Meanwhile the three gunboats—­all that now remained of the armed flotilla, for the Teb had run on a rock in the Hannek Cataract—­were steaming gradually nearer the enemy, and the army swung to the right, and, forming along the river bank, became spectators of a scene of fascinating interest.  At half-past six the Horse battery unlimbered at the water’s edge, and began to fire obliquely up and across the river.  As soon as the first few shells had reached the Arab entrenchment the whole line of shelter trenches was edged with smoke, and the Dervishes replied with a heavy rifle fire.  The distance was, however, too great for their bad rifles and inferior ammunition, and their bullets, although they occasionally struck the ground on which the infantry were drawn up, did not during the day cause any loss to the watching army.

The Dervish position was about half a mile in length.  As the gunboats approached the northern end they opened fire with their guns, striking the mud entrenchments at every shot, and driving clouds of dust and splinters into the air.  The Maxim guns began to search the parapets, and two companies of the Staffordshire Regiment on board the unarmoured steamers Dal and Akasha fired long-range volleys.  Now, as on other occasions throughout the war, the Dervishes by their military behaviour excited the admiration of their enemies.  Encouraged by the arrival in the morning of a reinforcement from Omdurman of 1,000 Black Jehadia and 500 spearmen under Abdel Baki, the Dervish gunners stood to their guns and the riflemen to their trenches, and, although suffering severely, maintained a formidable fire.

The gunboats continued to advance, beating up slowly against the strong current.  As they came opposite Hafir, where the channel narrows to about 600 yards, they were received by a very heavy fire from guns placed in cleverly screened batteries, and from the riflemen sheltered in deep pits by the water’s edge or concealed amid the foliage of the tops of the palm-trees.  These aerial skirmishers commanded the decks of the vessels, and the shields of the guns were thus rendered of little protection.  All the water round the gunboats was torn into foam by the projectiles.  The bullets pattered against their sides, and, except where they were protected by steel plates, penetrated.  One shell struck the Abu Klea on the water-line, and entered the magazine.  Luckily it did not explode, the Dervishes having forgotten to set the fuse.  Three shells struck the Metemma.  On board the Tamai, which was leading, Commander Colville was severely wounded in the wrist; Armourer-Sergeant Richardson was killed at his Maxim gun, and on each boat some casualties occurred.  So hot was the fire that it was thought doubtful whether to proceed with the bombardment, and the Tamai swung round, and hurried down the river with the current and at full steam to report to the Sirdar.  The other gunboats remained in action, and continued to shell the Dervish defences.  The Tamai soon returned to the fight, and, steaming again up the river, was immediately hotly re-engaged.