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 APR 1 3 199< 
 
 
 
 
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 PICTORIAL 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ENGLISH IN EGYPT, 
 
 WITH LIFE OF GENERAL GORDON.
 
 Pomp of Egypt's elder day. 
 Shade of the mighty passed away, 
 Whose giant works still frown sublime 
 'Mid the twilight shades of time ; 
 Fanes, of sculpture vast and rude, 
 That strew the sandy solitude! 
 Lo I before our startled eyes, 
 As at a wizard 's wand, ye rise, 
 Glimmering larger through the gloom I 
 While on the secrets of the tomb, 
 Rapt in other times, we gaze. 
 The Mother Queen of ancient days, 
 Her mystic symbol in her hand, 
 Great Isis, seems herself to stand, 
 
 WILLIAM LISLE BOWLES. 
 
 Hail I Egypt ! land of ancient pomp and pride, 
 Where Beauty walks by hoary Ruin's side ; 
 Where Plenty reigns, and still the seasons smile, 
 And rolls rich gift of Godexhaustless Nile. 
 Land of the Pyramid and Temple lone, 
 Where fame, a star, on earth's dark midnight shone, 
 Bright seat of wisdom, grand with arts and arms, 
 'Ere Rome was built, or smiled fair Athens' charms ; 
 Wliat owes the past, the living world to t/iee f 
 All that refines, sublimes humanity. 
 
 NICHOLAS MICHELL. 
 
 -t-
 
 GENERAL GORDON. 
 
 "FOR ALL MEN RECOMMKND PATIF.NCK ; FKW, HOWEVER, THEY ARE WHO ARE 
 WILLING TO SUFFER. Thotnas a k'cmpis.
 
 _5 , 5 j _ - _ , 
 
 1 
 
 LONDON: 
 c'l fl \\>{ <rl "J Jl Ira Iru <* / 
 
 D D^iif tru J ilxi ti 
 
 PATERNOSTER ROW.
 
 PICTORIAL 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ENGLISH IN EGYPT, 
 
 WITH A 
 FULL AND DESCRIPTIVE LIFE OF 
 
 GENKRAL GORDON, 
 
 THE HERO OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 Together with Graphic Narratives of the Lives and Adventures of 
 
 Lord Wolseley, Stewart, Burnaby, Horatio Nelson, Abercromby, 
 
 Sidney Smith, Sir John Moore, Bruce, and other 
 
 World-famous Heroes. 
 
 WITH UPWARDS OF 
 
 ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY WOOD ENGRAVINGS, 
 
 AND A SERIES OF COLOURED PORTRAITS FROM AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPHS, 
 PRINTED IN THE BEST STYLE OF CHROMO-LITHOGRAPHY. 
 
 JAMES SANGSTER & COMPANY, 
 
 PATERNOSTER ROW.
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTION i 
 
 CHAP. I. THE EGYPT OF TO-DAY THE 
 
 MYSTERIOUS NILE 5 
 
 II. GORDON THE HERO AND DELIVERER 10 
 
 III. GORDON His YOUTH AND EARLY 
 CAREER ADVENTURES DURING THE 
 SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL 15 
 
 IV. GORDON IN ASIA MINOR ASCENT 
 OF MOUNT ARARAT RETURNS TO 
 ENGLAND 19 
 
 V. GORDON THE CHINESE WAR SACK 
 OF THE SUMMER PALACE JOURNEY TO 
 THE GREAT WALL 21 
 
 VI. GORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE 
 EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY OUR HERO'S 
 WONDERFUL EXPLOITS 25 
 
 VII. GORDON THE WAND OF VICTORY 
 
 COLLAPSE OF THE REBELLION . . 32 
 
 VIII. GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVES- 
 END DEEDS OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY 
 His RELIGIOUS OPINIONS .... 41 
 
 IX. GORDON SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 SOUDAN ITS RESOURCES AND HISTORY 50 
 
 X. THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT 
 
 ITS GREATNESS, THOUGH IN RUIN . 54 
 
 XI. ANCIENT EGYPT OPINIONS ABOUT 
 
 THE NILE FABLE OF THE PHCENIX . 60 
 
 XII. GENERAL HERBERT STEWART A 
 BRIEF RECORD OF THE LIFE AND 
 SERVICES OF THAT ABLE SOLDIER . 68 
 
 XIII. GENERAL EARLE A LIVERPOOL 
 LAD QUALITIES OF HEAD AND HEART 
 DEATH IN THE MOMENT OF VICTORY 75 
 
 XIV. COLONEL FRED BURNABY His 
 
 FAMOUS RIDE TO KHIVA 78 
 
 XV. BURMABY His ADVENTURES IN ASIA 
 MINOR STANDS FOR BIRMINGHAM- 
 CAREER AS A BALLOONIST .... 83 
 
 XVI. BURNABY His SHARE IN THE Ex- 
 PEDITION TO KHARTOUM His DEATH 
 AND CHARACTER 87 
 
 XVII. ANCIENT EGYPT "THE CON- 
 STANT SERVICE OF THE ANTIQUE 
 WORLD" 92 
 
 XVIII. THE PRIESTS AND RELIGION OF 
 
 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS 97 
 
 XIX. VARIOUS CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE 
 
 EGYPTIANS 102 
 
 XX. GORDON SOME MORE FACTS ABOUT 
 
 THE SOUDAN no 
 
 XXL GORDON THE SOUDAN SLAVE- 
 TRADE AN ACCOUNT OF KHARTOUM . 115 
 
 PAGE 
 
 XXII. BRUCE His NOBLE DESCENT 
 
 His AFRICAN TRAVELS 119 
 
 XXIII. BRUCE His ADVENTURES IN 
 
 ABYSSINIA 125 
 
 XXIV. BRUCE His LAST YEARS . . . 131 
 
 XXV. THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE 
 
 OLD KINGS 135 
 
 XXVI. GORDON GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF 
 
 THE EQUATORIAL PROVINCES ... 141 
 
 XXVII. GORDON ADMINISTRATION OK 
 
 THE SOUDAN 144 
 
 XXVIII. SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY His 
 
 EARLY SERVICES 148 
 
 XXIX. SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY VIC- 
 TORIES OVER THE FRENCH .... 152 
 
 XXX. "THE NILE'S PROUD FIGHT "- 
 
 EARLY CAREER OF NELSON .... 159 
 
 XXXI. THE HISTORY OF EGYPT CLEO- 
 PATRA 170 
 
 XXXII. THE HISTORY OF EGYPT AN- 
 TONY AND CLEOPATRA 179 
 
 XXXIIL THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE 
 
 FALL OF CLEOPATRA 184 
 
 XXXIV. GORDON CHINA ONCE MORE 
 
 THE CAPE 195 
 
 XXXV. GORDON IN PALESTINE. ... 199 
 
 XXXVI. SIR SIDNEY SMITH His DE- 
 FENCE OF ACRE 205 
 
 XXXVIL SIR SIDNEY SMITH THE EL 
 ARISCH CONVENTION AN HONOUR- 
 ABLE SOLDIER 211 
 
 XXXVIII. SIR JOHN MOORE A SOL- 
 DIER'S CAREER 216 
 
 XXXIX. SIR JOHN MOORE SERVICES IN 
 
 EGYPT DEATH AT CORUNNA . . . 225 
 
 XL. MODERN EGYPT ENGLISH CRU- 
 SADERS OUR OWN DAY 230 
 
 XLL MODERN EGYPT ARAIU'S REBEL- 
 LION BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA 234 
 
 XLIL A ROMANCE FROM THE BLUE- 
 BOOKS 237 
 
 XLIII. THE ALEXANDRIA RIOTS NAR- 
 RATIVES OF EYE-WITNESSES .... 244 
 
 XLIV. LORD ALCESTER A BRIEF RE- 
 CORD OF ins CAREER 250 
 
 XLV. GORDON His OPINION AS TO THE 
 
 SOUDAN 253 
 
 XLVI. GORDON EN ROUTE FOR KHARTOUM 259 
 
 XLVIL MODERN EGYPT THE VICTORY 
 
 OF TEL-EL KEBIR 268 
 
 XLVIII. MODERN EGYPT EXPEDITION 
 
 OF HICKS PASHA 271
 
 VI 
 
 TABLE OP CONTENTS. 
 
 XLIX. MODERN EGYPT DESTRUCTION 
 
 OF HICKS PASHA'S ARMY 274 
 
 L. THE MAHDI THE STORY OF HIS 
 
 ORIGIN 279 
 
 LI. THE MAHDI How HE ATTAINED 
 
 POWER 282 
 
 LII. THE MAHDI THE SECRET OF HIS 
 
 SUCCESS 285 
 
 LI II. GORDON His MISSION IN THE 
 
 SOUDAN 288 
 
 LIV. GORDON ARRIVAL IN KHARTOUM 
 
 THE SLAVERY PROCLAMATION . . 293 
 
 LV. Two BRITISH WAR CORRESPONDENTS 
 MR. CAMERON AND MR. ST. LEGER 
 HERBERT 298 
 
 LVI. LORD WOLSELEY EARLY YEARS OF 
 
 SERVICE 303 
 
 LVI I. LORD WOLSELEY RECORDS OF AN 
 
 ACTIVE CAREER 310 
 
 LVI1I. LORD WOLSELEY SERVICES IN 
 
 AMERICA AND AFRICA 314 
 
 LIX. -LORD WOLSELEY FURTHER TOILS 
 
 AND SUCCESSES 320 
 
 LX. LORD WOLSELEY EGYPTIAN EX- 
 PEDITION CHARACTERISTICS AS A 
 WRITER 324 
 
 LXI. LORD WOLSELEY ILLUSTRATIONS 
 FROM SCENES IN HIS LIFE His 
 CHARACTER AS DRAWN BY MR. ARCHI- 
 BALD FORBES 327 
 
 LXII. GRAHAM'S EXPEDITION DEFEAT 
 
 OF BAKER PASHA NEW PREPARATIONS 332 
 
 LXIII. GRAHAM'S EXPEDITION EL TEB 
 
 AND TAMANIEB 337 
 
 LXIV. OSMAN DlGNA HIS LlFE AT 
 
 SOUAKIN BECOMES THE MAHDI'S 
 LIEUTENANT 343 
 
 LXV. GORDON THE SIEGE OF KHAR- 
 TOUM SUMMARY 347 
 
 LXVL GORDON DESPATCHES RELATING 
 
 TO THE KHARTOUM EXPEDITION . . 356 
 
 LXVII. GORDON LIFE IN KHARTOUM 
 
 THE DOOMED CITY 361 
 
 LXVIII. GORDON INCIDENTS OF THE 
 
 SIEGE OF KHARTOUM 366 
 
 LXIX. GORDON His KHARTOUM DIARIES 368 
 
 LXX. GORDON His KHARTOUM DIARIES 371 
 
 LXXI. GORDON SCENES OF SUFFERING 
 AT THE FALL OF KHARTOUM THE 
 END OF THE TRAITOR 373 
 
 LXXII. GORDON His DEATH SUCCESS 
 
 OF THE MAHDI 376 
 
 LXXIII. GORDON EFFECT OF NEWS OF 
 HIS DEATH IN ENGLAND THE EX- 
 AMPLE OF HIS LIFE- 380 
 
 LXXIV. GORDON A NATION'S GRIEF 
 
 AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE 384 
 
 LXXV. GORDON THE NATIONAL 
 
 MEMORIAL 388 
 
 LXXVI. GORDON THE BOYS' CAMP 
 
 FAMILY WISHES AND THOUGHTS . . 392 
 
 PAG tt 
 
 LXXVII. GORDON CONCLUDING RE- 
 FLECTIONS AND REMINISCENCES . . 394 
 LXXVIII. ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT 
 
 OUR WAR CORRESPONDENTS .... 398 
 LXXIX. HASSAN, THE EGYPTIAN SOL- 
 DIER PRINCE A SUMMARY OF HIS 
 CAREER 402 
 
 LXXX. THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT 
 IN THE SOUDAN "FiT TO Go ANY- 
 WHERE AND Do ANYTHING" . . . 406 
 
 LXXXI. THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT 408 
 
 LXXXII. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDI- 
 TION THE START THE CAMEL CORPS 41 1 
 
 LXXXIII. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPE- 
 DITION LORD WOLSELEY'S PLANS . . 413 
 
 LXXXIV. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITION ABU KLEA BEFORE THE 
 BATTLE 418 
 
 LXXXV. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITION BATTLE OF ABU KLEA . . 420 
 
 LXXXVL THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITIONABU KLEA CLOSE OF THE 
 BATTLE 425 
 
 LXXXVIL THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITIONON TOWARDS THE NlLE ! . 429 
 
 LXXXVIII. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITION BATTLE OF GUBAT THE 
 NILE REACHED 432 
 
 LXXXIX. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EX- 
 PEDITION HOPES AND PLANS . , . 437 
 
 XC. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION 
 NARRATIVE OF WILSON'S VOYAGE 
 AND BERESFORD'S RESCUE .... 439 
 
 XCI. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDI- 
 TIONRETREAT FROM ABU KRU TO 
 ABU KLEA 445 
 
 XCII. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDI- 
 TION RETREAT FROM ABU KLEA TO 
 GAKDUL 451 
 
 XCIII. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDI- 
 TION LIFE AT KORTI 456 
 
 XCIV. THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDI- 
 TION EARLE'S ADVANCE FORCE RE- 
 CALLED TO KORTI 462: 
 
 XCV. THE EASTERN SOUDAN CAMPAIGN 
 
 SOUAKIN TO BERBER 464 
 
 XCVI. THE EASTERN SOUDAN CAMPAIGN 
 
 THE BATTLE OF HASHEEN. . . . 467 
 
 XCVII. ENGINEERING IN THE DESERT 
 
 THE SOUAKIN-BERBER RAILWAY . . 470 
 
 XCVIII. AN ENGLISHMAN'S LIFE IN 
 
 EGYPT A SUMMER'S DAY IN SOUAKIN 474 
 
 XCIX. EVACUATION OF THE SOUDAN 
 
 DEATH OF THE MAHDI 477 
 
 C. EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS A CAMEL JOUR- 
 NEY 480 
 
 CL EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS TRAVELLING 
 
 NEAR KHARTOUM 486 
 
 CII. EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS 491 
 
 CIII. EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS FATHER 
 
 BONONI'S NARRATIVE ...... 495
 
 LIST OF COLOURED PL/TES /NO WOOD 
 
 COLOURED PLATES. 
 
 GENERAL GORDON Frontispiece 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN ENGLAND AND EGYPT Vignette Title 
 
 COL. FRED BURNABY 78 
 
 JAMES BRUCE AND M. PARK 119 
 
 THE SULTAN OF TURKEY 239 
 
 LORD ALCESTER 250 
 
 GENERAL LORD WOLSELEY 303 
 
 PRINCE HASSAN 410 
 
 WOOD ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN I 
 
 SCENE ON THE BANKS OK THE NILE . . 4 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 5 
 
 EGYPTIAN WOMAN 9 
 
 GORDON ON THE WAY TO KHARTOUM . . 13 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 14 
 
 -GORDON'S BATTERY, CRIMEA 17 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 18 
 
 GORDON IN ARMENIA, 1857 20 
 
 GORDON IN CHINA, 1863 NARROW ESCAPE 
 
 NEAR SOOCHOW 21 
 
 GORDON IN CHINA, 1863 THE STORMING 
 
 OP LEEKU 28 
 
 GORDON'S SHIP, THE " HYSON " . . . . 33 
 
 CHINESE JUNKS 37 
 
 GRAVESEND GORDON AND " His KINGS " 40 
 
 GORDON VISITING CARTER AT GRAVESEND 44 
 
 THE PRAYER IN THE DESERT .... 48 
 
 GORDON DISCOVERING HIDDEN SLAVES . 49 
 GORDON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE 
 
 DESERT 53 
 
 CAIRO FROM THE CITADEL 57 
 
 THE RUINS OF THEBES 64 
 
 THE SPHINX 65 
 
 THE PYRAMIDS, GIZEH 65 
 
 GENERAL SIR HERBERT STEWART ... 72 
 SOMERBY HALL COLONEL BURNAHY'S RE- 
 SIDENCE 73 
 
 BURNABY STOPPED BY CARLIST OUTPOSTS 80 
 
 THE RIDE TO KHIVA 81 
 
 JOSEPH'S WELL AT CAIRO 88 
 
 PAGE 
 
 EGYPTIAN PEASANT IRRIGATING HIS FIELD 89 
 
 STORING CORN 96 
 
 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CARTS. FROM A BAS- 
 RELIEF 97 
 
 EGYPTIAN TEMPLE TO GOD APIS . . . 100 
 
 VIEW OF KHARTOUM 104 
 
 THE ISLAND OF TUTI, OPPOSITE KHARTOUM 105 
 THE CAMEL'S NECK A DIFFICULT PAS- 
 SAGE ON THE NILE 112 
 
 TOWING A BOAT up THE RAPIDS ... 113 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 114 
 
 SCENE ON THE EQUATORIAL NILE . . . 120 
 
 SITE OF TADMOR 121 
 
 THE DIREFUL SIMOON 128 
 
 JAMES BRUCE 129 
 
 OSYMANDUS RAMESES-MIAMUN SESOSTRIS 
 
 PSAMMETICHUS 137 
 
 GORDON TRAVELLING IN THE SOUDAN . 144 
 THE PALACE WHERE GORDON LIVED, 
 
 KHARTOUM 145 
 
 THE FRENCH IN EGYPT 152 
 
 MENOU'S HOUSE IN CAIRO 153 
 
 BATTLE OF THE NILE ON BOARD THE 
 
 FLAGSHIP 161 
 
 RUINS OF PALACE ON THE BANKS OF THE 
 
 NILE 169 
 
 CHINA REVISITED 176 
 
 ST. STEPHEN'S GATE, JERUSALEM , . . 184 
 
 THE GOLDEN GATE, JERUSALEM .... 185 
 
 STREET IN CAIRO 193 
 
 GORDON IN MANDARIN'S DRESS .... 196
 
 via 
 
 U'OOD ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 198 
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE NAZARETH. . . 200 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE INTERIOR OF THE 
 
 CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE . 201 
 
 I'.MI.I i MAI i> DESIGN 204 
 
 EGYPTIAN BAZAAR 217 
 
 EGYPTIAN CATTLE MARKET 224 
 
 THE RETURN FROM THE FIELD .... 225 
 
 EGYPTIAN BEGGARS 232 
 
 AN EGYPTIAN INTERIOR A FEAST DAY . 233 
 
 TEWFIK, KHEDIVE OF EGYPT 240 
 
 THE GRAND SQUARE, ALEXANDRIA ... 241 
 
 ARABI, THE REBEL PASHA 248 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 249 
 
 SIR E. MAI KI- 257 
 
 ARABI'S HOUSE, CEYLON 272 
 
 VIEW NEAR ARABI'S RESIDENCE IN CEYLON 273 
 
 BERBER 276 
 
 EL OBEID, NEAR WHICH THE ARMY OF 
 
 HICKS PASHA WAS DESTROYED . . . 277 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 278 
 
 MOHAMMED AHMED, THE MAHDI ... 281 
 THE MIRAGE AN INCIDENT OF DESERT 
 
 TRAVEL 289 
 
 GORDON THE RETURN TO THE SOUDAN . 296 
 
 MARKET PLACE, KHARTOUM 297 
 
 A SLAVE MERCHANT 304 
 
 THE SLAVE MARKET 305 
 
 GOLDEN BRIDGE HOUSE, COUNTY DUBLIN 312 
 
 HOLLYMOUNT, RATHMINES, DUBLIN . . 313 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 319 
 
 THE ZULU CHIEFS SIGNING THE PEACE 
 
 STIPULATIONS AT ULUNDI . . . . 321 
 THE RETURN FROM EGYPT THE WELCOME 
 
 AT DOVER, OCTOBER 28, 1882 . . . 329 
 LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR GERALD GRAHAM, 
 
 V.C., K.C.B 333 
 
 SOUAKIN, FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE 
 
 HARBOUR 337 
 
 OSMAN DlGNA 345 
 
 OUTSKIRTS OF GAREFF 348 
 
 MAP OF THE SOUDAN 349 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 355 
 
 ZEBEHR PASHA 360 
 
 SHALLOWS OF THE BLUE NILE NEAR 
 
 KHARTOUM 361 
 
 ONE OF GORDON'S NOTES IN CIRCULATION 
 
 AT KHARTOUM 367 
 
 MR. FRANK POWER, " TIMES " CORRESPON- 
 DENT AT KHARTOUM 369 
 
 GORDON'S STEAMERS 372 
 
 WOMAN OF KHARTOUM 377 
 
 'THE MAGIC WAND OF VICTORY .... 395 
 
 THE PEACEFUL DAYS OF EGYPTIAN TRAVEL 400 
 
 EGYTIAN SUGAR CANE MARKET .... 401 
 
 EGYPTIAN HERD-BOY 402 
 
 RETURN AT EVENING 403 
 
 YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY IN EGYPT . . 405 
 
 A DANGEROUS BIT OF THE RIVER . . . 414 
 REPAIRING A BOAT ON THE BANKS OF 
 
 THE NILE 415 
 
 LORD WOLSELEY'S YACHT AT THE HEAD 
 
 OF THE FIRST CATARACT 416 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 417 
 
 BATTLE OF ABU KLEA DEATH OF BUR- 
 
 NABY 421 
 
 BATTLE OF GUBAT " THE THICK OF THE 
 
 FIGHT" . 433 
 
 WATER AT LAST FIRST SIGHT OF THE 
 
 NILE AFTER THE BATTLE OF GUBAT . 436 
 
 COLONEL SIR CHARLES WILSON .... 440 
 
 LORD CHARLES BERESFORD 441 
 
 LORD WOLSELEY'S HEADQUARTERS. . . 457 
 
 EGYPTIAN PORTER 475 
 
 LIQUORICE WATER SELLER 476 
 
 AN OASIS IN THE DESERT 481 
 
 A COUNTRY REPAST 485 
 
 A BEND IN THE RIVER 489 
 
 AN ANGLO-EGYPTIAN TOWN 497 
 
 EMBLEMATIC DESIGN 502
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ENGLAND and Egypt ! How strange it seems 
 that these two countries should in any way 
 be connected ! How wonderful that the one should 
 now so powerfully influence the other ! In the whole 
 world it would be impossible to find any pair that are 
 more dissimilar. The one, though cold in climate, 
 wanting in sunshine, is inhabited by a race of hardy 
 and active men, who have however to turn the very 
 disadvantages under which they labour into advan- 
 tages ; to spread themselves over all the world, and 
 to fill the whole earth with the fame of their deeds.
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 The other is placed under a burning sun, which produces either the terrible sterility 
 of the desert or the rank luxuriance of the moistened valley. It is inhabited by a race 
 of princes, oppressors, and their miserable serfs. Here is liberty, progress, wide- 
 spread comfort, Christian civilization ; there is slavery, ignorance, heathen barbarism. 
 Yet it was not always so. Unlike in many things, England and Egypt are most unlike 
 in their past history. The history of our own country is all a thing of yesterday ; the 
 history of Egypt takes us back to the most remote past. It is connected with the 
 very earliest annals of our race. Let us take a thousand years from the records of 
 England : there remains but the story of a barbarous people. The exploits of Julius 
 Caesar in Britain belong to Rome, not to England. It is only from a good many 
 centuries later that we can really say our history begins. Nay, if we take little more 
 than five hundred years from our records, there is very little that is worth recording 
 left. Let us take a little more than this. Let us go back to Magna Charta, which 
 was obtained in 1215. There is perhaps no event before this, with the exception of the 
 exploits of Alfred, which Englishmen can dwell upon with unmixed pleasure. After it 
 came the growth of parliament and of constitutional freedom ; all the great names in 
 English literature; all the prosperity of our country; all the world-wide fame of our 
 empire. 
 
 Look now at Egypt, and consider how great the difference. A thousand years ago 
 all that makes Egypt famous in the history of the world had not only already happened, 
 but was already in the distant past. The pyramids had been built, her great cities had 
 flourished and decayed, Alexander and Caesar had passed as conqueror over her; the 
 lustre of her renown had at that distant time a hoary antiquity which is not perceptibly 
 greater now than it was then. In old times Egypt was famed for the wisdom of its 
 learned men and the fertility of its soil. It is said that Plato, one of the greatest men 
 the world ever saw, travelled to Egypt 2,400 years ago, and learned the germs of his 
 system of philosophy from the priests of that country. 
 
 According to the most authentic account, Greece derives many of her arts from it. 
 Cecrops and Danaus were Egyptians. 
 
 " The countries which these adventurers abandoned had not, according to modern 
 ideas, attained a very high degree of maturity in laws and government. Yet it cannot 
 be doubted that the natives of Egypt and the East were acquainted with many improve- 
 ments unknown to the Hellenic tribes. Conjectures are not to be placed in the rank 
 of facts ; yet, in matters so ancient and obscure, we may be allowed to conjecture from 
 the only facts on record, that the invaders of Greece introduced into that country the 
 knowledge of the Phoenician alphabet, improved the practice of agriculture, multiplied 
 the rites of religion, and discovered to the Greeks several uses of the metals." 
 
 The fertility of Egypt was so highly esteemed in later times that that country was 
 known as the granary of Rome. From this " granary " the supplies were drawn with 
 which the pauper masters of the world were fed. It is to her wealth as much as to that 
 of India, that the term " exhaustless " is applied by our own poets. How her riches had 
 impressed the minds of our greatest poets let this extract from Shakespeare, telling of the 
 splendid appearance of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, testify :
 
 INTROD UCTION. 
 
 "The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, 
 Burned on the water : the poop was beaten gold ; 
 Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that 
 The winds were love-sick with them : the oars were silver, 
 Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made 
 The water which they beat to follow faster, 
 As amorous of their strokes. For her own person, 
 It beggared all description : she did lie 
 In her pavilion cloth-of-gold, of tissue 
 O'er-picturing that Venus where we see 
 The fancy out-work nature : on each side her 
 Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids, 
 With divers-coloured fans, whose wind did seem 
 To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool, 
 And what they undid did. 
 
 * * * 
 
 From the barge 
 
 A strange invisible perfume hits the sense 
 Of the adjacent wharfs. The city cast 
 Her people out upon her; and Antony, 
 Enthroned i' the market-place, did sit alone, 
 Whistling to the air ; which, but for vacancy, 
 Had gone to gaze on Cleopatra too, 
 And made a gap in nature." 
 
 This is a splendid description of female beauty ; but it is the beauty of an Egyptian 
 woman, and it is painted with the rich luxury of her country for a background. 
 
 The same English notion of Egyptian wealth appears in Spenser, though in a more 
 commonplace and almost comical form : 
 
 " As when old father Nilus 'gins to swell 
 
 With timely pride above the /Egyptian vale, 
 His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell, 
 And overflow each plain and lowly dale." 
 
 And then the poet goes on to tell us how out of this rich and rank fertility all sorts 
 of strange shapes are produced. 
 
 Within the past hundred years or so English interest has on several occasions been 
 most powerfully attracted to Egypt Our travellers, from Bruce to Livingstone, have 
 sought the long hidden sources of the Nile ; our wise men have studied the monuments 
 of distant ages which abound in Egypt ; and our soldiers have dyed its sands with their 
 blood, and gained just glory on many a hard-fought field in that country. 
 
 Napoleon attempted through it to strike at our Indian empire ; but he was checked, 
 and his soldiers were at last utterly routed by the bravery of our troops and the skill 
 of our generals. In our own day we have been obliged to interfere in the affairs of that 
 country. Here our soldiers, Wolseley, Burnaby, Stewart, and many others, have added 
 to their laurels by deeds of skill and daring. It was here that Chinese Gordon per- 
 formed actions so heroic and remarkable that they are almost without parallel in the 
 history of mankind. His former exploits were indeed remarkable, but these are more 
 so, and his name will go down to a remote posterity connected rather with Egypt, with 
 the Soudan, and with Khartoum still more, than with China. When will that adventurous
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and almost solitary journey to Khartoum, and bis heroic defence of that town against 
 fearful odds and with the scantiest of resources, be forgotten ? 
 
 It is the purpose of this work, then, to tell of the famous deeds of our countrymen in 
 Egypt We shall take occasion to describe that country, and to record the most remark- 
 able and interesting facts in the past and present condition of its people. We shall 
 tell of the brave deeds of former days wrought by Britons there ; but with special and 
 particular fulness we shall describe the war that grew out of Arabi's rebellion, and give 
 prominence to the varying fortunes of the expedition for the relief of Khartoum. 
 
 We shall intersperse our narrative with copious and entertaining biographies of men 
 like Gordon, Wolseley, Burnaby, and Stewart. In this we shall not only describe their 
 Egyptian exploits, but also note what is of interest in their past life. 
 
 Our work will be copiously illustrated by some of the best artists of the day, and 
 altogether it will form a highly entertaining and instructive record of British valour and 
 heroism in one of the most remarkable countries in the world. 
 
 SCENE ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE.
 
 r\ 
 
 THE EGYPT OF TO-DAY THE J^YSTERIOUS 
 
 NILE. 
 
 N order that we may start with a clear and 
 precise idea of the country about which we 
 are writing, let us give first some account of 
 Egypt as it exists at the present day. The 
 name Egypt, we may remark, means black ; 
 thus Egypt is the black land, and it is so called from the 
 dark colour of its fertile soil. In Hebrew it has a name 
 meaning fruitful ; in Greek, also a word of the same signifi- 
 cation. 
 
 "The extent of the cultivated land in Egypt," says Mr. 
 Lane, " is equal to rather more than a square degree and a 
 half; in other words, 5,500 square geographical miles. This 
 is less than half the extent of the land which is compassed 
 within the confines of the desert ; for many parts within the 
 limits of the cultivated land are too high to be inundated, and 
 consequently are not cultivated ; and other parts, particularly 
 in Lower Egypt, are occupied by lakes, or mostly a drifted 
 sand. Allowance also must be made for the space which is
 
 THE ENGLISH /A EGYPT. 
 
 occupied by towns and villages, the river, 
 canals, etc. Lower Egypt comprises about 
 the same extent of cultivated land as the 
 whole of Upper Egypt" Of late years there 
 has been a slight increase. 
 
 Some years ago the rule of the Viceroy 
 was established over an extensive region 
 to the south, officially called the Soudan, 
 which comprises Lower Nubia, Senaar, 
 Dongola, Tabia, etc., etc. Also this being 
 taken in, Egypt comprises about 730,000 
 square miles. " With the exception of a 
 few small rivers that empty into the Red 
 Sea, the Nile is the main irrigator of the 
 country. The White and Blue Nile unite 
 near the city of Khartoum, forming the Nile 
 proper, which assumes a winding north-east 
 course through Nubia, and receives near 
 El-Damar the Atbara coming from the south- 
 east It enters Egypt proper at Philal, where 
 it descends the famous cataracts, and flows 
 thence, unbroken by falls or rapids, and not 
 augmented even by a rivulet, till it reaches 
 the Mediterranean. From the cataracts the 
 river, whose general breadth is about half a 
 mile, flows for 600 miles through a valley 
 bounded by hills varying in height from 
 300 to 1,200 feet The average breadth of 
 the valley is seven or eight miles ; its great- 
 est breadth is eleven miles. Anciently the 
 whole of this valley was called Upper Egypt, 
 but afterwards the term Middle Egypt was 
 applied to the northern part of it About 
 100 miles from the sea the hills disappear, 
 and the river enters an extensive and per- 
 fectly level alluvial plain, where, twelve 
 miles north of Cairo, it separates into two 
 great streams which continually diverge 
 until they reach the Mediterranean by 
 mouths about eighty miles apart : the east- 
 ern at Damietta, and the western at Rosetta. 
 This great plain is Lower Egypt. The tri- 
 angular space inclosed by the two arms of 
 the river and the sea is called the Delta, 
 from its resemblance in shape to the Greek 
 letter A ; but the term Delta is sometimes 
 applied to the whole plain, or to so much 
 of it as consists of fertile land. The greater 
 part of the country consists of deserts, with 
 
 the exception of the valley of the Nile and a 
 few oases. The one which was said to con- 
 tain the temple of Jupiter Ammon is the 
 largest. The desert between the Nile and 
 the Red Sea is intersected by chains of 
 mountains, whose highest summits attain an 
 elevation of 6,000 feet The most noted 
 lake of Egypt is Berbet-el-Keroon, which 
 is thirty miles long and three miles broad. 
 The remains of the famous ancient arti- 
 ficial lake, Moeris, have been identified. 
 North of it, at the distance of fifty miles, 
 are the natron lakes, from which the water 
 evaporates in the dry season, leaving the 
 ground covered with a crust of natron, or 
 carbonate of soda. Along the sea-coast of 
 the Delta is a series of lagoons, stretching 
 for nearly 200 miles. From a very ancient 
 period Egypt has been divided by canals, 
 chiefly constructed to facilitate the distribu- 
 tion of the water of the Nile for irrigation. 
 
 The most striking geological feature of 
 Egypt is the vast bed of alluvium deposited 
 by the Nile, which covers all Lower Egypt 
 to a depth that probably averages thirty or 
 forty feet. The predominant rocks are 
 limestone, sandstone, and granite. The 
 great pyramids are built of limestone, and 
 stand on a limestone plateau. From the 
 quarries of this sandstone most of the 
 temples of Egypt have been built. At 
 Assuan, at the southern extremity of the 
 country, granite predominates, and the quar- 
 ries there have chiefly furnished the ma- 
 terials for the obelisks and colossal statues 
 of Egypt. The soil is of unsurpassed fer- 
 tility, and its richness is annually revived 
 by the inundation of the Nile, which de- 
 posits upon the land a coating of mud, 
 rendering needless any other manure. In 
 many parts ploughing is dispensed with, the 
 seed being thrown upon the mud, and 
 sheep, goats, and oxen turned loose in the 
 fields to trample in the grain ; though in 
 other parts agriculture is carried on with 
 considerable labour and care, especially 
 where artificial irrigation can be resorted 
 to." 
 
 " As a waterway," remarks Mr. H. A.
 
 THE EGYPT OF TO-DAY. THE MYSTERIOUS NILE. 
 
 Webster, the well-known scientist and geo- 
 grapher, in his article in the Encyclopaedia 
 Britannica, " leading into the heart of 
 Africa, the Nile at first sight might appear 
 to be of more importance than it is. 
 Steamers, it is true, as well as sailing craft, 
 can pass up from Egypt as far as Bedden, a 
 distance of 2,900 miles ; but even at the 
 period of high water (June to August) the 
 ascent of the cataracts between Wady 
 Haifa and Berber is so dangerous for vessels 
 of any size that the river-route is seldom 
 followed throughout. From Wady Haifa 
 the traveller may proceed by camel to El 
 Ordeh (New Dongola), thence take boat to 
 El Dabbeh or to Old Dongola, and again 
 proceed by land either to Berber, Shendy, 
 or Khartoum. Or, instead, he may leave 
 the river at Korosko, and strike through 
 the Nubian desert direct to Berber. From 
 Berber, which is also the terminus of a 
 route often used from Souakim (Suakin) on 
 the Red Sea, steamers ply up the river, but 
 it sometimes takes nineteen days to reach 
 Khartoum. The difficulties of navigating 
 the Kir have already been described. 
 Above Bedden the steamer again finds a 
 free course from Dufile to the neighbour- 
 hood of the Murchison Fall ; but the route 
 to Victoria Nyanza is again overland from 
 Magungo. It is found more expeditious 
 to come to the equatorial regions from the 
 east coast than up the Nile valley. 
 
 The ancients knew little of the course 
 of the Nile above MERGE. Juba, in his 
 Libyca, quoted by Pliny, makes the Nile 
 rise in western Mauretania, not far from the 
 ocean, in a lake presenting characteristic 
 Nile fauna," then pass underground for 
 several days' journey to a similar lake in 
 Mauretania Caesariensis, again continue 
 underground for twenty days' journey to 
 the source called Nigris, on the borders of 
 Africa and Ethiopia, and thence flow through 
 Ethiopia as the Astapus. This tissue of 
 invention received strange favour in the 
 eyes of many subsequent geographers, and 
 actually left its traces in some of our maps 
 down to a comparatively modern time. 
 
 Strabo, who ascended the river as far as 
 Syene, states that very early investigators 
 had connected the inundation of the lower 
 Nile with summer rains on the far southern 
 mountains, and that their theory had been 
 confirmed by the observations of travellers 
 under the Ptolemies. Nero despatched two 
 centurions on an expedition for the express 
 purpose of exploring the Nile ; and Seneca 
 informs us that they reached a marshy 
 impassable region, which may be easily 
 identified with the country of the White 
 Nile above the mouth of the Sobat. To 
 what they referred when they reported a 
 great mass of water falling from between 
 two rocks is not so readily determined. 
 By the time of Ptolemy information had 
 somewhat accumulated. Two streams, he 
 says, issuing from two lakes * Cone in 6 
 and the other in 7 S. lat), unite in 2 N. 
 lat. to make the Nile, which in 1 2 N. lat. 
 receives the Astapus, a river flowing from 
 Lake Coloe (on the equator). Thus it 
 would appear that he had heard vaguely 
 about the lakes which we know as Victoria 
 Nyanza, Albert Nyanza, and Tana. His 
 two southern lakes, he conceived, were fed 
 by the melting of snows on a range of 
 mountains running east and west for up- 
 wards of 500 miles the Mountains of the 
 Moon. To this opinion he was probably 
 led by hearsay about the snow-clad summits 
 of Kilimanjaro and Kenia. On all the 
 subsequent history of the geography of the 
 Nile Ptolemy's theory had an enormous 
 influence. Mediaeval maps and descrip- 
 tions, both European and Arabian, repro- 
 duce the Mountains of the Moon and the 
 equatorial lakes with a variety of probable 
 or impossible modifications. Even Speke 
 congratulated himself on identifying the old 
 Ptolemean range with the high lands to the 
 north of Tanganyika, and connected the 
 name with that of Unyamwezi, the ' country 
 of the moon.' Attacking the lake region 
 from the east coast, the Portuguese cx- 
 
 * The two lakes afterwards received the names 
 Lake of Crocodiles and Lake of Cataracts.
 
 s 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYP1 
 
 plorers gained a good deal of information, 
 which found its way into such maps as 
 those of Pigafetta (1580); but it was not 
 till the present century that the geography 
 of those parts was placed on the basis of 
 fully accepted observations. On November 
 i4th, 1770, Bruce reached Lake Tana, and 
 considering, as he did, that the Blue Nile 
 was the main branch, very fairly claimed 
 for himself the honour of being the dis- 
 coverer of the long-sought caput Nili, the 
 source of the Nile." 
 
 In Egypt* grapes are plentiful, and other 
 fruits abound, of which the most common 
 are dates, figs, pomegranates, apricots, 
 peaches, oranges, lemons, citrons, bananas, 
 mulberries, and olives. There are no forests 
 in Egypt, and few trees of any kind except 
 the palm, of which there are usually groves 
 around the villages. From the absence of 
 forests there are few wild beasts, the prin- 
 cipal species being the wolf, fox, jackal, 
 hysena, wild ass, and some herds of ante- 
 lope. The chief domestic animals are 
 camels, horses, asses, horned cattle, and 
 sheep. The hippopotamus is no longer 
 found in Egypt, though it is met with in 
 the Nile above the cataracts ; and the croco- 
 dile has abandoned the lower part of the 
 river and is rare even in Upper Egypt. 
 Among the birds are vultures (which some- 
 times measure 15 feet across the wings), 
 eagles, falcons, hawks, the ibis, and the 
 beautiful hoopoe, which is regarded with 
 superstitious reverence. The ostrich is found 
 in the desert. Among the reptiles is the 
 deadly asp. Fishes abound in the Nile 
 and in the lakes, and furnish a common 
 and favourite article of food. Locusts occa- 
 
 * Consult American Clyclofadia for a complete 
 account. 
 
 sionally invade the country and commit 
 great ravages. 
 
 The climate of Upper Egypt differs from 
 that of Lower Egypt, which has occasionally 
 considerable rain, while the former is an 
 almost totally rainless district. The average 
 temperature of Lower Egypt ranges be- 
 tween 80 and 90 in summer, and 50 to 
 60 in winter. In Upper Egypt it is about 
 ten degrees hotter. One of the most dis- 
 agreeable features of the climate is the 
 khamsin, a hot wind from the desert, which 
 prevails for fifty days, beginning generally 
 about May 2nd, and has a peculiarly op- 
 pressive and unhealthy effect. The popu- 
 lation is about 6,000,000, of whom about 
 100,000 are foreign. The inhabitants are 
 nearly all Mohammedans. They call them- 
 selves Arabs, though they are probably in 
 great part descended from the ancient 
 Egyptians. They are handsome, well-made, 
 and courteous. In Northern Egypt they 
 are of a yellowish complexion, growing 
 darker towards the south, until they here 
 become a deep bronze. Mr. Lane speaks 
 highly of their mental capacity, and gives 
 them credit for considerable quickness of 
 apprehension and readiness of wit. They 
 are highly religious, and are generally 
 honest, cheerful, humane, and hospitable. 
 The Arabs of pure blood belonging to 
 Egypt are chiefly Bedouins, who dwell in 
 tents in the desert. The native Christians, 
 termed Copts, are the recognised descend- 
 ants of the ancient inhabitants. Agriculture 
 is the occupation of the greater part of the 
 people. 
 
 At the head of the Government stands 
 the Khedive, a vassal of the Sultan of Tur- 
 key, whose office is hereditary from father 
 to son. He pays an annual tribute to Tur- 
 key. Such then is a brief picture of the 
 present state of Egypt.
 
 THE EGYPT OF TO-DAY. 
 
 EGYPTIAN WOMAN.
 
 10 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 GORDON THE fiERO AND DELIVERER. 
 
 MOTLEY and excited 
 crowd thronged the streets 
 of old Khartoum on the 
 morning of February igth, 
 1884. A proclamation had 
 been issued the previous day by the famous 
 General Gordon, promising the natives that 
 their grievances would be redressed, and 
 the iniquitous rule of Turk and Egyptian 
 broken for ever. The Pall Mall Gazette 
 thus described the remarkable scene that 
 took place : 
 
 "General Gordon arrived at Khartoum 
 on February iSth. His arrival led to a 
 wonderful demonstration of welcome by 
 the people, thousands of them crowding to 
 kiss his hands and feet, and calling him the 
 ' Sultan of the Soudan.' 
 
 The Times correspondent, telegraphing 
 the same day, says : His speech to the 
 people was received with enthusiasm. He 
 said : ' I come without soldiers, but with 
 God on my side, to redress the evils of the 
 Soudan. I will not fight with any weapons 
 but justice. There shall be no more Bashi- 
 Bazouks.' It is now believed that he will 
 relieve the Bahr Gazelle garrisons without 
 firing a shot. Since they heard that he was 
 coming the aspect of the people has so 
 changed that there are no longer any fears 
 of disturbances in the town. They say 
 that he is giving them more than even the 
 Mahdi could give. He is sending out 
 proclamations in all directions. Such is the 
 influence of one man, that there are no 
 longer any fears for the garrison or people 
 of Khartoum. 
 
 What happened on the day of his arrival 
 is thus described by Mr. Power : Yesterday 
 was one series of acceptable surprises for 
 the people of Khartoum. General Gordon's 
 proclamation preceded him, and immedi- 
 
 ately on his arrival he summoned the 
 officials, thus preparing the people for some 
 salutary changes. He next held a levee at 
 the Mudirieh, the entire population, even 
 the poorest Arab, being admitted. On his 
 way between the Mudirieh and the palace 
 about 1,000 persons pressed forward kiss- 
 ing his hands and feet, and calling him 
 'Sultan,' 'Father,' and 'Saviour of K6r- 
 dofan.' 
 
 General Gordon and Colonel Stewart at 
 once opened offices in the palace, giving 
 to every one with a grievance admittance 
 and a careful hearing. The Government 
 books, recording from time immemorial the 
 outstanding debts of the overtaxed people, 
 were publicly burned in front of the palace. 
 The kourbashes, whips, and implements for 
 administering the bastinado from Govern- 
 ment House were all placed on the blazing 
 pile. The evidence of debts and the em- 
 blems of oppression perished together. 
 
 In the afternoon General Gordon 
 created a council of the local notables, all 
 Arabs. Then he visited the hospital and 
 arsenal. With Colonel Stewart, Coetlogon 
 Pasha, and the English consul, he visited 
 the prison, and found it to be a dreadful 
 den of misery. Two hundred wretches 
 loaded with chains lay there. They were 
 of all ages, boys and old men, some having 
 never been tried, some having been proved 
 innocent, but forgotten for over six months, 
 some arrested on suspicion and detained 
 there more than three years, many merely 
 prisoners of war, and one a woman, who 
 had spent fifteen years in the prison for 
 a crime committed when she was a girl. 
 General Gordon at once commenced to 
 demolish this Bastille. All the prisoners 
 will be briefly examined, and, if it be ad- 
 visable, set at liberty. Before it was dark
 
 GORDON THE HERO AND DELIVERER. 
 
 n 
 
 scores of wretches had had their chains 
 struck off, and to-day Colonel Stewart is 
 continuing this work. 
 
 Last night the town was in a blaze of 
 illumination, the bazaar being hung with 
 cloth and coloured lamps, and the private 
 houses beautifully decorated. There was 
 even a fine display of fireworks by the 
 negro population, who indulged in great 
 rejoicings till midnight. 
 
 The people are devoted to General 
 Gordon, whose desire is to save the gar- 
 rison and for ever leave the Soudan as 
 perforce it must be left to the Soudanese. 
 
 General Gordon has appointed Afresh 
 Bey Shilook, a negro, who won the Legion 
 of Honour under Bazaine in Mexico, com- 
 mandant of the troops remaining in Khar- 
 toum. All the Soudanese are to stay, all 
 the white troops are to go to Omdurman, 
 on the other side of the White Nile, and to 
 be sent down the river in detachments, 
 with their families, and the Europeans who 
 wish to go. On the 2oth he opened two 
 new gates in the fortifications, and abolished 
 the octroi and market duties. 
 
 A correspondent thus reports his pro- 
 ceedings on the 2ist : 
 
 All the fellaheen troops have been 
 ordered back to Cairo. General Gordon 
 is perfectly confident that he will accom- 
 plish the pacification of the Soudan without 
 firing a shot, such is the effect of the 
 almost incredible influence which he has 
 hourly manifested. 
 
 Colonel Stewart is hard at work exami- 
 ning the prisons and liberating the poor 
 wretches confined in them. Many of them 
 have been waiting several years for trial ; 
 many have remained long after their sen- 
 tences had expired. In many cases the 
 offences are unknown to the gaolers, and 
 one man has been in confinement for a 
 year awaiting his trial for stealing property 
 to the value of five shillings. 
 
 To-day Sheikh Belud, of Khartoum, 
 was carried into General Gordon's presence 
 with his feet fearfully mutilated. Six weeks 
 ago Hussein Pasha Cheri, the late Vice- 
 
 Governor, bastinadoed the old man till the 
 sinews of his feet were exposed. General 
 Gordon has telegraphed to Cairo to have 
 ^50 stopped from Hussein Pasha Cheri's 
 pay for the benefit of the sheikh. If he 
 objects to this deduction he is to be re- 
 turned for trial. 
 
 The minor authorities are accustomed 
 to demand baksheesh from all people 
 entering the one gate which is left open. 
 General Gordon has now opened two 
 more gates and prohibited the custom, and 
 he has proclaimed a free market. He has 
 also established boxes, into which the 
 people can drop petitions and complaints. 
 All these are examined, and the blame is 
 quickly saddled on any official guilty of 
 not allowing a petitioner the full benefit of 
 the proclamation. 
 
 The proclamation is posted everywhere. 
 It gives more than the Mahdi has promised, 
 and is quickly restoring peace and secure 
 government. The General believes that 
 the petition-box system is equally applicable 
 to Lower Egypt, and that it would go far to 
 abolish the abuses incident to pasha rule." 
 
 For long years the inhabitants of the 
 countries bordering on Upper Egypt had 
 been ground down by taxation and harried 
 by the slave-dealers. The brave Gordon 
 came amongst them as their friend ; under 
 his former rule the resources of the country 
 had been wonderfully developed, and when 
 he left the Soudan in the year 1879 after 
 five and a half years of unwearied and un- 
 selfish labour he could say with truth, " I 
 have cut off the slave-dealers in their 
 strongholds ; and I made the people love 
 me!" 
 
 Gordon has ever shown amazing patience 
 in his dealings with the African natives. 
 "Theirs is a life," he said, "of fear and 
 misery night and day ! One does not 
 wonder at their not fearing death. No one 
 can conceive the utter misery of these 
 lands heat and mosquitoes day and night 
 all the year round. But I like the work, for 
 I believe I can do a great deal to amelio- 
 rate the lot of the people."
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Tliis spirit of unselfishness and of a 
 sublime charity runs through all his work. 
 Every man, black or white, was "neigh- 
 bour " to him, and he ever fulfilled the 
 command of his great Master, to " love his 
 neighbour as himself." Against oppression 
 and vice he could, however, be stern and 
 severe. Not a few ruffians whom he caught 
 red-handed in flagrant acts of cruelty were 
 executed without mercy. So that the same 
 man who, by the down-trodden people, was 
 called the " Good Pasha," was to the 
 robber and murderer a terror and an 
 avenger. Gordon was determined to do 
 what lay in his power, even if it cost him 
 his life, to put down the slave-trade. " I 
 will do it," he said, " for I value my life as 
 nought, and should only leave much weari- 
 ness for perfect peace." 
 
 The same record is borne of his previous 
 career in China. He found the richest and 
 most fertile districts of that country in the 
 hands of the most savage brigands. The 
 silk districts were the scenes of their cruelty 
 and riot, and the great historical cities of 
 Hankow and Soochow were rapidly follow- 
 ing the fate of Nanking, and were be- 
 coming desolate ruins in their possession. 
 Gordon recovered the great cities, isolated 
 and utterly discouraged the brigand power, 
 and left them nothing but a few tracts of 
 devastated country and their stronghold of 
 Nanking. 
 
 Writing to Earl Russell in the year 1864, 
 Sir Frederick Bruce, the English ambassa- 
 dor at Pekin, bore the following testimony 
 to Gordon's services : " Independently of 
 the skill and courage he has shown, his 
 disinterestedness has elevated our national 
 character in the eyes ol the Chinese. Not 
 only has he refused any pecuniary reward, 
 but he has spent more than his pay in con- 
 tributing to the comfort of the officers who 
 served under him, and in assuaging the dis- 
 tress of the starving population, whom he 
 relieved from the yoke of their oppressors. 
 Indeed the feeling that impelled him to 
 resume operations after the fall of Soochow 
 was one of the purest humanity. He 
 
 sought to save the people of the districts 
 that had been recovered from a repetition 
 of the misery entailed upon them by this 
 cruel civil war." 
 
 The life of General Gordon has been 
 full of deeds of daring and hairbreadth 
 escapes. He was not much past middle 
 life, but in his adventurous career he saw 
 more active and arduous service than most 
 veterans of threescore and ten. Events fol- 
 low each other in the life of Gordon with 
 such rapidity that it is almost as difficult to 
 give a sketch of his career as it is for an 
 artist to draw his features. He flashes from 
 Asia to Europe, and then to Africa, more 
 after the manner of a telegraphic message 
 than of a living being subject to the fa- 
 tigues and necessities of a mortal man. 
 
 That he was a genius none will deny, but 
 he had higher qualities than mere superiority 
 of intellect or force of will. Gordon com- 
 bined within himself not only the strength 
 of purpose, the nobility of soul, the bravery 
 and contempt of personal danger, that 
 characterize the Paladin of romance, but 
 within and above all this, are modesty, 
 unselfishness, devotion to duty, and un- 
 questioning faith. " His individuality," says 
 Archibald Forbes, "stands out in its incom- 
 parable blending of masterfulness and 
 tenderness, of strength and sweetness. His 
 high nature is made the more chivalrous by 
 his fervent piety. His absolute trust in 
 God guides him serenely through the stern- 
 est difficulties. Because of that he is alone 
 in no solitude, he is depressed in no ex- 
 tremity. The noble character has its com- 
 plement in a keen sense of humour. No 
 matter how sombre the situation, if there 
 be a comic side to any incident, Gordon 
 sees it and enjoys it. That he has lived 
 through strain so intense, and toil so ardu- 
 ous, is probably due to the never-failing 
 fountain of blitheness that wells up in his 
 nature. He must be richly endowed with 
 the rare gift of personal magnetism. With- 
 out that men have attained to greatness : 
 but never with the scantiness of means at 
 command that has thrown Gordon back
 
 GORDON THE HERO AND DELIVERER.
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT, 
 
 mainly on the resources of his own person- 
 ality ; nor ever with the scrupulousness that 
 has been one of the most strongly marked 
 traits of his career. 
 
 This may be a plodding and prosaic age; 
 but no age can be so conventionalised that 
 a man of Gordon's attributes may not find 
 his opportunities to perform achievements 
 the lustre of which stirs the astonishment 
 and admiration of peoples who can yet 
 appreciate the gifts that alone render those 
 achievements possible. Gordon's modesty 
 is great, but it would be unnatural and im- 
 possible that he should not feel an honest 
 pride in the implicit confidence that leans 
 on his ability to perform, single-handed, 
 the seemingly impossible. This confidence 
 has been earned by deeds, not words ; no 
 arts have fostered its growth ; it may be 
 said to have come almost in spite of the 
 man in whom it is reposed." 
 
 Gordon's career may be roughly divided 
 as follows : In the Crimea, during the war 
 with Russia; settling the frontier lines in 
 Bessarabia, and afterwards in Asia Minor ; 
 suppressing the Taiping rebellion in China ; 
 engaged on the defences of the Thames 
 at Tilbury ; appointed to the control of the 
 Soudan ; a visit to the Mauritius, and a 
 brief sojourn at the Cape (the latter colony, 
 it is said, being the only place in which his 
 great capabilities and high character were 
 unappreciated) ; and a briefer visit to India 
 as private secretary to Lord Ripon; and 
 
 finally his defence of Khartoum, and 
 murder there. 
 
 But China was the country destined to 
 give to the young engineer the sobriquet 
 by which he is now best known " Chinese 
 Gordon." Here he first developed that 
 marvellous power above all other men, of 
 engaging the confidence, respect, and love 
 of wild and irregular soldiery. 
 
 With the rank of captain he joined the 
 army before Pekin, in 1860. Accompanied 
 by Lieutenant Cardew, of the 6 7th Regi- 
 ment, he soon after made his celebrated 
 tour, on horseback, to the Great Wall of 
 China, at Kalgan. 
 
 We next hear of him at Shanghai, de- 
 fending it against the Taipings, who threat- 
 ened its destruction. In storming the town 
 of Kin tang, Gordon was shot through the 
 leg ; but the rebels were beaten off, and the 
 Chinese Government, in its gratitude for 
 his services, made him a mandarin and 
 gave him the highest rank in their army, and 
 well did he deserve the honour. " Never," 
 wrote the Times, " did soldier of fortune 
 deport himself with a nicer sense of military 
 honour, with more gallantry against the 
 resisting, and with more mercy towards the 
 vanquished, with more disinterested neglect 
 of opportunities of personal advantage, or 
 with more active devotion to the objects 
 and desires of his own Government, than 
 this officer who, after all his victories, has just 
 laid down his sword." This was in 1864.
 
 GORDON HIS YOUTH AND EARLY CAREER. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 PORDON J-fis YOUTH AND EARLY CAREER ADVENTURES 
 DURING THE SIEGE OF JSEBASTOPOL. 
 
 HE life of Gordon is so re- 
 markable, and contains so 
 much of unique and special 
 interest, that we intend to 
 describe even the parts of 
 it that are not directly connected with Egypt 
 with some moderate degree of fulness. At 
 the end of our last chapter we gave in a 
 few lines the headings, so to speak, of the 
 various divisions into which his life naturally 
 falls. This division we now proceed to 
 follow : 
 
 Charles George Gordon was the fourth 
 son of Lieutenant-General Henry William 
 Gordon, of the Royal Artillery, and was 
 born at Woolwich, in January, 1833. His 
 early education was received at a school at 
 Taunton. At the age of fifteen he entered 
 the Royal Military Academy at Wool- 
 wich. He must have worked hard at the 
 Academy, for in July, 1852, he received 
 his commission as second lieutenant in the 
 Royal Engineers. For a short time he was 
 engaged in making plans for forts at the 
 entrance of Pembroke Haven, and in No- 
 vember, 1854, he received orders to sail for 
 Corfu. 
 
 Charles Gordon was naturally anxious to 
 see more active service, and lived in the 
 hope of being sent to the Crimea. The 
 accounts of the protracted siege works 
 aroused deep interest in the mind of the 
 young lieutenant of Engineers. It was 
 natural that he shou'd display no great 
 eagerness to revisit the Ionian Islands, 
 where his father had commanded the Artil- 
 lery at Corfu for some years during Charles's 
 boyhood. He therefore asked two months' 
 leave, to be spent on duty at Pembroke. 
 This he obtained, and at length his heart's 
 
 ! desire was granted, his route was changed, 
 and in December he left England for the 
 j Crimea. 
 
 On January ist, 1855, Gordon landed at 
 3 Balaklava from the transport Goldcji Fleece. 
 A few months earlier the Times correspon- 
 dent, Dr. Russell, had voyaged in this same 
 vessel, when he had a rough time of it. 
 On rounding Cape Malea, he says, " the 
 wind rushed at us with fury, and we saw 
 the sea broken into crests of foam, making 
 right at our bows. In fact we had good 
 reason for believing that the old mariners 
 i were not without warranty when they ad- 
 vised 'him who doubled Cape Malea to 
 forget his home.' We had got right into 
 an Etesian wind one of those riolent 
 \ Levanters which the learned among us said 
 ought to be the Euroclydon, which drove 
 St. Paul to Malta. Its violence was con- 
 siderable, and sheltered as we were to east- 
 ward by clusters of little islands, the sea 
 began to get up, and roll in confused wedges 
 towards the ship. She behaved nobly, and 
 went over them buoyantly and with great 
 ease, but with her small auxiliary steam 
 power she could scarcely hold her own 
 against the stiff breeze. As it increased we 
 were driven away to leeward, and did not 
 make much headway. The gusts came 
 I down furiously between all kinds of classical 
 islands, which we could not make out, for 
 our Maltese pilot got frightened, and re- 
 vealed the important secret that he did not 
 know one of them from the other! The 
 men bore up well against their Euroclydon, 
 i and emulated the conduct of the ship, and 
 night came upon us, labouring in black 
 jolting seas, dashing them into white spray, 
 and running away into dangerous unknown
 
 i6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 parts, without caring in the least for the 
 consequences. It passed songless, dark, 
 agitated, and uncomfortable, and much was 
 the suffering in the hermetically-sealed cells 
 in which our officers reposed." 
 
 Gordon landed in the very middle of the 
 terrible "black winter." The great storm 
 of the previous November had caused great 
 havoc with the encampments, and had ship- 
 wrecked a great fleet of vessels laden with 
 stores that would have mitigated the rigour 
 of the bitter winter. Everywhere prevailed 
 misery, disease, and discontent 
 
 " Evidence of military capacity is not 
 wanting," says Mr. Hake, " even at this early 
 period of Gordon's soldiering ; and the 
 serene, earnest, and religious fervour which 
 has since been characteristic of the man was 
 at this time distinctly marked. Years have 
 only served to strengthen, not to change it" 
 
 From February 28th to April gth, 
 Gordon's duty was limited to the making 
 of new batteries in the advance trenches. 
 During the whole of this time active opera- 
 tions against the enemy seemed to have 
 almost ceased, save for a prolonged and 
 feeble duel between the French rocket 
 battery and the Russian artillery, the effect 
 of which was very slight on either side. 
 Now and then the wearisome work of throw- 
 ing up battery after battery was relieved by 
 the excitement of a dropping fire, either 
 from the enemy's trenches or from the 
 heights in the rear, and this was returned 
 by the working-party under the command 
 of the Engineer officer. 
 
 It was during this time that Gordon met 
 with a very narrow escape from a bullet 
 fired at him from one of the lower Russian 
 rifle-pits, some 180 yards away. The mis- 
 sile passed within an inch of his head ; but 
 in referring to the incident in one of his 
 letters home his only comment is : " The 
 Russians are very good marksmen; their 
 bullet is large and pointed." 
 
 A few days after this one of his captains, 
 named Craigie, was killed by a splinter 
 from. the enemy's shells ; and Gordon, writ- 
 ing home of the casualty, winds up by 
 
 saying : " I am glad to say that he (Captain 
 Craigie) was a serious man. The shell 
 burst above him, and by what is called 
 chance struck him in the back, killing him 
 at once." 
 
 On April Qth, heavy firing, which had 
 ceased for a little, was resumed on both 
 sides, and continued, with short intervals 
 of cessation, up to the 3oth. During this 
 time the casualties in the trenches were 
 many, with a large proportion of officers to 
 men among the killed. Gordon was un- 
 touched, though actively engaged during 
 the whole time, and present at several 
 sorties in front of the Redan, in one of 
 which several officers and seventy men 
 were killed and wounded. Writing on 
 April 2oth, he refers to the weakness of our 
 allies. He says : " I think we might have 
 assaulted on Monday, but the French do 
 not seem to care about it. The garrison 
 is 25,000, and on that day we heard after- 
 wards that only 800 men were in the place, 
 so the rest had gone to repel an attack 
 (fancied) of ours at Inkerman." And on 
 April 3oth he says : " We are still pushing 
 batteries forward as much as possible, but 
 cannot advance until the French take the 
 Mamelon, as it enfilades our advance 
 works. Until that occurs, things are at 
 a standstill." This was on April soth. 
 Thenceforward, until early in the month of 
 June, active operations ceased ; and, though 
 innumerable councils of war were held, 
 nothing definite was done or decided 
 upon. 
 
 Gordon's letters home during this time 
 have no special interest for readers now-a- 
 days. In one he says, " We have a great 
 deal to regret in the want of good, working 
 clergymen, there being none here that I 
 know of who interest themselves about 
 the men." He had a high respect for 
 the soldierhood of the Russians : " The 
 Russians certainly are inferior to none ; 
 their work is stupendous, and their shell- 
 practice beautiful." Again he says, " The 
 Russians are downhearted though deter- 
 mined ; they are much to be admired, and
 
 GORDON HIS YOUTh AND EARLY CAREER. 
 
 their officers are quite as cool as our 
 officers under fire." 
 
 On the 6th of June the English opened 
 fire from all their batteries, and there 
 ensued a tremendous artillery duel, in 
 which 1,000 guns were engaged. The 
 casualties on the Russian side were 
 numerous, while our own were few. 
 Gordon, who was in the trenches during 
 the whole time, was returned as among 
 the wounded, but his injury was such that 
 
 he was able to continue his duty. A 
 stone, thrown up by a round shot, stunned 
 him for a second, but did him no further 
 hurt 
 
 On the following day the French attacked 
 the Mamelon, and the redoubts of Seling- 
 hinck and Volhynia. The Russians re- 
 treated towards the Malakoff, and were 
 rapidly followed by the French ; but the 
 latter were so punished by the guns from 
 the tower that they had to retire, pursued 
 
 GORDON'S BATTERY, CRIMEA. 
 
 by the very enemy they had been pursuing. 
 However, they attacked again, and while 
 we secured the Quarries, they carried the 
 Mamelon, as well as the redoubts before- 
 named. " Only a few lines," writes his 
 brother from the scene of action, " to say 
 Charlie is all right, and has escaped amidst 
 a terrific shower of grape and shells of every 
 description. You may imagine the sus- 
 pense I was kept in until assured of his 
 safety. He cannot write himself, and is 
 now fast asleep in his tent, having been in 
 
 the trenches from two o'clock yesterday 
 morning during the cannonade until seven 
 last night, and again from 1 2.30 this morn- 
 ing until noon." 
 
 Gordon, in his account of this successful 
 assault says : " I do not think the place 
 (Sebastopol) can hold out another ten days ; 
 and once taken, the Crimea is ours." Sebas- 
 topol did hold out for nearly ten times ten 
 days, but many officers in high command 
 have since expressed their belief that the 
 siege might have been brought to an end 
 
 c
 
 i8 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in June instead of September. When Gor- 
 don wrote, the allied armies numbered nearly 
 165,000; the French were erecting a bat- 
 tery on the Mamelon ; the Russian works 
 had been completely ruined, and their 
 fleet its old position made untenable by 
 the capture of the redoubts had moved 
 out into the middle of the harbour. There 
 was an armistice for a few days for the 
 burial of the dead, and had it been suc- 
 ceeded by a bold assault upon the Malakoff 
 Tower, the Redan, and the central bastion, 
 the probability is that Gordon's impression 
 as to the duration of the siege would have 
 proved correct. 
 
 Instead of this, however, there ensued a 
 period of inactivity, during which Gordon 
 in his letters home for the first and only 
 time alludes to his wants, a map of the 
 Crimea and a bottle of Rowland's Odonto. 
 From this time forth to the evacuation of 
 Sebastopol on September 8th, the siege 
 operations were proceeded with slowly and 
 deliberately, but with a lack of energy and 
 activity that was wearisome and irritating. 
 Gordon's duty kept him in the trenches 
 during the whole time. 
 
 In writing his biography of "Gordon 
 of Gordon's Battery," Colonel Chesney takes 
 occasion to say something of the character 
 his Crimean service had earned for that 
 gallant officer's junior of the same name. 
 He says : " Gordon had first seen war in 
 the hard school of the ' black winter ' of the 
 Crimean War. In his humble position as 
 an engineer subaltern he had attracted the 
 notice of his superiors, not merely by his 
 energy and activity (for these are not, it 
 may be asserted, uncommon characteristics 
 
 of his class), but by an extraordinary apti- 
 tude for war, developing itself amid the 
 trench-work before Sebastopol in a personal 
 knowledge of the enemy's movements such 
 as no -other officer attained. ' We used 
 always to send him out to find what new 
 move the Russians were making,' was the 
 testimony given to his genius by one of 
 the most distinguished officers he served 
 under." 
 
 Here is another bit from Gordon's 
 experiences during this great siege, which 
 was indeed a baptism of fire to him : 
 " During the night of the 8th I had heard 
 terrific explosions, and going down to the 
 trenches at four next morning, I saw a 
 splendid sight. The whole of Sebastopol 
 was in flames, and every now and then 
 terrible explosions took place, while the 
 rising sun shining on the place had a most 
 beautiful effect. The Russians were leaving 
 the town by the bridge ; all the three- 
 deckers were sunk, the steamers alone 
 remaining. Tons and tons of powder must 
 have been blown up. About eight o'clock 
 I got an order to commence a plan of the 
 works, for which purpose I went to the 
 Redan, where a dreadful sight was pre- 
 sented. The dead were buried in the ditch 
 the Russians with the English Mr. 
 Wright reading the burial service over 
 them." The fires in the town continued 
 until the following day, so that it was not 
 safe for the English troops to attempt to 
 effect an entry until the evening of the 
 loth ; and when they did enter it was but 
 to take possession of the heap of ruins that 
 had once been the strong fortress of Sebas- 
 topol.
 
 GORDON IN ASIA MINOR. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 GORDON JN ASIA J&INOR ASCENT OF jVLouNT 
 
 JR.ETUR.NS TO pNGLAND. 
 
 OUNG as he was, Gordon 
 had made his mark. His 
 devotion to his profession 
 had well earned the warm 
 commendation of his su- 
 periors. Sir Harry Jones especially men- 
 tioned him as an officer who had done 
 gallant service, and indicated that he 
 had earned promotion, if the regulations 
 of his corps had permitted that advance- 
 ment. From the French Government 
 he received the order of the Legion of 
 Honour, a token of distinction conferred 
 on few officers of his rank, for as yet he 
 was a subaltern. His promotion as first 
 lieutenant had come to him in February, 
 1855, just as he began his trench work, but 
 he was not to get his captaincy until three 
 years after the Crimean War had ended. 
 
 Gordon was afterwards engaged for a 
 period of four months, almost without inter- 
 ruption, in destroying the dockyard, forts, 
 quays, barracks, and store-houses of the 
 fallen stronghold. With this work of de- 
 molition a work as uninteresting as it was 
 arduous his duties in the Crimea came to 
 an end. 
 
 In May, 1856, Gordon was appointed 
 Assistant Commissioner, and ordered to 
 join Major Stanton in Bessarabia, to help 
 in the work of laying down the new fron- 
 tiers of Russia, Turkey, and Roumania. 
 The duties of Gordon and his colleague 
 James were to trace a boundary about 100 
 miles in length, and then to compare the 
 Russian maps with their own to discover 
 in fact whether the former were correct, 
 and in case they were not, to survey the 
 ground afresh. To go about in the sum- 
 mer days and nights, with Eastern cities to 
 visit, and a new and delightful country to 
 
 explore, was no unpleasant change for two 
 young fellows, war-worn and wear}' with a 
 year's service in the Crimea, and with 
 month after month of bitter work in the 
 trenches. Gordon enjoyed himself greatly, 
 and was keenly interested in all he saw. 
 
 So many disputes arose between the vari- 
 ous representatives that the settlement of 
 the question detained the commissioners 
 eleven months in these districts. During 
 this period Gordon was engaged in travel- 
 ling from place to place, now on surveying 
 expeditions, now as the bearer of despatches, 
 now as the maker of fresh maps of disputed 
 points. In this way he visited Akerman, 
 Bolgrad, Kotimore, Kichenev, Reni Sera- 
 tyika, and Jassy. There was great variety 
 in the life he led, and with his inquiring 
 mind and sunny temper he was not the 
 man to let time hang heavily on his hands ; 
 yet when the survey came to an end, he 
 was sorry to find himself ordered to un- 
 dertake similar duties in another country. 
 Indeed, in April, 1857, when he received 
 instructions to join Colonel Simmons for 
 delimitating the boundary in Asia, he sent a 
 telegram home asking whether it were pos- 
 sible for him to exchange. But his value 
 was already known, and the answer said : 
 " Lieutenant Gordon must go." 
 
 While in the execution of his duties as 
 commissioner he visited many places 
 Erzeroum, Kars, Erivan, the ruins of Ami 
 he yet found time to study the strategic 
 points of a country illustrious and interest- 
 ing as the scene of many battles. And 
 while at Erivan lie ascended Little and 
 Great Ararat, with the view of personally 
 ascertaining their respective heights. Here 
 it was that he first met with uncivilized 
 tribes tribes not unlike those with which in
 
 20 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 later life he was so brilliantly to deal ; and 
 he already showed how he would one day 
 influence such in the manner in which he 
 mixed with Kurds, and fraternized with 
 their chiefs. 
 
 After six months thus spent in these 
 regions, he went back to Constantinople to 
 be present at a conference of the commis- 
 sion. Here he remained longer than he 
 expected, to nurse his chief, who had fallen 
 ill. This done, he was not sorry to return 
 to England after his three years' absence. 
 
 Another six months in England and he was 
 once more sent to Armenia as commis- 
 sioner. Here he remained from the spring 
 of 1858 until nearly the end of the year, 
 employed in verifying the frontier he had 
 taken so active a part in laying down, and 
 in examining the new road between the 
 Russian and Turkish dominions. 
 
 In April, 1859, Gordon attained the 
 rank of captain, and for some months he 
 was engaged at Chatham as Field-work 
 Instructor. 
 
 I 
 
 GORDON IN ARMENIA, 1857. 
 
 What was thought of Gordon at this 
 early period of his career by those with 
 whom he was brought into contact ? Their 
 opinion was highly favourable, it is true, 
 yet they scarcely could fathom as yet the 
 nobility of his character or the greatness 
 of his genius. England hardly gave scope 
 in which the character of such a man could 
 develop itself, though it was characteristic 
 of him that he soon attacked the most 
 
 difficult task in all modern England that 
 task being the spiritual and material improve- 
 ment of the masses lapsed in vice and 
 ignorance. It was however among the 
 crowded population of China and among 
 the vast and solitary deserts of Africa that 
 he was to prove how great a man he was. 
 He was also there to show, not only that he 
 was a great man, but that he was a humble 
 Christian.
 
 GORDON THE CHINESE WAR. 
 
 21 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GORDON THE CHINESE WAR JSACK OF THE JSUMMER PALACE- 
 TOURNEY TO THE GREAT WALL. 
 
 ORDON now entered upon 
 one of the most interesting 
 parts of his romantic career. 
 He left England for China 
 in 1860, and on reaching 
 Hong Kong the mail came in with the 
 
 news of the capture of the Taku forts. He 
 continued his journey to Tientsin, where 
 he learned that the representatives of the 
 British ambassador, with their escort, had 
 been made prisoners and carried off to 
 Pekin. One of the party was his old friend 
 
 GORDON IN CHINA, 1863 NARROW ESCAPE NEAR SOOCHOW. 
 
 De Norman, with whom he had served in 
 India, Messrs. Parkes, Loch, and Boulby, 
 the correspondent of the Times, Captains 
 Anderson and Brabazon, and fourteen 
 others. They were taken prisoners by 
 Sankolinsin, the Chinese general, and 
 treated with horrible cruelty in the dun- 
 geons of Pekin, whence few of the party 
 emerged alive. 
 
 To avenge this barbarous insult, Lord 
 Elgin at once informed the Chinese 
 authorities that he would sign no conven- 
 tion with the Imperial commissioners 
 except within the walls of Pekin. The 
 penalty must be one that would ring 
 throughout the whole empire. The British 
 troops, under Sir Hope Grant, were set in 
 motion, and Pekin was reached on October
 
 22 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 6th. Giving the Chinese till noon of the 
 1 3th to surrender the Anting Gate, the 
 allied troops prepared for the assault. 
 Gordon was busy getting the siege-train 
 ready for action. " We were sent down," 
 he writes, " in a great hurry to throw up 
 works and batteries against the town. . . . 
 We made a lot of batteries, and everything 
 was ready for the assault of the wall, which 
 is battlemented, and forty feet high, but of 
 inferior masonry." The day previous, how- 
 ever, the gate was opened, so their work 
 was of no avail. 
 
 As it was proved that the prisoners had 
 been tortured in Yuen-ming-yuen, the cele- 
 brated Summer Palace, the clothing of the 
 victims having been found in it, and their 
 horses in the stables, orders were given to 
 destroy it by fire. 
 
 "What remains of the palace," sternly 
 said Lord Elgin, " which appears to be the 
 place at which several of the British cap- 
 tives were subjected to the grossest in- 
 dignities, will be immediately levelled to 
 the ground : this condition requires no 
 assent on the part of His Highness Prince 
 Kung" (the plenipotentiary of the em- 
 peror), " because it will be at once carried 
 into effect by the commander-in-chief." 
 
 The costly bonfire was kindled on Octo- 
 ber 1 8th, and burned fiercely during the 
 whole of the next day. Prince Yung 
 unconditionally submitted to the demands 
 of the allies, and a few days later a treaty 
 was signed with much pomp in the Hall of 
 Ceremonies, around which bristled British 
 bayonets in the very heart of the Imperial 
 city. The Imperial palace, with its sur- 
 rounding buildings, upwards of two hundred 
 in number, covered an area of eight by ten 
 miles in extent. Gordon deplored the stern 
 necessity ; he says, " It made one's heart 
 sore to burn them." And we cannot wonder 
 at this, for the Summer Palace was at once 
 the Windsor Palace, the South Kensington 
 Museum, and the British Museum of China. 
 And though it was all this it was set on fire, 
 and in two days the splendid palace was 
 completely destroyed. 
 
 The author of " Our Own Times " thus 
 writes of this Summer Palace : " It covered 
 an area of many miles. The palace of 
 Adrian, at Tivoli, might have been hidden 
 in one of its courts. Gardens, temples, 
 small lodges and pagodas, groves, grottoes, 
 lakes, bridges, terraces, artificial hills, diver- 
 sified the vast space. All the artistic trea- 
 sures, all the curiosities archaeological and 
 other that Chinese wealth and Chinese 
 taste, such as it was, could bring together, 
 had been accumulated in this magnificent 
 pleasaunce. The surrounding scenery was 
 beautiful. The high mountains of Tartary 
 ramparted one side of the inclosure." 
 
 With Sir Hope Grant's force Gordon 
 went into winter quarters at Tientsin, and 
 here he remained in command of the Royal 
 Engineers until the spring of 1862. 
 
 In December, 1861, accompanied by 
 Lieutenant Cardew, he made a tour on 
 horseback to the Outer Wall of China, at 
 Kalgan. A Chinese lad, of the age of 
 fourteen, who knew a little English, acted 
 as their servant and interpreter, while their 
 baggage was carried in two carts. In the 
 course of their journey they passed through 
 districts which had never before been 
 visited by Europeans. Against the northern 
 side of the city of Sinen-hoa they found 
 that the sand had drifted with the wind, 
 till it had formed a sloping bank so high 
 that it reached to the top of the walls, 
 though they were nearly twenty feet high. 
 Nature had followed in the steps of the 
 generals of old, and had cast up a bank 
 against the tower. At Kalgan, the Great 
 Wall was, with its parapet, about twenty- 
 two feet high and sixteen feet broad. 
 
 A good account of a recent visit to this 
 border town of China, is given by Mr. 
 Gilmour in his vastly interesting book, 
 " Among the Mongols." He says : 
 
 " The traveller coming from the north by 
 the zigzag course of the torrent-bed leading 
 down from the ' Handle Pass,' travels ten 
 or twelve miles without seeing anything of 
 Kalgan, till, turning a corner, he comes 
 upon houses so crowded upon insufficient
 
 GORDON THE CHINESE WAR. 
 
 standing-ground in a recess of the valley, 
 that some of them are perched high up on 
 natural or artificial terraces on the hillside. 
 This may be called the north-west suburb 
 of Kalgan, and here it is that the Russians 
 engaged in the tea trade are located. From 
 this point down to Kalgan proper, the 
 traveller passes between two almost con- 
 tinuous lines of Chinese shops, defended 
 from the river by substantial masonry, and 
 pressed back close to the steep hill, looking 
 like spectators forced up against the walls 
 when the street is cleared to allow a proces- 
 sion to pass along a narrow roadway. The 
 great highway from the river-bed into Kalgan 
 goes straight up a breakwater, rising so high 
 and so abruptly, that it is only with great 
 difficulty that loaded carts can ascend or 
 descend. Attempts are made from time to 
 time to make the ascent more gradual by 
 heaping up gravel, but it seems to be no 
 one's duty to keep this part of the road in 
 permanent repair ; the continual traffic, or 
 a flood in the river, wears down, or carries 
 away, this temporary embankment, and the 
 struggling of horses and oxen to drag their 
 loads up this breakwater are painful to 
 witness. Most likely, when this point is 
 reached, the traveller finds the way blocked 
 by some disabled team, which makes re- 
 peated and ineffectual efforts to scramble 
 up the steep, the obstruction thus offered 
 to trie traffic not only causing a crowd of 
 carts to collect in the river, but packing up 
 the narrow street leading to the gate in 
 such a way as to make it difficult even for 
 a horseman to pass. At the gate itself, it 
 seems to be the custom for riders to dis- 
 mount, probably as a means of showing 
 respect to, and thus in a manner propitiat- 
 ing, the officials and underlings who watch 
 the traffic in the interest of the inland 
 revenue. 
 
 Kalgan is divided into two parts, upper 
 and lower, and is a busy, crowded place, 
 with streets not much too wide for carts to 
 pass, and paved with great blocks of stone. 
 When first laid, these stones were doubtless 
 smooth and made a good road, but long 
 
 wear has made havoc of them. In some 
 places they are worn into deep ruts, and in 
 some places large parts seem to have dis- 
 appeared. Bounded on one side by the 
 river, the houses are built so closely into 
 the foot of the steep hill that forms the 
 limit of the town on the other side, that 
 some considerable danger is to be appre- 
 hended lest masses of rock, disintegrated 
 by frost and rain from the precipices that 
 frown above, should rush down the hill- 
 side and crush the houses beneath. One 
 night in summer people in bed heard the 
 rush as of an avalanche on the side of the 
 hill, and the light of next morning revealed 
 a mass of stones that had descended from 
 a position high up the cliff. Many of the 
 stones were large, but one larger than the 
 rest, and of a shape somewhat resembling 
 that of a block from which a millstone nine 
 feet thick and twelve feet in diameter could 
 be conveniently hewn, had bounded away 
 far beyond them all, and had been brought 
 up only by having happened to leap down 
 into a water-cut gully, where it stuck fast. 
 Had this boulder not been stopped here, 
 it would have leaped crashing down through 
 the roofs of the outhouses of a Chinese 
 merchant's store. The story goes that some 
 time before, a missionary had made some 
 attempt at buying or renting the premises 
 in question, but unsuccessfully. The sight 
 of the stone, however, and the narrowness 
 of the escape, were not without effect on 
 the Chinaman's mind, and it is said that a 
 few days afterwards word was sent to the 
 foreigner that he might have the place if he 
 wished it. 
 
 In some places the houses come so 
 closely in to the foot of the mountain that 
 in climbing it is needful to be careful lest 
 the foot should dislodge a stone that might 
 fall down, endangering life and property. 
 The houses so situated, however, are for 
 the most part those of the poorest class ; 
 but the shops and establishments of many 
 wealthy firms, though situated on the main 
 street, do not consider themselves safe from 
 the dangers of the floods ; and the observing
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 stranger on his first arrival may be puzzled 
 by noticing grooved stones or timbers 
 standing on either side of the front en- 
 trances of places of business. A set of 
 planks are kept in readiness somewhere 
 inside, and when a dangerous inundation 
 seems imminent, these planks are brought 
 out, let into the grooves, and driven home, 
 thus forming a barrier to the flood, should 
 it come surging down. 
 
 One of my most weird recollections of 
 Kalgan, is that of making my way to an inn 
 along the great length of its streets one 
 summer evening, fording or being carried 
 across the yellow streams that flowed from 
 a thunderstorm in which I had been caught 
 when out on a visit The light of day was 
 prematurely extinguished by the great 
 clouds that were fast gathering, black and 
 thick among the mountain-tops ; belated 
 travellers hurrying homewards clambered 
 eagerly on the backs of bare-legged men 
 that stood on the edges of the streams 
 ready to transport passengers for a few cash ; 
 and from end to end the streets resounded 
 with the din of the shopmen hammering in 
 their water-boards, afraid of a flood in the 
 night The weirdness of the situation was 
 heightened by the recollection of the flood 
 which a year or two before had broken its 
 bounds, and, amid the horrors of storm and 
 darkness, had swept to destruction some 
 scores of panic-stricken people." 
 
 An adventure in a dust storm which 
 Gordon experienced is thus described in 
 his own words : " The sky was as dark as 
 night ; huge columns of dust came sweep- 
 ing down, and it blew a regular hurricane, 
 the blue sky appearing now and then 
 through the breaks. The quantity of dust 
 was indescribable. A canal, about fifty 
 miles long and eighteen feet wide, and 
 seven feet deep, was completely filled up ; 
 and boats which had been floating merrily 
 down the Tientsin found themselves at the 
 end of the storm on a bank of sand, the 
 canal being filled up, and the waters 
 absorbed. They will have to be carried to 
 the Peiho, and have already commenced to 
 
 move. The canal was everywhere pass- 
 able, and will have to be re-excavated." 
 
 But we cannot go fully into all Gordon's 
 wonderful adventures during this journey. 
 Let us again pick up our travellers at 
 Taitang, on the Great Wall of China, which 
 Gordon minutely examined. 
 
 There they saw huge caravans of camels, 
 laden with "brick tea," going towards 
 Russia. They were now forced to have the 
 axle-trees of their carts widened, for they 
 had come into a part of the country where 
 the wheels were always set wider apart than 
 in the province whence they came. Their 
 carts, therefore, were no longer fitted for 
 the deep ruts which had been worn in the 
 roads. The chief object of their journey 
 had been to ascertain whether there was 
 in the Inner Wall any pass besides the 
 Tchatiasu, which on that side of the 
 country led from the Russian territory to 
 Pekin. They pushed along southwards, in 
 vain trying for a long time to find a way 
 eastward over the mountains. It was not 
 till they reached Taiyuen that they struck 
 into the road that led to Pekin or Tientsin. 
 
 In this town, for the first time on their 
 journey, they got into any kind of trouble. 
 When the bill was brought them for their 
 night's lodging, they found that the charge 
 was enormous. Seeing that a dispute would 
 arise, they sent on their carts, and waited 
 at the inn till they felt sure that these had 
 got well on their way. They then offered 
 what they thought a reasonable sum. It was 
 refused. They tried to mount their horses, 
 but the people of the inn stopped them. 
 Captain Gordon took out his revolver, for 
 show more than for use, for he allowed them 
 to take it from him. He thereupon said, 
 " Let us go to the mandarin." To this 
 they agreed, and at the same time they gave 
 him back his revolver. They all walked 
 towards the mandarin's house, the two 
 Englishmen alongside their horses. On the 
 way Gordon and his companion mounted 
 quietly and went on with the people. 
 When they reached the mandarin's, they 
 turned their horses, and scampered after
 
 GORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY. 25 
 
 their carts as fast as they could. The 
 people yelled and rushed after them, but it 
 was too late. 
 
 Some way beyond Taiyuen they came 
 upon the pass over the mountains which 
 led down into the country drained by the 
 Peiho. The descent was a terrible one. 
 All along the cold had been intense, so 
 much so, that raw eggs were frozen hard as 
 if they had been boiled. To add to their 
 troubles, when they were on in front their 
 carts were attacked by robbers ; but the 
 Chinese lad an ugly imp kept them off 
 with his gun. When they drew near Pao- 
 ting-fu they sent on with the lad the two 
 carts and their tired horses, which had now 
 
 carried them for three weeks without the 
 break of a single day, and they hired a fresh 
 cart, in which they thought to ride to Tien- 
 tsin. But with the boy gone they had no 
 interpreter, and in their impatience, " their 
 new driver got rather crossly dealt with." 
 They stopped near Paoting-fu for the night. 
 Early next morning, as they were washing, 
 they heard the gates of the inn open, and 
 the rumble of cart-wheels. They guessed 
 what was happening. " Half-stripped as I 
 was, I rushed out, and saw our cart bolting 
 away. I ran for a mile after it, but had to 
 come back and hire another, with which we 
 got to Tientsin more than fourteen days 
 over our leave." 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY- 
 PUR BERG'S WONDERFUL EXPLOITS. 
 
 BOUT thirty years ago a 
 religious sect arose in the 
 south of China, near Can- 
 ton, under the denomina- 
 tion of "God-worshippers," 
 whose tenets were based upon the lead- 
 ing doctrines of Christianity. " The 
 leader of the sect was a poor, unsuccessful 
 schoolmaster named Hung-tsue-tsuen, who 
 had imbibed his views from reading 
 religious tracts in Ihe Chinese language, 
 issued by Protestant missionaries. He was 
 a man of a fanatical disposition, and in his 
 enthusiasm for the new doctrines that 
 dawned upon his mind, he mingled political 
 views of a revolutionary character to over- 
 throw the reigning Manchoo Tartar 
 dynasty, and restore in his person one 
 purely Chinese. This politico-religious 
 movement found acceptance among the 
 many discontented people that always exist 
 
 in China, where rebellion is the rule in one 
 or other of its provinces. 
 
 At the outset, it comprised a small 
 resolute band of men, who came into colli- 
 sion with a party of Imperial troops, whom 
 they defeated. They marched northwards 
 in their career, increasing in strength until 
 they became a mighty host, numbering 
 millions in their ranks, devastating the 
 fairest provinces and capturing some of the 
 greatest cities. 
 
 For twelve years they traversed the 
 country from south to north through twelve 
 hundred miles of latitude, and from west to 
 east over six hundred miles of longitude, 
 creating an internecine strife over an area 
 approximating to seven hundred and twenty 
 thousand square miles, equal to six times 
 the superficies of the entire United King- 
 dom. Like a vast flight of locusts devour- 
 ing every green thing in their way, ' leaving
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 not a wrack behind,' this revolutionary 
 horde swept over the land, consuming the 
 food of the industrious inhabitants, burning 
 and sacking cities, towns, and villages, and 
 strewing their path with victims until more 
 than ten millions of human beings were 
 either killed in fight or died from famine, 
 disease, and massacre. Yet the leaders of 
 the movement impiously promulgated their 
 dogmas as sanctioned by the Almighty for 
 the establishment of a ' Peaceful Heavenly 
 Kingdom,' based upon Christianity. 
 
 When the first accounts of the movement 
 reached Europe, most people thought they 
 saw in it the hand of Divine Providence for 
 the regeneration of the Chinese through 
 the dissemination of the gospel. But these 
 hopes gradually faded away as the move- 
 ment progressed in its hideous career, 
 subversive of all the laws of God and man. 
 As the monster horde increased in power 
 and success, its leader from time to time 
 abandoned the quasi-Christian views he 
 had started with, until he assumed the 
 attributes of divinity, and styled himself the 
 ' Heavenly King,' who had ascended into 
 heaven and held converse with the Deity." 
 
 From the impious assertion that he held 
 communication with the heavenly host, it is 
 evident that Hung-tsue-tsuen was conver- 
 sant with the Koran, and had taken a leaf 
 out of Mohammed's book to mingle with 
 the garbled quotations from the Scriptures. 
 Be that as it may, there is abundant reason 
 in all his writings, sayings, and doings to 
 pronounce him one of the most blasphe- 
 mous impostors the world has ever seen. 
 Neither at this time nor in 1847, when he 
 went to Canton and put himself under the 
 teaching of Mr. Issachar Roberts, a resi- 
 dent American missionary, did he show 
 any disposition to be a sober searcher 
 after religious truth, but only sought that 
 which would give force and shape to his 
 own Divine mission. 
 
 From the hour when Hung arose from 
 his sick-bed, after his first forty-days' trance, 
 and, poor and nameless, proclaimed his 
 avatar by fixing on his door-post the pro- 
 
 clamation, " The noble principles of the 
 Heavenly King, the Sovereign King Isuen," 
 on through success and defeat and Imperial 
 opposition, up to the hour of his death at 
 Nanking, when human flesh was selling in 
 the market at so much per catty, he seems 
 never to have wavered or abated one jot of 
 his claim to supreme rule on earth. 
 
 The son of a small peasant farmer, and 
 himself a poor literate, afflicted with fits of 
 madness, and trances, and visions, he was 
 to sweep over the great Flowery Land, and 
 cause devastation in sixteen provinces and 
 six hundred cities. His earthly existence 
 was extinguished amid the horrors of the 
 siege of Nanking ; his body was found by 
 the Imperial conqueror "enveloped inyellow 
 satin embroidered with dragons ; his head 
 was bald, without hair ; his moustache re- 
 mained, but had become grey." As soon as 
 the examination had been concluded, the 
 head was secured, and the remainder of the 
 body was burned, almost all China ex- 
 claiming, with Pekin officialdom, "Words 
 cannot convey any idea of the misery and 
 desolation he caused : the measure of his 
 iniquity was full, and the wrath of both 
 gods and men was roused against him." 
 
 Soon after establishing himself at Nan- 
 king, he entirely secluded himself within the 
 walls of a large palace, beyond the outer 
 court of which no male attendants were 
 allowed to enter. In the interior the 
 Heavenly Prince was waited upon by 
 females alone by his numerous wives, and 
 still more numerous concubines. Occasion- 
 ally he held levees of the leading kings and 
 chief men ; but only his brothers and the 
 Kan Wang, his cousin and prime minister, 
 were admitted freely into his presence. 
 Notwithstanding this seclusion, the Tien 
 Wang exercised despotic power, and his 
 edicts were usually implicitly obeyed. 
 According to his own belief, and the pro- 
 fession of his followers, he was distinguished 
 from men by being a veritable son of God, 
 coequal with Christ, and commissioned to 
 afford a new revelation to mankind. 
 
 According to the account of that eminent
 
 GORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY. 27 
 
 Chinese missionary, the Rev. J. L. Holmes, 
 who had a conference with this pretender, 
 he said, they had received a new ad- 
 ditional revelation ; and upon this they 
 could adopt a new mode of worship. " I re- 
 plied, that if the Tien Wang had obtained a 
 revelation, we could determine its genuine- 
 ness by comparing it with the Scriptures. 
 If they coincided, they might be parts of 
 the same ; if not, the new revelation could 
 not be true, as God did not change. He 
 suggested that there might be a sort of dis- 
 paragement which was yet appropriate, as 
 in the Chinese garment, which is buttoned 
 at one side. To this comparison I ob- 
 jected, as comparing a piece of man's work 
 with God's work. Ours were little and 
 imperfect ; His great and glorious. We 
 should compare God's works with each 
 other. The sun did not rise in the east 
 to-day and in the west to-morrow. Winter 
 and summer did not change their respective 
 characters. Neither would the Heavenly j 
 Father capriciously make a law at one time 
 and contradict it at another. His Majesty 
 seemed rather disconcerted at thus being 
 carried out of the usual track in which he 
 was in the habit of discoursing ; and we 
 parted, proposing to talk further upon the 
 subject at another time. 
 
 At daylight we started for the Tien 
 Wang's palace. The procession was headed 
 by a number of brilliantly coloured banners, 
 after which followed a troop of armed 
 soldiers. Then came Chung Wang, in a 
 large sedan, covered with yellow satin and 
 embroidery, and borne by eight coolies; 
 next came the foreigner on horseback, in 
 company with Chung Wang's chief officer, 
 followed by a number of other officers on 
 horseback. On our way several of the 
 other kings who were in the city fell-in 
 ahead of us with similar retinues. Music 
 added discord to the scene, and curious 
 gazers lined the streets on either side, who 
 had, no doubt, seen kings before, but pro- 
 bably never witnessed such an apparition 
 as that. . . . Reaching, at length, the 
 palace of Tien Wang, a large building re- 
 
 sembling very much the best Confucian 
 temples, though of much greater size than 
 these generally are, we entered the outer 
 gate, and proceeded to a large building to 
 the east of the palace proper, and called the 
 Morning Palace. Here we were presented 
 to the Tien Wang and his son, with several 
 others. After resting a little while, during 
 which two of the attendants testified their 
 familiarity with, and consequently irrever- 
 ence for, the royal palace, by concluding a 
 misunderstanding in fisticuffs, we proceeded 
 to the audience-hall of the Tien Wang. I 
 was here presented to the Tien Wang's two 
 brothers, two nephews, and son-in-law. 
 They were seated at the entrance of a deep 
 recess, over which was written, ' Illustrious 
 Heavenly Door.' At the end of this recess, 
 farther in, was pointed out to us His 
 Majesty Tien Wang's seat, which was as 
 yet vacant. The company awaited for 
 some time the arrival of the Western King, 
 whose presence seemed to be necessary be- 
 fore they could proceed with the ceremonies. 
 That dignitary, a boy of twelve or fourteen, 
 directly made his appearance, and entering 
 at the Holy Heavenly Gate, took his place 
 with the royal group. They then proceeded 
 with their ceremonies as follows : First, 
 they kneeled with their faces to the Tien 
 Wang's seat, and uttered a prayer to the 
 Heavenly Brother; then kneeling, with 
 their faces in the opposite direction, they 
 prayed to the Heavenly Father, after which 
 they again kneeled with their faces to the 
 Tien Wang's seat, and in like manner re- 
 peated a prayer to him. They then con- 
 cluded by singing in a standing position. 
 A roast pig, and the body of a goat, were 
 lying, with other articles, on tables in the 
 outer court ; and a fire was kept burning 
 on a stone altar in front of the Tien Wang's 
 seat, in a sort of court intervening between 
 it and the termination of the recess leading 
 to it. He had not yet appeared ; and 
 though all waited for him for some time 
 after the conclusion of the ceremonies, he 
 did not appear at all." 
 
 Such was the extraordinary individual
 
 28 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 who was destined to ravage such vast dis- 
 tricts of the Flowery Land, and to inflict 
 such misery on its inhabitants. Before 
 very long, as his band felt their strength 
 increase, they determined to attack Shang- 
 hai. 
 
 One by one the walled towns and large 
 villages in the immediate vicinity fell into 
 their hands. A force of more than two 
 hundred thousand armed men had driven 
 in the Imperialist troops at every point, and 
 only a few hundred foreign soldiers, with 
 
 several men-of-war, were left to defend 
 Shanghai. 
 
 " At that time it was calculated that the 
 value of merchandise and bullion in the 
 foreign hongs and banks was not less than 
 five millions sterling, and that belonging to 
 native merchants and bankers upwards of 
 two millions sterling. Added to these were 
 other descriptions of property afloat in the 
 harbour, such as opium, that swelled the 
 amount to at least ten millions, that might 
 be plundered by a successful enemy. 
 
 JRDON IN CHINA, 1863 THE STORMING OK LEEKU. 
 
 Knowledge of this was conveyed to the 
 Taipings by their spies, who had free ingress 
 and egress to and from the city. This 
 spurred them on to prosecute the winter 
 campaign with vigour. Emboldened by 
 their previous success, they swept down 
 upon the devoted settlement, * like the wolf 
 on the fold,' from every point of the com- 
 pass. While the inhabitants supposed them- 
 selves living in comparative security, they 
 were suddenly startled by the reports of the 
 fugitives from the country, that the dreaded 
 Chang-maou were rapidly approaching. 
 
 These accounts were verified by distant 
 clouds of smoke by day and fires by night, 
 which were visible on the horizon from the 
 high buildings in Shanghai. Reconnoitring 
 parties were sent out to ascertain the extent 
 of danger which threatened the place. On 
 their return, the authorities were informed 
 that the accounts of the affrighted inhabit- 
 ants were in no way exaggerated. The 
 neighbouring towns and villages were de- 
 vastated by fire and sword, and stockades 
 erected in all directions, with an advancing 
 force of 120,000 armed men.
 
 GORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY. 29 
 
 This alarming aspect of affairs roused the 
 foreign community from their lethargy. A 
 meeting was convened of military, naval, 
 and consular officials, together with the 
 most influential civilians, at which a Com- 
 mittee of Public Safety was formed, to find 
 means for constructing defensive works 
 under the superintendence of the military. 
 On looking round the settlement, they saw, 
 with increased feelings of alarm for the 
 safety of life and property from attack, that 
 it was vulnerable at almost every approach. 
 The available defensive force comprised 
 about 2,000 infantry, one-half French, the 
 other Indian troops and volunteers ; and 
 about 300 marines and sailors from the 
 British squadron, under Admiral Hope, be- 
 sides a half-battery of artillery. That gallant 
 officer took the command of this small force, 
 to contend against the overwhelming Tai- 
 ping hordes until reinforcements could be 
 brought from Tientsin and Hong Kong. 
 From day to day he reconnoitred the 
 country in all directions, and came upon 
 the most direful scenes of terrorism, blood- 
 shed, and anarchy. It was evident that 
 the remorseless rebels were determined to 
 capture Shanghai at all hazards. 
 
 Matters continued in this alarming state 
 for two or three weeks, during which time 
 much fear and dread was entertained by 
 foreigners as well as natives. Almost every 
 residentwent about armed, and had weapons 
 handy in his house night and day ; the 
 native domestics were held in distrust, 
 especially if they were Cantonese. The 
 ordinary affairs of the settlement were in 
 a measure suspended, and all who were 
 friends of law and order cheerfully lent 
 their aid in money and person to defend 
 it Besides doing so, the walled city was 
 garrisoned by Indian troops. 
 
 At last the banners of the Taiping 
 advanced force could be seen in the 
 suburbs, and a notice was surreptitiously 
 posted up, proposing to the foreign authori- 
 ties that if they gave up the native city the 
 settlement should not be interfered with. 
 This proposition was rejected, although it 
 
 was favourably entertained by those who 
 carried on a contraband traffic in arms and 
 munitions of war. However, there were 
 good men and true at the helm of affairs, 
 who informed the invaders that unless they 
 retired beyond the thirty-mile boundary 
 around the port, as stipulated with the 
 chiefs at Nanking, they would be driven 
 over it by main force. Still it was 
 abundantly evident that both city and 
 settlement were in imminent peril. 
 
 Just at this time, when everything pre- 
 sented the most gloomy aspect, a provi- 
 dential check was given to the progress 
 of the main body of the rebels by an un- 
 precedented fall of snow. This heavy 
 snowstorm continued almost incessantly 
 for fifty-eight successive hours, and covered 
 the ground to the height of thirty inches. 
 It remained more or less for several weeks, 
 to obstruct communications before it entirely 
 thawed away. On ordinary land this would 
 not have been the case, but the country 
 around Shanghai is so intersected with 
 creeks, canals, and ditches, that it is a 
 most difficult matter for any body of men 
 to traverse it at other times. About a fort- 
 night elapsed before any of the rebels made 
 their appearance again within view of the 
 settlement, leaving time to finish the con- 
 struction of substantial inner barricades, 
 and push on the works forming an embank- 
 ment and ditch for the outer defences. 
 
 This providential delay of hostilities was 
 most valuable in allowing time for the ar- 
 rival of reinforcements. Among the first to 
 make their appearance at this fresh seat of 
 war were the Royal Engineers, under the 
 command of Major Gordon, who subse- 
 quently performed so distinguished a part 
 in crushing this hydra-headed monster of 
 rebellion. 
 
 These were days of great rejoicing to the 
 inhabitants, both foreign and native, of the 
 beleaguered settlement and city, when they 
 saw regiment after regiment of British sol- 
 diers land upon the spacious Bund, or 
 marine parade. As they marched through 
 the streets with bands playing, colours fly-
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 ing in the breeze, and bayonets glittering 
 in the sun, crowds of Chinese, male and 
 female, lined the route, every one grinning 
 and chin-chinning with the greatest satis- 
 faction. It was curious to note their high 
 estimation of the valour of our forces, and 
 the protection of our authorities, as com- 
 pared with those of their own soldiers and 
 mandarins. In them they had little or no 
 confidence for the protection of their per- 
 sons and property against the insurgents, 
 and they openly solicited the aid of the 
 British authorities. 
 
 As to the Chinese authorities, they were 
 in raptures at the arrival of our forces, and 
 did everything in their power to make them 
 comfortable. There being no barracks in 
 the city or settlement, the greater number 
 of the troops were quartered in the Bud- 
 dhist temples, some of which are spacious 
 buildings, with abundance of accommoda- 
 tion. In these cases the priests were con- 
 fined to some obscure part of the edifice, 
 or turned out altogether, while all public 
 service in them was suspended." 
 
 Before commencing operations, the British 
 and French military and naval authorities 
 held a council of war, at which they drew 
 up an agreement for the defence of Shang- 
 hai, and resolved to capture all the towns 
 and fortified posts in possession of the 
 rebels within a radius of thirty English 
 miles. The allied force to take the field 
 was calculated at about three thousand 
 military and one thousand naval British 
 officers and men of all arms ; about two 
 thousand French, equally furnished by the 
 army and navy, and some thirty-five guns. 
 
 The campaign began in March, and in 
 t\vo months five of the enemy's strongholds 
 were captured, with great loss on their side, 
 and comparatively small on that of the 
 allies. During the progress of the oper- 
 ations, the force was augmented by two 
 thousand disciplined Chinese and Imperial 
 troops under the command respectively of 
 General Ward, an American, and a native 
 general. 
 
 The next successful affair was at the re- 
 
 capture of Tsing-poo, in about the middle 
 of May. This was a walled city of great 
 strength, which the insurgents had held for 
 several years. It was taken by escalade, 
 after a stubborn resistance, and two thou- 
 sand prisoners were captured, besides half 
 that number killed and wounded. The 
 French did good service in this engagement, 
 where they made a great breach in the city 
 wall with a 68-pounder gun in a gunboat 
 which they managed to navigate up the 
 intricate channel leading from the Wong- 
 poo River to the city moat. 
 
 These operations were carried on to the 
 north-west, west, and south-west of Shang- 
 hai, within the circumscribed radius. After 
 the capture of Tsing-poo, the allied army 
 marched in a south-eastern direction from 
 the boundary, crossing the Wong-poo River 
 into the country between its eastern bank 
 and the sea, where the Taipings held a chain 
 of fortified stockades and towns leading 
 
 i along the coast to Ningpo. The first strong- 
 hold attacked was called Nan-jao, where 
 the Allies sustained a great loss in the death 
 of Admiral Protet, who was shot through 
 the heart while bravely leading his men on 
 to the attack. His death was felt as a 
 severe loss by his brother commanders ; 
 and from the universal esteem in which he 
 was held as a man and an officer, great 
 sympathy was felt by all ranks at his un- 
 timely fate. His remains were brought to 
 
 ! Shanghai, and interred with the highest 
 honours that could be bestowed upon the 
 deceased, not only by the representatives 
 of his own nation and foreign powers, but 
 by the highest Chinese functionaries. Even 
 the Emperor of China issued an imperial 
 decree acknowledging the services he had 
 rendered to His Majesty, and conferred post- 
 humous honours on his memory, according 
 to the formula for a high mandarin. 
 
 By this time the deadly heats of summer 
 had set in, with the rainy south-west mon- 
 soon, which annually brings in its train 
 increased disease and mortality on the pes- 
 tilential plain around Shanghai. The allied 
 ranks became decimated, and the forces
 
 GORDON THE TAIPINGS AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY. 31 
 
 returned to Shanghai and other towns. So 
 great were the effects of the oppressive heat 
 and disease, that a cessation of hostilities 
 took place for several months. 
 
 Meanwhile the Taipings took advantage 
 of this stoppage of the campaign. They 
 attacked Tsing-poo, which was garrisoned 
 by the ordinary Chinese soldiery, who could 
 make no stand against the enemy, and it 
 was once more in their hands. General 
 Ward, the American, seeing this, advanced 
 with his disciplined Chinese upon the city, 
 and recaptured it He also achieved further 
 successes, in all of which it was evident 
 that Chinese troops, armed and disciplined 
 in the European manner, with foreign 
 officers to command them, were not much 
 inferior to ordinary British or French in- 
 fantry and artillery. The men had con- 
 fidence in their commander, and so had he 
 in them, for he displayed great coolness 
 and personal courage. Unfortunately his 
 fearless disposition led him into danger, 
 and he met with a premature death in 
 action. This was at a place named Tzoo- 
 che, twenty- five miles from Ningpo, his 
 mortal wound having come from the hands 
 of a foreigner in the rebel ranks, armed with 
 a rifle. As in the case of Admiral Protet's 
 death, the emperor issued a decree recount- 
 ing the eminent services of General Ward, 
 in which it states that, " His Majesty has 
 inspected the report, and is filled with ad- 
 miration and grief. Truly he was a brave 
 man a soldier that caused no shame. We 
 order the Board of Ceremonies to bestow 
 rites upon him, according to his rank, to 
 comfort his departed spirit : publish it far 
 and wide. Respect this ! " 
 
 After Ward, Burgevine had charge, but 
 this was not found to be a good appoint- 
 ment. He was cashiered, and Captain 
 Holland was placed in command. Holland 
 was not successful however, and finally the 
 British commander, General Staveley, pro- 
 moted Gordon, of whom he had already 
 said, "What he was before Sebastopol he 
 has been since faithful, trusty, and suc- 
 cessful. Before Pekin and at Shanghai he 
 
 has evinced just the qualities that are 
 needed now. Although he has never been 
 in command, he will rise to this occasion, 
 to which he is more fitted than any other 
 man whom I know." 
 
 In a letter to a relative Gordon thus 
 writes of the matter : " I am afraid you will 
 be much vexed at my having taken the 
 command of the Sung-kiang force, and that 
 I am now a mandarin. I have taken the 
 step on consideration. I think that any 
 one who contributes to putting down this 
 rebellion fulfils a humane task, and I also 
 think tends a great deal to open China to 
 civilization. I will not act rashly, and trust 
 to be able soon to return to England ; at 
 the same time I will remember yours and 
 my father's wishes, and endeavour to re- 
 main as short a time as possible. I can 
 say that if I had not accepted the com- 
 mand, I believe the force would have been 
 broken up and the rebellion gone on in its 
 misery for years. I trust this will not now 
 be the case, and that I may soon be able 
 to comfort you on this subject. You must 
 not fret on this matter : I think I am doing 
 a good service. ... I can assure you 
 and my father that I will not be rash, and 
 that as soon as I can conveniently, and 
 with due regard to the object I have in 
 view, I will return home." 
 
 Others spoke of him more enthusiasti- 
 cally. 
 
 Of this appointment Colonel Chesney 
 thus writes : " If General Staveley had 
 made any mistake in the operations he per- 
 sonally conducted the year before, he more 
 than redeemed it by the excellence of his 
 choice." The Ever- Victorious Army found 
 itself under a leader whose courage it had 
 constant occasion to admire, whose justice 
 it honoured, whose firmness availed to sup- 
 press the daily quarrels of its officers and 
 I to shield the men from abuse of their 
 power. The private plundering which 
 disgraced the force when with Ward dis- 
 appeared under a general whose eye was 
 as keen as his soul was free from the love 
 of lucre. Stern against iniquity as the
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 Baptist himself (for Gordon was of the 
 religious type of soldier which England has 
 learnt to reverence in such characters as 
 Havelock and Hedley Vicars), he from the 
 first taught his force to " do violence to no 
 man, and be content with their wages " ; 
 whilst the milder side of the gospel by 
 which he lived was displayed to the de- 
 feated Taipings ; and the humane treatment 
 which their prisoners met with at his hands 
 did almost as much after the first for the 
 cause which he served as his inborn skill 
 in the art of war. Among the strange 
 medley of adventurers who held com- 
 missions under him were Englishmen, 
 
 Americans, French, Germans, Spaniards. 
 Some were ex-mates of merchant ships, 
 some old soldiers of good character, some 
 refugees of no character at all. Among 
 them were avowed sympathisers with the 
 rebels, and avowed defiers of Chinese law ; 
 but all classes soon learnt to respect a 
 general in whose kindness, valour, skill, 
 and justice they found cause unhesitatingly 
 to confide ; who never spared himself per- 
 sonal exposure when danger was near ; and 
 beneath whose firm touch sank into insig- 
 nificance the furious quarrels and personal 
 jealousies which had hitherto marred the 
 usefulness of the force. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 POR.DON THE WAND OF VICTORY POLLAPSE OF THE 
 
 REBELLION. 
 
 ITHOUT delay Gordon took 
 the field, and struck out an 
 entirely new plan of military 
 operations from that pursued 
 by his predecessors, which 
 proved in the end to be most successful 
 
 A mere summary of that brilliant cam- 
 paign would fill many chapters. Instead 
 of marching by land to the seat of war 
 across the boundary line, the army was 
 conveyed by water up the estuary of the 
 Yang-tsze, to a point where a wide creek 
 led into the very heart of the country 
 around Soochow, occupied by the enemy. 
 The first operation of General Gordon was 
 the relief of Chang-za, a considerable 
 walled town built on the slope of a hill, 
 and commanding an extensive view of the 
 country from its heights. It contained a 
 crowded population who had fled to it for 
 refuge from the surrounding villages ; and 
 at one time the authorities and inhabitants 
 
 had to become Taipings in order to save 
 the place from destruction. 
 
 However, when they saw the approach of 
 a relieving force, they closed their gates 
 against the rebels, who closely invested the 
 city. Then they suffered from famine, 
 having no animal food, and only a scanty 
 supply of rice. They were likewise out of 
 ammunition, and were unable to take any 
 offensive measures against the besiegers, 
 depending on the stout walls of the city for 
 their defence. Great delight was mani- 
 fested on the arrival of Gordon's force, and 
 the defeat of their assailants. The gates 
 were opened wide for their entrance, and 
 the general was received with great honour 
 by the authorities in their official robes, and 
 by crowds of the rejoicing inhabitants. 
 
 Several other successful engagements 
 followed this, the most important being the 
 capture of Tai-tsang, where the disciplined 
 force had been defeated. This proved to
 
 GORDON THE WAND OF VICTORY. 
 
 33 
 
 be one of the toughest encounters with the 
 enemy, as the place was garrisoned by ten 
 thousand men, of whom one-fifth were 
 veteran soldiers. There were also a num- 
 ber of foreigners in the place as artillery 
 officers. It was captured, however, but at 
 a heavy loss to the disciplined force, while 
 the English officer bravely leading the 
 storming party was killed in the breach. 
 
 "In almost all these engagements Colonel 
 Gordon was very much exposed, for he 
 
 found it necessary, or at least expedient, to 
 be constantly in the front, and often to lead 
 in person. Though brave men, the officers 
 of his force would sometimes hang back, 
 and their commander had occasionally to 
 take one of them by the arm and lead him 
 into the thick of the fire. He himself 
 seemed to bear a charmed life, and never 
 carried any arms, even when foremost in 
 the breach. His only weapon on these 
 occasions was a small cane, with which he 
 
 GORDONS SHIP, THE "HYSON." 
 
 used to direct his troops ; and in the Chinese 
 imagination this cane soon became magni- 
 fied into 
 
 'GORDON'S MAGIC WAND OF VICTORY.'" 
 
 Besides the land force brought into the 
 field in these engagements, Gordon saw, 
 with his astute mind, that in a region so 
 intersected with navigable channels for ves- 
 sels of light draught, it would be advan- 
 tageous to bring up a small armed steamer. 
 Accordingly he obtained one, and putting 
 on board 300 riflemen and some field artil- 
 
 lery, he was enabled to do great execution 
 to the surprise of the foe. But what as- 
 tonished the enemy even more was the 
 extraordinary rapidity of his movements 
 with the attacking force from one point to 
 another. Hitherto it was the practice on 
 both sides for the combatants to rest on 
 their arms for several days after an engage- 
 ment before another was commenced. 
 Now each success was followed up by the 
 immediate advance of the victorious troops, 
 who carried everything before them. The 
 Taipings saw at once that they had a
 
 34 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 different foreign general to deal with from 
 any previously brought against them, and 
 his name was mentioned with dread through- 
 out their ranks. 
 
 The most gallant exploit of this little 
 man-of-war, which was named Hyson a 
 peaceful cognomen suggestive of tea was 
 before the capture of Quinsan, the chief 
 strategical point at the seat of war. To 
 reach this place it was necessary to make a 
 detour through the country held by the 
 enemy for a distance of twenty miles. 
 
 Gordon discovered that the only land 
 communication between Quinsan and Soo- 
 chow was by a single causeway, narrow in 
 places, flanked all the way by a canal, and 
 that canal accessible to his flotilla ap- 
 proaching it by a creek from the south. 
 By seizing this causeway he would cut the 
 communication between the two cities, and 
 so the reinforcement of the Quinsan garri- 
 son from as well as its retreat to Soochow 
 being hindered, he might deal with it pre- 
 sently as circumstances should suggest. 
 " He started on this romantic expedition," 
 says Mr. Archibald Forbes, " on board the 
 Hyson with a flotilla of sailing gunboats, 
 which carried, too, a picked but small 
 infantry battalion armed with rifles. The 
 Hyson, which mounted a 32-pound gun 
 and a 1 2-pound howitzer, was commanded 
 by a rugged but valiant American skipper, 
 named Davidson, and craft and skipper had 
 already made their names. She had the 
 reputation of being amphibious able to 
 drive over the bed of a creek on her paddle- 
 wheels, when there was not water enough 
 to float her ; he, man enough to fight the 
 Hyson, as if she had been a puissant iron- 
 clad. - Chunye, about eight miles west from 
 Quinsan, was the point at which Gordon's 
 flotilla approached the causeway. The 
 approach was protected by piles, which had 
 to be pulled up, and by stockades on the 
 land about the causeway, within which was 
 a strong stone fort. This position he did 
 not need to assault. A panic seized the 
 defenders, and they bolted, a part running 
 in upon Quinsan, the rest making along the 
 
 causeway westward for Soochow. The 
 troops were landed to occupy a position so 
 important and so fortunately acquired, and 
 the Hyson made a reconnaissance along the 
 canal towards Soochow, her fire sweeping 
 from the adjacent causeway, and from the 
 canal banks, alike detachments on the 
 march, and those holding intermediate 
 stockaded positions. The little craft pushed 
 to within sight of Soochow, went about and 
 returned towards Chunye. 
 
 She was only just in time. A desperate 
 fight was raging in the darkness on the 
 causeway and its vicinity. The garrison of 
 Quinsan, scared by the tidings the fugitives 
 had brought in, and, since Gordon had 
 beset the town on the three other sides 
 with his own and Imperialist troops, in a 
 panic lest their means of retreat should 
 utterly fail them, had sallied out under 
 cover of darkness, and were heading along 
 the causeway in the direction of Soochow, 
 when they encountered Gordon's detach- 
 ment commanding it at Chunye. To this 
 struggling confused melee, the Hyson came 
 steaming through the darkness, her lights 
 ablaze, her steam whistle emitting de- 
 moniacal yells a mysterious, awe-inspiring 
 monster. At the sight a spasm of frantic 
 terror seized the hapless Taipings. They 
 recoiled and drew apart from the close 
 struggle with Gordon's men. Into them, 
 thus huddled, tore the fire from the steam- 
 er's foregun, and sent them back on the 
 beleaguered town a crazed mob of fugitives. 
 The Imperialists on the east side of the 
 city marched in and took possession. 
 Quinsan had fallen without having been 
 assaulted ! " 
 
 In this and similar cases of prisoners 
 captured General Gordon made it a sine 
 qua non with the Imperial generals that 
 they must not be cruelly punished accord- 
 ing to the barbarous practice of Chinese 
 warfare, but that they should be dealt with 
 as having surrendered to a British officer. 
 This is an important point for considera- 
 tion by those who might consider Gordon's 
 services under the Chinese authorities as a
 
 GORDON THE WAND OF VICTORY. 
 
 servile obedience to their behests ; for, as 
 will be seen presently, a breach of this con- 
 dition was the cause of his first throwing 
 up the command. Not only did this mag- 
 nanimous officer show his humanity on 
 such occasions, but he repelled the insinua- 
 tions that he was merely a mercenary 
 soldier by refusing a large money reward 
 for his services offered by the Government 
 beyond his legitimate pay. 
 
 These honourable features in the charac- 
 ter and conduct of General Gordon were 
 exemplified at the siege of Soochow and 
 the surrender of its garrison. By this time 
 his armed force afloat was augmented into 
 a flotilla of two steam gun-vessels and sixty 
 Chinese boats armed with small brass guns. 
 His land force was increased also, to about 
 four thousand disciplined troops, assisted 
 by double that number of undisciplined 
 Imperialists commanded by General Ching. 
 On the other hand, the Taipings had an 
 addition to their foreign auxiliaries, under 
 the American Burgevine, who had joined 
 the rebels with an armed steamer, which 
 he and his companions had stolen from an 
 Imperial arsenal. At the first engagement 
 between these mixed forces Gordon was 
 victorious, and the foreign renegades inti- 
 mated their intention to surrender if he 
 would guarantee their safe conduct to 
 Shanghai. With his usual generosity he 
 agreed to this, and his fallen predecessor 
 arrived safely at the settlement, where he 
 was tried by the United States' consul- 
 general, and sentenced to be deported 
 Irom China. 
 
 It was now evident to the Taiping leaders 
 in Soochow that the capture of the city by 
 Gordon and his " Ever- Victorious Army" 
 was only a question of time, so they coun- 
 selled together as to the best terms on 
 which they should surrender. Among the 
 five Wangs there was one who dissented 
 from the course, namely, the Mo Wang, 
 who was determined to hold out to the 
 last. Nevertheless, his colleagues opened 
 negotiations with Gordon and the Chinese 
 general, and the former had an interview 
 
 with the Na Wang, who had been the 
 first to propose capitulation. This inter- 
 view took place in a vacated stockade 
 outside the walls, and Gordon told him 
 that he wanted to make the Taipings and 
 Imperialists friends, so that the shedding 
 of blood should cease ; and that since the 
 rise of the rebellion the latter did not dare 
 to perpetrate the wholesale executions they 
 had done at Canton from fear of the foreign 
 forces in China. Moreover, he explained 
 to him the small chance of success the 
 garrison had against the disciplined corps, 
 and that his cause was about lost The 
 Na Wang, in reply, said he had every con- 
 fidence in the honour of his noble foreign 
 adversary, but he had not much faith in 
 the promises of the mandarins. However, 
 he would see General Ching, and if he 
 showed the same clemency the garrison 
 would surrender. 
 
 At their next meeting in the Council 
 Hall the question of surrender was proposed 
 by the Kang Wang. A stormy discussion 
 ensued, and the Mo Wang denounced the 
 proposed capitulation as cowardly, and 
 praised the faithfulness of the Cantonese, 
 saying that the followers from the other 
 provinces were neither brave nor trust- 
 worthy. These insinuations caused the 
 other Wangs to resent the affront in strong 
 language, and an angry altercation took 
 place, which grew hotter and hotter, until 
 the chamber was in an uproar. Then the 
 Kang Wang stood up, divested himself of 
 his robe, and from underneath his vestment 
 drew a sharp dagger, which he plunged 
 into the heart of the Mo Wang, who fell 
 dead on the spot. One of the other Wangs 
 then drew his scimitar, and cut off his 
 head. The council then resolved to sur- 
 render, and the Mo Wang's head was sent 
 to General Ching as a proof that they were 
 ready to capitulate. 
 
 Next day, returning from marching his 
 troops out to Quinsan, Gordon rode into 
 the city to the Na Wang's house. There 
 he found all the Wangs, their horses 
 saddled, just starting to go out to Governor
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Li, for the meeting at which the city would 
 be formally given over. In his anxiety to 
 be assured that everything was well, he 
 called aside the Na Wang, who told him 
 all was right. Then he bade them good- 
 bye, and saw them ride off to the rendezvous. 
 
 Gordon saw that decent burial was given 
 to the Mo Wang's body, and then sauntered 
 towards the East Gate. He had not gone 
 far when a great force of Imperialist soldiery 
 went by firing and yelling. After a few 
 minutes General Ching appeared on the 
 scene, looking pale and agitated. 
 
 Gordon addressed him sharply, asking, 
 "Was the interview between the rebel 
 chiefs and the governor satisfactory, and is 
 the ceremony of submission over?" 
 
 "Your excellency," replied the treach- 
 erous general, " they have not seen Gover- 
 nor Li." 
 
 " That is strange, for I saw them in the 
 city with some twenty attendants, all 
 mounted, proceeding towards the East 
 Gate on their way to the governor's camp. 
 How was it, then, that they did not see 
 him?" 
 
 The lying mandarin said he did not 
 know, but supposed that they had run 
 away. He also made some other excuses 
 and statements which Gordon could see 
 were all subterfuges, and he was impressed 
 with the conviction that something serious 
 had befallen the insurgent Wangs, who 
 themselves had been accessory to the assas- 
 sination of their chief colleague. Now, 
 as the general had given his word for their 
 safety, and had relied upon the faith of the 
 governor, who had written to his Govern- 
 ment that mercy would be extended to 
 these men on giving in their allegiance, he 
 felt his honour involved in the matter. 
 
 Accordingly he rode into the city to see 
 if the Na Wang was in his palace, and to 
 learn the true state of affairs. The streets 
 were full of rebels standing to their arms, 
 while bands of Imperialist soldiers were 
 plundering the houses. When he reached 
 the Na Wang's palace, he found it ran- 
 sacked, and there met the uncle of the 
 
 chief, who begged him to come to protect 
 his house. Night was far advanced, and 
 from the alarming appearance of affairs 
 Gordon was apprehensive of a general 
 massacre in the city. 
 
 It was barely daylight when Gordon's 
 party got out of the city and arrived at the 
 governor's stockade, to await the armed 
 steamers. Major Bailey, who commanded 
 the artillery in General Ching's army, now 
 came up to Gordon and informed him that 
 the four Taiping Wangs had been be- 
 headed. He also said that the general was 
 very much put out about the affair, and had 
 sent him to say that he was not responsible 
 for the act, that Governor Li Hung-chang 
 had ordered General Ching to execute the 
 rebel chiefs, and also gave permission to 
 the troops to plunder the city. The major 
 further stated that he had the Na Wang's 
 son at his quarters, and he afterwards 
 brought him up. 
 
 The young man was in great distress as 
 he pointed to the opposite side of the creek, 
 saying that his father and the other Wangs 
 had been beheaded there. Gordon crossed 
 over in a boat to examine the place, and 
 saw the six bodies fearfully gashed and cut 
 down the middle. It appeared that the 
 chiefs, on reaching the camp, were received 
 with friendly demonstrations by the gover- 
 nor and General Ching, and that while 
 conversing with them the executioners 
 suddenly rushed forward and decapitated 
 these victims of treachery. It is said that 
 Gordon burst into tears at the sight. They 
 were tears not alone of sorrow, but of 
 disappointment, shame, and fierce wrath. 
 The foulest despite had been done him. 
 His honour had been mocked at by the 
 wanton butchery. " It is not to be 
 wondered at," writes Mr. Hake, " that 
 Gordon was enraged beyond bounds ; it is 
 not surprising that for the first time during 
 the war he armed himself and went out to 
 seek the life of an enemy. He took a 
 revolver and sought the governor's quar- 
 ters, fully resolved to do justice on his 
 body and accept the consequences.
 
 GORDON THE WAND OF VICTORY. 
 
 37 
 
 But Governor Li had come to realize 
 what manner of man Gordon in his wrath 
 could be, and had escaped into the town. 
 Gordon pursued him, but he got into hiding 
 and eluded his search. By this time one of 
 the steamers came up, and General Gordon, 
 seeing that he could do no more in this san- 
 guinary affair, took his departure for Quin- 
 san. On the voyage he discussed with his 
 officers this cold-blooded act of treachery, 
 and announced his resolve to resign his 
 
 command of the disciplined force and to 
 quit the Chinese service." As it would be 
 injudicious, however, to do so precipitately 
 he wrote to the General Brown, the British 
 commander at Shanghai, giving a detailed 
 account of the affair as far as that came 
 under his own observation, and intimating 
 his desire to give up the command. 
 
 This put the Chinese Government in a 
 great state of fear, and to pacify Gordon 
 they issued the following command. 
 
 CHINESE JUNKS. 
 
 " Gordon, specially appointed a general 
 in the army of Kiang-soo, has shown pro- 
 found skill and great zeal Let him there- 
 fore receive a military character of the 
 first rank and a sum of 10,000 taels 
 (^33oo)-" He replied: 
 
 "Major Gordon receives the approbation 
 of His Majesty the Emperor with every 
 gratification, but regrets most sincerely that, 
 owing to the circumstances which occurred 
 since the capture of Soochow, he is unable 
 
 to receive any mark of His Majesty the 
 Emperor's recognition, and therefore re- 
 spectfully begs His Majesty to receive his 
 thanks for his intended kindness, and to 
 allow him to decline the same." 
 
 He was at length persuaded to again 
 resume command with better prospects of 
 extinguishing the rebellion than had ever 
 before presented themselves. 
 
 Hitherto Gordon had no difficulty in ob- 
 taining commissariat supplies, as his base
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 of operations was open to Shanghai, where 
 unlimited stores could be obtained. In 
 this part of the campaign he could not 
 depend upon these resources, as he was 
 inarching his army into the heart of the 
 rebel forces ; consequently it was necessary 
 for his men to carry sufficient provisions for 
 their consumption in the field. Notwith- 
 standing this extra encumbrance, and in 
 spite of most inclement weather, his force 
 captured the posts and carried all before 
 them. The last of these was the strongly 
 fortified city of Liyang, where twenty thou- 
 sand rebels surrendered themselves; and 
 he took good care that none of them should 
 be handed over to the tender mercies of 
 Governor Li. By this strategic success 
 the enemy's forces were cut in two the 
 hour-glass was broken at the waist. Not 
 only did it sever their communications, but 
 it relieved fifteen thousand men of the 
 Imperial army, under Tsen-kwo-fan (one 
 of the greatest mandarins in China), who 
 marched on to Nanking. Gordon followed 
 up this success in the opposite direction, 
 to co-operate with the Franco-Chinese, and 
 was successful in every engagement, al- 
 though the enemy fought with despairing 
 energy and considerable military skill. 
 
 Such an instance occurred during the 
 siege of Chang-chow. The disciplined 
 force had arrived before the city, driving 
 the rebels from the posts previously cap- 
 tured. They attacked twelve formidable 
 stockades, and carried them with compara- 
 tively small loss. Next day the siege bat- 
 teries were placed in position, and the 
 artillery encamped in the trenches near 
 their guns. In the night General Gordon 
 rode with his staff to superintend the opera- 
 tions, and unfortunately, in the darkness, 
 his own men mistook them for a recon- 
 noitring party from the enemy, and fired 
 on them. Most providentially the general 
 himself escaped harmless, but one of his 
 staff, Colonel Tapp, was unfortunately killed 
 on the spot, while several officers were 
 seriously wounded, amongst others myself. 
 
 This untoward circumstance was followed 
 
 up by a still heavier loss amongst his offi- 
 cers and men in an assault upon the city. 
 On that occasion the storming party en- 
 countered such desperate resistance that 
 it was compelled to retire, after a severe 
 struggle, with the loss of twenty-seven 
 officers and three hundred men killed and 
 wounded. The marvel is that General 
 Gordon came almost scathless out of these 
 desperate engagements, for, excepting a 
 slight flesh wound on one occasion, he was 
 never disabled, although he exposed him- 
 self to the enemy's fire as much as any of 
 his officers. In the opinion of his men he 
 led a charmed life, which excited in them a 
 superstitious reverence for his person. This 
 idea was also entertained by the Taipings, 
 which, coupled with the rapidity and suc- 
 cess of his movements, overwhelmed them 
 with a kind of awe on his approach at the 
 head of his troops. 
 
 After the repulse of his forces at the 
 assault on Chang-chow, General Gordon 
 set to work in making engineering ap- 
 proaches, by raising breastworks within 
 eighty feet of its walls. When these were 
 finished an attack was made simultaneously 
 at two breaches in the south wall. A severe 
 struggle ensued, but the rebels were over- 
 powered and the city captured. It was 
 evident that the Taipings were fighting with 
 the courage of despair. Next to Nanking 
 this city was their chief stronghold; its 
 loss, therefore, was a severe blow to their 
 failing strength. 
 
 Several other places were taken by both 
 disciplined and undisciplined troops, until 
 the ancient southern capital was the only 
 important city under the rule of Taipingdom, 
 which had been in possession of the Wangs 
 for eleven years. The besieging force 
 under Tsen-kwo-fan learned that the Tien 
 Wang, seeing that his cause was lost, com- 
 mitted suicide by eating gold leaf. This 
 caused them to push on their works, and 
 an enormous mine, which had been run up 
 to the north-east gate, was exploded, de- 
 stroying about one hundred and twenty 
 feet of wall, sixty feet high and forty feet
 
 GORDON THE WAND OF VICTORY. 
 
 39 
 
 thick, by a discharge of sixty-eight thousand 
 pounds of Chinese gunpowder. Through 
 the breach the Imperialists rushed, and 
 when they reached the Tien Wang's palace, 
 they found his wives hanging on the trees 
 in the garden, where his own body lay un- 
 buried. 
 
 By this time General Gordon had re- 
 turned to Quinsan with his " Ever- Victori- 
 ous Army," and seeing that there were no 
 fears to be entertained from Taiping incur- 
 sions, he prepared to disband the force. 
 This was done in the most cautious man- 
 ner, by ordering the men to deliver up their 
 arms and accoutrements, with the exception 
 of some batteries of artillery. So the dis- 
 ciplined Anglo-Chinese force, which had 
 been mainly instrumental in recovering the 
 province of Kiang-soo from the rebels, was 
 broken up, and the British officers con- 
 nected with it returned to their respective 
 regiments. This was in pursuance of an 
 order in council after the account of the 
 Soochow assassinations. 
 
 Gordon shortly afterwards left for Eng- 
 land, where his eminent services were ac- 
 knowledged by her Majesty the Queen, in 
 conferring upon him the honourable order 
 of Companion of the Bath. 
 
 Thus was brought to a successful con- 
 clusion one of the most brilliant campaigns 
 of modern warfare in the far East, in which 
 British valour and generalship maintained 
 its supremacy in the field. "And so," 
 writes Colonel Chesney, " parted the Ever- 
 Victorious Army from its general, and its 
 brief but useful existence came to an end. 
 During sixteen months' campaigning under 
 his guidance, it had taken four cities and a 
 dozen minor strong places, fought innumer- 
 able combats, put hors de combat numbers 
 of the enemy, moderately estimated at 
 fifteen times its own, and finding the re- 
 bellion vigorous, aggressive, and almost 
 threatening the unity of the Chinese em- 
 pire, had left it at its last gasp, confined to 
 the ruined capital of the usurper." 
 
 The large money present again offered 
 to Gordon he declined, as he had done the 
 
 previous grant. He had spent his pay in 
 promoting the efficiency of his force. " I 
 leave China as poor as when I entered it," 
 were the simple, modest words he wrote 
 home. He left China, however, with the 
 goodwill, respect, and esteem of all with 
 whom he had to do. The merchants and 
 bankers of Shanghai expressed their col- 
 lective gratitude. The British minister 
 wrote, " Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon well 
 deserves Her Majesty's favour, for inde- 
 pendently of the skill and courage he has 
 shown, his disinterestedness has elevated 
 our national character in the eyes of the 
 Chinese." 
 
 We will close this chapter with the fol- 
 lowing extract from Colonel Chesney's 
 sketch of Gordon and the Taiping re- 
 bellion. He writes : " Much has been said, 
 and fairly said, in eulogy of the moderation 
 and patriotism of those volunteer generals 
 of the victorious armies of the Union who, 
 at the close of the American Civil War, laid 
 down their important charges to return 
 cheerfully to the counting-house, the fac- 
 tory, or even to the humblest appointment 
 in the regular service on the frontier. Eng- 
 lishmen who bestowed admiration on this 
 conduct of their transatlantic kinsfolk 
 should certainly yield no less to that of 
 their own countryman, since he, his task 
 once accomplished, sought for no irregular 
 employment in China, asked for no pro- 
 longation in any form of his high command, 
 but laid it down to return straightway to the 
 ordinary life of a captain of Engineers on 
 home duty, his highest ambition the fur- 
 therance of some local good work, his daily 
 business for years to come the building ob- 
 scure forts from the designs of others on an 
 Essex swamp. The very papers in which 
 the record of his services was inscribed lay 
 thrust out of sight, their existence forgotten 
 save in Mr. Wilson's mention of them. 
 They might have mouldered for him away 
 unread, but for that appeal, made almost as 
 a demand, of certain of his brother officers, 
 awakening to the knowledge that out of 
 their own corps there were few who were
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT.
 
 GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 aware of the extent and bearing of Gordon's 
 services, and the importance of the Chinese 
 campaign of 1863-4. 
 
 The writer is far from being one of those 
 who would have the world racked with war 
 in order that we may learn what generals 
 lie hid among us ; but he cannot be insen- 
 sible to the fact that England's interests are 
 so vast, so numerous, so complicated, that 
 it is impossible to predict that the day shall 
 ever come when the hero's arm and the 
 captain's brain shall be unnecessary to her 
 greatness or her safety. Ever and anon, too, 
 there comes across the ocean the cry of 
 some one of her scattered offspring, aban- 
 doned perhaps by a vacillating policy and 
 false humanitarianism (akin to those which 
 misguided us in our Chinese dealings) to a 
 disastrous war. Fitly, therefore, may we 
 
 close this brief record of great deeds done 
 from no mere love of glory or of gain, with 
 words suggested long since by one who, 
 himself a soldier, whose name has become 
 a household word in England, had been 
 among the first to note the warlike genius 
 of young Gordon when together they bore 
 the fire of Sebastopol : ' Another Colonial 
 war, and no help to be given ! If we can't 
 spare an army, if we can't spare a staff, let 
 us at least send them one captain of En- 
 gineers. If there is a man in the world 
 who can conduct such a war with honour, 
 thoroughness, and humanity, and bring it 
 to a satisfactory close without needless de- 
 lay or expense, England has that man in 
 Chinese Gordon ! '" After-events make these 
 words read like a prophecy, so true and 
 apposite are they. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND DEEDS OF CHRISTIAN 
 
 CHARITY jpfis RELIGIOUS OPINIONS. 
 
 } 
 
 HE gratitude," says Mr. 
 Hake, " of the Empress, 
 the Regent, the Man- 
 darins in fact of all 
 China for the great ser- 
 vice Gordon had rendered was unbounded. 
 But it was enough for him that he had done 
 his duty, and had brought to its end a strife 
 involving so much misery. Therefore 
 when the Court of Pekin twice sent him a 
 fortune as his reward, he twice declined to 
 accept it. He had spent all the surplus of 
 his pay in contributing to the comfort of 
 his followers, now disbanded and scattered. 
 But he preferred the reward of his choice ; 
 and it was with great difficulty that Prince 
 Rung persuaded him to leave the Empire 
 a Mandarin and the bearer of the Yellow 
 
 Jacket. This, however, he did, and with a 
 magnificent gold collar which the Prince 
 had transferred from his own neck to 
 Gordon's, saying : ' This, at any rate, you 
 shall not refuse.' The fate, of this collar 
 was the noble fate of many other gifts. On 
 the voyage back to England a subscription 
 was got up for a poor widow on board, and 
 Gordon was asked to subscribe. He looked 
 in his pocket, and there found only enough 
 to take him home. Then he went down to 
 his cabin, and returned with the collar, 
 which he handed in as his contribution. 
 The act was a symbol of his life, but 
 especially of the six years he was about to 
 enter on at Gravesend. There, as com- 
 mander of the Royal Engineers, he lived a 
 life of charity and peace, giving to the poor 
 
 D *
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and attending the bedsides of the sick and 
 dying; and when in 1871 he was called 
 away to his new duties at Galatz, the 
 gratitude and sorrow that followed him 
 were heartfelt and universal." 
 
 A local paper at the time of his depar- 
 ture thus gave expression to their feelings 
 of gratitude and sorrow : Our readers, 
 without exception, will learn with regret of 
 the departure of Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, 
 C.B., R.E., from the town, in which he has 
 resided for six years, gaining a name by 
 the most exquisite charity that will long be 
 remembered. Nor will he be less missed 
 than remembered : for in the lowly walks of 
 life, by the bestowal of gifts ; by attendance 
 and ministrations on the sick and dying ; 
 by the kindly giving of advice ; by attend- 
 ance at the Ragged School, Workhouse, 
 and Infirmary ; in fact, by general and 
 continual beneficence to the poor, he has 
 been so unwearied in well-doing that his 
 departure will be felt by many as a personal 
 calamity. There are those who even now 
 are reaping the rewards of his kindness. 
 His charity was essentially charity, and had 
 its root in deep philanthropic feeling and 
 goodness of heart; shunning the light of 
 publicity, but coming even as the rain in 
 the night-time, that in the morning is noted 
 not, but only the flowers bloom and give 
 a greater fragrance. Colonel Gordon, al- 
 though comparatively a young man, has 
 seen something of service, having obtained 
 his brevet and order of Companion of 
 the Bath by distinguished service in China. 
 He is thus eminently fitted for his new post, 
 and there is no doubt but that he will prove 
 as beneficent in his station under the 
 Foreign Office as he was while at Graves- 
 end ; for it was evidently with him a 
 natural heart-gift, and not to be eradicated. 
 Colonel Gordon's duties at Gravesend ter- 
 minated on the 3oth September, and by 
 this time he is on his way to Galatz, 
 in Turkey, where he will take up his 
 residence as British Commissioner on the 
 Danube. He is succeeded by Colonel the 
 Hon. G. Wrottesley, as Commandant of 
 
 Royal Engineers for the Gravesend district. 
 All will wish him well in his new sphere ; 
 and we have less hesitation in penning these 
 lines from the fact that laudatory notice will 
 confer but little pleasure upon him who 
 gave with the heart, and cared not for 
 commendation. 
 
 Of some of his good deeds at Gravesend 
 we shall now give a short account. First 
 let us give a short note written by a gentle- 
 man in Woolwich, and hitherto unpublished, 
 about Gordon's father and Gordon in his 
 youth : When I came to this town thirty- 
 five years ago, the father was head of the 
 'carriage department' in the Royal Arsenal. 
 At the time I mention young Gordon must 
 have been sixteen years old, and was pro- 
 bably a cadet. His brother was afterwards 
 the head of one of the departments in the 
 Arsenal. He has had his services recog- 
 nised since then by a title. 
 
 The men who then worked under him 
 are all passed away. I think they have to 
 retire at the age of sixty. 
 
 I recollect that Gordon's name was con- 
 stantly mentioned in one's hearing, as his 
 power was so extensive in admitting men to 
 Government employment. There was no 
 other name I so often heard, though there 
 are some three or four heads, as of the 
 Carriage Department, the Royal Labora- 
 tory, etc., etc. 
 
 The next memorandum we give is one of 
 peculiar interest. As far as we know, no 
 part of the circumstances in it has yet found 
 its way into print. Perhaps it never would, 
 but the "fierce light" that must now beat 
 upon the defender of Khartoum as long as 
 tales of courage and heroism charm the 
 human race has brought it to notice. This, 
 as will be plainly seen, is in accordance 
 with no wish of Gordon's, 'who was certainly 
 one of those who " do good by stealth, and 
 blush to find it fame." The circumstances 
 of the discovery are as follows : A gentle- 
 man of position in the city became very 
 much interested in the career of Gordon, 
 and began to follow all his movements with 
 interest It occurred to him to go down
 
 GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 43 
 
 to Gravesend, and find out what the people 
 there thought of him. He found his praise 
 in every mouth. Somehow or other he 
 heard mysterious whispers of a man in a 
 terrible state of infirmity who was supported 
 by the subject of our memoir. He has 
 written out the following account, which 
 will be read with painful interest We give 
 it in his own words, merely assuring the 
 reader of its absolute authenticity : 
 
 Only three weeks ago, when at Graves- 
 end, we were told of the case of a poor man 
 who for the past fourteen years had been 
 a pensioner of General Gordon. We were 
 taken to the house of a poor widow in 
 whose care this unconscious being was pass- 
 ing away his life, perfectly ignorant of the 
 affairs of this world, or even of those kind 
 people who attended him. His history is 
 not well known save to those who were in 
 General Gordon's confidence, and who will 
 not on any account divulge the secret, or 
 even that the General pays a monthly sum 
 for his food and nursing. 
 
 In the small, clean room into which we 
 were shown there lies C. Carter, bedridden, 
 blind, almost deaf and dumb, and unable to 
 move a limb. Not even when his attendant 
 strove to rouse him from his death-like pallor 
 by shouting "Mr. Carter, here is a gentleman 
 that wants to speaks to you about Colonel 
 Gordon," did he take the least notice, or 
 make the slightest effort to move, speak, or 
 show signs of life. " Yes," said the maiden 
 daughter of the widow, " he has been like 
 that, sir, the past ten years, and only 
 mother's voice will rouse him. He knows 
 none of us, and if we were to neglect feed- 
 ing him he would be dead before the morn- 
 ing. But please not to tell Colonel Gordon, 
 sir, for he will be angry at its being known 
 that we let you know anything at all about 
 him." 
 
 It appears from what I gathered elsewhere 
 that the life of this most distressing object 
 was somewhat shrouded in mystery. He 
 had been either a lawyer or banker, the girl 
 said, but she wasn't sure, and a lady had 
 the paying of the money ; so far from the 
 
 facts of the case being made public, she 
 was bound to study Colonel Gordon's orders, 
 and to let no one know that he was the 
 benefactor of this distressing object.* 
 
 We were further told of other good works 
 carried out by Gordon when residing in 
 Gravesend, and of his constant attendance 
 at the Parish Church, where he always sat 
 in the gallery, but this is pretty well known 
 by the public already. 
 
 One remarkable proof of Gordon's power 
 over his fellow-creatures is the influence he 
 had with the ragged boys of the neighbour- 
 hood. He taught in the ragged school, 
 where he was very popular. " Many of us 
 went to the night school only that we might 
 be near him : we loved him so much," said 
 one of them afterwards. Rough testimonies 
 to his worth were written up by some of 
 these youngsters all over Gravesend. Such 
 were " C. G. is a jolly good feller;" " God 
 bless the Kernal;" "Long life to our 
 beloved teacher, Gordon." 
 
 Many lads who seemed destined to a life 
 of sin and misery were rescued and placed 
 in a fair way of becoming worthy citizens 
 by this noble man. In a great number of 
 cases berths on board ship were procured 
 for them. He had a large map of the 
 world which was stuck all over with pins. 
 A friend of his noticed this, and saw that 
 these pins were continually changing their 
 position. He asked the reason, and Gor- 
 don told him that each of these pins repre- 
 sented a ship, where one of " his kings," as 
 he loved to call his boys, was, and that as 
 the ship mQved so the pins were changed 
 
 Our illustration represents him explaining 
 to a number of ragged boys the map of the 
 world, and the position and fortunes of 
 their predecessors in the class. 
 
 We conclude this chapter with some 
 account of Gordon's religious opinions, 
 which we have excerpted from the Pall 
 Mall Gazette. 
 
 The religious convictions of General 
 Gordon play so conspicuous a part in his 
 
 C. Carter has now passed away.
 
 44 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 political actions that it may be worth while 
 to endeavour to form some idea of the 
 theological ideas which dominate his life. 
 To begin with, General Gordon is a believer 
 in the pre-existence of the soul. "I think," 
 he wrote in January, 1876 ("Colonel 
 Gordon in Central Africa," p. 306) "that 
 this life is only one of a series of lives 
 which our incarnated part has lived. I 
 
 have little doubt of our having pre-existed ; 
 and that also in the time of our pre- 
 existence we were actively employed." 
 
 In the present life, everything that 
 happens to man of good or evil he believes 
 was settled from all eternity or, as he 
 once phrased it, " one million million years 
 ago " by a Higher Power who is infinite 
 wisdom. " No comfort is equal to that 
 
 GORDON VISITING CARTER AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 which he has who has God for his stay, 
 who believes, not in words but in fact, that 
 all things are ordained to happen, and 
 must happen. He who has this has already 
 died, and is free from the annoyance of this 
 life." 
 
 In following the Divine direction you 
 have not to think, to consider difficulties. 
 Keep your eyes on the cloud by day, and 
 the pillar by night, and never mind your 
 
 steps. The direction is the main point. 
 He dwells in communion with the Almighty, 
 and feels in close and active alliance with 
 God. It is the Divine will, he thinks, that 
 we should be His friends, and not His 
 servants. 
 
 On one occasion when in terrible diffi- 
 culties he wrote : 
 
 "I will tell you a story of 1848 years 
 ago. There was a workman of Bethlehem
 
 GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 45 
 
 who did not agree with the great teachers 
 of an old religion, who answered them 
 roughly, and who did not conform to their 
 views, or pay them the attention to which 
 they were accustomed. He was always in 
 the slums with very dubious characters. 
 This annoyed the church class. ' Why do 
 you frequent those slums ? ' He said, 
 ' These slums need me to go to them ; for 
 they are sick at heart, and I bear them 
 good news. I tell them they are worth 
 something, in spite of their ill deeds. I 
 tell them their God is a merciful God, and 
 that He has worked out their salvation not 
 for their merits.' Now, these slum people 
 liked their [visitor. He had kind words 
 for them. He did not look on them as 
 pariahs. He rather encouraged these 
 people, and He never said words of despair j 
 against their evil ways ; but He pointed out < 
 that happiness resulted from a holy life. 
 His strong rebukes were against the white- | 
 robed, clean, respectable people, who 
 thought they were everything that was 
 good, because they had prayer-meetings 
 and sacrifices, and washed their hands 
 before eating. Well, you know the story. 
 The good people could not bear the home- 
 thrusts they received, and so they murdered 
 Him. They were too good to do it 
 directly, but they worked up others to do 
 it. The slum people liked this man ; He 
 was never hard on them. Some very 
 dubious characters were well received by 
 Him ; but He was not polite to those who 
 thought themselves good. He found fault 
 with the invitations they gave to dinner, 
 though He was their guest. He would 
 have called on the 'divorced.' He would 
 have tried to cheer their life, and have 
 aided them to see that, though the clerical 
 party would not notice them, they were 
 still God's children. Fancy that none of 
 these slum people ever went to church, or 
 ever gave a sacrifice ! They were like our 
 own slum people. They would not have 
 liked any of the clerical people to come 
 among them, for the clerical people would 
 have exclaimed, ' I am better than you ; ' 
 
 and human nature does not like that, and 
 will never crush and crowd to hear it." 
 
 In speaking of professing Christians, 
 General Gordon sometimes permits himself 
 to be carried away into extravagances which 
 he would be the first to regret if he could 
 be prevailed upon to read in print that 
 which he has spoken or written. But as 
 he refuses even to look at anything printed 
 relating to himself, there is probably no 
 one who would be more surprised at seeing 
 what he said on many subjects than Gordon 
 himself. It is impossible that he can en- 
 tertain so very contemptuous an idea of 
 Christians generally when he is constantly 
 asking for their prayers, and declaring, as 
 he did immediately before his departure, 
 that he would rather have the prayers of a 
 small company of Christians at Southampton 
 than all the riches of the Soudan. But in 
 1878 this is what he said of those whom he 
 calls " Christian Pharisees " : "I say the 
 Christian Pharisees deny Christ. They 
 ignore Him, or at the most throw Him in 
 as a makeweight. I see no resemblance 
 to Him in them. A hard, cruel set they are 
 from high to low. You can form some 
 idea of what Christ was like. Do you 
 know any single one of Christ's pretended 
 successors who is like Him ? Pure religion 
 and undented, to visit the poor and afflicted, 
 and to keep unspotted from the world. 
 Tell me one you know, who professes to 
 teach you, who does this. I am sick of 
 your burnt-offerings and your prayer-meet- 
 ings ; my soul hateth them ; they are a 
 trouble to me. I am weary of them." 
 
 The essence of a Christian life, he is 
 never weary of repeating, is the same as 
 that which was the essence of Christ's life, 
 whose quiet, peaceful existence he holds 
 was solely due to His submission to God's 
 will. Those who submit to the will of God 
 will pass through many tribulations, but as 
 their day is so shall their strength be. Or, 
 as he put it in 1874, "There will be times 
 when a strain may come on me, but as the 
 strain *so will your strength be." Many 
 people say this ; Gordon believes it.
 
 4 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Naturally enough there is a strong sym- 
 pathy in his character with Mahommed- 
 anism. Replying to a correspondent who 
 had spoken of Mahommedanism as being 
 imperilled, he said : " Not so. I find the 
 Mussulman quite as good a Christian as 
 many a Christian, and do not believe he is 
 in any peril. All of us are more or less 
 Pagans. I like the Mussulman ; he is not 
 ashamed of his God ; his life is a fairly pure 
 one; certainly he gives himself a good 
 margin in the wife line, but, at any rate, he 
 never poaches on others. Can our Chris- 
 tian people say the same ? " 
 
 There is a story to the effect that when 
 the King of Abyssinia said to him, " You 
 are an Englishman and a Christian," Gordon 
 replied, " I am an Egyptian and a Mussul- 
 man." But whatever truth there may be 
 in this story, he certainly views all religious 
 questions in a very broad and catholic 
 spirit. " The heathen are God's inheritance, 
 and He hears their prayers." The incanta- 
 tions of the native magicians, when employed 
 in good faith, are to him prayers which the 
 Highest does not disdain to hear. When a 
 Moogi Balaam cursed him from the river 
 bank he noted that it was odd a disaster 
 soon afterwards followed. " I believe," he 
 writes, " that God may listen to the cries 
 for help from the heathen who know Him 
 not. These prayers were earnest prayers 
 for celestial aid, in which the pray-er knew 
 he would need help from some unknown 
 power to avert a danger. That the native 
 knows not the true God is true, but God 
 knows him, and moved him to prayer and 
 answered his prayer." 
 
 General Gordon is absolutely free from 
 all fear of death. The story of his conver- 
 sation with the King of Abyssinia is well 
 known, in which he informed the King that, 
 so far from dreading him because his life 
 was in his hands, he would be exceedingly 
 obliged to any one who would relieve him 
 of the burden of life. That expression, 
 however, conveys a very erroneous im- 
 pression of Gordon's habitual mode of 
 thought. No one is more cheerful, and 
 
 few people have less patience with what he 
 calls " the cruet-stand " expression of coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 " Why are people like hearses, and look 
 like pictures of misery ? It must be from 
 discontent with the government of God, 
 for all things are directed by Him. If by 
 being doleful in appearance it did good, I 
 would say, be very doleful ; but it does not 
 do any." 
 
 So strongly indeed does he follow this 
 out, that on one occasion he maintained 
 that a cheerful man of the world was much 
 more acceptable in God's sight than a 
 gloomy Christian. The passage is as 
 follows : 
 
 " Taking two people, one who is called a 
 worldly person, and one who is called a 
 religious person, the one taking evil with 
 good with calmness, doing what he or she 
 can to alleviate the evil and yet enjoying 
 the good ; the other bearing, or in vain 
 imagination bearing, the burden of the 
 world, always sad and discontented ; of the 
 two I should say the first (although seldom 
 reading his Bible, and knowing little be- 
 yond the fact that he had done and can do 
 nothing to pay or purchase God's mercy) is 
 more pleasing to God than he who lives a 
 gloomy life, however much he may read or 
 pray. ' So-and-so is dead' who caused or 
 permitted his death ? ' God.' Then if you 
 are content with His government, and if 
 you believe that the future world is better 
 than this, there is no cause for any melan- 
 choly about it : and the same with every 
 event. If we believe, we ought to show it, 
 and to acknowledge openly that we agree 
 to God's government. I think that, taking 
 the two parties as a mass, the worldly- 
 minded so called, remember, by their 
 religious brethren live more pleasing in 
 the sight of God than the religious so 
 called, remember, by their worldly brethren. 
 There are the true religious and the true 
 worldly-minded, and my remark does not 
 apply to them, but ive cannot sift the two." 
 
 Gordon's view of death was that it was 
 a release, and an entry upon a world of
 
 GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 47 
 
 greater activity; although sometimes he | 
 sighs for death that would be merely rest. 
 He writes in January, 1876 : 
 
 " I would that all had the full assurance of 
 future life. It is precisely because we are 
 despicable and worthless that we are ac- 
 cepted. Till we throw over the idea that 
 we are better than others, we can never 
 have that assurance. We must give up 
 keeping credit lists with God, which are 
 not true ones ; they are all debtor lists. Do 
 you know that verse, Eph. ii. 10, which 
 says that ye are ordained to bring forth 
 good works ? If certain good works are 
 ordained to be brought forth, why should 
 you glory in them ? Do not flatter yourself 
 that you are wanted that God could not 
 work without you it is an honour if He 
 employs you. No one is indispensable, 
 either in this world's affairs or in spiritual 
 work. You are a machine, though allowed 
 to feel as if you had the power of action. 
 When things turn out in a way we do not 
 wish, we quarrel with God if we feel put out. 
 Most difficult is this lesson, and only to 
 be learned by a continual thought of this 
 world being only a temporary one i.e., by 
 continually thinking of death as a release. 
 What a calm life a man living thus would 
 have ! What services he would render ! 
 Nothing would move him, whether he were 
 soldier, statesman, or what not 
 
 I do nothing. I am a chisel which cuts 
 the wood. The Carpenter directs it. If 
 I lose my edge He must sharpen me. If ; 
 He puts me aside and takes another it is j 
 His own good will. None are indispensable 
 to Him. He will do His work with a 
 straw equally well." 
 
 His attitude in relation to this question 
 was expressed as follows in 1876 : " Here 
 I am, a lump of clay. Thou art the Potter. ] 
 Mould me as Thou in Thy wisdom wilt. 
 Never mind my cries. Cut my life off so 
 be it ; prolong it so be it. Just as Thou 
 wilt, but I rely on Thy unchanging guid- 
 ance during the trial. Oh, the comfort 
 that comes from this ! " 
 
 There is a long passage in one of his 
 
 letters concerning the relations of man to 
 his Maker, which is too long to quote here. 
 But his philosophy in life is expressed with 
 much fulness. " God," he writes, " is truth, 
 love, wisdom, and all might. We are, as 
 it were, blind. By degrees He opens our 
 eyes and enables us by dint of sore trial to 
 know Him little by little. Every time the 
 flesh is foiled by the spirit, so often is a 
 rent made in the veil, and we know more 
 of God. Every time the reverse takes place, 
 so often does the veil fall again and God 
 disappears from our view. When death 
 occurs the veil is rent altogether and no 
 mystery remains. The flesh is finally van- 
 quished by the spirit, who lives the con- 
 queror of his lifelong foe." The doctrines 
 of men thicken this veil, and the first thing 
 for the acceptance of truth is to unlearn 
 human doctrines and become as a little 
 child. " Hence a publican finds it easier 
 to accept the truth than a Pharisee." 
 
 Nothing seems to rouse his indignation 
 so much as the doctrine of eternal dam- 
 nation ; and whilst many will not be able 
 to agree with him, it is at least interesting 
 to know what he has to say on the question. 
 General Gordon himself has never felt the 
 least doubt about his own salvation, not 
 because of his worthiness, but of the 
 infinite goodness of God. A passage from 
 a letter written in 1878 on this subject is 
 very much to the point : 
 
 " I may say I^have died suddenly over a 
 hundred times ; but in these deaths I have 
 never felt the least doubt of our salvation. 
 Nothing can be more abject and miserable 
 than the usual conception of God. Accept 
 what I say namely, that He has put us in 
 a painful position (I believe with our per- 
 fect consent, for if Christ came to do His 
 will, so did we, His members) to learn 
 what He is, and that He will extricate us. 
 Imagine to yourself, what pleasure would it 
 be to Him to burn us or to torture us ? Can 
 we believe any human being capable of 
 creating us for such a purpose ? Would it 
 show His power ? Why, He is omnipotent ! 
 Would it show His justice ? He is righteous
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 no one will deny it. We credit God 
 with attributes which are utterly hateful 
 to the meanest of men. Looking at our 
 darkness of vision, how can He be what 
 we credit Him with? I quite wonder at 
 the long time it has taken us to see that 
 
 the general doctrine of the Church is so 
 erroneous. Think over what I say. Is 
 not the preaching of every place of worship 
 you have entered this ' If you do well, 
 you will be saved ; if you do ill, you will be 
 damned ' ? Where is the Gospel or ' good 
 
 THE PRAYER IN THE DESERT. 
 
 news' in this? I know it, for the law says 
 it; it is implanted in every human being, 
 but the ' good news ' is, ' Whatever you 
 do, God, for His Son's sake, pardons you ; ' 
 and thus the love of God constraineth us 
 from evil. For one feels that, enticing as 
 
 evil is, it is not compared to the peace one 
 derives from being in accord with Him. 
 When one thinks of the millions on whom 
 weighs that yoke of bondage, one wonders. 
 I do not know a single person who says 
 the real truth straight out. When one
 
 GORDON RESIDENCE AT GRAVESEND. 
 
 49
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 thinks of the real agony one has gone 
 through in consequence of false teaching, 
 it makes human nature angry with the 
 teachers who have added to the bitterness 
 of life." 
 
 Speaking of the future he says : " The 
 future world must be much more amusing, 
 more enticing, and more to be desired than 
 this world, putting aside its absence of 
 sorrow and sin. The future world has 
 somehow been painted to our minds as a 
 place of continuous praise, and though we 
 
 may not say it, yet one cannot help feeling 
 that if thus, it would be monotonous. It 
 cannot be thus ; it must be a life of activity, 
 for happiness is dependent upon activity. 
 Death is cessation of movement. Life is 
 all movement." 
 
 " 1 believe," he writes on another occa- 
 sion, " in our active employment in future 
 life, and like the thought. We shall, I 
 think, be far more perfect in a future life, 
 and indeed go on towards perfection, but 
 never attain it." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 GORDON jbOME ACCOUNT OF THE SOUDAN JTS RESOURCES 
 
 AND HISTORY. 
 
 ^E shall not give a detailed 
 account of the doings of 
 Gordon at Galatz, or of his 
 work as British Commis- 
 sioner on the Danub e. 
 Suffice it to say that he was very successful 
 in this post. It was whilst engaged in it 
 that he met Nubar Pasha, minister of the 
 Khedive of Egypt, who was so much 
 struck by what he saw of him, that he, after 
 obtaining Gordon's permission, got the Khe- 
 dive to apply to the British Government 
 in order that the Egyptian Government 
 might have the benefit of his services. This 
 was granted, and Gordon was appointed 
 Governor of the Soudan, to carry out the 
 suppression of the slave-trade there, at 
 which suppression Sir Samuel Baker had 
 already laboured from 1869 to 1873. 
 
 Thus the scene of Gordon's labours was 
 again to be changed. The contrast, and 
 yet the essential unity in diversity, is for- 
 cibly presented to the eye by the three 
 pictures with which, at this part of our 
 work, we present our readers. The one 
 represents Gordon visiting the unfortunate 
 Charles Carter at Gravesend; the second 
 
 depicts an incident in his efforts for 
 the suppression of the slave-trade in the 
 Soudan ; the third shows him in one of his 
 adventurous camel journeys. 
 
 The reader will not fail to remark that 
 the two first pictures bear witness to deeds 
 of self-sacrificing kindness the one, under 
 the burning sun of Africa ; the other, 
 amidst the fogs of England ; but the man 
 and the motive the same. 
 
 But now let us try to reply to a question 
 which during Gordon's life so often rose to 
 the lips of those who read about him. What 
 is the Soudan? 
 
 The Soudan must be regarded in the 
 light of a rich country, to which there is 
 practically no access. It would be of the 
 greatest value if developed by modern en- 
 gineering, but it would remain as a mill- 
 stone, upon the neck of Egypt, unless such 
 means of transport are encouraged without 
 delay. 
 
 There is, probably, no other country so 
 eminently adapted for the cultivation ot 
 cotton as the Soudan. 
 
 The soil is extremely rich ; the climate 
 is perfection, as there is a perfect dryness
 
 GORDON THE SOUDAN. 
 
 S 1 
 
 in the atmosphere, which, during the pro- 
 cess of ripening and gathering, is indispens- 
 able. The cotton can be dried, cleaned, 
 and packed without a moment's hindrance 
 from adverse weather; and, were railway 
 communication established to Souakim, the 
 crop would be shipped direct to Liverpool 
 within three weeks by steamer. 
 
 The cultivation of flax and hemp is en- 
 tirely neglected, but these valuable com- 
 modities could be produced to any extent 
 upon the fat soil bordering the Atbara River, 
 between Soft and Kadarif. 
 
 In England we are so fully occupied with 
 the affairs of everyday life, and our food 
 supply is delivered with such unbroken 
 regularity, that few persons consider the 
 danger that would be caused by a sudden 
 interruption during a time of war in which 
 we might be ourselves engaged. We are 
 a hungry nation, dependen upon [foreign 
 shores for our supply of wheat, and our 
 statesmen should devote particular attention 
 to ensure that supply under any circum- 
 stances; otherwise the democratic power 
 which they are about to raise will be exerted 
 in a manner that may surprise the ministers 
 of the day when the high price of wheat 
 shall have doubled the cost of the quartern 
 loaf. 
 
 There is no portion of the world that will 
 be better guarded in time of war than the 
 route from Egypt to Great Britain. With 
 Cyprus, Malta, and Gibraltar in our posses- 
 sion, the Mediterranean will be secured 
 from Alexandria to the Straits. 
 
 It is accordingly important to provide a 
 food supply that would be transported 
 through the well protected route. The 
 Soudan would supply England with the two 
 great commodities required cotton and 
 wheat 
 
 Nothing has been done by the Govern- 
 ment to encourage the industry of the 
 people ; on the contrary, they have been 
 ill-treated and oppressed. Before the rainy 
 season, the surface of the earth, parched 
 and denuded of all semblance of vegetation 
 by the burning sun, is simply scratched by a 
 
 small tool similar to an inferior Dutch hoe, 
 and a few grains of dhurra are dropped into 
 a hole, hardly one inch in depth. This is 
 repeated at distances of about two feet. 
 The rain commences towards the end of 
 May, and in a few days the dhurra shoots 
 appear above the ground. The extreme 
 richness of the soil, aided by plenteous 
 rains and a warm sun, induces a magical 
 growth, which starts the hitherto barren 
 wilderness into life. The surface of the 
 country, which in the rainless months ap- 
 pears a desert incapable of producing vege- 
 tation, bursts suddenly into a brilliant green, 
 and the formerly sunburnt area assumes the 
 appearance of rich velvet, as it becomes 
 carpeted throughout with the finest grass. 
 Dhurra, that first threw up delicate shoots 
 above the hardened and ill-tilled soil, grows 
 with extreme rapidity to the height of nine 
 or ten feet, and the produce can be im- 
 agined from the fact that there were once 
 counted 4,840 grains in only one head of 
 this prolific sorghum. Cotton, and all other 
 vegetation, grows with similar vigour im- 
 mediately after the commencement of the 
 rains. 
 
 This picture of abundance is confined to 
 those districts which are beneath the influ- 
 ence of the rainy zone, but there are other 
 lands equally rich and capable of produc- 
 tion which must be cultivated by artificial 
 irrigation. In the absence of any organized 
 method, such as exists in Lower Egypt, by 
 the extension of a canal system, the banks 
 of rivers, including the Rahad, Blue Nile, 
 and Main Nile, are alone watered by the 
 ordinary cattle-wheels (sakeeyahs) ; the 
 cultivation is accordingly restricted to a 
 comparatively small area that is within the 
 power of irrigation by the simple machinery 
 of the inhabitants. 
 
 If any person will study the map of the 
 Soudan, he will at once observe the natural 
 facilities for a general plan of irrigation 
 that would combine the supply of water 
 with the means of transport by canals. As 
 the uniform drainage is from S.E. to N.W.. 
 the rivers Rahad, Dinder, Blue Nile, and
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Atbara, traverse the rich lands of the Sou- 
 dan exactly in the same direction. These 
 rivers are impetuous torrents, which by their 
 extreme velocity quickly exhaust themselves 
 after the termination of the rains in Abys- 
 sinia. A series of weirs upon the Rahad, 
 Dinder, and Atbara would thoroughly con- 
 trol the waters, that would thus be kept at 
 higher levels, and would enable them to be 
 conducted by canals throughout the fertile 
 lands which at present are neglected in the 
 absence of sufficient moisture. As those 
 rivers are unnavigable, the weirs might be 
 constructed in the most simple manner, as 
 there is no traffic to require special adapta- 
 tion. 
 
 Another account of the Soudan is here 
 transcribed, as it gives us, among other 
 interesting matter, a brief view of the for- 
 mer dealings of Egypt with that country. 
 That account, after remarking that the Sou- 
 dan is as large as India, goes on to say 
 that it stretches 1,600 miles in one direc- 
 tion, and 1,300 in another. Unlike India, 
 it is inaccessible by the sea. It is inha- 
 bited by warlike tribes of the same faith ; it 
 has neither railways, canals, nor navigable 
 rivers, except the Nile at some periods of 
 the year ; and its only roads are camel 
 tracks. From first to last it has never paid 
 its expenses. The attempt to hold it has 
 cost fifty thousand lives at the least 
 
 This country is a vast tract of Africa, 
 stretching from Egypt on the north to the 
 Nyanza Lakes on the south, and from the 
 Red Sea on the east to the western boun- 
 dary of Darfur on the west Khartoum, 
 lying, as it does, at the junction of the Blue 
 and White Niles, is about equally distant 
 that is to say, between 1,100 and 1,200 
 miles as the crow flies from the northern 
 boundary of Egypt, the Mediterranean, and 
 from the southern limit of the Khedive's 
 equatorial dominions, the Lake Victoria 
 Nyanza, and the kingdom of Uganda. 
 From Khartoum to the ports of Souakim 
 and Massowa on the Red Sea, the eastward 
 limit of the Soudan, is about 400 miles, and 
 to the westward limit, which is the most 
 
 indefinite of all, but is generally fixed at 
 the western boundary of Darfur, it is nearly 
 800 miles. Going down the Nile from 
 Khartoum, in the direction of Egypt, the 
 principal places are Berber, about 200, and 
 Dongola, about 350 miles to the north. 
 The direct route from Khartoum to Egypt 
 does not, however, go through Dongola, 
 but, leaving the Nile at Abu Hamet, 220 
 miles below Berber, where the river makes 
 its great bend to the west in the direction 
 of Dongola, it strikes across the desert to 
 meet the river again at Korosko, and to 
 follow it thence down to Assouan, the 
 nearest point of Egypt, which by this route 
 is about 850 miles from Khartoum. Ber- 
 ber is a point of special importance, be- 
 cause it is here that the desert route from 
 Souakim, the chief port of the Soudan, 
 strikes the Nile. From Souakim to Berber 
 is 280 miles, and this is the line of the 
 proposed railway, which would open out 
 all the Soudan country east of the Nile, 
 and bring it into direct communication with 
 Egypt and the commerce of the Red Sea. 
 
 If we look in the other direction namely, 
 southward and follow the course of the 
 White Nile from Khartoum towards the 
 Equator, the principal places are El Duem, 
 rather more than 100 miles ; Fashoda, 500 
 miles ; and Gondokoro and Lado, 800 
 miles from Khartoum. These distances are 
 measured as the crow flies. By river the 
 journey from Khartoum to Gondokoro is 
 estimated by Baker Pasha at 1,400 miles, 
 Gondokoro (Ismailia) and Lado were the 
 headquarters of Baker and Gordon Pashas 
 during the years in which, as Governors ot 
 the Equatorial Soudan, they were engaged 
 in attempts to suppress the slave-trade. 
 
 The sovereignty of the Soudan was first 
 seized by Egypt in the year 1819, when 
 Mehemet Ali, hearing of the anarchy pre- 
 vailing in that country, wishing to introduce 
 the benefits of a regular government and of 
 civilization, and at the same time to occupy 
 his troops, ordered his son, Ismail, with a 
 large army of regulars and irregulars, and 
 with many learned men, to invade the
 
 GORDON THE SOUDAN. 
 
 S3 
 
 country. Ismail reached Khartoum, and 
 for a time governed the Soudan ; but he 
 and all his followers were burned alive by 
 a native ruler, who first made them drunk 
 
 at his own table, and then burned his house 
 over their heads. Terrible vengeance was 
 taken, and Egyptian sovereignty was estab- 
 lished over Senaar and Kordofan. It was 
 
 OORDON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESERT. 
 
 not until the year 1826 that the Soudan 
 derived any benefit from its Egyptian rulers. 
 In that year Khurshid Pasha was appointed 
 Governor of the Soudan. He reigned for 
 
 eleven years, establishing Egyptian sove- 
 reignty over Fashoda, and teaching the 
 people of Khartoum to substitute brick 
 houses for their huts of skin and thatch.
 
 54 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 In 1841 a rebellion broke out in Kassala, 
 which was quelled only to break out next 
 year, when it was finally suppressed. At 
 that time the Soudan consisted of seven 
 provinces, namely, Fazaglou, Senaar, Khar- 
 toum, Tokha, Berber, Dongola, and Kor- 
 dofan. In 1856 the Khedive, Said Pasha, 
 visited the Soudan, and had almost decided 
 to abandon the country, but desisted in 
 deference to the representations of the 
 skeikhs and notables, who laid great stress 
 upon the inevitable anarchy which would 
 result from such an abandonment. He 
 decreed five reforms, most of which appear 
 to have been punctually neglected. One 
 Governor-General succeeded another, their 
 chief duty being border-warfare with Abys- 
 sinia, and the suppression of rebellions 
 which periodically broke out. In 1865, 
 8,000 negro troops at Tokha, whose pay 
 was in arrear for eighteen months, revolted. 
 
 Troops were sent from Cairo by Korosko, 
 while others were landed at Souakim. The 
 rebellion was quelled, the negro troops sent 
 to Egypt, and the Soudan garrisoned with 
 Egyptian troops. In 1866 Massowa and 
 Souakim were given to Egypt by the Sultan 
 of Turkey. In 1870 Sir Samuel Baker set 
 out to conquer the Equatorial Provinces, 
 and in the same year the German Munzinger 
 annexed Senaar to Egypt. Sir Samuel 
 Baker having returned from the Equator 
 in 1873, Colonel Gordon was appointed 
 Governor-General of the Equatorial Pro- 
 vinces in the following year. In 1875 
 Darfur was annexed in the west, and in the 
 extreme east, to the south of Abyssinia, 
 Harrar was conquered. 
 
 Such, then, is that remarkable country, 
 which will be for ever associated with 
 Gordon's name, since it was the scene of 
 his heroic labours and heroic death. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT JTS PREATNESS, 
 
 THOUGH IN RUIN. 
 
 E have already given some 
 account of modern Egypt, 
 and we now (chiefly follow- 
 ing the carefully compiled 
 version of the entertaining 
 M. Rollin) proceed to place before our 
 readers a description of ancient Egypt, 
 combining with this some description of 
 the marvels of that wonderful land. 
 
 Egypt comprehended anciently, within 
 limits that were not of a very wide extent, 
 a* prodigious number of cities, and an 
 incredible multitude of inhabitants. 
 
 It was bounded on the east by the Red 
 Sea and the Isthmus of Suez, on the south 
 
 f * It is related that under Amasis there were 
 twenty thousand inhabited cities in Egypt. 
 
 by Ethiopia, on the west by Libya, and on 
 the north by the Mediterranean. The 
 Nile ran from south to north, through the 
 whole country, about two hundred leagues 
 in length. This country was enclosed on 
 each side with a ridge of mountains, which 
 very often left, between the foot of the hills 
 and the river Nile, a tract of ground of not 
 above half a day's journey in length,f and 
 sometimes less. 
 
 On the west side, the plain grew wider 
 in some places, and extended to twenty-five 
 or thirty leagues. The greatest breadth of 
 Egypt was from Alexandria to Damietta, 
 being about fifty leagues. 
 
 t A day's journey is 24 eastern, or 33$ English 
 miles.
 
 THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT. 
 
 55 
 
 Ancient Egypt may be divided into three 
 principal parts : Upper Egypt, otherwise 
 called Thebais, which was the most southern 
 part; Middle Egypt, or Heptanomis, so 
 called from the seven Nomi or districts it 
 contained ; Lower Egypt, which included 
 what the Greeks call Delta, and all the 
 country as far as the Red Sea, and along 
 the Mediterranean to Rhinocolura or 
 Mount Castus. Under Sesostris, all Egypt 
 became one kingdom, and was divided 
 into thirty-six governments or Nomi ; ten 
 in Thebais, ten in Delta, and sixteen in 
 the country between both. 
 
 The cities of Syene and "Elephantina 
 divided Egypt from Ethiopia ; and in the 
 days of Augustus were as bounds to the 
 Roman Empire. 
 
 Thebes, from whence Thebais had its 
 name, might vie with the noblest cities in 
 the universe. Its hundred gates, celebrated 
 by Homer, are universally known, and 
 acquired it the surname of Hecatonpylos, 
 to distinguish it from another Thebes, lying 
 in Bceotia. It was as large as populous ; 
 and according to history could send out at 
 once two hundred chariots, and ten thou- 
 sand fighting-men at each of its gates. 
 The Greeks and Romans have celebrated 
 its magnificence and grandeur, though they 
 beheld its ruins only, so august were the 
 remains of this city. 
 
 In Thebes, now called Said, have been 
 discovered temples and palaces which are 
 still almost entire, adorned with innumerable 
 columns and statues. One palace especially 
 is admired, the remains whereof seem to 
 have existed purely to eclipse the glory of 
 the most pompous edifices. Four walks 
 extending farther than the eye can see, and 
 bounded on each side with sphinxes, com- 
 posed of materials as rare and extraordinary 
 as their size is remarkable, serve for avenues 
 to four porticos, whose height is amazing 
 to behold. Besides, they who give us the 
 description of this wonderful edifice, had 
 not time to go round it ; and are not sure 
 that they saw above half; however, what 
 they had a sight of, was astonishing. A 
 
 hall, which in all appearance stood in the 
 middle of this stately palace, was supported 
 by a hundred and twenty pillars six fathoms 
 round, of a proportionable height and 
 intermixed with obelisks, which so many 
 ages have not been able to demolish. 
 Painting had displayed all her art and 
 magnificence in this edifice. The colours 
 themselves, that is things which soonest 
 feel the injury of time, still hold amidst the 
 ruins of this wonderful structure, and pre- 
 serve their beauty and lustre; so happily 
 could the Egyptians imprint a character of 
 immortality on all their works. Strabo, 
 who was on the spot, describes a temple he 
 saw in Egypt, very much resembling this 
 we have been speaking of. Our illustration 
 represents a part of it 
 
 The same author, describing the curi- 
 osities of Thebais, speaks of a very famous 
 statue of Memnon, the remains whereof he 
 had seen. It is said that this statue, when the 
 beams of the rising sun first shone upon it 
 in the morning, gave an articulate sound. 
 And, indeed, Strabo himself was an ear- 
 witness of this ; but then he doubts whether 
 the sound came from the statue. 
 
 Memphis was the capital of Middle 
 Egypt. Here were many stately temples, 
 especially that of the god Apis, who was 
 honoured in this city after a particular 
 manner. We shall speak of it hereafter, as 
 well as of the pyramids which stood in the 
 neighbourhood of this place, and rendered 
 it so famous. Memphis was situated on 
 the west side of the Nile. 
 
 Grand Cairo, which seems to have suc- 
 ceeded Memphis, was built on the other 
 side of that great river. We give a picture 
 of the town as it now is. The castle of 
 Cairo is one of the greatest curiosities in 
 Egypt It stands on a hill without the 
 city ; has a rock for its foundation, and is 
 surrounded with walls of a vast height and 
 solidity. You go up to the castle by a way 
 hewn out of the rock, and which is so easy 
 of ascent that loaded horses and camels 
 get up without difficulty. The greatest 
 rarity in this castle is Joseph's well, so
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 called, either because the Egyptians are 
 pleased with ascribing their most remarkable 
 particulars to that great man, or because 
 there is really such a tradition in the 
 country. This is a proof, at least, that the 
 work in question is very ancient ; and it is 
 certainly worthy the magnificence of the 
 most powerful kings of Egypt. This well 
 has, as it were, two stories, cut out of the 
 rock to a prodigious depth. One descends 
 to the reservoir of water between the two 
 wells, by a staircase seven or eight feet 
 broad, consisting of two hundred and 
 twenty steps, and so contrived that the 
 oxen employed to throw up the water go 
 down with all imaginable ease, the descent 
 being scarce perceptible. The well is 
 supplied from a spring, which is almost the 
 only one in the whole country. The oxen 
 are continually turning a wheel with a 
 rope, to which are fastened buckets. The 
 water thus drawn from the first and lower- 
 most well is conveyed by a little canal 
 into a reservoir, which forms the second 
 well ; from whence it is drawn to the top in 
 the same manner, and then conveyed by 
 pipes to all parts of the castle. As this 
 well is supposed by the inhabitants of the 
 country to be of great antiquity, and has 
 indeed much of the antique way of the 
 Egyptians, we thought it might deserve a 
 place among the curiosities of ancient 
 Egypt. We afterwards give a portrait of it. 
 
 Strabo speaks of such an engine, which 
 by wheels and pulleys threw up the water 
 of the Nile to the top of a vast high hill ; 
 with this difference, that instead of oxen, 
 a hundred and fifty slaves were employed 
 to turn these wheels. 
 
 This part of Egypt we are treating of 
 is famous for several rarities, each of which 
 deserves a particular examination. We 
 shall mention only the principal, such as 
 the obelisks, the pyramids, the labyrinth, 
 the lake of Moeris and the Nile. 
 
 Egypt seemed to place its chief glory in 
 raising monuments for posterity. Its obe- 
 lisks form at this day, on account of their 
 beauty as well as height, the principal orna- 
 
 ment of Rome ; and the Roman power, 
 despairing to equal the Egyptians, thought 
 it honour enough to borrow the monuments 
 of their kings. 
 
 An obelisk is a quadrangular, taper, high 
 spire or pyramid, raised perpendicularly 
 and terminating in a point, to serve as an 
 ornament to some open square, and is very 
 often filled with inscriptions or hierogly- 
 phics, that is with mystical characters or 
 symbols, used by the Egyptians to conceal 
 and disguise their sacred things, and the 
 mysteries of their theology. 
 
 Sesostris erected in the city of Heliopolis 
 two obelisks of an extremely hard stone, 
 brought from the quarries of Syene, at the 
 extremity of Egypt. They were each one 
 hundred and twenty cubits high, that is, 
 thirty fathoms, or one hundred and eighty 
 feet.* The Emperor Augustus, having 
 made Egypt a province of the Empire, 
 caused these two obelisks to be transported 
 to Rome, one whereof was afterwards bro- 
 ken to pieces. He durst not venture upon 
 a third, which was of a monstrous size. It 
 was made in the reign of Rameses. It is 
 said that twenty thousand men were em- 
 ployed in the cutting of it. Constantius, 
 more daring than Augustus, ordered it to 
 be removed to Rome. Two of these obe- 
 lisks are still seen, as well as another of a 
 hundred cubits, or twenty-five fathoms high, 
 and eight cubits or two fathoms in diameter. 
 Caius Caesar had brought it from Egypt in 
 a ship of so odd a form, that, according to 
 Pliny, the like had never been seen. 
 
 Every part of Egypt abounded with this 
 kind of obelisks ; they were for the most 
 part cut in the quarries of Upper Egypt, 
 where some are now to be seen half finished. 
 But the most wonderful circumstance is, 
 that the ancient Egyptians should have had 
 the art and contrivance to dig even in the 
 very quarry a canal, through which the 
 water of the Nile ran in the time of its in- 
 
 * It must be observed once for all, that an 
 Egyptian cubit, according to Mr. Greaves, was 
 about I foot 9! inches of our measure.
 
 THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT. 
 
 57 
 
 undation, from whence they afterwards 
 raised up the columns, obelisks, and statues 
 on rafts, proportioned to their weight, in 
 order to convey them into Lower Egypt. 
 And as the country abounded everywhere 
 with canals, there were few places to which 
 those huge bodies might not be carried with 
 ease, although their weight would have 
 broken every other kind of engine. 
 
 A pyramid is a solid or hollow body, 
 having a large and generally a square base, 
 and terminating in a point. 
 
 There were three pyramids in Egypt 
 more famous than the rest, one whereof 
 deserved to be ranked among the Seven 
 Wonders of the World ; they did not stand 
 very far from the city of Memphis. We 
 shall take notice here only of the largest of 
 
 CAIRO FROM THE CITADEL. 
 
 the three, though two are depicted in our 
 illustration. This pyramid was built on a 
 rock, having a square base, cut on the out- 
 side as so many steps, and decreasing 
 gradually quite to the summit. It was built 
 with stones of a prodigious size, the least 
 of which were thirty feet, wrought with 
 wonderful art, and covered with hiero- 
 glyphics. According to several ancient 
 
 authors, each side was eight hundred feet 
 broad, and as many high. The summit of 
 the pyramid, which to those who viewed it 
 from below seemed a point, was a fine 
 platform composed of ten or twelve massy 
 stones, and each side of that platform six- 
 teen or eighteen feet long. 
 
 M. de Chazelles, of the Academy of 
 Sciences, who went purposely on the spot
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in 1693, gives us the following dimensions : 
 
 The side of the square base no fathoms. 
 
 The fronts are equilateral N 
 
 triangles, and therefore ( 12,100 square 
 the superficies of the C fathoms, 
 base is J 
 
 The perpendicular height 77 \ fathoms. 
 
 The solid contents j 3 '3, 5 9 cubical 
 ) fathoms. 
 
 A hundred thousand men were con- 
 stantly employed about this work, and were 
 relieved every three months by the same 
 number. Ten complete years were spent 
 in hewing out the stones, either in Arabia 
 or Ethiopia, and in conveying them to 
 Egypt, and twenty years more in building 
 this immense edifice, the inside of which 
 contained numberless rooms and apart- 
 ments. There was expressed on the pyra- 
 mid, in Egyptian characters, the sums it 
 cost only in garlic, leeks, onions and the 
 like, for the workmen, and the whole 
 amounted to sixteen hundred talents of silver, 
 that is, four millions five hundred thousand 
 pounds sterling, from whence it was easy to 
 conjecture what a vast sum the whole must 
 have amounted to. 
 
 Such were the famous Egyptian pyra- 
 mids, which by their figure, as well as size, 
 have triumphed over the injuries of time 
 and the barbarians. But what efforts so- 
 ever men may make, their weakness will 
 always be apparent These pyramids were 
 tombs, and there is seen at this day, in the 
 middle of the largest, an empty sepulchre, 
 cut out of one entire stone, about three feet 
 deep and broad, and a little above six feet 
 long.* Thus all this bustle, all this expense, 
 and all the labours of so many thousand 
 men, ended in procuring a prince in this 
 vast and almost boundless pile of building, 
 a little vault six feet in length. Besides, 
 the kings who built these pyramids had it 
 not in their power to be buried in them, 
 and so did not rest in the sepulchre they 
 had built. The public hatred which they 
 
 * Strabo mentions the sepulchre lib. xvii., p. 
 808. 
 
 incurred, by reason of their unheard-of 
 cruelties to their subjects, in laying such 
 heavy tasks upon them, occasioned their 
 being interred in some obscure place, to 
 prevent their bodies from being exposed to 
 the fury and vengeance of the populace. 
 
 This last circumstance, which historians 
 have taken particular notice of, teaches us 
 what judgment we ought to pass on these 
 edifices, so much boasted of by the an- 
 cients. It is but just to remark and esteem 
 the noble genius which the Egyptians had 
 for architecture ; a genius that prompted 
 them from the very first, and before they 
 could have any models to imitate, to aim 
 in all things at the grand and magnificent, 
 and to be intent on real beauties, without 
 swerving ever so little from a noble simpli- 
 city, in which the highest perfection of art 
 consists. But what idea ought we to form 
 of those princes, who considered as some- 
 thing grand the raising by a multitude ot 
 hands, and by the help of money, immense 
 structures, with the sole view of rendering 
 their names immortal, and who did not 
 scruple to destroy thousands of their sub- 
 jects to satisfy their vain-glory ! They 
 differed very much from the Romans, who 
 sought to immortalize themselves by works 
 of a magnificent kind, but which at the 
 same time were of public use. 
 
 Pliny gives us in few words a just idea 
 of these pyramids, when he calls them a 
 foolish and useless ostentation of the wealth 
 of the Egyptian kings ; and adds, that by a 
 just punishment their memory is buried in 
 oblivion, the historians not agreeing among 
 themselves about the names of those who 
 first raised those vain monuments. In a 
 word, according to the judicious remark of 
 Diodorus, the more the industry of the 
 architects of these pyramids is valuable and 
 praiseworthy, the more the attempt of the 
 Egyptian kings is contemptible, and de- 
 serves censure. 
 
 But what we should most admire in these 
 ancient monuments is, the true and standing 
 evidence they give of the skill of the Egyp- 
 tians in astronomy, that is, in a science
 
 THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT EGYPT. 
 
 59 
 
 which seems incapable of being brought to 
 perfection, but by a long series of years, 
 and a great number of observations. M. 
 de Chazelles, when he measured the great 
 pyramid in question, found that the four 
 sides of it were turned exactly to the four 
 quarters of the world, and consequently 
 showed the true meridian of that place. 
 Now, as so exact a situation was in all 
 probability purposely pitched upon by those 
 who piled up this huge mass of stones above 
 three thousand years ago, it follows that 
 during so long a space of time there has 
 been no alteration in the heavens in that 
 respect, or (which amounts to the same 
 thing) to the poles of the earth or the 
 meridians. This is M de Fontenelle's re- 
 mark in his eulogium of M. de Chazelles. 
 
 What has been said concerning the judg- 
 ment we ought to form of the pyramids, 
 may also be applied to the labyrinth, which 
 Herodotus, who saw it, assures us was still 
 more surprising than the pyramids. It was 
 built at the most southern part of the lake 
 of Mceris, whereof mention will be made 
 presently, near the town of Crocodiles, the 
 same with Arsinoe. It was not so much 
 one single palace, as a magnificent pile 
 composed of twelve palaces, regularly dis- 
 posed, and which had a communication 
 with each other. Fifteen hundred rooms 
 interspersed with terraces were ranged 
 round twelve halls, and discovered no out- 
 let to such as went to see them. There 
 were the like number of buildings under- 
 ground. These subterraneous structures 
 were designed for the burying place of the 
 kings, and (who can speak this without 
 confusion, and without deploring the blind- 
 ness of man !) for keeping the sacred cro- 
 codiles which a nation, so wise in other 
 respects, worshipped as gods. 
 
 In order to visit the rooms and halls of 
 the labyrinth, it was necessary, as the reader 
 will naturally suppose, for people to take 
 the same precaution as Ariadne made The- 
 seus use, when he was obliged to go and 
 fight the Minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete. 
 That is, to take a thread with him, so as to 
 
 have a clue by which he might retrace his 
 steps. Virgil describes it in this manner, 
 
 " And as the Cretan labyrinth of old, 
 
 With wandering ways, and many a winding fold, 
 
 Involved the weary feet, without redress, 
 
 In a round error, which denied recess : 
 
 Not far from thence he graved the wondrous maze ; 
 
 A thousand doors, a thousand winding ways." 
 
 The noblest and most wonderful of all the 
 structures or works of the kings of Egypt, 
 was the lake of Mceris ; accordingly, Hero- 
 dotus considers it as vastly superior to the 
 pyramids and labyrinth. As Egypt was 
 more or less fruitful in proportion to the 
 inundations of the Nile ; and as in these 
 floods the too general flow or ebb of the 
 waters was equally fatal to the lands, King 
 Moeris, to prevent these two inconveniences, 
 and correct, as far as lay in his power, the 
 irregularities of the Nile, thought proper to 
 call art to the assistance of nature ; and so 
 caused the lake to be dug, which afterwards 
 went by his name. This lake was about 
 three thousand six hundred stadia, that is, 
 about four hundred English miles round, and 
 three hundred feet deep. Two pyramids, 
 on each of which stood a colossal statue, 
 seated on a throne, raised their heads to 
 the height of three hundred feet, in the 
 midst of the lake, whilst their foundations 
 took up the same space under the water, 
 a proof that they were erected before the 
 cavity was filled, and a] demonstration that 
 a lake of such vast extent was the work of 
 man's hands, in one prince's reign. This 
 is what several historians have related con- 
 cerning the lake Mceris, on the testimony 
 of the inhabitants of the country. And the 
 Bishop of Meaux, in his discourse on uni- 
 versal history, relates the whole as fact. 
 But we confess that we do not see the least 
 probability in it. Is it possible to conceive, 
 that a lake of about four hundred English 
 miles in circumference could have been dug 
 in the reign of one prince ? In what manner, 
 and where, could the earth taken from it 
 be conveyed ? What should prompt the 
 Egyptians to lose the surface of so much 
 land ? By what arts could they fill this vast
 
 6o 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 tract with the superfluous waters of the Nile? 
 Many other objections might be made. In 
 our opinion, therefore, we ought to follow 
 Pomponius Mela, an ancient geographer; 
 especially as his account is confirmed by 
 several late travellers. According to that 
 author, this lake is but twenty thousand 
 paces, that is, about twenty English miles, 
 in circumference. 
 
 This lake had a communication with the 
 Nile, by a great canal, ten miles long, 
 and fifty feet broad. Great sluices either 
 opened or shut the canal and lake, as 
 there was occasion. 
 
 The charge for opening or shutting them 
 amounted of itself to an enormous sum. 
 The fishing of this lake brought the 
 monarch immense revenue ; but its chief 
 use related to the overflowing of the Nile. 
 When it rose too high, and was likely to 
 
 be attended with fatal consequences, the 
 sluices were opened ; and the waters, hav- 
 ing a free passage into the lake, covered 
 the lands no longer than was necessary to 
 enrich them. On the contrary, when the 
 inundation was too low, and threatened a 
 famine, a sufficient quantity of water, by the 
 help of drains, was let out of the lake, to 
 water the lands. In this manner the irre- 
 gularities of the Nile were corrected ; and 
 Strabo remarks, that in his time, under 
 Petronius, a Governor of Egypt, when the 
 inundation of the Nile was twelve cubits, a 
 very great plenty ensued ; and even when 
 it rose but to eight cubits, the dearth was 
 scarce felt in the country ; doubtless be- 
 cause the waters of the lake made up for 
 those of the inundation, by the help of 
 canals and drains, through which they 
 were widely distributed wherever required. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ANCIENT ^GYPT OPINIONS ABOUT THE NILE J^ABLE OF 
 
 THE PHCENIX. 
 
 HE Nile is the greatest 
 wonder of Egypt. As it 
 seldom rains there, this 
 river, which waters the 
 whole country by its regu- 
 lar inundations, supplies that defect, by 
 bringing, as a yearly tribute, the rains of 
 other countries, which made a poet say 
 ingeniously: The Egyptian pastures, how 
 great soever the drought may be, never im- 
 plore Jupiter for rain. 
 
 To multiply so beneficent a river, Egypt 
 was cut into numberless canals, of a length 
 and breadth proportioned to the different 
 situation and wants of the lands. The Nile 
 brought fertility everywhere with its salutary 
 streams ; united cities one with another, 
 and the Mediterranean with the Red Sea ; 
 maintained trade at home and abroad, and 
 fortified the kingdom against the enemy ; 
 
 so that it was at once the nourisher and 
 protector of Egypt. The fields were de- 
 livered up to it; but the cities that were 
 raised with immense labour, and stood like 
 islands in the midst of the waters, looked 
 down with joy on the plains which were 
 overflowed, and at the same time enriched 
 by the Nile. 
 
 This is a general idea of the nature and 
 effects of this river, so famous among the 
 ancients. But a wonder so , astonishing in 
 itself, and which has been the object of the 
 curiosity and admiration of the learned in 
 all ages, seems to require a more particular 
 description, in which we shall be as concise 
 as possible. 
 
 The ancients placed the sources of the 
 Nile in the Mountains of the Moon (as they 
 are commonly called) in the loth degree of 
 south latitude. But our modern travellers
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT OPINIONS ABOUT THE NILE. 
 
 61 
 
 have discovered that they lie in the i2th 
 degree of north latitude : and by that means 
 they cut off about twelve hundred English 
 miles of the course which the ancients 
 gave to that river. It rises (so it was sup- 
 posed a little later) at the foot of a great 
 mountain in the kingdom of Goyam, in 
 Abyssinia, from two springs, or eyes, to 
 speak in the language of the country, the 
 same word in Arabic signifying eye and 
 fountain. These springs are thirty paces 
 from one another, each as large as one of 
 our wells or a coach-wheel. The Nile, said 
 the ancients, is increased with many rivulets 
 which run into it ; and after passing through 
 Ethiopia, in a meandrous course, flows at 
 last into Egypt. 
 
 The name of cataracts was given to some 
 parts of the Nile where the water falls down 
 from the steep rocks. This river, which at 
 first glided smoothly along the vast deserts 
 of Ethiopia, before it enters Egypt, passes 
 by the cataracts. Then growing on a 
 sudden, contrary to its nature, raging and 
 violent in those places where it is pent up 
 and restrained, after having at last broke 
 through all obstacles in its way, it precipi- 
 tates from the top of some rocks to the 
 bottom with so loud a noise that it is heard 
 a great way off. 
 
 The inhabitants of the country, accus- 
 tomed by long practice to this sport, exhibit 
 here a spectacle to travellers that is more 
 terrifying than diverting. Two of them go 
 into a little boat, the one to guide it, the 
 other to throw out the water. After having 
 long sustained the violence of the raging 
 waves, by managing their little boat very 
 dexterously, they suffer themselves to be 
 carried away with the impetuous torrent 
 as swift as an arrow. The affrighted spec- 
 tator imagines they are going to be swal- 
 lowed up in the precipice down which they 
 fall ; when the Nile, restored to its natural 
 course, discovers them again, at a distance, 
 on its smooth and calm waters. This is 
 Seneca's account, which is confirmed by 
 our modern travellers. 
 
