on the opposite bank of the river, among
the groves of palm-trees ran a long and continuous line of shelter
trenches and loopholed walls. The flanks of this new position rested
on the deep morasses which extend from the river both on the north and
south sides of Hafir. A small steamer, a fleet of large gyassas and
other sailing vessels moored to the further shore explained what had
happened. Conscious of his weakness, the prudent Emir had adroitly
transported himself across the river, and had thus placed that broad
flood between his troops and their destruction.

Meanwhile the three gunboats--all that now remained of the armed
flotilla, for the Teb had run on a rock in the Hannek Cataract--were
steaming gradually nearer the enemy, and the army swung to the right,
and, forming along the river bank, became spectators of a scene of
fascinating interest. At half-past six the Horse battery unlimbered at
the water's edge, and began to fire obliquely up and across the river.
As soon as the first few shells had reached the Arab entrenchment the
whole line of shelter trenches was edged with smoke, and the Dervishes
replied with a heavy rifle fire. The distance was, however, too great
for their bad rifles and inferior ammunition, and their bullets,
although they occasionally struck the ground on which the infantry were
drawn up, did not during the day cause any loss to the watching army.

The Dervish position was about half a mile in length. As the gunboats
approached the northern end they opened fire with their guns, striking
the mud entrenchments at every shot, and driving clouds of dust and
splinters into the air. The Maxim guns began to search the parapets,
and two companies of the Staffordshire Regiment on board the unarmoured
steamers Dal and Akasha fired long-range volleys. Now, as on other
occasions throughout the war, the Dervishes by their military behaviour
excited the admiration of their enemies. Encouraged by the arrival in
the morning of a reinforcement from Omdurman of 1,000 Black Jehadia and
500 spearmen under Abdel Baki, the Dervish gunners stood to their guns
and the riflemen to their trenches, and, although suffering severely,
maintained a formidable fire.

The gunboats continued to advance, beating up slowly against the strong
current. As they came opposite Hafir, where the channel narrows to about
600 yards, they were received by a very heavy fire from guns placed in
cleverly screened batteries, and from th