48 
A PATROL ON THE AT BARA. 
est confidence, this account was so circumstantial that I sent Hassibullah 
with his men to the western desert to look for tracks and report, 
following up and watching Osman Digna’s party if he came across it. 
I supported him by Mustapha and half the Hadendowas, with orders 
to keep nearer the river than Hassibullah. They started at 8 a.m., 
carrying as usual, their rations. As it turned out, it would have been 
better, had I sent only a small patrol with Hassibullah, but I wanted 
him to take prisoners for the sake of their information, and I did not 
know his character so well then as I did afterwards. Other prisoners 
kept coming in from the outposts that morning of the 19th, some of 
whom contradicted the previous statement and said that Osman Digna 
was still to the north. I waited impatiently for news from Adlan, 
with my men all ready to start, taking water for one day and all the 
flour I possessed. I arranged to leave a half company Arab battalion 
at Asobri in charge of spare camels, fantasses, &c., with orders to 
send into Kassala that evening all the prisoners taken, which now 
amounted to fifty odd, and to continue the usual patrols. At last, at 
11.30 a.m. arrived a wounded man from Hassibullah and Adlan, 
stating that they were in touch with a large force, which appeared to 
be Osman Digna’s, and at the same time arrived a message from 
Mustapha that he was engaged with another large force. There was 
no means of sending any orders rapidly back to Hassibullah as the 
wounded man came in alone on his camel and much time would have 
been lost by any other men having to look for Hassibullah. I at once 
had the camels loaded up, and while this was proceeding, wrote to 
Colonel Parsons telling him the state of affairs and asking him to 
send provisions and ammunition to meet me at Fasher some twenty 
miles south. I intended following Osman to within even a day’s march 
of Gedarif if possible, though I fear that would have meant my men 
eating camels, as the flour would not last beyond the 22nd. 
At 12 o’clock we started and after two hours hot marching, picked 
up Mustapha (whose messenger guided us) on the scene of his fight. 
He had killed twenty-two Dervishes, all black riflemen (jehadieh) and 
lost two men killed himself. From the position of the bodies, they 
must have been at pretty close quarters. The Dervishes had retired 
towards the river and according to Mustapha had fought stoutly. 
He knew nothing of Hassibullah. We set out again and I decided to 
make for Fasher by the direct desert track. I argued that it was 
evident large bodies of the enemy had marched round us and therefore 
with my twenty-four hours water supply, I considered that I would 
either catch them up or march round them while they were watering 
somewhere. As there was still no sign of Hassibullah, I concluded I 
would probably come across him in the neighbourhood of Fasher, as 
since there was no further news of him, it was probable that he was 
still following up Osman Digna. I, however, left a small post at a 
watering place which my guide said was called Khor Lebben, but 
which turned out to be a totally different place some six miles short 
of Khor Lebben. 
Soon after 8 p.m., we bivouacked in the open, of course no lights 
