of their desperate
venture to be fully appreciated. Although the Dervishes were neither so
well armed nor trained as at a later date, they were nearly as numerous
and equally devoid of fear. Their tactics were more in accordance with
modern conditions: their fanaticism was at its height. The British
force, on the other hand, was equipped with weapons scarcely comparable
with those employed in the concluding campaigns. Instead of the powerful
Lee-Metford rifle, with its smokeless powder, its magazine action, and
its absence of recoil, they were armed with the Martini-Henry, which
possessed none of these advantages. In place of the deadly Maxim there
was the Gardner gun--the very gun that jammed at Tamai, and that jammed
again at Abu Klea. The artillery was also in every respect inferior
to that now in general use. Besides all this, the principles of
fire-discipline and of scientific musketry were new, little understood,
and hardly admitted. Nevertheless, the Camel Corps went boldly forward,
and engaged an enemy whose destruction ultimately required the strength
of a better-armed and better-instructed army twelve times as strong.

On the 3rd of January they reached Gakdul Wells. A hundred miles of
their march was accomplished. But they were now delayed by the necessity
of escorting a second column of supplies to Gakdul, and after that until
the arrival of reinforcements which raised their strength to 1,800 of
all ranks. The interval was employed in building two small forts and
establishing an advanced depot; nor was it until the 13th that the march
was resumed. The number of camels was not sufficient for the necessities
of the transport. The food of the camels was too poor for the work they
had to perform. By the 16th, however, they had made fifty miles,
and approached the wells of Abu Klea. Here their further advance was
disputed by the enemy.

The news of the advance of the Desert Column had been duly reported to
the Mahdi and his Arab generals. A small party of English, it was said,
with camels and some cavalry, were coming swiftly to the rescue of the
accursed city. Their numbers were few, scarce 2,000 men. How should they
hope to prevail against 'the expected Mahdi' and the conquering Ansar
who had destroyed Hicks? They were mad; yet they should die; not one
should escape. The delay in the advance offered ample opportunity.
A great force of Arabs was concentrated. Slatin relates how several
thousand men under import