the gunboats El Teb and Tamai approached the Fourth
Cataract to ascend to the Abu Hamed-Berber reach of the river. Major
David was in charge of the operation. Lieutenants Hood and Beatty (Royal
Navy) commanded the vessels. Two hundred men of the 7th Egyptians were
towed in barges to assist in hauling the steamers in the difficult
places. The current was, however, too strong, and it was found necessary
to leave three barges, containing 160 soldiers, at the foot of the
rapids. Nevertheless, as the cataract was not considered a very
formidable barrier, Major David determined to make the attempt. Early on
the 5th, therefore, the Tamai tried the ascent. About 300 local Shaiggia
tribesmen had been collected, and their efforts were directed--or, as
the result proved, mis-directed--by those few of the Egyptian soldiers
who had not been left behind. The steamer, with her engines working at
full speed, succeeded in mounting half the distance. But the rush of
water was then so great that her bows were swept round, and, after a
narrow escape of capsizing, she was carried swiftly down the stream.

The officers thought that this failure was due to the accidental fouling
of a rope at a critical moment, and to the fact that there were not
enough local tribesmen pulling at the hawsers. Four hundred more
Shaiggia were therefore collected from the neighbouring villages, and in
the afternoon the Teb attempted the passage. Her fortunes were far
worse than those of the Tamai. Owing to the lack of co-operation and
discipline among the local tribesmen, their utter ignorance of what was
required of them, and the want of proper supervision, the hauling power
was again too weak. Again the bows of the steamer were swept round, and,
as the hawsers held, a great rush of water poured over the bulwarks. In
ten seconds the Teb heeled over and turned bottom upwards. The hawsers
parted under this new strain, and she was swept down stream with only
her keel showing. Lieutenant Beatty and most of the crew were thrown, or
glad to jump, into the foaming water of the cataract, and, being carried
down the river, were picked up below the rapids by the Tamai, which was
luckily under steam. Their escape was extraordinary, for of the score
who were flung into the water only one Egyptian was drowned. Two other
men were, however, missing, and their fate seemed certain. The capsized
steamer, swirled along by the current, was jammed about a mile below the
cataract betw