At Gabes I was able to ascertain the particulars of General Logerot’s march from Kairwán. It was a fitting sequel to General Saussier’s advance from Tunis, both as regards its details and its consequences. The Arabs (with a single exception) eluded the pursuit of the advancing column, and hardly an enemy was ever visible. Shots were at times exchanged during the night, some of the irregular cavalry were killed, but nothing deserving the name of an engagement took place. After leaving Kairwán on the 12th November, the camp was pitched successively at Enchir-el-Ouiba and Oued Mesour. This movement occupied three days. Halts were afterwards made at Bír Bu Habessa, Hoglet Ben Zallouck, and Hoglet El Ajela. On the 17th November the column reached Ali Ben Abda, where great inconvenience was experienced from want of water. The extraordinary inaccuracy of the topographical department was one of the worst features of the campaign in a military point of view. While I was at Kairwán, a reconnaissance under Colonel Moulin returned to the city by forced marches and in a pitiable condition, owing to having received totally erroneous official information about the water supply on his route. The _ouiden_ or rivers of the chart turned out to be streaks of sand, and the _biár_ or wells were in reality muddy pools of brine. If an Arab attack had taken place during the retreat, nothing could have saved the weary and thirsty troops from a disaster. The patience of the soldiers under these trying circumstances was admirable, and they enlivened their forced march by composing a song in honour of _riz au lait_ as cooked with the water of a Tunisian _bir_. I heard it afterwards sung at Kairwán, and it was as witty as it was good-humoured. The same misfortune was severely felt at the next halting-places (Taoul Sheikh and Oued Gran), but at El Founi several wells were found, and the column remained there for four days.