ell-seasoned troops,
mostly Jaalin, and a quantity of rifles and ammunition. In a few minutes
the Abyssinian cavalry, dashing down with wild impetuosity, completely
surrounded Wad Arbab; the fight did not last long; the Dervishes were
driven out, pursued in all directions, and Galabat was soon in flames.
Arbab's men could not face the wild rush of the Abyssinians, and fell in
great numbers; the high wind caused the flames to spread with terrible
rapidity, and soon the powder magazine blew up with a terrific report,
burying hundreds in its ruins; amongst these was a Greek who had come
from Sawakin the year before to Omdurman, where he was imprisoned for a
time, then released, and came to Galabat, hoping to escape into
Abyssinia, just a few days before this fight which took place in
January 1887. The Abyssinians captured a large number of women and
children, whom they dragged off as slaves.

A few months prior to this action, Gustav Klootz had died in Galabat. He
had left Omdurman in September 1886, for Galabat, intending to escape
into Abyssinia; but having no money, he was forced to walk the entire
distance, and the great fatigue he had undergone made him seriously ill;
he lingered on for a time, but eventually died; and perhaps it was
fortunate that he did die, for only a few days afterwards an order
arrived from the Khalifa Abdullah at Gedaref, ordering him to be thrown
into chains and brought back to Omdurman, where a miserable death
awaited him.

Whilst the Abyssinians were attacking Galabat, Sheikh Egeil fell upon
Doka, a place situated between Galabat and Gedaref, which he succeeded
in capturing, and putting its inhabitants to the sword. The Abyssinians
now returned to their own country, after having sacked and pillaged
Galabat, which they left absolutely empty.

The disaster at Galabat was a great blow to the Dervishes; Abdullah now
appointed his nephew Yunis as emir of the district, and ordered him to
reoccupy the town. Yunis, on his return from Wad el Abbas, had encamped
south of Omdurman Fort, at a place which is still known as Dem Yunis;
his force consisted of about 1,000 men, armed with Remingtons, and 2,000
sword-and spearmen, of whom the majority had been amongst the Mahdi's
original followers at Abba. Abdullah himself now crossed over to
Khojali, and led Yunis's troops for some distance.

The equipment and transport of the force were not expensive items; each
man received about half a dollar; and perh