hen the force moved off in
the darkness towards the enemy's position.

The village of Abu Hamed straggles along the bank of the Nile, and
consists of a central mass of mud houses, intersected by a network of
winding lanes and alleys, about 500 yards long by perhaps 100 yards
wide. To the north and south are detached clusters of ruined huts,
and to the south there rises a large, ragged pile of rocks. The ground
slopes gradually up from the river, so that at a distance of 300 yards
the village is surrounded on three sides by a low plateau. Upon this
plateau stand three stone watch-towers, which were erected by General
Gordon. The Dervish garrison were strongly posted in shelter trenches
and loop-holed houses along the eastern face of the village. The towers
were held by their outposts.

Making a wide circuit to their left, and then swinging round to the
right, so as to front facing the river, the brigade silently moved
towards the enemy's position, and at a quarter past six occupied the
plateau in a crescent-shaped formation; the XIth Soudanese on the right,
opposite the north-east corner of the village; the battery, escorted by
the remaining half-battalion of the 3rd Egyptians, next; then the IXth
in the centre, and the Xth Soudanese on the left flank. As the troops
approached the watch-towers the Dervish outposts fell back and the force
continued to advance until the edge of the plateau was reached. From
here the whole scene was visible.

The day was just breaking, and the mist hung low and white over the
steel-grey surface of the river. The outlines of the mud houses were
sharply defined on this pale background. The Dervish riflemen crouched
in the shelter trench that ran round the village. Their cavalry, perhaps
a hundred strong, were falling in hurriedly on the sandy ground to the
south near the ragged rocks. The curve of the hills, crowned with the
dark line of the troops, completed and framed the picture. Within this
small amphitheatre one of the minor dramas of war was now to be enacted.

At half past six the battery came into action, and after a few shells
had been fired at the loopholed houses in the left centre of the
position, a general advance was ordered. In excellent order the three
Soudanese battalions, with General Hunter, Lieut.-Colonel MacDonald, and
the other British officers on horseback in front of their line, advanced
slowly down the hill, opening a destructive fire on the entrenchment.
The dist