es. Osman Digna remained in the neighbourhood and raided the
friendly villages. On the arrival of the Indian contingent he was
supposed to be within twelve miles of the town, but thereafter he
retired to Adarama on the Atbara river, where he remained during the
Dongola campaign. The fact that no further offensive operations were
undertaken in the Eastern Soudan prevented all fighting, for the
Dervishes were, of course, unable to assail the strong permanent
fortifications behind which the Egyptians took shelter. They
nevertheless remained in actual possession of the surrounding country,
until the whole situation was altered by the successful advance of
powerful forces behind them along the Nile and by the occupation of
Berber.

After the affair of Khor Wintri it was evident that it would not be
possible to leave Suakin to the defence only of the 16th Battalion of
reservists. On the other hand, Sir H. Kitchener required every soldier
the Egyptian army could muster to carry out the operations on the Nile.
It was therefore determined to send Indian troops to Suakin to garrison
the town and forts, and thus release the Xth Soudanese and the Egyptian
battalions for the Dongola Expedition. Accordingly early in the month of
May the Indian Army authorities were ordered to prepare a brigade of all
arms for service in Egypt.

The troops selected were as follow: 26th Bengal Infantry, 35th Sikhs,
1st Bombay Lancers, 5th Bombay Mountain Battery, two Maxim guns, one
section Queen's Own (Madras) Sappers and Miners--in all about 4,000 men.
The command was entrusted to Colonel Egerton, of the Corps of Guides.

On the 30th of May the dreary town of Suakin was enlivened by the
arrival of the first detachments, and during the following week the
whole force disembarked at the rotten piers and assumed the duties of
the defence. It is mournful to tell how this gallant brigade, which
landed so full of high hope and warlike enthusiasm, and which was
certainly during the summer the most efficient force in the Soudan, was
reduced in seven months to the sullen band who returned to India wasted
by disease, embittered by disappointment, and inflamed by feelings of
resentment and envy.

The Indian contingent landed in the full expectation of being
immediately employed against the enemy. After a week, when all the
stores had been landed, officers and men spent their time speculating
when the order to march would come. It was true that there was no