The building of the railway through the desert has been entrusted to the
engineer corps. These engineers are soldiers whose duty it is to build
fortifications, railroads, bridges, or any works which the commander of
the force may think necessary.

In building a railroad the first thing to be done is to prepare the
road-bed, so that it will not give way under the weight of the trains
that are to pass over it. This is done by digging out or banking up the
earth so that the bed shall be level. When the earth-bank has been made
as high and as solid as necessary, huge wooden beams, called sleepers,
are placed across it at regular intervals, and on these sleepers the
rails are laid.

The correspondent describes the laying of the rails as follows:

"A great sight was the actual work of laying the line. We went out in a
car drawn by a spare engine, to see this at the place where the work was
in progress. The second construction train had reached the scene of
active operations just before we arrived, and the desert fairly hummed
with busy turmoil. It has been given but to few to see a railway line
made and used while you wait. Yet we had that experience on this
afternoon. Everything was done at once. The long train moves slowly
toward the end of the rails, getting as near to the bare bank as is
possible. So soon as she stops, an eager army of workers attack her,
with, of course, much wild noise of strange rhythmic chant. To the
uninitiated this onslaught of the workers on the train bears all the
appearance of a raid, yet, should one watch awhile, it gradually dawns
upon one that marvellous orderliness and most studied method underlie
every seemingly wild movement. The engine stops--say, ten rail lengths
from the end of the track--and the game begins. The rail-cars are in