The 'Sirdar's luck' became almost proverbial in the Soudan. As the account progresses numerous instances will suggest themselves. It was lucky that the Dervishes did not harass8 the communications, or assail9 Akasha before it was fortified10. It was lucky that they fought at Firket; that they retired11 from Berber; that Mahmud did not advance in January; that he advanced in March; that he did not retire before the battle of the Atbara; that the Khalifa did not hold the Shabluka; that he did not attack on the night before Omdurman, and that he did attack at dawn.
But after Firket all things were contrary. One unexpected misfortune succeeded another. Difficulties were replaced by others as soon as they had been overcome. The autumn of 1896 was marked by delay and disappointment. The state of the Nile, the storms, the floods, the cholera13, and many minor14 obstacles, vexed15 but did not weary the commander. The victory at Firket was succeeded by a long pause in the operations. The army had made one spring forward; it must now gather energy for another. The preparations, however, proceeded rapidly. A strong camp was formed at Firket. MacDonald's brigade occupied Suarda two days after the fight, and this place now became the advanced post, just as Akasha had been in the first phase of the campaign. The accumuluation of stores at Firket and Suarda began forthwith. Owing to the arrangements which had been made before the engagement it was possible to collect within one week of the action two months' supplies at Suarda for the garrison16 of 2,000 men, and one month's at Firket for the 7,000 troops encamped there. Thereafter, however, the necessity of hurrying the railway construction and the considerable daily demands of 9,000 men only allowed this margin17 to be increased very gradually.
The army had now passed beyond the scope of a camel, or other pack-animal, system of supply, except for very short distances, and it was obvious that they could only advance in future along either the railway or a navigable reach of the river, and preferably along both. From the Dal Cataract18 near Kosheh there is a clear waterway at high Nile to Merawi. To Kosheh, therefore, the railway must be extended before active operations could recommence. A third condition had also to be observed. For the expulsion of the Dervishes from Kerma and Dongola it was desirable that a flotilla of gunboats should co-operate with the land forces. Four of these vessels20—the Tamai, El Teb, the Metemma, and the Abu Klea; and three steamers—the Kaibar, Dal, and Akasha, which it was proposed to arm—had, since 1885, patrolled the river from Assuan to Wady Halfa, and assisted in protecting the frontier from Dervish raids. All seven were now collected at the foot of the Second Cataract, and awaited the rise of the river to attempt the passage. To strengthen the flotilla three new and very powerful gunboats had been ordered in England. These were to be brought in sections over the railway to a point above the Second Cataract, and be fitted together there. It was thus necessary to wait, firstly, for the railway to reach Kosheh; secondly21, for the Nile to rise; thirdly, for the old gunboats to ascend22 the Cataract; fourthly, for the new gunboats to be launched on the clear waterway; and, fifthly, for the accumulation of supplies. With all of these matters the Sirdar now busied himself.
The reconstruction23 of the railway to Akasha and its extension beyond this place towards Kosheh was pressed forward. By the 26th of June Akasha was reached. Thenceforward the engineers no longer followed an existing track, but were obliged to survey, and to make the formation for themselves. Strong fatigue24 parties from the Egyptian and Soudanese battalions25 were, however, employed on the embankments, and the line grew daily longer. On the 24th of July the first train ran across the battlefield of Firket; and on the 4th of August the railway was working to Kosheh.
Kosheh is six miles south of Firket, and consists, like most places in the 'Military Soudan,' of little more than a name and a few ruined mud-huts which were once a village. On the 5th of July the whole camp was moved thither27 from the scene of the action. The reasons were clear and apparent. Kosheh is a point on the river above the Dal Cataract whence a clear waterway runs at high Nile to beyond Dongola. The camp at Firket had become foul28 and insanitary. The bodies of the dead, swelling29 and decaying in their shallow graves, assailed30, as if in revenge, the bodies of the living. The dysentery which had broken out was probably due to the 'green' water of the Nile; for during the early period of the flood what is known as 'the false rise' washes the filth31 and sewage off the foreshore all along the river, and brings down the green and rotting vegetation from the spongy swamps of Equatoria. The water is then dangerous and impure32. There was nothing else for the army to drink; but it was undesirable33 to aggravate34 the evil by keeping the troops in a dirty camp.
The earliest freight which the railway carried to Kosheh was the first of the new stern-wheel gunboats. Train after train arrived with its load of steel and iron, or with the cumbrous sections of the hull35, and a warship36 in pieces—engines, armaments, fittings and stores—soon lay stacked by the side of the river. An improvised37 dockyard, equipped with powerful twenty-ton shears38 and other appliances, was established, and the work—complicated as a Chinese puzzle—of fitting and riveting39 together the hundreds of various parts proceeded swiftly. Gradually the strange heaps of parts began to evolve a mighty40 engine of war. The new gunboats were in every way remarkable41. The old vessels had been 90 feet long. These were 140 feet. Their breadth was 24 feet. They steamed twelve miles an hour. They had a command of 30 feet. Their decks were all protected by steel plates, and prepared by loopholed shields for musketry. Their armament was formidable. Each carried one twelve-pounder quick-firing gun forward, two six-pounder quick-firing guns in the central battery, and four Maxim42 guns. Every modern improvement—such as ammunition43 hoists44, telegraphs, search-lights, and steam-winches—was added. Yet with all this they drew only thirty-nine inches of water.
