The battles of Toski in 1889, or Tokar in 1890, did not settle the unrest in Egypt. It smouldered and again broke into serious flame in 1897. Thanks, however, to the admirable organisation of the Egyptian army by Earl (then Sir Herbert) Kitchener, and the prompt measures which he took to deal with the Dervishes, the British flag and the Egyptian crescent soon flew over what remained of the Residency of Khartoum. Before, however, this was achieved the battles of the Atbara and Omdurman had to be fought, and for these bars bearing the legends THE ATBARA and KHARTOUM were issued with the medal to those who took part in the fights.

The Atbara.—The battle of the Atbara was fought on the morning of Good Friday 1898, the attack of the Anglo-Egyptian army of about 12,000 men being made at sunrise after a night march, during which the troops had plodded across the desert from Umdabieh in brilliant moonlight; they halted just before 5 o'clock for a rest, during which they shiveringly discussed the prospects of the battle, for if the days are scorching in the Sudan, the nights are icily cold. Then the squares formed, and the army marched forward to battle. At first the artillery played upon Mahmud's camp, but the Dervishes seemed to take little heed of it, for it is said it was fully half an hour before they began to reply with their rifles. Then at 7.30 a.m. the great guns stopped; the bugles rang out "Advance!" and as the pipers played "The March of the Cameron Men," the infantry advanced to the attack. Again the enemy took little heed, until the Cameron men reached the top of the ridge overlooking the zareba, and then the rifles of the Dervishes rang out, but they could not stop the Camerons' onslaught; followed by the Lincolns, the Seaforths, and the Warwicks, they went clean through the zareba. General Gatacre and Private Cross of the Camerons distinguished themselves by being the first in. The onslaught of the British and Sudanese was irresistible, and whoever could of the fighting Dervishes rushed riverward. Osman Digna again decamped, but a number of other leaders, including Mahmud, were either killed or taken prisoners; 4,000 Dervishes were taken prisoners, and 3,000 killed. The Camerons lost Captain Finlay and Urquhart, and the Seaforths Lieutenant Gore, the three Scots officers falling as they led their men into the zareba; 18 men were also killed, and 88 wounded. Fourteen native officers were killed, while the native regiments also lost 50 killed, and 319 wounded. The Sirdar at the conclusion of the battle highly complimented the Colonel of the Camerons upon the steadiness of their advance in face of the fire which greeted them at the zareba.

Omdurman.—This battle quieted the Dervishes until August, when preparations were made to give them the coup de grÂce. This happened on September 2nd, 1898, at Omdurman—made famous by the maiden charge of the 21st Lancers under Captain Martin against enormous odds—when the enemy lost 11,000 killed, 16,000 wounded, and 4,000 made prisoners. The British infantry division was again commanded by General Gatacre, the Brigadiers being Generals Wauchope and Lyttleton. The 1st Brigade consisted of the Camerons, Seaforths, Lincolns, and Warwicks, and a Maxim Battery. The 2nd Brigade comprised 1st Grenadier Guards; 1st Northumberland Fusiliers; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, and 2nd Rifle Brigade. Macdonald, Maxwell, and Lewis again commanded three brigades of the Egyptian army, and Collinson Bey a fourth. There were 7,500 Britishers, and 12,000 Egyptians.

On April 2nd the Dervish army advanced against the British, their front extending for about 3 miles. The British formed an obtuse angle, and at 6.30 a.m. opened fire upon the advancing hosts with such precision that hundreds were mown down, but the Dervishes did not falter. As Steevens said, "No white troops could have faced that torrent for five minutes, but the Baggara and the blacks came on." There was no fear; the black-eyed houris were waiting with outstretched arms to receive such doughty warriors. Still they could not stand against their foe, but they retired with such caution that they were able to re-form. The pressure of their well-drilled enemy, however, was too great, and they began to flee. The bravest of them, however, planted their standards as rallying-points, and stood their ground until they were killed; the others appeared to be making for Omdurman, 5 miles from the scene of battle, and to prevent this the 21st Lancers were ordered to charge. They hacked their way through the dense mass of men who feared nothing. Then the Khalifa's stalwarts made a last effort, but Macdonald's Sudanese steadily met the onslaught; repulsed it, sent the Dervishes flying in all directions, and the battle of Omdurman was won. Mahdism was worsted, but Osman Digna had again eluded the victors. At last Khartoum was taken, the captives set free, and the dominion of the rebel slave-trader overthrown.

Khartoum.—To those who took part in this battle, which ended in the taking of Khartoum, a bar for KHARTOUM was added to the Khedive's medal, and a bar for GEDAREF to all engaged in the capture of the place, and the fighting which followed in the district.

The following British regiments were engaged in the campaign: 1st Grenadier Guards; 1st Seaforth and 1st Cameron Highlanders; 1st Warwicks; 1st Northumberland Fusiliers; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers; 1st Lincolns; 2nd Rifle Brigade; a detachment of 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, with 4 Maxim guns; 16th Company Eastern Division R.A.; 32nd and 37th Field Batteries R.A.; 21st Lancers; a detachment of Royal Engineers; Army Service and Army Ordnance Corps; Royal Army Medical Corps.

