The morale of our force would have suffered had they known of the death of so important an officer, and Rumaliza would have been in a corresponding degree elated. Five hours' heavy fighting saw the Arabs repulsed all along the line, the Commandant Dhanis himself leading the last and most successful charge of the day right up to Rumaliza's gates. Reviewing our position that night, we found it a deplorable one; for besides the large number of killed and wounded, there were only forty rounds per head for the regular troops left, and no powder or caps for the auxiliaries and friendlies, and, what was worse, they could not expect us to arrive from Gandu with supplies in less than a fortnight.

But the Arabs had also had enough fighting for the time being, and remained quiet in their bomas for the next few days.