The contract specified45 that these vessels should be delivered at Alexandria by the 5th of September, but, by exertions46, the first boat, the Zafir, reached Egypt on the 23rd of July, having been made in eight weeks, and in time to have assisted in the advance on Dongola. The vessels and machinery47 had been constructed and erected48 in the works in London; they were then marked, numbered, and taken to pieces, and after being shipped to Alexandria and transported to the front were finally put together at Kosheh. Although in a journey of 4,000 miles they were seven times transhipped, not a single important piece was lost.
The convenience of Kosheh on the clear waterway, and the dirty condition of Firket, were in themselves sufficient reasons for the change of camp; but another and graver cause lay behind. During the month of June an epidemic49 of cholera began to creep up the Nile from Cairo. On the 29th there were some cases at Assuan. On the 30th it reached Wady Halfa. In consequence of this the North Staffordshire Regiment50 marched into camp at Gemai. Their three months' occupation of the town had not improved their health or their spirits. During the sixteen-mile march along the railway track to Gemai the first fatal case occurred, and thereafter the sickness clung to the regiment until the middle of August, causing continual deaths.
The cholera spread steadily51 southward up the river, claiming successive victims in each camp. In the second week of July it reached the new camp at Kosheh, whence all possible precautions to exclude it had proved vain. The epidemic was at first of a virulent52 form. As is usual, when it had expended53 its destructive energy, the recoveries became more frequent. But of the first thousand cases between Assuan and Suarda nearly eight hundred proved fatal. Nor were the lives thus lost to be altogether measured by the number. [The attacks and deaths from cholera in the Dongola Expeditionary Force were as follow: British troops—24 attacks, 19 deaths; Native troops—406 attacks, 260 deaths; Followers—788 attacks, 640 deaths.] To all, the time was one of trial, almost of terror. The violence of the battle may be cheaply braved, but the insidious54 attacks of disease appal55 the boldest. Death moved continually about the ranks of the army—not the death they had been trained to meet unflinchingly, the death in high enthusiasm and the pride of life, with all the world to weep or cheer; but a silent, unnoticed, almost ignominious56 summons, scarcely less sudden and far more painful than the bullet or the sword-cut. The Egyptians, in spite of their fatalistic creed57, manifested profound depression. The English soldiers were moody58 and ill-tempered. Even the light-hearted Soudanese lost their spirits; their merry grins were seen no longer; their laughter and their drums were stilled. Only the British officers preserved a stony59 cheerfulness, and ceaselessly endeavoured by energy and example to sustain the courage of their men. Yet they suffered most of all. Their education had developed their imaginations; and imagination, elsewhere a priceless gift, is amid such circumstances a dangerous burden.
It was, indeed, a time of sore trouble. To find the servant dead in the camp kitchen; to catch a hurried glimpse of blanketed shapes hustled60 quickly to the desert on a stretcher; to hold the lantern over the grave into which a friend or comrade—alive and well six hours before—was hastily lowered, even though it was still night; and through it all to work incessantly61 at pressure in the solid, roaring heat, with a mind ever on the watch for the earliest of the fatal symptoms and a thirst that could only be quenched62 by drinking of the deadly and contaminated Nile: all these things combined to produce an experience which those who endured are unwilling63 to remember, but unlikely to forget. One by one some of the best of the field army and the communication Staff were stricken down. Gallant64 Fenwick, of whom they used to say that he was 'twice a V.C. without a gazette'; Polwhele, the railway subaltern, whose strange knowledge of the Egyptian soldiers had won their stranger love; Trask, an heroic doctor, indifferent alike to pestilence66 or bullets; Mr. Vallom, the chief superintendent67 of engines at Halfa; Farmer, a young officer already on his fourth campaign; Mr. Nicholson, the London engineer; long, quaint68, kind-hearted 'Roddy' Owen—all filled graves in Halfa cemetery69 or at the foot of Firket mountain. At length the epidemic was stamped out, and by the middle of August it had practically ceased to be a serious danger. But the necessity of enforcing quarantine and other precautions had hampered70 movement up and down the line of communications, and so delayed the progress of the preparations for an advance.
Other unexpected hindrances72 arose. Sir H. Kitchener had clearly recognised that the railway, equipped as it then was, would be at the best a doubtful means for the continual supply of a large force many miles ahead of it. He therefore organised an auxiliary73 boat service and passed gyassas and nuggurs [native sailing craft] freely up the Second Cataract. During the summer months, in the Soudan, a strong north wind prevails, which not only drives the sailing-boats up against the stream—sometimes at the rate of twenty miles a day—but also gratefully cools the air. This year, for forty consecutive74 days, at the critical period of the campaign, the wind blew hot and adverse from the south. The whole auxiliary boat service was thus practically arrested. But in spite of these aggravating75 obstacles the preparations for the advance were forced onwards, and it soon became necessary for the gunboats and steamers to be brought on to the upper reach of the river.