 The ancients invented many subtil reasons 
 
 for the Nile's great increase, as may be 
 seen in Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, and 
 Seneca. But it is now no longer a matter 
 of dispute (it being almost universally 
 allowed, that the inundations of the Nile 
 are owing to the great rains which fall in 
 Ethiopia, from whence this river flows. These 
 rains swell it to such a degree, that Ethiopia 
 first, and then Egypt, is overflowed ; and 
 that which at first was but a large river, 
 rises like a sea, and overspreads the whole 
 country. 
 
 Strabo observes that the ancients only 
 guessed that the inundations of the Nile 
 were owing to the rains which fall in great 
 abundance in Ethiopia; but adds that 
 several travellers have since been eye-wit- 
 ness of it. Ptolemy Philadelphus, who was 
 very curious in all things relating to arts 
 and sciences, sent thither able persons, pur- 
 posely to examine this matter, and to ascer- 
 tain the cause of so uncommon and remark- 
 able a circumstance. 
 
 Herodotus, and after him Diodorus Sicu- 
 lus, and several other authors, declare that 
 the Nile begins to flow in Egypt at the 
 summer solstice, that is, about the end of 
 June, and continues to rise till the end of 
 September, and then decreases gradually 
 during the months of October and Novem- 
 ber; after which it returns to its channel, 
 and resumes its wonted course. This ac- 
 count agrees almost with the relations of all 
 the moderns, and is founded in reality on 
 the natural cause of the inundation ; viz., 
 the rains which fall in Ethiopia. Now, ac- 
 cording to the constant testimony of those 
 who have been on the spot, these rains 
 begin to fall in the month of April, and 
 continue during five months, till the end of 
 August and beginning of September. The 
 Nile's increase in Egypt must consequently 
 begin three weeks or a month after the rains 
 have begun to fall in Abyssinia, and accord- 
 ingly travellers observe that the Nile begins 
 to rise in the month of May, but so slowly 
 at first that it probably does not yet over- 
 flow its banks. The inundation happens 
 not till about the end of June, and lasts the
 
 62 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 three following months, according to Hero- 
 dotus. 
 
 The just height of the inundation, accord- 
 ing to Pliny, is sixteen cubits. When it 
 rises but to twelve or thirteen, a famine is 
 threatened ; and when it exceeds sixteen, 
 there is danger. It must be remembered, 
 that a cubit is a foot and a half. The 
 Emperor Julian takes notice in a letter to 
 Ecdicius, prefect of Egypt, that the height 
 of the Nile's overflowing was fifteen cubits, 
 the 2oth of September, in 362. The 
 ancients do not agree entirely with one 
 another, nor with the moderns, with regard 
 to the height of the inundation ; but the 
 difference is not very considerable, and may 
 proceed: (i) From the disparity between 
 the ancient and modern measures, which it 
 is hard to estimate on a fixed and certain 
 foot ; (2) from the carelessness of the obser- 
 vators and historians; (3) from the real 
 difference of the Nile's increase, which was 
 not so great the nearer it approached the 
 sea. 
 
 As the riches of Egypt depended on the 
 inundation of the Nile, all the circumstances 
 and different degrees of its increase have 
 been carefully considered ; and by a long 
 series of regular observations, made during 
 many years, the inundation itself discovered 
 what kind of harvest the ensuing year was 
 likely to produce. The kings had placed 
 at Memphis a measure on which these 
 different increases were marked ; and from 
 thence notice was given to all the rest of 
 Egypt, the inhabitants of which knew, by 
 that means, beforehand what they might 
 fear or promise themselves from the harvest. 
 Strabo speaks of a well on the banks of the 
 Nile, near the town of Syene, made for that 
 purpose. 
 
 The same custom is observed to this day 
 at Grand Cairo. In the court of a mosque 
 there stands a pillar, on which are marked 
 the degrees of the Nile's increase ; and 
 common criers every day proclaim in all 
 parts of the city how high it is risen. The 
 tribute paid to the Grand Signer for the lands 
 is settled by the inundation. The day it 
 
 rises to such a height is kept as a grand 
 festival, and solemnized with fireworks, 
 feastings, and all the demonstrations of 
 public rejoicing ; and, in the remotest ages, 
 the overflowing of the Nile was always 
 attended with an universal joy throughout 
 all Egypt, that being the fountain of its 
 happiness. 
 
 The heathens ascribed the inundation 
 of the Nile to their god Serapis ; and the 
 pillar on which was marked the increase 
 was preserved religiously in the temple of 
 that idol. The Emperor Constantine having 
 ordered it to be removed into the church 
 of Alexandria, the Egyptians spread a report 
 that the Nile would rise no more by reason 
 of the wrath of Serapis ; but the river over- 
 flowed and increased as usual the following 
 years. Julian the Apostate, a zealous pro- 
 tector of idolatry, caused this pillar to be 
 replaced in the same temple, out of which 
 it was again removed by the command of 
 Theodosius. 
 
 Divine Providence, in giving so bene- 
 ficent a river to Egypt, did not thereby 
 intend that the inhabitants of it should be 
 idle, and enjoy so great a blessing, without 
 taking any pains. One may naturally sup- 
 pose, that as the Nile could not of itself 
 cover the whole country, great labour was 
 to be used to facilitate the overflowing of 
 the lands ; and numberless canals cut, in 
 order to convey the waters to all parts. 
 The villages, which stood very thick on the 
 banks of the Nile on eminences, had each 
 their canals, which were opened at proper 
 times to let the water into the country. 
 The more distant villages had theirs also, 
 even to the extremities of the kingdom. 
 Thus the waters are successively conveyed 
 to the most remote places. Persons are 
 not permitted to cut the trenches to receive 
 the waters, till the river is at such a height, 
 nor to open them all together ; because 
 otherwise some lands would be too much 
 overflowed, and others not covered enough. 
 They begin with opening them in Upper, 
 and afterwards in Lower Egypt, according 
 to the rules prescribed in a roll or book, in
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT OPINIONS ABOUT THE NILE. 
 
 which all the measures are exactly set down. 
 By this means the water is disposed with 
 such care that it spreads itself over all the 
 lands. The countries overflowed by the 
 Nile are so extensive, and lie so low, and 
 the number of canals so great, that of all 
 the waters which flow into Egypt during 
 the months of June, July and August, it is 
 believed that not a tenth part of them 
 reaches the sea. 
 
 But as, notwithstanding all these canals, 
 there are many high lands which cannot 
 receive the benefit of the Nile's overflow- 
 ing ; this want is supplied by spiral pumps, 
 which are turned by oxen, in order to bring 
 the water into pipes, which convey it to 
 these lands. Diodorus speaks of such an 
 engine invented by Archimedes in his tra- 
 vels into Egypt. 
 
 There is no country in the world where 
 the soil is more fruitful than in Egypt, which 
 is owing entirely to the Nile. For whereas 
 other rivers, when they overflow lands, wash 
 away and exhaust their vivific moisture ; 
 the Nile, on the contrary, by the excellent 
 slime it brings along with it, fattens and 
 enriches them in such a manner, as suf- 
 ficiently compensates for what the foregoing 
 harvest had impaired. The husbandman, 
 in this country, never tires himself with 
 holding the plough, or breaking the clods 
 of earth. As soon as the Nile retires, he 
 has nothing to do but to turn up the earth, 
 and temper it with a little sand, in order to 
 lessen its rankness ; after which he sows it 
 with great ease, and with little or no 
 expense. Two months after, it is covered 
 with all sorts of corn and pulse. The 
 Egyptians generally sow in October and 
 November, according as the waters draw off, 
 and their harvest is in March and April. 
 
 The same land bears, in one year, three 
 or four different kinds of crops. Lettuces 
 and cucumbers are sown first ; then corn ; 
 and, after harvest, several sorts of pulse 
 which are peculiar to Egypt. As the sun is 
 extremely hot in this country, and rains 
 fall very seldom in it, it is natural to sup- 
 pose that the earth would soon be parched, 
 
 and the corn and pulse burnt up by so 
 scorching a heat, were it not for the canals 
 ! and reservoirs with which Egypt abounds ; 
 and which, by the drains from thence, 
 amply supply water wherewith to refresh 
 the fields and gardens. 
 
 The Nile contributes no less to the 
 nourishment of cattle, which is another 
 source of wealth to Egypt The Egyptians 
 begin to turn them out to grass in Novem- 
 ber, and they graze to the end of March. 
 Words could never express how rich their 
 pastures are, and how fat the flocks and 
 herds (which, by reason of the mildness of 
 the air, are out night and day) grow in a 
 very little time. During the inundation of 
 the Nile, they are fed with hay and cut 
 straw, barley, and beans, which are their 
 common food. 
 
 A man cannot, says Corneille le Bruyn 
 in his travels, help observing the admirable 
 Providence of God to this country, who sends 
 at a fixed season such great quantities ot 
 rains in Ethiopia, in order to water Egypt, 
 where a shower of rain scarce ever falls ; 
 and who, by that means, causes the driest 
 and most sandy soil to become the richest 
 and most fruitful country in the universe. 
 
 Another thing to be observed here is that 
 
 (as the inhabitants say) in the beginning of 
 
 j June and the four following months, the 
 
 j north-east winds blow constantly, in order 
 
 I to keep back the waters which otherwise 
 
 I would flow too fast ; and to hinder them 
 
 ! from discharging themselves into the sea, the 
 
 entrance to which these winds bar up, as it 
 
 were, from them. The ancients have not 
 
 omitted this circumstance. 
 
 The same Providence, whose ways are 
 
 wonderful and infinitely various, displayed 
 
 itself after a quite different manner in 
 
 i Palestine in rendering it exceedingly fruit- 
 
 j ful, not by rains, which fell during the 
 
 | course of the year, as is usual in other 
 
 places ; nor by a peculiar inundation, like 
 
 that of the Nile in Egypt ; but by sending 
 
 fixed rains at two seasons, when the people 
 
 were obedient to God, to make them more 
 
 : sensible of their continual dependence upon
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 THE RUINS OF THEBES.
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT OPINIONS ABOUT THE NILE. 
 
 at two seasons of 
 the year. For if 
 a man ascends 
 some mountain, 
 or one of the 
 largest pyramids 
 of Grand Cairo, 
 in the months of 
 July and August, 
 he beholds a vast 
 sea, in which num- 
 berless towns and 
 villages appear, 
 with several cause- 
 ways leading from 
 place to place ; 
 the whole inter- 
 
 Him. God Himself 
 commands them, by 
 His servant Moses, to 
 make this reflection. 
 " The land whither 
 thou goest in to possess 
 it, is not as the land of 
 Egypt, from whence ye 
 came out, where thou sowedst 
 thy seed, and wateredst it with 
 thy foot, as a garden of herbs : 
 but the land, whither ye go to 
 possess it, is a land of hills and val- 
 leys, and drinketh water of the rain of 
 heaven" (Deut. xi. 10-13). After this, God 
 promises to give His people, so long as they 
 shall continue obedient to Him, the former 
 and the latter rain : the first in autumn, to 
 bring up the corn ; and the second in the 
 spring and summer, to make it grow and 
 ripen. 
 
 There canr.ot be a finer sight than Egypt 
 
 THE PYRAMIDS, GIZEH. 
 
 spersed with groves and fruit-trees, whose 
 tops only are visible, all which forms a de- 
 lightful prospect. This view is bounded 
 by mountains and woods, which terminate, 
 at the utmost distance the eye can discover 
 
 F
 
 66 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 a most lovely sky. On the contrary, in 
 winter that is to say, in the months of 
 January and February the whole country 
 is like one continued scene of beautiful 
 meadows, whose verdure, enamelled with 
 flowers, charms the eye. The spectator 
 beholds on every side flocks and herds 
 dispersed over all the plains, with infinite 
 numbers of husbandmen and gardeners. 
 The air is then perfumed by the great 
 quantity of blossoms on the orange, lemon, 
 and other trees; and is so pure that a 
 wholesomer or more agreeable is not found 
 in the world ; so that nature, being then 
 dead as it were in all other climates, seems 
 to be alive only for so delightful an abode. 
 We are now to speak of Lower Egypt. Its 
 shape, which resembles a triangle or delta (A), 
 gave occasion to its bearing the latter name, 
 which is that of one of the Greek letters. 
 Lower Egypt forms a kind of island; it 
 begins at the place where the Nile is divided 
 into two large canals, through which it 
 empties itself into the Mediterranean. The 
 mouth on the right hand is called the 
 Pelusian, and the other the Canopic, from 
 two cities in their neighbourhood, Pelu- 
 sium and Canopus, now called Damietta 
 and Rosetta. Between these two large 
 branches, there are five others of less note. 
 This island is the best cultivated, the most 
 fruitful, and the richest in Egypt. Its chief 
 cities (very anciently) were Heliopolis, 
 Heracleopolis, Naucratis, Sais, Tanis, Can- 
 opus, Pelusium ; and in later times, Alex- 
 andria, Nicopolis, etc. It was in the country 
 of Tanis that the Israelites dwelt. 
 
 There was at Sais a temple dedicated to 
 Minerva, who is supposed to be the same as 
 Isis, with the following inscription : " I am 
 whatever hath been, and is, and shall be ; 
 and no mortal hath yet pierced through the 
 veil that shrouds me." 
 
 Heliopolis, that is, the city of the sun, 
 was so called from a magnificent temple 
 there dedicated to that planet. Herodotus, 
 and other authors after him, relate some 
 particulars concerning the phoenix and this 
 temple, which, if true, would indeed be very 
 
 wonderful Of this kind of birds, if we may 
 believe the ancients, there is never but one 
 at a time in the world. He is brought forth 
 in Arabia, lives five or six hundred years, 
 and is of the size of an eagle. His head 
 is adorned with a shining and most beau- 
 tiful crest ; the feathers of his neck are of 
 a gold colour, and the rest of a purple ; his 
 tail is white, intermixed with red, and his 
 eyes sparkling like stars. When he is old, 
 and finds his end approaching, he builds a 
 nest with wood and aromatic spices, and 
 then dies. Of his bones and marrow, a 
 worm is produced, out of which another 
 phoenix is formed. His first care is to 
 solemnize his parent's obsequies, for which 
 purpose he makes up a ball in the shape 
 of an egg, with abundance of perfumes of 
 myrrh, as heavy as he can carry, which he 
 often assays beforehand ; then he makes a 
 hole in it, where he deposits his parent's 
 body, and closes it carefully with myrrh 
 and other perfumes. After this he takes up 
 the precious load on his shoulders, and 
 flying to the altar of the sun, in the city of 
 Heliopolis, he there burns it. 
 
 Herodotus and Tacitus dispute the truth 
 of some of the circumstances of this inci- 
 dent, but seem to suppose it true in general. 
 Pliny, on the contrary, in the very beginning 
 of his account, insinuates plainly enough 
 that he looks upon the whole as fabulous ; 
 and this is of course the case. 
 
 This ancient tradition, thougli grounded 
 on an evident falsehood, has yet introduced 
 into almost all languages the custom of 
 giving the name of Phcenix to whatever is 
 singular and uncommon in its kind : Rara 
 avis in terris, says Juvenal, speaking of the 
 difficulty of finding an accomplished woman 
 in all respects. And Seneca observes the 
 same of a good man. 
 
 What is reported of the swans, viz., that 
 they never sing but in their expiring mo- 
 ments, and that then they warble very 
 melodiously, is likewise grounded merely 
 on a vulgar error ; and yet it is used, not 
 only by the poets, but also by the orators 
 and even the philosophers.
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT OPINIONS ABOUT THE NILE. 
 
 67 
 
 It was in Heliopolis that an ox, under 
 the name of Mnevis, was worshipped as a 
 god. Cambyses, king of Persia, exercised 
 his sacrilegious rage on this city ; burning 
 the temples, demolishing the palaces, and 
 destroying the most precious monuments 
 of antiquity in it. There are still to be seen 
 some obelisks which escaped his fury ; and 
 others were brought from thence to Rome, 
 to which city they are an ornament even at 
 this day. 
 
 Alexandria, built by Alexander the Great, 
 from whom it had its name, vied almost 
 in magnificence with the ancient cities of 
 Egypt. It stands four days' journey from 
 Cairo, and was formerly the chief mart of 
 all the eastern trade. The merchandise 
 was unloaded at Portus Muris, a town on 
 the western coast of the Red Sea ; from 
 whence it was brought upon camels to 
 a town of Thebais, called Copht, and con- 
 veyed down the Nile to Alexandria, whither 
 merchants resorted from all parts. 
 
 It is well known, that the East India 
 trade hath at all times enriched those who 
 carried it on. This was the chief fountain 
 of the vast treasures that Solomon amassed, 
 and which enabled him to build the mag- 
 nificent temple of Jerusalem. David, by 
 his conquering Idumea, became master of 
 Elath and Ezion-Geber, two towns situated 
 on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. From 
 these two ports, Solomon sent fleets to 
 Ophir and Tarshish, which always brought 
 back immense riches. This traffic, after 
 having been enjoyed some time by the 
 Syrians, who regained Idumea, shifted from 
 them to the Tyrians. These got all their 
 merchandise conveyed, by the way of 
 Rhinocolura (a seaport town lying between 
 the confines of Egypt and Palestine), to 
 Tyre, from whence they distributed them 
 all over the western world. Hereby the 
 Tyrians enriched themselves exceedingly, 
 under the Persian Empire ; by the favour 
 and protection of whose monarchs they 
 had the full possession of this trade. But 
 when the Ptolemies had made themselves 
 masters of Egypt, they soon drew all this 
 
 trade into their kingdom, by building Beer- 
 nice and other ports on the western side of 
 the Red Sea, belonging to Egypt ; and 
 fixed their chief mart at Alexandria, which 
 thereby rose to be the city of the greatest 
 trade in the world. There it continued for 
 a great many centuries after ; and all the 
 traffic which the western parts of the world 
 from that time had with Persia, India, 
 Arabia, and the eastern coasts of Africa, 
 was wholly carried on through the Red Sea, 
 and the mouth of the Nile, till a way was 
 discovered, a little above three hundred 
 years since, of sailing to those parts by the 
 Cape of Good Hope. After this, the Portu- 
 guese for some time managed this trade ; but 
 now it is in a manner engrossed wholly by 
 the English. 
 
 For the conveniency of trade, there was 
 built near Alexandria, in an island called 
 Pharos, a tower which bore the same name. 
 At the top of this tower was kept a fire, to 
 light such ships as sailed by night near 
 those dangerous coasts, which were full of 
 sands and shelves ; from whence all other 
 towers, designed for the same use, have 
 been called, as Pharo di Messina, etc. The 
 famous architect Sostratus built it by order 
 of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who expended 
 eight hundred talents upon it. It was 
 reckoned one of the Seven Wonders of the 
 World. Some have commended that prince 
 for permitting the architect to put his name 
 in the inscription which was fixed on the 
 tower instead of his own. It was very short 
 and plain, according to the manner of the 
 ancients : " Sostratus the Cnidian, son of 
 Dexiphanes, to the protecting Deities, for 
 the use of sea-faring people." But certainly 
 Ptolemy must have very much undervalued 
 that kind of immortality which princes are 
 very fond of, to suffer that his name should 
 not be so much as mentioned in the inscrip- 
 tion of an edifice so capable of immortal- 
 izing him. What we read in Lucian con- 
 cerning this matter, deprives Ptolemy of a 
 modesty which indeed would be very ill 
 placed here. This author informs us that 
 Sostratus, in order that the whole glory of
 
 68 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 that noble structure might be ascribed to 
 himself, caused the inscription with his own 
 name to be carved in the marble, which he 
 afterwards covered with lime, and thereon 
 put the king's name. The lime soon 
 mouldered away ; and by that means, in- 
 stead of procuring the architect the honour 
 with which he had flattered himself, served 
 
 only to discover to future ages his mean 
 fraud, and ridiculous vanity. 
 
 Riches failed not to bring into this city, 
 as they usually do in all places, luxury and 
 licentiousness ; so that Alexandrian volup- 
 tuousness became a proverb. Yet the 
 arts and sciences were also here cultivated 
 in a very high degree. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 PENERAL HERBERT STEWART ft. JSRIEF RECORD OF THE 
 LIFE AND SERVICES OF THAT ^BLE 
 
 N the morning of Friday, 
 February 20, 1885, a se- 
 cond edition of the great 
 London papers announced 
 to the metropolis and to 
 
 England, that General Herbert Stewart had 
 
 succumbed to the wounds he had received 
 
 some time previously. Men turned away 
 
 with a sigh as they thought of this sad close 
 
 of a career of promise, and of the untimely 
 
 death of one who, young in years, but old in 
 
 service, had deserved so well of his country. 
 
 Was it a "sad close" after all? Surely 
 
 not! for 
 
 " How can man die better 
 
 Than facing fearful odds, 
 For the ashes of his fathers 
 And the temples of his gods?" 
 
 So Macaulay makes the old Roman say, 
 and the universal testimony of all time is 
 that the man who dies on the field of bat- 
 tle fighting for his country is not one of 
 whom it is becoming to speak too sorrow- 
 fully. 
 
 Yet one could not refrain from feeling 
 grief when it was decisively known that " un- 
 happily the worst fears had been realized, 
 and, to the grief of the whole army, and 
 indeed of the nation, the galla'nt General 
 
 Stewart had succumbed to the grievous 
 wound which he sustained almost in the 
 moment of victory, on January 19, as his 
 little column was fighting its way to Me- 
 temmeh. His case was well-nigh desperate 
 from the first. The bullet lodged at the 
 base of the stomach, and, in consequence 
 of the weak condition of the patient, no 
 attempt seems to have been made to ex- 
 tract it. But his courage never failed him. 
 Notwithstanding his own sufferings, his con- 
 stant thoughts were with his men, and his 
 cheerfulness and excellent spirits for a time 
 caused his friends to hope that he might 
 eventually rally. Not so the doctors ; they 
 realized the gravity of the case from the 
 outset, without ceasing to do all that atten- 
 tion and human skill could effect to miti- 
 gate his pain. After being tended for some 
 weeks on board one of the river steamers 
 at Gubat, General Stewart was removed 
 along with other wounded officers and men 
 to Gakdul. On the way, it will be remem- 
 bered, the convoy had a smart skirmish 
 with a large body of Arabs, who were 
 beaten off. Further than Gakdul it was 
 not deemed advisable to move the dying 
 General. Fever had set in, accompanied 
 by other alarming symptoms, and the end
 
 GENERAL HERBERT STEWART. 
 
 69 
 
 came on the i6th inst. Thus died one 
 who, according to the oft-repeated testi- 
 mony of Lord Wolseley, was one of the 
 most distinguished officers in the army. 
 
 Though Major-General Sir Herbert 
 Stewart was only forty-two years of age, he 
 had seen much active service, and gained 
 more rewards than fall to the lot of many 
 officers. He joined the army as ensign in 
 the 37th Foot on Nov. 24, 1863, and was 
 transferred to the 3rd (Prince of Wales) 
 Dragoon Guards as captain in 1873, in 
 which he attained the rank of colonel in 
 1882. In the Zulu war of 1879 he served 
 as brigade-major of cavalry, and was pre- 
 sent at the engagement of Erzungayan. 
 After the break-up of the Cavalry Brigade 
 he was employed on the line of communi- 
 cation, and was specially mentioned by 
 Colonel Baker Russell. In the operations 
 against Sekukuni he served as principal 
 staff officer, and subsequently acted as Lord 
 Wolseley's military secretary and chief of 
 staff when winding up the Zulu campaign. 
 For this he was again mentioned in des- 
 patches and rewarded with a lieutenant- 
 colonelcy. South Africa was also the scene 
 of his next campaign, which, however, was 
 not so fortunate. In the Boer war of 1881 
 he acted as assistant-adjutant and quarter- 
 master-general to Sir George Colley, with 
 whom he was present at the disaster of 
 Majuba Hill. In the Egyptian campaign 
 of 1882 he was appointed assistant-adjutant 
 and quartermaster-general to the Cavalry 
 Division, and was present at the engage- 
 ments of El Magfar and Tel-el-Mahuta, the 
 two actions at Kassassin, the battle of Tel- 
 el- Kebir, and the capture of Cairo. For 
 these services he was appointed aide-de- 
 camp to the Queen and Companion of the 
 Bath. In the campaign of 1884, in the 
 Eastern Soudan, he was appointed to the 
 command of the Cavalry Brigade attached 
 to Major-General Sir Gerald Graham's Divi- 
 sion, and for his services was created a 
 K.C.B. It was after the hard victories of 
 Teb and Tamai that the gallant leader, as 
 is well known, offered, and even entreated 
 
 to be sent from Suakim to Berber at the 
 head of fourteen hundred cavalry, a step 
 which, if adopted, would probably have 
 saved Gordon and Khartoum, and perhaps 
 averted the present war. At the time he 
 received his death-wound he had the tem- 
 porary rank of major-general in command 
 of the Camel Column of Lord Wolseley's 
 force, and it will be remembered that after 
 his victory at Abu Klea this rank was con- 
 firmed, at the special command of the 
 Queen. Sir Herbert Stewart, who was the 
 eldest son of the Rev. Edward Stewart, and 
 the grandson of the Hon. Edward Stewart, 
 was born in 1843, and was educated at 
 Winchester. He married, in 1877, Geor- 
 gina Janet, daughter of Admiral Sir James 
 Stirling, and widow of Major-General Sir 
 Henry Tombs, V.C., K.C.B. 
 
 Numerous correspondents wrote expres- 
 sive of the regret felt throughout the country 
 at the death of General Stewart. From 
 Dublin it was stated that he was exceedingly 
 popular while acting as aide-de-camp to 
 Lord Spencer. He was specially promi- 
 nent in shooting matches and other sports. 
 His fondness for athletics dates, indeed, 
 from his school-days at Winchester, where 
 he was foremost in most outdoor games. 
 Another correspondent mentioned a fact not 
 generally known, that General Stewart was 
 at one time a student of law at the Inner 
 Temple. Although he kept all his ' terms,' 
 the gallant officer was never called to the 
 bar," though in this indeed he was like the 
 majority of those who enter themselves as 
 students at our ancient Inns of Court. 
 
 It will be of great interest to read 
 Stewart's own account of the desperate 
 battle of Abu Klea, and we here append 
 the official report to headquarters, as well 
 as Lord Wolseley's accompanying state- 
 ment : 
 
 "CAMP KORTI,/*//. 26M, 1885. 
 
 My Lord, I forward herewith the copy 
 of a despatch from Brigadier-General Sir 
 Herbert Stewart, K.C.B., in which he 
 describes the action he fought on the i7th 
 inst. at Abu Klea. I am now awaiting
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 reports from him as to his further proceed- 
 ings subsequent to that battle, and I reserve 
 comments upon his operations until I am 
 in receipt of them. At present I shall 
 content myself with remarking that all he 
 has done proves him to be a real leader of 
 men and an able general. All ranks under 
 his command have displayed that discipline 
 and those high fighting qualities for which 
 her Majesty's army has always been re- 
 nowned. 
 
 I deeply deplore our loss, which was 
 considerable in proportion to the numbers 
 engaged ; but this must generally be the 
 case where we have to contend with a 
 brave and determined enemy, five or more 
 times our strength, and who invariably come 
 to close quarters and hand-to-hand fighting. 
 I have, etc., WOLSELEY, General 
 
 The Right Hon. the Marquis of 
 Hartington, M.P." 
 
 " From Brigadier-General Sir H. Stewart to 
 
 the Chief of the Staff. 
 ABU KLEA WELLS, Jan. iSt/i, 1885. 
 
 Sir, In continuation of my report of 
 the 1 4th inst, I have the honour to inform 
 you that the force under my command has 
 made the following movements in carrying 
 out your orders. 
 
 On the 1 4th inst. the force left Gakdul 
 at two p.m., and marching until dark 
 bivouacked for the night some ten miles on 
 the road to Metemmeh. On the i5th inst. 
 a distance of twenty-four miles was accom- 
 plished, and a bivouac formed among the 
 hills marked Gebel Es Sergain on the map. 
 
 On the 1 6th inst. the force left camp at 
 5 a.m., and halted for breakfast at 11.30 
 a,m. at the spot marked in the map by the 
 84oth kilometre. Whilst halted a report 
 was received from Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Barrow, igth Hussars, who had been sent 
 forward with his squadron to reconnoitre 
 the neighbourhood of the Abu Klea Wells, 
 informing me that he had seen about fifty 
 of the enemy standing in groups on the 
 hills about four miles north-east of Abu 
 Klea. Shortly afterwards the whole force 
 
 was advanced the Guards Camel Regi- 
 ment, Heavy Camel Regiment,and Mounted 
 Infantry Camel Regiment, moving on a 
 broad front in line of columns, at half 
 distance, the ground being favourable. 
 
 It soon became manifest that the enemy 
 was in force, and, looking to the hour (two 
 p.m.), it did not seem desirable to attempt 
 to attack until the following morning. 
 Another bivouac was therefore selected, 
 protected from the enemy's fire so far as 
 the ground would permit, and various small 
 works were constructed. During the night 
 a continuous light fire at long ranges was 
 kept up by the enemy, doing little damage. 
 
 Upon the xyth inst. it was plain that 
 the enemy was in force. During the night 
 they had constructed works on our right 
 flank, from which a distant but well-aimed 
 fire was maintained. In our front the 
 manoeuvring of their troops in line and in 
 column was apparent, and everything pointed 
 to the probability of an attack upon our 
 position being made. Under these cir- 
 cumstances no particular hurry to advance 
 was made, in the hope that our apparent 
 dilatoriness might induce the enemy to 
 push home. The camp having been 
 suitably strengthened to admit of its being 
 held by a comparatively small garrison, viz., 
 40 Mounted Infantry, 125 Sussex and 
 details, and the enemy still hesitating to 
 attack, an advance was made to seize the 
 Abu Klea Wells. The force moved on 
 foot in a square, which was formed as 
 follows : Left front face, two companies 
 Mounted Infantry; right front face, two 
 companies Guards, with the three guns 
 Royal Artillery in the centre ; left face, two 
 companies Mounted Infantry, one company 
 Heavy Camel Regiment; right face, two 
 companies Guards, detachment Royal 
 Sussex; rear face, four companies Heavy 
 Camel Regiment, with Naval Brigade and 
 one Gardner gun in the centre. The 
 advance at once attracted a fairly-aimed 
 fire from the enemy in front and on both 
 flanks, which, in order to enable the square 
 to continue moving, it was absolutely
 
 GENERAL HERBERT STEWART. 
 
 necessary to hold in check by the fire of 
 skirmishers. The enemy's main position 
 was soon apparent, and by passing that 
 position well clear of its left flank it was 
 manifest that he must attack or be enfiladed. 
 As the square was nearly abreast of the 
 position the enemy delivered his attack in 
 the shape of a singularly well organized 
 charge, commencing with a wheel to the 
 left. 
 
 A withering fire was at once brought 
 to bear upon the enemy, especially from 
 the more advanced portion of the left front 
 face of the 'square. The rear portion of 
 this face taking a moment or two to close 
 up was not in such a favourable position 
 to receive the enemy's attack, and I regret 
 to say that the square was penetrated at 
 this point by the sheer weight of the 
 enemy's numbers. The steadiness of the 
 troops enabled the hand-to-hand conflict to 
 be maintained, whilst severe punishment 
 was still being meted out to those of the 
 enemy continuing to advance, with the 
 result that a general retreat of the enemy 
 under a heavy artillery and rifle fire soon 
 took place. After reforming the square, 
 the iQth Hussars, who had been acting in 
 difficult ground supporting our left flank, 
 were pushed on to seize the Abu Klea 
 Wells, and at 5 p.m. those wells were 
 completely in our possession. Detach- 
 ments of the corps then returned to the 
 bivouac of the i6th inst. to bring up the 
 camel and impedimenta left there, thus 
 completing the force here this morning at 
 8 a.m. 
 
 The strength of the enemy is variously 
 estimated from 8,000 to 14,000 men. My 
 opinion is that not less than 2,000 of the 
 enemy operated on our right flank, 3,000 
 in the main attack, and 5,000 in various 
 other positions; but it is difficult to 
 estimate their numbers with any exactness. 
 Their losses have been very heavy, not less 
 than 800 lay dead on the open ground 
 flanking our square, and their wounded 
 during the entire day's fighting are reported 
 by themselves as quite exceptional. Many 
 
 are submitting. I deeply regret that the 
 necessity of obtaining water delays my 
 immediate advance on Metemmeh, but I 
 trust this may be overcome in a few hours. 
 I cannot too deeply lament the loss of 
 the many gallant officers and men that the 
 force has suffered ; but looking to the 
 numbers of the enemy, their bravery, their 
 discipline, and the accuracy of fire of those 
 possessing rifles, I trust that this loss, sad 
 as it is, may be considered as in some 
 measure inevitable. In conclusion, I would 
 add that it has been my duty to command 
 a force from which exceptional work, ex- 
 ceptional hardships, and, it may be added, 
 exceptional fighting, has been asked. It 
 would be impossible for me adequately to 
 describe the admirable support that has 
 been given to me by every officer and man 
 of the force. A return of casualties is 
 attached. Every possible care is being 
 taken of the wounded. Tents have been 
 pitched, and a strong post established over 
 the Wells, garrisoned by a detachment of 
 the Sussex Regiment. I have, etc., 
 HERBERT STEWART, 
 
 Brigadier-General." 
 
 In Parliament, on the evening of the 2oth 
 of February, 1885, the death of General 
 Stewart was referred to in fit terms, as will 
 be gathered from the following condensed 
 account of the proceedings : 
 In the House of Lords, 
 Viscount Hardinge asked whether the 
 Under Secretary for War had any further 
 information to communicate to the House 
 in regard to General Buller's force. 
 
 The Earl of Morley : I have, my Lords, 
 no further information beyond what I stated 
 to your Lordships yesterday in regard to 
 that force, but before I sit down I have an 
 extremely melancholy task to discharge. I 
 think it is my duty to inform the House 
 that a telegram was received to-day from 
 Lord Wolseley, and the best way I can com- 
 municate the news is to read the telegram, 
 which is as follows : 
 "Telegram from Lord Wolseley, to Secre- 
 tary of State for War, dated Korti,
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 February, 1885. Received iQth Feb- 
 ruary : 
 
 It* is my most painful duty to announce 
 to you the death of Sir H. Stewart, at 
 5.0 p.m., on the i6th inst, from the effects 
 of the wound received in the action of the 
 1 9th ulL Colonel Talbot, in reporting this 
 sad event to me, says : ' I beg to be allowed 
 to express the deep grief of all ranks who 
 have had the privilege of serving under this 
 distinguished officer, especially of those who 
 have so lately 
 followed him in- 
 to action, and 
 also their sense 
 of the great loss 
 which they, the 
 army generally, 
 and the country 
 have sustained.' 
 He was to be 
 buried by the 
 soldiers whom he 
 so recently led 
 to victory, at the 
 entrance to the 
 valley leading to 
 the Gakdul Wells. 
 No braver soldier 
 or more brilliant 
 leader of men 
 ever wore the 
 Queen's uniform. 
 England can ill 
 
 afford the loss of 
 
 this young gene- 
 ral, while his 
 
 death robs me of the services of a dear 
 friend and of a dear comrade. All the other 
 sick and wounded are well." 
 
 I am unwilling, my Lords, by any words 
 of mine to mar the effect of Lord Wolseley's 
 touching message, every word of which will 
 find an echo in the heart of those who knew 
 him (hear, hear). Within a very brief 
 period of time the army and the country 
 have had to mourn the loss of two of the 
 most able generals, two of the bravest 
 soldiers, and two of the truest men, in 
 
 GENERAL SIR HERBERT STEWART. 
 
 General Stewart and General Earle, who 
 died, as they lived, true soldiers, leading 
 their men against fearful odds to victory, 
 gained by their own skilful dispositions and 
 by the heroic bravery of their troops, but 
 gained all too dearly by the loss of two 
 such men. My Lords, the army and the 
 country have to mourn the loss of two able 
 soldiers whom we can ill spare (hear, hear). 
 The Duke of Cambridge : My Lords, I 
 should wish to take this opportunity to add 
 my testimony to 
 
 the memory of 
 
 the gallant men 
 and soldiers to 
 whom the noble 
 Earl has just re- 
 ferred. Sir Her- 
 bert Stewart was 
 a young officer 
 who, by his own 
 merits and his 
 personal bravery, 
 had brought him- 
 self into a pro- 
 minent position 
 in the army ear- 
 lier than usually 
 happens in the 
 ordinary course 
 of events. I take 
 this opportunity 
 also of express- 
 ing my sense of 
 the gallantry and 
 high conduct of 
 General Earle 
 
 (hear, hear). Both those officers have served 
 their Queen and country with that distinc- 
 tion which I am sure is so dear to the 
 heart of every Englishman if in a position 
 to show it. They have had that oppor- 
 tunity, and they have nobly carried out 
 their duty, and they have fallen in the ser- 
 vice of their Queen and country. The army 
 is proud of such men, and the country is 
 proud to number such men in the army 
 (hear, hear). I also wish to take this op- 
 portunity of referring to another brave
 
 GENERAL HERBERT STEWART. 
 
 73 
 
 officer. I fear there is now 
 little hope of the safety of 
 General Gordon. They were 
 three of the finest soldiers the 
 kingdom ever produced from 
 its earliest history, and the 
 country greatly mourns their 
 loss. Every one in this cam- 
 paign has done his duty, and 
 certainly no man could have 
 done his duty more honestly, 
 fearlessly, and conscientiously 
 than the late General Gordon. 
 Whether in China or the 
 Soudan, his power was most 
 remarkable, whilst as to his 
 merits, we know from what he 
 did in the Soudan how to 
 judge of them (hear, hear). 
 In his, as in the case of the 
 other two distinguished offi- 
 cers I have mentioned, I 
 must express, on the part of 
 the army, our sincere and 
 deep sympathy and regret at 
 the loss which the army, Her 
 Majesty, and the country have 
 sustained (hear, hear). 
 
 In the House of Commons, 
 Sir W. Barttelot asked the 
 Secretary for War whether he 
 had received official informa- 
 tion of the death of that most 
 gallant and distinguished offi- 
 cer, General Sir Herbert Stew- 
 art? 
 
 The Marquis of Hartington, 
 although he believed the 
 House generally was in pos- 
 session of the melancholy in- 
 telligence, read the telegram 
 which he had received from 
 Lord Wolseley respecting the 
 death of General Stewart, and 
 added : I cannot allow this 
 opportunity to pass without 
 referring also to the loss which 
 her Majesty's service has sus- 
 tained in the death of the
 
 74 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 gallant General Earle (hear, hear). General 
 Earle had certainly in this and in previous 
 campaigns rendered the most brilliant and 
 distinguished services (hear, hear). I am 
 quite certain that the unfortunate, but most 
 honourable circumstances of his death, 
 command, equally with that of Sir Herbert 
 Stewart, the universal regret of members of 
 this House, and their respectful sympathy 
 with his relatives (hear, hear). 
 
 A few words from an eloquent memoir 
 may fitly close this chapter : 
 
 " The loss, though not unexpected, adds 
 another brave and brilliant name to the list 
 of victims the war in the Soudan has al- 
 ready claimed from the British army. His 
 name had been associated with the most 
 daring, skilful, and successful action that 
 has yet been fought in this unhappy cam- 
 paign, and the nation reasonably hoped 
 that he would have developed those quali- 
 ties of foresight and courage that constitute 
 the main requisites of a first-rate com- 
 mander. Lord Wolseley had already placed 
 on record his opinion that he knew no more 
 promising officer in the whole of the service, 
 and he must feel especially grieved by the 
 loss of one upon whom he counted to co- 
 operate with him in the execution of an 
 original and difficult enterprise. Wherever 
 General Stewart had been called upon to 
 exhibit the characteristics that stamp the 
 military man of action, he had responded 
 to the appeal ; and he had won the attach- 
 ment and confidence of his subordinates as 
 much as he had extorted the admiration of 
 his superiors. Such men are developed, we 
 may say without exaggeration, only in an 
 army that is aristocratic in one sense, and 
 democratic and popular in another. The 
 habits of command that are traditional in 
 the English gentleman are happily combined 
 with that unaffected geniality that is found 
 so winning and irresistible by all classes. 
 Under such a leader as General Stewart, 
 our voluntary soldiers will go anywhere and 
 do anything. An English officer is at once 
 the embodiment of hereditary dignity and 
 of the most sympathetic familiarity. He 
 
 represents discipline of the sternest kind, 
 yet never imposes hardships or risks on 
 others that he is not himself prepared and 
 prompt to share. We may regret and must 
 regret that so many officers of high stand- 
 ing should have fallen in this miserable 
 scuffle with desert savages; but it will 
 hardly be doubted that the rank and file 
 who are asked to face the Arab spears 
 will be more likely to do so when they 
 observe that their officers set them so 
 intrepid an example. The proof, perhaps, 
 was not needed, but it is as well that a 
 noble tradition should be maintained by 
 fresh instances. We will not say, as the 
 Spartan mother said of her dead boy, 
 ' Sparta hath many a worthier son than he.' 
 But this realm and the British army contain 
 thousands of men as worthy, who would 
 demonstrate that they were so, had they 
 only Stewart's chance. He had the good 
 fortune to be in command at a critical 
 moment, and the danger as well as the 
 honour of the occasion fell to his lot. He 
 dies lamented by his countrymen, and his 
 name will not soon be forgotten. Even the 
 death of the ' Christian Hero,' as Lord 
 Salisbury called Gordon on a recent oc- 
 casion though it overshadows all our other 
 losses, does not make the country un- 
 mindful of such servants, who have perished 
 in its cause, as General Earle and General 
 Stewart." Nay, our memory of the one 
 only serves to make us more mindful of the 
 others. 
 
 The portrait of General Stewart, which 
 accompanies this chapter, is from a likeness 
 recently taken. It will serve to bring 
 vividly before our readers the features of 
 him who is gone. 
 
 Napoleon said to his soldiers, when en- 
 couraging them in an Egyptian fight, " From 
 these pyramids forty centuries look down 
 upon you." The forty centuries of Egyptian 
 history may be challenged to produce the 
 record of deeds so brave and daring as 
 those of Stewart and the other officers and 
 men who have here fought and died for 
 their country.
 
 GENERAL EARLE. 
 
 75 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 GENERAL |IAR,LE A. LIVERPOOL J^AD QUALITIES OP HEAD AND 
 HEART DEATH IN THE JMOM.ENT OF YICTORY. 
 
 N our last chapter we have 
 very briefly referred to ex- 
 pressions of sorrow at the 
 death of General Earle, and 
 we are sure that some notice 
 of that able officer will be welcome to our 
 readers. According to the Pictorial World, 
 Death found a shining mark, and struck 
 a signal blow, when General Earle fell in 
 the moment of victory after the capture of 
 the heights of Kerbekan. One of the most 
 brilliant campaigns in the desert has been 
 clouded over by the loss of a commander 
 who could ill be spared by his soldiers at 
 such a crisis. And his countrymen at home 
 have felt also a common sorrow that a 
 career which was so full of promise should 
 be so abruptly terminated. The words, 
 " Killed in action," have been declared to 
 be the most appropriate epitaph which a 
 warrior could wish for, and the subject of 
 this memoir desired no better ; but it has 
 seemed to all who have read the story of 
 his gallant fight, that that was a bitter for- 
 tune, which suddenly quenched, in the very 
 blaze of victory, the directing spirit whose 
 skill, judgment, and daring had secured 
 success. 
 
 Major-General William Earle was born at 
 Liverpool in 1833 the same year as his 
 friend and chief, Lord Wolseley and was 
 the third son of the late Sir Hardman Earle, 
 of Woolton, who was created a baronet in 
 1869, and was a great friend of the present 
 Premier. The Earles are an old Lancashire 
 family, and have for several generations 
 been associated with Liverpool, many mem- 
 bers having been long and honourably 
 connected with commercial pursuits and 
 public duties in that locality. Educated 
 first at a private school in Liverpool, Wil- 
 
 liam Earle went then to Harrow, where one 
 of his class-fellows was the late gallant 
 Burnaby. In 1851 he was gazetted to an 
 ensigncy in the 49th Foot, of which regi- 
 ment he became Adjutant in June, 1854. 
 This corps was part of the Second Division 
 in the Crimean War, forming, with the 4ist 
 and 47th Foot, the brigade well-known as 
 the " Forty Brigade," under General Adams, 
 and was one of the regiments which suffered 
 most severely during the campaign. The 
 duties of an adjutant were not easy or 
 pleasant in those days of hard work and 
 scanty fare, but Earle was energetic and 
 punctilious in the performance of all details 
 of duty, and was most popular amongst his 
 brother officers. He was present at the 
 battle of the Alma, and at the more stub- 
 born fight of Inkermann, where, when at 
 one time the fate of the day trembled in 
 the balance, Adams's Brigade helped, by a 
 desperate charge, to save it. He had, a 
 few days before Inkermann, taken his part 
 in repelling the sortie made by the Rus- 
 sians on October 26th the day following 
 the battle of Balaclava when the Second 
 Division, under Sir de Lacy Evans, repulsed 
 4,000 of the enemy, killing and wounding 
 500, and taking 100 prisoners. During the 
 siege of Sebastopol, Earle did regimental 
 duty in the trenches and at the two attacks 
 upon the Redan. For his services he was 
 specially mentioned in despatches, and, be- 
 sides the Crimean medal, with three clasps, 
 and the Turkish medal, was awarded the 
 Sardinian medal and the fifth class of the 
 Medjidie. Promoted to a company, he 
 became Aide-de-Camp to the chief of the 
 staff from October, 1855, to June, 1856. 
 Leaving the 49th, he joined the Grenadier 
 Guards in 1859, and in that distinguished
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 regiment held the posts of Instructor of 
 Musketry and Adjutant. He served as 
 Military Secretary at Gibraltar from May, 
 1859, to October, 1860 ; was Brigade-Major 
 in Canada from October, 1862, to January, 
 1863; and Military Secretary in British 
 North America from June, 1865, to Octo- 
 ber, 1870. In the meantime he had re- 
 ceived his colonelcy, and when Lord North- 
 brook was appointed Viceroy and Governor- 
 General of India he was offered, and ac- 
 cepted, the post of Military Secretary. 
 
 The office of Military Secretary to the 
 Viceroy of India is a delicate and difficult 
 one to fill adequately. A great deal of 
 military patronage is in the hands of the 
 Viceroy, independent of the Commander- 
 in-Chief. Opinions have differed as to the 
 wisdom or expediency which for many years 
 deprived the military head of the armies of 
 India of any direct control over an import- 
 ant part of that army especially that to 
 which was committed the defence of the 
 Punjaub frontier but the custom remained, 
 and it was not seldom that certain jarrings 
 and discords took place in the relations 
 between the Military Secretariat of the 
 Viceroy and that of the Commander-in- 
 Chief. These differences, although noted 
 in confidential papers only, were not un- 
 known to the general body of officers, and 
 sometimes occasioned no little scandal in 
 camp or cantonment. It is to Colonel 
 Earle's credit that during the four years, 
 from May, 1872, to April, 1876, he held 
 the appointment of Military Secretary to 
 Lord Northbrook, there was no such clash- 
 ing or jarring between the military depart- 
 ments under the Viceroy and those under 
 the Commander-in-Chief. He " pulled 
 well," to use a common but expressive 
 phrase, with all parties ; and whilst carrying 
 out the views and wishes of the Governor- 
 General faithfully and without swerving, he I 
 succeeded in winning the confidence and 
 esteem of all other heads of the departments 
 which go to form the complex machine 
 known as the military administration of 
 India. He had wonderful tact in dealing 
 
 with men of different dispositions and tem- 
 pers, and a clear head and a calm, cheery 
 manner gave him a quiet power which was 
 only exerted for the public good. It is no 
 secret now that Lord Northbrook, himself 
 a shrewd judge of character, speaks of him 
 as having been one of the ablest of staff 
 officers, having extraordinary power of or- 
 ganization and mastery of detail, and show- 
 ing a readiness of resource and a soundness 
 of judgment seldom at fault. His lordship 
 mourns his death not only as a personal, 
 but as a public loss. 
 
 After his return from India, Colonel 
 Earle served on the home staff at Chatham 
 and Shorncliffe until March, 1881. In 
 August, 1882, he was appointed Brigadier- 
 General on the expeditionary force in Egypt, 
 and was promoted to the rank of Major- 
 General in October that year. He had 
 been made a Companion of the Star of 
 India in 1876, and in November, 1882, he 
 received the Companionship of the Bath, 
 in recognition of his services during the 
 Egyptian campaign, and also the thanks of 
 Parliament. In that campaign he had 
 rendered most valuable service, being 
 placed in command of the base and lines 
 of communication when Wolseley seized 
 the Suez Canal, and moved from Ismailia 
 to attack Arabi. All was chaos and confu- 
 sion at Ismailia when Earle got there, but 
 his energy and administrative ability soon 
 evolved order and organization. Stores 
 had to be landed and forwarded, sick and 
 wounded had to be looked after, transport 
 had to be found, a tramway had to be laid 
 down, and all this had to be done with a 
 deficiency of labourers, a want of money 
 (the Government at home wishing to avoid 
 any expenditure requiring a Parliamentary 
 grant), and in the face of all manner of 
 difficulties. But in spite of every obstacle, 
 accidental or intentional, placed in his way, 
 General Earle succeeded in keeping the 
 line of communication perfect, and gained 
 for himself the highest praise from Lord 
 Wolseley, who mentioned in his despatches 
 the good serviceslie had rendered.
 
 GENERAL EARLE. 
 
 77 
 
 At the conclusion of the campaign he 
 was appointed to the command of the 
 English garrison at Alexandria, and in that 
 capacity he won the good-will of all classes, 
 Europeans and Egyptians. 
 
 But more active duties were soon to be 
 required of him. Lord Wolseley had de- 
 termined to advance up the Nile in his 
 attempt to relieve Khartoum and to rescue 
 Gordon, and General Earle was selected to 
 head the force proceeding to Berber. The 
 work of dragging the boats over the cata- 
 racts was found to be much more severe 
 than at first expected, and the progress 
 made was in consequence slow. But day 
 after day the soldiers toiled on, animated 
 by the determined and cheerful spirit which 
 they saw in their leader. They heard of 
 the splendid fight which Stewart had had at 
 Abu Klea, and the news of Wilson's brilliant 
 dash for the river must also have reached 
 them. For them there seemed to be no 
 chance of earning distinction, except as 
 toilers working their way laboriously along 
 the weary and troublesome river. At Berti, 
 where it had been anticipated that the 
 enemy would make a stand, only a deserted 
 camp was found, and so further disappoint- 
 ment came, but stern duty had to be done. 
 At length, however, the opportunity which 
 they were longing for arrived. At Kerbekan 
 the Arabs had assembled, and were pre- 
 pared to give battle. They occupied a 
 position of extraordinary natural strength, 
 holding a high ridge of razor-backed hills, 
 with advanced koppies in front close to the 
 river a position most difficult of access, 
 and which could only be carried by assault. 
 Such a situation, held by men who despised 
 the fear of death as these brave tribesmen 
 of the desert did, was indeed a most for- 
 midable one to attack. In the disposition 
 of his forces for that purpose General Earle 
 showed himself to be a tactician and an 
 able strategist He knew that Orientals 
 always endeavour to keep a way of retreat 
 open, and that an attack in rear has always 
 been a movement which they dread. Leav- 
 ing two companies with two guns to hold 
 
 I the enemy in front, Earle marched with the 
 j remainder of his men round the high range 
 I of hills, thus turning the position and attack- 
 i ing it from behind, sending his cavalry in 
 I the meantime to sweep on further to the 
 rear, and endeavour to capture the enemy's 
 ! camp. No arrangements could have been 
 i better planned, or more brilliantly executed, 
 i The foe were taken aback at the audacity 
 I of the manoeuvre, but fought with all the 
 I courage of wild fanaticism. Behind rocks 
 and broken ground and loop-holed walls 
 they kept up a withering fire upon all sides. 
 i Earle, keeping his men in loose order of 
 ! formation, advanced boldly to storm. A 
 terrific rush of the enemy was met, not in 
 I square, but in the ordinary British line, and 
 I was coolly and gallantly repelled, and the 
 Arab spearmen bit the dust. But the rocks 
 j had to be scaled before victory could be 
 assured. Earle gave the signal, and to the 
 wild music of the bagpipes, and to the still 
 wilder music of cheers, which rang above 
 the din of battle, the Highlanders and the 
 men of Stafford rushed at their foe. They 
 scaled the rocks and carried the position at 
 all points with the bayonet. The success 
 was complete, and ten standards, and the 
 whole of the position, together with the 
 enemy's camp, were soon in the hands of 
 the stormers. It was a bold and brilliant 
 feat of arms, excellently conceived, splen- 
 didly carried out But in the very moment 
 ; of victory a mighty sorrow fell upon the 
 i little band of conquerors. An Arab bullet 
 had struck to death the general whom they 
 I loved, and who had led them so well. 
 " General Earle," says the official despatch, 
 "was among the foremost in this attack, 
 and, to the deep sorrow of every officer and 
 | man in the force, was killed on the summit 
 of the koppie." 
 
 It may be argued that it is not the duty of 
 | a commander to expose himself unneces- 
 ; sarily, that it is contrary to the recognised 
 strict rules of war. But there are moments 
 when rules are of no account, and when 
 all personal considerations must be thrown 
 1 to the winds. Earle was not the man to
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 say " Go ! " when he knew that to place 
 himself in front would be an inspiration to 
 all who followed. He did so, and "fore- 
 most fighting fell." A bright place will 
 ever be his in the military annals of his 
 
 country, and all who knew him will bear 
 willing testimony to his great worth as a 
 soldier, and will long cherish his memory as 
 a friend. 
 
 He whose memory lives, dies not. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 COLONEL FRED BURNABY fiis FAMOUS JR.IDE TO KHIVA. 
 
 OULD there be any greater 
 contrast than Somerby Hall, 
 Leicestershire, that quiet 
 country house in the heart 
 of rural England, and the 
 places where Colonel Fred Burnaby, the man 
 who held that house, spent his life and met 
 his death ! In the picture of Somerby Hall, 
 with which we here present our readers, 
 something of that peace and quiet is repre- 
 sented. In another picture, drawn from 
 scenes in Burnaby's life, the contrast will 
 be seen, as well as in the various illustra- 
 tions of thrilling battle-pieces with which 
 we accompany our narrative. 
 
 It is very well remarked, that " in a time 
 like ours, when it is often complained that 
 the age of romance has ceased, a career 
 like that of the late colonel of the Royal 
 Horse Guards is very unusual Burnaby 
 was more than a soldier. He was a man 
 who, without being in any sense entitled to 
 be called great, yet united in his person 
 many of the qualities which Englishmen 
 are most accustomed to admire. His phy- 
 sical bravery and his extraordinary personal 
 strength are almost as well-known to-day as 
 are the similar qualities of Richard Cceur 
 de Lion. His intellectual were on a cor- 
 responding plane with his physical quali- 
 ties. His mind was strong, active, tenacious. 
 He had decided opinions, and expressed 
 them with emphasis. He was as ready in 
 debate as in action. On the platform at 
 large political gatherings he displayed the 
 
 same qualities of energy and dash which he 
 displayed on the Khivan steppes, or before 
 an Arab fortress in the Soudan. If he was 
 unpopular at the Horse Guards, he was 
 daily becoming more popular with the 
 people ; and by his adventurous journeyings 
 in Asia and his repeated excursions in 
 balloons, he added something to our know- 
 ledge of both geography and aeronautics. 
 Burnaby was therefore a public man in a 
 wider sense than that in which the mere 
 soldier, however distinguished, is a public 
 man. His qualities of mind were not rare ; 
 but seldom have mental and physical quali- 
 ties been so happily blended. 
 
 Frederick Gustavus Burnaby was born at 
 Bedford, March 3rd, 1842. He was the 
 son of the Rev. G. Burnaby, by Harriett, 
 sister of Mr. H. Villebois, of Marham 
 House, Norfolk. His family was a good 
 one; and he could boast, it is said, of being 
 nineteenth in descent from Edward I. At 
 Harrow he distinguished himself more by 
 his mastery of modern languages than his 
 knowledge of the classics. His literary 
 tastes were developed early ; for rebelling, 
 as so many high-spirited boys have, against 
 the fagging system then so prevalent in large 
 public schools, young Burnaby wrote a hot 
 protest, which was accepted and printed by 
 the edjtor of Punch. From Harrow young 
 Burnaby passed to Germany, where he 
 much improved his knowledge of modern 
 languages; and on September 3oth, 1859, 
 he was gazetted Cornet in the Royal Horse
 
 COLONEL FRED BURNABY. 
 
 KILLED AT ABU KLEA, ON THE 1 -Jth JANUARY, 1 88jJ.
 
 BURNABY EARLY ADVENTURES. 
 
 79 
 
 Guards (Blue), with which crack corps he 
 served ever since ; rising to be Lieutenant 
 in 1861 ; Captain in 1866; Major in 1879; 
 Lieutenant-Colonel in 1880; and Colonel 
 in September, 1884. 
 
 Captain Burnaby was able very early to 
 indulge his taste for foreign travel. In 1868 
 he left England for a long continental tour, 
 visiting Bayonne, Bordeaux, the Pyrenees, 
 and Pau. Wherever he went adventures 
 attended his steps. Now he was helping 
 the soldiers of some little French town to 
 extinguish a fire ; then riding across coun- 
 try on a curious horse (' Qui saut comme 
 un chamois ; qui marche comme un loco- 
 motif) after half-tamed foxes scented with 
 aniseed ; or, again, armed with a bedpost, 
 he would be aiding a young Frenchman to 
 beat back in Tangiers the attack of some 
 Moorish soldiers eager to arrest some danc- 
 ing girls who had been secretly showing 
 the Giaours the real Moorish dance (not 
 the Hebrew jig which is usually palmed off 
 upon the ignorant tourist). From Biarritz 
 Burnaby crossed into Spain, visiting San 
 Sebastian, Madrid, Seville, and Gibraltar, 
 and crossing to Tangiers, whence he returned 
 to England. He eventually became a pro- 
 ficient linguist, being able to speak no less 
 than seven languages (including Arabic, 
 Russ, and Turkish) with fluency. In 1870 
 Captain Burnaby was in Russia, and on his 
 way home he passed through Paris, then 
 in the hands of the Commune. The year 
 1873 saw him again in Spain, where the 
 Carlist war was raging. From Madrid he 
 made his way to ^Vittoria, and thence to 
 the Carlist lines. These he penetrated, 
 although not always without difficulty. Our 
 illustration represents him during one of 
 those difficulties. Going along a mountain 
 road he was met by a company of Carlists. 
 With easy address he got out of his carriage, 
 spoke to the Carlist captain in his own 
 tongue, and, in a few minutes, was again on 
 his way, and passed on to San Sebastian, 
 and thence to Irun. Next year the colonel 
 again visited Spain, this time as the corres- 
 pondent of the Times on the Carlist side. 
 
 His letters show considerable literary 
 facility, and some of his descriptions are 
 excellent specimens of the best kind of 
 rapid writing. His next journey was a 
 much more formidable undertaking. It was 
 nothing less than an excursion to Central 
 Africa to join General Gordon, then em- 
 ployed under Ismail Pasha in suppressing 
 the slave-trade in the Soudan. From Suez 
 Burnaby sailed down the Red Sea to 
 Suakim, whence, with a caravan party, he 
 journeyed on camels across the desert to 
 Berber. From Berber he addressed his 
 second letter to the Times, dated January 
 1 3th, 1875, describing his desert journey, 
 and dwelling upon the dreadful horrors of 
 the slave-trade which Gordon was then 
 endeavouring with such extraordinary exer- 
 tions to suppress. From Berber Captain 
 Burnaby sailed up the Nile to Khartoum, 
 whence he pushed on by boat far up the 
 White Nile. His third and last letter to 
 the Times, dated from Soubat, Central 
 Africa, February 5th, 1875, gives some 
 interesting details of the work then being 
 carried on by General Gordon. 
 
 While at Khartoum Burnaby made a re- 
 solution to ride alone to Khiva. It was 
 like the man to make so wild a resolve, and 
 it was like him too to carry it out with such 
 unflinching courage and such readiness of 
 resource. Not long before, Colonel C. M. 
 MacGregor had been foiled by the British 
 Government in his attempts to penetrate to 
 Merv. Fifteen months after MacGregor 
 had returned from his eight months' ride, 
 Burnaby set out on his adventurous journey. 
 He proposed to ride through Khiva to Merv, 
 to see what the Russians were about in 
 Central Asia. It was a difficult and dan- 
 gerous journey ; but accidental circum- 
 stances have perhaps given an undue promi- 
 nence to the undertaking. With MacGahan 
 to coach him as to the route, with the assist- 
 ance of Mr. Schuyler at St. Petersburg, with 
 a ready knowledge of Russ, with the cer- 
 tainty that there was a Russian garrison at 
 Khiva, and with plenty of money and an 
 unrivalled physique, Captain Burnaby started
 
 8o 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 with unusual advantages. His feat is in 
 no way to be compared to the much more 
 dangerous and adventurous journeys of 
 
 Vambe'ry and MacGahan, norl has ' The 
 Ride to Khiva ' the same interest or worth 
 as Vambe'ry's ' Travels,' MacGahan's 
 
 UURNABY STOPPED BY CARLIST OUTPOSTS. 
 
 'Campaigning on the Oxus,' MacGregor's 
 'Khorassan,' or O'Donovan's 'Merv Oasis.' 
 Much of his journey was over ground tra- 
 velled almost daily by Russian merchants ; 
 
 and the pith of the enterprise was the ride 
 of three hundred miles over the desert in 
 the depth of winter, from Kazala to Khiva. 
 Advertising skill and the fact that his book
 
 BURNABTS RIDE TO KHIVA. 
 
 81 
 
 was published at a moment when the public 
 were eager to obtain information about the 
 doings of Russia in Central Asia are the 
 
 two chief reasons which led to the extra- 
 ordinary success of Captain Burnaby's book. 
 It is a book, too, written in just the vein to 
 
 THE RIDE TO KHIVA. 
 
 tickle the taste of the circulating-library 
 public light, easy, and good-natured, with 
 bits of personal description, and some good 
 
 descriptions of natural scenery. Leaving 
 Charing Cross with eighty-five pounds of 
 baggage on the 20th of November, 1875, 
 
 c
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Captain Burnaby quickly made his way to 
 St. Petersburg, and thence to Orenburg. 
 From Orenburg to Kazala was a rush of 
 664 miles across the snow-covered desert ; 
 and at Kazala the traveller was welcomed 
 politely by the Russian Commandant, 
 Colonel Goloff. Fearing, however, a design 
 on the part of Goloflf to send him a prisoner 
 to the Fortress of Petro-Alexandrovsk, Cap- 
 tain Burnaby declined Colonel Goloff's 
 proffered escort, and set out, with only his 
 servant and guide, on the ride of 370 miles 
 to Khiva. A visit to Khiva in 1875 was a 
 very different thing to a visit to the Khan's 
 capital twelve years before, when Vambe'ry, 
 disguised in his dervish rags, was the first 
 European who had penetrated to the mys- 
 terious capital of the Khivans. Much had 
 happened in the meantime. Said Maho- 
 med, in whose austere presence poor Vam- 
 be'ry had trembled with such good reason, 
 had humbled himself to General Kauf- 
 mann ; and when Captain Burnaby visited 
 the Khan he incurred no more risk, says 
 Mr. Charles Marvin, than an English tourist 
 visiting the capital of any Indian feudatory 
 prince. Burnaby accomplished his ride in 
 thirteen days, nor did he suffer any extreme 
 hardship. Once, indeed, he ran much 
 danger of frostbite, having by inadvertence 
 left off his fur gloves. Falling asleep in his 
 sledge, he woke to find his fingers a lurid 
 blue, while his wrists and the extremities of 
 his arms were like those of a dead man. 
 Vigorous rubbing, however, restored the 
 circulation. By the Khan of Khiva the 
 English captain was received with con- 
 sideration, and 'I was surprised,' wrote Cap- 
 tain Burnaby, ' that after all that has been 
 written in Russian newspapers about the 
 cruelties and other iniquities perpetrated by 
 this Khivan potentate [Vambe'ry had seen 
 the eyes of Tchaudor Turcomans gouged 
 out by order of this same Khan], to find 
 the original such a cheery sort of fellow.' 
 At Khiva the English officer stopped some 
 days ; and then, instead of pushing on to 
 Merv, according to his original intention, 
 he decided to turn off to Bokhara. But 
 
 before he had time to leave, an imperative 
 message came from the Russian Governor 
 Ivanoff, requiring his presence at Petro- 
 Alexandrovsk. On arriving at the fortress 
 (two days' journey from Khiva) Burnaby 
 found a telegram from the Duke of Cam- 
 bridge, ordering his immediate return. The 
 Beaconsfield Cabinet had yielded to the 
 diplomatic pressure of the Court of St. 
 Petersburg, and had recalled the zealous 
 traveller, who was prying too closely, the 
 Russians feared, into their Central Asian 
 transactions. Burnaby returned by almost 
 exactly the same route by which he went. 
 The publication of his book soon after his 
 return at once raised him to the rank of a 
 notoriety. 
 
 Enough has been said above to indicate 
 Burnaby's true position as a Central Asian 
 pioneer. He does not stand in the front 
 rank of such; but his journey was a fine 
 example of the enterprise of an officer 
 determined to undertake a useful duty." 
 
 In order to give the reader some notion 
 of how Burnaby wrote, we extract two brief 
 passages from the " Ride to Khiva." The 
 first describes waters by a " stern frost trans- 
 formed into a solid mass. Pillars and 
 blocks of the shining and hardened element 
 were to be seen modelled into a thousand 
 quaint and grotesque patterns. Here a 
 fountain, perfectly formed, with Ionic and 
 Doric columns, was reflecting a thousand pris- 
 matic hues from the diamond-like stalactites 
 which had attached themselves to its crest. 
 There a huge obelisk, which if of stone 
 might have come from ancient Thebes, lay 
 half buried beneath a pile of fleecy snow. 
 Further on we came to what might have 
 been a Roman temple or vast hall in the 
 palace of a Caesar, where many half-hidden 
 pillars and monuments erected their taper- 
 ing summits above the piles of the debris. 
 The wind had done in that northern lati- 
 tude what had been performed by some 
 violent pre-Adamite agency in the Berber 
 desert. Take away the ebon blackness of 
 the stony masses which have been cast there 
 forth from the bowels of the earth, and
 
 BURNABYHIS ADVENTURES IN ASIA MINOR. 
 
 replace them on a smaller scale by the 
 crystal forms I have attempted to describe, 
 and the resemblance would be striking." 
 
 Burnaby again describes another scene 
 thus : 
 
 " It was a glorious evening. The stars 
 as seen from the snow-covered desert were 
 brighter and more dazzling than any I had 
 hitherto witnessed. From time to time 
 some glittering meteor would shoot across 
 the heavens. A momentary track of vivid 
 flame traced out its course through space. 
 Showers of orbs of falling fire flashed for a 
 moment, then disappeared from our view. 
 Myriads of constellations and worlds above 
 sparkled like gems in a priceless diadem. 
 It was a magnificent pyrotechnic display, 
 nature being the sole actor in the spectacle." 
 
 And again: "The sunlight was bright 
 and glorious, and in no part of the world 
 hitherto visited by me had I seen the aurora 
 in such magnificence. First a pale blue 
 streak, gradually extending over the whole 
 
 of the Eastern horizon, arose like a wall 
 barring the unknown beyond. Suddenly it 
 changed colour. The summit became like 
 lapis-lazuli, the base a sheet of purple, waves 
 of grey and crystal radiating from the 
 darker hues. These relieved the eye, ap- 
 palled by the vastness of the barrier. The 
 purple foundations were in turn upheaved 
 by seas of fire. The eyes were dazzled by 
 the glowing brilliancy. The wall of colours 
 floating in space broke up into castles, 
 battlements, and towers. They were wafted 
 by the breezes far from ', our view. The 
 seas of flame meanwhile had lit up the 
 whole horizon; they burst through their 
 borders ; they formed one vast ocean ; the 
 eye quailed beneath the blaze ; the snowy 
 carpet at our feet reflected like a camera 
 the wonderful panorama overhead. Flakes 
 of light in rapid succession bound earth to 
 sky. At last the globe of sparkling light 
 appeared rising from the depths of the 
 ocean of fire." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 J-fis ADVENTURES IN ASIA 
 
 BIRMINGHAM - CAREER AS A BALLOONIST. 
 
 STANDS FOR 
 
 N the autumn of 1876 all 
 eyes ; were anxiously turned 
 towards the East. The 
 Bulgarian atrocities had 
 been committed, and had 
 given Mr. Gladstone the text for his fiery 
 pamphlet. Lord Beaconsfield had char- 
 acterized the rumours from Bulgaria as 
 coffee-house babble. Journeying on the 
 Danube, Canon Liddon and Canon 
 MacColl had seen a Bulgarian impaled 
 upon a pike. Other witnesses came for- 
 ward, who alleged that the impaled being 
 seen by the Canons was a stack of beans. 
 Public opinion ran high. There were many 
 
 who declared that the Turks ought to be 
 driven out of Europe. A strong Russian 
 party was formed in England ; and it was 
 evident that before long war would break 
 out between Russia and Turkey. Such 
 was the state of affairs when Burnaby, fresh 
 from his Khivan exploit, determined to cap 
 it by another ride. ' Were the Turks such 
 awful scoundrels ? ' said the guardsman to 
 himself. He determined to ascertain ; and 
 accordingly, in the autumn of 1876 he 
 found himself leaving London with his 
 faithful servant, Radford, and with only 
 five months' leave in which to explore Asia 
 Minor. In this brief time he rode over
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 2,000 miles of country, much of it barren 
 wilderness. The journey gave him ample 
 material for a second book, 'On Horse- 
 back Through Asia Minor.' It was dis- 
 tinguished by the same qualities of fluency, 
 happy good nature, and high spirits, as 
 1 The Ride to Khiva ; ' but it proved less 
 of a public success. The exploit was less 
 striking; the route better known. From \ 
 Scutari Burnaby travelled almost due east | 
 past Angora and Sivas to Erzeroum. From ; 
 Erzeroum he made a southerly detour to 
 Lake Van, and continued as far east as | 
 Khoi, near the northern shores of Lake 
 Uruinia. Thence he struck northwards, < 
 reaching Kars, and finally embarking at 
 Batoum for his return journey. He re- 
 turned with a good opinion of the Turks, | 
 and with a much increased dislike for the j 
 Russians and their mode of government | 
 This journey was saddened by the death 
 at Dover of the faithful Radford, who had 
 followed his master with uncomplaining 
 fidelity through all his adventures. The 
 faithful servant had contracted typhus fever 
 at Constantinople. The fever developed 
 itself at Vienna, he arrived at Dover un- 
 conscious, and died at the end of the 
 second day on shore. Radford was buried 
 at Dover, and his master put this record 
 on his tomb : ' He was a brave soldier, a 
 faithful servant, and as true as steel.' 
 
 The next year (1877) found Burnaby 
 again in the East. Russia had declared 
 war against Turkey, and Captain Burnaby 
 went out to join the Turkish forces as 
 agent to the Stafford House Committee. 
 But though his position was purely that of 1 
 a civilian he could not bear to be out of 
 fighting. Accordingly he joined Baker 
 Pasha, and was present at several engage- 
 ments. He endured all hardship cheer- 
 fully, and defied all dangers with impunity. 
 With his strong views on the Eastern 
 Question it is not surprising that Burnaby 
 should have endeavoured to obtain a 
 hearing for them in the House of Com- 
 mons. Accordingly, in June, 1878, he was 
 accepted as the Conservative candidate for 
 
 Birmingham ; and it is characteristic of the 
 man that he should have selected the very 
 hot-bed of Radicalism as the place wherein 
 to expound strong Conservative opinions. 
 From the beginning the Captain's candida- 
 ture was hopeless. He made a series of 
 rattling political speeches, and attended 
 a series of noisy meetings. But he had 
 no chance against the Midland triumvirate, 
 Messrs. Bright, Chamberlain, and Muntz. 
 It speaks well, however, for the plucky 
 fight that Burnaby made, that at the 
 General Election, in 1880, he obtained 
 15,716 votes. After his defeat he did not 
 despair of Birmingham ; and he recently 
 visited the Midland capital in conjunction 
 with Lord Randolph Churchill, the other 
 Conservative candidate. In June, 1879, 
 Major Burnaby married at St. Peter's 
 Church, Onslow Gardens, Miss Elizabeth 
 A. F. H. Whitshed, only child of the late 
 Sir St. Vincent Whitshed, Bart., of Wick- 
 low, the Prince of Wales being present. 
 Mrs. Burnaby shares much of the strength 
 of mind and love of adventure which 
 always distinguished her gallant husband. 
 Though she cannot be credited with 
 discovering the good effects of cold dry 
 Alpine air in cases of chest complaint, she 
 has at least the distinction of being the 
 pioneer of Alpine climbing in winter. In 
 the summer of 1881 Mrs. Burnaby arrived 
 at Chamounix for the first time. She was 
 in bad health, and the doctors feared con- 
 sumption. She had tried in vain all the 
 usual winter health resorts Algiers, Hyeres, 
 Mentone, Meran. From none did she gain 
 more than temporary benefit. But the 
 pure mountain air of Chamounix gave her 
 new life. She left with health restored. 
 But the depressing airs of the valleys had 
 the usual result, and after spending a bad 
 winter at Mentone, Mrs. Burnaby resolved 
 to take the management of her health into 
 her own hands, and to try a winter in 
 Chamounix. The doctors and friends pro- 
 tested. But the result was excellent. Since 
 then Mrs. Burnaby has spent most of her 
 time in Switzerland. She has become one
 
 BURNABYHIS ADVENTURES IN ASIA MINOR. 
 
 of the most expert lady climbers, and her 
 pleasant book, ' The High Alps in Winter,' 
 contains a climbing record which many 
 Alpine clubmen will never equal. At 
 Zermatt and Chamounix Mrs. Burnaby's 
 slight figure is well known, and it is to 
 Switzerland that the Queen has sent her 
 sympathetic inquiries for the widow so 
 suddenly bereaved." 
 
 Fred Burnaby was not content with 
 travelling into out-of-the-way corners of the 
 earth. He also aspired to explore the air 
 also. Accounts of his balloon voyages were 
 eagerly read, and hence our readers will 
 peruse with peculiar interest this delineation 
 of Burnaby as a balloonist, written soon 
 after his death by that eminent aeronaut, 
 Mr. Henry Coxwell. 
 
 " Among the military aeronauts who as- 
 cended with me more than twenty years 
 since was the lamented and distinguished 
 Englishman who has met with a soldier's 
 death, but who never, I believe, suffered 
 any personal injury during his numerous 
 aerial travels. Long before his famous ride 
 to Khiva we journeyed together with the 
 balloon I made for the experiments in 
 behalf of the British Association. It was 
 in the year 1864 that a party of the Royal 
 Horse Guards engaged every available seat 
 in one of my trips from the Crystal Palace 
 grounds. We were nearly, if not quite, 
 twelve, all told, and the most prominent 
 figure seated on the hoop, with a bugle or 
 cornet in his right hand, was 'Burnaby of 
 the Blues,' as that officer was familiarly 
 styled on being introduced. No sooner 
 had we started than this majestic com- 
 panion struck up a lively tune, and his 
 conversation afterwards, by no means osten- 
 tatious, afforded evidence of minute and 
 extensive observation, impressing me with 
 the idea that his first, or perhaps second, 
 experience in mid-air was undertaken con 
 ainore. After crossing the Thames and 
 bearing away over the Essex marches, I 
 was reminded of having, albeit reluctantly, 
 consented to attach a certain hamper out- 
 side the car, which appeared to me a very 
 
 ponderous addition to the weighty occupants 
 who allowed me to conduct them to cloud- 
 land. I now retain a vivid recollection of 
 the amiable and jocular manner with which 
 Captain Burnaby at that time received my 
 protest. It was excused, and, indeed with- 
 drawn, when Mr. Boswell whispered that a 
 messman had brought down the hamper 
 expressly from the Albany Barracks, and 
 that it was charged with all sorts of creature 
 comforts, including pies, pasties, chicken, 
 and various other tempting morsels, admir- 
 ably calculated to shake the most stoical 
 objection, so that it was at last attacked. 
 The diverting incident of a luncheon aloft 
 having passed off with not a single fault- 
 finding as to the chefs proficiency in the 
 culinary art, some meteorological records 
 were made, but they were in all truth ex- 
 tremely limited, as the hygrometric state of 
 the atmosphere was no sooner pronounced 
 dry than the hamper, rather than the at- 
 tacked thermometer, was again consulted. 
 This time the solids were permitted to rest, 
 but a flighty cork, as it careered downwards, 
 was watched with attention, and in justice 
 to the moderation of our thirst it should, in 
 fairness, be recorded that a full half of the 
 champagne, which was of course well up, 
 escaped ere the glasses were forthcoming. 
 I can vouch for it that an infinitesimal 
 portion of the contents of that basket was 
 all that we consumed, and that the re- 
 mainder rejoiced sundry good fellows at 
 the descent who had been alarmed at our 
 sudden appearance, as a brisk breeze had 
 sprung up before we landed, and the grapnel 
 tore down the branch of an elm-tree and 
 trailed over a meadow, much to the con- 
 sternation of the country folk, but consider- 
 ably to the diversion of Captain Burnaby 
 and his brother officers. The journey was 
 pronounced if I remember rightly by 
 Lieutenant Westcar a most enjoyable one. 
 There is, however, more than one melan- 
 choly association connected with the three 
 names I have mentioned. Those who bore 
 them have all gone over to the majority. 
 Burnaby, Boswell, and Westcar all stood
 
 86 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 quite six feet four, and were noble, hand- 
 some men. If the fittest survive, they are 
 not always the finest 
 
 Just a decade after this event Captain 
 (then Major) Burnaby made another ascent 
 in one of my balloons. It was on a re- 
 markable occasion. A French balloonist and 
 his wife having ascended from Calais when 
 the wind blew towards the sea, they were 
 carried away northwards, and thereby in- 
 creased the dangers of their venture. A 
 descent was made, but it was on the wild 
 waves in the line of the Dogger Bank, and 
 there they struggled until a Grimsby smack 
 rescued them. M. Duruof and his faithful 
 partner met with a warm reception in Eng- 
 land. He was invited to appear at Syden- 
 ham, but his balloon was damaged, and I 
 was enabled to offer some attention to this 
 young Frenchman, who had the honour of 
 being the first aeronaut who passed out of 
 Paris during the siege. Major Burnaby, 
 hearing probably of the fact that I had 
 given M. Duruof the free use of my balloon, 
 together with the proceeds of the car, de- 
 termined to patronise them. It was a great 
 day at the Crystal Palace, and the muster 
 roll of celebrities was unusually large. Major 
 Burnaby seated himself near M. Duruof 
 and the enterprising M. de Fonvielle, seve- 
 ral paying passengers being in by their side. 
 There was nothing worth chronicling in this 
 ascent beyond the circumstance of its being 
 a fraternal proof of goodwill and sympathy 
 between English and French air travellers, 
 not forgetting the respective nationalities 
 represented. In reference to Colonel Bur- 
 naby's Channel voyage I cannot lay claim 
 to having provided a balloon for this daring 
 feat, but I hold a correspondence in which 
 a similar suggestion was made as to my 
 loaning my largest balloon to promote a 
 voyage to Belgium. My conditions proved 
 scarcely acceptable. I could only consent 
 to the pilot being myself, and I incurred, 
 possibly, some slight odium by not resign- 
 ing the proposed seat of honour and pro- 
 viding a balloon. Not the slightest degree 
 of resentment, however, followed, although 
 
 it has been my lot to meet with this sort of 
 feeling ; but I have point-blank declined to 
 gratify amateurs and meteorologists when- 
 ever our views were not in unison. I may 
 here allude most opportunely to a recent 
 proof of this. In an article by Colonel 
 Burnaby, which appeared in the Fortnightly 
 Review of May Day last, on ' The Possi- 
 bilities of Ballooning,' my own experiences 
 were alluded to in the kindest and most 
 complimentary terms. Again, in his narra- 
 tive of the Channel voyage was this friendly 
 notice expressed. As to the application of 
 balloons in Egypt and the Soudan, we were 
 clearly of one way of thinking. When I 
 heard that the Colonel had embarked for 
 the Nile, I was hoping that, as he was to 
 be working with the Intelligence Depart- 
 ment, balloons might be utilized (or at any 
 rate, miniature despatch balloonets, either 
 composed of skin or thin gutta-percha) for 
 signalling with. Major Jones proposed 
 cipher messages, or as I have long advo- 
 cated in my own way. In the Times and 
 Standard of February, 1884, I sent forth, 
 and not before it was wanted, a timely war 
 balloon cry. The purport of my letter was 
 literally in the following words, ' Be ready 
 with your war balloons ; ' and had this been 
 heeded I have no hesitation in saying 
 General Gordon would have been materially 
 helped : and if Sir Herbert Stewart in his 
 desert march had been provided even with 
 a huge paper fire balloon, such as men 
 have gone up in, and capable of being in- 
 flated on an emergency with a bundle of 
 sticks, who can say but what our brave 
 opponents might have been descried the 
 other side of the hills, or in force on them, 
 and that the British square at Abu Klea 
 might have been in consequence better able 
 to bear the shock of ten thousand Arabs, 
 and Colonel Burnaby preserved to us, be- 
 sides many others who can ill be spared at 
 this momentous period of our national 
 history, when at least the resources of 
 science should be brought into requisition, 
 and the opinions based on long practice 
 treated with proper and polite respect ? "
 
 BURNABY HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER. 87 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 J3UR,NABY JilS j$HARE IN THE j^XPEDITION TO KHARTOUM 
 
 ffis DEATH AND PHARACTER. 
 
 T was quite natural that the 
 recent stirring events in 
 Egypt should direct Fred 
 Bumaby's attention to that 
 country. Indeed it was his 
 strong desire to be attached to all the 
 military expeditions undertaken in Egypt, 
 but it was only in the case of the Nile force 
 that his wish was gratified. He did, how- 
 ever, share, though informally, in the Soua- 
 kim campaign. To a person of Colonel 
 Burnaby's temperament, however, the po- 
 sition of a " non-combatant " was intoler- 
 able, and the moment of danger once more 
 found him in the van. The special corres- 
 pondent of The Daily Telegraph, describing 
 the memorable struggle of El Teb, thus 
 spoke of the bravery of the enemy, and of 
 the equally undaunted courage of the gal- 
 lant colonel : 
 
 " As we moved, firing the while, numbers 
 of the rebels, most of them armed with 
 spears, and others with huge cross-hilted 
 swords, rose up boldly within 200 yards, 
 and rushed for us at break-neck speed. It 
 was marvellous to see how they came on, 
 heedless and fearless of death, shouting and 
 brandishing their weapons. To the right 
 and left they fell, but those who survived, 
 even when wounded, rushed on. A few 
 got within five or ten paces of the square, 
 proving how many bullets it takes to kill a 
 man. There was no running away yet on 
 the enemy's part ; only a sullen falling back. 
 At length we cleared the front with the 
 Martinis, and then, with a cheer, rushed 
 the fort. Colonel Burnaby was the first to 
 mount the parapet, firing with a double- 
 barrelled shot-gun into the rebels, many of 
 whom still hung about the works. As their 
 
 hiding nooks were discovered, the Soudan- 
 ese would rise and run at our men, spear 
 in hand. Several of our fellows got 
 wounded in this way, and two or three 
 were killed while standing in the ranks, 
 and at times it was almost a melee of bay- 
 onets versus spears.' 
 
 On this occasion, it will be remembered, 
 Colonel Burnaby, as well as General Baker, 
 sustained a severe wound, and Sir Herbert 
 Stewart (then colonel) had a narrow escape 
 of being cut to pieces when rescuing Colonel 
 Barrow from certain death. Of this wild 
 fight the first in which our young troops 
 dearly learnt the lesson that their Arab op- 
 ponents were not to be despised Colonel 
 Burnaby was peculiarly well qualified to 
 speak ; and, not only on this account, but 
 also because of the probable similarity of 
 that engagement to the one in which he has 
 fallen, the following sketch, which, in the 
 course of a lecture at Birmingham, he re- 
 cently gave of General Graham's victory, 
 will be read with interest. On that oc- 
 casion the Colonel still bore his arm in a 
 sling, from the effects of the encounter he 
 was describing : 
 
 "On February 28th," said Colonel Bur- 
 naby, " the whole force under General Gra- 
 ham bivouacked at Fort Baker. During 
 the night some heavy rain fell, which had 
 the good effect of refreshing the horses, and, 
 as there was no water for them in the morn- 
 ing, was decidedly an advantage, although 
 the ground was somewhat heavy going for 
 cavalry. The order of march was in one 
 large square, surrounded by a screen of 
 cavalry and mounted infantry, General 
 Baker guiding the force ; General Graham 
 being with the square, and attended by a
 
 BURNABYHIS DEATH AND CHARACTER. 
 
 89 
 
 mounted soldier carrying a large red flag, to 
 enable those officers who had reports to 
 make to the commander to find him with- 
 out a moment's delay. On reaching Teb 
 itself they found that earthworks had been 
 
 thrown up in front of the enemy's position. 
 The cavalry still advanced, and in a few 
 minutes were half a mile in rear of the Arabs' 
 entrenchments. They could detect some 
 Krupp guns mounted, but not more than 
 
 EGYPTIAN PEASANT IRRIGATING HIS FIELD. 
 
 thirty or forty men could be seen in the 
 batteries. Yet the site was not at all well 
 adapted for the concealment of troops. It 
 was difficult to imagine where the enemy 
 could have hidden themselves. General 
 Graham determined to turn the enemy's 
 position. The Highlanders' pipes played 
 
 an inspiriting air, and the soldiers moved 
 forward rapidly, and then they were on a 
 line with the earthworks and about 1,000 
 yards from them. Suddenly a brisk shell 
 and rifle fire was opened. The enemy had 
 a large target to fire at, but fortunately his 
 practice was by no means good. A few
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 shells, however, burst in the square, to the 
 great alarm of some Egyptian officers and 
 non-commissioned officers, picked men from 
 the Egyptian army, who were employed in 
 transporting ammunition. These warriors 
 at once crouched down behind the camels. 
 It was pleasant to see the cool bearing of 
 the young English troops. We had been 
 rather prejudiced against them by the many 
 reports in circulation as to the want of dash 
 on the part of the useful Tommy Atkins ; 
 however, there was no want of courage 
 evinced by Tommy on that day. The po- 
 sition was a trying one, and he was sure 
 that General Graham would not have 
 changed his young soldiers at Teb for the 
 best veterans who had ever fought Eng- 
 land's battles. Then some canister shot 
 burst before the square, a large bullet, weigh- 
 ing three ounces, striking General Baker 
 half an inch under the left eye, smashing 
 his cheek-bone, and lodging in the roof of 
 his mouth. He lost much blood, but with 
 the greatest difficulty was persuaded to dis- 
 mount to have his face bandaged, and five 
 minutes afterwards he was again in the 
 saddle. The order was then given for the 
 men in the square to lie down, and for the 
 artillery to open fire on the Arabs' Krupp 
 guns. The practice made by the sailors 
 with the Gardners was excellent, and they 
 much preferred them to the Catlings. The 
 repeated volleys of the Gardners doing con- 
 siderable execution, the Krupp guns were 
 nearly silenced, and then the advance was 
 sounded. Tremendous rushes were made 
 by the Arabs against the front and flank 
 with undaunted courage. It was as mag- 
 nificent a spectacle of courage on the part 
 of an enemy as the world had ever seen. 
 Hand-to-hand fights took place, England's 
 young soldiers crossing bayonets with the 
 Arabs' lances. Then the earthworks were 
 reached, and, after a desperate struggle, 
 taken. Meantime the cavalry had been at 
 work, and very usefully employed in pre- 
 venting any fresh concentration of those foes 
 
 who had been driven from their positions. 
 
 The manner in which the Arabs had con- 
 
 cealed themselves was then evident. Hun- 
 dreds of rifle-pits had been dug, and as they 
 advanced towards the front of the positions 
 the soldiers had to avoid stumbling into 
 these holes. The battle was over, some 
 2,000 bodies strewed the ground, and the 
 supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon race over 
 the children of the desert was amply mani- 
 fested. That after General Baker's reverse 
 at Teb it was absolutely necessary for the 
 Government to send troops to the Soudan 
 he firmly believed, or otherwise the Mahdi's 
 agitation would have spread to Arabia and 
 on to India. But then the Mahdi's move- 
 ment might have been suppressed some 
 months before, and with one-tenth the loss 
 of blood, if England had at that time acted. 
 Then the wounded had to return to Trinki- 
 tat. While they were returning to Trinkitat 
 their comrades at Teb were busily employed 
 interring the dead bodies of their foes, the 
 rifle-pits dug by themselves making fit tombs, 
 and many a pang of sorrow was felt by the 
 English soldiery at having had to kill such 
 gallant Arabs, and many an Arab wife and 
 Arab mother doubtless mourned for them." 
 
 Colonel Burnaby took part in General 
 Wolseley's expedition, but that part was a 
 very brief one. He arrived at the front on 
 1 3th January, and only four days after, on 
 1 7th January, 1885, he fell at the battle of 
 Abu Klea. Fighting in the front rank, a 
 javelin, thrown probably at random, divided 
 his jugular vein. His death was almost 
 immediate. Says a correspondent : " But I 
 must tell the last of poor Colonel Burnaby. 
 When he fell, his head was raised by Pri- 
 vate Wood, of the Grenadier Guards. This 
 good fellow, seeing the case was hopeless, 
 said, 'Oh, Colonel, I fear I can say no 
 more than 'God bless you.' The dying 
 man, his life-blood running out in a stream 
 from his jugular vein, opened his eyes, 
 smiled, gave a gentle pressure of the hand, 
 and passed away, having tempted fate once 
 too often. Of others than he the same may, 
 alas ! be said." 
 
 Many anecdotes were told of Burnaby, 
 but these we cannot find space to insert.
 
 BURNABY HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER. 
 
 The following words of Mr. John M. Cook 
 (of " Cook's Tours "), who knew him well, 
 must be here inserted in preference to much 
 else that might under other circumstances 
 fitly find a place. Speaking at a lecture 
 the day after the news of Burnaby's death 
 reached London, Mr. Cook said : 
 
 " The news of last night impels me to utter 
 a few words respecting one whose figure 
 was familiar to many in Upper Norwood, 
 and who was known to myself and all my 
 family from boyhood. I refer to Colonel 
 Burnaby. His was the last figure I remem- 
 ber on the banks of the Nile at the Cataract 
 of Dal on the morning of December i2th, 
 waving his adieus, wishing me a happy 
 Christmas and New Year, and reminding 
 me that I was under a promise to bring 
 him back from Egypt to resume his duties 
 at Windsor before May ist next. Then, 
 turning to my son, he reminded him that, 
 whether I could take a holiday or not in 
 the summer, he was to spend a portion of 
 his summer holiday at his (Colonel Burna- 
 by's) residence (see p. 73). As to the gallant 
 colonel's fate, it is exactly the way in which 
 you would expect him to end his days. 
 He has volunteered into almost everything. 
 He volunteered to go to Souakim, and he 
 was wounded, fighting by the side of Baker. 
 On this occasion it is pretty well known 
 that he went away from England, if not 
 exactly in opposition to the instructions of 
 the War Office, at all events without their 
 direct sanction, and he gave it out that he 
 was going to Central Africa. He told me 
 at Dal that if the British Government had 
 not sent an expedition to Khartoum, he and 
 his friend Captain Gascoigne had intended 
 to get there, if it were possible, in order to 
 see what position General Gordon was in. 
 That is the kind of pluck and daring which 
 not only Colonel Burnaby, but so many of 
 our English officers have shown in this ex- 
 pedition an expedition for which neither 
 they, nor Egypt, nor England can ever be 
 repaid. Pardon these few words, but the 
 news of Colonel Burnaby's death has thrown 
 a cloud over me." 
 
 A writer who evidently knew him well 
 thus sums up his impressions of his char- 
 acter : 
 
 " Colonel Burnaby was in body and 
 mind, breeding and habits, courage and 
 kindliness, a representative Englishman 
 a magnificent type of the vigorous, 
 resolute, and enduring Anglo-Saxon race. 
 In physique, as in accomplishments, he 
 was a man of whom his compatriots at 
 home and abroad had excellent and abun- 
 dant reason to be proud. Englishmen 
 resident in foreign cities through which 
 he happened to pass in the course of his 
 adventurous wanderings were proud to point 
 to the comely and courtly Colossus, remark- 
 able even among the giant warriors of Berlin 
 and St. Petersburg for his stately stature 
 and formidable breadth of shoulder, and 
 who spoke seven Continental tongues with 
 as much ease and fluency as though to their 
 respective manners born; and to reply, 
 when asked who that splendid man might 
 be, ' That is my countryman, Colonel Fred 
 Burnaby, an English Guardsman.' Some 
 years ago, before he had to some extent 
 drawn too largely upon the resources of his 
 exceptionally vigorous constitution by reck- 
 lessly exposing himself to fatigue, privation, 
 and exposure, he was one of the strongest 
 men in the Household Brigade, which is as 
 much as to say that few athletes throughout 
 Europe were more powerful than he. At 
 the fencing rooms that were formerly his 
 favourite resort attendants still show, with 
 the pride that such men take in great feats 
 of strength, the huge dumb-bells with which 
 Colonel Burnaby used to go through his 
 calisthenic exercises, and which men of 
 average strength experience considerable 
 difficulty in lifting from the ground. He 
 was an accomplished swordsman and pugi- 
 list, an excellent shot, and a horseman of 
 remarkable solidity and endurance; the 
 bravest of the brave, even carrying valour 
 so far as, not infrequently, to incur the re- 
 proach of rashness. Wherever danger was 
 to be found he sought it and met it face to 
 face in the service of his country. The
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 weight of physical odds against him never 
 seemed to cross his mind ; it was his in- 
 stinct to encounter them and his conviction 
 that he could overcome them. This his 
 extraordinary bodily strength and prompti- 
 tude in action enabled him to do over and 
 over again, until it may well be supposed 
 that he had almost come to deem himself 
 invincible. Grievous as is the thought, 
 to all who knew and loved him, that he 
 should have been struck down by the sword 
 or spear of some fanatic savage, who little 
 knew how precious to England was the 
 blood that stained his primitive weapon, 
 one cannot help feeling that Burnaby has 
 died the only death worthy of him the 
 one he repeatedly courted, and would pro- 
 bably have chosen could he have been 
 made the arbiter of his own destiny. He 
 fell facing England's foes, in the thick of 
 the fray, and, we may be sure, fighting with 
 heroic gallantry to the very last the fierce 
 light of battle flashing in his eye and the 
 certainty of conquest ineradicably implanted 
 in his heart 
 
 It will be long ere his regimental com- 
 rades men as well as officers will cease 
 to mourn the loss they have sustained by 
 the death of their brave colonel and staunch 
 friend ; for, though Burnaby was a strict 
 disciplinarian, he was beloved by those of 
 every rank under his command. English 
 
 society too, of which he was justly a favour- 
 ite, is bereft of one of its brightest orna- 
 ments by his untimely fall. In all the 
 social circles he frequented and they were 
 many, for Colonel Burnaby was a citizen ot 
 the world, absolutely free from prejudices 
 of caste or class his genuine amiability, 
 frank cordiality of manner, pleasant hum- 
 our, and bright intelligence endeared him 
 to men and women alike. As a public 
 speaker he was remarkable for his excellent 
 delivery, and for a sturdy, downright way 
 of 'hitting the nail on the head' that often 
 proved extraordinarily effective. The sim- 
 plicity of his style and happy abruptness of 
 his transitions from gravity to gaiety showed 
 him to be an adept in the art one that is 
 more frequently intuitive than acquired of 
 talking to Englishmen in such sort as to 
 awaken their interest and secure their sym- 
 pathy. The Queen had no more loyal 
 subject, the army no finer officer, the coun- 
 try no truer patriot than Frederick Gustavus 
 Burnaby, mart sur le champ cThonneur. His 
 name shall live in the annals of this Empire 
 and in the memories of his compatriots as 
 long as valour, devotion to duty, and faith- 
 fulness unto death shall remain the watch- 
 words of the sons of the Island Queen." 
 
 And so we take a last farewell of that 
 daring soldier and adventurous man, Colonel 
 Frederick Burnaby. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 .NCIENT 
 
 ,GYPT 
 
 "THE CONSTANT SERVICE OF THE 
 ANTIQUE WORLD." 
 
 F the reader will turn back 
 to page 56, he will there 
 find a description of Joseph's 
 well, of which we here give 
 an illustration. Situated 
 within the citadel at Cairo, it is yet shaded 
 with graceful palms, and noted for the 
 
 purity and coolness of its water. Our 
 illustration, however, does not represent 
 the lowest well, but a part at some little 
 distance, to which a canal conducts the 
 waters. Modern authorities are of opinion, 
 we may add, that Joseph is Saladin, whose 
 name was Youssoof, Arabic for Joseph.
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT THE KINGS. 
 
 93 
 
 He built the citadel and constructed the 
 well. It need not surprise us, however, 
 that the name of Joseph should be attached 
 to this well. The centuries pass on and 
 change little in Egypt. The customs of 
 the people remain the same for long 
 periods. Let us call the reader's attention 
 to the picture with which we embellish this | 
 part of our narrative, of a peasant watering 
 his little field. It might serve for a picture 
 of a thousand years ago, or for a picture of 
 to-day. The customs of courts and cities 
 and laws have indeed altered more. We 
 now proceed to give some account of what j 
 they once were. 
 
 Egypt was ever considered by all the 
 ancients as the most renowned school for 
 wisdom and politics, and the source from 
 whence most arts and sciences were derived. 
 This kingdom bestowed its noblest labours 
 and finest art on improving mankind; 
 and Greece was so sensible of this, that its 
 most illustrious men, as Homer, Pytha- 
 goras, Plato, even its great legislators, 
 Lycurgus and Solon, with many more 
 whom it is needless to mention, travelled 
 into Egypt, there to complete their studies, 
 and draw from that fountain whatever was 
 most rare and valuable in every kind of 
 learning. God Himself has given this king- 
 dom a glorious testimony; when praising 
 Moses, He says of him that he was learned \ 
 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 
 
 To give some idea of the manners and 
 customs of Egypt, we shall confine our- 
 selves principally to these particulars : Its , 
 kings and government ; priests and re- ' 
 ligion ; soldiers and war ; sciences, arts, 
 and trades. 
 
 The reader Jmust not be surprised if he 
 sometimes finds in the customs we take 
 notice of a kind of contradiction. This 
 circumstance is owing either to the differ- 
 ence of countries and nations, which did 
 not always follow the same usages ; or to 
 the different way of thinking of the his- 
 torians whom we copy. 
 
 The Egyptians were the first people who 
 rightly understood the rules of government. 
 
 From a gravity and seriousness natural to 
 them, they immediately perceived that the 
 true end of politics is to make life easy and 
 a people happy. 
 
 The kingdom was hereditary ; but accord- 
 ing to Diodorus, the Egyptian princes 
 conducted themselves in a different manner 
 from what is usually seen in other mon- 
 archies, where the prince acknowledges no 
 other rule of his actions but his arbitrary 
 will and pleasure. But here kings were 
 under greater restraint from the laws than 
 their subjects. They had some particular 
 ones digested by a former monarch, that com- 
 posed part of those books which the Egyp- 
 tians called sacred. Thus everything being 
 settled by ancient custom, they never sought 
 to live in a different way from their ancestors. 
 
 No slave or foreigner was admitted into 
 the immediate service of the prince ; such 
 a post was too important to be intrusted to 
 any persons except those who were the 
 most distinguished by their birth, and had 
 received the most excellent education ; to 
 the end that, as they had the liberty of 
 approaching the king's person day and 
 night, he might, from men so qualified, 
 hear nothing which was unbecoming his 
 royal majesty ; or have any sentiments in- 
 stilled into him, but such as were of a noble 
 and generous kind. For, adds Diodorus, 
 it is rarely seen that kings fly out into any 
 vicious excess, unless those who approach 
 them approve their irregularities, or serve 
 as instruments to their passions. 
 
 The kings of Egypt freely permitted, not 
 only the quality and proportion of their 
 eatables and liquids to be prescribed them 
 (a thing customary in Egypt, the inhabitants 
 of which were all sober, and whose air in- 
 spired frugality), but even that all their 
 hours, and almost every action, should be 
 under the regulation of the laws. 
 
 In the morning at daybreak, when the 
 head is clearest and the thoughts most un- 
 perplexed, they read the several letters they 
 received, to form a more just and distinct 
 idea of the affairs which were to come under 
 their consideration that day.
 
 94 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 As soon as they were dressed, they went 
 to the daily sacrifice performed in the 
 temple, where, surrounded with their whole 
 court, and the victims placed before the 
 altar, they assisted at the prayer pro- 
 nounced aloud by the high priest, in which 
 he asked of the gods health and all other 
 blessings for the king, because he governed 
 his people with clemency and justice, and 
 made the laws of his kingdom the rule and 
 standard of his actions. The high priest 
 entered into a long detail of his virtues, 
 observing that he was religious to the gods, 
 affable to men, moderate, just, magnani- 
 mous, sincere, an enemy to falsehood, 
 liberal, master of his passions, punishing 
 crimes with the utmost lenity, but prescrib- 
 ing no bounds in his recompensing of merit 
 He next spoke of the faults which kings 
 might be guilty of; but supposed at the 
 same time that they never committed any 
 except by surprise or ignorance ; and 
 loaded with imprecations such of their 
 ministers as gave them ill counsel, and 
 suppressed or disguised the truth. Such 
 were the methods of conveying instruction 
 to their kings. It was thought that re- 
 proaches would only sour their tempers; 
 and that the most effectual method to in- 
 spire them with virtue would be the 
 pointing out to them their duty in praises 
 bestowed conformably to the sense of the 
 laws, and pronounced in a solemn manner 
 before the gods. After the prayers and 
 sacrifice were ended, the counsel and 
 actions of great men were read to the 
 king out of the sacred books, in order that 
 their maxims might prompt him to govern 
 his kingdom agreeably thereto, and to 
 maintain the laws which had made his 
 predecessors and their subjects so happy. 
 
 We have already observed that the 
 quantity as well as quality of both eatables 
 and liquids were prescribed by the laws to 
 the king; his table was covered with nothing 
 but the most common meats ; because eat- 
 ing in Egypt was designed, not to tickle 
 the palate, but to satisfy the cravings of 
 nature. One would have concluded, ob- 
 
 serves the historian, that these rules had 
 been laid down by some able physician, 
 who was attentive only to the health of the 
 prince, rather than by a legislator. The 
 same simplicity was seen in all other things ; 
 and we read in Plutarch, of a temple in 
 Thebes, which had one of its pillars in- 
 scribed with imprecations against that king 
 who first introduced profusion and luxury 
 into Egypt. 
 
 The principal duty of kings, and their 
 most essential function, is the administering 
 justice to their subjects. Accordingly, the 
 kings of Egypt cultivated more immediately 
 this duty ; persuaded that on this depended 
 not only the ease and comfort of the several 
 individuals, but the happiness of the State, 
 which would be a herd of robbers rather 
 than a kingdom, should the weak be un- 
 protected and the powerful enabled by their 
 riches and credit to commit crimes with 
 impunity. 
 
 Thirty judges were selected out of the 
 principal cities, to form a body or assembly 
 able and fit to judge the affairs of the 
 whole kingdom. The prince, in filling 
 these vacancies, used to choose men who 
 were most renowned for their honesty, and 
 put at their head him who was most dis- 
 tinguished for his knowledge and love of 
 the laws, and was had in the most universal 
 esteem. By his bounty they had revenues 
 assigned them, to the end that being disen- 
 cumbered from domestic cares, they might 
 devote their whole time to the execution of 
 the laws. Thus honourably subsisted by 
 the generosity of the prince, they adminis- 
 tered justice gratuitously to the people, who 
 have a natural right to it ; among whom it 
 ought to have a free circulation, and, in 
 some sense, among the poor more than the 
 rich, because the latter find a support 
 within themselves, whereas the very condi- 
 tion of the former exposes them more to 
 injuries, and for that very reason calls 
 louder for the protection of the laws. To 
 guard against surprise, affairs were trans- 
 acted by writing in the assemblies of these 
 judges. That species of eloquence (a false
 
 ANCIENT EGYPT THE LAWS. 
 
 95 
 
 kind) was dreaded, which dazzles the mind 
 and raises the passions. Truth could not 
 be exhibited with too much plainness, as it 
 was to have the only sway in judgments, 
 because in this virtue only the rich and 
 the poor, the powerful and the weak, the 
 learned and the ignorant, were to find relief 
 and security. The president of this Senate 
 wore a collar of gold set with precious 
 stones, at which hung a figure represented 
 blind, this being called the emblem of 
 truth. When the president put this collar 
 on, it was understood as a signal to enter 
 upon business. He touched the party with 
 it who was to gain his cause, and this was 
 the form of pronouncing sentence. 
 
 The most excellent circumstance in the 
 laws of the Egyptians was that every indi- 
 vidual from his infancy was admonished to 
 adhere strictly to them. A new custom in 
 Egypt was a kind of miracle. All things 
 there ran in the old channel, and the exact- 
 ness with which little matters were adhered 
 to preserved those of more importance, 
 and indeed no nation ever preserved their 
 laws and customs longer than the Egyptians. 
 
 Wilful murder was punished with death, 
 whatever might be the condition of the 
 murdered person, whether he was freeborn 
 or otherwise. In this the humanity and 
 equity of the Egyptians was superior to that 
 of the Romans, who put the slave (as to 
 life or death) in the absolute power of his 
 master. The Emperor Adrian indeed abol- 
 ished this law, from an opinion that an 
 abuse of this nature ought to be reformed, 
 let its antiquity or authority be ever so 
 great. 
 
 Persons who foreswore themselves were 
 likewise punished with death, because per- 
 jury attacks the gods, whose majesty is 
 trampled upon by the invoking of their 
 name to a false oath ; and at the same time 
 men, in breaking! he strongest tie of human 
 society, viz., sincerity and honesty. 
 
 The slanderer was condemned to under- 
 go the punishment which the person ac- 
 cused was to have suffered had the accusa- 
 tion been proved. 
 
 He who had neglected or refused to save 
 a person when attacked, if it was in his 
 power to assist him, was punished with the 
 rigour due to an assassin ; but if the unfor- 
 tunate person could not be succoured, the 
 offender was at least to be impeached, and 
 penalties were decreed for any neglect of 
 this kind. Thus the subjects were a guard 
 and protection to one another, and the 
 whole body of the community was united 
 against the designs of evil men. 
 
 No man was allowed to be a burden to 
 the State, but every man was obliged to 
 enter his name and place of abode in a 
 public register that remained in the hands 
 of the magistrate, by which his profession 
 was known, and in what manner he lived. 
 If such a one gave a false account of him- 
 self, he was immediately put to death. 
 
 To prevent borrowing of money, King 
 Asychis made a very judicious law. The 
 wisest and best regulated States, as Athens 
 and Rome, ever found insuperable diffi- 
 culties in contriving a just medium to 
 restrain on one hand the cruelty of the 
 creditor in the exaction of his loan, and 
 on the other the knavery of the debtor 
 who refused or neglected to pay his debts. 
 Now Egypt took a wise course on this 
 occasion, and without doing any injury 
 to the personal liberty of its inhabitants, 
 or ruining their families, pursued the debtor 
 with incessant fears of infamy from his dis- 
 honesty. No man was permitted to borrow 
 money without pawning to the creditor the 
 body of his father, which every Egyptian 
 embalmed with great care, and kept rever- 
 entially in his house, as will be observed in 
 the sequel, and therefore might be easily 
 moved from one place to another. But it 
 was equally impious and infamous not to 
 redeem soon so precious a pledge, and he 
 who died without having discharged this 
 duty, was deprived of the customary honours 
 paid to the dead.* 
 
 This law put the whole sepulchre of the debtor 
 into the power of the creditor, who removed to his 
 own house the body of the father. The debtor re-
 
 9 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT, 
 
 Diodorus remarks an error committed by 
 some of the Grecian legislators. They for- 
 bid, for instance, the taking away to satisfy 
 debts the horses, ploughs, and other imple- 
 ments of husbandry employed by peasants, 
 they judging it inhuman to reduce by this 
 security these poor men to an impossibility 
 of discharging their debts, and gaining a 
 livelihood. But at the same time they per- 
 mitted the creditor to imprison the peasants 
 themselves, who were only capable of using 
 these implements, which exposed them to 
 the same inconveniences, and at the same 
 time deprived the Government of persons 
 who belonged to and are necessary to it, 
 who labour for the public good. We here 
 give two illustrations of the implements 
 used by the ancient Egyptians. One shows 
 
 their carts, of which a rude simplicity seems 
 to have been the chief feature ; the other 
 exhibits the various processes employed in 
 storing corn. 
 
 Polygamy was allowed in Egypt, except- 
 ing to priests, who could marry but one 
 woman. Whatever was the condition of 
 the woman, whether she was free or a 
 slave, her children were deemed free and 
 legitimate. 
 
 A very great respect was there paid to 
 old age. The younger were obliged to rise 
 before those in 'advanced years, and on 
 every occasion to resign to them the most 
 honourable seat. The Spartans borrowed 
 this law from the Egyptians. 
 
 The virtue which held the first rank 
 among the Egyptians was gratitude. The 
 
 STORING CORN. 
 
 glory which has been given them of being 
 the most grateful of all men, shows that 
 they were best formed of any nation for 
 the social life. Benefits are the band of 
 concord, both public and private. He who 
 acknowledges favours, loves to do good 
 to others ; and in banishing ingratitude, 
 the pleasure of doing good remains so pure 
 and engaging that it is impossible for a 
 man to be insensible of it. But no kind of 
 
 fusing to discharge his obligation was to be deprived 
 of burial, either in his father's sepulchre or any 
 other ; and whilst he lived he was not permitted to 
 bury any person descended from him. 
 
 gratitude gave the Egyptians a more pleas- 
 ing satisfaction than that which was paid 
 to their kings. Princes, whilst living, were 
 by them honoured as so many visible repre- 
 sentations of the Deity ; and after their 
 death were mourned as the fathers of their 
 country. This sentiment of respect and 
 tenderness proceeded from a strong per- 
 suasion that the Deity itself had placed 
 them upon the throne, since it distinguished 
 them so greatly from all other mortals ; and 
 that kings bore the most noble character- 
 istics of the Deity, since in their persons 
 were united the power and will of doing 
 good to others.
 
 PRIESTS AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. 
 
 97 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE PRIESTS AND RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT ^GYPTIANS. 
 
 RIESTS, in Egypt, held the 
 second rank to kings. They 
 had great privileges and 
 revenues ; their lands were 
 exempted from all imposts, 
 of which some traces are seen in Genesis, 
 where it is said Joseph made it a law over 
 the land of Egypt that Pharaoh should 
 have the fifth part, except the land of the 
 priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. 
 The prince usually honoured them with 
 
 a large share in his confidence and govern 
 ment, because they, of all his subjects, had 
 received the best education, had acquired 
 the greatest knowledge, and were most 
 strongly attached to the king's person and 
 the good of the public. They were at one 
 and the same time the depositaries of 
 religion and of the sciences ; and to this 
 circumstance was owing the great respect 
 which was paid them by the natives as well 
 as foreigners, by whom they were equally 
 
 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CARTS. FROM A BAS-RELIEF. 
 
 consulted upon the most sacred things 
 relating to the mysteries of religion, and 
 the most profound subjects in the several 
 sciences. 
 
 The Egyptians pretend to be the first 
 institutors of festivals and processions in 
 honour of the gods. One festival was 
 celebrated in the city of Bubaste, whither 
 persons resorted from all parts of Egypt, 
 and upwards of seventy thousand, besides 
 children, were seen at it. Another, sur- 
 named the feasts of the lights, was solem- 
 nized at Sais. All persons, throughout 
 Egypt, who did not go to Sais, were obliged 
 to illuminate their windows. 
 
 Different animals were sacrificed in differ- 
 ent countries ; but one common and general 
 ceremony was observed in all sacrifices, viz. 
 the laying of hands upon the head of the 
 
 victim, loading it at the same time with 
 imprecations, and praying the gods to 
 divert upon that victim all the calamities 
 which might threaten Egypt 
 
 It is to Egypt that Pythagoras owed his 
 favourite doctrine of the metempsychosis, 
 or transmigration of souls. The Egyptians 
 believed that at the death of men their souls 
 transmigrated into other human bodies, and 
 that if they had been vicious they were 
 imprisoned in the bodies of unclean or un- 
 happy beasts, to expiate in them their past 
 transgressions ; and that after a revolution 
 of some centuries they again animated 
 other human bodies. 
 
 The priests had the possession of the 
 sacred books, which contained at large the 
 principles of government, as well as the 
 mysteries of divine worship. Both were
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 commonly involved in symbols and enig- 
 mas, which, under these veils, made truth 
 more venerable, and excited more strongly 
 the curiosity of men. The figure of Har- 
 pocrates, in the Egyptian sanctuaries, with 
 his finger upon his mouth, seemed to in- 
 timate that mysteries were there inclosed, 
 the knowledge of which was revealed to 
 very few. The sphinxes, placed at the 
 entrance of all temples, gave the same 
 intimation. It is very well known that 
 pyramids, obelisks, pillars, statues, in a 
 word all public monuments, were usually 
 adorned with hieroglyphics, that is, with 
 symbolical writings; whether these were 
 characters unknown to the vulgar, or figures 
 of animals which couched a hidden and 
 parabolical meaning. Thus, by a hare, 
 was signified a lively and piercing attention, 
 because this creature has a very delicate 
 hearing. The statue of a judge without 
 hands, and with eyes fixed upon the ground, 
 intimated the duties of those who were to 
 exercise the judiciary functions. 
 
 It would require a volume to treat fully 
 of the religion of the Egyptians. But we 
 shall confine ourselves to two articles, which 
 form the principal part of the Egyptian 
 religion ; and these are the worship of 
 the different deities, and the ceremonies 
 relating to funerals. 
 
 Never were any people more superstitious 
 than the Egyptians; they had a great number 
 of gods, of different orders and degrees, 
 which we shall omit, because they belong 
 more to fable than to history. Among the 
 rest, two were universally adored in that 
 country, and these were Osiris and Isis, 
 which are thought to be the sun and moon ; 
 and indeed the worship of those planets 
 gave rise to idolatry. 
 
 Besides these gods, the Egyptians wor- 
 shipped a great number of beasts : as the 
 ox, the dog, the wolf, the hawk, the croco- 
 dile, the ibis,* the cat, etc., many of these 
 beasts were objects only of superstition of 
 some particular cities ; and whilst a people 
 
 * Or Egyptian stork. 
 
 worshipped one species of animals as gods, 
 their neighbours had the same animal gods 
 in abomination. This was the source ot 
 the continual wars which were carried on 
 between one city and another; and this 
 was owing to the false policy of one of their 
 kings, who, to deprive them of the oppor- 
 tunity and means of conspiring against the 
 State, endeavoured to amuse them by en- 
 gaging them in religious contests. 
 
 Every nation had a great zeal for their 
 gods. Among us, says Cicero, it is very 
 common to see temples robbed and statues 
 carried off; but it was never known that 
 any person in Egypt ever abused a croco- 
 dile, an ibis, a cat; for its inhabitants 
 would have suffered the most extreme tor- 
 ments rather than be guilty of such a 
 sacrilege. It was death for any person to 
 kill one of these animals voluntarily ; and a 
 punishment was decreed against him who 
 should have killed an ibis or a cat with or 
 without design. Diodorus relates an inci- 
 dent, to which he himself was an eye- 
 witness during his stay in Egypt. A 
 Roman having inadvertently, and without 
 design, killed a cat, the exasperated popu- 
 lace ran to his house, and neither the 
 authority of the king, who immediately 
 detached a body of his guards, nor the terror 
 of the Roman name, could rescue the un- 
 fortunate criminal. And such was the 
 reverence which the Egyptians had for these 
 animals, that in an extreme famine they 
 chose to eat one another rather than feed 
 upon their pretended deities. 
 
 Of all these animals, the bull Apis, called 
 Epaphus by the Greeks, was the most 
 famous. Magnificent temples were erected 
 to him ; extraordinary honours were paid 
 him while he lived, and still greater after his 
 death. Egypt then went into a general 
 mourning. His obsequies were solemnized 
 with such a pomp as is hardly credible. In 
 the reign of Ptolemy Lagus, the bull Apis, 
 dying of old age*, the funeral pomp, besides 
 
 * Pliny affirms that he was not allowed to exceed 
 a certain term of years, and was drowned in the 
 priests' well.
 
 PRIESTS AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. 
 
 99 
 
 the ordinary expenses, amounted to upwards 
 of fifty thousand French crowns. After the 
 last honours had been paid to the deceased 
 god, the next care was to provide him a 
 successor, and all Egypt was sought through 
 for that purpose. He was known by certain 
 signs, which distinguished him from all other 
 animals of that species : upon his forehead 
 was to be a white spot, in form of a cres- 
 cent ; on his back, the figure of an eagle ; 
 upon his tongue, that of a beetle. As soon 
 as he was found, mourning gave place to 
 joy ; and nothing was heard, in all parts of 
 Egypt, but festivals and rejoicings. The 
 new god was brought to Memphis, to take 
 possession of his dignity, and there installed 
 with a great number of ceremonies. Cam- 
 byses, at his return from his unfortunate 
 expedition against Ethiopia, finding all the 
 Egyptians in transports of joy for their new 
 god Apis, and imagining that this was 
 intended as an insult upon his misfortunes, 
 killed, in the first starts of his fury, the 
 young bull, who by that means had but a 
 short enjoyment of his divinity. Our illus- 
 tration represents one of the gorgeous 
 temples of Apis. 
 
 It is plain that the golden calf set up 
 near Mount Sinai by the Israelites was 
 owing to their abode in Egypt, and an 
 imitation of the god Apis, as well as those 
 which were afterwards set up by Jeroboam, 
 (who had resided a considerable time in 
 Egypt) in the two extremities of the king- 
 dom of Israel. 
 
 The Egyptians, not contented with offer- 
 ing incense to animals, carried their folly 
 to such an excess as to ascribe a divinity 
 to the pulse and roots of their gardens, For 
 this they are ingeniously reproached by the 
 satirist : 
 
 " Who has not heard where Egypt's realms are 
 
 named ? 
 
 What monster gods her frantic sons have framed ? 
 Here Ibis gorged with well-grown serpents, there 
 The crocodile commands religious fear : 
 Where Memnon's statue magic strings inspire 
 With vocal sounds that emulate the lyre : 
 And Thebes, such, Fate, arc thy disastrous turns ! 
 Now prostrate o'er her pompous ruins mourns ; 
 
 A monkey-god, prodigious to behold ! 
 Strikes the beholder's eye with burnished gold : 
 To godship here, blue Triton's scaly herd, 
 The river progeny is there preferred : 
 Through towns Diana's power neglected lies, 
 Where to her dogs aspiring temples rise : 
 And should you leeks or onions eat, no time 
 Would expiate the sacrilegious crime. 
 Religious nations sure, and blest abodes, 
 Where every orchard is o'er-run with gods !" 
 
 It is astonishing to see a nation 
 which boasted its superiority above all 
 others with regard to wisdom and learning, 
 thus blindly abandon itself to the most 
 gross and ridiculous superstitions, and yet 
 to prove it was so we have the attestation 
 of all antiquity. You enter, says Lucian, 
 into a magnificent temple, every part of 
 which glitters with gold and silver. You 
 there look attentively for a god, and are 
 cheated with a stork, an ape, or a cat; a 
 just emblem, adds that author, of too many 
 palaces, the masters of which are far from 
 being the brightest ornaments of them. 
 
 Several reasons are given of the worship 
 paid to animals by the Egyptians. 
 
 The first is drawn from the fabulous 
 history. It is pretended that the gods, in a 
 rebellion made against them by men, fled 
 into Egypt, and there concealed themselves 
 under the form of different animals ; and 
 that this gave birth to the worship which 
 was afterwards paid to those animals. 
 
 The second is taken from the benefit 
 which the several animals procure to man- 
 kind : oxen by their labour ; sheep by their 
 wool and milk ; dogs by their service in 
 hunting and guarding houses, whence the 
 god Anubis was represented with a dog's 
 head. The ibis was worshipped because he 
 put to flight the winged serpents with which 
 Egypt would otherwise have been grievously 
 infested ; the crocodile, an amphibious 
 creature that is, living alike upon land and 
 water of a surprising strength and size, was 
 worshipped because he defended Egypt 
 from the incursions of the wild Arabs. The 
 ichneumon was adored because he pre- 
 vented the too great increase of crocodiles, 
 which might have proved destructive to
 
 IOO 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Egypt. Now the little animal in question 
 was said to do this service to the country 
 in iwo ways. First, it watched the time when 
 
 the crocodile was absent, and broke its 
 eggs, but did not eat them. Secondly, 
 when he slept upon the banks of the Nile 
 
 (which he always did with his mouth open), 
 this small animal, which lay concealed in 
 the mud, leapt at once into his mouth, got 
 down to his entrails, which he gnawed, 
 
 then piercing his skin, which is very tender, 
 he escaped with safety; and thus, by his 
 address and subtilty, returned victorious 
 over so terrible an animal.
 
 PRIESTS AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. TOT 
 
 We shall now give a concise account of 
 the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians. 
 
 The honours which have been paid in all 
 ages and nations to dead bodies, and the 
 religious care taken to provide sepulchres 
 for them, seem to insinuate a universal 
 persuasion that bodies were lodged in 
 sepulchres merely as a deposit or trust. 
 
 When any person in a family died, all 
 the kindred and friends quitted their usual 
 habits and put on mourning, and abstained 
 from baths, wine, and dainties of every 
 kind. This mourning held forty or seventy 
 days, probably according to the quality of 
 the person. 
 
 Bodies were embalmed three ways. The 
 most magnificent was bestowed on persons 
 of distinguished rank, and the expense 
 amounted to a talent of silver. 
 
 Many hands were employed in this 
 ceremony. Some drew the brain through 
 the nostrils, by an instrument made for that 
 purpose. Others emptied the bowels and 
 intestines, by cutting a hole in the side 
 with an Ethiopian stone that was as sharp 
 as a razor : after which the cavities were 
 filled with perfumes and various odoriferous 
 drugs. As this evacuation (which was 
 necessarily attended with some dissections) 
 seemed in some measure cruel and inhu- 
 man, the persons employed fled as soon as 
 the operation was over, and were pursued 
 with stones by the standers-by. But those 
 who embalmed the body were honourably 
 treated. They filled it with myrrh, cinna- 
 mon, and all sorts of spices. After a certain 
 time the body was swathed in lawn fillets, 
 which were glued together with a kind of 
 very thin gum, and then crusted them over 
 with the most exquisite perfumes. By this 
 means it is said that the entire figure of 
 the body, the very lineaments ot the face, 
 and the hairs on the lids and eyebrows 
 were preserved in their natural perfection. 
 The body thus embalmed was delivered to 
 the relatives, who shut it up in a kind of 
 open chest, fitted exactly to the size of the 
 corpse ; then they placed it upright against 
 the wall, either in sepulchres (if they had 
 
 any) or in their houses. These embalmed 
 bodies are now what we call mummies, 
 which are still brought from Egypt, and are 
 found in the cabinets of the curious. This 
 shows the care which the Egyptians took 
 of their dead. Their gratitude to their 
 deceased relations was immortal. Children, 
 by seeing the bodies of their ancestors thus 
 preserved, recalled to mind those virtues 
 for which the public had honoured them ; 
 and were excited to a love of those laws 
 which such excellent persons had left for 
 their security. We find that part of these 
 ceremonies were performed in the funeral 
 honours done to Joseph in Egypt (see 
 Gen. 1. 26). 
 
 We have said that the public recognised 
 the virtues of deceased persons, because 
 that before they could be admitted into 
 the sacred asylum of the tomb, they under- 
 went a solemn trial. And this circumstance 
 in the Egyptian funerals is one of the most 
 remarkable that is found in ancient history. 
 It was a consolation among the heathens, 
 to a dying man, to leave a good name 
 behind him ; and they imagined that this is 
 the only human blessing which death can- 
 not ravish from us. But the Egyptians 
 would not suffer praises to be bestowed 
 indiscriminately on all deceased persons. 
 This honour was to be obtained only from 
 the public voice. The assembly of the 
 judges met on the other side of a lake, 
 which they crossed in a boat He who sat 
 at the helm was called Charon in the 
 Egyptian language ; and this first gave the 
 hint to Orpheus, who had been in Egypt, 
 and after him to the other Greeks, to invent 
 the fiction of Charon's boat. As soon as a 
 man was dead, he was brought to his trial. 
 The public accuser was heard. If he proved 
 that the deceased had led a bad life, his 
 memory was condemned, and he was 
 deprived of burial. The people were 
 affected with laws which extended even 
 beyond the grave ; and every one, struck 
 with the disgrace inflicted on the dead 
 person, was afraid to reflect dishonour on 
 his own memory, and that of his family.
 
 102 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 But if the deceased person was not con- 
 victed of any crime, he was interred in an 
 honourable manner. 
 
 A still more astonishing circumstance in 
 this public inquest upon the dead was that 
 the throne itself was no protection from it. 
 Kings were spared during their lives, 
 because the public peace was concerned in 
 i his forbearance; but their quality did not 
 exempt them from the judgment passed 
 upon the dead, and even some of them 
 were deprived of sepulture. This custom 
 was imitated by the Israelites. We see in 
 Scripture that bad kings were not interred 
 in the monuments of their ancestors. This 
 practice suggested to princes that if their 
 majesty placed them out of the reach of 
 men's judgment whilst they were alive, they 
 would at last be obnoxious to it when death 
 should reduce them to a level with their 
 subjects. 
 
 When, therefore, a favourable judgment 
 was pronounced on a deceased person, the 
 next thing was to proceed to the ceremonies 
 of interment. In his panegyric, no 
 mention was made of his birth, because 
 every Egyptian was deemed noble. No 
 praises were considered as just or true but 
 such as related to the personal merit of the 
 deceased. He was applauded for having 
 received an excellent education in his 
 younger years, and in his more advanced age 
 for having cultivated piety towards the gods, 
 justice towards men, gentleness, modesty, 
 moderation, and all other virtues which 
 constitute the good man. Then all the 
 people shouted and bestowed the highest 
 eulogiums on the deceased, as one who 
 would be received for ever into the society 
 of the virtuous in Pluto's kingdom. 
 
 Thus reverently did the ancient Egyptians 
 dispose of their dead. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 VARIOUS CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 HE profession of arms was 
 in great repute among the 
 Egyptians. After the 
 sacerdotal families, the most 
 illustrious, as with us, were 
 those devoted to a military life. They 
 were not only distinguished by honours, 
 but by ample liberalities. Every soldier 
 was allowed an aroura, that is a piece of 
 arable land very near answering to half an 
 acre, exempt from all tax or tribute. Be- 
 sides this privilege, each soldier received a 
 daily allowance of five pounds of bread, 
 two of flesh, and a pint of wine. This 
 allowance was sufficient to support part of 
 their family. Such an indulgence made 
 them more affectionate to the person of 
 their prince and the interests of their 
 
 country, and more resolute in the defence 
 of both ; and, as Diodorus observes, it was 
 thought inconsistent with good policy, and 
 even common sense, to commit the defence 
 of a country to men who had no interest in 
 its preservation. 
 
 Four hundred thousand soldiers were 
 kept in continual pay ; they being all 
 natives of Egypt, and trained up in the 
 exactest discipline. They were inured to 
 the fatigues of war by a severe and rigorous 
 education. There is an art of forming the 
 body as well as the mind. This art, lost by 
 our sloth, was well known to the ancients, 
 and especially to the Egyptians. Foot, 
 horse, and chariot races were performed in 
 Egypt with wonderful agility, and the world 
 could not show better horsemen than the
 
 CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 Egyptians. The Scripture in several places 
 speaks advantageously of their cavalry. 
 
 Military laws were easily preserved in 
 Egypt, because sons received them from 
 their fathers ; the profession of war, as 
 all others, being transmitted from father 
 to son. Those who fled in battle, or dis- 
 covered any signs of cowardice, were only 
 distinguished by some particular mark of 
 ignominy ; it being thought more advisable 
 to restrain them by motives of honour rather 
 than by the terrors of punishment. 
 
 But notwithstanding this, we will not 
 pretend to say that the Egyptians were a 
 warlike people. It is of little benefit to 
 have regular and well-paid troops, to have 
 armies exercised in peace, and employed 
 only in mock fights : it is war alone, and 
 real combats, which form the soldier. 
 Egypt loved peace, because it loved justice, 
 and maintained soldiers only for its security. 
 Its inhabitants, content with a country 
 which abounded in all things, had no am- 
 bitious dreams of conquest. The Egyp- 
 tians extended their reputation in a very 
 different manner, by sending colonies into 
 all parts of the world, and with them laws 
 and politeness. They triumphed by the 
 wisdom of their counsels and the superiority 
 of their knowledge ; and this empire of the 
 mind appeared more noble and glorious to 
 them than that which is achieved by arms 
 and conquest. But nevertheless Egypt has 
 given birth to illustrious conquerors, as will 
 be observed hereafter, when we come to 
 treat of its kings. 
 
 The Egyptians had an inventive genius, 
 and they turned it to profitable specula- 
 tions. Their Mercuries filled Egypt with 
 wonderful inventions, and left it almost 
 ignorant of nothing which could accom- 
 plish the mind or procure ease and happi- 
 ness. The discoverers of any useful 
 invention received, both living and dead, 
 rewards equal to their profitable labours, 
 It is this consecrated the books of their 
 two Mercuries, and stamped them with a 
 divine authority. The first libraries were 
 in Egypt; and the titles they bore inspired 
 
 the reader with an eager desire to enter 
 them, and dive into the secrets they con- 
 tained. They were called the Office for 
 the diseases of the soul ; and that very justly, 
 because the soul was there cured of ignor- 
 ance the most dangerous, and the parent 
 of all her maladies. 
 
 As their country was level, and the air of 
 it always serene and unclouded, they were 
 some of the first who observed the courses 
 of the planets. These observations led 
 them to regulate the year from the course 
 of the sun ; for, as Diodorus observes, their 
 year, from the most remote antiquity, was 
 composed of three hundred and sixty-five 
 days, six hours. To adjust the property of 
 their lands, which were every year covered 
 by the overflowing of the Nile, they were 
 obliged to have recourse to surveys ; and 
 this first taught them geometry. They 
 were great observers of nature, which, in a 
 climate so serene and under so intense a 
 sun, was vigorous and fruitful. 
 
 By this study and application they in- 
 vented or improved the science of medicine. 
 The sick were not abandoned to the arbi- 
 trary will and caprice of the physician. 
 He was obliged to follow fixed rules, which 
 were the observations of old and ex- 
 perienced practitioners, and written in the 
 sacred books. While these rules were 
 observed, the physician was not answerable 
 for the success; otherwise a miscarriage 
 cost him his life. This law checked indeed 
 the temerity of empirics; but then it 
 might prevent new discoveries, and keep 
 the art from attaining to its just perfection. 
 Every physician, if Herodotus may be 
 credited, confined his practice to the cure 
 of one disease only ; one was for the eyes, 
 another for the teeth, and so on. 
 
 What we have said of the pyramids, and 
 the labyrinth, and that infinite number of 
 obelisks, temples, and palaces, whose pre- 
 cious remains still strike with admiration, 
 and in which were displayed the magnifi- 
 cence of the princes who raised them, the 
 skill of the workmen, the riches of the 
 ornaments diftused over every part of them,
 
 104 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
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 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and the just proportion and beautiful sym- 
 metry of the parts in which their greatest 
 beauty consisted ; works in many of which 
 the liveliness of the colours remain to this 
 day, in spite of the rude hand of time, which 
 either deadens or destroys them. All this 
 shows the perfection to which architecture, 
 painting, sculpture, and all other arts had 
 arrived in Egypt 
 
 The Egyptians entertained but a mean 
 opinion of that sort of exercise which did 
 not contribute to invigorate the body or 
 give a vigorous health ; nor of music, which 
 they considered as a useless and dangerous 
 diversion, and only fit to enervate the mind. 
 
 Husbandmen, shepherds, and artificers 
 formed the three stages of lower life in 
 Egypt, but they nevertheless were had in 
 very great esteem, particularly husbandmen 
 and shepherds. The body politic requires 
 a superiority and subordination of its 
 several members; for as in the natural 
 body the eye may be said to hold the 
 first rank, yet its lustre does not dart con- 
 tempt upon the feet, the hands, or even on 
 those parts which are less honourable. In 
 like manner among the Egyptians, the 
 priests, soldiers, and scholars were dis- 
 tinguished by particular honours, but all 
 professions, to the meanest, had their share 
 in the public esteem, because the despising 
 any man whose labours, however mean, 
 were useful to the State, was thought a 
 crime. 
 
 A better reason than the foregoing might 
 have inspired them at the first with those 
 sentiments of equity and moderation which 
 they so long preserved. As they all de- 
 scended from Cham, their common father, 
 the memory of their origin occurring fresh 
 to the minds of all in those first ages 
 established among them a kind of equality, 
 and stamped, in their opinion, a nobility on 
 every person derived from the common 
 stock. Indeed the difference of conditions, 
 and the contempt with which persons of 
 the lowest rank are treated, are owing 
 merely to the distance from the common 
 root, which makes us forget that the 
 
 meanest plebeian, when his descent is 
 traced back to the source, is equally noble 
 with those of the most elevated rank and 
 titles. 
 
 Be that as it will, no profession in Egypt 
 was considered as grovelling or sordid. By 
 this means arts were raised to their highest 
 perfection. The honour which cherished 
 them mixed with every thought and care 
 for their improvement. Every man had his 
 way of life assigned him by the laws, and it 
 was perpetuated from father to son. Two 
 professions at one time, or a change of that 
 which a man was born to, were never 
 allowed. By this means men became 
 more able and expert in employments 
 which they had always exercised from their 
 infancy ; and every man adding his own 
 experience to that of his ancestors, was 
 more capable of attaining perfection in his 
 particular art Besides, this wholesome 
 institution, which had been established 
 anciently throughout Egypt, extinguished 
 all irregular ambition, and taught every 
 man to sit down contented with his condi- 
 tion, without aspiring to one more elevated, 
 from interest, vain-glory, or levity. 
 
 From this source flowed numberless in- 
 ventions to bring every art to its perfection, 
 and render life more commodious and 
 trade more easy. Diodorus relates con- 
 cerning the Egyptian industry, that this 
 people had found out a way, by an artificial 
 fecundity, to hatch eggs without the sitting 
 of the hen ; and all modern travellers 
 declare it to be a fact, which certainly is 
 worthy our curiosity. His relation informs 
 us that the Egyptians stow eggs in ovens, 
 which are heated so temperately, and with 
 such just proportion to the natural warmth 
 of the hen, that the chickens produced from 
 these ovens are as strong as those which 
 are hatched the natural way. The season 
 of the year proper for this operation is from 
 the end of December to the end of April, 
 the heat in Egypt being too violent in the 
 other months. During these four months, 
 upwards of three hundred thousand eggs 
 are laid in these ovens, which, though they
 
 CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 107 
 
 are not all successful, they nevertheless 
 produce vast numbers of fowls at an easy 
 rate. The art lies in giving the ovens a 
 just degree of heat, which must not exceed 
 a fixed proportion. About ten days are 
 bestowed in heating these ovens, and very 
 near as much time in hatching the eggs. 
 It is very entertaining, say these travellers, 
 to observe the hatching of these chickens, 
 some of which show at first nothing but 
 their heads, others but half their bodies, 
 and others again come quite out of the 
 egg. These last, the moment they are 
 hatched, make their way over the un- 
 hatched eggs, and form a diverting spec- 
 tacle. Corneille le Bruyn, in his travels, 
 has collected the observations of other 
 travellers on this subject. Pliny likewise 
 mentions it ; but it appears from him that 
 the Egyptians anciently employed warm 
 dung, not ovens, to hatch eggs. 
 
 We have said that husbandmen particu- 
 larly, and those who took care of flocks, 
 were in great esteem in Egypt, some parts 
 in it excepted, where the latter were not 
 suffered. It was, indeed, to these two pro- 
 fessions that Egypt owed its riches and 
 plenty. It is astonishing to reflect what 
 advantages the Egyptians, by their art and 
 labour, drew from a country of no great 
 extent, but whose soil was made wonder- 
 fully fruitful by the inundations of the Nile 
 and the laborious industry of the inhabit- 
 ants. 
 
 And now a word as to the ancient fer- 
 tility of Egypt Under this head we shall 
 treat only of some plants peculiar to Egypt, 
 and of the abundance of corn which it pro- 
 duced. 
 
 PAPYRUS. This is a plant from whose 
 root shoot out a great many triangular 
 stalks, to the height of six or seven cubits. 
 The ancients wrote at first upon palm leaves; 
 next on the inside of the bark of trees, from 
 whence the word liber, or book, is derived ; 
 after that upon tables covered with wax, 
 on which the characters were impressed 
 with an instrument called stylus, sharp- 
 pointed at one end to write with, and flat 
 
 at the other to efface what had been 
 written ; which gave occasion to the follow- 
 ing expression of Horace, 
 
 " Oft turn your stile, if you desire to write 
 Things that will bear a second reading." 
 
 The meaning of which is, that a good 
 performance is not to be expected without 
 many corrections. At last the use of 
 paper * was introduced, and this was made 
 of the bark of papyrus, divided into thin 
 flakes or leaves, which were very proper 
 for writing, and this papyrus was likewise 
 called biblos. 
 
 " Memphis as yet knew not to form in leaves 
 The watery biblos." 
 
 Pliny calls it a wonderful invention, so 
 useful to life that it preserves the memory 
 of mighty actions and immortalizes those 
 who achieved them. Varro ascribes this 
 invention to Alexander the Great, when 
 he built Alexandria ; but he had only the 
 merit of making paper more common, for 
 the invention was of much greater antiquity. 
 The same Pliny adds that Eumenes, King 
 of Pergamus, substituted parchment instead 
 of paper ; in emulation of Ptolemy, King 
 of Egypt, whose library he was ambitious 
 to excel by this invention, which carried 
 the advantage over paper. Parchment is 
 the skin of a sheep dressed, and made fit 
 to write upon. It was called pcrgamenum, 
 from Pergamus, whose kings had the 
 honour of the invention. All the ancient 
 manuscripts are either upon parchment or 
 vellum, which is calf-skin, and a great deal 
 finer than the common parchment. It is 
 very curious to see white fine paper wrought 
 out of filthy rags picked up in the streets. 
 The plant papyrus was useful likewise for 
 sails, tackling, clothes, coverlets, etc. 
 
 LINUM. Flax is a plant whose bark, full 
 of fibres or strings, is useful in making fine 
 linen. The method of making this linen in 
 
 * The papyrus was divided into thin flakes (into 
 which it naturally parted), which being laid on a 
 table, and moistened with the glutinous waters of 
 the Nile, were afterwards pressed together and dried 
 in the sun.
 
 io8 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Egypt was wonderful, and carried to such 
 perfection that the threads which were 
 drawn out of them were almost too small 
 for the observation of the sharpest eye. 
 Priests were always habited in linen, and 
 never in woollen ; and not only the priests, 
 but all persons of distinction generally wore 
 linen clothes. This flax formed a con- 
 siderable branch of the Egyptian traffic, 
 and great quantities of it were exported 
 into foreign countries. The making of it 
 employed a great number ot hands, espe- 
 cially of the women, as appears from that 
 passage of Isaiah, in which the prophet 
 menaces Egypt with a drought of so 
 terrible a kind that it should interrupt 
 every kind of labour. "Moreover, they that 
 work in fine flax, and they that weave net- 
 work shall be confounded." We likewise 
 find in Scripture that one effect of the 
 plague of hail called down by Moses upon 
 Egypt was the destruction of all the flax 
 which was then boiled. This storm was in 
 March. 
 
 BYSSUS. This was another kind of flax, 
 extremely fine and small, which often re- 
 ceived a purple dye. It was very dear, 
 and none but rich and wealthy persons 
 could afford to wear it. Pliny, who gives 
 the first place to the asbeston or asbesti- 
 num (i.e., the incombustible flax), places the 
 the byssus in the next rank, and says that 
 it served as an ornament to the ladies. It 
 appears from the Holy Scriptures that it 
 was chiefly from Egypt that cloth made of 
 this fine flax was brought. "Fine linen, 
 with broidered work, from Egypt" 
 
 We take no notice of the lotus or lote 
 tree, a plant in great request with the 
 Egyptians, and whose berries served them 
 in former times for bread. There was 
 another lotus in Africa, which gave its 
 name to the lotof>Jiagi, or lotus-eaters, be- 
 cause they lived upon the fruit of this tree, 
 which had so delicious a taste, if Homer 
 may be credited, that it made the eaters 
 of it forget all the sweets of their native 
 country, as Ulysses found to his cost in 
 his return from Troy. 
 
 In general it may be said that the 
 Egyptian pulse and fruits were excellent 
 and might, as Pliny observes, have sufficed 
 singly for the nourishment of the inhabit- 
 ants, such was their excellent quality and 
 so great their plenty. And indeed working 
 men lived then almost upon nothing else, 
 as appears from those who were employed 
 in building the pyramids. 
 
 Besides these rural riches, the Nile, from 
 its fish, and the fatness it gave to the soil 
 for the feeding of cattle, furnished the 
 tables of the Egyptians with the most 
 exquisite fish of every kind and the most 
 succulent flesh. This it was which made 
 the Israelites so deeply regret the loss of 
 Egypt, when they found themselves in the 
 dreary desert. " Who," say they in a 
 plaintive and at the same time seditious 
 tone, " shall give us flesh to eat ? We re- 
 member the fish which we did eat in Egypt 
 freely; the cucumbers, and melons, and 
 the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. 
 We sat by the flesh pots, and we did eat 
 bread to the full." 
 
 But the great and matchless wealth ot 
 Egypt arose from its corn, which, even in 
 an almost universal famine, enabled it to 
 support all the neighbouring nations, as it 
 particularly did under Joseph's administra- 
 tion. In later ages it was the resource and 
 most sure granary of Rome and Constanti- 
 nople. It is a well-known story, how a 
 calumny raised against St. Athanasius viz., 
 of his having menaced Constantinople, that 
 lor the future no more corn should be im- 
 ported to it from Alexandria incensed the 
 Emperor Constantine against that holy 
 Bishop, because he knew that his capital 
 city could not subsist without the corn 
 which was brought to it from Egypt The 
 same reason induced all the Emperors of 
 Rome to take so great a care of Egypt, 
 which they considered as the nursing 
 mother of the world's metropolis. 
 
 Nevertheless the same river which en- 
 abled this province to subsist the two most 
 populous cities in the world sometimes re- 
 duced even Egypt itself to the most terrible
 
 CURIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE EGYPTIANS. 
 
 109 
 
 famine. And it is astonishing that Joseph's 
 wise foresight, which in fruitful years had 
 made a provision for seasons of sterility, 
 should not have hinted to these so much 
 boasted politicians a like care against the 
 changes and inconstancy of the Nile. 
 Pliny, in his panegyric upon Trajan, 
 paints with wonderful strength the ex- 
 tremity to which that country was reduced 
 by a famine under that prince's reign, and 
 his generous relief of it. The reader will 
 not be displeased to read here an extract 
 of it, in which a greater regard will be had 
 to Pliny's thoughts than to his expressions. 
 The Egyptians, says Pliny, which gloried 
 that they needed neither rain nor sun to 
 produce their corn, and who believed they 
 might confidently contest the prize of plenty 
 with the most fruitful countries of the world, 
 were condemned to an unexpected drought 
 and a fatal sterility ; from the greatest part 
 of their territories being deserted and 
 left unwatered by the Nile, whose inunda- 
 tion is the source and sure standard of their 
 abundance. They then implored that as- 
 sistance from their prince which they used 
 to expect only from their river. The delay 
 of their relief was no longer than that 
 which employed a courier to bring the 
 melancholy news to Rome ; and one would 
 have imagined that this misfortune had be- 
 fallen them only to distinguish with greater 
 lustre the generosity and goodness of 
 Caesar. It was an ancient and general 
 opinion that our city could not subsist 
 without provisions drawn from Egypt This 
 vain and proud nation boasted that, though 
 it was conquered, it nevertheless fed its 
 conquerors ; that by means of its river, 
 either abundance or scarcity were entirely 
 in its disposal. But we now have returned 
 the Nile his own harvests, and given him 
 back the provisions he lent us. Let the 
 Egyptians be then convinced by their own 
 experience, that they are not necessary to 
 us, and are only our vassals. Let them 
 know that their ships do not so much bring 
 us the provision we stand in need of, as 
 the tribute which they owe us. And let 
 
 them never forget that we can do without 
 them, but that they can never do without 
 us. This most fruitful province had been 
 ruined had it not wore the Roman chains. 
 The Egyptians in their sovereign have 
 found a deliverer and a father. Astonished 
 at the sight of their granaries, filled without 
 any labour of their own, they were at a loss 
 to know to whom they owed this foreign 
 and gratuitous plenty. The famine of a 
 people at such distance from us, and which 
 was so speedily stopped, served only to let 
 them feel the advantage of living under our 
 Empire. The Nile* may in other times 
 have diffused more plenty on Egypt, but 
 never more glory upon us. May heaven, 
 content with this proof of the people's 
 patience, and the prince's generosity, re- 
 store for ever back to Egypt its ancient 
 fertility. 
 
 Pliny's reproach to the Egyptians, for 
 their vain and foolish pride with regard to 
 the inundations of the Nile, points out one 
 of their most peculiar characteristics, and 
 recalls a fine passage of Ezekiel, where 
 God thus speaks to Pharaoh, one of their 
 kings, " Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh, 
 king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth 
 in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, 
 My river is my own, and I have made it for 
 myself." God perceived an insupportable 
 pride in the heart of this prince. A sense 
 of security and confidence in the inunda- 
 tions of the Nile, independent entirely of 
 the influences of Heaven ; as though the 
 happy effects of this inundation had been 
 owing to nothing but his own care and la- 
 bour, or those of his predecessors : " The 
 river is mine, and I have made it." 
 
 Before we conclude this account of the 
 manners of the Egyptians, we think it in- 
 cumbent on us to bespeak the attention of 
 our readers to different passages scattered 
 in the history of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, 
 Moses, which confirm and illustrate part of 
 what we meet with in profane authors upon 
 
 Nilus jEgypto quiclem sscpe, scd gloriae nostrae 
 nunquam largior fluxit.
 
 no 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 this subject. They will there observe the 
 perfect polity which reigned in Egypt, both 
 in the court and the rest of the kingdom ; 
 the vigilance of the prince, who was informed 
 of all transactions, had a regular council, 
 a chosen number of ministers, armies 
 ever well maintained and disciplined, and 
 of every order of soldiery, horse, foot, armed 
 chariots ; intendants in all the provinces ; 
 overseers or guardians of the public gran- 
 
 aries ; wise and exact dispensers of the corn 
 lodged in them ; a court composed of great 
 officers of the Crown ; a captain of his 
 guards, a cup-bearer, a master of his pantry ; 
 in a word, all things that compose a prince's 
 household and constitute a magnificent 
 court. But above all these the reader will 
 admire the fear in which the threatenings of 
 God were held, the inspector of all actions, 
 and the judge of kings themselves. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 rORDON jbOME MORE j^ACTS ABOUT THE SOUDAN. 
 
 we have already given a 
 carefully compiled account 
 of the Soudan, we should 
 under ordinary circum- 
 stances at once proceed 
 with our narrative. But 
 that tract of country is of such interest to 
 Britain, and besides is so intimately con- 
 nected with the heroic Gordon, that we in- 
 tend still to dwell upon a few circumstances 
 regarding it. 
 
 In order that our readers may have the 
 very best information which can be pro- 
 cured on this important subject, we shall 
 proceed as is done in trials, and call in one 
 after another the most trustworthy witnesses, 
 who will give the most reliable as well as 
 the most interesting evidence. 
 
 The first witness, a well-known writer, 
 will tell us of the remains of former civiliz- 
 ation in the Soudan. 
 
 The name Soudan means "the country 
 of the blacks. This agrees with its old 
 appellation of Cush, a term derived from 
 the son of Ham, who we are told was the 
 great progenitor of the black races of 
 Africa, It is at the same time the counter- 
 part of the word Ethiopia, by which the 
 same region was designated in the Bible, as 
 
 well as by all the writers of antiquity. As 
 a division of the earth's surface, Ethiopia 
 was not very clearly defined ; this resulted 
 from its almost inaccessible position, on 
 which account authors could only speak of 
 it from the vaguest hearsay. It is only in 
 our day that travellers can be said to have 
 penetrated into this part of the world, and 
 brought back reliable accounts of it. Even 
 yet our knowledge is far from complete, and 
 information regarding many districts is still 
 to be desired. 
 
 We have, however, quite sufficient data 
 upon which to declare that there was in the 
 past a much higher condition of civilization 
 than we now find in the Soudan. It might 
 perhaps be put that it was as far superior 
 to the present state of the country as the 
 former civilization of the Pharaohs was in 
 advance of that under the Pachas and 
 Khedives of our own day. Ethiopia was 
 celebrated in more ways than one. Isaiah 
 mentions the " merchandise of Ethiopia." 
 The Queen of Sheba brought gold, precious 
 stones, and spices it is even stated that 
 " there came no more such abundance of 
 spices as these which the Queen of Sheba 
 gave to Solomon." 
 
 We have lately had experience of the
 
 GORDON THE SOUDAN IN ANCIENT TIMES. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Soudanese as fearless fighters, but in the 
 time of Jeremiah the people of the same 
 locality seem to have been equally famed, 
 and the prophet's account of them will be 
 recognised as correctly descriptive yet He 
 says : " Come up, ye horses ; and rage, ye 
 chariots ; and let the mighty men come 
 forth the Ethiopians and Libyans, that 
 handle the shield." Chariots are not a 
 feature of the Soudan in the present day, 
 but they seem to have been plentiful at one 
 time ; for Ghishak, King of Egypt, came 
 up against Jerusalem with twelve hundred 
 chariots, and his forces are described as 
 " the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethi- 
 opians " (2 Chron. xii. 3). The Lubims 
 are supposed to be the ancient Libyans, 
 and the Sukkiims have been suggested, by 
 at least one writer, as a tribe of the desert 
 who have left their name in the present 
 Souakim. Memnon, a king of Ethiopia, 
 came with 10,000 men and took part in the 
 defence of Troy. The Greeks seemed to 
 have believed in an Ethiopia in the East as 
 well as in the West, and this idea was not 
 confined to them ; but the Ethiopians which 
 have been here referred to as having a 
 reputation in ancient history, belonged to 
 the region now known as the Soudan. 
 
 When Egyptology was a young science, 
 there was much discussion as to whether 
 the civilization of Egypt came originally 
 from Ethiopia, or if the process had taken 
 place in the opposite direction. Many 
 writers have held that the source from which 
 the ancient wisdom of the Egyptians came 
 was the upper regions of the Nile. Dio- 
 dorus Siculus gives a curious passage, 
 stating that the Ethiopians themselves used 
 to boast of the Egyptians having been a 
 colony from themselves, and that Osiris led 
 the colony ; that they carried with them 
 the alphabet, the mode of forming their 
 statues, and the peculiar funereal customs 
 at the burial of their kings. To this was 
 added what seems to be a boastful re- 
 minder, that " the soil of Egypt was only 
 the mud of Ethiopia," That there had 
 been some early connection is evident from 
 
 what Herodotus affirms, that previous to 
 Sesostris there were 130 kings in Egypt, 
 and eighteen of them had been Ethiopians. 
 Later still the 25th dynasty was formed of 
 three Ethiopian monarchs, one of which 
 was Tirhakah, mentioned in 2 Kings xix. 9. 
 These events are evidence of the existence 
 of power and an advanced condition of 
 civilization on the part of the invaders. 
 
 That Egypt did lead armies and conquer 
 Ethiopia is also well known in history ; but 
 how far south these conquests were carried 
 is not very clearly stated. The probability 
 is that the Egyptian power never extended 
 much beyond the region about Old Don- 
 gola, or Meroe at the farthest. The fate 
 of armies sent in this direction in ancient 
 times presents a lesson to be recalled with 
 attention in the present day, for what hap- 
 pened in the past bears a strong resem- 
 blance to the events of the last few months. 
 The army of Psammitichus, according to 
 Herodotus, deserted, and went over in mass 
 to the Ethiopians. Cambyses sent an 
 army to Ethiopia, and, after they had eaten 
 all their provisions, they devoured the 
 beasts of burden, and finally they had to 
 kill every tenth man, and become cannibals, 
 to preserve their lives. The expedition 
 was a failure. 
 
 In the Acts of the Apostles mention is 
 made of the servant of Candace, " Queen 
 of the Ethiopians ; " he had come to 
 Jerusalem to worship, and was travelling 
 in a chariot. This queen is supposed to 
 have reigned at Meroe. This was a very 
 important kingdom at one time, it was 
 called the Island of Meroe, for it was 
 bounded on the west by the Blue Nile, 
 and on the east by the Astaboras, the 
 present Atbara these rivers almost sur- 
 rounding it. Strabo describes its shape as 
 being like a shield ; from north to south it 
 may be roughly put as about 300 miles, and 
 about 200 in its widest, from east to west. 
 The capital had the same name as the 
 country ; its site is generally supposed to 
 have been at a spot on the right bank of 
 the Nile, about 120 miles below Khartoum,
 
 112 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 where there still remains a group of about 
 eighty pyramids, marking the ancient place 
 of sepulchre of the Kings of Meroe. These 
 pyramids differ from those of Egypt, in 
 being higher in proportion to their base, 
 and in having a portico, or ante-chamber, 
 on one of 
 their sides. 
 Lepsius, 
 who visited 
 these monu- 
 ments, came 
 to the con- 
 clusion that 
 they dated 
 about a cen- 
 tury before 
 the birth of 
 Christ, thus 
 reversing 
 the conclu- 
 sions of ear- 
 lier travel, 
 lers, who 
 made them 
 the models 
 after which 
 the pyra- 
 mids of the 
 north were 
 copied ; but 
 he consid- 
 ered that 
 they were 
 royal sepul- 
 chres, and 
 that they 
 indicated a 
 long succes- 
 sion of kings 
 
 as well as an established state of tranquillity 
 which must have existed for a series of 
 centuries. This period of greatness coin- 
 cides closely with the time of Queen 
 Candace, and her wealth, which is men- 
 tioned in the Acts of the Apostles. 
 
 About fifty miles nearer to Khartoum, 
 and also on the east bank of the river, 
 there are some considerable ruins at Ben 
 
 THE CAMEL'S NECK. A DIFFICULT PASSAGE ON THE NILE. 
 
 Naga, and in the Wadi Sofra. The Kings 
 of Meroe were elected by a college of 
 priests, and when they thought he had 
 reigned long enough, a messenger was sent 
 to command him to die. This peculiar 
 custom lasted till the time of the second 
 
 Ptolemy, 
 when a king 
 named Er- 
 gamenes, or 
 Arkaman, 
 changed the 
 whole ar- 
 rangement 
 by massa- 
 cring the 
 priests. 
 Lepsius 
 learned that 
 a similar 
 custom has 
 survived to 
 the present 
 day in the 
 district of 
 Fazuklo, on 
 the Blue 
 Nile. The 
 father of a 
 king reign- 
 ing at the 
 time of Lep- 
 sius's visit, 
 1 844, had 
 been hang- 
 ed, as he 
 had ceased 
 to have the 
 confidence 
 of his peo- 
 ple. The manner in which the " vote of 
 censure " is proceeded with might be worthy 
 of consideration at home, where we are in 
 troducing new forms in our parliamentary 
 customs. The relatives ot the king, as 
 well as his ministers, assemble round him, 
 and announce that his conduct does not 
 give satisfaction to the men and women of 
 the country, nor to the oxen, asses, and
 
 GORDON RUINS IN THE SOUDAN. 
 
 fowls, etc, and he is implored to submit at 
 once to a " happy despatch." 
 
 Shendy was for a long time the capital of 
 the same district, and was the residence of 
 a race of Maleks or kings. Their palace 
 or castle still remains ; it was in this strong- 
 hold that 
 
 King Nimr , 
 
 got up a 
 grand festival 
 in honour of 
 Ismael Pacha, 
 which was 
 concluded 
 during the 
 night by his 
 destruction 
 through set- 
 ting fire to 
 the place he 
 was^in. There 
 are consider- 
 able architec- 
 tural remains 
 on both sides 
 of the river 
 as far down as 
 Old Dongola, 
 but the most 
 important are 
 those at Jebel 
 Berkel, where 
 there are tem- 
 ples, some of 
 them with the 
 adytum exca- 
 vated in the 
 rock, and two 
 
 groups of 
 pyramids. 
 
 This is supposed to have been the ancient 
 Napata. There are also some pyramids 
 on the opposite side of the Nile from 
 Jebel Berkel. These remains, although 
 inferior as works of art, and not comparable 
 in any respect with the grandeur of the 
 ancient monuments of Egypt, yet imply a 
 condition of civilization which contrasts 
 sadly with what is now found in the Soudan. 
 
 TOWING A BOAT UP THE RAI'IDS. 
 
 The fame of ancient Ethiopia implies a 
 larger population than is now found in that 
 region; its prosperity and wealth are evi- 
 dence of a more extensive cultivation than 
 what is carried on in the present day. 
 Lepsius considers that he so far solved the 
 
 difficulty by 
 
 ., discovering, 
 
 near to Ben 
 Naga, which 
 is not far from 
 the present 
 Shendy, the 
 remains of 
 large artificial 
 reservoirs. 
 The locality 
 is within the 
 limits of the 
 tropical rains, 
 and in this he 
 came to the 
 conclusion 
 that he had 
 discovered 
 the source 
 from which in 
 the past the 
 people were 
 able to found 
 large and im- 
 portant cities 
 in what is 
 now only a 
 desert. It 
 may also be 
 supposed that 
 the Nile 
 would be 
 utilized as in 
 
 Egypt, and irrigation along its banks 
 would be carried on by means of canals. 
 If water was the basis of past opulence and 
 development, it teaches a valuable lesson. 
 Without this means no progress is possible 
 in such a country. Armies may occupy 
 and conquer, but without reservoirs and 
 canals the land will remain barbarous. 
 Whoever has read Mr. Villiers Stuart's 
 
 i
 
 114 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 work, " Egypt after the War," will see how 
 the Fellahin are limited in their power of 
 cultivation for want of an ample supply of 
 water. 
 
 In Darfour there are similar evidences of 
 a former better state of things. In that 
 division of the Soudan, there are very large 
 wells, some of them over one hundred feet 
 in depth. A description of them will be 
 found in Mr. Ensor's small book, with a 
 very delightful account of the expedition 
 under his charge, sent by Mr. Fowler to 
 make a survey for a railway to Fasher, the 
 capital of Darfour. These wells are cut 
 through the very hardest rock, and the 
 making of them would be quite impossible 
 by the present inhabitants. "When the rains 
 come on the surface, water is allowed to 
 run into them, carrying all the accumula- 
 tion of the filth from the ground, and thus 
 making the water for some time dangerous 
 to health. 
 
 Abyssinia is not now, in a political sense, 
 a part of the Soudan, but it was always in- 
 cluded in the older term of Ethiopia. King 
 John still calls himself the "king of the 
 kings of Ethiopia." This country presents 
 the same features of decay which are so 
 striking over the whole of North-Eastern 
 Africa ; the deterioration in this case is not 
 so great, for the ground is fertile, and the 
 mountainous nature of the country has en- 
 abled the Abyssinians to preserve some 
 vestiges of national independence ; still, the 
 wattle-and-dab huts and churches of the 
 present day contrast strangely with the 
 older remains. There is an obelisk at Axum 
 
 which, according to a legend, was erected 
 by Ham, in his division of the world, as a 
 record of the flood. At the same place 
 there are a number of fallen obelisks and 
 numerous fragmentary remains. Even in 
 Christian times the Abyssinians must have 
 been in a superior condition to what they 
 are now. Their churches at present are 
 mere sheds littered with straw, but at one 
 time they were able to erect stone churches 
 with some pretence of architecture, and 
 even to excavate some very large ones in 
 the solid rock. One of these was passed 
 by our troops on the route to Magdala, 
 and was still used as a church. 
 
 In the time of Justinian, Axum was a 
 large and populous city, and must have had 
 a considerable commerce, for Justinian 
 sent Nonnosus as an ambassador to make 
 arrangements in connection with the silk 
 trade. Zoula, where our expedition landed 
 in the Abyssinian war, was the ancient 
 Adulis, and at a former period was Abys- 
 sinian territory. Not a vestige of the place 
 is now visible above ground, but Captain 
 Goodfellow, R.E., made some excavations, 
 and laid bare the foundations of a Christian 
 church, in which fragments of marble and 
 alabaster were found. These fragments 
 confirm what we know, that Adulis was 
 once a wealthy town, with a busy harbour ; 
 now the Danakit or the Shoho idly wanders 
 over the dusty plain, presenting to the 
 mind an almost perfect type of the primitive 
 man, thus illustrating vividly how the civiliz- 
 ation of the ancient Ethiopia has sunk^to 
 the modern barbarism of the Soudan.
 
 GORDON AND THE SLAVE-TRADE. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 PORDON THE SOUDAN ^SLAVE-^RADE AN ACCOUNT OF 
 
 KHARTOUM. 
 
 N artist to one of the great 
 illustrated London papers 
 gave us a half ludicrous 
 account of the great diffi- 
 culty he had to get to- 
 gether materials for a proper picture of 
 Khartoum. When that town suddenly 
 rose into a subject of public notice, his 
 employers said, " Go and ' do ' an illustra- 
 tion for us." Our friend is accustomed 
 to this sort of work. He knew how to 
 get at the vast stores of knowledge per- 
 plexing from their very vastness hid in 
 the British Museum. The library of the 
 Royal Geographical Society, presided over 
 by that most urbane of librarians, Mr. 
 Scott Keltic, was at his command ; yet with 
 all this he was in a difficulty. There really 
 seemed no authentic picture of Khartoum. 
 We believe that after a long search he did 
 manage to get a sketch plan ; and having 
 supplemented by careful reading the in- 
 formation it gave him, he finally produced 
 his sketch. Well ! "many things have hap- 
 pened since then," as Lord Beaconsfield 
 used to say. Pictures of Khartoum are 
 now plentiful enough, and having carefully 
 selected the best of these, we here present 
 it to our readers. As a companion sketch 
 we give the suburb or outpost of Tuti, 
 which is situated on the island of Tuti, 
 opposite Khartoum, and at the junction of 
 the White and Blue Nile. 
 
 Resuming our narrative, we now call Sir 
 Samuel Baker, Gordon's predecessor in 
 the Governor-Generalship of the Soudan. 
 From him we shall learn something of the 
 active slave trade that flourishes there. 
 Without the White Nile trade, Khartoum 
 would almost cease to exist ; that trade is 
 kidnapping and murder. The character of 
 Khartoumers needs no further comment. 
 
 The amount of ivory brought down from 
 the White Nile is a mere bagatelle as an 
 export, the annual value being ,40,000. 
 The people for the most part engaged in 
 the nefarious traffic of the White Nile are 
 Syrians, Copts, Turks, Circassians, and some 
 few Europeans. So closely connected with 
 the difficulties of my expedition is that 
 accursed slave-trade, that the so-called 
 ivory trade of the White Nile requires an 
 explanation. 
 
 Throughout the Soudan money is ex- 
 ceedingly scarce, and the rate of interest 
 exorbitant, varying, according to the secur- 
 ities, from thirty-six to eighty per cent ; 
 this fact proves general poverty and dis- 
 honesty, and acts as a preventive to all 
 improvement. So high and fatal a rate 
 deters all honest enterprise, and the coun- 
 try must lie in ruin under such a system. 
 The wild speculator borrows upon such 
 terms, to rise suddenly like a rocket, or to 
 fall like its exhausted stick. 
 
 Thus, honest enterprise being impos- 
 sible, dishonesty takes the lead, and a suc- 
 cessful expedition to the White Nile is 
 supposed to overcome all charges. There 
 are two classes of White Nile traders the 
 one possessing capital, the other being 
 penniless adventurers ; the same system of 
 operation is pursued by both, but that of 
 the former will be evident from the descrip- 
 tion of the latter. 
 
 A man without means forms an expedi- 
 tion, and borrows money for this purpose 
 at one hundred per cent., after this fashion; 
 he agrees to pay the lender in ivory at one- 
 half its market value. Having obtained the 
 required sum, he hires several vessels, and 
 engages from one hundred to three hun- 
 dred men, composed of Arabs and runaway 
 villains from distant countries, who have
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 found an asylum from justice in the ob- 
 scurity of Khartoum. He purchases guns 
 and large quantities of ammunition for his 
 men, together with a few hundred pounds 
 of glass beads. The piratical expedition 
 being complete, he pays his men five 
 months' wages in advance, at the rate of 
 forty-five piastres (nine shillings) per month, 
 and agrees to give them eighty piastres per 
 month for any period exceeding the five 
 months advanced. His men receive their 
 advance partly in cash and partly in cotton 
 stuffs for clothes, at an exorbitant price. 
 Every man has a strip of paper, upon 
 which is written, by the clerk of the ex- | 
 pedition, the amount he has received, both 
 in goods and money ; and this paper he 
 must produce at the final settlement. 
 
 The vessels sail about December, and 
 on arrival at the desired locality, the party 
 disembark and proceed into the interior, 
 until they arrive at the village of some 
 negro chief, with whom they establish an 
 intimacy. Charmed wkh his new friends, 
 the power of whose weapons he acknow- 
 ledges, the negro chief does not neglect 
 the opportunity of seeking their alliance 
 to attack a hostile neighbour. Marching 
 throughout the night, guided by their negro 
 hosts, they bivouac within an hour's march 
 of the unsuspecting village doomed to an 
 attack about half an hour before the break 
 of day. The time arrives, and quietly 
 surrounding the village while its occupants 
 are still sleeping, they fire the grass huts 
 in all directions, and pour volleys of mus- 
 ketry through the flaming thatch. Panic- 
 stricken, the unfortunate victims rush from 
 their burning dwellings, and the men are 
 shot down like pheasants in a battue, 
 while the women and children, bewildered 
 in the danger and confusion, are kidnapped 
 and secured. The herds of cattle still 
 within their kraal, or " zareeba," are easily 
 disposed of, and are driven off with great 
 rejoicing as the prize of victory. The 
 women and children are then fastened to- 
 gether, the former secured by an instru- 
 ment called a sheba, made of a forked 
 
 pole, the neck of the prisoner fitted into 
 the fork, secured by a cross piece lashed 
 behind, while the wrists, brought together in 
 advance of the body, are tied to the pole. 
 The children are then fastened by their 
 necks with a rope attached to the women, 
 and thus form a living chain, in which 
 order they are marched to the head-quar- 
 ters in company with the captured herds. 
 
 This is the commencement of business ; 
 should there be ivory in any of the huts not 
 destroyed by the fire, it is appropriated ; a 
 general plunder takes place. The traders' 
 party dig up the floors of the huts to search 
 for iron hoes, which are generally thus con- 
 cealed, as the greatest treasure of the 
 negroes ; the granaries are overturned and 
 wantonly destroyed, and the hands are cut 
 off the bodies of the slain, the more easily 
 to detach the copper or iron bracelets that 
 are usually worn. With this booty, the 
 traders return to their negro ally : they have 
 thrashed and discomfited his enemy, which 
 delights him ; they present him with thirty 
 or forty head of cattle, which intoxicates 
 him with joy ; and a present of a pretty 
 little captive girl, of about fourteen, com- 
 pletes his happiness. 
 
 But business is only commenced. The 
 negro covets cattle, and the trader has now 
 captured perhaps two thousand head. They 
 are to be had for ivory, and shortly the 
 tusks appear. Ivory is daily brought into 
 camp in exchange for cattle, a tusk for a cow, 
 according to its size a profitable business, 
 as the cows have cost nothing. The trade 
 proves brisk, but still there remain some 
 little customs to be observed some slight 
 formalities, well understood by the White 
 Nile trade. The slaves and two-thirds of 
 the captured cattle belong to the trader, 
 but his men claim, as their perquisite, one- 
 third of the stolen animals. These having 
 been divided, the slaves are put up to pub- 
 lic auction among the men, who purchase 
 such as they require; the amount being 
 entered on the papers (serki) of the pur- 
 
 j chasers, to be reckoned against their wages. 
 
 I To avoid the exposure, should the docu-
 
 GORDON'S HEROIC COMPANION, COLONEL STEWART. 117 
 
 raent fall into the hands of the Government 
 or European consuls, the amount is not 
 entered as for the purchase of a slave, but 
 is divided for fictitious supplies. Thus, 
 should a slave be purchased for one thous- 
 and piastres, that amount would appear on 
 the document somewhat as follows : 
 
 Soap 50 piastres. 
 
 Tarboash (cap) . . . 100 ,, 
 
 Araki 500 
 
 Shoes 200 ,, 
 
 Cotton cloth ... 150 ,, 
 
 1000 
 
 The slaves sold to the men are con- 
 stantly being changed and resold among 
 themselves ; but should the relatives of the 
 kidnapped women and children wish to 
 ransom them, the trader takes them from 
 his men, cancels the amount of purchase, 
 and restores them to their relatives for a 
 certain number of elephants' tusks, as may 
 be agreed upon. Should any slave attempt 
 to escape, she is punished either by brutal 
 flogging, or shot, or hanged, as a warning 
 to others. An attack, or razzia, such as 
 described, generally leads to a quarrel with 
 the negro ally, who, in his turn, is murdered 
 and plundered by the trader his women 
 and children naturally becoming slaves. A 
 good season for a party of a hundred and 
 fifty men should produce about two hun- 
 dred cantars (twenty thousand Ibs.) of 
 ivory, valued in Khartoum at four thou- 
 sand pounds. 
 
 The men being paid in slaves, the wages 
 should be nil, and there should be a sur- 
 plus of four or five hundred slaves for the 
 trader's own profit worth, on an average, 
 five to six pounds each. 
 
 The boats are accordingly packed with 
 a human cargo, and a portion of the trader's 
 men accompany them to the Soudan, while 
 the remainder of the party form a camp or 
 settlement in the country they have adopted, 
 and industriously plunder, massacre, and en- 
 slave, until their master's return with boats 
 from Khartoum in the following season, by 
 which time they are supposed to have a 
 cargo of slaves and ivory ready for ship- 
 
 ment. The business thus thoroughly estab- 
 lished, the slaves are landed at various 
 points within a few days' journey of Khar- 
 toum, at which places are agents, or pur- 
 chasers, waiting to receive them with dollars 
 for cash payments. 
 
 The purchasers and dealers are for the 
 most part Arabs. The slaves are marched 
 across the country to different places ; many 
 to Sennaar, where they are sold to other 
 dealers, who sell them to the Arabs and 
 Turks. Others are taken immense dis- 
 tances to ports on the Red Sea Souakim, 
 and Massowa there to be shipped for 
 Arabia and Persia. Many are sent to 
 Cairo; and, in fact, they are disseminated 
 throughout the slave-dealing east, the White 
 Nile being the great nursery for the supply. 
 The amiable trader returns from the White 
 Nile to Khartoum ; hands over to his credi- 
 tor sufficient ivory to liquidate the original 
 loan of ; 1,000; and already a man of 
 capital, he commences as an independent 
 trader. 
 
 We shall now have recourse to the testi- 
 mony of Colonel Stewart, the heroic com- 
 panion of Gordon in the glorious though 
 unsuccessful defence of Khartoum; and 
 alas ! that it should be so also a sharer in 
 the fatal issue of the enterprise. 
 
 His account will fitly serve as letterpress 
 to our engravings of the desert city. The 
 town of Khartoum, the capital of the Soudan 
 and emporium for the whole country (see 
 p. 104) is built on a barren, stoneless, and 
 wide plain, on the western bank of the Blue 
 Nile, and about a mile above its junction 
 with the White Nile. Its river frontage is 
 about one-and-a-half mile ; its depth inwards 
 from the river about a mile. As its site is 
 somewhat lower than the point reached by 
 both rivers when in flood, a dyke fifteen 
 feet to twenty feet in height has been made 
 along the banks of the Blue Nile; and 
 another somewhat lower, immediately at 
 the back of the town, to protect it against 
 the overflow of the White Nile. When at 
 their lowest point, both streams are from six 
 hundred to eight hundred yards in width,
 
 n8 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and have several islands, which are culti- 
 vated. The White Nile is unfordable, ex- 
 cept in one or two places far up the river ; 
 but the Blue can be forded in many places 
 above the town. When in flood, the White 
 Nile increases its width to a very great 
 extent, but not so the Blue Nile, as its 
 banks are much steeper. Around Khar- 
 toum are several small villages. Both above 
 and below the town are small plantations 
 of date palms and plantains, also a number 
 of vegetable gardens. According to an old 
 custom or privilege, none of these gardens 
 pay any taxes; with the exception of the 
 river banks, the country is bare and tree- 
 less. During the hot season, which lasts 
 from the beginning of April till the middle 
 of November, the heat is severe, averaging 
 in the shade from 90 to 95 Fahrenheit. 
 The rains generally begin about the middle 
 of July, and last till the middle of Septem- 
 ber. They are, however, said to be very 
 irregular, and sometimes there is little or no 
 rainfall. In the rainy season the barren 
 ground stretching between the two rivers is 
 covered with grass, affording very good 
 pasture. The rivers begin to rise on the 
 ist of June, and reach their highest point 
 about the beginning of September. They 
 remain stationary at that point till about 
 the 1 5th, and then begin to fall. The cold 
 weather begins about the middle of Decem- 
 ber, and lasts till the middle of February. 
 From November to March high north winds 
 prevail, and during the remainder of the 
 year south. In winter the thermometer 
 sometimes goes down as low as 46 Fah- 
 renheit ; except in the regular rainy season 
 there is no rain. The unhealthy season is 
 during the months of June, July, October, ! 
 November, when typhoid fevers and dysen- | 
 tery are prevalent The winter is the 
 healthy season. The resident population j 
 is generally estimated at from 50,000 to 
 55,000 souls, of which two-thirds are slaves. 
 There is also a floating population estimated 
 at from 1,500 to 2,000 souls, and consisting 
 of Europeans, Syrians, Copts, Turks, Alba- 
 nians, and a few Jews. The free resident 
 
 population are mostly Makhass or aborigi- 
 nies, Dongolawees from Dongola, Shaghhi- 
 ye~s from a district along the Nile north of 
 Khartoum, and Rubatat, a district north of 
 Berber. The slaves belong mostly to the 
 Nuba, Dinka, Shulook, Berta, and other 
 negro tribes. Both the free population and 
 the slaves are all Mahommedans of the 
 Maliki school of divinity, and are also fol- 
 lowers of either the Rufai, Kadri, Hamdi, 
 or Saadi sect of dervishes. They are very 
 superstitious. Their political creed is to 
 side with whichever side is the strongest. 
 The free inhabitants are mostly engaged in 
 trades or commerce, and the slaves in agri- 
 culture, or else hired out as daily labourers 
 by their masters ; but few are employed as 
 domestic servants. Of the floating popu- 
 lation, the Copts are mostly employed in 
 Government service or trade. The Turks, 
 Albanians, etc., are generally irregular 
 soldiers or loafers. The European element 
 is represented by about one hundred indi- 
 viduals, mostly Greeks. There are also 
 some Italians, French, Austrians, and Ger- 
 mans. The chief export and import trade 
 is in the hands of the Europeans, Copts, 
 and Syrians. 
 
 Except the manufacture of mats, cotton 
 cloths, a rope made from palm leaves, and 
 some filigree silver work, there is no manu- 
 facture worth speaking of. The bazaar is 
 of considerable size, and tolerably well sup- 
 plied with Manchester goods, cheap cutlery, 
 etc. The export and import trade is con- 
 siderable, and, besides numerous caravans, 
 is said to employ over three hundred boats 
 of various sizes. A considerable trade in 
 grain is also carried on with Sennaar and 
 Karkotsch. These districts are practically 
 the granaries of the Soudan. 
 
 In shape the town is very irregular. Its 
 appearance is also poor and miserable. 
 Except the Government House and one or 
 two other buildings, there is hardly a house 
 worthy of the name. The houses are mostly 
 built of sun-dried brick, generally without 
 an upper storey, and nearly all surrounded 
 by courtyards with mud walls. To prevent
 
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 THE EXPLORATIONS OF BRUCE. 
 
 119 
 
 these houses crumbling away during the 
 rains they are every year plastered over 
 with dung before the rainy season com- 
 mences. This plastering process is doubt- 
 less the cause of a good deal of the illness. 
 As the town is so low there is no drainage, 
 and the consequence is that during the 
 rains the whole place is deep in water, and 
 it is almost impossible to move about. As 
 there is no stone throughout the whole dis- 
 trict, the streets are full of dust during the 
 summer and mud during the rains. The 
 chief buildings are: (i) Government 
 House and offices, large brick buildings on 
 the banks of the Blue Nile; (2) arsenal, 
 with smithy, carpenter's shop, smelting 
 
 furnaces, stoves, etc. ; attached to this 
 arsenal are some fourteen steamers for the 
 navigation of the rivers, and also boats of 
 various kinds ; (3) a large, commodious 
 hospital, built by Colonel Gordon; (4) a 
 mosque or jami, built by Khurshid Pasha ; 
 (5) a sibil or small mosque, provided with 
 a well, and some rooms for the convenience 
 j of travellers and poor people ; (6) a large 
 barrack of mud without an upper storey, 
 and large barrack square ; (7) powder 
 magazine and workshop for the refilling of 
 cartridges; (8) a large Roman Catholic 
 missionary building, established 1848; stone 
 building with church, etc. ; (9) a Coptic 
 church. Such is Khartoum. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 BRUCE ffis NOBLE DESCENT ffis AFRICAN TRAVELS. 
 
 VEN with all the resources 
 of modern civilization, sail- 
 ing on the Nile in the upper 
 part of that river is no easy 
 matter. The two illustra- 
 tions which we here give, and which are 
 both drawn from the records of the 1885 
 campaign in the Soudan, bring this before 
 us. One of these represents our troops 
 dragging a boat up a dangerous and diffi- 
 cult part of the river called the " Camel's 
 Neck"; the other shows navigation in a 
 calmer but still troublesome part of this 
 same "mysterious Nile." 
 
 But if such are the difficulties of travel- 
 ling there to-day, what were they a century 
 ago ? To answer this is the purpose of the 
 three chapters to which we now direct the 
 notice of our reader. We have another 
 object ; for fearing lest our readers may be 
 a little weary of the continuous records of 
 war and battles, we here present them with 
 a life of a British citizen whose name will 
 
 for ever be connected with Egypt, though 
 not as a soldier but as a traveller. 
 
 We refer to Bruce, who, though he did 
 not completely solve the problem, yet did 
 so much towards the discovery of the 
 sources of the Nile. 
 
 James Bruce was born about the year 
 1733. The family, of which he was to be- 
 come the representative, descended, most 
 probably, from one of the brothers, or other 
 collateral relations, of the heroic Robert 
 Bruce, King of Scotland. Robert Bruce, of 
 Kinnaird, an eminent and very turbulent 
 Presbyterian minister in the reign of King 
 James VI., was one of his immediate suc- 
 cessors. His parents held a respectable 
 rank among the gentry of Stirlingshire. 
 
 He received a very excellent education 
 at one of the most distinguished seminaries 
 in England. The languages of Greece and 
 Rome ; mathematics, and the sciences ; the 
 arts of design, and every liberal accom- 
 plishment, were the objects of his study.
 
 I2O 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 When he grew up, he gradually formed in 
 his mind a mind widened by the noblest 
 classical culture the resolution to solve 
 the problem of the mysterious Nile. His 
 
 imagination was then warm with those de- 
 lightful visions which the perusal of the 
 classics naturally excites in every ingenuous 
 mind. To discover those remains of Roman 
 
 SCENE ON THE EQUATORIAL NILE. 
 
 art and of Grecian colonization which had 
 hitherto eluded the researches of the 
 moderns; to penetrate to the sources of 
 the Nile, which Julius Caesar had in vain 
 desired to detect, seemed to him objects 
 
 of pursuit not unworthy of the most ardent 
 literary enthusiasm and the most generous 
 ambition. 
 
 Throughout Europe discoveries like these 
 were, at that time, passionately desired, in
 
 BRUCE HIS EARLY YEARS. 
 
 121 
 
 order to fill up the chasms in the system of 
 natural and civil history, and to facilitate 
 the improvements of the fine arts. Sweden 
 had just sent out, from among the pupils of 
 the great Linnaeus, a Hesselquist, a Kalm, 
 and other scientific missionaries, to explore 
 the most distant regions of the earth. The 
 King of Denmark, also, had lately em- 
 
 ployed a company, consisting of an engi- 
 neer, a draughtsman, a linguist, a botanist, 
 and a physician, to investigate the history 
 of the ancient and present state of Arabia, 
 and the other most famous countries of the 
 East. The islands scattered throughout 
 the wide expanse of the southern seas 
 were beginning to be numbered. France 
 
 SITE OF TADMOR. 
 
 and Spain were sending out philosophers to 
 Siberia and Peru for the purpose of ascer- 
 taining, by means of an astronomical pro- 
 cess, the'precise figure of the earth. The 
 love of science, and the beneficent desire 
 to promote the civilization of mankind, had 
 everywhere inspired a desire to prosecute 
 discoveries which had been hitherto only 
 
 obtained in consequence oi the accidental 
 communications arising from military con- 
 quest, mercantile avarice, or religious 
 enthusiasm. It was not merely a pedantic 
 fancy or a quixotic dream that impelled 
 Bruce to enter on those bold enterprises 
 which he was destined to accomplish. He 
 was to contend with a number of the most 
 
 i *
 
 122 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 enlightened of his contemporaries for the 
 attainment of objects whose importance 
 the whole world was ready to acknowledge. 
 
 Many of the most eminent philosophers 
 in Europe earnestly offered him their advice 
 for the direction of his enterprise. From 
 Italy and from England he was supplied 
 with the best instruments for every purpose 
 of the draughtsman and the astronomer. 
 Some necessary assistants were engaged to 
 follow him. He accordingly departed from 
 Europe, and soon arrived in safety at 
 Algiers. Some time was necessarily spent 
 in the study of the language of the Moorish 
 Arabians, and in fulfilling the functions of 
 his official character, before he could pro- 
 ceed upon his researches. But, within no 
 long period after his arrival, he boldly com- 
 mitted himself to the dangerous faith of 
 some tribes of wandering Arabs, and ad- 
 vanced, in search of ancient ruins, into 
 regions which no visitant from modern 
 Europe had as yet successfully explored. 
 Associating with his Arabian hosts and 
 guides, and displaying a skilful use of their 
 language and manners which left him 
 scarcely under the disadvantages of a 
 stranger, he was thus enabled to discrimi- 
 nate the peculiarities of their respective 
 characters with an accuracy of observation 
 perhaps unequalled by any former traveller. 
 
 Being, perhaps, more a master of the 
 pencil than of the art of literary composi- 
 tion, he executed many drawings of the 
 various ruins now discovered by him ; of 
 which the singular excellence was afterwards 
 doomed to excite the false 1 and invidious 
 cavil that they could not be his own. 
 While he shared the hospitality of the 
 Arabs in these deserts, he had occasion to 
 live with them on the flesh of lions, a 
 species of animal food so very different 
 from roast beef, and. so much less easy 
 than hare or venison to be procured by the 
 chase, that some untravelled Englishmen 
 may, perhaps, be inclined to deny that it 
 can ever have been used as food. 
 
 From Africa he passed, in prosecution of 
 greater designs, to the Grecian isles and the 
 
 coast of Syria. An unfortunate shipwreck 
 damaged his valuable collection of instru- 
 ments for astronomical observations, but 
 could not deter his resolute mind from its 
 adventurous pursuits. In Syria he surveyed 
 the ruins of Tadmor, of the site of which 
 we give an illustration, and executed many 
 valuable drawings of those noble, though 
 mutilated monuments of ancient art which 
 they display. In the hospitable society of 
 European friends, whom he found in the 
 commercial cities, he passed the time 
 necessary for him to await the arrival of 
 various articles from Europe, without which 
 he could not adventure upon his grander 
 enterprise. During this period of leisure 
 he diligently studied medicine, in order to 
 recommend him to the barbarous in- 
 habitants of the regions which he proposed 
 to explore. 
 
 From Syria- he repaired to Egypt Its 
 great towns, its pyramids ; the sites and 
 remains of its ancient cities; the pheno- 
 mena of the overflowings of its mighty 
 river, the Nile ; the formation of its lower 
 territory, which advances to bound the 
 Mediterranean Sea; the comparison of its 
 present local circumstances with its ancient 
 history, joined to the character of its 
 government and inhabitants, all excited 
 and engaged Bruce's attention. His 
 science, the manly dignity and firmness of 
 his personal character, the advantages 
 arising from the recommendations with 
 which he travelled, and some lucky con- 
 curring accidents, introduced him to the 
 friendship and protection of the famous 
 AH Bey, who was then all-powerful in 
 Egypt, and by this means procured him 
 facilities for observation and inquiry which 
 have rarely been possessed by Europeans 
 in that land. He was accordingly enabled 
 to visit, without personal danger, various 
 remote and interesting scenes, in the course 
 of which almost any other traveller would 
 have been inevitably robbed and probably 
 murdered. The sacred code of the Jewish 
 and Christian religions was in his hands, as 
 well as the Grecian records of Homer and
 
 BRUCE AT GONDAR. 
 
 123 
 
 Herodotus; and, comparing what these 
 books relate concerning ancient Egypt with 
 the scenes and the state of society before 
 him, he was enabled to understand a num- 
 ber of hitherto unexplained particulars, in 
 the hints which those eldest of books pre- 
 sent respecting the early annals of a country 
 that was almost the primeval seat of civil- 
 ized society; and to confirm the truth of 
 the Christian revelation, by discovering 
 various new proofs of the scrupulous fidel- 
 ity of the Mosaic history. 
 
 From Egypt Bruce sailed southward, on 
 the Red Sea, to Jeddah in Arabia Felix. 
 He had the good fortune to find at Jeddah a 
 number of his own countrymen from India, 
 ship captains and merchants in the service 
 of the English India Company. They 
 welcomed him among them with kind 
 hospitality; heard with pleasure and ad- 
 miration of his bold purpose of penetrating 
 into Abyssinia, and exploring the sources 
 of the Nile ; procured whatever directions 
 were there to be obtained for his conduct 
 during his journey; introduced him to the 
 powerful protection of the prime minister 
 to the sherriffe or religious prince of Mecca ; 
 offered him the free use of their purses and 
 credit ; and, in fine, espoused all his in- 
 terests so openly, so earnestly, and with 
 such a show of deference and respect, that 
 the whole influence of the English name 
 and greatness in the East appeared to be 
 interposed for his security among those 
 barbarians to whose doubtful faith he was 
 now hastening to commit himself. 
 
 With every generous wish on the part of 
 these kind Englishmen for his welfare and 
 success, he sailed for Massowah, the maritime 
 key of the entrance into Abyssinia, on the 
 western coast of the Red Sea. That sea 
 he, on this occasion, and during the pre- 
 vious navigation from Suez to Jeddah, sur- 
 veyed and sounded with hydrographical 
 care and skill, by which he was enabled 
 to form a better naval chart of it' than the 
 world had hitherto been in possession of. 
 At Massowah the benevolent exercise of his 
 medical skill, the influence of the British 
 
 name, the firmness, vigilance, and boldness 
 of his personal character, could, with great 
 difficulty, save him from being robbed by 
 the Naybe, a knavish and rapacious chief- 
 tain, who was ready to violate, without 
 scruple, the universally acknowledged prin- 
 ciples of the law of nations, and to trample 
 upon the generous usages of even bar- 
 barian hospitality. 
 
 After many perils from the fierceness, the 
 deceit, and the thievish rapacity of the in- 
 habitants on this eastern frontier of the 
 Abyssinian empire, our traveller happily 
 made his way to a considerable mercantile 
 town within its confines. The name of 
 Ras Michael, to whom he had been re- 
 commended, and who was at this time 
 master of both the king and his kingdom, 
 began here to afford him as much security 
 as a stranger could expect to find among a 
 barbarous people, and amid the horrors of 
 civil war. His intrepid boldness and vigi- 
 lance, well adapted to contend with, to 
 defeat, and to overawe, the fierceness and 
 the cunning of savages ; his noble liberality 
 in the distribution of presents fitted to strike 
 and please the fancy of a rude nation ; his 
 gallantry, which slighted not the proffered 
 favours of the Abyssinian damsels : some 
 lucky but unexpected incidents ; and the 
 admiration which his dexterity in shooting 
 and horsemanship excited, did all the rest. 
 He accordingly arrived safe at Gondar, the 
 Abyssinian capital. 
 
 To penetrate to the sources of the Nile, 
 and to discover with certainty the causes of its 
 periodical overflowings, formed the primary 
 object of his journey. But he was destined 
 to accomplish others, which, although of a 
 secondary nature, were to prove more use- 
 ful and interesting to the world. Abyssinia, 
 a country comprehending several extensive 
 provinces at the eastern extremity of the 
 great peninsular continent of Africa, pro- 
 bably received its first inhabitants from 
 Egypt or Yemen. The imperfect remains 
 of the history of ancient Egypt bespeak a 
 not unfrequent intercourse, at least of war- 
 fare and reciprocal conquest, to have taken
 
 124 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 place, in times the most remote, between 
 the Egyptians and the people of Habesh. 
 Colonies appear to have migrated, in turns, 
 between the eastern and the western coasts 
 of the Red Sea, from Abyssinia to Yemen, 
 and from Yemen to Abyssinia. Commercial 
 adventure carried the Phoenicians and the 
 Jews into Abyssinia, at the time when they 
 were masters of the navigation of the Red 
 Sea. It is also possible that the Jews at 
 the time when they were, by the conquests 
 of Nebuchadnezzar, dispersed abroad as 
 captives or as fugitives from their native 
 land, might flee in part into Abyssinia as 
 well as into Egypt. By whatever means it 
 may have occurred, certain it is that the 
 religion and literature of the Jews had been 
 very anciently introduced into Abyssinia; 
 and that the Abyssinians had been taught 
 to respect the race of their kings as de- 
 scendants from the famous Solomon. 
 Missionaries from Arabia and Egypt con- 
 verted this people from Judaism to a sort 
 of impure Christianity. Their empire was, 
 in the meanwhile, a territory of varying 
 extent ; including, on the north side, the 
 sandy deserts contiguous to the Mediter- 
 ranean Sea, and towards the south, low and 
 unhealthy regions, as well as many lofty 
 mountains, both insulated and in contin- 
 uous ranges, deep and wide-spreading 
 forests, expansive lakes, swelling and ma- 
 jestic rivers, broad plains, and flat sullen 
 morasses ; exposed for one part of the year 
 to a climate of a dry and warm tempera- 
 ture, for another part of it regularly subject 
 to heavy and incessant rains ; at its western 
 confines meeting those unknown interior 
 parts of Africa, concerning which European 
 curiosity has only suspected that they are 
 inhabited by savages and barbarians unac- 
 quainted with the virtues and the blessings 
 of civilized life. 
 
 In these circumstances, local disadvan- 
 tages, the character of the surrounding tribes 
 and nations, and the want of a religion 
 friendly to mild and benign yet active 
 virtue, concurred with an ill-compacted 
 government to retain the people of Abys- 
 
 sinia in a state of perpetual barbarism, still 
 unmitigated and unenlightened. Christian- 
 ity could not improve the manners of the 
 converts whom it here gained in a propor- 
 tion equal to that in which it was obliged 
 to debase its own reasonableness and 
 morality for the purpose of winning their 
 favour. The feudal form of government, 
 under some modifications peculiar to Asia 
 and Africa, but in all that barbarous dis- 
 order in which it subsisted in the twelfth 
 and thirteenth centuries in modern Europe, 
 was the species of political combination 
 under which the Abyssinians had lived 
 almost from the earliest times of their 
 known existence as a nation. While the 
 Portuguese, to whom Europe owes so 
 much for their discovery of the great 
 maritime route to the East, were in their 
 highest commercial and naval greatness, 
 they introduced themselves, the Jesuits, 
 and the Romish form of Christianity, into 
 Abyssinia; and, under the most specious 
 pretexts, strove in vain to subject Abys- 
 sinia to the dominion of Portugal and 
 Rome. The attempt, and the miseries 
 and dissensions which ensued from it, 
 served but to perpetuate the almost un- 
 social disorder of the Abyssinian govern- 
 ment, and to enhance the barbarism of the 
 manners of the people. The Abyssinians 
 found that they were likely to derive 
 nothing but mischiefs from their connec- 
 tion with the Christians of Europe; and 
 Rome and Portugal were disappointed of 
 those advantages which they had expected 
 to obtain in achieving the temporal and 
 spiritual conquest of Abyssinia. The im- 
 mediate intercourse between Europe and 
 Abyssinia was accordingly broken off, be- 
 fore the Abyssinians could derive any 
 material improvement from the arts of the 
 Europeans, or from the refinement of their 
 manners. From this period the empire re- 
 mained unchanged, faithful to the Coptic 
 Christianity of Egypt, and, though afflicted 
 with continual revolutions, yet without ex- 
 periencing any fundamental alteration of 
 its code of government.
 
 BRUCE ABYSSINIAN ADVENTURES. 
 
 125 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 His ADVENTURES IN ABYSSINIA. 
 
 RUCE arrived at the Abys- 
 sinian capital in the midst 
 of one of the fiercest and 
 most afflicting civil wars by 
 which this country had ever 
 been visited. But even in these circum- 
 stances, and among a race so barbarous, 
 the felicity of his genius preserved him 
 safe. The small-pox, one of those terrible 
 diseases whose inextinguishable infection 
 has conspired with the ignorance and im- 
 prudence of mankind to subject every 
 human life to be once endangered by its 
 malignity, was at that very time outrival- 
 ling the havoc of war by its terrible de- 
 vastations throughout all Abyssinia. 
 Bruce's medical pretensions introduced him 
 to the women and children of the house- 
 hold of the dreaded Ras Michael, at a 
 moment when charms and prayers had 
 proved equally vain ; when the fondled 
 infant, the beauteous maid, scarcely yet 
 nubile, and the gallant youth, amid his first 
 untried ardour, after the perils and the 
 glory of war, were, in spite of every effort, 
 cut off together by this baleful distemper. 
 Our traveller was sufficiently acquainted 
 with the Turkish and the English methods 
 of treating the small-pox ; and his art res- 
 cued from the brink of the grave several 
 lives of which the preservation had been 
 deemed hopeless, the beautiful Ozoro 
 Esther, the beloved wife of Michael; her 
 mother, the Iteghe, whose state, as queen- 
 dowager, remained inviolate amid the dis- 
 tractions of civil war. Some gallant youths, 
 the sons and grandsons of these ladies, 
 grateful for Bruce's medical assistance, and 
 charmed with the mingled boldness and 
 gentleness of his character, quickly became 
 his zealous friends and protectors. 
 
