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。