery are -painted with the loving eyes and skilled hands of a master of his art, that he is always -fresh and never dull, and it is no wonder that readers have gained confidence in his -power of amusing and satisfying them, and that year by year his popularity widens.'—<cite>Court -Circular.</cite></p> - - <div class="advert"> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p>ARMINELL. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>URITH. <em>Fifth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>IN THE ROAR OF THE SEA. -<em>Sixth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>MRS. CURGENVEN OF CURGENVEN. -<em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>CHEAP JACK ZITA. <em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>THE QUEEN OF LOVE. <em>Fourth -Edition.</em></p> - -<p>MARGERY OF QUETHER. <em>Third -Edition.</em></p> - -<p>JACQUETTA. <em>Third Edition.</em></p> - -<p>KITTY ALONE. <em>Fifth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>NOÉMI. Illustrated. <em>Third Edition.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p>THE BROOM-SQUIRE. Illustrated. -<em>Fourth Edition.</em></p> - -<p>THE PENNYCOMEQUICKS. -<em>Third Edition.</em></p> - -<p>DARTMOOR IDYLLS.</p> - -<p>GUAVAS THE TINNER. Illustrated. -<em>Second Edition.</em></p> - -<p>BLADYS. Illustrated. <em>Second Edition.</em></p> - -<p>DOMITIA. Illustrated. <em>Second Edition.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'There is a wealth of incident, and a lively -picture of Rome in the early days of the -Empire.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Baring Gould, by virtue of his lurid -imagination, has given a forcible picture -of the horrors and heroism of Imperial -Rome.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p></div> - - </div> -<hr class="r30a" /> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><b>Conan Doyle.</b> ROUND THE RED -LAMP. By <span class="smcap">A. Conan Doyle</span>. -<em>Sixth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book is far and away the best view -that has been vouchsafed us behind the -scenes of the consulting-room.'—<cite>Illustrated -London News.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Stanley Weyman.</b> UNDER THE -RED ROBE. By <span class="smcap">Stanley Weyman</span>, -Author of 'A Gentleman of -France.' With Illustrations by <span class="smcap">R. C. -Woodville</span>. <em>Fourteenth Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A book of which we have read every word -for the sheer pleasure of reading, and -which we put down with a pang.'—<cite>Westminster -Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Every one who reads books at all must -read this thrilling romance, from the -first page of which to the last the breathless -reader is haled along. An inspiration -of manliness and courage.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Lucas Malet.</b> THE WAGES OF -SIN. By <span class="smcap">Lucas Malet</span>. <em>Thirteenth -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Lucas Malet.</b> THE CARISSIMA. -By <span class="smcap">Lucas Malet</span>, Author of 'The</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27C" id="Page_27C">[27C]</a></span></p> - -<p> Wages of Sin,' etc. <em>Third Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>George Gissing.</b> THE TOWN TRAVELLER. -By <span class="smcap">George Gissing</span>, -Author of 'Demos,' 'In the Year of -Jubilee,' etc. <em>Second Edition. Cr. -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Not only a story with a happy ending, but -one which is in the main suffused with -cheerfulness, and occasionally mounts -to the plane of positive hilarity.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'An admirable novel.'—<cite>Truth.</cite></p> - -<p>'It is a bright and witty book above all -things. Polly Sparkes is a splendid bit -of work. A book which contains Polly, -the glorious row in the lodging-house, -and such a brisk plot, moving so smartly, -lightly, and easily, will not detract from -Mr. Gissing's reputation.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'The spirit of Dickens is in it; his delight -in good nature, his understanding of the -feelings.'—<cite>Bookman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. R. Crockett.</b> LOCHINVAR. By -<span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>, Author of 'The -Raiders,' etc. Illustrated. <em>Second -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Full of gallantry and pathos, of the clash -of arms, and brightened by episodes of -humour and love....'—<cite>Westminster -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>S. R. Crockett.</b> THE STANDARD -BEARER. By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A delightful tale in his best style.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Crockett at his best.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p> - -<p>'Enjoyable and of absorbing interest.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Arthur Morrison.</b> TALES OF -MEAN STREETS. By <span class="smcap">Arthur -Morrison</span>. <em>Fifth Edition. Cr. -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Told with consummate art and extraordinary -detail. In the true humanity -of the book lies its justification, the -permanence of its interest, and its indubitable -triumph.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'A great book. The author's method is -amazingly effective, and produces a -thrilling sense of reality. The writer -lays upon us a master hand. The book -is simply appalling and irresistible in -its interest. It is humorous also; without -humour it would not make the mark -it is certain to make.'