forward along the east bank, remote from the Dervish works, the flotilla came into action at a range of 4,000 yards.  The fire was at first concentrated on the two northern forts, and the shells, striking the mud walls in rapid succession or bursting in the interior, soon enveloped them in dust and smoke.  The Dervishes immediately replied, but the inferiority of their skill and weapons was marked, and, although their projectiles reached the flotilla, very few took effect.  One shell, however, crashed through the deck of the Zafir, mortally wounding a Soudanese soldier, and two struck the Fateh.  After the long-range bombardment had continued for about an hour the gunboats moved forward opposite to the enemy’s position, and poured a heavy and continuous fire of shrapnel and double shell into all the forts, gradually subduing their resistance.  The fugitives from the batteries, and small parties of Baggara horse who galloped about on the open plain between the works and the town, afforded good targets to the Maxims, and many were licked up even at extreme ranges.

No sooner had the gunboats passed the forts than the Dervish fire ceased entirely, and it was discovered that their embrasures only commanded the northern approach.  As the guns could not be pointed to the southward, the flotilla need fear nothing from any fort that had been left behind.  The officers were congratulating themselves on the folly of their foes, when danger threatened from another quarter.  The boats had hugged the eastern bank as closely as possible during their duel with the forts.  They were scarcely a hundred yards from the shore, when suddenly a sharp fire of musketry was opened from twenty or thirty Dervish rifle-men concealed in the mimosa scrub.  The bullets pattered all over the decks, but while many recorded narrow escapes no one was actually hit, and the Maxim guns, revolving quickly on their pivots, took a bloody vengeance for the surprise.  The flotilla then steamed slowly past the town, and, having thoroughly reconnoitred it, turned about and ran down stream, again exchanging shells with the Dervish artillery.  All firing ceased at half-past two; but six sailing-boats containing grain were captured on the return voyage, and with these the gunboats retired in triumph to a small island six miles north of Metemma, where they remained for the night.

It being now known that bombarding the Dervishes was no less enjoyable than exciting, it was determined to spend another day with them; and at four o’clock the next morning the flotilla again steamed southward, so as to be in position opposite Metemma before daylight.  Fire was opened on both sides with the dawn, and it was at once evident that the Dervishes had not been idle during the night.  It appeared that on the previous day Mahmud had expected a land attack from the direction of Gakdul, and had placed part of his artillery and nearly all his army in position to resist it.  But as soon as he was convinced that the gunboats