140 Egypt
as it went. And, after the Battle of Ferkat (June 6,
1896), in which the Dervishes were heavily defeated
with an Egyptian loss of only twenty killed, Dongola was
occupied (September 23). The whole operation worked
like clockwork, and cost only fifty-nine killed, and
^750,000 sterling. In the following year Berber was
reoccupied, and became the railhead.
The next stage, the reconquest of Khartum, was con-
sidered beyond the unaided strength of Egypt. Public
opinion in England was accordingly prepared for a blow
at the "baleful power of the Khalifa" (Sir M. Hicks
Beach, February 5, 1897). In March, 1898, a force of
one British and two Egyptian brigades, twenty-four
guns, and, most important of all, twelve machine-guns,
advanced up the Atbara against twelve thousand
Dervishes and defeated them with heavy loss on both
sides. The Egyptian troops bore the brunt of the fight-
ing. Thereafter, reinforced by a second British brigade,
and with Kitchener in command, the expedition of
twenty-two thousand men advanced on Khartum. At
Omdurman they engaged in a decisive battle against
double their number of Dervishes. The desperate
bravery of the enemy only made his destruction com-
plete. The Emirs, waving their ancient crusaders5
swords and charging under their green banners, the
"fuzzies," with their broad-bladed spears that had
broken so many British squares, were swept down in
swathes by the Maxims. Nearly eleven thousand were
killed and sixteen thousand wounded, while the British
lost fourteen officers and one hundred and twenty-two
men, and the Egyptians nine officers and two hundred
and forty-one men. The Khalifa escaped, but was later
surprised by Wingate, and perished with his surviving
Emirs (November 24, 1899). Osman Digma soon after