On Tuesday, therefore, the stroke was struck. The Army the
ordered to march by night to Tel-el-Kebir, and commence
h e_attack at daylight. The men rested and slept two hours half way, on the sand-hills, and than at five o'clock, still undiscovered, advanced to the attack. They were at last perceived, and a heavy fire was poured on the advancing lines ; but the enemy, surprised and alarmed, aimed both shells and bullets too high, and the loss was compara- tively trifling. The men advanced steadily, without firing,
and with a rush flung themselves—the Highland Brigade and the Royal Irish leading—into the entrenchments, which contained, Sir Garnet Wolseley believes, 20,000 men, besides Bedouins. The Egyptians fought in places like bravo men, once checking the Highlanders ; but they were overwhelmed by the superior physique of their adversaries, and within twenty minutes were flying to the right and left. Those to the right were attacked by the cavalry, those to the left by the Indian Contingent, and the slaughter became consider- able. About 1,000 are supposed to have been killed, 3,000 surrendered, and the remainder, flinging away their arms, spread over the open country. The actual engagement was over in half-an-hour, and 60 guns, 70 great tents, and endless arms and provisions fell into British hands. We had lost, so far as yet ascertained, in killed 54, of whom 11 were officers ; and in wounded 342, of whom 22 were officers.
