After the battle of the Atbara the troops returned to the Nile and went
into summer quarters, waiting for the time of high Nile, when the
advance would be made.
The British troops settled down for a time in camp as in times of peace,
for there was no fear of any dervish force, and were made as comfortable
as possible; and the men, who were all well seasoned and inured to the
climate, spared as much as possible during the heat. But it was a very
busy time with the Egyptians, and especially with the railway brigade,
which, under the able direction of the director of railways, Major
Gerouard, R.E., laboured incessantly to complete the track to Dakhala,
which now became the base and depot of the autumn campaign.
The new gunboats were brought up by rail in sections, and put together,
as well as the barges for transport, and launched at Abadieh on the
Nile, a village between Berber and the Fifth Cataract. Camping-grounds
were prepared, commissariat stores and ammunition forwarded to the
front, wood cut and stacked for fuel, and every preparation made, so
that there might be no delay or hitch at the critical moment.
From the 17th of July, everything being in readiness to receive them,
reinforcements for the British command, now to be raised to a division
and commanded by Major-General Gatacre, were moved up from Cairo;
amongst these were Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Army Service Corps,
Medical Corps, and the 21st Lancers under Colonel Martin, a regiment
which had never yet been in action, and was therefore burning to
distinguish itself, as indeed it did, as we shall presently see.
A second British brigade had been formed, under the command of Colonel
Lyttleton; it was comprised of 1st Northumberland Fusiliers,
Lieutenant--Colonel Money; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, Lieutenant-Colonel
Collingwood, from the Army of Occupation at Cairo; 2nd Rifle Brigade,
Colonel Howard; and 1st Grenadier Guards, Colonel Hatton; which last two
regiments had come direct to the front from Malta and Gibraltar
respectively. There was also a detachment of Royal Irish Fusiliers,
with Maxims, making in all about 7500 men.
The 21st Lancers numbered 500, the rest of the cavalry being Broadwood's
Egyptians, about 1000 sabres. There was also an addition to the
artillery of the 32nd Field-Battery R.A., Major Williams; 37th
Field-Battery with the new 5-inch howitzers firing Lyddite shells, and
two siege-guns, besides some twenty or more Maxims.
The first British division was composed, as before, of the Camerons,
Seaforths, Lincolns, and Warwicks; the last two having changed
colonels, Lieutenant-Colonel Louth now leading the Lincolns, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Forbes the Warwicks. The brigade was commanded by
Colonel Wauchope; General Gatacre, as has been said, being now in
command of the division.
The land forces numbered over 8000 British troops and about 15,000
Egyptian; in addition to this the Sirdar had a river flotilla of eleven
steamboats well armed, besides iron barges especially made for transport
of troops, and innumerable native craft.