 When Michael, and with him the young 
 
 king whom he sustained on the throne, 
 returned from a successful campaign to 
 Gondar, the stranger was presented to them 
 with recommendations which secured a very 
 flattering reception. His own personal 
 qualities soon did the rest. Eminently ex- 
 pert in the horsemanship of Britain and of 
 the Arabs ; bold, daring, intrepid, possessing 
 true greatness of soul, and having softened 
 his native roughness with something of 
 uncouth refinement ; able to drink with the 
 Abyssinians, without getting drunk with 
 them ; qualified to astonish them with the 
 powers of a double-barrelled gun, and with 
 a marksman's skill in shooting, which they 
 could not imitate; exhibiting a lofty dis- 
 interestedness of spirit, which, though it did 
 not reject their pecuniary favours with in- 
 solence, yet refused them with an air of 
 dignity such as might well bespeak a man 
 incapable of receiving the bribe of the 
 courtier, the hire of the mechanic, or the 
 sordid gains of the merchant : the Scottish 
 traveller thus successfully attracted to him- 
 self the admiration and favour of all that 
 was great in rank or magnanimous in sen- 
 timent about the Abyssinian court The 
 Alexandrian patriarch had, by a pastoral 
 letter, enjoined the Coptic and Greek 
 Christians then in Gondar, to make atone- 
 ment for their sins of vanity and pre- 
 sumption, by doing public homage to 
 Bruce. The beauties of the capital, never 
 coy in the distribution of their favours, 
 contended to bestow them with a lavish 
 fondness on a youth in whom the graces of 
 Europe were combined with the robust 
 vigour of an Abyssinian warrior. The king 
 and the minister conceived a warm partiality 
 for him. He endeared himself to the most 
 eminent among the young nobility, by in- 
 structing them in some of the most notable
 
 126 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 military exercises of Arabia and of Europe. 
 High offices in the court were offered for 
 his acceptance. To obtain the protection 
 necessary to enable him to accomplish the 
 purposes of his journey, he was obliged to 
 accept the government of a small province, 
 and even to enrol himself among the lords 
 of the bed-chamber of the Abyssinian 
 monarch. 
 
 He associated with the nobility in the 
 amusements of the court ; ate with them 
 raw flesh, while it still trembled with life 
 and sensation ; drank deep of their bouza, 
 mead, and wine ; and is not said to have 
 sullenly refused those favours which their 
 noblest and fairest dames were willing, even 
 amid scenes of public festivity, to lavish on 
 so accomplished a stranger. Affecting a 
 much more dignified character than that of 
 the Greek Christians, whom he found in 
 high estimation among these barbarians, he 
 lived at a great expense, drawn from his 
 own supplies, not from their bounty ; main- 
 tained the character of a physician, even 
 after finding that the custom of the country 
 required of the physician rather to give fees 
 to his patients than to enrich himself by 
 receiving them ; and uniformly evinced by 
 his conduct, that all he desired to gain from 
 his kind hosts was simply freedom and 
 security while he should make those obser- 
 vations and inquiries for the sake of which 
 he had come into their country. 
 
 Religion, and the subjection of the Abys- 
 sinian Church to the ecclesiastical authority 
 of the Roman pontiff, had been the grand 
 concerns of the Portuguese Jesuits, the last 
 Europeans by whom these regions had been 
 visited. To obtain their ends they had 
 excited terrible mischiefs among a people 
 who were but too prone to civil war, and 
 the Abyssinian clergy, therefore, could not 
 now behold another European amongst 
 them without being alarmed with the fears 
 of jealous orthodoxy and inflamed by the 
 furor of religious persecution. But pru- 
 dence, a philosophical indifference to re- 
 ligious disputes, his gentleman-like manners, 
 remote from those of the priest, and the 
 
 high esteem with which he was regarded by 
 the monarch, and the Ras, his minister, 
 effectually screened Bruce from that thun- 
 der which priestly bigotry and malevolence 
 strove to hurl with fatal efficacy upon his 
 head. 
 
 It was his fortune to witness some terrible 
 scenes of civil war and political vengeance. 
 He saw a king the property of the ablest, 
 the most powerful, and the most wicked of his 
 nobles obliged to obey the dictates of the 
 minister's cruelty and revenge ; catching the 
 infection of his crimes, and ready to exas- 
 perate against himself those whose hatred 
 was originally directed against the Ras 
 alone. He beheld ambition, resentment, 
 fickle turbulence, demoniac craft, and a 
 ferocious delight in continual bloodshed 
 all the fierce passions and all the dark vices 
 of barbarians excite rival chiefs in endless 
 rebellion against a king whom they were 
 led to oppose, partly from the wish to de- 
 stroy his minister, and partly from the habit 
 of eternal contention. He witnessed a 
 wantonness of cruelty and carnage which 
 could have place only where native bar- 
 barism was infuriated by the mutual resent- 
 ments of political discord. Amidst general 
 cruelty, inhumanity, grossness of manners, 
 and meanness of intellects, he discovered 
 some of the most amiable feminine virtues, 
 and some of the most generous and dig- 
 nified masculine ones, joined to talents of 
 which the force and the comprehension 
 have rarely been excelled among mankind. 
 To penetrate to the sources of the Nile, 
 and to examine everything relative to the 
 natural history of the country, had been 
 the first objects of his inquiry when he 
 made his way into Abyssinia. Obtaining 
 at length a feudal grant of the very ter- 
 ritory in which the fountains of the Nile 
 had been so long hidden from the Euro- 
 pean world, he set out to visit them ; 
 arrived after many perils, and drank 
 libations of water more grateful and intoxi- 
 cating to a romantic traveller than the 
 Falernian of old. After remaining there 
 for a few days, highly gratified with the
 
 BRUCE ABYSSINIAN ADVENTURES. 
 
 127 
 
 company of his male, and still more with 
 his female vassals, who were worshippers 
 of the deity of the Nile, he took his way 
 back to Gondar, proud of having actually 
 achieved what Julius Caesar had only wished 
 for, and what the Jesuits had lyingly pre- 
 tended to have accomplished in narratives 
 of which the very tenour sufficiently be- 
 trayed their falsity. 
 
 Having now accomplished the chief 
 purposes of his journey into Abyssinia, he 
 was excited by every consideration to hasten 
 his return. With great difficulty he ob- 
 tained that permission to depart which the 
 custom of the Abyssinian court made them 
 extremely unwilling to grant to a stranger 
 from whom much might be learned, and 
 from whose services there were many 
 advantages to be derived. 
 
 Persuaded that if he should again put 
 himself within the power of the Naybe of 
 Massowah, he would hardly be able to escape 
 alive out of the hands of that robber, who 
 was still angry for his former disappoint- 
 ment, Bruce dared not now attempt to 
 leave Abyssinia by the same route by which 
 he had entered it. His only alternative 
 was to take a journey through those 
 deserts, hitherto unexplored by the tra- 
 vellers of modern Europe, in which the 
 armies of the Persian Cambyses had 
 perished in ancient times. He accordingly 
 set out from the Abyssinian capital, accom- 
 panied by many friends, at whose departure 
 he shed tears. That province, of which 
 he himself had been solicited to accept the 
 government, was the last within the limits 
 of the Abyssinian empire through which 
 he had to pass. A Moor, named Yasine, 
 having accidentally been the companion of 
 his journey in his first entrance into Abys- 
 sinia, had merited his kindness, and been 
 advanced by him to its subordinate com- 
 mand. Yasine took this last opportunity 
 of testifying his gratitude to his benefactor, j 
 by entertaining him with respectful hos- 
 pitality, negotiating for his friendly treat- 
 ment by the Arabs through whose territories 
 he was next to travel, and escorting him 
 
 with a company of horsemen to a con- 
 siderable distance. 
 
 He was at last obliged to bid farewell to 
 every Abyssinian, and to commit himself to 
 the faith of the Arabs of the desert. In 
 his company were some travellers who had 
 put themselves under his protection; he 
 was attended by guides and servants ; and 
 they had with them horses, camels, and 
 their baggage. Through hardships, which, 
 though considerable, were petty in com- 
 parison with those which he had to encoun- 
 ter, he made his way in a few days to Teawa. 
 Carrying powerful recommendations to the 
 Arab chief of this place, and being ready 
 to gratify him with moderate presents, Bruce 
 had hopes of being hospitably received 
 here, and of obtaining, without difficulty or 
 delay, fresh camels, water, and guides for 
 his journey onwards to the next insulated 
 settlement amid the sandy waste. The 
 Chief of Teawa was, however, one of the 
 most faithless, rapacious, and needy of all 
 the Arabians of the desert. He fancied 
 that Bruce carried with him immense trea- 
 sures, and he resolved, either by craft or 
 violence, to make those treasures his own ; 
 for these Arabs, upon the same principle on 
 which European governments demand cus- 
 tom, tolls, and taxes upon post horses, shut 
 up the navigation of rivers, and regulate 
 preferences in commercial intercourse, think 
 they have a right to levy exactions upon all 
 strangers coming within their territories; 
 and since the measure of these exactions 
 is not fixed by laws or treaties, it can be 
 modified only by the power of him who 
 demands and the opulence or penury of 
 those who are compelled to pay them. 
 
 Bruce not only refused to comply with 
 his requisitions, but signified a resolute de- 
 termination to resist force by force, and 
 secretly despatched messengers to solicit 
 interposition from Abyssinia and Sennaar 
 for his deliverence. While, on the one 
 hand, the Arab, hoping to overcome by de- 
 lay the obstinacy of his guest, hesitated to 
 have recourse to violence, and meditated 
 new wiles ; on the other, Bruce impatiently
 
 128 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 awaited that succour which he had so 
 earnestly craved. A lodging and enter- 
 tainment were still supplied to the traveller, 
 the chiefs own wives cooked his meals ; 
 
 he was called, in his medical capacity, to 
 administer remedies of powerful efficacy to 
 the Arab chief, and all his family ; and he 
 was captivated by his charms, and won the 
 
 favour of his host's lovely daughter, the 
 beautiful Aisach of Teawa. When the 
 chief, having his courage fortified by 
 drunkenness, tried at one time to reduce 
 Bruce to compliance with his demands by 
 
 menaces of instant death, our traveller 
 always prepared by means of secret arms, 
 and replete with intrepidity, quickly over- 
 powered the treacherous and cowardly Arab 
 with the dread of that violence which he
 
 BRUCE AT TEAWA. 
 
 129 
 
 had dared to threaten. The women, too, 
 were on Bruce's side; and, warned from 
 time to time by them, he kept himself 
 sufficiently on his guard against all the 
 secret snares which the wily and rapacious 
 chief continued to spread for him. 
 
 At last, sufficient protection arrived for 
 our traveller; and the Arab was obliged, 
 reluctantly, to dismiss out of his hands 
 without injury, that prey which he had in 
 imagination already devoured. An astro- 
 nomical prediction which Bruce was enabled 
 
 to make, with an affectation of preternatural 
 sagacity, being quickly accomplished in an 
 eclipse, completed the mortification and 
 terror of the petty tyrant, and procured to 
 the wanderer a triumphant departure from 
 Teawa. Camels, guides, water, and the 
 other necessaries were now readily sup- 
 
 plied, and at parting Bruce surprised his 
 unkind host by bestowing a remuneration 
 which had been ill-deserved at his hands. 
 
 A dreary desert was nowjto be passed 
 before the travellers could reach another 
 cultivated spot Rapacious Arabs roved 
 around of whom, if one or two tribes were 
 
 K
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 friendly, others were on this very account 
 so much the more ready to treat them as 
 foes. Their camels became weary; their 
 water and other provisions began to be ex- 
 hausted. They arrived, however, at length, 
 after many perils, and with infinite fatigue, 
 at the capital of the kingdom of Sennaar. 
 Here the selfish knavery of a banker, on 
 whom our traveller had an order for a 
 supply of money, which he declined to pay, 
 reduced Bruce to the necessity of disposing 
 of the greater part of a golden chain of an 
 hundred and eighty links, which had been 
 bestowed upon him by the monarch of 
 Abyssinia as an honourable reward for his 
 gallant behaviour in a pitched battle. 
 After various delays, difficulties, and lucky 
 escapes from robbery and assassination, 
 having the good fortune to be protected by 
 the authority of the chief minister, Bruce 
 was at length enabled to take his departure 
 from Sennaar, with a due supply of camels, 
 water, and meal of millet seed, for the con- 
 tinuation of his journey through the desert. 
 He had still greater difficulties to en- 
 counter before he could reach the confines 
 of Egypt. They travelled in constant 
 dread of being suddenly intercepted or 
 overtaken by some wandering Arabs, who 
 would rob and then leave them to perish in 
 the desolate wilderness. Their water also 
 began to be exhausted, their camels to turn 
 lame, and their own strength to diminish. 
 Their feet were excruciatingly lacerated and 
 swollen ; and still they were far, far distant 
 from the cheering comforts of hospitality. 
 One evening had almost completed their 
 misfortunes. They had halted by a well 
 which they were inexpressibly glad to have 
 reached ; an Arab family, unseen by them, 
 passed the night near the same spot ; and 
 had it not been for the lucky vigilance of 
 Bruce, their camels would have been stolen, 
 and they themselves left to inevitable death. 
 Discovering the mischief soon enough to 
 prevent it, they compelled the thief to 
 return with them as a guide. 
 
 As they proceeded, the terrors of nature 
 were continually renewed before them, in 
 forms more menacing and more awfully 
 sublime. The direful simoon, whose blast 
 is death, repeatedly overtook them ; and had 
 they not, though with infinite difficulty, 
 avoided inhaling its poisonous breath, they 
 must have instantly perished by the inspi- 
 ration. Gigantic columns of sand, blazing 
 i with the colours of flame, were seen to 
 start suddenly up in ranks before or behind, 
 and to approach with rapid and tremendous 
 movements, as if to overwhelm them. 
 Even their camels, animals which seem to 
 have been specially destined by Divine 
 Providence to enable men to traverse those 
 vast and barren deserts, without them in- 
 accessible, even these patient and hardy 
 creatures, being at last overcome with the 
 fatigue of so long a journey, sunk under 
 their burdens, groaned, and expired. Their 
 baggage was now destined to be left be- 
 hind them, and Bruce, when he saw him- 
 self obliged to relinquish his journals, his 
 drawings, his collection of specimens, his 
 precious Ethiopic manuscripts, every 
 memorial that could demonstrate to the 
 European world that he had, indeed, 
 travelled into Abyssinia, and penetrated 
 to the sources of the Nile, doubted 
 whether, after these had been cast away, 
 even life itself were worthy of a further 
 struggle to preserve it. 
 
 With difficulty they crept on yet a little 
 farther ; and still the way seemed to lengthen 
 before them, while desire was every moment 
 at once anticipating its end, and extending 
 the paces, as they passed, into miles. At 
 last various indications began to prove 
 that they had reached the verge of the 
 desert. A Turkish village at length ap- 
 peared in view. This they reached; were 
 there hospitably received ; procured persons 
 to go into the wilderness in search of their 
 baggage ; recovered it ; and then refreshed 
 and solaced themselves at their ease, after 
 their grievous trials.
 
 BRUCE HIS LAST YEARS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 BRUCE Jiis LAST YEARS. 
 
 RUCE, having thus accom- 
 plished the object of his 
 adventurous journey into 
 Abyssinia, and happily sur- 
 mounted the tremendous 
 perils of a return through the desert of 
 Sennaar, now proceeded gaily down the 
 Nile to Cairo. Wherever he came, the 
 dignified prudence and intrepidity of his 
 character, overawing the rapacious and 
 dishonest, inclined the humble and the 
 good to apply to him as a potent and 
 beneficent protector. An act of kindness 
 to one of the officers of Mohammed Bey, 
 who had by this time supplanted Ali Bey 
 in the administration of the Egyptian 
 government, proved the occasion of intro- 
 ducing Bruce to that ruler with advantages 
 which made the bey willing to gratify him 
 with almost any favour. On this occasion 
 he was not unmindful of the commercial 
 interests of his country. Grateful for the 
 favours he had received from the servants 
 of the British East India Company at 
 Jeddah, he procured from Mohammed Bey 
 a firman, or letters patent, authorizing the 
 English to transmit their merchandise 
 thither on the payment of more moderate 
 duties than had ever before been exacted 
 from them in any part of the Red Sea. 
 This was Bruce's last remarkable transac- 
 tion with the great men of the East. He 
 soon after sailed from Alexandria, and 
 arrived safe in Europe. 
 
 His countrymen, those in particular who 
 had hoped to do honour to themselves and 
 to their sovereign's reign by encouraging 
 this expedition, men of learned curiosity 
 throughout all Europe, received Bruce, at 
 his return from those regions till now 
 unexplored, with an eager admiration and 
 applause by which, to a mind like his, all 
 
 his toils and perils seemed to be well 
 repaid. Schoolboys and the vulgar might 
 wonder to hear of the discovery of the 
 sources of the Nile ; but philosophers were 
 much more gratified by the information 
 that in approaching them he had made 
 observations which would enlarge and 
 correct our knowledge of the character of 
 barbarous life. None of the congratulations 
 which awaited his return were more grateful 
 to his heart than that of the great French 
 naturalist, the Count de Buffon, whose 
 studies qualified him to judge of the im- 
 portance and authenticity of Bruce's dis- 
 coveries ; who consulted him with the 
 veneration of a disciple, and became the 
 glad harbinger of his fame. 
 
 At the British court the African traveller's 
 first reception was sufficiently flattering. 
 His drawings were accepted to enrich the 
 collection of his sovereign ; and he was 
 in return presented with the sum of two 
 thousand pounds. Proud of his adventures 
 and discoveries, and pleased with the 
 respect and admiration which they attrac- 
 ted, Bruce for a time abandoned himself 
 for exultation, and hoped that a character 
 tried in an enterprise so perilous and 
 splendid would not fail to be employed 
 by a discerning king and ministry in some 
 of the most honourable offices his country 
 could bestow. 
 
 But he was soon to experience the most 
 bitter disappointment Suspicions were 
 invidiously suggested that his drawings 
 were too exquisitely fine to have been 
 executed, as'he pretended, by his own pen- 
 cil. He was also unfortunate in not know- 
 ing how to make due concessions, in his 
 accounts of what he had seen and achieved, 
 to the incredulity of ignorance. 
 
 This spirit of invidious detraction from
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 merit, which, though not free from an alloy 
 of human imperfections, was, however, 
 eminently excellent, failed not to impress 
 the mind of Bruce with a number of those 
 indignant sensations which it is natural for 
 genius and virtue to feel whenever their 
 hopes and efforts are disappointed by the 
 opposition of unworthy arts. He disdained 
 to contend with the incredulity of prejudice 
 and ignorance. He would not meanly 
 solicit that official employment to which he 
 thought that his distinguished abilities and 
 experience might, without other aid, suffi- 
 ciently recommend him. 
 
 He now retired from public life, to a 
 residence on his patrimonial estate. A 
 lively woman, perhaps not without some- 
 thing of the partiality of a Desdemona, 
 listened to his vows, and became the wife 
 of his affections. The duties and amuse- 
 ments of a country gentleman ; the philo- 
 sophical inspection of nature and of rustic 
 life; the individual resources of a well- 
 furnished library ; the recollection of all 
 that he had observed and meditated and 
 suffered in his travels, were sufficient to 
 hinder even his vigorous and active mind 
 from languishing in retirement. 
 t But unfortunately his domestic happiness 
 was soon interrupted by the premature 
 decease of his wife in the very bloom of 
 youth and beauty. His fortitude was 
 almost overpowered by the loss. He 
 mourned her death, for a while, in that 
 deep, unutterable anguish which refuses 
 consolation ; honoured her memory by the 
 erection of a noble funeral monument ; 
 then summoned up the energies of his 
 mind, returned to the duties of life, and 
 endeavoured to soothe his sorrow by the 
 education of her children. 
 
 In the meantime the public was greatly 
 dissatisfied with his delay to produce a 
 complete narrative of his travels. His 
 friends dreaded lest he should procras- 
 tinate a publication which they anxiously 
 longed to obtain, till, perhaps, his death 
 might for ever frustrate his uncertain in- 
 tentions of giving it to the world. His 
 
 enemies maliciously attributed his delay to 
 the consciousness of the imposture and 
 falsehood of his pretensions. The lively 
 De Tott, returning into Europe from Tur- 
 key and Tartary, pretended to have received 
 from the very servant who had attended 
 Bruce into Abyssinia, an account of the 
 Scottish traveller's adventures in that 
 country, which was directly contradictory 
 of that which Bruce himself had given out. 
 Although the Honourable Daines Barring- 
 ton, in a very ingenious paper, refuted the 
 calumny of De Tott; and though all the 
 friends of Bruce were ready to rise up with 
 indignation against this impeachment of his 
 veracity, yet nothing less than the publi- 
 cation of the long-expected narrative by 
 the traveller himself would now satisfy the 
 suspicion and demands of the public. 
 Other French adventurers beside De Tott 
 in particular Savary, more remarkable for 
 glowing ardour of imagination, and enthu- 
 siastic sensibility, than profundity and 
 accuracy of erudition, or for philosophical 
 penetration and comprehension of mind ; 
 and Volney, bold, ardent, scientific, com- 
 bining in the character of his genius a keen 
 inventive energy of judgment with rare 
 sublimity of imagination, presented to 
 the world books of their travels into some 
 of those very countries which Bruce had 
 visited; excited throughout Europe an 
 astonishing degree of eagerness about every- 
 thing relative to the East; anticipated the 
 British traveller in the communication of 
 not a few of the most interesting facts which 
 he had to relate ; and, by the success of 
 of their labours, partly encouraged his 
 hopes, partly provoked his emulation, so 
 that he was at length induced to prepare 
 his journals for immediate publication. 
 
 The task was, after all he had formerly 
 done, still a difficult one. His astronomical 
 observations were to be revised and verified. 
 It was necessary for him once more to 
 ransack the depths of Grecian and Oriental 
 erudition, in order to discover the disagree- 
 ment or coincidence between what the Jews, 
 Arabs, and Greeks had recorded, and that
 
 BRUCE HIS LAST YEARS. 
 
 133 
 
 which he himself had observed concerning 
 Abyssinia and the other countries of the 
 East. His journals were to be wrought 
 into a regular continuous narrative. His 
 observations on subjects of natural history 
 were to be carefully compared with the 
 scientific elements of this branch of know- 
 ledge ; and were, if possible, to be accom- 
 modated in his account to the technical 
 phraseology of naturalists. The beauty of 
 arrangement, the propriety and the graces 
 of style, with all those delicacies of compo- 
 sition which, without long practice, even 
 taste and genius are rarely able to display, 
 were to be attempted by a man who, though 
 no mean judge of elegance, had long been 
 more attentive to the matter than to the 
 manner of whatever he wrote or read. 
 
 A considerable period, therefore, was 
 necessarily spent in revising his journals 
 and improving their form. A young man 
 of the name of Fennels, then an actor on 
 the Edinburgh stage, and who afterwards 
 acquired some distinction as a reader of 
 lectures on elocution in Philadelphia, was 
 employed as his amanuensis, perhaps not 
 without being allowed to suggest some oc- 
 casional corrections of the style. When 
 ready for the press, the work was carried to 
 Edinburgh ; and, at the author's own ex- 
 pense, beautifully and correctly printed in 
 the house of Sibbald, a man of eminence 
 in his profession. 
 
 The king willingly permitted such of 
 Brace's drawings as had been placed in the 
 royal collection to be copied on this occa- 
 sion ; and it is said that the engravings 
 were executed at his majesty's expense. 
 The queen also condescended to express a 
 solicitude, about the time of the publication 
 of his work, that his details of the Abyssinian 
 manners might be written with such delicacy 
 of thought and expression as to render a 
 book that promised so much instructive 
 amusement not improper to be perused by 
 the princesses. When it was ready for pub- 
 lication, Messrs. Robinsons, of Paternoster 
 Row, became the purchasers, not of the 
 copyright, but of the whole first edition. 
 
 Although the work consisted of five 
 volumes in quarto, yet it experienced a very 
 rapid sale, and in France a translation of it 
 was executed with a degree of haste which 
 almost anticipated the circulation of the 
 original. Bruce himself, favouring the 
 undertaking of the French translator, was 
 pleased to enrich the book by the com- 
 munication of some facts, which respect for 
 the delicacy of the British fair had withheld 
 him from publishing in English, but con- 
 cerning which he believed that the literary 
 ladies of France would not be so scrupu- 
 lous. 
 
 Magazines, reviews, and periodical publi- 
 cations of all kinds, in Britain, in Ireland, 
 in America, in the British dominions in 
 India, and among the enlightened nations 
 on the continent of Europe, were filled for 
 a time with abstracts from his narrative. 
 
 All owned that they found in the works 
 of Bruce much to warm the imagination, 
 much that deeply touched the dearest 
 sensibilities of the heart. If his. erudition 
 were often more ostentatious than correct ; 
 if his philosophy were sometimes flippant 
 and superficial ; if his astronomical facts 
 occasionally excited against him the sus- 
 picion of both ignorance and imposture ; 
 yet the whole train of his narrative carried 
 with it an intrinsic evidence incapable of 
 being conterfeited, and, like the writings of 
 the holy evangelists, appeared to demon- 
 strate that, in spite of every inferior matter 
 of objection, its general tenour could not 
 possibly be false. His style might be, on 
 meaner occasions, rugged and ungrateful, 
 but whenever he was to relate the dangers 
 through which he had passed, to describe 
 the impressions with which new and extra- 
 ordinary appearances had affected his 
 feelings, to paint the characters of the bar- 
 barians with whom he had conversed, or to 
 repeat with dramatic effect the impassioned 
 dialogues in which he had borne a part, the 
 ideas, the images, the emotions with which 
 his mind was big, seemed then to create a 
 language for themselves ; and his style was 
 perceived to assume, without effort, all the
 
 '34 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 expressive energies and all the endlessly 
 changing colours of a Shakespeare's. 
 
 The beauty and apparent accuracy of the 
 engravings, whether maps, charts, or figures, 
 by which the narrative was illustrated, could 
 not but add a considerable recommenda- 
 tion to the general merits of the work. 
 The whole, taken together, afforded indu- 
 bitable proofs that Bruce was assuredly 
 not unendowed with those powers which 
 he pretended to have exercised in the 
 course of his travels. 
 
 His last visit to London occurred during 
 the publication of his travels. He returned 
 soon after to Scotland; and the few re- 
 maining years of his life were spent either 
 at Edinburgh or at one of his seats in the 
 country. He at length resolved to publish 
 a new edition of his travels in octavo ; and, 
 in order to have it printed under his own 
 immediate inspection, he intended to fur- 
 nish a printer in Falkirk with the necessary 
 implements, and to have the whole exe- 
 cuted there at his own expense. 
 
 To every criticism that was thrown out 
 he had carefully attended; and, notwith- 
 standing a doughty arrogance which seemed 
 to enter deeply into his character, yet was 
 he preparing to make every alteration and 
 amendment of which the propriety appeared 
 to have been at all evinced. He anxiously 
 consulted the Rev. Dr. Blair concerning 
 those alterations which the doctor's exqui- 
 site taste as a critic, and his judgment as a 
 man of sagacity and discretion, might sug- 
 gest as fit to be made for the improvement 
 of the work. The revision of his astro- 
 nomical facts ; that correction and polishing 
 anew of the style ; that erasure of indeli- 
 cacies, whether of vanity or obscenity ; that 
 amended arrangement ; that more complete 
 and satisfactory detail of Abyssinian man- 
 ners, which Blair, with friendly criticism, 
 recommended, Bruce respectfully consented 
 to execute. 
 
 In the year 1794, and within a very few 
 months after this interview, as he had just 
 risen from entertaining a company of friends 
 in his house at Kinnaird, and while he was 
 
 turning round to conduct some of the ladies 
 from the drawing-room to their carriage, he 
 was suddenly attacked with an apoplectic 
 fit, and expired almost immediately. 
 
 It has been endeavoured to mark what- 
 ever was peculiar in the character of Bruce 
 in the particulars of his life. A robust con- 
 stitution of body, great energy and acute- 
 ness of mind, added to a Scotsman's spirit 
 of adventure, appear to have been among 
 his most distinguishing qualities at the time 
 he set out upon his African travels. It was 
 perhaps a schoolboy fancy that Caesar was 
 the greatest hero of antiquity, and that 
 whosoever should explore the sources of 
 the Nile would be greater than Caesar 
 which first inspired him with the passion 
 for his journey into Abyssinia. 
 
 During his long intercourse with barba- 
 rians and savages, it was exceedingly natural 
 that he should contract an arrogance, an 
 overweening notion of the superiority of his 
 own knowledge and personal qualities, and, 
 perhaps, also a tincture of the irascible 
 passions which might prove somewhat 
 offensive when he returned to the scenes of 
 polished life. His lofty disdain of those 
 who dared to throw out suspicions against 
 his veracity kept him for a number of 
 years in a sort of sullen retirement from all 
 but a select society of friends. 
 
 Among those friends, whenever he chose 
 to throw aside the bearskin, no man could 
 be more courteous and polite than he. In 
 his gallantry towards the female sex there 
 was a delicacy, a devotedness, an incessant 
 yet not troublesome officious vigilance of 
 attention, which could not but prove ex- 
 ceedingly flattering. To compare, on such 
 occasions, his courteous manners and ele- 
 gance of conversation with his tall, muscular, 
 athletic form, it might seem that the frame 
 of the Tyrrd of the philosophical novelist 
 was here animated by the spirit of his 
 Falkland. 
 
 He was very fortunate in the defenders 
 whom he found to protect his fame. To 
 be vindicated by such as Sir William Jones, 
 the Honourable Daines Barrington, and
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE OLD KINGS. 
 
 Buffon, one would almost wish to be ac- 
 cused by those by whom the veracity of 
 Bruce had been impeached. He was a 
 kind, nay doting, husband, a prudent 
 and affectionate father, and a friend who 
 knew how to attach his friends to himself. 
 In short, his mind was greatly above any- 
 thing like that falsehood of which he had 
 
 been accused j for the veracity of Psalmana- 
 zar was not more inviolably sacred, in his 
 old age, than that of Bruce seems to have 
 been at all times of his life. 
 
 That our readers may have an idea of 
 the appearance of this remarkable man, we 
 give his portrait at page 129. It is from 
 an authentic likeness. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE PLD KINGS. 
 
 S we have now given a full 
 account of Egypt both in 
 its ancient and modern state, 
 we shall proceed to make a 
 few remarks on the history 
 of that country. In order to bring our 
 readers to modern times, we shall pass over 
 the ancient period as speedily as possible, 
 only selecting for particular comment the 
 most interesting periods of her annals. 
 From the most remote antiquity, Egypt was 
 ruled by kings. We now append brief bio- 
 graphical notices of the most eminent. We 
 also give representations of four of these 
 taken from stone figures. The first whom 
 we shall note is Osymandus. He is known 
 to the modern reader by Shelley's magnifi- 
 cent sonnet beginning, " I met a traveller 
 from an antique land," and going or\ to 
 tell how in the desert there lay a huge stone 
 head "whose wrinkled lip and sneer of 
 cold command" still struck the beholder 
 with awe. Near was a pedestal with the 
 inscription, " My name is Osymandus, King 
 of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, 
 and despair." This king was very powerful. 
 Diodorus gives a very particular descrip- 
 tion of many magnificent edifices, raised by 
 this king, one of which was adorned with 
 sculptures and paintings of exquisite beauty, 
 representing his expedition against the 
 
 Bactrians, a people of Asia, whom he had 
 invaded with four hundred thousand foot, 
 and twenty thousand horse. In another 
 part of the edifice was exhibited an assembly 
 of judges, whose president wore on his 
 breast a picture of Truth, with her eyes 
 shut, and himself surrounded with books, 
 an emphatic emblem, denoting that judges 
 ought to be perfectly versed in the laws, and 
 impartial in the administration of them. 
 
 The king likewise was painted here, 
 offering to the gods gold and silver, which 
 he drew every year from the mines of Egypt, 
 amounting to a great sum. 
 
 Not far from hence was seen a magnifi- 
 cent library, the oldest which is mentioned 
 in history. Its title or inscription on the 
 front was, " The office or treasury for the 
 diseases of the soul." Near it were statues, 
 representing all the Egyptian gods, to each 
 of whom the king made suitable offerings, 
 by which he seemed to be desirous of in- 
 forming posterity that his life and reign 
 had been crowned with piety to the gods 
 and justice to men. 
 
 His mausoleum discovered an uncommon 
 magnificence; it was encompassed with a 
 circle of gold divided into parts, each of 
 which showed the rising and setting of the 
 sun, moon, and the rest of the planets : for 
 from this king's reign, the Egyptians divided
 
 136 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the year into twelve months, each consist- 
 ing of thirty days, to which they added 
 every year five days and six hours. The 
 spectator did not know which to admire 
 most in this stately monument, whether the 
 richness of its macenals, or the genius and 
 industry of the artists and workmen. 
 
 Long after his reign, Joseph was brought 
 a slave into Egypt by some Ishmaelitish 
 merchants, sold to Potiphar, and, by a 
 series of wonderful events, enjoyed the 
 supreme authority by his being raised to 
 the chief employment of the kingdom. 
 
 Jacob also went into Egypt with his whole 
 family, met with the kindest treatment from 
 the Egyptians, whilst Joseph's important 
 services were fresh in their memories. But 
 after his death, say the Scriptures, " there 
 arose up a new king, which knew not 
 Joseph." 
 
 Rameses-miamun, according to Arch- 
 bishop Ussher, was the name of the king 
 who is called Pharaoh in Scripture. He 
 reigned sixty-six years, and oppressed the 
 Israelites most grievously. He " set over 
 them taskmasters, to afflict them with their 
 burdens. And they built for Pharaoh trea- 
 sure-cities Pithom and Raamses. . . . 
 And the Egyptians made the children of 
 Israel to serve with rigour, and they made 
 their lives bitter with hard bondage, in 
 mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of 
 service in the field; all their service, where- 
 in they made them serve, was with rigour." 
 Amenophis, his eldest son, succeeded 
 him. He was the Pharaoh under whose 
 reign the Israelites departed out of Egypt, 
 and who was drowned ir* his passage 
 through the Red Sea. 
 
 Diodorus, speaking of the Red Sea, has 
 made one remark very worthy our obser- 
 vation ; a tradition (says that historian) has 
 been transmitted through the whole nation, 
 from father to son, for many ages, that once 
 an extraordinary ebb dried up the sea, so 
 that its bottom was seen ; and that a vio- 
 lent flow immediately after brought back 
 the waters to their former channel. It is 
 evident that the miraculous passage o 
 
 Moses over the Red Sea is here hinted at ; 
 and we make this remark purposely to ad- 
 monish young students not to slip over, in 
 their perusal of authors, these precious re- 
 mains of antiquity; especially when they 
 bear, like this passage, any relation to re- 
 ligion. 
 
 Sesostris was not only one of the most 
 powerful kings of Egypt, but one of the 
 greatest conquerors that antiquity has to 
 boast of. 
 
 His father, whether by inspiration, ca- 
 price, or, as the Egyptians say, by the 
 authority of an oracle, formed a design of 
 making his son a conqueror. This he set 
 about after the Egyptian manner ; that is, 
 in a great and noble way : all the male 
 children born the same day with Sesostris 
 were, by the king's order, brought to court. 
 Here they were educated as if they had 
 been his own children, with the same care 
 that was bestowed on Sesostris, with whom 
 they were lodged. He could not possibly 
 have given him more faithful ministers, or 
 officers who more zealously desired the 
 success of his arms. The chief part of 
 their education was, the inuring them, from 
 their infancy, to a hard and laborious life, 
 in order that they might one day be capable 
 of sustaining with ease the toils of war. 
 They were never suffered to eat till they 
 had run, on foot or horseback, a consider- 
 able race. Hunting was their most com- 
 mon exercise. 
 
 When Sesostris was more advanced in 
 years, his father sent him against the Ara- 
 bians, in order that, by fighting against 
 them, he might acquire the military science. 
 Here the young prince learned to bear 
 hunger and thirst, and subdued a nation 
 which till then had never been conquered. 
 The youth educated with him attended him 
 in all his campaigns. 
 
 Accustomed by this conquest to martial 
 toils, he was next sent by his father to try 
 his fortune westward. He invaded Libya, 
 and subdued the greatest part of that vast 
 continent. 
 
 In the time of this expedition, his father
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE OLD KINGS. 
 
 137 
 
 died, and left him capable of attempting 
 the greatest enterprises. He formed no 
 less a design than that of the conquest of 
 the world. But before he left his kingdom, 
 he had provided for his domestic security, 
 by winning the hearts of his subjects by 
 his generosity, justice, and a popular and 
 obliging behaviour. He was no less stu- 
 dious to gain the hearts of his officers and 
 soldiers, who were ever ready to shed the 
 last drop of their blood in his service, 
 persuaded that his enterprises would all be 
 unsuccessful, unless his army should be 
 attached to his person by all the ties of 
 esteem, affection, and interest. He divided 
 the country into thirty-six governments 
 
 (called Nomi), and bestowed them on per- 
 sons of merit and the most approved 
 fidelity. 
 
 In the meantime he made the requisite 
 preparations, levied forces, and headed 
 them with officers of the greatest bravery 
 and reputation, that were taken chiefly 
 from among the youths who had been 
 educated with him. He had seventeen 
 hundred of these officers, who all were 
 capable of inspiring his troops with resolu- 
 tion, a love of discipline, and a zeal for the 
 service of their prince. His army con- 
 sisted of six hundred thousand foot, and 
 twenty-four thousand horse, besides twenty- 
 seven thousand armed chariots. 
 
 OSYMANDUS. 
 
 RAMESES-MIAMUN. 
 
 SESOSTRIS. 
 
 PSAMMETICHUS. 
 
 He began his expedition by invading 
 Ethiopia, situated to the south of Egypt. 
 He made it tributary, and obliged the 
 nations of it to furnish him annually with a 
 certain quantity of ebony, ivory, and gold. 
 
 He had fitted out a fleet of four hundred 
 sail, and, ordering it to sail to the Red Sea, 
 made himself master of the isles and cities 
 lying on the coasts of that sea. He him- 
 self heading his land army, overran and 
 subdued Asia with amazing rapidity, and 
 pierced farther into India than Hercules, 
 Bacchus, and, in after times, Alexander 
 himself had ever done ; for he subdued the 
 countries beyond the Ganges, and advanced 
 as far as the ocean. One may judge from 
 
 hence how unable the more neighbouring 
 countries were to resist him. The Scythians, 
 as far as the river Tanais ; Armenia and 
 Cappadocia were conquered. He left a 
 colony in the ancient kingdom of Colchos, 
 situated to the east of the Black Sea, where 
 the Egyptian customs and manners have 
 been ever since retained. Herodotus saw 
 in Asia Minor, from one sea to the other, 
 monuments of his victories. In several 
 countries was read the following inscription 
 engraven on pillars, "Sesostris, King of 
 kings and Lord of lords, subdued this 
 country by the power of his arms." Such 
 pillars were found even in Thrace, and his 
 empire extended from the Ganges to the
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Danube. In his expeditions, some nations 
 bravely defended their liberties, and others 
 yielded them up without making the least 
 resistance. This disparity was denoted by 
 him in hieroglyphical figures on the monu- 
 ments erected to perpetuate the remem- 
 brance of his victories, agreeably to the 
 Egyptian practice. 
 
 The scarcity of provisions in Thrace 
 stopped the progress of his conquests, and 
 prevented his advancing farther in Europe. 
 One remarkable circumstance is observed 
 in this conqueror, who never once thought, 
 as others had done, of preserving his ac- 
 quisitions ; but, contenting himself with the 
 glory of having subdued and despoiled so 
 many nations, after having made wild havoc 
 up and down the world for nine years, he 
 confined himself almost within the ancient 
 limits of Egypt, a few neighbouring pro- 
 vinces excepted ; for we do not find any 
 traces or footsteps of this new empire, 
 either under himself or his successors. 
 
 He returned therefore laden with the 
 spoils of the vanquished nations ; dragging 
 after him a numberless multitude of 
 captives, and covered with greater glory 
 than his predecessors. He rewarded his 
 officers and soldiers with a truly royal 
 magnificence, proportionable to the quality 
 and merit of each. He made it both his 
 pleasure and duty to put the companions 
 of his victory in such a condition as might 
 enable them to enjoy, during the remainder 
 of their days, a calm and easy repose, the 
 just recompense of their toils. 
 
 With regard to himself, for ever careful 
 of his own reputation, and still more of 
 making his power advantageous to his 
 subjects, he employed the repose which 
 peace allowed him, in raising works that 
 might contribute more to the enriching of 
 Egypt, than the immortalizing his name ; 
 works, in which the art and industry of the 
 workman were more admired than the im- 
 mense sums which had been expended on 
 them. 
 
 An hundred famous temples, raised as 
 so many monuments of gratitude to the 
 
 tutelar gods of all the cities, were the first 
 as well as the most illustrious testimonies 
 he exhibited of his victories ; and he took 
 care to publish in the inscriptions of them 
 that these mighty works had been completed 
 without the assistance of any of his subjects. 
 He made it his glory to be tender of them, 
 and to employ only captives in these 
 monuments of his conquests. 
 
 His great work was the raising, in every 
 part of Egypt, a considerable number of 
 high banks or moles, on which new cities 
 were built, in order for them to be a security 
 for men and beasts, during the inundations 
 of the Nile. 
 
 From Memphis as far as the sea he cut 
 on both sides of the river a great number of 
 canals, for the conveniency of trade, and 
 the conveying of provisions ; and for the 
 settling an easy correspondence between 
 such cities as were most distant from one 
 another. Besides the advantages of traffic, 
 Egypt was, by these canals, made inacces- 
 sible to the cavalry of its enemies, which 
 before had so often harassed it by repeated 
 incursions. 
 
 He went farther : to secure Egypt from 
 the inroads of its nearer neighbours, the 
 Syrians and Arabians, he fortified all the 
 eastern coast from Pelusium to Heliopolis, 
 that is for upwards of seven leagues. 
 
 At length he died full of years and 
 honour. A multitude of obscure kings 
 succeeded, till finally, after great disputes, 
 twelve of the principal noblemen, conspir- 
 ing together, seized upon the kingdom, and 
 divided it into so many parts. It was 
 agreed by them that each should govern 
 his own district with equal power and 
 authority, and that no one should attempt 
 to invade or seize the dominions of another. 
 They thought it necessary to make this 
 agreement, and to bind it with the most 
 dreadful oaths, to elude the prediction of an 
 oracle, which had foretold that he among 
 them who should offer his libation to 
 Vulcan out of a brazen bowl should gain 
 the sovereignty of Egypt. They reigned 
 I together fifteen years in the utmost
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE OLD KINGS. 
 
 139 
 
 harmony : and to leave a famous monu- 
 ment of their concord to posterity, they 
 jointly, and at a common expense, built the 
 famous labyrinth, which was a pile of 
 building consisting of twelve large palaces, 
 with as many edifices underground as 
 appeared above it 
 
 One day, as the twelve kings were assist- 
 ing at a solemn and periodical sacrifice, 
 offered in the temple of Vulcan, the priests, 
 having presented each of them a golden 
 bowl for the libation, one was wanting; 
 when Psammetichus, one of the twelve, 
 without any design, supplied the want of 
 this bowl with his brazen helmet (for each 
 wore one) and with it performed the cere- 
 mony of the libation. This accident struck 
 the rest of the kings, and recalled to their 
 memories the prediction of the oracle above 
 mentioned. They thought it therefore 
 necessary to secure themselves from his 
 attempts, and therefore, with one consent, 
 banished him into the fenny parts of Egypt. 
 
 After Psammetichus had passed some 
 years in them, waiting a favourable oppor- 
 tunity to revenge himself for the affront 
 which had been put upon him, a courier 
 brought him advice that brazen men were 
 landed in Egypt. These were Grecian 
 soldiers, Carians, and lonians, who had 
 been cast upon Egypt by a storm, and were 
 completely covered with helmets, cuirasses, 
 and other arms of brass. Psammetichus 
 immediately called to mind the oracle, 
 which had answered him, that he should be 
 succoured by brazen men from the seaward. 
 He did not doubt but that the prediction 
 was now fulfilled. He therefore made a 
 league with these strangers, engaged them 
 with mighty promises to stay with him, 
 privately levied other forces, put these 
 Greeks at their head ; when, giving battle to 
 the eleven kings, he defeated them, and 
 remained sole possessor of Egypt, which he 
 ruled ably. 
 
 As this prince owed his preservation to 
 the lonians and Carians, he settled them in 
 Egypt (from which all foreigners hitherto 
 had been very rigorously excluded) ; and, 
 
 by assigning them sufficient lands and 
 fixed revenues, he made them obliterate the 
 remembrance of their native country. By 
 his order, Egyptian children were put under 
 their care to learn the Greek tongue ; and 
 on this occasion, and by this means, the 
 Egyptians began to have a correspondence 
 with the Greeks; and from that era, the 
 Egyptian history, which till then had been 
 intermixed with pompous fables, by the 
 artifice of the priests, begins, according to 
 Herodotus, to exhibit greater truth and 
 certainty. 
 
 As soon as Psammetichus was settled on 
 the throne, he engaged in war against the 
 king of Assyria, on account of the limits of 
 the two empires. This war was of long 
 continuance. Ever since that Syria had 
 been conquered by the Assyrians, Pales- 
 tine, being the only country that separated 
 the two kingdoms, was the subject of con- 
 tinual discord, as afterwards between the 
 Ptolemies and the Seleucidas. They were 
 eternally contending for it, and it wa 
 alternately won by the stronger. Psam- 
 metichus, seeing himself the peaceable 
 possessor of all Egypt, and having restored 
 the ancient form of government,* thought 
 it high time for him to look to his frontiers, 
 and to secure them against the Assyrian, 
 his neighbour, whose power increased 
 daily. For this purpose he entered 
 Palestine at the head of an army. 
 
 Till his reign, the Egyptians had ima- 
 gined themselves to be the most ancient 
 nation upon earth. Psammetichus was 
 desirous to prove this himself, and he 
 employed a very extraordinary experiment 
 for this purpose. He commanded (if we 
 may credit the relation), two children, 
 newly born of poor parents, to be brought 
 up (in the country) in a hovel, that was to 
 be kept continually shut. They were com- 
 mitted to the care of a shepherd (others 
 say, of nurses, whose tongues were cut out) 
 who was to feed them with the milk of 
 
 This revolution happened about seven years 
 after the captivity of Manasseh, king of Judah.
 
 140 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 goats; who was commanded not to suffer 
 any person to enter into this hut, nor him- 
 self to speak even a single word in the 
 hearing of these children. At the expira- 
 tion of two years, as the shepherd was one 
 day coming into the hut, to feed these 
 children, they both cried out, with hands 
 extended towards their foster-father, bekkos, 
 bfkkos. The shepherd, surprised to hear a 
 language that was quite new to him, but 
 which they repeated frequently afterwards, 
 sent advice of this to the king, who ordered 
 the children to be brought before him, in 
 order that he himself might be witness to 
 the truth of what was told him ; and accord- 
 ingly both of them began in his presence, 
 to stammer out the sounds above mentioned. 
 Nothing now was wanting but to inquire 
 what nation it was that used this word ; and 
 it was found that the Phrygians called bread 
 by this name. From this time they were 
 allowed the honour of antiquity, or rather 
 of priority, which the Egyptians themselves, 
 notwithstanding their jealousy of it, and the 
 many ages they had possessed this glory, 
 were obliged to resign to them. As goats 
 were brought to these children, in order 
 that they might feed upon their milk, and 
 historians do not say that they were deaf, 
 some are of opinion that they might have 
 learnt the word bek, or bekkos, by mimick- 
 ing the cry of those creatures. 
 
 A near successor of this king attempted 
 to join the Nile to the Red Sea, by cutting 
 a canal from the one to the other. They 
 are separated by a considerable distance. 
 After an hundred and twenty thousand 
 workmen had lost their lives]m_this attempt, 
 he was obliged to desist ; the oracle which 
 had been consulted by him having answered 
 that this new canal would open a passage to 
 the Barbarians (for so the Egyptians called 
 another nations) to invade Egypt 
 
 Soon after, Amasis became peaceable 
 possessor of Egypt, and reigned forty years 
 over it. He was, according to Plato, a 
 native of the city of Sais. 
 
 As he was but of mean extraction, he 
 met with no respect, but was only con- 
 
 temned by his subjects, in the beginning of 
 his reign. He was not insensible of this ; 
 but nevertheless thought it his interest to 
 subdue their tempers by an artful carriage, 
 and win their affection by gentleness and 
 reason. He had a golden cistern, in which 
 himself, and those persons who were ad- 
 mitted to his table, used to wash their feet 
 He melted it down, and had it cast into a 
 statue, and then exposed the new god to 
 public worship. The people now hasted in 
 crowds, and paid their adoration to the 
 statue. The king, having assembled the 
 people, informed them of the vile uses to 
 which this statue had once been put, which 
 nevertheless had now their religious prostra- 
 tions. The application was easy, and had 
 the desired success ; the people thencefor- 
 ward paid the king all the respect that is 
 due to majesty. 
 
 He always used to devote the whole 
 mornings to public affairs, in order to re- 
 ceive petitions, give audience, pronounce 
 sentence, and hold his councils. The rest 
 of the day was given to pleasure ; and as 
 Amasis, in hours of diversion, was ex- 
 tremely gay, and seemed to carry his mirth 
 beyond proper bounds, his courtiers took 
 the liberty to represent to him the unsuit- 
 ableness of such a behaviour, when he 
 answered that it was as impossible for the 
 mind to be always serious and intent upon 
 business, as for a bow to continue always 
 bent. 
 
 It was this king who obliged the inhabi- 
 tants of every town to enter their names in 
 a book kept by the officer of public order. 
 Continental nations of the present day do 
 exactly the same. Thus there is nothing 
 new under the sun. 
 
 Shortly after his reign, Cambyses, the 
 famous conqueror of antiquity, quite sub- 
 dued Egypt. 
 
 After the death of Alexander, a new 
 monarchy arose in that country. This 
 monarchy was founded by Ptolemy, the son 
 of Lagus. It continued to Cleopatra that 
 is, for about three hundred years. Here we 
 shall, for the present, leave this subject.
 
 GORDON IN THE SOUDAN. 
 
 141 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 GORDON GOVERNOR~PENERAL OF THE EQUATORIAL PROVINCES. 
 
 E now resume our narrative 
 of the life of Gordon, and 
 proceed to describe how he 
 acted as Governor-General 
 of the Equatorial Provinces, 
 to which post, as we have already noted, 
 he was appointed in 1874. The instruc- 
 tions given him by the Khedive (according 
 to Mr. Birkbeck Hill's summary) were as 
 follows : " The province which Colonel 
 Gordon has undertaken to organize and to 
 govern is but little known. Up to the last 
 few years it had been in the hands of 
 adventurers, who had thought of nothing 
 but their own lawless gains ; and who had 
 traded in ivory and in slaves. They es- 
 tablished factories, and governed them with 
 armed men. The neighbouring tribes were 
 forced to traffic with them whether they 
 liked it or not. The Egyptian Govern- 
 ment, in the hope of putting an end to this 
 inhuman trade, had taken the factories into 
 their own hands, paying the owners an in- 
 demnification. Some of these men had 
 nevertheless been still allowed to carry on 
 trade in the district, under a promise that 
 they would not deal in slaves. They had 
 been placed under the control of the 
 Governor of the Soudan. His authority, 
 however, had scarcely been able to make 
 itself felt in these remote countries. The 
 Khedive therefore had resolved to form 
 them into a separate Government, and to 
 claim as a monopoly of the State the whole 
 of the trade with the outside world. There 
 was no other way of putting an end to the 
 slave-trade, which at present was carried on 
 in defiance of law. Once the brigandage 
 had been stamped out, trade might become 
 free to all." 
 
 Now these instructions were all very well, 
 but Gordon was not so sure that real work 
 
 was meant. He thought the whole affair 
 was a sham to catch the attention of the 
 English people. He himself had nothing 
 to complain of. He was offered ,10,000, 
 but he would only take ,2,000. A great 
 retinue was assigned to him, but this he 
 got rid of as soon as possible. 
 
 He pushed southward, going 280 miles 
 in nine days on camel-back. Then he 
 arrived at Khartoum, where he was re- 
 ceived with the greatest respect. He only 
 stayed a few days here, and then proceeded 
 on his voyage up the Nile. After twenty- 
 three days' travel he reached Gondokoro, 
 which for some time became his head- 
 quarters. From this place he " darted " (if 
 we may use the word) about in all direc- 
 tions, and seized and punished the slave- 
 dealers, till his name became a terror to 
 them throughout the length and breadth of 
 the land. He thought that the terrible evil 
 of slavery was that it kept the country in 
 continual war ; yet he recognised that 
 something might be said in that barbarous 
 land for domestic slavery, which, after all, 
 is but a kind of domestic service. "I 
 think that the slavers' wars, made for the 
 purpose of taking slaves, are detestable ; 
 but if a father or mother of their own free- 
 will, and with the will of the child, sells 
 that child, I do not see the objection to it. 
 It was and is the wholesale depopulation of 
 districts which makes slavery such a curse, 
 and the numbers killed or who perish in 
 the collection of slaves." He also con- 
 fessed that their lot was not quite miserable. 
 " I declare, I think there is more happiness 
 among those miserable blacks, who have 
 not a meal from day to day, than among 
 our own middle classes. The blacks are 
 glad of a little handful of maize, and live 
 in the greatest discomfort. They have not
 
 14 = 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 a strip to cover them, but you do not see 
 them grunting and groaning all day long, as 
 you see scores and scores in England, with 
 their wretched dinner-parties and attempts 
 at gaiety, where all is hollow and miser- 
 able." Still there was always terrible 
 misery about him, but this he strove hard 
 to alleviate. There is a case which he 
 himself describes with " smiles and 
 tears " : 
 
 " I took a poor old bag-of-bones into my 
 camp a month ago, and have been feeding 
 her up ; but yesterday she was quietly taken 
 off, and now knows all things. She had her 
 tobacco up to the last, and died quietly. 
 What a change from her misery! I sup- 
 pose she filled her place in life as well as 
 Queen Elizabeth. ... A wretched sister 
 of yours is struggling up the road, but she 
 is such a wisp of bones that the wind 
 threatens to overthrow her; so she has 
 halted, preferring the rain to being cast 
 down. I verily believe she could never get 
 up again. I have sent her some dhurra, 
 which will produce a spark of joy in her 
 black and withered carcass. She has not 
 even a cotton gown on, and I do not think 
 her apparel would be worth one-fiftieth part 
 of a penny. 
 
 August 4. I am bound to give you the 
 sequel of the lady whom I helped yesterday 
 in the gale of wind. I had told my man to 
 see her into one of the huts, and thought 
 he had done so. The night was stormy and 
 rainy, and when I awoke I heard often a 
 crying of a child near my hut, within the 
 enclosure. When I got up I went out to 
 see what it was, and, passing through the 
 gateway, I saw your and my sister lying 
 dead in a pool of mud ; her black brothers 
 had been passing and passing, and had 
 taken no notice of her. So I went and 
 ordered her to be buried, and went on. In 
 the midst of the high grass was a baby about 
 a year or so old, left by itself. It had been 
 out all night in the rain, and had been left by 
 its mother children are always a nuisance ! 
 I carried it in, and seeing the corpse was 
 not moved, I sent again about it, and went 
 
 | with the men to have it buried. To my 
 surprise and astonishment, she was alive. 
 After some considerable trouble, I per- 
 suaded the black brothers to lift her out of 
 the mud, poured some brandy down her 
 throat, and got her into a hut with a fire, 
 having the mud washed out of her sightless 
 eyes. She was not more than sixteen years 
 of age. There she now lies ; I cannot help 
 hoping she is floating down with the tide to 
 her haven of rest. The babe is taken care 
 of by another family for a certain consider- 
 ation of maize per diem. I dare say you 
 will see in fact, I feel sure you will see 
 your black sister some day, and she will tell 
 you about it, and how Infinite Wisdom 
 directed the whole affair. I know this is 
 a tough morsel to believe, but it is true. I 
 prefer life amidst sorrows, if those sorrows 
 are inevitable, to a life spent in inaction. 
 Turn where you will, there are sorrows and 
 troubles. Many a rich person is as unhappy 
 and miserable as this ray of mortality, and 
 to them you can minister. ' This mustard 
 is very badly made,' was the remark of one 
 of my staff some time ago, when some of 
 our brothers were stalking about showing 
 every bone in their poor bodies. 
 
 August 5. The Rag is still alive. The 
 babe, who is not a year old, seized a gourd 
 of milk and drank it off like a man last 
 night, and is apparently in for the pilgrim- 
 age of life. It does not seem the worse for 
 its night out depraved little wretch. 
 
 August 5. Just a line. Your black 
 sister departed this life at four p.m., deeply 
 lamented by me." 
 
 And so our hero laboured on. 
 
 Gordon's accuteness in detecting the 
 tricks played on him seemed somewhat 
 supernatural to his ignorant opponents. 
 
 A boat would float quietly past. Ap- 
 parently it was loaded with wood and ivory, 
 but Gordon thought its crew seemed terribly 
 anxious to get past his post of observation. 
 He stops the boat and causes an examina- 
 tion to be made. The cargo is a mere blind ! 
 The whole boat is packed with slaves, with 
 a certain number of elephants' tusks and a
 
 GORDON RESULTS OF HIS RULE. 
 
 143 
 
 few planks of wood to keep up appearances. 
 Of course the boat and all it contains is at 
 once confiscated. 
 
 Gordon had great difficulties with his 
 subordinates. One of these, Abou Saoud, 
 whom he had treated very kindly, was found 
 to be behaving ill. Gordon dismissed him j 
 with these words : " Abou ! when I took 
 you up at Cairo, there was not an Arab or 
 a foreigner who would have thought of em- 
 ploying you, but I trusted to your protesta- 
 tions and did so. When I got to Gondokoro 
 you were behaving properly, and I con- 
 gratulated myself on your appointment to 
 the high post I gave you. Soon, however, 
 I came little by little to repent my action, 
 and to find out that my fair treatment was 
 thrown away. You deceived me. To 
 come to more personal matters, you strangely 
 forgot our relative positions ; you have 
 forced your way into my private apartment 
 at all times, have disputed my orders in my 
 presence, and treated all my other officers 
 with arrogance, showing that you are an 
 ambitious grasping man, and unworthy of 
 the authority I gave you. If you do this 
 under my eyes, and at the beginning of 
 your work, what will you do when you are 
 away from me ? Now, hear my decision ! 
 Your appointment is cancelled, and you 
 will return to Gondokoro and wait my 
 orders. Remember, though I remove you 
 from your office, you are still a Government 
 officer, subject to its laws, which I will not 
 hesitate to put in force against you if I find 
 you intriguing." 
 
 Thus it will be seen that Gordon, though 
 
 tender-hearted to women and children, 
 could be severe enough to rascals. His 
 most efficient lieutenant through it all was 
 Romulus Gessi, an Italian, who served him 
 faithfully, and whom he came to trust im- 
 plicitly. But help or no help, on he worked. 
 He penetrated far up to the very sources of 
 the Nile, and surveyed the neighbouring 
 region. Then he returned to Cairo and 
 resigned his commission. Mr. Archibald 
 Forbes thus sums up what he did during 
 the eighteen months of his administration : 
 " He had mapped the White Nile from 
 Khartoum to within a short distance of 
 the Victoria Nyanza. He had given to the 
 slave-trade on the White Nile a deadly 
 blow. He had restored confidence and 
 peace among the tribes of the Nile Valley, 
 so that they now freely brought into the 
 stations their beef, corn, and ivory for sale. 
 He had opened up the water communica- 
 tion between Gondokoro and the Lakes. 
 He had established satisfactory relations 
 with King M'tesa. He had formed Govern- 
 ment districts, and established secure posts 
 with safe communication between them. He 
 had contributed a revenue to the Khedivial 
 exchequer, and this without oppression. 
 The Taiping Rebellion established Gor- 
 don's genius as a military commander ; the 
 Equatorial Provinces, when he left them, 
 testified not less to his genius as a philan- 
 thropic and practical administrator." 
 
 He got back to England on the Christ- 
 mas Eve of 1876. But he was not allowed 
 to remain long there, as we shall find in the 
 next chapter.
 
 '44 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 GORDON ADMINISTRATION OP THE ^SOUDAN. 
 
 ARLY in 1877, Gordon was 
 summoned to Cairo, where 
 he had an interview with 
 the Khedive. Ismail Pasha- 
 Yacoub, who while at 
 Khartoum had really governed in the 
 
 interests of the slave-dealers, was now 
 removed and Gordon put in his place. 
 " Setting a just value," wrote the Khedive 
 to the latter on February i7th, 1877, "on 
 your honourable character, on your zeal, 
 and on the great services you have already 
 
 GORDON TRAVELLING IN THE SOUDAN. 
 
 done me, I have resolved to bring the 
 Soudan, Darfour, and the provinces of the 
 Equator into one vast province, and place 
 it under you as Governor-General." 
 
 Gordon thus told the matter : " I had an 
 interview with the Khedive. He looked at 
 me reproachfully, and my conscience smote 
 me. . . . Then I began and told him 
 all ; and then he gave me the Soudan, and 
 I leave on Saturday. I am very glad to 
 get away, for I am very weary. I go up 
 alone with an infinite Almighty God to 
 direct and guide me, and am glad to so 
 
 trust Him as to fear nothing and to feel 
 sure of success." 
 
 Gordon was not a man to let the grass 
 grow under his feet. On the 26th of Feb- 
 ruary he had reached Massowah. Before 
 he could take possession of his government 
 at Khartoum, he was obliged to settle a 
 dispute in Abyssinia, between Johannis, 
 the king of that country, and Walad el 
 Michael, a successful rebel. The dispute 
 threatened to stir up a war in the Egyptian 
 territory, but Gordon gave Walad a govern- 
 ment in his own territory, and thus quieted
 
 GORDON. 
 
 '45 
 
 the affair. Gordon, in a sort of parable, 
 thus describes the matter : 
 
 "There were two courses open to me 
 with respect to this Abyssinian question : 
 
 the one to negotiate peace with Johannis 
 and ignore Walad el Michael, and if after- 
 wards Walad turned rusty, to arrange with 
 Johannis to come in and catch him. This 
 
 certainly would have been easiest for me. 
 Johannis would have been delighted, and 
 we would be rid of Walad ; but it would 
 first of all be very poor encouragement to 
 
 any future secessions, and would debase 
 Egyptian repute. The process of turning 
 in the polecat Johannis to work out the 
 weasel (Walad) would play havoc with the
 
 i 4 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 farmyard (the country) in which the opera- 
 tion was carried on ; and it might be that 
 the polecat Johannis having caught the 
 weasel Walad, might choose to turn on the 
 hens (which we are), and killing us, stay in 
 the farmyard. For, to tell the truth, we, 
 the hens, stole the farmyard, this country, 
 from the polecats when they were fighting 
 among themselves, and before they knew 
 we were hens. The other course open to 
 me was to give Walad a government sep- 
 arated from Johannis, which I have done, 
 and I think that was the best course; it 
 was no doubt the most honest course, and 
 though in consequence we are like a fat nut 
 between the nutcrackers, it will, I hope, 
 turn out well." 
 
 He then moved on to Khartoum, where 
 he made his declaration of policy in a few 
 brief words. 
 
 With the help of God I will hold the 
 balance level," he said. This was received 
 with great joy by the poor people. 
 
 Difficulties were all around him, some of 
 them rather ludicrous, but still troublesome. 
 The palace he found had all its windows 
 one hundred and thirty in number broken ; 
 and the luxuriant divans that adorned the 
 state rooms were all hacked and cut ! How 
 was this ? It seemed that the sister of the 
 late governor had taken this remarkable 
 method of showing her disgust at the 
 appointment of Gordon. 
 
 Gordon smiled, ordered the necessary 
 repairs to be executed, and proceeded with 
 the work of reform. 
 
 He placed a box in the palace door to 
 receive complaints. It was soon full to 
 overflowing, and as it was emptied and 
 examined it soon began to fill again. The 
 people found their new governor was ready 
 to listen to them, and they took full advan- 
 tage of his kindness. Before they found 
 him incorruptible they brought him ' back- 
 sheesh.' He took it all and placed it in 
 the public treasury ! 
 
 And so on he went with his task. 
 "A stupendous task, this," writes Mr. 
 Hake, " to give peace to a country quick 
 
 with war; to suppress slavery among a 
 people to whom the trade in human flesh 
 was life and fortune ; to make an army out 
 of perhaps the worst material ever seen ; to 
 grow a flourishing trade and a fair revenue 
 on the wildest anarchy in the world. The 
 immensity of the undertaking; the infinity 
 of details involved in a single step toward 
 the end ; the countless odds to be faced ; 
 the many pests, the deadly climate, the 
 horrible vermin, the ghastly itch, the nightly 
 and daily alternations of overpowering heat 
 and bitter cold to be endured and over- 
 come ; the environment of bestial savagery 
 and ruthless fanaticism all these combine 
 to make the achievement unique in human 
 history." 
 
 As our space does not permit us to go 
 with full detail into his actions, we shall take 
 a selection from them, by which the reader 
 will be able to have before him a very vivid 
 idea of how he proceeded. We shall give 
 his adventures in his own words as ex- 
 hibited in his letters carefully edited by 
 Mr. Birkbeck Hill. 
 
 Gordon had to make many journeys in 
 the desert. Here is how he talks of such : 
 "These interminable deserts and arid 
 mountains fill the heart with far different 
 thoughts than civilized lands can do. It 
 was for this that the Israelites were led 
 through them. You must not imagine the 
 desert as a flat, sandy country : the features 
 of the ground are what they are in other 
 countries. There are scrubby trees and 
 stubbly grasses, but no water, though there 
 are water-courses. Water these lands and 
 they would blossom as the rose. I would 
 infinitely sooner travel alone in these 
 countries than with a companion. Of 
 course I never can converse with the 
 Arabs; so on one goes stalking along the 
 camel's cushioned foot makes no noise, and 
 you learn yourself." 
 
 He had many wonderful adventures, but 
 none more wonderful than this : when 
 near Dara, he received information that 
 some thousands of adherents of the slave- 
 holding rebels were encamped near under
 
 GORDON INTERVIEW WITH JOHANNIS. 
 
 command of the son of Zebehr, afterwards 
 so notorious. This, he tells us, is what 
 he did : 
 
 " At dawn I got up, and putting on the 
 golden armour the Khedive gave me, 
 ..... rode out to the camp of the 
 robbers three miles off. I was met 
 by the son of Zebehr a nice-looking lad of 
 twenty-two years and rode through the 
 robber band. There were about 3,000 of 
 them, men and boys. I rode to the tent 
 in the camp ; the whole body of chiefs were 
 dumfounded at my coming among them. 
 After a glass of water, I told the son of 
 Zebehr to come with his family to my 
 divan. They all came, and sitting there in 
 a circle, I gave them in choice Arabic my 
 ideas. That they meditated revolt ; that I 
 knew it, and that now they should have my 
 ultimatum, viz., that I would disarm them 
 and break them up. They listened in 
 silence, and then went off to consider what 
 I had said. They have just now sent me 
 a letter stating their submission, and I 
 thank God for it. ... Maduppa Bey 
 has come here and says, when the son of 
 Zebehr got home, he lay down and said not 
 a word, and that the Arabs say I have 
 poisoned him with coffee." And so actually 
 a whole army quietly submitted to one 
 man. 
 
 Towards the end of his sojourn at this 
 time in the Soudan he again went to 
 Abyssinia, and entered into negotiations 
 with Johannis about Egyptian business. He 
 is taken prisoner by the Abyssinians, and 
 this is, according to one authority, an 
 account of the interview between Gordon 
 and Johannis, or John, as he is often called. 
 
 " When Gordon Pasha was lately taken 
 prisoner by the Abyssinians he completely 
 checkmated King John. The king received 
 his prisoner sitting on his throne, or what- 
 ever piece of furniture did duty for that 
 exalted seat, a chair being placed for the 
 prisoner considerably lower than the seat 
 on which the king sat. The first thing the 
 Pasha did was to seize this chair, place it 
 alongside that of his Majesty, and sit down 
 
 on it ; the next, to inform him that he met 
 him as an equal, and would only treat him 
 as such. This somewhat disconcerted his 
 sable majesty; but on recovering himself 
 he said, ' Do you know, Gordon Pasha, 
 that I could kill you on the spot if I liked ? ' 
 ' I am perfectly well aware of it, your 
 Majesty,' said the Pasha. ' Do so at once, 
 if it is your royal pleasure ; I am ready.' 
 This disconcerted the king still more, and 
 he exclaimed, ' What ! ready to be killed ! ' 
 ' Certainly,' replied the Pasha ; ' I am 
 always ready to die ; and so far from fearing 
 your putting me to death, you would confer 
 a favour on me by so doing, for you would 
 be doing for me that which I am precluded 
 by my religious scruples from doing for 
 myself you would relieve me from all the 
 troubles and misfortunes which the future 
 may have in store for me.' This completely 
 staggered King John, who gasped out in 
 despair, ' Then my power has no terrors for 
 you ? ' ' None whatever,' was the Pasha's 
 laconic reply. His Majesty, it is needless 
 to add, instantly collapsed." 
 
 But at length rest was absolutely needed. 
 All seemed against Gordon. Tewfik, wha 
 had succeeded Ismail as Khedive, gave 
 him but lukewarm support ; nearly all the 
 officers in the Soudan were hostile; and 
 the powerful slave-dealers were of course 
 bitterly opposed to him ; so that at the end 
 of 1879 he resigned and returned home. 
 
 "It was none too soon," writes Mr. 
 Birkbeck Hill, "that Colonel Gordon 
 brought his work to an end and came 
 home. Even his iron frame and unconquer- 
 able will must soon have given way under 
 the vast strain that had been so long upon, 
 him. He had indeed ruled the great 
 country over which he had been set. On 
 his shoulders each man's burden lay, and 
 such a burden had brought, as it ever must, 
 dangers, troubles, cares, and sleepless 
 nights. He had been ill very ill, as some 
 of his letters show when he set out on his 
 mission to Abyssinia. The hard usage 
 which he had undergone, and the risks he 
 had run in that kingdom, had still more
 
 148 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 tried his health. On his return to Alex- 
 andria, he was examined by Dr. Mackie, 
 the surgeon to the British Consulate, who 
 certified that he was 'suffering from 
 symptoms of nervous exhaustion, and 
 alteration of the blood, giving rise to 
 haemorrhagic (purpuric) spots on the skin, 
 or cicatrices of former sores or wounds. I 
 have recommended him,' added Dr. 
 Mackie, 'to retire for several months for 
 complete rest and quiet, and that he may 
 be able to enjoy fresh and wholesome food, 
 as I consider that much of what he is 
 
 suffering from is the effect of continued 
 bodily fatigue, anxiety, and indigestible 
 food. I have insisted on his abstaining 
 from all exciting work especially such as 
 implies business or political excitement" 
 
 Very good sound advice, no doubt ; and 
 Gordon actually meant to follow it. He 
 really intended to take it easy, to have 
 what the Americans call a " good time " of 
 it How much rest he had will be seen in 
 the chapters that we, when we again take 
 up the subject, devote to the record of his 
 exploits. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 SIR RALPH ABERCR.OMBY jiis JIARLY CERVICES. 
 
 ORACE, in a well known 
 passage, tells us that there 
 were famous warriors before 
 Agamemnon ; and we ought 
 to remember that before the 
 exploits of Stewart, Burnaby, Wolseley, and 
 Gordon, men like Abercromby, Moore, and 
 Sidney Smith had already shown, by their 
 opposition to Napoleon in his Egyptian 
 Expedition, of what sort of material the 
 British race is made. We shall enrich our 
 gallery of Egyptian portraits with chosen 
 biographies of these heroes. First let us 
 call the reader's attention to the exploits of 
 Abercromby. 
 
 Among the distinguished heroes who 
 have contributed to elevate the glory of 
 the British arms in the Egyptian wars, the 
 actions of Abercromby will be dwelt upon 
 with peculiar animation by the historian, 
 and will be regarded with pride, admira- 
 tion, and sympathy, by the reader. 
 
 The family of Abercromby is very ancient 
 and distinguished in North Britain,and pos- 
 sessed of an estate bearing the same name. 
 The father of Sir Ralph had a numerous 
 
 family, and according to the custom of that 
 country which gave him birth, the sons were 
 destined for active employments. Thus we 
 find one of the brothers of Sir Ralph 
 brought up to the law, another to maritime 
 pursuits, and two more to a military life. 
 The third brother of the General was killed 
 in America, in the hard-contested battle of 
 Bunker's-hill. He was at that time a lieu- 
 tenant-colonel in the 22nd Regiment of Foot. 
 Indeed, each of the brothers in his peculiar 
 profession was engaged in supporting the 
 State, in some one of its departments or 
 dominions. 
 
 The first commission borne by Sir Ralph 
 was as cornet of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, 
 into which he entered on the 23rd May, 
 1756. He obtained a lieutenancy in the 
 same regiment on the igth February, 1760 ; 
 and continued in this corps till the 24th 
 April, 1762, when he obtained a company 
 in the 3rd Regiment of Horse. In this 
 regiment he rose to the rank of major and 
 lieutenant-colonel ; to the former on the 
 6th June, 1770, and to the latter the igth 
 May, 1773. In November, 1780, he was
 
 SIX RALPH ABERCROMBYHIS EARLY SERVICES. 
 
 149 
 
 included in the list of brevet colonels ; and 
 on the 3rd of the same month, next year, 
 was made colonel of the 1 03rd, or King's 
 Irish Infantry, a new raised regiment, but 
 which being reduced at the peace in 1783, 
 the colonel was placed on half-pay. On the 
 28th September, 1787, he was promoted to 
 the rank of major-general, and on the i7th 
 September, 1790, he obtained the com- 
 mand of the 6gth Regiment of Foot, from 
 which in April, 1792, he was removed to 
 an older corps, viz. the 6th, from which he 
 was again removed, the 5th November, 
 X 795> to the 7th Regiment of Dragoons. 
 
 Sir Ralph was employed on the continent 
 soon after the French war broke out. On 
 the 25th of April, 1793, he had the local 
 rank of lieutenant-general conferred on him ; 
 and, although the ultimate issue of those 
 two campaigns afforded but a small portion 
 of glory for the most meritorious officers to 
 emblazon their military escutcheons with, 
 yet Sir Ralph was entitled to a full share. 
 He enjoyed on all occasions not only the 
 esteem, but the confidence, of the Duke of 
 York. 
 
 He commanded the advanced guard in 
 the action on the heights of Cateau, April 
 1 6th, 1794. The Duke of York, in his 
 despatches relative to this affair, makes the 
 following commendatory representation of 
 his conduct : " I have particular obligations 
 to Lieutenant-General Sir William Erskine, 
 as well as to Major-General Abercromby." 
 His Royal Highness further adds, in his 
 despatches of the igth of May: "The 
 abilities and coolness with which Lieuten- 
 ant-General Abercromby and Major-General 
 Fox conducted their different corps, under 
 these trying circumstances, require that I 
 should particularly notice them." The 
 Lieutenant-General was wounded at Nime- 
 guen, the 27th of October following. 
 
 No part of the service of this able officer 
 had ever been so painful to him, or called 
 so forcibly upon his humanity and exertion, 
 as the duty he performed when the army 
 retreated from Holland, in the winter of 
 1794. The Guards, as well as all the sick, 
 
 were left under his conduct and care, after 
 Lieutenant-General Harcourt had gone into 
 cantonments behind the Ems. His sensi- 
 bility was as conspicuous as his judgment 
 in the disastrous march from Deventer to 
 Oldensaal, at which last place his corps 
 arrived on the 3oth and 3ist of January, 
 J 795- This was the first time in the 
 General's life when his talents could not 
 keep pace with circumstances ; but the 
 incessant harassing of a victorious enemy 
 on the one hand ; bad roads, and the incle- 
 mency of the weather on the other, added 
 to the difficulty of procuring shelter for the 
 men, was sufficient to depress the spirits of 
 the bravest, and leave the most sagacious 
 mind without resources. 
 
 The affairs in the West Indies, as left by 
 Sir Charles Grey, had exhibited a less pleas- 
 ing aspect since that commander's return 
 to England. The French, after their suc- 
 cesses nearer home, had made very con- 
 siderable, and even unexpected exertions to 
 recover their losses abroad. This object 
 they attained to a certain degree ; they 
 repossessed themselves of Guadeloupe and 
 St. Lucia, made good a landing at more 
 than one place on the island of Martinico, 
 and effected partial descents and hoisted 
 the tri-coloured flag on several forts in the 
 island of St. Vincent's, Grenada, and Maria- 
 Galante. They possessed themselves of 
 immense booty from the property of the 
 rich emigrants on the several islands, but 
 especially on that of Guadeloupe. On this 
 last only, according to the report made by 
 Fermond to the Committee of Public Safety, 
 the value was estimated at the enormous 
 sum of i, 800 million pounds sterling. 
 
 To stop the ravages thus committing on 
 the British allies, for such the French emi- 
 grants were then considered, and to check 
 the depredations on our own colonies, a fleet 
 was fitted out in the autumn of 1795, to 
 convey a military force to the West Indies, 
 sufficient to answer the necessity of the 
 case. To General Sir Ralph Abercromby 
 was given the charge of the troops, and he 
 was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 forces in the West Indies. He accordingly 
 repaired to Southampton on the 3oth of 
 August, 1795, an d took charge of the re- 
 mainder of the British troops that had been 
 under the command of the Earl of Moria. 
 Sir Ralph was unfortunately detained in 
 that district so long beyond the expected 
 period of his departure, that after the troops 
 had assembled, and were embarked, the 
 equinox set in, and several transports were 
 lost in endeavouring to clear the Channel. 
 Notwithstanding these disasters, and in spite 
 of the lateness of the season, every exertion 
 was made, and the General, with his staff, 
 etc., made the best of their way to the West 
 Indies. 
 
 On his arrival, no time was lost in form- 
 ing a plan for the operations of the army, 
 and as soon as the season permitted, the 
 troops moved in every quarter. On the 
 24th of March, a detachment suddenly 
 attacked and obtained possession of the 
 island of Grenada. The General afterwards 
 found no difficulty in obtaining possession 
 of the settlements of Demerara and Esse- 
 quibo, in the province of Surinam, in South 
 America. 
 
 The Commander-in-Chief had made the 
 necessary arrangements with the Admiral 
 for conveying the troops destined for an 
 attack upon the island of St. Lucia, and the 
 armament sailed on the 26th of April. The 
 enemy had a garrison in Morne Fortune of 
 nearly 2,000 well-disciplined black troops, 
 some hundred whites, and a number of 
 black people who had taken refuge in the 
 fortress. In carrying the battery Seche, 
 within a short distance of the works of 
 Morne Fortune, the difficulties of approach 
 were found greater, from the intricate nature 
 of the country, than were expected. The 
 General was obliged to undertake a laborious 
 communication from Choc Bay to that of 
 Morne, by means of a new road, capable of 
 allowing the transportation of heavy cannon. 
 These difficulties, with numerous other im- 
 pediments which the enemy threw in the 
 way of the army, he, however, overcame ; 
 and upon the evening of the 24th of May 
 
 a suspension of arms was desired till noon 
 the next day ; a capitulation for the whole 
 island ensued, and on the 26th the garrison, 
 to the amount of 2,000 men, marched out, 
 laid down their arms, and became prisoners . 
 of war. This capture was followed by that 
 of Pigeon Island. 
 
 Brigadier-General Moore being left in 
 quiet possession of St. Lucia, the General 
 hastened the embarkation of the artillery 
 and troops destined to act in St. Vincent's, 
 and by the middle of June, every part of 
 that valuable island was in the hands of the 
 British troops. 
 
 The fortunate issue of all these services 
 enabled the Commander-in-Chief to visit 
 Grenada, where his presence may be sup- 
 posed to have contributed not a little to 
 conclude the hostilities still carried on 
 under the orders of Major-General Nicholls. 
 Fedon, the celebrated chief, at the head of 
 the insurgents, was not easily to be over- 
 come ; his native courage and acquired 
 talents, added to his fierceness of disposi- 
 tion, had drawn about him a mass of force, 
 partly voluntary, partly constrained. Major- 
 General Nicholls was now ordered to 
 straiten him in his retreat as much as pos- 
 sible, and to grant him no terms short of 
 unconditional submission. The troops 
 were successful, everywhere, and nearly at 
 the same hour, on the morning of the ipth 
 of June, full possession was obtained of 
 every post on the island. 
 
 The General having thus effected every- 
 thing which could be undertaken against 
 the French, directed his attention to the 
 Spanish island of Trinidad. The arrival of 
 part of a new convoy from England enabled 
 him to undertake this expedition with con- 
 fidence of success. The precision with 
 which the fleet of ships of war and trans- 
 ports had been assembled, prevented the 
 loss of a moment when the season for 
 operations commenced. On the i6th of 
 February, 1797, the fleet passed through 
 the Bocas, or entrance into the Gulf of 
 Paria, where the Spanish admiral, with four 
 sail of the line and a frigate, were found at
 
 SIX RALPH ABERCROMBYHIS EARLY SERVICES. 
 
 anchor, under cover of the'island of Caspar- 
 Grande, which was fortified. The British 
 squadron worked up, and came to an 
 anchor opposite to, and nearly within gun- 
 shot of the Spanish ships. The frigates 
 and transports anchored higher up the bay. 
 The disposition was made for landing at 
 daylight next morning, and for a general 
 attack upon the town and ships of war. 
 At two o'clock in the morning (the lyth) 
 the Spanish squadron was perceived to be 
 on fire ; the ships, except one line-of-battle, 
 were all consumed, and that which escaped 
 the conflagration was taken possession of 
 by the boats ; the enemy at the same time 
 evacuated this quarter of the island. The 
 General's whole attention was paid to the 
 town. As soon, therefore, as the troops 
 were landed, about five hundred advanced 
 to the westward of it, meeting but little 
 opposition; and before night they were 
 masters of the town of Port d'Espagne, and 
 the whole neighbourhood, except two small 
 forts. The next morning the governor, Don 
 Chalcon, capitulated, and the whole colony 
 passed under the dominion'of his Britannic 
 Majesty. 
 
 Thus far our General had succeeded in 
 fulfilling the instructions of his sovereign. 
 An unsuccessful attempt upon the Spanish 
 island of Porto Rico concluded his cam- 
 paign of 1797, in the West Indies. If 
 nothing was gained to the country by this 
 last attempt, no loss of reputation in its 
 military character was sustained by the 
 failure ; and indeed the manner in which 
 the General was received on his return to 
 Europe, testified the estimation in which 
 his military talents were held by the British 
 Government. 
 
 On the 2nd of November, 1796, while 
 on this service, Sir Ralph (for he had now 
 been invested with a red ribbon), was pre- 
 sented to the second, or North British 
 Dragoons, commonly called the Scots 
 Greys ; and in the same year he was made 
 Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight, 
 and afterwards still further rewarded with 
 
 the more lucrative governments of Forts 
 George and Augustus. On the 26th of 
 January, 1797, he was raised to the rank 
 of Lieutenant-General. 
 
 The ferment in Ireland threatening every 
 day to break out into a flame, Sir Ralph 
 was not allowed to remain long in a state 
 of repose. He was fixed upon to take the 
 chief command of the forces in that king- 
 dom. He paid great attention to the dis- 
 cipline of the army, and was anxious to 
 restore to the soldiers that reputation which 
 had been sullied by repeated acts of licen- 
 tiousness. His declaration " that their 
 irregularity and insubordination had ren- 
 dered them more formidable to their friends 
 than to their enemies," however true, was 
 deemed harsh by some who neither con- 
 sidered the delicacy and responsibility of 
 his situation, nor the danger of military 
 insubordination, by allowing disorders in 
 any army, like those he complained of, to 
 grow -by example. The General's removal, 
 however, from his command, was in no 
 respect the effect of dissatisfaction on either 
 side, but the result of an unanimous opinion, 
 that it would be expedient and efficacious 
 i to unite the civil and military authority in 
 the same person, the benefits of which had 
 been so obvious in the dominions of the 
 East In this view of the precedent, it 
 was impossible not to fix upon the Marquis 
 Cornwallis. 
 
 From that station he was called to the 
 command of his Majesty's forces in North 
 Britain, and was soon after employed under 
 the Duke of York in the great enterprise 
 against Holland, where, it was universally 
 allowed, that even victory the most decisive 
 could not have more conspicuously proved 
 the talents of this active and intelligent 
 general, than the conduct pursued by him 
 in an arduous struggle against the diffi- 
 culties of the ground, the inclemency of 
 the season, inconvenient yet unavoidable 
 delays, the disorderly movements of the 
 Russians, and the timid duplicity of the 
 Dutch.
 
 '5* 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 SIR RALPH ^.BERCROMBY YICTORIES OVER THE FRENCH. 
 
 HEN it was deemed expe- 
 dient to send an armament 
 for the purpose of dispos- 
 sessing the French of Egypt, 
 the command was given, 
 
 with general approbation, to Sir Ralph 
 Abercromby. The fleet reached the Bay 
 of Aboukir on the ist of March, 1801, but 
 the wind blew so fresh toward the land, and 
 such breakers were raised in the shallow 
 
 THE FRENCH IN EGYPT. 
 
 water near the shore, that it was impossible 
 to attempt a landing. On the 6th the 
 violence of the storm had considerably 
 abated ; but still the agitated waters 
 swelled in such tremendous waves, that it 
 was deemed imprudent to order the soldiers 
 into the boats. The French were employed 
 in making preparations for opposing the 
 descent It was evident that the landing 
 of the forces would meet with powerful re- 
 sistance, 
 
 In the meantime, Sir Ralph Abercromby 
 went on board a small vessel, and recon- 
 noitred the shore; and Sir Sidney Smith, 
 with three armed launches, examined the 
 entrance into the Lake Aboukir. By the 
 assistance of a party of men belonging to 
 the Foudroyant, some partial injuries were 
 done to the works of the enemy ; but a 
 seasonable retreat was at length necessary 
 to save our adventurous countrymen from 
 the violence and power of the French.
 
 SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY LANDING OF THE EXPEDITION. 153 
 
 Upon the 7th the sea continued rough, 
 but it was returning so evidently to a state 
 of calmness, that orders were issued through- 
 out the fleet to prepare for landing on the 
 following day. By two o'clock in the 
 morning, a rocket, the appointed signal, 
 was fired from 
 the admiral's 
 ship, and in less 
 than two hours 
 the boats, being 
 filled with troops, 
 were ready to 
 obey the com- 
 mand. Just with- 
 out the reach 
 of the guns on 
 shore, some 
 armed vessels 
 were anchored 
 near one an- 
 other, about 
 which the boats 
 were to rendez- 
 vous, and be 
 ready, under pro- 
 per orders, to 
 pull in concert 
 toward the land. 
 The division 
 which was then 
 preparing to ad- 
 vance consisted 
 of those soldiers 
 who were under 
 the command of 
 Major-General 
 Moore, Ludlow, 
 and Coote, toge- 
 ther with Briga- 
 
 dier - General 
 Oakes, and they 
 
 amounted to more than 5,000 men, with 
 ten pieces of cannon. Being commanded 
 to depart, they moved off with regularity 
 and courage, and all was silence but the 
 noise of the oars. Awe and deep con- 
 templation sat on the brow of every be- 
 holder, while hope and courage beamed 
 
 MENOU'S HOUSE IN CAIRO. 
 
 from the eye of those who were hastening 
 to the shore. It was a serious attempt; 
 and though none could doubt the courage 
 of the soldiers and sailors of Great Britain, 
 yet there are certain deeds and arduous 
 undertakings which no prowess nor per- 
 severance can 
 accomplish. The 
 French were al- 
 ready on shore, 
 they were power- 
 ful in artillery, 
 and had num- 
 bers of cavalry at 
 their command ; 
 whereas the Brit- 
 ish were to ap- 
 proach the land 
 in boats, and 
 might L be routed 
 by a prepared 
 enemy, ^without 
 having time to 
 form upon , the 
 beach. 
 
 Soon J after 
 eight o'clock in 
 the morning, the 
 boats had all 
 arrived at |the 
 vessels, which 
 have already 
 been mentioned 
 as stationed for 
 the rendezvous. 
 Being instantly 
 formed into a 
 line, the signal 
 was made by the 
 honourable Cap- 
 tain Cochrane 
 of the navy ; 
 
 and the whole were instantly in motion, 
 pulling undauntingly toward the shore. 
 No enemy was seen, either upon the k beach 
 or posted upon the sand-hills ; everything 
 was silent, as if no human eye had spite- 
 fully watched their motions. But no 
 sooner were the boats within their reach,
 
 '54 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 than the batteries were opened, and the 
 guns from the castle of Aboukir were 
 pointed with effect. Still, however, the 
 danger was comparatively small, and few 
 losses were sustained. 
 
 Though the Fury and Tartarus bomb 
 vessels, with various sloops and gunboats, 
 were stationed in the bay to protect the 
 landing of the British forces, yet they were 
 not able to accomplish the end which was 
 desired. In proportion as the boats ap- 
 proached the shore, so the danger became 
 greater, and the resistance more alarming. 
 It is impossible to describe the dreadful 
 situation in which the men were placed. 
 Grape-shot and shells, musket-bullets, and 
 diversified means of destruction, were flying 
 so thick and constant, that the sea about 
 the boats was in perfect agitation. The 
 soldiers were seated so closely, that nothing 
 could be done by them either for their own 
 defence or to annoy the enemy. The 
 sailors were exposed to a tremendous fire 
 in rowing and pulling forward; but no 
 fearfulness or dismay appeared throughout 
 the whole scene. Their honour, the love 
 of their country, and that resignation which 
 unavoidable danger produces, directed their 
 feelings and guided their conduct. 
 
 When they were ready to leap upon the 
 beach, the French soldiers rushed towards the 
 boats, and, with fixed bayonets, dealt death 
 and destruction. But nothing could appal 
 the courage or shake the resolution of the 
 British forces. In this scene of horror and 
 devastation they sprung upon the shore, 
 and, while some of them formed in regular 
 order upon the beach, others rushed up a 
 steep sand-hill, where the strength of the 
 army was concentrated, and resolutely be- 
 came masters of an advantageous position. 
 The French forces extended on their right 
 toward the Lake Aboukir, and their left was 
 flanked and protected by the fort; but 
 their ardour and confidence were rather 
 abated when they found the centre of their 
 position occupied by the British. 
 
 After the violence of the contest had 
 lasted about twenty minutes on shore, the 
 
 French began to give way, and retired 
 along the peninsula toward the city of 
 Alexandria. It was the 23rd Regiment, 
 and four flank companies of the 4oth, 
 under the command of General Oakes, 
 attached to General Moore and the re- 
 serve, who with such inestimable courage 
 and perseverance climbed up a steep hill 
 opposite the landing-place, while the sand 
 was every moment yielding under their feet, 
 and where the instruments of death were 
 pointed against them. The Guards, under 
 the direction of General Ludlow, and the 
 corps who were commanded by General 
 Coote, merited and received universal 
 approbation. In short, every soldier on 
 shore did honour to himself and his coun- 
 try ; and those who had not yet landed 
 panted for the glory of that illustrious day. 
 
 Scarcely 2,000 of the British forces were 
 engaged in this splendid victory, for the 
 rest of the divisions were not ready to land 
 till the triumph was obtained. The valour 
 and conduct of the invading troops are thus 
 placed in a striking and honourable point 
 of view, for they were opposed by a power- 
 ful body of the French. Their number, 
 even as stated by themselves, was 1,780, and 
 among these were 230 cavalry well mounted. 
 They had the advantage of a fort and 
 batteries, they were well acquainted with 
 the nature of the ground, and had chosen 
 the most favourable position on the shore, 
 while the forces of Sir Ralph Abercromby 
 were under the necessity of attacking the 
 enemy in detached parties, and in bodies 
 comparatively small. Yet in circumstances 
 so discouraging and unfavourable, they 
 were never thrown into disorder, but in 
 one point, and that only for an instant, till 
 the 5 8th Regiment flew to their relief, and 
 enabled them to restore their firmness and 
 their defence. 
 
 The French forces were under the com- 
 mand of General Friant, and their conduct 
 was neither disgraceful to themselves nor 
 dishonourable to their country. It was an 
 action pregnant with honour to the British 
 name, and the veteran Commander-in-Chief
 
 SIX RALPH ABERCROMBY AT LAKE ABOUKIR. 
 
 '55 
 
 spoke of it in terms of the highest praise. 
 Sir Ralph Abercromby, with all his natural 
 anxiety and care, hastened on shore to 
 direct the movements of his troops, but 
 the day was won before his arrival; and 
 though the armies continued for a while to 
 cannonade each other, yet nothing impor- 
 tant occurred. 
 
 During the course of this day, the forces 
 were mostly landed ; but some time elapsed 
 before the whole stores and baggage were 
 gotten on shore. The Greek and Turkish 
 vessels had not hitherto arrived; and for 
 several days the men were without tents. 
 The greater part of the peninsula was now 
 abandoned to the British ; but the fort of 
 Aboukir refused to surrender, and a detach- 
 ment of the troops was sent to besiege it. 
 The lake of Aboukir being at the command 
 of General Abercromby, it was taken pos- 
 session of by armed launches ; and a de- 
 pository being formed upon the peninsula 
 at its bank, great convenience was after- 
 wards enjoyed in supplying the army by 
 boats upon the lake. 
 
 On the 1 3th of March the British army 
 advanced, and, after a severe conflict, drove 
 the French from their position ; but it was 
 found difficult and dangerous to pursue this 
 advantage. In this affair both armies suffered 
 severely, and Sir Ralph Abercromby was 
 in imminent danger, as his horse was shot 
 dead under him. 
 
 On the 2oth General Menou arrived at 
 Alexandria, with 9,000 men, from Grand 
 Cairo. He had resided there in a magnifi- 
 cent building of a part of which we give an 
 illustration. The imperious call of war soon 
 summoned him to the field. He prepared 
 to attack the army of Sir Ralph Aber- 
 cromby in the morning of the clay after 
 his arrival. Various appearances induced 
 a belief that Menou had reached the French 
 camp, but while the matter was still in 
 doubt, a friendly sheik of the Arabs des- 
 patched a letter to Sir Sidney Smith, with 
 intelligence of that general's arrival, and of 
 his intended attack. Though some were 
 inclined to discredit the communication. 
 
 yet it met with general belief ; and it was at 
 least a judicious measure to provide for an 
 event so probable and important. 
 
 In the evening of the 2oth, the sentinels 
 and outposts were carefully stationed ; and 
 the army continued to be strongly en- 
 camped, upon the favourable position 
 which they had taken up after returning 
 from the engagement upon the i3th of 
 March. In the centre of the first line, 
 situated upon sand-hills, was Major-General 
 Ludlow with the Guards, and Major-General 
 Coote with the Royals, two battalions of the 
 54th, and the 92nd Regiment, which was 
 marching to Aboukir, but was brought back 
 by Colonel Napier, when the noise of the 
 firing was heard upon the right near the 
 sea-shore ; and in advance, within a quarter 
 of a mile from the Guards, was Major- 
 General Moore, placed with the troops of re- 
 serve, which consisted of the 28th and 58th 
 Regiments, the 23rd, the 42nd, the flank 
 companies of the 40th, and the Corsican 
 ! Rangers. In this situation was the ruined 
 
 w 
 
 I palace of the Caesars, and a battery formed 
 
 ! in front. Upon the left wing of the army, 
 
 j reaching to the canal of Alexandria, were 
 
 the 8th and i8th Regiments, the i3th and 
 
 9oth, under the command of Major-General 
 
 Cradock. The two last were thrown back 
 
 i from the line, and formed so as to face the 
 
 ! canal, that they might watch any move- 
 
 j ments upon the Lake Mareotis. A little 
 
 ! further on the left was a redoubt, with one 
 
 twelve-pounder. Between this and the 1 3th 
 
 ' Regiment, near the point of the Lake Abou- 
 
 : kir, were placed the staff; and the whole 
 
 i extent of the army, in a straight direction, 
 
 I was about a mile in length. 
 
 Upon the right of the second line were 
 
 i Minorca, De Rolle, and Dillon's regiments, 
 
 commanded by Brigadier-General Stuart 
 
 ' In the centre, next to those, were the 3oth, 
 
 j the 44th, and 891)1, under the command of 
 
 i Brigadier-General Doyle. Upon his left 
 
 ! was Brigadier-General Finch, with the 26th, 
 
 I and both the mounted and dismounted 
 
 ' parts of the i2th Dragoons. Lord Cavan 
 
 commanded the 27th, the soth, and
 
 '56 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Regiments, which formed the left wing 
 of the second line. The cavalry of re- 
 serve were placed behind General Moore's 
 troops, and in advance of his position 
 Captain Maitland was stationed, with 
 several gunboats near the beach, and the 
 fleet was cruising off the ports of Alexan- 
 dria. 
 
 The French army, which was encamped 
 in the strongholds of Nicopolis, was com- 
 manded by General Regnier on the right, 
 Rampon in the centre, and Lanuse on the 
 left. The right was extended toward the 
 canal of Alexandria, and the left approached 
 the sea. Behind the centre was a strong 
 body of cavalry, commanded by General 
 Roise, and in the rear of the whole was a 
 large park of artillery. 
 
 On the following morning the troops were 
 under arms about three o'clock ; and though 
 they were not certain of being attacked by 
 the French, yet their anxiety had been 
 roused, and they rather expected to meet 
 the enemy. 
 
 Every eye was open, and every ear at- 
 tentive to give the first notice of an ap- 
 proaching alarm. But the horizon was 
 covered with a thick mist, and no distant 
 object could be seen. Stillness reigned 
 throughout the neighbourhood, and nothing 
 was heard for the space of half an hour, 
 when the report of musketry resounded 
 from the left, and the noise of cannon in- 
 stantly succeeded. It was a dromedary 
 corps of 130 men, commanded by Colonel 
 Cavalier, whom the French had employed 
 for swiftness. They had parted from the 
 army at the heights of Nicopolis, crossed 
 the canal of Alexandria, by the fortified 
 bridge in their neighbourhood, traversed the 
 bed of the Lake Mareotis, and early in the 
 morning seized a small battery near the Lake 
 Aboukir. It was the taking of this battery 
 which produced the discharge of musketry, 
 and it was turning the gun of this small 
 fortification against the advanced posts of 
 the British, which alarmed the army by the 
 firing of a cannon. 
 
 No doubt could remain that the enemy 
 
 was at hand, and General Stuart was upon 
 his march to support the left. But the 
 Commander-in- Chief considered the noise 
 as a false alarm; for the French having 
 lately encamped upon that situation, were 
 well acquainted with the ground, and it was 
 scarcely to be supposed that they would 
 spend their force in the least important 
 quarter. They might indeed have brought 
 an attack upon the whole lines at once ; 
 but General Moore's position, supported by 
 the gunboats near the shore, was too power- 
 ful for the left wing of the French army, 
 and too important to be left deliberately 
 unsubdued. It was therefore necessary 
 that the right of the British lines should be 
 first attacked, and that the principal strength 
 of the French army should be directed to- 
 ward that position. Such were, probably, 
 the views which directed Menou ; for im- 
 mediately after the alarm had been given 
 upon the left, shouts and the clashing of 
 arms were heard upon the right, and the 
 division of General Lanuse had almost ap- 
 proached to the position of General Moore. 
 Silley's brigade directed its course toward 
 the redoubt, and that of General Valentin 
 moved along the sea-shore, and attempted to 
 enter the ruined palace of the Caesars. There 
 the s8th Regiment was posted, and when 
 Colonel Houston observed the column of 
 the enemy advancing, he was afraid for an 
 instant to fire, because it was yet dark, and 
 he was apprehensive of wounding or killing 
 some outposts of the British. But as soon 
 as he discovered the uniform of the French, 
 and saw none of his own countrymen be- 
 fore them, several rounds were fired with 
 such effect that the brigade quickly retired. 
 But returning to the battle, and attempting 
 to force the redoubt, the 6gth demi-brigade 
 was flanked by grape-shot from a twenty- 
 four-pounder, and almost cut to pieces. 
 General Lanuse, while endeavouring to rally 
 the shattered remains of that corps, had one 
 of his limbs shot off by a cannon ball. The 
 rest of Valentin's division forced their way 
 into the ruins, where the 58th British regi- 
 ment performed prodigies of valour. In
 
 SIR RALPH ABERCROMBYHIS DEATH. 
 
 the meantime General Silley's brigade was 
 engaged with the 28th Regiment; and there 
 too British valour shone conspicuously. 
 During these trying moments, the 23rd and 
 42nd Regiments flew to the relief of their 
 fellow-soldiers, and bravely resisted the foe. 
 Rampon, with the centre division of 
 the French, attempted to turn the left 
 of the Guards, and penetrated through 
 the lines of the British ; but he was 
 warmly received, and forced to retire with 
 considerable loss. D'Estaing advanced 
 too far into the lines of General Aber- 
 cromby, and a body of French troops 
 called the " Invincible Legion," being com- 
 pletely overthrown, their standard was taken 
 by Major Sterling, of the 42nd Regiment, 
 who gave it in charge to Sergeant Sinclair ; 
 but this non-commissioned officer was 
 wounded and the famous ensign was lost. 
 The trophy was, however, immediately re- 
 taken by Anthony Lutz, a private in the 
 Queen's German regiment. In the midst 
 of dismay, when hope scarcely dared to put 
 forth a single ray, Menou had commanded 
 General Roise to make a charge on the 
 right of the British, and Regnier to support 
 him with infantry in powerful columns. 
 The first charge was made with such fury 
 by General Boussart, that his troops passed 
 through the ranks toward the rear of the 
 camp; but the horses, entangled among 
 the cords of the tents, or floundering 
 amongst numerous holes, which were in 
 that part of the field, were many of them 
 destroyed, and their riders put to death. A 
 second charge, under Roise himself, was 
 not more successful ; for seeing it impos- 
 sible to withstand so violent a shock, the 
 42nd Regiment opened their ranks, and let 
 the cavalry dart through. No sooner was 
 this effected than, facing about, they poured 
 upon them such volleys as strewed the 
 ground with horses, and few of the party 
 returned to join the ranks of the French 
 army. The enemy now reluctantly retired 
 to their position on the heights and acknow- 
 ledged a victory honourable to the British 
 name, who were greatly inferior in numbers, 
 
 artillery, and cavalry. Three French gene- 
 rals suffered amidst the dreadful havoc of 
 this furious battle. 
 
 But the joy of the British army was 
 damped, and their triumph abated, in con- 
 templating the sufferings of Sir Ralph 
 Abercromby, the tried and much-esteemed 
 Commander-in-Chief. When riding in the 
 hottest part of the battle, and giving direc- 
 tions to the army, he was surrounded by 
 the French cavalry and thrown from his 
 horse. While lying upon the ground, and 
 suspected of being an officer by his dress, 
 a dragoon belonging to the enemy levelled 
 a stroke at him with his sabre in passing, 
 but only touched his clothes, or slightly 
 grazed his skin. The French soldier ap- 
 prehending what an object of value was in 
 his power, speedily wheeled his horse, and 
 made a desperate thrust, by which the sabre 
 passed between Sir Ralph's side and his 
 right arm. 
 
 Danger, and a high feeling of courage, 
 gave strength to the aged General's nerves, 
 and being now on his feet, a struggle 
 ensued. In the meantime, the French 
 dragoon was put to death by a soldier of 
 the 42nd Regiment, and the veteran com- 
 mander retained the sword. Striking oc- 
 currences happen among the active and the 
 brave. Sir Sidney Smith had broken his 
 sword in the conflict of that day, and meet- 
 ing Sir Ralph immediately after the late 
 rencounter, the Commander-in-Chief felt a 
 peculiar pleasure in delivering to the hero 
 of SL John d'Acre the sabre which he had 
 wrested from the French dragoon. He 
 complained of a contusion on his breast, 
 which had probably been received in the 
 struggle ; but the wound which proved 
 mortal was occasioned by a bullet, which, 
 entering his thigh pretty far up, took its 
 direction towards the groin, and sunk so 
 deep into the bone that it could not be 
 extracted. He was not aware of the wound 
 when it was received, and only became 
 sensible of it from the blood which ran 
 down. No persuasion could induce him 
 to quit the field, till the day was secured.
 
 '58 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 His mind being then unbent, and his 
 anxious exertions abated, the wound be- 
 came painful, and himself rather faint. It 
 was dressed by a surgeon on the field, and 
 being unable to ride on horseback, he was 
 placed in a hammock, and carried to the 
 depository, upon the bank of the Lake 
 Aboukir. Attended by his friend and aid- 
 de-camp, Sir Thomas Dyer, he was then 
 put into a boat, and, with every degree of 
 tenderness, conveyed to Lord Keith, and 
 affectionately treated on board the admiral's 
 ship, the Foudroyant. The eyes of the 
 army eagerly followed him as he was carried 
 from the field of battle, and the warmest 
 wishes of the soldiers attended him in his 
 sickness. He bore his sufferings with great 
 fortitude, and he dwelt with peculiar ad- 
 miration and delight upon the conduct of 
 his troops and the glory of the day. But 
 notwithstanding every attention and medical 
 aid, a fever ensued, and, upon the evening 
 of the eighth day, a mortification put a 
 period to his life, in the sixty- eighth year 
 of his age. 
 
 The body of Sir Ralph Abercromby was 
 removed from the bay of Aboukir, and upon 
 Wednesday, the 2Qth of April, A.D. 1801, it 
 was deposited in a vault at the north-west 
 bastion of Fort St. Elmo, in the island of 
 Malta. He was buried with all the honours 
 of war, and the sorrow expressed was not 
 assumed, but entered deep into the soul. 
 Everything, both in form and in substance, 
 being in unison with mourning, the parole of 
 the day was Abercromby, and the counter- 
 sign grief. An epitaph, written by Fra. 
 Glascchino Navarro, who was librarian to 
 the order of Malta, is inscribed upon a 
 black marble tombstone, which lies upon 
 upon the grave of the much-lamented 
 general. 
 
 Wherever the triumphs are contemplated, 
 which Great Britain obtained with such 
 splendour in Egypt ; in whatever language 
 they are recorded ; and whithersoever the 
 fame of those deeds shall be wafted, there 
 the conduct and character of General Sir 
 Ralph Abercromby, of Tullibody, will be 
 
 viewed with reverence and held in esteem. 
 He was eminently endowed with those 
 valuable qualities which constitute the 
 great general and the distinguished com- 
 mander. He possessed a clearness of con- 
 ception which enabled him to form accurate 
 plans ; and he was blessed with a sound- 
 ness of judgment which assisted him to 
 draw just conclusions, and prosecute with 
 success practicable schemes. Having pro- 
 secuted studies with the view of practising 
 at the bar, his mind was well cultivated ; 
 and thus to the experience of a general, he 
 added the acute discernment of a polished 
 scholar. He was conspicuous in courage, 
 and firm in action ; but the boldness of 
 enterprise never made him forgetful of 
 tenderness to his army, nor humanity in 
 the day of victory. 
 
 In public or in private, he was the 
 soldiers' friend; and the voice of misery, 
 which never reached his ear in vain, was 
 conveyed with additional claims on his 
 compassion when it came from an afflicted 
 soldier, who had bled, or become old, in 
 the cause of his country. He possessed 
 the interesting and valuable art of gaining 
 the affection of his army ; and never was 
 there a general in the field of battle who 
 enjoyed more completely than he the love 
 and confidence of his soldiers. 
 
 But the superior conduct of Sir Ralph 
 Abercromby was not confined to the public 
 departments of his office, nor limited by 
 the boundaries of martial connections. He 
 carried with him, into private life, a dis- 
 tinguished steadiness of conduct, and an 
 amiable deportment in all his pursuits. 
 The friends of his youth were not forsaken 
 in advanced years ; and never did sordid 
 or ungenerous motives drive, from his 
 paternal farms, the persons or the descend- 
 ants of those who held them in former 
 days. His domestics served him with the 
 sincere attachment, and the permanent 
 regards, of former and less changeable 
 times. In all the family relations of life, 
 he was dutiful and kind. To the general 
 excellence of his character he added a love
 
 THE NILES PROUD FIGHT 
 
 of decorum ; and pious respect for the 
 duties of religion adorned the general con- 
 duct of his life. Sir Ralph also served his 
 country as a legislator. In 1774 he was 
 chosen representative of the county of 
 Kinross, and continued to sit in the House 
 of Commons till the general election in 
 1780. At the general election in 1796, he 
 was again elected for that county. 
 
 Though far advanced in years, he was 
 roused with the vigour of his country ; and 
 during the great French war, he undertook 
 and suffered the hardships of the field, at 
 that feeble period of life when even the 
 brave and patriotic are willing, and per- 
 mitted to retire. He had long been hon- 
 oured with the esteem of his sovereign, and 
 by royal favour had been invested with the 
 order of the Bath. After his victory in 
 
 Egypt, a monument, with descriptive em- 
 blems, was appointed to be erected to his 
 honour, in the cathedral church of St. Paul, 
 London ; and the king, in affectionate re- 
 gard, was pleased to command, that the 
 famous French standard, which was taken 
 in Egypt upon the 2ist of March, 1801, 
 should be deposited upon his tomb. 
 All this was afterwards duly carried out. 
 Further to illustrate the royal favour, and 
 the high sense of his merits, the lady of the 
 brave but departed General, was dignified 
 with the title of Baroness Abercromby, of 
 Aboukir and Tullibody, with remainder to 
 the heirs male of her deceased lord. 
 Other remunerations accompanied this gift 
 of honour, and the national feelings were 
 indulged by these generous marks of royal 
 and public favour. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 NILE'S PROUD FIGHT " EARLY CAREER OF NELSON. 
 
 and 
 
 HE navy of England has al- 
 ways been considered as a 
 hardy indigenous produc- 
 tion, in some measure pecu- 
 liar to our soil, our climate, 
 our inhabitants. The oak, which is 
 
 destined at once to adorn and defend the 
 British Isles, flourishes there in the highest 
 perfection ; the natives, inured to all the 
 varieties of a changeable atmosphere, be- 
 come more hardy by constant habit ; while 
 the ocean which surrounds us points out 
 the element by means of which our wealth 
 and glory have been obtained, and our in- 
 dependence is to be secured. 
 
 The encouragement given to this grand 
 national establishment by a provident policy 
 has effected wonders. Our flag has been 
 displayed in the remotest seas, sometimes 
 in search of a beneficial commerce, and at 
 
 other times in quest of a fugitive enemy. 
 Our manufactures and our arms have been 
 extended in conjunction to the remotest 
 corners of the globe. A numerous and 
 gallant race of seamen and of officers has 
 been produced, such as the Venetians, the 
 Genoese, and the Portuguese, our precur- 
 sors, but not our equals, in maritime great- 
 ness, never witnessed; and a school of 
 naval heroes has been thus established 
 infinitely superior to what any nation could 
 ever boast of. 
 
 The result has been uniform and con- 
 sistent. Our Drakes, our Raleighs, our 
 Cavendishes, our Howards, have adorned 
 one period of our history ; our Montagues, 
 our Ayscues, our Blakes, another; our 
 Rookes, our Vernons, our Wagers, our 
 Ansons, and our Hawkes, a third. In the 
 present age the number of our great cap-
 
 i6o 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 tains has been rather increased than 
 diminished, although death thinned their 
 ranks ; and we have but too often planted 
 funereal cypress on the graves of those 
 around whose temples, while living, we had 
 entwined the victorious laurel. Rodney, 
 grown hoary in the service, died peacefully 
 on shore, after many celebrated victories 
 over the fleets of the house of Bourbon. 
 Howe resigned his breath in the arms of 
 his family, but not until he had overcome 
 the formidable navy fitted out by France 
 while a republic. Duncan, the conqueror 
 of the Dutch, passed away full of years and 
 honour ; and Nelson, the hero of Aboukir 
 and Trafalgar, perished likewise, but not 
 until his flag was flying triumphant amidst 
 the discomfited squadrons of a vanquished 
 enemy. 
 
 We leave it to our poets to sing his dirge ; 
 to our orators to raise trophies of eloquence 
 to his memory ; to our statesmen to deduce 
 the calamities averted, and the advantages 
 obtained, by his exploits ; to our historians 
 to record his actions in works more durable 
 than brass and marble ; it is merely our in- 
 tention here to enumerate his exploits with 
 special reference to their connection with 
 Egypt. 
 
 Horatio Nelson, the fourth son of the 
 Rev. Edward Nelson, rector of Burnham- 
 Thorpe, in the county of Norfolk, was born 
 in the parsonage-house of that parish Sep- 
 tember 28, 1758. His family was respect- 
 able. His father's progenitors were originally 
 settled at Hilsborough, where, in addition 
 to a small hereditary estate, they possessed 
 the patronage of the living, which one of 
 them enjoyed for several years. By his 
 mother's side he was related to three great 
 Norfolk families, the Walpoles, the Chol- 
 mondeleys. and the Townshends. 
 
 He was placed, while yet of a tender age, 
 at the high school of Norwich, whence he 
 was removed to North Walsham, both with- 
 in the precincts of his native county. But 
 he did not long remain there ; for being the 
 younger son of a numerous family, an 
 opportunity was eagerly seized of obtaining 
 
 some professional employment for him early 
 in life. This occurred when he was only 
 twelve years old. 
 
 Some disputes having taken place be- 
 tween the courts of St James's and Madrid, 
 relative to the possession of the Falkland 
 Islands, an armament was immediately 
 ordered, and Captain Suckling, his mater- 
 nal uncle, having obtained a ship, he was 
 placed on his quarter-deck as a midship- 
 man, on board the Raisonable, of 64 guns. 
 But after his family had been at the expense 
 of his outfit, negotiations were entered into 
 in consequence of which hostilities were 
 suspended, and a treaty concluded, which 
 neither proved gratifying to the honour nor 
 the interests of the nation. On this, the 
 ships in commission were laid up in ordi- 
 nary, and the officers dismissed. But instead 
 of returning home, young Nelson, who felt 
 no abatement of his ardour, entered on 
 board a merchantman, in which he made a 
 voyage to the West Indies. 
 
 On this occasion, although he obtained 
 considerable nautical knowledge so far as 
 bare practice extended, yet having no field 
 for his ambition, he became disgusted, and 
 would have willingly embraced any other 
 profession. On his return, however, finding 
 that his uncle had obtained the Triumph, 
 he repaired on board of her in his former 
 capacity, and soon became reconciled to 
 his service ; but as he possessed an inhe- 
 rent ardour, coupled with an unabating 
 spirit of enterprise, and utter scorn of 
 danger, he was ever active to participate in 
 those scenes where knowledge was to be 
 obtained or glory earned. 
 
 An opportunity of this kind soon pre- 
 sented itself, and appeared admirably 
 calculated to satiate that romantic taste 
 for adventure which, from the earliest 
 periods of his life, seemed at once to fill 
 and to agitate the bosom of our youthful 
 hero. One of the most brilliant circum- 
 stances of the reign of George III. consists 
 in that spirit of discovery which constantly 
 prevailed from the time of the accession of 
 that king to the throne. It was in pur-
 
 BATTLE OF THE NILE ON BOARD THE FLAGSHIP. 
 
 M
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 suance of this plan, which was afterwards 
 extended under Captain Cook to another 
 hemisphere, that Captain Phipps, afterwards 
 Lord Mulgrave, sailed June 2nd, 1773, to- 
 wards the North Pole. He himself was on 
 board the Racehorse, while Captain Lutwidge 
 commanded another bomb vessel called the 
 Carcass, both of which had been fitted out 
 on purpose to ascertain to what degree of 
 latitude it was possible to penetrate. On 
 board the latter of these vessels Nelson was 
 admitted with great difficulty, and in conse- 
 quence of his own pressing solicitation, in 
 the humble capacity of a coxswain ; for, in 
 consequence of an order from the Admiralty, 
 boys were not permitted to be received on 
 board. 
 
 After passing Shetland, they came in 
 sight of Spitzbergen, and afterwards pro- 
 ceeded to Moffen Island, beyond which 
 they discovered seven other isles, situated 
 in 8 1 deg. 21 min. When they had sailed 
 a little further north, they became suddenly 
 fast wedged in the ice on the 3ist of July ; 
 so that the passage by which the ships 
 entered was suddenly and completely 
 blocked up, while a strong current set in to 
 the eastward. In this critical situation they 
 remained five whole days, during which 
 period their destruction appeared inevit- 
 able ; but the young hero, instead of being 
 depressed, actuated by that filial love and 
 passion for enterprise which were ever 
 uppermost in his breast, ventured on the 
 ice during a fine moonlight, and on being 
 interrogated relative to his conduct, pointed 
 to a dead bear, and observed, at the same 
 time, "that he wished to obtain the skin 
 for his father." 
 
 At length, on the 7th of August, the wind 
 luckily changed, and set in from the east- 
 ward ; and on the 9th, the current having 
 changed so as to assume an opposite direc- 
 tion, they were borne to the open sea, and 
 the adventurous navigators were thus de- 
 livered from the apprehension of perishing 
 by the intensity of the polar cold. Finding 
 it now utterly impossible to penetrate any 
 further in this intended course, they entered 
 
 the harbour of Smeerenburg, whence they 
 shaped their way homewards, and on the 
 24th of September arrived safe at Orford- 
 ness, after an absence of one hundred and 
 fourteen days. 
 
 Soon after his return, instead of being 
 appalled by the dangers recently encoun- 
 tered, young Nelson applied for and was 
 appointed to a berth in the Seahorse^ a 
 twenty-gun ship, in which he repaired to 
 the East Indies, and, by visiting every part 
 of the coast from the Bay of Bengal to 
 Bassorah, was exposed to an extreme of 
 heat in the course of this voyage nearly 
 equal to the degree of cold he had experi- 
 enced in the former. These sudden 
 changes could not but prove very injurious, 
 and his health accordingly yielded to the 
 pressure, so that he was obliged to return 
 home on purpose to breathe his native air. 
 
 This being fortunately accomplished, on 
 the 8th of April, 1777, he passed the usual 
 examination before the Board for the rank 
 of lieutenant, and on the subsequent day 
 received his commission as second of the 
 Lmvestqffe, of 32 guns. In this vessel he 
 cruised against the Americans, and happen- 
 ing to capture a letter of marque belonging 
 to the colonies, then in a state of insurrec- 
 tion, the first lieutenant proved unable to 
 take possession of her, in consequence of a 
 most tremendous sea, that seemed to inter- 
 dict all approach. The captain, piqued at 
 this circumstance, and desirous of effecting 
 the object of his wishes, inquired " Whether 
 he had not an officer capable of boarding 
 the prize ? " On hearing this, Lieutenant 
 Nelson immediately jumped into the boat, 
 and told the master, who wished to have 
 anticipated him, "That if he came back 
 without success, it would be his turn." 
 
 In 1778 he was appointed to the Bristol, 
 and rose by seniority to be first lieutenant. 
 In the course of the succeeding year (June 
 n, 1779) he obtained the rank of post- 
 captain, on which occasion he was ap- 
 pointed to the command Qi ft\zHinchinbroke. 
 Having sailed in this vessel for the West 
 Indies, he repaired to Port Royal, in the
 
 THE NILE'S PROUD FIGHTS 
 
 163 
 
 island of Jamaica, and an expedition against 
 one of the Spanish settlements being then 
 in contemplation, he had now an oppor- 
 tunity, for the first time, of distinguishing 
 himself as a commanding officer. The enter- 
 prise to which we allude was planned by 
 Sir John Balling, the then governor, for the 
 purpose of seizing on Fort St. Juan, in the 
 Gulf of Mexico. On this occasion the com- 
 mander of the Hinchinbroke conveyed the 
 troops, which were so few in point of 
 number that they were destitute of a field- 
 officer. Edward Marcus Despard, who 
 afterwards suffered for high treason, acted 
 as chief engineer, while Captain Poison 
 commanded the land forces ; but the place 
 would never have been taken had not the 
 first of these officers landed, directed the 
 assault, and even pointed the guns with his 
 own hand. 
 
 His ship being paid off on his return to 
 England, he retired to the place of his 
 nativity, the parsonage-house of Burnham- 
 Thorpe. But he did not remain there long, 
 for he was nominated to the command of 
 the Boreas, in which he repaired to the Lee- 
 ward Islands, and had under him His Royal 
 Highness the Duke of Clarence, who then 
 commanded the Pegasus. While on this 
 station, he changed his condition in life, on 
 the nth of March, 1787, by a marriage with 
 Frances Woodward, daughter and coheiress 
 of William Woodward, Esq., senior judge 
 of the island of Nevis, and widow of Josiah 
 Xesbit, M.D., of that island, by whom she 
 had a son, afterwards a captain in the navy. 
 
 On his return from the West Indies, 
 Captain Nelson repaired with his wife to 
 the parsonage-house of his father, which 
 that venerable clergyman gladly relin- 
 quished for their accommodation, and 
 there, at a distance from bustle and strife, 
 he passed a quiet and happy life, until again 
 called into action by the concurrence of 
 unforeseen events. He appeared, indeed, 
 during the "piping times of peace," to affect 
 a taste for rural affairs ; to be addicted to 
 quiet, and even to solitude ; to hate the 
 "busy hum" of men; and to abhor any 
 
 event that could tear him from his dear 
 home. But no sooner did the British 
 ministers indicate a determination to inter- 
 pose in the domestic concerns of France, 
 and a war appear unavoidable, than he 
 eagerly repaired to town and offered his 
 services to the Admiralty. 
 
 Fortunately for his country, these ser- 
 vices were accepted, and he was appointed 
 to the Agamemnon of sixty-four guns. That 
 able and gallant officer, Lord Hood, being 
 at that period appointed to command in 
 the Mediterranean, he accompanied him 
 thither, and was present at the time his 
 lordship occupied Toulon, which he garri- 
 soned with English, Spanish and Neapolitan 
 troops. Captain Nelson was also present 
 at the siege of Bastia, having landed at the 
 head of a body of seamen, with whom he 
 served in the batteries until the capture of 
 that city, which surrendered May 22nd, 
 1795. He afterwards repaired to Calvi, 
 and while busily employed before it lost an 
 eye. His conduct on both these occasions 
 excited the highest eulogiums on the part 
 of the admiral who commanded. 
 
 On the 25th of April, 1805, being ac- 
 companied by the Meleager, Diadem, and 
 Petterell, he performed a brilliant exploit at 
 Laona, having boarded and cut out four 
 French store-ships by means of the boats 
 of his squadron, under the fire of the bat- 
 teries, and amidst an incessant discharge of 
 musketry. Several vessels laden with can- 
 non destined for the siege of Mantua, were 
 also captured in the neighbourhood of 
 Oneglia ; so that his name became a terror 
 to the foe. 
 
 Vice-Admiral Hotham having succeeded 
 Lord Hood in the command, Captain Nel- 
 son was present at the action with the 
 French fleet (March isth, 1795,) on which 
 occasion he served in the centre division, 
 counting as follows : 
 
 1. Agamemnon, Captain Nelson, 64 guns, 
 491 men. 
 
 2. Illustrious, Captain Frederic, 74 guns, 
 590 men.
 
 164 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 3. Courageux, Captain Montgomery, 74 
 guns, 640 men. 
 
 4. Britannia, Vice-Admiral Hotham, 
 Captain Halloway, 100 guns, 859 men. 
 
 5. Egtnont, Rear- Admiral Linzee, Captain 
 Sutton, 74 guns, 590 men. 
 
 The English fleet consisted of fourteen sail 
 of the line, and that of the enemy of fifteen, 
 with an admiral's flag flying on board the 
 Sans- Culottes, of 120 guns and 2,000 men. 
 
 After a sharp and bloody conflict, two 
 ships were captured, and the Agamemnon 
 was twice called off by signal, on account 
 of his eagerness for a close action. Soon 
 after this he was detached with a small 
 squadron from the Mediterranean fleet, by 
 means of which he swept the adjacent 
 coasts of the enemy, and cut out nine ships 
 belonging to the French from the bays of 
 Alassio and Anguelia, in the neighbourhood 
 of Vado. 
 
 When the Viceroy of Corsica (Sir Gilbert 
 Elliott, afterwards Lord Minto), foreseeing 
 the approaching evacuation of that island, 
 thought fit to seize on the isle of Elba, he 
 was employed for this purpose ; and having 
 first effected a landing, and then placed the 
 Captain, of 74 guns, within half a pistol 
 shot of the grand bastion, the governor 
 consented to a capitulation, and the town 
 of Porto Ferrajo, with one hundred pieces 
 of cannon, was immediately surrendered. 
 
 In December, 1796, Captain Nelson was 
 rewarded for his services by the permission 
 of hoisting a broad pendant as commodore 
 on board La Minerve, in which frigate he 
 captured La Sabina, a forty-gun ship. Of 
 the enemy one hundred and sixty-four were 
 killed and wounded, while the loss was only 
 forty-one on board his own vessel. Soon 
 after this he descried the Spanish fleet, and 
 immediately steered with the intelligence 
 to the squadron commanded by Sir John 
 Jervis, who by his conduct on that day 
 (February i4th, 1797), merited and ac- 
 quired the title of Earl of St. Vincent. 
 
 The subject of this memoir had barely 
 time to communicate the particulars rela- 
 
 tive to the force and state of the enemy, 
 and to shift his pendant on board the Cap- 
 tain, of 74 guns, commanded by Captain 
 Miller. The commander-in-chief, who had 
 relinquished the blockade of Cadiz in order 
 to pursue the fleet under Don Joseph de 
 Cordova, no sooner received the joyful 
 tidings, than he prepared for action, al- 
 though he had only fifteen to oppose 
 twenty-seven sail of the line. He however 
 did not upon this occasion disdain to make 
 use of the advantages arising out of superior 
 seamanship ; for, by sailing down in a close 
 and compact order, he contrived to begin 
 the engagement before the Spanish admiral 
 was able to complete his line of battle, as 
 a number of ships had been separated from 
 the main body. Seizing, therefore, the 
 critical moment when they were still in 
 disorder, by carrying a press of sail the 
 English suddenly passed through the Spanish 
 squadron, after which they tacked in so 
 judicious a manner, as to cut off all that 
 portion which had fallen to leeward. About 
 eleven o'clock the signal was made from 
 the Victory for close fight, and after a severe 
 cannonade the following ships were cap- 
 tured : i. Salvador del Mundo, 112 guns. 
 2. San Josef, 112 guns. 3. San Nicolas, 
 80 guns. 4. San Ysidoro, 74 guns. 
 
 The effect produced at home by this 
 victory was prodigious. Great rejoicings 
 took place everywhere ; the officers of the 
 victorious fleet received the thanks of both 
 Houses of Parliament ; the king conferred 
 a patent of an earldom, with a pension of 
 ^3,000 per annum, on the commander-in- 
 chief; while Commodore Nelson, by whose 
 gallantry and exertions two of the prizes 
 had been taken, was honoured with the 
 Order of the Bath, together with a gold 
 medal and chain. 
 
 In consequence of a promotion in the 
 navy, Sir Horatio hoisted his flag as a rear- 
 admiral of the blue in April, 1797, and was 
 detached soon after to bring away the gar- 
 rison of Porto Ferrajo. After performing 
 this service, on the 27th of May he changed 
 to the Theseus, and was appointed to com-
 
 "THE NILE'S PROUD FIGHT." 
 
 165 
 
 mand the inner squadron then blockading 
 Cadiz. An attempt was made by him, dur- 
 ing the night of the 3rd of July, to bombard 
 this city, and he conducted this enterprise 
 with his usual spirit and resolution, the 
 Thunderer bomb having been stationed, 
 under his management, within two thousand 
 five hundred yards of the walls. On this 
 the Spaniards, anxious to prevent the con- 
 sequences, sent out all their armed craft, 
 consisting of mortars, gunboats, and 
 launches. The conflict was long and ob- 
 stinate ; both sides exhibited great valour ; 
 and a singular event ensued, scarcely to be 
 paralleled in the history of modem warfare. 
 The brave Don Miguel Terrason, who 
 commanded the armament, in a barge 
 rowed by twenty-six oars and thirty men, 
 made a most desperate effort to overpower 
 Sir Horatio Nelson and his boat's crew. 
 They fought with their swords, hand to 
 hand, and the conflict was long and doubt- 
 ful. At length, however, eighteen of his 
 crew having been killed, and himself to- 
 gether with the remainder wounded, the 
 Spanish rear-admiral sheered off. Nor was 
 the British commander exempt from dan- 
 ger ; for Captain Freemantle, who accom- 
 panied him, was hurt, and his coxswain, 
 Sykes, with several sailors, disabled. 
 
 Two nights after, another bombardment 
 was attempted, and effected with superior 
 success ; for ten sail of the line, including 
 the flag-ships of the Admirals Mazzaredo 
 and Gravina, were obliged to warp out of 
 the range of the shells. Lord St. Vincent, 
 no indifferent judge of bravery and good 
 conduct, concludes an account of these 
 achievements, in a letter addressed to the 
 Admiralty, with emphatically observing, 
 " That any praise of his would fall far short 
 of Admiral Nelson's merits." 
 
 The next exploit in which we find him 
 engaged was an attempt to obtain posses- 
 sion of Teneriffe. Earl St. Vincent having 
 received intelligence, while stationed oft 
 Cadiz, that this island was utterly destitute 
 of the means of defence, and that a con- 
 siderable quantity of treasure had been 
 
 landed there, determined to detach a 
 squadron against it, commanded by an 
 enterprising officer. Rear- Admiral Nelson 
 being accordingly selected for this purpose, 
 was invested with the command of the 
 following ships : 
 
 1. Theseus, 74 guns, Rear-Admiral Nelson, 
 Captain R. W. Miller. 
 
 2. Culloden, 74 guns, Captain Trowb ridge. 
 
 3. Zealous, 74 guns, Captain Samuel Hood. 
 
 4. Leander, 50 guns, Captain Thompson. 
 
 5. Emerald, 44 guns, Captain Waller. 
 
 6. Seahorse, 32 guns, Captain Freemantle. 
 
 7. Terpsichore, 36 guns, Captain Bowen. 
 
 8. Fox cutter, 14 guns, Captain Gibson. 
 
 9. Bomb ketch. 
 
 This armament arrived before Santa Cruz 
 on the 22nd of July, 1797, and as it was 
 intended to take the place by surprise, the 
 undertaking was deferred until night, but 
 the morning was far advanced in conse- 
 quence of unforeseen delays. A body of 
 men, including one thousand marines, was 
 then landed under the direction of Captain 
 Trowbridge of the Culloden, assisted by 
 Captains Hood, Thompson, Freemantle, 
 Bowen, Miller, and Waller, all of whom 
 volunteered their services upon this occa- 
 sion. 
 
 The enemy, however, appear to have 
 been far better prepared than had been 
 imagined, for a very sharp fire was kept up 
 from their batteries ; one boat was stove, 
 several were damaged, and the Fox cutter 
 lost. Lord Nelson, who had gone on shore 
 with the first division, accompanied it nearly 
 to the spot which was destined for the 
 assault; but having lost his right arm by a 
 cannon-shot, he was left behind. His son- 
 in-law, Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Nes- 
 bit, of the royal navy, on missing his leader, 
 returned, and finding him speechless, placed 
 Sir Horatio on his back, and carried him to 
 a boat, which conveyed him on board the 
 T/useus under a most tremendous fire from 
 the enemy's batteries. 
 
 While their commander lay in this de- 
 plorable state, the storming-party advanced, 
 scaled the walls, and penetrated into the
 
 i66 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 great square of the town, where having 
 formed, to the number of about four hun- 
 dred, they marched towards the citadel, but 
 found it too strong for them to attack with 
 any hopes of success, being unprovided 
 with cannon. In the meantime Captain 
 Trowbridge was informed by some of his 
 prisoners that a large body of Spaniards, 
 assisted by some French, and supported by 
 five field-pieces, was preparing to give them 
 battle. On this, perceiving the utter im- 
 possibility of receiving any further aid from 
 the ships, he despatched Captain Hood 
 with a message to the Spanish governor, 
 purporting, <f That if he would allow him 
 freely, and without molestation, to embark 
 his people, and furnish him with boats for 
 that purpose, in the place of those which had 
 been stove, the squadron before the town 
 should not be permitted to molest it." On 
 his Excellency's replying, " That they must 
 surrender prisoners of war," the messenger 
 observed, " That if the terms preferred by 
 him were not instantly complied with, Santa 
 Cruz would be set fire to, and the Spaniards 
 attacked at the point of the bayonet." On 
 hearing this resolute declaration, Don Juan 
 Antonio Gutturez thought it prudent to 
 comply, and Captain Trowbridge immedi- 
 ately marched with his men, colours flying 
 and drums beating, to the head of the mole, 
 where, boats being furnished by the Span- 
 iards, they immediately embarked, their 
 wounded men having been kindly received 
 into the hospital, while those who had 
 escaped unhurt received a plentiful supply 
 of provisions of all kinds. 
 
 Sir Horatio immediately returned to Eng- 
 land, and it was not until many months after 
 his arm had been amputated that he was pro- 
 nounced out of danger. On his first appear- 
 ance at court, His Majesty received him in 
 the most gracious manner, and was pleased 
 to express regret that his state of health and 
 wounds were likely to deprive the nation 
 of his future services. On this the gallant 
 and undaunted tar replied, with all that 
 enthusiasm peculiar to his character, "I 
 can never think that a loss which the per- 
 
 formance of my duty has occasioned ; and 
 so long as I have a foot to stand on, I will 
 combat for my king and country." 
 
 As it was proposed at this period to 
 confer a pension of ; 1,000 per annum 
 upon him, on account of his exploits and 
 his losses, it became necessary, according 
 to the custom of the navy, that he should 
 give in a distinct statement of his claims. 
 In consequence of this he drew up the 
 following paper, which stands unrivalled of 
 its kind either in our own or any other 
 service whatsoever. 
 
 " To the King's most Excellent Majesty. 
 
 The Memorial of Sir Horatio Nelson, 
 K.B., and a Rear- Admiral in your Majesty's 
 Fleet. 
 
 That during the present war your 
 Memorialist has been in four actions with 
 the fleets of the enemy, viz., on the i3th 
 and 1 4th of March, 1795 > on the I 3 t ^ 1 f 
 July, 1795; an d on the i4th of February, 
 1797 ; in three actions with frigates ; in six 
 engagements against batteries ; in ten actions 
 in boats employed in cutting out of har- 
 bour ; in destroying vessels, and in taking 
 three towns. Your Memorialist has also 
 served on shore with the army four months, 
 and commanded the batteries at the sieges 
 of Bastia and Calvi. 
 
 That during the war he has assisted at 
 the capture of seven sail of the line, six 
 frigates, four corvettes, and eleven privateers 
 of different sizes ; and taken and destroyed 
 near fifty sail of merchant vessels ; and your 
 Memorialist has actually been engaged 
 against the enemy upwards of one hundred 
 and tiuenty times. 
 
 In which service your Memorialist has 
 lost his right eye and arm, and been severely 
 wounded and bruised in his body. All of 
 which services'and wounds your Memorial- 
 ist most humbly submits to your Majesty's 
 most gracious consideration. 
 
 HORATIO NELSON. 
 
 October, 1797." 
 
 He was now enabled, had he been so 
 inclined, to have retired altogether from the
 
 THE NILE'S PROUD FIGHT." 
 
 167 
 
 service, and lived equally exempt from 
 danger and from want, on his pension and 
 half-pay. But his heart still panted after 
 glory ; and having rejoined Lord St. Vin- 
 cent's fleet, a new scene opened for the 
 solace of his ambition and the display of 
 his talents. 
 
 The eyes of all Europe were at that 
 moment fixed on Bonaparte. After con- 
 quering Italy, and effecting a peace on the 
 continent, he had fitted out a large fleet, 
 and embarked an army of veteran soldiers. 
 The immediate object of his attack was as 
 yet unknown ; and while mankind remained 
 involved in suspense, the English ministry 
 deemed it prudent to fit out a squadron in 
 pursuit of them. 
 
 Sir Horatio Nelson, the officer fixed upon 
 for the command, was detached by Earl St. 
 Vincent into the Mediterranean, on the 7th 
 of May, 1798, with his flag flying on board 
 the Vanguard, of 74 guns, together with 
 the Orion and Alexander, of equal force, 
 the Emerald and Terpsichore frigates, and 
 La Bonne Citoyenne sloop of war. Having 
 reached the Gulf of Lyons, they were as- 
 sailed by a very violent gale of wind, which 
 carried away a topmast, as well as the fore- 
 mast, of the rear-admiral's ship, on the 22nd, 
 the very day on which the French fleet, with 
 Bonaparte on board, ''sailed from Toulon. 
 Having refitted in St. Pierre's Road, in the 
 island of Sardinia, the harbour of which 
 they were not allowed to enter, the English 
 squadron reached the place of rendezvous 
 on the 4th of June, and were joined, on the 
 8th, by ten sail of the line under Captain 
 Trowbridge. 
 
 With this force, which he deemed suffi- 
 cient to encounter any fleet of the enemy, 
 Admiral Nelson proposed to steer after 
 them immediately, and knowing that they 
 had sailed with the wind at north-west, he 
 was induced to think they were destined up 
 the Mediterranean. Neither on the coast 
 of Italy, nor in the port of Naples, could 
 any intelligence be obtained of the ultimate 
 intentions of the French ; all that was 
 learned amounted to a mere supposition 
 
 that they had proceeded towards Malta. 
 To facilitate the passage thither, it was 
 determined to pass through the Straits of 
 Messina, and this was accomplished on the 
 2oth with a fair wind ; and two days after, 
 intelligence was received that the French 
 had captured Malta, and sailed thence on 
 the 1 8th with a fresh breeze at north-west. 
 
 On this Sir Horatio took an opposite 
 direction, and was not a little mortified, on 
 discovering Alexandria, that not a single 
 French ship was anchored there. In this 
 state of uncertainty, he instantly returned 
 to Sicily, entered the port of Syracuse, took 
 in a supply of fresh water, steered on the 
 25th of July for the Morea, and, in con- 
 sequence of new and more correct infor- 
 mation, determined once more to visit 
 Alexandria, which he descried on the ist 
 of August at noon. The enemy's fleet was 
 first discovered by Captain Hood, in the 
 Zealous, who immediately communicated by 
 signal that it consisted of thirteen sail of 
 the line, and four frigates, lying at anchor 
 in a line of battle in Aboukir Bay. 
 
 The formidable fleet appeared to be 
 moored in a compact line of battle, sup- 
 ported by a battery of guns and mortars on 
 an island in their van, while their flanks 
 were strengthened by gunboats. Although 
 the wind blew fresh, and the day was far 
 spent, yet the Admiral made the signal for 
 battle, and signified at the same time that 
 it was his intention to attack the enemy's 
 van and centre as it lay at anchor, accord- 
 ing to the plan already communicated by 
 him to the respective captains. 
 
 The British fleet, every ship of which 
 sounded its way as it proceeded, stood in ; 
 and Sir Horatio being struck with the idea 
 that where there was room for one ship to 
 swing there was opportunity for another to 
 anchor, measures were taken for carrying 
 this idea into effect, notwithstanding the 
 Culloden had grounded on Bequier Island. 
 The Gonath and Zealous, together with the 
 Orion, the Audacious, and the Theseus, led 
 inside, and received a most tremendous 
 fire from the van of the fleet, as well as the
 
 i68 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 batteries on shore, while the Vanguard 
 anchored on the outside of the enemy, 
 within half a pistol-shot of Le Spartiate. 
 The Minotaur^ Defence, Bellerophon, Ma- 
 jestic, Swiftsure, and Alexander, came up 
 in succession ; and Captain Thompson, of 
 the Leander, making up in seamanship for 
 the deficiency of a 5o-gun ship in point 
 of metal, dropped her anchor athwart the 
 hawse of Le Franklin, an 8o-gun ship, in 
 such a masterly manner, as to annoy both 
 her and L Orient. 
 
 Notwithstanding the darkness that soon 
 ensued, Le Guerrier was dismasted in the 
 course of a few minutes, while the twilight 
 yet remained ; Le Conquerant and Le Spar- 
 tiate were also soon reduced to a similar 
 state ; three more, L'Aquilon, Le Souverain 
 Peuple, and Le Spartiate, surrendered ; soon 
 after which the Admiral's ship, L Orient, was 
 discovered to be on fire, and the flames burst 
 forth with such rapidity, that great appre- 
 hensions were entertained not only for her 
 safety, but also for such ships of the British 
 fleet as were in her immediate vicinity. 
 
 Sir Horatio Nelson, who had retired below 
 in consequence of a wound received during 
 the action, no sooner received intelligence 
 of this alarming event, than he came upon 
 the deck, and, with that inborn humanity 
 which is the best characteristic of a hero, 
 bethought him of the most likely means to 
 save the lives of as many of the enemy as 
 possible. The only boat in a condition to 
 swim was therefore immediately despatched 
 from the Admiral's ship, and the com- 
 manders of others following the example, 
 about seventy lives were saved ; and many 
 more would have been rescued from death, 
 had not the vessel alluded to blown up sud- 
 denly with a most tremendous explosion. In 
 the meantime the firing continued, with the 
 interval of this awful moment only excepted ; 
 and the victory having been now secured 
 in the van, such ships as were not disabled 
 bore down upon those of the enemy that 
 had not been in the engagement. 
 
 When the dawn developed the scene of 
 this terrible conflict, only two sail of the 
 
 line were discovered with their colours 
 flying, all the rest having struck their en- 
 signs ! These, conscious of their danger, 
 together with two frigates, cut their cables 
 in the course of the morning, and stood 
 out to sea. After this signal victory, the 
 victorious commander lost no time in re- 
 turning thanks to God for his success. 
 
 It was the fourth day after the action 
 before the Admiral could transmit intelli- 
 gence of this memorable event. His des- 
 patches upon this occasion were entrusted 
 to Captain Berry, in the Leander ; and no 
 sooner were they made public, than the 
 greatest sensation was occasioned through- 
 out Europe. The Emperor of Germany 
 immediately broke off the conferences for 
 a peace at Rastadt; the Ottoman Porte 
 declared war against the French ; and the 
 king of Naples marched an army to Rome, 
 of which he for a time dispossessed them. 
 In England the victory of the Nile was 
 celebrated by means of bonfires and illu- 
 minations ; while the king and both Houses 
 of Parliament were eager to bestow marks 
 of favour on the triumphant fleet and its 
 gallant leader. His Majesty immediately 
 conferred upon him the dignity of a baron 
 of Great Britain, and he was accordingly 
 called up to the house of peers, as Lord 
 Nelson of the Nile. The grand seignior 
 transmitted a superb diamond cheleng, or 
 plume of triumph, taken from one of the 
 imperial turbans ; and the king of Naples 
 soon after granted the title of Duke of 
 Bronte, with an estate in Sicily. 
 
 Instead of returning home to repose 
 under his laurels, the Admiral immediately 
 sailed for Sicily, where he was received as 
 a deliverer by the king. The subjects of 
 that monarch, discontented at his conduct, 
 and supported by the French, had but 
 lately driven him from his capital, after 
 which they established, or rather pro- 
 claimed, the " Parthenonian Republic." 
 The zeal of Cardinal Ruffo, however, who 
 successfully mingled the character of a sol- 
 dier with that of a priest, proved signally 
 efficacious towards the restoration of the
 
 "THE NILE'S PROUD FIGHT." 
 
 169 
 
 deposed monarch. Having marched to 
 Naples at the head of a body of Cala- 
 brians, he obliged " the patriots," as they 
 were termed, who were in possession of all 
 the forts, to capitulate ; and to this treaty 
 the English, Turkish, and Russian com- 
 manders acceded. On the appearance of 
 Lord Nelson, however, Ferdinand publicly 
 disavowed " the authority of Cardinal Ruffo 
 to treat with subjects in rebellion," and the 
 capitulation was accordingly violated, with 
 
 the exception of the prisoners in Castella 
 Mare alone, who had surrendered to the 
 English squadron under Commodore Foote. 
 This is the only portion of the Admiral's 
 public conduct which has ever been cen- 
 sured ; for an Englishwoman, residing 
 abroad, having obtained the original treaty 
 in question, thought fit to publish it, ac- 
 companied with the severest animad- 
 versions. 
 
 After having effected the blockade of 
 
 RUINS OK PALACE ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE. 
 
 Malta, procured the evacuation of Rome, 
 greatly contributed to the restoration of the 
 king of Naples to his capital and his throne, 
 Lord Nelson embarked with the English 
 minister (Sir William Hamilton) to the court 
 of Naples, and landed at Yarmouth, in his 
 native country, on the 6th of November, 
 after an absence of three years, which had 
 been wholly occupied by a series of most 
 brilliant and magnanimous achievements. 
 The populace assembled in crowds to be- 
 hold the hero of the Nile, and harnessing 
 
 themselves to his carriage, dragged him to 
 the inn. On his arrival in London, similar 
 honours attended him; and, after dining 
 at the Guildhall, he was presented with a 
 superb sword by Mr. Chamberlain Clarke, 
 in the name of the Lord Mayor and Cor- 
 poration, in testimony of an action " per- 
 haps unequalled in the history of mankind." 
 The reply, which is as follows, was delivered 
 amidst bursts of applause : 
 
 " Sir, It is with the greatest pride and 
 satisfaction I receive from this honourable
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 court such a testimony of their approbation 
 of my conduct ; and with this very sword 
 [his lordship at the same time holding it up 
 in his remaining hand] I hope soon to aid 
 in reducing our implacable and inveterate 
 enemy to proper and due limits ; without 
 
 which this country can neither hope for nor 
 expect a solid, honourable, and permanent 
 peace ! " 
 
 So closed the Egyptian part of Nelson's 
 career, establishing his character as our 
 greatest Naval Hero. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 THE J^ISTORY OF EGYPT : PLEOPATRA. 
 
 E now resume the story of 
 ancient Egypt, and show 
 how the baneful influences 
 of the beautiful Cleopatra 
 affected the destinies of the 
 surrounding nations.* We shall give a 
 somewhat detailed account of the life of 
 that queen, for nothing could more vividly 
 bring before us the state of Egypt under 
 the Romans than the narrative of the reign 
 of that extraordinary woman. 
 
 Ptolemy Auletes, who reigned in Egypt 
 fifty-one years before the Christian era, and 
 the remains of whose splendid palace are 
 represented in our illustration, bequeathed 
 at his death the sovereignty to his eldest 
 son and daughter, who, according to the 
 custom of his country, were to be united 
 in marriage, and reign jointly. Cleopatra, 
 the eldest, being only seventeen years of 
 age, was, with her brother, committed, by 
 the will of her father, to the care and 
 tuition of the Roman senate. Posthinus, 
 the eunuch, with Achillas, general of the 
 Egyptian army, and Theodotus, a rheto- 
 rician, preceptor to the prince, ambitious 
 and aspiring men, contrived to get into 
 their hands the young king, who, by their 
 counsel and persuasions, raised a force for 
 the assistance of Pompey, in the disputes 
 which had taken place between him and 
 Caesar. In recompense for this service, 
 
 " See Chapter XXV. 
 
 Pompey procured a decree of the senate to 
 vest the government of Egypt solely in the 
 hands of the prince. But after the battle 
 of Pharsalia, Pompey, flying for refuge to 
 Egypt, was, by the intrigues of these very 
 men, basely murdered. 
 
 Caesar, after this catastrophe, coming to 
 Alexandria while Cleopatra, with her sister 
 Arsinoe, were collecting in Syria troops for 
 the recovery of their rights, the decision of 
 the dispute between the prince and his 
 sisters was referred to his tribunal, and 
 advocates on both sides appointed to plead 
 before him. Cleopatra, on this occasion, 
 aware of the frailty of the judge, and con- 
 fiding in her personal charms, formed the 
 project of an interview with Caesar, whose 
 passions she doubted not to interest in her 
 favour. Arsinoe and her younger brother 
 had obtained an easy admittance into 
 Alexandria ; but Achillas, .the general of 
 Ptolemy, jealous of the address and talents 
 of Cleopatra, sought to prevent her from 
 entering the city. But the princess, fertile 
 in expedients, having obtained from Caesar 
 permission for the solicited conference, 
 eluded the precautions of her enemy, by 
 causing herself to be secretly conveyed in 
 a small galley, in the dusk of the evening, 
 by Apollodorus the Sicilian, to the port of 
 Alexandria, and landed near the palace; 
 whence she was carried, folded in a mat- 
 tress, through the gates of the castle, into 
 the presence of Caesar. Her enterprise
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT: CLEOPATRA. 
 
 171 
 
 produced the effect she had foreseen: 
 Caesar, captivated by her youth, her beauty, 
 and her address, granted all her demands, 
 and purchased her favours by the sacrifice 
 of integrity and justice. 
 
 On the ensuing day, her brother was 
 exhorted to accede to the terms demanded 
 by his sister; but Ptolemy, finding in his 
 judge a prejudiced advocate, appealed from 
 his decision to that of the people. An en- 
 tire exclusion of the prince from the throne 
 had been the purpose of Caesar; but, to 
 appease the murmurs of the populace, the 
 destiny of Ptolemy was mitigated to a 
 participation with Cleopatra of the regal 
 dignity, according to the will of their 
 father. In this situation he was incited, 
 by the turbulent and aspiring temper of 
 Achillas, to raise new commotions and 
 tumults, which terminated in a war. After 
 various disputes and skirmishes, a decisive 
 battle was at length fought, in which the 
 fortune of Caesar prevailed. The unhappy 
 Ptolemy, seeking safety in flight, was 
 drowned while endeavouring to regain, in 
 a boat, his ships in the Nile. On this 
 catastrophe, a younger brother of Cleopa- 
 tra, a youth only eleven years of age, was 
 associated with her in the government. 
 Caesar, plunged in voluptuousness and 
 luxury, continued near twelve months a 
 guest in the Alexandrian court. Soon after 
 his departure, Cleopatra was delivered of a 
 son, to whom, with the permission of his 
 father, she gave the name of Caesarion. 
 
 There is not an event in the whole 
 history of human passions and pursuits 
 which is more astonishing and dishonour- 
 able than the long residence of Caesar in 
 Egypt. Though he pursued Pompey to 
 the shores of that country, he should have 
 returned with speed into Europe; and 
 though, by the Etesian winds, his ships 
 were shut up for a season in the harbours 
 of Egypt, yet it was his business to have 
 travelled by land into Syria, and thence to 
 have prosecuted his journey to Rome. 
 Upon what principles of policy, honour, or 
 advantage, could he spend his time in the 
 
 impure embraces of the Egyptian queen, 
 when the most eventful movements in 
 every province of Rome had an immediate 
 reference to him ? How could he indulge 
 himself in low pursuits, when the fate of a 
 mighty empire waited in awful suspense 
 for his important decision ? His favourite 
 propensity was the love of power ; and to 
 procure what he so much desired, he had 
 spent profusely, and by undue measures 
 supplied his extravagant waste. For it he 
 corrupted the depositories of trust and 
 power; for it he formed friendships, and 
 wantonly violated them ; and for it, by the 
 havoc of war, he covered the empire with 
 mourning ; and yet that darling, that highest 
 object of ambition, was forgotten in Egypt, 
 for dalliance with the false but beautiful 
 Cleopatra. 
 
 To secure the tranquillity of Egypt, 
 Arsinoe, Cleopatra's sister, was sent to 
 Rome, and there, by savage treatment, she 
 was led in chains to grace Caesar's triumph, 
 and aftenvards banished into Asia. Caesar 
 caused a statue of the queen of Egypt to 
 be placed with that of the goddess in a 
 temple dedicated to Venus. Cleopatra, 
 accompanied by her brother, followed her 
 lover to Rome, where, to the disgust of the 
 people, she was lodged in an apartment of 
 the palace. A war which raged in Spain, 
 compelling the emperor to quit Rome, he 
 prevailed upon Cleopatra, whom he was un- 
 willing to expose, during his absence, to 
 popular insult, to return, laden with'mag- 
 nificent presents, to her own dominions. 
 
 Cleopatra, from political motives, had 
 contrived to leave her brother in Italy, 
 where, jealous of his future interference 
 with her authority, she caused him to be 
 despatched by poison. The unhappy 
 youth having expired in a foreign country, 
 far removed from his adherents and friends, 
 no inquisition was made into the manner 
 Of his death, or the arts to which he fell 
 a victim. Cleopatra had scarcely reached 
 Alexandria, when tidings arrived in Egypt 
 of the assassination of Caesar in the senate. 
 On this intelligence, far from consuming
 
 172 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 her time in fruitless sorrow, she formed 
 with the eldest son of Pompey, the most 
 inveterate enemy of her deceased lover, an 
 immediate treaty, in expectation of the 
 revival of the interest of his family at 
 Rome. During the civil war that ensued, 
 the queen of Egypt, with a view of securing 
 the favour of the victorious party, afforded 
 to the contending factions alternate aid : 
 while she sent troops to the assistance of 
 Dolabella in Syria, Serapion, her lieutenant 
 in Cyprus, had orders to declare in favour 
 of Cassius. 
 
 After the battle of Philippi, when Augus- 
 tus and Mark Antony shared the world 
 between them, Antony came into Cilicia, 
 whence he sent Delius to summon Cleo- 
 patra before him, to justify herself from the 
 charge of having assisted the enemies of 
 Caesar. But upon whatever pretence he 
 summoned Cleopatra to appear before him, 
 it is to be presumed that he was influenced 
 by a softer passion than that of resentment. 
 The fame of Cleopatra's beauty and elegance 
 had probably awakened the tenderest feel- 
 ings, and having seen her perhaps in all her 
 bloom and attractions, while in Italy with 
 Julius Caesar, he might be deeply captivated 
 with her charms. If Cleopatra had not 
 been induced by other motives than those 
 of obedience to Antony, much as she 
 respected and perhaps feared Rome, she 
 would have spurned at his commands, and 
 shown her indignation. But having con- 
 quered Julius Caesar, and held him in her 
 chains, she was disposed, we may presume, 
 through vanity, to try her power also upon 
 Mark Antony. 
 
 The day being appointed, Cleopatra, 
 bearing magnificent presents, embarked in 
 regal pompon the Cydnus, in a small galley, 
 the head of which was inlaid with gold ; the 
 sails were of purple silk, and the oars of 
 silver, which, dashing the waves, kept time 
 to the sound cf musical instruments. The 
 queen, habited as Venus, reposed under a 
 canopy of cloth of gold richly embroidered, 
 while beautiful boys, representing Cupids, 
 fanned her on either side; her women, 
 
 attired as sea-nymphs and graces, sur- 
 rounded their mistress in respectful silence. 
 Perfumes breathed a fragrance around, 
 wafted by the breeze to the shores, which 
 were crowded by people, who flocked to 
 gaze on a scene so novel and splendid. 
 Antony, seated on his tribunal in the forum, 
 found himself wholly deserted. Venus, it 
 was said, had arrived to feast with Bacchus, 
 and to consult with him on the common 
 welfare of Asia. 
 
 Cleopatra, having landed, was invited 
 by Antony to supper; but, still further 
 to irritate him, she very artfully eluded 
 this request, pleading her privilege, as a 
 woman and a stranger, to be first allowed 
 the honour of entertaining the greatest man 
 in the world, to whom, as a Roman senator, 
 all the potentates of the earth owed homage. 
 Antony, gratified by her flattery, readily 
 acceded to her request, while every prepara- 
 tion which the time would allow was made 
 by her court for his reception. Soft music, 
 lights advantageously disposed, crowds of 
 beautiful women magnificently attired, every 
 elegance that could charm the fancy, gave 
 zest and variety to the entertainment. The 
 queen, still more lovely and splendid than 
 her attendants, reclining in a pensive and 
 studied attitude, her head resting on her 
 hand, contrived to be seen by her guest 
 without being supposed to observe him ; 
 till, on his nearer approach, rising suddenly 
 to receive him, she fell, as by accident, on 
 her knees before him. As Antony hastened 
 to raise her, she pretended to recover her- 
 self; and, addressing him in an elegant 
 compliment, affected to construe her fall 
 into a favourable omen, that her weakness 
 would receive support from his strength, 
 and that he would defend and protect a 
 queen who wholly resigned herself into his 
 power. Still leaning on Antony, she 
 suffered herself to be placed by him in a 
 chair of state, which had by her orders been 
 prepared for her guest, who gallantly seated 
 himself beside her. This interview proved 
 decisive : Antony became tascinated by the 
 beauty and artifices of the fair Egyptian,
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT: CLEOPATRA. 
 
 whose only passion was ambition ; and who, 
 by the coldness of her own heart, was 
 enabled the more effectually to triumph 
 over that of her lover. 
 
 The following evening Cleopatra was 
 invited by Antony to return his visit, when 
 the festivities were renewed, and the chains 
 of the enamoured Roman completely 
 riveted. Credulous, ardent, voluptuous, 
 and sincere, Antony was, without difficulty, 
 induced to yield his judgment to the charms 
 that had subjugated his senses : a dupe to 
 the artifices of Cleopatra, he blindly gave 
 credit, without troubling himself to investi- 
 gate facts, to whatever she thought proper 
 to assert. By her intrigues and address she 
 separated from him those friends whose 
 integrity gave her umbrage, or whose pene- 
 tration she feared ; while, availing herself of 
 his boundless love of pleasure, she acquired, 
 by her arts and caprices, an unlimited con- 
 trol over his actions. Governing him with 
 a secret but absolute sway, friendship, 
 honour, reason, humanity, and justice, were 
 the sacrifices which she exacted from her 
 victim. Having long coveted the posses- 
 sions of her young sister, to whom, in con- 
 junction with her deceased brother, the 
 kingdom of Cyprus had been allotted by 
 Caesar, she induced Antony, by her insinu- 
 ations, to stain his hands in the blood of 
 Arsinoe, whose death, to throw from herself 
 the odium of the crime, she afterwards 
 affected to deplore. Her sister had indeed, 
 she pretended, conspired against her life 
 and dignity, nevertheless she would have 
 pardoned her, and must ever remain incon- 
 solable for her fate. To appease her grief, 
 and to reward her magnanimity, Antony 
 presented to her the kingdom of Cyprus, 
 the object of her cruel ambition. 
 
 She gave a new instance of her power 
 over her lover, in leading him back with 
 her to Alexandria, while his presence was 
 indispensable at Rome, where Fulvia, his 
 wife, maintained with Augustus an unequa 
 contest. The Parthian troops had at the 
 same time assembled in Mesopotamia 
 under the command of Labienus, and were 
 
 ready to enter Syria. In vain the friends 
 of Antony exhorted him to disentangle him- 
 self from the toils of this Armida : held in 
 dangerous bondage, he wholly disregarded 
 their entreaties and representations. Cleo- 
 patra gloried in thus holding in her chains 
 one of the masters of the world : it was of 
 his power rather than of his person that she 
 was enamoured ; she dreaded his absence, 
 lest he should escape her fascinations ; 
 above all, she feared the influence of Fulvia, 
 a woman of high and masculine spirit, who 
 had fomented the disputes between Augus- 
 tus and her husband for the purpose of 
 detaching him from the spells of her rival. 
 Cleopatra exhausted her invention in devis- 
 ing new pleasures and spectacles for Antony, 
 with a view of detaining him in her snares. 
 An order, the members of which bore the 
 title of the Inimitable Livers, was instituted 
 at Alexandria, the grand rule of which was, 
 by varying their enjoyments, to exclude 
 every interval of satiety or reflection. 
 
 Of the excessive expense and profusion 
 attending these festivals, the following 
 curious instance is related by historians : 
 A young Greek, who came to study physic 
 at Alexandria, had the curiosity to procure 
 himself admission into the kitchen of 
 Antony, where, among other provisions in 
 preparation for a repast, he beheld eight 
 wild boars roasting whole at the same time. 
 Having expressed his surprise at the great 
 number of guests which he supposed must 
 be expected to partake of the feast, one of 
 the officers smiled, and informed him that 
 ten only were invited ; but as the moment 
 when Antony would choose his supper was 
 uncertain, and it was necessary that the 
 table should be served in the utmost per- 
 fection, not one only, but many suppers, 
 were always prepared. To this it is added, 
 that it was the custom of Antony and Cleo- 
 patra to present to their guests the gold and 
 silver vessels in which the entertainment 
 was served up. 
 
 The queen, aware that to an enchant- 
 ment which depended on caprice, serious 
 thought was the most formidable enemy,
 
 174 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 surrounded her captive by the creatures of 
 her power, and carefully excluded from him 
 his real friends. Festivals, carousals, gam- 
 ing, hunting, warlike amusements, and 
 lethargic repose, alternately occupied and 
 diversified their hours. When Antony 
 exercised in arms, his mistress was near 
 him ; he was by turns her Hercules, her 
 Hector, or her Alexander. At other times, 
 habited as gods, they caroused on ambrosia 
 and nectar ; or, as the caprice seized them, 
 strolled disguised through the city on noc- 
 turnal rambles, amusing themselves in wild 
 frolics and dissolute mirth. Every casualty 
 which seemed to threaten an interruption 
 to their pleasures, served, by the wit and 
 ingenuity of Cleopatra, but to improve and 
 heighten their zest. Sometimes, dissolving 
 in softness, she overwhelmed her lover with 
 caresses ; then, in fits of feigned anger, 
 compelled him to sue for her returning 
 smiles. By keen and delicate strokes of 
 satire, she would frequently contrive to 
 rouse his anger and alarm his pride, when, 
 by the most artful and ^ingenious turns, she 
 would suddenly convert into compliment 
 the implied censure. 
 
 Antony, one day on a fishing party, being 
 irritated by ill success, gave secret orders to 
 the fishermen to cause divers, under water, 
 to fasten to his hook fishes newly taken. 
 The scheme succeeded, the fish were drawn 
 up, and Antony triumphed in his skill. 
 Cleopatra, suspecting the cause of this sud- 
 denly acquired dexterity, privately imparted 
 her suspicions to the courtiers, whom she 
 invited to be present on the ensuing day, to 
 witness the catastrophe of the adventure. 
 Everything being prepared accordingly, 
 Antony again let down his line, assured of 
 prey, and again in a few minutes drew it 
 forth exulting, when, behold, a salted fish, 
 of a species originally taken in the Pontic 
 Sea, appeared suspended to the hook. Con- 
 founded by the burst of mirth which this 
 incident produced, he reddened with indig- 
 nation ; when the queen, approaching him 
 with a smiling countenance, "Leave the 
 line, brave general," said she in a soft tone 
 
 of voice, " to us, the poor inhabitants of 
 Pharos and Canopus : kingdoms, provinces, 
 and cities, are your nobler game." 
 
 Cleopatra, by holding the passions of her 
 lover in perpetual agitation by the varied 
 pleasures and vivid emotions she prepared 
 for him, maintained undiminished her 
 ascendency over his mind : a stranger to 
 genuine tenderness, it was her pride to dis- 
 play her power to an indignant world in 
 the degradation of the man whom she pre- 
 tended to love. By her management, his 
 faithful servants were driven from the pre- 
 sence of their master, whom, with Circean 
 arts, she retained as in a magic circle ; his 
 reason, his affections, his glory, were sacri- 
 ficed to the enchantress, for whom he con- 
 temned a prostrate world. Intoxicated 
 with the success of her spells, Cleopatra 
 sported with deceit, and wantoned in new 
 inventions, with which she daily beguiled 
 her fascinated victim. Yet, amidst the 
 intoxications of pleasure, she omitted not 
 to cultivate the sciences and elegant arts. 
 In the place where the celebrated Alexan- 
 drian library had suffered destruction, she 
 erected a new one, to the augmentation of 
 which Antony considerably contributed, by 
 presenting her with the libraries of Perga- 
 mus, which contained more than two 
 hundred thousand volumes. Her collec- 
 tion of books was not merely ostentatious ; 
 she delighted in literature ; there were few 
 nations, however barbarous, to which she 
 needed an interpreter. With the languages 
 of the Ethiopians, Troglodyte, Arabians, 
 Syrians, Medes, and Parthians, she was 
 familiar, nor was she unacquainted with 
 those of several other nations ; while the 
 greater part of the sovereigns of Egypt who 
 preceded her, wrapt in profound ignorance, 
 had been unable to acquire even the lan- 
 guage of Egypt. 
 
 Antony was at length roused from his 
 bewitching trance by messengers from 
 Rome, from whom he received informa- 
 tion that Lucius Antonius, his brother, and 
 Fulvia his wife, had, after many disputes, 
 united against Octavius ; and, failing in
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT: CLEOPATRA. 
 
 '75 
 
 success, had been compelled to abandon 
 Italy : while Octavius, having made himself 
 master of Gaul, had gained the legions 
 stationed there to his party. From another 
 courier, who arrived at the same time, he 
 learned that the Parthians, under the com- 
 mand of Pacorus the son of their king, 
 assisted by Labienus and Barzapharnes, 
 had made themselves masters of Syria, and 
 marched to Jerusalem ; which having sacked, 
 they carried away Hyrcanus the high-priest, 
 with Phaznaal the brother of Herod, pris- 
 oners ; Herod himself having fled for safety 
 to the mountains. 
 
 Cleopatra, filled with consternation by 
 these accounts, which threatened to rob 
 her of her captive, and dreading more 
 than all his return to Italy and Fulvia, 
 prevailed on him to turn his attention to 
 the East, and to recover Syria, which she 
 regarded as her own. With this view, she 
 affected to treat lightly the Italian war, and 
 magnified the importance of his presence 
 in the East After various delays and ob- 
 stacles which she opposed to the departure 
 of Antony, for the purpose of displaying 
 her power in his weakness, two hundred 
 ships, with a considerable army, were col- 
 lected to oppose the Parthians. Cleopatra 
 omitted no artifice, on this separation, to 
 convince her lover of the sacrifice she 
 made of her tenderness to his glory, in 
 suffering him to depart. But her triumph 
 received an alloy, when, some time after, 
 intelligence arrived from the" spies she had 
 placed about him, that Antony had steered 
 his course for Italy, and had already reached 
 Athens, where he had been joined by Fulvia. 
 Stunned by a blow thus unforeseen, her 
 first idea was to repair to Athens, and to 
 dispute with Fulvia the heart of her hus- 
 band ; but further reflection induced her to 
 abandon a project which, in its possible 
 failure, would overwhelm her with humilia- 
 tion. Her apprehensions were in some 
 degree softened when she learned that 
 Antony and his wife passed their time in 
 mutual reproaches ; Antony upbraiding her 
 with the war she had kindled at Rome, and 
 
 Fulvia retorting upon him his inglorious 
 captivity in Egypt, to which she imputed 
 the calamities that had taken place. En- 
 couraged by this intelligence, and by the 
 consciousness of superior charms, a com- 
 parison which she believed her lover could 
 not fail of making in her favour, Cleopatra 
 addressed to him an epistle, in which, after 
 artfully insinuating her claims, her passion, 
 her sufferings, and the sacrifices she had 
 made to him, she ridiculed, with poignant 
 satire, the age, the person, the character, 
 and the privileges of her rival ; while, with 
 mingled flattery, affecting to rally the re- 
 spect of Antony for the conjugal tie. This 
 address concluded with exaggerated ex- 
 pressions of her despair in his absence. 
 The letter produced the effect intended by 
 the writer, who, on the return of her 
 messenger, received from Antony the ten- 
 derest assurances of affection and fidelity. 
 She had also the satisfaction of learning 
 that, on hearing of the nuptials of Octavius 
 with Scribonia, he had advanced towards 
 Italy, without taking leave of Fulvia, whom 
 he left at Scyon, or showing any concern 
 for an indisposition under which she then 
 laboured. A valuable present was at the 
 same time sent by Antony, as a testimony 
 of his love, to his mistress. Fulvia sur- 
 vived not long this new instance of her 
 husband's contempt, while her rival rejoiced 
 at an event which she fancied secured to 
 her for ever the heart of her lover. 
 
 Antony having made a league with Pom- 
 pey against Octavius, the queen of Egypt 
 flattered herself that he would be enabled 
 to lay the world at her feet. Ventidius, his 
 lieutenant, recovered for him Parthia and 
 Syria, while Antony was besieging Brun- 
 dusium, the gates of which had been shut 
 against him by the order of Octavius, whose 
 troops murmured at being compelled to 
 turn their arms against their former com- 
 mander : a disposition which promised to 
 facilitate to Antony a victory or an hon- 
 ourable peace. 
 
 In the midst of these flattering prospects, 
 an event took place that appeared to give
 
 x 7 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 to the hopes of Cleopatra a mortal blow. 
 Through the interposition of Julia, the 
 mother of Antony, he became reconciled 
 
 to Octavius, from whom he received, as a 
 pledge of their union, the hand of his 
 sister Octavia. Octavius and Antony, 
 
 CHINA REVISITED (page 197). 
 
 leading Octavia between them, had entered 
 Rome in triumph, amidst the acclamations 
 of the army and people. A new division 
 was made of the empire, by which the 
 
 western provinces, including Gaul, were 
 given to Octavius, while to Antony was 
 allotted the empire of the east. Codro- 
 polis, a town of Illyria, on the confines of
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT: CLEOPATRA. 
 
 177 
 
 Macedon, was appointed the boundary be- 
 tween their domains : Africa was to remain 
 in the possession of Lepidus, and the 
 dominion of Sicily to be continued with 
 Pompey. In token of his entire satis- 
 faction with these measures, Antony ac- 
 cepted the priesthood of the temple newly 
 erected in honour of Julius Caesar by 
 Octavius his successor. 
 
 The queen of Egypt, filled with surprise 
 and anguish, was, on the first tidings of 
 what had taken place, nearly deprived of 
 sense and life. On the recovery of her 
 faculties, fury succeeded to grief; she struck 
 the messenger of the unwelcome news, and 
 would have stabbed him to the heart, had 
 he not saved himself by a precipitate flight. 
 She vented her passions, unaccustomed to 
 control, in rage and execration : while all 
 who surrounded her suffered the effects of 
 her vehemence and disappointment. The 
 tumult of her feelings having abated, she 
 sought to learn the character of a rival, the 
 report of whose youth and beauty had 
 filled her with dismay. In the description 
 of the mild, unassuming virtues of Octavia, 
 she found some alleviation to her despair : 
 acquainted with the temper of Antony, she 
 felt a conviction that his passions, accus- 
 tomed to a stronger stimulus, would languish 
 in the possession of a woman whose simple 
 goodness and unaffected graces could but 
 feebly affect a vitiated taste, and a heart 
 exhausted by voluptuous excesses. To 
 this confidence in her own discernment, 
 and in her knowledge of her lover, other 
 circumstances were added, which tended to 
 cherish a latent and almost expiring hope. 
 Antony had, on a frivolous pretence, caused 
 Marsius to suffer death ; a man who, by 
 firmly censuring his connection with the 
 queen of Egypt, had exasperated Fulvia, 
 and occasioned the war which the present 
 alliance had so happily terminated. He 
 also loaded with favours an astrologer, 
 whom, at the recommendation of Cleopatra, 
 he had brought with him from Egypt, and 
 who, with a view of ensnaring him to 
 return, perpetually declared, that his for- 
 
 tune, however glorious, was overshadowed 
 by that of Octavius, from whom it behoved 
 him to remove to a distance. " Your genius," 
 he was accustomed to repeat, " is menaced 
 by his; in his absence you are great; in 
 the presence of your rival, you sink into 
 comparative littleness. In every conten- 
 tion, even in every game, you are van- 
 quished by Octavius." Antony, disgusted 
 and humbled by these representations, 
 which were not without a foundation in 
 truth, resigned, after a time, to Octavius, 
 the regulation of Rome ; and, quitting Italy, 
 repaired with his wife to Athens. 
 
 Here he again gave the reins to his 
 inclinations, and plunged into dissipation 
 and pleasure ; yet, at intervals, emerging 
 from these excesses, he courted the society 
 of the learned; while Octavia, by her 
 virtues, conciliated the popular esteem. 
 To fill up the measure of his extravagance, 
 Antony assumed the title and insignia of 
 Bacchus, under which he caused himself to 
 be worshipped by the Athenians in a temple 
 near the city. He also ordered a throne 
 to be erected in a grotto, to which was 
 given the name of the Cave of Bacchus ; 
 and where, enervated by soft music, he 
 indulged in voluptuousness. To his effem- 
 inacy was added an insatiable rapacity : the 
 Athenians having supplicated their new 
 deity to take to wife Pallas, their tutelary 
 goddess and protectress, he consented to 
 their request, but stipulated that the god- 
 dess should bring to him, as her dowry, a 
 thousand talents. The servile crowd, 
 alarmed by the consequences of their 
 absurd and licentious superstition, hesitated 
 at this unexpected demand, while they 
 alleged in reply, that his father Jupiter had 
 exacted no portion with his mother Semele. 
 "True," answered their new god ; "my father 
 was rich, but I stand in need of money." 
 The ridiculous festival of the nuptials of 
 Bacchus with Pallas was kept in all the 
 Peloponnesian towns ; each, in its pro- 
 portion, contributing to defray the expenses. 
 Antony, charmed with his new dignity, 
 which had proved more than an empty 
 
 N
 
 i 7 8 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 title, ordered the name of Bacchus to be 
 inscribed at the feet of every statue which 
 had been raised to his honour. 
 
 From Athens he sailed to Syria, for the 
 regulation of his affairs, and thence re- 
 turned to Athens, where, irritated by some 
 reports concerning Octavius, he remained 
 but a short time. Having departed for 
 Italy with a fleet of an hundred sail, and 
 being refused harbour at Brundusium, he 
 sailed indignantly to Tarentum. From 
 Tarentum, Octavia, who accompanied her 
 husband, and who was then pregnant, 
 prevailed on him to suffer her to repair to 
 her brother. Having met Octavius on the 
 road, she held with him a conference in the 
 presence of two of his friends, by her tears 
 and representations softened his anger, 
 induced him to yield his resentment, to 
 accompany her back to Tarentum, and to 
 make an amicable visit to Antony. It was 
 in this interview mutually agreed, that 
 Octavius should give to his brother-in-law 
 two legions, and one thousand foot soldiers, 
 to serve in the Parthian war, while Antony 
 should leave with him one hundred armed 
 galleys and twenty brigan tines. After 
 parting on terms of cordiality, Octavius 
 prepared to dispute Sicily with Sextus 
 Pompeius : while Antony, leaving with her 
 brother his wife and family, sailed for Asia. 
 
 Cleopatra, who had been watchful of his 
 steps, seized this occasion to allure her 
 captive back to her arms. She had en- 
 trusted with one of her spies a letter to be 
 put into the hands of Antony whenever he 
 should be separated from Octavia. This 
 letter, containing a mixture of submission 
 and tenderness, of insinuations and reflec- 
 tions, calculated to touch the heart, and 
 rouse the pride of him to whom it was 
 addressed, could scarcely fail of its purpose. 
 Should Antony, it intimated, show com- 
 passion for the only woman who had really 
 loved him, and who was ready to expire 
 the victim of his neglect, Octavius, to 
 whose power and fortune respect was cer- 
 tainly due, would, it was but too probable, 
 vindicate the cause of his sister. The vain 
 and feeble-minded Antony, softened by the 
 
 recollection of his former mistress, and the 
 images which she had conjured up of her 
 passion and of her despair, and piqued at 
 the supposition of his being held in vas- 
 salage by the brother of his wife, deter- 
 mined, by the sacrifice of his principles, 
 to assert his courage and independence. 
 The queen of Egypt (learning from her 
 agent the impression which her epistle had 
 produced) continued daily to importune 
 him with messages ; till, on his arrival in 
 Syria, Antony, against the remonstrances 
 and entreaties of his friends, sent to her to 
 join him. This summons was heard with 
 exultation, and obeyed with facility. An- 
 tony advanced to receive his mistress on 
 her way, and to conduct her himself to his 
 palace. On their meeting, she affected an 
 air the most humble and submissive, and 
 prostrated herself before him ; when he 
 raised and embraced her in a transport of 
 joy and passion. 
 
 The purpose of Cleopatra thus accom- 
 plished, and her triumph over her rival 
 complete, she resumed her former artifices ; 
 banished from the presence of Antony his 
 friends ; and, plunging him in dissolute 
 pleasures, barred by her insinuations, and 
 by the whirl of dissipation, in which reflec- 
 tion was drowned, every avenue of his 
 heart against the virtuous Octavia. Ap- 
 parently watchful of his interest and safety, 
 new alarms of plots and treacheries were 
 daily fabricated ; while by multiplied con- 
 fiscations her rapacity was gratified, and 
 the hearts of the people alienated from 
 Antony. Lysanias, whom he had made 
 king of Chalcis, and for whose spoils she 
 thirsted, was sacrificed by him to the 
 avarice of his mistress : Cyrene, Cyprus, 
 Ccelo-Syria, Iturea, and Phenicia, with great 
 part of Cilicia and Crete, were added to 
 her dominions. The kingdoms of Judea 
 and Arabia, over which Herod and Malchus 
 reigned, became objects of her ambition : 
 to possess herself of their territories, she 
 brought an accusation of tyranny and 
 mal-administration against Herod ; while 
 Malchus, she affirmed, had favoured the 
 enemies of her lover.
 
 THE HISTORY OF EGYPT: CLEOPATRA. 
 
 179 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 THE DISTORT OF EGYPT ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. 
 
 HESE [affairs were yet un- 
 decided when the season 
 of the year called upon 
 Antony to quit Antioch, and 
 to march towards Armenia. 
 Cleopatra, afraid of trusting him out of her 
 presence, accompanied him to the banks of 
 the Euphrates; where, by her caprices, 
 dissipating his attention, and occupying his 
 time, she caused him to neglect the warlike 
 preparations indispensable for the occasion. 
 It was here that, apprehensive lest the 
 chance of war might deprive her of the 
 advantages which she derived from his in- 
 fatuation, she again importuned him to 
 grant to her the kingdoms of Judea and 
 Arabia. Herod and Malchus attended at 
 Laodicea the summons of the triumvir, to 
 clear themselves from the charges preferred 
 against them. The injustice of the process 
 appeared so manifest, that, notwithstanding 
 the arts and solicitations of their formidable 
 adversary, Antony contented himself with 
 dismembering their dominions. Jericho 
 and the balsam gardens were taken from 
 Herod ; and from Malchus, Arabia Nabath, 
 famed for its perfumes. The profusion of 
 Antony, however lavish, was insufficient to 
 gratify his venal mistress. On being re- 
 proached for his extravagant donations 
 "The greatness of the Roman empire," 
 replied he, with a specious magnanimity, 
 "consists in bestowing, rather than in con- 
 quering, kingdoms." 
 
 Cleopatra, compelled at length to leave 
 her lover to the prosecution of the Parthian 
 war, omitted no artifice before her departure 
 that might tend to insure his return. To 
 beguile the time during the interval of his 
 absence, she passed through the principal 
 towns of Syria; and, coming to Judea, was 
 received by Herod, who sought, with re- 
 
 spectful attentions, to procure her favour 
 and interest. She is accused of having been 
 prompted by vanity, during her stay in the 
 court of Judea, to rival his beloved Mari- 
 amne in the affections of Herod, who, 
 either blind to the charms of the Egyptian, 
 or aware of the danger of contesting a 
 heart with Antony, affected to overlook her 
 advances ; while he confined his behaviour 
 to a distant and respectful homage. Morti- 
 fied by the coldness or the prudence of 
 Herod, rage succeeded to coquetry in the 
 heart of the vindictive queen, who silently 
 meditated the future destruction of the man 
 who contemned her attractions. With a 
 view of softening the malignant spirit of his 
 guest, Herod, on her departure, attended 
 her to the boundaries of Egypt ; where, on 
 taking his leave, he loaded her with 
 magnificent presents. 
 
 On her return to Alexandria, Cleopatra 
 received intelligence that Octavius, having 
 made a glorious campaign, had conquered 
 Sicily, whence he had driven Sextus Pom- 
 peius ; also that he had compelled Lepidas 
 to renounce the dignity of a triumvir. That 
 the senate, of Rome, lavishing honours on 
 its hero, had decreed to him and to his 
 family a festival in the capitol. At the 
 same time, a messenger arrived from Antony 
 with news of an opposite nature : his im- 
 patience to return to Egypt had, notwith- 
 standing his formidable power, which had 
 spread throughout Asia terror and dismay, 
 rendered his campaign disastrous ; harassed 
 and defeated in all his projects, having lost 
 in the expedition more than thirty thousand 
 of his best troops, he had been compelled 
 to make an inglorious retreat To this 
 intelligence was added, that having with 
 difficulty reached Leucone in safety, he 
 there impatiently awaited his mistress. The
 
 i8o 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 mortification which this account produced 
 was in some degree softened to Cleopatra 
 by the reflection, that it was to the power of 
 her charms that the discomfiture of Antony 
 might be attributed ; her presence and her 
 fascinations having robbed him of his 
 accustomed activity. 
 
 Couriers succeeded to couriers to hasten 
 her departure, the impatience of her lover 
 enduring no delay ; while he waited her 
 coming, anxiety and grief evidently preyed 
 upon his health. Cleopatra was, by an 
 earnestness so flattering, induced still to 
 procrastinate her journey ; wantoning in the 
 power of giving pain, and gratified by the 
 extravagance and infatuation of her lover. 
 When she at length joined him, his trans- 
 ports knew no bounds ; having brought 
 with her clothing and presents for the troops, 
 magnificent liberalities were added to her 
 gift by Antony, who contrived to give to 
 his mistress all the honour. By her advice, 
 he softened and falsified, in a letter to 
 the senate, his unsuccessful campaign, of 
 which the truth had already reached them. 
 Octavius, nevertheless, on the receipt of his 
 letters, ordered thanks to be offered to the 
 gods for his success. Octavia, who had re- 
 mained at Rome during this interval, now 
 solicited permission of her brother to de- 
 part in search of her husband. Her request 
 was the more readily granted, as Octavius 
 foresaw, in the indignity with which she 
 would be treated by Antony, a pretence for 
 a rupture which he had for some time 
 meditated. Carrying with her magnificent 
 presents from her brother, Octavia im- 
 mediately commenced her journey. Cleo- 
 patra, alarmed by the purpose of her rival, 
 by her insinuations prevailed on Antony to 
 signify to his wife that she should wait at 
 Athens till the embarrassments of his affairs 
 should allow him the satisfaction of joining 
 her. Octavia, but too sensible of the truth, 
 appeared to acquiesce in these pretences, 
 and, resigning herself with respect to the 
 commands of her husband, entreated only 
 to be informed in what manner she was to 
 dispose of the money and horses, the 
 
 presents for his friends and officers, and the 
 clothing for his soldiers, with which she was 
 charged. She had also brought with her 
 two thousand chosen soldiers for recruiting 
 the praetorian cohorts, which had suffered 
 during the campaign. Neiger, a friend of 
 Antony's, was deputed with this message, 
 who concluded his commission with high 
 and just praises of the virtue and conduct 
 of Octavia. In this panegyric, the queen ot 
 Egypt, who was present, affected to join, 
 yet not without artful allusions to the re- 
 lationship which she bore to the victorious 
 and powerful Octavius. 
 
 The purpose of Antony was, in union with 
 the king of Media, once more to take the 
 field against the Parthians ; but Cleopatra, 
 apprehensive lest he should, when so near, 
 visit Athens and Octavia, redoubled her 
 efforts to turn him from his design. She 
 affected to deprecate his absence in trans- 
 ports of grief and passion ; while she 
 thought to persuade him that the moment 
 of their separation must inevitably be that 
 of her death. By refusing to take nourish- 
 ment, and by a studied negligence in her air 
 and dress, she contrived to appear wasted 
 by sickness and sorrow : when Antony 
 entered her apartment, she would assume 
 an air of grief and surprise ; and with eyes 
 bathed in tears, which she yet seemed to 
 struggle to suppress, appear, when he quitted 
 her, to sink into anguish and despondency. 
 Her creatures, by whom she had surrounded 
 him, aided her views by their arguments, 
 their representations, and their appeals to 
 his passions. A dupe to the blandishments 
 of a vain and capricious woman, whose 
 tenderness was a fiction to cover her venal 
 purposes, Antony became entangled in the 
 toils which encompassed him, through 
 which he wanted firmness to break. His 
 projects were abandoned, and, while Octavia 
 awaited him at Athens, he suffered him- 
 self to be led in triumph, the scorn of an 
 indignant world, by Cleopatra back to 
 Alexandria. 
 
 Yet, unsatisfied with her victory, she left 
 no means unessayed to prevail on her lover
 
 THE DEVICES OF CLEOPATRA. 
 
 181 
 
 to treat with indignity his blameless wife ; 
 and without admitting her to his presence, 
 to crder her back to Rome. By irritating 
 his pride and his jealousy of Octavius, 
 whose power she extolled and magnified, 
 she at length brought him to her purpose. 
 To assert his independence, and humble his 
 rival, Antony heroically determined to in- 
 sult and outrage his admirable wife. Cleo- 
 patra, by seeming to oppose it, strengthened 
 his resolution, till her design was fully 
 completed. Octavia received the commands 
 of her husband, in which a studied con- 
 tempt was mingled with asperity, to quit 
 Athens, and to return to Rome. Without 
 condescending to contest with her rival, she 
 meekly obeyed the mandate, and prepared 
 for her departure. 
 
 Sextus Pompeius, who had about this 
 period been driven from Sicily by Octavius, 
 sought protection from Antony ; and, at the 
 same time, lest his negotiation should fail, 
 had, by his ambassadors, endeavoured to 
 secure for himself a refuge with the 
 Parthians. This duplicity, which had been 
 betrayed to Antony, Pompeius sought to 
 excuse on the plea of necessity and distress. 
 The queen of Egypt, with a view to 
 strengthen her party against Rome, espoused 
 the cause of Pompeius ; but, persevering in 
 a crooked policy, he at length fell into the 
 hands of his enemy Titius, who, having 
 against him a personal pique, put a period 
 to his life by a pretended mistake of the 
 orders of Antony. On this event, disap- 
 pointed in her plans, Cleopatra induced 
 Antony to turn his arms against Artabazes, 
 the king of Armenia, whose dominions she 
 thirsted to annex to her own. Artabazes, 
 pretending to be the ally of Antony, had, 
 during the Parthian war treacherously with- 
 drawn his troops, the result of which had 
 been fatal to the campaign. While Antony 
 was absent on this expedition, Cleopatra 
 heard with rage and mortification of the 
 fortune of Octavius in Illyria, who, crowned 
 with success, carried the glory of the Roman 
 arms where, till now, its name had been 
 unknown. To this intelligence it was added, 
 
 that he had, with the spoils of the Illyrian 
 war, raised a magnificent portico, orna- 
 mented with pictures and statues of 
 inestimable value, on which was placed the 
 standard taken from the enemy, and which 
 he had consecrated to the honour of his 
 sister, Octavia. To increase the anguish 
 and malignity of Cleopatra, she also learned 
 that her rival, on her return to Rome, re- 
 sisting the entreaties of her brother to 
 abandon the house of her unworthy 
 husband, had declared that no injuries 
 from Antony should induce her to forget 
 the duties of a wife, to which it was her 
 determination, in every instance, to adhere. 
 Remaining in his house, she had, in con- 
 formity to this resolution, devoted herself to 
 the cares of his family, and reared, with her 
 own children, those of Fulvia, his former 
 wife. His friends were also received by her 
 with kindness, while she promoted their 
 interest and preferment with her brother. 
 In the most cruel species of widowhood she 
 lived at Rome amidst the sympathy and 
 affection of her family, and the respect and 
 admiration of the people. 
 
 Cleopatra sickened at the virtues and 
 magnanimity of her rival, whose superiority 
 she could scarcely conceal from herself: 
 incapable of a generous emulation, she de- 
 termined to leave no effort unessayed to 
 shake her fortitude, and tarnish her repu- 
 tation. Addressing herself to Antony, she 
 implored his return, and exhorted him, 
 should force or stratagem prove ineffectual 
 for the conquest of Armenia, to delay his 
 operations till another season. To this re- 
 quest was added a declaration, that she 
 was unable longer to endure their separ- 
 ation.- 
 
 A civil war with Octavius was the project 
 now revolving in the thoughts of Cleopatra ; 
 her restless ambition aspired to the empire 
 of the world, in the humiliation of the family 
 of her rival. Occupied with these plans, 
 she gave the reins to her imagination, in- 
 dulging in fancied triumphs in the capitol 
 of Rome, where she seemed already, in 
 idea, to trample her adversaries under her
 
 182 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 feet. Dazzled with vanity, and frenzied 
 with passion, she beheld no obstacles to 
 her wishes ; every difficulty receded before 
 her ardent fancy while she waited in breath- 
 less expectation the return of Antony, in 
 whose presence she saw the accomplish- 
 ment of her daring plans. 
 
 Hastily obeying her summons, he arrived 
 in Alexandria, having adopted the insidious 
 policy recommended to him by his mistress, 
 of betraying into his power, under fair pre- 
 tences, and by solemn engagements, the 
 king of Armenia, whom, with his family, he 
 brought back with him in chains. His 
 entrance into the city was by a triumphal 
 procession in the manner of the Romans, 
 in which Artabazes and his family, their 
 misfortunes aggravated by insult and 
 mockery, preceded the chariot of victory. 
 The procession, which in Rome terminated 
 at the temple of Jupiter, ended in Egypt 
 at the foot of the throne ; where Cleopatra, 
 surrounded by the people, received, as a 
 goddess, the homage of the victor. The 
 royal captives, presented in fetters to the 
 queen, having refused with sullen dignity 
 the prostration demanded of them, ex- 
 perienced, in their subsequent treatment, 
 the vindictive malice of a mind to which 
 magnanimity was a stranger. 
 
 A short time after his return Antony gave 
 a festival to the Alexandrians, whom he 
 afterwards assembled in the place of public 
 exercises; where, seated with their queen, 
 on a throne of gold, he declared Csesarion, 
 the son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, in 
 conjunction with his mother, sovereign of 
 Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, and Ccelo-Syria. 
 Among the three children which she had 
 borne to himself, he divided the remainder 
 of his dominions in the East. To Alex- 
 ander, the eldest, he gave Armenia, Media, 
 Parthia, and the country which should be 
 yet subdued from the Euphrates to India ; 
 to Cleopatra, his twin sister, he gave Libya 
 and Gyrene ; and on Philadelphus, the 
 younger, he bestowed Phenicia, Syria, 
 Cilicia, with the countries of the Lesser 
 Asia, from the Euphrates to the Hellespont ; 
 
 while he conferred on each the title of 
 king of kings. The princes, in the appro- 
 priate habits of the respective countries 
 bestowed upon them, rising from their seats 
 as the ceremony concluded, approached 
 the throne, and, putting one knee to the 
 ground, kissed the hands of Antony and 
 Cleopatra. A retinue, suited to their new 
 dignities, was assigned to them, with regi- 
 ments of guards drawn from the families of 
 the principal nobility. 
 
 To the queen was given the name of Isis, 
 while Antony assumed to himself that of 
 Osiris, the tutelar deities of the Egyptians. 
 They appeared in public in the habits of 
 these divinities ; while, in a studied oration, 
 Antony made the panegyric of his mistress, 
 acknowledging her as the lawful wife and 
 widow of Julius Caesar, to whose rights her 
 son was justly entitled. The eldest son of 
 Antony and Fulvia, present on this oc- 
 casion, was passed over with entire neglect 
 This youth had been brought to Egypt at 
 the request of Cleopatra, who, humbled by 
 the generosity of Octavia, was desirous of 
 withdrawing from her protection the chil- 
 dren of Antony. Having, by her blandish- 
 ments, prompted the prodigality of her 
 lover towards her children, she had, at the 
 same time, instigated him to assert the 
 legality of the birth of Csesarion, with a 
 view of irritating Octavius, by raising to 
 him a rival in the empire, to an incurable 
 rupture with Antony. 
 
 But, amidst her aspiring projects, she 
 omitted not by inexhaustible varieties of 
 luxury and pleasure, to rivet her chains on 
 the voluptuous Antony. At a splendid 
 feast which he had caused to be prepared 
 for her, she affected to undervalue the en- 
 tertainment, boasting that she would, in 
 her turn, provide for him a supper, on 
 which should be expended more than a 
 million of sesterces (^52,500 sterling). 
 Antony, mortified at her raillery, dared her 
 to the performance of her engagement. 
 The evening was accordingly appointed, 
 and the supper served up, in which there 
 appeared to be nothing extraordinary. An-
 
 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. 
 
 183 
 
 tony, smiling, called for a bill of the amount. 
 Cleopatra, with an appearance of good 
 humour, suffered his raillery for some time 
 in silence. At length, taking from her ear 
 a pearl of immense value, and dissolving it 
 in vinegar, she swallowed it, inviting her 
 lover to pledge her with that which re- 
 mained. Lucius Blancus, who stood near 
 the queen, snatched from her hand the gem, 
 declaring the wager to be already decided. 
 For a moment Antony appeared con- 
 founded, till Cleopatra, laughing gaily, 
 assured him, that not only three pearls, 
 transmitted to her from a long race of illus- 
 trious ancestors, but the world itself, were 
 it at her disposal, should, to afford him one 
 moment's gratification, be lavished without 
 regret. Transported by a compliment thus 
 extravagant, Antony was careful to return, 
 by a profuse magnificence, the gallantry of 
 his mistress. 
 
 The contest between the rival heroes 
 now drew near to a decision ; the rendez- 
 vous of the fleet was appointed at Ephesus, 
 whither Antony sailed with the queen of 
 Egypt His force consisted of eight hun- 
 dred vessels. Egypt supplied, for the main- 
 tenance of two hundred of these, twenty 
 thousand talents, with provision for the 
 whole army, during the continuance of the 
 war. The friends of Antony pressed him 
 to send back Cleopatra to wait in Alexan- 
 dria the event of the battle ; but, dreading 
 lest she should be made the sacrifice of a 
 new reconciliation between the chiefs, she 
 left no means untried to secure her stay. 
 Canidius was bribed by her to plead her 
 cause with Antony, and to paint to him the 
 injustice of depriving of her share of the 
 glory the woman who had so largely con- 
 tributed to the charge of the expedition. 
 To this he added a representation of the 
 impolicy of disgusting the Egyptians, who 
 composed a great part of the naval force, 
 and concluded by commending the talents 
 and prudence of their queen. Cleopatra 
 entering during this remonstrance, com- 
 pleted, by her blandishments, the ruin of 
 her lover, who yielded to all her demands. 
 
