CONTENTS.

I. HALFA TELLS ITS STORY.

PAGE

The romance of the Sudan in brief—The rise of the Mahdi—The

second act of the drama--The first Anglo-Egyptian strategi.

cal victory—The defeat of Nejumi—The turning-point of

the drama,Convict labour--The taming of the Sudan-The

cemetery . . . . . . . . . .

II. THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.

The growth of sixteen years—The smallest and best paid of

conscriptive armies—The Sudanese battalions—A perennial

schoolboy-Inconstant warriors-Polygamy-Uniform and

equipment - Cavalry and artillery — British officers and

native troops—The merits of “Sergeant Whatsisname"-A

daily heroism-Bey and Bimbashi-Rapid promotion-One

of the highest achievements of our race . . . .

11

III. THE S.M.R.

The deadliest weapon against Mahdism-An impossibility real-

ised-A heavy handicap-The railway battalions—Arab

views on mechanics-Engines of shreds and patches-

Bimbashi Girouard-An engineering triumph-A subaltern

with £2000 a-year-Saloon passengers--A journey through

the desert- A desert railway station . . . . .

22
IV. THE CORRESPONDENT'S PROGRESS.

An outcast in the Sudan—The significance of a “line of com.

munications”—The old and the young campaigner—A varied

equipment—The buying of camels-An energetic beast-A

doubtful testimonialA waiting game-A hurried depar.

ture-A happy thought . . . . . . .

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V. I MARCH TO BERBER.

The hiring of donkeys–Arab deliberation—A wonderful horse

-The procession starts—The luxury of angarebs-A dis-

reputable caravan-Four miles an hour—The desert tread-

mill-A camel ride to Berber . . . . . .

VI. THE SIRDAR.

Irrelevant details—The Sudan Machine-The harvest of fifteen

years—A stroke of genius-An unsuccessful enterprise-A

diplomatic skirmish with the Khedive-Swift, certain, and

relentless—A stern regime-A well-trusted general-A legi.

timate ambition—The Anglo-Egyptian Mahdi . . .

VII. ARMS AND MEN.

Major-General Hunter—The sword-arm of the Egyptian Army

-A nineteenth-century crusader-An officer renowned for
bravery-A possible new national hero-Lieut.-Col. Hector
Macdonald — Lieut.-Col. Maxwell - Lieut.-Co). Lewis -
Lieut. Col. Broadwood-Lieut.-Col. Long-General Gatacre
-The soldier's general-Arab notions about figures-Osman

Digna-Colonel Wingate . . . . . . .

VIII. IN THE BRITISH CAMP.

A great march under difficulties“A gunner's adventure—The

boot scandal-Official explanations and admissions-Making

the men hard—The general's morning ride—The camp in a

dust storm-A badly chosen site . . . . .

CONTENTS.

IX. FORT ATBARA.

Dinner in the Egyptian camp-Under a roof again-A sand.

storm-The Fort-A revelation of Egyptian industry—The

Egyptian soldiers on fatigue duty-A Greek café—The gun-

boat fleet-Crossing the Fourth Cataract—The value of the

gunboats—War, blockade-running, and poaching combined.

X. THE MARCH OUT.

The beginning and end of the Berber season-A palatial house

-Berber, old and new—The value of angarebs—The appre-

hensions of the Greek merchants-A splendid black battalion

—The crossing of the luck token--"Like the English, we

are not afraid "-A flattering belief . . . . .

XI. THE CONCENTRATION.

The restrictions laid on correspondents—Loading the camels-

Arab ideas of time-Impartial stupidity of the camel-Peri-

patetic Christmas trees—The brigade on the march-The

result of General Gatacre's methods — Zariba building-

Counting the dervishes from a watch tower-A daring feat

of a gunboat · · · · ·

XII. AT KENUR.

An ideal residence for correspondents-Arrival of the Seaforths

- Daily manquvres-A stately spectacle-Native ideas of

distance and number . . . . . . . . 100

XIII. ON THE ATBARA.

A veritable paradise-Sambo and the dom-nuts-A land without

life- A cavalry skirmish-A strong reconnaissance-A false

alarm-The real enemy-The want of transport begins to be

felt-What officers had to put up with—Dervish deserters-

A bold stroke . . . . . . . . . 105
XIV. THE RAID ON SHENDI.

The virtues of bottled fruits-A liquor famine–The Sudan

Greek's commercial instincts-A Nansen of trade-Inter-

rupted festivities at Shendi-A speedy victory--The Jaalin's

revenge—The vicissitudes of married life in the Sudan-The

cook's grievance . . . . . . . . .

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XV. REST AND RECONNAISSANCES.

Mahmud stale-mated--The Egyptian cavalry-Dispiriting work

-General Hunter's reconnaissance-Mahmud marked down

-Rumours and surmises—Reasons for storming the zariba

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XVI. CAMEL-CORPS AND CAVALRY.

Camel-corps luck-Distant firing—The hall-mark of the Sudan

- The second and third class passengers of the desert-

Traces of a dervish raid-A cavalry fight-The vindication of
the Egyptian trooper -A cheerful camp . . . .

131

XVII. THE BATTLE OF THE ATBARA.

A march by moonlight_Twelve thousand men move forward-

The first gun-An hour and twenty minutes' bombardment

-The Camerons' advance-A rain of fire- The zariba de-

molished-A wild confusion of Highlanders—“A very good

fight”-How our blacks fought-A masterpiece of a battle

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XVIII. LOSSES AND GAINS.

From boys to men - Mahmud and the Sirdar--The Camerons'

losses-Crossing the trenches--General Gatacre's bugler-

Hair-breadth escapes—A cheap victory—The Khalifa's losses

—The Baggara cavalry-Ferocious heroism-Counting the

dead---Perfect strategy . . . . . . .

counting the

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