The  French  at  Sfax,  in  1881,  attacked  and  won


58       MEMORABLE   IN   MILITARY   HISTORY

the  Arab  entrenchments  immediately  on  landing,
but  these  trenches,  besides  being  swept  by  the
fire  of  the  ships,  were  covered  with  smoke  from
the  dry  grass  which  the  shells  had  set  alight,  so
that  in  great  measure  the  French  advance  was
concealed  from  the  Arabs,  the  deadly  effect  of
whose  fire  was  lost.
