I
now discovered that she was towing the boat that I had sent down the
river to recall Abdullah's detachment. (This was a vessel from
Gondokoro on her way for a cargo of corn. She had met the retreating
party of Abdullah, and had brought them on by the river.)
Upon her near approach, I hailed the vessel and ordered her to land the
troops (with which she was crowded) upon the west shore.
In a short time, Major Abdullah and his gallant company had landed and
formed in line.
His excuse for the precipitate retreat which he had commenced at
daybreak was, that he feared a renewed attack, and he was short of
ammunition. He had therefore determined to fall back on the station
occupied by Lieutenant-Colonel Achmet.
He appeared to have forgotten that he could have communicated with me by
bugle.
I inspected the men's pouches, and found that most of them had eighteen
or twenty rounds of cartridge, while the minimum contained eleven
rounds; this is what the major considered a short supply of ammunition
for a march of a mile and a half along beautiful open country to my
vessels.
He described the overwhelming number of the natives, and their extreme
bravery in the attack, which his troops had repelled without any loss to
themselves either killed or wounded.