The Second Cataract has a total descent of sixty feet, and is about nine miles long. For this distance the Nile flows down a rugged76 stairway formed by successive ledges77 of black granite78. The flood river deeply submerges these steps, and rushes along above them with tremendous force, but with a smooth though swirling79 surface. As the Nile subsides80, the steps begin to show, until the river tumbles violently from ledge65 to ledge, its whole surface for miles churned to the white foam81 of broken water, and thickly studded with black rocks. At the Second Cataract, moreover, the only deep channel of the Nile is choked between narrow limits, and the stream struggles furiously between stern walls of rock. These dark gorges82 present many perils83 to the navigator. The most formidable, the Bab-el-Kebir, is only thirty-five feet wide. The river here takes a plunge84 of ten feet in seventy yards, and drops five feet at a single bound. An extensive pool above, formed by the junction85 of two arms of the river, increases the volume of the water and the force of the stream, so that the 'Gate' constitutes an obstacle of difficulty and danger which might well have been considered insurmountable.
It had been expected that in the beginning of July enough water would be passing down the Second Cataract to enable the gunboats and steamers waiting below to make the passage. Everything depended upon the rise of the river, and in the perversity86 of circumstances the river this year rose much later and slower than usual. By the middle of August, however, the attempt appeared possible. On the 14th the first gunboat, the Metemma, approached the Cataract. The North Staffordshire Regiment from Gemai, and the 6th and 7th Egyptian Battalions from Kosheh, marched to the 'Gate' to draw the vessel19 bodily up in spite of the current. The best native pilots had been procured87. Colonel Hunter and the naval88 officers under Commander Colville directed the work. The boat had been carefully prepared for the ordeal89. To reduce, by raising the free-board, the risk of swamping, the bows were heightened and strengthened, and stout90 wooden bulwarks91 were built running from bow to stern. Guns and ammunition were then removed, and the vessel lightened by every possible means. A strop of wire rope was passed completely round the hull, and to this strong belt the five cables were fastened—two on each side and one at the bow. So steep was the slope of the water that it was found necessary to draw all the fires, and the steamer was thus dependent entirely92 upon external force. It was luckily possible to obtain a direct pull, for a crag of black rock rose above the surface of the pool opposite the 'Gate.' On this a steel block was fixed93, and the hawser94 was led away at right angles until it reached the east bank, where a smooth stretch of sand afforded a convenient place for the hauling parties. Two thousand men were then set to pull at the cables, yet such was the extraordinary force of the current that, although the actual distance in which these great efforts were necessary was scarcely one hundred yards, the passage of each steamer occupied an hour and a half, and required the most strenuous95 exertions of the soldiers. No accident, however, occurred, and the six other vessels accomplished96 the ascent97 on successive days. In a week the whole flotilla steamed safely in the open water of the upper reach.
And now for a moment it seemed that the luck of the expedition had returned. The cholera was practically extinct. The new gunboat Zafir was nearly ready at Kosheh, and her imposing98 appearance delighted and impressed the army. On the 23rd of August all the seven steamers which had passed the Cataract arrived in a stately procession opposite the camp. Almost at the same time the wind changed to the north, and a cool and delicious breeze refreshed the weary men and bore southward to Suarda a whole fleet of sailing boats laden99 with supplies, which had been lying weather-bound during the previous six weeks at the head of the rapids. The preparatory orders for the advance tinkled100 along the telegraph. The North Staffordshire Regiment were, to the intense relief of officers and men, warned to hold themselves in readiness for an immediate101 move. The mounted troops had already returned to the front from the camps in which they had been distributed. At last the miserable102 delay was over.
From Kosheh to Kerma, the first Dervish position, the distance by river is 127 miles. A study of the map shows that by land marches this can be shortened by nearly forty-one miles; thirty miles being saved by cutting across the great loop of the Nile from Kosheh to Sadin Fanti, and eleven miles by avoiding the angle from Fereig to Abu Fatmeh. From Kerma to Dongola, which latter town was the objective of the expedition, a further distance of thirty-five miles must be traversed, making a total of 120 miles by land or 161 by river. The long desert march from Kosheh to Sadin Fanti was the only natural difficulty by land. Although the river from Kosheh to Kerma is broken by continual rapids, it is, with one interval103, freely navigable at half Nile. The Amara Cataract, ten miles beyond Kosheh, is easily ascended104 by sailing boats with a fair wind, and by steamers without assistance. From Amara to the Kaibar Cataract stretches a reach of sixty-five miles of open water. The Kaibar Cataract is, during the flood, scarcely any hindrance71 to navigation; but at Hannek, about thirty miles further on, the three miles of islands, rocks, rapids, and broken water which are called the Third Cataract are, except at high Nile, a formidable barrier, Once this is passed, there is open water for more than 200 miles at all seasons to Merawi. The banks of the river, except near Sadin Fanti, where the hills close in, are flat and low. The Eastern bank is lined with a fringe of palm-trees and a thin strip of cultivation105, which constitutes what is called 'the fertile province of Dongola.' On the other side the desert reaches the water's edge. Along the right bank of this part of the river the army was now to move.
The first act of the advance was the occupation of Absarat, and on the 23rd of August MacDonald's brigade marched thither from Suarda, cutting across the desert to Sadin Fanti, and then following the bank of the Nile. The occupation of Absarat covered the next movement. On the 26th Lewis's brigade was ordered to march across the loop from Kosheh to Sadin Fanti, and reinforce the brigade at Absarat. The distance of thirty-seven miles was far too great to be accomplished without a system of watering-places. This the Sirdar rapidly organised. Water-depots were formed by carrying tanks and water-skins on camels to two points in the desert, and replenishing them by daily convoys106. But now a heavy calamity107 descended108 on the arrangements of the General and the hopes of the troops.
