=Suakin, 1884.=--Undaunted Osman Digna still managed to preach his holy war, and secure thousands of adherents to his banner. Within four miles of the disastrous defeat which he had suffered he successfully got together, at Tamanieb, about 2,000 fighting men, but General Graham did not give him much rope, and immediately set out to meet him. Leaving Suakin on March 25th, he marched with a force which included marines to meet the Mahdists. To guard Suakin in the absence of General Graham and his troops, a force of 200 seamen was landed; the enemy did not, however, come to close grips, and after driving them off on March 27th, and destroying their camp, the troops returned to Suakin, after a very trying time, in which owing to the intense heat many fell victims to sunstroke. Suakin was then garrisoned with a small body of troops, including a battalion of marines, and after the rest of the troops had retired to Cairo, or returned to England, they had to defend the place for several months, during which time the officers and crews of the "Albacore," "Briton," "Coquette," "Myrmidon," "Sphinx," "Tyne," and "Woodlark" were kept busy in assisting the defenders. For these services a clasp inscribed SUAKIN 1884 was issued. =The Nile, 1884-5.=--The valiant defence of Khartoum by General Gordon ultimately forced upon the British Government the task of attempting to relieve him, and his few European comrades. The expedition was organised to take the field under General Wolseley; and as special efforts were to be made to use the Nile as a water road for the troops, 300 boats of a special type were built, and 500 Canadian boatmen (Voyageurs) and 300 Kroomen were recruited to navigate them. It is said of the Voyageurs that some of them "hardly knew the stern of a boat from the bow," and "when they saw the Cataracts went sick." It will be remembered that Lord Wolseley offered a prize of £100 to the first regiment to reach Debbeh in boats, and the 1st Royal Irish won it. In this expedition a naval brigade composed of men from the Mediterranean fleet commanded by Captain (afterwards Admiral) Lord Charles Beresford was prominently engaged. Of the difficulties that had to be encountered in navigating the Nile much could be written, for the work was not accomplished without considerable loss of life, and before the expedition reached Dongola 10 of the Canadians and 40 of the troops had been drowned. [Illustration: SECOND CLASS PRUSSIAN ORDER OF MERIT.] [Illustration: HESSIAN MEDAL FOR 1814-15.] [Illustration: AUSTRIAN CROSS FOR 1813-14.]