A second attack was made at the Ismailia Ferry, where
at daylight the enemy were found digging entrenchments some seven hundred or eight hundred yards from our poste, and two battalions of the enemy fired on our men with rifles. There was, however, no serious attack. At El-Kantara our outposts were attacked at sunrise, but the enemy were driven off, leaving twenty-one killed and twenty-five wounded and thirty- six unwounded prisoners. Later there was a partial attack, but the enemy were checked some three-quarters of a mile from our position. Our casualties were slight. It is estimated that the total strength of the enemy's forces was about twelve thousand men with six batteries. There will, of course, almost immediately be further attacks, for, as we have said before, the desert is not a good place to hang about in. You must either get through it or perish in the attempt— unless you are a Bedouin and can lire on hot sand and muddy water, and a great deal of the former and very little of the latter.
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