 From Ephesus they sailed to Samos, 
 where the allies of Antony were to bring 
 the stores stipulated for his use. While he 
 appeared thoughtful for the event of so 
 important a contest, Cleopatra, alarmed 
 lest he should be meditating a compromise 
 with Octavius, invited to Samos every art 
 and every diversion that could beguile 
 anxiety or dissipate apprehension. The 
 allies emulated each other in gallantry and 
 magnificence ; spectacles occupied the day, 
 and carousals shortened the night. Samos 
 became a new Alexandria, while everything 
 wore the aspect of triumph and joy. 
 " How," said the reflecting few, " will they 
 celebrate their victories, who commence a 
 war with such useless expense ? " 
 
 In despite of the enchantments of his 
 Circe, a cloud still hung on the brow of the 
 chief; he became morose, suspicious of 
 those who surrounded him, and distrustful 
 even of the queen herself. He appeared 
 restless with undefined apprehensions, and 
 would take no sustenance till it had first 
 been tasted. Cleopatra, solicitous to cure 
 him of these inquietudes, and, more than 
 all, hurt by his apparent distrust of herself, 
 determined to convince him, by a stratagem, 
 of her power and his injustice. She caused 
 the tops of a garland, which they were accus- 
 tomed on festivals to wear on their heads, 
 to be dipped in a subtle poison, and in the 
 midst of the entertainment, when wine had 
 banished all care, proposed as in sport that 
 the flowers should be thrown into the bowl. 
 With this frolic, Antony, accustomed to her 
 caprices, immediately complied, and, raising 
 the vessel to his lips, was about to pledge 
 her in the poisoned liquor. " Hold, my 
 friend," said she, seizing his hand, " I am 
 the poisoner against whom you employ these 
 useless precautions. If it were possible for 
 me to live without you, judge whether I 
 should want the opportunity or provocation 
 to render them fruitless." She then, having 
 sent for a criminal, obliged him to drink 
 from the bowl, when he instantly expired at 
 her feet Antony seemed for some moments 
 to be lost in astonishment, till Cleopatra,
 
 184 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 observing his features soften, burst into a 
 passionate flood of tears, and with difficulty 
 suffered herself to be appeased by his 
 apologies and caresses. 
 
 The court went from Samos to Athens, 
 where they passed many days in the same 
 excesses. Cleopatra spared no pains to 
 obtain the same marks of affection and 
 
 esteem Octavia had received during her 
 residence in that city. But whatever she 
 could do, she could extort from them only 
 forced civilities, that terminated in a trifling 
 deputation, which Antony obliged the 
 citizens to send to her, and of which he 
 himself would be the chief, in quality of 
 a citizen of Athens. 
 
 ST. STEPHEN'S GATE, JERUSALEM (page 199). 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 THE DISTORT OF EGYPT THE J^ALL OF CLEOPATRA. 
 
 HE new consuls, Cajus So- 
 sius and Domitius ^Eno- 
 barbus, having declared 
 openly for Antony, quitted 
 Rome and repaired to 
 him. Caesar, instead of seizing them, or 
 causing them to be pursued, ordered it to 
 
 be given out that they went to him by 
 his permission ; and declared publicly that 
 all persons who were so disposed had his 
 consent to retire whither they thought fit. 
 By that means he remained master at 
 Rome, and was in a condition to decree 
 and enact whatever he thought proper for
 
 " THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER." 
 
 his own, or contrary to the interests of 
 Antony. 
 
 When Antony was apprised of this, he 
 assembled all the heads of his party ; and 
 the result of their deliberations was, that 
 he should declare war against Caesar, and 
 repudiate Octavia. He did both. Antony's 
 preparations for the war were so far ad- 
 vanced, that if he had attacked Caesar 
 vigorously without loss of time, the ad- 
 vantage must inevitably have been on his 
 
 side ; for his adversary was not then in a 
 condition to make head against him, either 
 by sea or land. But voluptuousness carried 
 it, and the operations were put off to the 
 next year. This was his ruin. Caesar, by his 
 delay, had time to assemble all his forces. 
 
 The deputies sent by Antony to Rome 
 to declare his divorce from Octavia had 
 orders to command her to quit his house, 
 with all her children, and in case of refusal, 
 to turn her out by force, and to leave 
 
 THE GOLDEN GATE, JERUSALEM (page 199). 
 
 nobody in it but the son of Antony by 
 Fulvia : an indignity the more sensible 
 to Octavia, as a rival was the cause of it. 
 However, stifling her resentment, she an- 
 swered the deputies only with her tears ; 
 and unjust though his orders were, she 
 obeyed them, and removed with her chil- 
 dren. She even laboured to appease the 
 people, whom so unworthy an action had 
 incensed against him, and did her utmost 
 to mollify the rage of Caesar. She repre- 
 
 sented to them, that it was inconsistent 
 with the wisdom and dignity of the Roman 
 people, to enter into such petty differences; 
 that it was only a quarrel between women, 
 which did not merit their expressing any 
 resentment about it ; and that she should 
 be very wretched if she were the occasion 
 of a new war : she, who had solely con- 
 sented to her marriage with Antony from 
 the hope that it would prove the pledge of 
 an union between him and Caesar. Her
 
 i86 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 remonstrances had a different effect from 
 her intentions, and the people, charmed 
 with her virtue, had still more compassion 
 for her misfortune, and detestation for 
 Antony, than before. 
 
 But nothing enraged them to such a 
 height as Antony's will, which he had de- 
 posited in the hands of the vestal virgins. 
 This mystery was revealed by two persons 
 of consular dignity, who, incapable of 
 suffering the pride of Cleopatra, and the 
 abandoned voluptuousness of Antony, had 
 withdrawn to Cassar. As they had been 
 witnesses of this will, and knew the secret, 
 they declared it to Caesar. The vestals 
 made great difficulty to give up an act con- 
 fided to their care ; alleging in their excuse 
 the faith of deposits, which they were 
 obliged to observe ; and determined to be 
 forced to it by the authority of the people. 
 The will accordingly being brought into 
 the forum, these three articles were read in 
 it : I. That Antony acknowledged Caesarion 
 as the lawful son of Julius Caesar. II. That 
 he appointed his sons by Cleopatra to be 
 his heirs, with the title of kings of kings. 
 III. That he decreed, in case he should 
 die at Rome, that his body, after having 
 been carried in pomp through the city, 
 should be laid the same evening on a bed 
 of state, in order to its being sent to 
 Cleopatra, to whom he left the care of his 
 funeral and interment. 
 
 There are some authors, however, who 
 believe this will a piece contrived by Caesar 
 to render Antony more odious to the 
 people. In effect, what appearance was 
 there, that Antony, who well knew to what 
 a degree the Roman people were jealous 
 of their rights and customs, should confide 
 to them the execution of a testament, which 
 violated them with so much contempt ? 
 
 When Caesar had an army and fleet 
 ready, which seemed strong enough to 
 make head against his enemy, he also de- 
 clared war on his side. But in the decree 
 granted by the people to that purpose, he 
 caused to be expressed that it was against 
 Cleopatra. It was from a refinement oi 
 
 policy he acted in that manner, and did 
 lot insert Antony's name in the declaration 
 of war, though actually intended against 
 liim. For, besides throwing the blame 
 upon Antony, by making him the aggressor 
 in a war against his country, he artfully 
 managed those who were still attached to 
 him, whose number and credit might have 
 proved formidable, and whom he would 
 have been under the necessity of declaring 
 enemies of the republic, if Antony had 
 been expressly named in the decree. 
 
 Antony returned from Athens to Samos, 
 where the whole fleet was assembled. It 
 consisted of five hundred ships of war of 
 extraordinary size and structure, having 
 several decks raised one above another, 
 with towers upon the head and stern of a 
 prodigious height; so that those superb 
 vessels upon the sea might have been 
 taken for floating islands. Such great crews 
 were necessary for completely manning 
 such heavy machines, that Antony, not 
 being able to find mariners enough, had 
 been obliged to take husbandmen, artifi- 
 cers, muleteers, and all sorts of people 
 void of experience, and fitter to give trouble 
 than do service. 
 
 On board this fleet were two hundred 
 thousand foot, and twelve hundred horse. 
 The kings of Libya, Cappadocia, Paphla- 
 gonia, Comagena, and Thrace, were there 
 in person; and those of Pontus, Judea, 
 Lycaonia, Galatia, and Media, had sent 
 their troops. A more splendid and pom- 
 pous sight could not be seen than this 
 fleet when it put to sea and had unfurled 
 its sails. But nothing equalled the mag- 
 nificence of Cleopatra's galley, all flaming 
 with gold; its sails of purple; the flags 
 and streamers floating in the wind, whilst 
 trumpets, and other instruments of war, 
 made the heavens resound with airs of joy 
 and triumph. Antony followed her close 
 in a galley almost as splendid. As the poet 
 says : 
 
 " Whilst drunk with fortune's heady wine 
 
 Filled with vast hope, though impotent in 
 arms,
 
 THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM. 
 
 187 
 
 The haughty queen conceives the wild design, 
 
 So much her vain ambition charms ; 
 With her polluted band of supple slaves, 
 Her silken servants, and her Pharian knaves, 
 The capitol in dust to level low, 
 And give Rome's empire, and the world, a last 
 and fatal blow ! " 
 
 On the other side less pomp and splen- 
 dour was seen, but more utility. Csesar 
 had only two hundred and fifty ships, and 
 fourscore thousand foot, with as many horse 
 as Antony. But all his troops were chosen 
 men, and on board his fleet were none but 
 experienced seamen. His vessels were not 
 so large as Antony's, but they were much 
 lighter and fitter for service. 
 
 Caesar's rendezvous was at Brundusium, 
 and Antony advanced to Corcyra. But the 
 season of the year was over, and bad wea- 
 ther came on, so that they were both obliged 
 to retire and to put their troops into winter 
 quarters, and their fleets into good ports, 
 till spring came on. 
 
 Antony and Caesar as soon as the season 
 would admit, took the field both by sea and 
 land. The two fleets entered the Ambra- 
 cian Gulf in Epirus. Antony's bravest and 
 most experienced officers advised him not 
 to hazard a battle by sea, to send back 
 Cleopatra into Egypt, and to make all pos- 
 sible haste into Thrace or Macedonia, in 
 order to fight there by land, because his 
 army, composed of good troops and much 
 superior in numbers to Caesar's, seemed to 
 promise him the victory, whereas a fleet so 
 ill manned as his, how numerous soever it 
 might be, was by no means to be relied upon. 
 But it was long since Antony had been sus- 
 ceptible of good advice, and had not acted 
 only to please Cleopatra. That proud 
 princess, who judged things solely from 
 appearances, believed her fleet invincible, 
 and that Caesar's ships could not approach 
 it without being dashed to pieces. Besides, 
 she perceived aright that, in case of mis- 
 fortune, it would be easier for her to escape 
 in her ships than by land. Her opinion 
 therefore took place against the advice of 
 all the generals. 
 
 The battle was fought upon the 2nd of 
 
 September, at the mouth of the Gulf of 
 Ambracia, near the city of Actium, in sight 
 of both the land armies, the one of which 
 was drawn up in battle upon the north, and 
 the other upon the south of that strait, ex- 
 pecting the event. It was doubtful for 
 some time, and seemed as much in favour 
 of Antony as Caesar, till the retreat of Cleo- 
 patra. That queen, frightened with the 
 noise of the battle, in which everything was 
 terrible to a woman, took to flight when 
 she was in no danger, and drew after her 
 the whole Egyptian squadron, that con- 
 sisted of sixty ships of the line, with which 
 she sailed for the coast of Peloponnesus. 
 Antony, who saw her fly, forgetting every- 
 thing, forgetting most himself, followed her 
 precipitately, and yielded a victory to Caesar, 
 which till then he had exceedingly well 
 disputed. It, however, cost the victor ex- 
 tremely dear, for Antony's ships fought so 
 well after his departure, that though the 
 battle began before noon, it was not over 
 when night came on, so that Caesar's troops 
 were obliged to pass it on board their 
 ships. 
 
 The next day, Caesar seeing his victory 
 complete, detached a squadron in pursuit 
 of Antony and Cleopatra. But that squad- 
 ron despairing of ever coming up with 
 them, because so far before it, soon re- 
 turned to join the gross of the fleet. An- 
 tony, having entered the admiral-galley in 
 which Cleopatra was, went and sat down at 
 the head of it, where, leaning his elbows 
 on his knees, and supporting his head with 
 his two hands, he remained like a man 
 overwhelmed with shame and rage, reflect- 
 ing with profound melancholy upon his ill 
 conduct, and the misfortunes she had 
 brought upon him. He kept in that pos- 
 ture and in those thoughts during the three 
 days they were going to Taenarus,* without 
 seeing or speaking to Cleopatra. At the 
 end of that time they saw each other again 
 and lived together as usual. 
 
 The land army still remained entire, and 
 
 * Promontory of Laconia.
 
 i88 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 consisted of eighteen legions, and two and 
 twenty thousand horse, under the command 
 of Canidius, Antony's lieutenant-general, 
 and might have made head, and given 
 Caesar abundance of difficulty, but seeing 
 themselves abandoned by their generals, 
 they surrendered to Csesar, who received 
 them with open arms. 
 
 From Tsenarus Cleopatra took the route 
 to Alexandria, and Antony that of Libya, 
 where he had left a considerable army to 
 guard the frontiers of that country. Upon 
 his landing he was informed that Scarpus, 
 who commanded this army, had declared 
 for Caesar. He was so struck with this 
 news, which he had no room to expect, 
 that he would have killed himself, and was 
 with difficulty prevented from it by his 
 friends. He therefore had no other choice 
 to make than to follow Cleopatra to Alex- 
 andria, where she had arrived. 
 
 Soon after she formed another very ex- 
 traordinary design. To avoid falling into 
 Caesar's hands, who she foresaw would 
 follow her into Egypt, she designed to have 
 her ships in the Mediterranean carried into 
 the Red Sea over the isthmus between 
 them, which is not of any very great 
 breadth, and afterwards to put all her trea- 
 sures on board those ships, and the others 
 which she had in that sea. But the Ara- 
 bians, who inhabited the coast, having 
 burnt all the ships she had there, she was 
 obliged to abandon her design. 
 
 Changing therefore her resolution, she 
 thought only of gaining Csesar, whom she 
 looked upon as her conqueror, and to make 
 him a sacrifice of Antony, whose misfor- 
 tunes had rendered him indifferent to 
 her. Such was this princess's disposition. 
 Though she loved even to madness, she 
 had still more ambition than love, and the 
 crown being dearer to her than her husband, 
 she entertained thoughts of preserving it at 
 the price of Antony's life. But concealing 
 her sentiments from him, she persuaded 
 him to send ambassadors to Caesar to nego- 
 tiate a treaty of peace with him. She joined 
 her ambassadors with his, but gave them 
 
 instructions to treat separately for herself. 
 Csesar would not so much as see Antony's 
 ambassadors. He dismissed Cleopatra's 
 with a favourable answer. He passionately 
 desired to make sure of her person and 
 treasures ; her person to adorn his triumph, 
 her treasures to enable him to discharge the 
 debts he had contracted upon account of 
 this war. He therefore gave her reason to 
 conceive great hopes in case she would 
 sacrifice Antony to him. 
 
 The latter, after his return from Libya, 
 had retired into a country house, which he 
 had caused to be built expressly on the 
 banks of the Nile, in order to enjoy the 
 conversation of two of his friends, who had 
 followed him thither. In this retirement it 
 might have been expected that he would 
 hear with pleasure the wise discourse of 
 those two philosophers. But as they could 
 not banish from his heart his love for Cleo- 
 patra, the sole cause of all his misfortunes, 
 that passion which they had only suspended 
 soon assumed its former empire. He re- 
 turned to Alexandria, abandoned himselt 
 again to the charms and caresses of Cleo- 
 patra, and with design to please her, sent 
 deputies again to Caesar to demand life of 
 him upon the shameful conditions of passing 
 it at Athens as a private person, provided 
 Caesar would assure Egypt to Cleopatra and 
 her children. 
 
 This second deputation not having met 
 with a more favourable reception than the 
 former, Antony endeavoured to extinguish 
 in himself the sense of his present mis- 
 fortunes, and the apprehension of those 
 that threatened him, by abandoning himself 
 immoderately to feasting and voluptuous- 
 ness. Cleopatra and he regaled one 
 another alternately, and strove with emu- 
 lation to exceed each other in the incredible 
 magnificence of their banquets. 
 
 The queen, however, who foresaw what 
 might happen, collected all sorts of poisons, 
 and to try which of them occasioned death 
 with the least pain, she made the experi- 
 ment of their virtues and strength upon 
 criminals in the prisons condemned to die.
 
 CONSEQUENCES OF THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM. 
 
 189 
 
 Having observed that the strongest poisons 
 caused death the soonest, but with great 
 torment, and that those which were gentle 
 brought on an easy but slow death, she 
 tried the biting of venomous creatures, and 
 caused various kinds of serpents to be ap- 
 plied to different persons. She made these 
 experiments every day, and discovered at 
 length that the aspic was the only one that 
 caused neither torture nor convulsions ; 
 and which, throwing the person bit into an 
 immediate heaviness and stupefaction, at- 
 tended with a slight sweating upon the face, 
 and a numbness of all the organs of sense, 
 gently extinguished life ; so that those in 
 that condition were angry when any one 
 awakened them, or endeavoured to make 
 them rise, like people exceedingly sleepy. 
 This was the poison she fixed upon. 
 
 To dispel Antony's suspicions and sub- 
 jects of complaint, she applied herself with 
 more than ordinary solicitude in caressing 
 him. Though she celebrated her own 
 birthday with little solemnity, and suitably 
 to her present condition, she kept that of 
 Antony with a splendour and magnificence 
 above what she had ever instanced before ; 
 so that many of the guests who came poor 
 to that feast, went rich from it. 
 
 Caesar, knowing how important it was to 
 him not to leave his victory imperfect, 
 marched in the beginning of the spring into 
 Syria, and from thence sat down before 
 Pelusium. He sent to summon the gover- 
 nor to open the gates to him ; and Seleucus, 
 who commanded there for Cleopatra, having 
 received secret orders upon that head, sur- 
 rendered the place without waiting a siege. 
 The rumour of this treason spread in the 
 city. Cleopatra, to clear herself of the 
 accusation, put the wife and children of 
 Seleucus into Antony's hands, in order that 
 he might revenge his treachery by putting 
 them to death. What a monster was this 
 princess ! The most odious of vices were 
 united in her person : professed immodesty, 
 breach of faith, injustice, cruelty, and what 
 crowns all the rest, the false outside of a 
 deceitful amity, which covers a design 
 
 formed to deliver up to his enemy the per- 
 son she loads with the most tender caresses 
 and with marks of the warmest and most 
 sincere attachment. Such are the effects 
 of ambition, which was her predominant 
 vice. 
 
 Adjoining to the temple of Isis, she had 
 caused tombs and halls to be erected, 
 superb as well for their beauty and mag- 
 nificence, as their loftiness and extent. 
 Thither she ordered her most precious 
 movables to be carried gold, silver, 
 jewels, ebony, ivory, and a large quantity 
 of perfumes and aromatic wood, as if she 
 intended to raise a funeral pile, upon 
 which she would consume herself with her 
 treasures. Caesar, alarmed for the latter, 
 and apprehending lest her despair should 
 induce her to burn them, despatched every 
 day some person to her, to give her great 
 hopes of the most kind and generous treat- 
 ment, and nevertheless advanced towards 
 the city by great marches. 
 
 Upon arriving there, he encamped near 
 the Hippodrome. He was in hopes of 
 making himself master of the city soon, by 
 means of the intelligence he held with Cleo- 
 patra, upon which he relied no less than 
 upon his army. 
 
 Antony was ignorant of that princess's 
 intrigues, and being unwilling to believe 
 what was told him of them, he prepared for 
 a good defence. He made a vigorous 
 sally, and after having severely handled 
 the besiegers, and warmly pursued to the 
 very gates of their camp a detachment of 
 horse which had been sent against him, he 
 returned victorious into the city. This 
 was the last effort of his expiring valour ; 
 for after this exploit, his fortitude and sense 
 of glory abandoned him, or were never after 
 of any service to him. Instead of making 
 use of this advantage, and of applying him- 
 self seriously to his defence, by observing 
 the motions of Cleopatra, who betrayed 
 him, he came, completely armed as he was, 
 to throw himself at her feet, and to kiss her 
 hands. The whole palace of Alexandria 
 immediately resounded with acclamations,
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 as if the siege had been raised ; and Cleo- 
 patra, who had no thoughts but of amusing 
 Antony, ordered a magnificent feast to be 
 prepared, at which they passed the rest of 
 the day and part of the night together. 
 
 Early on the morrow Antony resolved to 
 attack Caesar by sea and land. He drew 
 up his land-army upon some eminences in 
 the city, and from thence kept his galleys 
 in view, which were going out of the port, 
 in order to charge those of Caesar. He 
 waited, without making any motion, to see 
 the success of that attack, but was much 
 astonished when he saw Cleopatra's admiral 
 strike his flag when he came in view of 
 Caesar's, and surrender his whole fleet to 
 him. 
 
 This treason opened Antony's eyes, and 
 made him give credit to what his friends 
 had told him of the queen's perfidy. In 
 this extremity he was for signalising himself 
 by an extraordinary act of valour, capable, 
 in his sense, of doing him abundance of 
 honour. He sent to challenge Caesar to a 
 single combat. Caesar made answer, that 
 if Antony was weary of life, there were 
 other ways to die besides that. Antony, 
 seeing himself ridiculed by Caesar, and 
 betrayed by Cleopatra, returned into the 
 city, and was a moment after abandoned 
 by all his cavalry. It was then, seized with 
 rage and despair, he flew to the palace, 
 with design to avenge himself upon Cleo- 
 patra, but did not find her there. 
 
 That artificial princess, who had foreseen 
 what happened, to escape the rage of An- 
 tony, had retired into the quarter where 
 stood the tombs of the kings of Egypt, 
 which was fortified with good walls, and 
 of which she had ordered the gates to be 
 closed. She caused Antony to be told, 
 that preferring an honourable death to a 
 shameful captivity, she had killed herself 
 in the midst of her ancestors' tombs, where 
 she had also chose her own sepulchre. An- 
 tony, too credulous, did not give himself 
 time to examine a piece of news which he 
 ought to have suspected, after all Cleopatra's 
 other infidelities ; and struck with the idea 
 
 of her death, he passed immediately from 
 excess of rage to the most violent trans- 
 ports of grief, and thought only of following 
 her into the grave. 
 
 Having taken this furious resolution, he 
 shut himself up in his apartment with a 
 slave, and having caused his armour to be 
 taken off, he commanded him to plunge his 
 dagger into his breast. But that slave, full 
 of affection, respect, and fidelity for his 
 master, stabbed himself with it, and fell 
 dead at his feet. Antony, looking upon 
 this action as an example for him to follow, 
 thrust his sword into his body, and fell upon 
 the floor in a torrent of his blood, which he 
 mingled with that of his slave. At that mo- 
 ment an officer of the queen's guards came to 
 let him know that she was alive. He no 
 sooner heard the name of Cleopatra pro- 
 nounced, than he opened his dying eyes, 
 and being informed that she was not dead, 
 he suffered his wound to be dressed, and 
 afterwards caused himself to be carried to 
 the fort, where she had shut herself up. 
 Cleopatra would not permit the gates to be 
 opened to give him entrance, for fear of 
 some surprise ; but she appeared at a high 
 window, from whence she threw down chains 
 and cords. Antony was made fast to these, 
 and Cleopatra, assisted by two women, who 
 were the only persons she had brought with 
 her into the tomb, drew him up. Never 
 was there a more moving sight. Antony, 
 all bathed in his blood, with death painted 
 in his face, was dragged up in the air, turn- 
 ing his dying eyes and extending his feeble 
 hands towards Cleopatra, as if to conjure 
 her to receive his last breath; whilst she, 
 with her features distorted and her arms 
 strained, pulled the cords with her whole 
 strength ; the people below, who could give 
 her no further aid, encouraging her with 
 their cries. 
 
 When she had drawn him up to her, and 
 had laid him on a bed, she tore her clothes 
 upon her, and beating her breast, and 
 wiping the blood from his wound, with her 
 face glued to his, she called him her 
 prince, her lord, her dearest spouse. Whilst
 
 THE DEATH OF ANTONY. 
 
 191 
 
 she made these mournful exclamations, she 
 cut off Antony's hair, according to the 
 superstition of the Pagans, who believed 
 that a relief to those who died a violent 
 death. 
 
 Antony, recovering his senses, and see- 
 ing Cleopatra's affliction, said to her, to 
 comfort her, that he thought himself happy 
 as he died in her arms ; and that as to his 
 defeat, he was not ashamed of it, it being 
 no dishonour to a Roman to be overcome 
 by Romans. He afterwards advised her to 
 save her life and kingdom, provided she 
 could do so with honour, and to be upon 
 her guard against the traitors of her own 
 court, as well as the Romans in Caesar's 
 train, and to trust only Proculeius. He ex- 
 pired with these words. 
 
 The same moment Proculeius arrived 
 from Caesar, who could not refrain from 
 tears at the sad relation of what had passed, 
 and at the sight of the sword still reeking 
 with Antony's blood, which was presented 
 to him. He had particular orders to get 
 Cleopatra into his hands, and to take her 
 alive if possible. That princess refused to 
 surrender herself to him. She had, how- 
 ever, a conversation with him, without his 
 entering the tomb. He only came close to 
 the gates, which were well fastened, but gave 
 passage for the voice through clefts. They 
 talked a considerable time together, during 
 which she continually asked the kingdom 
 for her children ; whilst he exhorted her to 
 hope the best, and pressed her to confide 
 all her interest to Caesar. 
 
 After having considered the place well, he 
 went to make his report to Caesar, who 
 immediately sent Callus to talk again with 
 her. Callus went to the gates, as Procu- 
 leius had done, and spoke like him through 
 crevices, protracting the conversation on 
 purpose. In the meanwhile Proculeius 
 brought a ladder to the wall, entered the 
 tomb by the same window through which 
 she and her women had drawn up An- 
 tony, and followed by two officers, who 
 were with him, went down to the gate, 
 where she was speaking to Callus. One of 
 
 the two women, who were shut up with her, 
 seeing him come, cried out, quite out of 
 her senses with fear and surprise ; " Oh un- 
 fortunate Cleopatra, you are taken !" Cleo- 
 patra turned her head, saw Proculeius, and 
 would have stabbed herself with a dagger, 
 which she always carried at her waist. But 
 Proculeius ran nimbly to her, took her in 
 his arms, and said to her, " You wrong your- 
 self, and Caesar also, in depriving him of so 
 grateful an occasion of showing his goodness 
 and clemency." At the same time he forced 
 the dagger out of her hands, and shook 
 her robes, lest she should have concealed 
 poison in them. 
 
 Caesar sent one of his freedmen, named 
 Epaphroditus, with orders to guard her 
 carefully, to prevent her making any attempt 
 upon herself, and to behave to her, at the 
 same time, with all the regard and com- 
 placency she could desire; he instructed 
 Proculeius at the same time, to ask the 
 queen what request she had to make him. 
 
 Caesar afterwards prepared to enter 
 Alexandria, the conquest of which there 
 were no longer any to dispute with him. 
 He found the gates of it open, and all the 
 inhabitants in extreme consternation, not 
 knowing what they had to hope or fear. 
 He entered the city, conversing with the 
 philosopher Ariseus, upon whom he leant 
 with an air of familiarity, to signify publicly 
 the regard he had for him. Having arrived 
 at the palace, he ascended a tribunal, which 
 he ordered to be erected there ; and seeing 
 the whole people prostrate upon the ground, 
 he commanded them to rise. He then 
 told them, that he pardoned them for three 
 reasons : The first, upon account of Alex- 
 ander their founder ; the second, for the 
 beauty of their city ; and the third, for the 
 sake of Ariaeus one of their citizens, whose 
 merit and knowledge he esteemed. 
 
 Proculeius, in the meantime, acquitted 
 himself of his commission to the queen, 
 who at first asked nothing of Caesar, but his 
 permission to bury Antony, which was 
 granted her without difficulty. She spared 
 no cost to render his interment magnificent,
 
 192 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 according to the custom of Egypt. She 
 caused his body to be embalmed with the 
 most exquisite perfumes of the East, and 
 placed it amongst the tombs of the kings 
 of Egypt. 
 
 Caesar did not think proper to see Cleo- 
 patra in the first days of her mourning ; but 
 when he believed he might do it with 
 decency, he was introduced into her cham- 
 ber, after having asked her permission, 
 being desirous to conceal his designs under 
 the regard he professed her. She was laid 
 upon a little bed, in a very simple and neg- 
 lected manner. When he entered her 
 chamber, though she had nothing on her 
 but a single tunic, she rose immediately 
 and went to throw herself at his feet, 
 horribly disfigured, her hair loose and dis- 
 ordered, her visage wild and haggard, her 
 voice faltering, her eyes almost dissolved 
 by excessive weeping, and her bosom 
 covered with wounds and bruises. That 
 native grace and lofty mien, which her 
 beauty gave her, were, however, not wholly 
 extinct; and notwithstanding the deplorable 
 condition to which she was reduced, even 
 through that depth of grief and dejection, 
 as from a dark cloud, shot forth pointed 
 graces, and a kind of radiance, which 
 brightened in her looks and in every mo- 
 tion of her countenance. Though she was 
 almost dying, she did not despair of inspir- 
 ing that young victor with love, as she had 
 formerly done Caesar and Antony. 
 
 The chamber where she received him 
 was full of the portraits of Julius Caesar. 
 "My lord," said she to him, pointing to 
 those pictures, "behold those images of 
 him who adopted you his successor in 
 the Roman Empire, and to whom I was 
 obliged for my crown." Then taking letters 
 out of her bosom, which she had concealed 
 in it ; " see also," said she, kissing them, 
 "the dear testimonies of his love." She 
 afterwards read some of the most tender of 
 them, commenting upon them, at proper 
 intervals, with moving exclamations and 
 passionate glances. But she employed those 
 arts with no success ; for whether her charms 
 
 had no longer the power they had in her 
 youth, or that ambition was Caesar's ruling 
 passion, he did not seem affected with either 
 her person or conversation ; contenting 
 himself with exhorting her to take courage, 
 and with assuring her of his good intentions. 
 She was far from being insensible of that 
 coldness, from which she conceived no good 
 augury ; but dissembling her concern, and 
 changing the discourse, she thanked him 
 for the compliments Proculeius had made 
 her in his name, and he had thought fit 
 to repeat in person. She added, that in 
 return she would deliver to him all the 
 treasures of the kings of Egypt And in 
 effect, she put an inventory into his hands 
 of all her movables, jewels, and revenues. 
 And as Seleucus, one of her treasurers, who 
 was present, reproached her with not de- 
 claring the whole, and with having con- 
 cealed and kept back part of her most 
 valuable effects ; incensed at so great an 
 insult, she rose up, ran to him, and gave 
 him several blows in the face. Then turn- 
 ing towards Caesar : " Is it not an horrible 
 thing," said she to him, "that when you have 
 not disdained to visit me, and have thought 
 fit to console me in the sad condition I 
 now am, my own domestics should accuse 
 me before you of retaining some woman's 
 jewel ; not to adorn a miserable person as 
 I am, but for a present to your sister 
 Octavia, and your wife Livia; that their 
 protection may induce you to afford a more 
 favourable treatment to an unfortunate 
 princess ? " 
 
 Caesar was exceedingly pleased to hear 
 her talk in that manner, not doubting but 
 the love of life inspired her with such lan- 
 guage. He told her, she might dispose as 
 she pleased of the jewels she had reserved ; 
 and after having assured her that he would 
 treat her with more generosity and magni- 
 ficence than she could imagine, he with- 
 drew, imagining that he had deceived her, 
 and was deceived himself. 
 
 Not doubting but Caesar intended to 
 make her serve as an ornament to his 
 triumph, she had no other thoughts than
 
 THE DEVICES OF CLEOPATRA. 
 
 193 
 
 to avoid that shame by dying. She well 
 knew that she was observed by the guards 
 who had been assigned her, and under 
 colour of doing her honour, followed her 
 everywhere ; and besides that, her time was 
 
 short, Caesar's departure approaching. The 
 better therefore to amuse him, she sent to 
 desire that she might go to pay her last duty 
 at the tomb of Antony, and take her leave 
 of him. Caesar having granted her that 
 
 STREET IN CAIRO. 
 
 permission, she went thither accordingly 
 to bathe that tomb with her tears, and 
 to assure Antony, to whom she addressed 
 her discourse, as if he had been present 
 before her eyes, that she would soon give 
 him a more certain proof of her affection. 
 After that fatal protestation, which she 
 
 accompanied with sighs and laments, she 
 caused the tomb to be covered with flowers, 
 and returned to her chamber. She then 
 went into a bath, and from the bath to table, 
 having ordered it to be served magnificently. 
 When she rose from table, she wrote a 
 letter to Oesar ; and having made all quit 
 
 o
 
 194 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT, 
 
 her chamber except her two women, she 
 shut the door, sat down upon a bed, and 
 asked for a basket of figs, which a peasant 
 had lately brought. She placed it by her, 
 and a moment after lay down as if she 
 had fallen asleep. But that was the effect 
 of the aspic, which was concealed amongst 
 the fruit. That serpent having stung her 
 in the arm, which she had held to it, 
 the poison immediately communicated 
 itself to the heart, and killed her without 
 pain, or being perceived by anybody. The 
 guards had orders to let nothing pass with- 
 out a strict search into it ; but the disguised 
 peasant, who was one of the queen's faithful 
 servants, played his part so well, and there 
 seemed so little appearance of design in a 
 basket of figs, that the guards suffered him 
 to enter. So that all Caesar's precautions 
 were ineffectual. 
 
 He did not doubt Cleopatra's resolution, 
 after having read the letter she had written 
 him, desiring that he would suffer her body 
 to be laid in the same tomb with that of 
 Antony, and instantly despatched two 
 officers to prevent it. But notwithstanding 
 all the haste they could make, they found 
 her dead. As Horace sings : 
 
 " Not the dark palace of the realms below 
 
 Can awe the furious purpose of her soul : 
 Calmly she looks from her superior woe, 
 That can both death and fear control ; 
 
 Provokes the serpent's sting, his rage disdains, 
 And sees his poisons glide through all her veins. 
 Invidious to the victor's fancied pride, 
 
 She will not from her own descend, 
 Disgraced, a vulgar captive, by his side 
 
 His pompous triumph to attend ; 
 But fiercely flies to death, and bids her sorrows end." 
 
 That princess was too haughty, and too 
 much above the vulgar, to suffer herself to 
 be led in triumph at the wheels of the 
 victor's chariot. Determined to die, and 
 thence become capable of the fiercest 
 resolutions, she saw with dry eyes and in- 
 difference the mortal venom of the aspic 
 glide into her veins. 
 
 She died at thirty-nine years of age, of 
 which she had [reigned twenty-two from 
 the death of her father. The statues of 
 Antony were thrown down, and those of 
 Cleopatra remained as they were : Archi- 
 bius, who had long been in her service, 
 having given Caesar a thousand talents, 
 that they might not be treated as Antony's 
 had been. 
 
 After Cleopatra's death, Egypt was re- 
 duced into a province of the Roman 
 Empire, and governed by a prefect sent 
 thither from Rome. The reign of the 
 Ptolemies in Egypt, to date its commence- 
 ment from Alexander the Great, had con- 
 tinued 293 years, from the year of the 
 world 3681 to 3974.
 
 GORDON IN CHINA. 
 
 '95 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 GORDON CHINA ONCE MORE THE CAPE. 
 
 -f 
 
 URIOUS to say, till almost 
 the very end of his life, 
 Gordon was better known 
 abroad than at home. Still 
 people were not wanting 
 there to appreciate his value. Among these 
 was the author of " Merv, the Queen of the 
 World," who urged in connection with the 
 Afghan war, then being carried on, that 
 "we should choose a good man for the 
 solution of the Anglo-Russian frontier ques- 
 tion ; we should allow him to choose his 
 own advisers ; we should give him abun- 
 dance of time to form his own opinions 
 on the subject. He should have unlimited 
 funds to conduct explorations, and to 
 appoint assistant explorers. He should 
 visit in succession Russia and Persia, to 
 realize correctly the genius of those coun- 
 tries. He should have absolute freedom 
 in the preparation of his plans, and the 
 plan, when complete, should be made the 
 basis of a definite and final settlement of 
 the Central Asian question. 
 
 I may be asked to point out the Atlas 
 who can bear this enormous responsibility 
 upon his shoulders. We have not to go 
 far to seek him. His name is well known. 
 He is not the offspring of a clique ; he is 
 not the creature of a faction. He has 
 fought well ; he has ruled well. His Chris- 
 tian piety is a proverb among those who 
 know him ; his scorn of pelf and preferment 
 is so remarkable, that he almost stands 
 alone he hardly belongs to a place-hunt- 
 ing, money-grubbing generation. He pos- 
 sesses the entire confidence of all parties ; 
 he enjoys the admiration and love of the 
 nation. Russia knows nothing to his detri- 
 ment, and he has recently earned her 
 respect by his disinterested exertions on her 
 behalf in the distant East. I have no need 
 
 J 
 
 to utter his name. It springs spontaneously 
 to the reader's lips Chinese Gordon ! " 
 
 Of these exertions more anon; but in 
 the meantime people were astonished to 
 learn that Gordon had been appointed 
 private secretary to Lord Ripon, the newly 
 appointed Governor-General of India. He 
 proceeded to India, but almost immediately 
 resigned. 
 
 He himself has told us the reasons for 
 this step : " Men, at times, owing to the 
 mysteries of Providence, form judgments 
 which they afterwards repent of. This was 
 my case in accepting the appointment Lord 
 Ripon honoured me in offering me. I 
 repented of my act as soon as I had accepted 
 the appointment, and I deeply regret that 
 I had not the moral courage to say so at 
 that time. Nothing could have exceeded 
 the kindness and consideration with which 
 Lord Ripon has treated me. I have never 
 met any one with whom I could have felt 
 greater sympathy in the arduous task he 
 has undertaken. In a moment of weakness 
 I took the appointment of private secretary 
 to Lord Ripon, the new Governor-General 
 of India. No sooner had I landed in Bom- 
 bay than I saw that, in my irresponsible 
 position, I could not hope to do anything 
 to the purpose, in the face of the vested 
 interests out there. Seeing this, and seeing, 
 moreover, that my views were so diametri- 
 cally opposed to tkose of the official classes, 
 I resigned. Lord Ripon's position was 
 certainly a great consideration with me. 
 It was assumed by some that my views of 
 the state of affairs were the Viceroy's ; and 
 thus I felt that I should do him harm by 
 staying with him. We parted perfect 
 friends. The brusqueness of my leaving 
 was inevitable, inasmuch as my stay would 
 have put me in possession of secrets of
 
 196 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 [Mandarins are of two 
 classes, civil and military ; 
 the first class is open to 
 any man in the empire 
 who is sufficiently per- 
 severing to pass the ex- 
 aminations in Confucian 
 literature. The examina- 
 tions of the military man- 
 darins are chiefly in martial 
 exercises and administra- 
 tion. Both classes are 
 divided into nine orders, 
 distinguished from one 
 another by buttons, or rather 
 balls, of the size of a 
 pigeon's egg, which are 
 worn above the official cap. 
 The name mandarin is not 
 a Chinese word, but is pro- 
 bably derived irom the 
 Portuguese wander, to com- 
 mand. In former times 
 they exercised a paternal 
 sway over the people 
 amongst whom they lived ; 
 but now their chief care 
 too often is to accumulate 
 money as fast as possible 
 as they pass from province 
 to province.] 
 
 GORDON IN MANDARIN'S DRESS.
 
 GORDON CHINA REVISITED. 
 
 197 
 
 state, that considering my decision event- 
 ually to leave I ought not to know. Cer- 
 tainly I might have stayed for a month or 
 two, had a pain in the hand, and gone 
 quietly ; but the whole duties were so dis- 
 tasteful, that I felt, being pretty callous as 
 to what the world says, that it was better to 
 go at once." 
 
 Instead of returning home, he now went 
 to China, whither a pressing message sum- 
 moned him. There was danger of war 
 between China and Russia, in connection 
 with Kashgar. Of course in China the 
 name of Gordon was one to conjure with. 
 As he said himself, half humorously, he was 
 a "big man " there. Even in official rank 
 he was high. Our picture recalls to us the 
 fact that he was a mandarin of the highest 
 class, for in the dress of such we have him 
 in that picture represented. His moral 
 influence was still greater ; and here it was 
 successful, for he was able to avert the 
 threatened war, and gladly used all his in- 
 fluence on the side of peace. 
 
 " My fixed desire," he said, "is to per- 
 suade the Chinese not to go to war with 
 Russia, both in their own interests and 
 those of the world, and especially those of 
 England. To me it appears that the ques- 
 tions in dispute cannot be of such vital 
 importance that an arrangement could not 
 be come to by concessions on both sides. 
 Whether I succeed in being heard or not 
 is not in my hands. I protest, however, 
 against being regarded as one who wishes 
 for war in any country, far less in China. 
 In the event of war breaking out, I could 
 not answer how I should act for the present ; 
 but I shall ardently desire a speedy peace. 
 Inclined as I am, with only a small degree 
 of admiration for military exploits, I esteem 
 it a far greater honour to promote peace 
 than to gain any petty honours in a wretched 
 war." 
 
 The Times, in an article on Russia and 
 China, thus sums up his efforts here : 
 "The outbreak of hostilities seemed im- 
 minent, when one more attempt was made 
 to bring about a peaceful solution. The 
 
 Marquis Tseng, Chinese Ambassador at the 
 Court of St. James, was ordered to St. 
 Petersburg, to endeavour to amend the 
 action of his predecessor ; and Colonel 
 Gordon, in response, it is understood, to an 
 indirect invitation of the Imperial Govern- 
 ment, went personally to Pekin, and threw 
 the weight of his great personal influence 
 into the scale of peace. The efforts of 
 both were so far successful, that the danger 
 of immediate collision was staved off. ... 
 
 This, then, in the spring of 1880, seems 
 to have been the political position at Pekin. 
 Prince Chun and the Empress Regent were 
 eager for war, and Tso Tsung-tang, with the 
 tattered legions which had never dared to 
 meet the army of Yakoob Khan, vainly 
 believed himself able to cope with the 
 Russian forces ; while Li Hung-Chang and 
 other great satraps, who, with a juster appre- 
 ciation of the relative strength of China and 
 Russia, desired peace, were dominated by 
 the power of the Imperial name. There is 
 no need to dwell on the circumstances of 
 Colonel Gordon's visits, or on the intrigues 
 which attended his advent. It is enough to 
 say that he paid a visit of several days to 
 the great Viceroy, with whom he had acted 
 in the days of the great Taiping rebellion ; 
 and both to him, and subsequently to the 
 high authorities at the capital, urged every 
 argument in favour of peace. Exposing the 
 weakness of their forts and ships, and the 
 unwieldiness and imperfection of their whole 
 military organization, he is said to have 
 warned them that the outbreak of hostilities 
 at Kul j a would be followed by the invasion 
 of Manchuria, from the Amoor, and that 
 they might expect a hostile army within two 
 months before the gates of Pekin." 
 
 Thus he saved the ingenious and docile 
 population of the Celestial Empire from the 
 horrors of war with the mighty force of the 
 Russian Empire. This being done he 
 returned to England, and almost immedi- 
 ately was on the wing again. Into his 
 various wanderings we need not follow him. 
 The most important was his visit to South 
 Africa, which came about thus :
 
 198 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 On the 23rd of February, 1882, Sir 
 Hercules Robinson despatched this tele- 
 gram to the Earl of Kimberley : 
 
 " Ministers request me to inquire whether 
 Her Majesty's Government would permit 
 them to obtain the services of Colonel 
 Gordon, R.E., C.B. Ministers desire to 
 invite Colonel Gordon to come to this 
 country for the purpose of consultation as 
 to the best measures to be adopted with 
 reference to Basutoland. In the event of 
 Parliament sanctioning their proposals as 
 to that territory, and to engage his services, 
 should we be prepared to renew the offer 
 made to his predecessor in April, 1881 
 to assist in terminating the war and admin- 
 istering Basutoland." 
 
 He went, but his mission, through the 
 bad conduct of the others, failed there. 
 Mr. Archibald Forbes tells us he wrote 
 "that he wished to resign, but as he had 
 taken service under certain conditions he 
 was prepared to fulfil them, and intimated 
 accordingly. The Premier was severe in a 
 Little Peddlington fashion, but after the 
 same fashion grandly magnanimous. This 
 was his reply : " In answer to your telegram 
 proposing to come to Cape Town and 
 expressing a wish that Government would 
 accept your resignation, and to subsequent 
 messages intimating that when you tele- 
 graphed it had escaped your memory that 
 you had stated your willingness to remain 
 until Parliament met, I have to state that I 
 have no wish to hold you to your promise, 
 and am now prepared to comply with the 
 desire expressed, that your resignation 
 
 should be accepted : after the intimation 
 that you would not fight the Basutos, and 
 considering the tenor of your communi- 
 cation with Masupha, I regret to record 
 my conviction that your continuance in 
 the position you occupy would not be con- 
 ducive to public interest." 
 
 It was a minor thing to have earned the 
 gratitude of an Emperor for the subju- 
 gation of a rebellion that was striking at 
 the vitals of his empire ; it was a trifle to 
 have been Viceroy of the Soudan, and to 
 have won the admiration of the world 
 because of the resolute skill with which he 
 had pacificated that vast and turbulent 
 region. What availed Gordon all these 
 things so long as he had been unsuccessful 
 in giving satisfaction to the Premier of 
 the Cape Colony? He lived through 
 much, through what would have proved 
 fatal to most men ; but the most surpris- 
 ing proof of tenacious vitality he gave is 
 that he should have survived that august 
 functionary's recorded conviction that his 
 continuance in office "would not be con- 
 ducive to public interest." He staggered 
 back to England, there to recover from the 
 prostration of despair. It is surprising, 
 indeed, that, after so authoritative an im- 
 primatur of his incapacity, wanton reck- 
 lessness could tempt greater powers than 
 the Cape Government to entrust him with 
 responsibility. Yet this has been done, 
 and well done, we may add. No doubt our 
 readers will cordially assent to these sar- 
 castic remarks, which are a proper com- 
 ment on official stupidity.
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE. 
 
 199 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 bORDON IN 
 
 FTER coming back from 
 South Africa Gordon went 
 to Palestine, and living near 
 Jerusalem, occupied him- 
 self with a careful study 
 of the localities of the Holy City. We 
 give illustrations of some of the more 
 important of these St. Stephen's Gate, 
 Jerusalem, and the Golden Gate, Jerusalem. 
 This last is now completely walled up, 
 but was in use when Jerusalem was in the 
 possession of the Christians. The interior 
 is a chamber of considerable size, with 
 much architectural ornamentation, and 
 supported by handsome columns. It is 
 evidently very ancient. There are four 
 principal gates that are constantly open 
 from morning till sunset. On the west 
 side Jaffa Gate ; on the south the Gate of 
 Zion ; on the east side Stephen's Gate ; 
 and on the north the Damascus Gate. The 
 entrances to walled cities in the East were, 
 and still are, secured by gates. Stalls or 
 booths intended for the sale of goods were 
 often near the city gates, and became 
 places of concourse. The gates were often 
 the place of judicial proceedings, as may 
 be learned from Ruth iv., and also of 
 general resort. In Arabia the gate of the 
 city is still the place of judgment. The 
 king or governor passes certain hours of 
 the day there, hears and decides contro- 
 versies, and transacts business with the 
 people who are passing in and out As 
 possession of the gates of a city implied 
 possession of the city itself, the word is 
 sometimes used to signify power : " Thy 
 seed shall possess the gate of his enemies " 
 (Gen. xxii. 17). 
 
 We also give a picture of Nazareth, as a 
 locality of great interest in connection with 
 Gordon's researches in the Holy Land, and 
 
 PALESTINE. 
 
 an illustration of a Caravanserai, or Eastern 
 Inn. 
 
 Gordon's doings in the Holy Land will 
 be best understood by some account of his 
 remarkable little work called " Reflections 
 in Palestine," of which an able reviewer 
 remarks : " It is a difficult, or at least a 
 delicate task to pass this little volume under 
 review, since it is chiefly concerned with 
 solemn topics which are seldom treated in 
 secular journals. Yet it is impossible to 
 pass it over in silence when the name of the 
 author is in all men's mouths ; and, more- 
 over, in more ways than one, it must com- 
 mand the most respectful attention. The 
 earnestness of General Gordon is stamped 
 on every line, while his strong and original 
 views are expressed with characteristic self- 
 confidence. Yet the tone is humble, for, if 
 we may say so, he seems to believe himself 
 to be actually inspired by the careful and 
 prayerful study of the Scriptures. These 
 1 Reflections in Palestine ' are indeed a 
 strange self-revelation of one of the most 
 remarkable men who has ever lived. The 
 combination of strong, religious enthusiasm, 
 or the profession of it, with the practical 
 gifts that make conquerors, soldiers, or 
 statesmen, has been no unusual phenome- 
 non. But, generally speaking, that enthu- 
 siasm has been too obviously tainted by 
 ambition or carnal self-seeking, by spiritual 
 pride or half-conscious hypocrisy. In these 
 ' Reflections,' which were thrown into the 
 form of letters, written either to near 
 relatives or intimate friends, we can detect 
 no trace of anything of the kind. With 
 all their assurance of conviction, their spirit 
 is almost childlike ; the writer is no fanatic, 
 and only so far an enthusiast that he has 
 thought with passionate earnestness on 
 matters he believes to be all-important.
 
 2OO 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 Had the little work been published anony- 
 mously, even with all we have heard of 
 Gordon's double-sided character, no one 
 could possibly have dreamed of attributing 
 the authorship to him. Indeed, in know- 
 ledge of the fact, it is difficult to realize 
 that this docile student of the prophecies, 
 that this humble searcher-out of spiritual 
 mysteries, is the stern soldier who saved 
 the Chinese Empire, and who was forced 
 upon our vacillating Government as the only 
 man who could save 'society' and the 
 garrisons in the Soudan when the case was 
 already desperate. It is probable, however, 
 
 that all which seems most contradictory in 
 his character really goes far to explain the 
 almost inexplicable success with which he 
 has hitherto triumphed over difficulties with- 
 out any off chances in his favour. No one 
 has ever questioned his capacity, and the 
 resolutions dictated by his genius have 
 been confirmed in critical circumstances by 
 the conviction that he was but the instru- 
 ment of an omnipotent Power which would 
 assuredly help him to carry through his 
 work. Then his genius, with the irresistible 
 strength of those convictions, animated his 
 will, and imparted something of his own ex- 
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE NAZARETH. 
 
 alted energy to the semi-civilized races whose 
 primitive beliefs had not yet come in contact 
 with the enfeebling influences of agnosticism 
 or scepticism. 
 
 And once the authorship of the ' Re- 
 flections ' is acknowledged, we have the 
 clue to their author's method of treatment. 
 All the reflections are so far controversial 
 that they dispose of the most hotly-contested 
 questions of topography or doctrine. But, 
 unlike most disputants with new theories to 
 broach or with old doctrines to defend, 
 Gordon makes no reference to authorities, 
 or to the voluminous literature of such 
 questions. He makes no show of erudition, 
 
 though now and again he shows his know- 
 ledge of Hebrew by the use of a Hebrew 
 word. He only knows one book, and that 
 is the Bible ; but of the Bible his knowledge 
 is exhaustive and profound ; in fact, the 
 soldier who had served in China, in the 
 Soudan, in South Africa, who had been 
 perpetually making forced marches in the 
 midst of watchful enemies, could carry no 
 library of divinity about with him. But it 
 is clear that he had made the Scriptures 
 his constant companion, and that he medi- 
 tated on what he read there in the watches 
 of the nights. When, after repeated dis- 
 appointments of a long-cherished plan
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE. 
 
 201 
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OK THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.
 
 202 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 for his services had been always in demand 
 he was at last enabled in 1883 to spend 
 a twelvemonth's holiday in Palestine, the 
 'Reflections' that are now reprinted were 
 all ready to his mind. With the Bible in 
 his hand, with the sacred historians and 
 the prophets for his only guides, he went 
 straight to the holy hill of Zion, to the 
 Mount Moriah, and the Mount of Olives, 
 swept the encumbered slopes clear of 
 debris in his mind's eye, and settled the 
 sacred sites on certain postulates he had 
 accepted. 
 
 Yet we should mislead our readers did 
 we lead them to suppose that these topo- 
 graphical conclusions of his are founded 
 altogether on blind faith or mystical fancies. 
 On the contrary, the experienced officer of 
 Engineers brings all his professional sagacity 
 to bear on the solution of the problems. 
 He works his diagrams out by contours ; 
 he carefully extracts square and cube roots ; 
 and he supplements his interpretation of the 
 Scriptures by exact calculations and measure- 
 ments. And so plausible is the combin- 
 ation of one or the other that did we not 
 feel persuaded, as matter of fact, that, 
 beyond three or four ineffaceable natural 
 landmarks, nothing can ever be confidently 
 determined as to the ancient sites in the 
 sacred city, we should be inclined to say 
 that Gordon had proved some of his points 
 beyond possibility of contradiction. Al- 
 though true to his character, he is too con- 
 cise; he goes to those cardinal points of his 
 toodirectly; and his reasoningwould be more 
 likely to recommend itself if he expanded 
 and developed it at greater length. We 
 believe that the scenes of the grand events 
 in the world's history have been effaced 
 beyond possibility of definite recognition. 
 Consequently we take General Gordon's 
 conclusions as suggestive rather than satis- 
 factory, and so we prefer to indicate his 
 method in place of following him into 
 details. For example, some of his strongest 
 arguments for certain localities are drawn 
 from the types of the Old Testament dis- 
 pensation ; and he marks certain central 
 
 spots precisely by the shadows they threw 
 of the events they typified. He describes 
 with the exactitude of the surveying engineer 
 the lie of the ground on which Jerusalem 
 was built, with its sites immediately beyond 
 the city walls, celebrated in the holy 
 histories : 
 
 ' The " skull hill "Golgotha, or " the place of 
 a skull " follows a line which is aslant or askew to 
 the valley of the Kedron, until it reaches, at about 
 two-thirds of its entire length, another bare rock, 
 now covered by the Mosque of Omar. ... I 
 think that the cross stood on the top of the skull 
 hill, in the centre of it, and not where the slaughter- 
 house now stands. Leviticus i. n, says that the 
 victim was to be slain "on the side of the altar north- 
 ward before the Lord, " and literally they were to 
 slay the victim slantwise to the altar northwards. 
 The altar was on the second knoll within the Haram 
 enclosure, and if the cross were placed in the centre 
 of the skull hill, the whole city, and even the 
 Mount of Olives, would be embraced by those out- 
 stretched arms. " All the day long I have stretched 
 out My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying 
 people." ' 
 
 So that Gordon finds a strong presumption, 
 to say the least, for the site of the cruci- 
 fixion from the geographical conditions 
 which would give the fullest mystical mean- 
 ing to the great sacrifice of the Atonement. 
 Then, again, he has drawn out the exact 
 diagram of the internal arrangement of the 
 Temple. He places the ark of the cove- 
 nant, the candlestick, the table of shew- 
 bread, etc. ; and he fixes their '.places from 
 measurements given in the book of Kings, 
 etc., by two natural sites which he believes 
 are to be absolutely identified. One of 
 these is the altar of burnt offering, the 
 other is the laver or brazen sea. As to the 
 altar, he asserts from analogies in calcu- 
 lations that it was partly formed out of a 
 living rock which may still be seen. While 
 the brazen sea of Solomon, broken up and 
 carried away, was replaced by the fountain 
 of El Kas, ' The Caliph who erected the 
 fountain of El Kas appears to have in- 
 tended it to occupy the same place as the 
 laver, and to hold about the same quantity. 
 El Kas means " The Chalice." ' 
 
 We may note, also, the connection in
 
 GORDON IN PALESTINE. 
 
 203 
 
 Gordon's mind between the archaeological 
 and the purely religious portions of his 
 book. One and the other are closely 
 linked together by the strict sequence of 
 his method of interpretation. We have 
 seen that, according to him, there are still 
 two existing relics of the old order of things 
 and the Jewish ceremonial. These are the 
 rock and the cup, the altar of sacrifice and 
 the sea in which the priests purified them- 
 selves as the ministers of the sinful people. 
 That rock is now represented by the 
 sacramental table of the Lord, and the 
 chalice of the Hebrew priests by the 
 baptismal fonts in our churches. Accord- 
 ingly, the chief part of these religious 
 * Reflections ' is devoted to the considera- 
 tion of the Sacraments as the means of 
 grace to man and of recovery from the 
 consequences of the Fall. 
 
 True to his governing principle ' that all 
 Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' 
 and consequently of finding pregnant 
 analogies and lessons in the Old Testament 
 narrative, he sets out from the Fall, showing 
 ' a possible analogy between the three days 
 of creation and our own lives.' That 
 'possible analogy,' which he really takes 
 for granted, lies at the root and heart of 
 his subsequent matter. First came chaos, 
 where good was mingled with evil, and the 
 light was held captive to the darkness. 
 Second, a state of light. Third, light 
 separated from the darkness, and good 
 separated from evil. Fourth, ' A gathering 
 good gathered, evil destroyed ; light 
 gathered, darkness destroyed.' He adds 
 that, unless we understand that series of 
 events, the remarks that follow will be in- 
 comprehensible ; and he goes on to develop 
 something like the Persian myth of the 
 perpetual warfare between good and evil. 
 He maintains that the scattering of light 
 in the darkness that is, the temporary or 
 apparent triumph of evil in reality tends I 
 to the final victory of the light, since it is 
 winnowing the darkness of such light as j 
 may be in it. With good men, so far as \ 
 we understand him, though they are neces- j 
 
 sarily committed to a struggle with evil, 
 each successive and inevitable discomfiture, 
 if retrieved, lands them on higher and ever 
 higher ground. And 'this is the history 
 of every man's life ; of every day's work of 
 man, of the world, of each nation, of the 
 Church, of every member of the Church, 
 the threshing-floor? 
 
 In the reflections on the Sacraments, 
 again, Gordon always goes back to material 
 types, by way of interpreting and explain- 
 ing spiritual operations. He may be a 
 mystic, he may be an enthusiast, yet the 
 practical side of his intellect must have 
 something tangible to argue from ; just as 
 in fixing the sites in the precincts of the 
 Temple he makes his start from the solid 
 rock and the perennial spring. Thus, man 
 fell by eating the apple j he received a 
 foreign and poisonous substance, in the 
 shape of the forbidden fruit, into a body 
 that had hitherto been pure and spiritual ; 
 so corruption came of incorruption, bring- 
 ing diseases and death in its train. Man 
 was dead ; baptism revives him from death ; 
 and in partaking of the Holy Communion, 
 the fruit of the tree of life becomes the 
 antidote to the deadly poison of the tree of 
 good and evil. ' Water must be the con- 
 nection of baptism with some event prior 
 to the Fall, and that event is the Creation. 
 'In the beginning God created heavens 
 and earth, and the earth was without form 
 and void, and the Spirit of God moved on 
 the face of the waters.' And in baptism, 
 the Spirit, always giving life, is moving as 
 of old on the face of the water. We said 
 that Gordon's very conciseness is some- 
 what confusing, and at first it struck us 
 from the tenor of his reasoning that he 
 was opposed to infant baptism. But, on 
 the contrary, he holds to it very strongly, 
 though, as is frequently the case, we follow 
 him to his conclusion through a rather fine- 
 drawn and far-fetched chain of thought. 
 'Baptism signifies the burial of a dead 
 thing which cannot move of itself. A babe 
 is dead as far as its will, etc., are concerned, 
 and when it is figuratively buried in baptism
 
 2O4 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 by believers, there is reason to suppose 
 indeed, our faith in God obliges us to be- 
 lieve that it will rise in Christ.' It is 
 Gordon's idea, we may remark, that as the 
 earth once lay dead under a dark waste of 
 waters, so baptism is meant to cover man 
 with water as the figurative acknowledg- 
 ment of his death. 
 
 Perhaps we have said enough to show 
 the characteristics of Gordon's system of 
 theology, which is highly mystical, and 
 sometimes fanciful, but intensely devout 
 and sincere. We have indicated some of 
 his ideas as to the rite of baptism, but we 
 greatly doubt whether this is the place to 
 explain his views as to the holier sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper for we could only do 
 him justice by going into them at length. 
 We shall only say that, holding as he does 
 that the elements are actually a spiritual 
 medicine to the body and spirit that were 
 tainted in the person of the first Adam, he 
 is urgent in his pressure upon all to partake, 
 and most catholic in the wide invitations he 
 issues. ' I say, then, what is needed of a 
 man to eat the Sacrament ? Simply a sense 
 that he is morally sick and wishes to be 
 better and few men do not feel both these 
 sentiments.' 
 
 It is impossible not to respect nay, to 
 reverence the spirit in which Gordon 
 approaches sacred subjects, whatever one 
 may think of his theories, or of the process 
 by which he reasons them out. He has 
 read much in a single Book ; he has medi- 
 tated upon it profoundly, and sometimes he 
 puts things very quaintly, sometimes very 
 
 tersely, and with pregnant force. He seems 
 to have modelled his thoughts and style on 
 Thomas a Kempis, who is known to have 
 been his favourite among uninspired writers. 
 Here is what he says of the tongue and the 
 ladies : ' The tongue is glib, serpent-like, 
 and it is odd that women have it in such 
 perfection, which none have ever doubted. 
 It is their defence. The woman ate first, 
 and the tongue is her particular forte. Yet 
 when women speak good, how well they 
 speak out ! They are in this point the salt 
 of the earth.' Again, and in a different 
 tone : ' If the Holy Ghost spoke through 
 us, as He would through many (if the pipe 
 of their bodies were in harmony that is, 
 if they were sanctified), would not the voice 
 be God's voice ? ' Again : ' I think our 
 life is one progressive series of finding out 
 Satan. As we grow in grace, we are con- 
 tinually finding out that he is a traitor ; he 
 is continually being unmasked.' And for 
 the mostjvivid and painful piece of writing 
 in the book, we may direct attention to 
 Gordon's conception of the sufferings of the 
 Passion and Crucifixion. But we have said 
 enough to show that the ' Reflections ' are a 
 clue to the heroic character of the man who 
 has set before him ideals impossible indeed 
 of attainment, but towards which he is al- 
 ways striving to elevate himself; who seeks 
 to mortify self like his model, Thomas 
 a Kempis, and carries with him the pro- 
 found conviction that, happen what will, his 
 prayers are being heard and his footsteps 
 directed." And who will dare to say that 
 he is mistaken ?
 
 S7K SIDNEY SMITH HIS DEFENCE OF ACRE. 
 
 205 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 jSlDNEY jSMITH filS pEFENCE OF 
 
 HE defence of Khartoum 
 by Gordon almost finds a 
 parallel in the defence of 
 Acre by Sir Sidney Smith. 
 That eminent sailor well de- 
 serves an honourable place in this record of 
 the great deeds of our countrymen, as, re- 
 pelling an unjust invasion, he may well be 
 designated a pioneer of freedom. 
 
 The great Admiral Howard, who lived in 
 the reign of King Henry VIII. , was wont 
 to say that a " certain portion of madness 
 was necessary to enter into the composition 
 of an English seaman." We know not 
 whether this assertion ought to be admitted 
 in its full extent ; yet the fact is, that some 
 of our most celebrated naval characters 
 have obtained renown for deeds which 
 appear to cold-blooded men to savour of 
 desperation as well as of valour. It is not 
 our intention to detract from any man's 
 merits who has been, or is now, engaged in 
 the service of his country, either by sea or 
 land; but we are forced to say that our 
 admiration is not so much excited by those 
 dazzling exploits which please the popu- 
 lace, as by the more steady and extensive 
 operations of such magnanimous but pru- 
 dent commanders who are rather bent upon 
 general good than romantic adventures. 
 Each, however, has his portion of merit; 
 and he who hazards his person with alacrity 
 in behalf of the country for which he fights, 
 must always claim our respect 
 
 Sir William Sidney Smith was born in the 
 Metropolis, 1764. His father was a captain 
 in the army, and his mother the daughter 
 of Mr. Wilkinson, a merchant of great emi- 
 nence in the city. This match was so 
 hostile to Mr. Wilkinson's sentiments, that 
 he not only discarded Mrs. Smith in his life- 
 time, but at his death left his whole fortune, 
 
 which was very considerable, to his other 
 daughter, Lady Camelford. 
 
 The subject of the present notice was 
 educated under Dr. Knox, at Tunbridge 
 School; and at an early age was put on 
 board a man-of-war, which profession he 
 had adopted for himself. He rose rapidly, 
 and at the age of sixteen was fifth lieutenant 
 of the Alcide, of seventy-four guns. He was 
 made post-captain in 1783, at which time 
 the restoration of peace prevented him from 
 exercising his active spirit in the service of 
 his country. 
 
 When the war broke out between Russia 
 and Sweden, in the year 1788, Captain 
 Smith obtained permission from the English 
 Government to enter into the navy of the 
 latter power, by which he was honoured 
 with a distinguished command. During 
 this contest he gave such satisfaction to the 
 court of Sweden by his important services, 
 that the honour of knighthood was con- 
 ferred upon him ; which, however, was not 
 confirmed by his own sovereign. On the 
 termination of that war, he returned to 
 his native country, and soon after set out 
 on his travels through various parts of 
 Europe. 
 
 When hostilities broke out between Eng- 
 land and France he was in Italy, and on 
 Lord Hood's getting possession of Toulon, 
 Captain Smith went thither and volunteered 
 on board the British fleet. In the subse- 
 quent evacuation of that place, he was en- 
 trusted with the dangerous but important 
 service of setting fire to the ships dock- 
 yards, and arsenals, which he performed 
 with such astonishing skill, boldness, and 
 success, as to call forth the warmest enco- 
 miums from Lord Hood in his account of 
 that transaction to the Admiralty. 
 
 On his return to England, he had the
 
 206 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 command of the Diamond frigate bestowed 
 on him, with which he greatly annoyed the 
 enemy on their own coast, and made several 
 important and valuable captures. He had 
 afterwards some other frigates put under 
 his direction, as commodore ; with which 
 squadron he performed some essential ser- 
 vices, particularly in attacking a French 
 convoy at Herqui, where he landed and 
 demolished the fortifications. At one time 
 'Sir Sidney went with his single frigate into 
 Brest harbour, and having reconnoitred the 
 state of the enemy's ships, came out to sea 
 without suspicion. He was enabled to do 
 this by the very fluent manner with which 
 "he speaks the French language. 
 
 At length, however, his enterprising spirit 
 unfortunately brought him into a very dis- 
 agreeable situation. Being off Havre-de- 
 Grace, April 18, 1796, he captured an 
 armed vessel in the outer harbour ; but the 
 tide making strong up the Seine, she was 
 driven by the force of the current near the 
 forts. When night came on, Sir Sidney, 
 who was determined not to lose his prize, 
 manned and armed his small craft, and went 
 -with them to bring her off. He succeeded 
 in boarding her. and was towing her down 
 the river, when an alarm was given, and 
 seven gun-boats proceeded to cut the vessel 
 off. After an obstinate resistance, Sir Sid- 
 ney was at length taken, together with six- 
 teen of his crew and three of his officers. 
 
 The French were happy at having gained 
 possession of one who had been so great an 
 eyesore to them, and conveyed him to the 
 capital, where he was kept in close confine- 
 ment, without ever being suffered to be at 
 large upon his parole. The English Govern- 
 ment, desirous of his release, sent over 
 Captain Bergeret, commander of La Vir- 
 ginie, in July following, to be exchanged 
 for him ; but the directory refusing to 
 accede to the terms, the French captain 
 returned, saying "he preferred death to dis- 
 honour." It was actually one time in con- 
 templation to try Sir Sidney as a spy and 
 incendiary, to which the directory were led 
 in consequence of his conduct at Toulon ! 
 
 After a long and most rigid confinement, 
 he at length effected his escape, April 24th, 
 1798, from Paris, and arrived in London 
 May 6th following. The manner in which 
 this occurred was represented in the papers 
 as most extraordinary, and little short of 
 miraculous. It was stated that as the 
 officers were conveying him from one prison 
 to another, a crowd in the street occasioned 
 the carriage to stop, on which some one 
 opened the door and drew Sir Sidney out, 
 who passed unmolested through the people 
 and got into the suburbs, whence, by a 
 circuitous course with an emigrant gentle- 
 man he arrived on the sea coast, where they 
 took to an open boat, and after being at 
 sea for some considerable time, were taken 
 up by a British frigate, which landed him 
 and his companion in Old England. It is 
 not unlikely that the French Government 
 took this curious method of releasing him, 
 for it is hardly within the line of probability 
 that such a man should have escaped from 
 his keepers in one of the public streets of 
 Paris, and that too in open day, without 
 the connivance of persons in power. 
 
 Sir Sidney was received by his country- 
 men with that acclamation which a meri- 
 torious officer never fails to obtain. His 
 escape was considered as a miracle, which 
 most who heard of it scarcely knew how to 
 credit. His sovereign treated him with the 
 warmest affection, and not only conferred 
 on him marked attention at his public pre- 
 sentation, but honoured him with an im- 
 mediate private interview at Buckingham 
 House. More substantial marks of favour 
 were not wanting ; the very next month Sir 
 Sidney was appointed to the Tigre of eighty 
 guns, and in November sailed for the Medi- 
 terranean, to assume a distinct command, 
 as an established commodore on the coast 
 of Egypt. 
 
 Sir Sidney now entered upon a career 
 by which his former conduct, brilliant as it 
 had been, was thrown into the shade. He 
 repaired to Constantinople to hasten the 
 measures which the Porte was concerting 
 for the expulsion of the French from Egypt.
 
 THE ATTACK ON ACRE. 
 
 207 
 
 Their general, Bonaparte, being informed 
 that his arrival was to be the signal for 
 offensive operations, resolved to anticipate 
 them, and to march to Syria to destroy the 
 preparations which Jhezzar, who had been 
 nominated Pasha of Egypt by the Grand 
 Signior, was there making. He accordingly 
 marched with great rapidity towards the 
 province, reduced the fort of El Arisch, 
 and took Jaffa by storm, after which he 
 directed his course towards Acre, the resi- 
 dence of Jhezzar. 
 
 Meanwhile Sir Sidney, finding that the 
 Porte was not yet prepared to make any 
 efficient attempt for the recovery of Egypt, 
 proceeded to the coast, and being apprised 
 of the first movements of Bonaparte, en- 
 deavoured to check his career by attacking 
 Alexandria, which he bombarded, without 
 further injury to the French than the de- 
 struction of two transports. After this 
 fruitless enterprise, he sailed to the assist- 
 ance of the Pasha of Syria, who at first 
 entertained an idea of defending himself in 
 Acre, anxious only to secure his retreat, and 
 to convey away his women and treasure. 
 The commodore anchored in the road of 
 Caiffa, with the Tigre, Theseus, and Alliance 
 frigate, two days before the enemy made his 
 appearance. In this interval the utmost 
 exertions were made by Captain Miller of 
 the Theseus, and Sir Sidney's friend, Colonel 
 Philipeaux, who accompanied him in this 
 expedition, to put the place in a better 
 state of defence, so that it might withstand 
 the attack of an European army. The 
 presence of a British naval force appeared 
 to encourage the Pasha and his troops, 
 and to decide them to make a vigorous 
 resistance. 
 
 The enemy's advanced guard was dis- 
 covered at the foot of Mount Carmel, in 
 the night of March the ryth, by the Tigris 
 guard-boats ; these troops not expecting to 
 find a naval force of any description in 
 Syria, took up their ground close to the 
 water-side, and were consequently exposed 
 to the fire of grape-shot from the boats, 
 which put them to the rout the instant it 
 
 opened upon them, and obliged them to 
 retire precipitately up the mount. The 
 main body of the army finding the road 
 between the sea and Mount Carmel thus 
 exposed, came in by that of Nazareth, and 
 invested the town of Acre to the east. 
 
 As the enemy returned the fire of the 
 English by musketry only, it was evident 
 they had not brought cannon with them, 
 which was therefore to be expected by sea, 
 and measures were accordingly taken by Sir 
 Sidney for intercepting them. The Theseus 
 was already detached off Jaffa (Joppa). 
 The enemy's flotilla, which came in from 
 sea, fell in with and captured the Torride, 
 and was coming round Mount Carmel, when 
 it was discovered from the Tigre, consisting 
 of a corvette and nine sail of gun vessels ; 
 on seeing the English they instantly hauled 
 off. The ships immediately made sail after 
 them; their guns soon reached them, and 
 seven struck. 
 
 These gunboats were loaded, besides their 
 own complement, with battering cannon, 
 ammunition, and every kind of siege equip- 
 age for Bonaparte's army before Acre. The 
 corvette, containing that general's private 
 property, and two smaller vessels, escaped, 
 since it became an object to secure the 
 prizes without chasing further; their cargoes, 
 destined for the siege of Acre, being much 
 wanted for its defence. The prizes were 
 accordingly anchored off the town, manned 
 from the ships, and immediately employed 
 in harassing the enemy's posts, impeding his 
 approaches, and covering the ship's boats 
 sent further in shore to cut off his supplies 
 of provisions conveyed coastwise. 
 
 The check which the French army had 
 met with, and the loss of their heavy cannon 
 and stores, made Bonaparte draw back his 
 outposts and encamp his army on an insu- 
 lated height which borders the sea at about 
 a mile distance. After taking possession of 
 Saffet, Nazareth, and Scheffam, in order to 
 clear the passes on the road to Damascus, 
 Bonaparte reconnoitred Acre more accu- 
 rately with his officers of artillery and 
 engineers, and determined to attack the
 
 208 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 front on the east of the town. On the 2oth 
 of March the trench was opened at nine 
 hundred feet from the place. The French 
 pushed their works at first with so much 
 activity that the ninth day after the open- 
 ing of the trench they had twelve pieces of 
 cannon and four mortars mounted, and 
 played with such effect as to pierce the 
 tower, while a branch of the mine had been 
 pushed on to blow up the counterscarp. 
 The mine was sprung, but it only made a 
 hole in the glacis ; the French thought the 
 counterscarp injured. The ditch, which had 
 been badly reconnoitred, had appeared but 
 of little depth ; the ardour of the Grenadiers, 
 and the contempt with which the taking of 
 Jaffa had inspired them for this kind of 
 fortification, did not surfer them to hesitate. 
 Instead, however, of finding every obstacle 
 smoothed and levelled, they were stopped 
 by a ditch of fifteen feet, of which scarcely 
 half was filled up by the rubbish of the 
 breach ; they plunged into it, placed lad- 
 ders, climbed the breach, but found them- 
 selves separated by the counterscarp from 
 the troops which were to support them. 
 The officers who headed the attack, under 
 a most dreadful fire, perished. The Turks, 
 who had abandoned the tower, re-entered it, 
 and the French retreated to their trenches. 
 During this time the ships under Sir 
 Sidney Smith had been forced to sea in a 
 heavy gale, except the Alliance and prize 
 gun-boats, which fortunately rode out the 
 storm. On his return he found that Cap- 
 tain Wilmot had been indefatigable in 
 mounting the prize guns under the direction 
 of Colonel Philipeaux, and that the fire had 
 slackened that of the enemy. As there was 
 much to be apprehended from the effect 
 of the mine which led under the counter- 
 scarp, a sortie was determined on ; the sea- 
 men and marines were to force their way 
 into it, while the Turkish troops attacked 
 the enemy's trenches on the right and left. 
 The sally took place just before daylight 
 on the morning of the 9th of April ; the 
 impetuosity and noise of the Turks ren- 
 dered the attempt to surprise the enemy 
 
 abortive, though in other respects they dis- 
 played great valour. Lieutenant Wright of 
 the Tigre, who commanded the seamen 
 pioneers, notwithstanding he received two- 
 shots in his right arm as he advanced, 
 entered the mine with the pikemen and 
 proceeded to the bottom of it, where he 
 verified its direction, and destroyed all he 
 could in its then state by pulling down the 
 supporters. Major Douglas of the Marines, 
 to whom Sir Sidney Smith had given the 
 necessary rank of colonel to enable him to- 
 command the Turkish officers of that rank, 
 supported the seamen in this desperate 
 service with great gallantry under the 
 increased fire of the enemy, bringing 
 off Lieutenant Wright, who had scarcely 
 strength left to get out of the enemy's 
 trench, from which they were not dislodged, 
 with the rest of the wounded. The only 
 officer killed on this occasion was Major 
 Oldfield, of the Marines, an officer of dis- 
 tinguished merit. 
 
 About the ist of May, Bonaparte was 
 strengthened by the arrival of some pieces- 
 of battering artillery, three 24-pounders, 
 brought by the frigates under Vice-Admiral' 
 Peree to Jaffa, and six i8-pounders sent 
 from Damietta; these pieces were imme- 
 diately planted against the town, and the 
 siege was carried on with redoubled vigour. 
 At this period the French met with a great 
 loss in General Caffarelli, one of their prin- 
 cipal engineers, who died of the wounds he 
 had received a few days before. They con- 
 tinued to batter in breach with progressive 
 success, and nine several times attempted 
 to storm, but were as often beaten back 
 with immense slaughter. Sir Sidney Smith 
 had been long anxiously looking for a rein- 
 forcement. The delay in its arrival being 
 occasioned by Hassan Bey's having origin- 
 ally received directions to join Sir Sidney 
 in Egypt, he was obliged to be very per- 
 emptory in the repetition of his orders to 
 join him at Acre ; it was not, however, till 
 the evening of the thirty-first day of the 
 siege that his fleet of corvettes and trans- 
 ports made its appearance. The approach
 
 A CRITICAL POINT. 
 
 209 
 
 of this additional strength was the signal to 
 Bonaparte for a most vigorous and perse- 
 vering assault, in hopes to get possession of 
 the town before the reinforcement to the 
 garrison could disembark. 
 
 The constant fire of the besiegers was 
 suddenly increased tenfold; the flanking 
 fire of the English from a float was as usual 
 plied to the utmost, but with less effect 
 than heretofore, as the enemy had thrown 
 up epaulements and traverses of sufficient 
 thickness to' protect him from it. The guns 
 that could be worked to the greatest ad- 
 vantage were a French brass i8-pounder in 
 the lighthouse castle, manned from the 
 Theseus under the direction of Mr. Scroder, 
 master's mate; and the last mounted 24- 
 pounder in the north ravelin, manned from 
 the Tigre, under the direction of Mr. Jones, 
 midshipman. These guns being at grape 
 distance of the head of the attacking column, 
 added to the Turkish musketry, did great 
 execution. The Tigris two 68-pound car- 
 ronades, mounted in two germes lying in the 
 mole, and worked under the direction of 
 Mr. Bray, carpenter of the Tigre, threw 
 shells into the centre of this column with 
 evident effect, and checked it considerably. 
 Still, however, the enemy gained ground, 
 and made a lodgment in the second storey 
 of the north-east tower, the upper part being 
 entirely battered down, and the ruins in the 
 ditch forming the ascent by which they 
 mounted. Daylight showed the French 
 standard on the outer angle of the tower. 
 The fire of the besieged was much slack- 
 ened in comparison to that of the besiegers, 
 and the flanking fire become of less effect, 
 the enemy having covered themselves in 
 this lodgment, and the approach to it, by 
 two traverses across the ditch, which they 
 had constructed under the fire that had 
 been opposed to them during the whole 
 night, and which were now seen composed 
 of sand-bags, and the bodies of their dead 
 built in with them, their bayonets being 
 only visible above them. Hassan Bey's 
 troops were in the boats, though as yet but 
 half way in shore. This was a most critical 
 
 point of the contest ; an effort was neces- 
 sary to preserve the place for a short time 
 till their arrival. Sir Sidney Smith accord- 
 ingly landed the boats at the Mole, and 
 took the crews up to the beach, armed with 
 pikes. 
 
 The companions of Sir Sidney proved 
 themselves worthy of such a leader, and 
 even eclipsed all the achievements of their 
 forefathers on the plains of Palestine. The 
 effect produced by the arrival of a rein- 
 forcement of such men, at so critical a 
 moment, is not to be described. The 
 enthusiastic gratitude of the Turks, men, 
 women, and children, knew no bounds. 
 Many fugitives returned with them to the 
 breach, which they found defended by a 
 few brave Turks, whose most destructive 
 missile weapons were heavy stones, which, 
 striking the assailants on the head, over- 
 threw the foremost down the slope, and 
 impeded the progress of the rest. A suc- 
 cession, however, ascended to the assault, 
 the heap of ruins between the parties 
 serving as a breast-work for both; the 
 muzzles of the muskets touching, and the 
 spear-heads of the standards locked. Ghez- 
 zar Pasha, hearing that the English were 
 on the breach, quitted his station, where, 
 according to the ancient Turkish custom, 
 he was sitting to reward such as should 
 bring him the heads of the enemy, and 
 distributing musket-cartridges with his own 
 hands. The energetic old man coming 
 behind them, pulled them down with vio- 
 lence ; saying, if any harm happened to his 
 English friends, all was lost. This amicable 
 contest, as to who should defend the 
 breach, occasioned a rush of Turks to the 
 spot ; and time was gained for the arrival 
 of Hassan Bey's troops. Sir Sidney Smith 
 had now to combat the Pasha's repugnance 
 to admit any troops but his Albanians into 
 the garden of his seraglio, which had be- 
 come a very important post, as occupying 
 the terreplein of the rampart. There were 
 not above 200 of the 1000 Albanians left 
 alive. This was no time for debate, and 
 Sir Sidney over-ruled his objections by 
 
 p
 
 210 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 introducing the Chifflic regiment of 1000 
 men, armed with bayonets, disciplined after 
 the European method. The garrison, ani- 
 mated by the appearance of such a rein- 
 forcement, was now all on foot ; and there 
 being consequently enough to defend the 
 breach, Sir Sidney proposed to the Pasha, 
 to get rid of the object of his jealousy, by 
 opening the gates, to let them sally, and 
 take the assailants in flank ; he readily com- 
 plied, and Sir Sidney gave direction to the 
 colonel to get possession of the enemy's 
 third parallel, or nearest trench, and there 
 fortify himself by shifting the parapet out- 
 wards. This order being clearly under- 
 stood, the gates were opened, and the 
 Turks rushed out : but they were not equal 
 to such a movement, and were driven back 
 to the town with loss. Mr. Bray, however, 
 as usual, protected the town gates effica- 
 ciously with grape from the 68-pounders. 
 The sortie had this good effect, that it 
 obliged the enemy to expose themselves 
 above their parapets, so that the flanking 
 fire brought down numbers of them, and 
 drew their force from the breach, conse- 
 quently, the small number remaining on 
 the lodgment were killed, or dispersed by 
 hand-grenades. The enemy began a new 
 breach, by an incessant fire directed to the 
 southward of the lodgment, every shot 
 knocking down whole sheets of wall, much 
 less solid than that of the tower, on which 
 they had expended so much time and 
 ammunition. 
 
 The group of generals and aides-de-camp 
 which the shells from the 68-pounders had 
 frequently dispersed, was now assembled on 
 Richard Coeur de Lion's Mount. Bona- 
 parte was distinguishable in the centre of 
 a semi-circle : his gesticulations indicated 
 a renewal of attack, and his despatching an 
 officer to the camp, showed that he waited 
 only for a reinforcement. Sir Sidney 
 Smith gave directions for Hassan Bey's 
 ships to take their station in shoal-water to 
 the southward, and made the Tigris signal 
 to weigh and join the 27ieseus to the north- 
 ward. A little before sunset, a massive 
 
 column appeared advancing to the breach 
 with a solemn step. The Pasha's idea was 
 not to defend the brink at this time, but 
 rather to let a certain number of the enemy 
 in, and then close with them, according ta 
 the Turkish mode of war. The column 
 thus mounted the breach unmolested, and 
 descended from the rampart into the 
 Pasha's garden, where, in a few minutes,, 
 the bravest and most advanced among 
 them lay headless corpses ; the sabre, with 
 the addition of a dagger in the other hand, 
 proving more than a match for the bayonet ; 
 the rest retreated precipitately; and the 
 commanding officer, General Lasne, who 
 was seen manfully encouraging his men to 
 mount the breach, was carried off wounded 
 by a musket-shot. General Rombaud was 
 killed. Much confusion arose in the town 
 from the actual entry of the enemy, it 
 having been impossible, nay, impolitic, to 
 give previous information to every one of 
 the mode of defence adopted, lest the 
 enemy should come to a knowledge of it 
 by means of their numerous emissaries. 
 
 The English uniform, which had hitherto 
 served as a rallying point for the old 
 garrison, wherever it appeared, was now in 
 the dusk mistaken for French, the newly- 
 arrived Turks not distinguishing between 
 one hat and another in the crowd, and thus 
 many a severe blow of a sabre was parried 
 by the English officers, some of whom had 
 nearly lost their lives, as they were forcing 
 their way through a torrent of fugitives. 
 Calm was restored by the Pasha's exertions, 
 and thus the contest of twenty-five hours 
 ended, both parties being so fatigued as to 
 be unable to move. 
 
 After several ineffectual assaults, the 
 enemy had no alternative left but a pre- 
 cipitate retreat, which was put in execution 
 in the night between the 2oth and 2ist. 
 The battering'train of artillery (except the 
 carriages, which were burnt) fell into the 
 hands of the English, amounting to twenty- 
 three pieces. The howitzers, and medium 
 i2-pounders, originally conveyed by land 
 with much difficulty, and successful!}-
 
 SIDNEY SMITH. 
 
 211 
 
 employed to make the first breach, were 
 embarked in the country vessels at Jaffa, 
 to be conveyed coastwise, together with the 
 worst among the two thousand wounded, 
 which embarrassed the march of the army. 
 This operation was to be expected ; Sir 
 Sidney took care, therefore, to be between 
 Jaffa and Damietta before the French army 
 could reach the former place. The vessels 
 being hurried to sea without seamen to 
 navigate them, and the wounded being in 
 want of every necessary, even water and 
 provisions, they steered straight to His 
 Majesty's ships, in full confidence of re- 
 ceiving the succours of humanity, in which 
 they were not disappointed. 
 
 Thus terminated this remarkable siege, 
 which continued without intermission for 
 sixty days, and in which the hitherto vic- 
 torious Corsican, at the head of 13,000 
 men, was baffled in his repeated and des- 
 perate attempts to make himself master of 
 an almost defenceless town, by a handful 
 of English seamen; and was at length 
 obliged to return in disgrace, with the loss 
 of one-fourth of his men, and all his 
 
 artillery. That of the British, in killed, 
 wounded, drowned, and prisoners, amounted 
 to 216. 
 
 According to the custom of the Turks, 
 the heads of thirteen French generals, 
 and three hundred officers, who fell into 
 their hands, were forwarded to the Grand 
 Signior, in front of whose palace they 
 were publicly exposed. Seven bags full of 
 the ears of French soldiers killed in Syria 
 were likewise sent him. On receiving in- 
 telligence of the meritorious services of 
 Sir Sidney, the emperor sent him an 
 aigrette, and sable fur, similar to that pre- 
 sented to Lord Nelson, worth twenty-five 
 thousand piastres. Nor did his country- 
 men withhold the applause due to his 
 gallantry. The King himself, on the 
 opening of the next session of Parliament, 
 noticed the heroism of this officer, and the 
 advantage which the nation had derived 
 from his success. The gratitude of both 
 branches of the legislature was expressed 
 in a vote of thanks to Sir Sidney, and to 
 the British officers, seamen, and troops 
 under his command. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 SIR SIDNEY SMITH THE EL ARISCH CONVENTION 
 AN HONOURABLE SOLDIER. 
 
 FTER leaving every neces- 
 sary assistance with the 
 Turkish army for its future 
 operations against the 
 French, Sir Sidney Smith 
 repaired to the different islands of the 
 Archipelago, and Constantinople, to refit 
 his little squadron, and to concert with the 
 Ottoman Porte on the most effectual mea- 
 sures to extirpate the French totally out of 
 Egypt. In the meantime Bonaparte had 
 advanced with the greater part of his army 
 
 and attacked that ot the Turks in their 
 entrenched camp before Aboukir, which, 
 after a most desperate and bloody conflict, 
 was stormed and carried, together with the 
 fort of Aboukir. The carnage was dread- 
 ful on both sides ; the greater part of -the 
 Turkish army perished, either by the sword, 
 or were drowned in attempting to get off to 
 the vessels in the bay. The French array 
 also suffered a considerable loss ; amongst 
 the slain were several of its principal 
 officers.
 
 212 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Sir Sidney Smith, who had just arrived 
 in the bay, was witness to this defeat, with- 
 out having it in his power to render the 
 Turks the least assistance. Towards the 
 end of October, a considerable reinforce- 
 ment of troops and ships had arrived from 
 Constantinople : this accession of strength 
 determined Sir Sidney to proceed to the 
 mouth of the Damietta branch of the Nile, 
 and to make an attack on it to draw the 
 attention of the enemy that way, which, as 
 had been agreed with the Grand Vizier, 
 would leave him more at liberty to advance 
 with the grand army on the side of the 
 desert. For this purpose the coast was 
 sounded, and the pass to Damietta marked 
 with buoys and gunboats. The attack 
 was begun by the Tigris gunboats with 
 great resolution, and the Turks took posses- 
 sion of a ruined castle, from which the 
 enemy in vain attempted to dislodge them. 
 On the ist of November, the troops were 
 disembarked ; at first a considerable advan- 
 tage was gained over the French, and they 
 were completely routed; but the impe- 
 tuosity of Osman Aga, and the troops he 
 commanded as a corps de reserve, who 
 rushed imprudently forward in pursuit of 
 the fugitives before they were commanded, 
 soon turned the fate of the day. The 
 French availing themselves of their superior 
 tactics, rushed on the Turks with such 
 fury, that they were thrown into the utmost 
 confusion and disorder, fled to the water- 
 side, and throwing themselves into the sea, 
 implored the assistance of the boats, which, 
 with some difficulty and danger, saved all 
 those who were not taken prisoners. 
 
 Bonaparte had now left Egypt, and 
 Kleber, who, after his departure, had as- 
 sumed the command of the French troops, 
 was induced, by the hopeless situation in 
 which he found himself, to agree to evac- 
 uate Egypt on condition of obtaining a 
 safe conduct to France. A convention to 
 this effect was signed between that general 
 and the Porte, and by Sir Sidney Smith on 
 the part of Great Britain, the ally of that 
 power. 
 
 By an accident greatly to be deplored, 
 a number of letters from French officers to 
 their government were about this time in- 
 tercepted. In these the state of their army 
 in Egypt was represented in such a light as 
 to induce a persuasion that the enemy must 
 be obliged to submit to the most unfavour- 
 able terms. In consequence of this un- 
 happy discovery, the British officers on 
 that station received directions not to treat 
 with the French unless they should acknow- 
 ledge themselves prisoners of war. The 
 ministers denied the authority of Sir Sidney 
 to conclude the convention of El Arisch, 
 which they refused to ratify, and Lord Keith 
 peremptorily informed Kleber that a passage 
 to France would not be allowed. 
 
 This intelligence roused the drooping 
 courage of the foe, who was now rendered 
 desperate by necessity, and prepared anew 
 to dispute the possession of the country he 
 had so lately been willing to evacuate. 
 Whether Sir Sidney was or was not fur- 
 nished with powers to treat, it soon became 
 evident how politic it would have been to 
 have ratified his convention, the violation 
 of which incurred an expenditure of many 
 millions of treasure, and the loss of many 
 thousands of lives, in the expedition which 
 it was afterwards found necessary to send 
 out for the re-conquest of Egypt. 
 
 No sooner was Sir Sidney informed of 
 the disapproval of the treaty by his govern- 
 ment, than he gave notice of the rupture to 
 the French general at Cairo. On the faith 
 of the convention the Turkish army had 
 advanced as far as Heliopolis, where the 
 French accordingly met, and totally de- 
 feated it. Sir Sidney's honourable frank- 
 ness towards the enemy so much displeased 
 the Turks, that, on the arrival of a British 
 army toco-operate in the reduction of Egypt, 
 the Captain Pasha insisted, says Sir Robert 
 Wilson, on the recall of Sir Sidney Smith, 
 the saviour of the Turkish Empire. The 
 Turks probably never forgave that generous 
 honesty which would not betray aa enemy, 
 and they attributed to him the defeat of 
 the Grand Vizier at Heliopolis.
 
 GENEROSITY OF SIR SIDNEY SMITH. 
 
 213 
 
 Many other instances of the philanthropy 
 and benevolence of Sir Sidney Smith, even 
 to his enemies, during his command in the 
 Mediterranean, might be adduced, but the 
 following shall suffice. An account pub- 
 lished by the French themselves, stated, 
 that in September, 1800, a flag of truce 
 arrived at Barcelona from Port Mahon, 
 bringing thither more than one hundred 
 prisoners, Spaniards, Ligurians and French, 
 rescued by our countrymen from the cruel 
 hands of the Turks. Among these captives 
 was M. Thevenard, whose father resided at 
 Toulon. He had belonged to the French 
 army in Egypt; his brother had fallen in 
 the battle of Aboukir; and he himself had 
 languished in captivity for some time, till 
 Sir Sidney became apprised of his dis- 
 tressed situation. He immediately made 
 every exertion to procure his release, and 
 with success ; but his generosity did not stop 
 here, he supplied him with necessaries, with 
 money, with recommendations to various 
 persons at Constantinople, and afterwards 
 caused him to be conveyed to Rhodes in a 
 vessel purposely equipped for his use. The 
 conduct of Sir Sidney on this occasion was 
 acknowledged with the utmost gratitude by 
 the French, and the following letter, selected 
 from among many others equally benevo- 
 lent, was published in the French papers. 
 
 Copy of a letter from Commodore Sir 
 Sidney Smith, to Captain Gabriel TJieve- 
 nard, 
 
 " ON BOARD THE Tigre,Junc 15/4, 1800. 
 
 M. Thevenard is requested to come and 
 dine with Sir Sidney Smith on board the 
 Tigrc, this day, at three o'clock. Sir 
 Sidney takes the liberty to send some 
 clothes, which he supposes a person just 
 escaped from prison may require. The 
 great-coat is not of the best, but, excepting 
 English naval uniforms, it is the only one 
 on board the Tigre, and the same Sir 
 Sidney wore during his journey from the 
 Temple, till he reached the sea. It will 
 have done good service if it again serves a 
 similar purpose, by restoring another son to 
 
 the arms of his aged father, dying with 
 chagrin." 
 
 How different this from the treatment he 
 had himself experienced when under similar 
 circumstances ! 
 
 In 1 80 1, when a powerful British military 
 force was sent to Egypt, Sir Sidney Smith 
 was one of the naval officers appointed to 
 co-operate with the army, at the head of a 
 detachment of seamen, and the Commander- 
 in-chief bore the most honourable testimony 
 to his merits, as having been "indefatigable 
 in his exertions to forward the service on 
 which he was employed." In this service 
 he received a wound, in the battle of the 
 zist of March, which proved fatal to the 
 lamented Abercromby, but it was not so 
 material as to deprive his brave colleagues 
 of his assistance. 
 
 Being soon afterwards prevented, by the 
 jealousy of the Turks, from any further parti- 
 cipation in this contest, Sir Sidney returned 
 to England. On his arrival, the Corporation 
 of London, whose public-spirited remunera- 
 tion of naval valour should not be passed 
 over unnoticed, resolved to bestow on him 
 the freedom of the city, and to accompany 
 it with the present of a valuable sword. 
 Accordingly, on the ;th of December, 
 i So i, the hero attended at Guildhall, to be 
 invested with the civic privileges of which 
 he had been deemed worthy, and to receive 
 the symbol of valour he had so justly 
 merited. On this occasion the chamber- 
 lain addressed him in the following terms : 
 
 " Sir Sidney Smith, I give you joy in the 
 name of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and 
 Commons of the City of London, in Com- 
 mon-council assembled, and present you 
 the thanks of the court for your gallant and 
 successful defence of St. Jean d'Acre, 
 against the desperate attack of the French 
 army under the command of General Bona- 
 parte ; and, as a further testimony of the 
 sense the court entertains of your great 
 display of valour on that occasion, I have 
 the honour to present you with the free- 
 dom of the city, and this sword. [Sir Sidney 
 received the sword, and pressed it with
 
 214 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 fervour to his lips.] I will not, sir, attempt 
 a panegyric upon an action to which the 
 oratorical powers in the most eloquent 
 assemblies have been confessed unequal ; 
 but I cannot help exulting on this happy 
 occasion at the vast national reputation 
 acquired by your conduct at the head of a 
 handful of Britons, in repulsing him who 
 has been justly styled the Alexander of the 
 day, surrounded by a host of conquerors till 
 then deemed invincible. By this splendid 
 achievement you frustrated the designs of 
 the foe on our eastern territories, prevented 
 the overthrow of the Ottoman power in 
 Asia, the downfall of its throne in Europe, 
 and prepared the way for that treaty of 
 peace, which, it is devoutly to be wished, 
 may long preserve the tranquillity of the 
 universe, and promote friendship and good- 
 will among all nations. It must be highly 
 gratifying to every lover of his country that 
 this event should have happened on the 
 very spot where a gallant English monarch 
 formerly displayed such prodigies of valour, 
 that a celebrated historian recording his 
 actions, struck with the stupendous in- 
 stances of prowess displayed by that heroic 
 prince, suddenly exclaimed, 'Am I writing 
 history or romance?' Had, sir, that his- 
 torian survived to have witnessed what has 
 recently happened at St. Jean d'Acre, he 
 would have exultingly resigned his doubts, 
 and generously have confessed, that actions 
 no less extraordinary than those performed 
 by the gallant Cceur de Lion have been 
 achieved by Sir Sidney Smith." 
 
 Peace now produced a temporary suspen- 
 sion of the active professional exertions of 
 our hero, who, at the general election in 
 1802, aspired for the first time to a seat in 
 the House of Commons. After canvassing 
 Rochester, which had chosen Sir Cloudes- 
 ley Shovel, and a great number of other 
 celebrated naval commanders, for its repre- 
 sentatives, he determined to become a 
 candidate. He attained the object of his 
 ambition, for, at the conclusion of the elec- 
 tion, his name stood at the head of the poll. 
 On the renewal of hostilities, in the 
 
 following year, Sir Sidney was appointed to 
 the Antelope, of 50 guns, with the com- 
 mand of a flying squadron. In April, 1804, 
 he received the appointment of Colonel of 
 Marines. On the i6th of the following 
 month he had a smart action with a French 
 flotilla which had left Flushing for the pur- 
 pose of forming a junction with that at 
 Ostend; but, notwithstanding the vigorous 
 measures adopted by the commodore and 
 the squadron under his command, the 
 greatest part of their vessels reached the 
 place of their destination; a circumstance 
 which could only be imputed to the dis- 
 advantages to which the English ships were 
 subjected in consequence of the shallow- 
 ness of the water, and the effect of the 
 enemy's battering and field-artillery on 
 shore. By these causes he was prevented 
 from taking possession of several of the 
 enemy's vessels which had struck their 
 colours. One, however, was captured, and 
 three schooners and a schuyt were sunk. 
 The loss sustained by the British squadron 
 amounted to 13 killed and 32 wounded. 
 
 It was probably the disappointment he 
 experienced in this instance that led him to 
 direct his thoughts toward the construction 
 of vessels capable of acting in shallow 
 water, and fit for transporting artillery and 
 troops ; for, in September following, we find 
 him at Dover, making experiments with two 
 vessels of his own contrivance, called the 
 Gemini and Cancer, which were said per- 
 fectly to answer all the purposes for which 
 they were designed. 
 
 On the 9th of November, 1805, Sir Sid- 
 ney attained to the rank of Rear-Admiral 
 of the Blue. Early the following year he 
 hoisted his flag on board the Pompee, of 80 
 guns, one of the ships he had himself been 
 instrumental in carrying away from Toulon 
 in 1793. In her he proceeded to the Medi- 
 terranean, where Lord Collingwood placed 
 a small squadron under his orders to annoy 
 the French in their newly-conquered king- 
 dom of Naples. On his arrival, he had the 
 satisfaction to find that the gallant Prince 
 of Hesse still held out in the fortress of
 
 SIR SIDNEY SMITH HIS GENUINE HUMANITY. 
 
 215 
 
 -Gaeta ; but being without succour, Sir Sid- 
 ney's first care was to supply him with the 
 most essential articles for the defence of 
 that important place. Conceiving that he 
 could best co-operate with the governor by 
 drawing off some of the attacking force to 
 Naples, the Rear-Admiral proceeded thither 
 in the Pompee, accompanied by the Excel- 
 lent, Intrepid, and Athenian. The city was 
 just then illuminated, on account of Joseph 
 Bonaparte proclaiming himself king of the 
 Two Sicilies. " It would have been easy," 
 says Sir Sidney, "to have internipted this 
 ceremony and show of festivity ; but I con- 
 sidered that the unfortunate inhabitants had 
 evil enough on them ; that the restoration 
 of the capital to its lawful sovereign, and its 
 fugitive inhabitants, would be no gratifica- 
 tion if it should be found a heap of ruins, 
 ashes, and bones; and that as I had no 
 force to land and keep order in case of the 
 French army retiring to the fortresses, I 
 should leave an opulent city a prey to the 
 licentious part of the community, who 
 would not fail to profit by the confusion the 
 flames would occasion." Swayed by these 
 motives of genuine humanity, the Rear- 
 Admiral would not suffer a single gun to be 
 fired ; but no such consideration prevented 
 his attempting to dislodge the French 
 garrison from Capri, the possession of 
 which was of considerable importance to 
 the enemy. He accordingly summoned the 
 commandant to surrender, and on his re- 
 fusal, a party of seamen and marines were 
 landed. In the conflict which ensued, the 
 French commandant fell, on which the 
 second in command thought fit to accept 
 the terms proposed by Sir Sidney. A 
 capitulation was signed, and the garrison 
 was allowed to march out and pass over to 
 Massa, on the Neapolitan coast, with every 
 
 honour of war, after the interment of their 
 former brave commander. 
 
 In the year 1808, when the French 
 threatened to overrun Portugal, Sir Sidney 
 Smith was sent with a strong squadron in 
 order to save the royal family, and to pro- 
 tect the lives and property of the British 
 subjects in that country. As the Portuguese 
 government did not possess the means of 
 opposing the invaders, they listened to the 
 advice of Lord Strangford, the British 
 ambassador at Lisbon, and prepared to 
 withdraw to the Brazils. Hesitating, how- 
 ever, to execute this bold and rational pro- 
 ject, they seemed for a time inclined to 
 throw themselves upon the mercy of the 
 French. As soon as Sir Sidney perceived 
 this change of sentiment, he placed the 
 Tagus in a state of rigorous blockade ; but 
 the court soon acknowledged the folly of 
 its conduct, and requested the aid of the 
 gallant Admiral. This was immediately 
 granted, and Sir Sidney was in a short time 
 at sea, having on board the royal house of 
 Braganza, with several thousands of the 
 most respectable people of Lisbon, and a 
 large quantity of money, goods, etc. Thus 
 he acquired the honour of essentially co- 
 operating in saving one of the ancient royal 
 families of Europe from destruction, and of 
 laying the foundation of a new empire in 
 America. Sir Sidney afterwards returned 
 from his station at the Brazils, where it 
 appears his health had suffered considerably 
 from the climate and the anxiety of mind 
 he experienced. He did not continue 
 long unemployed, having in 1812 sailed 
 with a squadron in order to annoy the 
 enemy's coast, a service for which he 
 seemed to be peculiarly well qualified, and 
 where he added another wreath to the 
 laurels he had already won.
 
 2l6 
 
 THE ENGLISH JA EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 SIR JOHN J&OORE A. ^SOLDIER'S AREER. 
 
 T can never be too often or 
 too earnestlyinculcated, that 
 Great Britain is indebted to 
 her free constitution alone 
 for her boasted superiority. 
 The effects of this are evident in every 
 department and every profession, and the 
 churchman, the barrister, and the merchant, 
 afford not more numerous or more con- 
 spicuous instances of this truth, than the 
 men of the sword. During the old govern- 
 ment of France, in consequence of a special 
 decree enacted in the reign of Louis XIV., 
 none but the nobility could enjoy the 
 honour of serving their country as officers 
 in the army or marine. Even at this day, 
 promotions, at least in the first instance, 
 are chiefly regulated in many of the con- 
 tinental states by the college of heralds, 
 and the number of quartering* not unfre- 
 quently declares the degree of advance- 
 ment. 
 
 The revolution of 1688 struck a deadly 
 blow at the feudal system, while the intro- 
 duction of a commercial interest into the 
 scale of our government gave birth to a 
 more generous policy in this country. 
 Merit of all kinds was admitted to a fair 
 competition, and birth, for the first time in 
 the history of modern Europe, began to be 
 considered as secondary to genius. 
 
 In consequence of this, our youth of 
 every description have aspired to eminence 
 and celebrity. If Howe was the son of a 
 peer, Shovel was an apprentice to a cobbler ; 
 and Churchill, although a man of family, 
 would have lived and died in obscurity, 
 without attaining to the ducal honours of 
 Marlborough, but for the victories of 
 Ramilies and Blenheim. 
 
 Bravery, talents, and good conduct, then, 
 are alone sufficient to attain advancement 
 
 in our navy and army ; and we have heard 
 of but few instances when modest and 
 unassuming worth have failed of success. 
 Even our Hotspurs succeed to a certain 
 degree, although ready to exclaim, 
 
 " By heaven, methinks it were an easy leap 
 To pluck bright honour from the pale-faced moon ! 
 Or dive into the bottom of the deep, 
 Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, 
 And pluck up drowned honour by the locks." 
 
 KING HENRY IV., Acti. Scene 3. 
 
 " In thy faint slumbers, I have by thee watched, 
 And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars ; 
 Speak terms of manage to the bounding steed ; 
 Cry, Courage ! to the field ; and thou hast talked 
 Of sallies and retires ; of trenches, tents, 
 Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin ; 
 Of prisoners' ransom, and of soldiers slain, 
 And all the currents of a heady fight. 
 
 Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war, 
 And thus hath so bestirred thee in thy sleep, 
 That beads of sweat stood upon thy brow 
 Like bubbles in a late disturbed stream : 
 And in thy face strange motions have appeared, 
 Such as we see when men restrain their breath 
 On some great sudden haste." 
 
 KING HENRY IV., Scene 3. 
 
 But it is a character of a far different 
 description of which we are now prepared 
 to give an account : a character unassuming 
 of itself, and calculated alike to disarm envy 
 and concentrate applause. While the 
 "spirit-stirring drum " excites our generous 
 youth to arms, while we are prepared to 
 combat and to vanquish a foe flushed with 
 success and inured to victory, it is a task 
 neither unpleasant nor un useful, to designate 
 the men who have not only bled in the 
 defence of their country, but are formed by 
 nature and education to point out the road 
 to glory. This is calculated, on one hand, 
 to impress our commanders with the idea 
 that their exploits will not be forgotten by 
 the public ; and, on the other, to inspire
 
 MOOJRES EARLY LIFE. 
 
 217 
 
 our troops with a just confidence in those 
 who have already merited the thanks and 
 gratitude of the nation. 
 
 General Moore was a native of Scotland. 
 His grand- 
 father, the Rev. 
 Charles Moore, 
 was a clergy- 
 man or "minis- 
 ter," as it is 
 usually called, 
 of the Estab- 
 lished Church, 
 which is the 
 Presbyterian, 
 and, like most 
 of that profes- 
 sion, afforded 
 an admirable 
 example of 
 manners that 
 betokened all 
 the simplicity 
 of the patri- 
 archal times, 
 and of integrity 
 that was equally 
 edifying and 
 irreproachable. 
 His father, Dr. 
 John Moore, 
 after being 
 bred at the 
 university of 
 Glasgow, first 
 acted as a sur- 
 geon in the 
 hospitals in 
 Flanders, dur- 
 ing the war 
 preceding the 
 American, and 
 after practising 
 some time in 
 
 the same capacity in his native country, 
 at length settled in London. He is, how- 
 ever, better known as a traveller than a 
 medical man, and a man of letters than 
 a physician. Early in life he became 
 
 united to the daughter of the Rev. Mr. 
 Simson, professor of divinity in the Univer- 
 sity of Glasgow, and had by this lady one 
 daughter and five sons, the eldest of whom 
 
 forms the sub- 
 ject of this me- 
 moir. 
 
 John was 
 born at Glas- 
 gow some time 
 before his fa- 
 ther bid a last 
 farewell to a 
 city celebrated 
 alike for its 
 literature and 
 its commerce, 
 and to which 
 the whole fam- 
 ily was attached 
 by the most 
 tender recollec- 
 tion. It was 
 here also that 
 he received the 
 first rudiments 
 of his educa- 
 tion, which was 
 afterwards ad- 
 vanced and 
 perfected under 
 the immediate 
 eyes of a pa- 
 rent. 
 
 As the doc- 
 tor had ob- 
 tained consid- 
 erable estima- 
 tion in the 
 country which 
 gave him birth, 
 both on ac- 
 
 EGYPTIAN BAZAAR. COUttt Of his 
 
 medical skill 
 
 and the suavity of his manners, two noble- 
 men of the illustrious house of Hamilton, 
 that had in former times mingled its blood 
 with that of the Caledonian sovereigns, were 
 entrusted to his care. Each of the last
 
 218 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 dukes of that name appeared to be affected 
 with a predisposition towards a pulmonary 
 consumption, which, in the end, proved 
 fatal to both, the one dying of that com- 
 plaint in his fifteenth year, while the life of 
 the second, notwithstanding a variety of 
 excesses, was procrastinated to the period 
 when he had attained the age of forty- 
 four. 
 
 After strewing flowers on the tomb of 
 James-George, together with some well 
 written verses, Dr. Moore, at the earnest 
 request of his mother, the Duchess of 
 Argyle, accompanied Douglas Hamilton, 
 the next Duke of Hamilton, to the conti- 
 nent. The period which elapsed during 
 this long, amusing, and instructive tour, 
 was no less than five years ; and the view 
 of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, 
 opened new scenes, and afforded subjects 
 for remark, that could not fail to furnish a 
 variety of interesting ideas. 
 
 On this occasion, John, the eldest son of 
 Dr. Moore, accompanied his father, and 
 thus, besides the advantages of paternal 
 instruction, had a most excellent oppor- 
 tunity of obtaining a facility in the 
 languages. It was then also, by seeing the 
 best company among the various nations 
 which he visited, that he acquired those 
 manners and that polish so necessary to the 
 intercourse cf society. 
 
 In all ages the most distinguished 
 warriors have also been the best bred men. | 
 Caesar, notwithstanding the vices which | 
 disgraced his private life, and the crimes | 
 which led to his advancement, is allowed to 
 have been one of the most accomplished 
 noblemen of his age ; even when he expired, 
 and that too by the hand of Brutus, he 
 contrived that his robe should be so 
 adjusted that he might fall decently, if not 
 gracefully. We possess another singular 
 instance of this in the great Duke of 
 Marlborough, a person so eminently desti- | 
 tute of education as to be incapable of j 
 penning a letter on the most ordinal y 
 occurrences of life. Yet such was the 
 fascination of his manners, that no petitioner 
 
 ever departed dissatisfied from his presence, 
 while he himself found means to reconcile 
 the differences and unite the discordant 
 interests of several nations, by means of a 
 league hurtful in the extreme to the common 
 enemy, and not a little advantageous to 
 his own country. 
 
 Having been destined for the army, Mr. 
 John Moore entered the service early in 
 life ; and as he possessed the patronage of 
 two of the first families in Scotland (those 
 of Argyle and Hamilton), his rise was pretty 
 rapid. After passing through all the inter- 
 mediate degrees, he became Lieutenant- 
 Colonel of the 52nd Regiment of Foot, in 
 1 80 1 obtained the Colonelcy of the same, 
 and rose to the rank of Major-General soon 
 after. At this period also, we find him 
 representing a district of Scottish boroughs 
 in the British Parliament. 
 
 The then war with France afforded the 
 most excellent opportunity for young men 
 of talents to distinguish themselves, and 
 these were not omitted by the subject of 
 this memoir. We accordingly find him 
 employed in the Mediterranean, where he 
 soon became known by his zeal and 
 intrepidity. 
 
 The sudden evacuation of Toulon 
 rendered a place of arms in that quarter 
 not only requisite for our troops, but also 
 for our navy ; in addition to this, some spot 
 was wanting for the accommodation of the 
 immense number of emigrants who, in con- 
 sequence of their espousing the cause of 
 England, had been under the necessity of 
 flying from their native homes. An oppor- 
 tunity having presented itself about this 
 time of annexing Corsica to the crown of 
 England, Lord Hood, an able and indefati- 
 gable commander, determined to make the 
 attack. 
 
 Pascal Paoli, who, after fighting the 
 battles of his country had taken refuge in 
 England, was once more determined to 
 contend for the sovereignty of his native 
 isle; but he had been taught by bitter 
 experience how difficult it was for a hand- 
 ful of half-civilized men to combat the
 
 THE TOWER OF MO R TELL A. 
 
 219 
 
 armies of a nation acquainted with all the 
 resources of war. He therefore, after being 
 elected generalissimo by a public consulta, 
 entered into a secret correspondence with 
 England, to which he made an offer of the 
 sovereignty of his native island. 
 
 The British admiral having determined 
 to do nothing rashly or inconsiderately, 
 was resolved to select two intelligent 
 officers, on purpose to inquire into the 
 probability and means of success. Those 
 pitched upon by him were Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Moore and Major Koehler, who, 
 having landed secretly, had an interview 
 with the veteran chief, and made a true, 
 and, at the same time, a flattering report 
 of his power and authority. Impressed 
 with this intelligence, Lord Hood deter- 
 mined to anticipate the French, who had 
 embarked a body of troops at Nice for the 
 subjugation of the island, and accordingly 
 sailed from the Heires in January, 1795. 
 
 Having anchored in a bay to the west- 
 ward of Mortella Tower, a body of troops, 
 consisting of the second battalion of the 
 Royals, the i ith, 25th, 3oth, soth, 5151, and 
 69th Regiments, amounting in all to about 
 fourteen hundred men, was landed under 
 Lieutenant-General Dundas, and it was 
 determined that this important post should 
 be immediately seized, without which the 
 anchorage could not be deemed secure. 
 As the celebrated defence made by it not 
 only rendered this little fort memorable, 
 but induced an opinion that similar ones 
 ought to be erected along our own coast, 
 it may not be amiss to attempt a descrip- 
 tion of it in this place. 
 
 The tower of Mortella resembles a wooden 
 sand-box in point of form, being circular, 
 and increasing as it ascends, until it reaches 
 the parapet which overshadows the base. 
 The walls are of a prodigious thickness, 
 and two eighteen-pounders mounted on the 
 summit were protected by means of junk 
 cables, used in the tunny fishery, intermixed 
 with sand. A bomb-proof casemate, ca- 
 pacious enough to shelter a hundred men, 
 defended a well which at once supplied 
 
 water for drinking, and also for extinguish- 
 ing any fire occasioned by an attack on the 
 part of an enemy. 
 
 The rotundity of the fort rendered it a 
 mark extremely difficult to be hit by the 
 most skilful engineer; and even in that 
 case, as the balls generally struck in an 
 oblique direction, the damage was incon- 
 siderable, while the garrison, consisting of 
 only thirty-three men, were exposed to little 
 or no danger. 
 
 This was fully proved by the event ; 
 for notwithstanding the Fortitude andfutio 
 were so placed as to anchor with the most 
 effect, and a combined attack took place 
 by sea and land, the reduction was far from 
 being easy. These ships, unaccustomed to 
 contend with walls, behind which were 
 lodged an invisible enemy, found it con- 
 venient to withdraw, after a severe and 
 well-directed fire of two hours and a half, 
 during which one of them was in danger of 
 being burnt by red-hot shot, supplied from 
 a furnace constructed behind the parapet. 
 
 It now became necessary to attack the 
 place in form, which accordingly experi- 
 enced all the honours of a regular siege. 
 The land forces having seized on an emi- 
 nence that commanded it, a battery was 
 established within two hundred and fifty 
 yards ; but the feeble garrison within, which 
 had entered through a narrow aperture in 
 the wall, and by drawing up the ladder 
 rendered an assault impracticable, held out 
 during two whole days, and at length sur- 
 rendered, rather from the novelty of their 
 situation than any immediate necessity. 
 
 While the fate of this paltry but formid- 
 able fortress engaged the attention both 
 of the English and the enemy, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Moore had been detached with two 
 regiments, a small howitzer, and a six- 
 pounder, for the purpose of seizing on 
 Fornelli by a sudden and unexpected 
 movement. Having dragged these for the 
 space of several miles, through a mountain- 
 ous country, on reconnoitring the place, 
 which on the preceding year had resisted 
 the attack of one of our flying squadrons,
 
 220 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 it was found that it could not be taken by 
 a coup de main. The present expedition, 
 however, proved the means of its capture : 
 for this officer reported, that provided heavy 
 artillery was brought up, an attack on the 
 enemy's posts seemed likely to be attended 
 with success. 
 
 The officers and seamen of the navy 
 cheerfully undertook to accomplish the 
 most laborious part of this expedition, and 
 accordingly, after four days' incessant 
 fatigue, a sufficient quantity of ordnance 
 was hauled, notwithstanding the variety of 
 obstructions that occurred, to an eminence 
 elevated no less than seven hundred feet 
 above the level of the sea. From this com- 
 manding height, a single eighteen-pounder 
 so annoyed two French frigates in the ad- 
 jacent bay of St. Fiorengo, that they were 
 forced to retire, while one battery, consist- 
 ing of three pieces of artillery, enfiladed the 
 redoubt of the convention, and a second 
 took it in reverse. 
 
 In the meantime the Corsicans, to the 
 number of twelve hundred, advanced to the 
 support of their allies, while, to prevent the 
 waste of time, an immediate assault was 
 determined upon, as the French com- 
 mander refused to capitulate. Accordingly, 
 on the evening of February 17, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Moore headed a column, with 
 which he advanced against the nearest part 
 of this formidable redoubt, while Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Wauchope and Captain 
 Stewart extended in the centre and on 
 the left, and having thus divided the atten- 
 tion of the enemy, drove them down a 
 steep in the rear. On this occasion Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Moore cut down a French 
 grenadier, who fought by the side of his 
 commander, with his own hand. 
 
 In consequence of these operations the 
 English now became masters of the town 
 as well as the gulf of St. Fiorengo, and 
 Lord Hood solicited Major-General Dundas 
 to pursue the good fortune that had hitherto 
 accompanied His Britannic Majesty's arms, 
 in order to complete their career of success 
 by the conquest of Bastia. The Com- 
 
 mander-in-chief of the land forces, however, 
 declined to engage in an undertaking for 
 the accomplishment of which the troops 
 under his command appeared inadequate. 
 
 On this the British Admiral determined 
 to undertake the siege with the Marines 
 alone. Accordingly Lieutenant-Colonel Vil- 
 lettes having landed with a body of men, 
 who had hitherto served on board, and 
 Captain Nelson (afterwards Admiral Lord 
 Nelson) joined him with a detachment of 
 seamen, batteries were opened and the place 
 summoned. But the chief reliance was on 
 the closeness of the blockade, and to effect 
 this, the ships were moored across the 
 entrance of the harbour, with gunboats and 
 armed launches occupying the intervals, 
 while row-boats were constantly employed 
 during the night to preclude the arrival ot 
 any supplies. One thousand three hundred 
 English, and almost eight hundred Corsi- 
 cans, were opposed on this occasion to a 
 garrison of near three thousand men, yet, 
 after a siege of three and thirty days, 
 General Gentili was under the necessity of 
 surrendering. 
 
 As Calvi was now the sole post in the 
 island appertaining to the French, the im- 
 mediate possession of it became of great 
 importance to the English. Accordingly, 
 while Howe was cruising to intercept a 
 division of the Toulon squadron destined 
 for its relief, the hero of Aboukir, who had 
 as usual distinguished himself by his zeal 
 and intrepidity, proceeded with the troops > 
 and effected a landing at Agra. 
 
 In the course of the same day (June 
 9, 1795), the troops having received con- 
 siderable reinforcement under lieutenant- 
 General Stuart, they encamped in a strong 
 position, called " Serra del Cappucine," 
 three miles distant from the object of their 
 attack. 
 
 While the English Admiral, not content 
 with blockading up the port, and preventing 
 the possibility of the supplies, was landing 
 seven of the lower guns belonging to his 
 own ship the Victory, the approaches and 
 operations by land were found extremely
 
 A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK. 
 
 221 
 
 difficult. To remedy this inconvenience, 
 the seamen and soldiers were employed in 
 constructing roads, bringing up artillery, 
 ordnance, stores, and provisions. It was 
 also determined to dispense upon this oc- 
 casion with the regular but slow methods 
 of approach hitherto practised in similar 
 cases. 
 
 But before the body of the place could 
 be attacked, it became necessary to carry 
 two detached forts. Two mortars and four 
 gun batteries were therefore immediately 
 erected for the purpose of cannonading 
 Mollinochesco, situated on an eminence 
 resembling a promontory, while it became 
 necessary for the capture of Mozello, built 
 in form of a star, to construct works within 
 seven hundred yards of its walls : and to 
 effect the latter object, it was indispensably 
 requisite to put the whole army in motion, 
 so as to take up the precise spot of ground 
 pitched upon, by a sudden and general 
 movement. 
 
 These operations having been happily 
 effected, the French found themselves under 
 the necessity of evacuating the Mollino- 
 chesco, and a breach appearing by this time 
 practicable in the strong stone fort alluded 
 to before, it was determined to take it by 
 assault. The same officer who had so 
 gallantly carried the convention redoubt 
 at Formelli being pitched upon to achieve 
 this important enterprise, Lieutenant-Col- 
 onel Moore accordingly undertook the 
 management of the whole. Daybreak was 
 judged the most proper time for making 
 the attempt, while, to arrive there at the 
 appointed moment, it became necessary to 
 post the troops among the myrtle bushes, 
 with which the neighbouring rocks were 
 covered, and at the same time as near 
 the breach as possible, so as not to alarm 
 the enemy, who, from a point of honour, 
 refused to yield until drawn out by force, 
 and were prepared with grenades, as well 
 as musketry and cannon, to defend a 
 position considered by them as still tenable. 
 
 In the meantime false attacks were made 
 in other quarters ; and General Stuart, who 
 
 was extremely anxious for the event, having 
 arrived before daylight, after a short con- 
 sultation, gave the signal for attack. On 
 this Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, supported 
 by Major Brereton, advanced with unloaded 
 arms and a rapid march, so as, if possi- 
 ble, to surprise the enemy. While in mid 
 career they were observed from the ram- 
 parts, and a volley of grape-shot was fired, 
 but in consequence of the indistinct view, 
 arising from the want of light, the shot did 
 but little execution. On this, redoubling 
 their pace, the storming party now scram- 
 bled up amidst the rubbish, regardless of 
 the fire of small arms, the roaring of cannon, 
 and the bursting of shells. While Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Wemys, with the Royal Irish 
 Regiment of Artillery, and two pieces of 
 cannon, the latter under the direction of 
 Lieutenant Lemoine, of the Royal Artillery, 
 carried the battery on the left, the assailants, 
 leaving their wounded and dying friends 
 behind, pursued their progress towards the 
 breach. 
 
 A variety of impediments occurred, both 
 from the nature of the ground and the 
 desperate resistance made by the enemy. 
 A captain of the Royals was severely 
 wounded by the side of the commanding 
 officer, while he himself received a severe 
 contusion in the head, by the bursting 
 of the same shell. Notwithstanding the 
 effusion of blood, he entered the place 
 along with the Grenadiers, and General 
 Stuart, who had witnessed the whole from 
 a neighbouring eminence, followed fast 
 behind, and threw himself in the arms of 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, thus affording 
 the most ardent testimony of his approba- 
 tion, in presence of the victors, who shouted 
 with joy. 
 
 The troops having now secured them- 
 selves in the works thus bravely won, the 
 cannon in the Star fort were immediately 
 turned against Calvi, on which General 
 Casa Bianca, who commanded there, pro- 
 posed a truce of twenty-five days ; but 
 this being deemed inadmissible, additional 
 batteries were erected for heavy guns, while
 
 222 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the mortars and howitzers were so disposed 
 as to annoy the town, and nearly silence 
 the enemy's fire. At length, after the 
 lapse of nine days, and a cannonade and 
 bombardment of eighteen hours, the garri- 
 son capitulated; thus concluding a siege 
 which occupied exactly fifty-one days. 
 
 The French being now completely sub- 
 dued, a general consulta was convoked at 
 Corte, the most central town in the whole 
 island, at which the venerable Paoli 
 acted as president. The representatives 
 chosen from the pieves or districts then 
 voted, with one unanimous voice, that 
 Corsica should be united for ever to the 
 British crown. Sir Gilbert Elliot (afterwards 
 Lord Minto) who had been sent as com- 
 missioner to Toulon, and who acted as 
 viceroy, accepted this offer in the name of 
 His Majesty, and a constitution, perhaps 
 but little suitable to the genius of these rude 
 islanders, yet assuredly friendly in no com- 
 mon degree to their national and civil 
 liberties, was immediately tendered. 
 
 But it was the opinion of General Stuart 
 that another mode of conduct ought to 
 have been adopted ; and, if we are to judge 
 from events, he appears to have estimated 
 the character and situation of those new 
 subjects with the eye of a statesman as well 
 as that of a soldier. After viewing the whole 
 of the island, and examining the means 
 of defence, he represented to the English 
 cabinet, that the best mode of proceeding 
 would be to occupy the forts and harbours, 
 and leave the civil government in the hands 
 of the natives : in short, that they should 
 be allowed to retain that independence in 
 which they had always prided themselves ; 
 while we, on the other hand, would thus 
 avoid a supremacy equally burdensome and 
 expensive. 
 
 But a different mode was adopted. In- 
 comes were assigned, and pensions granted 
 to the chiefs, while it was naturally expected 
 that something should be contributed by 
 this newly emancipated people in return. 
 But they were unacquainted with fiscal 
 regulations ; they spurned at the idea of 
 
 taxation ; and content with their flocks, 
 their streams, and their chestnuts, they 
 almost set the arts of the exchequer at 
 defiance. 
 
 In the meantime the Commander-in- 
 chief left the island, to the great regret of 
 the inhabitants, whose friendship he had 
 obtained. Before his departure, he recom- 
 mended Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, now in- 
 vested with the rank of Adjutant-General,, 
 as a proper person to succeed him. This 
 officer also enjoyed the confidence of the 
 natives, and the esteem of the troops ; but 
 he was recalled, as has been said, at the 
 instigation of a person invested with high 
 authority. General Paoli also appears to 
 have given umbrage, as it was found neces- 
 sary for him to retire, first to Leghorn, and 
 afterwards to England, happy at escaping 
 from the scenes that ensued, and at being 
 exempt from the sorrow and danger of 
 beholding the place of his nativity once 
 more in possession of the French. 
 
 Soon after his return to great Great 
 Britain, the Duke of York, fully conscious 
 of the merits and the capacity of the sub- 
 ject of this memoir, selected him as a 
 proper person to serve in an important 
 expedition projected against the French 
 West India colonies. The mortality that 
 had prevailed among our troops in that 
 quarter, added to the intrigues and the 
 exploits of Victor Hughes, a man equally 
 celebrated for his bravery and inhumanity, 
 had in some measure rendered the exploits 
 of a Jervis and a Grey abortive. It must 
 be allowed, at least, that the fatal progress 
 of disease, added to the energetic conduct 
 of that singular man, alluded to above, pre- 
 vented the judicious measures adopted by 
 these active and intrepid chiefs from being 
 attended with all the brilliant effects which 
 had been expected from their first successes. 
 Of fifty-four thousand men detached to the 
 islands in the course of three years, not 
 only the greater part, but nearly all of them, 
 were doomed to perish by the climate and 
 the sword. 
 
 It was determined, therefore, in the
 
 ADVENTURES IN HOLLAND. 
 
 22$ 
 
 autumn of 1795, to sen d out a new army 
 under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Aber- 
 cromby, and the fleet and transports ac- 
 cordingly arrived, early in the succeeding 
 year, at Carlisle Bay, in the island of Barba- 
 does. After the capture of the Dutch 
 colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Ber- 
 bice, which was effected with the utmost 
 ease, part of the troops selected for the 
 reduction of St. Lucia, among whom Mr. 
 Moore served with the rank of Brigadier- 
 General, proceeded to Longueville's Bay, 
 and effected a landing without any consid- 
 erable opposition. Having advanced next 
 morning to Choe Bay, the centre division 
 of the army disembarked near the village 
 of the same name, on which the advanced 
 body of the enemy retired to Morne 
 Chabot, one of the strongest posts in the 
 island. 
 
 Before any further progress could be 
 made, it was deemed necessary to occupy 
 this high and commanding eminence. 
 Accordingly two officers were selected to 
 lead the troops, and were employed in two 
 separate attacks. General Moore, with 
 seven companies of the 53rd Regiment, 
 one hundred of Malcolm's, and fifty of 
 Lewinstein's Rangers, were ordered to ad- 
 vance by a circuitous path, while General 
 Hope, with three hundred and fifty of the 
 57th, was to march by a nearer and more 
 direct route. But in consequence of some 
 error on the part of the guides, arising 
 from the circumstance of its being a night 
 attack, the former fell in with an advanced 
 picket, considerably more than had been 
 expected, so that his intentions were com- 
 pletely discovered, and the meditated 
 assault anticipated. Notwithstanding this, 
 the Brigadier-General immediately deter- 
 mined to commence operations without 
 waiting for the approach of the other 
 column, and despite this disadvantage, 
 he found means to carry the post, by 
 means of a prompt and decisive movement. 
 In the course of the succeeding day he 
 advanced to and seized on Mornc Duch- 
 assaux, in the rear of Morne Fortune, in the 
 
 possession of which the principal strength 
 of the enemy consisted. In consequence 
 of some mischances, in which neither the 
 Commander-in-chief nor the subject of 
 this memoir are in the least degree impli- 
 cated, the French batteries were not carried 
 for some days after. But at length two 
 parallels, provided with heavy artillery, 
 having been completed, and the enemy 
 repulsed by General Moore, during a des- 
 perate sally for the protection of the Vigie, 
 a lodgment was effected within a few 
 hundred yards of the fort : and this island 
 surrendered to the British arms, May 25, 
 1796. 
 
 Brigadier-General Moore, after a success- 
 ful campaign, returned to Europe at the 
 same time with General Abercromby, and 
 no sooner was the latter employed in a 
 new expedition, than he selected this officer, 
 who had now acquired the rank of Major- 
 General, to accompany him. The British 
 Cabinet being fully sensible of the import- 
 ance of Holland, bereaved of its ancient 
 independence, in consequence of engaging 
 in this war, determined to make a bold 
 attempt, on purpose to rescue an ancient 
 ally from the dominion of France. 
 
 The Emperor Paul was accordingly sub- 
 sidized, and an Anglo - Russian army 
 invaded the Batavian dominions, August 
 2 7> J 799- No sooner had a landing been 
 effected than Sir Ralph Abercromby gave 
 orders for two brigades, under the Major- 
 Generals Moore and Burrard, to attack the 
 Helder; but this measure was rendered 
 unnecessary by the conduct of the Dutch 
 under General Daendels, who thought fit 
 to evacuate that important post. 
 
 Nor did the prospect of success end 
 here, for the enemy was foiled in an attack 
 on the British cantonments, in the course 
 of which Major-General Moore, who com- 
 manded on the right, while displaying his 
 wonted spirit, and experiencing his usual 
 I good fortune, received a slight wound. 
 Such hopes of a final and complete success 
 were now held out, that His Royal Highness 
 the Duke of York embarked with the-
 
 224 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 second division of the army, and on 
 his arrival at head-quarters immediately 
 assumed the command of the whole, seven 
 thousand Russians, under General d'Her- 
 mann, having been landed at the same 
 time. 
 
 The allied army, after the necessary 
 preparations, now moved forward in four 
 columns ; but the country being intersected 
 with hedges, ditches, and canals, their pro- 
 gress was but slow. Bergen, however, was 
 taken possession of by the Russians; yet 
 being driven back soon after upon that 
 place, in consequence of encountering a 
 
 large body of the enemy advantageously 
 posted in a country with which they -were 
 but little acquainted, two of their generals 
 were taken prisoners, and all the advan- 
 tages of this day, in which the English were 
 everywhere successful, entirely lost. Such 
 a check, after carrying the villages of 
 Walmen, Ouds, Carpsel, and Hoorne, and 
 capturing upwards of three thousand men, 
 together with sixteen pieces of artillery, 
 proved the forerunner of great disasters. 
 At the battle of Alkmaar, indeed, the 
 Gallo-Batavian army was found to give 
 way, after a spirited contest of twelve 
 
 EGYPTIAN CATTLE MARKET. 
 
 hours, and even at that of Baccum the 
 Anglo-Russians remained masters of the 
 field; but it was by this time perceived that 
 the main object of the expedition could not 
 be attained. The campaign accordingly 
 
 proved abortive, and eight thousand 
 prisoners of war detained in England were 
 offered and accepted for the permission of 
 reimbarking the troops secure from molest- 
 ation and attack.
 
 THE FRENCH IN EGYP1. 
 
 225 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 JOHN ^A.OORE SERVICES IN EGYPT DEATH AT CORUNNA. 
 
 HE next public service in 
 which we find General 
 Moore engaged was the 
 expedition against Egypt. 
 
 and one solitary but splendid defeat by 
 the English, Ottomans, and Syrians, before 
 Acre, had retired to France, with a view, 
 no doubt, of acquiring the aim, although 
 
 Bonaparte, after a variety of | not the end, of all his toils, by a usurpa- 
 victories against the Turks and Mamelukes, | tion of the sovereign power, over a nation 
 
 THE RETURN FROM THE FIELD. 
 
 free indeed, but split into a variety of 
 factions. While he was preparing fresh 
 triumphs in Italy, which at length led to 
 the battle of Marengo, and the peace of 
 Luneville, Kleber, whom he had invested 
 with the temporary command, obtained a 
 decisive superiority over the Turks in the 
 battle of Heliopolis. On his death, by the 
 hands of an unknown assassin, the English 
 Cabinet, which had omitted a fortunate 
 opportunity of obtaining the evacuation of 
 Egypt, by the fulfilment of the treaty of 
 El Arisch, determined to attempt the re- 
 conquest of that country by force. 
 
 We shall now take a survey of the oper- 
 ations of the English army. After the 
 failure of an attempt on one of the Spanish 
 ports (Cadiz) it became necessary either 
 for the troops embarked on that expedition 
 to return to England, or endeavour by 
 some brilliant achievement to obliterate 
 the memory of this event. Sir Ralph 
 Abercromby, who had already distin- 
 guished himself both in Holland and the 
 West Indies, in consequence of the sur- 
 render of Malta, naturally turned his 
 attention towards Egypt. The British 
 Cabinet being at the same time impressed 
 
 Q
 
 226 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 with the necessity of wresting that country 
 from France, sent out orders for its invasion, 
 and the Turks were incited by the most 
 powerful motives to co-operate effectually 
 in an undertaking calculated to restore one 
 of the brightest gems in the turban of their 
 Sultan. 
 
 Lord Keith having rendezvoused with 
 the fleet and transports in the bay of 
 Marmorice, the troops were landed and 
 refreshed, and great hopes were entertained 
 that the Mussulmen, laying aside the 
 indolence which had marked their charac- 
 ter for the last century, would arouse 
 themselves into action, and prove them- 
 selves worthy of being the descendants of 
 the gallant Tartar tribe that had conquered 
 Constantinople, and rendered the crescent 
 triumphant, not only in the Hellespont, 
 but along the shores of the Mediterranean. 
 Nor did this seem altogether improbable, 
 for the two great officers of state (the 
 Grand Vizier and Captain Pasha) had 
 been ordered to assemble a powerful fleet 
 and army, while the English cavalry was to 
 be remounted by the Turkish horses of the 
 Arabian breed. 
 
 But expectations like these were not 
 destined to be fully realized. On the con- 
 trary, the delay produced by empty 
 promises was not likely to be compensated 
 by any corresponding advantage. To in- 
 vestigate the cause, it became necessary to 
 detach an officer of rank, and Major-General 
 Moore was accordingly chosen for that 
 purpose. On his arrival in the Vizier's 
 camp at Jaffa, he found all the doubts 
 that had been hitherto entertained but too 
 amply verified. He there beheld an army, 
 }f it may be so denominated, chiefly com- 
 posed of Asiatics, raised according to the 
 exploded principles of the feudal system, 
 equally destitute of discipline and subor- 
 dination. Afraid to muster his troops lest 
 a mutiny should ensue, equally exposed to 
 the ravages of the plague, the musketry of 
 his own followers, and the intrigues of the 
 seraglio during his absence, His Highness 
 could afford nothing but expectations, while 
 
 little reliance was to be placed on the 
 naval succours to be afforded by the Cap- 
 tain Pasha. 
 
 At length, on the 2oth of February, 
 1 80 1, the British fleet sailed with an army 
 on board of between fifteen and sixteen 
 thousand, but whose effective force is said 
 not to have exceeded twelve thousand men. 
 It also laboured under many disadvantages, 
 as may be learned from the account of an 
 officer (Sir Robert Wilson) embarked on 
 this expedition. According to him, the 
 troops wanted many comforts which that 
 part of Asia Minor could not produce; 
 although several vessels taken on their 
 way from France to Alexandria had 
 afforded a very seasonable supply, being 
 laden with all the epicurean luxuries she 
 could send out. The greatest misfortune 
 was the total want of information respecting 
 Egypt. Not a map to be depended upon 
 could be procured, and the best draft 
 from which information could be formed, 
 and which was distributed to the generals, 
 proved ridiculously incorrect. Sir Sidney 
 Smith was the only officer who knew at all 
 the locality of the coast, and he certainly, 
 as far as he had seen, afforded perfect 
 information. But he had never been in 
 the interior of the country. 
 
 Captain Boyle, at Minorca, had given an 
 idea of the disposition of the French, 
 which, considering the caution it was 
 necessary for him to use, and the vigilance 
 which guarded him, did his zeal and 
 address great honour. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin, the British consul at Alex- 
 andria, who had been sent for from Naples 
 by Sir Ralph Abercromby, on account of 
 his respectable character and influence in 
 Egypt, could not be supposed to give 
 much military information. It is, however, 
 a positive fact, extraordinary as it may 
 appear, that so little was Sir Ralph Aber- 
 cromby acquainted with the strength of the 
 enemy he was preparing to attack, that he 
 rated their force, at the greatest calculation, 
 at only ten thousand French, and five 
 thousand auxiliaries, then exceeding the
 
 MOORE AT ABOUKIR. 
 
 227 
 
 number stated in the official information 
 sent from home, and on which the expedi- 
 tion was originally formed. 
 
 But the good fortune and bravery of the 
 English prevailed on this memorable oc- 
 casion, notwithstanding the multitude of 
 obstacles opposed to their success. 
 
 A squadron of men-of-war and trans- 
 ports, amounting to two hundred sail, 
 having arrived in Aboukir Bay March yth, 
 anchored near the spot rendered so cele- 
 brated by the glorious victory of the Nile. 
 The first division of the army, amounting 
 to near six thousand men, having em- 
 barked in the boats, a rocket was fired at 
 three o'clock in the morning as a signal to 
 proceed to the place of rendezvous, and 
 at nine they advanced towards the beach, 
 steering directly towards that part of the 
 shore where the enemy appeared the most 
 formidable The French occupied an 
 admirable military position, consisting of a 
 steep sand-hill receding towards the centre, 
 in form of an amphitheatre, which, together 
 with the castle of Aboukir, poured down a 
 most terrible and continued discharge of 
 shot, shell, and grape, so as to furrow up 
 the waves on all sides of the approaching 
 flotilla. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, Major -General 
 Moore having leaped on shore with the 
 reserve, the 23rd Regiment, and the four 
 flank companies of the 4oth, belonging to 
 his brigade, rushed up the eminence, and 
 charged with fixed bayonets. The effect 
 produced by this gallant movement was 
 such as might have been expected, for 
 another body of troops was also enabled 
 to get on shore, and the enemy, instead of 
 fighting with their usual obstinacy, retreated 
 to Alexandria, while the invaders encamped 
 with their right to the sea, and the left to 
 the Lake Maadie. 
 
 During the action of the i3th of March, 
 the reserve under Major-General Moore 
 was kept in column for a considerable time, 
 with a view to assail one of the flanks of 
 the enemy, and thus finish the campaign 
 by a signal victory j but after some hesita- 
 
 tion, it was deemed prudent to encamp 
 with the right to the sea, and the left to 
 the canal of Alexandria. 
 
 At the battle of Aboukir, which occurred 
 four days after, the French intended to 
 have decided the fate of Egypt, and accord- 
 ingly issued orders for " driving the English 
 into the lake of Maadie." 
 
 In this action, which proved equally fatal 
 to the cause of the French, and the much- 
 lamented Commander-in-chief of the Eng- 
 lish, Major-General Moore was wounded 
 while leading on the reserve with his usual 
 gallantry. Notwithstanding this unfortu- 
 nate accident, we find him employed at the 
 siege of Cairo, and nominated, after its 
 surrender, to escort the French troops to 
 the place of embarkation. 
 
 In the latter service, General Moore ex- 
 cited the admiration of the French officers 
 by his judicious arrangements. The Com- 
 mander in-chief, in his despatches, says, 
 " The last division of the French troops who 
 surrendered at Cairo, sailed from the bay 
 of Aboukir a few days ago. There have 
 been embarked in all near 13,500 persons, 
 etc." "Major-General Craddock having 
 been confined at Cairo by illness, I en- 
 trusted the command of the troops to 
 Major-General Moore, who, during a long 
 march of a very novel and critical nature, 
 displayed much judgment, and conducted 
 himself in a most able and judicious man- 
 ner. Notwithstanding the mixture of Turks, 
 British, and French, the utmost regularity 
 was preserved, and no one disagreeable 
 circumstance ever took place." 
 
 Nothing now remained but the capture 
 of Alexandria to complete the entire con- 
 quest of Egypt. This was at length at- 
 tempted by General Hutchinson ; and 
 while Major-General Coote invested the 
 strong castle of Marabout, two other attacks 
 were made by the Generals Moore and 
 Craddock. 
 
 Menou being briskly pressed on all sides, 
 and despairing of any assistance on the part 
 of Admiral Ganthcume, consented to a 
 negotiation, and Alexandria having sur-
 
 228 
 
 TJJE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 rendered, August 3oth, 1801, possession 
 was taken of the entrenched camp, and the 
 heights above Pompey's Pillar, together 
 with Fort Triangular ; soon after which the 
 French were sent home, and the English 
 remained the undoubted masters of Egypt. 
 
 When the Duke of York, as Commander- 
 in-chief thanked the troops in His Ma- 
 jesty's name for their gallant exertions in 
 this quarter of the globe, he seized that 
 opportunity " of recapitulating the leading 
 features of a series of operations so honour- 
 able to the British arms." 
 
 It would take us too far away from the 
 main current of our subject to attempt to 
 describe the after-career of Sir John Moore. 
 As our readers are no doubt aware, he was 
 sent to command in Spain, and there, nothing 
 else being left to him, in presence of the 
 enormous forces of Napoleon, he conducted 
 a retreat in the most masterly manner. That 
 retreat ended with the battle of Corunna, 
 which resulted in the complete defeat of 
 the French. 
 
 Meanwhile, Sir John Moore, who had 
 exerted himself, with his usual animation, 
 fell, like Wolfe, in the moment of victory. 
 His death was occasioned by a cannon-ball, 
 which struck him in a mortal part, and he 
 was carried towards Corunna in a blanket, 
 supported by sashes. While his wound was 
 probed, he said to an officer, whom he 
 desired to attend him during the short 
 period he had to live, " You know I have 
 always wished to die this way ! " Although 
 suffering great pain, he appeared eager to 
 speak again, and the first question put by 
 him was, " Are the French beaten ? " On 
 being assured of this fact by several officers 
 who arrived in succession, he exclaimed : 
 " I hope the people of England will be 
 satisfied ! I hope my country will do me 
 justice ! " Then addressing himself to one 
 of his aides-de-camp, he continued : " You 
 will see my friends as soon as you possibly 
 can tell them everything say to my mo- 
 ther . . ." There his voice failed ; but 
 he resumed soon after in a still weaker 
 tone : " Hope Hope I I have much to 
 
 say, but cannot get it out Is Colonel 
 
 Graham, and are all my aides-de-camp well ? 
 
 1 have made my will, and remember 
 
 all my servants ! " 
 
 On the appearance of Major Colborne, 
 his principal aide-de-camp, he spoke most 
 kindly to him, and then turning about to 
 another, he continued : " Remember you 
 go to , and tell him that it is my re- 
 quest, and that I expect he will befriend 
 Major Colborne ; he has long been with 
 me, and I know he is most worthy of it." 
 He then asked the major if the French 
 were beaten? and, on hearing they were 
 repulsed on every point, he said, it was a 
 great satisfaction in his last moments to 
 know he had beaten the French ! 
 
 After this, he inquired if General Paget 
 was present ? and on being answered in the 
 negative, begged "to be remembered to 
 him." 
 
 " I feel myself so strong," added he, " I 
 fear I shall be long in dying ; I am in 
 great pain ! " He then thanked the medical 
 men for their attention, and after speaking 
 kindly to Captains Stanhope and Percy, he 
 pressed to his heart the hand of the first 
 aide-de-camp, who came to his assistance, 
 and died in a few minutes, without so much 
 as a struggle. 
 
 Thus fell, at the age of 47 years, sur- 
 rounded by his suite, mourned by his com- 
 panions in arms, and at the conclusion of 
 a critical victory, which preserved the re- 
 mainder of his army from destruction, 
 Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, a name 
 that will be long dear to his country. His. 
 brilliant exploits having already been de- 
 tailed, it only remains to observe, that in 
 the course of these, he received no fewer 
 than six wounds : one in the head from a 
 shell, at Corsica ; three in Holland, before 
 he could be prevailed upon to leave the 
 field ; a musket shot in the leg in Egypt 
 did not interrupt his exertions ; and a can- 
 non-ball in Spain bereaved his country of 
 his services ! 
 
 On the 25111 of January, the Earl of 
 Liverpool, as Secretary of State for tht
 
 "SLOWLY AND SADLY WE LAID HIM DOWN.' 
 
 229 
 
 Home Department, while moving the 
 thanks of the House to those officers who 
 had gained the battle of Corunna, paid a 
 high eulogium to the memory of the de- 
 parted general, " whose whole life," he said, 
 " had been devoted to the service of his 
 country, for there was scarcely any action 
 of importance during the two last wars, in 
 which he had not participated." In the 
 course of the same night, Lord Castlereagh, 
 in his official capacity as Minister at War, 
 expressed his sorrow at the " loss of one of 
 the ablest of our generals possessing, in 
 an eminent degree, every valuable quality 
 that can dignify the man, and enhance the 
 superiority of the soldier ; at once in the 
 prime of life, and the prime of professional 
 desert ; giving, in the evidence of his past 
 life, the best assurance of what might be 
 expected from his zeal, intrepidity, and 
 talents." He concluded with the follow- 
 ing motion : " That an humble address be 
 presented to His Majesty, requesting that a 
 monument be erected in the cathedral of 
 St. Paul, to the memory of the late Lieute- 
 nant-General Sir John Moore, Knight of 
 the Bath, who, after an honourable and 
 meritorious life, fell by a cannon-ball in the 
 action near Corunna, on the 1 6th of January, 
 1809, after having, by his judicious dispo- 
 sitions, skill, and gallantry, repulsed an 
 enemy of superior force, and secured to the 
 troops under his command a safe and un- 
 molested embarkation." 
 
 The Commander-in-chief, also, in general 
 orders, dated " Horse Guards, February i, 
 1809," paid the following tribute to his 
 memory : 
 
 " The benefits derived to an army from 
 the example of a distinguished commander, 
 do not terminate at his death ; his virtues 
 live in the recollection of his associates, 
 and his fame remains the strongest incen- 
 tive to great and glorious actions. 
 
 In this view, the Commander-in-chief, 
 amidst the universal regret which the death 
 of Sir John Moore has occasioned, recalls 
 to the troops the military career of that 
 illustrious officer for their instruction. 
 
 Sir John Moore, from his youth, em- 
 braced the profession with the feelings and 
 sentiments of a soldier ; he felt that a 
 perfect knowledge, and an exact perform- 
 ance, of the humble but important duties of 
 a subaltern officer, are the best foundations 
 for subsequent military fame; and his 
 ardent mind, while it looked forward to 
 those brilliant achievements for which it 
 was formed, applied itself with energy and 
 exemplary assiduity to the duties of that 
 station. 
 
 In the school of regimental duty, he 
 obtained that correct knowledge of his pro- 
 fession so essential to the proper direction 
 of the gallant spirit of the soldier ; and he 
 was enabled to establish a characteristic 
 order and regularity of conduct, because 
 the troops found in their leader a striking 
 example of the discipline which he enforced 
 on others. 
 
 Having risen to command, he signal- 
 ized his name in the West Indies, in 
 Holland, and in Egypt The unremitting 
 attention with which he devoted himself to 
 the duties of every branch in his profession, 
 obtained him the confidence of Sir Ralph 
 Abercomby, and he became the companion 
 in arms of that illustrious officer, who fell 
 at the head of his victorious troops, in an 
 action which maintained our national supe- 
 riority over the arms of France. 
 
 Thus Sir John Moore at an early period 
 obtained, with general approbation, that 
 conspicuous situation, in which he glo- 
 riously terminated his useful and honour- 
 able life. 
 
 In a military character, obtained amidst 
 the dangers of climate, the privations inci- 
 dent to service, and the sufferings of 
 repeated wounds, it is difficult to select 
 any one point as a preferable subject for 
 praise ; it exhibits, however, one feature so 
 particularly characteristic of the man, and 
 so important to the best interests of the 
 service, that the Commander-in-chief is 
 pleased to mark it with his peculiar appro- 
 bation. 
 
 The life of Sir John Moore was spent
 
 230 
 
 among the troops. During the season of 
 repose, his time was devoted to the care 
 and instruction of the officer and soldier ; 
 in war, he courted service in every quarter 
 of the globe. Regardless of personal con- 
 siderations, he esteemed that to which his 
 country called him the post of honour, 
 and by his undaunted spirit, and uncon- 
 
 querable perseverance, he pointed the way 
 to victory. 
 
 His country, the object of his latest 
 solicitude, will rear a monument to his 
 lamented memory, and the Commander-in- 
 chief feels he is paying the best tribute to 
 his fame by thus holding him forth as an 
 example to the army." 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 J^ODER.N EGYPT ^NGLISH CRUSADERS PUR OWN DAY. 
 
 ROM the time of Cleopatra 
 we take, so to speak, a leap, 
 in order to bring our narra- 
 tive down to modern times. 
 We do not dwell on the 
 long Roman occupation of Egypt, nor do 
 we pause to narrate how great was the 
 learning of Alexandria for many centuries, 
 nor how the Christian faith spread in 
 Egypt, nor how it was corrupted with 
 many strange and diverse heresies. Nor 
 need we describe the career of Mahomet, or 
 tell how Egypt was conquered by the 
 adherents of the Mahometan faith. 
 
 Under the rule of Saladin, who in 569 
 A.D. took upon himself the title of Sultan 
 of Egypt, that country once more rose 
 into the first importance. Here again we 
 come across our subject of "the English in 
 Egypt," for it was during the time of that 
 great monarch that some of the most 
 important of the Crusades were carried on. 
 In them many Englishmen were engaged. 
 Hence the following accurate and inter- 
 esting account of the wars of the Crusaders 
 and of Saladin, which we excerpt from 
 the article "Egypt" in the last edition of 
 the Encyclopedia Britannica, will be read 
 with interest. We are there told that " In 
 the year 58 2 (1186 of our era) war broke 
 out between Saladin and the Crusaders. 
 The Sultan had respected a truce into 
 
 which he had entered with Baldwin the 
 Leper, and Renaud, before named, was the 
 first to break it. The capture by the latter 
 of a rich caravan enraged Saladin, who- 
 despatched orders to all his lieutenants and 
 vassals, summoning them to assist in the 
 'Holy War.' He marched (A.D. 1187) 
 from Damascus to Karak, and there laid 
 close siege to Renaud ; at the same time a 
 large body of cavalry under the command 
 of his son, El-Afdal, advanced on Nazareth ; 
 and here a body of 130 Knights Hos- 
 pitallers and Templars, seconded by a few 
 hundred foot soldiers, and encouraged by 
 the heroic Jacques de Maille, marshal of 
 the Temple, by their devotion immortalized 
 their memory. Only the Grand Master of 
 the Temple and two of his knights escaped 
 from the unequal struggle. Soon after, 
 Saladin approached in person at the head 
 of an army of 80,000 men ; and the 
 Christians with their whole force encoun- 
 tered him on the shore of the Lake of 
 Tiberias. The result of the battle which 
 ensued was the heaviest blow which had 
 yet fallen on the Crusaders. Weakened 
 by thirst, shaken by the flight of a part of 
 their troops on the second day of combat, 
 and overwhelmed by numbers, the knights 
 fought with desperate courage, but at length 
 were forced to the hills of Hitteem. A 
 multitude fell in this bloody fight, and
 
 ENGLISH CRUSADERS. 
 
 23.1 
 
 among the prisoners were Guy de Lusignan 
 (the king of Jerusalem and successor of 
 Baldwin), with his brother and Renaud de 
 Chatillon. The number of prisoners is 
 almost incredible; and the massacre of 
 many of them is an indelible stain on the 
 glory of the generally merciful Saladin. 
 Tiberias, Ptolemais(Acre), Nablous, Jericho, 
 Ramleh, Csesarea, Arsoor, Joppa, Beyrout, 
 and many other places successively fell 
 into the hands of the conqueror. Tyre 
 resisted his attacks; but Ascalon surren- 
 dered on favourable terms, and the fall of 
 Jerusalem crowned these victories. The 
 great clemency of Saladin on this occasion 
 is chronicled by Christian historians, though 
 it is but slightly mentioned by the Mos- 
 lems, who took offence at the mercy shown 
 to the enemies of their faith. 
 
 After these events Tyre was again be- 
 sieged, and when about to capitulate was 
 relieved by the arrival of Conrad, son of 
 the Marquis of Montferrat. The valiant 
 defence of the town wearied Saladin, who 
 turned his arms against Tripoli ; but here 
 he met with no better success. Bohemond, 
 prince of Antioch, and at that time pos- 
 sessor of Tripoli also, was, however, glad 
 to obtain a truce of eight months ; and 
 some strongholds (among others Karak) 
 were taken. But now the fortune of war 
 turned against the Sultan. The ever- 
 memorable siege of Acre, maintained with 
 equal constancy by both Christians and 
 Moslems, lasted upwards of two years, and 
 attracted the attention of the whole western 
 world. At length the immense reinforce- 
 ments received by the besiegers, and the 
 presence of Richard Cceur de Lion of Eng- 
 land, and of Philip II. of France, enabled 
 them to overcome all resistance, and the 
 standards of the Cross floated on the ram- 
 parts of the city (A.D. 1191). A horrible 
 act of barbarity was here perpetrated : 
 2,700 Moslem captives were massacred in 
 cold blood, in consequence of Saladin's 
 having failed to fulfil the terms of the 
 capitulation ; and the palliative plea of the 
 heat of an assault cannot be urged in 
 
 extenuation of this enormity. Richard has 
 been accused of being its author; but 
 Michaud believes with reason that it was 
 decided on in a council of the chiefs of 
 the Crusade. On another occasion, how- 
 ever, that king was certainly guilty of 
 similar cruelty. 
 
 After a period of repose and debauchery, 
 the army of the Crusaders, commanded by 
 Richard, directed its march towards Jeru- 
 salem. Saladin harassed his advance on 
 every point, rendered the cities and strong- 
 holds defenceless, and ravaged the country. 
 Richard, nevertheless, was ever victorious ; 
 his personal bravery struck terror into the 
 Moslems, and he gained a signal victory 
 over the Sultan in the battle of Arsoor. 
 But dissensions among the chiefs of his 
 army and the uncertain temper of the 
 commander himself debarred the Crusaders 
 from the attainment of their great object, 
 the deliverance of the Holy City; and 
 when all the coast from Joppa to Tyre was 
 in the hands of the Christians, and the 
 army of. Saladin was threatened with dis- 
 organization, a treaty was concluded, and 
 Richard set sail on his return to England. 
 The glory acquired by Saladin, and the 
 famous campaigns of Creur de Lion, have 
 rendered the Third Crusade the most 
 memorable in history, and shed a lustre on 
 the arms of both Moslems and Christians 
 greater than they ever attained in those 
 wars, either before or afterwards. 
 
 Saladin died about a year after the con- 
 clusion of this peace (A.H. 589 or 1193 of 
 our era) at Damascus, at the age of fifty- 
 seven years. Ambition and religious zeal 
 appear to have been his ruling passions; 
 he was courageous, magnanimous, and 
 merciful, possessed of remarkable military 
 talents and great control over himself. 
 His generosity to the vanquished and his 
 faithful observance of his passed word are 
 lauded by the historians of the Crusades ; 
 the former brought on him much obloquy 
 among his own fierce soldiers, and is a trait 
 in his character which is worthy of note 
 in the annals of a time when this virtue
 
 232 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 was extremely rare. While engaged in the 
 conduct of his continual wars, he was not 
 unmindful of the welfare of Egypt, and 
 during his reign many public works were 
 executed. Of these we may mention 
 especially the citadel of Cairo, with the 
 magnificent buildings which, until very 
 recently, it contained; the third wall of 
 the city ; and the repair of the great canal 
 called the Bahr Yoosuf, a very important 
 and useful work. From the year 578 until 
 the period of his death he had not entered 
 Egypt ; but his brother El-Melik El-'Adil 
 
 Seyf-ed-deen (Saphedin) and other princes 
 of his family successively governed that 
 country, and the eunuch Karalcoosh, who 
 also defended Acre, held a large share of 
 authority." 
 
 Passing by the mediaeval period, and 
 coming down to quite modern times, the 
 next epoch that most powerfully attracts 
 our attention in the history of Egypt is the 
 invasion of that country by Napoleon, and 
 the manner in which that invasion was de- 
 feated by our English forces. On igth 
 May, 1798, Napoleon's army set out for 
 
 EGYPTIAN BEGGARS. 
 
 Egypt ; on i2th July it reached Alexandria, 
 after having put in some time at Malta. 
 Napoleon did in a sort conquer the coun- 
 try, but this was only for a time. Finally 
 the French were defeated, and by the 
 Treaty of Alexandria, August, 1801, com- 
 pelled to evacuate that country. In the 
 various biographies with which we have 
 interspersed our narrative, we have already 
 given a very full account of the various 
 features of that expedition, so that we 
 need not further refer to it here. During 
 the present century many rulers have suc- 
 
 ceeded each other in Egypt, but it cannot 
 be said that their rule has been very in- 
 teresting to the English people. In quite 
 recent times this has all been changed. 
 In 1854 Said Pasha succeeded to power. 
 Ismail Pasha followed him. Writing whilst 
 he was still ruling, the author of the article 
 on Egypt before quoted remarked that "the 
 reign of Ismail promises to be the be- 
 ginning of a new era for Egypt. A man of 
 undoubted ability, possessed of unusual 
 energy in administration, fully appreciative 
 of the importance of western civilization,
 
 THE REFORMS Of ISMAIL. 
 
 233 
 
 fired with the ambition proper to a grand- 
 son of Mehemet Ali, the Khedive is a ruler 
 such as Egypt has scarcely seen since 
 the Arab conquest His first step was to 
 remove, as far as possible, the irksome 
 control of the Porte. At great cost he 
 obtained an imperial firman in 1866, re- 
 moving almost all the old treaty restric- 
 tions, granting him the title of Khedive 
 (pron. khedeev), and settling the succession 
 on the eldest son; and in 1872 another 
 decree, or as we have here called it, firman, 
 
 made him virtually an independent sove- 
 reign. 
 
 Having thus obtained for himself and 
 his dynasty a settled regal rank, Ismail 
 turned his attention homewards, and began 
 a series of reforms such as no previous 
 governor of Egypt ever contemplated. He 
 re-established and improved the adminis- 
 trative system organized by Mehemet Ali, 
 and which had fallen into decay under 
 'AbbdYs indolent rule ; he caused a 
 thorough remodelling of the customs sys- 
 
 AN EGYPTIAN INTERIOR A FEAST DAY. 
 
 tern, which was in an anarchic state, to be 
 made by English officials; in 1865 he 
 bought the Egyptian post-office, and placed 
 it under the direction, with full powers, 
 of an official from St. Martin's-le-Grand, 
 who brought it into admirable working 
 order ; he reorganized the military schools 
 of his grandfather, and lent his willing 
 support to the cause of education in every 
 way. Public works have largely engaged 
 the attention of the Khedive. Railways, 
 telegraphs, lighthouses, the harbour works 
 at Suez, the breakwater at Alexandria, have 
 
 been carried out under his personal auspices 
 by some of the best contractors of Europe. 
 If there is a fault to be found in this 
 Europeanizing of Egypt, it is that the 
 practical zeal for modern civilization leaves 
 no room for the honourable respect due to 
 the unique antiquities of the country. It is 
 true that ancient Egypt is protected by the 
 care of Mariette Bey, but the art of the 
 Arabs is suffered to decay, nay, is even 
 purposely demolished, to make room for 
 modern French gewgaws. A recent writer 
 tells us that a new street cuts through about
 
 234 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 a mile of the ' old Arab rookeries,' and 
 gravely advances the opinion that the opera 
 house, and the public gardens, and the other 
 meretricious abominations that have been 
 set up in Cairo are worthy of a second 
 class European city ! Still, terrible as is the 
 vandalism now going on in Egypt, there 
 can be little doubt that the present policy 
 of the Khedive will add greatly to the pros- 
 perity and health of the people. At the 
 same time, future generations will gain at 
 the fearful expense of the present. The 
 funds required for these public works, as 
 well as the actual labour, have been re- 
 morselessly extorted from a poverty-stricken 
 population ; and there is probably no pea- 
 sant now existing whose condition is worse 
 than that of the long-suffering Egyptian 
 fellah. 
 
 One of the greatest reforms that Egypt 
 owes to its present ruler is the abolition of 
 the old system of consular jurisdiction, and 
 the substitution of mixed courts, where 
 European and native judges sit together 
 to try all mixed cases without respect to 
 nationality. These courts were established 
 in 1876 on the suggestion of Nubar Pasha, 
 
 and on the recommendation of an inter- 
 national commission. A code based on 
 the Mahometan law and the Code Napo- 
 leon has been drawn up, which seems 
 thoroughly suitable to the needs of the 
 position; and the best results may be 
 looked for from this reform. It were 
 greatly to be desired that the jurisdiction 
 of these courts should be extended so as 
 eventually to supersede the old native sys- 
 tem. At present they only take the place 
 of the consular courts." 
 
 At this part of our narrative we present 
 our readers with a series of illustrations to 
 bring before them vividly some of the 
 varied features of modern Egyptian life. 
 We here see a bazaar, or general merchant's 
 store (for such is the exact equivalent of 
 that romantic word), a cattle market, and 
 a scene in the neighbourhood of a village. 
 The other two pictures are of a lighter cast 
 One represents the natives demanding 
 " baksheesh " from the omnipresent British 
 tourist, the other is a view of the interior 
 of an Egyptian house of the better kind 
 on a feast day, when the common routine 
 is broken for the time. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 ^GYPT ^RABI'S REBELLION BOMBARDMENT OF 
 
 ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 HE bright prospects men- 
 tioned in our last chapter 
 were not destined to be 
 realized. The finances of 
 Egypt got into hopeless con- 
 fusion. " Without going further back than 
 1876," says Pimblett, "we may observe 
 that the Right Hon. Stephen Cave, who was 
 sent on a special mission from England, re- 
 ported on the great waste and extravagance 
 countenanced in Egypt, that important 
 national works had been undertaken with 
 
 insufficient means, that losses were occa- 
 sioned by adventures, that the [..military- 
 expenditure was misdirected, and that with 
 a view to restoring national credit, and to 
 restrain the expenditure, intervention of one 
 or more of the European Powers was essen- 
 tial. The world had in the previous year 
 been startled by the intelligence that Lord 
 Beaconsfield's Government had purchased 
 shares held by the Khedive in the Suez. 
 Canal to the extent of over four millions 
 sterling, so that naturally, apart from our
 
 BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 235 
 
 interest in Egypt as bearing on the high- 
 way to our vast possessions in India and 
 elsewhere, our connection with the country 
 had become far more important than here- 
 tofore. However, an International Court 
 was effected, and without entering into 
 details, it will be sufficient for our purpose 
 to say that at the beginning of the year 
 1882 the Dual Control had been estab- 
 lished, the position and united action of 
 England and France being fully recognised." 
 The weak Tewfik was at this period Khe- 
 dive. Arabi Bey, leader of the National 
 Party, as they came to be called, now made 
 himself prominent He objected to any 
 interference by any foreign Power in 
 Egyptian affairs. They maintained (for it 
 came to that) their right to ruin the coun- 
 try in their own way. This, England and 
 France could not agree to. They brought 
 pressure to bear on Tewfik, who by his 
 vacillating conduct seemed to show him- 
 self of that class whose characteristic is 
 described in the proverb as being this, that 
 the last fool has them. He agreed to what 
 the Powers urged till Arabi put a new 
 scheme before him, when he agreed to that 
 too ! Then there was rioting in the streets 
 of Alexandria, and they got so bad that 
 soon England (for notwithstanding the Dual 
 Control she was not supported by France) 
 threatened force. 
 
 In July, 1882, the British fleet twenty- 
 four strong, under Sir Beauchamp Seymour, 
 afterwards Lord Alcester, took up a position 
 off Alexandria, and ordered work on the 
 Alexandrian forts to be stopped, and finally 
 it came to hostilities. 
 
 At seven o'clock on the morning of the 
 i ith July, 1882, "Lord Alcester opened fire 
 upon the forts lining the inner shore of the 
 harbour, and defending the sea-front be- 
 tween the old and new ports of Alexandria. 
 Ample warning had been given of his inten- 
 tion. The twenty-four hours of grace 
 allotted to the Egyptian mutineers came 
 to an end with daybreak, but the cannonade 
 did not commence until three more hours 
 had elapsed. Arabi Pasha and his adher- 
 
 ents could not possibly mistake the stern 
 purpose of our men-of-war. One after the 
 other every vessel, except those shortly to 
 be engaged, had sailed or steamed forth 
 from the inner waters. Not only had the 
 many steamers and trading craft thus de- 
 parted, but the foreign war-ships were all 
 gone, leaving the harbour and the sea-front 
 to the eight great ironclads of Her Majesty, 
 which, with a squadron of five gunboats- 
 and one or attending smaller vessels, made 
 up our naval force. The military usurpers 
 of authority in Egypt must have perfectly 
 realized at last that they had exhausted the 
 patience of England, and to do them jus- 
 tice, they gave no sign of shrinking from 
 the consequences. They were as well pre- 
 pared, after their fashion, as Lord Alcester 
 himself; and when the Alexandra, the 
 Sultan, and the Superb opened a cannon- 
 ade upon the Ras-el-Tin and inner forts, 
 the mutineers took up the challenge from 
 all their batteries, answering with consider- 
 able spirit to those tremendous guns. In 
 a quarter of an hour the action had become 
 general, the Inflexible, the Temeraire, the 
 Monarch, and the Invincible the latter 
 flying the Admiral's flag carrying the fire 
 eastward, along the sea-face. Never before, 
 it must be remembered, in the history of 
 warfare, has such ponderous artillery been 
 engaged. It was the handselling of those 
 prodigious pieces which had been put on 
 board our first-class ironclads, and shells 
 weighing a ton and upwards were hurling 
 against the earthworks and bastions of 
 Arabi. He, too, commanded the use of 
 powerful guns, many of the twelve and 
 eighteen-ton Armstrongs being mounted 
 and very boldly served. A short spell, 
 however, of the terribly heavy fire of our 
 ironclads sufficed to silence two of the 
 works. Fort Marsa-el-Karat was blown up 
 by the explosion of a magazine ; many guns 
 were dismounted at Pharos, Aida, and Ras- 
 el-Tin ; and the fire of the Egyptian gunners 
 had become very slack and feeble by mid- 
 day. Arabi, however, was still able to keep 
 his men at their posts sufficiently to main-
 
 236 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 tain a reply, which did not cease when four 
 forts had been destroyed, and all guns on 
 exposed spots silenced. Much courage 
 was shown, it must be allowed, in thus fac- 
 ing the terrific fire of the British heavy 
 artillery, to say nothing of the Catlings, 
 which from our tops and upper decks swept 
 the batteries of the Egyptians with their 
 deadly storm of balls. At 1.45 p.m. the 
 powder stores of Fort Aida blew up, and 
 three hours later the sea defences were 
 apparently overwhelmed. About five p.m., 
 the British ships ceased firing for the day, 
 the casualties on board the fleet being 
 reported at five killed and twenty-seven 
 wounded. In these figures there is suffi- 
 cient proof of the ineffectiveness of the 
 Egyptian artillery as regards shell practice, 
 which is most destructive of life in naval 
 engagements. Nor had their guns wrought 
 much harm, it seems, to our men-of-war, 
 four or five of which, indeed, were practi- 
 cally invulnerable to Arabi's batteries. Still 
 it shows that no child's play was undertaken 
 in the Alexandrian waters when the fleet 
 commenced to carry out for itself the de- 
 mand to cease arming the many forts and 
 earthworks of Arabi. The audacious Pasha 
 was still in possession of guns and positions 
 when the British fire ceased, and the day 
 ended with an order from the Admiral to 
 recommence the attack on Gabaria and the 
 other still unsilenced batteries the next 
 morning. 
 
 Little was done by the fleet on Wednes- 
 day, the 1 2th. The Monarch and the 
 Penelope came round inside the harbour, 
 and the thunder of their guns was now and 
 then ominously rolling. A vast cloud of 
 smoke hung drifting over the city of Alexan- 
 dria, and flames were rising from one wing 
 of the Khedive's palace as well as from the 
 buildings under the Pharos. The forts on 
 shore were replying with only an occasional 
 gun, but evidently Gabaria and one or two 
 others were not yet silenced. Suddenly the 
 two ironclads ceased to send from their 
 sides those thick rings of whirling smoke 
 with the fiery centre, and a strange quiet 
 
 ensued, which was followed by the slow 
 departure of these two war-ships from the 
 vicinity of the shore. 
 
 Between twelve and one o'clock a flag ot 
 truce -was seen flying from the Egyptian 
 Arsenal, and they had seen and answered 
 a signal from the Admiral to cease firing. 
 Thus practically ended the work of those 
 terrible nine hours, during which, for the 
 first time, our mighty modern artillery had 
 spoken forth in anger. Darkness now 
 settled upon the scene of wrath and de- 
 struction. The great war-ships were one 
 by one withdrawn from their positions, 
 feeling their way with the utmost caution 
 through the shoals and narrow passes ot 
 the harbour and its approaches. Arabi 
 had of course extinguished all guiding 
 lights the object of the flag of truce being 
 to cover his retreat, and only the gleam of 
 a few lamps marked the city. 
 
 The gallant dead were committed to the 
 deep, for the sea is the natural cemetery of 
 sailors killed in action. When the funeral 
 ceremony had been completed, the iron- 
 clads and their plucky little consorts once 
 again ran their fighting flags up to the 
 peak, and rode to their anchors, or slowly 
 forged ahead, all stripped for action and in 
 fighting order. 
 
 Beyond the troubled and discoloured 
 water Alexandria lay, a low gray line, 
 broken here and there by windmills, shat- 
 tered lighthouses, and the shaft of Pomp- 
 pey's Pillar. Those nearest shore could 
 distinguish with their glasses dismounted 
 guns, parapets crumbled to a dust-heap, 
 timber and masonry and munitions of war 
 in confusion the result of Tuesday's terri- 
 ble work while not only the palace be- 
 hind, but nearly the whole city, especially 
 the English buildings, smoked and flared : 
 Alexandria was virtually in ruins. The 
 European quarter, including most of the 
 Consular houses, the banks, and the houses 
 of the principal merchants commonly 
 called the Grand Square was set on fire 
 during Wednesday night. It is estimated 
 that the flames extended over a mile of
 
 A ROMANCE FROM THE BLUE-BOOKS. 
 
 237 
 
 ground. The destruction of property was 
 immense, and it is supposed that as many 
 as 2,000 perished by shots, shells, and ex- 
 plosions. 
 
 The Arabs killed all the Christians they 
 could find. From the time of the bom- 
 bardment a large number of Europeans, 
 chiefly Greeks and Levantines, had hidden 
 all day and night in cellars as best they 
 could. Some French ladies were among 
 them, whose sad condition was very piti- 
 able to behold. 
 
 A strong guard was placed round the 
 palace, where both His Highness the Khe- 
 dive and Dervish Pasha had taken refuge, 
 and the order to assassinate was given ; but 
 the cry arose that the English were coming, 
 and the Egyptian troops preferred their own 
 safety to the murder of Tewfik and Der- 
 vish. They fled, and the two prisoners 
 were able to escape to the harbour, where 
 they were promptly transferred to the 
 safe refuge of the Admiral's ship of war. 
 
 The place was a desert all around. The 
 Bedouins and released convicts seemed to 
 do exactly as they pleased. On Friday, 
 the 1 4th, however, a detachment of Marines 
 marched through the city, carrying a Gat- 
 \ ling gun with them, and during the night 
 j occasional shells were fired over the town 
 : to intimidate the marauders. Fort Na- 
 i poleon, which commands the town, and 
 j was not dismantled, was occupied by 
 | marine gunners. Some Arabs caught 
 plundering were shot down in the streets 
 as warnings to other evil-doers. At the 
 Khedive's palace a company of Marines 
 was drawn up, guarding the entrance. 
 Nearly every European dwelling and shop 
 was looted. Even the roads were cum- 
 bered with goods of all kinds. The 
 soldiers generally missed the runaways, 
 wishing rather to frighten than kill. Some 
 found pillaging were beaten, and then set 
 free," which was more lenient treatment 
 than they deserved. 
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 A ROMANCE FHOM. THE j3LUE-j3ooKS. 
 
 N 1884 an interesting col- 
 lection of papers was pre- 
 sented to Parliament. This 
 collection consisted of docu- 
 , ments relating to the charges 
 which Lord Randolph Churchill brought 
 against the Khedive of being concerned in 
 the massacre at Alexandria which took 
 place about a month before the bombard- 
 ment of the town by the fleet. The general 
 nature of the statements may be gathered 
 from the following letter of Earl Granville 
 to Sir E. Malet. 
 
 " FOREIGN OFFICE, August 6//t, 1883. 
 Sir, The accusation brought in Parlia- 
 ment by Lord Randolph Churchill against 
 His Highness Tewfik Pasha, of complicity 
 
 in the massacre at Alexandria, has obtained 
 such notoriety that it may be proper to 
 transmit to you a copy of the papers which 
 his lordship has furnished to Her Majesty's 
 Government, in accordance with his under- 
 taking to furnish the evidence on which he 
 relied in support of so grave a charge 
 against the ruler of a friendly country. 
 
 These papers consist of five memoranda, 
 the main purpose of which seems to be to 
 assail the Khedive and to vindicate the 
 rebel Arabi and his accomplices. The first 
 memorandum appears to be intended prin- 
 cipally to support the accusation brought 
 against the Khedive. It is said to be based 
 on 'independent evidence' and 'reliable 
 authority ; ' but it contains nothing which
 
 238 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 can properly be described as evidence. It 
 consists of a series of extracts from the 
 Blue-books laid before Parliament, cur- 
 tailed and detached from their context in 
 such a manner as to make them appear to 
 fit in with accusations that partake of the 
 nature of gossip, and with sweeping denun- 
 ciations resting on hearsay or anonymous 
 testimony. 
 
 The last document attached to the 
 papers discloses the principal source of 
 information, and it appears that the accus- 
 ation against the Khedive emanates from 
 certain political prisoners whose names are 
 not divulged, and whose statements are 
 not only unsupported by any extrinsic 
 evidence, but seem to be deprived of all 
 weight by the particular circumstances 
 under which they were made. 
 
 The whole case rests on surmise, sus- 
 picion, and hearsay, on unsupported state- 
 ments made by unnamed persons, or by 
 those whose hatred of the Khedive has 
 been created or embittered by the measures 
 taken against them during the rebellion. 
 
 The inferences attempted to be drawn 
 from the passages quoted from the Blue- 
 books must be received with great caution, 
 for it is to be regretted that Lord Randolph 
 Churchill should not have taken more care 
 correctly to extract the quotations on which 
 he bases the serious charges he has pre- 
 ferred. For instance, it will be seen from 
 the accompanying Memoranda that his j 
 lordship charges Omar Lutfi with having 
 instigated the outrages committed on the 
 nth June, and argues that Arabi was inno- 
 cent of any participation in them. To sup- 
 port these views Lord Randolph Churchill 
 makes the following quotation (Inclosure 4 
 in No. 2, Mr. Hewart) : ' From information 
 gathered from many sources I am fully of 
 opinion that the riot of the nth was a pre- 
 concerted plan.' It seems difficult to find 
 any reason why these words ' concocted by 
 his Excellency Arabi Pasha and partizans' 
 which appear in the Blue-book, should 
 have been omitted from the quotation, and 
 yet so it is. 
 
 In like manner Lord Randolph Church- 
 hill, in support of the same argument, 
 quotes Mr. Edward Barber as follows : 
 'After closing the door I went upstairs 
 and saw several Europeans murdered in 
 the street, and the assassins were assisted 
 by the police.' The sentence given in the 
 Blue-book has the additional words, ' or 
 soldiery.' His lordship omits them. 
 
 A full examination of the papers and the 
 arguments adduced by Lord Randolph 
 Churchill leads to the conclusion that no 
 prima facie evidence (either legal or moral) 
 exists in support of the charges which have 
 been preferred against His Highness Tew- 
 fik Pasha. 
 
 I am, etc., 
 (Signed) GRANVILLE." 
 
 We shall quote a few of the statements, 
 not so much because they are worthy of 
 belief in themselves (for this cannot be 
 affirmed of them) as because they are in- 
 teresting, and as accounts of the events of 
 some terrible days in the history of Alex- 
 andria possess a very considerable amount 
 of interest. Perhaps the most remarkable 
 is the affidavit of John Ninet, which is as 
 follows : 
 
 " I, John Ninet, late of Alexandria, but 
 now residing at London, Doctor of Medi- 
 cine, do hereby solemnly and sincerely 
 declare 
 
 That I was present at Alexandria when 
 Dervish* arrived, on Wednesday, the yth 
 June, 1882. I saw him on the quay on his 
 way to Ras-el-Tin with Zulficar Pasha (the 
 Khedive's Delegate, a Greek Moslem, and 
 a creature of Said Pasha's) and Yacoub 
 Pasha Sami (Arabi's Under-Secretary at 
 War), also Sheikh Assad Bey and Omar 
 Lutfi (Governor of Alexandria). In the 
 afternoon the Ulemas and some of the 
 Notables and the officials called on Dervish, 
 who received them without much cere- 
 mony. Also came the Consuls, Mr. Cook- 
 son and M. Kleskowski, together, in plain 
 clothes, also the French and English 
 
 * Dervish Pasha, an Egyptian of high rank.
 
 THE SULTAN OF TURKEY,
 
 THE MASSACRE AT ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 239 
 
 Admirals in uniform. I was present when 
 Mr. Cookson was received. He reminded 
 Dervish that Admiral Seymour was the 
 same who had commanded at Dulcigno, 
 on which Dervish smiled without answering. 
 The Notables, after the Consuls retired, 
 presented a Petition, in which they exposed 
 the grievances of the Egyptian nation, and 
 complained of the presence of the fleet, and 
 its desire for self-government, and he had 
 a long conversation with them on the sub- 
 ject, and promised to have the fleet away 
 before long. I was not present at this, but I 
 heard of it from my friends the Gariani, and 
 also from Abdullah Nadim, who were there. 
 Sheik-el-Hajjrasi was there also. Nadim 
 at this time was constantly to and fro be- 
 tween Alexandria and Cairo. Hassan-el- 
 Akhad was not to my knowledge in Alex- 
 andria till after the riots. 
 
 The next morning, the 8th, the Dervish 
 went to Cairo. On his way to the station 
 a great crowd followed him, shouting about 
 the Sultan and the fleet. On the platform 
 Zulficar and the rest of the Khedive's 
 officers expostulated about Yacoub Pasha 
 entering Dervish's carriage, but Dervish 
 took Yacoub by the shoulder and made 
 him enter, so that the following four were 
 in the carriage : Dervish, Assad Bey, Zulfi- 
 car, and Yacoub. Nadim managed to 
 get conveyed among the secretaries and 
 servants by the same train. At Damanhur, 
 Tantah, and Kafr-el-Zaiat deputations met 
 him protesting their loyalty to the Sultan. 
 It is probable that this was ordered. 
 
 The following particulars I heard from 
 Arabi, and those sent by him to observe, 
 and which I verily believe to be true. 
 Dervish was met at the Cairo station by 
 the troops and officials, but by none of the 
 National Ministry. There was no particu- 
 lar excitement in the crowd, and he drove 
 straight to Abdin. He received no one 
 that day, and saw only the Khedive and 
 his household at Abdin, and slept at Kafr- 
 en-Nonsa, which had been prepared for 
 him. That night, or the next morning, I 
 have heard the Khedive sent an eunuch, 
 
 who arranged with Dervish through his 
 secretary that he should have ^50,000 as 
 soon as the money could be raised, and 
 thus gained him to his side ; for Dervish's 
 instructions had been to depose Tewfik 
 and replace him by Halim. He conse- 
 quently saw no more of Yacoub Pasha. 
 
 Friday was spent by him in visiting the 
 mosques and praying. In one of them 
 certain of the Ulemas presented him with 
 a Petition. This annoyed Dervish, and in 
 the afternoon when the Ulemas came to pay 
 him their respects and to state their griev- 
 ances, as had been done at Alexandria, he 
 was very rude to them, and told them he 
 had come to speak, not to be spoken to. 
 This caused much excitement in the town, 
 and messengers were sent by the evening 
 trains to all parts of the country with the 
 news that Dervish was not to be trusted. 
 On the Saturday Dervish sent for Arabi 
 and Mahmoud Sami. He received them 
 with a great show of politeness, made them 
 sit by him, and explain the situation. 
 
 This Arabi described to me as follows : 
 'We are all here as brothers, the sons of 
 the Sultan, and I with my white beard can 
 be as a father to you, and we have the same 
 object in view, to oppose the Ghiaours, and 
 obtain the departure of the fleet, which was 
 a disgrace to the Sultan and a menace to 
 Egypt, that they were all bound to act 
 together to this end, and especially Arabi 
 and the Ministry, to show their zeal for 
 their master, and this could best be done by 
 their resigning their military power into his 
 hands, at least in appearance. Also to 
 please the Sultan he must go to Constanti- 
 nople for a while.' 
 
 To this Arabi replied that he was ready 
 to resign, but that as the situation was very 
 strained, and as he had assumed a great 
 responsibility of keeping order, he would 
 not consent to half measures. If he re- 
 quired he would resign in form as well as 
 in name, but he would do neither without a 
 written discharge, because he would not be 
 held responsible for things which he had 
 not done. He had been accused of mal-
 
 240 
 
 THE ENGLISH 
 
 EGYPT. 
 
 versation, tyrannical government, and other 
 matters, and he would not leave his office 
 without a full discharge from such accusa- 
 tions. He would also go to Constantinople 
 when matters were settled, as a private 
 man, to pay his respects to the Sultan. 
 
 Dervish was not prepared for this answer, 
 and he did not like it. His countenance 
 changed, but he said, ' Let us consider the 
 matter settled ; you will telegraph at once 
 the Governor of Alexandria and the Com- 
 mander of the garrison, to say that you 
 
 TEWFIK, KHEDIVE OF EGYPT. 
 
 have resigned your charge to me, and that 
 you are acting as my wakil ; and on Mon- 
 day, when there will be a meeting of the 
 Consuls and the Khedive at Abdid, we will 
 give you your discharge.' Arabi, however, 
 refused absolutely, saying that until he 
 had his written discharge he should retain 
 
 his post and responsibility to do this, and 
 there the matter remained. No coffee or 
 cigarettes were offered at this meeting. 
 Mahmoud Sami confirmed the whole of 
 this account to me later in prison. 
 
 Nahim brought the news of this interview 
 at once to Alexandria, and returned to
 
 THE ALEXANDRIA RIOTS. 
 
 241 
 
 Cairo by the early train on Sunday morn- 
 ing. The same day, Sunday, I was still at 
 Alexandria, and the town was quite quiet. 
 
 At two o'clock I sent my servant, a Sou- 
 dani, to fetch a carriage to call on the Com- 
 mander of the garrison, and he was away 
 
 THE GRAND SQUARE, ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 half an hour. The Governor was Kur- 
 shed Pasha, a Circassian, but a good man, 
 formerly attached to Ismail, and so opposed 
 
 to the Khedive. My servant on his return 
 begged me not to go where I had intended, 
 as there was fighting in the Kahwat-cl-
 
 242 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Garjay, in the Rue des Soeurs, a place 
 where all the European roughs and Arab 
 porters congregate on Sunday. They had 
 already killed two Mussulraen. So I went 
 to the place on foot, not through the 
 Square, but by a back street. I found the 
 Rue des Saurs full of people, Europeans 
 and Mussulmen, but there was no fighting 
 near me. 
 
 But about 200 yards off the mob was 
 waving like the sea, and I saw pistol-shots 
 fired from the windows. All at once the 
 fighting came in our direction, so we re- 
 tired until we got near the Lazarist school, 
 where I saw in front of a cafe some dozen 
 Greeks armed with Ordnance rifles, who 
 began firing into the crowd indiscriminately 
 just after we had gone by. Then I saw a 
 carriage with a Mustaphezin wounded or 
 dead in it. This seemed to have given the 
 alarm, for immediately afterwards a number 
 of Moslems, mostly Barbarins or Arabs 
 from the Said, came running towards us 
 from several quarters with sticks, with 
 which they laid about them. Then the 
 firing and the fighting became general, and 
 I went towards home. 
 
 On my way I met Mr. Cookson in 
 a carriage, and I was told by a bystander 
 that he had been in the house of a Mal- 
 tese where the pistol-shots were fired, and 
 that it was coming out of that house that 
 he was beaten, because the mob considered 
 him responsible for the firing. He was 
 known to have advised the Maltese some 
 time before to protect themselves in case of 
 disturbances. Later, at about three o'clock, 
 I happened to meet Omar Lutfi walking in 
 plain clothes with some policemen, and I 
 asked him why he did nothing to stop the 
 fighting. He said, ' I have been with the 
 English Consul, who has been beaten.' I 
 said, ' Why did you not go in uniform, and 
 take fifty mounted policemen to stop it ? ' 
 He said that Kandil, the Chief of the Police, 
 could not be found. 'And the soldiers, 
 why do they do nothing ? ' He answered, 
 ' They won't move ; they have no orders.' 
 ' And the Consuls ? ' He replied, ' They 
 
 are making a meeting.' I asked him why 
 he had not telegraphed to the Viceroy and 
 to Arabi Pasha, the proper authority, and 
 he answered rudely, 'What is that to you?' 
 
 The French Consulate was full of refugee 
 Europeans. Then I went home, put on my 
 worst clothes, and took a stick with me and 
 went out again. Some boys were running 
 about with property they had taken from 
 the shops. The Mustaphezin did not in- 
 terfere to prevent the fighting, but I have it 
 from a Christian who was in the Zabetie 
 that it is untrue that any one was ill-treated 
 by them inside. 
 
 I met a janissary of the Russian Con- 
 sulate, who told me that the fight was 
 going on near the Marina, and that people 
 who had been on board the ships for the 
 day had been beaten and killed, and that 
 the Consuls were telegraphing to the 
 Viceroy. This was at half-past three or 
 four, and they expected the troops to inter- 
 fere. 
 
 At about five o'clock the troops ap- 
 peared, and the thing ended. I am of 
 opinion, from Omar Lutfi's manner, and 
 other circumstances, that he was responsible 
 for the continuation of the fighting. The 
 troops would certainly have interfered if he 
 had ordered them to do so. A strong cor- 
 roboration is the following circumstance : 
 four days after the riots Omar Lutfi went on 
 board the flag-ship and informed Admiral 
 Seymour that he could not be responsible 
 for order, that Arabi was not able to keep 
 order, and he begged him to land troops 
 this, although the town was absolutely quiet. 
 
 Omar Lutfi was an enemy of Arabi's and 
 a friend of the Khedive. He was removed 
 from his office, as I have heard, on the 
 demand of the Consuls, as a satisfaction to 
 public opinion, when the Ragheb Ministry 
 was formed, and replaced by Zulficar. The 
 Commission of Inquiry was stopped by the 
 Consuls when Arabi demanded that the 
 inquiry should be a full one, including 
 Europeans as well as Egyptians. I learned 
 the fact of the interview on board the flag- 
 ship through Mr. Marriott, employed as
 
 THE ALEXANDRIA RIOTS, 
 
 243 
 
 Secretary by Admiral Seymour, and some 
 other of the circumstances from M. de Lex, 
 the Russian Consul. 
 
 With regard to the origin of the riots, it 
 was as follows : The arrival of the fleet at 
 Alexandria caused an immense amount of 
 ill-feeling between the Egyptian and the 
 European colony. The Europeans looked 
 upon it as a first act of war, and their 
 demeanour towards the natives became 
 threatening. ' Now,' they said, ' you will 
 see what we are going to do.' Among the 
 Egyptians it became the theme of everyday 
 conversation, and great apprehension was 
 excited. It was thought that troops were 
 going to be landed and Egypt taken pos- 
 session of by the English. I was constantly 
 asked at this time whether such was the 
 intention. This was increased when it 
 became known that a contract had been 
 made for the provisioning of the fleets by 
 Sir Beauchamp Seymour and M. Conrad 
 for three months. This was in the mouth 
 of every one, and caused great irritation. 
 
 Against the French there was not this 
 feeling, because the attitude assumed by 
 M. Conrad, the Admiral, was not offensive. 
 On the contrary, he did his best to con- 
 ciliate the natives. The irritation alarmed 
 in their turn the Europeans, and especially 
 the English and Maltese, who applied con- 
 stantly to their Consul for information in 
 what way they were to be protected in case 
 of disturbance. Mr. Cookson told them to 
 protect themselves. About the end of May 
 or the beginning of June, and just about the 
 same time, it became known that firearms 
 had been sent from Greece to arm the 
 Greeks of Alexandria. 
 
 The English subjects consequently 
 bought up all the weapons they could find 
 in the town, and I know from officials of 
 the Custom-house that Snider rifles and 
 revolvers were landed for their use from the 
 fleet. It became, therefore, almost certain 
 that a conflict would arise, and as Sunday 
 is the day on which the Europeans were 
 most in the habit of collecting together at 
 the cafe's and in the streets drinking, each 
 
 Sunday was looked upon with special ap- 
 prehension. So strong was the feeling of 
 impending danger that peaceable persons, 
 natives as well as Europeans, began to leave 
 the country. The Moslems began also to 
 arm themselves with sticks, especially the 
 Barbarins (Nubians), of whom there were 
 some 30,000 in Alexandria. The Barbarins 
 are quarrelsome people and fond of fighting. 
 Many of them were on the side of the 
 Circassian, or Khedive's, party in this 
 affair. 
 
 The story of the origin of the riot as I 
 heard it at the time was this : On the morn- 
 ing of the nth, Sunday, a Maltese, brother 
 of one of Mr. Cookson's servants, came 
 to pay his brother a visit and received a 
 present from the Consul of a sovereign, with 
 which he immediately went to amuse him- 
 self in the town. He took a carriage and 
 went the round of the drinking-shops in th e 
 French quarter, and came at last to the 
 Kawat-et-Gazaz. He was by that time 
 drunk, and wished to dismiss his carriage 
 by paying the man a piastre. This caused 
 a dispute, which ended by the Maltese 
 taking up a knife, one belonging to the 
 cafe", and used for cutting cheese, and which 
 was kept tied with a long string to the 
 table, and stabbed the coachman with it. 
 The man was mortally wounded in the 
 belly, and another who came to assist him 
 was killed on the spot by a Greek. 
 
 In the scuffle which followed a Greek 
 baker living next door was killed, and the 
 fight became general. The Moabin chief 
 of the police of the district of Laban was 
 an Italian, who could not speak Arabic, 
 and he could not stop it. One of the Mus- 
 taphezin in his suite was wounded, and the 
 rest joined in the fight, taking part with the 
 natives. These particulars I had next day 
 from a Christian policeman who was present 
 at the Zabetie. 
 
 With respect to Kandil, Chief of the 
 Police, I had seen him on the Thursday in 
 Somariva's shop, and knew that he was ill, 
 for I had felt his pulse, and found he was 
 suffering from a fever. Omar Lutfi could
 
 244 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 certainly have stopped the thing if he had 
 chosen. What spread the rioting so rapidly 
 was the fact that the Moslem dead were 
 taken to the mosque. I saw sixty-seven 
 European dead, and I have it from the 
 Mussulman Secretary of the Commission of 
 Inquiry, and also from a Mussulman doctor, 
 Mustapha Bey, that 140 was the number of 
 the Moslems, of whom about twenty-five 
 were Barbarins. The Ouladali Bedouins 
 also took part in the riot. I saw twenty to 
 twenty-five of them near Gaban's house, 
 where they had broken open a shop known 
 as a depot of firearms. These Ouladali 
 were at that time on the side of the 
 Khedive, having been bribed for ^20,000 
 by Ibraham Tewfik, Mudir of Baharieh, at 
 Damanhur. 
 
 I heard afterwards from a certain official 
 of the local telegraph that Omar Lutfi sent 
 many cipher telegrams that day to the 
 Viceroy, but no telegrams to Arabi ; and it 
 was not until M. de Lex, the Russian Con- 
 sul-General, telegraphed to the Viceroy 
 
 about the dangers of the disturbances, that 
 the Viceroy thought proper to send news of 
 the massacres to Arabi asking him to order 
 the soldiers at Alexandria to stop the riot- 
 ing, which Arabi did immediately ; and on 
 the soldiers appearing, all disturbances 
 ceased at once. When the above facts of 
 the sending of telegrams to the Khedive, 
 and not to Arabi, in Cairo on the Sunday, 
 and of the interview of Arabi and Mahmoud 
 Sami with Dervish on the Saturday previous, 
 and the clandestine visit of Omar Lutfi to 
 Admiral Seymour shortly after the massa- 
 cres, became known, it was the universal 
 opinion of all the Egyptian notables that 
 the disturbances of the nth June had been 
 fermented and the massacres allowed to 
 continue by Omar Lutfi, Dervish, the 
 Khedive and his party, for the purpose of 
 bringing discredit upon Arabi and the 
 National party, without regard to the blood 
 that might be shed or the nationality of the 
 victims. (Signed) 
 
 JOHN NINET." 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 THE ALEXANDRIA RlOTS J^ARRATIVES OF EYE-WlTNESSES. 
 
 ONTINUING our series of 
 extracts from the papers 
 relative to the massacre at | 
 Alexandria, we now give a I 
 collection of statements | 
 from several of those who were present, j 
 Unless where names are specially mentioned 
 the statements are anonymous. 
 
 The first statement tells us : " When the 
 disagreement arose between the Khedive 
 and the Mahmoud Sami Ministry, it was 
 rumoured in Cairo that the Khedive would 
 endeavour through some of his followers to 
 cause a riot in Cairo itself, so much so that 
 special precautions were taken to prevent 
 disturbance, and as long as they were in 
 
 office the Ministry especially watched this 
 matter. 
 
