bank
of the Nile to Aliab, where he struck across the desert to Nakheila, on
the Atbara, intending to turn Kitchener's left flank at Berber. The
sirdar took up a position at Ras el Hudi, on the Atbara. His force
consisted of Gatacre's British brigade (1st Warwicks, Lincolns,
Seaforths and Camerons) and Hunter's Egyptian division (3 brigades under
Colonels Maxwell, MacDonald and Lewis respectively), Broadwood's
cavalry, Tudway's camel corps and Long's artillery. The dervish army
reached Nakheila on the 20th of March, and entrenched themselves there
in a formidable zeriba. After several reconnaissances in which fighting
took place with Mahmud's outposts, it was ascertained from prisoners
that their army was short of provisions and that great leakage was going
on. Kitchener, therefore, did not hurry. He sent his flotilla up the
Nile and captured Shendi, the dervish depot, on the 27th of March. On
the 4th of April he advanced to Abadar. A final reconnaissance was made
on the 5th. On the following day he bivouacked at Umdabia, where he
constructed a strong zeriba, which was garrisoned by an Egyptian
battalion, and on the night of the 7th he marched to the attack of
Mahmud's zeriba, which, after an hour's bombardment on the morning of
the 8th of April, was stormed with complete success. Mahmud and several
hundred dervishes were captured, 40 amirs and 3000 Arabs killed, and
many more wounded; the rest escaped to Gedaref. The sirdar's casualties
were 80 killed and 472 wounded.

Preparations were now made for the attack on the khalifa's force at
Omdurman; and in the meantime the troops were camped in the
neighbourhood of Berber, and the railway carried on to the Atbara. At
the end of July reinforcements were forwarded from Cairo; and on the
24th of August the following troops were concentrated for the advance at
Wad Hamad, above Metemma, on the western bank of the 6th
cataract:--British division, under Major-General Gatacre, consisting of
1st Brigade, commanded by Colonel A. G. Wauchope (1st Warwicks,
Lincolns, Seaforths and Camerons), and 2nd Brigade, commanded by Colonel
the Hon. N. G. Lyttelton (1st Northumberlands and Grenadier Guards, 2nd
Lancashire and Rifle Brigade); Egyptian division, under Major-General
Hunter, consisting of four brigades, commanded by Colonels MacDonald,
Maxwell, Lewis and Collinson; mounted troops--21st Lancers, camel corps,
and Egyptian cavalry; artillery, under Colonel Long, 2 British
batteries, 5