There  was  not  a  minute  to  spare  if  high  Nile  were
to  serve.  Early  in  September  two  brigades  were
pushed  20  miles  forward  to  Dulgo,  where  by  the  10th
the  main  force  was  concentrated.  It  consisted  of
thirteen  battalions  in  four  brigades,  eight  squadrons,
six  companies  of  Camel  Corps,  and  four  batteries
of  Artillery,  with  the  1st  North  Staff ords  in
reserve.  They  were  supported  by  a  flotilla  of  three
armed  steamers  and  four  old  gunboats,  90  feet  long,
and — most  important  of  all — one  brand-new  gunboat,
the  Zafir,  the  pride  of  the  Army,  the  darling  of  the
,Sirdar.  She  was  140  feet  long  and  mounted  a
12-pounder,  two  6-pounders,  and  four  Maxims.
By  extraordinary  exertions  the  Zafir  had  been


200  LIFE  OF  LOED  KITCHENER

built  in  London  in  eight  weeks,  then  taken  to  pieces,
brought  out  to  the  Sudan,  and  put  together  again
on  the  Nile  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  assault  on
Dongola.  Hers  was  to  be  the  leading  part  in  reducing
the  Dervish  forts  on  the  river,  and  high  hopes
hung  on  her  potentiality.  Yet  on  September  11,
the  day  before  the  general  advance  was  fixed,  the
spirits  of  mischief,  with  devilish  precision,  played
their  worst  trick  on  the  Expedition.
With  the  Sirdar  and  Staff,  and  the  ofiicer
commanding  the  whole  flotilla  ^  on  board,  the  Zajir
put  off  majestically  from  the  shore.  But  hardly  had
she  gone  twenty  yards  into  the  stream  when  a  loud
explosion  announced  that  her  low-pressure  cylinder
had  burst  beyond  repair  !

The  Sirdar's  disappointment  was  acute.  Month
after  month,  and  day  by  day,  he  had  striven  to  get
his  force  into  perfect  trim  for  the  final  advance.
Difficulties  and  disappointments  had  been  piled  one  on
another,  and  this  disappointment  was  one  of  the  worst.