 And the Khedive sent for Ibrahim Bey 
 Tewfik, Mudir of Boheyra, and required of 
 him that he should assemble the sheiks of 
 the Bedouin tribes and bring them to him. 
 And when he saw them he received the 
 sheiks with great cordiality, and made them 
 promises, and directed the Mudir to order 
 them to collect 3,000 Bedouin Arabs and 
 bring them into the capital from the side of 
 Ghizeh, hoping thus that there being no 
 discipline among them disturbance would 
 result in the town. But the sheiks found 
 it difficult to collect so many men, owing to 
 the fear the tribes had of the soldiers.
 
 WHO WERE TO BLAME ? 
 
 245 
 
 And having failed in this, the Khedive 
 wrote to Omar Lutfi, then Governor of 
 Alexandria, a ciphered telegram, and told 
 him, 'Arabi has guaranteed public safety, 
 and published it in the newspapers, and has 
 made himself responsible to the Consuls, 
 and if he succeeds in his guarantee the 
 Powers will trust him, and our considera- 
 tions will be lost Also, the fleets of the 
 Powers are in Alexandrian waters, and 
 men's minds are excited, and quarrels are 
 not far off between Europeans and others. 
 Now, therefore, choose for yourself whether 
 you will serve Arabi in his guarantee, or 
 whether you will serve us.' 
 
 And on the day of the event went 
 
 to the office of the Court, and saw that the 
 Court officials were in great joy and merri- 
 ment on account of what had happened, 
 and were exaggerating the news of it, and 
 they scoffed at Arabi's pledge to keep the 
 peace. Now, it has always been the custom, 
 from the time of the late Khedive, that the 
 men of the Court say nothing but what is 
 agreeable to the Khedive. Every day, 
 indeed, as news reaches them they talk and 
 laugh if it is agreeable to him, and if 
 otherwise they feign all the sorrow they 
 can. 
 
 And on the day after the event it was 
 rumoured in Cairo that the Khedive had 
 telegraphed during the massacre to Omar 
 Lutfi, ordering him : ' Ask for soldiers from 
 the Admiral, and do not ask for Egyptian 
 soldiers,' and Omar Lutfi answered : ' The 
 Admiral cannot comply, because some- 
 thing further might happen which would be 
 difficult to stop from the soldiers in the 
 town.' 
 
 And twelve days after, when I was in 
 Alexandria, I heard all the people saying 
 with one voice that it was the Governor 
 (Omar Lutfi) who made it go so far, for he 
 was there, and did not give any order to 
 prevent it, or go to the place, except after 
 some time, or ask for the regular soldiers, 
 in spite of their being so near the scene of 
 action, and all the people said this was at 
 the instigation of the Khedive. And I 
 
 heard from them that near the end of the 
 massacre the Governor was pacing from 
 point to point, and there was a European 
 at a window holding in his hand a revolver, 
 and one of the Bedouins said, ' Shall I 
 shoot that one, O Pasha ? ' and he said to 
 him, 'Shoot him,' and the Arab fired a 
 bullet at him and killed him. And much 
 of the stolen goods entered his house, and 
 the houses of his relations on that black day. 
 I heard also from them that he incited some 
 of the people during the massacre with en- 
 couragement, and made signs to the police 
 not to take any notice, saying, ' Let them 
 die, the sons of dogs.' 
 
 Before the event Haidar Pasha went 
 twice to Alexandria, and returned to Cairo 
 both times, and on the day of the event he 
 was at Alexandria, and returned to Cairo 
 both times, and on this day also, and when 
 it was over, he came to Cairo. Then he 
 travelled with the Khedive on the day of 
 his going (to Alexandria). 
 
 When the Commission was formed to 
 inquire into the causes of the event, Omar 
 Lutfi was not questioned about anything at 
 all. On the contrary, the Khedive directed 
 him to resign under pretext of illness, etc. 
 
 Omar Lutfi was Governor of Alexandria 
 during the riot. He was the person legally 
 responsible for security, and he neglected 
 it completely, even if we do not say that he 
 helped to increase the disorder. Now, if 
 that was in obedience to Arabi as he 
 (Lutfi) pretended, although his office was 
 now in immediate dependence on the 
 Khedive, since the Khedive had issued a 
 special decree declaring that after Sami's 
 resignation all matters relating to the interior 
 devolved upon the Court how came he 
 (Lutfi) to be appointed Minister of War as 
 a recompense of his obedience to Arabi and 
 his disobedience to his lord the Khedive ? 
 But if it was negligence of his own, how is 
 it that with that negligence and incapacity 
 he was appointed Minister of War? How 
 is it that he was not asked a single ques- 
 tion, although he was the first person who 
 should have been questioned ? Truly the
 
 246 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 march of events proclaims aloud the cause 
 of the riot to be the Khedive in concert with 
 Omar Lutfi. 
 
 These are things known to me, and if I 
 were out of danger I could have them con- 
 firmed by witnesses who could not be 
 controverted." 
 
 Another account says : " The Mahruasa 
 newspaper, which was an organ of Omar 
 Lutfi, announced at Alexandria, a few days 
 before the riots of the nth June, that the 
 Europeans were preparing to fight, stating 
 the number of Europeans prepared. This 
 disturbing announcement drew the attention 
 of some of the notables of Alexandria, who, 
 on inquiry, learnt that the announcement 
 had been ordered. 
 
 Unusual movements were observed 
 several days before the riots among some 
 of the Europeans in the neighbourhood of 
 the great Square, to which movements the 
 attention was called by Ahmed Effendi 
 Nabih, the district police superintendent, 
 who reported them to the Chief of the 
 Zaptiyeh and to the Governor. Taher 
 EfFendi-el-Kiridli, an officer of the Zaptiyeh, 
 also had his attention drawn to the matter, 
 and he also spoke to Omar Lutfi. But 
 Omar Lutfi took no precautions. 
 
 Omar Lutfi had himself been the first 
 person to give a banquet in Alexandria for 
 the success of the army. He was the first 
 to give entertainments and invite orators to 
 exhort the nation to be united with the 
 army. 
 
 The Governor pretends that Nadim's 
 speeches were the cause of the disturbances, 
 while the purport of those speeches which 
 Nadim made in the Kanfushi quarter was 
 to persuade the masses to keep quiet and 
 not to interfere with any stranger ; and he 
 even said : ' Be it known to you that what- 
 ever may be done to you by some of the low- 
 class foreigners, whether abuse, beating, or 
 the like, will be only done with the design 
 of raising a disturbance, so that the English 
 fleet may have a pretext for firing on the 
 city, as many of the notables of Alexandria 
 
 can testify.' Also, Nadim was not in 
 Alexandria on the day of the riot, but in 
 Cairo. 
 
 The riots began about an hour after mid- 
 night in the Ibrahim Street, near the Cara- 
 col of Labbaneh, between a native named 
 El Ajian and a Maltese. The Maltese 
 first hit the native and knocked him 
 down, wounded, and the news reached the 
 wounded man's brother. He came and 
 asked an Italian policeman to arrest the 
 aggressor, upon which the policeman made 
 use of abusive language towards the 
 wounded man's brother, even assaulting 
 him with blows, he receiving him in like 
 manner. A crowd gathered ; the wounded 
 man's brother in his turn wounded the 
 policeman, and the few policemen in the 
 neighbourhood were unable to disperse the 
 mob. Yet there was no fighting to speak 
 about until shots were fired from the win- 
 dows upon the crowd without distinction. 
 The shots were fired by those sinless 
 Europeans, who can do no wrong! On 
 them be peace. Now the flames of a 
 riot burst forth and the evil grew. The 
 Europeans with their arms attacked the 
 j roughs of Alexandria, who held in their 
 hands no weapons save what they snatched 
 up sticks, umbrellas, chairs, legs of 
 tables. And His Excellency the Governor 
 did not come till after the lapse of two 
 and a half hours, and then he sent to Mr. 
 Cookson, asking his presence in the midst 
 of the riot, we know not why. And when 
 Mr. Cookson came he pushed his way 
 through the fray, risking his life against all 
 prudence (perhaps in order to be wounded 
 or to be killed, and so to lay down his soul 
 as a ransom for the designs of his upright 
 God). And Omar Lutfi did not haste to 
 summon the division of Mustaphezin which 
 was under his orders and dependent on 
 him specially and on the Zaptiyeh, and 
 which had no connection of any sort with 
 the Ministry of War its pay and man ge- 
 ment being under the Governorship and 
 Zaptiyeh of Alexandria. And when at 
 length his zeal prompted him to call out
 
 WHO WERE TO BLAME? 
 
 247 
 
 the Mustaphezin, he sent for them to come 
 to the scene of the riot unarmed and not 
 in marching order, which made them be- 
 lieve that the Governor only wanted to 
 enlarge the circle of disturbance, so making 
 it general. So they came in that strange 
 state and took part with the pillagers and 
 murderers, and sent much of the stolen 
 property to His Excellency's house. 
 
 Then, when he saw that by letting things 
 go further he might perhaps afterwards be 
 himself shown up, he sent for arms to be 
 brought in cabs when the Mustaphezin 
 had already dispersed and the distribution 
 (of their arms to them) had become im- 
 possible. It was not till after the lapse of 
 four hours that Omar Lutfi summoned the 
 regular soldiers, although the head-quarters 
 of the regiments were quite close to him ; 
 and when he did so, his summons not 
 being in regular form, the Colonel, Mustafa 
 Abd-er-Rahim, was afraid to act upon it 
 lest the responsibility should fall upon him, 
 and sent to request a summons according 
 to the military regulations. This being 
 sent the troops went and put down the 
 riot and dispersed the crowd. 
 
 The Colonel in command of Rab Char- 
 kieh, on becoming aware that Omar Lutfi 
 himself was the instigator of the riot, desired 
 to arrest him, but, owing to the country 
 not being under martial law, he was de- 
 terred from doing so, and waited to lay the 
 matter before the Under-Secretary of War, 
 Yacoub Sami. But on his arrival he 
 abandoned the idea of the arrest. 
 
 About the seventh hour of the night 
 boats were seen approaching the shore 
 carrying English soldiers, and news of 
 this reaching the Colonel, Mustafa Abd-er- 
 Rahim, he informed the Governor, who 
 positively and absolutely contradicted the 
 report. So, to ascertain the facts for them- 
 selves, they went to the shore, first inform- 
 ing the French Consul, who himself accom- 
 panied the officers, to verify the state of 
 the case. They had also with them some 
 soldiers. The truth of the report becom- 
 ing evident, the French Consul proceeded 
 
 at once to the British Consulate, and after 
 some parleying signals were hoisted and 
 the boats put off again. 
 
 Verily the greater number of those ac- 
 cused and arrested the day after the riots 
 were crying out, ' We are not to blame. It 
 was His Excellency the Governor himself 
 who ordered us to beat and rob.' Had 
 any real inquiry taken place in those days 
 the general testimony of most of the 
 accused would have fixed suspicion on the 
 Governor. But this Admiral Seymour did 
 not permit, lest his opportunity should be 
 lost. 
 
 The Seyyid Kandil had documents in his 
 possession clearly showing the manner of 
 organization concocted by the Governor 
 and the Khedive and those of his Court. 
 And from those documents the Khedive's 
 plan of action in concerting the requisite 
 measures to stir up these abominable riots 
 became known. The papers they forced 
 him to deliver up after his arrest and he 
 had to give them up." 
 
 A third statement tells us : " On Sunday, 
 the nth June, the Ottoman Commissioner, 
 Dervish Pasha, who had arrived three days 
 before in Egypt, was driving in the avenue 
 that leads from the Palace of Ghizerah to 
 the bridge Kasr-en-NiL He had just had, 
 at his own residence, a long interview 
 with Arabi Pasha and all the ex-Ministers, 
 and was going to the Palace of Ismailiah, 
 where the Khedive resided, with a view to 
 communicate to him a combination which 
 had been agreed upon, and which might, it 
 was said, reconcile the Khedive with his 
 Minister. 
 
 Near the bridge he was met by the 
 Khedive's secretary, Talaat Pasha, who 
 was sent by his master to announce to him 
 that a riot had broken out at Alexandria, 
 that it had been going on for three hours, 
 and that Europeans and Christians were 
 everywhere massacred. This communica- 
 tion was made with an air of triumph. 
 Talaat looked much pleased. He appeared 
 to say that Arabi, for whom so much was
 
 248 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 being done, was the sole cause of the 
 occurrence. In truth, Arabi had engaged, 
 in presence of the Consuls, to maintain 
 public order, or to restore it if it should be 
 disturbed. Events now gave him contra- 
 diction. Massacres had now been going 
 
 on three hours without his having been 
 able to do anything towards order, etc. 
 
 Dervish Pasha delegated one the aides- 
 de-camp who were in the carriage with him 
 to return immediately to Arabi. Abud 
 being present offered a seat in his carriage 
 
 ARABI, THE REBEL PASHA. 
 
 to Dervish Pasha's messenger, and took 
 him to the house of Mahmoud Pasha Sami, 
 where Arabi was at the time. 
 
 The news of what had happened soon 
 spread through the town. Arabi and his 
 friends were in grief. In the Khedive's 
 palace only there was joy. 
 
 despatches sent by Arabi, the Gover- 
 nor of Alexandria replied that the army 
 under his command had mastered the dis- 
 turbance and restored order. 
 
 One thing is certain, the rising was not 
 unforeseen. It was contrived beforehand 
 with diabolical skill. It has been proved
 
 WHO WERE TO BLAME 1 
 
 249 
 
 that naboots (thick sticks used by the 
 Egyptian night watchmen) had some days 
 before the nth June been distributed 
 among the mob by secret agents ; that these 
 naboots made their appearance almost at 
 the same time from various quarters of the 
 town, at the very time when a Maltese had 
 just killed a donkey-man for some futile 
 reason; that the donkey- men, a peaceable 
 class, but very accessible to money, under 
 the influence of which they are capable of 
 the most mischievous acts, played an im- 
 portant part on that unfortunate day ; that 
 during the riot, Greeks and Arabs, armed 
 with revolvers, placed in ambuscade in 
 certain houses, fired from the windows into 
 the crowd, their only object being to 
 spread the massacre by firing indiscrimin- 
 ately on Europeans and Arabs ; that fan- 
 atical sheiks excited the peaceable inhabi- 
 tants to murder the Christians; that the 
 Mustaphezin (municipal guards under civil 
 authority) sent by the Governor with the 
 apparent object of quelling the tumult, 
 bayoneted the unfortunate people whom it 
 was their duty to protect; that helpless 
 fugitives 'were murdered by those Musta- 
 phezin in front of the Prefecture of Police ; 
 and lastly that the Bedouins, coming in 
 from the neighbourhood of Alexandria, were 
 about to take a share in the plunder when 
 the regular army, which only made its 
 appearance four hours after the first knife 
 was drawn, obliged them to retire. 
 
 On the other side the Governor of Alex- 
 
 andria explained his delay in sending the 
 regular army to put down the disturbance 
 by his fear lest they might join the rioters : 
 but His Excellency never explained, and 
 never was asked, how that fear which he 
 felt at the beginning of the rising, van- 
 ished at the moment of its fullest in- 
 tensity. 
 
 It is certain and the telegraph clerks 
 attached to the Palace and the Khedive 
 were ready to declare it that a long 
 correspondence had been carried on be- 
 tween the Governor of Alexandria and the 
 Khedive as soon as the riot broke out, and 
 the question discussed was the sending of 
 troops from the English or the French 
 fleets. 
 
 Haidar Pasha, a cousin of the Khedive, 
 who had for several days together had long 
 secret interviews with him through the gates 
 of the harem, and always at nightfall, was 
 in Alexandria at the time of the massacre. 
 
 It was only after useless debates with the 
 Admirals on the question of landing, that 
 the Governor, in accord with the Khedive, 
 agreed to appeal to the army to put an 
 end to the massacre." 
 
 As these are strong statements, it may be 
 as well to repeat that they are to be taken 
 with such qualification as completely de- 
 stroys their force, and we again venture to 
 direct the reader's attention to Earl Gran- 
 ville's opinion, as contained in the letter 
 quoted at the beginning of the last chapter 
 as to the whole matter.
 
 250 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 LORD ALCESTER p. J3RIBF JR.ECORD OF HIS CAREER. 
 
 HE bombardment of Alex- 
 andria must be said to have 
 made the reputation of 
 Lord Alcester for to that 
 title he was raised for his 
 skilful management of the affair. 
 
 From that useful publication, " Men of 
 the Time," and one or two other author- 
 ities, we extract the following account of 
 him. They tell us that" The Right Hon. 
 Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 
 Lord Alcester, was the only surviving son 
 of the late Sir Horace Beauchamp Sey- 
 mour, M.P., and a grandson of Vice- 
 Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour. He was 
 born in Bruton Street, London, on April 
 12, 1821; was educated at Eton; and 
 entered the royal navy in January, 1834, 
 receiving his lieutenant's commission in 
 March, 1842. He became a captain in 
 1854, rear-admiral in 1870, vice-admiral in 
 1876, and admiral in 1882. He served as 
 a volunteer in the Burmese war of 1852-3, 
 as aide-de-camp to General Godwin, and 
 led the storming party of Fusiliers at the 
 capture of the works and pagoda of Pegu. 
 He was also present in numerous other 
 engagements on land and water, was four 
 times gazetted, and awarded the Burmese 
 medal, with the clasp for Pegu, at the close 
 of the campaign. In 1854 he served 
 against the Russians in the operations in 
 the White Sea, and is in receipt of the 
 Baltic medal. A few years later, viz. 
 1860-1, as commodore in command of the 
 Australian station, he took part in the 
 operations of the Naval Brigade in New 
 Zealand, again distinguishing himself, and 
 receiving the New Zealand medal and the 
 Companionship of the Bath. In 1866 he 
 was appointed an aide-de-camp to the 
 Queen. From 1868 till 1870 he was 
 
 private secretary to the First Lord of the 
 Admiralty, and he commanded the Detached 
 Squadron from December, 1870, till May, 
 1872, from which date till March he was 
 one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and was 
 re-appointed in 1883. From October, 
 1874, till November, 1877, when he was 
 made a K.C.B., he commanded the Chan- 
 nel Squadron, and he was appointed 
 Commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean 
 in February, 1880. In September of the 
 same year he assumed the supreme com- 
 mand of the Allied Fleet of the European 
 Powers, which made a naval demonstration 
 off the Albanian coast in consequence of 
 the refusal of the Porte to agree to the 
 cession of Dulcigno to Montenegro. 
 Eventually the Turks consented to the 
 cession, and the object for which the 
 European fleet had been assembled in the 
 Adriatic having thus been achieved, it 
 dispersed on December 5. Sir Beauchamp 
 Seymour received the thanks of Her 
 Majesty's Government for the manner in 
 which he performed his duty on this occa- 
 sion, and he was created a Grand Cross of 
 the Bath in the following year (1881). In 
 the warlike operations in Egypt in 1882, 
 he took a conspicuous part, as Commander- 
 in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet. On 
 the 6th of July he demanded of Arabi 
 Pasha the instant cessation of the works on 
 the forts at Alexandria, under penalty of 
 bombardment; and on the loth he de- 
 spatched an ultimatum to the Egyptian 
 Ministry, demanding not only the cessation 
 of all defensive works, but also the sur- 
 render of the forts at the mouth of the 
 harbour. Early on the morning of the 
 nth eight British ironclads and five gun- 
 boats advanced to the attack, and although 
 the Egyptian gunners fought their guns
 
 ADMIRAL SIR F. B. P. SEYMOUR, G.C.B 
 
 NOW LOf\D ALCESTER. 
 By pcrmnsion of J. Mat lardy, .? , Ofwtitry.
 
 LORD ALCESTER IN THE CITY. 
 
 251 
 
 exceedingly well, the forts were, in a few 
 hours, laid in ruins or silenced, with slight 
 loss on the British side, and with trifling 
 damage to the ships. On the following 
 day flags of truce were hoisted on shore, 
 and in the afternoon one of the British 
 officers, being sent to treat with the enemy, 
 discovered that the city had been com- 
 pletely abandoned by Arabi and his troops, 
 and that the flags had been merely used as 
 devices to enable the army to withdraw 
 from the city without further molestation. 
 Sir Beauchamp Seymour remained in 
 supreme command at the occupation and 
 arrangement of affairs in Egypt until the 
 arrival of the army under the command of 
 General Sir Garnet Wolseley. For his 
 distinguished services he received the 
 thanks of Parliament, was elevated to the 
 peerage by the title of Baron Alcester, of 
 Alcester, in the county of Warwick. His 
 lordship also received from Parliament a 
 grant of ^25,000, a medal with two clasps, 
 Grand Cordon of the Osmanick, Crown 
 and Star of the Damanick, and the 
 Khedive's Bronze Star." Nor were these 
 all the honours which were bestowed upon 
 this successful sailor. 
 
 The Corporation of the City of London, 
 on the nth April, 1883, presented to him 
 an address of congratulation and thanks for 
 the able and gallant services rendered by 
 him in Egypt, together with the officers and 
 men of all arms and ranks under his com- 
 mand. The freedom of the City, with a 
 sword of honour, was also presented to Lord 
 Alcester. 
 
 In presenting the sword of honour to 
 Admiral Lord Alcester, the Chamberlain 
 said it was not to be regarded as an expres- 
 sion of unanimous feeling concerning the 
 objects of the campaign in Egypt, but of 
 admiration of the skill, bravery, endurance, 
 discipline, and devotion to duty manifested 
 by all ranks and arms in the naval service. 
 
 Lord Alcester, having taken the sword 
 and pressed the ivory hilt to his lips, said 
 that he was at a loss to find words to express 
 his gratitude. The freedom of the City was 
 
 an honour which the officers of both the 
 services hoped for, and duly appreciated 
 when received. In his conduct of the naval 
 operations during the Egyptian campaign 
 he had been fortunate in obtaining the 
 cordial support of his officers, seamen and 
 marines, and the willing co-operation of the 
 sister services. He had previously been 
 associated with Lord Wolseley, and he 
 therefore knew what to expect from so true 
 a comrade and so brave a man. In the 
 afternoon before the action at Tel-el-Kebir 
 he spent some time in Sir Garnet's tent, 
 and amidst all the dangers and difficulties 
 which menaced him, he found the General 
 as calm and cool as though he were in St. 
 James's Street. To a man who could so 
 command his temper and feelings at such a 
 moment, victory was pretty well secured. 
 In conclusion, his lordship acknowledged 
 the ready help which he had always re- 
 ceived from the Admiralty, and said that 
 amidst all the diversities of political feeling 
 he had found that so long as he was re- 
 solved to maintain the honour of his country, 
 and do his duty, the country would see him 
 through his task. 
 
 At the banquet in the evening, after the 
 toast of the Queen, which was responded 
 to by Vice-Admiral the Duke of Edinburgh, 
 that of the Army, Navy, and Reserve 
 Forces was given, and the Lord Mayor then 
 proposed " The health of Admiral Lord 
 Alcester and General Lord Wolseley," and, 
 in a speech of considerable eloquence, he 
 traced out the career and past services of 
 Lord Alcester. He referred particularly to 
 the successful way in which the delicate 
 negotiations were carried out by his lordship 
 when in command of the international squa- 
 dron in Austrian and Turkish waters before 
 Dulcigno in 1880, the difficult task of keep- 
 ing together a fleet of different nationalities 
 and representing so many conflicting 
 interests having been so successfully per- 
 formed by his lordship as to prominently 
 bring before the world his great tact and 
 talents, gaining for him the friendship and 
 regard of the numerous distinguished foreign
 
 252 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 officers with whom he was at that time 
 associated, and for the successful termination 
 of which negotiations his lordship received 
 the G.C.B. Referring to his lordship's 
 services during the Egyptian campaign, he 
 remarked that few people appeared to 
 understand fully the responsibilities of his 
 lordship's position during the anxious time 
 immediately preceding the attack on the 
 forts of Alexandria, or to appreciate how 
 admirably the whole of the delicate negoti- 
 ations with the other Powers represented 
 in Alexandrian waters had been con- 
 ducted. When the right moment came, his 
 lordship had to decide as to the proper 
 course to pursue ; the right one was chosen, 
 and the plans of attack so well and carefully 
 prepared as to result in the signal success 
 which crowned the operations of the day. 
 He briefly alluded to the chief incidents of 
 the recent campaign in Egypt from the time 
 of the bombardment of the forts of Alexan- 
 dria on the nth July, to the charge of 
 Kassasin, the midnight march and charge 
 at Tel-el-Kebir, the onward progress to 
 Zagazig and Cairo, and the surrender of 
 Arabi. 
 
 Admiral Lord Alcester, who, on rising, 
 was greeted with prolonged cheering, 
 said : 
 
 "My Lord Mayor, your Royal Highnesses, 
 my Lords and Gentlemen, No words at 
 my command can express my feeling for 
 the great honour which you have conferred 
 upon me in drinking my health in the way 
 you have done. I wish to express to the 
 Lord Mayor my sense of the great honour 
 I received this morning at his hands. The 
 freedom of the City of London is one that 
 we, in both services, regard almost as the 
 culminating honour of our career, and I 
 thank you most sincerely for the honour 
 that has been conferred upon me. My 
 Lord Mayor has been kind enough to allude 
 in most complimentary terms far more 
 than we deserve to the services we have 
 been enabled to render to our country 
 during the past campaign. I will say one 
 or two words on the earlier part of that cam- 
 
 paign, which constituted the extreme diffi- 
 culty that attended the work I had to do. It 
 was impossible, after the massacre that took 
 place in Alexandria on the nth June, to 
 do anything in a way I should like to have 
 done it. Had it not been for the enormous 
 European and Levantine population all 
 subjects of Europe I think it is very possi- 
 ble that with the small force we had then 
 we should have been able to settle matters 
 on the following morning. There is a dis- 
 tinguished diplomatist here who will bear 
 me out in saying that had we attempted to 
 seek for redress, which we were entitled to 
 demand, the lives of the enormous popula- 
 tion at Cairo and all Egypt generally would 
 have suffered. I was told in distinct terms 
 that I must do nothing. I was requested to 
 do nothing until measures had been adopted 
 to remove that population from Egypt. 
 The massacre at Alexandria took place on 
 the nth June, and I ask attention to this, 
 that the last vessel containing the refugees 
 from Egypt generally was towed out of the 
 harbour of Alexandria at 4 p.m. on the roth 
 July. We attacked the batteries of Alexan- 
 dria at seven o'clock on the following 
 morning, and, therefore, I hope I may say 
 there was no want of promptitude. In 
 our endeavours to repress grievances we had 
 to press forward. The rest was a com- 
 paratively easy matter. To the gallant 
 officers, seamen and marines was left the 
 task of settling affairs after the bombard- 
 ment of the forts, and we had the very great 
 advantage of being reinforced by one of the 
 best officers in the British army, my friend 
 Sir Archibald Alison, and subsequently by 
 that most gallant and distinguished officer 
 with whom I had the honour of being asso- 
 ciated in the campaign General (as he was 
 then) Sir Garnet Wolseley. I should be 
 very wrong if I did not take this opportu- 
 nity of returning my thanks to those gallant 
 officers whom fortune placed under me 
 during the campaign. I will begin by 
 speaking of Admiral Dowell and Sir William 
 Ewart, and also of the gallant officer who 
 so nobly did his duty in the Suez Canal,
 
 A DETERMINED INTERVIEWER. 
 
 253 
 
 and Sir Francis Sullivan, who left nothing 
 to be desired in the management of affairs 
 at Port Said at a most critical time. I 
 should also at the same time speak of two 
 officers of other countries : Admiral Conrad 
 of the French navy, who was not responsi- 
 ble for the change of policy which caused 
 the withdrawal of the French fleet, and 
 Admiral Wrexhall of the American navy, 
 who got his ship under weigh, and passed 
 the squadron in action, his men cheering 
 so rapidly that the crew of the Lancaster 
 said there was nothing left them but to 
 acknowledge how much they appreciated 
 this cheering. I may say that no officer 
 in my position ever received such support 
 
 as I have received from my superiors. I beg 
 to thank Lord Northbrook and the Duke of 
 Cambridge for what they did for me. They 
 anticipated almost every want of mine. I 
 was quite sure that, however I might have 
 failed at first starting, owing to the difficulty 
 of removing British subjects from the coast, 
 in endeavouring to do my duty in my own 
 way and maintain the honour of England I 
 should be backed up by my country. I 
 must express the very great pleasure I have 
 in seeing so many officers of the sister 
 services present, many of whom I have seen 
 under different conditions, and I have again 
 to thank you, my Lord Mayor, for the great 
 honour you have done me." 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 pORDON J-flS OPINION AS TO THE SOUDAN. 
 
 ENERAL Gordon's life has 
 been full of strange sur- 
 prises and adventures ; but 
 the most strange and sur- 
 prising was that which sent 
 him on the ever fateful expedition to 
 Khartoum. The King of the Belgians had 
 determined to send him on an anti-slavery 
 expedition to the head-waters of the Congo. 
 He had accepted this, had returned rom 
 Jerusalem, had gone to Brussels, and from 
 thence had come to England. On tne 7th 
 of January he was with his sister at South- 
 ampton. On the very next day he received 
 a message from the Pall Mall Gazette ask- 
 ing him if he would consent to state his 
 views on the subject of the Soudan. He 
 declined. But the editor of the Pall Mall 
 Gazette was as remarkable and determined a 
 man, in his own way, as General Gordon. 
 After telling us of the declinature, the editor 
 calmly goes on : " Our representative left 
 town by the next train, and found General 
 Gordon at h's sisters house, in the out- 
 
 skirts of Southampton. He showed con- 
 siderable disinclination to express his 
 opinions upon the subject." This is not to 
 be wondered at ; but he did at last " listen 
 to the voice of the charmer," and expressed 
 himself fully as to the Soudan. What 
 follows is the substance of what he said to 
 the interviewer. Before quoting it let us 
 merely remind the reader that this is the 
 period after the destruction of the army of 
 Hicks Pasha, when our Government had 
 insisted that the Soudan must be evacuated 
 by the Egyptian Government ; though how 
 the garrison and loyal subjects of that 
 Government were to be withdrawn from the 
 rapidly-rising power of the Mahdi was a 
 difficult problem. 
 
 On the 8th of January an event occurred 
 which transformed the whole situation. On 
 the 7th of January, having been summoned 
 from Jerusalem by the King of the Belgians 
 to take charge of an anti-slavery expedition 
 on the head-waters of the Congo, General 
 Gordon arrived in London from Brussels.
 
 254 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 On the following day a communication was 
 addressed to him at Southampton, whither 
 he had proceeded, asking him if he would 
 consent to hold a conversation on the 
 subject of the Soudan with a representative 
 of the Pall Mall Gazette. With character- 
 istic modesty, General Gordon begged to 
 be excused, as his views were of insufficient 
 importance to warrant a journey to South- 
 ampton. Our representative left town by 
 the next train, and found General Gordon 
 at his sister's house in the outskirts of 
 Southampton. He showed considerable 
 disinclination to express his opinions upon 
 the subject, but on its being represented to 
 him very strongly that he of all men now in 
 the country was best acquainted with the 
 Soudan, and therefore was best able to 
 speak with authority on the question of the 
 hour, he consented to enter upon the 
 subject. As soon as he had broken the ice 
 he went on with the greatest animation, and 
 even vehemence, expressing himself with 
 the utmost clearness and emphasis upon all 
 the phases of the question of the hour. No 
 transcript of the notes of that conversation, 
 which lasted over two hours, can convey 
 any idea of the manner in which the late 
 Governor- General of the Soudan discussed 
 in all its minuteness of detail the difficulties 
 to be faced, and indicated with the utmost 
 precision and confidence both the causes 
 of the disaster and the methods by which 
 the crisis should be faced. By eliminating 
 all that is extraneous to the vitals of the 
 subject, and rigidly confining attention to 
 the central point, it is possible to convey 
 some meagre impression of what Chinese 
 Gordon thinks of the Soudan in the follow- 
 ing rough transcript of the substance of his 
 remarks : 
 
 "So you would abandon the Soudan? 
 But the Eastern Soudan is indispensable to 
 Egypt. It will cost you far more to retain 
 your hold upon Egypt proper if you abandon 
 your hold of the Eastern Soudan to the 
 Mahdi or to the Turk than what it would to 
 retain your hold upon Eastern Soudan by 
 the aid of such material as exists in the 
 
 provinces. Darfour and Kordofan must be 
 abandoned. That I admit; but the pro- 
 vinces lying to the east of the White Nile 
 should be retained, and north of Sennaar. 
 The danger to be feared is not that the 
 Mahdi will march northward through Wady 
 Haifa; on the contrary, it is very impro- 
 bable that he will ever go so far north. 
 The danger is altogether of a different 
 nature. It arises from the influence which 
 the spectacle of a conquering Mahometan 
 Power, established close to your frontiers, 
 will exercise upon the population which you 
 govern. In all the cities in Egypt it will be 
 felt that what the Mahdi has done they 
 may do ; and, as he has driven out the in- 
 truder and the infidel, they may do the 
 same. Nor is it only England that has to 
 face this danger. The success of the Mahdi 
 has already excited dangerous fermentation 
 in Arabia and Syria. Placards have been 
 posted in Damascus calling upon the popu- 
 lation to rise and drive out the Turks. If 
 the whole of the Eastern Soudan is sur- 
 rendered to the Mahdi, the Arab tribes on 
 both sides the Red Sea will take fire. In 
 self-defence the Turks are bound to do 
 something to cope with so formidable a 
 danger, for it is quite possible that if 
 nothing is done the whole of the Eastern 
 Question may be reopened by the triumph 
 of the Mahdi. I see it is proposed to 
 fortify Wady Haifa, and prepare there to 
 resist the Mahdi's attack. You might as 
 well fortify against a fever. Contagion of 
 that kind cannot be kept out by fortifi- 
 cations and garrisons. But that it is real, 
 and that it does exist, will be denied by no 
 one cognisant with Egypt and the East. 
 In self-defence the policy of evacuation 
 cannot possibly be justified. 
 
 There is another aspect of the question. 
 You have 6,000 men in Khartoum. What 
 are you going to do with them ? You have 
 garrisons in Darfour, Bahr Gazelle, and 
 Gondokoro. Are they to be sacrificed? 
 Their only offence is their loyalty to their 
 sovereign. For their fidelity you are going 
 to abandon them to their fate You say
 
 " PL A CE NUBAR IN PO WER ! ' 
 
 255 
 
 they are to retire upon Wady Haifa. But 
 Gondokoro is 1,500 miles from Khartoum, 
 and Khartoum is 350 only from Wady 
 Haifa. How will you move your 6,000 
 men from Khartoum to say nothing of 
 other places and all the Europeans in that 
 city, through the desert to Wady Haifa? 
 Where are you going to get the camels to 
 take them away ? Will the Mahdi supply 
 them? If they are to escape with their 
 lives, the garrison will not be allowed to 
 leave with a coat on their backs. They 
 will be plundered to the skin, and even 
 then their lives may not be spared. What- 
 ever you may decide about evacuation, you 
 cannot evacuate, because your army can- 
 not be moved. You must either surrender 
 absolutely to the Mahdi, or defend Khar- 
 toum at all hazards. The latter is the only 
 course which ought to be entertained. 
 There is no serious difficulty about it. The 
 Mahdi's forces will fall to pieces of them- 
 selves ; but if in a moment of panic orders 
 are issued for the abandonment of the whole 
 of the Eastern Soudan, a blow will be struck 
 against the security of Egypt and the peace 
 of the East which may have fatal conse- 
 quences. 
 
 The great evil is not at Khartoum, but 
 at Cairo. It is the weakness of Cairo which 
 produces disaster in the Soudan. It is 
 because Hicks was not adequately sup- 
 ported at the first, but was thrust forward 
 upon an impossible enterprise by the men 
 who had refused him supplies when a 
 decisive blow might have been struck, that 
 the Western Soudan has been sacrificed. 
 The Eastern Soudan may, however, be 
 saved if there is a firm hand placed at the 
 helm in Egypt Everything depends on 
 that. 
 
 What then, you ask, should be done ? I 
 reply, Place Nubar in power! Nubar is 
 the one supremely able man among 
 Egyptian ministers. He is proof against 
 foreign intrigue, and he thoroughly under- 
 stands the situation. Place him in power ; 
 support him through thick and thin ; give 
 him a free hand ; and let it be distinctly 
 
 understood that no intrigues either on the 
 part of Tewfik or any of Nubar's rivals will 
 be allowed for a moment to interfere with 
 the execution of his plans. You are sure 
 to find that the energetic support of Nubar 
 will sooner or later bring you into collision 
 with the Khedive ; but if that sovereign 
 really desires, as he says, the welfare of his 
 country, it will be necessary for you to pro- 
 tect Nubar's administration from any direct 
 or indirect interference on his part. Nubar 
 can be depended upon ; that I can 
 guarantee. He will not take office without 
 knowing that he is to have his own way ; 
 but if he takes office it is the best security 
 that you can have for the restoration of 
 order to the country. Especially is this the 
 case with the Soudan. Nubar should be 
 left untrammelled by any stipulations con- 
 cerning the evacuation of Khartoum. 
 There is no hurry. The garrisons can hold 
 their own at present Let them continue 
 to hold on until disunion and tribal 
 jealousies have worked their natural results 
 in the camp of the Mahdi. Nubar should 
 be free to deal with the Soudan in his own 
 way. How he will deal with the Soudan, 
 of course I cannot profess to say; but I 
 should imagine that he would appoint 
 a Governor-General at Khartoum with full 
 powers, and furnish him with two millions 
 sterling a large sum, no doubt, but a sum 
 which had much better be spent now than 
 wasted in a vain attempt to avert the con- 
 sequences of an ill-timed surrender. Sir 
 Samuel Baker, who possesses the essential 
 energy and single tongue requisite for the 
 office, might be appointed Governor- 
 General of the Soudan ; and he might take 
 his brother as Commander-in-chief. 
 
 It should be proclaimed in the hearing 
 of all the Soudanese, and engraved on 
 tablets of brass, that a permanent Consti- 
 tution was granted to the Soudanese by 
 which no Turk or Circassian would ever be 
 allowed to enter the province to plunder its 
 inhabitants in order to fill his own pockets, 
 and that no immediate emancipation of 
 slaves would be attempted. Immediate
 
 256 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 emancipation was denounced in 1833 as 
 confiscation in England, and it is no less 
 confiscation in the Soudan to-day. What- 
 ever is done in that direction should be 
 done gradually, and by a process of regis- 
 tration. Mixed tribunals might be estab- 
 lished, if Nubar thought fit, in which 
 European judges would co-operate with the 
 natives in the administration of justice. 
 Police inspectors also might be appointed, 
 and adequate measures taken to root out 
 the abuses which prevail in the prisons. 
 
 With regard to Darfour, I should think 
 that Nubar would probably send back the 
 family and the heir of the Sultan of Darfour. 
 If subsidized by the Government and sent 
 back with Sir Samuel Baker, he would not 
 have much difficulty in regaining posses- 
 sion of the kingdom of Darfour, which was 
 formerly one of the best governed of 
 African countries. As regards Abyssinia, 
 the old warning should not be lost sight of 
 ' Put not your trust in princes ' ; and 
 place no reliance upon the King of Abys- 
 sinia, at least outside his own country. 
 Zoula and Bogos might be ceded to him 
 with advantage, and the free right of entry 
 by the port of Massowah might be added ; 
 but it would be a mistake to give him 
 possession of Massowah, which he would 
 ruin. A Commission might also be sent 
 down with advantage to examine the state 
 of thing of Harrar, opposite Aden, and see 
 what iniquities are going on there, as also 
 at Berbera and Zeila. By these means, 
 and by the adoption of a steady, consistent 
 policy at head-quarters, it would be possible 
 not to say easy to re-establish the 
 authority of the Khedive between the Red 
 Sea and Sennaar. 
 
 As to the cost of the Soudan, it is a 
 mistake to suppose that it will necessarily 
 be a charge on the Egyptian Exchequer. 
 It will cost two millions to relieve the 
 garrisons and to quell the revolt ; but that 
 expenditure must be incurred any way ; 
 and, in all probability, if the garrisons are 
 handed over to be massacred and the 
 country evacuated, the ultimate expenditure 
 
 would exceed that sum. At first, until the 
 country is pacified, the Soudan will need a 
 subsidy of ,200,000 a year from Egypt. 
 That, however, would be temporary. 
 During the last years of my administration 
 the Soudan involved no charge upon the 
 Egyptian Exchequer. The bad provinces 
 were balanced against the good, and an 
 equilibrium was established. The Soudan 
 will never be a source of revenue to Egypt, 
 but it need not be a source of expense. 
 That deficits have arisen, and that the 
 present disaster has occurred, is entirely 
 attributable to a single cause, and that is 
 the grossest misgovernment. 
 
 The cause of the rising in the Soudan is 
 the cause of all popular risings against 
 Turkish rule wherever they have occurred. 
 No one who has been in a Turkish province 
 and has witnessed the results of the Bashi- 
 Bazouk system, which excited so much 
 indignation some time ago in Bulgaria, will 
 need to be told why the people of the 
 Soudan have risen in revolt against the 
 Khedive. The Turks, the Circassians, and 
 the Bashi-Bazouks have plundered and 
 oppressed the people in the Soudan as 
 they plundered and oppressed them in the 
 Balkan peninsula. Oppression begat dis- 
 content; discontent necessitated an increase 
 of the armed force at the disposal of the 
 authorities ; this increase of the army force 
 involved an increase of expenditure, which 
 again was attempted to be met by increasing 
 taxation, and that still further increased the 
 discontent. And so things went on in a 
 dismal circle until they culminated, after 
 repeated deficits, in a disastrous rebellion. 
 That the people were justified in rebelling 
 nobody who knows the treatment to which 
 they were subjected will attempt to deny. 
 Their cries were absolutely unheeded at 
 Cairo. In despair they had recourse to 
 the only method by which they could make 
 their wrongs known; and, on the same prin- 
 ciple that Absalom fired the corn of Joab, 
 so they rallied round the Mahdi, who ex- 
 horted them to revolt against the Turkish 
 yoke. I am convinced that it is an entire
 
 "AN OUTBREAK OF DESPAIX." 
 
 257 
 
 mistake to regard the Mahdi as in any sense 
 a religious leader; he personifies popular 
 discontent. All the Soudanese are poten- 
 tial Mahdis, just as all the Egyptians are 
 potential Arabis. The movement is not 
 religious, but an outbreak of despair. 
 Three times over I warned the late 
 
 Khedive that it would be impossible to 
 govern the Soudan on the old system after 
 my appointment to the Governor-General- 
 ship. During the three years that I wielded 
 full powers in the Soudan I taught the 
 natives that they had a right to exist. I 
 waged war against the Turks and Circas- 
 
 sians who had harried the population. I 
 had taught them something of the meaning 
 of liberty and justice, and accustomed them 
 to a higher ideal of government than that 
 with which they had previously been ac- 
 quainted. As soon as I had gone the 
 Turks and Circassians returned in full 
 force; the old Bashi-Bazouk system was 
 
 re-established ; my old employes were per- 
 secuted ; and a population which had 
 begun to appreciate something like decent 
 government was flung back to suffer the 
 worst excesses of Turkish rule. The in- 
 evitable result followed; and thus it may 
 be said that the egg of the present rebellion 
 was laid in the three years during which I 
 
 s
 
 258 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 was allowed to govern the Soudan on other 
 than Turkish principles. 
 
 The Soudanese are a very nice people. 
 They deserve the sincere compassion and 
 sympathy of all civilized men. I got on 
 very well with them, and I am sincerely 
 sorry at the prospect of seeing them handed 
 over to be ground down once more by 
 their Turkish and Circassian oppressors. 
 Yet, unless an attempt is made to hold on 
 to the present garrisons, it is inevitable 
 that the Turks, for the sake of self-preser- 
 vation, must attempt to crush them. They 
 deserve a better fate. It ought not to be 
 impossible to come to terms with them, to 
 grant them a free amnesty for the past, to 
 offer them security for decent government 
 in the future. If this were done, and the 
 government entrusted to a man whose word 
 was truth, all might yet be re-established. 
 So far from believing it impossible to make 
 an arrangement with the Mahdi, I strongly 
 suspect that he is a mere puppet put for- 
 ward by Ilyas, Zebehr's father-in-law, and 
 the largest slave-owner in Obeid, and that 
 he has assumed a religious title to give 
 colour to his defence of the popular rights. 
 
 There is one subject about which I can- 
 not imagine any one can differ. That is 
 the impolicy of announcing our intention 
 to evacuate Khartoum. Even if we were 
 bound to do so we should have said 
 nothing about it. The moment it is 
 known that we have given up the game 
 every man will go over to the Mahdi. All 
 men worship the rising sun. The diffi- 
 culties of evacuation will be enormously 
 increased, if, indeed, the withdrawal of our 
 garrison is not rendered impossible. 
 
 The late Khedive, who is one of the 
 ablest and worst used men in Europe, 
 would not have made such a mistake, and 
 under him the condition of Egypt proper 
 was much better than it is to-day. Now 
 with regard to Egypt, the same principle 
 should be observed that must be acted 
 upon in the Soudan. Let your foundations 
 be broad and firm and based upon the 
 contentment and welfare of the people. 
 
 Hitherto, both in the Soudan and in 
 Egypt, instead of constructing the social 
 edifice like a pyramid, upon its base, we 
 have been rearing an obelisk which a single 
 push may overturn. Our safety in Egypt 
 is to do something for the people. That 
 is to say, you must reduce their rent, rescue 
 them from the usurers, and retrench ex- 
 penditure. Nine-tenths of the European 
 employe's might probably be weeded out 
 with advantage. The remaining tenth 
 thoroughly efficient should be retained ; 
 but whatever you do, do not break up Sir 
 Evelyn Wood's army, which is destined to 
 do good work. Stiffen it as much as you 
 please, but with Englishmen, not with Cir- 
 cassians. Circassians are as much foreigners 
 in Egypt as Englishmen are, and certainly 
 not more popular. As for the European 
 population, let them have charters for the 
 formation of municipal councils, for raising 
 volunteer corps, and for organizing in their 
 own defence. Anything more shameful 
 than the flight from Egypt in 1882 I never 
 read. Let them take an example from 
 Shanghai, where the European settlement 
 provides for its own defence and its own 
 government I should like to see a com- 
 petent Special Commissioner of the highest 
 standing such a man, for instance, as 
 Mr. W. E. Forster, who is free at once 
 from traditions of the elders and of the 
 Foreign Office, and of the bondholders, 
 sent out to put Nubar in the saddle, sift 
 out unnecessary employes, and warn evil- 
 doers in the highest places that they will 
 not be allowed to play any tricks. If that 
 were done it would give confidence every- 
 where, and I see no reason why the last 
 British soldier should not be withdrawn 
 from Egypt in six months' time. 
 
 I hope," said General Gordon, in con- 
 clusion, " that you will explain that I did 
 not wish to press my opinions upon the 
 public. I am very reluctant to say anything 
 calculated to embarrass the Government in a 
 very difficult crisis ; but when you appealed 
 to me, I did feel moved at the thought of 
 the poor Soudanese, whom I knew so well
 
 "CUTTING THE DOG'S TAIL OFF: 
 
 259 
 
 and loved so much ; and I thought that for 
 once I might, for their sake, depart from 
 the resolution which I had formed in my 
 mind to leave these things to be governed 
 by the Higher Power which cannot err, 
 without comment on my part They are a 
 good people, the poor Soudanese, and if I 
 
 can do anything for them I shall be only 
 too glad. But, although I have spoken 
 to you quite frankly, I should be much 
 obliged if, when you publish these remarks, 
 you would let it be distinctly understood 
 that I do not wish to depart again from the 
 rule which I have mentioned." 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 rORDON EN ROUTE FOR 
 
 .HARTOUM. 
 
 T was undoubtedly the case 
 that the interview so copi- 
 ously reported in our last 
 chapter " transformed the 
 whole" situation. Gor- 
 don's name was at once in everybody's 
 mouth, and people began to say, here is 
 the very man for the Soudan. " So matters 
 stood up to the xyth of January. On that 
 day General Gordon arrived at Brussels in 
 order to see the King of the Belgians and 
 receive from him his final instructions for 
 the Congo, whither he intended to proceed 
 at once. The War Office, with great re- 
 luctance, had been prevailed upon to ac- 
 quiesce in his retention of his commission 
 during his absence on the Congo. On the 
 afternoon of that day he received a telegram 
 summoning him to London. He left im- 
 mediately, and arrived in London on Friday 
 morning. At three in the afternoon he met 
 Lord Granville, Minister for Foreign Affairs; 
 Lord Hartington, Secretary of State for 
 War ; Lord Northbrook, First Lord of the 
 Admiralty; and Sir Charles Dilke, Presi- 
 dent of the Local Government Board, at 
 the War Office. General Gordon was asked 
 if he would undertake to establish a native 
 government in Khartoum, and do what he 
 could to relieve the endangered garrisons. 
 To this he replied by asking whether he 
 would be under the orders of the Queen or 
 of those of Tewfik, the Khedive. As an 
 
 officer in the service of Her Majesty, he 
 was bound to execute her orders ; but on 
 no consideration whatever would he go to 
 the Soudan as a servant of the Khedive or 
 the Egyptian Government He was assured 
 that if he accepted the mission offered him 
 he would be the accredited representative 
 of the British Government in the Soudan, 
 and that he would be in no way responsible 
 to the Khedive. In order to make this 
 perfectly clear it was decided that he should 
 proceed to Khartoum vid the Suez Canal 
 and Souakin. Sir Evelyn Baring would 
 meet him on the canal, and he would act 
 with Sir Evelyn Baring in the pacification 
 and the evacuation of the Soudan. This 
 programme was afterwards varied, and 
 General Gordon ultimately went through 
 Cairo on his way to Khartoum. General 
 Gordon was not consulted as to the policy 
 to be pursued. He was entrusted with a 
 mission, which he described in his own 
 graphic way as that of 'cutting the dog's 
 tail off.' ' I've got my orders,' he said ; 
 ' I'll do it, co&tc que co&tc! He made no 
 secret of the fact that he entertained but 
 little hope of the success of his mission ; 
 and he hinted pretty broadly that 'the 
 dog's tail ' would grow on again. The 
 chief point of agreement between him and 
 the Government was embodied in a pro- 
 clamation, which was submitted to Sir 
 Evelyn Baring, and approved of by the
 
 260 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 Egyptian Government, to the effect that he 
 came as the representative of England to 
 take away the whole of the Egyptian gar- 
 risons from the Soudan, and to establish 
 there such native government as he could. 
 Concerning the stability of the system which 
 he was to establish, he expressed himself 
 as very dubious. A semblance of order, he 
 thought, might be established at first ; but 
 the ultimate result would be chaos. The 
 tribes would fight against each other, and 
 the prospect of settled order in the country 
 was of the slightest. But, having received 
 his instructions, he set about executing them 
 with characteristic despatch. He met the 
 Ministers at three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 At eight o'clock in the evening he left 
 Charing Cross for the Soudan. The scene 
 at the station was very interesting. Lord 
 Wolseley carried the General's portmanteau, 
 Lord Granville took his ticket for him, and 
 the Duke of Cambridge held open the 
 carriage door. And thus, with universal 
 good wishes, General Gordon started on 
 his journey. Next morning his appoint- 
 ment was approved without a single dis- 
 sentient voice by the entire press of the 
 country, the only regret expressed being 
 that it had been delayed so long. 
 
 It can very easily be proved, by a com- 
 parison of dates, that for some time before 
 our Government had been thinking of 
 sending General Gordon on an Egyptian 
 mission ; and so the fact of his being sent 
 was by no means entirely due to newspaper 
 influence. Let us continue our narrative by 
 a few quotations from the Blue-books, and 
 that will bring us down to the time when 
 Gordon was actually on his way across the 
 desert to Khartoum. As the papers are 
 not very lengthy we give them almost 
 entire. Nearly all are telegrams. 
 
 No. i. 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, December \st, 1883. 
 
 If General Charles Gordon were willing 
 to go to Egypt would he be of any use to 
 you or to the Egyptian Government, and if 
 so, in what capacity ? " 
 
 No. 2. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, December 2nd, 1883. 
 Reply to your telegram of the ist De- 
 cember. 
 
 The Egyptian Government is very much 
 averse to employing General Gordon, 
 mainly on the ground that, the movement 
 in the Soudan being religious, the appoint- 
 ment of a Christian in high command 
 would probably alienate the tribes who 
 remain faithful. 
 
 I think it wise to leave the whole respon- 
 sibility of Soudan affairs to them, and not 
 to press them on the subject." 
 
 No. 3. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January gt/i, 1884. 
 Colonel Coetlogon has telegraphed to 
 the Khedive strongly urging an immediate 
 withdrawal from Khartoum. He says that 
 one-third of garrison are unreliable, and 
 that even if it were twice as strong as it is 
 it would not hold Khartoum against the 
 whole country, which, without a doubt, is 
 all opposed to Egyptian Government. He 
 thinks that if a retreat is ordered at once 
 it can be safely effected. Preliminary in- 
 structions have been given to prepare 
 for a retreat. The new Minister for War 
 arrives to-morrow, when more definite 
 orders will be issued. 
 
 If any doubts remained as to necessity 
 of adopting policy of withdrawal, they 
 must be entirely removed by Colonel Coet- 
 logon's telegram, which is very strong. 
 Egyptian Governor, and Commander of 
 troops, who is, I believe, a good soldier, 
 entirely agree with him." 
 No. 4. 
 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January roth, 1884. 
 Would General Charles Gordon or Sir 
 C. Wilson be of assistance under altered 
 circumstances in Egypt ? " 
 
 No. 5. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CAIRO, January \\th t 1884, $.$op.m. 
 I have consulted with Nubar Pasha, and
 
 GORDON'S INSTRUCTIONS. 
 
 261 
 
 I do not think that the services of General 
 Gordon or Sir C. Wilson can be utilized at 
 present." 
 
 No. 6. 
 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January i^ih, 1884. 
 Can you give further information as to 
 prospects of retreat for army and residents 
 at Khartoum, and measures taken ? " 
 
 No. 7. 
 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January 15^, 1884. 
 I hear indirectly that Gordon is ready 
 to go straight to Souakin, without passing 
 through Cairo. 
 
 Tell me your opinion." 
 No. 8. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January i6th, 1884. 
 My Lord, With reference to your lord- 
 ship's telegram of the i4th instant, I hope 
 soon to be able to telegraph fully, as the 
 subject of the withdrawal from Khartoum 
 is now being discussed. 
 
 There can be no doubt, however, that 
 very great difficulties will be encountered. 
 It was intended to despatch Abd-el-Kader, 
 the new Minister of War, to Khartoum ; he 
 at first accepted, but now declines to go. 
 The Egyptian Government would feel 
 greatly obliged if Her Majesty's Govern- 
 ment would select a well-qualified British 
 officer to go to Khartoum instead of the 
 War Minister. He would be given full 
 powers, both civil and military, to conduct 
 the retreat. 
 
 I have, etc., 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 No. 9. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January i6t/i, 1884. 
 With reference to my telegram of to-day 
 and your telegram of yesterday, General 
 Gordon would be best man." 
 
 No. 10. 
 
 " Earl Granville to General Gordon. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January i%th, 1884. 
 Sir, Her Majesty's Government arc 
 desirous that you should proceed at once 
 
 to Egypt, to report to them on the military 
 situation in the Soudan, and on the mea- 
 sures which it may be advisable to take for 
 the security of the Egyptian garrisons still 
 holding positions in that country, and for 
 the safety of the European population in 
 Khartoum. 
 
 You are also desired to consider and 
 report upon the best mode of effecting the 
 evacuation of the interior of the Soudan, 
 and upon the manner in which the safety 
 and the good administration by the Egyp- 
 tian Government of the ports on the sea- 
 coast can best be secured. 
 
 In connection with this subject, you 
 should pay especial consideration to the 
 question of the steps that may usefully be 
 taken to counteract the stimulus which it 
 is feared may possibly be given to the 
 slave-trade by the present insurrectionary 
 movement and by the withdrawal of the 
 Egyptian authority from the interior. 
 
 You will be under the instructions of 
 Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General 
 at Cairo, through whom your Reports to 
 Her Majesty's Government should be sent, 
 under flying seal. 
 
 You will consider yourself authorized 
 and instructed to perform such other duties 
 as the Egyptian Government may desire to 
 intrust to you, and as may be communicated 
 to you by Sir E. Baring. You will be 
 accompanied by Colonel Stewart, who will 
 assist you in the duties thus confided to 
 you. 
 
 On your arrival in Egypt you will at 
 once communicate with Sir E. Baring, who 
 will arrange to meet you, and will settle 
 with you whether you should proceed direct 
 to Souakin, or should go yourself or des- 
 patch Colonel Stewart to Khartoum via the 
 
 Nile. 
 
 I am etc., 
 
 (Signed) GRANVILLE." 
 
 No. ii. 
 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January i8M, 1884. 
 Sir, I enclose copy of the instructions 
 which I have addressed to Major-General
 
 262 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Gordon, who proceeds to-night to Egypt, 
 accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, 
 to report to Her Majesty's Government on 
 the state of affairs in the Soudan. 
 
 General Gordon will be under your 
 instructions, and will perform such other 
 duties beyond those specified in my des- 
 patch as may be intrusted to him by the 
 Egyptian Government through you. 
 
 He will report to you his arrival in 
 Egypt ; but as he is anxious not to go to 
 Cairo, I have to request you, if possible, to 
 make arrangements for meeting him at 
 Ismailia, in order to concert with him 
 whether he should proceed direct to Soua- 
 kin, or go himself, or despatch Colonel 
 Stewart, to Khartoum, via the Nile. 
 
 I am, etc., 
 (Signed) GRANVILLE." 
 
 No. 12. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January igth, 1884. 
 
 My Lord, I was very glad to learn, 
 from your lordship's telegram of the i8th 
 instant, that General Gordon and Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Stewart are coming to 
 Egypt to report on the military situation 
 in the Soudan. I am of opinion that it 
 would be useless for these officers to pro- 
 ceed to Souakin, as General Baker is doing 
 all that can be done in that quarter with 
 the means at his disposal. 
 
 They should first come to Cairo, and 
 after discussing matters with myself and 
 others, proceed to Khartoum. 
 
 It is impossible for me to leave Cairo at 
 present, even for a couple of days, but 
 General Sir Evelyn Wood and Colonel 
 Watson will proceed to Port Said to meet 
 General Gordon. 
 
 I have been holding daily conferences on 
 Soudan affairs, and was about to reply to 
 your lordship's telegram of the i4th inst, 
 but will now delay doing so until the 
 arrival of General Gordon. 
 
 Instructions have already been sent by 
 the Egyptian Government to Khartoum to 
 commence at once sending to Berber all 
 
 the civil officials and non-combatants who 
 are desirous of leaving, and for whom 
 transport can be provided. Endeavours 
 are also being made to secure the co- 
 operation of the heads of tribes. 
 
 Discretion has been left to the garrison 
 of Sennaar either to retire by the Kassala 
 route or cut its way through to Khartoum. 
 
 With regard to the European population, 
 I wish to explain that very few Europeans 
 now remain at Khartoum, and that the 
 real difficulty is in withdrawing the native 
 civil population who wish to leave, and the 
 garrison, with the wives and children of 
 the soldiers. 
 
 The position is undoubtedly one of great 
 difficulty, but I see no reason whatever to 
 change my opinion to the effect that the 
 difficulties of withdrawing, great though 
 they be, are less than those of endeavouring 
 to hold the Soudan. 
 
 I have, etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 No. 13.. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January iqth, 1884. 
 
 My Lord, As I understand that several 
 telegrams have been sent to the newspapers 
 at home conveying alarmist news about the 
 state of affairs at Khartoum, I have felt it 
 my duty to telegraph the true state of the 
 case to your lordship. 
 
 The only ground for the statement that 
 Khartoum is surrounded, that the telegraph- 
 wire has been cut, etc., is that telegraphic 
 communication across the desert between 
 Merawi and Berber is interrupted. 
 
 This has occurred frequently during the 
 last few months, and may very likely be 
 due to some ordinary accident ; the line is 
 in a very bad state, and workmen have now 
 been sent to repair it. 
 
 At any rate, it is evident that, once the 
 telegraph is out of order, the news pur- 
 porting to come from Khartoum is mere 
 conjecture. 
 
 I have no wish to underrate the diffi- 
 culties of the present situation, but how-
 
 GORDON AT CAIRO. 
 
 263 
 
 ever great they may be, there has hitherto 
 been no reason for panic. 
 
 I have, etc., 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 No. 14. 
 " Earl Granville to Consul Burrell. 
 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, 
 January 2ist, 1884, 2.30 p.m. 
 Give following message from me to 
 General Gordon immediately on his arrival 
 at Port Said on board mail-steamer from 
 Brindisi : 
 
 ' Sir E. Baring gives strong reasons why 
 you should go to Cairo, in which we hope 
 you will concur.' " 
 
 No. 15. 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, January 22nd, 1884. 
 
 Sir, I enclose herewith a paper con- 
 taining some suggestions made by General 
 Charles Gordon as to the steps which 
 should be taken with regard to the present 
 state of affairs in the Soudan. 
 
 Her Majesty's Government have not 
 sufficient local knowledge to enable them 
 to form an opinion as to the practicability 
 of these suggestions, and I therefore author- 
 ize you, as time is valuable, either imme- 
 diately to make the arrangements suggested, 
 or to await General Gordon's arrival and 
 consult with him as to the action to be 
 taken. 
 
 I am, etc., 
 
 (Signed) GRANVILLE." 
 
 No. 1 6. 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January 2$rd, 1884, 3. 10 p.m. 
 
 Your lordship's telegram of yesterday. 
 
 All Gordon's suggestions are excellent, 
 and quite in harmony with the lines on 
 which we have been working. A message 
 was sent by the Khedive some while ago 
 to the leading men at Khartoum, which 
 was in the sense and almost in the words 
 suggested by Gordon. 
 
 I think that he had better go by the 
 valley of the Nile, and not by Souakin." 
 
 No. 17. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CAIRO, January 2$th, 1884, 9 a.m. 
 Gordon arrived last night. I am about 
 to take him to see the Khedive." 
 
 No. 1 8. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CAIRO, January 2$th, 1884, 10.45 a - m - 
 The interview between the Khedive and 
 Gordon was very satisfactory." 
 
 No. 19. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CARIO, January z6f/i, 1884, 4.55 p.m. 
 Everything has gone most satisfactorily 
 with Gordon. He leaves in very good 
 spirits." 
 
 No. 20. 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January 26th, 1884. 
 Gordon leaves for Khartoum this evening. 
 He will be accompanied by one of the 
 family of the Sultan of Darfour." 
 
 No. 21. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CAIRO, January 3o///, 1884, 1.50 /.///. 
 Power telegraphs rebels besieging Rufar, 
 two days from Khartoum. Gordon's ap- 
 pointment given greatest confidence and 
 satisfaction ; still numbers of people going 
 to Berber daily. A sheik, to whom letters 
 were sent, has replied by calling on town 
 to surrender, and by stating that Arabs are 
 only waiting for permission of Mahdi to 
 take it." 
 
 No. 22. 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 
 CAIRO, January ^ist, 1884. 
 I have received a telegram from Gordon, 
 dated Assouan. He has met the French 
 Consular Agent, who left Khartoum on 
 the 1 5th December, and who says there 
 were no Europeans at Khartoum except 
 some Greeks, who intend to remain there, 
 whatever may be the state of affairs." 
 
 No. 23. 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. 
 CAIRO, February isf, 1884, 2. 35 /.;//. 
 Gordon's suggestions have been followed
 
 264 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in every particular. Although under my 
 instructions, he has, as a matter of fact, 
 been left the widest discretionary power. 
 His visit to Cairo was most useful, as it 
 will enable the authorities here to help him 
 much more than would otherwise have been 
 possible. There is no sort of difference 
 between his views and those entertained 
 by Nubar Pasha and myself." 
 
 A few more of these (in this case at any 
 rate) interesting Blue-book passages will 
 show what Gordon's instructions fully were, 
 and how he conceived them. 
 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived February 7.) 
 CAIRO, January 2%t/i, 1884. 
 
 My Lord, After fully discussing Soudan 
 affairs with General Gordon, it appeared 
 desirable to both Nubar Pasha and myself 
 to give him some further instructions beyond 
 those which are contained in your lordship's 
 letter to him of the i8th January, 1884.* 
 
 I have the honour to inclose a copy of 
 these instructions, which will, I trust, meet 
 with your lordship's approval. 
 
 I read the draft of the letter over to 
 General Gordon. He expressed to me his 
 entire concurrence in the instructions. The 
 only suggestion he made was in connection 
 with the passage in which, speaking of the 
 policy of abandoning the Soudan, I had 
 said, ' I understand also that you entirely 
 concur in the desirability of adopting this 
 policy.' 
 
 General Gordon wished that I should 
 add the words, 'and that you think it 
 should on no account be changed.' These 
 words were accordingly added. 
 
 I have, etc., 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 Inclosure. 
 "Sir E. Baring to Major-General Gordon. 
 
 CAIRO, January 2$th, 1884. 
 Sir, The instructions of Her Majesty's 
 Government were conveyed to you in a 
 letter of the i8th January, 1884, a copy of 
 
 * See "Egypt, No. 2 (1884)," No. 10. 
 
 which has been communicated to me by 
 Lord Granville. 
 
 In that letter, after drawing attention to 
 certain points which were to engage your 
 special attention, Lord Granville 'authorized 
 and instructed you to perform such duties 
 as the Egyptian Government may desire to 
 intrust to you, and as may be communicated 
 to you by Sir E. Baring.' 
 
 I have now to indicate to you the views 
 of the Egyptian Government on two of the 
 points to which your special attention was 
 directed by Lord Granville. 
 
 These are (i) the measures which it may 
 be advisable to take for the security of the 
 Egyptian garrisons still holding positions 
 in the Soudan, and for the safety of the 
 European population in Khartoum; (2) 
 the best mode of effecting the evacuation 
 of the interior of the Soudan. 
 
 These two points are intimately con- 
 nected, and may conveniently be considered 
 together. 
 
 It is believed that the number of Euro- 
 peans at Khartoum is very small, but it has 
 been estimated by the local authorities that 
 some 10,000 to 15,000 people will wish to 
 move northwards from Khartoum only 
 when the Egyptian garrison is withdrawn. 
 
 These people are native Christians, 
 Egyptian employe's, their wives and chil- 
 dren, etc. 
 
 The Government of His Highness the 
 Khedive is earnestly solicitous that no effort 
 should be spared to insure the retreat both 
 of these people and of the Egyptian garrison 
 without loss of life. 
 
 As regards the most opportune time and 
 the best method for effecting the retreat, 
 whether of the garrisons or of the civil 
 populations, it is neither necessary nor 
 desirable that you should receive detailed 
 instructions. 
 
 A short time ago the local authorities 
 pressed strongly on the Egyptian Govern- 
 ment the necessity for giving orders for an 
 immediate retreat. 
 
 Orders were given to commence the 
 withdrawal of the civil population.
 
 GORDON'S FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. 
 
 265 
 
 No sooner, however, had these orders 
 been issued than a telegram was received 
 from the Soudan, strongly urging that the 
 orders for commencing the retreat imme- 
 diately should be delayed. 
 
 Under these circumstances, and in view 
 of the fact that the position at Khartoum 
 is now represented as being less critical, for 
 the moment, than it was a short time ago, 
 it was thought desirable to modify the 
 orders for the immediate retreat of the civil 
 population, and to await your arrival. 
 
 You will bear in mind that the main end 
 to be pursued is the evacuation of the 
 Soudan. 
 
 This policy was adopted, after very full 
 discussion by the Egyptian Government, on 
 the advice of Her Majesty's Government. 
 
 It meets with the full approval of His 
 Highness the Khedive, and of the present 
 Egyptian Ministry. 
 
 I understand, also, that you entirely con- 
 cur in the desirability of adopting this 
 policy, and that you think it should on no 
 account be changed. 
 
 You consider that it may take a few 
 months to carry it out with safety. You 
 are further of opinion that ' the restoration 
 of the country should be made to the 
 different petty Sultans who existed at the 
 time of Mohammed Ali's conquest, and 
 whose families still exist'; and that an 
 endeavour should be made to form a con- 
 federation of those Sultans. 
 
 In this view the Egyptian Government 
 entirely concur. It will, of course, be fully 
 understood that the Egyptian troops are 
 not to be kept in the Soudan merely with 
 a view to consolidating the power of the 
 new rulers of the country. 
 
 But the Egyptian Government has the 
 fullest confidence in your judgment, your 
 knowledge of the country, and of your 
 comprehension of the general line of policy 
 to be pursued. You are therefore given 
 full discretionary power to retain the troops 
 for such reasonable period as you may ! 
 think necessary, in order that the abandon- i 
 ment of the country may be accomplished j 
 
 with the least possible risk to life and pro- 
 perty. 
 
 A credit of ; 100,000 has been opened 
 for you at the Finance Department, and 
 further funds will be supplied to you on 
 your requisition when this sum is ex- 
 hausted. 
 
 In undertaking the difficult task which 
 now lies before you, you may feel assured 
 that no effort will be wanting on the part 
 of the Cairo authorities, whether English or 
 Egyptian, to afford you all the co-operation 
 and support in their power. 
 
 I am, etc., 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 It will be very convenient to have at this 
 place two statements as to Gordon's mis- 
 sion by members of the Government. On 
 22nd January, Sir Charles Dilke, in ad- 
 dressing a meeting of the Chelsea electors, 
 said : 
 
 " General Gordon is not against, but in 
 favour of the policy of the evacuation of 
 Darfour, Kordofan, and the interior of the 
 Soudan. The greater part of what is called 
 the Soudan is not, and never has been, an 
 integral part of Egypt. The Egyptian is a 
 foreigner there. The Soudan has always 
 been a strain and a drain upon Egypt ; and 
 instead of being a help, these countries 
 always have been, in our opinion, a weak- 
 ness to it, and if they be a weakness to 
 Egypt it would be simple madness to this 
 country to insist upon their retention. We 
 have no interest that the Egyptians, rather 
 than the Sultans of Darfour, should rule in 
 Darfour ; our interest is that there should 
 be peace in the country. We have, I 
 think, an interest that the Egyptian rule 
 should be maintained on the coasts of the 
 Red Sea, but we have no interest whatever 
 in upholding Egyptian rule in the interior 
 of the continent of Africa. The Conser- 
 vatives have told us that we have shown 
 upon this subject a singularly vacillating 
 policy, and they seem to think we were 
 suddenly driven to the employment of 
 General Gordon at a day's notice by the
 
 266 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 news we got in the Conservative press. We 
 first suggested the sending out of General 
 Gordon to the late Egyptian Government 
 very many months ago, but at that time the 
 suggestion was not received with favour, 
 either by the Egyptian Government or by 
 our own representatives in Cairo. They 
 thought that, under the circumstances then 
 existing, it would not be desirable that 
 General Gordon should go out. This re- 
 luctance lasted until quite recently, and it 
 was a mutual reluctance, for General Gor- 
 don did not wish to go. It was only about 
 ten days ago we were informed that General 
 Gordon, although he had no wish to go to 
 Egypt, would willingly obey the orders of 
 Her Majesty's Government if he were di- 
 rected to go, and that he would gladly act 
 under the instructions of Sir Evelyn Baring. 
 As soon as we had obtained by telegraph 
 the concurrence of Sir Evelyn Baring in our 
 view, the matter was arranged. A reply 
 was received, I think, on Wednesday last. 
 General Gordon's instructions were given 
 to him on the Friday, and with the remark- 
 able public spirit which characterizes him, 
 he started with Colonel Stewart, as you 
 know, on Friday night." 
 
 In the House of Commons the subject 
 of Gordon's mission was of course often re- 
 ferred to. Sir Stafford Northcote on one 
 occasion remarked : 
 
 " There is one point upon which all our 
 minds are fixed I mean the mission of 
 General Gordon. On that point I am 
 anxious to say little or nothing. General 
 Gordon is now engaged in an attempt of 
 the most gallant and dangerous kind. No 
 one can speak with too much admiration 
 of his courage and self-devotion. No one 
 can fail, in this country; to sympathise with 
 him, and earnestly to desire his safety and 
 success. It would be the greatest possible 
 misfortune if, by any word carelessly al- 
 lowed to drop here, anything were done 
 that would in the slightest degree imperil 
 or disturb the success of his mission. I 
 trust the Government are not proceeding in 
 the case of General Gordon as they have 
 
 done in too many instances that they are 
 not throwing all the responsibility upon 
 him, and keeping none for themselves 
 that they are not confusing his position, 
 and making it uncertain whose servant he 
 is, or to whom he is responsible." 
 
 Mr. Gladstone, in reply, thus spoke of 
 Gordon and his mission : 
 
 "General Gordon, in our estimation, is 
 a very great feature in the case. What is 
 General Gordon ? He is no common man. 
 I thank the right hon. gentleman for the 
 manner in which he referred to him. I 
 may almost say that General Gordon is not 
 alone. Other very able men are with him 
 one in particular, Colonel Stewart, his 
 second and coadjutor. And, in fact, we 
 have acted all along on the principle of 
 obtaining for this difficult Egypt problem 
 the very best services we could possibly get. 
 It is no exaggeration, in speaking of General 
 Gordon, to say that he is a hero. It is no 
 exaggeration to say that he is a Christian. 
 It is no exaggeration to say that in his 
 dealings with Oriental people he is also a 
 genius ; that he has a faculty, an influence, 
 a command brought about by moral means 
 for no man in this House hates the un- 
 necessary resort to blood more than General 
 Gordon he has that faculty which pro- 
 duces effects among those wild Eastern 
 races almost unintelligible to us Western 
 people. Perhaps it may be said, ' If General 
 Gordon has all these gifts, why did you not 
 employ him sooner ? ' Again you have 
 fallen into an error, for you have not taken 
 the least pains to ascertain whether it was 
 possible or not. The suggestion to employ 
 General Gordon in the Soudan was made 
 at a time so early that it really is not within 
 the limits of the direct responsibility of the 
 present Government. 
 
 " As early as in the month of November, 
 1882, Sir Charles Wilson suggested the 
 employment of General Gordon. But there 
 were difficulties on both sides. It is very 
 difficult to marry two people when one of 
 them is averse ; but it is still more difficult 
 to marry them when, unfortunately, there is
 
 MR. GLADSTONE ON GENERAL GORDON. 
 
 267 
 
 an aversion on both sides; and that, I 
 believe, was found to be the case at that 
 period between the Khedive and General 
 Gordon. However, when it came to the 
 grave period, and the increased responsi- 
 bility upon us for the affairs in the Soudan 
 that followed Hicks's defeat, then it was 
 again our duty to have regard to the possi- 
 bility of what might be got through General 
 Gordon. The right hon. gentleman will 
 recollect that we have contended all along 
 he might have done it, but we could not 
 have done it that down to the time of 
 General Hicks's defeat, we should not have 
 been justified in interfering. It was already 
 known to us that the Egyptian Government 
 objected to General Gordon. On the ist 
 of December Lord Granville had reason to 
 believe that he was in a condition to offer 
 the services of General Gordon to the 
 Egyptian Government Unfortunately, they 
 were refused, but they were refused not 
 entirely without reason. The reason was 
 one with which we were not satisfied, but it 
 went far to silence us, and I think the right 
 hon. gentleman will find it to be the case 
 too. The objection made was this : ' The 
 Soudan is a country of strong Mahometan 
 fanaticism, and to send a Christian as our 
 agent would be a dangerous course, and 
 might cause a more dangerous outbreak.' 
 We were not satisfied, but at the same time 
 it was very difficult to brush that objection 
 rudely aside, and that led to some further 
 delay. That was on the ist of December. 
 But we became acquainted with the senti- 
 ments of General Gordon, and, as time 
 went on, the objection of the Egyptian 
 Government became mitigated and entirely 
 changed. However, it was not until the 
 loth of January that is to say, eight days 
 after Nubar Pasha came into office, that we 
 had forwarded to us a request to send 
 officers to conduct the evacuation of the 
 Soudan, and on the i6th of January General 
 Gordon was on his way. 
 
 At Cairo General Gordon formed his 
 plan, and this we received as a memo- 
 randum. We have had some doubts 
 
 whether it was our duty to produce his 
 plan. If it could have been produced to 
 this House or this country alone, it would 
 have been a different matter, but the pro- 
 mulgation of the plan in Egypt might cause 
 its failure. All I can say on this occasion 
 but I would rather not enter into par- 
 ticulars at all is that it was evidently a 
 well-reasoned and considered plan, that it 
 was entirely pacific in its basis, that it pro- 
 ceeds on the plea which would have been 
 fanatical or presumptuous in my case, or in 
 the case of most of those in this House, but 
 which, in the case of General Gordon, with 
 his experience and his gifts, was neither the 
 one nor the other not that he must, but 
 that he might, hope to exercise a strong 
 pacific influence by going to the right 
 persons in the Soudan, and it was his desire 
 as much as ours that this should be done 
 without any resort whatever to violent 
 means. Now, General Gordon went, not 
 for the purpose of reconquering the Soudan, 
 or of persuading the chiefs of the Soudan, 
 the Sultans who were at the head of the 
 tribes of the Soudan, to submit themselves 
 again to the Egyptian Government. He 
 went for no such purpose as that. He went 
 for the double purpose of evacuating the 
 country by the extrication of the Egyptian 
 garrisons, and of reconstituting it by giving 
 back to the Sultans their ancestral powers, 
 as I may so call them, which had been 
 withdrawn or suspended during the period 
 of Egyptian occupation. I have told the 
 House already that General Gordon had in 
 view the withdrawal from the country of 
 no less than twenty-nine thousand persons 
 paying military service in Egypt. The 
 House will see how vast was the trust which 
 was placed in the hands of this remarkable 
 person. We cannot exaggerate the im- 
 portance we attach to it. We are unwilling 
 to do anything which should interfere with 
 this great pacific scheme, which promised 
 a satisfactory solution of the Soudanese 
 difficulty, by at once extricating the garri- 
 sons, and reconstituting the country on its 
 own basis of local privileges."
 
 268 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 JIGYPT THE VICTORY OF TEL-EL-KEBIR. 
 
 AKING up our narrative of 
 the history of Egypt again 
 at the point where the 
 British fleet had success- 
 fully accomplished the bom- 
 bardment of Alexandria, we now proceed 
 with this part of our narrative. 
 
 Thus the hopes of Arabi and his party 
 seemed crushed at the very commence- 
 ment. The Khedive came back to the town 
 on the 1 5th July, and Arabi, who was now 
 at Kafr-Dowar with a number of soldiers, 
 received a message ordering him instantly 
 to submit. This he declined to do, and 
 for some time the rebellion assumed for- 
 midable dimensions. "England," said Arabi, 
 "may rest assured we are determined to 
 fight, to die like martyrs for our country 
 as has been enjoined us by our Prophet 
 or else to conquer our enemies. Happiness, 
 in either case, is promised to us, and when 
 a people is imbued with this belief their 
 courage knows no bounds." England then 
 had no resource but to crush this pre- 
 sumptive rebel. Sir Garnet, afterwards 
 Lord Wolseley, was appointed Commander- 
 in-chief, and finally a brilliant and decisive 
 triumph crowned his sagacious combina- 
 tions in Egypt. On September 13, Sir 
 Garnet Wolseley attacked the stronghold 
 of the rebel forces at Tel-el-Kebir, and, 
 after a brief assault, delivered with irre- 
 sistible vigour, drove the enemy in 
 utter rout from his defences, capturing 
 his guns, trains, supplies, and stores, in- 
 flicting heavy loss upon him in killed 
 and wounded, and making a great number 
 of prisoners. Nothing could have been 
 more complete or satisfactory than the 
 success thus achieved; and the plan of 
 action appears as skilful as it was simple. 
 Arabi's force numbered 20,000 trained 
 
 troops, with 2,500 horse, and 70 guns, 
 besides 6,000 Bedouins and irregulars. 
 Against this numerically strong array the 
 British general could put in line 11,000 
 bayonets, 2,000 sabres, and 60 guns 
 sufficient in any case, no doubt, to have 
 gained a victory; but to have attacked 
 in daylight with them the formidable posi- 
 tions of the rebels must and would have 
 entailed a heavy loss. Sir Garnet, there- 
 fore, determined to find an ally in the dark- 
 ness and coolness of the Egyptian night, 
 and devised a scheme which obtained 
 perfect success. As the evening of Tues- 
 day closed in, and the rebel vedettes could 
 make no more observations, he ordered 
 the camp to be struck in silence, and 
 moved the entire fighting force to the 
 ridge beyond the Kassassin lines. Here 
 the British lay down on the sand, taking 
 what sleep they could till 1.30 a.m., when, 
 without the sound of bugle, drum, or pipe, 
 the regiments rose and marched under the 
 darkness for the rebel entrenchments, dis- 
 tant about five miles. The cavalry, with 
 two batteries on our right, were ordered to 
 ride wide round Arabi's north flank, not 
 showing themselves till daybreak. Next 
 them on the left paced quietly the Second 
 Brigade of the First Division, supported by 
 the Guards, under the Duke of Connaught ; 
 the seven batteries of artillery advanced as 
 quickly as possible in the centre ; to their 
 left strode along the Second Division, the 
 Highland Brigade going foremost ; and the 
 Indian contingent moved along the south 
 bank of the canal, the Naval Brigade with 
 their 4o-pounder using the rails. In this 
 order the long line of British moved through 
 the darkness, the sand muffling their foot- 
 fall and the roll of the gun-wheels, so that 
 the dawn was but just showing behind
 
 TEL-EL-KEBIR. 
 
 269 
 
 them over the desert when they had come 
 within a thousand yards of Arabi's trenches. 
 In the grey of the morning the Arabs saw 
 our regiments closing upon them, and a 
 heavy fire was opened from cannon and 
 musketry; but the great peril had been 
 escaped The ground which in daylight 
 would have been swept with shell and 
 bullets, had been passed without exposure 
 or needless fatigue, and by the time the 
 rebels were really on the alert our men had 
 reached within distance for a rush. It was 
 made with cheers that rent the air, and 
 dissipated the courage of the Arabists. 
 Not staying to load and fire, the British 
 troops, splendidly pioneered by the Royal 
 Irish, dashed up the earthworks and into 
 the trenches of the enemy, clearing his 
 defences with the bayonet point, and 
 slaughtering all who stood. A second line 
 of resistance was discovered in a strong 
 redoubt and side-works upon some rising 
 ground ; but with another irresistible onset 
 Her Majesty's soldiers flung themselves on 
 the Arabs holding this, and at about the 
 same moment the British cavalry became 
 visible on the north, and the Indian regi- 
 ments to the south, threatening to cut off 
 all chance of retreat The rebel army fell 
 to pieces at this point, and, wildly flying 
 from the rear of their works, streamed off 
 in a confused crowd toward Zagazig, the 
 cavalry charging into their masses, and the 
 artillery coming up at the gallop and hurling 
 shot and shell among the panic-stricken 
 fugitives. Before the sun had well risen, 
 the stern business was concluded, and the 
 thirty thousand fighting men of Arabi were 
 scattered and chased out of sight, the arch- 
 rebel himself escaping on horseback amid 
 his defeated followers. 
 
 It is impossible to praise too warmly the 
 masterly dispositions by which this great 
 success was obtained, or the admirable 
 devotion and valour shown by our men in 
 carrying out their General's plans. By thus 
 availing himself of the cover of night, Sir 
 Garnet not only avoided the fatigue and 
 exposure of a fight under the fierce Egyp- 
 
 tian sun, but carried his troops, as we have 
 before remarked, in complete safety across 
 that zone of fire where Arabi had no doubt 
 calculated that he could decimate his assail- 
 ants. Having decided to deliver the frontal 
 attack, our General, by this simple strata- 
 gem, disarmed the rebel entrenchments of 
 their greatest strength, and was rewarded 
 by a comparatively insignificant loss in 
 killed and wounded. To carry into vic- 
 torious effect a scheme so bold, it was 
 necessary that a commander should have 
 troops upon whom he could thoroughly 
 rely, and the magnificent conduct of Her 
 Majesty's regiments is briefly, but proudly, 
 recorded in Sir Garnet's phrase, that it was 
 " everything which could be wished." All 
 appear to have behaved with a steadiness 
 and spirit worthy of the flag which they 
 bore. " All," says Sir Garnet, " went 
 straight at the enemy," evincing the greatest 
 emulation ; but the i8th (the Royal Irish) 
 won from their leader the honour of a very 
 particular mention, which their intrepidity 
 fully justified. It may be said, no doubt, 
 that with an enemy more vigilant and more 
 skilled in modern war, no such surprise 
 could have been counted upon, and that a 
 better strategist than Arabi, even if taken 
 off his guard at first, would have made 
 more of his inner defences. Without ques- 
 tion a continental general would have 
 known what was happening under the 
 darkness in his front, and found means to 
 check the approach of his foe. But a large 
 part of the very great credit due to the 
 British commander is precisely this, that he 
 had all along taken the just measure of the 
 strength and weakness of his opponents, 
 neither under-valuing nor over-estimating 
 their military qualities and resources. He 
 was bold in season and cautious in season, 
 consummating the wise preparations which 
 ignorant and impatient critics carped at, 
 with a triumph ten times more complete 
 and welcome than the partial success which 
 might, perhaps, have been snatched once 
 and again, or purchased at great cost by 
 precipitate action. From first to last, the
 
 270 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 combinations of Sir Garnet Wolseley in this 
 difficult campaign have been such as reflect 
 new lustre upon his qualities as a capable 
 and scientific leader, profound in his study 
 of a military problem, and vigorous, reso- 
 lute, and watchful in working out its solu- 
 tion. The simplicity of his design upon 
 the present great occasion enhances its 
 merit under the circumstances of the posi- 
 tion ; for every soldier in the British ranks 
 must have understood the prudence of 
 his commander, and felt himself an intel- 
 ligent aider in the plan. Nor will the 
 nation be otherwise than grateful, that 
 by his judicious arrangements, many a 
 gallant and valuable life has been spared. 
 The same valour which has been so con- 
 spicuously exhibited by all ranks, would 
 have sufficed assuredly to have carried our 
 men into the works of Tel-el-Kebir under 
 the burning sun and the full tempest of 
 Arabi's guns and rifles. But we have the 
 overwhelming triumph now, at a tenth part 
 of the cost in killed and wounded, thanks 
 to that anxious exercise of forethought, and 
 that adroit measurement of his foe, which 
 distinguish all the campaigns of this brilliant 
 and most serviceable soldier. 
 
 The losses of the Egyptians are estimated 
 to amount to at least 1,000 killed, besides 
 a vast number wounded, and many hun- 
 dreds of prisoners. Our casualties number 
 about 150, including 30 killed, among whom 
 were eight officers. It was a cruelly pain- 
 ful sight to look upon the thousands of 
 fugitive Egyptians tearing away in mad 
 haste from the scene of carnage, and be 
 unable to distinguish between the men who 
 had brought all this trouble upon their 
 country and the innocent creatures who 
 formed the greater part of the huge mob 
 that had been coerced into the rebellion 
 and driven against their will to take up 
 arms. While many of the latter pitiable 
 victims were being cut down by our troops, 
 the real instigators of the rebellion were 
 quietly steaming away by rail. These 
 cowardly miscreants betook themselves to 
 the train directly they saw the day was 
 
 lost. The fugitives suffered severely from 
 our cavalry. The squadrons, under the 
 command of Major-General Drury Lowe, 
 Sir Baker Russell, and Brigadier-General 
 Wilkinson, cut down the flying rebels with 
 terrible effect ; but they stopped humanely 
 the instant that the slaughter became un- 
 necessary, and the fight had ended in 
 victory. 
 
 The orders given for instant pursuit 
 prove how thoroughly Lord Wolseley un- 
 derstands when, and in what manner, to 
 seize a golden opportunity, while the points 
 upon which he directed the chase of the 
 rebels Belbeis, Zagazig, and Benha-el-Asl, 
 and Cairo itself could not have been in- 
 dicated with truer judgment in a quiet 
 kriegspiel at Aldershot than they were 
 upon the Canal Bridge in rear of Tel-el- 
 Kebir. The instant and vigorous pursuit 
 completed the lesson of the rout. Zagazig 
 was occupied on the afternoon of the day 
 of victory by the Indian cavalry, and was 
 found submissive. Benha was reached on 
 the 1 4th a place of great importance. On 
 the southern road towards Cairo the Eng- 
 lish horse, in two divisions, pushed swiftly 
 along, marching straight into Kalioub, or 
 Cairo itself, whither the Guards' Brigade 
 followed. At Benha we dominated the 
 main line of railway and the river; from 
 Kalioub the minarets of Mehemet Ali's 
 mosque at Cairo are visible, and all these 
 localities lie in the green and fruitful coun- 
 try of the southern delta, where the roads 
 are safe from flood and the markets abun- 
 dant. Meantime the effects of the triumph 
 and the quick pursuit disclosed themselves 
 rapidly. Sufficient was known to the rebels 
 at Kafr-Dowar on Thursday, the i4th, to 
 induce them to send in a flag of truce 
 offering surrender. As an act of penitence 
 and submission, they had previously cleared 
 away the dam built across the Mahmoudieh 
 Canal, thus again admitting fresh water to 
 the people of Alexandria. In desiring to 
 " cease from all hostilities " the Arabists at 
 Kafr-Dowar kept haggling for permission to 
 surrender to the Khedive and not to the
 
 OUR TASK IN EGYPT. 
 
 271 
 
 British; but this piece of diplomacy or 
 amour propre did not delay the matter 
 long. Soon after, the very strong position 
 across the Mareotis Isthmus was occupied 
 by our troops without the firing of a shot 
 another testimony to the good combinations 
 of the British commander. Cairo sent dele- 
 gates to the Khedive, " charged to declare 
 its loyalty " ; Arabi, with his principal 
 adherents, fled thither, and were made 
 prisoners. The surrender of the Aboukir 
 fortress promptly followed these signs of 
 universal collapse in the rebellion ; and 
 ere long truthful versions of the scene at 
 Tel-el-Kebir must have convinced the 
 most dogged Egyptian anarchist that Allah 
 was against him. The large armed array 
 will speedily melt away again into the 
 towns and villages of the upper and lower 
 country. Only the Sheik and the Mudir 
 will know how many a quiet-looking fellah, 
 delving hard to heighten the dyke round 
 
 the cotton fields, was lately one of that 
 crowd which fled from the works of Tel-el- 
 Kebir, with the lightning of the English 
 sabres and the thunder of the English field- 
 guns storming behind them. The fact is, 
 that the fellah is neither by occupation nor 
 character inclined to fanaticism and fighting 
 " for an idea." He wants to be let alone, 
 and to pay light taxes; and has probably 
 cursed Arabi in his heart, while obliged to 
 follow him. There exists, no doubt, a 
 fierce party of disaffection around the 
 nucleus of the El-Azhar University at 
 Cairo, and the Bedouins will lament 
 their lost chances of plunder and murder. 
 In effect, the admirable victory of Tel-el- 
 Kebir has put an end to the rebellion by 
 bringing in its train the prompt surrender 
 of the capital. We have thus secured that 
 highway to India which was so shrewdly 
 threatened, and renewed the hopes of peace 
 and prosperity in Egypt. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 EGYPT EXPEDITION OP fhcKS 
 
 FTER the collapse of the in- 
 surrection and the surrender 
 of Arabi, a court was insti- 
 tuted, chiefly for the trial of 
 that famous rebel. A party 
 in England believed that justice had not 
 been done him, and counsel were sent out 
 to defend him. Finally, by a sort of ar- 
 rangement he pleaded guilty, was sentenced 
 to death, and almost immediately respited. 
 Then he was sent to a charming residence 
 in Ceylon, there under British protection 
 to spend the remainder of his days. 
 
 But our troubles were by no means over. 
 Nay, they were only beginning. The very 
 same weakness on the part of the Egyptians 
 that enabled us to disperse their vast hordes 
 
 at Tel-el-Kebir, now caused them to hang 
 on us like a dead weight By a strange 
 course of events, we were saddled with the 
 administration of Egypt very much against 
 the will of Mr. Gladstone's Government. 
 Let us at this stage of our narrative recapi- 
 tulate the steps that led to the result. 
 There is no doubt that "when, in 1879, 
 the Governments of England and France, 
 acting through the Sultan and at the promp- 
 ting of Prince Bismarck, deposed Ismail and 
 set up Tewfik on the throne of Egypt, they 
 committed themselves to a pseudo-protec- 
 torate of the Pashalik of the Nile. From 
 the deposition of Ismail to the despatch of 
 General Gordon, England has been led on 
 step by step to assume what now amounts
 
 272 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 to a virtual although unacknowledged 
 sovereignty over Egypt. It is much easier 
 even now to complain of this increase of 
 our responsibilities than it is to indicate, 
 with all the wisdom gained by experience, 
 the precise point at which any English 
 Government could have withdrawn from 
 intervention in Egyptian affairs. Non-in- 
 terference was possible, of course, but only 
 on condition that English non-interven- 
 tionists were willing to acquiesce in French 
 intervention. English public opinion being 
 unanimously hostile to the establishment of 
 a French Protectorate d la Tunis over the 
 
 country commanding the Suez Canal, non- 
 intervention was impossible for any English 
 Government. And if we were ready to go 
 to war to keep the French out, it followed 
 as a corollary that we must be equally ready 
 to interfere to remove causes which would 
 have justified and necessitated French in- 
 tervention. Thus it came to pass that as 
 we conquered India solely in order to fore- 
 stal the French in the East, so we have 
 occupied Egypt in order to render impossi- 
 ble the establishment of French ascendency 
 on the highway to India. The question of 
 Egyptian bonds is a mere detail. The key 
 
 j = : r ^ ~ 
 
 ARABl's HOUSE, CEYLON. 
 
 of the situation lies in the necessity of pre- 
 venting the Power that controls the Canal 
 becoming the mere creature of France. 
 
 What the English have always desired 
 was to reduce their interference in Egypt 
 to the lowest minimum compatible with the 
 exclusion of French ascendency. They 
 were willing to keep step with the French 
 in many questionable operations rather 
 than risk the necessity for more energetic 
 intervention which might follow a breach 
 in the Anglo-French understanding estab- 
 lished when Tewfik was placed on the 
 throne. This anxiety precipitated the evil 
 
 I it was intended to avert. France led us 
 into the false step of the Joint Note, and 
 then when the moment came for giving 
 effect to our warnings she recoiled, and 
 left us to face single-handed a situation 
 which, if we had but had a free fight, would 
 never have been created. After rendering 
 it impossible for us to come to terms with 
 Arabi, France left us to suppress him with- 
 out her aid. The result was the termination 
 of the Anglo-French condominium, the de- 
 feat and dispersion of the Egyptian army, 
 and the establishment for a limited but 
 indefinite period of a partnership between
 
 APPEARANCE OF THE MAHDI. 
 
 273 
 
 England and Egypt, which may be called 
 the Anglo-Egyptian Government (Limited). 
 This anomalous arrangement has led to all 
 our subsequent troubles, of which the latest, 
 but by no means the last, was the crisis in 
 the Soudan. It was rendered inevitable 
 owing to the curious cross-currents of high 
 policy and popular sympathy. The logic 
 of the ministerial theory demanded that as 
 soon as the rebellion was suppressed, and 
 the Khedive restored, our troops should be 
 recalled, and the restored Egyptian Govern- 
 ment left to govern Egypt in its own way. 
 Arabi would have been hanged, the mutinous 
 soldiers decimated, and a strong native 
 Government re-established in the Nile 
 Valley. If the Khedive had been allowed 
 
 to make himself feared, his Government 
 might have existed without our aid. This, 
 however, was rendered impossible by the men 
 who were afterwards zealous in denouncing 
 the presence of English garrisons in Egypt. 
 They would not let Arabi be hanged. 
 Whenever the Khedive's Government at- 
 tempted to exert its authority they pro- 
 tested ; and, in short, the humanitarians 
 having ham-strung the Khedive, the annex- 
 ationists were able to demonstrate the 
 necessity for the maintenance of the whole 
 authority that could keep the cripple upon 
 his legs," and so we had to rule. If we 
 are asked, Was then this chain of events 
 inevitable ? We reply, Probably it was. 
 Perhaps our Government might have left 
 
 VIEW NEAR ARABI'S RESIDENCE IN CEYLON. 
 
 things to take their course, and counted on 
 the innate difficulties of the task, finally 
 preventing France from undertaking the 
 management of affairs in Egypt. This is 
 the only thing that could have been done 
 in the matter. Even if possible it was not 
 done, and so the management of affairs re- 
 mained with us. The Egyptian army was 
 disbanded, and an army of occupation pro- 
 vided. Then Baker Pasha, who had en- 
 tered the Egyptian service, proceeded to 
 reconstitute the native army. Whilst en- 
 gaged in these details, the Government at 
 Cairo were alarmed by the sudden increase 
 of a cloud that had been looming on the 
 horizon for some time. There had been 
 rumours for some time that a Mahdi, a 
 false prophet, had appeared in the Soudan, 
 
 and that he was collecting round him a great 
 body of adherents and advancing north- 
 ward. Of this Mahdi we give in the proper 
 place a detailed biography. Suffice it to 
 say, that he was reported as advancing on 
 Khartoum. Wherever he encountered the 
 Egyptian soldiery he succeeded in defeat- 
 ing them. It was.thought that if an English 
 force were landed at Souakin, and taken 
 across the desert to Berber, that it might 
 have "nipped" the rising " i' the bud." 
 This is mere supposition, however. The 
 fact is, that the rising rapidly spread. El 
 Obeid was taken by the Mahdi, and then 
 Colonel afterwards Hicks Pasha, was ap- 
 pointed to command the Egyptian army 
 and try what a British officer even with 
 inferior troops could do. On March 8th, 
 
 T
 
 274 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 1883, Hicks reached Khartoum. He soon 
 gained a great victory at Abu Juma, on the 
 White Nile. There were great rejoicings at 
 this in Cairo, but the British Government in 
 the most direct and solemn manner assured 
 the Khedive that they had nothing what- 
 ever to do with the expedition, and that 
 they were in no wise responsible for its 
 success or failure. As, however, it was 
 commanded by an English officer, people 
 at home could not help regarding it as in 
 some way connected with the English in 
 
 Egypt. Hicks' difficulties were enormous, 
 he was badly supported, and when he 
 marched on El Obeid, where the rebels 
 were collected in great force, it was with the 
 saddest foreboding of all experienced men. 
 Mr. O'Donovan and Mr. Vitzelly, two 
 able special correspondents, were with him. 
 The former of these gloomily predicted 
 that "a lancehead as big as a shovel" 
 would probably be his doom. The worst 
 fears were soon realized, and that in a most 
 terrible manner. 
 
 EGYPT 
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 .DESTRUCTION OF HICKS PASHA'S 
 
 ARMY. 
 
 OR a long time nothing was 
 known of the fate of Hicks 
 and his army. It had simply 
 disappeared. The vast 
 force of about 1 1,000 had 
 vanished as if the earth had opened and 
 swallowed them. Finally it was known 
 that the whole army, save a handful of 
 prisoners, whose fate to this day remains 
 uncertain, had perished. Authentic details 
 of this terrible disaster were not known till 
 about eighteen months after, when at 
 Dongola Colonel Colborne, late of Hicks 
 Pasha's staff, received from a slave boy 
 present at the battle, but who had after- 
 wards made his escape, the following thrill- 
 ing narrative : 
 
 "I was slave of Mohamet Bey's, an 
 officer in General Hicks' army. The army 
 marched from Omdurman and Khartoum 
 along the banks of the Blue Nile. We ex- 
 perienced no opposition whatever on the 
 road to Duem, though we occasionally took 
 spies, and saw parties of the Bagaras 
 watching us at a distance. At night we 
 heard their tom-toms all around, and saw 
 their watch-fires, but we were never attacked. 
 We had an enormous number of camels 
 
 with us, and plenty of provisions. There 
 were the same regiments that marched 
 under you from Kawa Fort. I was with 
 them, too, when Hicks Pasha joined you 
 with the Nordenfeldt which he brought 
 from the steamer. I remember you and 
 the other English officers when we were 
 attacked in square near Abba Island, when 
 we beat the Bagaras away from us. You, 
 Hicks Pasha, and the other English officers 
 were on horseback outside the square when 
 the Arabs first showed. Then you came 
 in. You were all scattered about, looking 
 out for the Arabs. [This was in answer 
 to questions put to test the accuracy of the 
 boy's information. This was correct, as, 
 having no cavalry all Hicks Pasha's English 
 officers had to patrol outside the square, 
 in which formation Hicks' army always 
 marched.] Besides the old army you were 
 with, there were a great many more who 
 had come from Cairo, and two black bat- 
 talions which before had been left behind 
 at Khartoum and Rawa. We also had 
 500 cavalry on our march to Duem. It 
 was a grand army. All were confident ot 
 success, and felt certain of reaching El 
 Obeid and defeating Mohammed Ahmed.
 
 JA THE DESERT. 
 
 275 
 
 We had plenty of music, too; the bands 
 played in the evening. [Here the narrator 
 paused, and seemed to be talking to him- 
 self as if recalling those far-distant scenes 
 camps on the banks of the White Nile 
 pitched picturesquely among the mimosa 
 and sycamores; when, after a hard and 
 wearying day's march, fires would be lit, 
 and the ruddy flames fitfully lit up the 
 foliage hanging in fantastic wreaths and 
 garlands overhead, while the bands playing 
 the wild but melodious Arab and Egyptian 
 airs would enliven the hour of sunset. He 
 seemed to be dreaming for a moment of 
 those times. Then he continued.] We 
 stayed at Duem for some time waiting for 
 stores ; then two English officers came up 
 in a steamer from Berber with them. This 
 had delayed us for a long time, and it was 
 unfortunate, most unfortunate, for the rainy 
 season had already finished, and wells and 
 pools soon dry up as in Kordofan. And 
 Hicks Pasha grew very impatient, and my 
 master and the officers used to say that all 
 this delay was caused by the Egyptian 
 Government, and might be fatal to the 
 expedition. 
 
 Captain Massey and Major Warner were 
 the two officers who brought up the re- 
 maining stores from Berber. At length we 
 marched out of Duem as far as Shat. We 
 halted one whole day here our first march 
 inland. The world was to be shut out 
 from us. A last opportunity was given to 
 officers to write to their friends, and from 
 here, my master said, Hicks Pasha wrote 
 for the last time till Obeid should be 
 reached, or perhaps till we returned to the 
 Nile. ' Who knows ? ' he said, with a shrug 
 of his shoulders. My master told the 
 officers around him that it had been decided 
 that no communication should be kept up 
 with the Nile. 
 
 It was early dawn when we marched 
 from Shat. We plunged into the desert, 
 having turned our backs on the Nile that 
 the greater part of our soldiers were to sec 
 no more. They had commenced their last 
 march the march from which there was to 
 
 be no returning. No more would they greet 
 the rising sun. With backs turned to the 
 East, every step they traced on the sand 
 led to the sunset the sunset of their lives. 
 We now occasionally saw the enemy in the 
 distance in scattered groups, in front, on 
 our flanks, and we perceived, too, they were 
 gathering in our rear ; but when the cavalry 
 were sent out against them they vanished 
 like mists in the morning sun ; but they were 
 dogging our footsteps like wild beasts do 
 their prey slowly, but surely. We used 
 to shell them and fire the Krupps at them. 
 
 From Shat we went to the wells of 
 Ragshah,from El Repshah to Helet Bonnee. 
 We always keep two squares a day's march 
 apart. When Hicks Pasha's square, con- 
 sisting of 5,000 men, left that place, 
 Alladeen Pasha's force, consisting of 6,500, 
 occupied the position. We now marched to 
 El Juama; from this to El Agana. 
 
 The enemy always prowled round us at 
 a distance. When > the cavalry pursued 
 them they retired. A ' door ' was always 
 left in the square for the horsemen to gallop 
 back into the square in case of the enemy 
 attacking in force. From El Agana the 
 next march was to Darael Gemmel (House 
 of the Camel), and then to Arahkieh. 
 After a halt here for a day we marched to 
 Helet el Mana (Lodge of the Mana) ; 
 thence to Naghier, and from Naghier to 
 Helet el Dobat. At every one of these 
 places we found water. Every day the 
 enemy increased in numbers, and we used 
 to wonder they did not attack us. We 
 had now got into a thick brushwood 
 country, though all along there were mimosa 
 bushes. 
 
 At length we reached Lake Rahad. This 
 is a large swamp with pools of water ; there 
 is always water here. It is on elevated 
 ground, and rocks and hills around. We 
 had hoped the Tagala tribes would join us 
 here that is the reason we had come this 
 way but they were afraid of the Arabs. 
 
 I don't think Lake Rahad is more than 
 two and a half days' journey from El Obeid. 
 Hicks Pasha built a fort here, and placed
 
 276 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in it four Krupp guns and nineteen smaller 
 ones. We got here 'plenty of beans and 
 melons, and as much water as we wanted. 
 We rested here three days. This was our 
 last rest. The enemy were gradually hem- 
 ming us in even here, and Hicks Pasha 
 determined to push on at once to El Obeid. 
 The order was given to advance, and all 
 tents were struck at daybreak. We had 
 not marched an hour when the enemy for 
 the first time commenced to fire at us, but 
 from a long distance. No one was hit, or 
 scarcely any one; but some camels were 
 wounded. We halted for the night and 
 entrenched ourselves with earthworks, 
 putting a zareba outside again. The fires 
 
 of the enemy at nightfall played all around. 
 We remained here two days. We found 
 some water, but had to search for it. 
 
 We left at sunrise, and marched to 
 Shekan, where we again halted for two days. 
 The reason we did this was because we 
 were now encircled by our enemies, and the 
 camels began to fall from the fire, and 
 soldiers to be wounded and killed. We 
 marched from Shekan till the sun was in 
 the middle of the sky. We halted, as 
 Arabs were all around firing from the bush. 
 On the third day, on our way to Birkee 
 [Birket, Turkish, pronounced Birkee, means 
 a pool], the cavalry went out of the square 
 and encountered the enemy's horsemen, 
 
 putting them to flight. Our cavalry then 
 returned, bringing with them several cap- 
 tured horses. This was when the sun was 
 young. Our square continued to move on. 
 Shortly afterwards, the sun being yet young, 
 we heard a sound, 'w-o-o-o-h' [here the 
 boy tried to give the idea of the galloping 
 of horses]. This was the sound he said 
 they heard, and then presently all around 
 they saw Arabs innumerable the whole 
 world surrounded us (verbatim) and bayarey 
 (flags) were waving, and spears gleaming in 
 the sunshine above the bush. Our square 
 was halted, and we opened fire, killing a 
 great many, but we too lost many. There 
 were too many bushes for the Krupps 
 to do execution, but the machine guns were 
 
 at work day and night. Next morning 
 when we inarched I saw Arabs lying in six 
 heaps slain by these guns. Before we got 
 to Shaheen we had nine Englishmen with 
 us besides Hicks Pasha. At first the 
 Egyptians lay down to hide, but General 
 Hicks ordered his English officers to go 
 round and make them stand up. Some of 
 the English were killed when doing this, 
 and Hicks took out his pocket-book and 
 wrote down their names and the time of 
 day that they were killed, and the manner 
 At noon Hicks Pasha called an assembly 
 of them to see who were alive. We waited 
 for Aladen, who now joined us. 
 
 The next morning we all marched oft 
 together. We came to many large trees.
 
 A TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER. 
 
 277 
 
 An immense number of the enemy could 
 be seen by field-glasses. The men declared 
 they would rather march on their way 
 fighting, and reach the water, than stand 
 still in square. So Hicks, yielding to these 
 remonstrances, continued to march on in 
 square. It was not yet dhuka (noon), and 
 we were not far from Elquis. We could 
 see it. We should have been there by 
 noon, and there there was abundance of 
 water. The rear face of our square was 
 formed by the two black battalions, one 
 raised in Sennaar and the other from the 
 Mudireer of Sankeet. The guide led us 
 out of the way to a place called Kieb El 
 Khaber (I mean before this), instead of 
 taking us straight to Elquis. It was near 
 noon, just about this time zyessa a rush, 
 terrible and sudden, sweeping down like 
 the torrent from the mountain, was made. 
 The Arabs burst upon our front face in 
 overwhelming numbers. It was swept away 
 like chaff before the wind. Seeing this, the 
 other sides of the square turned inwards, 
 and commenced a death-dealing fusillade 
 both on the Arabs pressing into the square 
 and on each other crossways. A terrible 
 slaughter commenced. Hicks Pasha and 
 the very few English officers left with him, 
 seeing all hope of restoring order gone, 
 spurred their horses, and sprang out of the 
 confused mass of wounded, dead, and 
 dying. These officers fired away their 
 revolvers, clearing a space for themselves, 
 till all their ammunition was expended. 
 They killed many. They had got clear 
 outside. They then took to their swords, 
 and fought till they fell. Hicks Pasha now 
 alone remained. He was a terror to the 
 Arabs. They said he never struck a man 
 with his sword without killing him. They 
 named him Abou Deraa Dougal, the heavy 
 armed (or thick and brawny). He kept 
 them all at bay, but he was struck on the 
 wrist with a sword, and he dropped his 
 own. He then fell. I was covered with 
 blood, and I got under a dead body and 
 pretended to be dead while the struggling 
 and yelling, uproar, fighting, and slaughter-
 
 2 7 8 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 ing was going on, as it did for three hours. 
 The Arabs, triumphant, having hewn down 
 and speared most of the Egyptians, com- 
 menced to search the bodies. I say most, 
 because the cavalry galloped off to Lake 
 Raab, and some of the foot soldiers ran off 
 there too. Five hundred Egyptians were 
 taken prisoners. They tried particularly to 
 save the guns ; one hundred of these were 
 captured. All these fought against you the 
 other day at Abou Klea. They were made 
 to do so. They felt me and found I was 
 alive ; they pricked me with a spear. I 
 was made prisoner. Now what I tell you 
 further is from hearsay. The rear face 
 alone remained in good order when all else 
 was confusion, composed as it was of black 
 troops. These marched away, forming a 
 square of their own, and the Arabs could 
 not break it, so they went to plunder and 
 slaughter the rest. The Blacks marched 
 on till sunset, and there was a lull for them. 
 Mohammed Ahmed remained far distant 
 at the time of the battle. He had said to the 
 ameers and dervishes, ' Forward ! Attack 
 the enemy. Meanwhile I will remain here 
 and pray to Allah for your success.' He 
 came after all was over, and was shown 
 the body of Hicks Pasha. I heard that 
 Mohammed Ahmed put all the spoil into a 
 great hole. He ordered it all to be given 
 to him. At sunset they pursued the black 
 troops. On coming to them the dervishes 
 called out to them, ' Sellima, surrender ! ' 
 They replied, ' We will not surrender. We 
 will not eat the Effendina's bread for waste 
 (i.e. for nothing). Namen Selem ma nokol 
 
 men. Effendia Khassara. We'll fight till 
 we die, but many of you will die too.' 
 But an unexpected rush was made on them 
 when this parleying was going on, and they 
 were all slain. I was taken to El Obeid. 
 I saw no Englishmen there prisoners. I 
 saw some Greeks. They had all been cir- 
 cumcised ; but they were not allowed to 
 keep their shops. These were given to 
 Arabs. I never heard of any Englishman 
 being alive there, or a German servant. 
 [I pressed him on this point] I was taken 
 to Ondeiman, from which place I ran away 
 and joined you near Metemmeh. The 
 Arabs against us were of the Dar Egeema, 
 El Messelea, El Howasmah, and some of the 
 Hummr tribe. Abd Es Samad and Nawa 
 were the sheiks at the head of the Howayzmi 
 [a branch of the Bederrya Arabs and the 
 Takaeleal from the west]. " In answer to 
 my question " How was Hicks Pasha 
 dressed ? " he replied, " He wore a red and 
 yellow koopeh round his bonetta (helmet) 
 and a blue coat ; belt across his shoulder." 
 [This was the dress the Pasha always wore 
 on line of march.] I showed him the 
 photograph in the book, with Hicks Pasha 
 in the Soudan, and he at once picked out 
 Hicks and Farquhar. He asserted that 
 the soldiers did not lie down (as has been 
 affirmed) on the last day, but fought to the 
 end, and that the battle took place so close 
 to Elbeis [which I suppose to be the same 
 as Melbeis, as I have said before], that you 
 could hear a rifle fired at one place if you 
 were at the other. To Obeid, he says it 
 took him but one day to march.
 
 BOYHOOD OF THE MAHDL 
 
 279 
 
 CHAPTER L. 
 
 THE M.AHDI THE STORY OF HIS ORIGIN. 
 
 HE Mahdi," said an en- 
 thusiastic Irish orator, " is 
 in reality a Cork man, 
 and his real name is Tim 
 Sullivan." None of our 
 readers, we are sure, will agree to this 
 extraordinary statement ; but they will 
 ask, Who is he ? Can nothing be known 
 about this extraordinary individual who 
 has had such an influence on the destinies 
 of Egypt, and, through Egypt, on those 
 of England? Carefully collecting such 
 authentic information as is attainable, we 
 now present the results to our readers. 
 An authority observes that " Prophets, 
 whether true or false, are by no means 
 rare in Mohammedan countries, but it is 
 seldom that they create so much stir in 
 the world as the mysterious fanatic who 
 believes, and has inspired his followers 
 with the belief, that he possesses a mission 
 to regenerate Islam. Not long ago a per- 
 sonage with similar pretensions appeared 
 in Tripoli, but local circumstances did not 
 come to his aid, as in the case of the Mahdi 
 of the Soudan. Mr. Wilfrid Blunt was the 
 first to foresee and foretell the danger to 
 be incurred in the existing state of affairs 
 in Equatorial Africa from the advent of this 
 visionary. It happened that the native 
 mind had become, in a measure, prepared 
 for the appearance of a Messiah, or Prophet, 
 who, according to tradition, had been fore- 
 told by Mohammed himself as likely to 
 appear about the year 1 300 of the Hegira. 
 The turn of the century, according to this 
 calendar, happened about three years ago, 
 almost simultaneously with the appearance 
 of the new saviour of Islam. As Mr. Blunt 
 has pointed out, the condition of the 
 natives in the Soudan and the wide region 
 nominally under the sway Of the pashas had 
 
 become intolerable from oppression, and 
 they were ripe for revolt. Along with this, 
 extraordinary success had for some years 
 attended the spread of the Mohammedan 
 creed in Central Africa, and high authorities 
 estimate the number of converts at from 
 eight to twelve millions. One writer re- 
 marks : ' The idea of the regeneration of 
 Islam by force of arms has gained a strong 
 hold over the enthusiasm of these new con- 
 verts, and on the appearance of the False 
 Prophet in August, 1881, thousands flocked 
 to his standard.' 
 
 The Mahdi had thus an enormous ad- 
 vantage over all rival pretenders, and 
 quickly overshadowed all others, who have 
 long since sunk back into their original 
 obscurity. Like most of them, Mohammed 
 Ahmed for such is the Mahdi's real name 
 was of origin obscure, but traceable. It 
 is to the unfortunate Colonel Stewart, 
 another victim of Arab treachery, that we 
 are indebted for most of our knowledge of 
 the prophet's early days, for when the gal- 
 lant Colonel visited El Obeid nearly three 
 years ago the impostor was only beginning 
 to rally round him a ragged following, and 
 to make some noise in the country. From 
 what could then be gathered about him, 
 Colonel Stewart informs us that the Mahdi 
 was the son of a carpenter, and a native of 
 Dongola. In 1852 the father migrated to 
 Shendy, the town on the Nile on the bank 
 opposite Metemmeh, his family consisting 
 of three sons and one daughter, and here a 
 fourth son was born to him. While a boy 
 the future prophet was apprenticed to a 
 boatbuilder, but after receiving a beating 
 from his uncle one day, he fled to Khar- 
 toum, where he entered a free school kept 
 by a dervish of great sanctity, and an 
 alleged descendant of the founder of
 
 280 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Islamism. ' Here,' says Colonel Stewart, 
 'he remained for some time studying re- 
 ligion, the tenets of his sheik, etc., but did 
 not make much progress in the more 
 worldly accomplishments of reading and 
 writing.' His religious education was com- 
 pleted at another school to which he after- 
 wards went near Berber. Thence he settled 
 in a village south of Kana, and enrolled 
 himself as a disciple of a fakir or holy man, 
 delighting in the name of Nur-el-Daim. 
 Having received from this worthy the dis- 
 tinction of sheik, Mohammed Ahmed 
 took up his abode on the island of Abba, 
 near Kana, on the White Nile. ' Here,' 
 adds Colonel Stewart, ' he began by mak- 
 ing a subterranean excavation (khaliva ~ 
 retreat) into which he made a practice of 
 retiring to repeat for hours one of the 
 names of the Deity, this being accompanied 
 by fasting, incense-burning, and prayers. 
 His fame and sanctity by degrees spread 
 far and wide, and Mohammed Ahmed be- 
 came wealthy, collected disciples, and 
 married several wives, all of whom he was 
 careful to select from among the daughters 
 of the most influential Baggara sheiks (Bag- 
 gara = tribes owning cattle and horses) and 
 other notables. To keep within the legal- 
 ised number (four) he was in the habit of 
 divorcing the surplus, and taking them on 
 again according to his fancy.' In these 
 marital responsibilities he was only sur- 
 passed by his secretary or factotum, who 
 espoused no fewer than twenty-four ladies 
 of the neighbourhood. But the Mahdi's 
 time was not wholly occupied with the at- 
 tractions of the harem. The increase of 
 his influence only incited him to fresh efforts. 
 Gradually he acquired a great reputation 
 for holiness, and by-and-by assembled a 
 number of other dervishes around him, and 
 by his powers and tact succeeded in uniting 
 the various tribes under his banner. The 
 principles of his teaching are described as 
 ' Universal equality, universal law and re- 
 ligion, with a community of goods. All 
 who refuse to credit his mission are to be 
 destroyed, whether Christian, Mohamme- 
 dan, or pagan.' 
 
 It was not until the end of 1881 that 
 Raout Pasha, the then Governor of the 
 Soudan, had his attention directed to the 
 Mahdi's pretensions. The latter at this 
 time was living at Merabieh, near the island 
 of Abba. In August, as already stated, he 
 publicly proclaimed his 'mission' during 
 the Feast of Ramadan, and some small 
 parties of troops were sent against him, but 
 failed to catch him. It is more than prob- 
 able that their sympathies were with him. 
 Colonel Stewart certainly held doubts on 
 the subject. The Mahdi soon afterwards 
 showed himself at the head of his followers 
 near Sennaar, finally taking up a position 
 at Jebel Gadir, about 150 miles north-west 
 of Kaka, on the White Nile. Here he was 
 attacked by a body of regulars under Ras- 
 chid Bey, who was defeated with heavy 
 loss. This success inspired the prophet 
 and his adherents with fresh courage and 
 ambition. Their ranks rapidly increased, 
 and early in the following spring the whole 
 province of Kordofan was threatened. 
 Raouf Pasha having been recalled, Abd-el- 
 Kader was appointed to the command at 
 Khartoum, and a more strenuous attempt 
 was made to suppress the new fanatical 
 rising, whose spread began seriously to 
 alarm the Egyptians. In April about 3,000 
 men were collected in the neighbourhood 
 of Kaka at the cost of reducing the neigh- 
 bouring garrisons. Taking advantage of 
 this, " the rebels," as the Mahdi's followers 
 began to be called, attacked Sennaar, but 
 after some minor successes, they were dis- 
 persed by Giegler Pasha. They were not, 
 however, disheartened, and at length, when 
 they again met the Egyptians face to face, 
 on the yth of June, 1882, they obtained a 
 signal victory. The Egyptians came upon 
 the rebels in a densely wooded country ; 
 a zareba or stockade was commenced, and 
 the troops were formed up in hollow square, 
 but they were unable to withstand the 
 furious onslaught of the Arab host, inspired 
 by religious zeal. Once the square was 
 broken all discipline was lost, and the whole 
 force was simply annihilated. Naturally
 
 CAPTURE OF EL OBEID. 
 
 28! 
 
 an extraordinary impetus was thus given to 
 the insurrection, and many minor engage- 
 ments took place, resulting generally in 
 favour of the Mahdi. At Shakka, for in- 
 stance, on June 20th, another Egyptian 
 detachment of 1,000 men was cut to pieces, 
 only a few escaping with their lives. On 
 
 August 23rd Duem was attacked, but here 
 the rebels were defeated with the loss of 
 4,500 men. Shortly afterwards the Mahdi 
 took the field in person, and advanced on 
 El Obeid. ' On three successive days,' it 
 is recorded, 'he made desperate assaults 
 on the garrison, but on each occasion he 
 
 MOHAMMED AHMED, THE MAHDI. 
 
 was repulsed with great slaughter. The 
 rebels are said to have had 10,000 men 
 killed, while the Egyptian loss is put down 
 at 288.' These disasters caused a dimi- 
 nution in the Mahdi's prestige, who had 
 never hitherto been defeated while per- 
 sonally leading his troops, so that he was 
 said to be invincible. But, nothing daunted, 
 
 the prophet laid siege to the town, and 
 after much bloodshed both El Obeid, Bara, 
 and other fortified posts fell into his hands. 
 Compelled by these reverses to make a 
 more gigantic effort to regain possession of 
 the Soudan, the Egyptian Government de- 
 spatched Hick Pasha's expedition, number- 
 ing upwards of 6,000 men. This army, the 
 
 T
 
 282 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 most completely organized and equipped 
 ever assembled in the Soudan, was deemed 
 sufficient for its object, but its overthrow, 
 after a desperate three days' engagement 
 in the desert between the Nile and El 
 Obeid, proved that the strength of the 
 Mahdi had been vastly underrated. After 
 that crowning victory, the Soudan, save 
 such garrison towns as Khartoum, Sennaar, 
 and Kassala, was at his mercy, and the 
 fame of his conquering career has spread 
 not only through all northern Africa, but 
 over the whole Mohammedan world. Per- 
 sonally, the Mahdi is described by Colonel 
 
 Stewart as tall, slim, with a black beard, 
 and light brown complexion. Like most 
 Dongolawis, he reads and writes with diffi- 
 culty. He is local head of the Gheelan or 
 Kadrige" order of dervishes, a school origin- 
 ated by Abdul Kader-el-Ghulami, whose 
 tomb is at Bagdad. Judging from his con- 
 duct of affairs and policy, I should say he 
 had considerable natural ability. The 
 manner in which he has managed to merge 
 the usually discordant tribes together de- 
 notes great tact. He had probably been 
 preparing the movement for some time 
 back." So far Colonel Stewart. 
 
 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 JHE M.AHDI Mow ]^E ATTAINED POWER. 
 
 ONTINUING our account 
 of the Mahdi, we now give 
 a few anecdotes, gathered 
 from various sources, as to 
 this individual. A certain 
 Arab, called " Mahmoud," according to his 
 own account (poured into the eager ear of 
 a newspaper correspondent), has had oc- 
 casion very bitterly to regret his connection 
 with the False Prophet, for "he is now 
 destitute. Mahmoud attributes all his mis. 
 fortunes to the Mahdi, and apparently justly 
 so. The merchant at first believed in the 
 Divine mission of the Black Prophet. He 
 was blessed with a young and lovely 
 wife, whom Mohammed Ahmed admired 
 and took. This conduct Mahmoud might 
 have forgiven, because he was very rich 
 and could have purchased another spouse 
 from some of the Arab sheiks, but the 
 prophet also cast eyes on his wealth, and 
 required him to turn it all into the rebel 
 treasury. Meligy expressed a willingness 
 to contribute a portion, and tendered a sum, 
 at the same time secreting the bulk of his 
 money. Then it was the Mahdi's myrmi- 
 
 dons seized him and beat him with sticks, 
 and threatened him with death if he refused 
 longer to disclose the hiding-place where 
 his treasure lay. Meligy remained firm, so 
 they fastened a rope to one of his ankles 
 and lowered him down head first into a 
 very deep stone-built well. As he was let 
 down the rope went spinning round, and 
 his head and body were terribly bruised 
 against the sides. The scars still remain. 
 He then gave way and begged for mercy. 
 On being hauled to the top he told 
 them where he had put all his money, 
 and when they had got it he was allowed 
 to go. As soon as he was able he left 
 Obeid, and journeying towards Khartoum, 
 eventually reached a safe place. Mahmoud 
 says many of the Arabs are beginning to 
 disbelieve that Mohammed Ahmed is the 
 ' Mahdi,' and that if it were not for a 
 powerful band he has attracted to his 
 person, who themselves know better than 
 to regard him as a true prophet, he would 
 be driven out of the country. The 'Mahdi,' 
 he continued, is a very able, cunning man 
 in all he does. He has had a building
 
 DEVICES OF THE MAHDI. 
 
 283 
 
 erected into which he retires to pray, and 
 where he sometimes receives and speaks to 
 his followers. It is regarded as a sort of 
 sanctuary, and is a large square hall-shaped 
 apartment, roofed over. Here he tells his 
 devotees he converses with the ' El Hadra,' 
 or ' Holy Presence,' from whom he receives 
 instruction, direction, and advice on all 
 matters. The credulous Arabs squat around 
 outside this building in hundreds all day 
 long, and when the Mahdi appears beg to 
 be shown the ' Presence,' that they may die 
 happy. ' O prophet,' they cry, ' shows us 
 the El Hadra.' With grave face Mo- 
 hammed Ahmed turns to some one and 
 answers, c Wallah ! ' ' that is a very serious 
 and difficult task you seek to impose on 
 me.' He is invariably polite, and always 
 calls every one ' Ya ! Sidi ' (sir). If in a 
 complaisant mood, the Mahdi pretends to 
 yield to their request, and invites them into 
 his sanctuary, which is bare of furniture 
 save a few carpets, skins, and mats, a brass 
 bowl, and brass tray. He then bids them 
 search the apartment to see if there is any 
 one or anything beyond what meets their 
 eyes concealed therein. Their answer 
 usually is, 'What need to search, O 
 prophet ? There is nothing here.' ' Then 
 leave me for a little whilst I pray,' replies 
 the Mahdi, 'and perhaps the Spirit may 
 grant your request.' Meligy said, when the 
 'prophet' was left alone, he (the Mahdi) 
 waited a little, then, lifting the brass tray, 
 which had coffee cups standing on it, he 
 poured a vessel of water into the bowl, re- 
 placing the tray on the top, but not so as 
 to be resting on the bowl, for the tray was 
 held an inch or two above the bowl either 
 by big pieces of loaf sugar or calcined lime. 
 The water at once began to act upon 
 whichever of these substances he employed, 
 but, before it had time to disintegrate them, 
 the people were readmitted into the apart- 
 ment, where all appeared as they had seen 
 it a minute before. They were soon alarmed 
 and terrified by seeing the tray move, and 
 hearing the cups and dishes rattle. Some- 
 times a little smoke or steam accompanied 
 
 these demonstrations, but, on every oc- 
 casion on which the ignorant Arabs and 
 negroes witnessed them, they shouted, ' It 
 is the " Presence," ' and, falling down with 
 their foreheads pressed to the ground, re- 
 mained in pious prayer until the Mahdi 
 bade them leave him. Absurd as it may 
 seem, such is the leading 'miracle' with 
 which the prophet works upon the crass 
 credulity of the ignorant natives. Another 
 plan he has for enlisting adherents is to 
 covertly prepare a pit or hole in the ground, 
 in which he sets matches and gunpowder. 
 Haranguing the wholly savage tribes who 
 flock to hear and see him, he tells them 
 they have nothing to fear from Turk or 
 infidel. If necessary, fire even could be 
 sent to consume all their enemies, so that 
 they would not need to lift their hands 
 against them. Then, to show his power, 
 the Mahdi drives his spear into the ground, 
 selecting the spot prepared, and fire and 
 smoke follow the blow. He tells them the 
 fire will be confined, so as not to then and 
 there burn them. Afterwards his confeder- 
 ates come to his aid and remove the traces 
 of the prepared stage effect. The Mahdi 
 is equally if not more adroit in his manner 
 of getting contributions. From time to 
 time he appears before his people and says 
 he has been commanded to part with all 
 his goods ; everything he possesses, in short, 
 must go to the public treasury, or to the 
 'Bait el Mai' charity-box. Proffers are 
 made on all sides to save him from strip- 
 ping his household, but all these he reso- 
 lutely declines, saying, 'The command is 
 for me, not you.' By-and-by their turn 
 comes, when the Mahdi says he has had 
 a communication from ' El Hadra' that such 
 a one is to give all he has to the ' Bait el 
 Mai.' They have seen the prophet himself 
 complying with these directions of the 
 ' Presence,' and how dare any one else dis- 
 obey? Accordingly, making a virtue of 
 necessity, goods and slaves all find their 
 way to the ' charity-box ' otherwise the 
 prophet's chest It was because he scrupled 
 to comply readily with a mandate of the
 
 284 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 same kind that poor Mahmoud el Meligy 
 was maltreated. All disputes about goods 
 or betrothals the Mahdi quickly settles 
 by appropriating the goods to the public 
 treasury and the women to his harem. He 
 courts the poor and gives them free licence 
 to plunder, and snubs the sheiks," and thus 
 acquires popularity. 
 
 We next give a proclamation of two ad- 
 herents of the Mahdi, and we follow this 
 up with a letter from Faga Isaak to the 
 False Prophet. The reader will observe 
 that said letter is couched in anything but 
 complimentary terms. Both documents 
 will serve to show our readers the style of 
 communication that prevails in these bar- 
 barous lands : 
 
 " To the Shajieh People, dwellers of the 
 countries on the Nile about Aboudom, 
 Meroe, Korti, Debbah, Abougos, etc., etc. 
 In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, 
 the Most Compassionate, etc. Thanks be 
 to the Most High and Bountiful, unto 
 whom be prayer and praise. Peace to 
 believers. We write to you to inform you 
 that our Lord, the Apostle of Allah, the 
 long expected One, etc., has had cause to 
 be displeased with you. Ye dwellers on 
 the Nile bank, in all the districts of the 
 Dar Shaikiyeh we address ourselves espe- 
 cially to the dwellers round about Tungasi 
 and Meroe, Aboudom, Handak, Abougos, 
 etc. Our Lord God's Apostle is much 
 displeased with all of you, O ye peoples, 
 in that ye have shown much slackness and 
 want of zeal in his service. Nay, ye have 
 even aided his enemies, the accursed Turks 
 and the infidel Inglesi. Now, the sheiks 
 who have permitted this will surely be 
 punished, and that swiftly. All chastise- 
 ment will be visited on their heads. Then, 
 O people, we pity them and you too when 
 these things shall come to pass. Have you 
 not seen and heard how we have driven 
 back the Inglesi from one shore of the 
 great river to the other ? Now know that 
 we in our tens of thousands and hundreds 
 of thousands are coming to visit you shortly. 
 For that day prepare yourselves. If you 
 
 are obedient to our Lord, you will be for- 
 given for past offences, for he is merciful, 
 provided you are ready, every one of you, 
 to gather together under our Sanjaks. In 
 that day, if you are faithful and obedient, 
 shall be given you of the spoils taken from 
 the disobedient, and of their substance, of 
 their oxen and camels and sheep. For 
 their lands shall be utterly laid waste and 
 given to the faithful. Now the time we 
 speak of is not far distant ; but where are 
 the arms which we sent into your villages 
 to every village twenty fire rifles ? We 
 have heard that you have pleaded that you 
 have been unable to obey owing to the 
 great host of the Inglesi who dropped on 
 your shores like locusts, and owing to the 
 black troops of the Turks. It must be held 
 ever in remembrance by you the ancient 
 alliance and friendship between your tribes 
 and ours. Your safety is assured to you, 
 and arms shall be distributed among you. 
 
 WADY MAJUMA. 
 
 ABOU GERARD." 
 
 Faga Isaak, chief relative of Shee Sinoon, 
 who belongs to Algeria, writes to the 
 Mahdi : 
 
 " You are a false Mahdi (forerunner). It 
 is manifest to all men of learning that you 
 are a wicked impostor you are found out. 
 Have you not been exposed ? What say 
 you? Let me, who have wisdom and 
 learning, and am the possessor, praise be 
 unto Allah ! of great discernment and in- 
 telligence, explain to you how I know all 
 this. You do not come from Mecca ; but 
 even so, had you been the true Mahdi, 
 long ago would you have subdued unto 
 yourself all territory, and kingdoms, and 
 dominions, and powers from the far south 
 in the Tagal Mountains, and the Shilloohs, 
 and the Niam Niams to the north, where 
 is Algeria and Morocco, and the land of 
 Egypt would have bowed to you, and the 
 English and the Turks and all infidels 
 would have been cast out. But now, what 
 are you? A man without power even 
 among his own Ameers. They refuse to
 
 THE < BLESSED ISLES' OF ISLAM. 
 
 285 
 
 fight for you any more, as you allow their 
 warriors to be slain, and you do not lead 
 yourself. Moreover, you have been de- 
 feated by the English. Take heed ! Have 
 a care. Do not continue to disturb the 
 
 land. If you do, I will kill you as I did 
 your uncle, who was the treasurer, and yet 
 stole from the treasury. Do you know why 
 he was killed ? Now I tell you that is the 
 reason." 
 
 CHAPTER LII. 
 
 THE M.AHDI THE SECRET OF His SUCCESS. 
 
 T may be asked, How then 
 is it that the Mahdi, a false 
 prophet, really has such 
 enormous power ? The an- 
 swer to that will be found 
 in considering the peculiar attraction which 
 his faith holds out to its votaries. To 
 quote a sentence of the Koran, "O 
 Allah, be it so. Among the glorious 
 associates in Paradise ! Now there is no 
 passage of the Koran so vehemently in- 
 culcated, so passionately accepted, as that 
 which assures the true believer of the de- 
 lights of a future world. It has always 
 formed the most stirring appeal of Moslem 
 generals to their soldiers, of the priests of 
 the Ghazi seminaries to their pupils in 
 assassination. The Mahdi, therefore, does 
 not fail to make use of the pleasures of 
 Paradise as an incentive to his men to re- 
 newed efforts on the Nile. A correspondent, 
 quoting from an Arabic paper, gives us 
 the text of this famous pretender's pro- 
 clamation ' to the faithful who are fight- 
 ing for God, the Prophet, and his servant, 
 Mohammed Ahmed.' It runs thus : ' How 
 are you faithful when you are again mur- 
 muring because you are prevented from 
 making pilgrimages to Mecca by the con- 
 tinuance of the war? Do you not know 
 that killing an infidel is more agreeable to 
 God than offering prayers for a thousand 
 months ? Do you not know that not only 
 from Mecca, the mother of cities, but also 
 that from every field of battle a path leads 
 
 to Paradise? O ye faithful, I assure you 
 that if you die in the morning fighting 
 against the infidels, you will, even ere it is 
 noon, be with the Prophet in Paradise. 
 Silken robes of green will clothe you, and 
 golden bracelets adorn you. You will re- 
 pose by the banks of cool rivers, sipping 
 refreshing drinks, while sixty ever-youthful 
 houris, bright as the moon, will smile upon 
 you.' He does not enumerate the other 
 details of the ' Blessed Isles ' of Islam, 
 with its all-shadowing tree, which bears the 
 most delicious meats that the saints can 
 think to ask for ; the stream of Salsabil 
 close by, which runs between banks of 
 jasper and gold ; the fragrance of a 
 thousand perfumes scent was one of the 
 chief pleasures of Mahomet the singing of 
 birds, the luxury of couches of flowers, and 
 so forth. For he knew that every man in 
 his following has them all off by heart, and 
 can tell to a fraction the proportion of each 
 which will be his lot according to the man- 
 ner of his death, the number of his wounds, 
 or the tally of the infidel slain by him be- 
 fore he fell himself. It was enough to re- 
 mind his warriors of the delights in store, 
 to suggest to the half-fed, weary men about 
 him the contrast between the Soudan in 
 June and Paradise. ' Have you, then, lost, 
 weak murmurers as you are, all faith in 
 him who was your Light, your Star?' They 
 might be tempted to do so. The Mahdi, 
 however, knows well that, whether or not 
 they are beginning to lose hope of the
 
 286 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 conquest of Egypt, and the triumphal 
 progress towards the Holy City which was 
 predicted, their faith will never falter in 
 those promises of 'the Book' of cold 
 springs and delicious fruit, 
 
 ' And that pure wine the dark -eyed maids above 
 Keep sealed with precious musk for those they 
 love.' 
 
 Nor, perhaps, could the Mahdi better 
 encourage the sinking spirits of men en- 
 camped with but scanty shelter, and still 
 more scanty commissariat, out upon the 
 burning, eye-scorching deserts of the Sou- 
 dan, overswept with dust-storms driven 
 along by the fierce Khamsin, the stifling 
 Harmattan, dry grain their food, alkaline 
 water their drink, and dreary marching and 
 wounds and death their only service. 
 
 ' That prophet ill sustains his holy call 
 Who finds not heavens to suit the tastes of all." 
 
 And Mahomet and ' Mohammed Ahmed, 
 his servant,' it must be confessed, found 
 one very suitable indeed to the tastes 
 of Arab folk. Their songs and their 
 speech are filled with phases significant 
 of the yearning of these wild sons of a 
 sterile land for the pleasures of green trees, 
 sweet-smelling flowers, and bubbling water. 
 Religion offers them, these men of hard 
 lives and stern work as the one supreme 
 delight of the after-world the luxury of 
 idleness. They are not even to take the 
 trouble to turn upon their beds of roses to 
 eat and drink ; for exquisite beings, blessed 
 with perpetual girlhood, will always be at 
 their side to offer them all they want before 
 they can even ask for it. The fruit will 
 bend down to their lips, the fountains of 
 exquisite sherbets rise to them. They are 
 never to grow older than the prime of man- 
 hood, and, if they choose, need never, no 
 never, all through the cycles of immortality, 
 stir an inch from the spot where angelic 
 arms, carrying each from the battlefield, 
 have laid them down on the perfumed 
 sward under the Tooba tree. No more 
 camels to drive. No more infidels to shoot 
 them. Peace and plenty, perpetual youth, 
 
 and sacred laziness. The birds even, in 
 the boughs, are only to sing in murmurous 
 fashion. No ear-splitting, clamorous song 
 will be heard there. The arboreal choir 
 will all be beautified nightingales, singing 
 through veils, as it were, the softest whis- 
 perings of melody, that shall never be the 
 same long enough for the listener to re- 
 cognise a tune twice. The perfumes, in 
 the same way, will glide imperceptibly from 
 one fragrance to another, and each in turn 
 will be new and exquisite. The sherbets 
 will be nectareous blendings of all the 
 hydromels, somas, and meads that poets 
 have devised for happy heroes in the 
 ' Cities of Rest ' and ' Elysian Fields,' and 
 are to pass by subtle transmutations from 
 rose to pomegranate, and from citron to 
 date, from orange to grape, and so on 
 through all the pippins and berries of Para- 
 disaic orchards, flavoured with such fruits 
 as saints have worked miracles with, such 
 as tempted Eve, such as the champions of 
 Christendom knew of, as the pilgrims found 
 in the Master's garden, as heroes and god- 
 desses have striven for the apples of bliss 
 and immortality. The houris, too 'the 
 dark-eyed maids above' even they are 
 not to weary the eye by monotony. Sixty 
 is the smallest allowance, the 'half rations,' 
 as it were, of a common, ordinary sort of 
 true believer. In exceptional cases they 
 are to be in number beyond counting, and 
 at the wish of their possessor they will 
 change their age, their features, and their 
 voice. It is not enough that they shall 
 each be perfect in her own way ; all are to 
 be perfect in every way. Then, to think 
 of it, superadded to all this, the perpetual 
 coolness of thick foliage overhead and 
 gentle breezes, and, above all, utter and 
 inviolable laziness ! It is no wonder then 
 that the Mahdi's soldiers, released from the 
 drudgery of beasts of burden only to march 
 and fight in the desperate Soudan, escaped 
 from the tyranny of petty masters to fall 
 under the unrelaxing despotism of a fanati- 
 cal leader, should go to their deaths lightly. 
 They believe, with a stern faith every iota
 
 A GLITTERING VISION. 
 
 287 
 
 of the promises of future pleasures held out 
 to them, and on that belief gladly stake 
 the wretchedness of their life and risk the 
 brief agony of death on the battle-field : 
 ' Faith, frenzied faith, once wedded firm and fast 
 To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last. ' 
 
 And those who were in the Soudan bore 
 ample testimony to the amazing, bewilder- 
 ing recklessness and disregard of pain with 
 which these soldiers of the Mahdi came 
 charging on to their fate. 
 
 The truth is, they looked beyond the 
 British squares at the green groves of Para- 
 dise. The glitter of the grim bayonets 
 before them was as nothing to the radiance 
 of the great gates they could see opening 
 for them. In front the flash of rifles, and 
 the low rolling smoke of the cannon, dull 
 masses of men in grey, and camels in 
 tumultuous motion. But farther off, and 
 visible only to the eyes of those on-rushing 
 fanatics, were the fluttering of robes of 
 green silk, the shimmer of golden orna- 
 ments. Here, close at hand, were the 
 furious roar of the artillery, the pitiless 
 fusillade, the fierce clamour of men giving 
 and receiving death ; but, above it all, the 
 ears of the true believer, quickened by his 
 mortal wound, caught the sweet liltings of 
 Heaven's singing birds, the murmur of the 
 breeze in the leaves, the babblings of the 
 fountains of Zem-zem, the whispered car- 
 esses of those hidden pearls ' the maids.' 
 So they came on in a rush altogether, or 
 in small parties, or even singly, to meet the 
 death 'which leads to Paradise.' Out from 
 the bush, and from behind rocks, they came 
 on, one against a hundred, dancing and 
 shouting. What if they fell? It was an 
 infidel's hand that laid them low. Their 
 end was achieved. Or, if they reached the 
 unbelievers' line, and drove their spears 
 home before they went down before the 
 
 bullets, all the greater was the gain, all the 
 larger was the fulness of eternal bliss. The 
 leaders of Islam have always known how to 
 avail themselves of this intense confidence 
 in the immediate possession of Paradise. 
 Mahomet himself never failed to employ it 
 to the utmost, and his successors, on many 
 a field of victory, have proved its potency. 
 The Moslem sees his reward actually within 
 his arm's length. He has only to strike 
 and it is his. If he kills, or is killed, he 
 is assured of the Prophet's favour, and if 
 he dies killing he is doubly secure. The 
 lives of such men are, after all, but dull 
 processes. Their language, their philo- 
 sophy, prove that they feel this themselves. 
 They do not cling to life as a precious pro- 
 vision, but are ready to throw it away. 
 ' Allah's will be done ! ' and there is an 
 end of it. Of the more practical aspect of 
 the Mahdi's proclamation, the fact that 
 his followers clamoured to be allowed to 
 go to Mecca is very significant, for in 
 the Moslem creed the performance of 
 'the greater pilgrimage' is in itself a 
 passport to Paradise. For the present, 
 however, it is enough to have noticed 
 the strange phenomenon of such an ap- 
 peal in these latter days of history, and 
 to have hinted at the pathos which under- 
 lies it. Here fighting in the Soudan under 
 a sun that is now torrid, in the midst 
 of a country brought to the miseries ot 
 famine by three years of war, we find a 
 military leader calling upon his troops to 
 stand by him, and to rally for further effort, 
 with the promise of shady trees and cool 
 water. They are not to strike for country, 
 or for sovereign, or for God; but for re- 
 freshing draughts and the smiles of the 
 houris of heaven. And this suffices." 
 Such are the prospects held out by the 
 Mahdi to his followers.
 
 288 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LIII. 
 
 jpflS MISSION IN THE SOUDAN. 
 
 HILST Gordon was speed- 
 ing on to Cairo as fast as 
 all the appliances of our 
 modern civilization could 
 carry him, his name was 
 in every one's mouth. It was then that the 
 able editor, to whom reference has already 
 been made, took occasion to review the 
 whole situation, and to describe the man 
 with whom he had lately discussed the 
 Soudan question. He goes on to tell us 
 that " It is exactly a fortnight since the 
 present writer, seated on a couch covered 
 with a leopard's skin, in the drawing-room 
 of a quiet Southampton residence, received 
 a friendly greeting from General Gordon, 
 who had not been twenty-four hours in the 
 country after his return from Jerusalem. 
 Up to that moment he had not been con- 
 sulted by any one as to the crisis in the 
 Soudan. Months before, when he was last 
 in England, although the War Office was 
 full of anxiety about the defence of Khar- 
 toum, no official had ever taken the trouble 
 to ascertain the views of the English officer 
 of Engineers who had reigned for years 
 autocrat in the capital of the Soudan. 
 When the crisis which began with the 
 slaughter of Colonel Hicks was deepening, 
 until a terrible catastrophe impended over 
 the garrison of Khartoum, it was not owing 
 to any prompting of the English Govern- 
 ment that General Gordon happened to be 
 within two hours' journey of London. The 
 Cabinet had decided the previous week to 
 support Sir Evelyn Baring in demanding 
 the abandonment of the Soudan, and it 
 was only the happy accident that the King 
 of the Belgians had summoned General 
 Gordon from his retirement in Palestine 
 to carve out an anti-slavery empire on the 
 headwaters of the Congo which brought 
 
 him this month within call. To men like 
 General Gordon there is no such thing as 
 accident. All things were pre-ordained 
 before time began, and kings and peasants 
 are mere instruments in the hands of the 
 Higher Power which cannot err. Even to 
 those who take less lofty views of human 
 destiny, strange indeed was the combina- 
 tion of unexpected coincidences by which 
 it has come to pass that the officer who a 
 week since was all but deprived of his com- 
 mission in the English army for taking 
 service with the International Associates 
 of the Congo should to-day be speeding 
 southward as fast as the mail packet can 
 carry him to act as the supreme represen- 
 tative of British power in the Equatorial 
 Empire of Egypt. Since Mordecai the 
 Jew was led in triumph through the streets 
 of Shushan there has surely but seldom 
 been so sudden an alternation in human 
 fortunes. But yesterday not a Minister 
 would even do him the honour of asking 
 his counsel. To-day he is the master of 
 the situation, the virtual Sovereign of the 
 Soudan, the man upon whose success or 
 upon whose failure the fortunes of the 
 Ministry may depend. Great as the change 
 is, it leaves him absolutely unchanged. 
 ' For what is this or that to thee,' says 
 Thomas-a-Kempis in the ' Imitation,' a 
 copy of which, with the page doubled 
 down at this passage, was handed to his 
 visitor on leaving. ' Follow thou Me. For 
 what is it to thee whether this man be such 
 or such, or that others do or say thus and 
 thus ? ' And again at another marked pas- 
 sage it is written, c Let not thy peace be in 
 the tongues of men ; for whether they put 
 a good or bad construction on what thou 
 doest, thou art not therefore another man. 
 Where is true peace and true glory? Is
 
 GORDON'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE. 
 
 289 
 
 it not in Me ? And he who covets not to 
 please men and fears not their displeasure 
 shall enjoy much peace.' That peace 
 which General Gordon enjoys is unruffled 
 
 by the contumely, undisturbed by the 
 eulogy of man. 
 
 Slightly built, somewhat below the aver- 
 age height, General Gordon's most remark- 
 
 THE MIRAGE AN INCIDENT OF DESERT TRAVFI.. 
 
 able characteristic at first sight is a child- 
 like simplicity of speech and manners. 
 Notwithstanding his fifty years, his face is 
 almost boyish in its youthfulness, his step 
 is as light and his movements as lithe as 
 
 the leopard. Although he is still excitable 
 and vehement, those who know him best 
 say that he has under much firmer control 
 those volcanic fires which blazed out with 
 fiercest fury in his younger days; as, for 
 
 u
 
 290 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 instance, when he hunted Li Hung Chang 
 revolver in hand from house to house day 
 after day in order to slay the man who had 
 dishonoured and massacred the prisoners 
 whom he had pledged his word to save. 
 But there is that in his face at times even 
 now that contrasts strangely with the sweet- 
 ness of his smile or the radiance which 
 lights up his face when discoursing on his 
 favourite author and the choice texts of the 
 1 Imitation,' which, for the present, seems 
 to have superseded his old favourite, 
 'Watson on Contentment.' In Gordon 
 the tenderness of a woman, the gentleness 
 of a child, the ready sympathy with all the 
 sorrows and sufferings of others, are com- 
 bined with an iron will and a certain 
 ' hardness ' which is indispensable to a 
 ruler of men. In the Soudan he was to 
 slave-dealers, pashas, and other evildoers 
 an incarnate terror. On his fleet camel, 
 accompanied only by a single guide, he 
 sped from province to province, like an 
 angel of wrath descending like a thunder- 
 bolt upon all who withstood his will. Yet 
 even while the rage of the Berserker flashed 
 in his eye, infinite compassion for the weak, 
 the helpless, and the oppressed trembled 
 in his voice. Again and again he refers 
 in his letters in tones of pity and affection 
 to the poor people of the Soudan. ' I 
 would give my life for. them,' he said. 
 ' How can I help feeling for them ? All 
 the time I was there every night I used to 
 pray that God would lay upon me the 
 burden of their sins, and crush me with it 
 instead of these poor sheep. A strange 
 prayer you may well think for one who has 
 sins enough of his own to answer for, but 
 nevertheless a real one. I really wished it, 
 and longed for it; and now, having had 
 the burden of their sufferings upon me for 
 so many years, can you wonder that I wish 
 to save them from being handed over to be 
 " slated up " by the Turks ? ' In General 
 Gordon's eyes, as every one is aware who 
 has read Mr. Berkeley Hill's edition of his 
 letters from Central Africa, the blacks of 
 the Soudan are immeasurably superior in 
 
 every way to the Egyptian Government. 
 All the misery in those parts, he used to 
 declare, is due to these Arab and Circassian 
 pashas and authorities. ' I would not stay 
 a day for these wretched creatures, but I 
 would give my life for these poor blacks.' 
 The people who annexed the Soudan, he 
 maintained, stood in quite as much need 
 of civilization as those they attempt to 
 civilize. There is no more touching pas- 
 sage in modern writings than that in which 
 he describes his remorse at the share he 
 had in carrying the ' blessings ' of Egyptian 
 civilization to the Moogie tribes, hundreds 
 of miles south of Gondokoro. ' We do not 
 want beads,' they cried. ' We do not want 
 to see the pasha ; we want our own lands 
 and you to go away.' A magician stood 
 and cursed the expedition, and a disaster 
 soon after befalling, General Gordon was 
 inclined to believe that the prayer for 
 protection against the invader had been 
 heard. ' " We do not want your beads, 
 we do not want your cloth," of the poor 
 Moogies rings in my ears. "We want 
 you to go away." They knew well enough 
 the little benefits that would ever accrue 
 from occupation. I do believe that God 
 may listen to the cries for help from the 
 heathen who know Him not. These 
 prayers were earnest prayers for celestial 
 aid, in which the pray-er knew he would 
 need help from some unknown Power to 
 avert a danger. That the native knows not 
 the true God is true, but God knows him, 
 and moved him to prayer, and answered 
 his prayer.' He was convinced that the 
 Egyptians were absolutely unfit to acquire 
 the country. The policy of the abandon- 
 ment of the further Soudan which the 
 Government has despatched him to carry 
 out is but a development of his own policy, 
 and needs no further justification than the 
 letters written by him as Governor-General 
 of the Soudan in 1879. 
 
 In the conversation at Southampton 
 General Gordon made no direct reference 
 to the possibility of his own return to the 
 country. A friend, however, who had
 
 GORDON'S INFLEXIBLE JUSTICE. 
 
 291 
 
 urged very strongly upon him the import- 
 ance of his revisiting the scene of his 
 former authority, did not think that he 
 was irrevocably opposed to the idea. The 
 garrison at Khartoum must be relieved, 
 but how could we relieve it ? Baker could 
 not get there with an army. General 
 Gordon remarked that if he were sent he 
 would go there alone. He believed that 
 he would have no difficulty in making his 
 way without a single attendant through the 
 Bishareen Arabs, to whom he was well 
 known, and when he was once in Khar- 
 toum he did not believe he would have 
 much difficulty in organizing an 'ever- 
 victorious army' out of the tribes which 
 would enable him to hold Khartoum until 
 the forces of the Mahdi split to pieces. 
 He entirely scouted the idea that the 
 Mahdi was the leader of a great religious 
 movement The Mahdi, he believed, was 
 a mere creature of Ilias, the great slave 
 proprietor at Obeid, and Zebehr Pasha, 
 the king of the slave-traders at Cairo. If 
 the latter had been sent against the Mahdi, 
 he would, in General Gordon's opinion, 
 have been taken prisoner immediately, and 
 then converted, of course by force majeure, 
 into the Commander-in-chief of the Mahdi's 
 forces. But beyond the widespread dis- 
 content occasioned by bad government, 
 the support of these discontented leaders, 
 and the prestige of success, he did not 
 think the Mahdi had any other influence 
 in the Soudan. As for his religious claims, 
 it is natural for them to claim a religious 
 sanction. ' It is convenient also, especially 
 when the cloak of religion allows you to 
 steal your neighbour's cows.' He had per- 
 sonal friends in the Mahdi's camp. One 
 of the revolted chiefs owes to General 
 Gordon the lives of two of his sons, others 
 have seen him strike terror into the hearts 
 of the pashas against whom they are in 
 revolt All the natives know his inflexible 
 justice. 'Your brother,' he wrote to his 
 sister from Khartoum seven years ago, ' is 
 much feared and, I think, respected, but 
 not overmuch liked. The people in the 
 
 Soudan tremble before your brother.' Per- 
 sonal popularity, it will be seen, he does 
 not pretend to claim. But he was just, 
 upright, inflexible, and an especial terror 
 to evildoers of the kind against whom the 
 Mahdi has risen in revolt. If he were left 
 absolutely free now, he would begin by 
 proclaiming an amnesty to all those who 
 have taken part in a rebellion which he 
 regards as not only morally justifiable but 
 politically necessary. The responsibility 
 for the revolt rests not with those who 
 rebelled but with those whose oppressions 
 left the suffering populations no resource 
 but rebellion to remedy their wrongs. By 
 well-directed diplomacy, a judicious ex- 
 penditure of money, and an offer to recog- 
 nise the legitimate claims of the revolted 
 tribes to independence, he believes that 
 the operation of the natural forces of dis- 
 union might be greatly assisted, and the 
 Mahdi's following would be reduced to 
 manageable proportions. The Mahdi might 
 disappear; but if, on the other hand, he 
 showed sufficient capacity for rule to hold 
 his followers together, and establish a 
 government at Kordofan, then, said General 
 Gordon, with a characteristic phrase, 'he 
 will have earned a right to the crown of 
 martyrdom, and may be left to reign in 
 Obeid.' 
 
 The policy which General Gordon would 
 pursue in the Soudan, if he were left 
 absolutely free, may best be described as 
 a great scheme for the restitution of native 
 autonomy. As Mr. Gladstone demanded 
 Home Rule for Bulgaria, so General Gor- 
 don advocates Home Rule for the various 
 races inhabiting the Soudan. In the far 
 south in the equatorial regions and it 
 should not be forgotten that when he first 
 entered Egyptian service his title was ' His 
 Excellency General Colonel Gordon, the 
 Governor-General of the Equator' he 
 would pursue the same course that he 
 followed when last in office in the Soudan. 
 He would withdraw the authority of Egypt 
 from the tribes, which curiously realize in 
 the heart of Africa the political ideal of the
 
 292 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Parisian Communists. The sheiks, he 
 declares, are absolutely devoid of ambition. 
 Annexation is an unknown vice. Each 
 tribe of from one to three hundred families 
 lives its own independent life. 
 
 It is the conviction that he may be able 
 to do some good in that way to the ' poor 
 people of the Soudan ' that induced him to 
 postpone his magnificent project of cutting 
 up the slave-trade by the roots at the 
 headwaters of the Congo until he had re- 
 established decent government on the head- 
 waters of the Nile. General Gordon is the 
 natural tribune ot the oppressed. If we 
 could imagine a Socialist revolution in this 
 country, General Gordon is an ideal sword 
 ready fashioned to the hand of a democratic 
 revolt of despair. In him the Soudanese 
 will find a champion far abler and stronger 
 than the Egyptian fellaheen found in Arabi. 
 Of Arabi, General Gordon, it may be noted 
 in passing, had but a poor opinion. He 
 had Arabi under his command in Abys- 
 sinia, and either arrested him or sent him 
 home for insubordination. He was but a 
 poor creature, and would never have dared 
 to have headed the revolt if he had not 
 been prompted from behind by those 
 against whom he appeared to be moving; 
 for in princes, especially in princes of the 
 Ameer class, General Gordon puts no trust. 
 It is remarkable that when General Gordon 
 first put his foot in Egypt he was weighed 
 down by the spectacle it presented of the 
 poor people being ground down to get 
 money for dukes and pashas and plunderers 
 of all descriptions. But he exclaimed in 
 his own striking way, ' Who art thou, to be 
 afraid of a man ? If He wills, I will shake 
 all this in some way not clear to me.' It is 
 clearer to-day. He was then on his way 
 to lay the egg of a revolt which when 
 hatched has shattered the rule of the pasha 
 in the Soudan, and bids fair to result in 
 the regeneration under happier auspices 
 of the whole government of the Nile valley. 
 
 'I believe I can do a great deal to 
 ameliorate the lot of the people.' That 
 is why he has gone to the Soudan. 
 
 He expects no gratitude and wishes for 
 none. The people, he said in one of his 
 letters, would probably prefer an Arab 
 Governor-General. But 'the more one 
 lives the more one acts towards people as 
 if they were inanimate objects namely, to 
 do what you can for them and to utterly 
 disregard whether they are grateful to us 
 or not.' He was called, and he has gone. 
 The post was none of his seeking. But 
 when it was thrust upon him he could not 
 refuse. The difficulties are great. He 
 carries his life in his hand. Success is 
 almost impossible, and failure would impair 
 a reputation hitherto unequalled. That, 
 however, is nothing to him. The confident 
 assurance of supernatural guidance and 
 support is stronger with General Gordon 
 to-day than it was when first he went under 
 fire in the trenches of Sebastopol. 'You 
 are only called on,' he once wrote home, 
 ' at intervals to rely on your God ; with me 
 I am obliged continually to do so. I mean 
 by this that you have only great trials, such 
 as the illness of a child when you feel your- 
 self utterly weak now and then. I am 
 constantly in anxiety. The body rebels 
 against this constant leaning on God.' 
 General Gordon has never had much 
 mercy upon his body, but of his physical 
 'health,' as he calls it, he has had little 
 reason to complain. ' I have in me some- 
 thing/ he wrote in 1874, ' that if God willed 
 might benefit these lands, for He has given 
 me great energy and health, and some little 
 common sense.' Yet although his energy 
 and health are almost unequalled, he has 
 suffered much from angina pectoris. De- 
 scribing its symptoms he says, ' A rush of 
 blood takes place to the head, and you 
 think all is over. I may say I have died 
 suddenly a hundred times.' But in sick- 
 ness and in health he has followed his 
 standing order, 'Keep your eyes on the 
 cloud by day and the pillar by night and 
 never mind your steps. . . . Trust in 
 the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not 
 unto thine own understanding. In all thy 
 ways acknowledge Him."
 
 ON TO KHARTOUM! 
 
 293 
 
 'Beautiful great soul,' said Carlyle of 
 one to whom the accredited representative 
 of the English Government in the Soudan 
 bears no small resemblance in character 
 and in faith. 'Beautiful great soul, to 
 whom the Temporal is all irradiated with 
 the Eternal, and God is everywhere divinely 
 visible in the affairs of man, and man him- 
 self has, as it were, become divine,' and 
 as he spoke of the Lord Protector of the 
 Commonwealth, so may we speak of the 
 new Governor of the Soudan. ' Were it 
 not for the knowledge that I have that God 
 is Governor-General,' said General Gordon, 
 
 ' I could not get on at all.' Even those 
 who are most mournfully convinced that 
 there is no God and that Humanity 
 wanders orphaned through a fatherless 
 world, must wish that this unfaltering con- 
 fidence in the Divine guidance may once 
 more be justified by success, and that ' the 
 shrouded Power that cannot err ' may find 
 in General Gordon the instrument for 
 achieving successfully the great work he 
 has on hand in the Soudan," and we shall 
 now go on to state how he proceeded with 
 the terrible and difficult work which he had 
 undertaken to do. 
 
 GORDON- 
 
 CHAPTER LIV. 
 
 - ARRIVAL IN KHARTOUM JHE ^SLAVERY ^RECLAMATION. 
 
 N the same calm, cheerful 
 frame of mind with which 
 he had always acted, Gordon 
 now proceeded swiftly south- 
 ward on his journey to 
 Khartoum. Soon he was lost in darkness, 
 and then there was occasion for speculation 
 and anxieties. Now was the time for the 
 evening papers and specials and extra 
 specials in interminable succession. By 
 some private means of knowledge the editors 
 of several papers at once learned, whenever 
 he disappeared from view, that he had been 
 captured by the Arabs, and this they un- 
 hesitatinglyannounced night after night, only 
 to be contradicted morning after morning. 
 Meanwhile, on, on went Gordon on his 
 almost solitary adventure, day after day over 
 these interminable desert sands. Who can 
 say what plans for the future revolved in 
 the eager brain, not disturbed by the 
 monotonous jolting of the camel, to which 
 the rider was so well accustomed ! Thoughts 
 about himself did not trouble him much we 
 may be sure. Marianne Faringham thus 
 expressed what must have been his view of 
 
 the personal situation, in some lines entitled 
 " Is Gordon safe ? " 
 
 " A message from one who had gone in haste 
 
 Came flashing across the sea ; 
 It told not of weakness but trust in God, 
 
 When it asked us, ' Pray for me ; ' 
 And since, from churches and English homes, 
 
 In the day or the twilight dim, 
 A chorus of prayers has risen to God 
 
 ' Bless and take care of him.' 
 
 A lonely man to these strange far lands, 
 
 He has gone with his word of peace, 
 And a million hearts are questioning, 
 
 With a pain that does not cease, 
 ' Is Gordon safe ? Is there news of him ? 
 
 What will the tidings be ? ' 
 There is little to do but trust and wait, 
 
 Yet, utterly safe is he ! 
 
 Was he not safe when the Taiping shots 
 
 Were flying about his heat! ? 
 When troubles thickened with every day, 
 
 And he was hard bestead ? 
 Was he not safe in his weary rides 
 
 Over the desert sands ? 
 Safe with the Abyssinian king? 
 
 Safe with the robber bands ? 
 
 We know not the dangers around him now, 
 But this we truly know :
 
 294 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 He has with him still in his time of need 
 
 His Protector of long ago ; 
 An unseen shield is above his head, 
 
 And a strong arm comes between 
 The strong brave heart that rests in God, 
 
 And the death that might have been. 
 
 He is not alone, since a Friend is by, 
 
 Who answers to every need : 
 God is his refuge and strength at hand, 
 
 Gordon is safe indeed ! 
 He trusts in the mercy of God for all, 
 
 And finds it a rock to last ; 
 And back to us now come the ringing words 
 
 He spoke in years gone past : 
 
 ' I am a chisel that does the work 
 
 The Master directs above, 
 Ever the gospel must be good news, 
 
 Kind is the God I love. 
 His salvation is full and free, 
 
 He will never cast us out ; 
 I may say I have died a hundred times, 
 
 But I never yet had a doubt.' 
 
 It is true he may pass from the far Soudan 
 
 To rest, and reward, and heaven ; 
 But he is not less safe because from thence 
 
 His freedom may be given. 
 Safe in living, in dying safe, 
 
 Where is the need of pain ? 
 God give the hero long life but death 
 
 Will be infinite joy and gain." 
 
 But Gordon's fate was as yet distant. 
 He did reach Khartoum, which he entered 
 on 1 8th February. He had left Charing 
 Cross Station a month before, on the 
 evening of i8th January. We have already 
 given an account of that entry,* and 
 of the scene that took place. Of course 
 this and the famous slavery proclamation 
 excited great interest in England. Our 
 chief newspaper remarked that " Seldom 
 in the history of Oriental peoples has 
 such a scene been enacted as that which 
 our correspondent has described on the 
 occasion of General Gordon's entry into 
 Khartoum. After a rapid and perilous 
 journey, the General reached Khartoum 
 on Monday. In an instant the whole 
 aspect of affairs was changed. He received 
 the whole people at the Mudirieh, and was 
 greeted with the most unequivocal signs of 
 
 See Chapter II. 
 
 welcome and rejoicing. Their petitions 
 were received, their grievances were lis- 
 tened to, and before the day was out a 
 great pile was made in front of the Palace, 
 whereon the books recording the debts of 
 the people, the symbols of their oppression 
 by rulers who sought only to enrich them- 
 selves and exacted tribute by torture, were 
 publicly committed to the flames. Kour- 
 bashes, whips, and other instruments of 
 oppression long used by the ruthless agents 
 of a distant and insouciant foreign Govern- 
 ment, were heaped upon the pile, and, as 
 our correspondent said yesterday in his 
 graphic account, the evidence of debts and 
 the emblems of oppression perished to- 
 gether. Nor was the General content with 
 this merely symbolic deliverance. He 
 forthwith visited the prison, where he found 
 two hundred wretches of all ages and both 
 sexes lying in the utmost misery and loaded 
 with chains. Some of these were innocent, 
 some had never been tried, many were 
 merely prisoners of war, and one poor 
 woman had been fifteen years in the prison 
 for a crime committed when she was a 
 child. The prisoners were all removed, 
 many were liberated at once, while the 
 cases of others were sent for immediate 
 inquiry, and before nightfall the demolition 
 of the loathsome Bastille was begun. We 
 need not wonder that the signs of popular 
 rejoicing were continued far into the night. 
 In that distant city on the Nile, where a 
 few days before all was misery, despon- 
 dency, and confusion, the coming of one 
 noble-hearted Englishman, resolute, right- 
 eous, and fearless, had changed despair 
 into hope, and turned mourning into joy. 
 The people of Khartoum recognised at 
 once that their protector and deliverer had 
 once more come among them, and that his 
 word was to be trusted when he told them 
 that they were no longer to be oppressed 
 by the Circassians, Kurds, and Anatolians, 
 who represented all that they ever knew 
 of their distant rulers in Cairo. General 
 Gordon has clearly explained to the English 
 Government and the English people what
 
 THE SLAVERY PROCLAMATION. 
 
 2 95 
 
 his own view is of the policy to be pursued 
 in the Soudan. ' I must say it would be 
 an iniquity to reconquer these peoples and 
 then hand them back to the Egyptians with- 
 out guarantees of future good government. 
 It is evident that this we cannot secure 
 them without an inordinate expenditure of 
 men and money. The Soudan is a useless 
 possession, ever was so, and ever will be 
 so. ... No one who has ever lived 
 in the Soudan can escape the reflection, 
 "What a useless possession is this land." 
 Few men can stand its fearful monotony 
 and deadly climate.' This is the deliberate 
 opinion of the man who knows the Soudan 
 better, and sees it with clearer eyes, than 
 any living being, whether European or 
 Oriental. The people of Khartoum can- 
 not, of course, have known that General 
 Gordon had used these words. But they 
 know the man and his character, they see 
 in his coming their deliverance from op- 
 pression and cruel wrong, and they show 
 their rejoicing in a manner which the strik- 
 ing description of our correspondent has 
 made known to all the world. 
 
 Let us now consider the text of 
 General Gordon's proclamation to the 
 people of the Soudan concerning slavery. 
 ' Henceforward,' he says, ' nobody will 
 interfere with you in the matter, but every 
 one for himself may take a man into his 
 service. Henceforth no one will interfere 
 with him, and he can do as he pleases in 
 the matter, without interference on the 
 part of anybody.' The matter as well as 
 the form of this proclamation speaks for 
 itself. It is addressed to the people of the 
 Soudan in the terms they are best able to 
 understand. It is a step, and no doubt, in 
 Gordon's judgment, an entirely necessary 
 step, towards that pacification of the Sou- 
 dan, which he has undertaken to accomplish. 
 Domestic slavery is the burning question 
 of the Soudan. The people of that 
 country are as sensitive as Irish landlords 
 on any question touching their proprietary 
 rights. Lord Dufferin's despatch on the 
 Reorganization of Egypt mentions that a 
 
 Convention was signed in 1877 between 
 this country and Egypt, whereby the 
 internal slave-trade and the export of 
 slaves from Egyptian territory were pro- 
 hibited, while at the same time a Khedivial 
 decree was issued ordering that the sale of 
 slaves from family to family should cease 
 in Egypt proper in 1884 and in the Soudan 
 in 1889. The Convention itself has 
 hitherto been very imperfectly executed, 
 for reasons fully explained by Lord Duf- 
 ferin, and the period fixed for the operation 
 of the decree in the Soudan is still five 
 years distant. In these circumstances to 
 engage in a crusade against the existence 
 of slavery in the Soudan at the very mo- 
 ment when General Gordon has undertaken 
 to restore the country to independent native 
 rulers and to withdraw the Egyptian gar- 
 risons would plainly be suicidal. The two 
 things are absolutely incompatible. Either 
 the garrisons must be sacrificed, or slavery 
 must, for the present at any rate, be per 
 mitted. It is only fifty years ago that 
 the property of English owners in West 
 Indian slaves was redeemed at a cost of 
 ^20,000,000. Can it be supposed that 
 the inhabitants of a country 'larger than 
 Germany, France, and Spain together,' 
 will relinquish their property in slaves 
 property of which they do not themselves 
 recognise the iniquity without compen- 
 sation at the mere bidding of a ruler who 
 has no power to enforce his will ? There 
 is no man living who hates slavery more 
 than General Gordon. But no man knows 
 better what he can do, and what he cannot 
 do, and what he must do in order to ac- 
 complish the task he has undertaken. He 
 enjoys the full confidence of the Govern- 
 ment, he is invested with wide powers of 
 discretion, and he is in a special manner 
 the emissary of the whole English people. 
 If such a man is not to be trusted to do 
 what is right, just, and expedient, it would 
 almost have been better that he had never 
 been sent. The people of this country 
 are naturally very sensitive on the whole 
 subject of slavery. They do well to be so,
 
 296 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 they have every right to be so, and in spite 
 of foreign sneers, they have given very 
 substantial pledges of their earnestness and 
 sincerity in the matter. But there is a 
 time for indignation and a time for for- 
 bearance. Untimely indignation at this 
 moment might wreck General's Gordon's 
 whole mission and produce irretrievable 
 disaster. Unless we are prepared to con- 
 quer and hold the Soudan an undertaking 
 which no one is mad enough to propose 
 we cannot put an end to domestic slavery 
 in the Soudan, and in no case would it be 
 
 just to do so, without either fixing such a 
 period of redemption as Lord Dufferin 
 proposes for Egypt in accordance with 
 Turkish law and custom, or else compen- 
 sating the owners of slaves for their loss. 
 This question cannot be resolved by a mere 
 philanthropic impulse. We do not aban- 
 don our efforts for the suppression of the 
 slave-trade because we are determined to 
 leave the Soudan to itself. That trade 
 must be suppressed, not in the Soudan 
 itself, but in the districts where its roots 
 are fixed, or else on the Nile, in Egypt 
 
 GORDON THE RETURN TO THE SOUDAN. 
 
 proper, and on the coasts of the Red Sea. 
 That, however, is a question and a most 
 important question for the future. In it 
 are involved the future destiny of Khartoum, 
 which, as Mr. Goschen pointed out, is by 
 no means settled at present, and many 
 other questions of policy which must wait 
 upon events. For the moment, our first 
 object must be the success of General 
 Gordon's mission, and in order to secure 
 that we must leave him to act as he thinks 
 best. 
 
 These considerations are so plain and so 
 
 paramount that we should have thought 
 they hardly needed enforcing. But, un- 
 happily, a most discreditable attempt has 
 been made in the last two days, both in 
 Parliament and outside, to misrepresent 
 General Gordon's actions and motives, to 
 turn the philanthropic sentiments of the 
 country to polemical uses, and to forge a 
 weapon of attack upon the Government 
 out of the General's proclamation con- 
 cerning slavery in the Soudan. We are, at 
 any rate, glad to note that this conduct is 
 repudiated and condemned by so staunch
 
 SLAVERY IN 2 HE SOUDAN. 
 
 297 
 
 a Conservative and so unimpeachable a 
 philanthropist as Lord Norton, who has 
 written ably on the subject, defending 
 General Gordon's action in this most im- 
 portant matter. The same has also been 
 done by Mr. Brett in a very manly and 
 forcible manner. We cannot suppose 
 that the leaders of the Opposition in 
 both Houses who have asked embarrassing 
 questions themselves, and have counte- 
 nanced those 'philanthropic questionings,' 
 which, as Mr. Goschen truly said, so 
 often defeat their own ends and serve 
 
 only a party purpose, can really be in 
 any doubt as to the uprightness of 
 General Gordon's motives, the sincerity 
 of his purpose, or the wisdom of his 
 action. But if such is the case, it is 
 difficult to condemn too strongly their 
 attempt to make party capital out of the 
 national antipathy to slavery, which is 
 always ardent and generous, though not, 
 perhaps, always wise. Nor can we pretend 
 to think that the Government has been 
 particularly prompt in dealing with this 
 attempt as it deserved. A mere reference 
 
 MARKET PLACE, KHARTOUM. 
 
 to Lord Dufferin's despatch would have 
 shown, without waiting for any explanation 
 from General Gordon, or even for the text 
 of his proclamation, that he has only acted 
 as might have been expected. Domestic 
 slavery still exists in Egypt, and we have 
 not found it necessary to decree its sup- 
 pression, nor has either party spirit or 
 philanthropic sentiment called upon the 
 Government to do so. If we tolerate it in 
 Cairo, where our authority is absolute, why 
 are we to call for its sudden suppression 
 in the Soudan, where our influence is //// ? 
 
 ' In the Soudan,' said Lord Dufierin more 
 than a year ago, ' where slavery is univer- 
 sally prevalent, abolition would cause much 
 dissatisfaction, and perhaps disturbance.' 
 This was written when the Soudan was 
 still under Egyptian rule, and, of course, 
 it applies with greater force now that that 
 rule is at an end. Lord Dufferin's own 
 proposal was that a new Convention should 
 be entered into, whereby slavery would 
 entirely cease in Egypt and its dependencies 
 seven years after the date of signature. 
 By this means the troublesome question
 
 298 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 of compensation would be got rid of, in 
 virtue of the Turkish custom whereby 
 slaves are spontaneously freed, or have a 
 half acknowledged right to claim their free- 
 dom, after seven years. The dependencies 
 are now for the most part gone, but as 
 regards Egypt proper there is much to be 
 said for the proposal. In the meanwhile it 
 might be worth while to consider whether, 
 as our Cairo correspondent suggested yes- 
 terday, the labouring finance of Egypt 
 might not be relieved by the imposition of 
 a tax on domestic slaves. As for the sup- 
 pression of the slave-trade, the question is 
 not materially affected by General Gordon's 
 proclamation. His well-known desire is to 
 cut the trade up by the roots in the region 
 of the Congo, and this, as all must hope, 
 he will be spared to accomplish before 
 long. For the rest, if any permanent good 
 
 is to be done, the traffic must be rigidly 
 suppressed at the Red Sea ports and on 
 the Nile. Whether for this purpose it will 
 be necessary to hold Khartoum permanently 
 so as to secure its communications with the 
 sea and with Lower Egypt, is a question 
 which General Gordon himself will be 
 most competent to answer when the time 
 comes. In the meanwhile we would 
 recommend all those who really have at 
 heart the suppression of the slave-trade, 
 and do not care either to embarrass the 
 Government at a critical moment or to 
 hamper General Gordon in his arduous 
 task, to exercise a little patience, for- 
 bearance, and common sense, and not to 
 believe too hastily that a man like General 
 Gordon can be false to the faith and pur- 
 pose of his noble and stainless life." So 
 men in England talked of our hero. 
 
 CHAPTER LV. 
 
 Two BRITISH WAR CORRESPONDENTS M.R.. CAMERON AND 
 M.R. ST. LEGER HERBERT. 
 
 HE war in the Soudan is 
 remarkable for the number 
 of war correspondents who 
 have perished in the field. 
 We have already seen that 
 at the destruction of the army of Hicks 
 Pasha, Mr. O'Donovan and Mr. F. Vitzelly 
 were killed, and we in this chapter give a 
 brief account of Mr. Cameron and Mr. St. 
 Leger Herbert, who were slain in January, 
 1885, in the British victory at Metemmeh. 
 It becomes us indeed to give some special 
 attention to the arduous toil of the war 
 correspondent, for we have enriched our 
 pages with many extracts from the vivid ac- 
 counts of battles forwarded to the different 
 London newspapers by the various men. 
 Mr. Cameron was, as is well known, the war 
 
 correspondent of The Standard, whilst Mr. 
 St. Leger Herbert was connected with the 
 Morning Post. 
 
 The first of these papers refers to his loss 
 by telling us : " The deep feeling of sorrow 
 with which we announce the death of our 
 special correspondent, Mr. Cameron, who 
 was killed in the fighting near Metemmeh, 
 on the i pth inst, will, we are sure, be 
 shared by the readers of The Standard, who 
 are familiar with his brilliant work during 
 the six years which have been spent by him 
 in different parts of the world in the service 
 of this journal. From the very first his 
 indefatigable energy, daring, and enterprise 
 placed him in the front rank of special 
 correspondents, and the position which he 
 gained in the Afghan war was more than
 
 MR. CAMERON, THE WAR CORRESPONDENT. 
 
 299 
 
 maintained in each succeeding campaign in 
 which he took part. Mr. Cameron loved 
 his profession, his heart and soul were in it, 
 and perhaps his leading characteristic was 
 his sense of duty. Naturally one of the 
 most modest and retiring of men, the reputa- 
 tion which he gained by his work in no way 
 altered his disposition in this respect. Any 
 allusion to the _ daring rides he had accom- 
 plished, the tremendous fatigue he had 
 undergone, the dangers to which he had 
 exposed himself, was extremely disagreeable 
 to him. ' I did my best,' he would say 
 simply, and however complete his success, 
 he always on his return home seemed 
 oppressed with a doubt whether his work 
 had been altogether satisfactory. Even in 
 his business relations, he was to the last as 
 diffident and unassuming as when, a tyro in 
 literature, he first joined the staff of The 
 Standard. To his personal friends his loss 
 will be great, and most sincerely felt, for he 
 was one of the most kindhearted of men, 
 one of the most genial of companions. As 
 we have already said, he shrank from any 
 approach to publicity, and during his short 
 stays in England spent the greater part of 
 his time out of London. Like most other 
 special correspondents who have made a 
 high mark, Mr. Cameron had no training 
 for journalism; he took to it with instinctive 
 aptitude; his genius was natural, and showed 
 itself at the first opportunity. Intended 
 originally for commerce, he went out to 
 India, and was there engaged in mercantile 
 pursuits when, at the outbreak of the Afghan 
 war, in 1875, tne chance presented itself, 
 and, relinquishing his business, he applied 
 for and obtained the post of special cor- 
 respondent for the Bombay Gazette. The 
 brilliancy and thoroughness of his work 
 attracted attention, and when, towards the 
 end of the following year, the advance of 
 Ayoub Khan, and the British defeat at 
 Maiwand caused the war to break out afresh, 
 he offered his services to The Standard, he 
 was immediately instructed to join the 
 column which, under General Phayrer, was 
 preparing to march to the relief of Candahar. 
 
 Journeying night and day, he reached 
 Quettah in seven days after leaving Bom- 
 bay, having ridden up the Bolan Pass from 
 Sibi in thirty-six hours. He was the first 
 to ride with the news of the victory of 
 General Roberts to the nearest telegraph 
 post, beating his competitors and the 
 Government couriers by a day and a half. 
 Then, returning with equal rapidity to 
 Candahar, he accompanied the first party 
 who went out to the battle-field of Maiwand, 
 and sent home a description of the scene 
 and of the fighting which established his 
 reputation as one of the ablest as well as 
 most enterprising of journalists. 
 
 Soon after his return to Bombay the Boer 
 insurrection broke out. Mr. Cameron at 
 once crossed to Natal, arriving there long 
 before the correspondents despatched from 
 England could reach the spot. He was 
 present at the battles of Laing's Nek and 
 Ingogo, and at the fatal fight on Majuba 
 Hill, where he was knocked down and taken 
 prisoner by the Boers, but contrived, never- 
 theless, on the following day to get through 
 his famous message, descriptive of the battle. 
 After peace was concluded he returned to 
 England, but upon the news of the first 
 riots in Alexandria, left for Egypt, and was 
 present on board the Admiral's flagship, 
 the Invincible, at the bombardment of 
 Alexandria. He continued with the British 
 forces until their arrival at Cairo, having 
 witnessed and described every engagement 
 which took place. He had now earned a 
 long rest, but was eager to be at work 
 again, and, after a short interval, started for 
 Madagascar. His visit to the capital, and 
 the letters which he despatched during his 
 stay attracted great attention, as being the 
 first trustworthy accounts of the state of 
 affairs in the island. As the French delayed 
 their attack, and it was altogether uncertain 
 when hostilities would commence, he crossed 
 the Pacific to Melbourne, and thence made 
 his way to Tonquin, where the fighting 
 between the P"rench and the natives had 
 just begun. He was present at the engage- 
 ment in which the French, acting in three
 
 300 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 columns, failed to carry the defences which 
 the Black Flags had erected. English cor- 
 respondents not being allowed to remain 
 with the French forces, Mr. Cameron was 
 on his way home when Osman Digna's forces 
 began to threaten Souakin, and no sooner 
 did he reach Suez than he took ship for 
 that port. He was present when Baker 
 Pasha's force was crushed by the Arabs, 
 and there he very narrowly escaped with 
 his life. He remained at Souakin until the 
 British expeditionary force arrived, accom- 
 panied them in their advance upon Tokar, 
 and was a witness of the battles of El Teb 
 and Tamanieb. His stay in England after 
 his return from this long absence was brief, 
 for in a few weeks he again started for 
 Egypt, and pushed up the Nile with the ad- 
 vanced boats of Lord Wolseley's expedition. 
 His recent telegrams and letters are fresh 
 in the memory of the public. The Arab 
 bullet which ended his brilliant, yet still 
 promising, career has carried away the fore- 
 most of the little band of correspondents 
 who daily risk their lives for the public 
 good ; it has also deprived this journal of 
 one of the most earnest, indefatigable, and 
 unselfish of workers, and his friends of a 
 most genial, lovable, and kindly comrade." 
 An old friend of Mr. Cameron thus sup- 
 plements the above account : " As one who 
 was his companion both in Afghanistan and 
 Egypt, I deplore his early death, not only 
 as that of a good friend lost all too soon, 
 but as of a man destined, in my opinion, to 
 place the position of the war correspondent 
 upon a footing which it has never yet had- 
 For in camp he was independent in de- 
 meanour without any bluster, mindful of the 
 interests of his paper without meanly trying 
 to overreach others, sagacious without cun- 
 ning. His stern face, deep voice, and 
 vigorous bearing made him distinguished 
 among his fellow-correspondents ; while his 
 fearless honesty, his frank confession of 
 others' successes, his hatred of swagger and 
 of underhandedness, gained him the respect 
 of all competitors. In times of war the 
 ' special,' let him be never so well recom- 
 
 mended individually to the chiefs in com- 
 mand, never so popular personally, finds 
 that he has to assert himself, and often with 
 unmistakable emphasis, if he wishes to see 
 the interests of his paper properly respected 
 and served ; and Cameron was never back- 
 ward in putting his foot down if occasion 
 required. But the judgment which charac- 
 terized him made him respected everywhere; 
 and if at any special juncture a selection of 
 Press men had to be made, he was certain 
 to be among the chosen few ; while the fact 
 that, as a rule, he stood upon his rights on 
 points affecting the general welfare rather 
 than his own individual advantage, con- 
 stituted him after a fashion a champion ot 
 the rest. I have myself, at Cameron's 
 request, gone with him to General or to 
 ' Censor ' to ask a favour for the Press in 
 common ; and once, I remember, he rode 
 out from Ismailia after a reconnaissance 
 party which Methuen was with, to get an 
 order about hastening the telegraphic ser- 
 vice, for want of which all the correspon- 
 dents were at a standstill. Such was 
 Cameron in camp industrious in duty, 
 cheery at mess, and always ready for a bit 
 of extra work with a good comrade. 
 
 On the march I have seen a good deal 
 of him. We went together from Quetta to 
 Candahar, with Biddulph's column. It was, 
 if I remember right, his first essay in war 
 correspondence, and bade fair to be his last, 
 for he was overtaken by fever, and travelled 
 more like an invalid than a soldier. Sar- 
 torius, 'of the Beluchis,' proved then a 
 friend indeed ; and as, in addition to every 
 other talent, that able officer is an excellent 
 cook, I have often sat on the shingles on 
 Afghan hill-sides and among the boulders 
 in some dry stream-bed as a rule, the 
 ' roads ' of the country and, in the humble 
 capacity of scullery-maid to Sartorius's cook, 
 helped to prepare a warm mess of milk and 
 oatmeal, or corn-flour, for our sick com- 
 panion. There was one day a rather special 
 ' alarm ' sounded. The enemy had really 
 been seen this time. Somebody even said 
 that firing was reported. ' Now, don't you
 
 REMINISCENCES OF MR. CAMERON. 
 
 301 
 
 get off your doolie (or stretcher) till I send 
 to you,' said Sartorius to Cameron, as he 
 hurried off himself to see his company were 
 falling in properly. But no sooner was the 
 invalid quite certain that his nurse was out 
 of sight than out he crept from under the 
 curtains of the doolie, and, dragging him- 
 self on all fours up to an eminence, sat 
 himself down there, revolver in hand, and 
 there, an hour later, I found him sitting, 
 looking so ill and spectral that I remember 
 thinking he would never get better. When 
 Sartorius came back he 'wigged' him, to 
 which all that Cameron said was, ' Do you 
 think I came here to sit inside a doolie 
 when there's shooting and all kinds of larks 
 going on ! ' 
 
 That he soon after recovered and came 
 on on horseback to Candahar with us, and 
 did right good work for you there, you 
 know better perhaps than I do. When I 
 went to Zululand, Cameron stayed in 
 Candahar, and when he came out to the 
 Transvaal I was on my way home. But 
 we met again in Egypt. I had gone out 
 to the Ramleh fortifications, and was trying 
 to pass without attracting our sentry's at- 
 tention up to a point whence I thought a 
 short stalk might give me a glimpse of the 
 enemy's outposts. Under a giant fig-tree, 
 heavily laden with black fruit, I suddenly 
 encountered Cameron. We exchanged the 
 usual ' Hullo ' of friends meeting unex- 
 pectedly, and then he said, ' Where are 
 you going ? ' ' To those palm-trees along 
 that bank, if I could,' I replied. ' Can't,' 
 said Cameron. ' I have been waiting here 
 an hour to see if that blessed sentry of ours 
 will go away, but he won't ; and he says 
 that if I try to go over the ditch he'll shoot 
 at me. Those are his orders. But I don't 
 mind having a try all the same,' he added. 
 The sentry, however, was a veritable lynx, 
 and eventually we had to content ourselves 
 with figs and conversation on the spot where 
 we had met. And the memory is still fresh 
 in my mind of the friendliness with which 
 Cameron, who had been in Alexandria 
 from the first, put me as a new comer 
 
 through the whole business and posted me 
 up to date. Journalists who understand 
 the jealousies which, perhaps of necessity, 
 must exist amongst us will understand my 
 appreciation of such conduct. At Ismailia, 
 where we saw each other daily, he was 
 always the same genial open-hearted com- 
 rade, ever anxious to be the first in every- 
 thing (as his duty was), but never failing to 
 do a service to any friend whom he trusted. 
 Mr. Melton Prior, the artist, and he were 
 inseparables, and no two figures were better 
 known, or more welcome, whether in camp 
 or on the march. In action he kept his 
 head admirably cool, saw more than most 
 of his competitors, and in his arrangements 
 for getting his despatches back to the tele- 
 graph box always showed a remarkable 
 sagacity. I remember his cheery 'good 
 morning ' as he rode past me, where I stood 
 writing a telegram on my saddle, to the 
 field at Tel-el-Kebir, and after the fight we 
 sat and rested together in one of Arabi's 
 tents. Together we went to Lord Wolseley, 
 where he stood on the bridge eating grapes 
 out of his helmet, and asked him about the 
 chance of our specials getting through, 
 Herbert Stewart, and, I think, Major 
 Gough (killed the other day) coming up to 
 join in the conversation about the fight 
 that ensued. We travelled together to 
 Cairo, and then parted, I coming straight 
 home, he remaining. 
 
 Once again we two met in the Savage 
 Club, two days before he went to the 
 Soudan. ' Are you coming ? ' he asked. 
 I said I was not sure. 'If you do,' he 
 replied, 'you must join Melton Prior and 
 me in a boat. We'll get some other fellow 
 to join, and have a stunning little mess of 
 our own.' We sat a long while discussing 
 the various sojournings in distant places, 
 and I found him just the same good- 
 hearted, sterling fellow that I had always 
 known him. He talked, I recollect, of 
 taking a pleasure trip after the campaign 
 was over 'if they'll give me any leave, 
 you know ' and China and Japan were 
 among the objective points of the expedi-
 
 302 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 tion he had hoped to make. But he has 
 taken his last journey, poor fellow and 
 this may well be said of him, that no bullet 
 or spear in all that desperate fighting from 
 the Wells to the Nile hushed a braver or 
 more tender heart than his." 
 
 The Pall Mall Gazette says : " It is with 
 sincere regret that we have to announce 
 that Mr. Cameron, of The Standard, the 
 first of war correspondents on the active 
 list, was killed in the fighting that took 
 place between Abu Klea and Metemmeh, 
 on the i pth, two days after the first battle. 
 Mr. Cameron had a very narrow escape 
 when the square broke at Tamasi ; it was 
 almost by a miracle that he survived Ma- 
 juba Hill ; but his time has come at last. 
 No man could have been more brave, more 
 energetic, and more daring than the corre- 
 spondent whose brief and brilliant career 
 has come to so sudden a close. Mr. 
 Cameron was in business in India when the 
 Afghan war broke out, writing occasionally 
 for the Press as an amateur. His familiarity 
 with military subjects led to his appoint- 
 ment as special war correspondent, first of 
 an Anglo-Indian paper, and subsequently 
 of The Standard. Since his Afghan cam- 
 paigning he has acted as special for The 
 Standard in most of our recent wars. He 
 played a prominent part in the melancholy 
 disaster of Majuba Hill, displaying great 
 bravery and rendering excellent service to 
 our wounded men. He afterwards visited 
 Madagascar and Tonquin, describing with 
 great picturesqueness and vigour the scenes 
 of the French operations. He distin- 
 guished himself by his account of the 
 battle of Tel-el-Kebir, and he sent home a 
 brilliant account of the battle of Tamasi. 
 After General Graham returned, he came 
 back to England with Mr. Melton Prior. 
 When the Nile Expedition was ordered Mr. 
 Cameron went as a matter of course for 
 The Standard. It was much remarked upon 
 last week that Cameron for once had failed 
 to get through his telegram describing the 
 battle of Abu Klea. His despatches were 
 always among the first to hand, and it 
 
 seemed ominous that for once they had 
 failed to get through. Nothing is known 
 as to why they missed, but we are informed 
 by a telegram from the editor of The 
 Standard that his brave and distinguished 
 correspondent fell the second day after 
 that fight. Every one who knew him will 
 lament his early death, but most of all will 
 the sad news cast a gloomy shadow over 
 the home where a widowed mother mourns 
 the death of her only son." 
 
 We regret to state that in the same en- 
 gagement in which Mr. Cameron was killed, 
 Mr. St. Leger Herbert, the special corre- 
 spondent of the Morning Post, also lost his 
 life. That paper says that : " We have to 
 deplore the death of our able special 
 correspondent, Mr. St. Leger Algernon 
 Herbert, who accompanied the Expedition 
 of Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart. His 
 telegrams, followed by admirable descrip- 
 tive letters, have kept our readers fully and 
 accurately informed of the course of events 
 from the departure of our troops from 
 Wady Haifa up to the brilliant but dearly- 
 won victory at Abu Klea. The graphic des- 
 patch in which he narrated the incidents 
 and result of that battle will be fresh in the 
 memory of our readers, and it is only 
 yesterday that we published a letter from 
 him describing the march into the desert 
 from Korti to Gakdul. Mr. Herbert pro- 
 ceeded onward with General Stewart's 
 gallant little army in their advance on 
 Metemmeh, and was shot dead during a 
 furious attack on our troops while a zareba 
 or rude entrenchment was being con- 
 structed. At the same time, Mr. Cameron, 
 of The Standard, who had earned for him- 
 self a distinguished reputation as a war 
 correspondent, met with a similar fate. 
 The sad news of the death of Mr. Herbert 
 will evoke deep sorrow among a large and 
 distinguished circle of friends and acquain- 
 tances, by whom the lamented gentleman 
 was regarded with warm feelings of affec- 
 tion and esteem. Mr. Herbert was a 
 member of that branch of the Herbert
 
 
 GEN. LORD WOLSELEY, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.
 
 LORD WOLSELEY. 
 
 33 
 
 family of which the Earl of Carnarvon is 
 the distinguished head. His grandfather, 
 William Herbert, Dean of Manchester, was 
 the third son of the first Earl of Carnarvon, 
 and the Dean's second son, Captain Fred- 
 erick Charles Herbert, was the father of St. 
 Leger Algernon by his marriage with the 
 youngest daughter of the late Captain 
 Henry Stuart, of the 39th Regiment. Our 
 correspondent was in his 35th year, having 
 been born on the i6th of August, 1850. 
 Although so young he had seen great and 
 varied service, and distinguished himself 
 on many occasions. His university career 
 was brilliant. He was a scholar of Wad- 
 ham College, and obtained first class at the 
 Oxford Moderations. His first public 
 appointment was with Lord Dufferin when 
 that nobleman was Governor- General of the 
 Dominion of Canada. He afterwards acted 
 as private secretary to Lord Wolseley (then 
 Sir Garnet) on the occasion of the annnexa- 
 tion of Cyprus, and was also civil secretary 
 to Sir Garnet Wolseley when he proceeded 
 to South Africa as High Commissioner. 
 
 For his services on these occasions Mr. 
 Herbert was made a Commander of St. 
 Michael and St. George. He was present 
 at the taking of Sekukuni's mountain, for 
 which he obtained the South African medal. 
 Mr. Herbert was also civil secretary to Sir 
 Frederick Roberts in South Africa, and 
 when that General returned to England he 
 was made secretary to the Transvaal Com- 
 mission. Mr. Herbert served with the 
 Mounted Infantry at Tel-el-Kebir as a 
 volunteer, for which he obtained the 
 Egyptian medal. He was present two years 
 later at the engagements of El Teb and 
 Tamasi, where he acted as galloper to Sir 
 H. Stewart, and obtained the clasp. At 
 Tamasi, Mr. Herbert received a severe 
 wound, but his youth and good constitu- 
 tion enabled him quickly to recover from 
 it. We had the advantage of his services 
 as correspondent during a portion of the 
 Souakin Expedition." Certainly the names 
 of these brave war correspondents will go 
 down to history as surely as the names of 
 Stuart and Wolseley. 
 
 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 WOLSELEY PARLY YEARS OF ^SERVICE. 
 
