formation necessary, and trained for the close _melee_, and with the
_gaudia certaminis_ firing their blood, they recklessly allowed the
Ghazis to come to close quarters, and their line of the square was
impinged upon. In that close fighting, with the Heavy Camel Corps men
and the Naval Brigade, the Blacks suffered terribly, but they also
inflicted loss in return. Of a total loss on the British side of
sixty-five killed and sixty-one wounded, the Heavy Camel Corps lost
fifty-two, and the Sussex Regiment, performing work to which it was
thoroughly trained, inflicted immense loss on the enemy at hardly any
cost to itself. Among the slain was the gallant Colonel Fred. Burnaby,
one of the noblest and gentlest, as he was physically the strongest,
officers in the British army. There is no doubt that signal as was
this success, it shook the confidence of the force. The men were
resolute to a point of ferocity, but the leaders' confidence in
themselves and their task had been rudely tried; and yet the breaking
of the square had been clearly due to a tactical blunder, and the
inability of the cavalry to adapt themselves to a strange position.

On the 18th January the march, rendered slower by the conveyance of
the wounded, was resumed, but no fighting took place on that day,
although it was clear that the enemy had not been dispersed. On the
19th, when the force had reached the last wells at Abou Kru or Gubat,
it became clear that another battle was to be fought. One of the first
shots seriously wounded Sir Herbert Stewart, and during the whole of
the affair many of our men were carried off by the heavy rifle fire of
the enemy. Notwithstanding that our force fought under many
disadvantages and was not skilfully handled, the Mahdists were driven
off with terrible loss, while our force had thirty-six killed and one
hundred and seven wounded. Notwithstanding these two defeats, the
enemy were not cowed, and held on to Metemmah, in which no doubt those
who had taken part in the battles were assisted by a force from
Berber. The 20th January was wasted in inaction, caused by the large
number of wounded, and when on 21st January Metemmah was attacked, the
Mahdists showed so bold a front that Sir Charles Wilson, who succeeded
to the command on Sir Herbert Stewart being incapacitated by his, as
it proved, mortal wound, drew off his force. This was the more
disappointing, because Gordon's four steamers arrived during the
action and took a