332 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



garrison went down the coast in a cruiser, they could see Sidi 

 Barrani in flames. 



British Headquarters were established at Mersa Matruh and in 

 December the outlying garrisons were collected there. 



Colonel Snow Bey, whose name with that of Major Royle Bey 

 is famous throughout the Western Desert, was shot in a reconnais- 

 sance on November 11. 



On Christmas Eve the Senussi were defeated at Medwa and on 

 December 29 at Jerawla, but the first decisive battle was at 

 Halazin, where Sayed Ahmed had gathered his main force. 



On January 23 he was attacked with complete success, and 

 forced to retreat precipitately towards Solium, leaving 700 dead 

 on the field. 



A further victory on February 26 at Agazia resulted in the 

 capture of Jaafer Pasha and the flight of Sayed Ahmed, with the 

 subsequent opening of the road to Solium, which was occupied on 

 March 14. 



The following day the Duke of Westminster made his famous 

 dash to Bir Hakim on the Tobruk-Jaghabub route, some 60 miles 

 inland, and 120 from Solium, to rescue the Tara prisoners. 



Sayed Ahmed retired through Siwa to Dakhla, while the re- 

 maining portion of his force went to Baharia. Kharga was imme- 

 diately evacuated by the British and then, with a successful army 

 occupying the post, a beaten enemy practically cut off' from all 

 supplies in two isolated desert oases, a disaff'ected and half-starved 

 Cyrenaica, heartily tired of its ruler's policy and already turning 

 to Mohammed Idris, whose pro-British attitude was obvious from 

 the beginning, was initiated the scheme for fortifying Egypt at an 

 expense of some 60 million sterling against a foe who numbered 

 perhaps 2,000. 



The three armed camps of the Ulad Ali which lay behind the 

 British line from Matruh were rapidly disposed of, but the whole 

 summer of 1916 was spent in fortifying the line of the Nile Valley 

 and in October the Senussi were driven out of Dakhla and Baharia 

 by Camel Corps and Light Car Patrols. Sayed Ahmed retired 

 through Farafra to Siwa, where he had left Mohammed Saleh in 

 command. 



In February, 1917, after a sharp engagement at Girba, where, 

 east of Munasib Pass, some 20 armoured cars sustained a 24 

 hours' enfilade from 800 Senussi hidden in the rocks above them, 

 the latter were finally driven out of Egyptian Territory. 



