s occupied; and on the following day Sir C.
Wilson, on whom the command had devolved, advanced against Metemma,
which was found too strong to assault. On this day General Gordon's four
steamers arrived; and on the morning of the 24th Sir C. Wilson, with 20
British soldiers in red coats and about 280 Sudanese, started in the
"Bordein" and "Telahawiyeh" for Khartum. The "Bordein" grounded on the
following day, and again on the 26th, by which twenty-four hours were
lost. At 11 A.M. on the 28th Khartum was sighted, and it soon became
clear that the town was in the hands of the enemy. After reconnoitring
farther, the steamers turned and proceeded down stream under a heavy
fire, the Sudanese crews showing signs of disaffection. The
"Telahawiyeh" was wrecked on the 29th of January and the "Bordein" on
the 31st, Sir C. Wilson's party being rescued on the 4th of February by
Lord C. Beresford in the "Safieh," which had come up from Gubat on
receipt of news carried there by Lieutenant Stuart Wortley in a
row-boat. Khartum had been taken and General Gordon killed on the
morning of the 26th of January 1885, having thus held out thirty-four
days beyond the date when he had expected the end. The garrison had been
reduced to starvation; and the arrival of twenty British soldiers, with
orders to return at once, could not have affected the situation. The
situation of the Desert Column and of its transport was most imperfectly
understood at Korti, where impossible plans were formed. Fortunately
Major-General Sir R. Buller, who arrived at Gubat on the 11th of
February, decided upon withdrawal, thus averting impending disaster, and
by the 16th of March the Desert Column had returned to Korti.

The advance from Korti of the River Column, under Major-General Earle,
began on the 28th of December, and great difficulties of navigation were
encountered. On the 10th of February an action was fought at Kirbekan
with about 800 of the enemy, entailing a loss of 10 killed, including
Major-General Earle, and 47 wounded. The column, now commanded by
Brigadier-General Brackenbury, continued its slow advance, and on the
morning of the 24th of February it was about 26 m. below Abu Hamed, a
point where the Korosko desert route strikes the Nile, 350 m. from
Khartum. Here it received orders to retire, and it reached Korti on the
8th of March.

Suakin operations.

The verbal message received from General Gordon on the 30th of December
1884 rendered the