During the afternoon of the 25th the wind veered109 suddenly to the south, and thereupon a terrific storm of sand and rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, burst over the whole of the Nubian desert, and swept along the line of communications from Suarda to Halfa. On the next day a second deluge110 delayed the march of Lewis's brigade. But late on the 27th they started, with disastrous111 results. Before they had reached the first watering-place a third tempest, preceded by its choking sandstorm, overtook them. Nearly 300 men fell out during the early part of the night, and crawled and staggered back to Kosheh. Before the column reached Sadin Fanti 1,700 more sank exhausted112 to the ground. Out of one battalion26 700 strong, only sixty men marched in. Nine deaths and eighty serious cases of prostration113 occurred, and the movement of the brigade from Kosheh to Absarat was grimly called 'The Death March.'
The 'Death March' was the least of the misfortunes caused by the storms. The violent rains produced floods such as had not been seen in the Soudan for fifty years. The water, pouring down the broad valleys, formed furious torrents114 in the narrower gorges. More than twelve miles of the railway was washed away. The rails were twisted and bent115; the formation entirely destroyed. The telegraph wires were broken. The work of weeks was lost in a few hours. The advance was stopped as soon as it had been begun. At the moment when every military reason demanded speed and suddenness, a hideous116 delay became inevitable117.
In this time of crisis the success of the whole campaign hung in the balance. Sir Herbert Kitchener did not then possess that measure of the confidence and affection of his officers which his military successes have since compelled. Public opinion was still undecided on the general question of the war. The initial bad luck had frightened many. All the croakers were ready. 'A Jingo Government'—'An incapable119 general'—'Another disaster in the Soudan'—such were the whispers. A check would be the signal for an outcry. The accounts of 'The Death March' had not yet reached England; but the correspondents, irritated at being 'chained to headquarters,' were going to see about that. And, besides all this, there were the army to feed and the Dervishes to fight. In this serious emergency, which threatened to wreck120 his schemes, the Sirdar's organising talents shone more brilliantly than at any other moment in this account. Travelling swiftly to Moghrat, he possessed121 himself of the telephone, which luckily still worked. He knew the exact position or every soldier, coolie, camel, or donkey at his disposal. In a few hours, in spite of his crippled transport, he concentrated 5,000 men on the damaged sections of the line, and thereafter fed them until the work was finished. In seven days traffic was resumed. The advance had been delayed, but it was not prevented.
On the 5th of September the 1st (Lewis) and 2nd (MacDonald) Brigades moved to Dulgo, and at the same time the remainder of the army began to march across the loop from Kosheh by Sadin Fanti to Absarat. Every available soldier had been collected for the final operation of the campaign.
The Expeditionary Force was organised as follows:
Commander-in-Chief: The SIRDAR
1st Brigade 2nd Brigade 3rd Brigade 4th Brigade
MAJOR LEWIS MAJOR MACDONALD MAJOR MAXWELL MAJOR DAVID
3rd Egyptians XIth Soudanese 2nd Egyptians 1st Egyptians
4th " XIIth " 7th " 5th "
IXth Soudanese XIIIth " 8th " 15th "
Xth "
Cavalry..... 8 squadrons
Artillery: MAJOR PARSONS
Field Artillery... 2 batteries
Divisional Troops: MAJOR CURRIE
North Staffordshire Regiment.... 1st Battalion
The Flotilla: COMMANDER COLVILLE
Gunboats... Zafir, Tamai, Abu Klea, Metemma, El Teb
Armed Steamers... Kaibar, Dal, Akasha
Total: 15,000 men, 8 war-vessels, and 36 guns
Thus thirteen of the sixteen battalions of the Egyptian Army were employed at the front. Two others, the 6th and XIVth, were disposed along the line of communication, holding the various fortified posts. The 16th Battalion of reservists remained at Suakin. The whole native army was engaged in the war, and the preservation127 of domestic order in the capital and throughout the Khedive's dominions128 was left entirely to the police and to the British Army of Occupation. By the 9th all four brigades had reached the rendezvous129 at Dulgo; on the 10th the British regiment, which it was determined130 to send up in the steamers, was moved to Kosheh by rail from Sarras and Gemai. The Sirdar prepared to start with the flotilla on the 12th.
But a culminating disappointment remained. By tremendous exertions the Zafir had been finished in time to take part in the operations. Throughout the army it was expected that the Zafir would be the feature of the campaign. At length the work was finished, and the Zafir floated, powerful and majestic131, on the waters of the Nile. On the afternoon of the 11th of September many officers and men came to witness her trial trip. The bank was lined with spectators. Colville took command. The Sirdar and his Staff embarked132. Flags were hoisted133 and amid general cheering the moorings were cast off. But the stern paddle had hardly revolved134 twice when there was a loud report, like that of a heavy gun, clouds of steam rushed up from the boilers135, and the engines stopped. Sir H. Kitchener and Commander Colville were on the upper deck. The latter rushed below to learn what had happened, and found that she had burst her low-pressure cylinder136, a misfortune impossible to repair until a new one could be obtained from Halfa and fitted.