 E have so much to do in this 
 work with the exploits of 
 "our only general," as 
 Lord Wolseley has been 
 called, that no doubt our 
 looked ere this for some 
 This we now 
 
 readers have 
 
 detailed account of him. 
 
 proceed to give. 
 
 Lord Wolseley is the eldest son of the 
 late Major G. J. Wolseley, of the 25th 
 King's Own Borderers, and was born at 
 Golden Bridge House, County Dublin, on 
 the 4th of June, 1833. 
 
 The family of Wolseley is one of the 
 most ancient in the county of Stafford, the 
 
 manor of Wolseley having been in their 
 possession before the Conquest. Among 
 their progenitors was Sewardus, Lord Wisele, 
 fifth in descent from whom was Robert, 
 Lord of Wolseley, in 1281; and Ralph, 
 another descendant, was a Baron of the 
 Exchequer in the reign of Edward IV. 
 There are two baronetcies in the Wolseley 
 family. The senior title was among the 
 first creations of James I., and dates from 
 the year 1628. Sir Charles Wolseley, the 
 second baronet, represented the county of 
 Stafford in the parliaments of Charles I. 
 and Charles II. ; he was also high in favour 
 with the Protector, and was held in general
 
 34 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 esteem. Richard Wolseley, a younger son 
 of the second English baronet, had pro- 
 perty in Ireland, which he devised to his 
 youngest son, Richard, who, in 1744, was 
 created baronet of "Mount Wolseley, 
 Carlow," in Ireland. His eldest son, Sir 
 Richard, suc- 
 ceeded to the | 
 title and estates, 
 and the younger, 
 William, Lord 
 Wolseley 's grand- 
 fat her, was a 
 captain in the 
 8th Hussars. 
 Having served 
 on the continent, 
 he subsequently 
 retired from the 
 service, took 
 holy orders, and 
 became Rector 
 of Tullycorbet, 
 County Mona- 
 ghan. 
 
 Lord Wolseley 
 is not the first 
 of his family who 
 has won military 
 renown, his an- 
 cestor, Colonel 
 William Wolse- 
 ley, having 
 greatly distin- 
 guished himself 
 during the Irish 
 war in the time 
 of William III. 
 He also com- 
 manded the En- 
 niskilleners at 
 the ever-memor- 
 able battle of 
 the Boyne, on the istof July, 1690. 
 
 Lord Wolseley was educated partly at 
 a day-school near Dublin, and partly by 
 private tutors. Even from boyhood he was 
 studious, and had read the principal works 
 on military history. So eager was he to 
 
 A SLAVE MERCHANT. 
 
 enter the military profession, that, with his 
 parents' consent, his name was put down 
 for a commission when only fourteen years 
 of age so true is it that " the boy is father 
 of the man." He had a marked aptitude 
 for mathematical studies, and several times 
 
 weekly went 
 regularly out to 
 survey and ac- 
 quire a know- 
 ledge of the art 
 of military en- 
 gineering. His 
 aptitude for mili- 
 tary engineering 
 and fortification, 
 and the practical 
 knowledge he ac- 
 quired of these 
 sciences, was 
 very serviceable 
 to him during 
 his career in the 
 Crimea, where 
 he performed the 
 duties of assist- 
 ant engineer dur- 
 ing the siege of 
 Sebastopol, and 
 afterwards was 
 employed sur- 
 veying in the 
 Quartermaster- 
 General's depart- 
 ment. Beyond 
 all question, the 
 success achieved 
 by Lord Wolse- 
 ley in the Red 
 River and Ash- 
 antee campaigns 
 may be greatly 
 attributed to his 
 practical knowledge of the science of 
 military engineering. 
 
 Lord Wolseley's military career began 
 in March, 1852, when he was appointed 
 Ensign in the 8oth Regiment, at that time 
 engaged in the second Burmese war.
 
 WOLSELEY'S COURAGE AND DARING. 
 
 305 
 
 Here he first displayed those soldierly 
 qualities which have made his name famous 
 in our military annals ; here he received his 
 " baptism of fire." If he was fortunate in 
 the circumstances of his military career, it 
 is equally certain that he never missed an 
 opportunity. Whenever a chance offered 
 for earning distinction, he eagerly grasped 
 at it. Self-controlled, vigilant, active, he 
 always exerted himself to the utmost, and 
 proved the truth of the adage, "Where 
 
 there's a will, there's a way." In the second 
 attempt to storm the enemy's position he 
 was so severely wounded that there was 
 great danger of his bleeding to death, and 
 he had a soldier in constant attendance 
 upon him for six months. Even after his 
 arrival in England he had to use crutches 
 for some time ; but being blessed with a 
 sound constitution and an equable temper- 
 ament, he gradually gained strength. As 
 finely illustrating his courage, coolness, and 
 
 THE SLAVE MARKET. 
 
 enthusiasm, we cite with pleasure from Mr. 
 Low's interesting life of the General this 
 incident : " As Wolseley lay helpless on his 
 back, he with unabated resolution waved 
 his sword and cheered on his men ; and 
 though some of them offered to carry him 
 to the rear, he refused, and lay there until 
 the positipn was gained by the gallant fel- 
 lows, who emulated the example of their 
 youthful leader." He received a medal for 
 his eminent services. 
 
 When his health was re-established, he 
 did not rejoin his old regiment, but was 
 posted to a lieutenancy, without purchase, 
 in the Qoth Light Infantry, with which his 
 name and fame are identified. After the 
 battle of Inkerman, the regiment sailed 
 from Dublin, and landing at Balaklava on 
 the 4th of December, 1854, immediately 
 proceeded to the front, and on the follow- 
 ing day went down to the trenches. For 
 some time Lieutenant Wolseley had been 
 
 x
 
 306 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 employed with his regiment in trench duty, 
 but was soon selected for the post of 
 Acting-engineer. Throughout the siege the 
 duties of the engineers were carried on 
 under the greatest difficulties, for they did 
 not receive that support which was indis- 
 pensable to the success of their operations. 
 The term of duty for engineer officers was 
 never less than twelve, and sometimes even 
 twenty-four hours ; and after returning from 
 the trenches, they had to write the report of 
 the day's proceedings. At times the snow- 
 storms and heavy drifts made it necessary 
 to suspend the works entirely ; and in the 
 middle of January, when Lieutenant Wol- 
 seley was promoted to a captaincy, the frost 
 was so severe that even with a pickaxe it 
 was difficult to make any impression on the 
 ground. A distinguished officer of Engi- 
 neers, who served in the trenches with 
 Captain Wolseley, and had ample oppor- 
 tunities of observing his bearing under try- 
 ing circumstances, declared him to be " the 
 bravest man he ever knew." He was noted 
 for always turning his face toward an ap- 
 proaching Russian shell ; and while aiding 
 to repair an embrasure, he received a slight 
 wound from the debris scattered by a round 
 shot from the enemy. He did not, how- 
 ever, report himself as wounded, it being a 
 point of honour among the Engineers not 
 to leave their post until disabled. At the 
 Quarries an officer of his regiment thought 
 he was dead, as he lay on a heap of slain 
 covered with blood. Though he had not 
 reported himself wounded, Wolseley had 
 been hit on the thigh by a bullet from a 
 canister shot, which caused considerable 
 loss of blood. A few weeks before the 
 memorable fall of Sebastopol he was so 
 severely wounded that his features were not 
 distinguishable as those of a human being. 
 Both his eyes were completely closed, and 
 the injury to one of them was so serious 
 that the sight has been permanently lost. 
 He was carried on a stretcher to St. 
 George's Monastery, not far from Balaklava, 
 and placed in a gloomy cavern, as his eyes 
 were unable to bear the light. On learn- 
 
 ing that the Russian stronghold had been 
 captured, Captain Wolseley resigned his 
 post of assistant-engineer, and his name 
 was removed from the list. His name was 
 in the list of officers recommended for pro- 
 motion to the Secretary of State for War. 
 He had been already specially mentioned 
 in the despatch of the Field-marshal com- 
 manding-in-chief, Lord Raglan, as one of 
 the officers "who distinguished them- 
 selves." As one of the Engineer officers of 
 the right attack, he was in the post of the 
 greatest danger, as evidenced by the fact 
 that of the fourteen officers killed at the 
 siege, twelve belonged to the right attack, or 
 were killed when doing duty there. At the 
 termination of the siege of Sebastopol 
 in many respects without example in the 
 annals of war of three messes of four 
 members each, to which he had belonged, 
 he was the only officer remaining in the 
 Crimea, all the others being either killed or 
 forced to leave through wounds. 
 
 Captain Wolseley was on the eve of re- 
 turning to England for the recovery of his 
 health, when he was offered an appointment 
 in the Quartermaster-General's department. 
 As there was much improvement in the 
 sight of one of his eyes, he accepted the 
 offer and remained in the Crimea. He re- 
 mained there until, on the conclusion of 
 peace with Russia, the allied army was 
 directed to return home. As Deputy As- 
 sistant Quartermaster-General, he assisted 
 Colonel Hallowell at Balaklava in despatch- 
 ing homewards the troops of his division. 
 After the departure of all the regiments, 
 Captain Wolseley embarked for England, 
 being one of the last men to quit the land 
 where he had done and suffered so much 
 in his country's service. For his meritori- 
 ous services the French Emperor nominated 
 him a Knight of the Legion of Honour, 
 and the Sultan conferred on him the Fifth 
 Class of the Medjidie. 
 
 After a few weeks' relaxation at Ports- 
 mouth, the goth received orders to proceed 
 forthwith to China. Seven hundred men, 
 with head-quarters, embarked in the Hima-
 
 WOLSELE Y IN INDIA. 
 
 37 
 
 laya ; while the three remaining companies, 
 under Captains Wolseley, Guise, and Irby, 
 sailed in the Transit. On their arrival at 
 the Cape on May the 28th, 1857, it was dis- 
 covered that the latter had sprung a leak 
 near her stern-post; and on the loth of July, 
 as it was passing through the Straits of 
 Banca, it suddenly crashed on a coral reef, 
 on which it remained immovable. Captain 
 Wolseley lost everything he possessed ex- 
 cept the clothes he wore. The Island of 
 Banca is under the protection of the Dutch, 
 and the Governor immediately despatched 
 a gunboat to Singapore to advise the au- 
 thorities. When they had passed eight days 
 here, a not unpleasant Robinson Crusoe 
 sort of life, Her Majesty's gunboat Dore 
 arrived from Singapore and brought the 
 startling news of the Indian Mutiny ; that 
 altered the destination of the regiment, and 
 opened a new chapter in Wolseley's career. 
 Already the head-quarters of the poth had 
 been despatched to Calcutta, and the re- 
 maining three companies sailed from Singa- 
 pore in Her Majesty's ship Pearl for the 
 same city. 
 
 On the day after their arrival the detach- 
 ment left Calcutta, and proceeded up- 
 country, reaching Cawnpore about the 
 27th of September. Formerly one of the 
 largest and finest military stations in India, 
 Cawnpore now presented a desolate appear- 
 ance. In October Captain Wolseley had 
 his first brush with the Pandies. A report 
 reached Cawnpore that the insurgents were 
 mustering in force at Sheo Raj pore, some 
 miles from Bithoor, the residence of Nana 
 Sahib. 
 
 They set out at midnight on the i7th 
 of October, and during the action, which 
 lasted about an hour, our casualties were 
 two killed and six severely wounded, be- 
 longing, with one exception, to the Qoth ; 
 while the enemy's loss was computed at 
 nearly a hundred. Bithoor and Sheo Raj- 
 pore were destroyed, the troops bivouack- 
 ing in Nana Sahib's compound during the 
 night of the igth October, and on the fol- 
 lowing day returned to Cawnpore. 
 
 At this time, though Delhi had fallen, and 
 Generals Havelock and Outram had effected 
 the relief of the Residency at Lucknow, the 
 position of affairs there was still most criti- 
 cal. Havelock had left at Alumbagh 
 (" Garden of the World"), on the day be- 
 fore his entry into Lucknow, all his baggage 
 and many sick and wounded under a guard 
 of four hundred men, commanded by 
 Colonel Mclntyre, of the 78th Highlanders. 
 Orders were received that five hundred men, 
 including the detachment of the goth, were 
 to march to Alumbagh with supplies. Alum- 
 bagh was formerly a palace standing in a 
 beautiful garden a favourite residence of 
 one of the Queens of Oude. The main- 
 tenance of this post now a walled en- 
 closure, five hundred yards square proved 
 highly beneficial to the beleaguered garri- 
 son, as it secured their communications 
 with Cawnpore. On the i2th of November 
 Sir Colin Campbell, afterwards Lord Clyde, 
 arrived at Alumbagh with some additional 
 troops, and next day the detachment of the 
 9oth received the welcome order to inarch 
 out of a town, where they had been re- 
 luctantly prevented from undertaking any 
 offensive operations. The Commander-in- 
 chief had under his command, for the 
 proposed operations for the relief of the 
 Residency, only some four thousand five 
 hundred and fifty men and thirty-two guns. 
 On the 1 4th, about 9 a.m., the British army 
 started on its momentous mission of effect- 
 ing the final relief of our countrymen. 
 Many of the rebels were slaughtered like 
 rats in a barn, and in the evening, when the 
 bayonet had completed its fatal work, the 
 men buried the dead in two large pits. 
 Captain Wolseley mentions as a singular 
 coincidence, that when counting the corpses, 
 as they were flung into the pits, it was found 
 that they numbered one thousand eight 
 hundred and fifty-seven, the date of the 
 year. On the i7th, operations were re- 
 sumed, and the services of Captain Wolseley 
 during the day were so prominent that he 
 had the coveted honour of seeing his name 
 specially mentioned in the Commander-in-
 
 3 o8 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 chiefs despatch. He was the first who 
 effected a junction with the heroic garrison 
 of the Lucknow Residency. 
 
 Lord Clyde, having resolved to withdraw 
 from Lucknow, the goth and other regi- 
 ments were engaged in making a direct 
 road from that portion of the Residency 
 where the ladies and children had been 
 confined, to the ground occupied by the 
 relieving force. The goth was attached to 
 Outram's division, which it was decided 
 should remain at Alumbagh. The object 
 of this occupation was threefold : viz. to 
 avoid the appearance of having abandoned 
 Oude ; to keep the insurgents around Luck- 
 now in check; and to secure a point on 
 which our advance for the re-conquest of 
 Oude might be made. Sir James Outram 
 took up a position near Alumbagh on a 
 vast plain, having the Alumbagh enclosure 
 as one of his outposts, as were also the 
 adjacent villages, which were all fortified ; 
 and at these posts desultory fighting took 
 place almost daily. Here and at the fort 
 of Jellalabad Wolseley did outpost duty, 
 and from time to time proceeded to Cawn- 
 pore, with his company, to escort supplies. 
 
 Since Lord Clyde had evacuated Luck- 
 now, taking with him the women and chil- 
 dren of the Residency, the rebels had 
 fortified the city with care and skill. In 
 the meantime, having organized his "grand 
 army " for the reconquest of Lucknow and 
 Oude, he pushed his troops across the 
 Ganges, and arrived near Alumbagh on the 
 ist of March. On the afternoon of the 6th 
 the goth left their old camping-ground at 
 Alumbagh, and started to join the Com- 
 mander-in-chief at Dilkhooha. Lord Napier 
 of Magdala, when unveiling the Outram 
 statue at Calcutta, said in reference to this 
 defence of Alumbagh : " No achievement 
 in the events of 1857 surpassed in skill and 
 resolution the maintenance of the position 
 of Alumbagh with a mere handful of troops 
 against overwhelming numbers, well sup- 
 plied with artillery. There were no walls 
 or ramparts, merely an open camp, pro- 
 tected by a few well selected intrenched 
 
 outposts, and a scanty line of bayonets, 
 ever ready, day and night, to repel attack." 
 After the capture of Lucknow, Sir Hope 
 Grant was placed in command of a division 
 called the "Lucknow Field Force;" and 
 on the ist of April the goth, which was to 
 form part of the force, struck their tents 
 at Dilkhooha, and marched into the city. 
 Wolseley was appointed to the charge of 
 the Quartermaster-General's department of 
 the Oude division, and had not been many 
 days in his new post, when on the nth he 
 accompanied Sir Hope Grant in an expedi- 
 tion to Baru, twenty-five miles from Luck- 
 now. On Wolseley devolved the task of 
 learning the roads, marking out the camp- 
 ing-ground, and securing the services of 
 guides. The column, numbering three 
 thousand men of all arms, visited various 
 places, encountering the enemy, and on the 
 23rd April Sir Hope Grant returned to 
 Lucknow. On his arrival there Wolseley 
 was gratified to learn that he had been 
 gazetted Brevet-Major. 
 
 Sir Hope having received orders from 
 Lord Clyde to disperse a large rebel force, 
 the column left Lucknow on the 27th of 
 April, and visited various towns and vil- 
 lages. Sir Hope hearing at Poorwah that 
 the enemy were gathering in force at Na- 
 wabgunge, a village on the Fyzabad road, 
 eighteen miles from Lucknow, on the night 
 of the 1 2th of June proceeded across coun- 
 try with great rapidity, that his movements 
 might be shrouded by darkness, and his 
 men might escape the fearful effects of a 
 forced march in the sun. The enemy, who 
 numbered sixteen thousand men, had se- 
 cured a strong position on a large plateau, 
 surrounded on three sides by a stream. 
 The action lasted three hours, and the 
 troops were thoroughly exhausted, having 
 been under arms from ten p.m. on the pre- 
 vious night to nine a.m. on the morning of 
 the 1 3th, when the enemy finally quitted 
 the field of battle, on which they left six 
 hundred dead and nine guns. The British 
 loss in killed and wounded was sixty-seven. 
 In his despatch, the General, who had be-
 
 INDIA. 
 
 39 
 
 fore specially mentioned the services of 
 Major Wolseley during the action at Baru, 
 speaks of him as having again afforded him 
 great assistance. After the battle, Major 
 Wolseley surveyed the ground, and drew a 
 plan which was sent to the Commander-in- 
 chief. Indeed, at Baru, and after every 
 action throughout the campaign in Oude, 
 of which province there were no maps in 
 existence, Wolseley executed plans, which 
 were forwarded to head-quarters, and were 
 of essential use to Lord Clyde when he 
 went over the same ground. 
 
 After gaining this victory, which had a 
 marked moral effect upon the rebels, greatly 
 dispiriting them and their leaders, the 
 column encamped on the large plain in rear 
 of the village. Leaving Nawabgunge on 
 the 2ist of July, the column visited various 
 places ; and at Sultanpore, between the 25th 
 and 2 ;th of August, the General crossed the 
 greater part of his force over the Goomti 
 in the face of a strong rebel army, with a 
 powerful artillery and with only three rafts. 
 This feat was particularly creditable to 
 Major Wolseley, "who," says Sir Hope 
 Grant, " as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster- 
 General, had the superintendence of the 
 arrangements for crossing the river, and 
 who performed them to my entire satisfac- 
 tion." 
 
 The Lucknow Field Force was not al- 
 lowed a lengthy period of repose, and hav- 
 ing thrown a bridge across the Goomti 
 four hundred feet wide at Sultanpore on I 
 the 3rd of November Sir Hope set out de- ; 
 termined to give the rebels, thoroughly dis- 
 heartened by the continuous defeats they 
 had sustained, " no rest for the sole of their 
 feet." As his great object was to prevent 
 the enemy escaping to the Goruckpore 
 district, he marched to Dalhurree, close to 
 the Nepaul frontier, where he awaited a 
 column, commanded by Brigadier Bow- 
 croft. As, notwithstanding Jung Bahadoor's 
 proclamation to them to lay down their arms 
 and submit themselves to the British, the 
 rebels continued to occupy a menacing po- 
 
 sition, the General continued to chase and 
 hurry them. At midnight of the 2oth of May 
 he marched from Burgudwa, and arrived after 
 sunrise at the jungle covering the entrance 
 to the Jerwah Pass. Here he received in- 
 formation that the Nana and two noted 
 rebels, with about three thousand followers, 
 occupied the spurs of the mountain stretch- 
 ing into the jungle on both sides of the Pass. 
 One company of the Punjaubees climbed 
 the hill to the left and drove the enemy 
 before them, and the remainder of the 
 regiment cleared the ridge on the right and 
 captured the guns ; but owing to the troops 
 having marched twenty miles, they were not 
 able to overtake the retreating enemy. Sir 
 Hope writes in his journal : " I sent a 
 company up the hill to turn the enemy's 
 right ; but finding they were not clever in 
 their ascent, I directed Biddulph, together 
 with Wolseley and Wilmot, both on my 
 staff, to lead them up. These three officers 
 did their work well." 
 
 Thus ended almost the last conflict of 
 this great and memorable struggle, which 
 had lasted two years, as it was on Sunday, 
 the loth of May, 1857, that the 3rd Bengal 
 Cavalry mutinied at Meerut. As the last 
 band of the rebels, deprived of their only 
 remaining guns, was now driven into the 
 Nepaul frontier, the General proceeded to 
 Lucknow on the 4th of June, and with his 
 staff took up his residence in the Dilk- 
 hoosha. 
 
 In the distribution of honours on the 
 conclusion of the mutiny, Wolseley received 
 the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was 
 young to have attained so high a rank, for 
 it was on the twenty-sixth anniversary of 
 his birth that in company with his chief he 
 entered Lucknow. The cantonments hav- 
 ing been utterly destroyed by the rebels, 
 Wolseley had for a few months been em- 
 ployed in laying out new ones, when he 
 was once more offered a position on the 
 staff of an army about to take the field, 
 and joyfully accepted the proposal, which 
 allowed him to see more of warfare.
 
 3io 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LVII. 
 
 LORD WOLSELEY RECORDS OF AN ACTIVE CAREER. 
 
 IR HOPE GRANT had been 
 nominated to the command 
 of the troops, about to pro- 
 ceed in conjunction with a 
 French army to the north 
 of China to bring to terms the Imperial 
 Government, and Wolseley went as Deputy 
 Assistant Quartermaster-General, in charge 
 of the topographical department. Colonel 
 Wolseley accompanied Sir Hope Grant to 
 Calcutta, and with the other members of 
 his staff sailed in the Fiery Cross, which 
 cast anchor at Hong-Kong on the i3th of 
 March, 1860. The first step was the joint 
 occupation by the British and French forces 
 of the island of Chusan. The expedition 
 dropped anchor in the noble harbour of 
 Ting-hai, the capital of Chusan, which im- 
 mediately capitulated. The British Army 
 numbered about fourteen thousand men, 
 and that of the French, under General 
 Montauban, about seven thousand. On 
 the 1 6th June, the Grenada, in which 
 Colonel Wolseley had embarked with the 
 Commander-in-chief, proceeded to sea and 
 put in at Shanghai. 
 
 When Lord Elgin arrived at Talien-wan, 
 on the Qth of July, after many conferences, it 
 was decided by Sir Hope Grant and General 
 Montauban, that both armies should sail 
 for Peh-tang on the 26th. Accordingly, on 
 Saturday, the 28th, the entire expedition 
 was assembled at the appointed rendezvous, 
 and on Monday weighed and stood in for 
 the mouth of the Peiho River. Soon after 
 two o'clock, on the ist August, the gun- 
 boats anchored about two thousand yards 
 from the famous Taku forts, all the em- 
 brasures of which were masked, and no 
 troops visible. These forts are about three 
 miles from the mouth of the river, the 
 passage of which they command. It was 
 
 decided that a reconnaissance should be 
 made in the direction of a causeway running 
 towards Taku, and four hundred men were 
 landed on a soft, sticky, mud flat, through 
 which, for nearly a mile, the men floundered 
 and struggled before reaching a hard patch 
 of ground. " Nearly every man," says The 
 Times correspondent, " was disembarrassed 
 of his lower integuments, and one gallant 
 brigadier led on his men with no other 
 garment than his shirt." Suffice it to say, 
 that the first phase of the war was com- 
 pleted by the capture of the forts, which, 
 though taken by our sailors in 1858, had 
 in the following year successfully resisted 
 a naval force, under Admiral Sir James 
 Hope. 
 
 Leaving a garrison at Taku and Sinho, 
 the allied army began its march toward 
 Pekin, and after several hostile encounters 
 with the Tartar cavalry, arrived at the 
 Summer Palace, about six miles from Pekin, 
 on the 6th of October. It was a curious 
 sight that met Wolseley's eyes as he entered 
 the palace, which for two centuries had been 
 the cherished abode of the dynasty of the 
 Emperor Hien-fung, who, among other 
 titles, arrogated to himself those of "the 
 Sacred Son of Heaven, "and "the Governor 
 and Tranquilliser of the Universe." When 
 he entered, everything was in statu quo as 
 when the Emperor fled. The private 
 apartments of the Emperor were sur- 
 rounded by those of his wives, retainers, 
 eunuchs and servants. One was full of furs, 
 another of silks, another of drawings, a 
 series of four thousand, illustrating the whole 
 history of China. When the booty was 
 sold, it realized about ^"24,000, which en- 
 abled each soldier to receive $ ioj., and 
 the officers, who received one- third of the 
 whole, were paid in like proportion. Lord
 
 WOLSELEY IN 7 HE EAST. 
 
 Elgin demanded as compensation the pay- 
 ment of 300,000 taels, about ;i 00,000, 
 which was paid on the 22nd, and his lord- 
 ship directed the destruction of the palace, 
 which was accordingly carried into effect. 
 Colonel Wolseley was present during the 
 1 8th and ipth of October, while the work 
 of destruction was in progress, and was 
 among the last to quit the heap of smoul- 
 dering ashes, that alone remained to mark 
 the site of the palace. Colonel Wolseley 
 and his assistant had managed to make 
 surveys of the country around Pekin, " so 
 that in the event of any future operations 
 being required in those regions, our work 
 will be much simplified." The good work 
 he had done did not escape the notice of 
 those most competent to judge. The com- 
 manding General bestowed high praise upon 
 him, and frequently mentioned him in des- 
 patches. On the 7th of November, the 
 2nd division quitted Pekin, Sir Hope 
 Grant and the ist division marching on 
 the following day. 
 
 Wolseley accompanied Sir Hope Grant 
 to Shanghai, where they and twelve other 
 officers hired a Peninsular and Oriental 
 steamer, and made a pleasure trip to Japan, 
 every important port of which interesting 
 country they visited. On their arrival at 
 Yokohama, the party rode to Yeddo, a dis- 
 tance of nine miles, and stayed at the 
 British Embassy. 
 
 As the campaign in China was one of 
 the shortest, so it was one of the most ably- 
 conducted this country had hitherto waged. 
 The storm of the Taku forts was a gallant 
 feat, and the advance upon, and occupation 
 of, the populous Chinese capital was a 
 daring act for so small a force to execute. 
 After the restoration of peace, Admiral 
 Hope proceeded up the Yang-tsze-Kiang 
 with a squadron of gunboats ; and in the 
 month of January, 1861, Colonel Wolseley 
 was directed to proceed, accompanied by 
 an interpreter, to Nankin, on a semi-diplo- 
 matic, semi-military mission. He was ac- 
 commodated in a palace belonging to the 
 Chung-wan, or " Faithful King," one of 
 
 the eleven Taiping chiefs, who had now 
 been eleven years in arms. In quitting 
 Shanghai for his mission to Nankin, 
 Wolseley had been furnished with merely 
 verbal instructions to gain all the informa- 
 tion practicable of the position and pros- 
 pects of the Taipings, considered from a 
 military point of view. The conclusion he 
 arrived at from a close survey of their re- 
 sources, was most unfavourable to their 
 eventual success. From Shanghai, Colonel 
 Wolseley proceeded to Hong- Kong, whence 
 he embarked, the last of the head-quarter 
 staff to leave the country, and landed in 
 England in May, 1861, after an absence of 
 fully four years. 
 
 On his arrival he was promoted for his 
 services to a substantive majority, and re- 
 ceived a medal and two clasps. He also 
 got his long leave of eighteen months, and 
 after visiting his family, proceeded in the 
 autumn of 1861 to Paris, where he em- 
 ployed his leisure in painting in oils and 
 water colours ; for like some other officers 
 of the British army, he added to his pro- 
 fessional acquirements the skill of an ac- 
 complished artist. 
 
 In the winter of 1861, nothing looked 
 more certain on the political horizon than 
 the embroilment of this country in a life 
 and death struggle with the greatest Re- 
 public of modern times. The incident 
 which nearly precipitated this country into 
 war, was that known as the " Trent Affair," 
 when on the 8th of November, Commodore 
 Wilkes boarded the British Mail Company's 
 steamship Trent, on the high seas, and 
 seized Messrs. Mason and Slidell, the Con- 
 federate Agents accredited to the Courts 
 of London and Paris. On the lyth of 
 November, the day the news of the Trent 
 outrage reached London, the War Office 
 ordered the despatch to Canada of a battery 
 of Armstrong guns, a large supply of arms 
 and accoutrements for the Colonial Militia, 
 and a vast quantity of shot, shell, powder, 
 ammunition, and other warlike stores. 
 
 At this time Wolseley, who was on leave, 
 was hunting in the County Cork. He had
 
 312 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYP7. 
 
 just bought two horses, and had enjoyed 
 one day's sport on each animal, when a 
 telegram came from Colonel McKenzie 
 offering him employment on active service 
 as Assistant Quartermaster-General. Not 
 many hours elapsed before the hunters 
 were given away, and Wolseley was in 
 London. The Milbourne, in which he and 
 the other selected officers embarked, bore 
 up, under stress of weather and want of 
 coal, for Sydney, Cape Breton Island. 
 While here a telegram arrived from Hali- 
 
 fax announcing the surrender of Messrs. 
 Mason and SHdell, and that all chance of 
 war was at an end. The Milbourne then 
 proceeded to Halifax, where she found 
 three transports which had disembarked 
 their troops, the War Office having deter- 
 mined to send to Canada ten thousand 
 men and four batteries of Artillery. .From 
 Halifax Colonel Wolseley and other officers 
 proceeded, by a Cunard mail steamer, to 
 Boston, on their voyage to Montreal. They 
 arrived at Montreal on a Sunday, and on 
 
 GOLDEN BRIDGE HOUSE, COUNTY DUBLIN, 
 Where Lord Wolseley was born, June 4, 1833. 
 
 the following morning Colonel Wolseley 
 started off on a journey of three hundred 
 miles down the river to Riviere du Loup, 
 situated on the terminus of the Grand 
 Trunk Railway, where the troops coming 
 from St. John's, New Brunswick, were 
 transhipped from sleighs, in which they had 
 travelled via Fredericton, to the railway by 
 which they proceeded to their destinations 
 at Quebec, Montreal, Hamilton, Kingston, 
 or Toronto. Colonel Wolseley was the 
 only staff officer at Riviere du Loup, and 
 
 had to make all the arrangements for the 
 accommodation and passage of the troops, 
 who passed through the village at the rate 
 of nearly two hundred men a day, without a 
 hitch or a single accident only one man de- 
 serting out of the large force that passed 
 through his hands. In the middle of March 
 Wolseley returned to Montreal, the head- 
 quarters of the army in the Dominion, and 
 acted for some months as Deputy Quarter- 
 master-General, Colonel McKenzie having 
 returned home.
 
 WOLSELEY IN AMERICA. 
 
 In the latter part of August, 1862, 
 Colonel Wolseley obtained six weeks' 
 leave, and on the following month quitted 
 New York for a trip " down south." The 
 short time at his disposal was the great 
 drawback to the enjoyment of this visit to 
 the head-quarters of the Confederate Army, 
 but he made the most of it, and altogether 
 he never passed a pleasanter time than 
 when " running the blockade ; " while he 
 considered himself amply repaid for any 
 
 discomfort by his conversations with Robert 
 Lee and Stonewall Jackson, whose deeds 
 will live long in song and story, as long as 
 high character, spotless patriotism, and 
 brilliant military genius command the ad- 
 miration of the human race. 
 
 After his return to Canada, Colonel 
 Wolseley suffered greatly from the wound 
 in the right leg he had received in the 
 Crimea seven years before. During this 
 holiday his exertions on foot caused the 
 
 HOU.VMOUNT, RATHMINES, DUBLIN. 
 The School where Lord Wolseley was educated. 
 
 wound to open afresh, and under medical 
 advice he was constrained to proceed to 
 England. Here he placed himself under 
 the eminent surgeon, Sir William Fer- 
 gusson, and, after a brief stay, returned 
 to Canada in the spring of 1863. Here he 
 resumed his duties as Assistant Quarter- 
 master-General under Colonel Lysons. 
 
 In the autumn of 1865 the Fenians in 
 the United States, by their threatening 
 attitude, gave cause for anxiety to the 
 
 Dominion Government, and Sir Patrick 
 McDougall, who came out to the Dominion 
 to organize and superintend the local forces, 
 established a camp of instruction for cadets. 
 At his request the services of Colonel Wol- 
 seley were placed at his disposal, and he 
 appointed him to command the first camp 
 of instruction ever established in Canada. 
 Wolseley performed his arduous duties 
 during the three weeks the camp was es- 
 tablished to the entire satisfaction of his
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 superiors, and Colonel McDougall reported 
 in the following terms : " I desire to re- 
 cord as strongly as possible my sense of 
 the ability and energy with which the im- 
 mediate command of the camp was exer- 
 cised by Colonel Wolseley, and to which is 
 attributable a large share in the success of 
 the experiment. It was a charge requiring 
 unusually delicate management ; but in 
 Colonel Wolseley's qualifications tact is 
 combined with firmness, and both with an 
 intimate knowledge of his profession in an 
 unusual degree." 
 
 At length on the night of the 3ist of 
 May, the Fenian leader, "General" O'Neil, 
 crossed the Niagara River with about twelve 
 hundred men, and having captured Fort 
 Erie, near Buffalo, advanced towards Ridge- 
 way, where he threw up breastworks and 
 awaited reinforcements. On the same day 
 fourteen thousand volunteers were called 
 out for actual service, and within twenty- 
 four hours the companies were all ready, 
 and many had moved to the stations as- 
 signed them. On the 3rd of June the 
 Province had more than twenty thousand 
 men under arms. " Experience has shown," 
 
 wrote the Adjutant-General, "that, in the 
 event of a regular invasion, a hundred thou- 
 sand men, in addition to the volunteer 
 force, would eagerly come forward in forty- 
 eight hours to aid in defending the country." 
 When the column, which Wolseley accom- 
 panied, reached Fort Erie they learnt that 
 a fight had already taken place, with inde- 
 cisive results, at Ridgeway. But there was 
 no further attempt at invasion by the 
 Fenians, and when Wolseley's brigade was 
 broken up he returned to Montreal. He 
 had scarcely resumed his duties when, in 
 the autumn of this year, 1866, he was 
 placed in command of a camp of obser- 
 vation at Thorold, near St. Catharine's, on 
 the Welland Canal, which the Fenians had 
 expressed their intention to destroy. The 
 large and wealthy city of Buffalo, on the 
 American side, was at this time the centre 
 of the Fenian military organization, and 
 Wolseley had very responsible duties in 
 watching the frontier between Fort Cock- 
 burn and the Niagara Falls. He remained 
 at Thorold about a month, exercising his 
 troops, and during this time all the militia 
 of Upper Canada passed through his hands. 
 
 CHAPTER LVIII. 
 
 LORD ^OLSELEY SERVICES IN AMERICA AND AFRICA. 
 
 OLSELEY'S services in Can- 
 ada had been so meritorious 
 that he was almost immedi- 
 ately nominated to succeed 
 Colonel Lysons as Read of 
 the department in which he had acquired 
 such vast experience; and in September, 
 1867, he returned to the Dominion as 
 Deputy Quartermaster-General, being the 
 youngest officer who was ever nominated 
 to fill that responsible post. He came 
 home to England, on two months' private 
 leave, in 1868, and during his stay occurred 
 
 an important event in his life his marriage 
 with Miss Erskine, who accompanied him 
 on his return to Canada. 
 
 Early in 1870 the troubles on the Red 
 River became of so pressing a nature that 
 the Dominion Government, with the con- 
 sent of the Home Colonial Office, deter- 
 mined on sending an expedition to restore 
 the Queen's authority in that settlement. 
 The consensus of public opinion pointed 
 to Colonel Wolseley as the fittest officer 
 to lead a combined force of regulars and 
 volunteers, and Major-General the Honour-
 
 THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 
 
 able James Lindsay accordingly nominated 
 him to the command of the Red River 
 Expedition. After eighteen years' service, 
 Colonel Wolseley found himself entrusted 
 with supreme command, thus at length 
 being afforded the opportunity of achieving 
 distinction for which, as an ambitious sol- 
 dier, he had long been sighing. 
 
 The Red River Territory receives its name 
 from the Red River which, from the lake 
 of the woods westwards to the Rocky 
 Mountains, forms the artificially defined 
 frontier between the United States and the 
 British possessions. The inhabited portion, 
 or Settlement, is "merely the strip lying along 
 the banks of the Red River, and of its 
 affluent, the Assiniboine. Its population, 
 at the beginning of 1870, exclusive of In- 
 dians, numbered about 15,000 souls. 
 
 The Red River Territory had long been 
 under the rule of the Hudson Bay Com- 
 pany, which, in 1670, had received a charter 
 from Charles II. After many years of 
 fruitless negotiations between Canada and 
 this great trading community, an arrange- 
 ment was made, by which the territories, 
 officially known as Rupert's Land, together 
 with all territorial rights, were first trans- 
 ferred, on paper, to this country, and then 
 made over, by royal proclamation, to the 
 Confederation of the North American Pro- 
 vinces, which paid to the Hudson Bay 
 Company the sum of .300,000, the transfer 
 to take effect from the ist of December, 
 1869. In these negotiations the people 
 of the Red River Settlement were never 
 consulted. They naturally resented such 
 cavalier treatment; and when, in 1869, the 
 Canadian Government sent thither a sur- 
 veying party, a few French half-breed^ 
 under Louis Riel, compelled them to quit 
 the country. On the 24th of November 
 Riel took possession of Fort Garry, which is 
 situated close to Winnipeg, the capital ; and 
 becoming more violent, on the 4th of 
 March caused to be executed a man named 
 Thomas Scott, who had attempted to effect 
 the release of some sixty British subjects 
 illegally confined in the Fort Scott's exe- 
 
 cution aroused a feeling of intense indigna- 
 tion throughout Canada, and resolutions 
 were passed at public meetings held in 
 Toronto and other towns, calling upon the 
 Government to despatch an expedition to 
 the Red River to restore the Queen's 
 authority and punish the murderers. Con- 
 sidering all the enormous obstacles to the 
 transport of stores and warlike material so 
 great a distance through rivers, lakes, and 
 " portages," Colonel Wolseley exhibited 
 throughout the expedition a patience, 
 energy, and forethought that stamp him as 
 a true leader of men. Often during the 
 long and weary march the spirits of his 
 officers and men were seriously affected by 
 the difficulties of the route; more than 
 once it was anticipated by all that the 
 expedition would have to be abandoned ; 
 he alone never once lost heart, but was 
 always cheerful and confident, and bent on 
 pushing on. The force, as organized, con- 
 sisted of 1,214, with about 400 voyageurs, 
 and 100 teamsters. On the 2ist of May 
 Colonel Wolseley, accompanied by his staff, 
 with a company of the 6oth Rifles, quitted 
 Toronto amid the hearty good wishes of all 
 classes of the community; the head-quarters 
 and four more companies followed the same 
 day, and the expedition was now fairly 
 started. After steaming across the broad 
 bosom of Lake Superior, the Chicora 
 anchored, on the 2$th of May, in Thunder 
 Bay, off the end of the road leading to 
 Lake Shebandowan. Wolseley immediately 
 landed, and gave to the spot the name of 
 " Prince Arthur's Landing," in honour of 
 His Royal Highness, who was then serving 
 in Canada with his regiment, the Rifle 
 Brigade. The weather was often wretched 
 in the extreme, the rain pouring all day in 
 cataracts, and officers and men worked daily 
 in their wet clothes. Notwithstanding this, 
 and the hardships they endured, the health 
 of the men was most satisfactory, a result 
 due, doubtless, to Colonel Wolseley having 
 strictly prohibited the use of spirits, which 
 was an unknown luxury in the camp, save 
 in the form of " medical comforts."
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 While at Thunder Bay Wolseley had an 
 opportunity of being introduced, for the 
 first time, to the Red Indian of Fenimore 
 Cooper's novels, and very different he 
 found him from the ideal limned by that 
 picturesque, but untrustworthy, writer. 
 The party consisted of " Black Stone," an 
 Ojibbeway chief, two of his tribe, and a 
 squaw ugly, dirty, half-naked savages, who 
 came ostensibly to express their loyalty to 
 the "great mother," but in reality to get 
 what they could, and report what was going 
 on to their tribe. Colonel Wolseley re- 
 ceived the Indians with great politeness, 
 and reassured them as to his intentions 
 regarding their lands ; and they took their 
 departure on the 6th of June, thoroughly 
 satisfied with their reception and the pre- 
 sents they had received. 
 
 On Wednesday, the 24th of August, the 
 British flag once more waved over Fort 
 Garry, within twenty-four hours of the time 
 specified by Colonel Wolseley, when he 
 undertook the conduct of the expedition. 
 Amid a continued downpour, the troops 
 entered by the southern gate, when the 
 Fort was found to be empty of its late 
 defenders Riel, Lepine, and O'Donoghue 
 having ridden off only a quarter of an hour 
 before. Thus was won a bloodless victory, 
 but one which, nevertheless, having regard 
 to their almost superhuman exertions, must 
 ever be regarded as shedding an additional 
 lustre on the name of the British soldier. 
 Since the 2 ist of May, when Colonel 
 Wolseley and the advanced guard of the 
 expedition quitted Toronto, they had sailed, 
 and marched, and tugged at the oars, and 
 laboured over forty-seven portages, for a 
 distance of one thousand two hundred 
 miles. Wolseley was only too glad that 
 Riel had fled, as his capture would have 
 complicated matters in the state of parlia- 
 mentary parties ; no attempt was, therefore, 
 made to pursue and arrest the fugitives, 
 though they might easily have been cap- 
 tured. On the 28th, Colonel Wolseley 
 issued a complimentary order to the force, 
 in which he said : " You have endured 
 
 excessive fatigue in the performance of a 
 service that, for its arduous nature, can 
 bear comparison with any previous military 
 expedition." General Lindsay was enabled 
 to report to the War Office that, " With the 
 exception of one man left at Fort Garry 
 with inflammation of the lungs, the regular 
 force returned to Canada with no sick, and 
 with no casualty by drowning, or of any 
 other description." 
 
 On Wolseley's arrival at the north-west 
 angle of the Lake of the Woods, he found 
 a note from General Lindsay, saying that 
 he intended to embark for England on the 
 ist of October, and would be glad of his 
 company. Wolseley immediately pushed 
 on for Prince Arthur's Landing in his 
 canoe, and on his arrival took ship to 
 Collingwood. Hurrying through Toronto, 
 he proceeded to Montreal, where the 
 citizens entertained him at a banquet, and 
 presented him with an address of welcome 
 and congratulation. Colonel and Mrs. 
 Wolseley, in company with General Lind- 
 say, proceeded to England in the Scandi- 
 navian ; and on their arrival in London, in 
 October, 1870, Wolseley's appointment of 
 Deputy Quartermaster-General in Canada 
 having been abolished with the withdrawal 
 of all British troops from the Dominion, 
 he was placed upon the half-pay list of his 
 rank. 
 
 Wolseley, while at Fort Garry, had 
 learned in a letter from his old chief and 
 friend, the late Sir Hope Grant, that his 
 name would be included among the Com- 
 panions of the Bath, in the next Gazette, 
 a tardy acknowledgment for his many and 
 eminent services in four great wars ; and 
 now, at the bidding of his Sovereign, he 
 " rose up " Sir Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 
 K.C.M.G. 
 
 On the ist of May, 1871, after having 
 been six months on the half-pay list, Sir 
 Garnet Wolseley was appointed Assistant 
 Adjutant-General, Discipline Branch, at 
 the Horse Guards. 
 
 In the following August there appeared 
 an advertisement in the Times, inviting
 
 THE ASHANTEE EXPEDITION. 
 
 officers to compete for a prize of ^100, 
 offered by the Duke of Wellington, for the 
 best essay on " The System of Field 
 Manoeuvres, best adapted for enabling our 
 troops to meet a Continental Army." The 
 competitors were required to send in their 
 essays before the ist of March in the follow- 
 ing year. Under the signature of " Ubique," 
 Sir Garnet Wolseley competed for this prize, 
 but he was not sanguine of success, as, 
 owing to his onerous office work at the 
 Horse Guards, he was only able to give 
 to the composition of his essay such odd 
 portions of his time as were snatched from 
 his official duties. But though this hastily 
 written production of his pen did not carry 
 off the prize, it was regarded with so much 
 favour by the judge, that, together with four 
 others, also " highly recommended," it was 
 published by the desire of the Duke of 
 Wellington. 
 
 During the Autumn Manoeuvres of 1871, 
 in the neighbourhood of Aldershot and 
 Woolmer Forest, Sir Garnet Wolseley held 
 the post of chief of the staff to Sir Charles 
 Staveley ; and in the following year he 
 served as Assistant Adjutant-General on the 
 staff of the southern army, commanded by 
 that fine old soldier, Sir John Michel, who, 
 remembering the capacity Wolseley dis- 
 played in the China war of 1860, requested 
 him to conduct the duties of that depart- 
 ment. Sir Garnet was a member of the 
 committee for the Reorganization of the 
 Army, presided over by General McDougall, 
 and also frequently wrote minutes on vari- 
 ous military questions at the request of the 
 Duke of Cambridge and Mr. Cardwell, the 
 Secretary of State for War. 
 
 But the name and fame of Sir Garnet 
 Wolseley, notwithstanding all his services, 
 might have remained unhonoured and un- 
 known had not one of those crises arisen 
 which this country, with her vast colonies 
 and dependencies, has so frequently been 
 called upon to meet, and once again, " the 
 hour brought forth the man." When we 
 survey the situation of affairs on the Gold 
 Coast in the autumn of 1873, and the diffi- 
 
 culties that appeared to militate against a 
 successful invasion of Ashantee, difficulties 
 as to climate, transport, and the limited 
 time disposable for military operations, we 
 may recall the anxiety with which every 
 patriotic heart regarded the success of the 
 expedition at the time it was despatched 
 from these shores. When it was known 
 that the Government had resolved upon an 
 expedition toCoomassie,the Press was filled, 
 as at the time of the Abyssinian war, with 
 dismal prognostications, and one " experi- 
 enced" gentleman, in answer to a letter 
 from Sir Garnet Wolseley as to necessary 
 articles of outfit, replied that he would 
 "strongly recommend that every officer 
 should take out his coffin." The intelligence, 
 however, of the appointment of Sir Garnet 
 Wolseley to the command of the projected 
 expedition, was received by the country 
 with universal approval, and he speedily 
 gave tokens of the wisdom of the selection 
 in the infinite care and patience he took in 
 organizing the details of the undertaking, 
 and in gaining information on all points 
 from any one who had it to impart. 
 
 The time having arrived for his depar- 
 ture, Sir Garnet Wolseley was invested with 
 the local rank of Major-General, and was 
 appointed administrator of the Government 
 of the Gold Coast, with instructions to re- 
 port direct to the Home Government. The 
 steamship Amboiz, in which Sir Garnet 
 sailed from Liverpool, after a voyage of 
 three weeks, cast anchor off Cape Coast on 
 the 2nd of October, and on the following 
 day he landed under the usual salutes. 
 
 In order to inspire confidence, and in- 
 duce the Fantees to exert themselves, Sir 
 Garnet, on the day succeeding his landing, 
 held a durbar (called here a " palaver ") of 
 the kings and chiefs of the Protectorate, 
 which took place in a large marquee pitched 
 in front of the Government House. The 
 " kings " began to arrive soon after three 
 o'clock, and with the gravity becoming the 
 solemnity of the occasion, seated themselves 
 on stools, carried by their attendants, some 
 of whom also bore huge umbrellas, which
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 denote the regal state among these African 
 communities, while others carried swords 
 and canes, and beat tomtoms to herald the 
 approach of their potent masters. Sir 
 Garnet stood, while the kings in succession 
 were introduced to him, and received the 
 conventional shake of the hand from the 
 Queen's Representative. Almost daily in- 
 terviews took place between him and some 
 of the kings, whom he strove to influence 
 by considerations of profit, as honour and 
 patriotism were unknown words in their 
 vocabulary, to collect their men and fight 
 the Ashantees. 
 
 The following " Special General Order " 
 of thanks, issued to the troops by Sir 
 Garnet, sums up the chief events of the 
 Ashantee war : 
 
 "CoOMASSiE, February $f/i, 1874. 
 
 Soldiers, Seamen, and Marines of this 
 Expeditionary Force, 
 
 After five days' very hard fighting, under 
 trying conditions, your courage and devo- 
 tion have been rewarded with complete 
 success. I thank you in Her Majesty's 
 name for your gallantry and good conduct 
 throughout these operations. 
 
 In the first phase of this war the 
 Ashantee Army was driven back from the 
 Fantee country into its own territory. Since 
 then you have penetrated far through a 
 dense forest, defended at many points with 
 the greatest obstinacy. You have repeat- 
 edly defeated a very numerous and most 
 courageous enemy, fighting on his own 
 ground, in well-selected positions. British 
 pluck and the discipline common to Her 
 Majesty's land and sea forces have enabled 
 you thus to overcome all difficulties and to 
 seize upon the enemy's capital, which now 
 lies at our mercy. 
 
 All the people, ,both European and 
 native, unjustly held captive by the King 
 of Ashantee, are now at liberty ; and you 
 have proved to this cruel and barbarous 
 people that England is able to punish her 
 enemies, no matter what their strength in 
 numbers or position. 
 
 Maintain on your return march to the 
 
 coast the same admirable conduct you have 
 hitherto evinced, and England may be as 
 justly proud of having such soldiers, sailors, 
 and marines as I am of having had the 
 honour of commanding you throughout this 
 campaign." 
 
 The loot sold at Cape Coast, which 
 realized nearly ^6,000, consisted chiefly of 
 the gold ornaments of the king's wives, and 
 included two of His Majesty's solid gold 
 pipes, a curious silver coffee-pot of George 
 the First's time, which Sir Garnet purchased, 
 and an ivory-hilted sword, bearing on one 
 side of the blade the following inscription : 
 " From Her Majesty Queen Victoria to 
 the King of Ashantee." This weapon, 
 which was left by the king in his bed- 
 chamber when he made his hurried exit 
 from Coomassie, was purchased by the offi- 
 cers of the staff, and presented by them to 
 their gallant commander. On the reverse 
 of the blade is a second legend as follows : 
 " Major-General Sir Garnet Joseph Wol- 
 seley, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., from the officers 
 of his staff. Coomassie, 4th February, 
 1874." Doubtless the victor of Amoaful 
 and Ordahsu possesses no more valued 
 souvenir of his distinguished military career 
 than this sword of honour, to which a pecu- 
 liar interest must attach from the names of 
 the original donor and recipient, and the 
 circumstances under which it changed 
 hands. 
 
 On the 4th of March Sir Garnet, with 
 his staff, embarked in the Manitobah, and, 
 after an uneventful passage, arrived at 
 Portsmouth on the 2oth. 
 
 The Ashantee campaign has been fre- 
 quently likened to the Abyssinian war, 
 and the comparison obviously presents 
 itself to the mind, though the conditions 
 under which such striking successes have 
 been achieved by two British commanders 
 are as dissimilar as can well be. Though 
 Lord Napier had to march four hundred 
 miles before he could strike at his savage 
 enemy, and Sir Garnet Wolseley considerably 
 less than two hundred miles, and though 
 the engineering difficulties that beset every
 
 HONOURS AND REWARDS. 
 
 mile of the advance were, in both cases, 
 well-nigh insuperable, yet the climatic con- 
 ditions were so much in favour of the 
 Indian General, that the palm, as regards 
 the magnitude of the difficulties overcome, 
 must unhesitatingly be awarded to his 
 younger brother-in-arms. 
 
 Monday, March 3oth, was a day to be 
 remembered with pride by the General and 
 his little army, as they received a double 
 honour the public approval of Her Ma- 
 jesty, as expressed by her reviewing the 
 troops at Windsor, in the presence of the 
 Legislature, and a vote of thanks from both 
 Houses of Parliament. The Queen drove 
 down the ranks, the special service officers 
 being placed on the right of the line. After 
 the inspection was completed, Her Majesty- 
 returned to the saluting point, and the 
 troops were formed into a hollow square, 
 when Sir Garnet, having dismounted, was 
 invested by the Queen with the insignia of 
 the Grand Cross of the Order of St. 
 Michael and St. George, and of a Knight 
 Commander of the Bath. Sir Archibald 
 Alison was then presented to Her Majesty, 
 and also Lord Gifford, who was decorated 
 with the Victoria Cross. Sir Garnet, who 
 held the local rank of Major-General while 
 employed on the Gold Coast, was now 
 promoted, by Special General Order, to 
 the rank of Major-General " for dis- 
 tinguished service in the field." On the 
 20th of April a motion was made in the 
 House of Commons for the bestowal of a 
 
 grant of ^25,000. Mr. Disraeli also offered 
 him a baronetcy, which was declined. Sir 
 Garnet had no other ambition than to attain 
 eminence in his profession. Hence he was 
 able to refuse, without a pang, a baronetcy 
 and the highest honours of the Bath the 
 Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, 
 accepting only the second grade and by 
 adopting this course he showed his wisdom 
 in avoiding the acceptance of too many 
 honours, which would only tend to excite 
 feelings of jealousy among the less success- 
 ful of his brothers-in-arms. 
 
 Sir Garnet Wolseley was a guest at the 
 annual banquet of the Royal Academy, 
 when he was honoured by having his 
 health proposed in the most flattering 
 terms by the heir to the throne. He was 
 also feted by his countrymen at Dublin, and 
 received honorary degrees from the Uni- 
 versities on two successive days, the i6th 
 and i yth of June, the occasions being those 
 known as " Commemoration " at Oxford 
 and " Commencement " at Cambridge. 
 
 The Corporation of the City of London 
 having shortly after his return from Ashan- 
 tee voted Sir Garnet Wolseley the freedom, 
 accompanied by a sword of honour, the 
 presentation took place on the 2 2nd of 
 October, at the Guildhall, and was con- 
 ducted with all the ceremony usual on the 
 rare occasions when potent sovereigns and 
 successful generals have been similarly 
 honoured by the ancient and noble city of 
 London.
 
 320 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 L 
 
 ORD 
 
 OON after Sir Garnet's return 
 from Ashantee, he was ap- 
 pointed Inspector-General 
 of the Auxiliary Forces, in 
 succession to Lieutenant- 
 General the Hon. Sir James Lindsay. 
 This office Wolseley held with advantage 
 to the Auxiliary Forces, as acknowledged by 
 the service papers, until February, 1875, 
 when he was called upon by the Govern- 
 ment to proceed to Natal, and assume 
 temporarily the supreme direction of mili- 
 tary and civil affairs in the Colony. It was 
 considered desirable that the Colony should 
 be placed in a state of defence, so that 
 there might be no excuse for a repetition 
 of the panic into which the white colonists 
 who only numbered 17,000 as against 
 350,000 natives had been thrown by the 
 recent rebellion. 
 
 The Windsor Castle, which set sail in 
 the latter part of February, made the pas- 
 sage to Cape Town in twenty-four and a half 
 days. On the ist of April, Sir Garnet with 
 his staff proceeded from Durban to the 
 capital, Pietermaritzburg, and on the day 
 of his arrival and on the following day held 
 an executive council. The points upon 
 which new legislation was required were 
 briefly : a sounder and fairer native policy 
 than that in operation ; the security of life 
 and property; the promotion of public 
 works and immigration; and, lastly, the 
 amendment of a constitution, which the 
 elected members of the Legislative Council 
 themselves declared to be unworkable. 
 This was the crux of Sir Garnet Wolseley's 
 mission, and it was one that perhaps few 
 men would have cared to undertake. It is 
 always a matter of difficulty to obtain a 
 surrender of power from those who possess 
 it, and this was the task Sir Garnet under- 
 
 CHAPTER LI X. 
 
 J^URTHER TOILS AND SUCCESSES. 
 
 took to accomplish. On the sth of May 
 he opened the session of the Legislative 
 Council in a speech, wherein he stated that 
 a modification of the Council was neces- 
 sary, in the sense of "increasing and 
 assuring the power of the Executive," 
 which was " essential to the present safety 
 and future progress of the Colony." A 
 writer in the chief Maritzburg paper spoke 
 of Lord Carnarvon, Sir Garnet Wolseley, 
 and Mr. Broome, as three " howling 
 humanitarian fanatics " ; and at a large 
 public meeting it was resolved unani- 
 mously that it was the duty of the Govern- 
 ment to turn every Kaffir out of Natal. 
 Such were the amenities of the conflict 
 upon which Wolseley had entered, and 
 such the views of the Opposition in this 
 Council and Colony. At one time failure 
 appeared so assured that Sir Garnet pre- 
 pared his despatch to the Secretary of 
 State announcing his want of success. A 
 few days later the third reading of the 
 Constitution Amendment Bill was carried, 
 and then the measure was sent home for 
 the Queen's signature before becoming law. 
 The Bill settled, Sir Garnet proceeded 
 to the location of Langalibalele, the famous 
 chief and rain-doctor, whose tribe had been 
 broken up in accordance with Lord Car- 
 narvon's instructions, and personally in- 
 quired into their condition and that of the 
 neighbouring Putili tribe, who had also 
 been deprived of their cattle for alleged 
 complicity in the rebellion. He resolved 
 to restore to them the value of their pro- 
 perty in ploughs and seed, as well as cattle 
 and sheep ; and also decided to place in 
 each location an European magistrate to 
 whom the Kaffirs could look for guidance, 
 advice, and protection, thus superseding 
 the influence of their chiefs, under whom
 
 RETURN FROM AFRICA. 
 
 321 
 
 progress was impossible. What with com- 
 mittees and commissions, added to the 
 conduct of the ordinary business of the 
 Colony, Sir Garnet and his " brilliant 
 staff," as the papers always called his 
 officers, were hard at work from seven in 
 the morning till late in the evening, and 
 even the opponents of the recent reforms 
 recognised the devotion and energy of this 
 
 talented band of soldiers. At length, just 
 five months from the date of his arrival, the 
 task was completed; and on the ist of 
 September, Sir Garnet, who had handed 
 over the conduct of affairs to Sir Henry 
 Bulwer, made his farewell speech, con- 
 cluding with an eloquent peroration on the 
 future of Natal, at a banquet given by the 
 Mayor of Durban, at which also were 
 
 ZULULANU, SEPTEMKER I, 1879. 
 THE ZULU CHIEFS SIGNING THE PEACE STIPULATIONS AT ULUNDI. 
 
 present his successor, and Mr. Froude, the 
 eminent historian, who had been sent by 
 Lord Carnarvon to advocate the confedera- 
 tion of the South African States, and made 
 a statesmanlike speech on the occasion. 
 
 Two days later, amid the regrets of the 
 colonists, Sir Garnet sailed for England, 
 accompanied by his staff; and at Cape 
 Town a grand public ball was given in his 
 honour, Admiral Lambert and the officers 
 
 of the Flying Squadron, which had arrived 
 the day before, being present. 
 
 On the 4th of October, the Windsor 
 Castle, decked from stem to stern with 
 flags, arrived at Plymouth, where Sir Garnet 
 was received with hearty cheers on landing. 
 He now resumed his duties at the War 
 Office, but in November, 1876, was offered 
 by Lord Salisbury, and accepted, a seat at 
 the Council of India, where his varied
 
 322 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 military experience was of eminent ser- 
 vice. 
 
 When war between this country and 
 Russia appeared imminent, Sir Garnet 
 Wolseley was nominated Chief of the Staff 
 to Lord Napier of Magdala, the Commander 
 of the Expeditionary Army; and, on the 28th 
 of February, the Press, in announcing the 
 appointment, was unanimous in expressions 
 of approval. But the war-cloud, which at 
 one time looked so threatening, was finally 
 dispelled by the labours of the Congress at 
 Berlin ; and when, on the 8th of July, the 
 British public and the world were amazed 
 by Lord Beaconsfield's great coup the 
 Protectorate of the Turkish Asiatic Empire, 
 and the annexation of Cyprus the an- 
 nouncement in both Houses of Parliament 
 was cdupled with the intimation of Sir 
 Garnet Wolseley's appointment as " Her 
 Majesty's High Commissioner and Com- 
 mander-in-chief" of this, the newest ap- 
 panage to the British Crown. 
 
 On the following Saturday, the i5th, 
 Sir Garnet left England for Cyprus, via 
 Brindisi and Malta. We might fairly an- 
 ticipate, therefore, looking to his ante- 
 cedents, that he would transform this fair 
 island of the Levant which in turn has 
 been possessed by Phoenicians, Greeks, 
 Romans, Saracens, Venetians, and Turks 
 into what the mightiest warrior of anti- 
 quity anticipated it would become in his 
 hands. In a remarkable passage, Alexander 
 the Great says ("Arrian," Vol. i. p. 99): 
 "And Cyprus being in our hands, we 
 shall reign absolute sovereigns at sea, and 
 an easy way will be laid open for making 
 a descent on Egypt." Any one, who has 
 pursued the letters in The Times and other 
 papers from their correspondents in that 
 island, can form some estimate of the 
 numerous reforms he has introduced into 
 the administration if such , a term can be 
 applied to the condition of public affairs 
 at the time of our assuming rule over' the 
 island : for it was rather the absence of any 
 government than a tyrannical abuse of 
 power. With regard to the Levant fever, 
 
 which attacked the troops soon after their 
 first landing in the summer of 1878, too 
 much was made. On this point, Sir Garnet 
 wrote to a friend in the following winter : 
 " We are now enjoying delightful weather 
 so much so that any one arriving here 
 now for the first time would indeed be 
 astonished to learn that the island had ever 
 at any season proved unhealthy." 
 
 In the same year, 1879, tne Govern- 
 ment determined to send out Sir Garnet 
 as administrator in that part of South- 
 Eastern Africa in the neighbourhood of the 
 seat of war, with plenary powers, both 
 civil and military. He landed at Durban 
 on the 28th June, and proceeded direct to 
 Pietermaritzburg, where he was the same 
 day sworn in as Governor of Natal. Cer- 
 tainly Sir Garnet did not let the grass grow 
 under his feet, and rapidly completed a 
 chain of forts across Zululand. He visited 
 various parts, interviewing the Zulu chiefs 
 who had surrendered themselves. Some 
 of the most important, however, of those 
 who came in, and were supposed to have 
 submitted and deserted their king, had, in 
 point of fact, no such intention, appearing 
 merely to make their often and vainly 
 repeated attempt at procuring " terms " for 
 Cetewayo and themselves. After the vic- 
 tory of Ulundi it was argued that the 
 people would be glad to procure peace by 
 giving up their king, whose unconditional 
 submission, or capture, was announced by 
 us to be the only possible conclusion to 
 the war. The English tried in vain to 
 persuade his people to betray him, but this 
 " hated tyrant," although beaten and power- 
 less, flying through the land now in the 
 possession of his conquerors, had still such 
 a hold over the loyalty and affection of his 
 people, that they were true to him in his 
 adversity, and refused to give him up or 
 to set his enemies on his track. Severe 
 measures were taken to procure by force 
 the information which could not otherwise 
 be obtained ; but these proved useless. 
 An interpreter, who accompanied Major 
 Barrow's party, writes : " I had been a long
 
 CETEWAYO. 
 
 323 
 
 time in Zululand. I knew the people and 
 their habits, and although I believed they 
 would be true to their king, I never ex- 
 pected such devotion. Nothing would 
 move them. Neither the loss of their 
 cattle, the fear of death, nor the offering 
 of large bribes, would make them false to 
 their king. For many days this work of 
 trying to persuade or force the people to 
 betray their king was continued, and at 
 last a woman was frightened into giving a 
 clue, which resulted in taking prisoners 
 three brothers, at whose kraal the king had 
 slept the night before." 
 
 Among other patrols sent out to look 
 for Cetewayo was one under Major Mar- 
 ter, King's Dragoon Guards. This force 
 found the natives friendly, but they said 
 frankly that if they knew the king to be 
 close by they would not tell him. At 
 length, after many fruitless efforts, Major 
 Marter espied a kraal in an open space 
 about 2,000 feet below, in a basin, three 
 sides of which were precipitous and covered 
 with dense forest. He considered it would 
 be useless to approach the kraal from the 
 open side, as one minute's warning would 
 enable the king to escape to the nearest 
 point of the forest ; and therefore decided 
 to venture down the side of the mountain 
 under cover of the forest, feeling that the 
 importance of the capture would warrant 
 the risk. They left the upper part of the 
 mountain at 1.45 p.m., and, after a scramble 
 over rocks and watercourses, floundering 
 in bogs, and hampered everywhere by trees 
 and gigantic creepers, reached the foot 
 about three o'clock, having lost two horses 
 killed in the descent, and one man having 
 his arm badly hurt. Seeing that the men 
 in the kraal were armed with guns as well 
 as assegais, Major Marter desired his in- 
 terpreter to call out that if any resistance 
 were offered, he would shoot down every 
 one and burn the kraal. A threat of setting 
 fire to the king's hut was then made, 
 when he asked the rank of the officer, and, 
 after some further parley, came out and 
 stood erect and quite the king, looking at 
 
 Major Marter, saying: "You would not 
 have taken me, but I never thought troops 
 could come down the mountain through 
 the forest." 
 
 Taking the most open line of country, 
 the party set out for Ulundi, Major Marter 
 taking personal charge of the king. On 
 the 3 ist of August the Major safely reached 
 the camp at Ulundi with Cetewayo ; who 
 is described by his captor as " a noble 
 specimen of a man, without any bad ex- 
 pression, and the king all over in appear- 
 ance and manner." The party reached 
 Port Durnford on the 4th September, and 
 was immediately embarked for Cape Town. 
 There the king met with a fitting reception, 
 and was conveyed to the Castle, where he 
 remained under strict surveillance in the 
 custody of Colonel Hassard, C.B., R.E., 
 Commandant at Cape Town. 
 
 The fall of Ulundi was looked upon by 
 some as the finishing touch to the Zulu 
 power and the end of the war, while others 
 considered peace ensured only and com- 
 pletely by the capture of the king. Much, 
 however, remained to be done before Natal 
 could be thought of as at peace with her 
 neighbours and herself, and what has been 
 commonly called the "Settlement of Zulu- 
 land," was a task which required the gravest 
 consideration and the most careful hand- 
 ling. 
 
 Sir Garnet Wolseley's first act in this 
 direction was to call together as many of 
 the principal Zulu chiefs and officials as 
 could be found, and to address them upon 
 the situation. This meeting, which took 
 place at Ulundi on the ist of September, 
 was attended by about 200 Zulus, includ- 
 ing two of Cetewayo's brothers and his 
 prime minister. When Sir Garnet, with 
 his staff, at last appeared, he addressed the 
 assembled chiefs through Mr. John Shep- 
 stone, his interpreter. At the conclusion 
 of the General's discourse he produced a 
 document, the purport of which, he said, 
 he had now told them, and which was to 
 be signed by all the chiefs whom he had 
 chosen as rulers of the land, to each of
 
 324 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 whom a duplicate copy would be given, 
 while he retained a similar one himself. 
 The first to sign his name was Mr. John 
 Dunn, whose chieftainship was by far the 
 largest; and after him the Zulu chiefs 
 touched the pen while Mr. Shepstone 
 made their crosses for them, in place 
 of the signature which they could not 
 form. 
 
 Thus was completed the subjugation of 
 the Zulus, and the Zulu war brought to a 
 
 termination. Sir Garnet afterwards over- 
 powered Sekukuni's hostile nation, de- 
 j stroyed their stronghold, and finally sub- 
 dued the disaffected Boers, and completed 
 the annexation of the Transvaal 
 
 Returning in May, 1880, he was ap- 
 | pointed Quartermaster-General at the head- 
 I quarters of the army; and in April, 1882, 
 succeeded Sir Charles Ellice as Adjutant- 
 General of the Army an important as well 
 as honourable post 
 
 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 J^ORD ^OLSELEY jiGYPTIAN ^XPEDITION CHARACTERISTICS 
 
 WRITER. 
 
 AS A 
 
 N the same year Sir Garnet 
 was appointed Commander- 
 in-chief of the British Ex- 
 peditionary Army during 
 the Egyptian war. The 
 remarkable nature of the expedition con- 
 sists in this that it is probably the first 
 instance in English military history, where 
 the means were exactly calculated for the 
 end to be obtained, where the Government 
 thoroughly supported the commander of 
 its choice, and the campaign was brought 
 to a conclusion in the very manner and at 
 the very time which had been calculated 
 in London before a single soldier was sent 
 forth from this country. 
 
 The events of the campaign have shown 
 that the main, and we might almost say the 
 only immediate, cause of the war, was the 
 revolt of the senior officers against military 
 reduction and reorganization. The colonels 
 of regiments have been almost entirely 
 Turks, and from their ranks have been 
 taken not only the generals, but even the 
 principal ministers and other functionaries. 
 The struggle has always been one for place 
 and power among the colonels, and the 
 common soldiers were but accessories to 
 that end. The combined result of the 
 
 reforms undertaken by the Ministry of 
 Tewfik and the fight against them, was 
 that at the time of the revolt the Egyptian 
 army was weakened by economy, while its 
 heart was turned against all European in- 
 terference with the organization of the 
 country. The falsehoods which Arabi and 
 his lieutenants have found themselves 
 
 i obliged to disseminate, are sufficient proof 
 that the movement was artificial, and not 
 
 . caused by any natural uprising of spirit 
 
 From the nth of June, when the mas- 
 sacres of Alexandria took place, it became 
 certain that Arabi Pasha must be suppressed 
 or European influence in Egypt abandoned. 
 Great patience was shown, and it was not 
 till several new works had been built, while 
 preparations were made to block the mouth 
 of the harbour, that Admiral Seymour on 
 July 6th sent in an ultimatum, the purport 
 of which was that unless certain forts were 
 dismantled within twenty-four hours, he 
 would open fire upon them. At seven 
 o'clock in the morning of the nth of July 
 the first gun was fired by the Alexandra. 
 The reply came in the shape of a mighty 
 burst of artillery fire. Suffice it to say 
 that the results of this action inspired more 
 respect for the enemy than the future pro-
 
 TEL-EL-KEBIR. 
 
 325 
 
 gress of the war has shown that he deserved. 
 But it would appear that throughout the 
 campaign the fire of the Egyptian artillery 
 has always been better than that of the 
 infantry. 
 
 Sir Garnet Wolseley arrived at Alexandria 
 on August 1 5th, and the Khedive at once 
 issued decrees giving full power to the 
 British to undertake operations and occupy 
 the country. On the 2ist the disembark- 
 ation at Ismailia was in full process. The 
 enemy had been defeated several times, 
 and the situation was clearing itself rapidly. 
 A portion of public opinion, both at home 
 and on the continent, believed that the 
 English force was checked, but its com- 
 mander was developing his plans for the 
 attack of Tel-el- Kebir, the very spot on 
 which before leaving England he had laid 
 his finger as the scene of the critical battle 
 of the war. 
 
 The experience of an Egyptian sun on 
 the desert sands had shown that though 
 English troops could fight and conquer in 
 the heat of the day, the hard task before 
 them had better be performed in the cool 
 hours of the morning. Accordingly, at 
 nightfall, on the izth September, the force 
 moved silently forward in the order chosen 
 for attack. The total strength present was 
 1 1,000 bayonets, 2,000 sabres, and 60 guns, 
 about half that of the enemy. Knowing 
 the effect produced by the sudden ap- 
 parition of a brave enemy determined to 
 charge, Sir Garnet decided to have no 
 preliminary fire, but to trust only to the 
 shadows of the night to veil his advance. 
 It is said that the men were ordered not 
 even to load if it could possibly be avoided, 
 and, in any case, to close with the foe and, 
 breast to breast, decide the struggle with 
 the bayonet. 
 
 In former actions the artillery and cavalry 
 had been chiefly conspicuous. The battle 
 of Tel-el-Kebir was won by the infantry. 
 Nor was any chance of rallying allowed to 
 the beaten enemy. The guns in the re- 
 doubts were turned against their former 
 masters, and with astonishing swiftness 
 
 portions of the British artillery bounded 
 over intervening ditches and parapets into 
 the heart of the position and crushed the 
 terrified masses by shrapnel fire, causing 
 the accumulations of men to burst asunder 
 and fly in all directions. Not a moment 
 was lost Straight over the battle-field the 
 Indian contingent pressed the flying foe. 
 It was joined by a battalion of Highlanders 
 near Abou Essen, and together they oc- 
 cupied Zagazig that afternoon. The bulk 
 of the cavalry division, and the mounted 
 infantry, having cut through the flying 
 masses, moved south-west by the desert 
 road upon Belbais, which it occupied, after 
 a slight skirmish, that evening. This force 
 occupied Cairo, the capital of Egypt, next 
 evening, the i4th, after a splendid march 
 of thirty-nine miles under the blazing 
 Egyptian sun, saving the town from destruc- 
 tion, which had been threatened, and cap- 
 turing Arabi himself. On the same day, 
 also, Sir Garnet, the head-quarters staff, and 
 a company of Scots Guards, with the Duke 
 of Connaught, moved on to Zagazig by 
 train; thence next day, the iSth, to Benha 
 and Cairo, entering the capital amid the 
 acclamations of the people, accompanied 
 by detachments of Guards, Highlanders, 
 and Marines. 
 
 Sir Garnet left England on the 2nd of 
 August, made the whole voyage round 
 Gibraltar, arrived at Alexandria on the 1510, 
 and entered Cairo a conqueror on the 
 1 5th of September. Such are the facilities 
 afforded by steam and the telegraph for a 
 force which undertakes the invasion of an 
 enemy's country. Surely the lesson of this 
 is, that it is more than ever necessary to be 
 prepared on shore against the descent of an 
 enemy by sea. 
 
 For his services in Egypt Sir Garnet 
 received the thanks of both Houses of 
 Parliament, was raised to the peerage, 
 promoted to the rank of General, and re- 
 ceived from the Khedive, Tewfik Pasha, 
 the grand cordon of the Osmanieh. 
 
 The leading features of Lord Wolseley's 
 character are so well hit off by Sir \V. G.
 
 325 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Armstrong, President of the Institution of 
 Civil Engineers, that we quote his very 
 words : " They had among them one who 
 had won a world-wide reputation as an 
 English general. It was not necessary to 
 enumerate the great services he had ren- 
 dered prior to the Egyptian campaign. It 
 was sufficient to say that throughout his 
 career he had displayed three qualities very 
 rare, but making when combined a great 
 military genius dash, discretion, and fore- 
 sight. There was a remarkable similitude 
 between the names of Wolseley and Wel- 
 lesley, both Irish, but of English extraction. 
 These were remarkable coincidences, and 
 he ventured to predict that if in this genera- 
 tion we should be unfortunately involved 
 in a great European war, the parallelism 
 would not be confined either to the name 
 or the country. Lord Wolseley had been 
 called a most fortunate general : but there 
 was an old saying, and a true one, that 
 good fortune was only another name for 
 good management That was certainly the 
 case in the Egyptian campaign, and the 
 result had been brilliant success achieved 
 with singular brevity in the military opera- 
 tions." 
 
 In June, 1883, the University of Dublin 
 conferred upon Lord Wolseley the honorary 
 degree of LL.D. This honour was well 
 merited. He is the author of " Narra- 
 tive of the War with China in 1860, 
 to which is added the Account of a Short 
 Residence with the Taiping Rebels at 
 Nankin, and a Voyage from thence to 
 Hankow "(1862); "The Soldier's Pocket 
 Book for Field Service" (1869; 2nd edition, 
 1871; new edition, 1882); "The System 
 of Field Manoeuvres best adapted for 
 enabling our Troops to meet a Continental 
 Army," printed in " Essays written for the 
 Wellington Prize"(i872); "Marley Castle," 
 a novel, 2 vols. (1877); "Field Pocket 
 Book for the Auxiliary Forces (1873) ; 
 "France as a Military Power in 1870 and 
 1878 " (in the Nineteenth Century, January, 
 1878); "England as a Military Power in 
 1854 and in 1878 " (March, 1878). 
 
 We append one or two specimens of his 
 style as an author. In answer to an in- 
 vitation to attend a Temperance Demon- 
 stration in Hackney during October, 1881, 
 he says : " There is no one in England 
 whose heart is more sincerely in the good 
 cause you advocate than mine. About 
 90 per cent, of the crime in our army is 
 owing to drunkenness, and when our men 
 are removed from the temptation of in- 
 toxicating liquor, crime is practically un- 
 known among them. During the operations 
 I conducted in South Africa in 1879 my 
 own personal escort was composed almost 
 exclusively of teetotalers. They had very 
 hard work to do, but grumbling was never 
 heard from them; and a better behaved 
 set of men I was never assisted by, a fact 
 which I attribute to their being almost all 
 total abstainers." 
 
 The" following extract concludes his able 
 Paper on " England as a Military Power," 
 contained in the Nineteenth Century, March, 
 1878. 
 
 " At no previous period of our history 
 have we ever been so strong in a military 
 sense as at present. In 1854 we were 
 very weak in field artillery; the military 
 force in these islands was under 70,000 
 men, and there was no reserve whatever 
 beyond some pensioners, who were too old 
 for field service. Were war declared to- 
 morrow, about 400,000 drilled men would 
 fall into line if required, supported by 372 
 field guns, manned and horsed by the 
 Royal Artillery. That number would 
 roughly be made up as follows : 
 
 Standing Army at Home 99,000 men. 
 
 Army and Militia Reserve ... ... 40,000 ,, 
 
 Militia 85,000 ,, 
 
 Volunteers 180,000 ,, 
 
 Second Class Army Reserve 10,000 ,, 
 
 Total 414,000 ,, 
 
 In this calculation I have put the figures 
 very low, and have left out altogether the 
 10,000 yeomanry who would be available 
 for home service. I have likewise not taken 
 into consideration the number of regular 
 troops that would be available for war, when
 
 OUR WOLSELEY PICTURES. 
 
 327 
 
 the Mediterranean garrisons were furnished 
 by the militia. It will thus be seen that we 
 could at once take the field with two fully 
 equipped army corps of more than 30,000 
 soldiers each, leaving a similar force of 
 regular troops at home as a reserve. When 
 I compare the military strength of England 
 now with what it was in 1854, I am 
 as amazed at the condition of military 
 weakness and helplessness, in which we 
 were when we began the Russian war 
 of that year, as I am at the ignorance 
 of those who are now to be heard 
 croaking over our supposed want of 
 strength and our alleged consequent ina- 
 bility to fight. Unlike most other nations, 
 if we declare war, we need have no appre- 
 hension of invasion ; this confers upon us 
 the great advantage of being able to choose 
 our own time for beginning active hostili- 
 ties ; and as our army would necessarily 
 have to be conveyed by sea to the theatre 
 of war, we are always able to select the 
 line of operations considered best and most 
 suitable to the force we act with. In fact 
 the initiative would rest with us, and I need 
 not tell the student of history how invalu- 
 able it is to the commander who knows 
 
 how to take advantage of it. But if we are 
 to secure this national advantage of the 
 initiative, we must act with unity of purpose. 
 In seasons of great peril it is good that one 
 bear sway, and all should support the mode 
 of action selected, even although some may 
 think the plans they have themselves con- 
 ceived would lead to better results. It is 
 far more important in warlike matters that 
 all should act as one man, than that the 
 ideally best course of action should be 
 adopted. 
 
 England can never engage in any great 
 war unless it be thoroughly popular with 
 the nation ; but if the warlike spirit of the 
 people be aroused in earnest, we all know 
 that Her Majesty will never want soldiers 
 to fight for the honour and welfare of her 
 kingdom. A great empire has been built 
 up for us by the military achievements of 
 our forefathers. I for my part trust we 
 may be able now and always to address 
 them after the manner of Prince Hal : 
 
 ' You won it, ruled it, kept it, gave it us, 
 Then plain and right must our possession be ; 
 Which we with more than with a common pain 
 'Gainst all the world will rightfully maintain.' " 
 
 CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 LORD Y/OLSELEY ILLUSTRATIONS FROM JSCENES IN HIS 
 fiis CHARACTER AS DRAWN BY MR. ARCHIBALD 
 
 OLLOWING our usual plan 
 
 of instructing the mind 
 
 through the eye, we have 
 
 illustrated our life of Lord 
 
 Wolseley with pictures that 
 bring the chief details of his life before our 
 readers' attention. First, we have the 
 house where he was born, modest and un- 
 pretending, but evidently substantial and 
 comfortable ; then we have the school where 
 he was educated ; then a picture from Zulu- 
 
 land ; and finally a view of his reception at 
 Dover when he returned to his native land 
 after his triumphant suppression of Arabi's 
 rebellion. We need not dwell on these 
 events again, for they are fully described in 
 the chapters of our work devoted to the 
 biography of our General. Let us then 
 conclude this part of our subject with a few 
 remarks on Lord Wolseley's character and 
 exploits from the able pen of Mr. Archibald 
 Forbes : " When he was gazetted to the
 
 328 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 8oth, it was on service in Burmah, where 
 Sir John Cheape was conducting what is 
 known as 'The Second Burmese War.' 
 Sir John was operating against a certain 
 Burmese chieftain, who owned the euphoni- 
 ous name of Myat-Loon, and also the re- 
 putedly impregnable stronghold of Kyoult 
 Azein, situated in the heart of a dense 
 jungle. The outworks of this stronghold 
 had to be taken by storm, and Wolseley, 
 only just joined, volunteered to lead the 
 storming detachment. His handful of the 
 8oth was conjoined in the operation with a 
 little band of Madras Infantry under the 
 command of Lieutenant Taylor. Taylor 
 and Wolseley raced for the honour of being 
 first inside the enemy's works. Neither 
 won, owing to circumstances over which 
 neither had any control. Both were simul- 
 taneously wounded, and strangely enough 
 in the same place. A gingal ball struck 
 Wolseley on the left thigh, tearing away a 
 mass of muscle and flesh. Taylor suffered 
 similarly, but with the more lethal addition 
 that his femoral artery was severed. He 
 bled to death on the spot. Wolseley slowly 
 recovered, but he will bear to his grave the 
 furrow of the gingal ball. When at home 
 convalescent, he was promoted to a lieu- 
 tenancy in the goth, then in the Crimea. 
 After a short spell of trench service with 
 his regiment, Wolseley was selected for 
 duty as acting-engineer of our right attack, 
 and filled this post through the long cruel 
 winter. He was gazetted a captain in 
 the end of 1854, but the promotion was 
 cancelled. And for what reason it would 
 not be easy to guess. Because of Wol- 
 seley's youth ! He had not been too 
 young to earn the promotion, but the 
 authorities thought a lad of twenty-one 
 and a half too young for a captaincy ! 
 Wolseley, justly incensed, threatened to 
 resign if deprived of the promotion he had 
 won, and the authorities cancelled the 
 cancellation. He was thanked in des- 
 patches for his services in the capture of 
 the Quarries, and took part in the first un- 
 successful assault of the Redan. When 
 
 engaged in his engineer work in the 
 trenches in August, 1855, Wolseley was 
 all but shattered by a shell that killed the 
 two sappers who were assisting him. The 
 shell burst in a gabion that had been 
 packed with gravel, and the explosion 
 simply 'stuck Wolseley full of stones.' 
 Jagged bits of pebbles were imbedded in 
 him all over from head to foot. There was 
 not a square inch of his face that had not 
 its stone ; his left cheek was all but torn 
 away, his eyes were closed (to this day he 
 is blind of one eye, and part of the bone 
 of his left shin was carried away bodily. 
 Fortunately he has been able to keep the 
 eye left to him pretty wide open. He was 
 picked up for dead, but astonished the 
 surgeons who were speaking of him as 
 quite gone by cheerily mumbling that he 
 was ' worth a dozen dead men yet.' This 
 wound, or rather this broadcast area of 
 wounds, temporarily invalided him, and 
 so he missed being present at the cap- 
 ture of the great fortress of the Euxine. 
 He had mended, however, by 1857, and 
 started with his regiment for service in 
 China. The goth was one of the regi- 
 ments with this destination which Lord 
 Canning's swift steamers contrived to catch 
 en route, and divert to India to aid in the 
 quelling of the great Mutiny that had 
 broken out with so fell an unexpectedness. 
 The gallant ' Perthshire Greybreeks ' were 
 included in the column which Sir Colin 
 Campbell led from Cawnpore to the second 
 relief of Lucknow. From the Dilkoosha 
 Sir Colin had sent the 'Black Watch' 
 down the slope on the Martiniere. The 
 93rd and the Sikhs had made a ghastly 
 shambles of the once beautiful Secundera- 
 bagh garden. Peel's men, of the Shannon, 
 were slogging with their ship's guns into 
 the massive structure of the Shah Nujeef, 
 preparatory to carrying it by escalade out of 
 the branches of a tree which grew against 
 the walls of the shrine. Wolseley, with his 
 two companies of the goth, was sent to the 
 left to carry the ' Mess House.' The way 
 to its compound wall was across the open.
 
 FORBES ON WOLSELEY. 
 
 329 
 
 Wolseley's fellows took with them a couple 
 of light guns. So fierce was the Sepoy fire 
 that, to use Wolseley's own quaint collo- 
 quialism, ' the bullets dropped off the tires 
 of the wheels like peas off a drum.' The 
 Mess House was carried with a rush, 
 Wolseley with his own hand, in the midst of 
 a hailstorm of bullets, pulling down the flag 
 of the mutineers from the staff in its roof, 
 and planting in its place the British banner 
 which he carried. Beyond the Mess House 
 lay the Palace known as the Motee Mahal, 
 the last rebel post separating the relieving 
 force from their environed fellow country- 
 
 folk. Wolseley led his detachment forward 
 to the assault of the Motee Mahal, which 
 in its turn was taken and cleared after hard 
 fighting and severe loss. This operation 
 consummated the relief. Between the 
 Motee Mahal and the steam-engine post, 
 lay only Mr. Martin's house, which the 
 rebels had evacuated. Young Moorsom 
 ran the gauntlet, and the connection was 
 established. It was Wolseley who greeted 
 the avant courier of the besieged. 
 
 It has never been my good fortune to 
 accompany a force on campaign under the 
 command of Lord Wolseley, and I write, 
 
 THE RETURN KROM EGYPT THE WELCOME AT DOVER, OCTOBER 28, 1882. 
 
 therefore, under some disadvantage. But 
 the expedition which he conducted from 
 Malta to Cyprus when he went to organize 
 the British administration of that island, 
 was at least of a semi-military character, 
 and the opportunity offered of watching his 
 methods as well as a commander as a civil 
 organizer and administrator. His leading 
 characteristic struck me as equanimity. 
 There were many temptations to irritation, 
 in the defective commissariat arrangement, 
 in the characteristic obstructiveness of the 
 Turkish authority whom we were dis- 
 possessing, in the hazy indefiniteness of the 
 
 situation generally. But Wolseley, decisive, 
 nay, incisive when occasion demanded, 
 never betrayed a sign of temper. That he 
 was energetic, one could discern, not less 
 than that his powers of hard work and of 
 fruitful hard work were exceptional; but 
 there was no gustiness in the energy, and he 
 slid through his hard work with apt, bright 
 dexterity. He never fussed ; and he never 
 entangled himself in the labyrinth of trifles. 
 The absence of all friction in his adminis- 
 trative methods stood accounted for partly 
 by his own idiosyncrasy, partly a phrase, 
 indeed, of the other reason because of the
 
 33 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 perfect organization and thorough inter- 
 working of his staff. I travelled out from 
 home with Wolseley and his staff. The 
 latter had been gathered together hurriedly, 
 but its members met, blended, and set to 
 work in the saloon carriage between Dover 
 and Calais, as if they had stepped into it 
 out of a department in which they had been 
 co-operating for years. While they settled 
 minor points of detail, their chief meanwhile 
 slept serenely, easy in the perfect assurance, 
 based on experience, that his subordinates 
 would deal with these as he would desire 
 they should be dealt with. It was clear to 
 me thus early, and the impression but grew 
 in distinctness, that Wolseley was the man 
 who decided, who decreed, the centurion 
 who said ' Do this ; ' and that he had re- 
 cruited for the fulfilment of his behests a set 
 of men on whom he could rely as intelligent 
 and devoted executants, and to whom there- 
 fore he could and did confide the functions 
 assigned to each, reserving himself as the 
 chief, unhampered by a multiplicity of 
 details, for the big work of resolving and 
 directing. In all this he was making no 
 experiment. He was sure of his 'machine; 3 
 it was of his construction ; he had selected 
 every cog and pinion of it ; and had tested 
 its efficiency, both in parts and as a whole. 
 That machine was the congeries of staff 
 officers which outsiders, as they gnash their 
 teeth, designate as the ' Wolseley Gang/ 
 The outsiders do not deny the efficiency of 
 the gang as a working instrument; their 
 grievance is that it should always consist 
 of the same men. There are as good men, 
 they angrily contend, outside the gang as 
 those who are inside the favoured pale ; 
 why should Wolseley always lead the 
 same officers on to appointments, oppor- 
 tunities of distinction and rewards, instead 
 of giving other men the ' outsiders ' them- 
 selves, inferential!? an opportunity to win 
 tricks in the game? Wolseley makes no 
 specific reply, but his tacit answer is unim- 
 peachable. 'I know these men of mine,' 
 he says in effect, 'and they know me. 
 selected them originally because of my 
 
 discernment of character, not at the behest 
 of interest or from the dictates of nepotism. 
 We have worked long together ; their fami- 
 liarity with my methods and my just reliance 
 on them, relieves me of half the burden of 
 command. And again, it is obvious that I 
 must ever, as more important commands 
 are assigned me, be widening the pale of 
 the ' gang.' I never see a man doing good 
 work in the quiet efficient manner that I 
 like, that I do not recruit him into my 
 following. I am always on the alert for 
 capable men, since they are not so plenti- 
 ful ; and, oh ! outsider, if you should fulfil 
 my requirements, your turn may come to- 
 morrow.' Further, contends the outsider, 
 somewhat inconsistently, the credit of 
 Wolseley's success is due, not so much 
 to his own merits, as to the attributes 
 of his followers. They forget the legal 
 axiom quid farit per alios, facit per se. 
 That intuitive discernment of character by 
 which Wolseley recognises the capacity of a 
 man for his own purposes, is an attribute 
 second to no gift that a commander can 
 possess. Nor can any one who has had 
 opportunities for watching the professional 
 intercourse between Wolseley and his long 
 accustomed supporters, fail to note that his 
 is ever the unquestioned and unquestion- 
 able master-mind. 
 
 The key-note to the constitution of that 
 group of devoted adherents who have come 
 to be designated as the 'Wolseley Gang,' 
 I take to be its completeness for the func- 
 tions which it has to perform as a composite 
 whole. In each of its constituent elements, 
 its compounder, if I may use the expression, 
 has discerned some specific attribute, of 
 which, when the occasion calls it into re- 
 quisition, he shall take astute and purposeful 
 avail. As a whole, then, it is totus, teres, 
 atque rotundus, an engine effectively adapted 
 to a wide range of potential uses. The in- 
 dividual units of that whole do not strike 
 one as by any means, one and all, men 
 of exceptional general military ability. 
 Some of them, indeed, may be called dull 
 men. But never a one of them but has his
 
 FORBES ON WOLSELEY. 
 
 33' 
 
 speciality. One has a genius for prompt 
 organization ; another a rare faculty for 
 administration. A third has a winning 
 manner and a good address, a fourth is the 
 scout of scouts. You may wonder what 
 Wolseley can see in So and so, that he 
 has them always with him. Watch events 
 long enough, and time will furnish you with 
 the answer. This man, perhaps of no great 
 account for ordinary purposes, has a strange 
 gift, when there is doubt in regard to some 
 line of action, of defining the right course 
 in a single rugged, trenchant, pithy sentence 
 that carries conviction ; him, one may see, 
 Wolseley keeps just to help him to make up 
 his mind. This other man has seemingly 
 no attribute at all, save inertness, a love for 
 gazing on the wine when it is red, and the 
 cultivation of strong language. But he too 
 has his gift. Arrange for him a plan of 
 attack, set everything in order, tell him that 
 all is ready, and that he may go to work. 
 Then you can discern for what Wolseley 
 has enrolled him in the gang. He draws 
 his sword, he lets a roar out of him fit to 
 wake the dead ; lie becomes a veritable god 
 of battle a lambent thunderbolt of war ; 
 he radiates from him the mysterious irre- 
 sistible magnetism that inspires men to 
 follow him, ay, to use the rough soldier- 
 phrase, ' through hell and out at the farther 
 side.' The deed done, the conqueror 
 wipes and sheathes his sword, mops his 
 forehead, sighs for a big drink, and is con- 
 spicuous no more till he shall be wanted 
 again. 
 
 There is to be said that no one of 
 Wolseley's special men have belied the 
 discrimination which selected him, at all 
 events while remaining under the inspira- 
 tion of the chief who recruited him. One 
 or two there may have been who have 
 shown un-wisdom when placed in indepen- 
 dent positions j yet others, although rarely, 
 have failed to earn approbation under other 
 leaders. But this is but a tribute to the 
 force at once of Wolseley's influence, and 
 the acumen of his discernment of character. 
 He can inspire his subordinates, he can 
 
 allocate them to duties in the fulfilment 
 of which they earn credit, and contribute 
 to the success of him their master. The 
 'gang' as an aggregate, is a weapon of 
 extraordinary and diverse force ; break it 
 tip and its parts are but the withes of the 
 fagot, with here and there a stick of ex- 
 ceptional stoutness. 
 
 On occasion he has had to contend 
 against exceptional natural obstacles, and 
 those he has conquered with skilful and 
 gallant constancy. It must be added that 
 he has lacked no appliances which the 
 resources of a wealthy nation in the van of 
 civilization could contribute. His every 
 requisition and he has requisitioned with 
 a free hand has been met. He orders a 
 railway a railway is sent him. The world 
 is harried for mules to constitute his trans- 
 port, and the wharves groan with the multi- 
 farious supplies he has indented for. That 
 he is wise and right to avail himself of the 
 lavish appliances the nation is fain to supply 
 at his bidding, goes without saying ; but it 
 is not to be denied that they smooth his 
 path to success. Wellington was stinted of 
 everything by a grudging Government, from 
 men and money to supplies and munitions ; 
 tinned provisions were unknown to him, 
 and jams and marmalade undreamt of; he 
 had to feed himself, improvise his own 
 transport, raise his own money ; but he 
 cleared the Peninsula and marched to the 
 Garonne. One need not multiply instances 
 within Lord Wolseley's earlier personal ex- 
 perience of successful operations carried out 
 with hardly a tittle of the resources which 
 have ever been so freely at his command. 
 Putting out of reckoning his present enter- 
 prise, in regard to which no judgment is 
 perhaps fair or possible, it remains that, 
 thus equipped, Wolseley has been set to do 
 nothing that he has not done promptly, 
 neatly, cleanly, adroitly. He has fully 
 answered every call that has been made 
 upon him, and that without apparent strain. 
 It would be absurd to assert that he has 
 been tried very highly ; but I remember 
 using this expression before the present
 
 332 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPI. 
 
 campaign was begun : 'It seems a fair 
 augury from that past to which Wolseley 
 has ever been equal, that he is likely to 
 prove equal to any future that may come to 
 him.' 
 
 The races are mixed in Wolseley, and 
 the cross accounts for the curiously varied 
 traits which his character discloses. His 
 family is a cadet branch of the old Stafford- 
 shire Wolseleys, who still hold their property 
 in the Midlands, and who are Anglo-Saxon. 
 The branch from which he springs has been 
 domiciled in Ireland from the time of Wil- 
 liam III., and intermarriages with Hibernian 
 families have brought it about that quite 
 half the blood in Lord Wolseley's veins is 
 Celtic blood. It is from that he gets his 
 audacity, his elan, his buoyancy, his d'ebon- 
 naire aplomb, his strain of mostly well-timed 
 recklessness, his alert dexterity, his finesse, 
 the adroit suppleness which occasionally 
 astonishes his friends, his warmth of heart. 
 The Saxon blood in him gives him his 
 steadfast constancy under conditions how- 
 ever depressing, his solid strength to hold his 
 own against hostile intrigues, his calm man- 
 liness, his almost unparalleled equanimity, 
 his cool, steady rancour against those who 
 
 have done him despite, his unfaltering 
 fidelity in friendships. Wolseley is a man 
 who must have risen, no matter what avoca- 
 tion he had chosen to pursue. That from 
 boyhood he had a special predilection for 
 the military profession is true ; it does not 
 conclusively follow from this that he has a 
 special genius for war. So far as his career 
 has revealed itself, he makes war well, just as 
 he would have done well any other duty that 
 might have fallen to his lot ; simply as he 
 would have gained a reputation for success 
 in delicate missions if he had been a 
 diplomat, or attained to the position of a 
 director of the Bank of England had he 
 been a merchant. If he had been a boot- 
 black, he would have started a ' Boot- 
 polishing Company, Limited,' with himself 
 as managing director ; if he had gone into 
 patent medicines, he would have out- 
 advertised Professor Holloway, and secured 
 the testimony not of an Arab sheik, but of 
 an emperor, in favour of the efficacy of his 
 pills. No adverse conditions could have 
 held Wolseley down ; no native obscurity 
 could have kept him mute, inglorious. And 
 it may be added, that he could have touched 
 nothing which he would not have adorned." 
 
 CHAPTER LXII. 
 
 PRAHAM'S EXPEDITION DEFEAT OF JBAKER PASHA 
 NEW PREPARATIONS. 
 
 FTER the annihilation of 
 the army of Hicks Pasha, 
 things in the Soudan seemed 
 to go from bad to worse. 
 The Egyptian officials were 
 as bad as they possibly could be, and their 
 exactions drove the population into a state of 
 rebellion. Hitherto a great deal had been 
 suffered in sullen silence. It was thought 
 there was no help for it. Now, however, 
 it was seen that the Egyptians soldiers were 
 as cowardly as the Egyptian officials were 
 
 base. Hence there were risings everywhere, 
 and the Egyptian Government was in great 
 difficulties to meet the demand made on its 
 resources. Finally, it was determined to 
 send Baker Pasha to combat the enemy on 
 the east of the Soudan, and to leave the 
 Mahdi to do very much as he liked with 
 the west. 
 
 An exact translation of the instructions 
 to Baker Pasha, along with a letter which 
 followed them, are here appended. These 
 documents show his wide powers :
 
 BAKER PASHA'S INSTRUCTIONS. 
 
 333 
 
 "General, Having confidence in the 
 high military capacity which distinguish 
 you, I have nominated you to take com- 
 mand of the operations which have for 
 their object the pacification of the region 
 lying between Berber and Souakin, and the 
 maintenance of communications between 
 these two points. 
 
 In entrusting you with this mission, I 
 have to acquaint you with my general views 
 upon the conduct of these operations. 
 
 In carrying out this mission you should 
 use every means of conciliation and dip- 
 lomacy, with a view to secure the obedience 
 and submission of the sheiks of the differ- 
 ent tribes before having recourse to force. 
 
 I.1EUT.-GENERAI. SIR GERALD GRAHAM, V.C., K.C.ll. 
 
 To the gendarmes actually at Souakin will 
 be added the black battalions under the 
 command of Zebehr Pasha, who will be 
 placed directly under your orders, and 
 whose well-known influence among the 
 tribes of the Soudan you will not fail to 
 utilize. 
 
 The command with civil and military 
 
 powers of all parts of the Soudan which 
 you may reach is conferred upon you ; and 
 this command implies the right to inflict 
 the penalty of death after the sentence of a 
 court-martial, or of any ordinary tribunal, 
 according as the culprits are military or 
 civil. 
 
 The power ot declaring any city or dis-
 
 334 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 trict in a state of siege, and of acting in 
 accordance therewith, is also conferred upon 
 you. 
 
 Such, General, are my principal views 
 upon the operations which you will have to 
 conduct. 
 
 I have full and entire confidence in your 
 proved capacity, and in the devotion which 
 you have never ceased to show to me, and 
 I hope for the best results from the mission 
 which I entrust to you. 
 
 (L.S.) MEHEMET TEWFIK." 
 
 "17 Sefer, 1301 (December 17 , 1883). 
 
 Although I have, in a previous order, 
 traced in a general manner the line of con- 
 duct which you should follow in the mission 
 entrusted to you, I have thought it advis- 
 able to indicate to you again privately what 
 you have to do. 
 
 The mission entrusted to you, having as 
 its object the pacification of the regions 
 designated in my above-mentioned order, and 
 the maintenance, as far as possible, of com- 
 munication between Berber and Souakin, 
 I wish you to act with the greatest prudence 
 on account of the insufficiency of the forces 
 placed under your command. 
 
 I think it would be hazardous to com- 
 mence any military operation before re- 
 ceiving the reinforcements which shall be 
 sent to you with Zebehr Pasha. Whilst 
 awaiting these reinforcements you should 
 devote yourself to raising the tone and 
 courage of the soldiers, and assuring the 
 safety and defence of the town of Souakin. 
 
 If, in the event of the situation improving, 
 you should consider an action necessary, I 
 rely on your prudence and ability not to 
 engage the enemy except under the most 
 favourable conditions. Such are, General, 
 the views with which I have wished to 
 make you privately acquainted. My con- 
 fidence in your prudence enables me to 
 count upon your conforming to them. 
 
 (Signed) MEHEMET TEWFIK." 
 
 Baker Pasha accordingly proceeded with 
 his mission, and on ist February, 1884, left 
 Trinkitat with an army to relieve Tokar. 
 
 On the way they were attacked by a com- 
 paratively small body of Arabs, and not- 
 withstanding the splendid courage of Baker 
 Pasha, and a few Europeans who accom- 
 panied him, the cowardly Egyptians fled at 
 once, without even making a proper effort 
 to defend themselves. The battle, if it 
 could be called such, only lasted eight 
 minutes. When the news of this shameful 
 conflict, and of the increase of the insurrec- 
 tion that at once followed, reached England, 
 it was determined that our interests were 
 involved, and that if we did not interfere 
 the rebels would soon possess themselves 
 of the ports on the Red Sea, and probably 
 advance on Egypt proper. It was there- 
 fore determined to drive them back, and 
 relieve Tokar if possible. The Times, 
 describing the expedition under General 
 Graham, says that " General Graham, with 
 the head-quarters staff, left Suez on Mon- 
 day, and it may be well to recapitulate the 
 force which he is to command. The 1 9th 
 Hussars, consisting of 372 men and 311 
 horses, left Alexandria on the i4th, and 
 Suez on the i8th, in the Ne<zra and Osiris. 
 The 6th Battery ist Brigade Scottish 
 Division Royal Artillery, equipped with 
 mountain guns, went in the Rinaldo. The 
 Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), 750 
 strong; the 26th Company Royal Engineers, 
 46 strong; and 100 mounted infantry left 
 Suez on the i6th in the Orontes. The 3rd 
 Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps sailed 
 the same day in the Bokhara. The Thibet 
 left Suez on the i8th with the Gordon 
 Highlanders, 723 strong. Of these, the 
 Bokhara has arrived at Souakin and landed 
 her freight. The Orontes is said to have 
 gone on to Trinkitat. Of the troops stopped 
 on their way, the Jumna has arrived at 
 Souakin and landed the loth Hussars, 17 
 officers, and 289 men ; with the M Battery 
 ist Brigade Royal Artillery, 3 officers, and 
 84 men ; the 2nd Battalion Princess 
 Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers), 20 officers, 
 344 men ; and 106 time-expired men. 
 Besides all these, there are the military 
 police, 1 7 men and 9 horses. The Marines,
 
 GRAHAM'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 335 
 
 if they all arrive in time, will count for a 
 strong battalion. At any rate, there will 
 be at least 500 of them. The Ranger has 
 gone on to Trinkitat, and it is expected that 
 the whole force will be concentrated there 
 by Saturday. This is rather later than at 
 first proposed, but is not a bad result con- 
 sidering how sudden the step was of sending 
 a force at all. The three line regiments are 
 at about the regular colonial strength, and 
 make up 2,100 infantry. The total force 
 despatched from Suez numbers about 97 
 officers and 2,900 men in all 3,000. 
 Adding the Marines at least 500 the 
 Irish Fusiliers, the Artillery, and the York 
 and Lancaster Regiment, if it arrives, 
 together with the loth Hussars, the avail- 
 able force will be about 5,000, and it will 
 have provisions for about a month. A 
 strong opinion is expressed that a force 
 of field artillery should have been sent, as 
 it might have been, from Cairo. This 
 mattered little so long as the Arabs had no 
 guns or could not use them, but they seem 
 to be learning the use of the Krupp guns 
 taken from General Baker's force. The 
 small brass Egyptian guns will be worse 
 than useless, not only because they are 
 miserable weapons, but because the enemy 
 will have better. It may turn out, after all, 
 that the trouble of embarking a battery of 
 good English field artillery would have well 
 repaid itself. Better for the purpose than 
 the brass popguns will be six machine 
 guns, manned by blue-jackets from the 
 fleet. 
 
 To supply partially the place of the 
 troops gone southwards, No. i Battery ist 
 Brigade Scottish Division Royal Artillery 
 and the ist Battalion South Staffordshire 
 Regiment embarked at Malta on the igth 
 for Alexandria, where also a force of blue- 
 jackets had been landed. The 2nd 
 Battalion Essex Regiment is ordered to 
 embark at Gibraltar for Malta to-day, and 
 will probably go on to Alexandria. 
 
 The despatch of a force of this strength 
 in a week from the time when the first 
 orders were received is not, on the whole, a 
 
 bad performance, considering the nature of 
 the expedition, which involves co-operation 
 between land and sea forces. But there is 
 probably little to boast of in the amount of 
 transport which goes with the troops. In 
 Egypt, as elsewhere, all English forces are 
 apparently content to have little or no per- 
 manent organization to supply this most 
 important of all the auxiliaries to an army. 
 The habit of having the greater part of the 
 transport in peace performed by contract or 
 by the ordinary civil means, and the un- 
 military objection to anything which bears 
 the faintest resemblance to conscription, 
 have created among us an inveterate habit 
 of leaving all arrangements for the provision 
 of transport to take care of themselves at 
 the last moment. Great difficulties arose 
 from this habit in the late campaign against 
 Arabi, and it is evident that the army of 
 occupation in Egypt is as badly prepared 
 in land transport as English forces always 
 are. For the particular object of the 
 present eepedition little transport is re- 
 quired. The troops are not likely to be on 
 any occasion twenty miles from the ships. 
 But it is to be observed that the regiments 
 were unprepared for even so short a journey 
 as this, seeing that they have had to draw 
 their transport from the Egyptian army, 
 which accordingly becomes immovable. 
 The excuse will be urged that transport 
 costs money, and there is none to spare in 
 Egypt. But this is not at all certain. In 
 a country like Egypt, where the soldiers are 
 brought to the ranks by force, it could not 
 be difficult to establish a system of legal 
 registration by which sufficient animals and 
 vehicles should always be at the disposal of 
 the army of occupation in case of need. If 
 it were only to give practice in organization, 
 the habit of providing transport for war 
 purposes should be cultivated. The English 
 army is the most unquiet on the face of the 
 earth. We are always moving troops about 
 from one part of the globe to another. 
 Thus we have great experience in one kind 
 of transport, and can send a small force a 
 few thousand miles by sea while other
 
 33 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 nations would be thinking about it ; but we 
 are never ready for even a small march 
 inland. It ought not to be forgotten that 
 in the Egyptian campaign of 1882 the mules 
 which had been bought in divers places 
 were only beginning to arrive as the 
 campaign came to an end after the battle of 
 Tel-el-Kebir. When Arthur Wellesley first 
 took charge of the army in Portugal which 
 he immortalized, and which immortalized 
 him, it was so deficient in transport that it 
 could not move to take advantage of the 
 success at Vimeira. He positively could 
 not carry on a campaign with it as it was. 
 And we may see the same story always 
 repeated. The Crimean army nearly 
 perished, chiefly from want of transport and 
 of officers who knew that transport was re- 
 quired. At the Cape, months were wasted 
 in procuring transport. In Afghanistan, 
 again, transport was the one great difficulty 
 in the early stages of the campaign, and now 
 at last the army of occupation cannot relieve 
 a post fifteen miles from the sea without 
 disorganizing Sir Evelyn Wood's force to 
 provide transport. However, that amount 
 of transport was available, and it left Suez 
 on the i Qth in three ships, the Tedditigton, 
 the Mehallah, and the Chibin. 
 
 Our Cairo correspondent points out the 
 necessity of sending two battalions to 
 Assouan as soon as possible, to make it felt 
 there that England is in earnest From 
 another source comes the report that orders 
 have been issued for two English battalions 
 and two battalions of Sir Evelyn Wood's 
 first brigade, officered by Englishmen, to go 
 together. This would show a determin- 
 ation on the part of the English Govern- 
 ment to make their hand felt as it has not 
 been hitherto. 
 
 It is announced that General Baker is to 
 be placed in charge of the Intelligence 
 Department of the force. The satisfaction 
 of English officers generally at this step has 
 been foreshadowed by the warm welcome 
 
 given to General Baker by his old comrades 
 of the loth Hussars. Not only will he be 
 welcomed for 'auld lang syne,' but also 
 because of his peculiar abilities. There are 
 many men in the army now who have 
 acquired a large amount of military know- 
 ledge by study, and many others who have 
 seen a considerable amount of active 
 service, with or without much benefit from 
 it. But there are few men in any army who 
 have the acquired knowledge, the exper- 
 ience in the field, and, above all, the military 
 eye of General Baker. This last possession 
 is extremely rare, and the qualities which 
 go to make a cavalry officer of General 
 Baker's stamp are hardly found once in a 
 generation. 
 
 The Orontes and Jumna went yesterday 
 to the rendezvous at Ras Mahdi, conveying 
 the Marines, Rifles, and Fusiliers ; also 
 Her Majesty's ship Carysfort, with marines 
 and sailors. 
 
 It appears to be taken for granted that 
 the relief of Tokar is to be carried out on 
 the same lines as those of General Baker's 
 attempt. But this, like all speculations on 
 military affairs, must depend upon circum- 
 stances. When a force is embarked it 
 becomes movable in a very different sense 
 from the limited mobility of a column on 
 land. In one night, or even in two or 
 three hours, it can land in an unexpected 
 place and thus out-manoeuvre the enemy. 
 The final decision is likely to be governed 
 rather by the movements of Osman Digna 
 than by the exact limits of a cut-and-dried 
 plan ; but the landing at Trinkitat seems 
 probable, because it would place the troops 
 in a position to make the shortest possible 
 march on land, require least transport, and 
 finish the affair in the shortest time. It 
 would appear that Souakin is now garrisoned 
 only by 150 marines, 180 blue-jackets, and 
 2,000 blacks, who are well known to be the 
 best fighters of all the inhabitants of the 
 Soudan."
 
 BATTLE OF EL TEB. 
 
 337 
 
 CHAPTER LXIII. 
 
 JJRAHAM'S EXPEDITION EL JEB AND TAMANIEB. 
 
 EFORE the British force, 
 described in our last, was 
 able to collect itself at 
 Souakin, the news came that 
 Tokar had fallen, and the 
 
 fall, as was afterwards known, was, in all 
 probability, due to treachery. This made 
 the rebels under Osman Digna still more 
 presumptuous. They collected in great 
 force at El Teb, a few miles from Trin- 
 
 SOUAKIN, FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR. 
 
 kitat, but here, however, they were defeated 
 with great slaughter. About a fortnight 
 afterwards, at Tamanieb, near Souakin, 
 another battle was fought, which resulted, 
 for the time, in the utter dispersal of 
 Osman Digna's force. Of this battle a 
 special correspondent gives us a short 
 account. He begins by remarking that 
 " a straight line drawn to a distance of six- 
 teen miles south-west from Souakin would 
 strike the centre of the chord of the huge 
 arc on which the mountains there group 
 
 themselves. Up to this chord the plain is 
 tolerably level, rising, however, hillwards, 
 with a gentle slope, from which at the 
 already named distance the town of 
 Souakin is faintly visible, and the remoter 
 sea-line illusively rises beyond the actual 
 horizon. But beyond the chord the plain 
 dips and breaks into an intricate corru- 
 gation of the craggy, barren, sun-baked 
 ravines, separated from each other by 
 sandy level spaces, in some of which only 
 a handful of men can find foothold, while 
 
 z
 
 338 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in more than one of the others an army of a 
 hundred thousand men might perform its 
 evolutions, and that too without the view of 
 an inquisitive enemy on the plateau. In one 
 of these flat-bottomed ravines flow the wells 
 of Tamanieb, clear, cool, softly murmurous, 
 round the base of a bare, hot, knotty 
 mount of granite. Not for all the wealth 
 of Golconda would the Arabs exchange 
 these scanty springlets which the savage 
 crags seem to hold watch over jealously. 
 In another ravine, beyond the springs, lies 
 Osman Digna's camp or more properly 
 speaking, it did lie until last Friday morn- 
 ing, when the last of it, with salvoes of 
 Remington cartridges and shrapnel shells, 
 which exploded in his well-stocked maga- 
 zines, disappeared in flame and smoke. 
 On the plateau itself, near where the dip 
 begins, and opposite to these two spots, 
 was fought last Thursday morning one of 
 the most obstinate battles in which any 
 British force has for many years been 
 engaged. English victories have in the 
 East generally been combinations of luck 
 and pluck. On this occasion the luck has 
 been singularly conspicuous so startlingly 
 providential that the victors, had they been 
 pagans of old, would have leapt to the 
 grateful conclusion that their tribal deities 
 had personally shared in the fray. Con- 
 sidering the reckless bravery of the enemy, 
 and the multiplicity of opportunities which 
 he neglected and which we offered him, the 
 battle of Tamanieb is perhaps the most 
 remarkable of the kind on record. 
 
 The Arabs I do not call them rebels ; 
 almost every Englishman who fought them 
 calls them admiringly patriots missed one 
 or two good opportunities when we bivou- 
 acked in our zareba. But before describing 
 the facts, I must briefly explain what the 
 zareba was, and how we got there. I 
 showed in a telegram how we marched out 
 in two hollow squares from the breastwork 
 of prickly bush which General Baker had 
 raised two months ago. After marching 
 six miles south-westwards, and reaching the 
 imaginary chord of which I have spoken 
 
 above, the line of march was diverted 
 sharply south-eastwards. A position was 
 selected about half-way between our next 
 morning's battle-field and the hill (also 
 mentioned in a telegram) upon which 
 General Graham and his staff stood on 
 Wednesday afternoon to survey the coun- 
 try. The position sloped gently upwards 
 towards the dip of the plateau. On this 
 slope then, and along the level part into 
 which it merged on the Souakin side, the 
 troops bivouacked. They did not entrench 
 themselves. They merely cut down the 
 prickly bushes, inside which they fenced 
 themselves, men, horses, ambulances, com- 
 missariat trains, mules, and camels. But 
 the zareba, or prickly breastwork, was 
 nowhere half as strong as General Baker's. 
 The fact that these tribes are hardly ever 
 known to attack at night doubtless accounts 
 for the General's abstention from further 
 endeavour to strengthen the post. How- 
 ever, the Arabs did their best to worry us, 
 and by depriving us of sleep, to spoil our 
 nerves for the morning's work. Stretched 
 on the sand after our late dinner of biscuit, 
 ' bully ' beef, whisky, and when most of us 
 were on the verge of sleep, we were aroused 
 by a brisk rattle of musketry. Bullets 
 came whistling and hissing overhead, crash- 
 ing into the bushes, or falling with a hard 
 thud into the sand. The fitful fusillade 
 lasted until after daybreak. The safest 
 portion of the camp during all this firing 
 was, of course, that nearest the enemy 
 namely, on the ascent pointing to the 
 enemy's position. The bullets flew harm- 
 lessly over the slope and fell into the centre 
 and rear of the camp. To avoid the fire 
 we lay, whether sleepy or wakeful, down 
 flat on the sand. After midnight came a 
 long pause, and we thought the Arabs had 
 made up their minds to leave us alone ; 
 and the men were again falling asleep. 
 But the camp was aroused out of its un- 
 easy drowsiness by a sudden roaring and 
 confused hubbub of voices. Every one 
 sprang to his feet and seized his arms. In 
 their half-sleep the men fancied the Arabs
 
 BATTLE OF TAMANIEB. 
 
 339 
 
 were upon them. What caused the panic I 
 forget. It might have been a mule break- 
 ing loose and galloping with a tin kettle 
 knocking about his heels. Anything, the 
 most absurdly trifling cause, may lead to a 
 night panic even among the best disciplined 
 troops. On Friday night, for instance, at 
 Baker's zareba, where some of the returning 
 troops rested until the morning, there took 
 place a brief scare, which those on the spot 
 attributed to somebody crying out in his 
 sleep. 'The Johnnies' are upon us, was 
 the instant conclusion ; those in the zareba 
 jumped out of it, while those outside 
 jumped in, and for a moment the scene 
 was one of wild confusion. On the Wed- 
 nesday night the din lasted only for a 
 moment, and though, as already said, the 
 firing lasted for hours after, the men 
 troubled themselves no more about it 
 They consigned the 'Johnnies' to a warmer 
 locality than the Soudan, and did their best 
 to fall asleep. A good many grumbled 
 that the camp had been pitched on a spot 
 unnecessarily close and exposed to the 
 enemy. But what if the Arabs had chosen 
 to harass our camp with a dropping fire 
 from the nearest hill that from which, as 
 already said, the General had viewed the 
 situation? There was nothing to prevent 
 the Arabs from doing so nothing but 
 their own ignorance or want of thought. 
 
 We marched out of this zareba a few 
 minutes after eight o'clock, still following 
 the south-westerly course, when we halted. 
 Each brigade the Second, under General 
 Davis, composed of the Black Watch, 65111, 
 and Marines ; and the First, under General 
 Buller, containing the 75th, 8t)ih, and 6oth 
 was drawn up in square, with guns in 
 front line. The march out was rather 
 hurried, and the Second, or attacking, bri- 
 gade was, as the event showed, led too near 
 the edge of the slope. If I were to state 
 the general opinion on this subject, it would 
 be that the precaution should have been 
 adopted of searching the line of the plateau, 
 in order to ascertain how the enemy were 
 concealed below, and whether they could 
 
 not be subjected to an enfilading fire. I 
 have already telegraphed that on the day 
 before the battle Admiral Hewitt de- 
 spatched a special messenger to head- 
 quarters with a letter in which the enemy's 
 plan of an ambuscade, as brought in by a 
 spy, was detailed. The value of the infor- 
 mation might, it seems, have been tested at 
 one or two points to the right of our line of 
 advance. In one spot, in particular, where 
 the corner of a ravine opened into the 
 plateau, one or two active scouts would 
 have discovered what the enemy were 
 about The plain truth is, that we hurried 
 along as if we feared we should not catch 
 our enemy. The enemy, much too soon 
 for our convenience, found us. Our front 
 line, composed of the 42nd and 65111 (the 
 same regiments also forming the left and 
 right flanks, respectively, of the imperfectly 
 formed square) was ordered to charge. On 
 this point, however, a dispute has arisen 
 which is still unsettled whether, namely, 
 the two half-battalions in the front line 
 charged simultaneously. The fact is, that 
 the 42nd charged instantly, and the 65th 
 at a short interval, and more quickly than 
 the flank half-battalion. The inequality of 
 movement in the latter case left the right 
 corner and part of the right flank of the 
 square open. Worse still, the charge was 
 made, to quote the common expression in 
 camp, 'at nothing.' The line stopped 
 short, and in a few moments the Arab rush 
 took place, and the Highlanders and 651)1 
 were so closely packed together that they 
 had hardly elbow room to use their 
 weapons. The machine guns, which had 
 been hurried up, were in action for a few 
 brief moments only, when the Arabs were 
 surrounding them, crawling under them, 
 and spear-thrusting at the officers and blue- 
 jackets who worked them. The Arabs 
 poured in from every part of the slope, but 
 more particularly along the shoulder of one 
 of the ravines. A great cloud of them 
 scudded swiftly along, each man with his 
 body inclined forward and downwards, with 
 his lance in rest. On reaching the square,
 
 340 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN" EGYPT. 
 
 the Arabs jumped up, so to speak, to their 
 full height, extended their shields, poised 
 their spears aloft, and threw themselves on 
 the front and right flank of our square. 
 No words can describe the demoniac rush 
 of those tall, handsome, brown-skinned 
 savages, with nothing but a spear, a stick, 
 and not always a shield, upon some of the 
 best disciplined and most renowned troops 
 in the British army. Through the smoke 
 and dust, with their bright spears gleaming, 
 I saw them fall as they crowded onwards, 
 swarm after swarm, with the disorder but 
 with the single purpose of a horde of wild 
 beasts. An officer who was placed in a 
 different part of the square from that in 
 which I stood, compared the appearance 
 presented by Arabs and English troops in 
 that quarter to that of players in a close 
 struggle at football. In one spot the Arabs 
 were pressing hard against the too solid 
 mass of their opponents, preventing our 
 men from loading, and stabbing and prod- 
 ding at the m with their spears at short 
 grasp. In another they were elbowing and 
 wedging their way, man by man, in the 
 desperate attempt to penetrate to the inside 
 of the square. Only three or four, how- 
 ever, really broke the square. They forced 
 their path in by the gap already mentioned 
 as having been created in the right front 
 and right flank by the unequal advance of 
 the battalions. They were killed as soon 
 as they entered. The square was crushed 
 inwards, not invaded or, as it would be 
 called, broken. And the Arabs crushed 
 it in because they fell with such swift 
 suddenness upon the Highlanders and 65th 
 that the two latter, falling back in order 
 to load and fire, became clubbed to- 
 gether. I could not help comparing the 
 terrible scene to that of General Baker's 
 ill-fated square at El Teb. We turned 
 one of their own guns upon them as 
 soon as we entered their entrenchments. 
 If the Arabs had had any among them 
 who understood the use of Catling guns 
 and Gardiners they could have served us 
 in the same way, and with the six which 
 
 they captured in this rush they might have 
 played havoc in our ranks. Onwards and 
 onwards the tide of wild savagery beat 
 against our lines. So close was the contest 
 that more than one officer, such as Captain 
 Stevenson, of the Black Watch, was forced 
 to strike with his left fist and the hilt, or 
 " basket," of his claymore. The front half- 
 battalion of the 42nd fell back, with a 
 movement similar to a door closing upon 
 its hinges. In other words, it was pressing 
 upon the left flank half-battalion and the 
 Marines, the latter of whom formed the 
 rear of our so-called square. The Marines 
 stood quietly, never flinching for an instant. 
 As the 65th also fell back, the Arab rush 
 was deflected outwards again, towards what 
 a moment or two before was our front, and 
 then round by the left half-battalion of the 
 Black Watch. The Brigade was thus being 
 attacked on three sides. Our men retired 
 step by step, thrusting with their bayonets, 
 or turning round, with loaded rifles, to fire. 
 The finest and bravest troops who ever 
 existed could not, under such circumstances, 
 have made a better stand than those of 
 General Davis's brigade offered. It was 
 during this retirement, to a distance of from 
 two to three hundred yards, that the 42nd 
 lost so heavily one officer, Captain Aitken, 
 and sixty-one men, including eight or ten 
 sergeants (at this moment I forget the exact 
 figures). The whole line of the two or three 
 hundred yards retreat was covered with the 
 bodies of the Arabs, thus showing how 
 desperate the combat had been. In the 
 course of the retirement, two bodies one a 
 portion of the 42nd, the other the Marines 
 succeeded in throwing themselves into square 
 formation. This had the effect of partially 
 arresting the Arabs. Then the rest of the 
 retreating battalion formed up. General 
 Buller's brigade opened fire upon the rush- 
 ing swarm of the enemy. The cavalry 
 came round by the left flank of General 
 Davis's square, now a square no longer, 
 and dismounting, fired. Then the Arabs 
 retreated to the edge of the plateau, and after 
 a halt, the Second Brigade advanced upon
 
 BATTLE OF TAMANIEB. 
 
 34i 
 
 them in line. Again, too, the Arabs rushed 
 upon their foe, but the gallant attempt was 
 short-lived, and they soon disappeared down 
 the slope and into the ravines. Their 
 bravest warriors had been slain, and the 
 heart, to use an Oriental expression, had 
 been taken out of the survivors. No enemy 
 ever fought with such fierce desperation, 
 with such indifference to their own lives, as 
 our opponents at Tamanieb. Numbers 
 of them who had hurled their spears threw 
 stones for want of better weapons. Colonel 
 Green, of the 42nd, was hit on the head by 
 an Arab three or four yards in front of him. 
 The brave savage was shot stone dead, 
 I believe, by the Colonel himself, who owed 
 his life on more than one occasion during 
 the fight to his dexterous use of his revolver. 
 The battle of Tamanieb was virtually over 
 and won when the guns were retaken. 
 Enough to add, that by mid-day the First 
 Brigade, under General Buller, had reached 
 Osman Digna's camp, pushing on to it 
 across the ravines. In the advance over 
 such frightful ground, it was, of course, 
 found impossible to maintain the formation. 
 But as the enemy were demoralized and in 
 total rout this did not matter. It suggested, 
 however, what the fortunes of the day 
 might have been had the Arabs, by placing 
 their ambuscade well within the labyrinth 
 of ravines and rocks, induced us to enter 
 them. From the manner in which part of 
 the square had been ordered to charge, 
 many, or rather most, of the regimental 
 officers were and still are persuaded that 
 it was intended to order a series of inde- 
 pendent charges. I am told, but have not 
 been able to corroborate the story, that 
 before the fight the mounted infantry, who 
 had been sent out to scout in front of our 
 line of march, reported that the enemy 
 were retiring. It was common, though by 
 no means the universal, impression that 
 after their great defeat at El Teb the Arabs 
 would offer no serious resistance. The 
 report, if it really was made, of the mounted 
 infantry must naturally have influenced the 
 General in command, and led him to 
 
 advance at a faster pace and in less compact 
 order than the sequel proved to be right. 
 It has already appeared how the Arabs let 
 slip one or two opportunities of which a 
 civilized enemy would have taken advantage. 
 Another remains to be noticed. When the 
 two squares moved on to the attack, two or 
 three detachments were left behind in the 
 zareba to guard the ammunition and other 
 stores. Between the zareba and the First 
 Brigade the distance at the commencement 
 of the action could not, I think, have 
 exceeded five hundred yards. The Arabs, 
 when attempting to make their way between 
 it and the Second Brigade, might easily 
 have attacked the zareba and made very 
 short work of the small force holding it. 
 But for the heavy fire maintained by General 
 Buller's brigade, the Arabs would very 
 probably have rushed at the breastwork. 
 But, at the same time, it was open to them 
 to attack it on the right flank they seem 
 to have been sufficiently numerous even for 
 so extensive a movement and, if they had 
 done this, the First Brigade could not fire 
 into them without at the same time firing 
 into the zareba itself. The main effort of 
 the Arabs was directed against the Second 
 Brigade General Davis's the condition of 
 which, at the supreme crisis, must have 
 inspired them with the triumphant convic- 
 tion that they were just about to repeat at 
 Tamanieb the horror and carnage of the 
 Egyptian overthrow at El Teb. 
 
 General Baker himself had said that if 
 he had to fight another battle of El Teb he 
 would march in the same formation which 
 he adopted at the first time that, namely, 
 of a single large square. This declaration 
 has been discussed largely since last Thurs- 
 day, as regards its bearing on that day's 
 tactics and manoeuvring. Most judges ap- 
 pear favourable to the adoption of the single 
 formation. The question may now be of 
 comparatively little interest; but for the 
 consideration of those who may be engaged 
 in future wars of the Soudan type, it may 
 be pointed out that neither of our two 
 squares had any supports, by which a gap
 
 342 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 in the sides might at any moment be filled. 
 The precaution was adopted at the second 
 battle of El Teb. Not even the gunners 
 of the Naval Brigade had any support last 
 Thursday. To this deficiency must be 
 largely attributed the heavy loss sustained 
 in officers and men by that splendid body. 
 
 We know, approximately, what the num- 
 bers were which attacked us at Tamai, or, 
 to use the name which is more generally 
 known, and is applicable to the whole dis- 
 trict, Tamanieb. But the numbers present 
 in the immediate vicinity of the actual scene 
 of conflict may never be ascertained. It is 
 believed there were large bodies which 
 never engaged us at all, which would have 
 swept upon us if the first rush had been 
 successful, and which drew off through the 
 ravines as soon as they saw how completely 
 the onslaught of their fellow-tribesmen had 
 been repulsed. Every Arab tribe, from 
 Kassala to Souakin, was represented there 
 on the day of the battle, and probably every 
 tribe has lost more or fewer of its bravest 
 warriors. The Arab tactics have been to 
 make their first rush with their very best 
 men, leaving it to the others to follow and 
 complete the confusion and hoped-for mas- 
 sacre. They were perhaps the most savagely 
 ferocious foes with whom British troops 
 have ever come in contact. I have spoken 
 of their courage, but it is the courage of 
 tigers, and the mood in which they have 
 engaged in these battles is the mood of 
 wild beasts mad with fury and thirsting for 
 blood. Their battles are battles in which 
 quarter is neither asked for nor given on 
 either side. Both at El Teb and at Tama- 
 nieb boys of twelve and fourteen years old 
 rushed on, armed with spear and club, like 
 their elders. The cubs instinctively showed 
 fight as soon as their teeth and claws grew. 
 On the morning after the battle a wounded 
 Arab was found near the zareba by Col. 
 Slade, who brought him in. I saw him 
 when the doctors were attending to him. 
 He received with brutish half-indifference, 
 half-satisfaction, the kind treatment to which 
 he was without delay subjected. He glared 
 
 in a curiously absent manner at the group 
 of persons who, standing around him, ad- 
 mired his lithe form, tall stature, and fine 
 eyes and features. A piece of bread was 
 given him. He gnawed half of it, and care- 
 lessly handed the other half of it away. 
 Had our captive suddenly recovered his 
 freedom and the use of his limbs, the very 
 first thing he would have done would be to 
 bound at the bundle of spears which a 
 soldier had collected from the field, seize 
 one, and thrust and stab right and left 
 among his benefactors until he himself 
 should be shot or cut down like a rabid 
 dog. At least ten men were killed on Thurs- 
 day in different parts of the field by woun- 
 ded Arabs or Arabs who pretended to be 
 dead. The last sight I had of the zareba 
 where we were kept awake all night by the 
 Arabs was that of our captive being con- 
 veyed to Souakin. He lay comfortably 
 on a stretcher which was borne by four of 
 the crew of H.M.S. Euryalus. A strange 
 partnership between ruthlessness and hu- 
 manity, savagery and civilization and civil- 
 ization was in the right. It was in the 
 right; though we deemed it necessary to 
 obliterate all traces of the four great graves 
 in which we reverently laid the remains of 
 the one hundred and twenty heroes who 
 too vainly shed their blood on that ever 
 memorable field. The graves have been 
 left level with the desert. The chaplain 
 and officers who attended at the sad cere- 
 mony can, by marks which they have care- 
 fully taken, identify the spot, and we hope 
 and believe that our comrades will rest un- 
 desecrated and undisturbed in their desert 
 graves." 
 
 The following beautiful lines of poetry 
 may here fitly find a place, as describing 
 the reflections of a soldier before a terrible 
 fight like this : 
 
 " Dear land of my birth, of my friends, of my love, 
 
 Shall I never again climb thy mountains, 
 Nor wander at eve through some lone leafy grove, 
 
 To list to the dash of thy fountains ? 
 Shall no hand that I love close my faint beaming 
 
 eye, 
 That darkens 'mid warfare and danger ?
 
 OSMAN DIGNA. 
 
 343 
 
 Ah ! no, for I feel that my last heaving sigh 
 Must fleet on the gale of the stranger. 
 
 Then, farewell ye valleys, ye fresh blooming 
 bowers, 
 
 Of childhood the once happy dwelling : 
 No more in your haunts shall I chase the gay hours, 
 
 For death at my bosom is knelling. 
 But proudly the lotus shall bloom o'er my grave, 
 
 And mark where a freeman is sleeping ; 
 And my dirge shall be heard in the Nile's dashing 
 waves, 
 
 While the Arab his night watch is keeping. 
 
 Twas a soldier who spoke but his voice now is 
 
 gone, 
 And lowly the hero is lying ; 
 
 No sound meets the ear, save the crocodile's 
 moan, 
 
 Or the breeze through the palm-tree sighing. 
 But lone though he rests where the camel is seen 
 
 By the wilderness heavily pacing ; 
 His grave in our bosoms shall ever be green, 
 
 And his monument ne'er know defacing." 
 
 It was now thought that the object of 
 the expedition had been accomplished, as 
 orders were sent to General Graham to 
 evacuate the Eastern Soudan. This he 
 accordingly did, and thus one most unim- 
 portant chapter in the Soudan war came to 
 an end. 
 
 CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 PSMAN PIGNA J-hs J^IFE AT SOUAKIN J3ECOM.ES THE 
 
 LIEUTENANT. 
 
 E have already given our 
 readers a detailed account 
 of the Mahdi ; we now fol- 
 low it up by an account 
 of his Emir, or lieutenant, 
 " Osman Ali, or, as he is sometimes 
 called, Abubekr, Digna, the grandson of a 
 Turkish merchant and slave-dealer, who 
 settled at Souakin some time in the begin- 
 ning of the century. This was long before 
 the seaport passed from Turkish to Egypt- 
 ian rule, and in the heyday of its prosperity 
 as a place of export of slaves to the Arabian 
 coast of the Red Sea. Ahmed Aga el 
 Digna, as the Turk was named, married a 
 woman of the Hadendowa tribe, a semi- 
 nomad people whose head-quarters are at 
 Fillik, not far from Kassala, and whose 
 territories extend from Fillik some two 
 hundred miles to the hills in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of Souakin. In accordance 
 with the tribal custom the children born 
 of this marriage assumed their mother's 
 nationality, and Ahmed Aga's eldest son, 
 Abubekr, the present Emir's father, was 
 regarded as a Hadendowa pure and simple. 
 Abubekr bequeathed to his two sons, Os- 
 
 man and Ahmed, a thriving trade in Euro- 
 pean cottons and cutlery, as also in ' hubba 
 soda ' ' black ivory grain ' the slang 
 term which the djellabs, or slave-dealers, 
 apply to their human chattels. When 
 Osman and his brother Ahmed succeeded 
 to their father's business, the house of Digna 
 reached the height of its prosperity. The 
 head-quarters of the firm were at Souakin, 
 on the outskirts of which was Osman's 
 garden, where nowadays the British soldier, 
 off duty, and with his hands in his pockets, 
 may occasionally be seen smoking the pipe 
 of contemplation. The Souakin branch of 
 the business was managed by Ahmed. His 
 brother Osman, of a more restless and 
 adventurous disposition, was travelling 
 partner, and he travelled far and wide, for 
 the Dignas had agencies at Jcddah, Kassala, 
 Berber, Khartoum, Sennaar, El Obeid, and 
 even at remote Darfour. In exchange for 
 European goods, the Souakin house re- 
 ceived from these localities ostrich feathers, 
 gums, ivory, pepper, skins, and other Cen- 
 tral African produce, besides black slaves, 
 some of whom were sold at the various 
 places at which the Dignawah caravans
 
 344 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 called on their slow march to the coast, 
 while others were shipped on board the 
 firm's dhows for the trip to Jeddah, where 
 there was always a market for them. His 
 long journeys over the Soudan were useful 
 to Osman Digna in a sense which he did 
 not realize when he began them. They 
 enabled him to become acquainted with 
 the leaders of the anti-Egyptian movement 
 which, though not culminating in rebellion 
 until the year 1881-2, was distinctly recog- 
 nisable at least as early as 1869-70. A 
 man apparently of a reflective as well as 
 active character, Osman detected the spirit 
 of revolt, which was spreading throughout 
 the inner Soudan, its south-western regions 
 especially the regions which Zebehr Pasha, 
 Zebehr's son Suliman, and other chiefs, had 
 studded with their c zarebas,' or fortified 
 camps, from which either they, or others 
 with whom they were in alliance used to 
 sally forth on their man-hunting expedi- 
 tions. 
 
 In those years Osman made the ac- 
 quaintance of Zebehr Pasha. When on 
 the eve of Baker's expedition to Souakin, 
 Zebehr wrote, in his own name and that of 
 the Egyptian Government, a letter and 
 proclamation to Osman Digna, he reminded 
 him of their former meeting in Kordofan. 
 Zebehr's letter was eloquently and grace- 
 fully expressed, and most loyal in tone 
 but whether Zebehr believed that it would 
 have the slightest effect in bringing Osman 
 to reason is quite another question. It 
 may be remarked, in passing, that at this 
 very time, too, a young man named Moham- 
 med Ahmed the future Mahdi was on his 
 travels. Having run away from his carpen- 
 ter's apprenticeship, he was moving about 
 from one so-called theological " school " to 
 another ; by his austerities acquiring, among 
 some of the most abjectly superstitious 
 races of the earth, a great reputation for 
 magical powers; and gradually forming 
 among the Baggara and other Soudanese 
 chiefs the friendships and the marriage 
 alliances which he found so useful after he 
 disowned the Egyptian Government, and 
 
 all but exterminated the first body of the 
 Khedive's troops which was sent to capture 
 him. It would be interesting to know 
 whether the two ever met in the course of 
 their wanderings say during the seven or 
 eight years subsequent to 1870, a period 
 which covers the first popular recognition 
 of Mohammed Ahmed as a great Dervish, 
 and Osman Digna's first projects of revolt 
 against the Egyptian Government. 
 
 About the year 1870, the prosperity of 
 the Digna family began to decline, and in 
 seven years it fell. One of the causes of 
 its earlier luck suggests some not very 
 flattering reflections on the character of 
 Turkish or, what amounts to the same 
 thing, Egyptian rule everywhere. Osman's 
 brother filled for many years the office of 
 sheik or chief of the community or, as 
 we might call it, ' guild ' of merchants in 
 Souakin. As sheik, he was the interme- 
 diary between the Government and the class 
 of the population which he represented. 
 As sheik, too, Ahmed Digna had abundant 
 opportunities of assisting the family concern, 
 even in such a nefarious traffic as the sale 
 of slaves. As sheik of the merchants, his 
 first business was to make hay whilst the 
 sun shone to help himself. In this respect 
 he was neither better nor worse than the 
 rest of his fellow countrymen and co-religion- 
 ists. Ahmed was, however, superseded in 
 his office by the present incumbent, Chinawi 
 Bey, a wealthy merchant, originally from 
 Jeddah, who is said to have built and to 
 own most of the houses on the island of 
 Souakin, and who (but perhaps this may be 
 the account of those who dislike him for 
 personal reasons) is sometimes described 
 by his fellow-townsmen as the most grasp- 
 ing and ruthless of usurers. Osman Digna 
 and Company sustained serious losses in 
 the capture, by a British cruiser, of one or 
 two cargoes of slaves on their way to Jeddah 
 from a creek near Souakin. The vigilance 
 of the English officials necessitated great 
 precaution in the conveyance of slaves to 
 the coast, and in embarking them for 
 Arabia. Souakin being too closely watched,
 
 THE "MAGNOON" 
 
 345 
 
 the caravan leaders used to avoid the sea- 
 port, and by unfrequented paths to deposit 
 their captives by twos and threes at some 
 deserted spot on the shore, whence they 
 might be run across the Red Sea when 
 opportunity offered. Then came the Anglo- 
 Egyptian Slave Convention, which com- 
 pleted the alarm and disgust of the djellabs, 
 and of all who were more or less directly 
 interested in the maintenance of a traffic 
 which they held to be permitted by Divine 
 law. It was then 
 that Osman Dig- 
 na, reduced to 
 despair by the 
 commercial ruin 
 of his house, 
 formed his first 
 schemes of re- 
 bellion. 
 
 The spot where 
 this occurred is 
 the prettiest in 
 the neighbour- 
 hood of Souakin. 
 It is close to a 
 splendid syca- 
 more tree, which 
 overspreads the 
 principal well 
 from which Sou- 
 akin is supplied, 
 and over which, 
 in the rainy sea- 
 son, it seems to 
 float like a Brob- 
 dingnagian green 
 bouquet To this 
 
 spot, about a mile from the town, Osman 
 Digna, one day about 1878, invited some of 
 his intimate friends to a secret conference. 
 They met, and Osman harangued them in 
 a pretty violent speech. The story is that 
 he denounced the alliance of a Moham- 
 medan Power, such as Egypt was, with the 
 Prankish nations; that he predicted the 
 commercial ruin of the Soudan as a conse- 
 quence of the prohibition of the slave-traffic ; 
 and that he proposed the disarmament that 
 
 very night of the weak Egyptian garrison, 
 and the proclamation of Arab indepen- 
 dence ; and that he then produced a Koran 
 upon which he urged his hearers to swear 
 fellowship with him in his revolutionary 
 enterprise. ' The Hadendowas, the Ama- 
 rars, the Beni Amers, and the tribes ' of the 
 Eastern Soudan, said Osman Digna, 'will 
 support us.' As the local garrison con- 
 sisted chiefly of a few harmless policemen 
 and decrepit warriors with rusty arms and 
 ragged clothes, 
 it might perhaps 
 have been over- 
 thrown without 
 much exertion ; 
 and in a few 
 years afterwards 
 the Soudani 
 tribes did join 
 Osman. But on 
 this occasion 
 Osman's friends 
 stared and smiled 
 at him. They 
 clearly showed 
 that they thought 
 him a 'magnoon' 
 ape, fool, ass, 
 as the word may 
 be freely and 
 variously trans- 
 lated. According 
 to one account 
 of this singular 
 interview, one of 
 the audience re- 
 marked that it 
 
 would be wiser to petition Ismail Pasha. 
 ' Ismail,' screamed Osman, ' Ismail is a 
 Frank, he is a traitor to his religion, he 
 has agreed with the Christians to destroy 
 the customs of Islam, and the Christians 
 themselves wish to liberate our slaves in 
 order that they themselves may possess 
 them.' Osman could make nothing of 
 them ; in a fit of anger he told them they 
 deserved whatever hard fate the Christians 
 might bring upon them, and cursing them
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 roundly for their want of spirit and of 
 fidelity to their country and their religion, 
 he turned away and set out for the Erkovvit 
 hills, the high ridges of which, thirty miles 
 off, are seen from Souakin. This is, in its 
 main features, the story which the present 
 writer gathered at Souakin thirteen or four- 
 teen months ago. 
 
 During the next six years Osman appears 
 to have been engaged in travelling about 
 the Soudan, extending his visits to Khartoum 
 and beyond it. It would appear that he 
 was somewhere in the Central Soudan 
 when, in the summer of 1881, Mohammed 
 Ahmed, from his retreat in the little island 
 of Abba in the White Nile, proclaimed 
 himself to be the true Mahdi. However 
 that may have been, he lost no time, when 
 once the Mahdi's insurrection was fairly 
 started, in throwing in his lot with the new 
 Prophet. By his capture of El Obeid, in 
 1883, the Mahdi gained an influence and 
 a holy reputation which were increased 
 only by two subsequent feats, the destruc- 
 tion of Hicks Pasha's force, and the capture 
 of Khartoum. In the spring of 1883 Osman 
 Digna, with his head full of grand schemes, 
 reached El Obeid, where he paid his tribute 
 of reverence to God's Prophet, and offered 
 to serve the new cause in the Red Sea 
 territories. Osman's offer was accepted. 
 He left Obeid with the title of ' Emir' of the 
 Dervish of God, and with letters which he 
 was to distribute to the tribal sheiks, and 
 in which they were ordered to acknowledge 
 Osman's authority. He was joined by his 
 brother Ahmed from Souakin, who, before 
 starting for the interior, sold all the Digna 
 property in the place. Ahmed held high 
 rank under his brother Osman. But a much 
 more influential ally than Ahmed was the 
 Sheik Mahomed Tahir, originally of 
 Darner, a small town and district near 
 Berber. The accession of Sheik Tahir 
 indicates another of the very numerous and 
 complex motives of the Soudan insurrec- 
 tion. The slave chiefs were principally 
 impelled by resentment at interference with 
 their inhuman calling, and the slave-traders 
 
 have been the prime movers of the insur- 
 rection ; they were the first to support the 
 Mahdi, and they are still the backbone of 
 his following. Others joined in the insur- 
 rection, partly from genuine religious 
 motives, partly from dynastic reasons 
 both which were combined in Sheik 
 Tahir. An ancestor of Sheik Tahir was 
 chief of Darner when the Egyptians con- 
 quered the country sixty-five years ago ; 
 and he was implicated in the massacre of 
 the Egyptian leader, Ismail Pasha, and his 
 companions by the king of Shendy. Ismail 
 and his followers were burnt alive ; and 
 Sheik Abutaleb (Sheik Tahir's ancestor), 
 together with the ' Tiger ' of Shendy, fled 
 to Abyssinia. Shendy and Darner have 
 been hotbeds of disaffection ever since. 
 In the eyes of the people the dispossessed 
 Sheik Tahir embodied their country's 
 ancient cause, and his influence was 
 strengthened still more by his reputation 
 for sanctity. Whenever he went abroad 
 Sheik Tahir was surrounded by crowds 
 struggling for the honour of kissing his 
 hands, feet or raiment. His admirers 
 poured gifts upon him, among which were 
 many slaves. Pious as Sheik Tahir was, 
 he had taste and aptitude for worldly avoca- 
 tions ; and he had even slave-dealing trans- 
 actions with the far-travelled Osman Digna. 
 The Souakin gossips say that the holy man 
 sometimes lost pretty heavily in his partner- 
 ships with Osman. Here, then, was a man 
 who, in addition to his great popularity and 
 far-spread reputation for piety, inherited an 
 obligation of revenge. He and Osman 
 were friends. They had a common griev- 
 ance. Their opportunity had come, and 
 they seized it. Or rather, Osman had 
 seized it already ; for he had been invested 
 with his Emirship at El Obeid, by the 
 Dervish of God. So all that Osman had to 
 do on his return journey from Obeid was to 
 to take the holy Sheik Tahir with him into 
 the Hadendowa country. The indolent 
 security of the Egyptian officials at this 
 time in Khartoum and in Berber, where the 
 secret of Osman's mission had leaked out,
 
 SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 347 
 
 was thoroughly characteristic of them. 
 Suliman Pasha, the Governor-General of 
 Khartoum, laughed at the warnings he 
 received. He jokingly called Osman a 
 'magnoon,' and even declared that the 
 Hadendowas, in spite of their spears, were 
 a flock of sheep ! Past experience of the 
 Hadendowas perhaps justified his Excel- 
 lency's unflattering estimate of them. Up 
 to that time they had patiently borne 
 the oppressions of the real sheep the 
 Egyptians. Up to that time a crowd of 
 Hadendowas would have cowered at the 
 sight of an Egyptian with a gun on his 
 shoulder. But the time was near when a 
 multitude of Egyptian warriors would bolt 
 for dear life at the sight of a solitary 
 Hadendowa. This sudden change in the 
 conduct and spirit of the Hadendowas is 
 perhaps the most extraordinary fact in the 
 new history of the Soudan. The change 
 
 can be explained, but the explanation is 
 too long for our present space. In the 
 month of August, 1883, Osman Digna, 
 with his friend Sheik Tahir, appeared in 
 the Erkowit hills, and in the Mahdi's name 
 issued his proclamations and warnings to 
 the tribal sheiks and the officials of the 
 Egyptian Government. Just at the time 
 November 4 or 5, 1883 when General 
 Hicks' army was perishing of thirst, and 
 under the spears and fire of the Arabs at 
 Kashgil, Osman Digna's band was slaughter- 
 ing the Egyptian troops near the black 
 glistening rock not far from Tamai, which 
 Mr. F. Scudamore, one of the special 
 correspondents, appropriately named after 
 the Egyptian leader, Mount Kassim." And 
 so Osman Digna may be said to have from 
 this time fairly established himself in the 
 position of a prosperous and very highly 
 successful rebel chief. 
 
 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 THE SIEGE OF KHARTOUM SUMMARY. 
 
 HUS, as we have seen, on 
 February iSth, 1884, Gor- 
 don arrived in Khartoum. 
 He was not able to carry 
 out his plans as he had in- 
 tended. In fact, the state of affairs did not 
 allow him to remove the imperilled garri- 
 sons and population to evacuate the Sou- 
 dan as he had proposed. About a month 
 after his arrival, Khartoum was strictly 
 invested, and right on from then till the 
 end of January, when the town fell through 
 treachery, there was almost continual fight- 
 ing. As, of course, the telegraph wire was 
 cut at a very early period, a great deal 
 of what passed during the siege was not, 
 and since the three Englishmen Gordon, 
 Stewart, and Power were all killed, as in- 
 deed were all the Europeans, will, as far as we 
 
 can see, never be known exactly. Still, a 
 good deal of information, not all of it exactly 
 trustworthy, has bit by bit come to light. 
 The newspaper correspondents on the field 
 were able to collect several narrations 
 from natives who were present at the end. 
 Also the diaries of Mr. Frank Power, the 
 Times correspondent at Khartoum, have 
 been received, and what is still more 
 precious, a part of the diary of General Gor- 
 don. From all these, then, we are able to get 
 a very fair general idea of what actually 
 took place. What we propose to do is, in 
 this chapter, to give in brief the story of 
 the siege, which we take from the same able 
 authority which did so much to bring 
 Gordon before the Government We are, 
 in the first place, to observe then that 
 " Khartoum, which fell by treachery on the
 
 348 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 z6th January, 1885, was attacked in force 
 for the first time on March i2th, 1884. 
 General Gordon, charged with his mission 
 ' to cut off the dog's tail,' leaving behind 
 him his watchword 'No Panic,' had arrived 
 at Khartoum on February i8th, and spent 
 his time between that date and the invest- 
 ment in sending down women and children, 
 2,000 of whom were sent safely through to 
 Egypt, in addition to 600 soldiers. It was 
 stated by Sir Evelyn Baring that there were 
 15,000 persons in Khartoum who ought to 
 be brought back to Egypt Europeans, 
 civil servants, widows and orphans, and a 
 
 garrison of one thousand men, one-third 
 of whom were disaffected. To get these 
 people out of Khartoum was General 
 Gordon's first duty, and the first condition 
 of evacuation was the establishment of a 
 stable government in the Soudan. The 
 only man who could establish that Govern- 
 ment was Zebehr. Gordon demanded 
 Zebehr with ever-increasing emphasis, and 
 his request was decisively refused. He 
 had then two alternatives either to sur- 
 render absolutely to the Mahdi or to hold 
 on to Khartoum at all hazards. While he 
 was strengthening his position the Mahdi 
 
 OUTSKIRTS OF GAREFF. 
 
 settled the question by suddenly assuming 
 the offensive. The first step in this 
 memorable siege was the daring march of 
 4,000 rebels to the Nile, by which on the 
 1 2th of March they cut off the 800 men at 
 Halfaya, a village to the north of Khartoum, 
 from the city. A steamer was sent down 
 to reconnoitre, and the moment she reached 
 the front of the rebel position a volley was 
 fired into her, wounding an officer and a 
 soldier. The steamer returned the fire, 
 killing five rebels. Thus hostilities began. 
 Our only justification for assuming the 
 offensive, wrote General Gordon on March 
 1 3th, 'is the extrication of the Halfaya 
 
 garrison.' The rebels, however, did not 
 give him the chance. They cut off three 
 companies of his troops who had gone out 
 to cut wood, capturing eight of their boats, 
 and killing or dispersing 100 to 150 men. 
 They entrenched themselves along the 
 Nile and kept up a heavy rifle fire. Re- 
 treat for the garrison was obviously im- 
 possible when the rebel force covered the 
 river, the only line of retreat, with their 
 fire. Twelve hundred men were put on 
 board two grain barges, towed by three 
 steamers defended with boiler plates, and 
 carrying mountain guns protected by 
 wooden mantlets ; and, with the loss of
 
 SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 349 
 
 only two killed, they succeeded in extrica- 
 ting the 500 men left of the garrison of 
 Halfaya, and capturing 70 camels and 18 
 horses, with which they returned to Khar- 
 toum. The rebels, however, held Halfaya, 
 
 and on March i6th, Gordon tried to drive 
 them away. Advancing from a stockaded 
 position covering the north front of the 
 town, 2,000 troops advanced across the open 
 in square supported by the fire of the guns 
 
 MAP OF THE SOUDAN. 
 
 of two steamers. The rebels were retreat- 
 ing when Hassan and Seid Pashas, Gordon's 
 black generals, rode into the wood and 
 called back the enemy. The Egyptians 
 broke and fled, and were pursued to within 
 a mile of the stockade. After this affair he 
 
 was convinced that he could not take the 
 offensive, but must remain quiet at Khar- 
 toum, and wait till the Nile rose. 
 
 Six days later the black pashas were 
 tried by court martial, found guilty, and 
 shot. A very determined attack upon one
 
 35 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 of the steamers coming up from Berber, at 
 the Salboka pass, was beaten off with great 
 slaughter, Gordon's men firing no fewer 
 than 1 5,000 rounds of Remington ammuni- 
 tion. Meanwhile his efforts to negotiate 
 failed. ' I will make you Sultan of Kor- 
 dofan,' he said on arrival to the Mahdi. 
 'I am the Mahdi,' replied Mohammed Ah- 
 med, by emissaries who were ' exceedingly 
 cheeky,' keeping their hands upon their 
 swords and laying a filthy patched dervish's 
 coat before him ' Will you become a 
 Mussulman ? ' Gordon flung the bundle 
 across the room, cancelled the Mahdi's 
 Sultanship, and the war was renewed. 
 From that day to the day of the betrayal 
 no day passed without bullets dropping 
 into Khartoum. 
 
 Gordon now set to work in earnest to 
 place Khartoum in a defensible position. 
 Ten thousand of the Mahdi's sympathisers 
 left Khartoum and joined the enemy. The 
 steamers kept up a skirmishing fight on 
 both Niles. All the houses on the north 
 side of Khartoum were loopholed. A 16- 
 pounder Krupp was mounted on a barge, 
 and wire was stretched across the front of 
 the stockade. The houses on the northern 
 bank of the Blue Nile were fortified and 
 garrisoned by Bashi-Bazouks. Omdurman 
 was held and fortified on the west and Buri 
 on the east On the 25th of March Gordon 
 had to disarm and disband 250 Bashi-Ba- 
 zouks who refused to occupy stockaded 
 houses in a village on the south bank of the 
 Blue Nile (Buri ?). The rebels advanced on 
 Hadji Ali, a village to the north of the 
 Nile, and fired into the palace. They were 
 shelled out of their position, but constantly 
 returned to harass the garrison. They 
 seemed to Gordon mere tag-rag and bob- 
 tail, but he dare not go out to meet them 
 for fear of the town. Five hundred brave 
 men could have cleared out the lot, but he 
 had not a hundred. The fighting was con- 
 fined to artillery fire on one side and desul- 
 tory rifle shooting on the other. This went 
 on till the end of March. The rebels 
 clustered more closely round the town. On 
 
 April 19 Gordon telegraphed that he had 
 provisions for five months, and if he only 
 had 2,000 to 3,000 Turkish troops he could 
 soon settle the rebels. Unfortunately he 
 received not one fighting man. Shendy fell 
 into the hands of the rebels. Berber followed, 
 and then for months no word whatever 
 reached this country from Khartoum. 
 
 On the 2gth September Mr. Power's tele- 
 gram, dated July 31, was received by the 
 Times. From that we gather a tolerably 
 clear notion of the way in which the war 
 went on. Anything more utterly absurd 
 than the accusation that Gordon forced 
 fighting on the Mahdi cannot be conceived. 
 He acted uniformly on the defensive, 
 merely trying to clear his road of an attack- 
 ing force, and failing because he had no 
 fighting men to take the offensive. He 
 found himself in a trap, out of which he 
 could not cut his way. If he had possessed 
 a single regiment, the front of Khartoum 
 might have been cleared with ease, but his 
 impotence encouraged the rebels, and they 
 clustered round in ever-increasing numbers 
 until at last they crushed his resistance. 
 After the middle of April the rebels began 
 to attack the palace in force, having ap- 
 parently established themselves on the 
 north bank. The loss of life was chiefly 
 occasioned by the explosion of mines de- 
 vised by General Gordon, and so placed as 
 to explode when trodden on by the enemy. 
 Of all his expedients these mines were the 
 most successful and the least open to any 
 accusation of offensive operations. The 
 rebels closed in all round towards the end 
 of April, and General Gordon surrounded 
 himself with a formidable triple barrier of 
 land torpedoes, over which were strewn 
 broken glass and crows'-feet. A wire en- 
 tanglement and a formidable chevaux de 
 frise enabled the garrison to feel somewhat 
 secure. On the 27th of April Valeh Bey sur- 
 rendered at Mesalimeh, a disaster by which 
 General Gordon lost one steamer, seventy 
 shiploads of provisions, and 2,000 rifles. 
 
 General Gordon was now entirely cut off 
 from the outside world, and compelled to
 
 SIEGE OP KHARTOUM. 
 
 rely entirely upon his own resources. He 
 sent out negroes to entice the slaves of 
 the rebels to come over, promising 
 them freedom and rations. This he 
 thought would frighten the rebels more 
 than bullets. It would be the beginning of 
 the end of slavery up here, and the rebels 
 would desert a locality so dangerous to 
 their hold on their live chattels. On April 
 26th he made his first issue of paper-money, 
 to the extent of .2,500, redeemable in six 
 months. By July 3oth it had risen to 
 "26,000, besides the ^50,000 borrowed 
 from merchants. On the same day he 
 struck decorations for the defence of Khar- 
 toum, for officers in silver, silver-gilt and 
 pewter for the private soldiers. These 
 medals bear a crescent and a star, with 
 words from the Koran, and the date with 
 an inscription Siege of Khartoum and a 
 hand-grenade in the centre. ' School chil- 
 dren and women,' he wrote, ' also received 
 medals ; consequently, I am very popular 
 with the black ladies of Khartoum.' 
 
 The attacks of the rebels were kept up 
 with vigour at the beginning of May. On 
 May 6th a heavy attack on Buri was re- 
 pulsed with great loss of life, chiefly caused 
 by the explosion of mines. On May yth 
 the Arabs attacked in force from the north 
 front, seizing the houses and holding them 
 for three days, notwithstanding the ex- 
 plosion of nine mines, which cost them 
 1 15 lives. On the gth, however, they were 
 driven out, and after that, although the 
 firing never ceased, there was a comparative 
 cessation of attacks in force. On May 25111, 
 Colonel Stewart was slightly wounded in 
 the arm, when working a mitrailleuse near 
 the Palace. A gun was mounted on both 
 the Palace and the Government House, and 
 at a subsequent period of the siege General 
 Gordon built himself a tower from which 
 he watched over the whole of the fortifica- 
 tions. All through May and June his 
 steamers made foraging expeditions up and 
 down the Nile, shelling the rebels when they 
 showed in force, and bringing back much 
 cattle to the city. On Midsummer Day, 
 
 Mr. Cuzza, formerly Gordon's agent at 
 Berber, but now a prisoner of the Mahdi's, 
 was sent to the wells to announce the cap- 
 ture of Berber. It was sad news for the 
 three Englishmen alone in the midst of a 
 hostile Soudan. Undaunted they continued 
 to stand at bay, rejoicing greatly that in 
 one, Saati Bey, they had at least a brave 
 and capable officer. Saati had charge of 
 the steamers, and for two months he had 
 uninterrupted success, in spite of the twisted 
 telegraph wires which the rebels stretched 
 across the river. Unfortunately, on July 
 loth, Saati, with Colonel Stewart and 200 
 men, after burning Kalaka and three villages, 
 attacked Gatarnulb. Eight Arab horsemen 
 rode at the 200 Egyptians. The 200 fled at 
 once, not caring to fire their Remingtons, 
 and poor Saati was killed. Colonel Stewart 
 narrowly escaped a similar fate. 
 
 ' Be assured,' wrote General Gordon on 
 July 3oth, 'that these hostilities are far 
 from being sought for, but we have no 
 option. Retreat is impossible, unless we 
 abandon the employe's and their families, 
 which the general feeling of the troops is 
 against' Two days before writing that 
 despatch, Mehemet AH Pasha with the 
 Soudan regiments made an attack from 
 Buri upon the rebels, who had been firing 
 day and night into our lines. It was bril- 
 liantly successful at a loss of only four 
 killed. The next day Mr. Power went up 
 to Gareff, on the Blue Nile, with five 
 armoured steamers and four of the armoured 
 barges, on which General Gordon had raised 
 castles twenty feet high, giving a double 
 line of fire. Between Gareff and Khartoum 
 the rebels had lined the river bank with no 
 fewer than thirteen small forts, all of which 
 they cleared out. At Gareff they found 
 two strong earthwork forts, bound together 
 by trunks of palm-trees. One of them was 
 defended by two cannons. The Krupp 
 gun disabled the cannon after a bombard- 
 ment of eight hours. ' You may rely on 
 this," said General Gordon, ' that if there 
 was any possible way of avoiding these 
 wretched fights, I should adopt it, for the
 
 352 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 whole war is hateful to me.' Fortunately, 
 however, although two of his steamers had 
 received 970 and 800 hits on their hulls 
 respectively, and his men had fired half a 
 million cartridges in four months, he cal- 
 culated that he had lost only thirty killed 
 and sixty wounded since the action for 
 which the black pashas were shot. 
 
 All the ammunition was stored in the 
 large mission premises on the river. At 
 the beginning of August food was thirty 
 times its usual price. The poor were 
 rationed. The conduct of the people and 
 troops was excellent, and they lived in con- 
 stant expectation of the arrival of relief 
 from England. Gordon repeatedly declared, 
 ' I will not leave these people after all they 
 have gone through. I shall not leave 
 Khartoum until I can put some one in.' 
 Again he said, ' I stay at Khartoum because 
 Arabs have shut us up and will not let us 
 out. I also add that even if the road was 
 opened the people would not let me go 
 unless I gave them some government or 
 took them with me, which I could not do.' 
 
 After July 3151 there is a sudden cessa- 
 tion of regular communications. Power's 
 journal breaks off then, and we are left to 
 more or less meagre references in Gordon's 
 despatches. On the 23rd of August he sent 
 a characteristic message, in which he an- 
 nounces that the Nile having risen, he has 
 sent Colonel Stewart, Mr. Power, and the 
 French Consul to take Berber, occupy it 
 for fifteen days, burn it, and then return to 
 Khartoum. Colonel Stewart was to pro- 
 ceed to Dongola. When the steamers 
 returned to Khartoum General Gordon 
 would send to the Equatorial provinces 
 and rescue their garrisons. He wrote : ' I 
 will look after the troops in the Equator, 
 Bahr-el-Ghazel, and in Darfour, although it 
 cost me my life.' Again he said : ' The 
 prosperity of Egypt can only follow the 
 restoration of peace in the Soudan.' In 
 Gordon's opinion it was the dread of the 
 appearance of English or Turkish troops 
 which alone led the Mahdi to refrain so 
 long from effectually attacking Khartoum. 
 
 As month after month rolled by and no 
 relieving force made its appearance, 'we 
 appeared even as liars to the people of 
 Khartoum,' said General Gordon. He had 
 promised them Zebehr : Zebehr had never 
 come. He promised them relief : no relief 
 arrived. He had borrowed their money 
 to feed the starving, and now his paper 
 money seemed as if it would never be re- 
 deemed. The outlook was black : but the 
 Nile was rising, and if once Colonel Stewart 
 got through to Dongola much might be 
 done. At the beginning of August, with 
 three steamers and part of the garrison, he 
 seized 5,000 quarters of grain, and re- 
 plenished his almost exhausted granary. 
 He joined hands with the garrison of 
 Sennaar, and thus severed the rebels in two 
 by the Blue Nile. On August i2th a 
 determined attack was made by 5,000 
 rebels upon Khartoum. 
 
 The exact locality of all these fights is 
 somewhat obscure; but this prolonged 
 struggle in which ultimately the attacking 
 force of 5,000 was beaten back with a loss 
 of i, 800 and two sheiks was fought for 
 the possession of the loopholed houses to 
 the north of the town. From that time 
 onward communications with Gordon were 
 very fitful No news was ever allowed to 
 pass the rebel lines. Messenger after 
 messenger was seized. All the late mes- 
 sages from Gordon, except a long despatch 
 of November 4th, which has never been 
 published, were written on tissue paper no 
 bigger than a postage stamp, and either 
 concealed in a quill thrust into the hair, or 
 sewn on the waistband of the natives em- 
 ployed. Gordon seems to have been most 
 active in August and September, when the 
 Nile was high. He had 8,000 men at 
 Khartoum and Sennaar. He reoccupied 
 Halfaya, driving out the rebels, who lost 
 two sheiks. He sent Colonel Stewart 
 and the troops with the steamers to re- 
 capture Berber. A steamer which bore a 
 rough effigy of Gordon at the prow was 
 said to be particularly dreaded by the 
 rebels. On August 26th he reported that
 
 SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 353 
 
 he had provisions for five months, but in 
 the forays made by his steamer on the 
 southern Niles he enormously replenished 
 his stores. On one of these southern raids 
 he took with him 6,000 men in thirty-four 
 boats, towed by nine steamers. 
 
 Roused by this activity, the Mahdi him- 
 self left Obeid and advanced in person to 
 the siege. Arriving before Omdurman 
 about the beginning of November he sum- 
 moned Gordon to surrender. To the 
 previous summons, Gordon had replied : 
 ' If you are the true Mahdi, dry up the 
 Nile and come and take me.' To another 
 summons Gordon replied, 'Surrender 
 Khartoum? Not for twelve years.' The 
 Mahdi, who had 25,000 and four Krupps, 
 according to one account, and 30,000 foot 
 and 2,000 horse according to another, there- 
 upon began the attack on Omdurman. 
 Gordon, with twelve steamers, replied with 
 such effect that after eight hours' hard fight- 
 ing the Mahdi was driven southward to El 
 MargatL This appears to have been the 
 most decisive victory gained by General 
 Gordon during the siege. 
 
 After his defeat before Omdurman the 
 Mahdi is said to have made a very remark- 
 able prophecy. He retired into a cave for 
 three days, and on his return he told his 
 followers that Allah had revealed that for 
 sixty days there would be a rest, and after 
 that blood would flow like water. The 
 Mahdi was right. Almost exactly sixty 
 days after that prophecy there was fought 
 the battle of Abu Klea. 
 
 Stewart had by this time been killed on 
 his way down from Berber to Dongola, to 
 which place Gordon had sent him. Gordon 
 was all alone. The old men and women 
 who had friends in the neighbouring vil- 
 lages left the town. The uninhabited part 
 was destroyed, the remainder was inclosed 
 by a wall. In the centre of Khartoum he 
 had built himself a tower, from the roof of 
 which he kept a sharp look-out with his 
 field-glass in the day time. At night he 
 went the rounds of the fortifications, cheer- 
 ing his men and keeping them on the alert 
 
 against attacks. Treachery was always his 
 greatest dread. Many of the townsfolk 
 sympathised with the Mahdi ; he could not 
 depend on all his troops, and he could only 
 rely on one of his pashas, Mehemet Ali. 
 He rejoiced exceedingly in the news of the 
 approach of the British relieving force. He 
 illuminated Khartoum and fired salutes in 
 honour of the news, and he doubled his 
 exertions to fill his granaries with grain. 
 On the 2ist of November his steamers 
 brought in thirty boatloads of grain from 
 the Blue Nile, the price falling at once to 
 30^. per ardeb. 
 
 The last detailed message arrived from 
 Gordon November i3th. It was dated 
 November 4th, and was addressed to Lord 
 Wolseley, and contained 800 words. It 
 gave many directions as to what should be 
 done, and repudiated most emphatically 
 the idea that the expedition was coming to 
 rescue him. ' You are coming,' he wrote, 
 ' not to relieve me, but to rescue the garri- 
 sons which I was unable to withdraw.' He 
 had previously received a message from 
 Wolseley of October i4th, so that at this 
 time Khartoum and Dongola were within 
 ten or fifteen days of each other. A sub- 
 sequent message received on December 
 8th gave further news of his operations. 
 Gordon was then making powder, repairing 
 disabled steamers, and actually building 
 two new ones. His Admiral Kasham Amors 
 with five steamers and 500 men had driven 
 the rebels from the banks of the Nile as far 
 as Shendy, and had brought in large supplies 
 of grain. The Nile from Sennaar to Shendy 
 was patrolled by his steamers, and, although 
 the Mahdi had 15,000 troops on the west 
 bank of the Nile, all was going well inside, 
 with one exception. 
 
 On the 1 4th of December a letter was 
 received by one of his friends in Cairo from 
 General Gordon, saying, ' Farewell ! You 
 will never hear from me again. I fear that 
 there will be treachery in the garrison, and 
 all will be over by Christmas.' It was this 
 melancholy warning that led Lord Wolseley 
 to order the dash across the desert. Of 
 
 A A
 
 354 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the origin of his foreboding nothing is 
 known. Sir Henry Gordon appears to 
 believe that the 500 men who joined the 
 garrison of Khartoum from the forces of 
 the Mahdi in September may have been 
 the traitors. Of this there is no evidence. 
 One Farag Pasha was the man who opened 
 the gates, and he probably was with Gordon 
 from the first. 
 
 On the 1 6th of December came news 
 that the Mahdi had again failed in his 
 attack on Omdurman. Gordon had blown 
 up the fort which he had built over against 
 the town, and inflicted great loss on his 
 assailants, who, however, invested the city 
 closely on all sides. The Mahdi had re- 
 turned to Omdurman where he had con- 
 centrated his troops. From thence he sent 
 14,000 men to Berber to recruit the forces 
 of Osman Digna, and it was these men 
 probably that fought us at Abu Klea. 
 
 After this nothing was heard beyond the 
 rumour that Omdurman was captured and 
 two brief messages from Gordon. The first, 
 which arrived January ist, was as follows : 
 ' Khartoum all right C. E. Gordon. 
 December i4th, 1884.' The second was 
 brought by the steamers which met General 
 Stewart at Metemmeh on January 2ist: 
 ' Khartoum all right ; could hold out for 
 years. C. E. Gordon. December 29th.' 
 
 On the 26th January Farag Pasha opened 
 the gates of the city to the enemy, and one 
 of the most famous sieges in the world's 
 history came to a close. It had lasted from 
 March i2th to January 26th exactly 320 
 days," or very nearly one year from his 
 departure for Khartoum. 
 
 We append from the same authority a 
 chronological summary : 
 
 " General Gordon left London for Khar- 
 toum on the i8th January, 1884. On the 
 9th of January Colonel Coetlegon tele- 
 graphed from Khartoum to the Khedive 
 strongly urging an immediate withdrawal 
 from Khartoum. He said that one-third 
 of the garrison was unreliable, and ' even if 
 it were twice as strong as it is it would not 
 hold Khartoum against the whole country.' 
 
 On the 5th January, 1884, General Gordon 
 had accepted a commission from the King 
 of the Belgians to proceed to the Congo. 
 On the 8th of January, our representative 
 had an interview with Gordon at South- 
 ampton. On the following day the account 
 of that interview appeared in the Pall 
 Mall Gazette. It was strongly urged that 
 Gordon should be sent out with carte 
 blanche to do the best that he could. This 
 view was strongly supported by the press, 
 irrespective of party, and the Government 
 finally determined to accept the suggestion. 
 On the 1 5th he arrived in town from South- 
 ampton and had an interview with Lord 
 Wolseley at the War Office, and expressed 
 his confidence that the Soudanese diffi- 
 culties could] be settled. The following is 
 a diary of the mission : 
 
 1884. 
 
 Jan. 18. Gordon left Charing Cross, at 8 p.m. 
 
 Jan. 24. Arrived at Port Said. 
 
 Jan. 25. Arrived at Cairo. 
 
 Jan. 27. Gordon and Stewart left for Khartoum. 
 
 Feb. 2. Gordon arrived at Korosko and entered 
 Desert. 
 
 Feb. 4. Massacre of Baker Pasha's force at El 
 Teb, near Tokar. 
 
 Feb. 9. Gordon arrived at Berber. 
 
 Feb. 13. Gordon left Berber. 
 
 Feb. 1 8. Arrived at Khartoum. Issued pro- 
 clamation to inhabitants remitting taxation and 
 sanctioning slave-trade. 
 
 Feb. 29. Battle of El Teb. 
 
 Mar. 7. Gordon proposed that Zebehr should be 
 sent to Khartoum to succeed him. 
 
 Mar. 13. Defeat of Osman Digna at Tamai. 
 
 Mar. 1 6. Defeat of Gordon at Halfaya. 
 
 Mar. 21. Fighting reported at Khartoum ; 
 relief of the garrison of Halfaya by Gordon. 
 
 Mar. 24. Whole country south of Berber in a 
 state of revolution ; Khartoum invested. 
 
 April 9. News received from Gordon dated 
 March 30. From 24th to end of month Gordon 
 had frequent successful engagements with the 
 enemy. 
 
 April 1 6. Zebehr at Cairo received Gordon's 
 appointment as Assistant-Governor of the Soudan, 
 which Zebehr declines. 
 
 April 24. Berber invested. 
 
 May 9. News received that Gordon had defeated 
 rebels on White Nile. 
 
 May IO. British military authorities in Cairo 
 ordered to prepare for the despatch in October of 
 an expeditionary force for the relief of Khartoum.
 
 SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 355 
 
 Twelve thousand camels to be purchased. Active 
 war preparation in England. 
 
 May 27. News from Mudir of Dongola that he 
 has defeated rebels. 
 
 June 10. News received of fall of Berber and 
 massacre of garrison ; 3,50x3 persons killed. 
 
 July 20. General Gordon had written to Mudir 
 of Dongola dated June 22. Gordon said he had 
 8,000 men with him at Khartoum, and asked if re- 
 inforcements were coming. 
 
 July 23. Mudir of Dongola defeats 5,000 rebels 
 near Debbah. 
 
 Aug. 5. Credit vote for expedition for .300,000 
 passed in Commons. 
 
 Aug. 7. News received that Gordon, Stewart, 
 and Mr. Power are all well, and on 29th that he 
 had provisions for four months. 
 
 Aug. 10. Gordon gains victory, in which 1, 800 
 rebels were killed. 
 
 Aug. 14. Nile route adopted. 
 
 Aug. 28. Lord Wolseley appointed. 
 
 Sept. 8. News of Mudir of Dongola's victory 
 over rebels. 
 
 Sept. 10. Lord Wolseley arrives at Cairo. 
 
 Sept. 12. News that Gordon had attacked Ber- 
 ber ; also report that he had been actively engaged 
 on the river south of Khartoum, and that he had 
 captured two islands from the rebels. 
 
 Sept. 19. Telegrams arrive from Gordon com- 
 plaining of slackness of expedition, rebels increas- 
 ing. 
 
 Oct. 4. Lord Wolseley arrives at Wady Haifa. 
 
 Oct. 6. Wreck and massacre of Colonel Stewart 
 and party near Berber. 
 
 Oct. 17. Bombardment of Metemmeh by Gor- 
 don with three steamers and eighteen nuggars. 
 
 Nov. 2. At Dongola. 1st battalion South 
 Staffordshire embark on 5th. Practically com- 
 mencement of advance, 
 
 Nov. 8. Letter received from General Gordon, 
 confirming report of Colonel Stewart's death, and 
 
 saying he has sufficient provisions to hold out till 
 expedition arrives. 
 
 Nov. 15. General Earle arrives at Dongola. 
 
 Nov. 25. Guards Camel Corps arrive at Handak. 
 
 Nov. 28. Naval brigade formed under Lord 
 Charles Beresford. 
 
 Dec. 2. Colonel Bumaby arrives at Wady Haifa 
 and appointed inspecting staff officer. 
 
 Dec. 12. Head -quarters transferred to Ambukol. 
 Sir Herbert Stewart proceeds to Korti with mounted 
 infantry and Guards Camel Corps. 
 
 Dec. 15. Sir Herbert Stewart arrives at Korti. 
 
 Dec. 1 6. Lord Wolseley arrives at Korti. 
 
 Dec. 29. General Stewart ordered to take the 
 desert route to Metemmeh. General Earle to go 
 up the Nile. 
 
 Dec. 30. Departure of General Stewart for 
 Metemmeh. 
 
 1885. 
 
 Jan. I. Message from Gordon ' Khartoum all 
 right, December 14. C. G. Gordon.' 
 
 Jan. 2. First portion of Stewart's force arrived 
 at Gakdul. 
 
 Jan. 14. Advance from Gakdul for Metemmeh. 
 
 Jan. 17. Attacks the Mahdi's forces at Abu 
 Klea Wells, gaining a victory. 
 
 Jan. 1 8. Reported capture of Omdurman by the 
 Mahdi. 
 
 Jan. 19. General Stewart again attacked by the 
 Mahdi's forces at Gubat, when enemy were once 
 more defeated. General Stewart wounded. 
 
 Jan. 20. Established on the banks of the Nile 
 at Gubat. 
 
 Jan. 21. Reconnaissance in force of Metemmeh, 
 assisted by four steamers sent down by General 
 Gordon, with message dated December 29. 
 ' Khartoum all right, could hold out for years.' 
 
 Jan. 22. Reconnaissance on Shendy. 
 
 Jan. 24. Sir C. Wilson left for Khartoum with 
 two steamers and a detachment of Sussex Regiment. 
 
 Jan. 26. Fall of Khartoum."
 
 356 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVI. 
 
 GORDON DESPATCHES RELATING TO THE KHARJOUM 
 
 EXPEDITION. 
 
 E shall now proceed to give 
 various despatches of Gene- 
 ral Gordon which before 
 communication was broken 
 he sent to the authorities at 
 home. To make these plainer we give 
 some not from him to elucidate the others. 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, February 6.) 
 
 CAIRO, February 6, 1884. 
 My Lord, I have the honour to inform 
 your lordship that General Gordon left the 
 following message to be given to Mr. Clif- 
 ford Lloyd, through Lieutenant Rhodes, 
 who came out in the same ship with him : 
 'Tell Lloyd, no panics. It is possible 
 that I may go to the Mahdi, and not be 
 heard of for two months, for he might keep 
 me as a hostage for Zebehr. You can tell 
 Lloyd this when you get to Cairo, so that 
 he can publish it at the right time, if 
 necessary.' Owing to Mr. Lloyd's recent 
 illness, this message was not given to me 
 until after General Gordon had started from 
 Korosko by the caravan route across the 
 desert to Berber : and no telegrams can 
 reach him till his arrival there. I have 
 telegraphed to him to Berber, repeating the 
 message Mr. Lloyd received, and adding : 
 ' I hope you will give me a positive assu- 
 rance that you will on no account put your- 
 self voluntarily in the power of the Mahdi. 
 The question is not a personal one. There 
 would, in my opinion, be the strongest 
 political objections to your risking a visit 
 to the Mahdi/ I had intended to wait 
 before communicating on the subject with 
 your lordship until I had received General 
 Gordon's answer from Berber, where he will 
 probably arrive on the 8th. But the tele- 
 graph line between Berber and Khartoum 
 has now been cut by the tribes of that 
 
 district, so that I may be unable to com- 
 municate with him by telegraph when once 
 he leaves the former place. I venture, 
 therefore, to request that your lordship will 
 inform me as soon as possible whether I 
 may give General Gordon a positive order 
 from her Majesty's Government that he is 
 on no account to visit the Mahdi. I have, 
 etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, 
 February 6, 1884, 11.15 P- m - 
 
 Your message to General Gordon, re- 
 ferred to in your telegram of to-day, is 
 approved, and you are authorized, if you 
 think it necessary and desirable to do so, 
 to convey to General Gordon our approval 
 of it." 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, February 9.) 
 
 CAIRO, February 9, 1884. 
 
 My Lord, I have the honour to inclose 
 copy of a letter from General Gordon, in- 
 closing a letter to be forwarded to the King 
 of the Belgians, in which he urges his 
 Majesty to occupy the Bahr-Gazelle and 
 the Equatorial provinces, and to appoint 
 him Governor-General of all that country. 
 He seems to intend to go straight on in 
 that direction from Khartoum. I do not 
 think that General Gordon should be 
 allowed, at all events for the present, to go 
 anywhere south of Khartoum. I have, 
 etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 Inclosure. 
 "Major-General Gordon to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 KOROSKO, February i, 1884. 
 My dear Sir Evelyn Baring, Here is a 
 letter I have written to the King of the 
 Belgians. His Majesty told me he would
 
 OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. 
 
 357 
 
 take these two provinces if he could get 
 them when I was at Brussels ; also that he 
 would take over the troops in them. You 
 might mention this to the Foreign Office, 
 and send them copy of the letter. It would 
 settle the slave trade. Yours, etc., 
 
 (Signed) C. G. GORDON." 
 
 " Earl Granville to Sir E. Baring. 
 FOREIGN OFFICE, February n, 1884. 
 Sir, I have received your telegram of 
 the Qth inst, informing me that you have 
 received a letter from General Gordon, 
 from which it appears that that officer con- 
 templates proceeding to Bahr-Gazelle and 
 the Equatorial provinces. I have to state 
 that her Majesty's Government are of 
 opinion that General Gordon should not at 
 present go beyond Khartoum. I am, etc., 
 (Signed) GRANVILLE." 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, Feb. n.) 
 
 CAIRO, February u, 1884. 
 My Lord, With reference to my des- 
 patch of the 6th instant, I have the honour* 
 to inform your lordship that I have received 
 a telegram from General Gordon stating as 
 regards the message conveyed to me by 
 Lieutenant Rhodes, that he has no inten- 
 tion of visiting the Mahdi. I have, etc., 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 " Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, Feb. 1 2.) 
 
 CAIRO, February 12, 1884. 
 My Lord, With reference to your lord- 
 ship's telegram of yesterday, I have the 
 honour to inform your lordship that I have 
 to-day received a telegram from General 
 Gordon from Berber, stating that he will 
 not go further south than Khartoum with- 
 out my permission. I have, etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. (Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, April 16.) 
 
 CAIRO, April 16, 1884. 
 My Lord, I have just received a tele- 
 gram from General Gordon, of which I 
 inclose a copy, in which he states that he 
 considers himself free to act according to 
 
 circumstances, that he shall hold on to 
 Khartoum as long as he can, and will 
 endeavour to suppress the rebellion, and 
 that if he cannot do so he will retire to the 
 Equator. General Gordon has informed 
 Colonel Stewart and Mr. Power that they 
 should go to Berber as soon as it is possible 
 to send steamers down. I have, however, 
 received the inclosed telegrams from 
 Colonel Stewart and Mr. Power, from 
 which it appears that they both elect to 
 follow General Gordon to the Equator. I 
 have, etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 Inclosure. 
 " Major-General Gordon to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 KHARTOUM, April 16, 1884, 5.15 p.m. 
 
 As far as I can understand, the situation 
 is this : You state your intention of not 
 sending any relief up here or to Berber, 
 and you refuse me Zebehr. I consider 
 myself free to act according to circum- 
 stances. I shall hold on here as long as I 
 can, and if I can suppress the rebellion I 
 shall do so. If I cannot I shall retire to the 
 Equator, and leave you indelible disgrace 
 of abandoning the garrisons of Sennaar, 
 Kassala, Berber, and Dongola, with the 
 certainty that you will eventually be forced 
 to smash up the Mahdi under great diffi- 
 culties if you would retain peace in 
 Egypt." 
 
 Inclosure 2. 
 
 " Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart to Sir E. 
 
 Baring. 
 KHARTOUM, April , 1884. 
 
 General Gordon has acquainted me with 
 your intention of not relieving Khartoum, 
 and proposes I should go to Berber and 
 trust to success of your negotiations for 
 opening road from Souakin to Berber. 
 General Gordon has given you his decision 
 as to what he himself intends doing, and, 
 weighing all circumstances, and doubting 
 the success of your opening the road to 
 Berber, unless by advancing troops, I am 
 inclined to think my retreat will be perhaps 
 safer by the Equator. I shall, therefore, 
 follow the fortunes of General Gordon."
 
 358 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Inclosure 3. 
 " Mr. Power to Sir E. Baring. 
 
 KHARTOUM, April, 1884. 
 General Gordon, in view of the present 
 critical situation here, has made the follow- 
 ing intimation to me : ' As soon as it is 
 possible I propose you should go to Berber. 
 If you do not so elect, then justify me 
 to British Minister.' General Gordon of 
 course does not like responsibility of taking 
 English Consul to Equator, but at present 
 I do not see how it is possible for any but 
 an Arab to get to Berber. I would elect 
 to take the less risky route, and go via 
 Equator. We are quite blocked on the 
 north, east, and west." 
 "Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville. Re- 
 ceived by telegraph, April 18.) 
 
 CAIRO, April 18, 1884. 
 My Lord, I have just received a tele- 
 gram from General Gordon, dated the loth 
 instant, from which it appears that he has 
 not received my important telegram of the 
 1 7th ultimo, which is referred to in my 
 despatch of the following day. He says : 
 ' The only telegram I have received from 
 you since the xoth March was received 
 yesterday, the gth April, informing me that 
 I should not expect British troops to 
 advance from Souakin to Berber. If you 
 sent others I have not received them.' I 
 
 have, etc., 
 
 (Signed) E. BARING." 
 
 In a despatch of the same date, already 
 published, Sir E. Baring says : 
 
 " It is most unfortunate that, of all the 
 telegrams which I have sent to him since 
 the loth March, only one very short one 
 of the 23rd appears to have reached him. 
 General Gordon appears to think he is to 
 be abandoned, and is very indignant, as 
 you will have observed from my despatch 
 of the i6th." 
 
 Inclosure. 
 
 " Major-General Gordon to Sir E. Baring. 
 KHARTOUM, April 8, 1884. 
 
 The man who brought letters from Ber- 
 ber states Zebehr is at Korosko ; if so, you 
 did not tell me this important fact. 
 
 Scarcely a day passes without our inflicting 
 losses on rebels, which losses are quite 
 unnecessary if we are eventually to suc- 
 cumb. Cuzzi sent me copy of his telegram 
 to you, and I quite concur in what he says 
 of the futility of negotiations respecting 
 road to Berber. I have telegraphed to 
 Baker to make an appeal to British and 
 American millionaires to give me .300,000 
 to engage 3,000 Turkish troops from Sultan, 
 and send them here. This would settle 
 the Soudan and Mahdi for ever; for my 
 part, I think you would agree with me. I 
 do not see the fun of being caught here 
 to walk about the streets for years as a 
 Dervish, with sandalled feet; not that 
 (D.V.) I will ever be taken alive. It 
 would be the climax of meanness after I 
 had borrowed money from the people here, 
 had called on them to sell their grain at a 
 low price, etc., to go and abandon them 
 without using every effort to relieve them, 
 whether those efforts are diplomatically 
 correct or not ; and I feel sure, whatever 
 you may feel diplomatically, I have your 
 support and that of every man professing 
 himself a gentleman in private." 
 
 And so in very plain terms Gordon ex- 
 pressed himself. 
 
 Mixed with much that is tragic, especially 
 when we consider the end, there is still 
 something that is a little ludicrous in these 
 telegrams. Really the Government did not 
 know quite what to do with this strange 
 individual. But then, if he had been ordinary 
 and common-place, what good would he 
 have done at Khartoum? Then he de- 
 manded that Zebehr should be sent to 
 take command in the Soudan. Of course, 
 Zebehr had been mixed up with all sorts of 
 iniquitous proceedings in connection with 
 slavery in the Soudan, and was besides a 
 bitter enemy of Gordon's; but Gordon, 
 notwithstanding, justifies his appointment as 
 follows : 
 
 " KHARTOUM, March 8, 1884. 
 
 The sending of Zebehr means the 
 extrication of the Cairo employe's from 
 Khartoum, and the garrisons from Sennaar
 
 ZEBEHR PASHA. 
 
 359 
 
 and Kassala. I can see no possible way to 
 do so except through him, who, being a 
 native of the country, can rally the well- 
 affected round him, as they know he will 
 make his home here. I do not think that 
 the giving a subsidy to Zebehr for some two 
 years would be in contradiction to the 
 policy of entire evacuation. It would be 
 nothing more than giving him a lump sum 
 in two instalments under the conditions I 
 have already written. 
 
 As for slave-holding, even had we held 
 the Soudan, we could never have interfered 
 with it. I have already said that the treaty 
 of 1877 was an impossible one ; therefore, 
 on that head Zebehr's appointment would 
 make no difference whatever. As for slave- 
 hunting, the evacuation of the Bahr-Gazelle 
 and Equatorial provinces would entirely 
 prevent it. Should Zebehr attempt, after 
 his two years' subsidy was paid him, to take 
 those districts, we could put pressure on 
 him at Souakin, which will remain in our 
 hands. I feel sure that Zebehr will be so 
 occupied with the Soudan proper, and with 
 consolidating his position, that he will not 
 have time to devote to those provinces. 
 
 As for the security of Egypt, Zebehr's 
 stay in Cairo has taught him our power, and 
 he would never dream of doing anything 
 against Egypt. He would rather seek its 
 closest alliance, for he is a great trader. As 
 to progress made in extrication of garrisons, 
 all I have done is to send down from 
 Khartoum all the sick men, women, and 
 children of those killed in Kordofan. 
 Sennaar, I heard to-day, is quite safe and 
 quiet. Kassala will hold out without difficulty 
 after Graham's victory, but the road there 
 is blocked, as also is the road to Sennaar. 
 It is quite impossible to get the roads open 
 to Kassala and Sennaar, or to send down 
 the white troops, unless Zebehr comes up. 
 He will change the whole state of affairs. 
 As for the Equatorial and Bahr-Gazelle 
 provinces they are all right ; but I cannot 
 evacuate them till the Nile rises, in about 
 two months. Dongola and Berber are 
 quiet; but I fear for the road between 
 
 Berber and Khartoum, where the friends of 
 the Mahdi are very active. A body of 
 rebels on the Blue Nile are blockading a 
 force of 1,000 men, who have, however, 
 plenty of food ; till the Nile rises, I cannot 
 relieve them. Darfour, so far as I can under- 
 stand, is all right, and the restored Sultan 
 should be now working up the tribes to 
 acknowledge him. 
 
 It is impossible to find any other man 
 but Zebehr for governing Khartoum. No 
 one has his power. Hussein Pasha Khaleefa 
 has only power at Dongola and Berber. If 
 you do not send Zebehr you have no chance 
 of getting the garrisons away; this is a 
 heavy argument in favour of sending him. 
 There is no possibility of dividing the 
 country between Zebehr and other chiefs ; 
 none of the latter could stand for a day 
 against the Mahdi's agents, and Hussein 
 Pasha Khaleefa would also fall. The chiefs 
 will not collect here, for the loyal are 
 defending their lands against the disloyal 
 There is not the least chance of Zebehr 
 making common cause with the Mahdi. 
 Zebehr here would be far more powerful 
 than the Mahdi, and he would make short 
 work of the Mahdi. The Mahdi's power is 
 that of a Pope, Zebehr's will be that of a 
 Sultan. They could never combine. Zebehr 
 is fifty times the Mahdi's match. He is 
 also of good family, well known, and fitted 
 to be Sultan ; the Mahdi, in all these re- 
 spects, is the exact opposite, besides being 
 a fanatic. I daresay Zebehr, who hates the 
 tribes, did stir up the fires of revolt, in 
 hopes that he would be sent to quell it. It 
 is the irony of fate that he will get his wish 
 if he is sent up." 
 
 Sir Evelyn Baring replied at the same 
 time, saying that sending Zebehr and giving 
 him a subsidy was in harmony with the 
 principle of evacuation, and that he had 
 always contemplated making some arrange- 
 ments for the future government of the 
 Soudan. As to slaver)', he pointed out that 
 we must virtually annex the country or 
 accept the inevitable consequences of the 
 policy of abandonment : " I believe that
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Zebehr may be made a bulwark against the 
 approach of the Mahdi." But the Govern- 
 ment refused to modify their decision, which 
 was that owing to their own opinions and 
 the state of public feeling, "they would 
 not if they could, and they could not if they 
 would." 
 These telegrams show the very great 
 
 difficulties of Gordon's position. He was 
 on the spot, and knew best what could be 
 done ; and yet he was not allowed to do it 
 No proposal that he made was agreed to. 
 But then we must remember the difficulties 
 of the position of the Government. What 
 were they to do? They had hoped, and 
 Gordon had hoped, that the garrisons would 
 
 have been allowed to retire quietly; but 
 there was no chance of this at all. The 
 state of the country would not permit it. 
 So the tide of rebellion rose, or, to use 
 another metaphor, the curtain dropped over 
 the doomed city. Sometimes it was raised, 
 
 and then there was a view of the one stately 
 heroic figure finally the only countryman 
 of ours left there to uphold the honour of 
 his native land. Gordon was always the 
 main figure. Then our brief glimpse was 
 lost, and all again for a period was dark.
 
 THE LAMPS LIGHTED IN KHARTOUM. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 GORDON LIFE IN KHARTOUM. THE DOOMED CITY. 
 
 HAT sort of life did the 
 people in Khartoum lead 
 during the siege? Here is 
 the extremely vivid account 
 of a resident, as reported 
 for us by a newspaper correspondent, who, 
 writing from Korti, tells us that one morn- 
 
 ing " on stepping out of my tent in camp I 
 observed approaching me a man with a 
 bronzed, hatchet-shaped visage. He was 
 clothed in Egyptian uniform, and his coun- 
 tenance wore a peculiarly weary and care- 
 worn expression as, looking me full in the 
 face, he said, ' You do not know me ? We 
 
 SHALLOWS OF THE BLUE NILE NEAR KHARTOUM. 
 
 were at Kowa Fort together, and marched 
 together in the army of Hicks Pasha.' I 
 remembered him at once, and exchanged 
 notes. 'And where have you been since I 
 left you ? ' I asked ' I returned,' he an- 
 swered, ' at the same time that you did to 
 Khartoum. Do you remember how the 
 townspeople rejoiced as we steamed up the 
 Blue Nile with the band playing and the 
 red flag flying? I remained among the 
 Khartoum garrison when Hicks Pasha 
 started on his unlucky expedition. You 
 would like to hear something of our life 
 during the long siege? Well, I will tell 
 you.' After I had invited him into my tent 
 and sat me down to makes notes of his 
 story, he continued : 
 
 ' We had a grand illumination the night 
 Gordon arrived. If all Christians were like 
 him all men would become Nazarah ; but 
 you do not follow the teachings of your own 
 Prophet as we Mussulmen do. Gordon 
 told us he had come to save us. The 
 officials and Greeks illuminated their houses 
 as you saw Khartoum illuminated on the 
 anniversary of the restoration of the 
 Effendina (Khedive), and every native 
 Soudanese, however poor, lit his lamp ; but 
 soon bad tidings came day by day of the 
 approach of the cursed Arabs. Soon we 
 saw them, first in small bodies at a dis- 
 tance, and then in large ones. They nad 
 been hovering around us a long time before 
 the Pasha arrived. Now Gordon set every 
 
 A A *
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 man to work ; he threw up a long parapet 
 with a deep trench from the Bahr-el-Abiad 
 to the Bahr-el-Azrek, and he built round 
 towers on it and made one iron gate. He 
 did not turn out Arabs from dwelling in 
 Khartoum ; there were none there, though 
 we had many traitors. They were known 
 to the Pasha, but he said, " Let them alone ; 
 at the end they shall be punished." Among 
 these was the principal baker. At first 
 natives used to bring in provisions every 
 day through the gate Genent, in the Mogr 
 quarter, near Genent-le-Noor (the Garden 
 of ,Light). The boats crossed over there 
 by the dockyard, and brought from the 
 country all sorts of provisions. You re- 
 member when you lay sick at Gordon's old 
 house over the post-office, how refreshing 
 was the sight at early morning of boatloads 
 of huge, sweet water-melons. The boats 
 continued to bring across their cargoes for 
 the two months when melons are in season 
 (May and June). What splendid piles they 
 made on the shore ! No wonder you were 
 tempted to eat of them, in spite of the 
 order of Georgio Demetrio, the doctor. I 
 tell you, he remained at Khartoum to the 
 last. Many houses belonged to him, and 
 he had families by three wives. Gordon 
 used to say to all who wanted to leave, 
 " Stay, my friends. The English are coming." 
 That handsome girl of sixteen, his daughter, 
 remained ; so did the German tailor, Herr 
 Klein, and his wife and pretty daughter. 
 He had resided twenty-five years there. I 
 cannot say who the European women were 
 that left in the steamer with Colonel Stewart, 
 or whether any did. 
 
