Inowdeterminedtodevotemyselfspeciallytotheworkofcollectingcorn。Ithereforeplacedallmyluggageinthemagazine，clearedoutthediahbeeah，andtowedherupstreamfrommylittlestationtohead-quarters，readytostartonthefollowingday。
　　On17thOctoberIstartedat6a。m。，andreachedtheislandat4p。m。
　　ThereIfoundRaoufBey，andthevesselsthatIhadleftinhischarge。
　　Hehadonlyoccupiedoneisland，andthenativeswerehardatworkcarryingofftheircornfromtheislandstothesouth。Iimmediatelysenttroopstotakepossession。
　　On18thOctoberIsentRaoufBeytoGondokoro，withorderstodespatchtoKhartoumallthereallysickandincapable，butuponnoaccounttopermitanymantoreturnunlesshewashopelesslyinvalided。
　　On19thOctober，havingnoticedthatthestreambroughtdownnumerousstemsofdhurra，Iconcludedthatcultivatedislandsexistedfurtheruptheriver。IthereforeinstructedLieutenantBakertosailupandexplore；atthesametimehewastotakepossessionshouldsuchislandsbediscovered。
　　On21stthedingyreturnedwithaletterfromLieutenantBaker，whohad，withonlytenmenof”TheForty，”drivenouttheenemy，andoccupiedanisland，richincorn，furthersouth。ThedingyhadbeenattackedonherwaybytheBaris，whohadshotarrows，allofwhichhadfallenshort。I
　　immediatelystartedwithmydiahbeeahandreinforcements，andunitedwithLieutenantBaker。Ihadnowthreelargeislandsinpossession。Thefertilityofthesoilwasextraordinary。Thecultivationwasconfinedtotherimorsidesoftheislands，asthecentrewasswampyinthewetseason，buttheextremerichnessofthesoilproducedtheheaviestcrops，andthegranarieswerefullthroughouttheverynumerouslittlevillages，thatwerestationedaroundtheislands。
　　Havingworkedfortwelvedays，duringwhichtimenumerousvesselshadenlivenedtheriverbypassingtoandfroheavilyladenwithcorn，betweenourgranariesandGondokoro，IreceivednoticefromthemainlandthattheworkofthetwostationsunderLieutenant-ColonelAchmetandMajorAbdullahwasconcluded。Achmethadthrashedoutallhiscorn，andwaswaitingforboatstoconveyit；andAbdullahhadshippedallthathehadcollected，andwaswaitingfororders。
　　Isentinstructions，thatAbdullahshouldmarchhisdetachmentalongthemainland，towardsthesouth，andoccupythevillagesonthehighland，exactlyoppositemyvessels。Thecountrywasbeautifullyopen，likeafinepark，inlong，rollingundulations，whichterminatedinrockyhills，aboutfourorfivemilesfromtheriver。
　　On24thOctober，havingloadedalineofvesselsthatlayalongsidetheislandassnuglyasthoughbyanartificialquay，Iwasamusingmyself，togetherwithLieutenantBaker，inshootingducks，whichswarmedintheneighbouringpondsandswamps。Atabout4。30p。m。Iheardrapidfile-firinginthedistance，andIconcludedthatMajorAbdullah’sdetachment，thatwashourlyexpected，wasattackedbythenatives。Iatoncereturnedtothediahbeeah，wheremywifewasstationedonthehighpoop-deck，havingagoodviewofaveryprettylittleengagement。
　　Thetroopswereaboutamiledistant，andwhilesteadilyonthemarchaccordingtomyinstructions，theyweresuddenlyattackedbythenativesingreatforce。Thiswasafairstand-upfightintheopen。Thebigdrumsandhornsweresoundingthroughoutthecountry，andthenativeswerepouringfromalldirectionstothebattle。
　　ThewhiteuniformsofthesoldiersformedastrongcontrasttotheblackfiguresofthenakedBaris；thuswecouldseetheaffairdistinctly。Wecouldalsoheartheordersgivenbybugle。
　　MajorAbdullahhadprudentlysecuredhisrearbytheoccupationofoneofthesmallvillages，fortifiedbyahedgeofimpenetrableeuphorbia。
　　Hethenthrewoutskirmishersinline，supportedbytheforcethatheldthevillage。Thenativeswereyellinginalldirections，andIneverbeforesawthemmakesuchagoodfightupontheopenground。Theynotonlyoutflanked，butentirelysurroundedAbdullah’sdetachmentofninetymen。Thetroopswerekeepingupaheavyfire，whichdidnotappeartoproduceanydecidedresult，asthenativesthrongedtothefightandadvancedcloseuptothefireofthesoldiers，whomtheyattackedwithbowsandarrows。
　　Iorderedoursolitaryfield-piecetobedismounted，andplacedinthelargerowing-boat，togetherwitharocket-trough，andtherequisiteammunition，inreadinesstosupportAbdullahwithaflankattackuponthenatives，bycrossingtheriver，shoulditbenecessary。Asourvesselswereincloseview，IwaitedforthesignalbybugleshouldAbdullahrequireassistance。
　　Ihadonlytwenty-twomenofthe”FortyThieves”withme，togetherwiththeeightartillerymenbelongingtothegun。Theremainderof”TheForty”wereholdingthesecondisland，aboutfourmilesinourrear。
　　Justbeforedark，InoticedthattheBarisweregivingway：theyhadevidentlysufferedsomeloss，whichcausedasuddenretreat。Iheardthebuglesound”theadvance，”andwecouldseethetroopsadvancingandfiringinpursuit。TheBarisceasedblowingtheirhorns，andcollectedindensebodiesatagreatdistancefromthetroops，whohadhaltedandnowheldtheposition。