In spite of this, however, the advance was not delayed. On the 13th the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigades occupied Kaderma. Here the flotilla overtook them, and henceforward the boats on the river kept pace with the army on the bank. Fareig was reached on the 14th, and as the numerous palms by the water afforded a pleasant shade a halt of two days was ordered. On the 16th the 4th Brigade arrived, and the concentration of the force was then complete.
After the annihilation of his strong advanced post at Firket, the Dervish Emir, Wad Bishara, concentrated his remaining forces in Dongola. Here during the summer he had awaited, and in the middle of August some small reinforcements under one Emir of low rank reached him from Omdurman. The Khalifa, indeed, promised that many more should follow, but his promises long remained unfulfilled, and the greatest strength that Bishara could muster137 was 900 Jehadia, 800 Baggara Arabs, 2,800 spearmen, 450 camelmen, 650 cavalry—in all 5,600 men, with six small brass138 cannon139 and one mitrailleuse gun. To augment140 in numbers, if not in strength, this small force of regular soldiers, he impressed a large number of the local tribesmen; but as these were, for the most part, anxious to join the Government troops at the first opportunity, their effect in the conflict was inconsiderable.
The first sign that the forces were drawing closer was the cutting of the telegraph-wire by a Dervish patrol on the 6th of September. On the 10th the Sirdar heard that Kerma was strongly held. On the 15th of September the Egyptian cavalry first established contact with the Dervish scouts141, and a slight skirmish took place. On the 18th the whole force advanced to Sardek, and as Bishara still held his position at Kerma it looked as if an action was imminent142. It was resolved to attack the Dervish position at Kerma at dawn. Although it seemed that only four miles separated the combatants, the night passed quietly. With the first light the army began to move, and when the sun rose the spectacle of the moving masses of men and artillery, with the gunboats on the right, was inspiring. The soldiers braced143 themselves for the expected action. But no sooner were the village and fort of Kerma visible than the report passed along the ranks that they were deserted144. Rumour145 was soon merged146 in certainty, for on reaching Kerma it was found that the Dervishes had evacuated147 the place, and only the strong, well-built mud fort attested148 the recent presence of Bishara. Whither had he gone? The question was not left unanswered.
Half a mile to the southward, on the opposite bank of the river, among the groves149 of palm-trees ran a long and continuous line of shelter trenches150 and loopholed walls. The flanks of this new position rested on the deep morasses151 which extend from the river both on the north and south sides of Hafir. A small steamer, a fleet of large gyassas and other sailing vessels moored152 to the further shore explained what had happened. Conscious of his weakness, the prudent153 Emir had adroitly154 transported himself across the river, and had thus placed that broad flood between his troops and their destruction.
Meanwhile the three gunboats—all that now remained of the armed flotilla, for the Teb had run on a rock in the Hannek Cataract—were steaming gradually nearer the enemy, and the army swung to the right, and, forming along the river bank, became spectators of a scene of fascinating interest. At half-past six the Horse battery unlimbered at the water's edge, and began to fire obliquely155 up and across the river. As soon as the first few shells had reached the Arab entrenchment156 the whole line of shelter trenches was edged with smoke, and the Dervishes replied with a heavy rifle fire. The distance was, however, too great for their bad rifles and inferior ammunition, and their bullets, although they occasionally struck the ground on which the infantry were drawn157 up, did not during the day cause any loss to the watching army.
The Dervish position was about half a mile in length. As the gunboats approached the northern end they opened fire with their guns, striking the mud entrenchments at every shot, and driving clouds of dust and splinters into the air. The Maxim guns began to search the parapets, and two companies of the Staffordshire Regiment on board the unarmoured steamers Dal and Akasha fired long-range volleys. Now, as on other occasions throughout the war, the Dervishes by their military behaviour excited the admiration158 of their enemies. Encouraged by the arrival in the morning of a reinforcement from Omdurman of 1,000 Black Jehadia and 500 spearmen under Abdel Baki, the Dervish gunners stood to their guns and the riflemen to their trenches, and, although suffering severely159, maintained a formidable fire.
The gunboats continued to advance, beating up slowly against the strong current. As they came opposite Hafir, where the channel narrows to about 600 yards, they were received by a very heavy fire from guns placed in cleverly screened batteries, and from the riflemen sheltered in deep pits by the water's edge or concealed160 amid the foliage161 of the tops of the palm-trees. These aerial skirmishers commanded the decks of the vessels, and the shields of the guns were thus rendered of little protection. All the water round the gunboats was torn into foam by the projectiles162. The bullets pattered against their sides, and, except where they were protected by steel plates, penetrated163. One shell struck the Abu Klea on the water-line, and entered the magazine. Luckily it did not explode, the Dervishes having forgotten to set the fuse. Three shells struck the Metemma. On board the Tamai, which was leading, Commander Colville was severely wounded in the wrist; Armourer-Sergeant164 Richardson was killed at his Maxim gun, and on each boat some casualties occurred. So hot was the fire that it was thought doubtful whether to proceed with the bombardment, and the Tamai swung round, and hurried down the river with the current and at full steam to report to the Sirdar. The other gunboats remained in action, and continued to shell the Dervish defences. The Tamai soon returned to the fight, and, steaming again up the river, was immediately hotly re-engaged.