—<cite>World.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>Arthur Morrison.</b> A CHILD OF -THE JAGO. By <span class="smcap">Arthur Morrison</span>. -<em>Third Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The book is a masterpiece.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'Told with great vigour and powerful simplicity.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Mrs. Clifford.</b> A FLASH OF -SUMMER. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">W. K. Clifford</span>, -Author of 'Aunt Anne,' etc. -<em>Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The story is a very beautiful one, exquisitely -told.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Emily Lawless.</b> HURRISH. By the -Honble. <span class="smcap">Emily Lawless</span>, Author of -'Maelcho,' etc. <em>Fifth Edition. Cr. -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Emily Lawless.</b> MAELCHO: a Sixteenth -Century Romance. By the -Honble. <span class="smcap">Emily Lawless</span>. <em>Second -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A really great book.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'There is no keener pleasure in life than -the recognition of genius. A piece of -work of the first order, which we do not -hesitate to describe as one of the most -remarkable literary achievements of this -generation.'—<cite>Manchester Guardian.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Emily Lawless.</b> TRAITS AND -CONFIDENCES. By the Honble. -<span class="smcap">Emily Lawless</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A very charming little volume. A book -which cannot be read without pleasure -and profit, written in excellent English, -full of delicate spirit, and a keen appreciation -of nature, human and inanimate.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Jane Barlow.</b> A CREEL OF IRISH -STORIES. By <span class="smcap">Jane Barlow</span>, -Author of 'Irish Idylls.' <em>Second -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Vivid and singularly real.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Jane Barlow.</b> FROM THE EAST -UNTO THE WEST. By <span class="smcap">Jane -Barlow</span>, Author of 'Irish Idylls' -etc. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The genial humour and never-failing sympathy -recommend the book to those who -like healthy fiction.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. H. Findlater.</b> THE GREEN -GRAVES OF BALGOWRIE. By</p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28C" id="Page_28C">[28C]</a></span></p> - -<p> <span class="smcap">Jane H. Findlater</span>. <em>Fourth -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A powerful and vivid story.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p> - -<p>'A beautiful story, sad and strange as truth -itself.'—<cite>Vanity Fair.</cite></p> - -<p>'A very charming and pathetic tale.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A singularly original, clever, and beautiful -story.'—<cite>Guardian.</cite></p> - -<p>'Reveals to us a new writer of undoubted -faculty and reserve force.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'An exquisite idyll, delicate, affecting, and -beautiful.'—<cite>Black and White.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. H. Findlater.</b> A DAUGHTER -OF STRIFE. By <span class="smcap">Jane Helen -Findlater</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A story of strong human interest.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'Her thought has solidity and maturity.'—<cite>Daily -Mail.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Mary Findlater.</b> OVER THE -HILLS. By <span class="smcap">Mary Findlater</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A strong and fascinating piece of work.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A charming romance, and full of incident. -The book is fresh and strong.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p> - -<p>'Will make the author's name loved in many -a household.'—<cite>Literary World.</cite></p> - -<p>'A strong and wise book of deep insight and -unflinching truth.'—<cite>Birmingham Post.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Alfred Ollivant.</b> OWD BOB, THE -GREY DOG OF KENMUIR. By -<span class="smcap">Alfred Ollivant</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Of breathless interest.'—<cite>British Weekly.</cite></p> - -<p>'Weird, thrilling, strikingly graphic.'—<cite>Punch.</cite></p> - -<p>'This fine romance of dogs and men.'—<cite>Outlook.</cite></p> - -<p>'We admire this book extremely for its -originality, for its virile and expressive -English, above all for its grit. The book -is to our mind the most powerful of its -class that we have read. It is one to read -with admiration and to praise with enthusiasm.'—<cite>Bookman.</cite></p> - -<p>'It is a fine, open-air, blood-stirring book, -to be enjoyed by every man and woman -to whom a dog is dear.'—<cite>Literature.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>B. M. Croker.</b> PEGGY OF THE -BARTONS. By <span class="smcap">B. M. Croker</span>, -Author of 'Diana Barrington.' -<em>Fourth Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mrs. Croker excels in the admirably simple, -easy, and direct flow of her narrative, the -briskness of her dialogue, and the geniality -of her portraiture.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'All the characters, indeed, are drawn with -clearness and certainty; and it would be -hard to name any quality essential to -first-class work which is lacking from this -book.'