　　Onlyoccasionalshotswerenowfired，andthesunhavingset，darknessgraduallydissolvedtheview。
　　IfullyexpectedthattheBariswouldrenewtheattackduringthenight，butIknewthatAbdullahwassafeinhisstrongpositionwithinavillage，surroundedbythehighanddensehedgeofeuphorbia；thethick，fleshybranchesofthistreearethebestprotectionagainstarrows。I
　　orderedtheboatwiththeguntoremaininreadiness，soastostartatamoment’snoticeshouldwehearfiringrenewedduringthenight。I
　　shouldthenbeabletolandthegun，andtakethemunexpectedlyontheflankwithcaseshot。
　　Morningbrokewithoutanynightalarm。Ihadfilledthevesselswiththelastofthecornupontheisland，thereforeIdeterminedtocrossoverwithmyforce，andtomeetthedetachmentunderMajorAbdullah。Thiswasnoteasytoaccomplish，asthereweresomeawkwardsand-banksinthemiddleoftheriver。Itwasthereforenecessarytopassupstreambetweentwoislands，andthen，byroundingtheheadofapoint，todescendthroughachannelaboutahundredyardswidebetweenthewesternislandandthemainland。Thisoccupiedaboutanhour，andwedroppeddownthechannelandtookupanexcellentpositionagainstahighshorethatformedaconvenientlanding-place。Fromthispointthelandroserapidly，andtheentirelandscapewascoveredwithvillagesaboundingincorn。Thenativesappearedtohavedesertedthecountry。
　　Havinggiventhenecessaryorders，Itookmyshotgun，and，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，Monsoor，andtwosoldiersof”TheForty，”Iwalkedalongtheriver’sbanktowardsthevillageoccupiedbyMajorAbdullah’sdetachment，whoIimaginedmighthavefoundalargequantityofcorn，whichaccountedfortheirdelayincommencingthemorningmarch。
　　Thereweregreatnumbersofducksandgeeseontheriver’sbank：thusaswewalkedtowardsAbdullah’svillage，aboutamileandahalfdistant，wemadeatolerablebag。
　　Wehadatlengtharrivedwithinhalfamileofthevillage，whichwassituateduponhighground，about600yardsfromtheriver，whenI
　　noticedanumberofpeopleissuingfromthegatewaycarryinglargebasketsupontheirheads。”Thesoldiershavefoundplentyofcorn，”remarkedMonsoor；”theyarecarryingitfromthegoogoos。”
　　MyeyeswerebetterthanMonsoor’s。IatonceperceivedthatthepeoplethusemployedwereBaris！
　　Wewereonlyfiveguns，nowseparatedfromourvesselsbyaboutamile，andthetroopsunderMajorAbdullahhadevidentlyevacuatedtheirposition！
　　Whereuponearthhadtheygone?andforwhatreason?Certainlywehadtheriveronourrightflank，butwemighthavebeenattackedandcutofffromourvessels，hadtheBaristheplucktoassumetheoffensive。
　　Itwastimetoretreat，butasIwishedtheBaristobelievethatwefeltquiteatourease，weaccomplishedthemoveveryleisurely，andstrolledquietlyhomewards，shootingducksandsnipeaswewalkedalong。
　　ThemomentIarrivedatthevessels，Idespatchedapartyinthesteamer’slargeboat，underCaptainMohammedDeii，ofthe”FortyThieves，”torowdowntheriver，andtorecallAbdullah’sdetachment，thatmusthaveretreatedforsomeinconceivablereason。Thecurrentranatnearlyfourmilesperhour；thustheboatwouldbesuretoovertakethem。
　　Iwasexceedinglyannoyed。Aforceofninetymenhadevidentlybeencowedbytheirengagementwiththenativesonthepreviousevening，andhadretreateduponLieutenant-ColonelAchmet’sposition，insteadofjoiningmeaccordingtoorders。Atthesametimemyvesselshadbeeninsightonlyamileandahalfdistant！Iwasthusleftwithasmallpartyofthirtymen，whileninetymenhadfallenback。
　　Thiswasanexampleoftheutterhelplessnessoftheofficersandmenwhenlefttothemselves。Ifthenativeshadrepeatedtheattack，theywouldmostprobablyhavegotintodireconfusion。
　　Havingstartedtheboat，Itooktenmenof”TheForty，”and，accompaniedbyLieutenantBaker，Imarchedalongthebankinordertomeetthedetachmentontheirreturn，whenrecalledbyMohammedDeii。DuringthemarchIcontinuedtoshootducks，asthisamusementwoulddeceivethenativesrespectingtheretreatofMajorAbdullah，whichmightthenbeattributedtosomeothercausethanfear。
　　Inaboutanhour，IdistinguishedasailcomingroundthepointofGebelMountRegiaf。Thewindwasfair，andshequicklyranupthestream。I
　　nowdiscoveredthatshewastowingtheboatthatIhadsentdowntherivertorecallAbdullah’sdetachment。ThiswasavesselfromGondokoroonherwayforacargoofcorn。ShehadmettheretreatingpartyofAbdullah，andhadbroughtthemonbytheriver。
　　Uponhernearapproach，Ihailedthevesselandorderedhertolandthetroopswithwhichshewascrowdeduponthewestshore。
　　Inashorttime，MajorAbdullahandhisgallantcompanyhadlandedandformedinline。
　　Hisexcusefortheprecipitateretreatwhichhehadcommencedatdaybreakwas，thathefearedarenewedattack，andhewasshortofammunition。HehadthereforedeterminedtofallbackonthestationoccupiedbyLieutenant-ColonelAchmet。
　　Heappearedtohaveforgottenthathecouldhavecommunicatedwithmebybugle。