The sight which the army witnessed was thrilling. Beyond the flood waters of the river, backed against a sky of staring blue and in the blazing sunlight, the whole of the enemy's position was plainly visible. The long row of shelter trenches was outlined by the white smoke of musketry and dotted with the bright-coloured flags waving defiantly165 in the wind and with the still brighter flashes of the guns. Behind the entrenchments and among the mud houses and enclosures strong bodies of the jibba-clad Arabs were arrayed. Still further back in the plain a large force of cavalry—conspicuous166 by the gleams of light reflected from their broad-bladed spears—wheeled and manoeuvred. By the Nile all the tops of the palm-trees were crowded with daring riflemen, whose positions were indicated by the smoke-puffs of their rifles, or when some tiny black figure fell, like a shot rook, to the ground. In the foreground the gunboats, panting and puffing168 up the river, were surrounded on all sides by spouts169 and spurts170 of water, thrown up by the shells and bullets. Again the flotilla drew near the narrow channel; again the watching army held their breath; and again they saw the leading boat, the Metemma, turn and run down stream towards safety, pursued by the wild cheers of the Arabs. It was evident that the gunboats were not strong enough to silence the Dervish fire. The want of the terrible Zafir was acutely felt.
The firing had lasted two hours and a half, and the enemy's resistance was no less vigorous than at the beginning of the action. The Sirdar now altered his plans. He saw that his flotilla could not hope to silence the Dervishes. He therefore ordered De Rougemont—who had assumed the command after Colville was wounded—to run past the entrenchments without trying to crush their fire, and steam on to Dongola. To support and cover the movement, the three batteries of artillery under Major Parsons were brought into action from the swampy171 island of Artagasha, which was connected at this season with the right bank by a shoal. At the same time three battalions of infantry were moved along the river until opposite the Arab position. At 9 A.M. the eighteen guns on the island opened a tremendous bombardment at 1,200 yards range on the entrenchments, and at the same time the infantry and a rocket detachment concentrated their fire on the tops of the palm-trees. The artillery now succeeded in silencing three of the five Dervish guns and in sinking the little Dervish steamer Tahra, while the infantry by a tremendous long-range fire drove the riflemen out of the palms. Profiting by this, the gunboats at ten o'clock moved up the river in line, and, disregarding the fusillade which the Arabs still stubbornly maintained, passed by the entrenchment and steamed on towards Dongola. After this the firing on both sides became intermittent172, and the fight may be said to have ended.
Both forces remained during the day facing each other on opposite sides of the river, and the Dervishes, who evidently did not admit a defeat, brandished173 their rifles and waved their flags, and their shouts of loud defiance174 floated across the water to the troops. But they had suffered very heavily. Their brave and skilful175 leader was severely wounded by the splinters of a shell. The wicked Osman Azrak had been struck by a bullet, and more than 200 Ansar had fallen, including several Emirs. Moreover, a long train of wounded was seen to start during the afternoon for the south. It is doubtful, however, whether Bishara would have retreated, if he had not feared being cut off. He seems to have believed that the Sirdar would march along the right bank at once to Dongola, and cross there under cover of his gunboats. Like all Moslem176 soldiers, he was nervous about his line of retreat. Nor, considering the overwhelming force against him, can we wonder. There was, besides this strategic reason for retiring, a more concrete cause. All his supplies of grain were accumulated in the gyassas which lay moored to the west bank. These vessels were under the close and accurate fire of the artillery and Maxim guns on Artagasha island. Several times during the night the hungry Dervishes attempted to reach their store; but the moon was bright and the gunners watchful177. Each time the enemy exposed themselves, a vigorous fire was opened and they were driven back. When morning dawned, it was found that Hafir was evacuated, and that the enemy had retreated on Dongola.
Wad Bishara's anxiety about his line of retreat was unnecessary, for the Sirdar could not advance on Dongola with a strong Dervish force on his line of communications: and it was not desirable to divide the army and mask Hafir with a covering force. But as soon as the Dervishes had left their entrenchments the situation was simplified. At daybreak all the Arab boats were brought over to the right bank by the villagers, who reported that Bishara and his soldiers had abandoned the defence and were retreating to Dongola. Thereupon the Sirdar, relieved of the necessity of forcing the passage, transported his army peacefully to the other bank. The operation afforded scope to his powers of organisation178, and the whole force—complete with cavalry, camels, and guns—was moved across the broad, rushing river in less than thirty-six hours and without any apparent difficulty.
The casualties on the 19th were not numerous, and in a force of nearly 15,000 men they appear insignificant179. Commander Colville was wounded. One British sergeant and one Egyptian officer were killed. Eleven native soldiers were wounded. The total—fourteen—amounted to less than one per thousand of the troops engaged. Nevertheless this picturesque180 and bloodless affair has been solemnly called the 'Battle of Hafir.' Special despatches were written for it. It is officially counted in records of service as a 'general action.' Telegrams of congratulation were received from her Majesty181 and the Khedive. A special clasp was struck. Of all the instances of cheaply bought glory which the military history of recent years affords, Hafir is the most remarkable.
