Yesterday morning, at 5.30, I started with the French column for Mesaken, a village about twelve miles from Susa, in the direction of Kairwán. The column was 4500 strong, including 450 men of the 6th Hussars, who had just arrived here. Nothing of any moment occurred till we arrived there, when the camp was pitched about a mile from the village, which about a fortnight since sent in its submission. The cavalry made a reconnaissance the same evening, and had a slight brush with the Arabs. At night a strong cordon of outposts was made all round the camp, consisting of a number of guards broken up into what the French call _petites postes_. I myself accompanied one of these guards and slept out (or rather did not sleep) all the night. About ten P.M. it began to rain heavily, and as we were talking under some olive-trees one of the two sentries suddenly fired his rifle. Going out to see what had happened, we found an Arab about forty yards off quite dead. There had been two there, but one escaped in the darkness and confusion. On the other side of the camp the Arabs crept up close to our guard, and shot two of the 138th Regiment dead and wounded another. The next morning a reconnaissance in force was made, and one could see on the hills all round a great number of horsemen. I went with a squadron of cavalry in the direction of a village due south of Mesaken. At the top of the hill we suddenly came on the Arabs in the olive forest, and a skirmish took place. The troopers dismounted, and fired their carbines like infantry, but we soon had to fall back. By this time the _chasseurs-à-pied_ on all sides of the camp were sharply engaged with the enemy. I am sure they must have had rifles, as at 500 yards they sent a lot of bullets over our heads. Orders were now given to strike camp and fall back, as it was General Étienne’s intention merely to march out and encamp to exercise his men. All the way back to Susa a running fight took place, for by this time the Arabs had cut off communication with Susa and disputed every inch of the way. The artillery fired twenty shells into the insurgent villages. While we were marching home, the Arabs made a raid on Susa, and killed and carried away a lot of cattle quite close to the town. The Governor sent out some Guards and Hussars, but only two Arabs were caught. We reached the gates at five o’clock, being followed by the Arabs up to the walls. This evening one soldier was shot dead and another wounded, both near the town. It is quite unsafe now to leave Susa at all. The news of this repulse created a very painful impression at Tunis, on its arrival there, a few hours after the occupation of the city, but it taught the French not altogether to despise their enemies, and served as a warning in future operations of the kind. Another week passed away, and the state of affairs around Susa became if possible worse than they were a month previously. On the 17th October, Lieutenant Kane writes:—