 Soon after Gordon's arrival Sheik Wad- 
 abou-Gurgy made three forts opposite 
 Khartoum on the Bahr-el-Azrek; for the 
 time was now at hand when we were to be 
 beleaguered. In these he placed three can- 
 non, for his designs were evil he was re- 
 bellious. These forts were near the gardens 
 of Boussi, and now he piled up outside 
 great pyramids of dhurra, three times higher 
 than the forts themselves. When these 
 things were related to Gordon in the early 
 
 morn (for these piles were made at night) 
 he despatched three steamers, the Boudain, 
 the Mansoua, and the Talahowtn ; these 
 fired first ball, then shell, to knock down 
 walls, and they succeeded. Mahomet AH 
 Pasha, commanding ships, ran ashore, and 
 landed troops, while their advance was 
 covered by shrapnel. The black soldiers 
 then stormed the fort, while the Bashi- 
 Bazouks took the outer circle. Many 
 Arabs were killed, and all the dhurra cap- 
 tured and ammunition. After Moulid 
 (anniv. birth Mahomet) Wad Sheik El 
 Obeid came opposite Khartoum to the 
 other side of Bahr-el-Azrek, and encamped 
 on this isle. Gordon Pasha sent for the 
 troops under Hassein Abraham and Ma- 
 homet Abru Said, who had been made 
 pashas by Gordon Pasha. You remember 
 large domes seen from your window over 
 the post-office taib ; those were sepulchres 
 of mighty sheiks of former days. One Eng- 
 lishman was buried there too. Why not ? 
 Directly we landed we formed a four-deep 
 square, such a formation as you know we 
 always kept when marching with Hicks 
 Pasha. Was it ever broken when we 
 marched from Rawa to Gebelain ? You 
 know it was not taib. Even so we marched 
 boldly from shore. One gun is at an angle 
 of the square. They charged us furiously : 
 but, ha ! how they scampered ! Shattered 
 was that great band of rebels ! It was near 
 that spot we did battle with the rebels ; the 
 place was called Malaah. It was higher up 
 than the island of Tuti. We had 500 men. 
 Now I must tell you of a wicked act of 
 treachery. Landing from the steamers we 
 at once attack the enemy. They run, 
 routed, on account of our furious fire ; but 
 now what I have to relate fills my heart 
 with grief. The traitor Abraham takes off 
 his tarbash, puts it in his breast, from which 
 he takes a dervish's cap, putting it on his 
 head. Next to this what does he do ? He 
 gallops up to the bugler, and tells him to 
 sound the "kus-rah" ["retreat": this in 
 military Turkish signifies defeat]. The 
 brave boy refused, and said, " Pasha, we
 
 EXECUTION OF THE TRAITOR PASHAS. 
 
 3<>3 
 
 are not defeated ; and I will not sound as 
 you order." Then he cleaves the brave 
 boy's head with his scimitar, and smites 
 others who would not turn. Now, when 
 our enemies see these things come to pass, 
 they, who had been in fear and trembling, 
 gain heart, return, and attack us again. We 
 become disorganized why not? We fly 
 back to the outworks and huts we had left, 
 close to the cemetery. But we did not let 
 the traitorous Pasha escape. We circle 
 round his horse and compel him to retire 
 with us ; much does he struggle, beg, and 
 protest ; he had endeavoured to escape ; 
 but escape for him was not. I cannot tell 
 you what the other Pasha did ; I did not 
 observe; but this man maledictions on 
 his soul ! ma ycshuf el ntzm may he never 
 see luxury ! (Paradise) slew several of our 
 soldiers. But we were too quick for him ; 
 we brought him back, bound hand and foot. 
 Now all these things (continued my in- 
 formant), and how the traitorous Pasha 
 had been the cause of our disgrace, Gor- 
 don Pasha had spied from the top of his 
 house. He was much grieved ; and when 
 the wicked Pashas, who were both guilty, 
 were brought bound, as I said, hand and 
 foot before him, he spake never a word 
 except " Away with them ! " He was reading 
 Holy Writ at the time. They were tried 
 by court-martial, and sentenced to death. 
 Seven days afterwards they were executed 
 in the inner yard, near the large square of 
 the prison. They were hewn in pieces by 
 a halbert. I saw the execution, so it is of 
 no use your saying " they were shot." I tell 
 you, according to Turkish military law, a 
 military traitor is always sentenced to be 
 cut to pieces. The two were bound up 
 against the wall by chains and rings. Two 
 soldiers armed with sharp hatchets ap- 
 proached them from out of the sides of a 
 square we had formed. The prisoners' 
 crime was read out, and their sentence. A 
 hundred soldiers were present, some senior 
 officers, but not Gordon Pasha. The senior 
 Bey cried out, " Executioners, perform sen- 
 tence on the traitors ! " Immediately these 
 
 advanced close, and lopped off first their 
 arms above the elbows, then the legs above 
 the knees, then cut their bodies in twain, 
 then decapitated them. They died not till 
 they were cut asunder; then their heads 
 fell on their breasts, and they expired with 
 a hideous yell. Surely their fate was de- 
 served ! I cannot say whether Gordon 
 Pasha knew of this manner of execution. 
 I tell you this is the Turkish mode of 
 punishing military traitors, and it is a just 
 punishment. 
 
 You would like to know the story ot 
 our lives from day to day, but every day 
 ' was like yesterday, and yesterday and to- 
 day like to-morrow ; therefore perhaps I do 
 not tell you correctly in order as things oc- 
 curred. Who could? There were days 
 and nights of watching ; we were like dogs 
 guarding sheepfolds from the wolf or 
 hyaena ; but we were not down-hearted. 
 Gordon kept saying to us, " Patience, the 
 English are coming are coming. God 
 watches over you." He was a good man. 
 "My faith in God never fails," he said; 
 " neither let yours." In the morning the 
 band would play to him early as he used to 
 sit in the kiosque you will remember across 
 the road at the wall, over the Nile. He 
 took his coffee there ; he then walked up 
 and down on the top of his house. After 
 this he commenced the business of the day 
 in the rooms of the first storey of the 
 palace. Many officials now visited him ; 
 among others the big European doctor, 
 Macolopo Bey, the Austrian and French 
 consuls, Georgio Demetrio (the doctor), 
 the Mudir of the Mudireah, Ali Jeleb, and 
 the Vakeel Mahomet Abdullah. The 
 former stayed to the last; the other was 
 killed with Gordon. Then came the chief 
 butchers and bakers. Often a woman 
 visited him called Zenoba. She was very 
 wealthy ; she used to pay into the Mudireah 
 some sixty or seventy thousand dollars at 
 a time ; lent to Government on Gordon's 
 security or note of hand. She owned many 
 shops, mills, and nuggars. She was an 
 Egyptian, wife of Hadj Mahomet, wood-
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 turner. Suleiman Esyah, too, a chief 
 merchant in Khartoum, used to lend money. 
 He occupied two houses in the upper 
 market After this, at mid-day, Gordon 
 Pasha took his lunch. Business was re- 
 newed in the afternoon. At evening time 
 he would ride along the entrenchments from 
 Blue to White Nile. The enemy were 
 always firing in a desultory way. By 
 accident people used to be seriously hit 
 day after day. 
 
 Soldiers lined the trenches all day and 
 night. There were four guns there, two 
 pointing towards Bahr Ahead, one facing 
 from the iron gate near the cemetery, one 
 facing the village of Burdi. Of the crowds 
 of blacks you speak of living in the poor 
 quarters of Khartoum Gordon made 
 soldiers. All men were compelled to carry 
 arms, regular soldiers got rations of dhurra, 
 the others got Government biscuit. We 
 were always expecting, from dawn to sunset, 
 from sunset to dawn, the arrival of the 
 English. Whenever we heard news of 
 them our hearts rejoiced. The Arabs have 
 a fear of the English, dating back from the 
 time of Arabi's defeat. They believe they 
 carry with them a piece of wood which they 
 can extend to any height, that up this they 
 climb, and spy their enemies at any 
 distance.* Now this I tell you, their terror 
 of you is so great that they will never face 
 you again. The sheiks have informed 
 Mohammed Ahmed that unless he leads them 
 forth to do battle they will not fight ; this is 
 since the battle of Abou Tlea not Klea 
 as you called it. All were at first loyal in 
 Khartoum, except a few of the head men 
 such as the chief baker and butcher, but 
 Gordon, who well knew these men to be 
 traitors, said, <[ Suffer them to remain on at 
 their work ; we will show them what justice 
 is when the English come." As time wore 
 on and provisions were become short by 
 reason of the strictness of the siege for the 
 Arabs were closing around Gordon sent 
 
 * This idea they get probably from the Helio- 
 graph. 
 
 away all the old men and women who were 
 unable to work out of Khartoum ; they were 
 afraid to go at first, but Gordon gave them 
 an introduction to Mohammed Ahmed, writ- 
 ing as follows : " Be kind to these, treat 
 them well, I charge you. Behold, I have 
 kept and fed all these for four months ; try 
 how you will like doing so for one month."* 
 Mohammed Ahmed accepted them, and they 
 are with him to this day. 
 
 As it was at the time of the Tou el 
 Kebeah (great flood) ; as it will be at El 
 Achrah (last day); as it has often been 
 when in cities of the earth enemies have 
 been knocking at the gate without, they 
 bought and sold; they married and were 
 given in marriage ; yes, there were the usual 
 nuptial rejoicings the brides soon, alas, to 
 be sold into slavery ! Mashallah ! It was 
 their kismet. There were the same gather- 
 ings round fires you remember witnessing 
 when the Ihrunnahgah (dancing girls) 
 danced in the middle their ghan-ah-ghat to 
 the tune of the terbukat. The festivities 
 and feastings took place nightly. The 
 Soudanese are a light-hearted people even 
 when a cloud hangs over them. You would 
 have thought nothing was going amiss. It 
 is true they believed the English were 
 coming. Spirits were sold at high prices ; 
 date spirit two reals a pint bottle; ver- 
 mouth, two and a half. Meanwhile nothing 
 was bought from outside ; nothing brought 
 in. The town was surrounded before the 
 big feast, Eade-el-Kebar. 
 
 I cannot say when, for one day was the 
 same as the other, but one day Gordon saw 
 coming from afar two foot messengers 
 across the desert from the Bahr Abiad from 
 
 * This was told me on two different occasions by 
 more than three Bishareen Arabs who had come 
 from Omdurman the same who told me of Gordon's 
 fights ; but it was thought most improbable by the 
 military authorities and it was not thought desir- 
 able to telegraph this. I therefore withdrew the 
 news from my telegram. I have since had confirm- 
 ation of this from good authorities who were in 
 Khartoum, and who told me of this unasked. I am 
 aware there is no mention of this in Gordon's 
 diary.
 
 FIGHTS WITH THE REBELS. 
 
 565 
 
 opposite El Kalakli. He ordered the 
 sentinels to let them pass in peace. They 
 waved a white flag, and cried, " Salamu ah 
 la cum." They said they were ambassadors 
 from Wad-el-Jumma, Ameer of Mohammed 
 Ahmed. We replied in words signifying 
 " Peace and mercy of God." Gordon had 
 them escorted to the Palace, and made them 
 partake of coffee, and sit down on a carpet 
 prepared for them, as is the custom. They 
 produced two dervishes' coats and one cap, 
 a rosary, and sandals. " These," said they, 
 " are sent by Wad-el-Jumma, Ameer of our 
 Lord the long-expected one." They had a 
 letter beginning " Hod dale wah dolan." 
 This was the sense of it : " Take these and 
 Islam, and go home to your country you 
 and the sons of Errect (Egypt), and leave 
 Soudan (Country of the Blacks) to its 
 relations (literal) ; and on you be the safety 
 of God and the Prophet ; and we will 
 lower you (let you down) with safety (/.*., 
 in good faith)." Gordon took these things 
 and gave them a koflan (robe), pair of 
 boots, tarbush (red fez with blue tassel), and 
 waist-vest, typical of Egyptian costume, 
 saying, " Give these to Wad-el-Jumma. Tell 
 him, Islam enter the Government, as you 
 are a coward (literally man frightened)." 
 He added, "The other man is a clever man 
 and brave." These men were dressed as 
 dervishes. Gordon gave them twenty-five 
 dollars baksheesh. As they left they said, 
 " Remember we have plenty of soldiers and 
 Arabs." At this time Mohammed Ahmed 
 was at El Obeid. The " other man " he 
 alluded to, Wad Abou Gergee, had brought 
 1,000 men to Gordon. Before this Gordon 
 went out to fight him, and beat him near 
 the outer gardens of Buri; he took all 
 their dhurra and arms. Wad Abou Gergee 
 kept on writing to Gordon, negotiating a 
 surrender. These 1,000 soldiers got into 
 Khartoum. Why did he not come in him- 
 self? Because he stayed out to entice 
 others in mixed Egyptians, Soudanese, and 
 Turkish soldiers drilled by Turks. But 
 
 Wad Abou Gergee was played a shabby 
 trick by two men, Soudanese, named Wade 
 Jerkook, a merchant, and Mad-ma-quoi, 
 chief butcher. These wrote to Wade-el- 
 Jumma, saying, "O Sheik, Wad Abou 
 Gergee has given the Turks 1,000 men, 
 arms (all Egyptians are called Turks)." 
 When Wad-el-Jumma read this he was 
 wroth, and, catching Wad Abou Gergee, en- 
 chained him. The messengers were dis- 
 missed at the gate Bawabit-el-Mussel 
 Lamieh ; Gordon made it near Boussi. 
 
 I would now tell you of the battle of 
 El-effoon, two days' march towards Sennaar. 
 Sheik El Obeid (?), Mahomed Ali Pasha, 
 commanded. I went up with the soldiers 
 to battle with 500 Bashi-Bazouks. On the 
 first day we found Arabs in a building, and 
 drove them out On the second day we 
 were marching up to a village called 
 Omdoban (Mother of Flies). We attacked 
 the rebels under a dervish, and firing 
 killed many. But we were charged by 
 cavalry and foot. Many of us were then 
 slain. Abou Gergee and Wed Nejum (Son 
 of the Stars) encamped on the sand south 
 of Khartoum. Three months after Gordon 
 arrived these men sat down before the 
 place. Two sorties were made, and many 
 of them killed. During this time we got 
 forage for our horses from Tuti. Our guns 
 could play on the island. From there, too, 
 melons and cucumbers were brought And 
 now I would tell you about the steamers. 
 One plied between the rocks En Mogrin 
 and Khartoum with one gua The Arabs 
 intended putting wires across the river at 
 Gebel Ain ; but the force of the water broke 
 these. Gordon did not cut them. Behind 
 the trenches were tents, one for twenty-four 
 men ; one man kept guard at the trench for 
 the twenty-four ; thus we lived, eat, drank, 
 slept, prayed, day and night' " 
 
 But we must reserve for a new chapter 
 the end of the faithful Mussulman's story 
 of the last days of the doomed city of 
 Khartoum.
 
 366 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVIII. 
 
 GORDON- 
 
 JNCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 HE speaker paused for a 
 little, and then went on 
 with his narrative. 
 
 "'We were besieged 
 thrice, and thrice we de- 
 feated the enemy. We killed many when 
 we attacked Omdurman, but more came on 
 like swarms of flies. Having killed some, 
 their numbers were forthwith trebled. 
 
 I forgot to say how Omdurman was 
 taken from us. It was thus : Hicks Pasha 
 built a big trench round it well, perhaps 
 it was there when you came. Gordon built 
 an inner one ; or perhaps it was the reverse. 
 At any rate there were two rings. The 
 rebels crept in between the two and were 
 thus protected. Then they cut off the little 
 garrison's water. Thus was Omdurman 
 taken. 
 
 Gordon lived alone with his servant in 
 his palace. Power Bey lived in the Genesi 
 (church of the Roman Catholic mission), to 
 guard the ammunition which was kept in 
 the cloisters. He superintended the mak- 
 ing of powder. Colonel Stewart used to 
 superintend the taking out of the powder 
 and its distribution ; and was also engaged 
 in looking out. Such was our daily occu- 
 pation in that city, whose kismet was 
 already written. 
 
 Yes ; they used to fish, as in your time, 
 with hooks and nets, and catch those great 
 fish with heads like cats and long whiskers 
 the kabaross. [This is a common fish in 
 the Upper Nile; they call it "cat fish," 
 from its head, I believe. It is, I think, a 
 kind of barbel, and when dressed well is of 
 a very fair taste.] You could put one on 
 a homar (ass). You could rest its head 
 on the donkey's head, and its tail on the 
 animal's tail There was also the el edgil 
 (calf fish). 
 
 We had still tobacco and shoes, for 
 there were shoemakers in the city. We 
 strolled when off duty through the bazaar 
 as usual. Some would gamble with domi- 
 noes ; some drink merissa, and the young 
 men would dress to please the young girls 
 with cane under arm and cigarette in 
 mouth. Bargains would be struck, and 
 houses sold, as if the end was not. I am 
 told it has been so with great cities in time 
 of siege. It was so, a Jew told me, with 
 his city in Syria. Do not blame me when 
 I dwell on this : I am a different man. 
 Have I not lost a wife I had only one 
 and children ? With the young girls, too, 
 there was platting of hair and anointing 
 with butter, and ornamenting necks, ankles, 
 and arms with gold chains and shells. 
 They would sit in the bazaar selling onions 
 and eggs and melons, and butter and sweet- 
 meats, up to the day I left, and would laugh 
 and joke with their admirers, and courtship 
 would go on, like butterflies, heedless. 
 
 We went to mosque, too, crowds of us, 
 and the "zikkah" was said (in remem- 
 brance). We pray for departed spirits 
 that they may be in luxury. Why not ? 
 
 Gordon's paper notes went round like 
 cash. They were looked upon as money. 
 They were mostly one-piastre notes ; others 
 for five and ten piastres (a real, or guinea) 
 up to 500 piastres. All mine are gone. I 
 spent them in the desert, where I would 
 buy water, a cup for ten piastres. 
 
 The schools went on as usual, Moham- 
 medan ; also at the Genesi, till the priests 
 (Italian) left. The little German tailor, 
 Klein, remained till the last; twenty-five 
 years had he resided in Khartoum. His 
 wife and four daughters remained too. 
 They did not go with Stewart I am sure. 
 
 There were several white women there
 
 "TRAITORS IN THE MIDST." 
 
 when I left daughters of Europeans by 
 Abyssinian wives, whom they had bought. 
 There were two or three ladies at the Aus- 
 trian Consul's. I think all these had so 
 many family ties they would not leave ; 
 besides, Gordon always said, " The English 
 are coming." 
 
 I do not know that your coming would 
 have altered matters ; for this I tell you 
 advisedly the will of God says it 
 
 There were traitors in our midst; they 
 met and took counsel together against Gor- 
 don Pasha. He was warned, but said, 
 " Suffer it to be so." 
 
 The plan was to deliver over the city 
 
 whenever the English drew near. The 
 number of traitors increased daily as they 
 got hopeless. Another thing, and this de- 
 cided many : after the battle of Abou Klea, 
 the rebels went down and collected all the 
 helmets they could find. They showed 
 these to us, waving them outside the 
 trenches and saying, " Thus and thus have 
 we eaten up the Feringhees." Thus even 
 faithful men were sorely tempted, and be- 
 came sick at heart 
 
 At night the enemy used to be often at 
 the south end, at speaking distance ; and 
 we used to revile each other. We were 
 called the cursed rebels who speak evil of 
 
 ONE OF GORDON'S NOTES IN CIRCULATION AT KHARTOUM. 
 
 the fathers and mothers to the third and 
 fourth generation. We would call them 
 " sons of dogs " (wadho kelps) [I should 
 think our word whelp comes from this], and 
 shout " Allah bou rou Gehenna ye rebel- 
 lious ones ; malediction on your fathers ; 
 depart to Gehenna." And they would make 
 answer, " Ye are slaves of the infidels ; ye 
 too are infidels, as you do not believe in 
 our book. We will eat you up, and wipe 
 you from the face of the earth of Allah." 
 
 Thus and thus did we call out to each 
 other during the long night. 
 
 The English stayed too long at Metem- 
 meh; perhaps had they gone on at once 
 
 the gates would not have been opened, but 
 still I tell you treachery was planned long 
 before. The rebels came over at night ; or 
 at any rate before dawn, when Tenza and 
 another opened the gate. 
 
 The last river trip was made by Tujerat 
 Mahaba. He had on board two gun Krupp. 
 He started at 7 a.m. ; at 10 he met a nug- 
 gar full of rebels. They had a gun. They 
 fired at each other for an hour. At last 
 the rebel boat sunk. Ho was still under a 
 heavy fire till he reached Shembat At 
 Bou the rebels had one Krupp, four guns 
 higher up, and one mitrailleuse or Norden- 
 feldt. He ran aground. Here he is.
 
 363 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 A tall, stout black here entered my tent 
 and kissed my hand. He wore naval uni- 
 form three stripes on arm and Gordon's 
 medal. 
 
 ' Ha ! ' I said, referring to these, ' you 
 at least have kept yours.' The others had 
 been selling their lead medals given by 
 Gordon in camp. I deprecated this much ; 
 but the reply I invariably met with was 
 ' If I don't buy it, some one else will.' 
 
 ' I,' said the captain (he was the chief 
 of all the boats), ' would not part with 
 mine for ^1,000.' He continued: 'The 
 last words Gordon said were, " Bring the 
 English when you come back, if only three 
 or four ;" but I was never to see him more. 
 I have left my wife and children at Khar- 
 toum ! He has told you I sank the rebel 
 vessel. Well, I was fired at from all 
 directions. I rammed her. I had one 
 hundred and fifty soldiers on board; she 
 had plenty. Down they all went it was a 
 glorious sight ! None escaped. On pass- 
 ing Rezare I was fired at by one hundred 
 and fifty riflemen, but continued my voyage 
 till I got to Gebel-el-Sheik-el-Taeb (the 
 good Sheik). The shots fell short. On 
 the river, near Mashed-el-Hamak (donkey's 
 pasture) six hours from Khartoum I went 
 upon a rock ; then three mountain guns 
 opened fire on me. Three hours after- 
 wards three steamers came, the Boudain, 
 
 Telehoweah Tepagny, and Sophia. Troops 
 were landed, and we killed many Arabs. 
 I used to be captain of Hicks Pasha's 
 ship, and flew the Pasha's flags. Many 
 times I've taken you down to Omdurman, 
 and I saw you up at Ilowa, but you were 
 on shore. General Hicks was very kind, 
 but I was a small Reiss then. If Gordon 
 had lived I should have become as high as 
 this tree pooh ! I have left a thousand 
 of Gordon's notes at Khartoum with my 
 family, and all my clothes. 
 
 Latterly the chief men of the town were 
 traitors; all were concerned in opening 
 the gates. They were afraid of starving. 
 This I tell you, and I do not lie. All the 
 white and all the black women are now 
 made slaves. My poor wife, I shall never 
 see her again. When I say white, I mean 
 also those whose mothers were Abyssinian 
 and fathers European, and there were some 
 Turkish ladies who wore the achmet, wives 
 of officers ; all will now be slaves. I have 
 finished. I must leave you.' 
 
 My interview for the time was now over, 
 and the two gallant men took their depar- 
 ture, seeming depressed and sorrowful. 
 These men had a genuine love for Gordon ; 
 you could feel this in every word when they 
 referred to him. 'Ah ! ' they would ejac- 
 ulate, 'no one like him on this earth,' so 
 high was their admiration for him." 
 
 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 GORDON f-fis KHARTOUM DIARIES. 
 
 E have already spoken of the 
 diaries which Gordon left. 
 These were brought to this 
 country and published. Their 
 appearance was looked for 
 with the greatest possible interest. We pro- 
 ceed to give an account of these taken from 
 one of the ablest of the notices, which 
 
 remarked, at the time of their appearance 
 (June, 1885), that "this much-expected work 
 is to-day in the hands of General Gordon's 
 countrymen, and its secrets, which have 
 been so well kept, are no longer hidden. A 
 perusal of the original manuscript, written 
 on telegraph forms, has shown us that, with 
 one or two unimportant exceptions, and with
 
 GORDON'S DIARIES. 
 
 369 
 
 the substitution of asterisks for names, the 
 diary which General Gordon kept after the 
 departure of Colonel Stewart and his unfor- 
 tunate companions on the loth of September 
 appears in its present form almost intact, 
 and very nearly as it left the hands of its 
 author. The diary begins on the loth of 
 
 September, and ends on the i4th of De- 
 cember, or about six weeks before the fall 
 of Khartoum. It is divided into six books, 
 of which the last is the most interesting. 
 There is no reason to doubt that General 
 Gordon continued to make these daily jot- 
 tings down to the close of the siege of 
 
 MR. FRANK POWER, "TIMES" CORRESPONDENT AT KHARTOUM. 
 
 Khartoum ; and, should a seventh volume 
 ever be discovered, there need be no hesita- 
 tion in saying that it will prove of still 
 higher interest, in proportion as the closing 
 weeks of the long defence of the city inten- 
 sified the terrible situation for the garrison 
 and its gallant commander. But, although 
 the absence of that final volume must be 
 
 deplored, these six books constitute a work 
 of unsurpassed interest in our own or any 
 other language. The defence of Khartoum 
 will remain to all time a splendid example 
 of British tenacity and fortitude. It is not 
 probable that the details will ever be com- 
 pletely known for the whole period, but in 
 this volume they are described by the chief 
 
 B B
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 actor for three of the most important and 
 critical months during the siege; and the 
 reader will have little difficulty in forming 
 an opinion for himself as to what they must 
 have been during the earlier six months of 
 the blockade, as well as for the fatal six 
 weeks which followed General Gordon's 
 last 'Good-bye' to his countrymen. It is 
 almost unnecessary to say that just as 
 General Gordon showed by his military and 
 administrative skill and foresight that there 
 was no falling off in his capacity as a leader 
 of men, so does this diary prove that he re- 
 tained to the last the incisiveness of style 
 and the power to unmask the true facts 
 which were always among his most striking 
 characteristics. No one will read these 
 pages without feeling his admiration increase 
 for the brave man who, when he could easily 
 have escaped, stood firm at the post of duty 
 and it is inevitable that those who were less 
 single-minded in their devotion to the 
 national interests will suffer in reputation? 
 both among their contemporaries and at 
 the hands of posterity, by comparison with 
 the soldier who held Khartoum for eleven 
 months against the Mahdi, and whose first 
 thought to the very end was how he could 
 best preserve the honour of England. 
 
 Where every line is of almost thrilling 
 interest it is difficult to adjust with any nice 
 degree of proportion the parts of the volume 
 which are of the greatest intrinsic value and 
 interest. 
 
 Among the most interesting passages are 
 those in which he refers to the loss of 
 Colonel Stewart and Mr. Frank Power, the 
 Times correspondent at Khartoum, who, as 
 already mentioned, were killed on the way 
 to Khartoum. We give an authentic por- 
 trait of Mr. Power. 
 
 Of the black troops he always speaks 
 with pride and affection, but with regard 
 to the fellaheen soldiers on board the 
 steamers he expressed himself in no very 
 complimentary terms. 
 
 General Gordon seems to have felt the 
 
 announcement that the object of Lord 
 Wolseley's expedition was to relieve him 
 not less acutely than the long neglect and 
 indifference with which he had been treated 
 by the Government. More than once he 
 recurs to the subject, and the receipt of 
 some newspapers mentioning the depar- 
 ture of the Gordon Relief Expedition drew 
 from him some strong remonstrances. 
 
 There are some who insinuate that Gen- 
 eral Gordon was inconsistent in his political 
 remedies for the state of things created in 
 the Soudan by the defeat of General Hicks 
 and the progress of the Mahdi ; but if his 
 remarks are read with their context and 
 necessary conditions it will be found that 
 the insinuation is baseless. 
 
 General Gordon's two principal proposi- 
 tions were either to send up Zebehr or to 
 hand the Soudan over to the Sultan, giving 
 the Porte a sum of money for the purpose 
 of pacifying the country. 
 
 The bitter feeling which he felt on the 
 subject of his past treatment and of the 
 neglect which had allowed the Soudan pro- 
 blem to become more complicated did not 
 prejudice him in his views as to what had 
 to be done in the future. To the end he 
 continued to aim at two things, the main- 
 tenance of the honour of England and the 
 welfare of the Soudanese. These thoughts 
 found expression in various entries. 
 
 There is less in the diary than might 
 have been expected of personal attack on 
 the Government which sent General Gor- 
 don to Khartoum ; and this is certainly a 
 very gratifying fact, for it shows the noble 
 character of the man. 
 
 There are, of course, many passages 
 referring to his relations with Sir Evelyn 
 Baring, who, although General Gordon was 
 not aware of it, supported his demand for 
 Zebehr. He also mentions, in a somewhat 
 satirical fashion, Mr. Egerton, upon whom 
 the task devolved of writing and tele- 
 graphing to General Gordon for informa- 
 tion.
 
 GORDON'S DIARIES. 
 
 CHAPTER LXX. 
 
 GORDON His KHARTOUM DIARIES. 
 
 N this chapter we con- 
 tinue some brief notes re- 
 garding the diary. 
 
 He mentions the roguish 
 deeds of the people by 
 whom he was surrounded, in a manner 
 which shows that he understood how base 
 they were, though he can scarcely help 
 being amused at some of the more comical 
 aspects of their baseness. 
 
 His affection for his steamers appears 
 over and over again, and is no doubt to be 
 attributed to his remembrances of his old 
 struggle with the Taipings, when he derived 
 so much assistance from them on the canals 
 and estuaries of Kiangsi. 
 
 The blockade of Khartoum suggested to 
 him, as it did to others, a comparison with 
 the siege of Sebastopol, in which he had 
 also taken no insignificant part. It comes 
 out in various passages, in which he com- 
 pares the two. 
 
 " ' I have done my best for the honour of 
 our country ' are the last words of General 
 Gordon's diary, and in his last letter to his 
 sister he wrote, ' Like Lawrence, I have 
 tried to do my duty.' It is impossible to 
 add by any additional words of ours force 
 to those simple farewell sentences of the 
 man who so long held the attention of the 
 world riveted upon him, and who supported, 
 unaided and alone, the highest traditions 
 of English courage and fortitude. The 
 story of the siege and defence of Khartoum 
 will live for ever in the graphic words of its 
 heroic defender, while regret at the loss of 
 Colonel Stewart's earlier record will be 
 qualified by the possession of Mr. Power's 
 concise and picturesque description of the 
 long months of silence which he was the 
 first to break. Many conclusions will be 
 forced upon the sympathetic reader, or the 
 
 sceptical, if any such there be from interested 
 motives of party politics ; but in some 
 points they will find it difficult to arrive at 
 any save identical decisions. Of these we 
 will mention the three principal. The first 
 is that General Gordon considered that 
 while he had accepted the dangerous task 
 of going to Khartoum, the Government had 
 incurred the less hazardous, but still oner- 
 ous, duty of keeping open communications 
 with him. Hence his repeated expressions 
 of dissatisfaction at the inquiries as to when 
 he would be hard pressed, and there can 
 be no doubt that he thought the obligation 
 of the Government towards him assumed 
 direct meaning the instant the wire was cut 
 south of Berber. The second point is that 
 whatever General Gordon may have sug- 
 gested for the purpose of carrying out other 
 persons' opinions, his own view was that 
 there could be no divorce between the 
 Soudan and Egypt, and that the best 
 remedy lay between the appointment of an 
 Egyptian Governor-General and the reasser- 
 tion of the Sultan's prerogative. The third 
 point is that even when Colonel Stewart 
 left, three months before this journal closes, 
 the garrison was already in difficulties, and 
 every day's delay added to the risk of 
 Khartoum being taken under the nose of 
 the relieving expedition. General Gordon 
 says nothing about his own expectations of 
 being succoured, but when, after many re- 
 ports of the approach of a relieving force, 
 he learnt in November that it had only 
 reached Ambukol, while the Mahdi's forces 
 had arrived in front of Khartoum, he gave 
 vent to the expressive exclamation, ' This 
 is lively!' The proper persons upon 
 whom the responsibility should devolve for 
 the aid needed in September, 1884, only 
 arriving in January, 1885, when too late,
 
 372 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 may never be decided ; but Sir Henry 
 Gordon, in one of the introductions to the 
 diary, absolves Sir Charles Wilson from 
 all blame in the matter. Admittedly when 
 that officer had to deal with the situation it 
 was a question of a few hours, and we fail 
 to see, even if the charge were made out 
 
 much more clearly against him than it can 
 be, how he could be censured, when those 
 who sinned much more deeply, and who 
 wasted weeks and months in telegraphing 
 for exact information, are deemed free from 
 blame. So far as the general opinion of 
 Gordon's character goes, this journal will 
 
 GORDON'S STEAMERS. 
 
 confirm the popular impression of his 
 heroism. It is impossible to read these 
 daily entries in his diary without feeling 
 the liveliest emotion for his sufferings 
 and for the neglect of which he was 
 the chief victim. Had his vigour been 
 imitated by the Government, Khartoum 
 would never have fallen. Perhaps the 
 
 most touching incident among these later 
 events was the despatch of the five 
 steamers, each of which he considered the 
 equivalent of 2,000 men, to assist the pro- 
 gress of the expedition, while he deprived 
 himself of their valuable assistance. Had 
 he selfishly retained those steamers for his 
 own safety, there is little doubt that he could
 
 A TALE OF HOXROR. 
 
 373 
 
 always have ensured for himself a safe re- 
 treat The explanation is no doubt to be 
 found in his belief that Lord Wolseley's 
 force was much nearer than it was. The 
 siege of Khartoum may remain to the end 
 of time a half-told tale, but we may predict 
 that the diary will be read by the whole 
 
 of the English-speaking races of the world, 
 and that their verdict will be unanimous 
 admiration mixed with pity for the man 
 who defended Khartoum," a verdict in 
 which we are sure our readers will concur 
 with the utmost unanimity. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXI. 
 
 GORDON SCENES OF BUFFERING AT THE FALL OF KHARTOUM 
 THE |ND OF THE TRAITOR^ 
 
 ERE now is the account 
 of two merchants' who were 
 present on the fateful night 
 when Khartoum, like some 
 ill-fated vessel, went to ruin 
 almost within reach of help : 
 
 "That night Khartoum was delivered 
 into the hands of the rebels. It fell 
 through the treachery of the accursed 
 Farag Pasha, the Circassian, who opened 
 the gate. May he never reach Paradise! 
 May Shaytan take possession of his soul ! 
 But it was Kismet. The gate was called 
 1 Bouri.' It was on the Blue Nile. We 
 were on guard near, but did not see what 
 was going on. We were attacked and 
 fought desperately at the gate. Twelve of 
 us were killed, and twenty-two retreated 
 to a high room, where we were taken 
 prisoners. 
 
 And now came the ending. The red 
 flag with the crescent was destined no more 
 to wave over the Palace ; nor would the 
 strains of the hymn of his Highness the 
 Effendina be heard any more at evening 
 within Khartoum. Blood was to flow in 
 her streets, in her dwellings, in her very 
 mosque, and on the Kenniseh of the 
 Narsira. 
 
 A cry arose, 'To the Palace! to the 
 Palace ! ' A wild and furious band rushed 
 
 towards it, but they were resisted by the 
 black troops, who fought desperately. They 
 knew there was no mercy for them, and 
 that even were their lives spared they 
 would be enslaved, and the state of the 
 slave, the perpetual bondage with hard task 
 masters, is worse than death. Slaves are 
 not treated well, as you think ; heavy chains 
 are round their ankles and middle, and 
 they are lashed for the least offence til 
 blood flows. We had fought for the 
 Christian Pasha and for the Turks, and we 
 knew that we should receive no mercy. We, 
 the party I was with, could not help being 
 taken prisoners. The house was set on fire. 
 The fight raged, and the slaughter continued 
 till the streets were slippery with blood. 
 The rebels rushed onward to the Palace. We 
 saw a mass rolling to and fro, but did not 
 see Gordon Pasha killed. He met his fate 
 as he was leaving the Palace near the large 
 tree which stands on the esplanade. The 
 Palace is not a stone's throw, or at any rate 
 a gunshot distance, from the Austrian 
 Consul's house. He was going in that 
 direction, to the magazine on the Kenniseh, 
 a long way off. We did not hear what be- 
 came of his body, nor did we hear that his 
 head was cut off; but we saw the head of 
 the traitor Farag, who met with his deserts. 
 We have heard that it was the blacks that
 
 374 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 ran away, and that the Egyptian soldiers 
 fought well ; that is not true. They were 
 craven. Had it not been for them, in spite 
 of the treachery of many within the town, 
 the Arabs would not have got in, for we 
 watched the traitors. And now fearful 
 scenes took place in every house and 
 building, in the large market-place, in the 
 small bazaars. There were the same terrible 
 scenes in the dwellings where the window- 
 sills and coor-lintels were painted azrek,* 
 where ther; had been many feasts and 
 fantasias, where merissa had flowed in 
 plenty, and where the walls were built of 
 wahal and the roof built of dhurra stalk. 
 Men were slain shrieking for mercy, when 
 mercy was not in the hearts of our savage 
 enemies. Women and children were 
 robbed of their jewels of gold and jewels 
 of silver, of their bracelets, necklaces of 
 precious stones, and carried off to be sold 
 to the Bishareen merchants as slaves. Yes, 
 and white women too Egyptians and 
 Circassians who wore the burkof over 
 their faces, the rabtah and the turbah, and 
 the kurs J on their heads ladies clad in 
 silk and satin gibbehs and saltahs. 
 Mother and daughter alike were dragged 
 off from their homes of comfort. These 
 were widows, wives, and daughters of 
 Egyptian officers, some of whom had been 
 killed with Hicks Pasha ; wives and chil- 
 dren of Egyptian merchants formerly rich, 
 owning ships and mills, gardens and shops. 
 These were sold afterwards, some for 340 
 thaleries or more, some for 250, according 
 to age and good looks. And the poor 
 black women already slaves, and their 
 children, were taken off too. These were 
 sold too, for a hundred, eighty, or seventy 
 thaleries. Their husbands and masters 
 were slain before their eyes ; and yet I hear 
 
 * Blue. 
 
 t Face veil. 
 
 I Rabtah Egyptian head-dress of women, show- 
 ing them to be of the upper classes. Turbah 
 Embroidered muslin. Kur Gold or silver orna- 
 ment. 
 
 Gibbehs and Saltahs Cloaks and jackets. 
 
 it said there was no massacre at the taking 
 of Khartoum ! They lie who say so, and 
 are in league with Mohammed Ahmed. 
 You must not believe all that men coming 
 from Omdurman tell you. Mohammed 
 Ahmed and the dervishes send you false 
 reports of everything, and you believe 
 them ; then they laugh. This fighting and 
 spilling of blood continued till dohr,* till 
 the sun rode high in the sky red, yet 
 darkened by smoke and dust. There was 
 riot and clamour, hubbub and wrangling 
 over spoil ; cursing was heard till the hour 
 of evening prayer. But' the Muezzin was 
 not called ; neither were any prayers offered 
 up at the mosque on that dark day in the 
 annals of Khartoum. But the history of 
 those scenes will not be written on its 
 records; for all scrolls and papers and 
 books in the archives were destroyed and 
 scattered abroad. Yet the howling herd, 
 possessed by afaseet and ginf the screech- 
 ing devils bespattered with gore, swarming 
 about in droves and bands, found not the 
 plunder that they had been promised or 
 had expected. Then they were exasperated. 
 Their fury knew no bounds, and they 
 sought out Farag Pasha ; but he was with 
 the dervishes. He had presented himself 
 to them as one deserving well of honour 
 and rewards. 'Where is the hidden treasure 
 of the Greek merchants and Bachalees ; of 
 Leontides and Georgio Themetrio? Yes, 
 and of the Franchesi Marquet ; of the 
 Italian Michaelo ? We know that you are 
 acquainted with the secret hiding-place. 
 Where are all the thaleries of Marcopolo, 
 and of the German tailor, Klein? We 
 know that those that left Khartoum were 
 unable to carry away their silver, and you 
 know where it is hid.' 
 
 The dervishes, seeing the tumult, ques- 
 tioned him sharply -and addressed him 
 thus : ' The long-expected One, our Lord, 
 desires to know where the English Pasha 
 
 * Noon. 
 
 + Afaseet and gin; //. of afeet and ginnee 
 Evil spirits, goblins.
 
 A TRAITOR'S DEATH. 
 
 375 
 
 hid his wealth. We know he was very 
 rich, and every day paid large sums of 
 money ; this has not been concealed from 
 our Lord. Now therefore let us know, 
 that we may bear him word where all the 
 "felluce"* he gave the troops is hidden, so 
 that we may put it into the treasury. Let 
 him be bound and examined in the inner 
 chamber.' 
 
 Then were the doors of the house where 
 the dervishes were, and the gates of the 
 gardens outside they were in the Genesi 
 closed against the Arab soldiery, and 
 they were driven out, though angry words 
 and threats were loudly heard. Farag was 
 now questioned, but he swore by Allah and 
 by the souls of his fathers back to three 
 generations that Gordon had no money, 
 and that he knew of no hidden money or 
 treasure. 
 
 'You lie,' cried the dervishes. 'You 
 wish after a while to come here, dig, and 
 get it all for yourself. If the Inglezze had 
 no money or silver, how did he make all 
 those silver medals we have seen ? ' 
 
 ' Most of them are lead,' Farag replied, 
 ' and he paid every one with paper.' 
 
 ' It is false,' they replied, ' and now have a 
 care ; listen to what we are going to say to 
 you. We are sure you know where the 
 money lies concealed. We are not careful 
 of your life, for you have betrayed the man 
 whose salt you had eaten ; you have been 
 the servant of the infidel, and you have be- 
 trayed even him. Unless you unfold this 
 secret of the buried treasure, you shall 
 surely die.' 
 
 But Farag, it is said for we were not 
 there seeing that his end was approaching, 
 that his words were not believed, assumed 
 a proud and haughty bearing, and an attitude 
 of defiance. 
 
 ' I care not,' he said, ' for your threats. 
 I have told the truth, Allah knows. There 
 is no money, neither is there treasure. You 
 
 * Felluce Pay. 
 
 are magnoons* to suppose there is money ; 
 but if there were you would not divide it 
 fairly among your followers to every one 
 his portion. You would keep it among 
 yourselves. I have done a great deed. I 
 have delivered to your lord and master the 
 city, which you could never have taken 
 without my help. You would have been 
 beaten back from the trenches by the 
 Inglezze, who, even now, await their time 
 to punish you ; and I have secrets regard- 
 ing these, which, if I die, will die with me. 
 I tell you again there is no treasure, but you 
 will rue the day if you kill me.' 
 
 One among the dervishes then stepped 
 forward and struck him, bound as he was, 
 in the mouth, telling him to cease his 
 fool's prophecies ; while another, incensed, 
 rushed at him and struck him on the back 
 of his neck with his two-edged sword, so 
 that with one blow his head fell from his 
 shoulders. 
 
 So perished the arch-traitor may his 
 soul be afflicted ! But as for Gordon 
 Pasha the magnanimous, may his soul be 
 'enjoying fuller knowledge." 
 
 I say nearly all the Egyptian men were 
 slain in spite of their casting themselves 
 down and praying for mercy. Farag 
 Pasha's head was then carried off to 
 Mohammed Ahmed. We heard this 
 when the Kordofan soldiers, who guarded 
 us at the Dormas Gate, talked among them- 
 selves. We were there for some days ; we 
 saw nothing; but only heard what these 
 soldiers told us. They said two steamers 
 with English had come up and gone back. 
 
 We have nothing more to tell you." 
 
 Farag Pasha was probably a Circassian. 
 It was the name of the son of Berkook, 
 founder of the Memlook dynasty. There 
 seems no reasonable doubt that he was 
 actually the traitor who admitted the enemy, 
 and nearly all accounts represent him as 
 being killed somewhat as above stated. 
 
 Mognoon Fools.
 
 376 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 GORDON Mis DEATH jSuccess OF THE M.AHDI. 
 
 E need make no apology for 
 giving another of these 
 deeply, if painfully, interest- 
 ing accounts of the fall of 
 Khartoum. It is, like all the 
 others, due to the diligence of the news- 
 paper correspondent, who in this case tells 
 us that "Another 'voice' from Khartoum 
 is heard a Greek, who was made to wear 
 the Mahdi's uniform, and in this costume 
 walked down to Berber no man forbidding 
 him. He then resolved to escape altogether, 
 and then his troubles commenced. He had 
 no money, but begged his way from village 
 to village. Sometimes he was hunted, and 
 had to hide away ; at others he was made 
 to work as a captured slave by men who 
 knew him to be a Greek. At length, after 
 a period of twenty-eight days from Berber, 
 he reached Aboudom, where, suspected at 
 first as a spy, he was made prisoner. He 
 was then sent down by Colonel Butler to 
 General Buller, and arrived at Dongola last 
 Saturday. His very disjointed story I will 
 give you in his own words, translated for 
 me by the Greek interpreter of the Transport 
 Department It will be observed that he 
 emphatically declares that Gordon was killed 
 in, and not outside, the Palace. 
 
 'My name is Rosti Penago. I kept stores 
 for some years in Khartoum. I have lost 
 all. I had a great many of Gordon's cheques. 
 They were taken from me. Shall I get 
 repaid in Cairo ? I was a merchant rich 
 in my way ; and look at me now ! Yes, I 
 remember you when you used to ride through 
 the streets with General Hicks' staff. Prices 
 went up when you all came. It is true we 
 all combined, we Greeks, with Hicks, Butler, 
 the Syrian Greenburg, a Jew I think he was, 
 to raise the prices of everything. You look 
 upon us all as rogues and rascals. I know 
 
 we are born so ; but we are enterprising. 
 A Greek goes where no other European 
 would venture. Yes, the Greeks here in 
 Dongola, who came to rob, as you say, a 
 good many of them will be ruined ; they 
 are obliged to sell off at cost price. But 
 you ought to thank not revile us. English 
 traders rob too. We don't cheat each 
 other ; we are bound to be honest to any 
 compatriot; you cheat each other. What 
 have I to tell you ? You say you know 
 everything. What needs my telling you 
 anything ? 
 
 But this you do not know : the only 
 reason the Mahdi's power is on the wane is 
 because the people see that he, or rather 
 his dervishes, spoil and plunder and carry 
 off the women of the tribes. He will have 
 difficulty in getting the tribes to follow him 
 again; but, if he can, he will, in spite of 
 what you say, enter Egypt. The dervishes 
 are perpetually preaching that he (the Mahdi) 
 must ultimately reach Morocco, Mecca, and 
 Stamboul but that the time has not arrived. 
 The tenets of the Mahdi's religion are very 
 strict. If a married man is guilty of sexual 
 immorality, he is put up to his waist in the 
 sand and stoned to death. If he steals, his 
 hand is cut off. Singing or lascivious danc- 
 ing, such as used to be in Khartoum, is put 
 a stop to. Every man must pray five times 
 a day. Gordon only went about the town 
 on Friday. Stewart used to live in the old 
 house in the square that General Hicks 
 lived in when he first arrived. No one 
 lived in it when I left, nor did any one live 
 in the Palace. The stench is too great. 
 There are dead bodies in it; none were 
 cleared away. Gordon's Coptic clerks were 
 killed and left there. A fearful stench of 
 putrid corpses pervades the whole at- 
 mosphere of Khartoum. The house you
 
 FALL OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 377 
 
 dwelt in with other officers, over the post- 
 office, where are the drawings on the walls 
 your dining saloon, that now presents a 
 horrible sight. It is strewed with corpses 
 For, you remember, there was a guard there 
 over stores. The guard ran from the gate 
 after closing it up to your dining-room. 
 They were all massacred there. That poor 
 old man, the Italian postmaster, was slain 
 below. Had we 
 the Europeans, 
 supposed that this 
 treachery was 
 going to take 
 place, we should 
 have formed our- 
 selves into a corps 
 for self-defence. 
 As it was, we had 
 all agreed, and 
 Gordon consent- 
 ed, to hold out five 
 days more, and 
 then to jump into 
 the steamer Mont- 
 niah, and run the 
 gauntlet down the 
 river. It was kept 
 ready for this pur- 
 pose. 
 
 Do you know 
 that Gordon used 
 to send off hun- 
 dreds of letters, 
 but these were 
 always taken to the 
 Mahdi ? People 
 used to come to 
 him volunteering 
 
 to take letters, and Gordon, believing in 
 them, would give them good baksheesh. 
 Stewart used generally to be at a battery 
 he erected close by the kiosk, where the 
 band played. The rebels, knowing Gordon 
 lived in the Palace, used to fire at it all 
 day long, and Stewart would reply to 
 them. Gordon had sand-bags piled up 
 on the roof, and from this he was watch- 
 ing day^and night for the arrival of the 
 
 WOMAN OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 English. I think he never slept. By night 
 he used to send up rockets. You ask me 
 about the shops and magazines on the 
 promenade over the Blue Nile. Gordon 
 had all these cleared out for the English, 
 who never arrived. We were starving. 
 Gordon had some biscuit and flour, I 
 believe, in the palace. Some Europeans 
 ate grass, and cut down palms to extract 
 the pith from 
 them. The Egyp- 
 tians and blacks 
 ate anything they 
 could get hold ot 
 camels, donkeys 
 (I have known a 
 donkey's tail sell 
 for eight dollars), 
 dogs, cats, rats. 
 We were entirely 
 surrounded for 
 three months. 
 
 The English 
 could have come 
 up with great ease. 
 If one English- 
 man had shown, 
 the whole popu- 
 lation would have 
 cheered up out of 
 its despondency. 
 Natives outside, 
 who were starving, 
 too, would have 
 joined us, and I be- 
 lieve the Mahdi's 
 forces would have 
 melted away. Per- 
 haps you would 
 
 have had one fight more. As for Berber, 
 that was weak ; you could have taken it 
 easily. I don't think there were more 
 than 2,000 men there when Khartoum was 
 taken. 
 
 The steamers arrived at Halfaya. I saw 
 them about one mile and a half from Khar- 
 toum. They turned back directly; but I 
 say this if they had come on then every 
 man would have been destroyed. The
 
 378 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 soldiers pointed them out to me jeeringly. 
 " There are your English ! " they cried. 
 But I must go back. Stewart used to place 
 fougasses all round the town. He took 
 the tops of cartridges and filled them with 
 matches so fitted on to the mine that any 
 one walking on them would explode them. 
 Gordon often wanted to go on board the 
 steamers himself, but the inhabitants would 
 not let him ; his life was considered far too 
 precious to risk. 
 
 When the steamers approached, a great 
 cry arose through the town, "The English 
 are coming ! the English are coming ! '' 
 The rebels took their rifles and commenced 
 to fire at them. " Ha ! " said a man to me, 
 " look at them ; they cannot save you." 
 
 It may have been arranged to deliver up 
 the city just before the English came. I 
 don't know; but this I know, if you had 
 come three days, or two days, sooner, you 
 would have taken Khartoum easily. Farag 
 moved away the troops guarding the gate 
 that was entered the night before, and took 
 them to the other side of the town on some 
 pretence or other. Gordon did not know 
 of this nor did any one, I think, except 
 the troops themselves. We Europeans 
 knew there were traitors, but we did not 
 think they could do anything, or, as I said 
 before, we should have formed ourselves 
 into a band. 
 
 Boom ! boom ! boom ! was the sound 
 that greeted us from dawn to sunset. We 
 were sad, sorrowful, and depressed. Power 
 was in the magazine in the church, guarding 
 and looking after the ammunition. You 
 say you know all I am telling you. Do 
 you know that a woman once got in and 
 nearly succeeded in blowing up all the 
 ammunition ? She was seized, but after a 
 while Gordon released her. I used to sit 
 in my shop all day near the barracks selling 
 coffee. All spirituous liquor was gone. We 
 used to sit all day gambling and playing 
 cards : we had tobacco. There were forty- 
 two of us and ten Jews ; some of us had our 
 women with us Greek women that we 
 had brought with us, but not all. Cuzzi used 
 
 to go and come with messages from and 
 to Gordon. Gordon said if he came again 
 he would hang him ; after that he came no 
 more. And now the day arrived that was 
 to separate husband from wife, brother from 
 sister, and parent from child. The streets 
 were soon to run with blood. I was not at 
 my house. I was with some Greeks eight 
 in all near the mosque, when we heard a 
 hideous uproar as of men shouting and 
 yelling, and of women wailing around about 
 on all sides. Nearer and nearer did this 
 long-continued roar approach, swelling as it 
 were and now bursting close on our ears. 
 Men with frightful gashes on their faces 
 and limbs came flying by, and towards us 
 women with torn garments and dishevelled 
 hair shrieking, screaming " Jesu Christo ! " 
 I shall not forget that horrible din to the 
 day of my death. " We are lost ! We are 
 lost ! " we cried. " The place is taken ! " 
 But no one would tell us exactly what was 
 the matter. We ran up to the top of the 
 mosque, and saw that the town was given 
 up to massacre and bloodshed. We ran to 
 a house, barricaded the doors and windows, 
 went upstairs, shut ourselves into a room, 
 and determined never to surrender, but die 
 like Greeks : for we, mindful of our ances- 
 tors, fight to the last. Thus it was when 
 our fathers were surrounded by Turks ; we 
 are a brave nation ! How we escaped I 
 will tell you. 
 
 But listen, I pray you. Have you not 
 asked me where Gordon Pasha was slain ? 
 You say everybody has said he was either 
 killed on the courtyard steps of the Palace, 
 or outside, going to the Austrian Consul's 
 house. They all lie ! If you choose to 
 believe them you may, it matters not to 
 me. I am a respectable Greek merchant, 
 not an Arab. You want the truth ; I tell 
 it to you. True, I did not see Gordon 
 slain; but everybody in Khartoum knows 
 where the event happened. An Arab 
 rushed upstairs and shot him with a gun as 
 he was reading the Bible. Another Arab 
 cut off his head and put it on a spear ; and 
 so went forth into the city, carrying it and
 
 FALL OF KHARTOUM. 
 
 379 
 
 brandishing it on high. The Copts in the 
 Palace in the rooms below were slaughtered 
 at the same time. 
 
 The Arabs came pouring in; they slew 
 every man they could find ; no mercy was 
 shown to any one. There was no resist- 
 ance. I don't think a hundred shots were 
 fired by Egyptians or blacks. Men ran in 
 and shut themselves up in houses ; but 
 doors were burst open, and spearing, cut- 
 ting, and slashing went on bravely in the 
 streets, in the market square, in the bazaars. 
 It was a horrible scene this bazaar after- 
 wards. I went through it. Gay curtains, 
 crimson-coloured and oranged-striped, gol- 
 den-edged satins, silks, and muslins, lay 
 smeared and splashed with blood ; every- 
 thing was upset and strewed about and 
 trampled on. Everywhere was the wildest 
 disorder. You know how narrow it was 
 and how it winds. One corner was so full 
 of corpses and dying that we could not get 
 by. I had my hands tied, and I fell several 
 times in the road, slippery with blood. The 
 havoc went on till eight o'clock. Then 
 Mohammed Ahmed sent over word from 
 Omdurman that Allah had revealed to him 
 that the slaughter must cease. We were 
 told this. It was shouted about the streets, 
 and those that were still hidden were bidden 
 to come forth. Of forty-two Greeks only 
 eight escaped. There were ten Jews ; these 
 were killed, I think. Gordon's head I saw 
 on a spear. It was taken over to Omdur- 
 man, and shown to Mohammed Ahmed. It 
 was laid before him. A grim savage smile 
 passed over his face. He gazed long at 
 the countenance of his late enemy. " God 
 be praised ! " he cried, " can this be his ? " 
 He did not express anger at Gordon's 
 death, as you say has been reported ; he 
 made merry at his death when it was told 
 him. The head was then borne away, and 
 men plucked the hairs out of his head and 
 beard, and spat in his face. His body was 
 cut up into little pieces. This was his end ! 
 I omitted to say that Gordon wrote to the 
 Mahdi saying he might be Viceroy of Kor- 
 dofan. The Mahdi replied : " I am sent 
 
 by God to be king of all," and invited him 
 to surrender. Gordon replied in insulting 
 terms, saying he was a false Mahdi, and 
 that he (Gordon) would never surrender to 
 him. 
 
 The Copt women were taken to a place 
 called Bousi. They were allowed to go in 
 and out of their house as they pleased, and 
 one by one they got claimed as brides. 
 They went out to look for husbands, and 
 when they found one suitable they were 
 allowed to leave as they liked. But the 
 Greek and all the women in fact were put 
 in a room, and the dervishes and chief 
 leaders picked from among them whom 
 they would. This was at Omdurman. The 
 Greeks, including myself, were dressed in 
 the Mahdi's uniform, and told that from 
 henceforth we were Mussulmen, but we 
 were not circumcised. We were liberated, 
 and were given two dollars each, a monthly 
 allowance. Now, when we heard that our 
 women were taken over to Omdurman and 
 divided among the dervishes, we proceeded 
 there and craved an interview with the 
 Mahdi. It was allowed. We had to take 
 off our shoes, and when within the inner 
 circle about a quarter of a square mile 
 we were made to crawl towards him on our 
 knees. Every one has to approach him 
 thus. We addressed him thus : " Kill us, 
 we beseech thee it is as well. Your 
 dervishes and great men have carried off 
 our wives, sisters and daughters, and life is 
 of no more value to us. Slay us ! '' There- 
 upon the Mahdi took pity on our forlorn 
 condition, and ordered our women to be 
 returned to us. To each one was his wife, 
 sister, or relation returned. Those who had 
 lost their husbands were also returned to 
 us, to take care of us ; and also Dr. Georgio 
 Demetrio's daughter, whom you asked after, 
 and whose sister is married in Cairo. She 
 was very pretty. Poor girl, she was lovely. 
 Yes ; she was led off at first as a slave ; but 
 we got her back, and the nuns too. Two 
 priests were killed. The nuns lived with 
 us Greeks. Mdlle. Demetrio is now married 
 to a Greek. The daughter of poor Klein,
 
 3 8o 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the tailor, was carried off as a slave when 
 her father was killed. Among the white 
 women only the Greeks and the nuns were 
 recovered. There were Egyptian-Turkish 
 women carried off; but the Mahdi ordered 
 that those whose husbands were still alive 
 should be returned to them. Why should 
 there be any doubt thrown on this sad 
 story ? Is it not probable ? Have you not 
 seen many white women in Khartoum, and 
 is it not probable that these Mussulmen 
 would carry them off? I could give you 
 
 the names of many of European origin. 
 Had you not delayed three days, these 
 would have been saved. Alas ! it is a sad 
 story. The picture you showed me (from 
 an illustrated journal) has not the slightest 
 resemblance to Mohammed Ahmed. It must 
 have been drawn from fancy. I will give 
 you a better to-morrow. I am weary of 
 recounting a story over which tears of blood 
 might be shed, so sad and terrible is it 
 even in memory,' " and we may add, in 
 recital also. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXIII. 
 
 EFFECT OF NEWS OF HIS DEATH IN ENGLAND 
 THE EXAMPLE OF HIS LIFE. 
 
 N February 7th, 1885, Punch, 
 which often so faithfully re- 
 presents the feelings of the 
 English people, had a car- 
 toon which showed Gordon 
 and Wolseley standing hand in hand on 
 the ramparts of Khartoum. Underneath 
 were these words : " At Last !" In another 
 week all was changed ; the news of the un- 
 expected fall of Khartoum had been re- 
 ceived in the interval, and now the cartoon 
 represented Britannia weeping, while under- 
 neath was the legend, " Too Late ! " The 
 feelings of our race were well represented 
 in the poetry that accompanied the draw- 
 ing, and of which we quote a few verses : 
 
 " Too late ! Too late ! Loud through the desert 
 
 sounds 
 
 That piteous cry, and to the farthest bounds 
 Of England's Empire echoes. There she stands, 
 Britannia, stricken 'midst the Libyan sands 
 With bitter disappointment's venomed dart, 
 Wrath in her soul and anguish at her heart. 
 Too late ! And after hopes so high they took 
 The shape of certainty, and fired her look, 
 Anxious through crawling months of slow delay, 
 With joy's exultant light. That blunt, half gay 
 ' All's well ! ' from her beleaguered hero, cast 
 Care from her burdened breast. ' At last ! At 
 last! 
 
 She cried, and we all with her, joy so danced 
 In all our veins. So, gladly, she advanced 
 Swift though undoubting, eager now to clasp 
 That valiant hand in an impassioned grasp 
 In whose close pressure England's heart should 
 
 speak. 
 And now ! Can it be truth ? Can one poor 
 
 week 
 Only have sped since that ' At last ! ' forth 
 
 brake 
 From those set lips? No puling plaints shall 
 
 wake 
 
 The mocking desert echoes, no appeal 
 To aught but English hearts and English steel. 
 But yet, but yet the sight of those sheer walls 
 Manned by the foe, like noonday darkness falls 
 On eyes hope-bright. He held them, he, so long 
 Faithful 'midst falterers, 'midst much weakness 
 
 strong. 
 
 He, one against ten thousand, left alone 
 Long months, each hour of which must wring a 
 
 groan 
 From dogged dawdlers now ; he fought, he 
 
 planned ; 
 
 That citadel, by one true man well manned, 
 Of all life's phrases dreariest, shamefullest this, 
 Scourge of weak will, delay's stern Nemesis ! 
 Not this the hour to echo faction's cry 
 Of half-exultant chiding, or to ply 
 The Party-phraser's venomed word-lash. No ! 
 But laggard wills, counsels confused and slow, 
 Should need no sharper spur, no keener goad, 
 Than this to urge them on plain Honour's road. 
 A splendid legend this indeed to scrawl
 
 TOO LATE I 
 
 In letters red as blood, with pen of gall 
 Across a page of Policy ! ' Too late 1 ' 
 Belshazzar's scroll was scarce more big with fate 
 Than such a shameful script. Erase, erase 
 The branding blot, ere on our History's face 
 It burn indelible as sin and shame, 
 Smirching the record of an honoured name, 
 Leaving the witness of a great soul lost 
 Through loitering littleness ! Who '11 now count 
 
 cost, 
 
 Or nicely balance chances ? Who cries ' Wait, 
 Ponder, split hairs ! ' whilst gallant Gordon's fate 
 Hangs on the hours perchance? Who once 
 
 again, 
 Clutching with tremulous hand the old Lion's 
 
 mane, 
 
 Inviolate held, though cowardice, like a blade 
 Untempered, shivered, and his hand betrayed, 
 Though treachery's craven craft enmeshed him 
 
 round, 
 
 He, vigilant as valiant, held his ground. 
 Our Abdiel, till the echoes of our shouts 
 Might almost reach his ears, till chilling doubts 
 Seemed all dispelled, till o'er the rushing Nile 
 His greeting came like a half mocking smile 
 Of cheery, cheering confidence ; and then ! 
 The fingers falter, the recording pen 
 Drops in impatient indignation. Where 
 Is our lost lion ? See his desert lair 
 Bristles with hostile spears. At Khartoum's gate 
 Brave Gordon greets us not ! Too late ! too 
 
 kte ! " 
 
 English opinion seems to us to be well 
 expressed in the following eloquent words, 
 written when it was known beyond the 
 possibility of a doubt that Gordon was 
 no more, and that "cruel suspense has 
 given place to sad certainty. All con- 
 jectures as to the survival of General 
 Gordon must now be put on one side. 
 The news published this morning ap- 
 pears to place beyond any doubt the fact 
 that he fell stabbed by traitors in the 
 midst of his faithful troops when Khar- 
 toum was betrayed. The end came as he 
 expected it. Treachery achieved what over- 
 whelming force had failed to effect, and the 
 forces of the Mahdi, admitted within the 
 fortification by one of Gordon's pashas, 
 made short work of all who would not es- 
 pouse their cause. The Notables were cut 
 down to a man, the faithful remnant of 
 Gordon's garrison seem to have been killed 
 fighting hard to the last. Their children 
 
 were spitted on the Arab spears ; their 
 women but there is no need to detail the 
 ghastly incidents of the sack of a city by 
 the savage hordes of the African desert. 
 The streets of the city, we are told, ran with 
 blood. 'The flame of the sword and the 
 lightning of the spear ' shone in the doomed 
 city for a space, and when our relieving 
 steamer arrived there was a ' multitude of 
 slain and there was no end of their corpses.' 
 The terrible formula which summed up our 
 policy in the Soudan has been as terribly 
 fulfilled. The garrisons have been speared, 
 and over the whole of the Soudan the 
 Mahdi has now passed his bloody sponge. 
 Nothing has happened that was not foreseen. 
 Far be it from us to profane such a moment 
 as this with any vain recriminations. In 
 the sanctuary of our sorrow such revilings 
 jar like the hootings of some ill-omened bird 
 as we weep over the grave of our dead. 
 But it is precisely because he realized so 
 vividly the approach of that savage orgie of 
 carnage and of lust that General Gordon 
 twelve months ago pleaded so earnestly 
 against the evacuation of the Soudan, and 
 it was in order to stave off this great tragedy 
 that he consented to go to Khartoum to do 
 what he could. He has done what he 
 could, and the catastrophe which, with such 
 heroic courage and such marvellous resource, 
 he has averted for a whole year, has at last 
 overwhelmed him and those whom he sought 
 to save. ' Red ruin ' has fallen upon 
 Khartoum her children have been dashed 
 to pieces in the midst of her, the women 
 have become a prey to the spoiler, and the 
 few brave men who through all the long 
 siege have endured faithful to the end in 
 spite of sore privation, constant attacks, 
 and a haunting sense of desertion and 
 depair, have paid the penalty of their loyalty 
 with their lives. The telegrams from Korti 
 this morning read like the scrolls of the 
 Hebrew prophets on which were written the 
 judgment of God upon the cities of old 
 time. All is over, and the curtain falls 
 upon a scene of bloodshed and desolation, 
 only to be realized by those who remember
 
 3 82 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the carnage of Cawnpore or the more recent 
 horrors of Batak. 
 
 Khartoum has been evacuated by mas- 
 sacre, and with Khartoum General Gordon 
 has perished. Of that there can be no longer 
 any doubt. A career of unsullied splendour 
 has now culminated in a death worthy of 
 the life which it closed. 'The angels of 
 Martyrdom and Victory,' said Mazzini, ' are 
 twin sisters, for Martyrdom is also the 
 benediction of Heaven.' It is difficult for 
 those of us who knew Gordon as a man and 
 as a friend to speak without tear-dimmed 
 eyes and choking utterance of him whom 
 we shall now see no more. None of those 
 who knew that noble heart, so tender and 
 true, who have felt the warm grasp of that 
 generous hand now cold in death, who have 
 been gladdened by the radiance of his 
 ready smile, or inspired to striving after 
 nobler things by the glowing ardour of his 
 simple faith, can dissociate their keen sense 
 of personal bereavement from those more 
 general considerations which must neces- 
 sarily be before the nation to-day. There 
 was no one who knew him but loved him. 
 So brave he was and so gentle, so great and 
 yet so humble, inspired at once by the sub- 
 limest ideals, and yet ever alive to the 
 humorous underside of the world's affairs. 
 No woman could have been more tenderly 
 sympathetic, no paladin more utterly fear- 
 less. He realized more than almost any 
 man the ideal of the little child of whom it 
 
 said, ' Of such is the kingdom of heaven.' 
 The transparent sincerity and genuineness 
 of soul, the direct frankness of speech, the 
 utter absence of make-believe, even his 
 tempestuous gusts of wrath at injustice and 
 deceit, and the unreserved penitence with 
 which he would confess his faults, were all 
 childlike to the last degree. But of all 
 these things the outer world knows little, 
 and it is perhaps almost a sacrilege upon 
 the privacy of sorrow to advert even in pass- 
 ing to these touching memories. But even 
 in the midst of our grief, as ' with uncovered 
 head we salute the sacred dead who went 
 and who return not,' we are thrilled with a 
 
 proud joy as we reflect upon the splendour 
 of that stainless life now crowned with the 
 aureole of martyrdom. Even with that 
 terrible telegram of massacre and treachery 
 before their eyes, there is not one of his 
 friends who for a moment regrets that 
 General Gordon was sent to the Soudan to 
 suffer and to die in the defence of Khar- 
 toum. Looking back over the whole of 
 the dark, confused welter of bloodshed and 
 blunder that filled last year, the mission of 
 General Gordon stands out distinct and 
 clear as the one great achievement of Eng- 
 land for which every one has indeed good 
 cause to thank God and take courage. Of 
 all the gifts of Heaven to earth, the hero 
 is infinitely the greatest. In him the race 
 sees incarnate its highest ideals, and his 
 existence is in itself an inspiration. For 
 some time past it had seemed as if England 
 were indeed in that decadence which Prince 
 Bismarck believes has already overtaken her. 
 Her old ideals have been obscured. The 
 call of duty no longer rang in our ears as 
 the clarion of God wrapped in ease and 
 luxury and in unbelief, we were losing faith 
 both in England and in all that had made 
 England great. The individual seemed so 
 helpless. Belief in the transcendent im- 
 portance of a single brave man's intense 
 conviction had burned low. Patriotism 
 seemed in danger of being sacrificed to 
 party. And even in the midst of that day 
 of darkness and gloom, when Ministers and 
 Opposition alike seemed indifferent to the 
 fate of thousands doomed by our policy to 
 massacre and outrage, a man was raised up 
 who for twelve long months displayed in 
 the sight of the whole world the heroic 
 virtues which our gainsayers believed were 
 all but extinct. On the ramparts of the 
 beleaguered capital of the Libyan Desert, 
 as on some vast world-pedestal, General 
 Gordon has demonstrated before all men 
 the might that lies in the arm of a single 
 Englishman who has faith in his country 
 and his God. In him were incarnate 
 the characteristics of the heroes of our 
 national story. The chivalry of Arthur of
 
 GORDON'S CHARACTER. 
 
 383 
 
 the Table Round, the indomitable valour 
 and saintly life of the Great Alfred, and the 
 religious convictions of Oliver the Protector 
 all were united in that slight form, now 
 alas ! laid low in death, upon which, with 
 ever increasing fascination, the eyes of the 
 world have so long been fixed. The in- 
 spiration of his great example, now conse- 
 crated by his death, will not be lost upon 
 the nation which, alas ! too late, poured 
 forth its millions into the desert sands in 
 order to fulfil the duty to whose supreme 
 claims he has sacrificed his life. 
 
 It is a great world-sorrow that has over- 
 taken us to-day. Far away in the distant 
 East the Chinese will suspend for a moment 
 their preparations against their foreign foes 
 in order to fire a funeral salute to the 
 memory of our heroic dead. But in the 
 midst of our sorrow let no thought of anger 
 obtrude towards those whose blind fury 
 slew the man whose supreme desire was to 
 save them from the oppressor. If in the 
 defence of England's honour it is necessary 
 to go to Khartoum, it is not to avenge 
 Gordon's death. Over and over again he said 
 before he went out on his last great mission : 
 ' I would give my life for these poor people 
 of the Soudan. How can I help feeling for 
 them? All the time I was there, every 
 night I used to pray that God would lay 
 upon me the burden of their sins, and crush 
 me with it instead of these poor sheep. I 
 really wished it and longed for it.' And 
 now that his prayer and longing have been 
 realized, it is not for us to justify any opera- 
 tions, which we may have to undertake 
 against the Mahdi to atone for our slack- 
 ness, by pleas of vengeance. If Lord 
 Wolseley goes to Khartoum, he will not go 
 on a mission of vengeance on General 
 Gordon's account ; nor ought he to go to 
 Khartoum at all unless we are to establish 
 some decent government there for 'the poor 
 Soudanese.' Not from the Soudanese, but 
 from us and from our children, will be ex- 
 acted the penalty for the sacrifice of General 
 Gordon. He has fallen a victim to the 
 selfishness which has characterized our 
 
 recent policy in the Soudan. If we now 
 begin a new policy, with Gordon's watch- 
 words of Duty and Responsibility, and 
 carry it out in Gordon's spirit, even in 
 this hour of wrath and trouble, we may 
 discern the dawn of a new day, in which, 
 though Gordon be no more, Gordon's high 
 faith and noble courage will mould the 
 future destinies of our land." 
 
 Time would fail us to quote the opinions 
 of the foreign papers. All were unanimous 
 in their testimony to the greatness of the 
 man. But that, indeed, required neither 
 proof nor assertion. Let us conclude this 
 chapter with the able poem of Mr. F. L. 
 Gardiner on our hero. 
 
 I. 
 
 :< I see before me a desert of sand, 
 And a palm-tree alone in a lonely land, 
 And a burning sky of dusky red, 
 And a river all parched in its arid bed, 
 And a horseman who rides with a patient face, 
 Which gleams with the light of a godly grace, 
 With some by his side who are staunch and 
 
 true 
 
 For no stranger is he to a faithful few 
 And an eye with a mild, but sorrowing gaze, 
 Still straining ahead through the mist and haze ; 
 With a will like steel, and a mind as strong, 
 To help the weak, or redeem a wrong ; 
 With a hopeful heart, and an arm as brave 
 As any that ever was sent to save 
 I see before me a desert plain, 
 And a face that will never be seen again. 
 
 II. 
 
 I see rushing on through blood and smoke, 
 
 Against spear, and spike, and sabre stroke, 
 
 A gallant band who know no fear, 
 
 And heed not sabre, spike, or spear ; 
 
 I see again that form of grace, 
 
 With the patient air, and godly face ; 
 
 I see within a far-ofT town, 
 
 Whose walls the hordes are hurling down 
 
 A brave man, with a fearless eye, 
 
 As he murmurs a vow to win or die, 
 
 Though lie knows that one who had sworn by 
 
 his sword 
 
 Would open the gates to the savage horde 
 I sec him hopeful and firm and true, 
 And still by his side a dauntless few, 
 And seem to hear though his lips are dumb 
 His anguished cry' Will they never come? '
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 III. 
 
 I see before me, bereft of breath, 
 With the glazing eye which tells of death, 
 All cold and grim with a bloody stain, 
 A corpse stretched out on the desert plain. 
 Is this the man with the godly grace, 
 With the patient air and heroic face ? 
 
 Is this the man who prayed for peace, 
 Who to strive for his country would never cease ? 
 Is this the man with steel-like mind, 
 Who love and home would leave behind ? 
 Who hardships and perils would undertake 
 Alone for his country's honour's sake ? 
 Yes, this is the man thus left to his fate, 
 While his countrymen moan, ' Alas, too late !'" 
 
 CHAPTER LXXIV. 
 
 PORDON p. RATION'S PRIEF AN ELOQUENT JRIBUTE. 
 
 S was fit and proper in the 
 case of one who eminently 
 deserved the title of a Chris- 
 tian warrior, memorial ser- 
 vices were held in our 
 principal churches, and some remarkable 
 discourses were preached with his life for 
 their text. From two of these discourses 
 we give extracts. The first is by the Rev. 
 Dr. Butler, of Harrow. It was delivered 
 in the Chapel Royal, St. James's, before 
 Mr. Gladstone, on isth February, 1885. 
 It is " affectionately dedicated to the boys 
 of Harrow School, in the hope that they 
 may ever be drawn to 'things above' by 
 the examples of heroic Christian souls, and 
 follow them as they follow Christ." Dr. 
 Butler took as his text the verse, " Right 
 dear in the sight of the Lord is the death 
 of His saints" (Ps. cxvi. 15), and the fol- 
 lowing are extracts from his discourse : 
 " There ought to be a lesson from God in 
 the death which the nation is to-day mourn- 
 ing. We are so made that when rare good- 
 ness and greatness are cut short on earth 
 by a tragic death, all the nobler parts of 
 our nature are moved. As we gaze on 
 some great figure that puts to shame the 
 average feebleness of man, we pass far be- 
 yond mere vulgar hero-worship. We lift 
 our hearts to the God of the spirits of all 
 flesh, and glorify Him 'who hath given 
 such power unto men.' I suppose we may 
 
 say with perfect truth that a mourning so 
 world-wide, so peculiarly poignant, and so 
 intensely personal as the present has not 
 been known in our generation. Indeed, 
 there have been but few periods in history 
 when so many elements of love and pity 
 and reverence combined to turn the mourn- 
 ing of a people into a solemn religious act. 
 We are to-day full of the memory of one 
 who was both a hero and a saint the most 
 soldier-like of saints, the most saintly of 
 soldiers. So special a combination can 
 never be common. Such occasions are, so 
 to speak, the All Saints' Days of history, 
 the time when goodness is doing its ap- 
 pointed work, drawing men to God by its 
 very beauty, and shaming evil out of sight. 
 We are thinking of men who, by the rare 
 nobleness of their character, have for a 
 time, short or long, attracted in a high de- 
 gree the love of mankind, and have then, 
 as in a moment, fallen in fight." 
 
 After referring to Bayard, the "good knight, 
 without fear and without reproach, the very 
 type of chivalry at its best, the lamentations 
 over whom read almost as a prophecy of 
 that other character, cast in the same 
 knightly mould, which is to-day receiving 
 the homage of all true Christian hearts," to 
 the brave and devout King of Sweden, 
 Gustavus Adolphus, and to Nelson, " the 
 darling hero of England," the great and 
 most lovable but still erring Nelson, and
 
 "LET HIS GREAT EXAMPLE STAND.' 
 
 385 
 
 the grief occasioned by their deaths, Dr. 
 Butler proceeded to speak of General Gor- 
 don as follows : 
 
 "It is no exaggeration to say that the 
 great and good man who has just been i 
 snatched away speaks like a prophet i 
 of Christ to the men of this generation. 
 The last week has been a week of mission 
 in this vast diocese. And then, just as ! 
 these special services began, and the prayers ; 
 of thousands were rising to God that He j 
 would lift them out of their worldliness, and 
 teach them the lessons of the manger and 
 the cross, suddenly there flashed across 
 deserts and seas the tidings of the lonely 
 martyrdom of one who stood out before 
 the world as the very symbol of unworld- 
 liness and self-sacrifice ; a man who cared 
 absolutely nothing for wealth, or honour, 
 or comforts of any kind ; who lived for 
 others, prayed for others, and was at any 
 moment ready to die for them ; 
 
 ' Who, doomed to go in company with pain, 
 And fear and bloodshed, miserable train, 
 Turned his necessity to glorious gain ; ' 
 
 a man who was never so much in his ele- 
 ment as when ministering, at home or 
 abroad, to misery and want ; whose con- 
 ception of life was drawn straight from the 
 Bible, and that faithful mirror of one as- 
 pect of the Bible, the famous ' Imitation of 
 Christ ' ; a man who had for years trodden 
 with unfaltering feet what that high-toned 
 book describes as ' the King's highway of 
 the Holy Cross,' and had accepted and, as 
 it were, drunk in with every fibre of his 
 being that most sublime of Christian truisms 
 'Go where thou wilt, seek whatsoever 
 thou wilt, thou shall not find a higher way 
 above, nor a safer way below, than the way \ 
 of the Holy Cross.' During the solemn i 
 week that has just closed, while every j 
 preacher and missioner in London was seek- 
 ing to impress once more this ideal first 
 on himself and then on those to whom he 
 ministered, was it nothing to know that the 
 most conspicuously Christlike man of his 
 day had just crowned a Christlike life with 
 
 a Christlike death ? Was there any appeal 
 at such a time to compare with his ex- 
 ample ? Was there any voice so eloquent 
 as the hushed voice of the dead ? 
 
 Therefore in an age of boundless self- 
 indulgence, when comfort in every form, 
 and avoidance of effort, physical and in- 
 tellectual, spread their snares so wide and 
 so fatally, let us give thanks for this illus- 
 trious spectacle of heroic and saintly self- 
 sacrifice. 
 
 1 Let his great example stand, 
 Colossal, seen of every land, 
 And keep the soldier firm, the statesman pure.' 
 
 Ay, his great example ! What an example 
 to the young, who have life before them 
 and have not yet shaped the lines of their 
 career ! What an elevating guide to parents 
 in their aspirations for their children ! 
 
 1 For where is he 
 
 Who dares foreshadow for an only son 
 A lovelier life, a more unstained, than his ? * 
 
 What an example for the soldier ! Surely 
 among the many brave men over whom the 
 flag of England waves somewhere to-day, 
 in some portion of her world-wide empire, 
 there must be not a few who are even now 
 turning over the pages of a Bible, perhaps 
 too long unopened, and saying to them- 
 selves in their hearts : ' This is the book 
 which, under God, gave Gordon his heroism. 
 This is the companion which never failed 
 him. This is the friend which stood beside 
 him " in perils by the heathen, in perils in 
 the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils 
 among false brethren." This is the book 
 by whose rule he lived, and in whose spirit 
 and power we doubt not he died.' 
 
 Once more, what an example to us all ! 
 How clear a summons to set the house of 
 our social life in order, and see if it bears 
 any prints of the Holy Cross ! The ' world 
 is with us ' everywhere, even in our religion. 
 Even our modes of worship are a luxury. 
 What a call from Khartoum to greater sim- 
 plicity of life, greater dread of softness, 
 greater thought for the poor and the suffer- 
 ing, greater longing for the mind of Christ ! 
 
 c c
 
 3 86 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 We have heard once again to-day those 
 immortal words that give each year to Quin- 
 quagesima Sunday a sanctity of its own : 
 ' Though I have all faith, so that I could 
 remove mountains, and have not charity, I 
 am nothing.' 
 
 And here we have a man, our own 
 countryman, who possessed in the highest 
 degree both these Divine gifts, not only 
 that boundless faith in God which made no 
 task seem to him impossible, but even that 
 rarer and purer treasure, the unfeigned love 
 of his brother-men. 
 
 ' Thanks be unto God for His unspeak- 
 able gift ' to His people and to His Church ! " 
 
 The other is the concluding portion of a 
 discourse by Dr. Jowett, the eminent Mas- 
 ter of Balliol, delivered in the chapel of his 
 college. 
 
 " There never has been a public calamity 
 (not the death of Nelson at the battle of 
 Trafalgar, of which our fathers have told us) 
 affecting so deeply the hearts and minds of 
 England. He upon whom all eyes had 
 been turned during the last year, who had 
 saved an empire, and then retired into pri- 
 vate life as if he were nobody : who again 
 went forth and girded himself to the task 
 of putting down slavery and the slave-trade 
 in the interior of Africa: who alone and 
 almost single-handed undertook the still 
 harder task of saving beleaguered garrisons, 
 and of restoring peace and order in the 
 Soudan : just when his friends were with- 
 in sight and expecting the joyful meeting, 
 has fallen by the treachery of some of his 
 followers ; and the work so nearly crowned 
 with success is undone and has to be begun 
 over again. There is nothing more tragic 
 in history than the death of this great man, 
 whether we consider the loneliness of his 
 position, the nearness of the object, the 
 simplicity and disinterestedness of his aims : 
 no loss certainly could be sadder to us. 
 And not only we, but foreign nations also, 
 seem to feel that by his death the world is 
 poorer his virtues still the voice of party 
 and of envy and we are thankful to them 
 for their appreciation of our countryman. 
 
 The best tribute which we ourselves can 
 pay to him is to do nothing out of revenge 
 or ambition, but from necessity and be- 
 cause we must: because we cannot leave 
 those who have trusted us and him, to be 
 massacred, or allow a country with which, 
 by a series of accidents, we have been 
 brought into connection, to be the prey of 
 anarchy. We follow the path in which he 
 has shown us the way; not desiring to 
 acquire military prestige or national glory, 
 but that we may restore peace and freedom 
 and order to one of the most oppressed 
 regions of earth. 
 
 During the past year we have been living 
 at home in ease and comfort, engaged in 
 study or business, enjoying the pleasant 
 country and the return of the seasons from 
 time to time at Oxford and elsewhere. 
 What a contrast to the life of the great 
 Captain, shut up with a single friend, in the 
 city of the desert far away, surrounded by 
 strange people and a strange faith, and yet 
 possessing such a superhuman force of will 
 and mind that he was able to command 
 them, and to use all the resources of war in 
 protecting them against the fanatical hordes 
 of besiegers ! What were the thoughts 
 which filled his mind at that time? He 
 was still dwelling in idea on that Divine 
 life which taught him that there was some- 
 thing better and higher than success : 
 ' The Lord had not promised that he 
 should succeed,' and he was willing to die. 
 In such a frame of mind, while taking all 
 the means which military genius could 
 devise for the safety of the town, he passed 
 those lonely hours ; once recently to be 
 saddened by the death of his beloved com- 
 rade, the only sharer of his enterprise, 
 perhaps strengthening the presentiment of 
 his own death : ' I shall go to him, but 
 he shall not return to me.' 
 
 Men will think and feel about him more 
 or less deeply according to the depth of 
 their own nature ; and in some the memory 
 of him will be always and for ever fixed, 
 and will affect their lives. Others will re- 
 mind us that he maintained singular fancies
 
 THE CHRISTIAN HERO. 
 
 337 
 
 about the interpretation of Scripture ; that 
 he found a mystical meaning in the rocks 
 which surround Jerusalem ; that, like Dante 
 or Swedenborg, he lived, not in a figure 
 only, in the daily sight of heaven and hell. 
 Such fancies or meditations were entertained 
 by almost every saint of mediaeval times, 
 Catholic or Protestant. The mention of 
 them leads me to make a remark which has 
 often been made before, respecting this 
 great man, that ' there was something 
 about him which might seem more truly 
 to belong to other times.' He might be 
 regarded as one of the great ones of old, 
 who has visited us for a season, whom the 
 world deemed mad, because he was out of 
 place amid the conventions of society. Is 
 any one so ignorant of human nature as not 
 to know that a self-taught man, conversing 
 with his own soul, and not with established 
 teachers, will have many 'private interpre- 
 tations of Scripture ' (such as there are in 
 Scripture itself), and many personal ex- 
 periences which have no value or meaning 
 to other persons or to another age or 
 country ? But the true greatness, the cen- 
 tral idea of such a man is not to be 
 gathered from these weaknesses or fancies, 
 through which as through a many-coloured 
 glass he beheld the vision of the Eternal 
 and Unchangeable. It consists in this 
 that he devoted himself heart and soul to 
 his country and to his God. ' He endured 
 as seeing Him who is invisible.' Such an 
 intensity of self-devotion, such an abne- 
 gation of all things which men hold dear, 
 not for a moment only, or on the field of 
 battle, but always and everywhere ; such a 
 ' counting all things but dross,' if he might 
 serve God and his fellow-men, has not been 
 seen in any one else of our time. The fear 
 of treachery and assassination had no power 
 over him, for at any moment he was pre- 
 pared to die, and he left the accidents of 
 the hour with God. Yet though already 
 seeming to be an inhabitant of another 
 
 world, he was still the great strategist who 
 knew all the arts of attack and defence; 
 the most mystical of men, he was also the 
 most practical, and breathed into his waver- 
 ing and half-hearted adherents a spirit and 
 constancy which was not their own. 
 
 And so farewell to the Christian hero, 
 ' the happy warrior,' upon whom has come 
 nothing which ' he did not foresee.' We, 
 who are his countrymen, will cherish an 
 affectionate remembrance of him while we 
 live. We know that we cannot imitate the 
 actions and characters of great men ; we 
 can only appreciate them. No effort of 
 ours will place us on a level with them. 
 Yet we pray also that some good influence 
 may flow from them to us which may raise 
 us above the conventionalities of the world, 
 above the fashion of political opinions, to 
 dwell in the light of justice, in the constancy 
 of truth. And we pray for this nation also, 
 that the lesson of a great man's death may 
 not be lost upon us ; but that in our public 
 acts, as well as in our private lives, we may 
 gather from him courage and firmness and 
 wisdom and self-sacrifice and strength in 
 all the trials which the English people may 
 have to undergo in generations to come. 
 And whether nations, like individuals, 
 tend naturally to decay or not, whether 
 our own country is about to lose something 
 of her ancient power and glory, or, like an 
 eagle, to mount upward and to renew her 
 youth, we may acquiesce in either result, 
 even though we are overmatched by the 
 military or material development of other 
 European States, if only the best qualities 
 of Englishmen flourish and abound in us. 
 For the true life of a nation, as of an in- 
 dividual, consists not in the multitude of 
 her possessions, but in righteousness and 
 peace, in intelligence and education, in the 
 love of truth and justice, in the fulfilment 
 of the destiny which God has assigned to 
 her in the world." So the English nation 
 mourned for Gordon.
 
 388 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 Goi\poN THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL. 
 
 HERE was a general feeling 
 among all classes in England 
 that there ought to be a 
 national monument to the 
 heroic Gordon. This feel- 
 ing found expression at a great meeting at 
 the Mansion House, on Saturday, March 
 1 4th, 1885, at which (according to press 
 accounts) the Lord Mayor presided, and 
 among those present were the Prince of 
 Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke 
 of Cambridge, Cardinal Manning, the 
 Chinese Minister, the Lord Chancellor, 
 Earl Granville, Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord 
 Strathnairn, Lord Napier of Magdala, Sir 
 William Harcourt, Sir Arthur Otway, M.P., 
 Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, General Sir 
 John Cowell, General Sir Dighton Probyn, 
 Admiral Sir E. Inglefield, Sir H. W. Acland, 
 Alderman Sir R. Garden, M.P., Alderman 
 Sir W. McArthur, M.P., the Dean of West- 
 minster, the Dean of Llandaff, General 
 Henry Eyre, the Governor of the Bank of 
 England, Mr. S. Morley, M.P., Mr. Alder- 
 man and Sheriff Whitehead, the Rev. Dr. 
 Butler, of Harrow (Dean Designate of 
 Gloucester), the Rev. Dr. Henry Allon, and 
 Captain the Hon. D. Monson. 
 
 The Lord Mayor said he had acted on 
 the suggestion of the Prince of Wales, and 
 called the meeting on as early a date as 
 possible, so that the scheme might be sub- 
 mitted to the public. 
 
 Admiral Sir E. Inglefield then, at the 
 instance of the Prince of Wales, read a 
 statement regarding his proposal for the 
 erection of a hospital at Port Said 
 as a national memorial to General 
 Gordon, quoting a report by the local 
 English chaplain as to the deplorable con- 
 dition of the existing Egyptian hospital. 
 This gentleman said : " In the large ward, 
 
 which ought to contain only five or six 
 beds, there are ten. The walls are dis- 
 gracefully dirty and stained, and the floor 
 has never been washed since I have been 
 here. The bed-linen is brown with dirt, 
 and is seldom changed. In one case, to 
 my certain knowledge, it was in use for 
 eight consecutive weeks, without ever being 
 taken off the bed even to air. The patients 
 are mainly their own nurses, those who are 
 able to walk helping those who are not. 
 The medicines are distributed in black beer 
 bottles, without corks. There are no direc- 
 tions for measurement, time of taking, or 
 proper dose. No one comes round to 
 administer it, and the patients have to help 
 themselves at the time and in the quantity 
 they think fit." Sir E. Inglefield added 
 that with those facts before them a com- 
 mittee had set to work to obtain funds for 
 erecting a British hospital there. They had 
 got from the Canal Company a grant of 
 land valued at ,4,560, and 1,200 had 
 been subscribed towards the building fund. 
 Plans for a building of two storeys, and 
 capable of accommodating 100 patients, 
 had been prepared under the direction ot 
 Lady Strangford. It was proposed to have 
 an interior court or garden, such as was so 
 frequently seen in the East, that could be 
 shaded at all times of the day while ex- 
 posed to the open air. Interior balconies 
 around that court would afford shade and 
 free ventilation to the whole of the apart- 
 ments. The rough estimate for the build- 
 ing had been calculated at 11,000. It 
 was estimated that ,1,550 annually from 
 various sources would be available for 
 maintenance. He and his committee now 
 suggested that the national memorial to 
 General Gordon should take the form of a 
 British hospital at Port Said, which he
 
 THE GORDON MEMORIAL. 
 
 389 
 
 would humbly propose might be named 
 " The Gordon Memorial Hospital" (cheers). 
 The Prince of Wales said : " My Lord 
 Mayor, your Royal Highnesses, my Lords 
 and Gentlemen The object of our meet- 
 ing here to-day is to do honour to the name 
 of a great Englishman and of a distin- 
 guished soldier. It would almost be out of 
 place and superfluous on my part if I were 
 to say anything in praise of the distin- 
 guished man who, we have every reason to 
 believe, is no more living. His name and 
 his deeds are as well known to all of you as 
 I am inclined to think they are known by 
 the whole nation. His career as a soldier, 
 as a philanthropist, and as a Christian is a 
 matter of history. Our object to-day is to 
 determine on some great national memorial 
 to his name and memory. The public take 
 a deep interest in securing that the memo- 
 rial shall be worthy of his name. The diffi- 
 culty no doubt arises in the minds of all of 
 us, what would be a suitable memorial ? 
 Many would wish some fine statue, some 
 fine monument; but we who know what Gor- 
 don was feel convinced that were he living 
 nothing would be more distasteful to him 
 personally than that any memorial should 
 be erected in the shape of a statue or of 
 any great monument His tastes were most 
 simple, and we all know he was anxious 
 that his name should not be brought pro- 
 minently before the public, though in every 
 act of his life that name was brought, I am 
 inclined to think, as prominently before the 
 nation as that of any soldier or any great 
 Englishman whom we know of at the pre- 
 sent time. Sir Edward Inglefield has been 
 kind enough to read to you a memorandum 
 and a proposal that a much-needed hospital 
 at Port Said should be erected and devoted 
 to the memory of General Gordon, to be 
 called the Gordon Memorial Hospital. I 
 am inclined to think that if this meeting ap- 
 proves of it the scheme is a very good one. 
 I think also there is no institution which 
 would have been more acceptable to 
 General Gordon than a hospital with which 
 his name would have been associated. He 
 
 was, perhaps, one of the most unselfish men 
 ever known, and his thoughts were always 
 of others. If this hospital were built and 
 it is well known by all accustomed to the 
 East that the building could be erected 
 in a comparatively short space of time it 
 would be of immense value and use if the 
 war in the Soudan is likely to be prolonged; 
 but even when that is over it will remain 
 for ever one of the most useful institutions 
 an international one that could possibly 
 have been built. The many ships of all 
 nations that go up and down the Canal will 
 see this building, and they will, if necessary, 
 be reminded of the name of Gordon, which 
 will be associated with it. As time is short 
 I will not say more. There is much more 
 that I could say and would wish to have 
 said with regard to the great soldier who in 
 all probability has been taken from us. I 
 feel that it would be almost out of place for 
 me to say any more. I will now only move 
 the first resolution, which is, ' That this 
 committee, having heard the letter and ex- 
 amined the plans submitted by Sir E. Ingle- 
 field, are of opinion that the erection of the 
 proposed hospital at Port Said would form 
 a suitable national memorial to General 
 Gordon, and that the same be forthwith 
 carried into effect' Before sitting down I 
 wish only to say one more word this will 
 also be alluded to by the Commander-in- 
 chief, who will second this resolution. I 
 feel sure that any memorial which is to be 
 erected in memory of General Gordon 
 would be incomplete unless in some way or 
 other the name of his distinguished lieu- 
 tenant, Colonel Stewart, were associated 
 with it Possibly it might be desirable to 
 call one of the great wards Stewart Ward. 
 Colonel Stewart shared all the dangers, all 
 the difficulties of General Gordon, and his 
 life was equally sacrificed in the cause of 
 duty. I feel sure, gentlemen, you would 
 not wish me to omit the name of Colonel 
 Stewart " (cheers). 
 
 The Duke of Cambridge, in seconding 
 the resolution, said : " My Lord Mayor, 
 your Royal Highnesses, my Lords and
 
 390 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Gentlemen I have great satisfaction in 
 being permitted to second this proposition 
 of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. 
 His Royal Highness has spoken so feelingly 
 and so fully of the merits of our lamented 
 friend no longer amongst us, General 
 Gordon, that really there is very little 
 more for me to add. Perhaps I personally 
 knew more even than His Royal Highness 
 of General Gordon, for I remember him 
 when I was at Corfu, forty-three years ago, 
 as a little boy living next door to me in the 
 citadel, where his father was then com- 
 manding the Royal Engineers. I watched 
 his career from that period to his end 
 with the greatest interest and satisfaction. 
 Nothing could have been greater than his 
 general ability. As a soldier he was mar- 
 vellous in his intrepidity, his courage, and 
 coolness. As a cosmopolitan we know that 
 he has done great service, not only to his 
 country, but to the world in general. I see 
 here the representative of a distant land 
 China which reminds me of how great his 
 services were in that part of the world. 
 Afterwards, in the Soudan, before he went 
 on his last mission, he also showed what he 
 could perform, not only as a soldier, but as 
 an administrator. His Royal Highness has 
 most justly remarked that if there was one 
 thing my excellent friend, General Gordon, 
 was more conspicuous for than anything 
 else, it was simplicity. He was absolutely 
 the simplest-minded man within himself I 
 ever met with; and though grand in his 
 views and conceptions, and able in his ad- 
 ministration, he had that peculiarity about 
 him which I am now referring to, which I 
 never saw in a man who had so constantly 
 been placed in high and independent 
 positions. When I took leave of him at 
 the railway when going away, if you had 
 seen the simplicity with which he started 
 you could not have believed that a great 
 genius and a great man was leaving these 
 shores on a distant mission. I think it 
 right to point out that fact, because I 
 cannot imagine that anything would have 
 been more gratifying to him, if he could 
 
 have evinced it, than that some useful 
 memorial should be established instead 
 of a statue or any other conspicuous 
 object. There was nothing he disliked 
 so much as being brought before the 
 public in his individuality as General 
 Gordon. There was nothing he was so 
 proud of as being a great Englishman and 
 a good and gallant soldier. I think the 
 idea of having this most useful hospital at 
 Port Said is most excellent. I am glad 
 that His Royal Highness has alluded to a 
 subject which I had a good deal at heart 
 that the name of Colonel Stewart should 
 not be altogether omitted. There is no 
 doubt that General Gordon is the object of 
 our meeting here to-day; I am sure, how- 
 ever, that General Gordon, had he been in a 
 position to express his feelings, would have 
 said, ' Do not forget those who served me 
 faithfully and well, and who have supported 
 me in every way;' and nobody has done 
 so more faithfully to the death, I may say 
 than Colonel Stewart. I arn sure it will 
 be the feeling, not only of this meeting, but 
 of the public generally, to approve of the 
 suggestion of His Royal Highness that a 
 ward should be called the Stewart Ward, 
 thus proving that we associate these two 
 men thoroughly and entirely in their late 
 mission. I am sure that is the right thing 
 to do, and I trust that this meeting will 
 agree to the suggestion of His Royal High- 
 ness, not only as regards the name of 
 Colonel Stewart being associated, but gen- 
 erally with the great object in view the 
 building of this hospital at Port Said. I 
 have great pleasure in being permitted to 
 second the resolution." 
 
 The Duke of Edinburgh, who was cheered 
 on rising, said : " My Lord Mayor, your 
 Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentle- 
 men I consider it a great pleasure that I 
 should be able to be present here on this 
 occasion in order to express my own ad- 
 miration for the great man whose memorial 
 we are to-day assembled here to consider. 
 I should also wish on this occasion to say, 
 on behalf of the service to which I have the
 
 THE GORDON MEMORIAL. 
 
 39 1 
 
 honour to belong, that among no class of 
 Her Majesty's subjects will his memory be 
 more revered than among the members of 
 the naval profession. I think the proposi- 
 tion which we have heard read by Sir Edward 
 Inglefield must commend itself to all those 
 present to-day at this meeting, and will 
 commend itself also most thoroughly to the 
 general public outside; for no institution 
 could be more useful from its position and 
 application, and no institution could be 
 more in accordance with the character of 
 that great man to whom it is to be erected 
 as a memorial. There is one great advan- 
 tage with regard to this proposal which may 
 be remarked upon, viz., the very short space 
 of time in which the work can be executed. 
 I am informed that it could be completed 
 within the space of four months ; therefore 
 the application of the fund raised would 
 come into almost immediate operation. I 
 will now, without any further remarks, read 
 the second resolution which has been placed 
 in my hands, viz. : " That a sub-committee, 
 composed of the following members of the 
 committee, be appointed to carry out the 
 same, namely, the Lord Mayor, the Marquis 
 of Ripon, Lord Napier of Magdala, Sir 
 Edward Inglefield, Sir Henry Ackland, Mr. 
 Walter, M.P., the Governor of the Bank 
 of England, Mr. Edward Baring, Mr. S. 
 Morley, M.P., Mr. Sutherland, M.P., Sir 
 Joseph Fayrer, Sir Dighton Probyn, Sir 
 John Cowell, and Sir J. W. Reid, with 
 power to add to their number.' I have 
 great pleasure in proposing that resolution." 
 
 Earl Granville, in seconding the motion, 
 remarked that General Gordon was one of 
 the strongest and, at the same time, the 
 gentlest of mea He was absolutely free 
 from vulgar ambition. He certainly un- 
 intentionally and unconsciously built for 
 himself the greatest memorial that could 
 possibly be created, and would fill one of 
 the most romantic pages of the history of 
 England he might say of the history of the 
 world (cheers). 
 
 The Lord Chancellor next moved " That 
 in the event of a balance of the fund re- 
 
 maining after defraying the cost of the erec- 
 tion and completion of the hospital at Port 
 Said, it is resolved that it shall be applied 
 to some benevolent and useful institution or 
 purpose, as the committee may hereafter 
 determine, having special regard to General 
 Gordon's philanthropic character." His 
 lordship remarked that a national memorial 
 should be in harmony with General Gor- 
 don's character. He despised all earthly 
 things. He despised all earthly wealth and 
 riches. He seemed to have had no object 
 in life before him except to serve his fellow- 
 man, his country, and the public, and to 
 exhibit a noble and consistent example of 
 the power and energy of a real Christian 
 faith. That being so, it was a just homage 
 to such a character that we should deter- 
 mine to devote the funds of this national 
 memorial to purposes of which he would 
 have approved, in which all selfish ideas 
 disappeared in the face of the object of a 
 general and a permanent good to his fellow- 
 man. His lordship expressed his entire 
 agreement with the proposal not to make 
 this memorial a personal memorial in the 
 shape of a monument or a statue ; but he 
 could not help thinking that the time 
 must and would come, and ought to come, 
 when General Gordon should be remem- 
 bered even in that form of memorial also 
 (cheers). 
 
 Cardinal Manning seconded the resolu- 
 tion, remarking that he heartily concurred 
 in the idea of planting a hospital at the head 
 of the great Eastern waterway, and he sug- 
 gested that any balance from the fund 
 should be applied to the object which 
 Gordon had so much at heart the aboli- 
 tion of the slave-trade, and the liberation 
 of, he believed, the most oppressed and 
 suffering of all the races at this moment on 
 the earth he meant the Soudanese, who, 
 at this time, were being crushed, tormented, 
 and carried away with unknown cruelty into 
 slavery by the Arabs. 
 
 All the resolutions were adopted unani- 
 mously. 
 
 The Lord Mayor stated that since the
 
 392 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 last publication of the list of subscriptions 
 they had received some very satisfactory 
 donations. He also mentioned a very in- 
 teresting circumstance. Although it was 
 not very large in amount, it showed the 
 feeling among the poorer classes of the 
 metropolis. He ordered a box to be placed 
 outside the door of the Mansion House, 
 and the result of that is, that in the small 
 
 coin of the poor they had received a sum 
 of ^29 45. 6d. (loud cheers). 
 
 Earl Fitzwilliam moved, and the Dean of 
 Westminster seconded, a cordial vote of 
 thanks to the Lord Mayor, which was put 
 to the meeting by the Prince of Wales, and 
 carried unanimously. 
 
 The Lord Mayor having replied, the 
 meeting separated. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXVI. 
 
 GORDON JHE BOYS' AMP JVA.MILY WISHES AND THOUGHTS. 
 
 HE proposal to establish a 
 hospital at Port Said as 
 a national memorial to 
 General Gordon, did not 
 on the whole find favour 
 with the English people. It was thought 
 that the movement should be more exclu- 
 sively national. This feeling finally became 
 so strong, that it was determined to change 
 the plan, and accordingly another meeting 
 of the Mansion House Committee of the 
 fund for providing a national memorial of 
 General Gordon, was held in the Venetian 
 Parlour, under the presidency of the Lord 
 Mayor, M.P. His Royal Highness the 
 Prince of Wales was present, as were also 
 Field-Marshal Lord Strathnairn, Field- 
 Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala, Lord 
 Brabazon, the Dean of Llandaff, Mr. Walter, 
 M.P., the Dean of Westminster, Dr. Ma- 
 cartney, C.M.G. (representing the Chinese 
 Minister), Sir J. Watt Reid, Sir W. P. 
 Andrew, the Rev. Canon Scarth, Lieut.- 
 General Sir Dighton Probyn, V.C., Admiral 
 Sir Edward Inglefield, General Sir John 
 Cowell, Sir Henry W. Gordon, General 
 Eyre, Sir W. Guyer Hunter, Sir Robert 
 Garden, M.P., Mr. Sutherland, M.P., 
 General Sir F. J. Goldsmid, Sir T. Fowell 
 Buxton, Sir E. Lechmere, M.P., Colonel 
 Donnelly, Sir Henry Acland, the Rev. Pre- 
 
 bendary Barnes, General Sir Andrew Clarke, 
 Mr. Sheriff Faudel Phillips, Captain Douglas 
 Gafton, C.B., and Mr. Soulsby, the secre- 
 tary. The fund was reported to amount, 
 after payment of expenses, to ; 18,031. 
 After a conference, at which many members 
 of the committee spoke, 
 
 His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales 
 moved : " That this meeting adopts the 
 proposal of creating a Gordon Boys' Home 
 as a national memorial to General Gordon, 
 and that a sub-committee be appointed to 
 draw up a scheme to amalgamate the camp 
 idea, which has approved itself to the minds 
 of so many members of the committee of 
 the National Memorial (Mansion House 
 Fund), with that of training for civil life." 
 
 The resolution was seconded by Sir 
 Robert Garden, M.P., and carried unani- 
 mously. 
 
 On the motion of His Royal Highness, 
 it was further resolved that the following 
 gentlemen should be nominated as a sub- 
 committee to draw up the scheme : Lord 
 Napier of Magdala, Mr. Walter, M.P., Mr. 
 Sutherland, M.P., General Sir Dighton 
 Probyn, General Sir John Cowell, Admiral 
 Sir E. Inglefield, and Sir H. W. Gordon. 
 
 A meeting of the sub-committee was sub- 
 sequently held, under the presidency of 
 Lord Napier of Magdala, when they arrived
 
 THE BOYS CAMP. 
 
 393 
 
 unanimously at the following resolutions, in 
 which Lieutenant-General Higginson, C.B., 
 on the part of the Gordon Boys' Camp 
 Committee, concurred: 
 
 " That the Memorial Institution shall be 
 called ' The Gordon Boys' Home,' that it 
 shall train boys of the age of fourteen, and 
 between fourteen and eighteen, for military 
 or civil life, according to their capabilities 
 and inclinations ; that the training shall 
 comprise elementary education and instruc- 
 tion in trades and industrial pursuits, and 
 that discipline on military principles be 
 maintained." 
 
 "The committee recommend the com- 
 mencement of the Gordon Boys' Home, 
 on a small scale for the accommodation of 
 about fifty boys, and that preliminary in- 
 quiries be made for acquiring a piece of 
 land suitable for the purpose." 
 
 A further meeting of the committee was 
 held in July, 1885, at the Mansion House, 
 under the presidency of Field-Marshal Lord 
 Napier of Magdala, G.C.B. Lieutenant- 
 General Higginson, C.B., handed in a 
 memorandum, stating that the committee 
 of the Gordon Boys' Camp accepted the 
 proposed amalgamation, by which the 
 Mansion House Committee and the Gor- 
 don Boys' Camp Committee were to be 
 united, and their funds merged for the 
 objects of "The Gordon Boys' Home," 
 under the general designation of "The 
 National Memorial to General Gordon." 
 It was unanimously resolved, on the motion 
 of Mr. Walter, M.P., that, consequent upon 
 this agreement to amalgamate, the two 
 committees should be merged in one, under 
 the name of a council, with the Prince of 
 Wales as president, and the Duke of Edin- 
 burgh, the Duke of Connaught, and the 
 Duke of Cambridge as vice-presidents, and 
 that an appeal should be made to the 
 public for the additional funds required to 
 carry out the objects of the Gordon Boys' 
 Home. 
 
 This change was universally approved of 
 by the press and the public. It must have 
 been peculiarly gratifying to the members 
 
 of Gordon's own family. One of Gordon's 
 sisters had at the time when the proposal 
 was first mooted, written in the following 
 terms to a lady called Mrs. Warne, who is 
 a resident at Gravesend : 
 
 " My dear Mrs. Warne I knew you 
 would be thinking of me in this most ter- 
 rible trial, and thank you for your kind 
 letter of sympathy. I do not know how 
 I shall live without him. You know what 
 he was, and what a loss he must be to me. 
 I like to think of him at Gravesend, where 
 I spent so many happy months with him. 
 I owe more to him than any one that ever 
 lived. He was such a help and comfort. 
 He liked his time at Gravesend, as you 
 well know. Was he not fond of his ' scut- 
 tiers,' and the boys equally fond of him ? 
 You were a great help to him I know, and 
 anything you can tell me of him will be 
 acceptable. I want the national memorial 
 to take the form of a home for poor neg- 
 lected boys, to train them and make them 
 respectable members of society. He would 
 wish this, would he not ? How distasteful 
 would monuments, statues, etc., be to him. 
 I have written and told the Lord Mayor of 
 my wish. My brother, Sir Henry Gordon, 
 fully concurs in my desire." Miss Gordon 
 concludes her epistle by hoping that the 
 " Gravesend memorial will take a useful 
 form, to help poor people." 
 
 Another letter, from another sister of 
 Gordon's, as showing what his family 
 thought of him, and how thoroughly he 
 was at one with them, may here be given. 
 It was written to the Secretary of the Rom- 
 sey Working Men's Conservative Associa- 
 tion, which association had passed a vote 
 of sympathy with the family of the departed 
 hero. We may observe here that this was 
 a proper thing of the association to do as 
 working men, but not as Conservatives. 
 Nothing could be imagined worse than the 
 attempt to make political capital out of 
 Gordon's death, and we are glad to say it 
 was 0/ attempted on any great scale. Here, 
 however, is the simple and touching letter : 
 
 " Dear Sir, On the part of my sisters
 
 394 
 
 TJJE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and myself I have to thank the Romsey 
 Working Men's Conservative Association 
 for their very kind resolution conveying 
 their condolence and sympathy on the 
 death of our brother. The tribute of ad- 
 miration expressed of his character is par- 
 ticularly gratifying in this time of sorrow, 
 which is greatly increased by the thought 
 of the sufferings he must have endured for 
 so many months in mind and body ; yet he 
 was not alone, for he realized the presence 
 of His God and of His rule, as is shown in 
 some of his last words : ' Remember our 
 Lord did not promise success or peace in 
 this life ; He promised tribulation. So if 
 
 things do not go well after the flesh He 
 still is faithful ; He will do all in love and 
 mercy to me. My part is to submit to His 
 will, however dark it may be,' " and the 
 Divine decree was that he should perish in 
 the far Soudan, and not be permitted to 
 carry out the noble work of helping to 
 found a great state on the Congo a part of 
 Africa already consecrated by the labours ot 
 Gordon's countryman, the simple-minded 
 Mungo Park (whose portrait we have given 
 along with that of Bruce), and since then 
 the field where many Britons have laboured, 
 but which was not now to be toiled in by 
 one perhaps the noblest of them all. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXVII. 
 
 GORDON CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 
 i I j j 
 
 N illustration with which we 
 here present our readers re- 
 calls an incident in Gordon's 
 career. It is the time when 
 the name of Chinese Gor- 
 don had not been effaced by the wider view 
 of General Gordon of Khartoum. Our 
 picture is of Gordon directing a battle, 
 whilst carrying in his hand the little stick 
 which came to be known as the magic 
 wand of victory. Of that wand of victory 
 we have already spoken. We mention it 
 here again, to bid the reader ask himself 
 if it be not the case that, looking back upon 
 the whole life of the hero, we find that this 
 wand had a deeply symbolical meaning. 
 It shows us that Gordon's strength is, in 
 reality, spiritual. He was strong in weak- 
 ness and great in defect. The manner of 
 his death will probably be for ever un- 
 known. No funeral rites were said over 
 " that sacred head." Rather it was exposed 
 to cruel insult. But it is perhaps the 
 
 death he would have chosen. In death as 
 in life, he resembled the Master whom he 
 served. 
 
 After he was gone his friends found a 
 melancholy pleasure in collecting records 
 of him. We are sure it will be interesting 
 to our readers, if we quote some additional 
 reminiscences of his work at Gravesend, by 
 Mr. Arnold White, who tells us that " the 
 five great forts that form the first and 
 second line of the Thames defences are 
 mainly the result of Gordon's work at 
 Gravesend from 1865 to 1871. Except in 
 the Crimean trenches, as a lad of twenty- 
 two, at no other period of his life was he 
 exclusively concerned in work for his own 
 country. But this period, unless I am mis- 
 taken, will be that on which the thoughts 
 of future generations will most love to 
 linger, not because his industry and military 
 genius assisted in providing effectual safe- 
 guards for London, but because he taught 
 us in his leisure moments the right way to
 
 GORDON'S QUARTERS. 
 
 395 
 
 approach the poor man and the poor boy, 
 and to arouse in them feelings of devotion 
 and love which enabled them to resist the 
 
 temptations common to their class, and 
 thus effectually to help themselves. The 
 modest quarters in which Gordon lived 
 
 THE MAGIC WAND OF VICTORY. 
 
 during those six years stand in the centre 
 of one of the forts. Clinker-built and russet 
 tiled, the outside of the cottage appears 
 more humble than it really is. Entering 
 
 through a little passage and leaving the 
 sitting-room on the right, the drawing or 
 dining-room gives an outlook to a spacious 
 lawn, with one spreading chestnut tree
 
 39 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 now gaunt and grey in the March wind 
 backed by the earthworks and bastions of 
 the fort. A fireplace faces the bow window, 
 and over the chimney-piece Gordon placed 
 his map of the world, with the little flags to 
 mark the progress of his 'kings' in their 
 wanderings by land and sea. This room 
 was used by Gordon in his leisure moments ; 
 and in it many and many a poor fellow 
 from the gutter and the shrimp boat first 
 found help and hope. Upstairs is Gordon's 
 bedroom, with a fine view of the Sheerness 
 bend in the Thames, of the four forts, and 
 of the busy steamers trafficking up and 
 down the stream. Adjacent is the boys' 
 room, where Gordon's ' kings ' were accom- 
 modated wholesale, so near to the 'Ker- 
 nel's ' own chamber that any uproar could 
 quickly be checked. 
 
 Outside, the garden beds, box-edged and 
 old-fashioned, are quite unchanged. On 
 summer days this garden was in Gordon's 
 time the resort of the old and the halt. 
 Fourteen years have passed away since 
 Gordon left Gravesend. He has, however, 
 contrived to leave behind him, especially 
 among the poor, so passionate a clinging to 
 his memory that his loss is to them a reality 
 and a sorrow that cannot be observed with- 
 out sharing in their pain. He never taught 
 them that the language of religion was a 
 panacea for hunger and despair. Hothouse 
 grapes of the best, carried nightly to the 
 bedside of a fevered and improvident water- 
 man, and placed one by one in the parched 
 mouth of the sick man, formed the sort 
 of religious message Gordon favoured. A 
 man whose intelligence made him fretful 
 on a sick bed, where he was condemned 
 to irksome idleness of mind, found, by 
 Gordon's thoughts, a Daily News delivered 
 every morning at the door. Some irregu- 
 larity occurring in the delivery of the 
 paper, Gordon, delegating the office to no 
 one, himself saw to the establishment of 
 a punctual supply, and did not quit his 
 object until the sick man received his wel- 
 come newspaper with regularity. In so 
 deep a mine of memories every lode cannot 
 
 be worked, but there were some instances 
 of the singular attachment aroused by 
 Gordon's life that must not be omitted. 
 An old woman whose sons had long since 
 been helped by Gordon, and who had of 
 late fallen on evil days, heard that Gordon 
 was dead, and conceived the idea for it is 
 not easy to see how she could have gained 
 it from outside that Gordon's body was 
 coming to London for interment Although 
 in sore straits, and with no capital but 
 some dilapidated nets, this woman was 
 actually negotiating for the sale of those 
 nets to provide the funds to go to London 
 and throw herself for the last time upon 
 the remains of the man she loved so well. 
 ' For,' she said, ' I do not care if I starve 
 the day after.' 
 
 Another old man, in horn barnacles, 
 half blind, with a keen memory, and 
 obvious sincerity for he could not read 
 the newspapers, and he had no one now 
 to read them for him spoke of Gordon's 
 goodness to the wife now dead. Doctors 
 ordered, as doctors will, delicacies beyond 
 the old man's means. Wine and soup were 
 as much out of his reach as a trip to Ma- 
 deira. Gordon heard of this, and the 
 delicacies and wine were brought twice 
 a day by his own hand; and when the 
 cares of Coal-house Fort or other of the 
 iron-shielded Thames defences detained 
 him, he would always send the soup or the 
 wine. When the old woman grew better 
 Gordon would sit by her bedside and read 
 the Scriptures, and the old husband says 
 she listened gladly. The Fort-house garden 
 and its box-edged walks were made free to 
 the woman and her husband, and for a few 
 years she hobbled in on sunny days, and 
 took her ease on the lawn and among the 
 old-fashioned flowers. She and her bene- 
 factor are both gone to their long homes 
 now ; and the only spectator of the fact I 
 relate is an old man, who cannot be long 
 in following after them. Sometimes Gordon 
 would be deceived. His good heart laid 
 him open to unscrupulous practices. Chil- 
 dren would be sent shoeless into the streets
 
 GORDON'S PRINCIPLES OF LIFE. 
 
 397 
 
 to waylay the Colonel Clothes would be 
 torn to simulate the rags of misery. The 
 curious part of these devices is in the 
 sequel. The perpetrators, though they suc- 
 ceeded in ' doing ' the Colonel in the first 
 instance, were broken down in their efforts 
 by the sheer power of affection the man 
 inspired. My informant said : ' Them as 
 swindled him was the most sorry, 'specially 
 when the news came of his death.' 
 
 I encountered one old man who had 
 been a sergeant in the Crimea, and who 
 had had one transaction with Gordon at 
 that early date. The sergeant had saved 
 and wished to remit ^7 to his wife, and 
 applied to Gordon to send it home. Gor- 
 don sent it home, and without saying any- 
 thing about it added ^3, making 10 
 in all. A year passed, when the sergeant 
 returned home, and found that Gordon, 
 surmising that the wife was not too well off, 
 had silently supplemented from his own 
 scanty pay the sergeant's remittance. Gor- 
 don believed in outdoor relief. His pen- 
 sioners were not a few. Sometimes he 
 would pay a poor and deserving woman to 
 look after a superannuated man, and if the 
 woman acquitted herself well of her task 
 and he was strict in requiring good work 
 he would take her under his own care. 
 There is at least one such case in Graves- 
 end now the case of an elderly woman, 
 whose care of one of Gordon's pensioners 
 had drawn from the Colonel a promise of 
 help 'when he came back from Khartoum.' 
 This promise must now be redeemed by 
 others, and it is an honour to share in it 
 
 Perhaps the spot most directly connected 
 with the story of Gordon's Gravesend life 
 is the dingy corner of the ragged school, 
 with the tall window looking on to the 
 unlovely red tiles and the grey bricks and 
 mortar of the soup kitchen. Here in this 
 corner every Sunday he was regularly to be 
 found with his class of sixteen boys, upon 
 whom he shed the light of his singular 
 nature. Those boys were 'rough 'uns' 
 when they were first caught, but they soon 
 sobered down, and in every known case 
 
 became personally indebted to Gordon for 
 a changed life. The Colonel would never 
 take the chair except on one occasion, 
 when 300 of the parents of the boys were 
 entertained at a tea-meeting. He carried 
 self-effacement into the smallest details of 
 life. Some of the poorer of those lads 
 he would have to the Fort-house, where 
 he would feed and lodge them. Three or 
 four of them had scarlet fever at his house, 
 and the Colonel would sit with them far 
 into the night, talking to them and soothing 
 them until they fell asleep. ' He entered,' 
 says Mr. Penman, ' into all their concerns, 
 caring nothing for himself. He cared only 
 to make them happy and industrious, while 
 his chief aim was to lead them to the 
 Saviour.' 
 
 Gordon's four principles of life were (he 
 said to himself) (i) entire self-forgetful- 
 ness; (2) the absence of pretension; (3) 
 the refusal to accept as a motive the world's 
 praise or disapproval ; and (4) to follow in 
 all things the will of God. The Rev. W. 
 Guest, who has very kindly interested him- 
 self in my efforts to find traces of Gordon's 
 example to the English people, says that 
 the Colonel would enter homes infected 
 with contagion and fever when others hesi- 
 tated to go. He would often go to the 
 workhouse, and walk with the old men in 
 the yard without a shadow of assumption. 
 He was wont not only to give tobacco to 
 the old fellows, and tea to the crones, but 
 kept up his gifts after he left Gravesend. 
 With him, out of sight was not out of mind. 
 He would write to a washer-woman and 
 send her his photograph with a great deal 
 more suavity of manner than that he has 
 displayed to the Prime Minister of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 It is impossible to close these brief notes 
 without a reference to the 'national' me- 
 morial to General Gordon. It is mere 
 affectation to dub a Port Said Hospital a 
 fitting monument of the reverence and 
 affection of the English people to one of 
 the simplest and bravest men whose life- 
 long neglect of himself and love for others
 
 393 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 are even now but partially understood. 
 From the riverside poor, whose lot he did 
 so much to lighten, to the ' great ladies ' in 
 society, to whom he has offered so valuable 
 an example, every one is saying the same 
 thing. A national memorial must consist 
 of the contributions of the people, and 
 those contributions need not necessarily 
 take a pecuniary form. Every man and 
 woman in the United Kingdom who ap- 
 proves of Gordon's methods can contribute 
 to a national memorial to his fame, without 
 the fetters of iron rules, and without the 
 
 taint of the almost inevitable gold. Were 
 every man and woman who enjoys the 
 advantages of refinement and culture to 
 win, as equals, with infinite pity the friend- 
 ship of those less happily placed, they 
 would find beneath the corduroy jacket 
 and the cotton frock hearts as staunch as 
 any that are covered with more modish 
 material. But such contributions involve 
 the laying down of personal ease, and that 
 we may conclude, all must do who will 
 follow Gordon's example," and be at all like 
 unto that hero. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXVIII. 
 
 ADDITIONAL ^ACTS ABOUT OUR WAR CORRESPONDENTS. 
 
 S a supplement to our ac- 
 counts of the two eminent 
 war correspondents killed 
 at the battles of Gubat and 
 Metemmeh we now give 
 a few remarks on that class of brave and 
 able men to whom we in this volume are 
 so deeply indebted : 
 
 " 'Travelling gentlemen, newspaper cor- 
 respondents, and all that race of drones are 
 an encumbrance to an army ; they eat the 
 rations of fighting men, and do no work at 
 all. Their numbers should be restricted as 
 much as possible.' It is to be hoped that 
 when the next or fifth edition of the ' Sol- 
 dier's Pocket Book ' is published by General 
 Lord Wolseley experience will have shown 
 him the necessity of modifying, if not of re- 
 calling altogether, the words which we have 
 just quoted. In one of the desperate hand- 
 to-hand encounters fought on Monday, the 
 1 9th July, 1885, two newspaper correspond- 
 ents, Mr. Cameron, of the Standard, and 
 Mr. St. Leger Herbert, of the Morning Post, 
 lost their lives, while a third, Mr. Burleigh 
 the representative of The Daily Telegraph 
 was slightly wounded. Although still 
 
 young in years, Mr. Cameron had already 
 rendered such signal services, not only to 
 the journal which he represented so faithfully 
 and fearlessly, but also to the public at large, 
 that his death, ' upon the field of honour' 
 will cause sorrow to thousands who may 
 not even have known him by sight. Calm 
 and intrepid amidst the turmoil of battle, 
 and with the rare power of thinking coolly 
 and retaining full presence of mind under 
 a deadly hail of bullets, the war correspon- 
 dents of English journals well deserve a 
 tribute of gratitude and admiration, which 
 the events of last Monday will but serve to 
 intensify and accentuate. Forty years and 
 more have elapsed since that bravest of 
 men, George Borrow, was moved, in his 
 best-known book, ' The Bible in Spain,' to 
 break into a rhapsody on the subject of 
 ' those extraordinary men, the foreign cor- 
 respondents of English journals.' He adds 
 that, 'The activity, energy, and courage 
 which they display in the pursuit of infor- 
 mation are truly remarkable. I saw them 
 during the three days at Paris mingling 
 with canaille and gamins behind the bar- 
 riers, while the mitraille was flying in all
 
 ENGLISH WAR CORRESPONDENTS. 
 
 399 
 
 directions, and the desperate cuirassiers 
 were dashing their fierce horses against 
 those seemingly feeble bulwarks. There 
 they stood, dotting down their observations 
 as unconcernedly as though reporting the 
 proceedings of a Reform meeting in Fins- 
 bury Square ; whilst in Spain several of 
 them accompanied the Carlist and Christino 
 guerillas in some of their most desperate 
 raids and expeditions, exposing themselves 
 to the danger of hostile bullets, the in- 
 clemency of winter, and the fierce heat of a 
 vertical sun in summer.' 
 
 The English war correspondent, as we 
 now know him, is a new creation since 
 George Borrow wrote the above words. 
 The difficulty and slowness of communica- 
 tion banished correspondents from the Eng- 
 lish army which fought under the Duke of 
 Wellington in the Peninsular War, and it 
 was little likely that Napoleon the Great 
 would have tolerated their presence in his 
 camps when he put forth every effort of 
 which he was capable to suppress printed 
 comments upon his proceedings and policy 
 either in war or peace. So far as England 
 is concerned, Dr. William Howard Russell 
 is credited with having been the first to lay 
 down the road along which a host of others 
 have since travelled ; and of the many 
 English war correspondents who have 
 served in different parts of the world, 
 several such as Mr. Bowlby, Colonel Pem- 
 berton, Mr. M'Gahan, Mr. O'Donovan, Mr. 
 Leader, Mr. Cameron, and Mr. Herbert 
 have already sacrificed their lives in their 
 fearless and zealous discharge of duty. The 
 list of victories will, we doubt not, be in- 
 definitely extended in the future, if it be 
 destined, as is but too probable, that ' wars 
 shall never cease upon earth.' For when- 
 ever and wherever armed bodies of men 
 meet in hostile collision, there will English 
 newspaper correspondents be found in the 
 midst of them. Illustrious soldiers of all 
 nations have preceded or followed Lord 
 Wolseley in denouncing them as ' spies,' or 
 ' drones,' or ' curses of armies ' ; and writing 
 from the Crimea, on the 4th of January, 
 
 1855, Field-Marshal Sir John F. Burgoyne, 
 in a letter which has since been published 
 by his son-in-law, Mr. George Wrottesley, 
 observes : ' Some of the newspaper corre- 
 spondents are likely to do us an immensity 
 of mischief, publicly by the information 
 afforded to the enemy, and privately by 
 damaging all our reputations. In Mr. 
 Russell's letter, published on the i8th ot 
 December, there are, for instance, details 
 calculated to afford valuable information to 
 the enemy as to the weakness of our force, 
 the fatigues to which we are subjected, the 
 sickness, the imperfect supply of rations, 
 the impossibility of getting up arms and 
 ammunition, the want of roads, and the 
 general disorganization.' Despite the dia- 
 tribes levelled by Sir John Burgoyne against 
 Mr. Russell, we know that Sebastopol fell, 
 and that but for the spirit infused into the 
 British nation by war correspondents at the 
 front, this result might have been longer 
 delayed, if not frustrated altogether. One 
 incident which occurred during the American 
 Civil War deserves to be commemorated, 
 because it is worth a host of theories, 
 whether indulged in by officers in command 
 or by civilians at home. As General Sher- 
 man was advancing upon Atlanta in 1864, 
 a copy of the New York Herald was put 
 one morning into his hand. The General 
 read the letter sent home from his army by 
 the correspondent of the journal in ques- 
 tion, and was beyond measure enraged to 
 find that the latter had correctly antici- 
 pated some movement which was in 
 contemplation. Sending at once for the 
 offender, the General gave forcible vent to 
 his indignation, and impetuously ordered 
 the correspondent and all his brethren of 
 the pen to quit the camp before nightfall. 
 One of General Sherman's staff was pos- 
 sessed, however, of a calmer and more 
 judicial temperament than his chief, and 
 ventured to ask him, when his fit of anger 
 had passed away, to reconsider his decision, 
 and to admit the peccant correspondent to 
 his presence once more. The latter came 
 and explained that he had already made
 
 400 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 arrangements with ten soldiers, some of 
 them officers and some privates, to send 
 regular letters to New York, adding that 
 out of every hundred men then serving 
 under General Sherman's command, at 
 least a dozen would gladly accept the post 
 which he himself was about to vacate. It 
 occurred to the General that professional 
 journalists trained to the business would be 
 less mischievous than hundreds of volun- 
 teers whose identity it was impossible for 
 him to trace, and accordingly the order 
 
 banishing correspondents from the camp 
 was at once cancelled. 
 
 It is certain that henceforward no free 
 nation will ever engage in wars without de- 
 manding that the well- qualified correspon- 
 dents of its public journals should be 
 tolerated, if not encouraged, at the front. 
 For it rests with the General in command 
 to exercise such control over these touches 
 inutiles ' that no communications of a mis- 
 chievous or inconvenient kind will ever be 
 sent home. We greatly doubt whether any 
 
 THE PEACEFUL DAYS OF EGYPTIAN TRAVEL. 
 
 General who has ever commanded an Eng- 
 lish army can mention a single instance in 
 which a correspondent has violated the 
 confidence reposed in him, or failed to 
 sympathise heartily with the soldiers whose 
 hardships and dangers he is sharing, and 
 whose glorious deeds he is only too eager 
 to commemorate. Instead of ' eating the 
 rations of fighting men, and doing nothing 
 at all,' the war correspondent has a harder 
 task imposed upon him than any officer or 
 private in the force. ' Ride all day and 
 write all night ' was the curt definition of a 
 
 correspondent's duties given by a great 
 master of that difficult craft ; and when, in 
 addition to writing, he has to despatch his 
 letter or telegram to its destination through 
 a hostile country thickly beset with savage 
 foes, the task is one which his censors and 
 critics, sitting perhaps in their comfortable 
 armchairs by the fireside, would be little 
 likely to envy or, we must add, to dis- 
 charge. His body and nerve must be of 
 iron ; his knowledge of the art of war by no 
 means inconsiderable; his gifts of graphic 
 and vivid delineation must be utilised at a
 
 ENGLISH WAR CORRESPONDENTS. 
 
 401 
 
 moment's notice and often under the most 
 trying circumstances ; his indifference to 
 heat or cold, to food or sleep, must be equal 
 to that possessed, according to Livy, by 
 Hannibal himself. If he falls, many nar- 
 row-minded soldiers of the old school may 
 sneer and say, 'What business had he 
 there ? ' If sickness befal him, no pension 
 from a grateful country will be provided for 
 his old age. Such is the life cheerfully en- 
 dured by these 'pens of the war'; and 
 
 among the Englishmen who, in the Soudan, 
 have sealed their devotion to duty with 
 their blood, it is meet and right that the 
 names of Cameron and Herbert should be 
 mentioned with special honour. The tragic 
 fate of Mr. Bowlby in 1860 will be long re- 
 membered ; yet for the tortures endured by 
 him and by others before death put an end 
 to their sufferings, ample compensation was 
 exacted from the Chinese Government by 
 the iron will of Lord Palmerston. For Mr. 
 
 EGYPTIAN SUGAR CANE MARKET. 
 
 Cameron and Mr. Herbert, who met their 
 deaths nobly in the Soudan, the sympathy 
 and regret of their countrymen are of little 
 avail. Those war correspondents, however, 
 who survived the dire onslaughts of the 
 furious spearmen of the desert were assured 
 that their telegraphic messages, their letters, 
 and their sketches from the front were 
 scrutinized and surveyed at home by no un- 
 sympathetic eyes. To them it is principally 
 due that the gallantry and steadiness of 
 English officers and soldiers are known and 
 
 fully appreciated in England ; and when, 
 in due course, the Muse of History records 
 the wars and battles at which they were 
 present, it is from the columns of English 
 journals, to which as fearless and zealous 
 servants of the public they have contribu- 
 ted, that her information will be mainly 
 derived. Nor should it be forgotten that 
 English generals have often availed them- 
 selves of a newspaper representative's zeal 
 and intelligence for purposes of value to the 
 army in the field and to the Government in 
 
 D D
 
 402 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 Downing Street. Thus General Graham 
 entrusted his despatch after the battle of 
 Tamai to the hands of Mr. Burleigh, and it 
 was conveyed home with a rapidity which 
 could not otherwise have been attained. 
 We live in an age which, be its faults what 
 they may, is little likely to fail in gratitude 
 to the dauntless, unselfish, and highly-gifted 
 men by whom it has been so faithfully 
 served," and whose memory it will long 
 hold in reverence. 
 
 Here we again take the opportunity to 
 present our readers with some further 
 illustrations exhibiting various features of 
 Egyptian life. One shows us a party of 
 
 unmistakable British tourists in the peace- 
 ful days of Egyptian travel, when the desert 
 was as safe as Hyde Park. Another exhibits 
 to us a market for sugar cane, which is an 
 Egyptian product of increasing importance. 
 Two other pictures are of herd-boys : one is 
 peacefully doing his duty, whilst the other 
 well, the other shows us that boys are the 
 same all the world over ! An additional 
 confirmation, if confirmation indeed were 
 needed, is given us by our illustration of 
 the donkey boys, racing their unfortunate 
 animals under the shadow of a temple of 
 unknown antiquity, which was assuredly not 
 built to be thus treated. 
 
 EGYPTIAN HERD-BOY. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXIX. 
 
 HASSAN, THE ^GYPTIAN SOLDIER PRINCE A SUMMARY OF 
 
 His CAREER. 
 
 ONSIDERABLE interest 
 was created in England in 
 February, 1885, by the an- 
 nouncement that Prince 
 Hassan, brother of the Khe- 
 dive, had joined Lord Wolseley's head- 
 quarters with the titular office of High 
 Commissioner for the Egyptian Govern- 
 ment in the Soudan, and that he was in 
 
 actual command of a regiment of Egyptian 
 cavalry. 
 
 The Pall Mall Gazette remarked : " The 
 news that Prince Hassan, the Khedive's 
 brother, has been summoned to the Soudan 
 by Lord Wolseley has given rise to grave 
 misgivings. Is the Government, it is asked, 
 about to reverse the last solitary vestige of 
 its original policy by re-establishing Egyptian
 
 EGYPTIAN RULE. 
 
 authority in the Soudan ? The suggestion 
 is received with a chorus of groans in 
 London and much applause at Cairo. If 
 another Governor-General is to be sent to 
 the Soudan from Cairo and no doubt the 
 Egyptian Government is well within its rights 
 in nominating a new representative there, 
 if only to complete the evacuation it could 
 hardly have made a better choice than 
 Prince Hassan, whose nomination to such 
 a post, oddly enough, was first made in this 
 paper as long ago as September, 1881." 
 
 Was it possible that the innate faults of 
 Turkish or Egyptian rule could be cured 
 if the one in high place busied himself with 
 
 the government ? What these faults were 
 all England knew by this time. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, writing from 
 Khartoum, said : " I am firmly convinced 
 that the Egyptians are quite unfit in every 
 way to undertake such a trust as the 
 government of so vast a country with a 
 view to its welfare, and that, both for their 
 sake and for that of the people they try to 
 rule, it would be advisable to abandon large 
 portions of it. The fact of their incom- 
 petence to rule is so generally acknowledged 
 that it is unnecessary to discuss the ques- 
 tion. ... I am not altogether sure if 
 it would not in the end be better for all 
 
 RETURN AT EVENING. 
 
 parties if the Mahdi or some other leader 
 were successful, and the Egyptians com- 
 pelled to restrict their territory to the east 
 bank of the White Nile." The Duke of 
 Argyll proclaimed some years ago " on the 
 housetop of the world," as he phrased it 
 that a rebellion against Turkish rule was 
 everywhere and always justifiable ; and the 
 sufferings of. the populations in the Soudan 
 seem to have been no less grievous than 
 those which provoked risings in other parts 
 of the dominions of the Sultan. The 
 administration of justice was frightfully cor- 
 rupt The taxes were gathered by Bashi- 
 Bazouks, most of whom are described by 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart as " swaggering 
 
 bullies, robbing, plundering, and ill-treating 
 the people with impunity." He goes on to 
 say : " Probably for every pound that 
 reaches the treasury these men rob the 
 people of an equal amount. As soldiers 
 they are valueless. They are a constant 
 menace to public tranquillity ; and before 
 any amelioration can be expected they 
 must be got rid of. Taxes were levied at 
 so heavy a rate that whole districts were 
 reduced to destitution, and thousands of 
 farms went out of cultivation." 
 
 Gordon is a proof to all time of what a 
 ruler determined to do his duty can do, 
 even in the Soudan, and even when con- 
 fronted by the stupidity and scoundrelism of
 
 404 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Egyptian officials. But then every man is 
 not Gordon, or the world we live in would 
 be a very different place from what it is. 
 There can be no doubt, however, that the 
 past record of Hassan was favourable. 
 Baron de Malortie, in 1881, speaking of 
 him tells us that " the third son of Ismail 
 Pasha, Prince Hassan, might be called the 
 Soldier Prince, and it is to him that the 
 Khedive would have done well to have long 
 ago confided the task of bribing the rebel- 
 lious colonels, and of reorganizing an army 
 with whom Prince Hassan is justly popular- 
 He was born a soldier, indefatigable in all 
 manly exercises, and the sound of bugle 
 and drum had for him irresistible attrac- 
 tions. Yet when the Khedive determined 
 on sending the younger princes to complete 
 their studies on the continent, he selected 
 England for Prince Hassan, thinking per- 
 haps that his son's martial disposition would 
 be sobered down by a few years spent 
 among us the only non-military nation 
 amid the Great Powers of our time ; and 
 after staying for about a year in London the 
 Prince went to Oxford, where he remained 
 three years, under the care of Mr. Murray, 
 a fellow of Christ Church. He learned to 
 love and respect England, English ways and 
 institutions, to breathe the air of a free 
 country, and to understand that a nation 
 can be great with a small army when law 
 is king, and the welfare of all the guiding 
 policy of a Government. At the end of 
 1872 Prince Hassan went to Egypt to get 
 married, and after a short honeymoon he 
 returned to the Continent, entering as a 
 cornet the Prussian ist Regiment of Dra- 
 goon Guards. The Prince, who is a per- 
 fect master of French, English, and German, 
 remained two years and a half at Berlin ; 
 and, with the exception of a three months' 
 leave to join the Abyssinian expedition as 
 a volunteer, Prince Hassan devoted all his 
 time to the study of every branch of his 
 profession. And here it may be mentioned 
 that officers and men who did not like 
 going to Abyssinia started full of enthusiasm 
 the day a son of " Effendina " showed them 
 
 the way, ready to share the hardships and 
 dangers of that deadly climate. 
 
 After completing his military studies in 
 Prussia, Prince Hassan was appointed 
 Commander-in-chief of the Egyptian army, 
 and shortly after Minister of War : but he 
 was hardly a month in office when the 
 despatch of 25,000 Egyptians to Turkey 
 offered him a chance to see service in the 
 field. As general commanding the expe- 
 ditionary force, he remained for about 
 fourteen months at Varna, taking an active 
 part in the engagements of Mehemet Ali's 
 army, of which he commanded the left 
 wing. He was present at the battles of 
 Kara Hassankeui and Loftcha. During 
 the campaign the Prince found ample 
 opportunities for endearing himself to his 
 troops; he was indefatigable in studying 
 the comfort and welfare of the men. His 
 humane and kind treatment of the inhabit- 
 ants of the Turkish districts under his com- 
 mand received a well-deserved acknow- 
 ledgment when, after his departure, the 
 inhabitants forwarded to the Sultan and the 
 Khedive an address of thanks for the last- 
 ing advantages they owed to the initiative 
 of Prince Hassan, of whose just and bene- 
 ficent rule they spoke in the most eulogistic 
 terms. 
 
 On his return to Egypt the Prince took 
 once more the portfolio of the War Office, 
 which he retained until the formation of the 
 Nubar-Wilson Ministry, when he retired 
 into private life until the appointment of 
 Cherif Pasha as Nubar Pasha's successor. 
 Solicited to undertake once more the un- 
 grateful task of Commander-in-chief, Prince 
 Hassan discharged its duties until the fall 
 of his father, whom he had to follow into 
 exile. His worst enemies are unable to 
 associate his name with political intrigues, or 
 anything unworthy of a soldier devoted to 
 his country, and whose return is sure to be 
 welcomed by both officers and men, who 
 have not forgotten the zeal and activity 
 with which the Prince had infused order 
 and discipline into all branches of his pro- 
 fession."
 
 "MUCH CRY, LITTLE WOOL." 
 
 45 
 
 " Beaucoup dc bruit, pen de fruit" says a 
 French proverb " much cry, little wool," 
 says our English one ; and indeed, from the 
 
 wisdom of all nations we could prove (did 
 not the experience of every one furnish an 
 infinite number of examples) that the most 
 
 YESTERDAY AND T.i-DAY IN EGYPT. 
 
 high-sounding announcements sometimes 
 do not mean very much. So it was in this 
 case. Hassan might be able or not able, 
 it did not greatly matter, for he never 
 
 got the chance of showing it. The appoint- 
 ment was a merely nominal one. It was 
 only an idle compliment, and exercised no 
 influence in the Soudan.
 
 406 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 One thing let us say in conclusion. 
 According to Lord Bacon, " to have good 
 forms is a sort of perpetual letters com- 
 mendatory," and certainly all who study 
 our portrait of Prince Hassan will be at- 
 
 tracted to him, for he seems to be, as far 
 as we can judge from his appearance, a 
 very fair example of the Egyptian young 
 man of the period. May fate still have 
 good in store for him ! 
 
 CHAPTER LXXX. 
 
 THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT IN THE SOUDAN "Fir TO ( 
 
 ANYWHERE AND Do ANYTHING." 
 
 Go 
 
 HERE were many things in 
 the Soudan war upon which 
 it is impossible to look back 
 with satisfaction. Much of 
 it was even disastrous, but 
 " there is a soul of goodness in things 
 evil," and our troubles revealed to us one 
 satisfactory thing it showed us that in 
 times of difficulty our colonies would stand 
 by the mother country. What a bright 
 prospect for the future ! Happy indeed 
 will be the old age of the mother country, 
 when strong and rising colonies announce 
 that they will protect that old age. 
 
 When the news of the fall of Khartoum 
 was announced, it was perhaps thought to 
 be a more dangerous blow to the Empire 
 than it actually was. At any rate our 
 Australian and Canadian colonies at once 
 offered to send a force to help us in pro- 
 secuting the war. This offer, so far as 
 regards the Australian colony, was accepted, 
 and on the 3rd of March, 1885, the force 
 embarked at Sydney. A Reuter's telegram 
 of that date briefly summarized the pro- 
 ceedings : 
 
 "SYDNEY, March ^rd. 
 To-day was observed as a public holiday 
 in celebration of the departure of the New 
 South Wales contingent for the Soudan. 
 The event is regarded as not only one of 
 the greatest in the annals of the colony, but 
 as possessing a deep historic interest as the 
 
 first occasion in which Australian troops 
 have shared in the defence of the Empire. 
 
 From the date on which the colony's 
 offer was accepted to the hour of the 
 departure of the contingent, public enthu- 
 siasm has been maintained at its utmost 
 tension. The number of volunteers has 
 reached six times the required strength of 
 the force, and there has been a continuous 
 flow of contributions in money and in kind 
 from all quarters, and the Patriotic Fund 
 now amounts to ^45,000. 
 
 The troops were reviewed on Saturday 
 by Lord Augustus Loftus, Governor of New 
 South Wales, in the presence of 50,000 
 spectators. On Sunday special services 
 were held for the volunteers in the Anglican 
 and Roman Catholic Cathedrals, sermons 
 being preached by the Primate and the 
 Roman Catholic Archbishop. 
 
 To-day the streets forming the line of 
 route from the Barracks to the Circular 
 Quay, a distance of two miles, were lined 
 by immense numbers of spectators, assem- 
 bled from all parts and forming a dense 
 mass. The troops were escorted by 600 
 sailors and marines from the men-of-war 
 stationed here, and by all the available 
 local forces, and were accompanied by the 
 Governor, the Ministers, and the principal 
 officials of the colony. The procession 
 formed an imposing spectacle, and the 
 popular enthusiasm was unbounded, the
 
 THE COLONIAL CONTINGENT. 
 
 407 
 
 progress of the contingent being greeted 
 with loud cheers, and the frequent expres- 
 sion of good wishes from the assembled 
 multitude. 
 
 On reaching the quay the men formed 
 square, and were addressed by the Governor 
 as follows : ' Soldiers of New South Wales, 
 I have considered it my duty, as the 
 representative of Her Majesty, to say a few 
 words to you at this solemn moment, before 
 your embarkation. For the first time in 
 the great history of the British Empire a 
 distant colony is sending, at its own cost, 
 and completely equipped, a contingent of 
 troops, who have volunteered with an enthu- 
 siasm of which only we who witnessed it 
 can judge, to assist the Imperial forces in a 
 bitter struggle for the suppression of un- 
 speakable cruelty, and for the establish- 
 ment of order and justice in a misgoverned 
 country. Countless as have been the occa- 
 sions when the blood and treasure of 
 England have been poured out freely to 
 protect the feeble, to shield the defenceless, 
 or to maintain right, there has never been 
 one in which humanity has been more 
 deeply interested in the triumph of the 
 arms of England than the cause which you 
 have heroically resolved to uphold by your 
 valour. You will be greeted in Egypt by 
 the hearty welcome of thousands of chival- 
 rous soldiers who have never yet looked 
 upon such an action as yours. The eyes of 
 your gracious Queen will be bent upon your 
 exertions, and in every part of the world 
 where our flag floats, men, women, and 
 children will eagerly read of your exploits 
 and pray for your success. Soldiers ! you 
 < arry in your keeping the honour of this 
 great colony, which has made such splendid 
 sacrifices in order to send you to the front 
 with an equipment of which the nations 
 most practised in war might have been 
 proud. You will have the glorious privilege 
 of helping to maintain the honour of the 
 Empire. In your ranks are numbers who 
 are voluntarily leaving the paths of fortune, 
 worldly advantages, the comforts of home, 
 and the sweetness of domestic life, for 
 
 heroic service in a bloody war, in which 
 already many brave men have been stricken 
 down. You are doing this to show to the 
 world the unity of the mighty and invincible 
 Empire of which you are members. Your 
 country charges itself with the care of the 
 dear ones you leave behind, and all that 
 generosity, tenderness, and gratitude can 
 do to care for them and to succour and 
 console them will be looked upon as a 
 labour of love by the nation.' 
 
 His Excellency, in bidding farewell to 
 the men, said : ' Our earnest hope is that 
 it may be your glorious privilege to share 
 in the triumph as in the service, and that 
 you will come back to us crowned with 
 England's gratitude as you are now encom- 
 passed with her sympathies.' 
 
 The contingent then marched on board 
 the transports, the Infantry and most of the 
 Artillery embarking on board the Iberia, 
 which takes 600 of the men, the remaining 
 200, together with the horses and stores, 
 being conveyed on board the Australasian. 
 
 Enthusiastic cheers arose from the quay, 
 as the vessels steamed away to the ' Heads,' 
 accompanied by a perfect fleet of steamers." 
 
 From causes which will be gathered from 
 an attentive perusal of that part of our 
 volume which deals with the Soudan war, 
 the contingent returned earlier than could 
 have been expected ; but there was no dim- 
 inution in the enthusiasm, as the following 
 simple record will show : 
 
 " SYDNEY, June 2yd. 
 
 The return of the Australian contingent 
 from the Soudan has been made the oc- 
 casion of a demonstration and welcome, 
 quite Australian in its character, inasmuch 
 as the whole of the colonies voluntarily 
 sent special representatives to congratulate 
 the troops, and also expressed their deep 
 sense of the services which they had ren- 
 dered. 
 
 The Government ordered the day to be 
 observed as a public holiday, and massed 
 in the metropolis the whole of the available 
 forces, numbering about 5,000 men, while 
 Admiral Tryon furnished an Imperial escort
 
 408 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 from the British war-vessels now here. The 
 result was a spectacular display which more 
 than equalled that at the departure of the 
 contingent, but the effect was marred by 
 unfavourable weather. 
 
 The Arab, with the contingent on board, 
 arrived on Friday night, and was placed in 
 quarantine till this morning, when the 
 official landing took place. The streets 
 were crowded with people, and great enthu- 
 siasm prevailed. Among those present 
 were Lord Augustus Loftus, the Governor, 
 Admiral Tryon, Commander-in-chief on the 
 Australian station, the Ministers, and a 
 number of other official personages. The 
 troops having been reviewed by the Gover- 
 nor, His Excellency addressed them as 
 follows : 
 
 ' Soldiers, On behalf of Her Majesty and 
 the people of this country, I offer you her 
 thanks and their welcome on your return 
 to the colony. We rejoiced at the privilege 
 accorded us of sending you on the service 
 for which you were despatched, and our joy 
 is the greater at receiving you back again, 
 after having performed that service to the 
 credit of your country, to the entire satis- 
 faction of the Imperial officers under whom 
 you were placed, and to the advantage of 
 the Empire, the story of whose exploits is 
 inextricably interwoven with some of the 
 
 most glorious passages of military history. 
 They received you with respect, they 
 laboured by your side in your short cam- 
 paign, and would have gladly and confi- 
 dently shared with you the glory of the 
 conflict. It is twenty-six years ago on 
 Jan. 28, 1859 that a great English states- 
 man, a great orator, and one of the greatest 
 men of letters of this age, said at a public 
 banquet in London, speaking of the Aus- 
 tralian colonies, these simple but memor- 
 able words : " It may happen that the time 
 will arrive when the other Great Powers of 
 the whole world will rise up against the 
 venerable parent of so many noble children. 
 If that period should ever arrive, I believe 
 the colonies will not be unmindful of the 
 tie which binds them to the mother country. 
 I believe their vessels will come thick and 
 fast across the ocean to her assistance, and 
 that voices will be heard universally among 
 them saying in effect that while Australia 
 lasts England shall not perish." ' Your 
 action,' continued Lord A. Loftus, ' has, as 
 far as the sympathy of the colonies is con- 
 cerned, made the late Lord Lytton's hope- 
 ful words a prophecy for purposes of 
 defence, and has practically established an 
 Imperial Federation.' 
 
 The men were then dismissed after giving 
 cheers for Queen Victoria." 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXI. 
 
 THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT ' 
 IN THE SOUDAN. 
 
 EXPLOITS 
 
 UCH was the out-going and 
 home-coming of the Aus- 
 tralians. How had they 
 been occupied between ? 
 Well, circumstances did 
 not permit the British General to avail 
 himself of their services to any great ex- 
 tent ; but certainly what was seen of them 
 was highly satisfactory. For indeed it 
 
 cannot be " forgotten how the 'Australians,' 
 as they were called, though most of them 
 came from New South Wales, were received 
 in the Soudan. It was an ovation. As the 
 Iberia and the Australasia steamed into 
 the Souakin harbour, the fleet in the port 
 manned their yards, the crews cheered 
 them to the echo, and ' Well done, Aus- 
 tralia ! ' was the watchword of the hour.
 
 THE WAYS OF CAMPS. 
 
 409 
 
 As they disembarked, the pipers of the 
 Guards met them, and after receiving the 
 
 I congratulations of a brilliant staff deputed 
 by Sir Gerald Graham to meet them, their 
 commandant, Colonel Richardson, marched 
 off his contingent fine bearded fellows, 
 just such sons as England looks to have, 
 let them live east, west, south, or north 
 to their sandy quarters on the wind-swept 
 desert All the way as they went cheer 
 after cheer met and followed them, and 
 the crack regiments of the Imperial army 
 turned out with hearty hurrahs to welcome 
 these youngsters in war into their tents. 
 In the distance, over towards Hasheen, 
 there was a sand-cloud moving, where the 
 Bengal Cavalry scouting on the plain had 
 started an Arab outpost, and the Austra- 
 lians, therefore, as they marched, could 
 actually feel that every step they took was 
 bringing them nearer to the foe they had 
 come to fight, and were eager to meet. 
 Then, arrived in camp, the General halted 
 them, and, in a speech of admirable sym- 
 pathy, told them these men who had left 
 hearth and home, left comfort and native 
 land, to come and help ' the old country ' 
 to fight her battles what England thought 
 of them. He told them that we were proud 
 of our colonies, and that the Queen thanked 
 them. The occasion was one which, even 
 amidst the hard realities of war, appealed 
 to the sentiment and sympathy of every 
 one present ; and there was not a man in 
 all the camp who did not recognise the 
 heart-stirring significance of this visible 
 and natural rallying of her colonies round 
 England of the presence, armed and uni- 
 formed, of these gallant men from the 
 Antipodes. 
 
 Of course they were new to the ways of 
 camps. Were they not volunteers from 
 farmstead and sheep-run and city pro- 
 fessions, picked by doctors simply accord- 
 ing to their physical qualifications ; hard- 
 seasoned men, such as climates despair of 
 breaking down, who could march over the 
 Arabs' hills under a blazing sun without 
 turning a hair ? They were most of them 
 
 ' Volunteers ' in their own country, but 
 very few indeed had served in the British 
 army ; so that virtually they marched into 
 the encampment at Souakin, into the very 
 midst of the pick of the Imperial troops, as 
 amateurs. It was wonderful, however, to 
 see how quickly they shook down. The 
 red tape of departments was a perpetual 
 stumbling-block, as, indeed, it well might 
 be, and it took them a long time to under- 
 stand the apparent selfishness of that rigid 
 routine without which administration would 
 be impossible. They suffered, in common 
 with the rest of the army, from the per- 
 plexities caused by the unnecessary number 
 of staff officers with no obvious duties 
 beyond mutual obstruction. In the fre- 
 quent shiftings of camp which were mys- 
 teriously ordained they had a habit of 
 spilling supplies and property upon the 
 desert; but they soon pulled themselves 
 together, mastered the intricacies of a camp 
 which was perpetually being reorganized, 
 and learned to sympathise with departments 
 which were themselves bewildered by con- 
 stant changes of orders. Thus the Austra- 
 lians' camp was before long as soldierly and 
 smart as any other. A trifle rougher in the 
 appointments of the messes it was no doubt, 
 a thought less comfortable in the arrange- 
 ment of kit in the soldiers' tents ; but they 
 had not come out for comfort. What they 
 wanted was fighting, and they were as keen 
 for a scrimmage as soldiers could be. Not 
 that they got any chances. Now and again 
 they marched out in reconnaissance, dis- 
 persed small parties, and marched back 
 again. In the advance upon Tamai, 
 elaborately arranged so that there should 
 be no enemy to fight, the Australians did 
 all that there was to do. It was not much, 
 but Lord Wolseley and General Graham 
 said nothing more than was the due of 
 these stalwart volunteers when they told 
 them they were fit to go anywhere and do 
 anything. The way they marched was a 
 sight to see, and they came home every 
 man in his place not one fallen out, not 
 one sick. ' Those are the men to make
 
 410 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 soldiers out of,' said the Chief of the Staff, 
 and he was right exactly the men fitted 
 physically for endurance and deeds of 
 courage, and mentally imbued with senti- 
 ments of liveliest patriotism and enthusiasm 
 in their duty. The soldiers of other regi- 
 ments and what splendid battalions we 
 had there ! thought well of them as com- 
 rades ; as Lord Augustus Loftus says, had 
 1 confidence ' in them ; but over and above 
 this feeling there was a strange sympathy, 
 often very handsomely expressed, with the 
 contingent, that, standing round a canteen, 
 would say, ' The Queen, God bless her ! ' 
 before they drank their glass, and who 
 closed Divine service on Sundays with the 
 National Anthem, a chorus of deep manly 
 voices such as was heard from one end of 
 the Handoob Camp to the other. It is 
 not that we, living in the British Isles, have 
 forgotten what loyalty is, or the meaning of 
 devotion to the Throne ; only we have 
 given over speaking much about it. These 
 sentiments are so much taken for granted, 
 and our services so thoroughly understood 
 to be at the command of the Queen and 
 the country, that it does not occur to us 
 as necessary to assure ourselves or each 
 other by verbal repetitions of such honoured 
 and cherished facts. In Australia, however, 
 the opportunity of proving cheerfulness of 
 personal service, of visibly and materially 
 expressing enthusiastic allegiance, had never 
 occurred before. It was a new experience 
 for our handsome, fine-grown kinsmen in 
 the Southern Ocean, this sailing away from 
 home, from wife and child, in defence of 
 England's honour, this falling into line with 
 Imperial troops to repulse the onset of a 
 common enemy, this actually standing 
 bayonet in hand to hold back the Arabs 
 from our zarebas, in doughty guardianship 
 of English treasure, English life, and English 
 fame. Even the very word ' Imperial ' fell 
 
 strangely from their lips. They threw a 
 dignity into it that seemed to give a noble 
 adjective a new significance. Imperial ! 
 How it filled the mouth when an Australian 
 uttered it ! The hearer half-wondered at 
 the majesty of it, and discovered afresh the 
 reverence that attached to the word. 
 
 Australia also may be said to have now 
 awakened to the new significance in that 
 word Imperial. Intercolonial jealousies, 
 long nourished in a spirit of rivalry that 
 was neither dishonourable nor even un- 
 becoming, have now been laid aside, and 
 the colonies find themselves on the thresh- 
 old of an ' Imperial Federation.' The 
 sailing of those two ships across the sea 
 with their freights of gallant men touched 
 the chord which diplomacy failed to reach 
 and statesmanship had almost despaired of 
 striking. Nothing that could have been 
 said or written could have had such force 
 as this marching of a New South Wales 
 contingent shoulder to shoulder with the 
 British army. It carried all before it. 
 Every man who went back became an 
 Imperialist, through and through, and the 
 colony that sent them forth was with them 
 heart and soul. The others who offered to 
 help, and some day, if a sorer strain is put 
 upon the national resources, will have 
 another opportunity for making the same 
 brave, loyal proposal, also, under the im- 
 pulse of a most admirable jealousy, gave 
 their voices for federation. Thus, in a day, 
 as it were, there sprung up beyond the seas 
 another Empire of which England may well 
 be proud, and which her enemies justly 
 take into account when they reckon up the 
 military power of Britain." 
 
 And it is most assuredly right that they 
 should do so. What now will be the vast 
 hordes of the Russian or Germanic empires 
 compared with England supported by her 
 ever-increasing colonial empire ?
 
 PRINCE HASSAN. 
 
 EGYPTIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER JN THE SOUDAN.
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION. 
 
 411 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXII. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM. BELIEF EXPEDITION THE TART- 
 JHE PAMEL J^ORPS. 
 
 TELEGRAM from Mr. 
 Power, the British Consul 
 at Khartoum, to Sir E. Bar- 
 ing, may here be inserted 
 to show the state of affairs 
 in a part of the Soudan that was now to be- 
 come of intense interest to people at home. 
 
 "KHARTOUM, December y>th, 1883. 
 It would be perhaps well to let you 
 know the precise situation here. The 
 European and loyal population are begin- 
 ning to think that they have been either 
 forgotten or abandoned by the Government 
 at Cairo. The state of affairs here is very 
 desperate ; we know that twenty-three days 
 ago the Mahdi was assembling a great army 
 to attack us, and to an Arab, Obeid is only 
 an eleven days' march from here. Some 
 do the distance in nine days. What 
 numbers he will bring I cannot say, but we 
 have here, including gunners and sentries, 
 in all but 3,000 to hold four miles of earth- 
 works, on which are a few old bronze guns 
 and one Krupp field-piece ; this number of 
 men would not properly man the walls, and 
 it leaves us without any reserve or relief 
 to move to a threatened place in case of 
 attack. It also forbids us having any guard 
 in the city, which, in case of attack, will be 
 at the mercy of an undisguisedly rebel popu- 
 lation. At present we are not strong 
 enough to seize the well-known ringleaders 
 or agents of the Mahdi. This is well known 
 to the Government, yet over forty days have 
 elapsed since it heard the news of our situa- 
 tion here, and there are as yet no signs of 
 a relieving column arriving. We have not 
 yet even heard if they have arrived at 
 Assiout, eight hours from Cairo. On the 
 zyth of last month (November) the Khedive 
 telegraphed most distinctly that Zebehr 
 
 Pasha and his Bedouins had left Cairo two 
 days before. He said that Baker was leaving 
 Suez, yet we find that the papers of the 4th 
 instant state that neither one nor the other 
 have left Cairo, and that Zebehr was, before 
 leaving, to raise, arm, and, I suppose, train 
 1,000 negroes. In three days this town 
 may be in the hands of the rebels, yet there 
 has been an attempt made to prevent the 
 Kawah and Duem garrisons from joining 
 us. If Khartoum falls, all Lower Egypt 
 goes, as the Mahdi avows his intention of 
 sweeping across the Suez Canal into Arabia. 
 If Khartoum falls, every man from here to 
 Assiout will be in arms to join him as he 
 passes. In Khartoum many most respect- 
 able men who would wish to be loyal to 
 the Khedive believe him to be a true 
 prophet. 
 
 Ibrahim Pasha and Colonel de Coet- 
 logon will, of course, attempt to hold the 
 town while they can get a man to stand, 
 but I fail to see how the earthworks can be 
 held with the present force, even if the 
 population remain quiet. On Christmas 
 Day Ibrahim Pasha told me that ever)' 
 house in Khartoum had arms in it, and we 
 are not strong enough to have domiciliary 
 visits carried out. Colonel Coetlogon is 
 indefatigable in his efforts to provide that 
 nothing should be left undone for the safety 
 of the town. All the works have been 
 carried out under his personal supervision, 
 and he is continually inspecting the working 
 gangs while at work ; he has driven a deep 
 ditch and parapet 1,400 metres long across 
 the level space or plain left dry by the sub- 
 sidence of the river ; but for him this broad 
 avenue into the town would have been left 
 open and unprotected, so now the fortifica- 
 tion runs from river to river. There is here
 
 4 I2 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 a small portion of the population, European 
 or otherwise, whose loyalty is undoubted. 
 These men would undoubtedly be ready to 
 defend their property and families here, 
 and act as police to keep the mob in check, 
 in case of attack, but there are no arms to 
 serve out to them, there being but a few 
 hundred rifles in the arsenal, not enough 
 to provide for accidents amongst the 
 soldiers." 
 
 Such was Khartoum in the last hours of 
 1883. The man who was to save it for a 
 year from its impending doom was at that 
 moment in conference with the King of the 
 Belgians as to the Congo State, whither he 
 was about to proceed. In its proper place 
 we told fully how Major-General Charles 
 George Gordon was appointed to the com- 
 mand in the Soudan, and how he defended 
 Khartoum. This part of our work tells 
 how the expedition that was finally sent to 
 his relief fared. That an expedition was 
 to be sent was definitely announced on the 
 6th of August, 1883, and it was afterwards 
 agreed that it should be sent by the Nile 
 route. Lord Wolseley was placed in com- 
 mand, and he left Cairo with his staff on 
 2 Qth September. Of course everything that 
 skill and science could do to assure the 
 success of the expedition was done. Boats 
 and skilled boatmen were provided, and 
 a Camel Corps was equipped. A corre- 
 spondent, writing towards the end of Sep- 
 tember, describes the departure of this 
 last. He tells us that " the detachments of 
 Household Cavalry and Foot Guards which 
 are to form the Camel Corps in the expedi- 
 tion to Khartoum yesterday embarked for 
 Egypt. The drafts from the 2nd battalion 
 of the Grenadiers, from the Tower, went by 
 train from the Mansion House to Victoria. 
 The detachment of the 2nd Coldstreams, 
 the ist Scots, and the ist Grenadiers 
 marched from Chelsea to Victoria, headec 
 by the band of the Scots Guards. The ist 
 Coldstreams and the 2nd Scots Guards 
 marched from Wellington barracks to Vic 
 toria, headed by the Coldstreams bands 
 A great crowd lined the railings outside th 
 
 jarracks, and accompanied the troops on 
 heir march to the station, where a large 
 assemblage had congregated. The bulk of 
 he crowd was not allowed inside the 
 station until a few minutes before the train 
 started, at 8.32. Many ladies and officers 
 came down to bid their friends adieu ; and 
 as the train moved out of the station, all 
 the bands massed and played ' God save 
 he Queen,' amid great cheering and waving 
 of handkerchiefs. 
 
 At Aldershot the two divisions of the 
 Camel Corps, under the command of Lieut- 
 Colonel R. A. J. Talbot, ist Life Guards, 
 and Lieut-Colonel Stanley Clarke, paraded 
 at the West Cavalry Barracks, between seven 
 and eight o'clock in the morning, and 
 marched to the town station of the South- 
 western Railway, to proceed by special 
 train to Portsmouth. The troops in the 
 Cavalry and Infantry barracks turned out 
 in large numbers and cheered their com- 
 rades of the Camel Corps. The bands ot 
 the 2nd Dragoon Guards, yth and 2oth 
 Hussars, played both divisions of the corps 
 to the railway-station, which they left by 
 special trains at 8.55 and 9.10. A detach- 
 ment of the Army Hospital Corps, consist- 
 ing of Surgeon J. A. Smith, Army Medical 
 Department, and fifty-six non-commissioned 
 officers and men, and a party of the Royal 
 Engineers, including two sergeants, two 
 corporals, and nine sappers, proceeded to 
 Portsmouth with the Camel Corps, to em- 
 bark for Egypt. Lieut-General Sir Archi- 
 bald Alison, commanding the division ; 
 Major-General Eraser, commanding the 
 Cavalry Brigade; Colonel Robinson, As- 
 sistant Quartermaster-General ; Captain 
 Thompson, Brigade Major of Cavalry ; 
 Major Chalmer, Deputy Assistant Adjutant- 
 General ; and several other staff and regi- 
 mental officers accompanied the Camel 
 Corps to the station and witnessed their 
 departure. 
 
 The detachments forming the Guards 
 contingent, and the cavalry division of the 
 Camel Corps, on their arrival at Portsmouth 
 embarked in the steamers Deccan and
 
 EARLY DIPPICULTJES. 
 
 Australia, which lay alongside the south 
 railway jetty of the dockyard. An inspec- 
 tion of both ships had been previously 
 made by Captain Brownlow, Surveyor of 
 Shipping, who was accompanied by several 
 naval and military officers ; and they had 
 also been visited by the Commander-in- 
 chief (Admiral Hornby), and Admiral 
 Superintendent F. A. Herbert, all of whom 
 expressed their entire satisfaction with the 
 arrangements made by the P. and O. 
 Company for the accommodation of the 
 troops. The embarkation took place under 
 the direction of Lieutenant-General Sir 
 George Willis, and was carried out by 
 Colonel Sir Owen Lanyon. The Heavy 
 Cavalry were the first to reach the jetty, and 
 were followed shortly afterwards by the 
 Light Division. The former take passage 
 to Alexandria in the Deccan, and the latter 
 in the Australia, which also took on board 
 a detachment of the Army Hospital Corps 
 for duty during the passage, as well as fifty 
 others for Egypt, while a draft of Royal 
 Engineers joined the Dtccan. As the 
 troops landed from successive trains, they 
 
 were drawn up and briefly inspected before 
 marching on board. The embarkation was 
 conducted quietly and expeditiously ; and 
 later the men, having divested themselves 
 of their accoutrements, partook of a sub- 
 stantial meal. Besides a great deal of 
 personal baggage, the Australia and the 
 Deccan both shipped large quantities of 
 ammunition and special stores. On the 
 departure of the ships there was a good 
 deal of cheering from the spectators on the 
 jetty. 
 
 Two life-belts, or cork jackets, per boat 
 are ordered to be added to the equipment 
 of the Nile expedition, and two thousand 
 of these articles are now being delivered 
 at Woolwich dockyard for conveyance to 
 Egypt About a score of the troop boats 
 at present remain at Woolwich, and will 
 be shipped on board the Horn/lead. A 
 collapsing boat of canvas, eighteen feet in 
 length, and exceedingly light, was sent to 
 Colonel Webber, Director of Telegraphs 
 at Cairo, to whom also were consigned 
 some thousands of insulators and other 
 stores for his special service." 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXIII. 
 
 JHE KHARTOUM BELIEF EXPEDITION LORD ^OLSELEY'S J D LANS. 
 
 OR a time all seemed to go 
 well with the expedition; 
 it safely if somewhat slowly 
 proceeded up the Nile. Of 
 course it had many diffi- 
 culties to encounter. Of these our illustra- 
 tions give us a vivid idea. One is of a dan- 
 gerous bit of the river; another shows us 
 voyageurs repairing one of their boats which 
 had come to grief. Naturally it was in the 
 latter part of the expedition that the greatest 
 difficulties had to be encountered. Things 
 went very smoothly just at first, as we see 
 
 from the picture of Lord Wolseley's yacht 
 at the head of the first cataract. 
 
 At length all dangers seemed in a fair way 
 of being overcome. News came also from 
 Gordon, and that news was good. The 
 enemy had been defeated. Then came the 
 news that Stewart and his companions had 
 been murdered, and it was soon known that 
 Gordon was the only Englishman alive in 
 Khartoum ; but this only seemed to make 
 the soldiers still more desire his rescue. 
 On 2nd November, the army advanced 
 from Dongola. On i2th December the
 
 414 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 head-quarters were fixed at Ambukol, and 
 thence moved on to Korti, which by the 
 Nile route is 1,250 miles from Cairo, and 
 285 from Khartoum. Here Lord Wolse- 
 ley's plans underwent some modification, 
 as detailed in the following newspaper 
 account : 
 
 "The news from our special corre- 
 spondent at Korti shows that Lord Wolseley 
 has abandoned the plan which he had laid 
 down for the conduct of the expedition, 
 
 and that he is going to advance by two 
 routes. The Camel Corps, and perhaps a 
 portion of the infantry, will cross the desert 
 to Metemmeh ; the rest of the infantry will 
 go by water. The original scheme was 
 that no movement whatever should be at- 
 tempted until the whole of the expedi 
 tionary force was gathered at Ambukol. 
 Korti, which is only a few miles from Am- 
 bukol, has been substituted for that place, 
 and the forward movement is to begin at 
 
 A DANGEROUS BIX OF THE RIVER. 
 
 once, although but a small portion of the 
 force has reached Korti. There are at 
 present there the three divisions of the 
 Camel Corps, the Mounted Infantry, and 
 igth Hussars. Of infantry there are the 
 South Staffordshire (38th) and the Royal 
 Sussex (35th). The 2nd Battalion of the 
 Essex Regiment (5 6th) are close at hand, 
 if they have not already arrived, and the 
 Black Watch (42nd) are not far off. Ano- 
 ther month at least must elapse before the 
 whole force has reached Korti. The change 
 
 of plans has probably been brought about 
 by the absence of any news from General 
 Gordon, the certainty that he is closely 
 blockaded in Khartoum, and the possibility 
 that he is hard pressed. Under these cir- 
 cumstances, Lord Wolseley has determined 
 to send on a portion of his infantry at once 
 to chastise the tribe who murdered Colonel 
 Stewart and his companions ; they are then 
 to advance to Abu Hamed, where they are 
 to open communication with Korosko, and 
 are afterwards to move up against the
 
 LORD WOLSELEY'S PLANS. 
 
 rebels at Berber. Abu Hamed lies at the 
 northerly bend of the great S which the Nile 
 makes between Dongola and Metemmeh. 
 It is probable that the infantry who go up 
 with General Earle will, after chastising the 
 tribesmen, halt at this point until the whole 
 force is assembled there. The General is 
 ordered to open communications with Ko- 
 rosko, which lies on a bend of the river 
 below Wady Haifa. There is a caravan 
 route between these two places, but the 
 
 journey is at the quickest eight or ten 
 days, and General Stewart would not be 
 ordered to open this route unless his stay 
 at Abu Hamed was likely to be a long 
 one. 
 
 In the meantime, the Camel Corps are 
 
 about to make a dash across the desert to 
 
 Metemmeh, a place which lies on the oppo- 
 
 I site bank to Shendy. The word desert 
 
 i has an appalling sound to those unaware of 
 
 i the nature of the country to be traversed ; 
 
 KKI'AIKING A WOAT ON THE BANKS OK THE NILE. 
 
 but the line of march between Korti and 
 Metemmeh bears little resemblance to the 
 flat, trackless waste which the desert of 
 Lower Egypt presents. The country is 
 broken and rocky, and crossed in the wet 
 season by many streams flowing down from 
 the Jebel (lilif range of hills to the east of 
 the line of march. There are wells at 
 various distances along the line, and if the 
 force be provided with the handy little 
 pumps used in the Abyssinian campaign, 
 and since known by that name, it is pro- 
 
 bable that water could be obtained by sink- 
 ing them in any of the hollows. In the wet 
 season, indeed, the plain to the west of the 
 line is covered with water, and the land is 
 but very little above the level of the Nile, 
 which ran at one time, ages ago, perhaps, 
 to the west of this caravan road, instead of 
 making the great curve round by Berber. 
 As this is the great trading route between 
 Khartoum and Dongola, there can be little 
 doubt that the wells are capable of supply- 
 ing a considerable amount of water, and
 
 416 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYP1. 
 
 although the desert may have to be crossed 
 in parties, these parties will be of a size 
 capable of resisting any attack by the 
 tribesmen. Some of the wells used by the 
 native travellers are too far apart for the 
 distance to be traversed in one day by 
 infantry. Possibly the first pioneer party 
 that cross may find spots where wells can 
 be sunk and water reached without great 
 difficulty ; but, in the worst case, the Camel 
 Corps could carry a water supply sufficient 
 
 for a large number of men. At present, 
 being meant for fighting and scouting, the 
 camels are in light marching order, but 
 they could undoubtedly, at a pinch, each 
 carry skins with fifteen or twenty gallons 
 of water, in addition to their present bur- 
 den, especially as their extra weight would 
 only have to be borne for a single day, since 
 none of the wells are more than forty miles, 
 or two days' march, apart. As three pints 
 of water is an ample allowance for each 
 
 LORD WOLSELEY'S YACHT AT THE HEAD OF THE FIRST CATARACT. 
 
 soldier, it is clear that the camels of the 
 Light, Heavy, and Guards division of the 
 corps could carry an abundant supply of 
 water for three or four infantry regiments 
 should it be decided to send a portion of 
 the infantry by that route. Our corre- 
 spondent mentioned a few days since that 
 preparations were being made for a desert 
 march, but did not state their nature. 
 Among them is doubtless the collection of 
 skins for the carriage of water. The ques- 
 
 tion of provisions has also to be dealt with. 
 In such a climate troops could not carry 
 much weight in addition to a light kit, their 
 arms and ammunition, but we know that 
 the Mudir of Dongola has collected a large 
 number of camels, and these should be 
 able to carry the spare ammunition and the 
 food for the march. In such a climate 
 tents will, of course, be dispensed with, and 
 the baggage would be reduced to a mini- 
 mum. Even the head-quarters staff would
 
 HOPES FOR THE RESULT. 
 
 have to do without luxuries. For the pas- 
 sage, then, of the mounted force and four 
 regiments of infantry, marching in four 
 divisions, following each other day by day, 
 the difficulties of the desert march appear 
 by no means insuperable. It is probable 
 that the first division may have fighting 
 to do, perhaps serious fighting, as the 
 gorges up into the hills, many of them 
 being well watered and suitable for camps, 
 will afford an opportunity for the hostile 
 tribesmen to sally out and attack us. 
 
 Once arrived at Metemmeh or Shendy, 
 Lord Wolseley will be in a position to act 
 as circumstances may dictate. Assuming 
 that he will be joined there by two or three 
 battalions of infantry, he will be strong 
 enough to resist any attack that the fol- 
 lowers of the Mahdi may make upon him. 
 General Gordon's steamers have, until 
 lately, been in the habit of descending the 
 Nile to this point, and, unless the enemy 
 have managed, by the erection of batteries, 
 to put a stop to this practice, Lord Wolse- 
 ley will be in direct communication with 
 General Gordon, and can send up provi- 
 sions, ammunition, or troops. Even should 
 the river be closed, the presence of an 
 English force at Shendy will greatly en- 
 courage the defenders of Khartoum, and 
 will proportionately discourage the be- 
 siegers of the town. Should Lord Wolseley 
 hear that General Gordon can maintain 
 himself for some time, he will doubtless 
 remain at Shendy until the main body of 
 the infantry under General Earle have de- 
 
 feated the enemy at Berber, cleared away 
 all obstacles, and arrive in their boats, 
 when a general advance could take place. 
 But if, on the other hand, news should 
 arrive that Khartoum is in sore straits, he 
 would be able to make a dash forward to 
 its relief with the Camel Corps, Mounted 
 Infantry, Hussars, Artillery, and what 
 infantry force he might have with him a 
 force which, well handled, should be able 
 to cope easily with the followers of the 
 Mahdi. We know that General Gordon, 
 with his improvised array, has several times 
 defeated large numbers of the Mahdi's fol- 
 lowers, and we may, therefore, assume that 
 these are far less formidable than the Arabs 
 who met us at El Teb and Tamanieb. A 
 thousand mounted British troops, with an 
 equal number of infantry, should then be 
 able to give a good account of them. Lord 
 Wolseley will not be likely to take such a 
 step as to advance with the Camel Corps 
 and a small body of infantry, unless the 
 need of General Gordon be urgent, as 
 success would in itself be a proof that the 
 expedition was altogether unnecessarily 
 large and costly. It will, however, be a 
 satisfaction to the public to know that a 
 British force is within a comparatively short 
 distance of Khartoum, and that should 
 General Gordon's position become des- 
 perate, an attempt to relieve him can be 
 made within a few days of the receipt of 
 the news." So, at the time, it was sup- 
 posed, but unfortunately this was found not 
 to be the case. 
 
 E E
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXIV. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION- 
 
 BATTLE. 
 
 KLEA 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 UR readers will remember 
 that, in a recent chapter, 
 we quoted a despatch of 
 Power's relating to Khar- 
 toum at the end of 1883. 
 There was on 3ist December, 1884, a 
 brief message dated from Khartoum on 
 December 14, brought into the camp at 
 Korti : " Khartoum all right. Signed, C. 
 G. Gordon." Verbal answers given by the 
 messenger seemed to prove that Khartoum 
 was not quite so well to do as was here 
 represented, and that the cheerful tone of 
 the message was, perhaps, meant to deceive 
 the Mahdi should it fall into his hands. 
 At any rate the execution of the plans for 
 relieving Khartoum was pushed forward as 
 speedily as possible. An expeditionary force 
 under two divisions was moved on to Gak- 
 dul wells, in preparation to the move on 
 Metemmeh. The next move was to the wells 
 at Abu Klea, but before they could reach 
 them a great battle had to be fought, for 
 the enemy had collected in great force. 
 Mr. Burleigh, who was present at the battle, 
 tells us that : " Just before dark on Friday, 
 January i6th, 1885, as we turned in within 
 our zareba, we fired two shells at a group of 
 two hundred or so of the enemy gathered 
 upon the top of the black hills on our left 
 face. The missiles fell among the Arabs, 
 who quickly dropped out of sight, leaving, 
 however, two white banners standing out 
 boldly on the sky line. Their sharp- 
 shooters meanwhile having crept to within 
 1,200 yards of our right flank, and their 
 fire proving annoying, a half company of 
 the Mounted Infantry went out to drive 
 them back. The Arabs at the same time 
 were also potting at us from their front at 
 long range, which subjected the square to 
 
 a transverse fire. The long range and the 
 high trajectory of their Remingtons left 
 scarcely any place safe from their bullets, 
 many of which dropped down almost per- 
 pendicularly. We soon, consequently, had 
 our first wounded to attend to, and many 
 of the camels were also struck. After 
 nightfall our pickets and sentries, who were 
 posted outside the square or zareba, were 
 all drawn in to seventy-five yards from our 
 lines. As the moonless hours wore on the 
 enemy increased their fire, and bands of 
 them marched about from point to point, 
 banging their battle-drums and making a 
 most execrable din. The Hadendowas at 
 Tamai were good enough not to treat us to 
 so much ' tom-toming,' which is beyond all 
 discordant noises successful in irritating 
 and worrying a sensitive ear. If anything 
 deserve future punishment, and can insure 
 it, then it surely is the constant perform- 
 ance before battle of a full orchestra of 
 'one-ended drums,' such as the Mahdi's 
 force possessed. The savage sounds rose 
 and swelled all through the night, forming 
 a fitting accompaniment to the wail of their 
 bullets. Our crack shots were permitted 
 to reply occasionally to the Arab fire when- 
 ever it became too inquisitively searching. 
 Evidently we were in for an uncomfortable 
 time, and the officers were enjoined to see 
 that their men were at their posts with 
 bayonets fixed, ready to spring to their feet 
 on the first alarm. With their overcoats 
 on and their blankets wrapped round them 
 the men lay down close behind the low 
 walls and line of bushes, with their heads 
 to the front. All lights were put out after 
 dark, and talking and smoking even were 
 forbidden. A stillness broken only by the 
 whizz, ping, or thud of the enemy's lead
 
 A FALSE ALARM. 
 
 419 
 
 hung over the square, even the tired camels 
 grunting far less than customary. During : 
 the earlier part of the night I had a long 
 chat with Colonel Fred. Burnaby, who 
 expressed his delight at having arrived in 
 time for the coming battle. He had been 
 appointed, he said, by General Stewart to 
 the command of the left face and rear of 
 the square, and on the morrow would be 
 virtually discharging the duties of a briga- 
 dier-general. He had got to that stage of 
 life, he continued, when the two things that 
 interested him most were war and politics ; 
 and, whether it was ' slating ' an unworthy 
 politician or fighting against his country's 
 foes, he expressed himself equally exhil- 
 arated and happy. Much more he con- 
 fided to me, but neither time nor the 
 occasion now avail for the repetition of 
 that chat, destined to be the ' last words ' 
 of a noble and fearless gentleman. About 
 ten p.m. on Friday, January 16, our sentries 
 came running into the lines, and there 
 instantly arose that indescribable murmur 
 half-shout, half-inarticulate roar that 
 heralds 'a night scare' and an attack 
 upon a camp of armed men. The officers 
 called out, 'Stand to your arms, men.' 
 There was little need for the order, for all 
 except a very few sluggards were promptly 
 ready at the first sound to repel the expected 
 attack and rush of the Arabs. It turned 
 out, however, a false 'alarm,' or, at any 
 rate, if any numbers of the enemy had been 
 threatening a nocturnal assault nothing 
 came of the movement. Ere day broke 
 we had three more of these 'alerts,' each 
 terminating as the first had done; that is to 
 say, the men were kept on the qui rive for 
 a quarter to half an hour, and then were 
 allowed to go to sleep again, which not all 
 the whizzing of the enemy's bullets could 
 keep the tired soldiers from doing Before 
 the first rosy tints of day tinged the eastern 
 sky, or, as General Stewart's orders defined 
 it, ' when the planet Venus rose, the troops 
 were all to get up and stand to their arms 
 till daylight' Towards morning the air 
 became sharp and cold, and it was with 
 
 little reluctance the troops left their chill 
 bivouac. When it became light enough 
 Captain Norton, of the Royal Artillery, 
 fired three rounds of shrapnel at a party of 
 the enemy's sharpshooters, who had been 
 worrying the square all night by shooting 
 from a hill 1,500 yards on our right flank. 
 After this there was a brief lull, only a few 
 dropping shots falling in the zareba. Our 
 total loss during the night was comparatively 
 light not more than five or six wounded, 
 of whom three were natives and one a 
 Hussar but many camels were wounded 
 and several killed. An early breakfast was 
 now prepared, and with hot tea and coffee, 
 beef and biscuit, the soldiers regaled them- 
 selves. Before they had finished their 
 meal the Arabs, to the number of two 
 hundred, had again come down from the 
 knife-edge of the range of hills on our right 
 flank, and were delivering a well-aimed fire 
 from a distance of 1,100 yards at our 
 position. A troop of the Hussars and 
 some of the Mounted Infantry were at 
 once sent out as skirmishers. They suc- 
 ceeded in driving the enemy towards the 
 east, in fhe direction of their main force. 
 A little later five hundred spearmen, with 
 a few Baggara (cavalry), came sweeping 
 down as if to attack our right ; but a round 
 of shrapnel, which was burst over their 
 heads, knocked over three or four Arabs, 
 and scattered the others. Still, their rifle- 
 fire was being well maintained ; the number 
 of our wounded was steadily increasing, 
 and many camels and horses were being 
 hit. 
 
 As the Arabs still showed a disposition 
 to attack us, bands of them continually 
 appearing and disappearing on our front 
 and right, it was determined to try a ruse 
 to draw them on. At about 1,800 to 
 1,900 yards on our left front could be seen 
 masses and lines of rebels, their bright 
 broad spear-heads and two-edged swords 
 glittering in the sun's rays. With tom-toms 
 fiercely thumming, and scores of heathenish 
 banners fluttering in the fresh northerly 
 breeze, they swarmed everywhere along the
 
 420 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 crests of the rolling foothills, and threatened 
 to rush us. Close to the wady on our left 
 there were probably 3,000 or 4,000 of them, 
 deployed in two not very irregular lines of 
 men four to five deep. Their leaders, 
 sheiks or dervishes clad in conspicuously 
 embroidered Mahdi shirts, were stationed 
 at intervals of about twenty-five yards apart, 
 and mounted on fleet little horses. The 
 lines were at least half a mile long, whereas 
 our front barely extended, when in square, 
 to 1 50 yards. A strong force of skirmishers, 
 Guards and Mounted Infantry, were now 
 sent out by General Stewart, and they 
 
 engaged the enemy at 1,200 yards range, 
 gradually reducing the distance to 1,000 
 yards. At a preconcerted signal our skir- 
 mishers rose together and ran back upon 
 the zareba. It was all to no purpose, 
 however, as the enemy did not pursue for 
 more than 200 yards. The stratagem was 
 repeated without better success ; so, despair- 
 ing of inducing them to assault our position, 
 the screw guns were turned upon the Arabs 
 on our front, and they were treated to a 
 few rounds of shrapnel, which quickly sent 
 them to cover." Such were the preliminaries 
 to the battle. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXV. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION BATTLE OF y\eu KLEA. 
 
 T seven o'clock General 
 Stewart began his prepar- 
 ations for sending forth an 
 attacking column, which 
 was to march in square 
 and on foot as if ours had been an infantry 
 force. The object was naturally to drive 
 the enemy from Abu Klea wells, which 
 were four or five miles on our front. The 
 enemy, it will be observed, had taken up 
 ground three miles to the west of the wells. 
 Their position was strong, but they could 
 have chosen a much better one had they 
 defended the crest of the hills two miles or 
 so behind our zareba, where begins the de- 
 scent into the wady which leads to the wells. 
 There they would have had complete shelter 
 for their men until our troops got within 
 thirty or forty yards of them, and at the 
 same time could have witnessed all our 
 operations and movements, which must 
 have taken place on the open plain below. 
 As the camels were to be left behind, 
 their packs were unloaded, and saddles 
 and stores were taken to strengthen the 
 detached works surrounding the zareba. 
 
 The animals themselves were herded closer 
 together in the centre of the enclosure, and 
 securely tied down. Shortly after seven 
 a.m. the troops were marched to a position 
 close behind the ridge on our front, sur- 
 mounted by the low stone wall. Each 
 detachment as it came up was ordered to 
 lie down to await the moment for the 
 advance. About one hundred beasts only 
 were included in the 'fighting square,' 
 fifty-two for carrying cacolets and litters for 
 the wounded, the rest for medical stores, 
 water, and ammunition. I was glad there 
 were so few camels going, and sorry there 
 were not fewer, for although by his size he 
 is a good breastwork against bullets, the 
 camel obstructs vision, impedes mobility, 
 destroys symmetry, and is an unsettling 
 element in a square of men. Precisely at 
 7.35 a.m. the troops marched forward in 
 the following order : Front face (left to 
 right), Mounted Infantry, Royal Artillery 
 with three guns, Guards. Right face (front 
 to rear), Guards, Royal Sussex. Left face 
 (front to rear), Mounted Infantry, Heavy 
 Cavalry Regiment. Rear (left to right),
 
 SKIJtJflSHMG. 
 
 421 
 
 Heavy Cavalry Regiment, Naval Brigade under Colonel Barrow, numbering ninety 
 (with Gardner), Heavy Cavalry Regiment, sabres, were sent to our left flank to 
 part of Sussex Regiment. The igth Hussars, | advance along the spur of land on the 
 
 BATTLE OF ABU KLEA DEATH OK BURNAIIY. 
 
 north of the wady, and in front ol the stone 
 outwork held by the company of the Royal 
 Sussex. Their duty was to move forward 
 on a line parallel with the square and 
 
 prevent the enemy attacking our left from 
 the high ground across the little wady. A 
 squadron of the igth, counting thirty 
 sabres, followed the square, marching by
 
 422 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the front right to assist the skirmishers, 
 Mounted Infantry and Guards, who were 
 sent out seventy-five yards from the square 
 to keep the enemy's sharp-shooters from 
 coming too near. The Heavies were com- 
 manded by Colonel Talbot, the Guards by 
 Colonel Boscawen, the Mounted Infantry 
 by Major Barrow, the Naval Brigade by 
 Lord Charles Beresford, the Royal Sussex 
 by Major Sunderland, the Royal Artillery 
 by Captain Norton, and the Royal En- 
 gineers by Major Dorward. The com- 
 mand of the Mounted Infantry devolved 
 upon Major Barrow a brother of Colonel 
 Barrow. At the last moment Major 
 Gough, the commanding officer of the 
 Mounted Infantry, had been lying down 
 behind the ridge on the crest of which was 
 the stone wall protecting our front, awaiting 
 the order to march, when a spent ball 
 struck him on the back of the head. The 
 ' crack ' was audible for yards around, and 
 we who were near thought he was killed. 
 In a few minutes, nevertheless, he re- 
 covered consciousness, and it was seen he 
 had only received a severe contusion. 
 Several others were struck at the same 
 time, and one of the gunners lost his 
 finger, and owed his life to carrying an iron 
 key in his hand at the moment a bullet 
 struck him. Altogether the situation was 
 exciting and serious, and narrow escapes 
 were becoming much too frequent. As the 
 men rose from the ground, and the square 
 advanced at slow march, our front showed 
 above the slope, and the enemy promptly 
 saluted us with a brisk rifle fire. In lines 
 two deep not of four men, as squares 
 ordinarily are formed our 1,400 or there- 
 by of fighting men advanced. Major Gern, 
 of the Sussex, with a company of men and 
 details, was left in command of the zareba, 
 in which were over fifty sick and nearly 
 a score of wounded. With frequent halts 
 to pick up our wounded the dead were 
 left where they fell the square trudged 
 on, the men as steady as if on parade. 
 Our line of route was parallel to the 
 little wady on which the left of our 
 
 zareba rested. Onward we marched, 
 keeping the wady eight hundred yards 
 to our left. One moment we tramped 
 along the stony upland crests or slopes, 
 and then we would make an abrupt descent 
 into some little gully or watercourse, climb- 
 ing again up the opposite bank. Our 
 progress was like that of some huge 
 machine, slow, regular, compact, despite 
 the hail of bullets pouring in from front, 
 right, and left, and ultimately from the 
 rear. A mile from the zareba the square 
 halted to pour in a few volleys at a force of 
 1,500 Arabs demonstrating on our right. 
 We anticipated their main attack would fall 
 upon our front or left, and it was thought 
 best to clear the flank threatened before 
 going further on. Altogether there were 
 perhaps 10,000 to 12,000 Arabs gathered 
 to oppose us. They swarmed upon our 
 front, and for two or three miles on either 
 flank groups of their horsemen and spear- 
 men could be seen watching us from the 
 rocky peaks. There was no avenue of 
 retreat ; it was now ' do or die.' 
 
 Colonel Barrow, with his small force of 
 Hussars, became engaged about the same 
 time as the square. He took ground in 
 advance of the outwork upon the circular hill 
 held by the Sussex, dismounted the greater 
 portion of his men, and opened fire at a 
 body of 200 horsemen and 200 or 300 
 footmen trying to creep around our left. 
 They gave him all he could do with his 
 small force, for the ground offered ready 
 shelter from the fire of the troopers' car- 
 bines, and his advance lagged behind the 
 march of the square. When our flanks 
 became comparatively clear, with our ranks 
 well drawn together, the square once more 
 advanced, but slower and more cautiously 
 than before. We were rapidly passing to 
 the flank of the enemy's outlying position. 
 The Arabs appeared more numerous every 
 moment, sometimes showing in lines of 
 battle array as if they meant to charge the 
 square, and anon disappearing behind a 
 ridge, or sinking out of sight in the water- 
 scored lumpy ground, covered with scrub
 
 THE DARK ARAB WAVE. 
 