The 20th and part of the 21st were occupied by the passage of the army across the Nile. The troops were still crossing when the gunboats returned from Dongola. The distance of this place by water from Hafir is about thirty-six miles, and the flotilla had arrived opposite the town during the afternoon of the 19th. A few shells expelled the small Dervish garrison, and a large number of sailing vessels were captured. The results of the movement of the gunboats to Dongola must, however, be looked for at Hafir. In consequence of the Sirdar's manoeuvre167 that place was evacuated and the unopposed passage of the river secured.
Bishara continued his retreat during the 20th, and, marching all day, reached Dongola in the evening. Wounded as he was, he re-occupied the town and began forthwith to make preparations for the defence of its considerable fortifications. The knowledge of his employment was not hidden from his enemy, and during the 21st the gunboat Abu Klea, under Lieutenant182 Beatty, R.N., arrived with the design of keeping him occupied. Throughout the day a desultory183 duel184 was maintained between the entrenchments and the steamer. At daylight on the 22nd, Beatty was reinforced by another gunboat, and an unceasing bombardment was made on the town and its defences.
Notwithstanding that the army did not finish crossing the river until the afternoon of the 21st, the Sirdar determined to continue his advance without delay, and the force accordingly marched twelve miles further south and camped opposite the middle of the large island of Argo. At daybreak the troops started again, and before the sun had attained185 its greatest power reached Zowarat. This place was scarcely six miles from Dongola, and, as it was expected that an action would be fought the next day, the rest of eighteen hours was welcomed by the weary soldiers. All day long the army remained halted by the palms of the Nile bank. Looking through their glasses up the river, the officers might watch the gunboats methodically bombarding Dongola, and the sound of the guns was clearly heard. At intervals186 during the day odd parties of Dervishes, both horse and foot, approached the outpost line and shots were exchanged.
All these things, together with the consciousness that the culmination187 of the campaign was now at hand, raised the excitement of the army to a high pitch, and everyone lay down that night warmed by keen anticipations188. An atmosphere of unrest hung over the bivouac, and few slept soundly. At three o'clock the troops were aroused, and at half-past four the final advance on Dongola had begun.
It was still night. The full moon, shining with tropical brilliancy in a cloudless sky, vaguely189 revealed the rolling plains of sand and the huge moving mass of the army. As long as it was dark the battalions were closely formed in quarter columns. But presently the warmer, yellower light of dawn began to grow across the river and through the palms, and gradually, as the sun rose and it became daylight, the dense190 formation of the army was extended to an array more than two miles long. On the left, nearest the river, marched Lewis's brigade—three battalions in line and the fourth in column as a reserve. Next in order Maxwell's three battalions prolonged the line. The artillery were in the centre, supported by the North Staffordshire Regiment. The gunners of the Maxim battery had donned their tunics191, so that the lines and columns of yellow and brown were relieved by a vivid flash of British red. MacDonald's brigade was on the right. David's brigade followed in rear of the centre as a reserve. The cavalry, the Camel Corps, and the Horse Artillery watched the right flank; and on the left the gunboats steamed along the river.
For two hours the army were the only living things visible on the smooth sand, but at seven o'clock a large body of Dervish horse appeared on the right flank. The further advance of half a mile discovered the Arab forces. Their numbers were less than those of the Egyptians, but their white uniforms, conspicuous on the sand, and the rows of flags of many colours lent an imposing appearance to their array. Their determined aspect, no less than the reputation of Bishara, encouraged the belief that they were about to charge.
The disparity of the forces was, however, too great; and as the Egyptian army steadily advanced, the Dervishes slowly retired. Their retreat was cleverly covered by the Baggara horse, who, by continually threatening the desert flank, delayed the progress of the troops. Bishara did not attempt to re-enter the town, on which the gunboats were now concentrating their fire, but continued to retire in excellent order towards the south and Debba.
The Egyptian infantry halted in Dongola, which when they arrived they found already in the hands of detachments from the flotilla. The red flag with the Crescent and star waved once again from the roof of the Mudiria. The garrison of 400 black Jehadia had capitulated, and were already fraternising with their Soudanese captors, whose comrades in arms they were soon to be. While the infantry occupied the town the cavalry and Camel Corps were despatched in pursuit. The Baggara horse, however, maintained a firm attitude, and attempted several charges to cover the retreat of their infantry. In one of these an actual collision occurred, and Captain Adams's squadron of Egyptian cavalry inflicted192 a loss of six killed on the enemy at a cost to themselves of eight men wounded. The cavalry and Camel corps had about twenty casualties in the pursuit. But although the Dervishes thus withdrew in an orderly manner from the field, the demoralising influence of retreat soon impaired193 their discipline and order, and many small parties, becoming detached from the main body, were captured by the pursuers. The line of retreat was strewn with weapons and other effects, and so many babies were abandoned by their parents that an artillery waggon194 had to be employed to collect and carry them. Wad Bishara, Osman Azrak, and the Baggara horse, however, made good their flight across the desert to Metemma, and, in spite of terrible sufferings from thirst, retained sufficient discipline to detach a force to hold Abu Klea Wells in case the retreat was followed. The Dervish infantry made their way along the river to Abu Hamed, and were much harassed195 by the gunboats until they reached the Fourth Cataract, when the pursuit was brought to an end.