—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. G. Wells.</b> THE STOLEN BACILLUS, -and other Stories. By -<span class="smcap">H. G. Wells</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'They are the impressions of a very striking -imagination, which, it would seem, has -a great deal within its reach.'—<cite>Saturday -Review.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>H. G. Wells.</b> THE PLATTNER -STORY <span class="smcap">and Others</span>. By <span class="smcap">H. G. -Wells</span>. <em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. -6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Weird and mysterious, they seem to hold -the reader as by a magic spell.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'No volume has appeared for a long time -so likely to give equal pleasure to the -simplest reader and to the most fastidious -critic.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Sara Jeanette Duncan.</b> A VOYAGE -OF CONSOLATION. By <span class="smcap">Sara -Jeanette Duncan</span>, Author of 'An -American Girl in London.' Illustrated. -<em>Third Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Humour, pure and spontaneous and irresistible.'—<cite>Daily -Mail.</cite></p> - -<p>'A most delightfully bright book.'—<cite>Daily -Telegraph.</cite></p> - -<p>'Eminently amusing and entertaining.'—<cite>Outlook.</cite></p> - -<p>'The dialogue is full of wit.'—<cite>Globe.</cite></p> - -<p>'Laughter lurks in every page.'—<cite>Daily -News.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>C. F. Keary.</b> THE JOURNALIST. -By <span class="smcap">C. F. Keary</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An excellently written story, told with a -sobriety and restrained force which are -worthy of all praise.'—<cite>Standard.</cite></p> - -<p>'It is rare indeed to find such poetical sympathy -with Nature joined to close study -of character and singularly truthful dialogue: -but then "The Journalist" is -altogether a rare book.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p> - -<p>'Full of intellectual vigour.'—<cite>St. James's -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>E. F. Benson.</b> DODO: A DETAIL -OF THE DAY. By <span class="smcap">E. F. Benson</span>. -<em>Sixteenth Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A delightfully witty sketch of society.'—<cite>Spectator.</cite></p> - -<p>'A perpetual feast of epigram and paradox.'—<cite>Speaker.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29C" id="Page_29C">[29C]</a></span></p> - -<p><b>E. F. Benson.</b> THE VINTAGE. By -<span class="smcap">E. F. Benson</span>, Author of 'Dodo.' -Illustrated by <span class="smcap">G. P. Jacomb-Hood</span>. -<em>Third Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An excellent piece of romantic literature; -a very graceful and moving story. We -are struck with the close observation of -life in Greece.'—<cite>Saturday Review.</cite></p> - -<p>'Full of fire, earnestness, and beauty.'—<cite>The -World.</cite></p> - -<p>'An original and vigorous historical -romance.'—<cite>Morning Post.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Mrs. Oliphant.</b> SIR ROBERT'S -FORTUNE. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Oliphant</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Full of her own peculiar charm of style -and character-painting.'—<cite>Pall Mall -Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Mrs. Oliphant.</b> THE TWO MARYS. -By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Oliphant</span>. <em>Second Edition. -Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Mrs. Oliphant.</b> THE LADY'S -WALK. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Oliphant</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A story of exquisite tenderness, of most -delicate fancy.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Norris.</b> MATTHEW AUSTIN. -By <span class="smcap">W. E. Norris</span>, Author of 'Mademoiselle -de Mersac,' etc. <em>Fourth -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An intellectually satisfactory and morally -bracing novel.'—<cite>Daily Telegraph.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Norris.</b> HIS GRACE. By <span class="smcap">W. -E. Norris</span>. <em>Third Edition. Crown -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Norris has drawn a really fine character -in the Duke.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Norris.</b> THE DESPOTIC -LADY AND OTHERS. By <span class="smcap">W. E. -Norris</span>. <em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A budget of good fiction of which no one -will tire.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. E. Norris.</b> CLARISSA FURIOSA. -By <span class="smcap">W. E. Norris</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'As a story it is admirable, as a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">jeu d'esprit</i> -it is capital, as a lay sermon studded -with gems of wit and wisdom it is a -model.'—<cite>The World.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Clark Russell.</b> MY DANISH -SWEETHEART. By <span class="smcap">W. Clark -Russell</span>. <em>Illustrated. Fourth -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - </div> - <div class="textcol"> - -<p><b>Robert Barr.</b> IN THE MIDST OF -ALARMS. By <span class="smcap">Robert Barr</span>. -<em>Third Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A book which has abundantly satisfied us -by its capital humour.'—<cite>Daily Chronicle.</cite></p> - -<p>'Mr. Barr has achieved a triumph.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Robert Barr.