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So many of our white officers have been sent down, with fever, that I am very short-handed, and shall be glad if you will temporarily serve as my assistant." On the 20th, the news came that Fadil was crossing the river at Dakhila, twenty miles farther to the south. He himself had crossed, and the women and children had been taken over on a raft.
I was desperately afraid that Colonel Wingate would leave me there, and I was greatly relieved when he told me that I was to come with him. It is a fortunate thing that we have beaten our old enemy, Fadil, here.
"The delay was a terrible nuisance at the time, but it has enabled you to come up here and warn us about Fadil. Fortunately no Dervishes came along while we were crossing, and indeed we learned, from the prisoners we took yesterday, that the fact that a force from Kassala had crossed the river was entirely unknown, so no harm was done."
They affirmed that they had left the former camp, three days before, with the intention of proceeding to Gedid; where Fadil was to join the Khalifa with captured grain, when the whole Dervish force was to march north. The troops slept during the afternoon, and in the evening set out for Gedid, which they reached at ten o'clock the next morning.
He deemed it necessary to go himself, because a body of foreign troops believed to be French have established themselves at Fashoda." An exclamation of surprise broke from all the officers. "In the next place, sir, Fadil, who had arrived with his force within forty miles of Khartoum, has retired up the banks of the Blue Nile, on hearing of the defeat of the Khalifa.
The question was whether the Dervishes would defend their camp, or attack. The result of the battle of Omdurman should have taught them that it was impossible to come to close quarters, in the face of the terrible fire of our rifles. Fadil could give his experience at Gedareh, which would teach the same lesson.
I was landed from one of the gunboats in which General Hunter, with fifteen hundred Soudanese troops, is ascending the Blue Nile, to prevent Fadil from crossing and joining the Khalifa." "Have you a written despatch?" "It was thought better that I should carry nothing, so that even the strictest search would not show that I was a messenger." "Is your message of a private character?"
"Not many; perhaps a hundred more. Your servant did not count them." "Had they any cannon with them?" "No, my lord. They were all on foot. They all carried guns, but there were no mounted men, or cannon." "Where is Fadil and his army, that they thus allowed so small a force to march along, unmolested?" "They say that he is still near the Nile.
Hilliard, when I must apply for reinforcements. I am convinced that we can repel all attacks, but we are virtually prisoners here. Were we to endeavour to retreat, Fadil would probably annihilate us. Our men have behaved admirably; but it is one thing to fight well, when you are advancing; and another to be firm in retreat. "But our most serious enemy, at present, is fever.
For two days, Fadil endeavoured to persuade his troops to make another attack; but although they surrounded the town, and maintained a scattered fire, they could not be brought to attempt another assault, having lost over five hundred men in the two attacks the first day. He then fell back, eight miles. Three days later, Colonel Parsons said to Gregory: "I think the time has come, Mr.
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