The Egyptian losses in the capture of Dongola and in the subsequent pursuit were: British, nil12. Native ranks: killed, 1; wounded, 25. Total, 26.
The occupation of Dongola terminated the campaign of 1896. About 900 prisoners, mostly the Black Jehadia, all the six brass cannon, large stores of grain, and a great quantity of flags, spears, and swords fell to the victors, and the whole of the province, said to be the most fertile in the Soudan, was restored to the Egyptian authority. The existence of a perpetual clear waterway from the head of the Third Cataract to Merawi enabled the gunboats at once to steam up the river for more than 200 miles, and in the course of the following month the greater part of the army was established in Merawi below the Fourth Cataract, at Debba, or at Korti, drawing supplies along the railway, and from Railhead by a boat service on the long reach of open water. The position of a strong force at Merawi—only 120 miles along the river bank from Abu Hamed, the northern Dervish post—was, as will be seen, convenient to the continuance of the campaign whenever the time should arrive. But a long delay in the advance was now inevitable, and nearly a year was destined196 to pass without any collision between the forces of the Khedive and those of the Khalifa.
The success of the operations caused great public satisfaction in England. The first step had been taken. The Soudan was re-entered. After ten years of defensive197 war the Dervishes had been attacked, and it was clear that when they were attacked with adequate forces they were not so very terrible after all. The croakers were silent. A general desire was manifested in the country that the operations should continue, and although the Government did not yet abandon their tentative policy, or resolve utterly to destroy the Khalifa's power, it was decided118 that, as the road had so far been safe and pleasant, there was at present no need to stop or turn back.
A generous gazette of honours was published. With a single exception, which it would be invidious to specify198, all the officers of the Egyptian army were mentioned in despatches. Sir H. Kitchener, Colonel Hunter, and Colonel Rundle were promoted Major-Generals for distinguished199 service in the field; a special medal—on whose ribbon the Blue Nile is shown flowing through the yellow desert—was struck; and both the engagement at Firket and the affair at Hafir were commemorated200 by clasps. The casualties during the campaign, including the fighting round Suakin, were 43 killed and 139 wounded; 130 officers and men died from cholera; and there were 126 deaths from other causes. A large number of British officers were also invalided201.
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1
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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equate
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| v.同等看待，使相等 | |
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harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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nil
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| n.无，全无，零 | |
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cholera
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| n.霍乱 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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19
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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impure
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| adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的 | |
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undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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aggravate
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| vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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shears
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| n.大剪刀 | |
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riveting
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| adj.动听的，令人着迷的，完全吸引某人注意力的；n.铆接（法） | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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43
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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hoists
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的第三人称单数 ) | |
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specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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48
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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49
epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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51
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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52
virulent
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| adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的 | |
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53
expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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54
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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55
appal
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| vt.使胆寒，使惊骇 | |
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56
ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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57
creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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58
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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59
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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60
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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61
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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62
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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63
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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64
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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65
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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66
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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67
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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70
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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hindrances
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| 阻碍者( hindrance的名词复数 )； 障碍物； 受到妨碍的状态 | |
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73
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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76
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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77
ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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78
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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80
subsides
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的第三人称单数 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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81
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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82
gorges
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| n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕 | |
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83
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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84
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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85
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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86
perversity
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| n.任性；刚愎自用 | |
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87
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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88
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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89
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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91
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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92
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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93
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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94
hawser
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| n.大缆；大索 | |
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95
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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96
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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97
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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98
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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99
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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100
tinkled
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| （使）发出丁当声，（使）发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 )； 叮当响着发出，铃铃响着报出 | |
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101
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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102
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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103
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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104
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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105
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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106
convoys
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| n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队 | |
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107
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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108
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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109
veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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110
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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111
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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112
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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113
prostration
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| n. 平伏, 跪倒, 疲劳 | |
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114
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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115
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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116
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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117
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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118
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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119
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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120
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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121
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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122
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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123
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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124
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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125
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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126
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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127
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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128
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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129
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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130
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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131
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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132
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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133
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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134
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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135
boilers
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| 锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 ) | |
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136
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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137
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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138
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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139
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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140
augment
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| vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张 | |
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141
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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142
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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143
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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144
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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145
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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146
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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147
evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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148
attested
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| adj.经检验证明无病的，经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓 | |
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149
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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150
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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151
morasses
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| n.缠作一团( morass的名词复数 )；困境；沼泽；陷阱 | |
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152
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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153
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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154
adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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155
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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156
entrenchment
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| n.壕沟，防御设施 | |
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157
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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158
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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159
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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160
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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161
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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162
projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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163
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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164
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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165
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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166
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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167
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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168
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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169
spouts
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| n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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170
spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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171
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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172
intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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173
brandished
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| v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀 | |
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174
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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175
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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176
Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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177
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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178
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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179
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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180
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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181
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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182
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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183
desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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184
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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185
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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186
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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187
culmination
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| n.顶点；最高潮 | |
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188
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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189
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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190
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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191
tunics
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| n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍 | |
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192
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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193
impaired
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| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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194
waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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195
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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196
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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197
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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198
specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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199
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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200
commemorated
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| v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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201
invalided
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| 使伤残（invalid的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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