</b> THE MUTABLE -MANY. By <span class="smcap">Robert Barr</span>, Author -of 'In the Midst of Alarms,' 'A -Woman Intervenes,' etc. <em>Second -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Very much the best novel that Mr. Barr -has yet given us. There is much insight -in it, and much excellent humour.'—<cite>Daily -Chronicle.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Andrew Balfour.</b> BY STROKE OF -SWORD. By <span class="smcap">Andrew Balfour</span>. -Illustrated by <span class="smcap">W. Cubitt Cooke</span>. -<em>Fourth Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A banquet of good things.'—<cite>Academy.</cite></p> - -<p>'A recital of thrilling interest, told with -unflagging vigour.'—<cite>Globe.</cite></p> - -<p>'An unusually excellent example of a semi-historic -romance.'—<cite>World.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Andrew Balfour.</b> TO ARMS! By -<span class="smcap">Andrew Balfour</span>, Author of 'By -Stroke of Sword.' Illustrated. <em>Second -Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'The marvellous perils through which Allan -passes are told in powerful and lively -fashion.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p> - -<p>'A fine story finely told.'—<cite>Vanity Fair.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Maclaren Cobban.</b> THE KING -OF ANDAMAN: A Saviour of -Society. By <span class="smcap">J. Maclaren Cobban</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An unquestionably interesting book. It -contains one character, at least, who has -in him the root of immortality.'—<cite>Pall -Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Maclaren Cobban.</b> WILT THOU -HAVE THIS WOMAN? By <span class="smcap">J. -Maclaren Cobban</span>, Author of 'The -King of Andaman.' <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>J. Maclaren Cobban.</b> THE ANGEL -OF THE COVENANT. By <span class="smcap">J. -Maclaren Cobban</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'Mr. Cobban has achieved a work of such -rare distinction that there is nothing -comparable with it in recent Scottish -romance. It is a great historical picture, -in which fact and fancy are welded together -in a fine realisation of the spirit of -the times.'—<cite>Pall Mall Gazette.</cite></p></div> - - </div> - <div class="textcol br"> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30C" id="Page_30C">[30C]</a></span></p> - - -<p><b>R. N. Stephens.</b> AN ENEMY TO -THE KING. By <span class="smcap">R. N. Stephens</span>. -<em>Second Edition. Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'It is full of movement, and the movement -is always buoyant.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A stirring story with plenty of movement.'—<cite>Black -and White.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>M. E. Francis.</b> MISS ERIN. By <span class="smcap">M. -E. Francis</span>, Author of 'In a Northern -Village.' <em>Second Edition. Cr. -8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'A clever and charming story.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'Perfectly delightful.'—<cite>Daily Mail.</cite></p> - -<p>'An excellently fancied love tale.'—<cite>Athenæum.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>Robert Hichens.</b> BYEWAYS. By -<span class="smcap"><ins class="corr" title="Transcriber's Note—Original text: 'ROBERT HITCHINS'">Robert Hichens</ins></span>, Author of -'Flames, etc.' <em>Second Edition. 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Mrs. <span class="smcap">Alan Brodrick</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - - -<p><b>Mrs. Orpen.</b> CORRAGEEN IN '98. -By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Orpen</span>. <em>Cr. 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'An admirable piece of literary work.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p> - -<p>'A vivid picture of the terrible times of -1798.'—<cite>Lloyd's.</cite></p> - -<p>'An able story, well worth reading, and -evidently the work of a careful and -thoughtful writer.'—<cite>Scotsman.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>J. Keighley Snowden.</b> THE PLUNDER -PIT. By <span class="smcap">J. Keighley Snowden</span>. -<em>Crown 8vo. 6s.</em></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>'As original in style and plot as in its title.'—<cite>Truth.</cite></p></div> - - -<p><b>W. Pett Ridge.</b> SECRETARY TO -BAYNE, M.P. By <span class="smcap">W. 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For example, -conterminous; employé; semicircle, semi-circle; field-guns, -field guns.</p> - -<p> -<a href="#Page_21">Pg 21</a>, 'bran new suits' replaced by 'brand new suits'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_76">Pg 76</a>, 'yclad in all' replaced by 'clad in all'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_76">Pg 76</a>, 'bran new kit' replaced by 'brand new kit'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_122">Pg 122</a>, 'atttained a great' replaced by 'attained a great'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_147">Pg 147</a>, 'artiilery crossed' replaced by 'artillery crossed'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_228">Pg 228</a>, 'Àpropos' replaced by 'À propos'.<br /> -<br /> -Book Catalog:<br /> -<a href="#Page_3C">Pg 3C</a>, 'art any painter' replaced by 'art of any painter'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_23C">Pg 23C</a>, 'Newly Translanted' replaced by 'Newly Translated'.<br /> -<a href="#Page_30C">Pg 30C</a>, 'Robert Hitchins' replaced by 'Robert Hichens'.<br /> -</p> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Downfall of the Dervishes, by Ernest N. 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