on at
Ramleh.

When the main body of troops from England reached Alexandria, with Sir
Garnet Wolseley in supreme command, steps were taken to remove the scene
of war to Ismailia--half-way along the Suez Canal--in order to advance
upon Cairo from that place, and to avoid the necessity for attacking the
formidable works which Arabi had erected facing Alexandria. The plan
was kept a profound secret: the troops were placed on board the
transports, and, escorted by the fleet, steamed away to Port Said at the
mouth of the Suez Canal, and then up the canal to Ismailia.

In spite of the efforts of the sailors, upon whom the burden of the
operation of disembarkation fell, there was considerable delay before
the troops were in a position to advance, and Arabi was able to collect
a large army at Tel-el-Kebir, on the line by which the army would have
to advance. While the preparations for a forward movement were going
on, a portion of the British troops pushed forward; and a brigade, among
whom was a battalion of the marines, occupied Kassassin, a few miles
distant from the Egyptian position.

On the 10th of September, Arabi, seeing how small was the force which
had taken up its post near him, determined to attack them, with the
intention of crushing them first, and then advancing and destroying one
by one the small bodies of British troops at the posts on the line down
to Ismailia. He advanced with a powerful force, and so quickly did he
push forward that the British had scarcely time to get under arms when
the Egyptian shell began to fall fast in the camp. The little force
fell in with the greatest coolness, and the marines and 60th Rifles
advanced in skirmishing order to meet the vastly superior numbers of the
Egyptians. So staunchly and steadily did they fight, that they were
able to keep their assailants at bay until the English cavalry came up
from the next post, and, falling upon the Egyptians in flank, completely
routed them. At the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, where Arabi's army was
completely defeated and the rebellion finally crushed, the marines, who
had hitherto borne the brunt of all the fighting which had taken place,
were not in the front line of attack, and bore but little share in the
fighting, which was done almost entirely by the Highland Brigade.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE MAHDI--1883-1885.

After the English had broken up the Egyptian army, and had, for a time
at least, practically assumed the direction of af