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Correspondents' Permits—Academic Obstacles—Fellow-Passengers to Alexandria—French Animosity in Egypt—Indifferentism of Egyptian Natives—An Interesting Dinner—Preparations for the Campaign—Egyptian Magic—A Native "Medium"—Ali buys a Sword—Departure from Cairo—A Matrimonial Quarrel—Rumours about the Khalifa—Discomforts of the Night Journey—The Luxor Hotel—Malevolent Spiders—Karnak—By Rail to Shellal—Imbecility of Ali's Brother—Hospital Arrangements—Dreariness of a Nile Voyage—Cheerfulness of Tommy Atkins—A Classic Tale of Horror—Death of a Soldier—From Wady Halfa in a Cattle Truck—Abu Ahmed—First Night at the Atbara—Chequered Career of the El Tahra—Life at Atbara Camp—The Plagues of Egypt up to Date—Perverse Camels—Failure of our Attempts to overtake Lancers

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CHAPTER II
From the Atbara to Wad Hamed

A Crowded Ghyassa—A Talking Mummy—Slatin Pasha—Animal Life on the Banks—The Pyramids of Meroe—Work for Archæologists—A Gaalin Sheikh—A Dervish Deserter—Abu Klea—A Sandstorm—Arrival at Wad Hamed—We meet the Sirdar—Types of the War Correspondent—Entomology—Insect Life in the Sudan—Desert Circulating Library—Fly-fishing in the Nile—Military "Fatigues"—Fugitives from Omdurman—Our Camp Life at Wad Hamed—Thirst in the Tropics—How we Dined—Good-bye to Wad Hamed

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CHAPTER III
The Week before the Battle

Embarkation of Friendlies—The Shabluka Cataract—Our Delay at Rojan Island—First Glimpse of Omdurman—The Evening Ride from Hagir—The Joys of Good Health—Sudanese Wives—Importance of the "Drink Camel"—An Adventurous Greekling—Mr. Villiers' Bicycle—Um Teref Camp—Sudanese Music—The First Dervish—Scorpion v. the "Father of Spiders"—A Cavalry Reconnaissance—A Rainy Night—Within Twenty-five Miles of Omdurman—Deserted Villages—A Disappointing Capture—Seg-et-Taib—The Water Question—Corpses in the River—The Khalifa's Army in Sight—The Ridge of Kerreri—Sururab—Gunboats at Work—Troublesome Donkeys—Sniping—A Tropical Downpour spoils our Rest—Mr. Villiers and Myself stung by Scorpions—Chasing Hares on the March—Cavalry Scouts on Kerreri—Howitzers in Action—Skirmishing with the Khalifa's Cavalry—Waiting for the Dervish Advance—The Khalifa halts—The Evening before the Battle—The Perils of a Night Attack—False Alarms

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CHAPTER IV
The Battle of Omdurman