.
during the hottest hours of the day. The nights were, however, cool and
pleasant.

But although the main part of the force found the days long and tedious,
the time which the army spent at Ras-el-Hudi was by no means uneventful.
The work of the squadrons was hard, and ceased only with the night. The
continual patrolling told severely on men and horses; and the fact that
the Dervishes were far stronger in the mounted arm than the Sirdar's
army necessitated the utmost vigilance of the cavalry commander.
Employment was also found for the gunboats.

When Mahmud had left the Nile he had established a sort of depot at
Shendi, in which the wives of the Emirs and the surplus stores had been
deposited. This treasure house was protected only by a slender garrison
of 700 riflemen and twenty-five horsemen. On ordinary military grounds,
and also since the event might infuriate the Arabs, it was decided
to capture this place and disperse its defenders. Accordingly, on the
afternoon of the 24th the 3rd Egyptian Battalion from Lewis's brigade
marched from Ras-el-Hudi to Atbara fort and relieved the 15th Egyptians
then in garrison, and a small force under Commander Keppel--consisting
of the 15th Egyptians under Major Hickman, two field-guns of Peake's
battery, and 150 Jaalin irregulars--was embarked on, or in boats towed
by, the three gunboats Zafir, Naser, and Fateh, and started the same
night for Shendi.

At dawn on the 27th the flotilla appeared off Shendi. The Dervishes had
been apprised of its approach and prepared to offer resistance. But the
force against them was overwhelming. Under cover of the gunboats the
infantry and guns were landed. The artillery then came into action,
but after they had discharged two shells, the Arabs fled, firing their
rifles with little effect. Shendi was occupied by the Egyptians. The
pursuit was left to the Jaalin, and in it they are said to have killed
160 men--a revenge which must have been doubly sweet since it was
consummated so near to the scene of the destruction of their tribe, and
was also attended by scarcely any danger. Loot of all kinds fell to the
victors, and the gunboats were soon laden with a miscellaneous spoil.
The wives of the important Emirs made their escape to Omdurman, but
upwards of 650 women and children of inferior rank were taken prisoners
and transported to the Atbara, where in due course they contracted
new family ties with the Soudanese soldiery and, as far as can be