Sudan, 1899, and Gedid.—Early in 1900 a bar bearing the record SUDAN 1899 was awarded to those who had taken part in the second Dongola campaign, and a medal with bar for GEDID was issued to those who were engaged in the actions at that place on November 22nd and 24th, 1899, which resulted in the defeat of the Khalifa Abdulla El Taaishi. Bronze medals were issued to the civilian syces and authorised camp followers. The number of bars issued with the Khedive's Sudan medal varies from one to eight, but it is seldom that European soldiers received medals with more than two bars. European officers in some instances received more, but Major-General Sir Archibald Hunter, I think, has the distinction of possessing one bearing six bars.

Three Later Bars.—In 1905 and 1906 it was decided to add three more bars to the Khedive's Sudan medal, one for BAHR-EL-GHAZEL 1900-2 for services rendered in the reconquest of that province; one for JEROK for operations in the Blue Nile province against Wad-el-Mahmud in 1904; one for NYAM-NYAM to those employed against the Nyam-Nyam tribesmen in the province of Bahr-el-Ghazel in 1905.

Queen's Sudan Medal.—In March 1899 Her Majesty Queen Victoria approved of a new medal being struck to commemorate the military operations in connection with the reconquest of the Sudan. The medal, 1? in. in diameter, in silver was granted to all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the British, Indian, and Egyptian forces, and native allies who were employed in the military operations in Egypt resulting in the capture of Abu-Hamed, the reconquest of the Province of Berber, the defeat of Emir Mahmud's army on the Atbara, and the final operations resulting in the overthrow of the Khalifa's troops at Khartoum. Civilian syces, civilian servants of officers, and authorised followers were entitled to the medal in bronze. No bars were issued with this medal. On the obverse is a half-length effigy of Queen Victoria, facing left, crowned, with a lace veil flowing behind, on which a small Imperial crown is placed, wearing the Ribbon and Star of the Order of the Garter, the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, and the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, holding a sceptre in her right hand. Legend, VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. On the reverse is a figure of a winged Victory seated, having a palm-branch in her outstretched right hand, and a laurel wreath in her left. There are two flags behind on either side—the British being on the left and the Khedive's to the right; beneath on the pedestal which supports the figure is the word SUDAN in intaglio, the space beneath the pedestal being filled by the decorative disposition of three lilies of the Nile in leaf. This is, in my opinion, the most symbolic and beautiful medal issued since Wyon took for his model a Greek coin, and based his figure of Victory—which adorns the Waterloo medal—upon it. The name of the recipient, together with his rank and regiment, was generally engraved upon the edge of the medal in neat Roman capitals. I have seen some with the lettering impressed in very small Roman capitals. The medal is suspended by a straight bar from a black and yellow ribbon 1¼ in. wide, divided down the centre by a narrow crimson stripe.

East and Central Africa Medal.—A medal to replace the old one with swivel ring was issued to those who took part in the troubles which occurred in the Uganda Protectorate during 1897 and 1898. The medal, 1? in. in diameter, had on the obverse the same bust of Queen Victoria as the Sudan medal, and on the reverse Britannia with the British lion beside her, holding out in her left hand a palm branch and a scroll toward the rising sun, and in her right a trident. In the exergue, in Roman capitals, is the denomination EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA. The medal for Somaliland 1902-4 (illustrated facing page 296) is the same but for the inscription in the exergue. Two bars were issued with the medal, LUBWA'S and UGANDA 1897-8. A bar with the date 1898 was issued to those who fought against the Ogaden Somalis from April to August 1898, and a bar for UGANDA 1899 was awarded to those employed in the military operations against Kabarega in the Protectorate between March and May 1899. The ribbon, 1¼ in. wide, is half red and yellow, and the names, etc., of recipients are impressed or engraved on the edge in light Roman capitals.

Royal Niger Co.'s Medal.—For participation in military operations in the Niger Company's territories during the period of 1886 to 1897 the Company awarded a silver medal to the members of its executive staff, and bronze medals to the natives. The names of the recipients were impressed upon the silver medals, but the native's number only was indented upon the edge of the bronze medals issued to those who were actually serving on December 31st, 1899. These medals, which were struck by Messrs. Spink & Son, bear on the obverse the diademed bust of Queen Victoria, and on the reverse a shield bearing a Y-shaped elevation, with the words ARS, JUS, PAX; behind the shield is a trophy of arms and flags. This medal, 1½ in. in diameter, is suspended from a ribbon 1½ in. wide, composed of three equal stripes of yellow, black, and white, by means of a straight clasp. The bars, 1? in. long by ³/₁₀ in. wide, have the record NIGERIA 1886-1897 attached to the silver medals, but NIGERIA only on the bronze.

Ashanti, 1900.—After the rebellion of certain native tribes had been quelled, and the siege of Kumassi raised, King Edward VII approved of a medal—the first bearing his effigy—being issued to those who had taken part in the operations, and a bar inscribed KUMASSI also to those who had defended or relieved the city. On the obverse is the bemedalled bust of King Edward in Field-Marshal's uniform, which was used later on the South Africa medal 1901-2; on the reverse is modelled a lion looking toward the left of the medal, where the rising sun is depicted behind a hill. The lion is statant gardent in front of an African shield, whereon are two assegais, one being significantly broken; below is a plain panel with the word ASHANTI. The ribbon is alternately black and green—three black and two green stripes. The suspender is straight, and the names, etc., of recipients—mostly native soldiery—indented in small block letters on the edge of the medal, a few were issued engraved. The Flying Column was composed of 100 of the West African Regiment, 250 of the 2nd Central African Regiment, 350 West African Frontier Force, and 40 Sierra Leone Police with 2 guns. Some men of the 3rd W.I.R. also received the medal with bar for Kumassi.