 423 
 
 and bunch grass just as Roderick Dhu's 
 clansmen vanished at a wave of their chief- 
 tain's hand. There was no questioning 
 now among old campaigners whether the 
 Arabs would fight, and General Stewart 
 and his personal staff, consisting of Major 
 Wardrop, Lord Airlie, and Captain Rhodes, 
 galloped to right and left to keep the force 
 in readiness to repel any attack. With all 
 deference to the gallant Heavies, it was felt 
 to be a trial for them, a much mixed 
 cavalry force, fighting on foot as infantry 
 and with the long rifle, to which they were 
 unused. Onward our fighting square 
 moved, the enemy forming up as if to 
 charge, and after a volley or two, given by 
 companies, getting again out of sight By 
 half-past nine our left face was well abreast 
 of their right, or the position it had held, 
 and we could see before us that the stony 
 upland along which we marched sloped 
 down a mile ahead into the vast flat plain 
 that reached away right clear to the Nile. 
 The hilly, rocky ground was being left 
 behind, and, with the exception of a low 
 ridge or two a mile east of the wells, the 
 sabas-covered land stretched forward, un- 
 broken, by a single hillock, far to the east 
 and south-east 
 
 At 9.50 a.m., just as the front of the 
 square had crossed a narrow depression 
 and gained the top of the little crest on the 
 opposite side, we saw a force of 4,000 to 
 5,000 of the enemy echeloned in two lines 
 on our left, or opposite the side of the 
 square maintained by part of the Mounted 
 Infantry and the Heavy Cavalry regiments. 
 They were four hundred, or perhaps five 
 hundred, yards distant, and looked like 
 coming on. Dervishes on horseback and 
 on foot marshalled them, standing a few 
 paces in front of the fanatic host. With 
 fluttering of banners, clamour of 'tom- 
 toms,' and shoutings of ' Allah,' they 
 began to move towards our square. At 
 first they came slowly, not quicker than a 
 fast walk. Our skirmishers'* fire appeared 
 to have little or no effect upon them, and 
 the whole left face of the square, which 
 
 now halted upon the high ground, turned 
 their rifles upon the Arabs, with, however, 
 not much better results. Very few of the 
 Mahdi's force fell, their lines were scarcely 
 marred, and the miscarriage of our bullets 
 must have inspired them with the hope that 
 Mohammed Ahmed had at last conferred 
 upon them charmed lives. They were 
 soon within three hundred and fifty yards 
 of the square, and now they commenced to 
 run towards us, coming over the rolling 
 ground like a vast wave of black surf. At 
 first their direction was towards the left 
 face front corner of the square, but as they 
 came nearer the great mass of them swung 
 round, so as to strike the rear corner of 
 our left face. The skirmishers along our 
 left came running home at full speed 
 towards the square, closely pressed by a 
 fringe of bloodthirsty Soudanese. At this 
 moment the Gardner gun, under Lord 
 Charles Beresford's superintendence, was 
 moved to the left face rear corner, to be 
 brought into action. During the advance 
 it had been fired occasionally at groups ot 
 the enemy, and performed good service in 
 clearing them off some strong positions 
 upon dominating ridges. When it was 
 now most wanted, before three rounds had 
 been fired the cartridges stuck, and the 
 weapon was rendered temporarily useless, 
 an accident to which, as Lord Charles 
 afterwards declared, all machine guns with 
 a rotary feed motion are perpetually liable. 
 Still down upon us the dark Arab wave 
 rolled. It had arrived within three hun- 
 dred yards almost undiminished in volume, 
 unbroken in strength. It was a rush of 
 spearmen and swordsmen, scarcely any 
 carrying guns. Their rifle fire had practi- 
 cally ceased ; and the other Arab forces 
 surrounding us Mahdi's troops, plunder- 
 ing Bedouins, and pillaging villagers from 
 the river-side all stood eager on the hill- 
 sides watching the charge upon the British 
 square. In wild excitement, their white 
 teeth glistening, and the sheen of their 
 brandished weapons flashing like thousands 
 of mirrors, onward they came against us.
 
 424 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 By twos and threes our skirmishers had 
 now reached our lines, and, the left face 
 being nearly clear, a volley was sent into 
 the enemy at one hundred and fifty yards : 
 as they rose over the last crest between our \ 
 opposing lines. A hundred or more Arabs 
 dropped, and for a moment I saw their j 
 force waver and halt, as a man stops to 
 gasp for breath or at any sudden surprise. 
 Had that volley been promptly repeated 
 there would have been little more of the 
 battle of Abu Klea to tell except the rout 
 and slaughter of the Mahdi's troops, for 
 Mahdi's troops they were, and not mere 
 villagers or swarming tribesmen arrayed 
 against us. But, somehow, the firing that 
 followed from our ranks was dropping, 
 irregular, scattering, wild, without visible 
 effect; and the Arabs, who had barely 
 checked their run, leaped over their falling 
 brethren and came charging straight into 
 our ranks. 
 
 I was at that instant inside the square, 
 not far from the Gardner gun, when I saw 
 our men beginning to shuffle a little back- 
 ward. Some say Colonel Burnaby issued 
 an order for the men to ' fall back ; ' but 
 I can speak confidently on this point 
 though near him, I never heard it. That, 
 however, is a small matter, and it may have 
 been issued all the same. At any rate, 
 the left face moved somewhat backwards, 
 and slightly towards the zareba. Colonel 
 Burnaby himself, whose every action at the 
 time I saw from a distance of about thirty 
 yards, rode out in front of the rear of the 
 left face, apparently to assist two or three 
 of our skirmishers, who were running in 
 hard pressed. I think all but one man of 
 them succeeded in reaching our lines. 
 Burnaby went forward to the men's assist- 
 ance sword in hand. He told me he had 
 given to his servant to carry that double- 
 barrelled shot-gun which he had used so 
 well against the Hadendowas at El Teb, 
 in deference to the noise made in England 
 by so-called humanitarians against its use. 
 Had it been in his hands Burnaby would 
 easily have saved other lives as well as his 
 
 own, but they would have been English 
 lives at the expense of Arabs'. As the 
 dauntless Colonel rode forward on a bor- 
 rowed nag for his own had been shot that 
 morning he put himself in the way of a 
 sheik charging down on horseback. Ere 
 the Arab closed with him a bullet from 
 some one in our ranks, and not Burnaby's 
 sword-thrust, brought the sheik headlong 
 to the ground. The enemy's spearmen 
 were close behind, and one of them 
 suddenly dashed at Colonel Burnaby, 
 pointing the long blade of his spear at his 
 throat. Checking his horse and slowly 
 pulli ng it backward, Burnaby leant forward 
 in his saddle and parried the Moslem's 
 rapid and ferocious thrusts ; but the length 
 of the man's weapon, eight feet, put it out 
 of his power to return with interest the 
 Arab's murderous intent. Once or twice J 
 think the Colonel just touched his man, 
 only to make him more wary and eager. 
 The affray was the work of three or four 
 seconds only, for the savage horde of 
 swarthy negroes from Kordofan, and the 
 straight-haired, tawny-complexioned Arabs 
 of the Bayuda steepe, were fast closing in 
 ; upon our square. Burnaby fenced smartly, 
 just as if he were playing in an assault at 
 I arms, an d there was a smile on his features 
 as he drove off the man's awkward points. 
 The scene was taken in at a glance with 
 that lightning instinct which I have seen the 
 desert warriors before now display in battle 
 whilst coming to one another's aid by an 
 ! Arab who, pursuing a soldier, had passed 
 i five paces to Burnaby's right and rear. 
 Turning with a sudden spring, this second 
 i Arab ran his spear-point into the Colonel's 
 right shoulder. It was but a slight wound 
 enough, though, to cause Burnaby to 
 twist around in his saddle to defend himself 
 from this unexpected attack. Before the 
 savage could repeat his unlooked-for blow 
 so near the ranks of the square was the 
 \ scene now being enacted a soldier ran 
 out and drove his sword-bayonet through 
 the second assailant. As the Englishman 
 withdrew the steel, the ferocious Arab
 
 THE SQUARE BROKEN. 
 
 425 
 
 wriggled round and sought to reach him. 
 The effort was too much, however, even 
 for his delirium of hatred against the Chris- 
 tian, and the rebel reeled and fell. Brief 
 as was Burnaby's glance backward at this 
 fatal episode, it was long enough to enable 
 the first Arab to deliver his spear-point full 
 in the brave officer's throat. The blow 
 drove Burnaby out of the saddle, but it 
 required a second one before he let go his 
 grip of the reins and tumbled upon the 
 ground. Half a dozen Arabs were now 
 
 about him. With the blood gushing in 
 streams from his gashed throat the daunt- 
 less Guardsman leapt to his feet, sword in 
 hand, and slashed at the ferocious group. 
 They were the wild strokes of a proud, 
 brave man dying hard, and he was quickly 
 overborne, and left helpless and dying. 
 The heroic soldier who sprang to his 
 rescue was, I fear, also slain in the melee, 
 for though I watched for him I never 
 saw him get back to his place in the 
 ranks." 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXVI. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION ^BU 
 
 THE BATTLE. 
 
 KLEA CLOSE OF 
 
 UT what of the square ? We 
 had fallen back one hun- 
 dred yards, and the fore- 
 most Arabs were driving 
 their spears at our men's 
 breasts. They were yet too few, however, 
 to make any serious break in our ranks, 
 and, desperately as they charged and fought, 
 rifle and revolver bullet, and more rarely 
 bayonet point, stopped their career. Then 
 the great onrush came, and with spear 
 poised and sword uplifted straight into our 
 left face, rear corner, the Arab horde struck 
 us like a tempest. The Heavies were 
 thrown into confusion, for the enemy were 
 right among them, killing and wounding 
 with demoniacal fury. Backward from the 
 left face the square fell, staggering and 
 irregular. Officers exerted themselves to 
 keep their men together, and General 
 Stewart himself rode to the broken corner 
 to assist. His horse was here killed, and 
 he himself was with difficulty extricated 
 and saved from Arab spears. Lord Airlie 
 received two slight spear wounds, and so 
 did Ix>rd Charles Beresford. The enemy's 
 rush swept clean over where the Gardner 
 
 gun had been placed, and the small naval 
 contingent lost two officers and six men 
 killed, defending their gun as at Tamai. 
 It was actually one of the same weapons 
 that was used in that equally terrible fight. 
 Confusion for the instant reigned supreme 
 as the men fell back towards a low circular 
 mound. The charge of the Arabs carried 
 many of them into the centre of our square 
 and among the camels. There death and 
 havoc rioted for two or three minutes, 
 whilst our men moved off from the in- 
 extricable mass of wounded, dying, and 
 dead camels. It was an awful scene, for 
 many, alas ! of the wounded left behind 
 on the cacolets and litters perished by the 
 hands of the merciless Arabs, infuriated by 
 their sheiks, whose wild hoarse cries rent 
 the air, whilst the black spearmen, entangled 
 among the animals, ran hither and thither 
 thirsting for blood. Amid the general 
 calamity there were many providential 
 escapes. Lord St Vincent, who, with 
 another wounded man, was being borne 
 upon a pair of camel-litters, was overturned 
 with his camel, and fell underneath; the 
 wounded man, who was on the opposite
 
 426 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 side, was killed, and St. Vincent owed his 
 life to the accident. Trifling as was the 
 obstacle offered by the heap of helpless 
 animals, it was enough to break and dis- 
 organize the rush of the Arabs. So great 
 at this moment was the peril of the situa- 
 tion that officers in the Guards and Mounted 
 Infantry placed their men back to back to 
 make a desperate battle for life. The 
 Martini-Henrys had never ceased, for hun- 
 dreds of men kept firing steadily and with 
 good aim at the enemy. There were others, 
 I regret, who were neither discreet nor care- 
 ful as to the direction of their fire. Pos- 
 sibly much of the wildness of aim was 
 occasioned by the excitement of finding 
 that hundreds of the cartridges jammed 
 fast after the second or third shot. I have 
 since been told by officers that this year 
 our mongrel cartridge sticks worse than 
 ever. Positively, at Abu Klea, and later]at 
 Metemmeh, I saw scores of weapons ren- 
 dered temporarily useless. At this stage, 
 seeing the Arabs were no respecters of 
 persons, I myself took up a Martini-Henry, 
 but the third cartridge stuck, and I had to 
 resort to my revolver. 
 
 Our men were now nearly all clustered 
 around the circular mound, with a swarm 
 of Arabs fighting upon what was originally 
 the left and rear faces of the square ; the 
 others were still hanging back undecided 
 among the wreck of camels. The column 
 kept backing with their faces outward to- 
 wards the top of the low mound, until they 
 were wedged in a compact mass. To me, 
 who was outside on the right face, they 
 appeared to spin and turn slowly around 
 the mound, a whirlpool of human beings. 
 The position luckily enabled them to deliver 
 a heavy and withering fire into the dense 
 mass of Arabs. Soon the enemy showed 
 signs of wavering, and with cheers and 
 shouts our men redoubled their fire. A 
 young officer, whose name I did not learn, 
 rallied a number of men on the right 
 rear, and these being soon joined by others 
 were able to deliver an excellent and most 
 telling transverse fire into the enemy's 
 
 ranks. The strained tension of the situa- 
 tion had lasted nearly ten minutes, when 
 at last the Arabs, two or three at first, then 
 in twenties and fifties, began to trot off the 
 field. In five minutes more there was not 
 an enemy to be seen standing within three 
 hundred yards of us. With cheer upon 
 cheer, shouting ourselves hoarse, we hailed 
 our victory, dearly won as all knew it to 
 be. Parting volley after parting volley was 
 sent into the now flying foemen, and we 
 had the satisfaction of noting that all around 
 they were taking ground to the rear. 
 
 Colonel Barrow, who had been holding 
 the enemy about three-quarters of a mile 
 on our left rear, was now able to push on, 
 and soon three long streams of Arabs, 
 afoot and on horse, camel, and donkey 
 back, were making off, one in the direction 
 of Berber, another towards Metemmeh, 
 and a third for Khartoum. Our skir- 
 mishers were again pushed forward, and 
 the screw guns brought into action to 
 quicken their flight. Details of men were 
 sent out to search for our wounded among 
 the heap of slain lying to our left face. 
 As at Teb and Tamai, the wounded Arabs 
 refused to be made prisoners, and great 
 caution had to be exercised in moving 
 about the field, not only to avoid the 
 covert stabs dealt by the bleeding Arabs, 
 but the rushes and cuts of the fanatics who 
 shammed death in order that they might 
 the more surely get a chance of burying 
 their weapons in one of us. Our men were 
 drawn forward one hundred and fifty yards 
 from the battle-field, and then, after great 
 delay in getting the soldiers into their 
 proper places, the square was re-formed. 
 We found our losses during the day were, 
 roughly, including native camel - drivers, 
 over one hundred killed and about two 
 hundred wounded. Of the enemy, five or 
 six hundred lay heaped in front of and 
 around our dead camels, and I think nearly 
 as many more fell on the hill-sides and in 
 the wady. I should have sent you by 
 telegraph as accurate a list as possible, but 
 that, I knew, was forbidden, and at any rate
 
 VICTORS! 
 
 427 
 
 my statement would not have gone on until 
 the official returns were sent. The latter 
 will, therefore, have told you enough, but 
 still with many inaccuracies, no doubt, on 
 account of the hurry and confusion. The 
 greatest sufferers were the Heavy Cavalry j 
 regiment, which had six officers and over | 
 fifty men killed, whereas the Guards and ; 
 the Mounted Infantry had each but five ' 
 men killed. It took till ten minutes past ' 
 noon to get the force again in order. Our 
 Aden camel-drivers, many of whom were 
 killed and wounded, and who displayed a 
 loyalty, courage, and pluck conspicuous 
 alongside the few cowardly Egyptians, 
 scoured the battle-field, and brought in 
 such of the camels as were able to travel. 
 Cacolets and litters were put upon the 
 animals, and the lost baggage was left to 
 be recovered later on. The reserve am- 
 munition, which could not then be trans- 
 ported, as over fifty camels were killed, was 
 set fire to and destroyed. While this was 
 taking place the Hussars came up and 
 opened communications, and were sent 
 ahead to take possession of the wells and 
 hasten the enemy's evacuation of their 
 camp. 
 
 Meanwhile small knots of dervishes hung 
 about, longing to charge the square. I was 
 unfortunate enough to precipitate one of 
 these rushes on the part of six concealed 
 fanatics. Riding one hundred yards to 
 our left, in a little hollow I saw some men ' 
 stretched on the ground in attitudes not 
 assumed by the dead. A soldier fired at 
 one of the half-dozen who moved his head 
 to peep, missed him, and brought five 
 Arabs to their feet, who rushed for the 
 square. There was a rattle of many rifles. 
 None of them ran more than eighty yards ! 
 About one p.m. the force received orders 
 to again advance. As we descended into 
 the wady on our left we saw hundreds of 
 Arabs dead and dying. In the dry water- 
 course they left behind them many water- 
 skins, water-bottles, earthenware pots and 
 bags of dhurra. There were even a score 
 of tom-toms, the heads of which were 
 
 instantly burst in. On the northern side 
 of the shallow khor they had dug numerous 
 rifle-pits and trenches. There were one or 
 two castaway Mahdi uniforms and lots of 
 flags, but no shields, for the False Prophet 
 had bade his adherents neither wear their 
 ancient chain armour nor seek the protec- 
 tion of thick rhinoceros hide bucklers. 
 Exploring along this wady a party of our 
 men came upon six dead and four wounded 
 Arabs lying under a bushy dwarf mimosa 
 tree. The soldiers had an interpreter with 
 them, and the Arabs were called upon to 
 surrender and come out. That they said 
 they could not do ; would the soldiers, 
 therefore, come and take them ? The four 
 wounded men still held their spears in 
 their hands. ' Very good,' said our soldiers, 
 'put down your spears, and we will see 
 you are well treated, and do all we can to 
 cure your wounds.' The answer of the 
 four Arabs came fierce and concise, ' Put 
 down our spears, infidel dogs ! By God 
 and the Prophet, never!' There was a 
 crack of Martini-Henrys. You can guess 
 the rest. It was again, at Teb and Tamai, 
 almost impossible to take prisoners, and 
 we secured but two of their wounded alive. 
 The third prisoner I assisted to bring in, 
 but he was hardly a capture, for the man 
 gave himself up. He had a Remington 
 and over one hundred rounds of ammuni- 
 tion. His story was that he had been one 
 of the Berber-Egyptian garrison, and since 
 the fall of that place had been forced into 
 the Mahdi's army. He was glad to escape 
 from them, he declared, and I must say 
 the fellow looked cheerful at being taken. 
 A trooper of the iQth conducted him to 
 General Stewart ! He was our one un- 
 wounded prisoner ! 
 
 Choked and parched with thirst after the 
 day's turmoil, we got to the wells at four 
 p.m., delighted to find an inexhaustible 
 supply of cold pure water. Men and 
 horses gathered around some one or other 
 of the fifty wells sunk in the level plain, 
 quenching their thirst by deep draughts.
 
 428 
 
 THE ENGLISH JN EGYPT. 
 
 An hour later fires were being lit to prepare 
 our evening meal. Hands were sent to cut 
 bushes and construct a small zareba, and 
 a detachment of troopers was ordered to 
 occupy the hill on our left front. Rifle 
 firing had ceased, and the doctors, who had 
 shared, with a courage and zeal beyond all 
 praise, in all the dangers of the day, had 
 got a temporary hospital in order, and were 
 each doing their utmost to alleviate the 
 sufferings of our wounded. Surgeon-Major 
 Ferguson, the principal medical officer, 
 Surgeons Briggs, Parke, Dick, Maconochie, 
 and others, with the regimental surgeons, 
 worked untiringly through the night, helping 
 the wounded. At eight p.m. a force of two 
 hundred and fifty of the Mounted Infantry, 
 under Major Phipps, with fifteen pairs of 
 cacolets, was sent back to the zareba to 
 order its evacuation, and to bring on to the 
 wells the wounded and all the men and 
 stores. I set out with the Major's detach- 
 ment, and on our way back we heard the 
 groans of wounded Arabs who had hidden 
 themselves in the bushes to die. Riding 
 ahead, I got into the zareba half an hour in 
 front of the Mounted Infantry. When the 
 square advanced, those left in the zareba 
 had fired for over an hour at small bands 
 of Arabs who came down from the hills on 
 the right to join in the attack upon our 
 men. In a high wind, and by a guttering 
 candle-light, I wrote my telegram describ- 
 ing the battle of Abu Klea, and sent it you 
 by special messenger, hours ahead of any- 
 body else. I trust it reached you in good 
 time, for I had contrived relays at Gakdul. 
 By daylight next morning all the stores 
 were packed on the camels, and the 
 wounded men placed in the litters and 
 cacolets. As soon as it was light the 
 zareba was abandoned, the force marching 
 to Abu Klea wells, which were reached 
 about eight a.m. without accident or attack 
 from the enemy, small bodies of whom 
 were still, however, visible on the hills to 
 the north and south." 
 
 We give some lines of poetry which were 
 written shortly after the news of the battle 
 
 reached England. These will fitly conclude 
 our narrative of the battle. 
 
 ' ' They were gathered on the desert, 
 Like pebbles on the shore, 
 And they rushed upon the Christians 
 With a shout like ocean's roar ; 
 Like the dashing of the torrent, 
 Like the sweeping of the storm, 
 Like the raging of the tempest, 
 Came down the dusky swarm. 
 From the scant and straggling brushwood, 
 From the waste of burning sand, 
 Sped the warriors of the desert, 
 Like the locusts of the land ; 
 They would crush the bold invader, 
 Who had dared to cross their path ; 
 They were fighting for the Prophet, 
 In the might of Islam's wrath. 
 They were savage in their fury, 
 They were lordly in their pride ; 
 There was glory for the victor, 
 And heaven for him who died. 
 
 They were mustered close together, 
 
 That small, devoted band ; 
 
 They knew the strife that day would rage 
 
 In combat hand to hand. 
 
 And wild and weird the battle-cry 
 
 Was sounding through the air, 
 
 As the foe sprang from his ambush, 
 
 Like the tiger from his lair. 
 
 They knew the distant flashing 
 
 Of the bright Arabian spear, 
 
 As, spurring madly onward, 
 
 They saw the host appear 
 
 In numbers overwhelming, 
 
 In numbers ten to one ; 
 
 They knew the conflict must be waged 
 
 Beneath a scorching sun ; 
 
 They knew a British soldier'j grave 
 
 Might lie beneath their feet ; 
 
 But they never knew dishonour, 
 
 And they would not know defeat. 
 
 And swifter, ever swifter 
 
 Swept on the savage horde, 
 
 And from the serried British ranks 
 
 A murderous fire was poured ; 
 
 And like the leaves in autumn 
 
 Fell Arab warriors slain, 
 
 And like the leaves in springtime 
 
 They seemed to live again. 
 
 'Midst the rattle of the bullets, 
 
 'Midst the flashing of the steel, 
 
 They pressed to the encounter 
 
 With fierce, fanatic zeal. 
 
 One moment swayed the phalanx, 
 
 One moment, and no more ;
 
 HfORE FIGHTING! 
 
 429 
 
 Then British valour stemmed the tide, 
 
 As oft in days of yore. 
 
 Again and yet again they came, 
 
 And hotter raged the strife, 
 
 And, hand to hand, each single soul 
 
 Was fighting for his life ; 
 
 And on the silent desert air 
 
 Rose wild the battle's din. 
 
 O War ! thou child of blood and death, 
 
 Foul progeny of sin ! 
 
 This gracious earth thy cruel hand 
 
 Hath sown with crimson seeds ; 
 
 But, watered by the dew of heaven, 
 
 They bloom in gallant deeds ! 
 
 For the longest day hath ending, 
 
 The longest course must run, 
 
 And at length the foe was vanquished. 
 
 And at length the field was won. 
 
 Ye smiling plains of Albion ! 
 
 Ye mountains of the North ! 
 
 Now up and greet your heroes with 
 
 The honour they are worth. 
 
 Then pause, and let a nation's tears 
 
 Fall gently on the sod 
 
 Where thy valiant sons are sleeping, 
 
 Whose souls are with their God." 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXVII. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM BELIEF EXPEDITION ON TOWARDS THE NILE! 
 
 T was at first thought that 
 after the great victory of 
 Abu Klea the Arabs would 
 give no further trouble. This 
 was not the case, however. 
 A still more terrible battle had to be fought 
 before the Nile could be reached. Mr. 
 Burleigh was again present. He tells us 
 that " History records no military events 
 of a more stirring character, or situations 
 more thrilling and dramatic, than those 
 through which Sir Herbert Stewart's flying 
 column has passed during the past week. 
 Had the British soldier not once more 
 proved a splendid fighter, the story of Stew- 
 art's march would have had to be gathered 
 from other sources than the pens or lips of 
 those who accompanied it. 
 
 On the 1 6th inst., when the column 
 crossed the ridge of foothills that sloped 
 into a wady, wherein Abu Klea wells lay 
 six miles to the eastward, few among the 
 troops expected any fighting. The pre- 
 vailing fear was that the Arabs would bolt, 
 and that there would be neither rewards 
 nor honours to be won. 
 
 On Friday I saw the first shot fired by 
 an Arab scout, and was glad that I per- 
 suaded the outpost of the iQth Hussars to 
 
 let the enemy open the battle. The skir- 
 mish that ensued was more disastrous to 
 the rebels than to ourselves, and revealed 
 to us the strength of their force in horse 
 and foot, as well as the position they had 
 taken up. 
 
 By nightfall our column was drawn up 
 inside a rather weak, irregular, and incom- 
 plete zareba. The front face, instead of 
 being formed of cut brushwood, was pro- 
 tected by low walls of rough stones. An 
 undulation in the ground left an opening 
 in the wall twenty-five yards wide. The 
 wall itself was twenty inches high, aqd the 
 zareba was nearly two hundred yards square. 
 
 Each man had his pint of water served 
 out half his day's supply and on that 
 quantity he had to work, march, and fight 
 in a thirst- provoking country. Lights were 
 all ordered out at dusk, and the troops lay 
 down in square formation, with their arms 
 beside them ready for instant use. 
 
 During their much-needed respite, I may 
 recall the fact that after we had undergone 
 a night of alarms, following the memorable 
 events of Abu Klea, and had had several 
 men injured by the enemy's fire, the column 
 moved out of the /areba in square, lightly 
 equipped for fighting. A small garrison
 
 430 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 was left behind to guard the stores and 
 animals. Nearly one hundred camels were 
 taken with the column to carry water, am- 
 munition, and cacolets. These were all 
 inside the square. Just before the force 
 set out, Major Gough received a contusion 
 on the skull from a bullet, and the com- 
 mand of the Mounted Infantry devolved 
 on Major Barrow. A fierce battle and 
 hard-won victory had secured to us Klea 
 wells, giving the troops an abundant sup- 
 ply of water, with something for the horses 
 and camels. A bath or even a wash in the 
 desert was too great a luxury, only to be 
 indulged in alongside the well or at a reser- 
 voir like Gakdul. By dint of hard work 
 and going without sleep the column was 
 ready to resume its forward march on 
 Sunday at four p.m. The old zareba was 
 emptied, all the supplies having been trans- 
 ported to the wells by working overnight, 
 and a new small zareba and fort were built 
 at Abu Klea, which a detachment of the 
 Sussex Regiment and a few men of the 
 Royal Engineers were left to hold. It was 
 given out by General Stewart that the force 
 should only go five miles out and encamp 
 till morning. 
 
 The column got off punctually, tired 
 though the men and animals were. It was 
 with pleasure that we set our faces for 
 another forced march so that we might get 
 to the river. Instead of making a pro- 
 tracted halt at sunset, the column rested 
 for a few minutes only in order to allow the 
 darkness to settle down. And then, alter- 
 ing our course so as to avoid Shebacat 
 wells and the Arabs posted there to inter- 
 cept or hinder us, we struck due south into 
 the desert, attempting to reach the Nile 
 before daylight, and before the Arabs could 
 stop us. The General sought to avoid 
 another battle until the force should have 
 entrenched itself, or, at any rate, packed its 
 baggage by the water's edge. 
 
 Night marches are always difficult, if 
 not dangerous, and with our overworked 
 animals the energies of men and officers 
 were taxed to the utmost to keep the column 
 
 together. In spite of everything the column 
 often extended for two or three miles, that 
 distance separating the van from the rear. 
 This necessitated frequent halts. Com- 
 pletely done up, the men dropped asleep 
 in their saddles, and came tumbling to the 
 ground. Those who undertook to rest on 
 the desert while the column closed up had 
 to be roughly aroused to get them to re- 
 mount. 
 
 Part of the way the force moved in 
 columns of regiments, the Mounted In- 
 fantry leading, with the Hussars in advance 
 and on the flanks. Although this increased 
 the width of our front, it did not diminish 
 the length of the column. Apparently AH 
 Gobah, the outlaw robber chief, directed 
 our course, which was at times rather cir- 
 cuitous now south, then south by west, 
 and again south by east. Sir Charles Wilson 
 and Captain Verner, of the Rifles, looked 
 after Ali, in whose experience as a path- 
 finder they both trusted. I was inclined to 
 regard Gobah as a failure ; he lengthened 
 our way and wasted hours. 
 
 Silence was enjoined upon all on the 
 march. The camels, as usual, disregarded 
 this order, and made night awful with their 
 groans and cries. Smoking likewise was 
 forbidden. 
 
 Daylight broke, finding the column six 
 miles from the river, and about the same 
 distance south of Metemmeh. The ob- 
 jective point was to occupy a position on 
 the Nile four miles south of Metemmeh. 
 An hour before sunrise we had altered our 
 course, turning more to the east. 
 
 Before the sun was up we saw that the 
 enemy were on the alert all along our front. 
 Streams of men on horseback and on foot 
 came from Metemmeh, interposing them- 
 selves between the column and the water 
 we so longed to gain. For a short interval 
 of time Sir Herbert Stewart deliberated 
 whether to push on two miles nearer the 
 Nile. As the Arabs mustered in force 
 sufficient to seriously threaten our ad- 
 vance, he decided to halt upon a ridge of 
 desert covered with sparkling pebbles, four
 
 BATTLE SCENES, 
 
 431 
 
 miles from the river. To our right and 
 rear lay a few low black hills, one mile to 
 two miles distant ; on our front the desert 
 rolled downward towards the green flats 
 bordering the Nile; for here, as at Don- 
 gola, the belt of cultivation is rich and wide. 
 
 Turning with a light smile to his staff, 
 General Stewart said, ' Tell the officers and 
 men we will have breakfast first, and then 
 go out and fight.' 
 
 The column was closed up with the 
 baggage animals to the centre as usual ; the 
 boxes and pack saddles being taken off to 
 make an inclosure to protect the square 
 from rifle fire. In less than ten minutes 
 the Arabs were not only all over our front 
 and flanks, but had drawn a" line around 
 our rear. Groups bearing the fantastic 
 Koran-inscribed banners of the False Pro- 
 phet, similar to those of which we had taken 
 two or three score at Klea, could be seen 
 occupying vantage-points all around. 
 
 The enemy's fire grew hotter and more 
 deadly every minute. Evidently their Re- 
 mingtons were in the hands of Kordofan 
 hunters. Mimosa bushes were ordered to 
 be cut at once, and breakfast preparations 
 were peremptorily suspended for an hour, 
 whilst most of the troops lay flat Fatigue 
 parties strengthened our position. 
 
 In going towards a low mound, a hun- 
 dred yards on our right front, where we had 
 a few skirmishers, General Stewart was shot 
 in the stomach. The command thereupon 
 devolved upon Lord Charles Beresford by 
 seniority, but he, being a naval officer, de- 
 clined it, and Sir Charles Wilson took it 
 over. 
 
 The mound on our front was quickly 
 turned into a detached work, forty volun- 
 teers, carrying boxes and pack-saddles, 
 rushing out, and, in a short space of time, 
 converting it into a strongly defensible post. 
 
 The situation appeared to me so threat 
 ening that I took part in this enterprise. 
 
 Gradually the enemy's riflemen crept 
 nearer, and our skirmishers were sent out 
 to engage them. They were too numerous 
 to drive away, and the nature of the ground 
 
 and the high trajectory of their Remingtons 
 enabled the Arabs to drop their bullets into 
 the square at all points. Soldiers lying 
 behind camels and saddle-packs were shot 
 in the head by dropping bullets. Mr. 
 Cameron, the Standard correspondent, was 
 hit in the back and killed whilst sitting 
 behind a camel, just as he was going to 
 have lunch. letter on I received a graze 
 on the neck and a blow on the foot from 
 bullets. The enemy were firing at ranges 
 of from 700 to 2,000 yards, and their prac- 
 tice was excellent. 
 
 The zip, ping, and thud of the leaden 
 hail was continuous, and, whilst the camels 
 were being killed by fifties, our soldiers did 
 not escape, over forty having to be carried 
 to the hospital, sheltered as well as possible 
 in the centre of the square behind a wall of 
 saddles, bags, and boxes. As a precaution 
 against stampede the poor camels were tied 
 down, both their knees and necks being 
 securely bound by ropes in order to prevent 
 their getting upon their legs. At Klea, I 
 remember, the camels' pack-saddles caught 
 fire from the guns. 
 
 The 10,000 dervishes whom the Mahdi 
 has sent from Omdurman to annihilate us 
 were blocking our road to the Nile ; and 
 over a hundred Baggara, the horsemen of 
 the Soudan, and crowds of villagers, who 
 had joined Mohammed Ahmed's crusade, 
 hung like famished wolves on our rear and 
 flanks, awaiting an opportunity to slay. Ap- 
 parently they were emboldened by our 
 defensive preparations, for their numbers 
 swelled and their fire increased in intensity ; 
 and, as stretcher after stretcher with its gory 
 load was taken to the hospital, the space 
 was found too little, and the wounded had 
 to be laid outside. Surgeon-Major Fer- 
 guson, Dr. Briggs, and their colleagues had 
 their skill and time taxed to the utmost. 
 Want of water hampered their operations ; 
 doctors and patients were alike exposed to 
 the enemy's fire. More harrowing battle 
 scenes in the course of a long experience I 
 never saw. 
 
 One of the most touching incidents in
 
 43 2 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the zareba on the igth was the wounded 
 General being tended by his friends, two j 
 or three of whom wept like men, silently. 
 Poor St. Leger Herbert, the Morning Post 
 correspondent, one of these latter, was him- 
 self shot dead shortly afterwards. 
 
 Our situation had become unbearable. 
 We were being fired at without a chance of 
 returning blows with or without interest. 
 
 There were three courses open to us j 
 to sally forth and fight our way to the Nile ; ! 
 to fight for the river, advancing stage by 
 stage, with the help of zarebas and tem- 
 porary works ; or to strengthen our position 
 and try to withstand the Arabs and lack of 
 water till Wolseley should send a force to 
 our assistance, we meanwhile sending a 
 messenger or two back to Korti with the 
 news. 
 
 It was bravely decided to go out and 
 engage the enemy at close quarters. At two 
 
 p.m. the force was to march out in square, 
 carrying nothing except ammunition and 
 stretchers. Each man was to take a hun- 
 dred rounds and to have his water-bottle 
 full. Everything was put in most thorough 
 readiness for the enterprise. Lord Charles 
 Beresford, who had been ' seedy ' since we 
 left Abu Klea, with Colonel Barrow, re- 
 mained in command of the enclosure, or 
 zareba, containing the animals and stores. 
 They had under them the naval contingent, 
 the i Qth Hussars, a party of Royal En- 
 gineers, and Captain Norton's detachment 
 of Royal Artillery, with three screw guns, 
 and details from regiments and men of the 
 Commissariat and Transport Corps. 
 
 All day lorig Lord Charles and Captain 
 Norton had been pounding the enemy 
 whenever the Arabs gave them a chance, 
 the former at the Gardner gun, and the 
 latter with two of his light guns." 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXVIII. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION BATTLE OF 
 
 THE NILE REACHED. 
 
 T was nearly three before the 
 square started, Sir Charles 
 Wilson in command, and 
 Colonel Boscawen acting 
 as executive officer. Lord 
 Airlie, who had been slightly wounded at 
 Abu Klea, and again on the igth, together 
 with Major Wardrop, served upon Sir 
 Charles's staff, as they had done upon 
 General Stewart's. The square was joined 
 to the east of our inclosed defence, the 
 troops lying down as they were assigned 
 their stations. The Guards formed the 
 front, with the Marines on the right front 
 corner, the Heavies on the right and right 
 rear, the Sussex in the rear, and the 
 Mounted Infantry on the left rear and left 
 flank. Colonel Talbot led the Heavies, 
 
 Major Barrow the Hussars, Colonel Row- 
 ley the Guards, Major Poe the Marines, 
 and Major Sunderland the Sussex Regi- 
 ment. Captain Verner, of the Rifle Brigade, 
 was told off to direct the square in its march 
 towards the river. When the order was 
 
 , given for the square to rise and advance, it 
 
 i moved off to the west to clear the outlying 
 
 i work. 
 
 The instant the Arabs detected the for- 
 ward movement on our part they opened a 
 terrific rifle fire upon the square from the 
 
 ' scrub on all sides. 
 
 For the first few minutes many of our 
 men were hit and fell. The wounded were 
 
 | with difficulty picked up and carried. 
 
 When the square slowly marched, as if 
 upon parade, down into the grass and scrub-
 
 BATTLE OF GUBAT. 
 
 433 
 
 covered hollow, intervening between the 
 works we had constructed, and the line of 
 bare rising desert that bounded our view 
 towards the south and east shutting out 
 
 of sight the river and the fertile border 
 slopes all felt the critical moment had 
 come. 
 
 Steadily the square descended into the 
 
 BATTLK OK GUBAT "THE THICK OK THE FIGHT." 
 
 valley. Gaps were made in our force by 
 the enemy's fire. As man after man stag- 
 gered and fell, these gaps were doggedly 
 closed; and without quickening the pace 
 
 by one beat, onward our soldiers went. All 
 were resolved to sell their lives dearly. 
 Ever)' now and again the square would halt, 
 and the men would lie down, firing at their 
 
 F F
 
 434 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 foes hidden in the valley. Those sheltered 
 behind the desert crest were too safely 
 screened to waste ammunition upon at that 
 stage. Wheeling to the right and swinging 
 to the left our men fought like gladiators, 
 without unnecessarily wasting strength or 
 dealing a blow too many. 
 
 A more glorious spectacle was never 
 seen than this little band in broad daylight, 
 on an open plain, seeking hand-to-hand 
 conflict with the courageous, savage, and 
 fanatical foe, who outnumbered us by twelve 
 
 to one. 
 
 As the square moved over the rolling 
 ground, keeping its best fighting side or 
 rather, I should say, its firing side towards 
 the great onrushes of the Arabs, the soldiers 
 swung around, as though the square pivoted 
 on its centre. Once it entered ground too 
 thickly covered by grass and scrub, halted, 
 and coolly swung round and marched out 
 upon the more open ground, with the Arabs 
 to the right front, their ' tom-toms ' beating, 
 and their sacred battle-flags of red, white, 
 and green, flying in the air. 
 
 Bearing banners lettered with verses from 
 the Koran, a host of fanatic Arabs was the 
 first to hurl its swordsmen and spearmen 
 upon the square. The column wheeled to 
 receive them, and the men, by their officers' 
 direction, fired volleys by companies, 
 scarcely any independent firing being per- 
 mitted. 
 
 The wild dervishes and fanatics who led 
 the charge went down in scores before our 
 fire, which was opened on them at 700 
 yards, and none of the enemy got within 
 two yards of the square. This checked 
 their ardour, which had been excited by 
 seeing the gaps in our ranks. 
 
 Three more charges were attempted by 
 the enemy at other points along the line of 
 the square's advance. 
 
 At half-past four, after nearly two hours' 
 incessant fighting, as the column neared the 
 south-easterly edge of the valley to pass out 
 of it, the Arabs made their final grand on- 
 rush. Nearly 10,000 of them swept down 
 from three sides towards the square, their 
 
 than 
 
 main body numbering not fewer 
 5,000 coming upon our left face. 
 
 It was a critical time. Their fire had 
 made fresh gaps in our ranks, and fierce 
 human waves were rolling in upon every 
 side to overwhelm our force. 
 
 Down the Arabs came from behind the 
 ridge at a trot, and not at the top of their 
 speed, as the Hadendowas charged. Gallant 
 horsemen and wild dervishes led them, and 
 shouted to their followers to rush on in 
 Allah's name and destroy us. 
 
 Firm as a rock, the square stood steadily, 
 aimed deliberately, and fired. 
 
 Again and again had volleys to be sent 
 into the yelling hordes as down they poured. 
 The feeling was Could they be stopped 
 before closing with us ? 
 
 Their fleetest and luckiest dervishes, how- 
 ever, did not get within twenty-five yards 
 before death overtook them; whilst the 
 bulk of the enemy were still a hundred 
 yards away. 
 
 At last God be thanked ! they hesitate, 
 stop, turn, and run back. Victory is ours, 
 and the British column is safe ! 
 
 The broken lines of Arabs sullenly re- 
 treated towards Metemmeh, but our square 
 had to gain the ridge before escaping from 
 their sharp-shooters' fire, and getting a 
 chance of punishing the daring foe. 
 
 Without further opposition, the British 
 advanced to the river, and encamped in a 
 sheltered ravine for the night, the men lying 
 down with their arms, and strong outposts 
 being on the alert against any surprises. 
 
 Every man drank freely of the refreshing 
 water, and, exhausted by the hardships en- 
 dured, slept soundly, grateful that the 
 enemy left them undisturbed for that night. 
 
 Whilst the square was marching to gain 
 the Nile, the garrisons left in charge of the 
 hastily-constructed works sought to render 
 our men all the help possible. 
 
 Skirmishers were thrown out about two 
 hundred yards all round, and the enemy on 
 the right, left, and rear, were kept behind 
 the sheltering ridges as much as possible by 
 good shooting.
 
 ARRIVAL OF GORDON'S STEAMERS. 
 
 435 
 
 The Baggara horsemen and the Arabs on 
 our left and rear were looked after by Lord 
 Charles Beresford with his sailors and their 
 Gardner, and were kept from joining their 
 force with that on the left, when the grand 
 onrush was made upon the square. The 
 i gth Hussars watched our rear; and threat- 
 ened attacks upon the works were provided 
 against on our front and right. 
 
 Captain Norton and Lieut. Duboulay, 
 R.A., with two screw guns, pitched shell 
 and caseshot, at ranges varying from 1,500 
 to 2,300 yards, into the dense groups of 
 Arabs gathered around the Mahdi's stand- 
 ards. The practice made was excellent, 
 and not only did it prevent the Arabs from 
 forming their attacking columns in dense 
 lines, but the exploding shells indicated to 
 the square the points where the enemy was 
 mustering in force to attack. 
 
 Our approximate loss in the day's fighting 
 was, in and about the works, sixteen killed 
 and sixty wounded ; with the square, twelve 
 killed and forty wounded. 
 
 The enemy lost a thousand killed. 
 
 Official returns now going home will give 
 you the names of the officers. 
 
 On Tuesday morning, Jan. 20, the square 
 returned to the works, after having left a 
 small garrison guarding the wounded in a 
 deserted village near the river. 
 
 On their way back they drove the enemy 
 out of the villages of Abu Kru and Gubat, 
 and partly burned these r; laces. 
 
 During the night the garrison at the 
 works had two alarms ; but, altogether, 
 there was little firing, and the dark hours 
 passed quietly. 
 
 The return of the square was signalled 
 by great cheering from all the troops. The 
 soldiers grasped one another warmly by the 
 hand, and heartily congratulated each other. 
 It was a scene of sincere enjoyment and 
 earnest triumph. 
 
 In a few hours the camels left alive were 
 repacked, our dead were buried, and, bear 
 ing our wounded on stretchers, the column, 
 with its baggage as before, in the centre, 
 marched towards the Nile at Abu Km-- 
 
 the Arabs passively watching us from the 
 distant ridges. 
 
 We, the correspondents, carried poor 
 Cameron to his grave, and there we laid 
 him with St. Leger Herbert, Lima, and 
 Quartermaster Jewell. It was but a soldier's 
 funeral. Lord Charles Beresford read the 
 burial service; and then we turned away 
 sorrowfully, each of us to help in the task 
 of bearing wounded men to a safe shelter 
 on the banks of the Nile, which we gained 
 about four p.m. 
 
 On Wednesday, Jan. 2ist, a column, 
 composed much like that of the iQth, ad- 
 vanced to attack Metemmeh, and we found 
 the enemy had loopholed most of the mud 
 walls, and were holding the place in force. 
 
 After we had manoeuvred on the plain to 
 the south-east of the town, firing at the 
 fugitives running towards the north, the 
 enemy unmasked a battery of Krupp guns 
 and played upon us. 
 
 We could see the flags of the dervishes 
 as they waited for us behind the walls, and 
 it was deemed prudent not to attempt an 
 assault 
 
 About eleven in the forenoon, four of 
 Gordon's steamers, under Nousha Pasha, 
 steamed down abreast of the place where 
 we were. 
 
 I rode forward and got aboard one of 
 these steamers, and afterwards carried back 
 a message to Sir Charles Wilson that the 
 Pasha would land 500 men and five guns 
 to assist us. 
 
 This they did, and for several hours we 
 poured shot and shell into Metemmeh. 
 But mud walls take much of this sort oi 
 thing with but little hurt, and at three 
 o'clock the entire force withdrew. 
 
 Our loss was one killed and nine wounded. 
 
 Our Egyptian friends appeared overjoyed 
 to see us. They told us that Khartoum 
 and Gordon were safe and well, and pro- 
 duced the following letter : ' Khartoum all 
 right. Can hold out for years. C. G. 
 Gordon. 29 12 '84.' 
 
 We further learned that all was safe six 
 days ago, and that the Mahdi had sent 2,000
 
 43 6 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 men on the i7th instant to reinforce Me- 
 temmeh, within which were 1,000 riflemen 
 and 10,000 spearmen. 
 
 Olivier Pain, the French renegade, we 
 were informed, was in command there. 
 
 The Mahdi himself was said to be at 
 Omdurman with 12,000 troops. 
 
 The steamers had not been in Khartoum 
 for one month, but had been awaiting us at 
 an island above Metemmeh. The vessels, 
 or three of them, at any rate, are rather 
 larger than Greenwich steamers. They are 
 covered with heavy boards of hard wood, 
 and, inside, with thin iron plates. The 
 
 WATER AT LAST ! FIRST SIGHT OF THE NILE AFTER THE BATTLE OF GUBAT. 
 
 hulls are of iron, and the general appear- 
 ance of the craft is very battered, resembling 
 nothing so much as an old hoarding in a 
 shabby London street. Bullet marks have 
 pitted them from the funnel top to the 
 water line, just as a virulent attack of small- 
 pox disfigures a man's face. 
 
 On board there are several hundreds of 
 plucky blacks, led by a few Turks. As 
 usual they have their wives and families 
 with them. The vessels are more like 
 floating houses than war-ships. 
 
 Yesterday evening the steamers threw 
 fifty shells into Shendy, and have promised
 
 ANXIETY IN ENGLAND. 
 
 437 
 
 to return again unless the people submit. 
 This they do not seem inclined to do. 
 
 We have been improving our defences, 
 as we learn that an Arab force from Berber 
 is on the way to attack us. 
 
 To-night a convoy, under Colonel Talbot, 
 proceeds back to Gakdul with unloaded 
 camels to bring up supplies and reinforce- 
 ments. My messages go by it. 
 
 This is my first opportunity. As we all 
 
 have been so busy, there has been but little 
 leisure, even for writing. 
 
 To-day the troops were put on half-ration 
 scale. To-morrow (Saturday, Jan. 24), Sir 
 Charles Wilson, with Stewart Wortley, 
 Captain Gascoigne, Captain Trafford, and 
 twenty men of the Sussex Regiment, sail in 
 two of Gordon's steamers for Khartoum. 
 The other two stay here." Such were the 
 plans of our leaders. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXIX. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM BELIEF EXPEDITION HOPES AND PLANS. 
 
 EAN WHILE all eyes in 
 England were bent upon 
 the Soudan. After the 
 battle of Abu Klea it was 
 known that the force under 
 Stewart had pressed forward, but what had 
 become of it ? There was for some time no 
 news, and people now understood what mus 
 have been the anxiety of their forefathers 
 in those terrible Napoleonic wars, when 
 there were no telegrams. Then came the 
 good news of the victor)', and the cheering 
 message from Gordon. It already seemed 
 as if Khartoum was relieved. Here is 
 what people at home now said : " The 
 news from the desert stirs the blood like 
 the sound of a trumpet. Seldom has there 
 been any operation more brilliantly con- 
 ceived or more bravely executed than that 
 by which our troops struck across two 
 hundred miles of desert in the presence of 
 an enemy ten times their number, and suc- 
 ceeded in opening communications with the 
 beleaguered garrison at Khartoum. Every- 
 thing was against them. Not a single 
 ' friendly ' of all the tribes of the Bayuda 
 Desert could be induced by bribes or 
 threats to bring them intelligence of the 
 movements of the enemy. Above them 
 blazed an African sun, behind them 
 
 stretched nearly two hundred miles of hostile 
 country, before them were arrayed some 
 10,000 of the picked forces of a brave and 
 fanatical foe. Yet without apparently so 
 much as a haunting doubt of success, 
 although their General was down with a 
 bad wound, their water supply was failing, 
 and every man among them weary with 
 forced marching and sleepless nights, the 
 brave little band struck out from the 
 zareba for the Nile on Monday afternoon, 
 knowing well that if their thin line gave 
 way beneath the Arab rush not a single 
 man would have lived to tell the tale of a 
 terrible catastrophe. Calm and resolute 
 they stood on a shelving upland, awaiting 
 the onslaught of the foe, who, led on by 
 dauntless chieftains, swept down upon them 
 in apparently overwhelming force Three 
 times the flood of Arab war surged down 
 upon the tiny square, thrice to recoil like 
 a rock-shattered wave. Then the enemy 
 fled fast and far across the desert, the flame 
 ceased to fringe the edges of the British 
 square ; the victory was won. It was a 
 gallant deed, of which England may well 
 be proud. It is a day ot small things, no 
 doubt, to those who are accustomed to 
 measure battles solely by the number ot 
 men engaged ; but heroism and valour are
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 not qualities to be appraised by arithmetic, 
 and in presence of this latest demonstration 
 of the sterling stuff of which even the 
 humblest of our countrymen are made, of 
 their unwavering allegiance to duty, and 
 their simple faith in England and her cause, 
 we shall do well indeed to thank God and 
 take courage. 
 
 Nor is that the only consolation that 
 enables even the bereaved, who in the 
 gloom of the valley of the shadow of death 
 mourn their unreturning brave, to feel that 
 there is light in the darkness. Not only 
 were the operations remarkable for the 
 excellent qualities alike of soldierhood and 
 manhood that they displayed, but they j 
 were signally successful. Communications 
 are now re-established with General Gordon. 
 Sir Charles Wilson started last Friday by 
 steamer for Khartoum. The road has been 
 opened from Korti to Metemmeh, and 
 although the latter place is still held by 
 two thousand determined men, the back- 
 bone of the Mahdi's resistance is broken. 
 Although for the moment it is open for the 
 pessimist to pretend that the net result of 
 General Stewart's victory is that we have 
 two garrisons on the Nile to relieve instead 
 of one, that is only for the moment. It is 
 no slight thing that there are two faithful 
 garrisons on the Nile, and that these 
 garrisons are in touch of each other. 
 General Gordon has already relieved 
 General Stewart, even before General 
 Stewart has relieved General Gordon. For 
 Khartoum itself we need be under no 
 apprehension. Gordon's last message, 
 dated December 29, the very day on which 
 General Stewart was setting out from Korti, 
 declared that ' he could hold on for years.' 
 But the fortnight before, as Gordon's friends 
 had painful reason to know, even the 
 indomitable defender of Khartoum had 
 almost lost heart. It was not that he 
 feared the Mahdi. Gordon has never 
 feared an open foe. An uneasy dread 
 haunted him of treachery in his own camp, 
 a suspicion which, if well founded, would 
 have rendered abortive all his labours and 
 
 all the effort of the present expedition. To 
 avert that catastrophe General Stewart was 
 thrust across the desert at what no doubt 
 appeared to many armchair critics un- 
 necessary haste in the face of enormous 
 dangers. The news of his imminent advance 
 probably averted the peril which General 
 Gordon had foreseen, and the shifty, re- 
 sourceful genius who has kept at bay the 
 raging hordes of savage Islam behind the 
 ramparts of Khartoum was able at the end 
 of the year not merely to hold his own, but 
 actually to despatch steamers, troops, and 
 provisions to assist the relieving force. 
 Seldom have we had a more splendid 
 illustration of the incalculable force which 
 lies latent in a single individual who com- 
 bines supreme genius with unflinching 
 faith. May this object lesson from the 
 desert not be thrown away upon Englishmen 
 at home. 
 
 There is now no need for any more 
 headlong plunges through the Soudan, 
 although not a moment will be lost in 
 following up the present advantage. The 
 capital is safe. A fortified line of posts 
 extends from Korti to Khartoum. The 
 waterway from Metemmeh to Khartoum 
 is patrolled by the armed steamers of the 
 Nile flotilla. General Stewart, we are 
 delighted to hear, is progressing favourably, 
 but from the nature of his wound we must 
 | not be too confident concerning his ulti- 
 1 mate recovery. The advance of General 
 ; Earle along the Nile is being pressed 
 steadily and successfully. He also has had 
 a brush with the enemy, but it does not 
 seem to have been serious, although it was 
 completely successful. Khartoum, however, 
 | will probably be relieved and the Mahdi dis- 
 posed of long before General Earle and his 
 men get round to Berber. They will clear 
 out the rebels from the bend of the Nile 
 and have Berber ready for Lord Wolseley 
 when he returns from Khartoum. Mean- 
 while, before deciding anything about what 
 is to be done with the Soudan, it will be 
 well to wait for General Gordon's opinion. 
 His diary is said to be now in the hands of
 
 WILSON'S VOYAGE. 
 
 439 
 
 General Stewart; his advice as to the 
 future may be expected as soon as Sir 
 Charles Wilson gets back from Khartoum. 
 Till then we shall act wisely to suspend 
 
 our judgment, and then we shall probably 
 be unable to do better than to act upon 
 his." Alas ! it was soon found that these 
 bright anticipations were not to be realized. 
 
 CHAPTER XC. 
 
 THE JtHARTOUM BELIEF ^XPEDITION NARRATIVE OF WlLSON's 
 
 VOYAGE AND BERESFORD'S RESCUE. 
 
 VENTS move quickly in 
 our present era. People 
 had come to the conclusion 
 that Khartoum had been 
 relieved. No more anxiety 
 was felt on that account, and speculation 
 was now busy as to the next step. Sud- 
 denly there was a change. At one moment 
 Khartoum was visible with its bulwarks in- 
 tact, dominated by the one grand imposing 
 figure of Gordon. Then all at once it 
 vanished in fire and smoke, and with it, 
 and more regretted than it, the solitary 
 Englishman whose name will make it for 
 ever memorable. 
 
 On the 4th of February, the news first 
 came to London. At first it was kept 
 absolutely quiet. The Ministry could not 
 believe it The next day's morning papers 
 said nothing, for the all-sufficient reason 
 that they knew nothing ; but that forenoon 
 the news somehow or other got known, and 
 the evening papers were full of it. It burst 
 upon the City, upon England, upon the 
 civilized world we may say, like a thunder- 
 clap. Eagerly details were looked for, 
 and soon these began to pour in from the 
 war correspondents. Let us follow their 
 narrative. 
 
 " Ixjrd Charles Beresford, who left Abu 
 Kru on the afternoon of the ist inst, 
 flying the British ensign aboard General 
 Gordon's steamer Sofia t and taking two 
 Gardner guns and detachments of Blue- 
 jackets and Mounted Infantry under Lieu- 
 
 tenant Bowe, and some natives, returned 
 here at sunset yesterday (the 4th), bringing 
 back Sir Charles Wilson and the remainder 
 of the crews of the two steamers wrecked 
 during his bold dash up the Nile. 
 
 The following is a brief narrative of these 
 daring voyages : 
 
 Saturday, Jan. 24. Sir Charles Wilson, 
 Captains Wortley, Gascoigne, and Trafford 
 left Abu Kru on Gordon's steamers Bordein 
 and Tellhoweiya for Khartoum. 
 
 Colonel Wilson, Captain Gascoigne, and 
 Royal Sussex men were on board the Bor- 
 dein, together with 200 native officers and 
 crews; Captains Wortley and Trafford, 
 with more Sussex men, aboard the Te/l- 
 hvwciya. 
 
 Having stopped for wood at five o'clock 
 on Sunday afternoon, the Bordein ran 
 upon a rock in the first part of the Sixth 
 Cataract, which now extends for a distance 
 of twenty miles. 
 
 It may be incidentally mentioned that 
 the names on the map are nearly all wrong. 
 The cataract begins below Mernant and 
 ends above AussL The Arabs call the 
 cataract ' the place of ninety-nine islands.' 
 
 In the morning, about nine o'clock, the 
 Bordein got afloat, but at a distance of two 
 miles higher up it got into the wrong 
 channel There being but little water on 
 the cataract, the soldiers landed to lighten 
 the steamers. 
 
 Tuesday, Jan. 27. Started at daylight ; 
 stopped opposite Jebel Rojan, taking in
 
 440 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 wood for three hours. By two p.m. the 
 enemy's riflemen began firing from the 
 banks, many of their shots striking the 
 steamers. 
 
 This fusillade continued till dark from 
 both banks, particularly from the western. 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson stopped the steamers 
 
 near the eastern bank at a deserted village 
 about eighteen miles from Khartoum, and 
 while there a man shouted that Khartoum 
 had fallen on Wednesday, the 28th. The 
 vessels started at daylight At this point 
 the river has sandy banks. Rifle firing 
 was resumed from both sides. Opposite 
 
 COLONEL SIR CHARLES WILSON. 
 
 Jebel Surgham our men expected fire from a 
 battery, but none occurred. 
 
 They next passed Fighiarah, where they 
 sustained a hot rifle fire. Here, too, they 
 got the first sight of Khartoum over Tuti 
 Island, which lies low. (See page 105.) 
 
 Half an hour more brought the steamers 
 abreast Halfaya, and the natives ashore 
 
 received them with a heavy rifle fire from 
 their entrenchments. The Arabs had also 
 three Krupp guns, with which they opened 
 upon the vessels. 
 
 The steamers replied vigorously witli 
 rifle and gun fire, the Soudanese crew dis- 
 playing considerable bravery. We had 
 three men wounded. Near Tuti more rifle
 
 KHARTOUZf IN SIGHT. 
 
 44t 
 
 fire was directed against the steamers from 
 all points along the banks. 
 
 We arrived nearly opposite Omdurman 
 at noon, when a heavy rifle fire opened by 
 about one thousand rebels on the banks of 
 the river and outside Khartoum. Their 
 Krupps also opened a fierce fire four of 
 
 them from Omdurman, two from Khar- 
 toum, two from Tuti and from the east 
 bank. 
 
 The attacking force was wearing the 
 Mahdi's uniform, and had hundreds of 
 flags. The enemy was in great force, 
 swarming all over the low ground between, 
 
 LORI> CHARLES EERESFORD. 
 
 the river and the city to the south-west, 
 and coming openly out to engage Sir 
 Charles Wilson's force. 
 
 The steamers were now within a mile of 
 Khartoum, and those on board could sec 
 the fort at Omdurman, which was held by 
 the enemy, and opposite to it Gordon's 
 troop-boats, nuggars, and other craft. 
 
 Gordon's three steamers, however, they 
 could not see. 
 
 On the Government House there was a 
 flag-staff, but no flag flying. In the streets 
 there were scores of the Mahdi's banners. 
 
 A man came down to the river during 
 the firing waving a white flag, but the 
 steamers declined receiving overtures, as 
 
 F F
 
 442 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 the rebels maintained a heavy rifle and gun 
 fire. 
 
 There was a battery and there were 
 trenches upon the low ground north of 
 Khartoum, which fired at the steamers 
 from the front, flanks, and left rear. 
 
 Without entering the Blue Nile, the 
 steamers turned back, and a shell passed 
 through the Tdlhowdycts cabin, bursting 
 underneath. The Bordein had her dingy 
 blown to pieces. 
 
 By 4.10 p.m. the steamers had run back 
 out of a heavy fire. 
 
 Naturally our men were greatly disheart- 
 ened by the uncertainty which shrouded 
 the fate of the man they expected to relieve, 
 but this did not prevent them making a 
 vigorous reply to the enemy's fire. The 
 natives on board, however, became broken- 
 spirited, and, lying down, sought to get 
 cover from the hail of bullets by covering 
 their heads. 
 
 The steamers ran down to within twelve 
 miles of the Sixth Cataract, anchoring in 
 mid-stream for the night. 
 
 The men of the Sussex Regiment did 
 much execution with their rifles. 
 
 The Bordein went within three hundred 
 yards of the shore at Khartoum. During 
 the night a native dressed in the Mahdi's 
 uniform was sent ashore. He returned 
 confirming the fall of the city and the death 
 of General Gordon. 
 
 According to his account, the city was 
 betrayed on the night of January 26th by 
 Farag or Farash Pasha, a Soudanese, and 
 Ahmed Gelab, a native of Assouan. One 
 opened the gates and the other sent a 
 steamer and boats to the Mahdi whilst the 
 Egyptians troops were massed on one side 
 of the town. 
 
 One report was that there was no fight- 
 ing ; another that Gordon and his Sou- 
 danese resisted and were all killed, Gordon 
 himself being murdered as he came out of 
 his room in the Government House ; and 
 yet another, that Gordon had succeeded in 
 reaching the Roman Catholic Mission build- 
 ings, which are constructed to withstand a 
 
 siege, with fifty men and a full supply of 
 ammunition and stores. 
 
 The steamers were lightened by throw- 
 ing dhurra and ammunition overboard to 
 pass the cataract. 
 
 On Thursday morning the start was 
 delayed, the Bordein 's paddle having been 
 damaged. Later she ran aground, and 
 stuck fast for two hours, the four Arab 
 pilots refusing to proceed unless they were 
 all brought upon one steamer, determining 
 one vessel should attempt the passage, and 
 that the other should wait the result. This 
 was permitted. 
 
 The steamers dropped down stream stern 
 foremost. Below Jebel Royan the Tell- 
 howeiya sank between two rocks, the water 
 rising above her deck. Guns and baggage, 
 crew and soldiers, were all put upon a large 
 unmasted nuggar which she [had hitherto 
 towed, and were sent down the river. 
 
 The Bordein followed, and anchored 
 near an island for the night. There was 
 no firing. 
 
 The same evening a Soudanese dervish, 
 who had come to the river's edge at Khar- 
 toum with a white flag, and had followed 
 the steamer down stream, came aboard 
 with a letter from the Mahdi, the contents 
 of which have already been wired to you. 
 There was a postscript saying that it was 
 the Mahdi's first and last letter to the 
 English, unless we submitted, and calling 
 upon the Shaggieh to join his standard, 
 and if the English refused to do so, to kill 
 all the Kaffir dogs. 
 
 The dervish, an intelligent-looking fellow, 
 pressed Khasm El Mous and the Arab 
 officer Abdul Hasnid to go over to the 
 Mahdi, in whom he unhesitatingly believed 
 as a true prophet. The messenger told our 
 officers that the Mahdi had been sent by 
 God to convert the world, and intended to 
 march straight upon Stamboul. Gordon 
 was at Omdurman, and had adopted the 
 Mahdi's uniform. 
 
 When the dervish left he took with him 
 a letter from Khasm El Mous to the Mahdi, 
 stating that the former would surrender on
 
 BERESFORD' S ADVENTURES. 
 
 443 
 
 his way down stream to Fakir Mustapha, 
 an Emir who had 4,000 men at Wady el 
 Habasha at the foot of the cataract. Mous's 
 letter was a ruse. 
 
 This letter and a reported traitorous 
 communication were handed in secretly by 
 native skippers, and, it is believed, saved 
 the steamers from attack in the cataract, 
 where men and guns had been posted by 
 Mustapha, as he expected that the steamer 
 would be run aground there. 
 
 A native also boarded the steamer and 
 related a story of Gordon having shut 
 himself up in the Catholic Mission build- 
 ings. The Mahdi's Emirs, this man further 
 said, had refused to proceed against the 
 English unless the Mahdi would go to battle 
 with them. 
 
 Friday. Started early. Stuck for four 
 hours near Shabbaca. Anchored for the 
 night by an island in the middle of the 
 rapid. 
 
 Four Shaggieh tribesmen boarded us, 
 and said they must throw in their lot with 
 the Mahdi. They urged Khassm to go 
 with them, but he refused to leave the 
 English. 
 
 All the families of Gordon's men came 
 on board. 
 
 Saturday. The cataract was very diffi- 
 cult. After passing into open water the 
 Borddn was run upon a rock, knocking a 
 large hole in her bottom. The steamer 
 was run alongside an island or sandbank, 
 three miles from the enemy's position lower 
 down, and was abandoned. The men, 
 guns, and stores were all landed during the 
 night. 
 
 Lieutenant Stuart-Wortley, who was 
 ordered to take back .the news, ran past 
 the enemy's works in a small boat, with 
 eight natives and four English, getting 
 beyond them before he was observed, when 
 they fired at, but missed him. The boat 
 got here safely. 
 
 Meantime Sir Charles Wilson and the 
 crews waited for assistance. 
 
 Sunday. Mustaphi, the Mahdi's Emir, 
 came upon the island and urged the neces- 
 
 sity of surrender. The same evening 
 Hamid Bey, two skippers, and seventeen 
 men deserted. 
 
 Lord Charles Beresford started on Feb. 
 i on board the Sofia to bring down the 
 shipwrecked crews. 
 
 Tuesday. About eight a.m. he saw the 
 wreck of the Bordein three miles ahead. 
 The Arabs upon the western bank opened 
 fire upon the Sofia from 1,000 yards. 
 Steamer advancing, the rebels from a small 
 fort furnished with protecting trenches sent 
 in a heavy discharge of musketry, and com- 
 menced fire with two or three brass 
 howitzers, similar to two aboard the 
 steamer. 
 
 The channel was 200 yards from the fort. 
 Lord Charles Beresford told off every man 
 to his post. The two howitzers, two Gard- 
 ners, and all the Martini-Henrys were 
 brought to bear upon the enemy, soon 
 driving them to seek cover. 
 
 The Sofia steams very slowly, not more 
 than four miles an hour up stream. Whilst 
 she was passing the last embrasure of the 
 fort a shell was hurled at her, entering her 
 boiler. An explosion took place, followed 
 by a rush and roar of steam and water, 
 scalding seven men. 
 
 The anchor was let go within 500 yards 
 of the enemy's works. Careful examination 
 disclosed that the steamer was not sinking, 
 and that the damage could be repaired in 
 ten hours. 
 
 Every effort was made on board the 
 Sofia to keep the enemy's fire under, whilst 
 the chief Engineer officer, Bendow, and 
 his men put a patch plate upon the boiler. 
 So well directed was our men's fire that the 
 Arabs were unable to lift their heads above 
 the earthworks. Their uninjured gun was 
 fired in the wildest way. 
 
 In the afternoon all Sir Charies Wilson's 
 people came marching down the right bank 
 to the steamer to lend their assistance, their 
 baggage coming down in a nuggar. 
 
 Lord Charles Beresford got the Soudanese 
 to open fire from two guns and with their 
 rifles upon the rebel work till dark.
 
 444 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 After sunset the nuggar was taken by 
 Captain Gascoigne past the enemy's works, 
 which he succeeded in doing safely, despite 
 a heavy fire. Unluckily, however, the craft 
 grounded 600 yards below the fort, and the 
 night was spent in trying to get her afloat. 
 
 The Arabs, after firing a few shots at the 
 steamer, on board of which perfect silence 
 was kept, evidently thought that she had 
 been abandoned, stopped firing, and began 
 tom-toming. 
 
 By four a.m. the boiler was repaired, and 
 steam was got up. 
 
 Just before daybreak the enemy saw 
 sparks emerging from the funnel. Forth- 
 with they began yelling and firing in the 
 fiercest manner. The steamer replied. 
 
 A quarter of an hour later the vessel 
 went ahead for 200 yards, then turned, and 
 came down stream rapidly, effectively 
 returning the Arab fire. One shell burst 
 as she was passing an embrasure of the 
 fort, and then the steamer ran quickly out 
 of range. 
 
 Lieutenant Kepple, who had been serving 
 the guns in the pluckiest style, was sent 
 back in a boat to assist in floating the 
 nuggar. This was speedily done, under a 
 heavy fire, by throwing the baggage over- 
 board, and the boat was taken alongside 
 the steamer. Gordon's people were got on 
 board with the guns and ammunition. The 
 nuggar and another boat were taken in tow 
 and brought on here by the Sofia. The 
 seaman Curnow was killed, and Lieutenant 
 Van Koughnet was wounded. 
 
 The steamers are now being put into an 
 effective state. The army is exasperated 
 at Gordon's fate, and the men trust that 
 the people, not the Government, will decide 
 upon the course that it is now necessary to 
 pursue. 
 
 Here we believe that returning will not 
 only be temporarily disastrous, but must 
 mean the spending of many millions in 
 order to check Moslem risings nearer 
 Cairo, as well as elsewhere. 
 
 The men are content to take the grave 
 risk of holding on here for Gordon's sake 
 
 and their country's honour. Energy and 
 dash could get an Indian force to Berber, 
 with guns, within a month from the receipt 
 of this despatch. Meantime, we look for 
 General Buller, or a successor to General 
 Stewart. 
 
 A Court of Inquiry was held to-day, and 
 to-morrow a court-martial will be held on 
 the reises, or native skippers. 
 
 The camp is healthy." 
 "NEAR METEMMEH, Feb. 5 (via KORTI, 
 Feb. 9, 7.40 p.m.). 
 
 Lord Charles Beresford returned here 
 last evening, bringing Sir Charles Wilson 
 and the shipwrecked crews of the two 
 steamers wrecked on the Nile. 
 
 Lord Charles Beresford's rescuing 
 steamer had a terrible time of it. He 
 gallantly engaged the enemy's riflemen, 
 who were estimated to be 4,000 strong, 
 and a battery of three Krupp guns, at a 
 point about forty miles above here. 
 
 His small steamer was temporarily dis- 
 abled by a shot passing into her boiler. 
 This mishap compelled Lord Charles to 
 anchor within 500 yards of the native fort. 
 
 He succeeded, however, in keeping the 
 enemy at bay by means of the Gardners 
 and rifles. 
 
 The afternoon and night were spent in 
 the difficult work of effecting repairs, and 
 the party at length got away on the morn- 
 ing of the 4th. 
 
 Our loss amounted to one seaman killed, 
 seven men wounded, and Lieutenant Van 
 Koughnet, R.N., wounded. Several men 
 were scalded by the outburst of steam. 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson's loss was two men 
 killed and twenty wounded all Egyptians 
 and four men of the Sussex Regiment 
 slightly injured. 
 
 Our Soudanese auxiliaries fought well 
 until they heard about the fall of Khar- 
 toum, which demoralized them. 
 
 The latest news is that General Gordon 
 was killed while leaving his room in 
 Government House. 
 
 The Mahdi has massacred the families 
 of all Gordon's men.
 
 "SMASH" THE MAUD I AT KHARTOUM! 
 
 44S 
 
 The rebels were admitted by the treach- 
 ery of Farag Pasha into Khartoum on the 
 night of Jan. 26. 
 
 Here all is well. There are daily out- 
 post affairs with the enemy. 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson runs the gauntlet of 
 the enemy to-night, 100 men assisting him 
 thrdflgh. He goes to see Lord Wolseley, 
 and I take the opportunity of his departure 
 to send this telegram. 
 
 The Nile is steadily falling about an inch 
 daily." 
 
 "Telegram from General Wolseley to the 
 Secretary of State for War. 
 KORTI, Feb. 9, 1885 (7.30 p.m.). 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson just reached my 
 camp, having left Gubat early on morning 
 of 6th inst 
 
 General Stewart's wound doing well. 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson's party all safe. 
 
 Lord Charles Beresford, in a steamer, 
 brought him back, having engaged enemy's 
 battery within three miles of island on 
 which Wilson's party were landed. 
 
 In action with battery, enemy's round 
 shot went through steamer's boiler. Beres- 
 
 ford had to anchor under fire until he 
 repaired boiler. 
 
 Wilson, with his four guns, ammunition 
 and party, landed from island on right 
 bank, and marched down stream opposite 
 battery, and came into action, helping with 
 Beresford's fire on battery in keeping 
 enemy's fire down. 
 
 Towards sunset Wilson marched down 
 river about three miles, and halted for 
 night. Beresford joined them in the 
 morning, having again engaged enemy's 
 battery in passing it, and brought them 
 safely to Gubat 
 
 Edwin Curnow, second-class petty officer, 
 killed ; Lieutenant E. Van Koughnet, Royal 
 Navy, wounded (flesh wound in thigh) ; and 
 two English and four natives wounded or 
 scalded in engine-room when shot went 
 through boiler. 
 
 I cannot speak too highly of the plucky 
 manner in which Lord C. Beresford acted 
 on this occasion. Indeed, all his party, 
 and that under Sir C. Wilson, behaved 
 admirably, and with the usual determina- 
 tion of Englishmen." 
 
 CHAPTER XCI. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM BELIEF EXPEDITION RETREAT FROM 
 fi.BV KRU TO y\BU KLEA. 
 
 F course the first impulse in 
 England was to conquer 
 the Soudan. The Mahdi 
 was to be smashed at 
 Khartoum. But this was not 
 an easy process. The force sent out under 
 Wolseley had been intended to relieve 
 Gordon, and that only, so that a pre- 
 liminary retreat was at least necessary. 
 The force sent on towards Metemmeh had 
 to be recalled to Korti. Availing ourselves 
 again of the narrative of the Daily Tele- 
 graph's correspondent, we proceed to give 
 
 an account of the chief incidents of that 
 retreat : 
 
 "Immediately upon learning of the 
 death of Gordon and the fall of Khar- 
 toum, the Government not only gave the 
 Commander-in-chief carte blanche, but 
 evinced an anxiety that the stain of a 
 wasted campaign might be erased by some 
 brilliant military achievement. Even in 
 the remote wilds of Africa news does get 
 about, and we all heard a good deal, not- 
 withstanding the free use of official cipher, 
 of the nervous energy which had seized
 
 446 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 upon the Ministry and the War Office. 
 Metemmeh was to be taken at once, and 
 Berber was to be occupied. The former 
 order was despatched by Lord Wolseley to 
 General Buller, and had it, or could it, 
 have been carried out, that would, I am 
 sure, have secured ample leisure for the 
 flying column to slowly retire from Abu 
 Kru to Korti. Time, with which the 
 Government had so long dallied, had how- 
 ever raised the fates against them. For 
 economic reasons the purchase of camels 
 was stopped before a reserve to replace 
 broken-down animals had been secured. 
 The marches of Stewart, and the going to 
 and fro of convoys, during which many of 
 the camels were occasionally four and six 
 days without water and food, except the 
 dry, reed-like sabas grass growing upon the 
 desert, told fatally upon hundreds of the 
 poor brutes. The stamina was gone out 
 of the survivors, and protracted rest was 
 necessary with good feeding for all of them. 
 The situation admitted of neither, and with 
 huge gaping wounds and terrible sores from 
 packs and girths the wretched animals con- 
 tinued to be driven about. An awful 
 effluvia, noxious as a pest-house, exhaled 
 from the wounds of the miserable animals, 
 and has latterly filled the air whenever a 
 camel convoy marches. I say nothing of 
 the stench from the countless dead victims 
 which line the route from Abu Kru to 
 Korti Even as I write, the odour from 
 hundreds of these lying outside the en- 
 trance to Gakdul makes the approach to 
 this place a sort of running the gauntlet of 
 smells insufferable. It was therefore with 
 the generals not so much the minor ques- 
 tion about the transport of stores, as whether 
 camels enough could be mustered to carry 
 the wounded and the barest sufficiency of 
 water, food, and ammunition to enable the 
 flying column to get back to Gakdul and 
 Korti. Going forward was past hoping 
 for, as we knew, without camels, Lord 
 Wolseley could not move men and stores 
 to the front in reasonable time. We at 
 .Abu Kru were quite prepared to await a 
 
 siege from the Mahdi's forces, and although 
 our commissariat was very scant, and we 
 had all been living on half rations, were 
 well content to placidly abide the arrival of 
 a relief column coming from India to the 
 Nile via Souakin and Berber. With diligent 
 foraging and strictest thrift the force per- 
 haps could have tided over an interval of 
 two months. 
 
 It was not to be, and on Feb. i3th it 
 was secretly whispered about our camp at 
 Abu Kru that Sir Redvers Buller had de- 
 cided to evacuate this place and retire 
 upon Abu Klea wells. If we remained 
 upon the Nile, it was said, we should surely 
 be invested by the Mahdi's army, an ad- 
 vance corps of which, some 8,000 or 
 10,000 strong, was then within ten miles of 
 us, while the main body, 30,000 to 60,000 
 men, were thirty miles away. Our spies 
 told us this large army was steadily and 
 surely marching down the Nile, upon the 
 west bank, and that there was a smaller 
 number of the enemy, probably 6,000, 
 coming on down the east bank of the 
 river. Each force had guns, and the fall 
 of Khartoum had given the rebels posses- 
 sion of an arsenal, a practically unlimited 
 quantity of ammunition. Stirring news for 
 a little army of 1,200 to 1,300 effective 
 men ! Still more so when our strength 
 was reduced by the despatch of convoys 
 with escorts of 300 men to Gakdul. We 
 were mostly ensconced within the mud fort 
 we had built close to the banks of the Nile. 
 The position from a military point of view 
 was not a good one, as the work was more 
 or less commanded on all sides. Against 
 any amount of musketry fire we should 
 have been safe enough, but shells dropping 
 near would have made life a burden ; and 
 what with dirt and dust it was quite un- 
 comfortable enough at Abu Kru. Alas, 
 how had the mighty fallen ! The officers 
 had set out with light hearts, expecting a 
 walk over to Khartoum, and deploring 
 their luck that there would be no fighting 
 and no honours nor rewards. It had even 
 been absolutely telegraphed home that we
 
 GRAY HAIRS ON YOUNG HEADS. 
 
 447 
 
 should be in Shendy on January 7th, and 
 in Khartoum by the 2ist day of January, 
 1885, and here were we all but shut up 
 behind a heap of mud ! 
 
 Very properly the fact that we intended 
 evacuating Abu Kru not El Gubat, for 
 that was a mile up stream was kept as 
 profound a secret as possible, to prevent 
 any of the natives about the camp carrying 
 information to the enemy. With the de- 
 parture of the wounded and of Gordon's 
 Soudanese on the i3th February, there was 
 less need for making a mystery of the con- 
 templated movement, and orders were 
 issued which indicated the nature of the 
 step about to be taken. Packs were made 
 up, water-skins filled, and camels got ready 
 for the road. The Commissariat, too, sud- 
 denly began to issue stores to all comers in 
 the most lavish manner. Tea, coffee, 
 sugar, bacon; yea, even the Nile boat 
 dainties and hospital comforts, jams, con- 
 densed milk, and liquors were given away, 
 and the first and last rum ration at Abu 
 Kru was measured out. A stream of men 
 were going and coming from the Com- 
 missariat all day long on that eventful 
 Friday, Feb. i3th. We had seen 300 
 of the enemy leave Metemmeh several 
 hours after the sick convoy, which started 
 at six a.m. This force was thought to be 
 too insignificant to hamper it At one p.m., 
 one of the igth Hussars rode in with the 
 news that Colonel Talbot, who was in 
 command of the convoy, had been attacked 
 by the Arabs in the bush six or seven miles 
 out The attack was begun just as the 
 convoy was resuming the line of march 
 after having rested for breakfast, by several 
 hundred riflemen. The enemy were re- 
 ported to be part from Metemmeh and part 
 an ammunition convoy from Khartoum. 
 Colonel Talbot dismounted his men, and 
 formed them in square behind their camels, 
 whilst a double row of baggage camels was 
 placed in the centre to surround the 
 wounded. His force consisted of 135 
 men taken from the Guards, 135 men from 
 Mounted Infantry, and 135 men from 
 
 Heavy Camel Corps. Captain Pearson, of 
 the Marines, who form part of the Guards 
 Camel Regiment, went out with a company 
 of his men ID skirmish with the enemy. 
 Firing opened at ten a.m., and was main- 
 tained till shortly after mid-day, the enemy's 
 horsemen circling around the convoy, but 
 neither they nor the riflemen appearing to 
 have the least desire to rush the square. 
 At noon the Light Camel Regiment, under 
 Colonel Stanley Clarke, arrived quite un- 
 expectedly upon the scene. They were 
 marching to Abu Kru, to reinforce the 
 troops there. Hearing firing they pushed 
 ahead, only to be saluted, at 1,000 yards 
 range, with two or three volleys from part 
 of the Mounted Infantry. The latter had 
 seen the enemy's horsemen in the bush in 
 the same direction but a minute previously, 
 and that was their excuse. The bullets hit 
 a camel or two, but, happily, none of the 
 soldiers were struck. The men dismounted, 
 bugles were sounded, and two or three 
 officers rode forward to explain matters. 
 The arrival of the Lights put the enemy to 
 flight, and they disappeared as suddenly as 
 they had come on. Our loss was three 
 killed and eight wounded, the Marines 
 proportionately suffering most. Unimpor- 
 tant as the affair turned out to be, it was 
 feared the consequences would be fatal to 
 the more seriously wounded men who were 
 being carried back. Happily such was not 
 the case, as, with one exception, Major- 
 General Stewart, whom the removal had 
 greatly upset, none appeared a whit the 
 worse. Perhaps there has never been a 
 campaign where, in so brief a period, so 
 many serious dangers have been run by 
 those with the flying column, or so many 
 ' close calls ' made by the grim enemy, 
 'Death.' Heads luxuriant but three months 
 ago with hyacinthine locks, I have noted 
 now showing silver streaks. Never have I 
 seen so many young heads grow gray hairs 
 so fast. 
 
 On hearing the convoy had been 
 attacked, General Buller ordered out part 
 of the Royal Irish and the Guards to their
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 assistance, and undertook to make a de- 
 monstration against Metemmeh. At three 
 p.m., Major Grenfell, of the Egyptian army, 
 rode in with a small escort, and told the 
 General that the Arabs had run off, and 
 that the Lights were going to return as 
 additional escort with the wounded as far 
 as Abu Klea wells. The Royal Irish and 
 the Guards were called in, and once more 
 everybody devoted themselves to making 
 preparations for departure. Only what was 
 indispensable was carried, and candles and 
 articles of preserved food, which before 
 brought fabulous prices jam 5^. to IQS. a 
 pot could be had for the asking. 
 
 I think I told you in my last how glad we 
 all were to see General Buller ride in and 
 assume the command. An army without 
 a chief is a wasted force, and no committee 
 of captains can fill the position usefully or 
 effectively. His presence was soon felt in 
 many valuable ways. Himself 'a de- 
 cidedly self-reliant man,' he expects that 
 quality from others. At nightfall men were 
 detailed to break up the Commissariat 
 stores, which, with the surplus ammunition 
 and rifles, were pitched into the river. 
 Tons of stores that had cost so much 
 trouble to transport were thus destroyed. 
 The Nile boat stores, from ten to thirty 
 per cent, of which had been damaged by 
 the knocking about, and the getting in of 
 water in transit to Korti, were consigned to 
 the river that had already consumed and 
 ruined so much. It was painful to see the 
 waste. Until midnight the work of de- 
 struction went on. Even then it was far 
 from complete, for many of the tins of 
 meat were merely thrown upon the shallow 
 bank, and could easily be recovered by the 
 Arabs. The hospital equipments, tents, 
 stretchers, bedding, clothing, and medi- 
 cines were left lying upon the ground, 
 together with a pile of boxes and some 
 ammunition near where the Royal En- 
 gineers were quartered. As little noise 
 and stir as possible were made, and to 
 outward appearance the camp must have 
 looked much as usual. Hopes that had 
 
 been held out of the force going down the 
 river on steamers and in nuggars to Ber- 
 ber, in order to join Earle's column, now 
 proved delusive. The last of poor Gordon's 
 steamers, upon which he must have ex- 
 pended so much thought, were also to be 
 destroyed, and by his countrymen, to pre- 
 vent their falling into the enemy's hands. 
 The military mind was for scuttling them 
 and sinking the craft mid-stream. Lord 
 Charles Beresford, with the true tar's tra- 
 ditional dislike to sinking a ship, begged 
 leave to try another plan, supporting that 
 proposition with the plea that if we re- 
 turned to Metemmeh the two steamers 
 might be recaptured and used by us, but 
 to the enemy would be valueless. General 
 Buller gave his consent, and in the dark- 
 ness of a moonless night the steamers 
 Sofia and Tewfekia were temporarily 
 moored in deep water. While there all 
 their guns, stores, and ammunition were 
 thrown overboard. 
 
 In emptying the magazines the sailors 
 came across packages of friction primers for 
 guns. Without thought the wrappings were 
 torn off, and most of the primers pitched 
 into the Nile. Before all had gone some- 
 body picked up one of the paper wrappings, 
 and read from writing upon it, ' Safe ; made 
 by my own hands. Khartoum. C. E. G.' 
 This writing was Gordon's, sure enough, 
 for many of us knew it. There was a 
 scramble for the few packages left, and 
 these were speedily pocketed, to be 
 carried away as souvenirs of the bravest 
 of soldiers. After the munitions of war 
 had been destroyed, the naval engineers 
 took away parts of the machinery the 
 crank pins and eccentric straps and thus 
 stripped, the steamers were left to the 
 Mahdi. His allusion in his letters to the 
 'English officers' not to put trust in the 
 steamers was at any rate well timed. Since 
 then we have all learned there is a com- 
 plete Government machine-shop in Khar- 
 toum, where they can not only replace the 
 missing parts, but, if necessary, build a 
 steamer. These were the steamers with
 
 ARRIVAL AT ABU KLEA. 
 
 44 9 
 
 which we threatened to bombard Shendy 
 every day unless the people submitted ! 
 
 At three a.m. on Feb. i5th (Saturday) 
 the men began loading the camels for the 
 journey as silently as possible. At five 
 a.m. everybody had quitted the large earth- 
 work by the riverside, and moved forward 
 to the slightly rising ground just behind 
 the Guards' fort, where the column was to 
 fall in. The two companies of the Royal 
 Sussex placed upon the island had been 
 ferried back the previous night. By 5.30 
 a. ro. the forts were totally evacuated. No 
 attempt of any sort was made to impair or 
 destroy our handiwork. The igth Hussars 
 sent out a bigger patrol than customary 
 towards Metemmeh, and scouts from the 
 same regiment closely watched every hill 
 around the position occupied by the 
 column. By six a.m. our column began 
 its march in the following order for Abu 
 Klea wells : Advance guard : Half-troop 
 i gth Hussars, forty dismounted men 
 Guards Camel Regiment, main body Foot 
 Guards walking, camels of dismounted 
 men, R.A., R.E., few Soudanese, C and 
 T Corps Reserve Ammunition, Blue-jackets 
 with their Gardners, Medical Staff Corps. 
 Rear : Dismounted men, Heavy Camel 
 Regiment, four guns R.A. and four Com- 
 panies Royal Irish. Rear Guard : Two 
 guns R.A., two Companies Royal Irish, 
 and remainder of the Hussars. On right 
 flank of column, fifty yards distant, walked 
 the Mounted Infantry; on opposite flank 
 (left) walked the Royal Sussex. The caco- 
 lets and stretchers of the Hospital equip- 
 ment, of which Surgeon-Major Manley was 
 P.M.O., was divided among the different 
 regiments. The advance guard was com- 
 manded by Major Davison and the main 
 body by Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson. The 
 rear-guard was commanded by Colonel 
 Shaw, V.C. As we left the forts we could 
 see a large fire breaking out I suspected 
 at the moment it was caused ' without 
 orders ' and by some ' evil disposed ' per- 
 son who disliked letting the enemy enjoy a 
 few of the many medical and other stores 
 
 left intact. I heard it was caused by th 
 simple expedient of lighted candles hidden 
 under a pile of boxes, so that when they 
 burned low they ignited a quantity of mus- 
 lin. The result was this fire burned most 
 of what had been left in the camp behind 
 the riverside fort. The marching out 
 strength of the column was 1,675 officers 
 and men and 1,179 camels. Without 
 being followed by any force of the enemy, 
 or having a shot fired, the column moved 
 on till one p.m., when it halted for the day 
 in rather open bush. Thus we bivouacked 
 for the night without zareba of any kind, 
 with strong pickets posted outside our 
 lines, which were drawn well together, so 
 that the force practically formed a square. 
 The enemy made no attempt to disturb us, 
 and we therefore enjoyed a quiet night's 
 rest, free for the first time for weeks from 
 the bang of the tom-toms. 
 
 Sunday, Feb. isth, reveille* sounded at 
 four a.m., and one hour later we had 
 swallowed an early breakfast and were once 
 more on the march. I rode ahead with a 
 few of the Royal Engineers, who were 
 hastening in front of the column to try and 
 arrange for a better distribution of water 
 at the wells. We got in about ten a.m., 
 seeing three or four of the enemy's horse- 
 men watching the column's movements 
 from distant ridges. I found Abu Klea 
 wells and fort little altered or improved, 
 and when the column got in at noon I 
 think there was official disappointment 
 manifested at this state of things. No 
 measures appeared to have been taken to 
 collect and store water. General I killer 
 instantly set his men to work to put the 
 place in a better defensible state. Rumour 
 had it we were going to wait to give the 
 Arabs a chance for battle if they wished, 
 and if they did not turn up within ten days 
 to march straight to Berber. The latter 
 was part of Lord Wolseley's and General 
 Buller's programme, but events were march- 
 ing faster than official despatches, for it 
 yet takes eight to nine days for commu- 
 nications to be exchanged between Abu 
 
 G G
 
 45 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Klea and the head-quarters at Korti. As 
 our camels were exhausted, and there was 
 a great want of water and forage, the sup- 
 plies at the wells being totally inadequate, 
 a convoy of Guards and Heavies were put 
 under orders to return to Gakdul in the 
 morning. They were to be accompanied 
 by the Hussars, whose horses were in a 
 sorry plight from the same causes from 
 which the camels were suffering. During 
 the morning of Monday, the i6th Feb., 
 the convoy started, lessening our force by 
 400 men or so, but making it much easier 
 Jo maintain those remaining. The whole 
 day the labour of erecting little detached 
 forts in the wady, or close to it, went on. 
 The Royal Irish were put on the crest of 
 the upland, 200 yards west of the original 
 work, near the centre of the group of well 
 holes. The Artillery and part of the 
 Sussex were put into a zareba and fort on 
 the right rear of Fort No. i, the first built. 
 Two companies of the Sussex were sent to 
 build and occupy a fort twenty yards 
 square, 150 yards down the wady, in 
 direction leading to Metemmeh I de- 
 signate that side facing Metemmeh as 
 our front. Two hundred yards on the 
 left rear of Fort No. i the Mounted In- 
 fantry and Light Cavalry Camel Regiment 
 were marshalled in square behind their 
 camels, with orders to surround their posi- 
 tion by an earthwork. 
 
 About three o'clock in the afternoon we 
 eould see fifty of the enemy's cavalry ex- 
 tended as scouts, in a line two miles long, 
 from Metemmeh. Behind the horsemen, 
 walked and ran twice their number of rifle- 
 men. Ascending the hill upon our left 
 front, three-quarters of a mile from camp, 
 I could perceive two or three lines of 
 horsemen and several lines of footmen 
 marching in column on the Arab left, from 
 half to a mile in rear of their cavalry. Our 
 camp was soon active, and the earthworks 
 were strengthened as speedily as possible, 
 to prepare for the contingency of an assault. 
 Meanwhile, General Buller sent two com- 
 panies of the Royal Irish forward upon our 
 
 right, and afterwards a third company, to 
 check the enemy's advance in that direc- 
 tion. The Royal Irish, who were keen to 
 have their first brush with the enemy, 
 pushed forward nearly 800 yards, and sent 
 on a line of skirmishers 200 yards further. 
 As the enemy's horse and foot came on, 
 our fellows began to fire, engaging them at 
 800 yards. There was a little desultory 
 firing, then our men poured in three 
 volleys, the effect of which was to drive 
 the enemy's left away from our right and 
 cause them to huddle back upon their right 
 alongside of their main body, which was 
 still coming on. The fire of the Royal 
 Irish stopped the attempt to turn our right, 
 and take possession of the ridges and hills 
 to the west from which they had peppered 
 us a month previously, prior to the battle 
 of Abu Klea. At five p.m., in spite of an 
 occasional turn by Lord Charles Beresford 
 with his two machine guns, for he and his 
 sailors were put in charge of Fort No. i, 
 the Arabs continued to advance rapidly, 
 making for the dominating crests and hills 
 extending along our left. Every tent was 
 struck, and all our men were at their posts. 
 The rolling ground gave the Arabs good 
 cover, of which they took every advantage. 
 In half an hour more, 400 to 500 riflemen 
 and spearmen could be seen running down 
 for the ranges two miles away on our left 
 to gain the foot-hills 1,000 to 1,400 yards 
 north-east of the wady. As many more of 
 them halted one mile away behind a low 
 isolated ridge running at right angles to 
 our front. They had six or seven banners 
 or flags, and all of the footmen wore the 
 white uniforms of the Mahdi's army. 
 Carrying their arms at the trail, and 
 jumping and running, the rebel riflemen 
 came down nearer and nearer. Each man 
 moved as if he were a trained skirmisher. 
 Creeping behind ledges, and piling stones 
 together to make low walls, they soon got 
 plenty of shelter. We watched them, 
 scarcely caring to waste ammunition at 
 long ranges. At 5.30 p.m., with one 
 accord, they opened a furious fire upon
 
 AT ABU KLEA. 
 
 our lines. They had the range so per- 
 fectly that bullets whizzed, dropped, and 
 struck everywhere. Our men were bade 
 lie down, and till the enemy's rifles got too 
 hot to hold, those of us caught outside 
 without cover had a very bad quarter of an 
 "hour. Afterwards all who could got into 
 one or other of the works for the night. 
 The camel lines were in the low ground 
 between the Royal Irish and the Mounted 
 Infantry. The wretched brutes were, as 
 usual, left to take their chance. 
 
 After dark, when our fire had ceased, 
 -and the Arabs' had slackened, I went in- 
 side Fort No. i, General Buller having 
 taken up his quarters there. It was but 
 fifteen yards square, and, as there was 
 a large pile of ammunition inside and over 
 100 men, our sleeping accommodation was 
 rather limited. The eight Hussar horses 
 left at the wells and those belonging to 
 the staff were placed for safety in the trench 
 on the west side of No. i Fort. All lights 
 were ordered out at dark, and no firing was 
 to take place by our men unless the enemy 
 actually attempted an assault. With scant 
 covering, and supperless, we all lay down 
 upon the ground to wait for daylight. The 
 enemy kept up a well-sustained fire, although 
 it was a cloudy, starless night the blackest 
 I have seen in the Soudan. A fresh north 
 
 wind blew, and a slight spatter of rain was 
 felt about midnight. How the Arabs con- 
 trived to fire half as well as they did in the 
 intense darkness I cannot imagine. As the 
 night wore on they crept to within 600 
 yards of our position, with the result of 
 conferring greater safety upon our troops, 
 as the bullets then did not drop so freely 
 into the forts but buzzed overhead. To- 
 wards morning it became extremely cold, 
 and the fire was irregular and weak. We 
 could hear their leaders going about waking 
 their followers and shouting to them to 
 keep on firing. General Buller had double 
 sentries posted, and he and Lord Charles 
 Beresford and the other officers were more 
 or less on the alert all night The rest of 
 us took what sleep we could. There was 
 but one alarm, and that occurred at eight 
 p.m., through some of the Royal Irish firing 
 at a native sentinel walking about outside 
 their fort The crack of rifles, and the 
 uproar which naturally followed, caused 
 every man in Fort No. i, as well as the 
 other forts, to clutch his rifle and rush to 
 his post Some outsiders lining the ditch 
 of No. i Fort rushed into the work pell- 
 mell, but they were instantly ordered back 
 to their stations, and a guard was placed at 
 the opening with fixed bayonets to prevent 
 any repetition of the rush." 
 
 CHAPTER XCII. 
 
 THE KHAI\TOUM BELIEF EXPEDITION ^ETI\EAT FROM 
 ^BU KLEA TO GAKDUL. 
 
 V this chapter we continue 
 our account of the back- 
 ward movement, again avail- 
 ing ourselves of the vivid 
 narratives of the eye-witness 
 already mentioned. 
 
 "The experiences of the night (February 
 1 6th) were very similar to what the flying 
 
 column had undergone a month previously, 
 to the very day, on its first entrance among 
 the Abu Klea hills. The great deficiency 
 of our transj)ort was well known. If the 
 enemy fortified their position with guns, it 
 was plain Buller would have to abandon 
 the wells or attack the Arabs at consider- 
 able disadvantage. His instructions, as I
 
 452 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YPT. 
 
 have already intimated, were clear to 
 take Metemmeh and march upon Berber. 
 Events, however, moved fast, and possibili- 
 ties and plans less than a week old were 
 now beyond hope of execution. There was 
 a general longing for a full cavalry regiment. 
 Had there been one with the column, with 
 the horses in condition not a small force, 
 a squadron broken down by overwork and 
 hardship (chiefly want of forage and water) 
 the Mahdists at the battles of Abu Klea 
 and Abu Kru, and in many skirmishes, 
 would have fared badly in attempting to 
 occupy the positions they did. That cavalry 
 are of great use in the Soudan nay, almost 
 indispensable to enable our slow-moving 
 infantry to fairly cope with the lithe and 
 thoroughly mobile forces of the natives 
 the dismembered ipth Hussar Regiment, 
 small as the numbers of that command with 
 the column are, has amply proved. Had 
 the ipth mustered even 500 strong, instead 
 of 130 carbines or thereby, I am sanguine 
 enough to suppose our casualties in at least 
 two instances would not have been so great 
 This regiment (ipth Hussars} has part of 
 its men with the flying column, part with 
 Earle, part at Souakin, and part elsewhere. 
 The dawn of February i;th was bitterly 
 cold at Abu Klea. With the incoming day- 
 light the Arabs increased and improved 
 their fire. When it was quite light two of 
 the screw-guns were brought into action, and 
 half a dozen rounds of shell and shrapnel 
 were burst over the enemy's heads, seen 
 peeping above the little stone walls they 
 had built on the hill-sides. Like ourselves, 
 they had not altogether rested. The Royal 
 Irish, too, had raised the left face of their 
 earthwork several feet, and the Sussex had 
 heaped earth upon their parapet. As the 
 morning wore on the Gardners were turned 
 upon the enemy, causing them to duck out 
 of sight like rabbits into holes to escape the 
 storm of lead. Neither shells nor bullets 
 totally stopped the Arab fire. Suppressed 
 at one point, it started, swelled, and grew 
 from another. The moment we became 
 silent its vigour and concentration were 
 
 instantly renewed. We had lost, princi- 
 pally in the brief interval of daylight left 
 on the 1 6th and up till daylight on the i7th, 
 two or three killed and fourteen wounded. 
 All cases reported at the hospital. As the 
 day advanced the fresh northerly wind in- 
 creased in strength, filling the air with 
 whirling clouds of sand and dust, and 
 darkening the atmosphere like a fog. Wash- 
 ing was too great a luxury to be attempted 
 at Abu Klea. Our only scrap of comfort 
 was to get a cup of warm tea and make a 
 meal in which dust and grit figured plenti- 
 fully. We had ventured to start fires 
 after sunrise, for man must cook and eat 
 despite flying bullets. For downright dirt 
 and wretchedness, without one redeeming 
 feature, nothing can match Abu Klea on a 
 windy day. 
 
 Seeing there was no chance of a general 
 engagement until supplies and camels 
 came back from Gakdul, and that General 
 Buller intended sitting still for these 
 and sending a hundred and four of the 
 Light Cavalry Camel Regiment out to re- 
 turn with the necessary convoy, I deter- 
 mined to accompany them. My unfortunate 
 camels and my horse were in a sad way, for 
 I had been unable to give them water or 
 forage for two days. Colonel Brabazon was. 
 put in command of this party of ' Lights,' 
 and he was told to bring back 600 camels 
 laden with water and grain, for the liquid 
 at Abu Klea was not only scarce, but at 
 times of soapy consistency. The men were 
 mounted upon camels, and in addition 
 fifty led camels were taken to be used as 
 remounts in case of probable break-downs. 
 We expected to have to fight our way out, 
 the enemy having worked far back on 
 Buller's left rear. Despatches to Lord 
 Wolseley, official and private, were given to 
 Colonel Brabazon. The ' Lights ' moved 
 out of camp in a westerly direction, amid 
 the salute of a shower of bullets. Keeping 
 down in a small gully that passed to the 
 rear of the position held by the Royal 
 Irish, they proceeded a distance of 400 
 yards, when they drew up under shelter
 
 A LONELY "GOD'S ACRE." 
 
 453 
 
 of a crest to form up for the march. In 
 getting out of camp three camels were 
 struck and one man was slightly wounded. 
 It was decided to attempt to run the 
 blockade by going along the low ground to 
 the south-west, and then west, crossing the 
 dividing ridge two miles west of the pass 
 ordinarily used. The clouds of dust and 
 the dull leaden sky, which lasted till two 
 p.m., helped to hide our movement from 
 the watchful eyes of the Arabs posted on 
 every hill to the north-east. General Buller 
 also was at the moment helping us by keep- 
 ing the Arabs employed replying to his fire. 
 Captain Piggott's company of the Mounted 
 Infantry was advanced several hundred 
 yards in front of the Sussex fort down the 
 wady to protect the watering parties and 
 the remote wells. This position enabled 
 him to take the Arabs partly in reverse. 
 His men fired excellently, driving the Arabs 
 helter-skelter from the low stone breast- 
 works. 
 
 As the camels given to the Lights were 
 a sorry lot, we were late in starting and our 
 progress was slow. The animals were not 
 to be driven out of a funeral pace, and every 
 few minutes we had to halt to enable some 
 soldier to remove his kit and saddle to one 
 of the remounts, his own beast having 
 fallen exhausted. Watching our ground 
 like hawks we stole along the hollows, 
 going by an old Arab track which we luckily 
 struck, up and across the dividing ridge 
 and down into the plain. By three p.m. 
 we were safely out upon the open desert, 
 without having had so much as a shot fired 
 at us. We now considered ourselves safe. 
 Still going onward the Lights got upon the 
 main caravan route. Marching till nine 
 p.m. they reached and passed Gebel Sergain, 
 where they bivouacked for the night Next 
 morning they were off by sunrise, and at 
 nine p.m. they got into Gakdul, a distance 
 of fifty-two miles in a straight line. Just 
 beyond Gebel Noos Major Goold and forty 
 of the Lights were met, on their way to Abu 
 Klea, with a small convoy of water and 
 grain. These, by General Bailor's orders, 
 
 were as a precautionary measure turned 
 back. Leaving the troops near the hill last 
 named I rode ahead with Major Goold on 
 camel-back, getting into Gakdul with the 
 despatches at four p.m. These and my 
 own were afterwards sent on by special 
 messenger to Korti. I found Sir Evelyn 
 Wood had arrived from Korti to look after 
 his lines of communication. A portion of 
 the West Kent Regiment also came in the 
 same afternoon. As I had been so long 
 shut out from news, I learned for the first 
 time of the fight Earle's column had, and 
 the death of that general. I also heard 
 that naturally there had been great excite- 
 ment in England on receipt of the news 
 of Gordon's death. General Sir Herbert 
 Stewart, I regretted to hear, had died just 
 outside Gakdul, and his body had been 
 borne into the place. The corpse was laid 
 in the cemetery here. This lonely ' God's 
 acre ' is in a gorge to the left of the reser- 
 voirs as you enter. Already there is a 
 score of graves filled, and every day adds 
 to their number, for our men, I regret to 
 tell, are dying fast. To-day, Feb. 28th, 
 three died. Two of these men, who were 
 slightly wounded, had walked in from Abu 
 Kru with the convoy, arriving on the 1 8th 
 inst Once in they simply and silently lay 
 down and died. The camel is the only 
 creature I have known that goes on and on 
 till he topples over and expires almost as 
 soon as he touches the ground. Enteric 
 fever, or typhoid, is the consuming disease 
 among the troops, and it is becoming too 
 common and too fatal The medical men 
 attribute it to exhaustion, bad quarters, and 
 poor feeding. The dead men's comrade* 
 have in nearly every case raised a mound 
 of stones over the graves. With the black 
 ironstone rocks of the hills they have 
 rudely fashioned on crosses placed over the 
 graves the letters R. I. P.,' and the name 
 and regiment of the deceased. The i9th 
 Hussars have raised a substantial dry stone 
 wall around Major-Gcncral Stewart's resting- 
 place, and a headstone bears, carved upon 
 it, his name and the date of his death.
 
 454 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Stewart was much beloved by all who 
 enjoyed his acquaintance, and any hour in 
 the day you may see one or more of his 
 friends sorrowfully regarding his grave. 
 Two returns will show the extent to which 
 the men are suffering from sun, exhaustion, 
 and low fever. The Guards Camel Regi- 
 ment left Korti 305 strong, and now they 
 cannot muster more than 150 serviceable 
 men who would pass medical examination 
 to go to the front. The Royal Marines, 
 who had an opportunity of being partly 
 acclimatised atSouakin,came out 104 strong. 
 To-day they parade but 52 men. Yet the 
 weather is neither unbearably hot nor cold. 
 Indeed, as far as that goes, the season is 
 still an excellent one for campaigning, and 
 will probably remain so till the middle of 
 March. After that we may look out for 
 sunstroke cases. 
 
 On the afternoon of February 19 Major 
 Wardrop, D.A.G., rode in with five of the 
 Lights from Abu Klea, which he had left 
 on the afternoon of^Feb. 18 (Wednesday). 
 His news was twenty-four hours later than 
 ours, and it indicated a total change of the 
 situation. The Arabs had disappeared, and 
 General Buller was only anxious to get as 
 many men and camels as could be instantly 
 sent on to bring back the wounded, and 
 afterwards to advance towards Berber. The 
 transport difficulty again baulked these plans, 
 and there was nothing for it but to carry 
 out the originally-contemplated evacuation 
 of Abu Klea wells, filling them up to stop 
 a rapid pursuit, if any was attempted, by 
 the natives. It is now decided that we are 
 all to retire from the desert route to Korti 
 or Merawi, and advance by the posts along 
 the Nile to reinforce and strengthen the 
 force sent up the river, I learned, after we 
 left Abu Klea on February i7th. Major 
 Wardrop, who had gone out with four 
 Hussars and Lieutenant Tudway, of the 
 Mounted Infantry, to reconnoitre what force 
 the Arabs had behind the north-east hills, 
 found there were no spearmen lying hid. 
 This had been the chief cause of anxiety, 
 for it was felt that to attempt to advance 
 
 and dislodge the Arab riflemen with the 
 chance of having our men 'rushed' by 
 1,000 fanatics hid in some secure hollow 
 was running too great a risk. I was there- 
 fore right in my low estimate of the enemy's 
 numbers which I wired you. There were 
 certainly a few spearmen and swordsmen 
 with the Arabs on the i6th, but they re- 
 mained mostly behind the low range to the 
 south, and in front of our position. The 
 enemy's total strength was not above 1,000- 
 men. During the course of the afternoon 
 of the lyth the Arabs dragged a small four- 
 pounder howitzer to the top of the range 
 on our left front, and began firing therefrom 
 at the forts. The Gardners and the Royal 
 Artillery replied, the duel beginning at one 
 p.m. at 1,500 yards' range. In a very few 
 minutes the enemy's gun was put out of 
 action. One shell from the screw gun 
 burst over the Arab howitzer and the crowd 
 of natives gathered about it. A second 
 carried away the wheel of the carriage. 
 Meanwhile our men nearest the Arabs 
 were firing sharply at the enemy. Major 
 Wardrop and his little party were at the 
 moment doing gallant and signal service, 
 turning their reconnaissance into a skirmish. 
 Warily trotting their horses up the wady, 
 well out of sight under the hills, keeping 
 touch with our left rear, which was thrown 
 out to assist them, they got to the enemy's 
 right flank. Turning round it, and leaving 
 their steeds under the brow of a hill, the 
 Major and his men crept to the top. From 
 there they could see well down into the 
 enemy's position. Apparently there were 
 no spearmen and no reserve near. What- 
 ever there might have been had disappeared, 
 and the attacking force numbered but three 
 or four hundred riflemen. Believing that 
 the Soudanese, like other savage races, 
 would not stand if their rear were threatened, 
 Major Wardrop pluckily decided to try the 
 experiment, carefully seeing the while that 
 his own road back was not stopped. Open- 
 ing fire with all his rifles four at a range 
 of 700 yards, he banged shot after shot as 
 quickly as the men could fire into the
 
 A BOLD EXPERIMENT. 
 
 45$ 
 
 thoroughly astonished Arabs. They at once 
 began trotting off towards the left, barely 
 halting to return the fire. Leaving one 
 man to continue firing, the Major galloped 
 with the remainder to a hill-top half a mile 
 further on. There he repeated his previous 
 tactics, and with equal success. Fortunately 
 for him there were none of the enemy's 
 horsemen at that part of the Arab line, or 
 the smallness of the force would have been 
 laid bare. The Arabs became somewhat 
 panic-stricken at receiving such a sharp fire 
 from so unexpected a quarter, and evidently 
 thought reinforcements had come up. Press- 
 ing still further round, Wardrop kept repeat- 
 ing his stratagem until he had driven the 
 Arabs away from our left well towards the 
 left front Deciding it was now time to 
 communicate their numbers and position 
 to General Buller he rode down the hills 
 straight into camp, receiving, as he half ex- 
 pected, a dropping fire from a few of our own 
 men, who hastily assumed he was one of the 
 enemy coming on full tilt. He was warmly 
 congratulated on all sides for his gallantry 
 and skill, and in a few minutes Buller had 
 parties of his men out in skirmishing order 
 upon the hills. The natives were now on 
 the run, and by three p.m. they had nearly 
 all left the hills and got out of range. So 
 ended for the time what may have been a 
 reconnaissance upon the Arabs' part, or what 
 might have led to their concentrating a 
 force upon the Abu Klea hills, and seeking 
 to invest General Buller. Strong posts were 
 put upon the detached hill to our left front, 
 and upon the range opposite the sailors' fort. 
 In one of the low ranges they found a small 
 natural crater, the depression being twenty 
 feet deep, inside which the enemy had sat 
 snugly popping at our men. Threatening 
 as the day had looked, the camp lay at 
 peace on the night of the i;th, and up till 
 
 the afternoon of the i8th the enemy showed 
 no sign of renewing the attack. Parties of 
 their horsemen hung about our front, three 
 miles away, and among them were a few 
 spearmen. 
 
 On Feb. 19, Gordon's Soudanese of 
 whom I should have herein written that 
 they behaved very well when the convoy 
 which left Abu Kru on Feb. 13 was 
 attacked together with details of various 
 regiments, left Gakdul to escort the 184 
 sick and wounded in the hospital home 
 to Korti. Upon Feb. 20 (to-day) the 
 convoy of Heavies, West Kent, and Lights, 
 some 300 strong, has started with the 600 
 loaded camels for General Buller at Abu 
 Klea. The wells will probably be evacuated 
 on Feb. 22, and on Feb. 23 or Feb. 24 
 General Buller, with all the troops now at 
 Abu Klea, should arrive here. 
 
 The knowledge of a very curious letter, 
 written not long ago by General Gordon to 
 Major Kitchener, has just reached me from 
 a trustworthy source in fact, from one who 
 says he has seen the letter. In it Gordon 
 writes in the most unmistakably angry terms. 
 He says Ministers have behaved towards 
 him in the most unfair manner, abandoning 
 him without an excuse. If ever he lived to 
 escape from his predicament he would never 
 set foot in England again, he protests, on 
 account of their desertion of him. As to 
 the money he had spent and the debts he 
 had contracted on our account, he would 
 never ask the present Government for one 
 penny. He hoped to get the money where 
 with to pay from his sure friend the King 
 of the Belgians. There is more in the same 
 strain, I believe. The single remark I care 
 to venture in this connection is that no one 
 here is surprised at the dead hero's indig- 
 nation."
 
 456 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XCIII. 
 
 JHE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION LIFE AT KORTI 
 
 HE "strong point" of the 
 British soldier is that he 
 works almost, if riot quite, 
 as well when things are not 
 going well as when they 
 are. It was this power of his which carried 
 him back across the Bayuda Desert, and 
 finally enabled him to reach Korti in 
 safety. 
 
 How did life there present itself? Again 
 availing ourselves of the inexhaustible fund 
 of special correspondence, to which we have 
 already so frequently had to express our 
 obligation, we now in the following chapter 
 give some account of camp life at Korti. 
 A correspondent, writing in March, tells us 
 that " you must spend a week or two upon 
 the desert, living in a perpetual dust-storm ; 
 choked, baked, with nought to slake the 
 naturally insatiable thirst which such a life 
 engenders except soapy water, to realize 
 the delightful rebound of feeling and com- 
 fort afforded by a return to the banks of 
 the flowing Nile. The expeditionary force 
 having begun its return journey, preparatory 
 to going into quarters lower down the river, 
 after our evacuation of Abu Kru and Abu 
 Klea, I set out from Gakdul on Friday 
 last, with General Buller, getting into Korti 
 about the same time as he did. Tents had 
 been erected at this camp for the reception 
 of the troops coming in from Gakdul, Abu 
 Haifa wells, Megaga, and elsewhere. 
 Within the next ten days all our men will 
 have been withdrawn from the desert route 
 and quartered by the river. News from 
 Brackenbury's column just received states 
 they also are on their way back to Korti. 
 As at present disclosed the military plan 
 appears to be to concentrate as quickly 
 as possible all the troops composing the 
 expedition at Korti. If by dint of pro- 
 
 ; 
 
 mises and most liberal pay the Kabbabish, 
 Gordon's Soudanese soldiers, or any of the 
 natives can be induced to occupy advanced 
 posts, Megaga wells, Merawi, and a station 
 on the desert near Debbeh will be held. 
 The object is to use them as scouts or 
 buffers to interpose between our troops and 
 the enemy, so as to block the roads to the 
 Nile. Our own men will be massed at 
 some strategical point, so as to protect the 
 province of Dongola from invasion. Korti 
 being on the cultivated belt will be aban- 
 doned, and places are being searched for 
 the new entrenched camp which is to be 
 formed, where the dry, healthy desert sand 
 has rolled down to and bordered the river. 
 Abu Gus, and a spot opposite Old Dongola, 
 are spoken of as likely sites for that reason, 
 as well as because their occupation would 
 bar the way to the Mahdi's followers march- 
 ing down the Nile. The soldiers will be 
 hutted for the summer in grass or reed- 
 built cabins, which will be cooler than 
 tents. It is hoped and given out that they 
 will be able to get through the tropical 
 heat without much sickness. If the enemy 
 does not compel them to expose themselves 
 too much, possibly the health of the camp 
 may not give cause for over-much uneasi- 
 ness among their friends at home. So far, 
 however, all our experience here has been 
 that even fairly well-selected camps, after a 
 not very long occupation, become bad and 
 fever-haunted. Good water and efficient 
 sanitary arrangements, let us trust, will 
 minimise the sick and death rate; still, 
 summer in the blazing Soudan is not to be 
 contemplated with free and easy indiffer- 
 ence to the total change from ordinary 
 camp life. What will be done when the 
 cool days come round again in September 
 and October next is too remote for specula
 
 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 457 
 
 tion. The questions, however, continually 
 asked are, will the troops attempt in the 
 autumn to go to Khartoum via the Nile in 
 whale-boats, or will the British public, long 
 before then, see them shifted to Berber, 
 and holding the terminus of the Souakin- 
 Berber Railway ? 
 
 After all, it is admitted that our men at 
 Abu Klea wells ran a narrow risk from in- 
 vestment at the hands of the rebels, and 
 
 that General Buller withdrew just in the 
 very nick of time. The information comes 
 to us not only from prisoners, but from 
 actual observations on the part of our own 
 officers. The arrival of the 900 camels 
 sent from Gakdul on February zoth, en- 
 abled General Buller to carry off nearly all 
 the stores at Abu Klea. During the 22nd 
 and 23rd there had been nothing but a 
 little outpost firing. The two forts built 
 
 LORD WOLSELEY'S HEAD-QUARTERS. 
 
 after the affair of February xyth, on the 
 range of hills on the left and left-front, 
 overawed the enemy, and kept him from 
 pushing forward any large number of 
 skirmishers to assail the camp again. Sub- 
 sequent search and the admissions of 
 prisoners disclosed the fact that our fire on 
 February i6th and i;th must have killed 
 nearly twenty of the enemy and wounded 
 over forty. On the morning of the 23rd 
 
 the Mahdi's forces received a large rein- 
 forcement of men and guns from Khartoum. 
 An officer of the Royal Irish and others, 
 who estimated their numbers as they 
 marched into the rebel camp, two miles to 
 our front in the wady, put them down at 
 8,000 men. It was also noticed that quite 
 two-thirds of this force were armed with 
 Remington rifles, the remainder being 
 spearmen and swordsmen. With a further
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 aptness for imitation, the rebels, it was 
 seen, had formed a mounted infantry force 
 by putting about fifty men on camel-back. 
 Abd El Sah had decided, so it was reported 
 by our spies and by an escaped slave, to 
 attack us either on the night of the 23rd 
 or early next morning. The Arabs were to 
 surround the force, stopping the way out 
 and into the wells by occupying the passes 
 and the adjacent hills, and keeping up a 
 heavy and perpetual rifle-fire. 
 
 In view of the serious aspect of matters, 
 General Buller wisely decided to hasten 
 the evacuation, and slip away as quietly as 
 he could. At two p.m. all the stores and 
 supplies that could be taken were sent out 
 of camp under escort towards the pass, 
 which was still practically held by part of 
 the West Kent under Colonel Leech. The 
 saddles, old and new, for which there were 
 no camels, were broken up, and with other 
 rubbish the best of the wells were filled up, 
 thus giving our men more time before the 
 enemy could water and follow on. Two 
 tents were left standing till sunset, and 
 camp fires and camp life were openly con- 
 ducted as if nothing was further from the 
 English mind than the evacuation of Abu 
 Klea. At seven p.m. all the men, who 
 were to march on foot every camel avail- 
 able having been taken to carry the stores 
 and the sick and wounded fell in, ready 
 to take the road back to Gakdul. Three 
 buglers were sent to the look-out hill, and 
 there they blew the usual ' post,' making 
 the sounds loudly resonant among the hills. 
 It was the last English bugle-note heard at 
 Abu Klea. Running down the hill-side, 
 they rejoined the column, which at once 
 silently marched out of the forts and 
 zarebas. Without as much as receiving a 
 parting shot from the enemy, who ap- 
 parently never suspected the movement, 
 General Buller led his men up and out of 
 Abu Klea wady, over the pass, and six 
 miles onward down into the plain, on the 
 route to Gakdul. There the force bi- 
 vouacked undisturbed for the rest of the 
 night. Next day they resumed their march 
 
 to the reservoirs. During the forenoon 
 twenty of the Baggara horsemen were seen 
 hovering about the rear watching the re- 
 tiring column. They fired two or three 
 shots at the rear guard, who returned the 
 compliment, sending the rascals scamper- 
 ing off to a safe distance out of range. Ad- 
 vancing by easy stages, it was the forenoon 
 of February 26th before the column got 
 into Gakdul. Although a water station had 
 been formed at Gebel Noos, nearly half- 
 way, yet by some misunderstanding in the 
 serving out of the supply two of the com- 
 panies of the Royal Irish suffered greatly 
 from thirst on the last part of the road. 
 These men had got but three instead of six 
 pints for the day's supply. It is stated, 
 several of the soldiers dropped out and 
 had to be carried in, whilst two of the men 
 are reported to have been lost on the plain. 
 It is exceedingly difficult, I confess, to- 
 get accurate statements as to our losses,, 
 whether it affects whale-boats, supplies, or 
 men. In England we have a strange habit, 
 which nothing, I suppose, will cure, of 
 accepting 'official statements' as gospel. 
 My experience and personal knowledge in 
 this campaign lead me to place only a 
 chastened reliance upon official returns. 
 
 I have told you that Gakdul was rapidly 
 becoming unhealthy, and the men were 
 falling sick in large numbers. On the 27th,. 
 the day I left, a convoy with 107 sick and. 
 wounded was sent off to Korti. It was the 
 third in a week. General Wood was 
 hastening the work of evacuation as rapidly 
 as could be, and he expected, by the help 
 of camels from Megaga, to get all the force 
 out by March 2nd. The men will be moved 
 to Megaga, and thence gradually sent on to- 
 El Howeiyat and Korti. The line regi- 
 ments West Kent, Royal Irish, and Sus- 
 sex will be among the last to leave for the 
 base. On my way in I stopped at Megaga, 
 and was glad to see that Colonel Talbot 
 and his officers of the Heavy Camel Regi- 
 ment had got that rocky gorge transformed 
 into an excellent camp. The change from 
 Gakdul, with its Stirling atmosphere and
 
 EXPURGATED TELEGRAMS. 
 
 459- 
 
 countless smells from dead camels, was 
 doing the Heavies much good, and they 
 looked stronger and fitter for hard work. 
 They had had a good deal of the latter, 
 too, for three stone forts had been built by 
 the men on the hill-tops, and the location 
 for the camp cleared of rough stones and 
 rocks which lay about in thousands. The 
 Guards were then at Abu Haifa. Both 
 regiments expect to be ordered back here 
 the moment General Wood begins to retire 
 the whole column. The change of plan 
 necessitated by preparations for going into 
 summer quarters upset the proposed march 
 back by way of Merawi for a portion of the 
 column. Every energy is now bent to- 
 wards getting the force more together and 
 healthily encamped before the sun gets 
 nearer the equator and the days become 
 unbearably hot. 
 
 At Gakdul, and at those places in the 
 desert where black glistening rocks abound, 
 the heat during the day is already scorching. 
 Even at Korti in the shade, under the trees 
 and by the bank of the river, for two or 
 three days past the thermometer has been 
 ranging from noon till four p.m. between 
 90 and 95 Fah. The doctors look forward 
 with apprehension to a summer's residence 
 of the troops on the Upper Nile. There is 
 already a good deal of sickness, and a 
 general loss of elasticity and tone is observ- 
 able on all sides among the men. Soldiers, 
 like everybody else, if over-worked, and if 
 their strength be overtaxed, suddenly give 
 way, 'and what is called the ' fighting vim ' 
 and bounce leave them. There is now 
 scarcely any longer to be seen that elated 
 keenness to have a brush with the Arabs. 
 The men who toiled so vigorously and 
 laboriously at the ropes and oars, dragging 
 the whalers against the heavy stream, have 
 become 'stale' and want rest, or, better 
 still, change. Camp life is always un- 
 wholesome, how much so it will be in the 
 Soudan I fear to conjecture. That the 
 relief of Khartoum has failed, and failed 
 solely and simply because of the Govern- 
 ment's dallying, and ultimately forcing 
 
 upon the expedition an almost impracti- 
 cable route, passes denial. Even had 
 all gone well it would have been near the 
 end of March before the whalers could 
 have reached Khartoum. The return at so 
 late a season of the year of the garrisons,, 
 as well as our own men, must have led to 
 a heavy mortality bill. 
 
 I see that my description of the reception, 
 of the news of the fall of Khartoum and 
 Gordon's death among the troops at Aba 
 Kru (miscalled Gubat) was suppressed by 
 the easy mode of striking many lines out 
 of my telegram. Substantially what I wrote 
 and it was the hard, plain truth was- 
 that the soldiers were horrified and ex- 
 asperated at the receipt of the news. On 
 all sides, among officers and men, there 
 was universal dismay and burning indigna- 
 tion at the catastrophe. The one opinion 
 on all sides was, better we had lost half our 
 number. The toils and dangers of those 
 splendid soldiers had all been undergone 
 for nought. There was no question of 
 politics about the state of feeling, for I am 
 glad to say that our army are all English- 
 men first and chatterers afterwards, what- 
 ever people at home may think. It was- 
 no reflex of my own sentiments quite the 
 contrary that I disclosed in writing thus. 
 For that black day very few of those who- 
 formed part of the Nile Valley expeditionary 
 force will ever forgive the officials who are 
 responsible. I expect there will be little 
 more serious fighting for over a month to 
 come anywhere on the Nile. The return 
 of Brackenbury's column shows that we 
 do not even mean to take and hold Abu 
 Hamed just yet That force is to-day near 
 the scene of the late Colonel Stewart's 
 shipwreck and murder. There will be pre- 
 sumably some brisk business with Osman 
 Digna's forces near Souakin, and with your 
 permission I intend seeing that conflict,, 
 and having another look at my old ac- 
 quaintances the brave Hadendowas." 
 
 A little later he remarks that " The sun is 
 already impressing us with the fact that 
 summer is rapidly approaching, and for
 
 460 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EG YFT. 
 
 three days we have had what is called the 
 ' Kamstn ' wind, which commences in 
 March and blows at intervals for fifty days. 
 In India the advent of the hot winds is 
 welcomed by those unfortunate ones whose 
 duty or business obliges them to spend the 
 summer in the plains, because, with screens 
 made from the ' kuskus ' root, and placed 
 in the windows and doors in the direction 
 from which the wind comes, and upon 
 which water is thrown from the outside 
 throughout the day, a deliciously cool tem- 
 perature is caused in the interior of the 
 building; but here we have no buildings. 
 Grass and mud houses are being built as 
 quickly as possible ; but it would be impos- 
 sible to procure sufficient labour to indulge 
 in those Indian luxuries. The banks of 
 the Nile are certainly not over-populated, 
 and the few men that can be procured for 
 odd jobs are now sufficiently aware of their 
 value to name their own price for labour. 
 As is always the case when we campaign, the 
 price of everything is treble the ordinary 
 rate ; the fellah who would formerly have 
 been only too grateful for a few piastres 
 for his fowls or eggs, considers now that he 
 is conferring quite a benefit upon mankind 
 if he sells the same for a similar number of 
 dollars. It is a question whether, with 
 Orientals who are accustomed to stern rule, 
 this ' if you please ' system commands more 
 respect and gratitude than the ' you must ' 
 system. It is said that there is no such 
 word as gratitude in the Arabic language, 
 and the more generous you are the more 
 exacting the native becomes and the 
 greater fool he thinks you. He never con- 
 siders how much he has got already, but 
 how much more he can get out of you. 
 
 The brigades that are now being formed 
 and are gradually settling down into summer 
 quarters between Abu Dom and Abu Fat- 
 meh, will be movable columns ; and should 
 the Mahdi be advised to advance towards 
 Egypt Proper, he will meet with a warm 
 reception ere he enters the Dongola pro- 
 vince. If the Mahdi could only be induced 
 to advance, he would certainly earn the 
 
 gratitude of the force that is opposed to 
 him. The discomforts [of great heat are 
 intensified by inaction, and lessened by 
 excitement. To have some other topic of 
 conversation throughout the summer than 
 the registering of various thermometers in 
 different places in the camp, goes far to 
 obliterate from one's mind the fact of living 
 in lat. 1 8 deg. But it is to be feared 
 that the Mahdi will not so far oblige us. 
 He will have great difficulty in keeping his 
 followers together for an indefinite period. 
 Unfortunately, Allah has not vouchsafed 
 that air and Nile water are sufficient for 
 man and beast to exist upon ; and even the 
 prize of Khartoum, and the great command 
 of supplies obtained thereby, will not serve 
 for ever as a source of provisions for the 
 Mahdi's followers. Land must be sown and 
 irrigated in order that crops may grow, and 
 there must be men to do this. The pre- 
 sence of the British army between the 
 Mahdi and the fertile province of Dongola 
 obliges him to be dependent solely on the 
 country he occupies. Therefore, to advance 
 with any considerable force across the 
 desert or down the Nile, the Mahdi would 
 not only devastate the country as he passed, 
 but would also ruin the harvest prospects. 
 It is most improbable that the Mahdi's 
 lieutenants are capable, or have the means, 
 of organizing the transport requisite for 
 guns, ammunition, supplies, etc., over 180 
 miles of desert. If he came by the Nile he 
 would be forced to fight before he reached 
 the Dongola province. Again, it is most 
 improbable that the Mahdi's followers are 
 sufficiently devoted to him to leave their 
 homes to embark on an expedition which 
 has no great prize to offer, and which their 
 recent experiences of Abu Klea, Gubat, and 
 Kirbekan have taught them to be of doubt- 
 ful reward. There is a diversity of opinion 
 as to the amount of actual belief in the 
 Mahdi that exists among those who form 
 his army. Any who have read the Koran 
 cannot hold that belief. The prospect of 
 looting Khartoum no doubt increased the 
 number of the Mahdi's followers, but now
 
 HOPES AND FEARS. 
 
 461 
 
 that is over the country affords no such 
 temptations. Were the British forces with- 
 drawn to Assouan or Cairo, the Mahdi 
 might then advance with ease, for he would 
 feed on the country as he passed, and each 
 village would furnish recruits for his cause, 
 which, whether they believed in or not, 
 they would nevertheless join from a natural 
 fear of the strongest power. The bait held 
 out to the unsuspecting fellaheen, of instant 
 relief from taxation and Turkish or Chris- 
 tian yoke, and a life of ease, with a certainty 
 of Paradise in the future, would undoubtedly 
 tempt them to welcome the Mahdi as a 
 ' reformer.' The native population of 
 Cairo would very soon be roused. But all 
 these are checked by the presence of the 
 British army at Dongola. We hear now of 
 a threatened Abyssinian advance on Galla- 
 bat, of dissensions between tribes in Kordo- 
 fan ; and Osman Digna, it is hoped, will 
 have received his due before this letter 
 reaches you. It is, therefore, most improb- 
 able that the Mahdi will advance to attack 
 us in any force. He has appointed an emir 
 of the desert Ezzain who will probably 
 keep small bodies of dervishes at the 
 various wells in the desert, and who will 
 occasionally venture to make raids on un- 
 protected villages in our neighbourhood ; 
 but that is the extent of excitement the 
 enemy are likely to afford us. 
 
 The forced withdrawal of Brack en- 
 bury's column before reaching Abu Hamed 
 leaves the desert on our left flank open. 
 The Ababdehs, who have been for the 
 most part loyal, and of whom 2,000 have 
 been for some months under the command 
 of Major Rundle, would cause us some 
 trouble f they became openly hostile. But 
 with our troops at Korosko and Assouan, 
 
 the Ababdehs would gain little by going 
 against us. The defeat of Osman Digna 
 will settle the uncertain attitude of the 
 Bishareen. There is, therefore, little 
 anxiety to be feared on that flank. 
 
 The whole force has now returned to 
 Korti, and, considering the hardships they 
 have undergone, the general health of the 
 troops is very good. The desert force 
 marched the whole way from Gubat, all the 
 available camels being required for the 
 sick and wounded and stores. It is a 
 matter of wonder that so many camels sur- 
 vived, considering the very limited amount 
 of food that was available for them. Some 
 of the sick and wounded had a very trying 
 journey back to Korti, as not only were the 
 camels very weak, but the stretcher-bearers 
 were mostly Soudanese soldiers from Khar- 
 toum, who did not by any means study the 
 comfort of those whom they were carrying. 
 Thanks, however, to the exertions of the 
 doctors, all arrived as well as could be, and 
 are now receiving every care and comfort 
 that can be given to them. A certain 
 amount of sickness must be expected from 
 the reaction of an inactive life; but the 
 English soldier manages to make himself 
 comfortable under most circumstances, and 
 all kinds of diversion will commence as 
 soon as the new camps are settled down. 
 Korti is gradually being cleared out head- 
 quarters will be the last to move to Don- 
 gola, about the end of this month. 
 
 The wreck of the Nasif Khdr at this 
 time is a very considerable loss, as our 
 steamers above Abu Fatmeh are thus 
 reduced to the Yarrmv boat only. The 
 river is now so low that navigation has 
 become difficult. The first rise may be 
 expected here towards the end of May."
 
 462 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER XCIV. 
 
 THE KHARTOUM RELIEF EXPEDITION EAF^LE'S ADVANCE 
 
 RECALLED TO KOJ\TI. 
 
 E turn now away from the 
 exciting story of heroism in 
 the Bayuda Desert, and 
 from the story of camp life 
 at Korti, and retrace our 
 steps to follow the fortunes of the expedi- 
 tion which had been despatched almost at 
 the same time as Stewart's, but in another 
 direction. This was the force under General 
 Earle, which had been sent up the Nile to 
 punish the men who had murdered Colonel 
 Stewart, the heroic companion of Gordon. 
 We have already briefly mentioned that he 
 and his party, having left Khartoum as 
 directed by Gordon, in order to open com- 
 munication with the British, were assassi- 
 nated on the .voyage. It was only after 
 much inquiry that the facts were known. 
 
 " The sum of all the stories and reports 
 as disclosed by the natives some of whom 
 had actually witnessed the scenes they 
 described, and others had obtained the 
 news from participators was that Gordon's 
 colleague Colonel Stewart, together with 
 forty-four others of whom two were Euro- 
 peans, four women, and the rest Turks and 
 Egyptians after the bombardment of Ber- 
 ber, had set out on a steam-launch with 
 two boats in tow, travelling northward. 
 The two boats towed were full of men and 
 women refugees, no doubt, from the 
 neighbourhood of Khartoum. As they 
 neared Abu Hamed, the apex which the 
 westerly curve of the Nile makes on its way 
 from Berber to Debbeh, they noticed they 
 were being followed by armed bands along 
 the shore. Possibly these bands not only 
 increased in numbers, but, emboldened by 
 immunity from danger, opened fire on the 
 steam launch. Whatever may be the actual 
 fact is not yet clear, but those on the launch 
 had to cast their tows adrift, and seek 
 
 safety in solitary flight There is an uncor- 
 roborated story that the Mahdi's men pur- 
 sued Stewart's party in a boat of some kind. 
 However that may be, the fate of those 
 in the tow-boats is known. Below Abu 
 Hamed they were all captured by the Ro- 
 batat tribe, led by Sheik Abu Heigel. 
 Their lives were spared, and they have 
 since been distributed among the tribe be- 
 tween Abu Hamed and Berber. Colonel 
 Stewart and his companions in the steam 
 launch continued their journey, and suc- 
 ceeded in reaching the vicinity of Kamsah 
 Island or Boni Island. There the launch 
 ran upon a hidden rock, partly passed over 
 it, when it got caught, and badly hulled 
 towards the stern. The exact date of the 
 mishap is unknown, but it is believed to 
 have been between the 24th and 28th of 
 September last, and the balance of proof 
 points to near Boni as the actual spot. The 
 wild Arabs are above accuracy in dates, 
 hours, and figures. The Mussulman mode 
 of computing time, very different from ours, 
 may have something to do in creating the 
 confusion as to the day on which the 
 disaster occurred. That it has happened 
 is beyond all question, and the hull of the 
 launch now remains high and dry, marking 
 the scene. An examination of the launch 
 doubtless revealed to those on board the 
 hopelessness of continuing their voyage by 
 that means." 
 
 They came on shore, and at first seemed 
 to be well received by a party of natives 
 who were on the banks, which recep- 
 tion may or may not have been sincere. 
 Possibly on the part of the richer ones it 
 may have been real, as they know looting 
 is dangerously infectious if not sternly 
 checked among their fellow-countrymen, 
 and partly from hatred of the Mahdi
 
 STEWART'S MURDER. 
 
 463 
 
 because of his exactions and stoppage of 
 the Nile trade. Designedly or otherwise, 
 the chief sheiks of the Monasseer tribe 
 got to know all about the wrecked party's 
 movements. Mayhap even the fiery cross, 
 or whatever stands for that alarming symbol, 
 heralded their course from Berber. As the 
 gun on board the launch could not be 
 -carried, it was spiked and left. Either just 
 after, or within a few hours of abandoning 
 the launch, the hapless travellers were 
 assassinated. Whilst the majority were 
 resting and off their guard, a horde of 
 Monasseer, under Sheik Wad Gamr and 
 other sheiks, whose names are known, 
 burst upon them and massacred nearly 
 every member of the party. An officer, 
 whose description tallies with Colonel 
 Stewart's appearance, made a desperate 
 fight for life, and shot down and killed at 
 least one of his assailants. A few made a 
 rush for the dingy, but they were pursued 
 and killed by the remorseless savages. 
 
 Out of the forty-four men aboard the 
 launch, eight only were saved alive ; of 
 these one is known to be a fireman and the 
 other an interpreter. The three Europeans 
 were killed, and their bodies tossed into the 
 Nile, the people at Merawi and elsewhere 
 declaring they saw them floating by. 
 The Monasseer confessed to a loss in 
 their murderous affray of one man killed 
 and one wounded in the leg, which was 
 broken. Everything the Arabs could lay 
 hands on was, of course, looted, and a 
 number of spears and shields and other 
 articles, apparently being carried from 
 Khartoum as trophies by the late Colonel 
 Stewart and his companions, were recap- 
 tured by them. 
 
 Such was the wicked and cruel deed 
 which Earle's force was to punish. It was 
 afterwards to proceed to Abou Hamed, 
 and then, opening up the road to Berber, 
 enter into communication with Stewart, who 
 would then be, it was calculated, in posses- 
 sion of Shendy. The difficulties in the 
 way of the advance were assuredly very 
 great ; but these were for some time merely 
 
 of a physical nature. On February Qth the 
 expedition had only reached Dulka Island, 
 about seventy miles from Merawi. Near 
 here the enemy were found posted in great 
 strength, and on the next day the battle of 
 Kerbekan, or Kirbekan,* took place, at 
 which General Earle was killed, as already 
 narrated in our biography of that distin- 
 guished man. 
 
 After the battle, the force under Bracken- 
 bury proceeded towards Abou Hamed. 
 But they were recalled by Wolseley to 
 Korti, in consequence of the events related 
 in the previous chapters. 
 
 Meanwhile at home it had been deter- 
 mined to " smash the Mahdi at Khartoum " 
 in the autumn, and to give Wolseley "a 
 free hand." In a stirring general order to 
 his soldiers, he announced the thanks of 
 the Queen, and his plans for the future. 
 
 " The Queen, who has watched with the 
 deepest interest the doings of her soldiers 
 and sailors, has desired me to express to 
 you her admiration for your courage and 
 your self-devotion. 
 
 To have commanded such men is to me 
 a source of the highest pride. 
 
 No greater honour can be in store for 
 me than that to which I look forward ot 
 leading you, please God ! into Khartoum 
 before the year is out 
 
 Your noble efforts to save General Gor- 
 don have been unsuccessful, but through no 
 fault of yours. 
 
 Both on the river and in the desert you 
 have borne hardships and privation without 
 murmur ; in action you have been uniformly 
 victorious ; all that men could do to save a 
 comrade you have done, but Khartoum fell 
 through treachery two days before the 
 advanced troops reached it. 
 
 A period of comparative inaction may 
 now be expected. 
 
 * It may be as well to point out to the reader 
 that there is considerable diversity as to the spelling 
 of names like the above. This is not to be won- 
 dered at, for no one ever heard of them till the 
 romantic adventures of the Khartoum Relief Expe- 
 dition made them matters of interest.
 
 464 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 This army was not constituted with a 
 view to undertaking the siege of Khartoum, 
 and for the moment we must content our- 
 selves with preparations for the autumn 
 advance. 
 
 You will, I know, face the heat of 
 summer, and the necessary, though less 
 exciting, work which has now to be done, 
 
 with the same courage and endurance you 
 have shown hitherto. 
 
 I thank you heartily for the past. 1 
 I can wish nothing better I can ask no- 
 thing more of you in the future than the 
 same uncomplaining devotion to duty 
 which has characterized your conduct during 
 the recent operations. " 
 
 T 
 
 CHAPTER XCV. 
 
 HE EASTERN SOUDAN CAMPAIGN SOUAKIN TO BERBER. 
 
 SORT of supplementary 
 campaign followed imme- 
 diately upon the one which 
 had its base at Korti and 
 which we have just de- 
 scribed. The Government, in pursuance of 
 their plan of smashing the Mahdi, deter- 
 mined to construct a railway between the 
 port of Souakin on the Red Sea and Ber- 
 ber on the Nile. Now a railway between 
 these two parts would at once let in the 
 light of civilization upon the Soudan. It 
 was for some time thought that Lord 
 Wolseley would take this way for his 
 advance upon Khartoum, and of course 
 had there been a railway he would as- 
 suredly have done so, but it was deter- 
 mined otherwise. The route even without 
 a railway is a fairly passable one, for " the 
 start from Souakin is made at the wells, 
 which, at a distance inland of two miles 
 and a half, or rather less, supply the town 
 with water. Behind rises the white island- 
 emporium against the sea ; before and 
 around stretches a smooth and level plain 
 covered with gravel and small blocks of 
 stone. Looking across this arid waste, the 
 traveller sees in front a chain of hills, the 
 highest point of which he will cross when 
 about one-quarter of his journey is accom- 
 
 plished. Up to this ' divide ' the road 
 rises pretty sharply, but thence it descends 
 to the Nile. For nearly fourteen miles the 
 path lies over the gravel plain, with small 
 acacia bushes scattered here and there; 
 then it passes a high spur, the first of the 
 'foot-hills,' and reaches Bir Handouk, a 
 watering-place amid rocks, strewn round 
 the wells with the littered refuse of many 
 caravans. Six or seven miles further, or 
 eight kilometres according to the report, 
 the wayfarer is brought over a gravelly 
 level, more and more closely hemmed-in 
 by circling hills, to Wady O Taou. At 
 this stage the mountains are fairly entered. 
 Steep crags appear on either side, and in 
 front are ridges rising to a height of more 
 than 1,200 feet, with sharp stones and 
 rugged lines. The wady is a mere boulder 
 bed, with sandy loam in the wider parts, 
 and it maintains a few small thorn trees. 
 Ten kilometres onward the valley of Sinkat 
 opens, walled in by high and broken hills 
 not quite destitute of vegetation, though 
 there is sometimes no rain hereabouts for 
 two years together. About eight kilometres 
 farther on this wady narrows to a defile, and 
 the track is carried at a further distance 
 of twelve kilometres to a point which Dr. 
 Schweinfurth took for the ' divide,' where
 
 THE ROAD TO BERBER. 
 
 465 
 
 the valley has its greatest elevation a 
 thousand feet. Here is the highland fortress 
 of Sinkat, of painful memory, where brave 
 Tewfik Bey sacrificed his life, together 
 with the lives of his men. The road 
 now descends into Wady O Mareg the 
 Crooked Vale where the hills widen out 
 to a distance of about seven or eight miles, 
 presently to close in again, amid a dry and 
 strange desert vegetation, destitute of water. 
 There the path winds among the hill-spurs, 
 confused peaks and ridges, and bare moun- 
 tain sides, to the mouth of Wady Ahmed. 
 This is nearly fifty miles from Souakin, or 
 more than a fifth of the journey to Berber, 
 the entire distance being 241 miles. This 
 Wady Ahmed is a broad gravelly ' strath,' 
 with blocks of trap and porphyry lying 
 about, and a few trees dotting the hollows, 
 where sometimes a little dhurra is grown 
 by the Bedouins. The road continues 
 plain and easy for thirteen or fourteen miles 
 till a sudden steep pass, which pierces* a 
 high ridge, leads from Wady Ahmed to 
 Wady Haratree. There is at this point a 
 long avenue of acacias, and passing through 
 them we are brought in four miles or so 
 to a broad and barren upland, with some 
 scorched herbage and dragon trees. Be- 
 yond that plain lies Bir Salalaat, seventy- 
 five miles from our starting-point. Two 
 large wells, sheltered with wood, afford 
 plenty of water. Again, the foot-hills shut 
 in the path, which passes by Wady O 
 Habal, a treeless glen, strewn with large 
 "blocks of trap, and leading into the Wady 
 Kokreep. It is nine miles from entrance 
 to exit of this valley, and thence the road 
 emerging from the hills goes over level 
 hard ground, past detached rocks and 
 granite knolls through the Wady Yunga to 
 the smiling oasis of Ariab. Here a number 
 of little rills descending on the vale make it 
 green and pleasant. There are large trees, 
 abundant grazing ground, thickets and 
 animal life, both bird and beast ; and the 
 Arabs keep flocks, and even oxen, along 
 the basin. The route pursued now gently 
 slopes away to the Nile over swelling hills 
 
 and sterile hard plains to the Wady Lemed, 
 and then to O-fik, the last outpost of the 
 hills on the Nile side. The next place 
 reached is O Baek, a place of sand dunes, 
 where there are many small wells, and 
 thence to Berber is a path over some of 
 the most difficult drift sand to be found in 
 the Soudan. The whole of this route is 
 at this day quite practicable for wagons. 
 By far the greatest part of it is indeed an 
 excellent road for wheels, though at three 
 points, namely, the passes of Haratree and 
 Kokreep and the dunes of O Baek, some 
 expensive work must be done to make the 
 road easy for wagons. 
 
 Above all other considerations, however, 
 unless possibly it be the amount of resist- 
 ance that Osman Digna and his sturdy 
 Hadendowas can offer, rises that of the 
 water supply. To convey a force of even 
 2,000 or 3,000 men over 241 miles of 
 desert such as this is no easy task, as our 
 recent experience in the Bayuda country 
 had shown ; and although this route to Ber- 
 ber is by far the best watered, it yet pre- 
 sents very great difficulties to the transport 
 of any large body of men and horses. The 
 whole distance is divided by nature into 
 two portions, the first a comparatively hilly 
 country as far as the wells of Ariab, 118 
 miles from Souakin ; the second a less 
 broken declivity gradually descending to 
 the banks of the Nile. In the former half 
 wells are fairly numerous, the greatest 
 distance separating any two on which re- 
 liance could be placed being about twenty- 
 two miles. In the second moiety of the 
 distance there are 106 miles to be tra- 
 versed, with only one halting-place at which 
 water could be obtained, the wells of O 
 Baek. This, however, does not exhaust the 
 difficulty, for Major Prout observes, in re- 
 gard to the wells, that the best of them are 
 generally sufficient only for 250 men and 
 as many horses or camels, and it might be 
 a necessity, in sending an expedition from 
 Souakin to Berber, to push forward a force 
 always strong enough to deal with 5,000 of 
 , the hostile Hadendowas or Bishareen. The 
 
 H H
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Hadendowas are the tribes led by Osman 
 Digna, and they hold the half of the 
 Eastern Soudan nearest the sea. To the 
 Bishareen, on the other hand, the western 
 part of the territory belongs. It is not 
 likely that the two tribes would combine, 
 but each might raise hostile levies to dis- 
 pute the passage of a relieving column 
 passing through their country. 
 
 After leaving Souakin the first wells of 
 any consequence are those of El Handoub, 
 one of which only is sweet, the rest being 
 brackish. About two hours further on, at 
 27! miles from the coast, the wells of O 
 Taou; a journey of eight miles more brings 
 us to the valley of Sinkat, where there are 
 holes in the bed of a torrent, which fill 
 slowly, and which Major Prout found were 
 not more than enough for his caravan of 
 200 men, 200 horses, and 300 camels. At 
 Disibil, five miles further on, there exist 
 two wells, one choked with sand, while the 
 other is reported as filling slowly. Reaching 
 El Bir Tamai, about sixty-four miles from 
 Souakin, wells are found containing a large 
 supply of good water, sufficient for 600 men 
 and as many animals ; and the same is said 
 of the wells of Salalaat, some nine miles 
 to the westward, while other smaller but 
 fairly constant sources are to be met with 
 at Wady Kokrep, and Bir-el-Matre, after a 
 further advance of about twenty miles. By 
 far the most important resting-place, how- 
 ever, is Ariab, where there are large care- 
 fully constructed wells of excellent water, 
 sufficient, says Major Prout, to meet the 
 wants of any party as numerous as is ever 
 likely to cross the desert. Ariab is to the 
 Souakin-Berber route what Gakdul is to the 
 crossing from Korti to Metemmeh. From 
 Ariab to Berber there is only one spot worth 
 mention at which water in any quantity 
 
 could be obtained, the wells of O Baek r 
 which consist of a number of shafts, con- 
 stantly being filled up by the sand, and the 
 fluid they provide has the great drawback 
 of being drinkable only while the shaft is- 
 recent, for after a time it turns brackish. 
 The supply also is limited, sufficing only 
 for a convoy of 400 men with their horses- 
 and camels. 
 
 In the opinion of many travellers who 
 have crossed this track, which in peaceful 
 times is that of the great caravans from 
 Khartoum to the Red Sea, the real capabili- 
 ties of the country in respect of water sup- 
 ply have never been tested. The region is 
 intersected by wadies or watercourses, in the 
 beds of which boring tubes would probably 
 reveal the existence of much more copious 
 supplies than are generally supposed to be 
 present. At Bir-el-Matre the official report 
 states there is ' a hole in the sand whence 
 water is obtained by scraping the surface 
 with the hands.' At Wady-el-Eiahmib 
 Major Prout is of opinion water might be 
 found, as acacias grow there, and there are 
 many evidences of moisture in the soil. If 
 this surmise should be verified, it would 
 lessen the difficulty of the last terrible stage 
 across the waterless stretch of arid waste 
 which has now to be traversed before Ber- 
 ber is reached. The want of water in this 
 part of the route adds to the natural obsta- 
 cles raised by the hills of fine sand driven 
 by the wind, which make progress of any 
 kind most toilsome and exhausting. Hicks 
 Pasha led his army, composed of Egyptian 
 troops, across this desert," and this of itself 
 proves how practicable the way is. After 
 all, it is only 271 miles, and considering the 
 comparative ease of access to Souakin it 
 seems very strange that the route has not 
 been more used in the past.
 
 OSMAN DIGNA AGAIN. 
 
 467 
 
 CHAPTER XCVI. 
 
 THE EASTERN jSouoAN CAMPAIGN THE BATTLE OF f-fASHEEN 
 
 IEUTENANT - GENERAL 
 SIR GERALD GRAHAM 
 was appointed to command 
 the expedition whose pur- 
 pose was to open up the 
 Souakin-Berber route mentioned in our last 
 chapter. Of that appointment it was said 
 that: "The selection for the chief com- 
 mand of the new expedition has at last 
 been made, and will give general satisfac- 
 tion. Lieutenant - General Sir Gerald 
 Graham knows well the nature of the 
 country in which he has to operate; he 
 may be trusted to strike hard if it is neces- 
 sary to do so, and he possesses in a high 
 degree both the energy necessary to carry 
 out the difficult task before him, and the 
 caution which is, above all things, requisite. 
 The opening out of the Souakin-Berber 
 road is mainly an engineering operation on 
 a large scale, and it is fitting that the duty 
 should be entrusted to an officer of En- 
 gineers. Moreover, Sir G. Graham is not 
 yet forgotten in the neighbourhood of 
 Souakin, and the announcement of his 
 return to the scene of his former victories 
 will carry great weight with it. Major- 
 General Sir G. Greaves is appointed chief 
 of the Staff, and Major-General Fremantle 
 to the command of the Guards Brigade. 
 With Brigadier-General Hudson in com- 
 mand of the Indian contingent, there 
 remains only one infantry brigade com- 
 mand, which may, perhaps, fall to Major- 
 General Newdigate. The cavalry brigadier 
 does not appear to be yet named. It is 
 stated from Bombay that a Madras infantry 
 regiment, possibly the ist (Pioneers), and 
 an additional cavalry regiment arc to be 
 added to the Indian contingent. Steps are 
 to be taken to make good the deficiency of 
 the garrisons at home and in the Mediter- 
 
 ranean," which was of necessity caused by 
 this deportation. 
 
 The chief obstacle in the way of the 
 expedition, and the railway construction 
 over which it presided, was Osman Digna, 
 who had again collected a force, and 
 threatened to be a serious difficulty to the 
 progress of our operations. 
 
 On March 2oth, 1885, a battle took place 
 between the English and the rebels, at 
 Hasheen, which is " a village situated in a 
 plain which is surrounded by low hills, and 
 which is distant about fourteen miles from 
 Souakin. It is contiguous to Handoub, 
 which stands on the Souakin-Berber road, 
 and past which it is expected that the new 
 railway will run. For some time before it 
 was occupied by bands of Osman Digna's 
 followers, the main body of whom had, 
 however, been posted at Tamai, some 
 twenty miles to the south of Hasheen, and 
 sixteen from Souakin. In fact, the whole 
 of the country round by the foot of the 
 hills, from Hasheen to Tamai, is admirably 
 adapted for the kind of tactics which a 
 man like Osman should follow in fighting 
 with British troops. It may with sufficient 
 accuracy be described as a network of deep 
 khors, or ravines, in which large hosts of 
 men may easily conceal themselves from 
 an enemy approaching them on the level of 
 the plain. On March i7th it was known 
 that large numbers of the Soudanese were 
 gathered about the Hasheen ridges and in 
 the plain, already spoken of, which is con- 
 cealed from view, on the Souakin side, by 
 the intervening hills. According to the 
 testimony of a prisoner taken during a 
 reconnaissance, three thousand of the 
 enemy were encamped in and about the 
 village, and the fighting showed that the 
 prisoner's estimate was under rather than
 
 468 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 over the mark. The enemy withdrew into 
 the hills when they saw our men approach 
 over the ridges. But they gave the new- 
 comers some trouble, for they lurked about 
 among the mimosa bush and rocks on the 
 right and left of the Hasheen Valley, while 
 our men entered and searched the village. 
 Some of them even attacked, and a few 
 casualties occurred on our side. General 
 Graham learned what he wanted to know 
 the approximate strength of the enemy, 
 their positions, and resolution to fight 
 The significant fact was that as our troops 
 withdrew the Soudanese returned to their 
 old positions. The obvious inference was 
 that they meant to inveigle General 
 Graham into the hills, and then fall upon 
 his forces entangled in the bushy, rocky 
 ground, and narrow precipitous passes. It 
 was evident that the Soudani leader 
 repeated the same tactics at the battle. 
 
 On the 2oth, then, the English force 
 marched out at daybreak, and reached the 
 first series of ridges between eight and nine 
 o'clock. The enemy, as doubtless General 
 Graham expected, at once withdrew to a 
 rigde more than a mile distant, from which 
 they were driven by the Berkshire and the 
 Marine Light Infantry, with the Guards 
 and part of the Indian contingent as 
 supports. Expelled from this position, 
 Osman's men retreated southwards towards 
 Tamai, along a route on which, for good 
 reasons, their assailants did not follow 
 them. Others of them made off in a 
 westerly direction, while they were shelled 
 by the artillery. It certainly would seem 
 as if the enemy's object was to draw the 
 British force onwards. Parties of Arabs 
 were working round by the right of the 
 English position, but were scattered by the 
 5th Lancers. Four thousand is the 
 estimated number of the Arabs who were 
 actually engaged which would seem to 
 show that their retreat on the previous day 
 towards Tamai was simply a feint. The 
 fight was a pretty stubborn one, though not 
 comparable in this respect to the battles in 
 the previous campaigns. One of the most 
 
 notable incidents of the battle was the 
 charge of the Indian cavalry the distin- 
 guished regiment known as Hodson's 
 Horse, after the brave officer who raised 
 it, and who perished in the Indian Mutiny. 
 The Qth Bengal Lancers are one of the 
 crack regiments of the native Indian army. 
 They are the very men for savage warfare 
 of this sort. Unlike the gallant iQth 
 Hussars at El Teb who found their sabres 
 far too short for their agile foes the 
 Bengal Lancers could charge in and out 
 among the mimosa bushes, sure to give a 
 good account of themselves and of their 
 opponents. The lance, and not the sword, 
 is the weapon for cavalry charges in the 
 Soudan, and last year the ipth Hussars 
 acted on this principle when, on the march 
 onwards to Tokar, they armed themselves 
 with the spears which they picked up on 
 the field of El Teb. Both during a for- 
 mer day's reconnaissance and in this 
 engagement the native Indian troops have 
 had their share and even more than their 
 share of the honours of the day. The 
 Sepoys and Sowars, who formed the Indian 
 contingent in Lord Wolseley's first Egyp- 
 tian campaign, used to grumble much at 
 the little share which was given them in 
 actual fighting. In that campaign, the 
 1 3th Bengal Lancers under Colonel Mac- 
 Naghten, and the mule battery under 
 Major Free, were the only portions of the 
 native contingent which had any serious 
 work to perform. General Graham treated 
 the present contingent more generously. 
 Apart from the unpleasant necessity of 
 fighting a necessity which this country 
 would most heartily avoid this treatment 
 of the Indian contingent is good policy. 
 If there had been continued fighting the 
 Indian troopers would have proved them- 
 selves a highly valuable arm. In another 
 respect, too, and apart from the greater 
 numerical strength of General Graham's 
 army, the expeditionary force enjoyed 
 another special advantage over the force 
 engaged in the last campaign. It possessed 
 a first-rate battery of Gardner guns, and on
 
 OSMAN DIGNA' S PLANS. 
 
 469 
 
 this occasion the men were not obliged to 
 drag their heavy ' machines ' with their 
 own hands under a hot sun and over heavy 
 glaring sands. 
 
 The inference suggested by the fight is 
 that the enemy have an unwonted reluc- 
 tance to attack in the open. Some of 
 them did make a faint attempt at a rush at 
 the square formed by the Guards, but they 
 were driven off by a volley or two. This 
 reluctance can be accounted for. Osman's 
 people had some lively memories of the 
 very rough handling they received when 
 the year before they attacked the squares 
 at El Teb and Tamai. And it may be 
 supposed they must have heard of how 
 recently two small squares cut their way 
 before them, the one across the Bayuda 
 Desert, the other up the Nile to Kerbekan 
 crags and beyond. Besides, the army 
 which the Arabs had now to face was more 
 than twice as large as that which General 
 Graham led last year. Osman Digna 
 evidently felt that his only safeguard 
 against the English was to inveigle them 
 into some position amongst the ravines and 
 rocks of the Hasheen-Tamai stretch of 
 country, in which it would be difficult for 
 them to keep in battle order, and easy for 
 their assailants to ' rush ' before the rifle 
 fire mowed too many of them down. 
 During the reconnaissance General Graham 
 found some letters from Osman Digna to 
 the sheiks, in which the latter were told 
 to avoid fighting in the open. One of the 
 prisoners confirmed these instructions, and 
 gave it to be understood that if the English 
 had advanced into the hills an attempt 
 would have been made by the Arabs to cut 
 off their line of retreat to the plain." 
 
 A Press Association account gives some 
 additional details. It says : " The force 
 which General Graham had under his 
 command at Souakin when he arrived 
 there on the 1 2th instant numbered about 
 1 2,000 men, which, after leaving about 600 
 men of the Shropshire Regiment and 
 details as guards, would give him nearly 
 10,000 troops with which to operate against 
 
 the enemy. The force consisted of bat- 
 talions of the Coldstreams, under Colonel 
 Lambton, and the Scots Guards, under 
 Colonel the Hon. W. Trefusis, the 2oth 
 Hussars, under Colonel C. R. Nicholls, the 
 5th Lancers, three battalions of the line 
 the Shropshire, Berkshire, and East Surrey 
 a battalion of Marines, the Indian con- 
 tingent of one regiment of cavalry, three 
 battalions of Sepoys, and one company of 
 Sappers, a battery of Royal Horse Artillery, 
 one screw gun battery, one garrison battery, 
 a corps of Mounted Infantry, besides 
 Engineers and departmental corps. That 
 General Graham considered this force 
 sufficient is shown by the fact that on 
 Tuesday last the igth Hussars embarked 
 for Cairo, whither they were to be followed 
 by the Egyptian Camel Corps. The nature 
 of the operations and necessities of the 
 ground rendered the services of cavalry and 
 guns of great importance, the enemy 
 occupying a range of hills to the west and 
 south-west of Souakin, the approach to 
 which was in some places through thick 
 scrub, the track occasionally becoming so 
 narrow that our troops were obliged to 
 proceed in single files. A Gardner battery 
 under command of Captain Crooke was 
 drawn by mules, and the G battery B 
 Brigade R.A. was taken with the force with 
 a view to shelling the positions and clearing 
 the way for our advancing troops. Unlike 
 the operations of last year, when it was 
 desired only to inflict a crushing defeat on 
 the Arabs, it was now necessary to occupy 
 the enemy's country for the purpose ol 
 covering the line of the proposed railway ; 
 and although it was believed that water 
 could with suitable appliances be dis- 
 covered in the neighbourhood, in addition 
 to whatever supply the Hasheen wells 
 might afford, provision for present needs 
 was made by taking over twenty thousand 
 gallons, while the troops were supplied 
 with two days' rations. For obvious 
 reasons it was desirable to make the 
 advance early. At daybreak preparations 
 were being made, and shortly after six
 
 47o 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 o'clock the cavalry started across the plain. 
 It was expected that by operating in the 
 direction of Hasheen the main body of 
 Osman Digna's troops, which it was 
 thought had not shown themselves during 
 the reconnaissance on the previous day, 
 would emerge from between the hills in the 
 direction of Tamai, which place is about a 
 dozen miles to the south of Hasheen, 
 probably hoping thereby to attack our 
 troops in the rear, while it would, however, 
 enable General Graham's force to operate 
 in the open country between the hills and 
 Souakin. In about two hours the first hill 
 was reached, but the enemy did not offer 
 much resistance, retiring to another hill at 
 a short distance. This was carried by the 
 Berkshire Regiment and Marines, who 
 advanced cautiously, and sustained only a 
 few minor casualties. As the enemy fled 
 from this position towards their base at 
 
 Tamai, the cavalry were able to charge 
 them, and it was here that the most severe 
 fighting took place, one officer and several 
 men falling in hand-to-hand combats. The 
 artillery also were enabled to drop, a few 
 shells among the rebels streaming across a 
 valley west of Hasheen with great effect. 
 The enemy were pursued for some dis- 
 tance. After the operations had lasted 
 several hours the troops returned to 
 Hasheen, and subsequently to camp, the 
 position which had been taken at Hasheen 
 being occupied by the East Surrey, with 
 the stores and guns entrenched, as a point 
 from which further operations can be con- 
 ducted. The enemy engaged were pro- 
 bably the advanced posts of Osman Digna's 
 army, which was in force at Tamai," but 
 which this decided victory certainly did so 
 much to discourage and dishearten for the 
 future. 
 
 CHAPTER XCVII. 
 
 ENGINEERING IN THE DESERT THE SOUAKIN-BERBER RAILWAY. 
 
 FTER all, both campaign 
 and railway, notwithstand- 
 ing this brilliant opening, 
 seemed likely to prove a 
 disastrous failure. A corre- 
 spondent writing on April 29th, tells us that 
 " although no definite instructions have as 
 yet been received, it is 'in the air' that 
 operations here are over for the season, that 
 the railway works are to be discontinued, 
 and that all the troops, except those selected 
 to garrison the town during the coming sum- 
 mer, are to be embarked for Cyprus or 
 Malta. Two events give colour to the 
 rumour: the Marines, who have so long 
 borne the burden and heat of life at Soua 
 kin, are actually on their way down from 
 Handoub an operation which severely 
 taxed the resources of our newly-constructed 
 
 railway and the Jumna, which brought 
 1,200 coolies from Bombay, has been sent 
 back without disembarking a single man. 
 Meantime there is no evidence at the front 
 that any change of plans is impending. 
 The advanced posts at Tambouk and Otao 
 are held by the Scots Guards, Coldstreams, 
 and Australians ; between Otao and Han- 
 doub the Berkshire, Shropshire, and East 
 Surrey Regiments are echeloned along the 
 railway line, the terminus of which is now 
 at Otao, twenty miles from the base at 
 Quarantine Island. Whether or no there 
 be any truth in the rumour that no progress 
 is to be made beyond that point during the 
 summer (and the sending away of the only 
 men that could have continued the work 
 seems to confirm it), it is a fitting moment, 
 I think, to take stock of the operations and
 
 THE SOUAKIN-BERBER RAILWAY. 
 
 47* 
 
 *o see what lessons can be learned for 
 future guidance, especially as this is our 
 first attempt to construct a military railway. 
 The original idea was that the line should 
 be made by officers of the Royal Engineers 
 and coolies from India. An officer of great 
 experience in railway construction was ac- 
 tually selected, and arrangements were 
 made by him for the collection of 4,000 
 well-trained coolies specially skilled in the 
 art of rapid railway building, an art which 
 is unknown in England. The plant was to 
 be the Indian metre gauge, quantities of 
 which are always en route to India, and 
 suficient for the Souakin line was to have 
 been diverted on its way down the Red 
 Sea and landed here. This project, as 
 dearly-bought experience has proved, was 
 an admirable one, but unfortunately it fell 
 through. Lord Hartington entrusted the 
 construction of the line to the English 
 engineering firm of Messrs. Lucas and Aird, 
 who offered to place the resources of their 
 establishment at the disposal of the Govern- 
 ment, disclaiming the idea of obtaining any 
 pecuniary reward. The agreement with 
 that firm, however, which has since been 
 published as a parliamentary paper, has 
 among its clauses one which gives them 
 bonuses of ,40,000 when the line is com- 
 pleted, and after all expenses have been 
 paid. No doubt on such terms any num- 
 ber of firms would gladly have come for- 
 ward to find employment for their men and 
 material at a time of almost universal de- 
 pression. However, in due time, and much 
 to the joy of those who know the country 
 and believe in its prospects, ships began to 
 arrive at Souakin with the material. Before 
 any progress could be made it was neces- 
 sary, in General Graham's opinion, to dis- 
 lodge Osman Digna and his force from 
 their position at Tamai. The first portion 
 of the route between Souakin and Han- 
 doub, along which it was proposed to lay 
 the rails, has a north-westerly direction, 
 whereas Tamai lies eighteen miles away 
 from the town, almost due south. It would 
 seem to be rather straining a point, there- 
 
 fore, to say that Osman was on our flank 
 and to apply the methods of civilized war- 
 fare in dealing with him. But that was 
 what was done, and for three weeks the 
 energies of the General, the staff, the com- 
 missariat and transport, and the whole of 
 the available troops were concentrated on 
 the smashing of Digna at Tamal Well, 
 we did not smash him ; we were very nearly 
 smashed ourselves ; we slew hundreds of 
 our own transport camels and scores of our 
 own camel-drivers. We advanced 6,000 
 strong on Tamai, burnt a few wretched 
 huts, fired a few volleys at extremely long 
 range, and then marched back again to the 
 town. Three weeks nearly had been taken 
 up by these manoeuvres, and it was then 
 decided that as we had gone out to give 
 Osman a fair chance to fight us again, and 
 had not been able to induce him to attack 
 our six battalions of infantry, cavalry, and 
 artillery, we must get on with the real 
 object of the expedition, the building of 
 the railway. The zareba in the bush (I 
 cannot understand why it has been called 
 ' Baker's zareba ; ' the proper title for it is 
 M'Neill's zareba that general's name is 
 always associated with it here) was aban- 
 doned, and we finally turned our backs 
 upon the festering, pestilential spot which 
 thirteen days before was the scene of 
 agonizing sacrifice and unparalleled hero- 
 ism, the grave of hundreds of brave men, 
 and more than one reputation. Even then 
 the air around the place was laden with a 
 sickening smell, bodies lay unburied around 
 it, and the vultures still gathered in scores. 
 If ever the path to ' M'Neill's zareba ' is 
 again taken by a British force, it should be 
 to set up an enduring monument to the 
 valour of the English private soldier. 
 
 Work on the railway had not long been 
 in progress before it became evident that 
 the want of system and organization would 
 prevent anything like the rapid construc- 
 | tion of the line. No park of materials 
 was formed, and up to the present day 
 none has been established. The materials 
 as they were landed were at once passed
 
 472 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 to the front, with the result that at one 
 time the working parties were waiting for 
 sleepers, at another for rails, then again for 
 spikes ; so that in every working day of 
 eight hours four at least were spent by the 
 men at the head of the line sitting on the 
 sand waiting for materials. The cause of 
 this want of system is not far to seek. The 
 War Office sent out a distinguished officer, 
 and specially charged him with the direc- 
 tion of the undertaking. He combined, 
 with other functions, those of General of 
 the Line of Communications, so that no 
 interference should take place by any one 
 at the base (Souakin) or along the line in the 
 making of the', railway. It was strongly 
 impressed upon him that on no account 
 was he to interfere with Messrs. Lucas and 
 Aird's men, who were to have the entire 
 construction of the railway. As a matter of 
 fact, however, circumstances, which proved 
 far more powerful than the General com- 
 manding the line of communications, inter- 
 fered most decisively in the matter. 
 Messrs. Lucas and Aird sent out, in addi- 
 tion to their permanent staff, two of their 
 own partners, and had these gentlemen 
 remained in the country instead of return- 
 ing to England after a few days' residence 
 at Souakin, many subsequent difficulties 
 would have been avoided. On their de- 
 parture the firm was represented by two 
 gentlemen, one at the front to make the 
 line and the other at Souakin to pay the 
 men and act as administrative agent gener- 
 ally. It soon became evident that to leave 
 the line in the hands of two civilians with- 
 out any directing head, and to call upon 
 them at the same time to work with the 
 army in the field, which was not only to 
 protect them while working, but to aid 
 them largely in the actual construction of 
 the line, was to throw upon them a task to 
 which they were quite unequal. They 
 themselves cordially welcomed the assist- 
 ance of the military, but the hands of the 
 military officer in charge were tied by the 
 stringent instructions which he had received 
 not to interfere with the contractors. The 
 
 exigency of circumstances prevented an 
 actual dead-lock, but the result of all this 
 was certainly to retard the progress of the 
 line. 
 
 The actual staff provided by Messrs. 
 Lucas and Aird, beyond engine-drivers and 
 skilled mechanics, consisted of several hun- 
 dred English navvies, and I am bound to 
 say that the imported English navvy has not 
 proved a success in Souakin. As it was not 
 found possible to get labour either in 
 Europe or Egypt, and as none was to be 
 procured on the spot (for your Arab would 
 rather starve than work), a corps of 900 
 coolies was specially raised in India by 
 Engineer officers. The coolies, who were 
 chiefly artisans, platelayers, etc., all skilled 
 in railway making, arrived at Souakin al- 
 most as soon as the line was begun. They 
 have proved of the greatest value, and it is 
 mainly due to them that anything was 
 done. The Engineer officers who raised 
 and accompanied them from India are all 
 experienced men, well known for railway 
 work. They were expected to work, with 
 their coolies, under Messrs. Lucas and 
 Aird's foreman ; in fact it was asked that 
 the coolies should be placed entirely at 
 Messrs. Lucas and Aird's disposal. The 
 arrangement was tried, but it was found 
 that neither the contractor's foreman, nor 
 his gangers, nor the navvies, could speak 
 intelligibly to them. The persuasive argu- 
 ments of punching their heads and kicking 
 them did not help matters, and the experi- 
 ment was given up. 
 
 The actual construction work done by 
 Messrs. Lucas and Aird's men was the 
 spacing out of the sleepers, placing the 
 rails, spiking them down, screwing up a 
 fish-plate here and there (but they often 
 had to wait a long time for fish-plates), and 
 straightening the line when it was being 
 ballasted. The rest of the construction 
 was done by the army. The formation of 
 the roadway and the ballasting of the line 
 was done by English soldiers and Indian 
 coolies; the rails were dragged from the 
 place where they had been shot out on to
 
 THE SOUAKIN-BERBER RAILWAY. 
 
 473 
 
 the sand from the trucks by Horse Artillery 
 teams or by horses supplied by the Com- 
 missariat ; the sleepers were carted to the 
 front in ordnance carts drawn by Army 
 Transport mules. The result of this divi- 
 sion of labour was that only 1,100 yards a 
 day were laid over a country much easier 
 than Hyde Park and quite as easy as that 
 in India and the United States, where from 
 three to seven miles would be quite 
 possible. Had the expedition gone on and 
 the railway been laid at the same rate as 
 that which has hitherto obtained, Berber 
 would not have been reached until July 
 next year ; that is to say, that the protect- 
 ing army would have had to spend sixteen 
 months on a road which has been con- 
 stantly travelled by camels in ten days. 
 
 The lessons to be learnt by this fiasco, 
 for it can be called nothing else, are : 
 
 (1) That a proper Military Railway Corps 
 should at once be established in the British 
 Army. 
 
 (2) That, in the event of a real intention 
 and a real decision to send an army from 
 Souakin to Berber, a light line, specially 
 adapted for military purposes, should be 
 laid, instead of the 4ft. 8|in. gauge, which 
 is much too heavy and clumsy for rapid rail- 
 way construction for military purposes. 
 
 (3) That the introduction of a civil ele- 
 ment to work with an army in the field is 
 an absolute blunder. 
 
 All our wars take place in countries 
 where there are no railways, and we are 
 therefore free to choose the gauge that suits 
 us best It is needless to say that the 
 gauge should be one which can be laid 
 with the utmost possible rapidity three or 
 four miles a day at least. To do this, very 
 light material must be used. Such a line 
 could wind round mountain sides on the 
 smallest curves and dispense with bridges 
 and cuttings. It should be so simple that 
 it could be laid and worked by soldiers. 
 In all ages armies in the field have had to 
 make their own roads, and a railway is, 
 after all, only a road, five feet wide instead 
 of twenty. Here I may say that one of the j 
 
 most satisfactory features in a not very 
 satisfactory campaign has been the admir- 
 able manner in which our little army has 
 learnt to cut for itself and convoys a broad 
 straight road through the bush. The attack 
 of March 24th on the convoy which was 
 returning from M'Neill's zareba taught us 
 the lesson. Since then it has not been 
 possible for the enemy to come up within 
 ten yards of the face of the square and 
 attempt to 'rush' the transport animals. 
 The ' drifts ' which we have made, and by 
 which the lines of march of the army will 
 long be able to be traced, are formed by the 
 apparently simple process of cutting away 
 the mimosa bushes. But the mimosa is an 
 awkward bush to tackle ; its thorns have a 
 capacity for catching and holding quite 
 remarkable, owing to their arrangement in 
 pairs at diverging angles, every branch 
 being a perfect series of chevaux defrise. It 
 takes three men to clear away a full grown 
 mimosa two with a rope to hold it back, 
 and one to cut at the trunk ; then the roots, 
 which are as tenacious and deep striking 
 as the thorns, have to be grubbed up so 
 as to leave a perfectly free path for the 
 sleepers and rails. Many thousands of 
 such bushes have our hardworking Tommy 
 Atkinses thus cleared from the path of the 
 ' Souakin-Berber Railway,' besides doing all 
 the other work which I have referred to, 
 and all for the magnificent remuneration of 
 as many pence per day as Messrs. Lucas 
 and Aird's navvies receive shillings. 
 
 If we are to have war with Russia, a 
 railway of the description above indicated 
 should surely follow the army in its advance 
 to Candahar and Herat from the head of 
 the present permanent line. It would re- 
 duce the cost of transport to an enormous 
 extent, and its expense compared with 
 other means would be trivial. Take, for 
 instance, our chief means of transport here 
 camels. I think I can best illustrate its 
 costliness by drawing once more on the sad 
 experience of M'Neill's battle. In twenty 
 minutes we ourselves shot down, and the 
 enemy killed or stampeded, 800 camels
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and mules, representing a value of certainly 
 ;i 6,000. Had we had a light military 
 railway through the five miles of bush 
 between us and the town, the enemy would 
 have found nothing to stampede, and the 
 troops would not have been exposed to the 
 dangers of having the camels that were out- 
 side the zarebas driven in upon them by the 
 enemy. This, in fact, was what a party of 
 the Arabs tried to do, and there was no 
 alternative but to shoot down camels, 
 camel-drivers, and rebels together. That 
 episode of the battle was, indeed, the most 
 terrible of all. The deafening roar of the 
 Martinis ; the crashing of their deadly hail 
 into the frantic struggling mass of friends 
 and foes ; the swaying and sinking of the 
 .great beasts as they felt the death-stroke by 
 
 bullet and knife; the rush of terrified 
 mules ; the disorderly retreat of the native 
 regiment, whose officers were gallantly try- 
 ing to rally it ; the steady, determined stand 
 of the Berkshire and the Marines, whose 
 little rallying squares stood out, alone, like 
 volcanic islands in a raging sea, dealing 
 death and destruction around it was a 
 spectacle which can never be forgotten by 
 those who saw it. The recollection of it 
 has forced me into this digression from my 
 more sober theme. I need only add, how- 
 ever, that if such a railway had been sent 
 out with the expedition, it could have been 
 laid to Berber in four months, and that six- 
 teen trains running upon it would have 
 delivered 100 tons of stores daily at Berber. 
 Fifty thousand camels could not do that." 
 
 CHAPTER XCVIII. 
 
 AN ENGLISHMAN'S ]!,IFE IN JIGYPT ^ RUMMER'S DAY IN JSOUAKIN. 
 
 NGLISHMEN, according to 
 the ordinary continental 
 version, are said to be a 
 race apart, wedded to their 
 peculiar customs, and unwill- 
 ing, indeed unable, to change them. This 
 may be so ; still it must be confessed that no 
 race in the world have to submit to greater 
 alternations of climate, food, work, etc. 
 How different, for instance, a day in 
 London and a day in Souakin I Here is 
 .an account of this last " by one who has 
 been there," and whose testimony, therefore, 
 has a peculiar value : " The day in 
 Souakin, as far as the public is concerned, 
 may be said to begin at sunrise. Roused 
 by a chorus of crowing from the fowls kept 
 in the court by the Indian contingent, and 
 the howling of a muezzin from a neighbour- 
 ing minaret, Jones wearily opens his eyes, 
 .and takes mechanically a survey of the 
 wing of the building opposite, in which the 
 
 prisoners are getting on the move, and 
 going forth to their duties of fatigue and 
 scavenging ; sad to relate, a large proportion 
 are English soldiers and sailors. The 
 caravanserai, on the flat roof of which Jones 
 has wisely fixed his sleeping quarters, to 
 ensure the utmost possible air and the least 
 possible stench, is a huge, oblong, three- 
 storey building, with two gates. The cause- 
 way leading to the town passes in front of 
 the main gate. Round, pale, rayless, the 
 sun rises from the Red Sea ; Jones, after a 
 vain struggle for a few moments' more sleep 
 in the cool morning air (it is only 85) with 
 the flies (those plagues of the tropics), drags 
 himself slowly from the bed on which he 
 has passed some hours of unconsciousness 
 (in a flannel suit and without any covering)? 
 and having swallowed several cups of com- 
 forting tea proceeds to look forth on the 
 outer world. And a curious scene it is. On 
 the causeway all is bustle. Camels stalk
 
 A SUMMER'S DAV IN SOU AKIN. 
 
 475 
 
 by in strings, or crouch groaning and whin- 
 ing to be loaded. Hadendowas, or Fuzzies 
 {as they are aptly called), with frizzy hair 
 and corkscrew curls ; Arabs from Jeddah, 
 in turban, toga, and sandals, like old 
 Romans ; Arab ladies, balls of white 
 muslin in yellow or red Wellington boots ; 
 groups of chattering 
 Indian or Arab wo- 
 men, in red, blue, or 
 green sarees and 
 faces covered ; In- 
 dian carts, drawn by 
 beautiful long-horned 
 cattle ; gangs of con- 
 victs, sturdy, bare- 
 legged ruffians in 
 sacking shirt and 
 skull cap, guarded 
 by puny Egyptian 
 warders, in baggy 
 tunic, and drawers, 
 and filthy fez, Rem- 
 ington on shoulder, 
 and cartridge belt at 
 waist. Here a Sikh 
 orderly, with chain 
 mail epaulettes and 
 slender, pennon- 
 topped lance, pushes 
 his scraggy pony 
 through the throng, 
 and there comes our 
 old friend the British 
 Tommy, looking thin 
 and worn in his 
 hideous baggy khaki 
 and mushroom hat, 
 but elbowing his 
 way along with ir- 
 repressible energy, 
 
 addressing every native as Johnny, and 
 prepared for any emergency. Seven 
 o'clock: Jones is by. this time dressed. 
 The sun is now well above the horizon, 
 and pouring forth that flood of clear, bright, 
 intense golden light that northern skies 
 never know. Away towards the south- 
 west, Tamai, and the desert, a brown haze 
 
 EGYPTIAN PORTER. 
 
 begins to blot out the hills, and to betoken 
 the coming of the kamsin wind and a 
 terrible day. Jones now proceeds to take 
 his daily header into the strong, buoyant 
 brine off New House Quay, and while 
 dressing watches with interest the endless 
 tribes of fishes, of all shapes, colours, sizes, 
 and shades, as they 
 play and feed in the 
 clear, warm water. As 
 he returns the tide 
 of life is at the full in 
 the wretched cluster 
 of filthy booths, or 
 rather dens, which 
 does duty for a ba- 
 zaar in Souakin, in 
 which nothing is 
 offered for sale, save, 
 perhaps, a few water- 
 melons or oranges, 
 morsels of fly-blown 
 fried fish, or lumps 
 of horrible dates, and 
 other abominations 
 of native manufac- 
 ture, but no fruit, 
 vegetables, fish, meat, 
 eggs, or milk. By 
 the time Jones has 
 returned and break- 
 fasted, the kamsin 
 has developed into 
 a smart, scorching 
 breeze, the sun blazes 
 like a ball of hot 
 brass through the 
 hazy air, the ground 
 burns the feet through 
 the stoutest boots, 
 shutters are closed, 
 
 man and beast fly to cover, the thermometer 
 in the coolest room marks 104 and rising, 
 everything feels hot to the touch, even the 
 backs of the books curl. The British soldier 
 lolls on his bed and uses fearful language ; 
 the burly Egyptian ' warrior ' lounges on 
 sentry over the prisoners in the prison, or 
 snores on a heap of stones ; the Parsee
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 clerk dozes over his desk in the archway (for 
 coolness); the provost adjudicates on native 
 followers, and occasionally the whistle of the 
 cat and the howl of the offender testify that 
 he ' beareth not the sword in vain.' Higher 
 and higher rises the sun, stronger and 
 stronger blows the wind, up and up goes 
 the thermometer, more and more plaguing 
 grow the flies. Were any one rash enough 
 to propound Mallock's question to Jones, 
 ' Is life worth living ? ' the answer would be 
 prompt and to the point. 
 The welcome call to lunch 
 at length causes a diver- 
 sion. Notes are compared 
 and impressions exchanged 
 as to sensation, height of 
 thermometer, chances of 
 getting away, number of 
 sick, etc. After lunch come 
 those two terrible sultry, 
 dreary hours, which some 
 deem the most trying in 
 the day. Jones sleeps, or 
 reads, or works, or what 
 not, till time, like every- 
 thing else in this world, 
 comes round and the wel- 
 come 4.30 arrives. Shutters 
 are now opened, the wind 
 has abated and shifted, 
 the sun is shorn of much 
 of his terrors, the ther- 
 mometer has gone down 
 below 100 ; some order 
 their ponies for polo or 
 a gallop, some their boats 
 for a sail, some lounge off for a gossip 
 and a B. and S. at Adams's (the general 
 meeting-place). The convicts return chat- 
 ting and laughing from their work on board 
 ship. Indian guards move to and fro 
 mounting guard, natives come in on trotting 
 camels from the desert, officers in brown 
 boots and mushroom hats trot off to camp ; 
 
 LIQUORICE WATER SELLER 
 
 life reigns once more. But what are those 
 three sharp, rolling reports from the direc- 
 tion of the new cemetery (at intervals) ? 
 Little need to ask ; poor Sergeant Brown 
 went into hospital last night at eleven 
 o'clock sunstroke ! At 7 p.m. the sun 
 sinks in a blaze of crimson and gold in the 
 line of the ill-omened Berber railway. 
 Dinner at 7.30; tobacco, whist, B. and S. r 
 pass the hours till 9.30, when the exhausted 
 Jones crawls off to his comfortless couch, 
 but not to sleep. Vain 
 hope ! the wind has gone 
 with the sun, and stagna- 
 tion of the air ensues. 
 'The slow moon, too, 
 climbs,' the Ramadan moon, 
 bright as the sun, and 
 greeted with tom-toms and 
 other sleep-murdering de- 
 vices by true believers. 
 Hour after hour does Jones 
 roll from side to side, the 
 perspiration streamingdown 
 him, and listening to the 
 howling of the packs of 
 masterless dogs outside the 
 walls, till at length exhausted 
 nature finds relief in a heavy 
 slumber, and he can thank 
 God that another day in 
 the 'horrible Soudan' is 
 over." 
 
 Well, this is not a very 
 cheerful picture of life at 
 Souakin. We daresay the 
 reader will very readily 
 understand the important part which two 
 functionaries, whose portraits we here give, 
 play in such an existence. These are the 
 Egyptian porter, who, quite undisturbed by 
 the heat, carries his heavy load along, and 
 the liquorice water seller, whose stock-in- 
 trade is very soon exhausted on such a 
 burning day.
 
 WHY GO TO KHARTOUM? 
 
 477 
 
 CHAPTER XCIX. 
 
 EVACUATION OF THE SOUDAN DEATH OF THE M.AHDI. 
 
 LOWLY, but all too quickly 
 for our troops in the burning 
 desert, the year crept on, and 
 the heat grew ever fiercer. 
 But the resolutions of the 
 people at home grew ever colder. The 
 Marquis of Lome, writing as early as 
 February 28th, in the eventful year of 1885, 
 asked, " Is it necessary to assume with the 
 Government that the Mahdi must ' be 
 smashed ' at Khartoum that is, on his 
 chosen ground ? He has declared his in- 
 tention to go to Cairo. Is it not possible 
 that he may be politically and physically 
 smashed on his way thither if he really 
 moves northward ? What if we spend much 
 money and many men in going to Khar- 
 toum, and our enemy renders himself in- 
 accessible, as he well may in the surround- 
 ing deserts, and re-enter the city when our 
 retirement takes place ? What shall we 
 have accomplished should he pursue these 
 tactics ? Is Khartoum necessary to Egypt ? 
 Egypt has done well in past times without 
 it. Beyond the fact that there is a water 
 measurer at Khartoum, no one has ever 
 heard that it possesses anything of utility 
 to Egypt. The Nile will rise as before, 
 whether a Soudanese or an Egyptian 
 Government have rule, and any trade can 
 be stimulated whichever flag flies. Our 
 business with Egypt is only in its relation 
 to our Indian highway, and to guard this 
 our policy need not career about the in- 
 terior of Africa like a mad dromedary. The 
 slave-trade can be hindered as before by 
 our cruisers. We want all the troops we 
 possess for Egypt, for India, and for a 
 Home reserve. Let us give Osman Digna 
 another lesson, and if present military exi- 
 gencies demand it, let us lay the railway 
 to Berber. Let us take up the position on 
 
 the Nile judged best by Lord Wolseley, so 
 that we may effectually bar any advance of 
 the Mahdi on Upper Egypt But let us 
 think once, twice, and thrice before we 
 waste our strength and play our enemy's 
 game by placing our troops where they 
 may be reduced by sunstroke and fever, 
 and become a useless garrison, striking 
 only resultless blows at a brave enemy who 
 desires to see us dance to his music. We 
 have much reason to guard those posses- 
 sions which it pays us to keep. In the 
 Soudan we shall dig holes in the sand, 
 to be filled by the first drift. We have 
 enemies elsewhere who will be glad of any 
 opportunity to stab us in the back while we 
 are hitting out in the air in front. We 
 have 'avenged' Gordon by the death of 
 some 5,000 Arabs. Let us kill 20,000 
 more if they advance beyond the limits we 
 assign them, but leave them alone if they 
 do not. ' On to Khartoum ' was a good 
 cry when we had Gordon to rescue, but 
 few like it now, as it would be the veriest 
 quixotry to believe the Mahdi's influence 
 can be ' smashed ' only at Khartoum." 
 And, finally, the Government of the country, 
 both political parties, and the great mass 
 of the people, were ready to agree that 
 after all the Mahdi should be left to him- 
 self in the Soudan, and that we should not 
 trouble him if he did not trouble us. In 
 accordance with this resolution our troops 
 were withdrawn from the Soudan. As to 
 the Mahdi troubling us, that question was 
 very soon relegated to the great category 
 of the might-have-beens and the perhapses, 
 since the news reached England in July, 
 1885, that he had died of small-pox. 
 
 By this time people were just recovering 
 from the apprehension of war with Russia, 
 and a new government under Lord Sails-
 
 478 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 bury held office. The news did not excite 
 the notice it once did. The English people 
 thought indeed that " if the Mahdi be really 
 dead, it must be confessed that he has 
 shown excellent good taste in his dying. 
 For once we can all speak well of him. He 
 has done civilization a good service. Living 
 he was no doubt very objectionable, but 
 we can now be generous. Perhaps Eblis is 
 not so black as he is painted. We can 
 afford to pay a posthumous and mitigated 
 compliment, by saying that the dead pro- 
 phet, though he harassed us when he was 
 in the flesh, was capable of better conduct. 
 His bringing up, perhaps, was bad. He 
 had been neglected as a lad ; got into com- 
 pany that did him no good, and gave a 
 sinister twist to his fancies. His parents, 
 it may be, spoiled him, let him think too 
 much of himself, and flattered his preco- 
 cious ambitions. Well, he is dead now so 
 we hope and gone, we may hope this too, 
 where all sincere believers, of whatever 
 creed, go to after death. He did his work 
 well ; lost his opportunities now and then, 
 no doubt, but on the whole fought splen- 
 didly for his faith and for Allah. What a 
 weird majesty there was about this man, 
 who controlled, as if with Solomon's signet 
 ring, the evil genii of ruin, carnage, and 
 fierce fanaticism ! How spectral was his 
 appearance upon the scene, far away in the 
 Southern Soudan ! He stepped out from 
 his cell on the river bank, and facing the 
 mollahs and the dervishes, said, ' I am He.' 
 They scoffed at him ; but he went forth 
 into the desert and told them, the dwellers 
 in tents, that he was the Mahdi, the herald 
 of the millennium that first 'blast of con- 
 sternation' which the Moslems say pre- 
 cedes the Resurrection, levelling the infidel 
 peoples as a hurricane lays the corn, and 
 thrilling the faithful as with the sound of 
 an archangel's trumpet. And they pre- 
 sently believed him ; embroidered him a 
 banner, which he blessed ; sharpened their 
 spears, and brought them to him for con- 
 secration ; put on his uniform, braided with 
 those texts from the Koran which promise 
 
 everlasting Paradise to such as die for the 
 faith in fighting against the unbeliever. So 
 he took the field, and so he held it. A 
 mystical power was his. He wielded the 
 sword of Allah, and shook the spear of a 
 Vicegerent. Tribes rallied to him for his 
 name alone. All Islam was up at the 
 sound of it. The mollahs and the der- 
 vishes vainly said, 'This is not He,' and 
 set to work with computations of time and 
 commentaries on prophecy to prove that 
 they were right. Victory in battle was Mo- 
 hammed Ahmed's answer. Yet the people 
 wavered in their credulity. Can it be 
 He ? It surely is It is ! Was not all the 
 Soudan by-and-by in his hands ? Lower 
 Egypt itself was threatened ; Arabia be- 
 came ripe for outbreak; the Turk grew 
 troubled. Alone, this one man, a poor 
 penniless dervish, had opened the flood- 
 gates of Mohammedan bigotry, let loose 
 the torrent which more than once in history 
 has been the terror of the human race. 
 Everything appeared to lie within his grasp. 
 The hour of triumph was already striking 
 had, indeed, struck when, on a sudden, 
 Azrael whispered in his ear, and Mohammed 
 Ahmed, ' The Mahdi,' the guided one,' 
 and guider, laid down dominion and power, 
 and turned and went forth with the Angel 
 of Death. 
 
 How will they receive the news those 
 desert-hosts that believed him to be what 
 he said he was, the legate of Heaven sent 
 to accomplish a great work ? He has died 
 before it was finished. Instead of crowning 
 his mission by triumphant completion, he 
 has proved himself merely the author of 
 temporary revolution, an instigator of use- 
 less mischief, the cause of much fruitless 
 ruin and futile misery. He destroyed much, 
 and has bestowed nothing in return. The 
 country of his birth is prostrated by scarcity, 
 amounting in parts to famine. Whole clans 
 have been swept away in fight. The sur- 
 vivors have good reason for fearing reprisals 
 and the revenge of the Government they 
 have insulted by defeat. So there is little 
 to thank Mohammed Ahmed for on the part
 
 DEATH OP THE MAHDI. 
 
 479 
 
 of his followers. Those who stood aside in 
 neutrality will exult. ' We told you so,' they 
 will say, and great will be the disputation 
 in the bazaars over the fate of the man who 
 has gone. Why did Allah step in and 
 ' snub ' him, so to speak, when his hands 
 were just closing on the prize? A little 
 longer life and he would have led that great 
 pilgrimage to Mecca, which he had always 
 promised to his people, and, having ex- 
 torted independence from Egypt, would 
 have lorded it in the Soudan as the Pope 
 of Islam, the Prophet's deputy, a true pro- 
 phet himself. Instead of this, however, he 
 has died, falsifying his own predictions, and 
 exposing his imposture. Instead of dictat- 
 ing terms to the Khedive from the Kasr-en" 
 Nil at Cairo, and leading in prodigious 
 pomp across to Arabia the hosts who had 
 fought under his banners, he has lain down 
 in his grave to await the coming of the 
 dread examiners who visit all deceased 
 Moslems in the tomb. Two black angels 
 of livid countenance, and terrible to look 
 upon, are Monkir and Nakir. They have 
 been to Mohammed Ahmed lying in his 
 grave, and have ordered him to sit upright, 
 and catechised him in his faith. He, the 
 heaven-sent man, who was himself the 
 teacher, has had to undergo the common 
 examination of all who die ; and what did 
 he say in answer to the questions of his 
 dreadful inquisitors? Did he persist in 
 such an awful presence in his pretensions ? 
 And what did they da to him? If his 
 replies are what they should be, there 
 breathes immediately upon the dead Mos- 
 lem the fragrant breeze of Paradise, a fore- 
 taste of delights soon to be enjoyed in un- 
 limited measure. If not, Monkir and Nakir 
 set to work with clubs, and pommel the 
 awakened corpse until he roars with pain ; 
 then they fill his grave up with dragons, 
 snakes, and scorpions, and stamp the earth 
 down tight over him, finally leaving him 
 dead-alive, to be bitten and stung, until the 
 day of resurrection. Which was the fate, 
 Arabs will grimly wonder, of the Mahdi ? 
 And when Azrael came to separate his soul 
 
 from his body, did he do it gently, as is his 
 custom with those of good life, or painfully, 
 as he treats the wicked ? In the El Berzak, 
 ' the interval,' how is he living Have 
 good angels met the soul and conducted 
 him, as prophets are conducted, straight 
 into heaven ; or will he, like a martyr's 
 disembodied spirit, live in the crop of a 
 green bird that feeds on the trees of Para- 
 dise ? Or was he only received as one of 
 the ordinary faithful, and directed to his 
 proper place in the lowest heaven, where 
 Adam presides, waiting for Israfil's trump to 
 sound? It will not seem possible, how- 
 ever, to the Arab that such a being as Mo- 
 hammed Ahmed can after death be one of 
 the commonalty. If he was a prophet, he 
 has already drunk of the celestial stream 
 that quenches thirst for ever, and is reclin- 
 ing in gorgeous apparel within his pavilion 
 made of one vast moonlighted pearl, pitched 
 under the Tuba the tree of all bliss with 
 a river of honey, milk, and wine at his 
 door, and troops of radiant dark-eyed dam- 
 sels, ' the girls of Paradise,' created out of 
 pure musk, of an exquisite beauty, to wait 
 upon his pleasure. If, on the other hand, 
 the Angels of Record, the Moakkibat, who 
 stand on each side of every man throughout 
 his life, have given in their account, and 
 the required minimum of virtue, truth, and 
 justice, ' as heavy as half the weight of a 
 red ant,' is not attributed to the son of 
 Abdallah, then in that case it will, says 
 the ' Perspicuous Book,' be lighter for the 
 lowest of his slain spearmen, than for the 
 audacious Dongolese carpenter who pre- 
 tended to be ' the guided of heaven.' 
 
 Such are the questions which, we may be 
 sure, are perplexing the Arab mind. Ma- 
 homet taught them that Paradise is material, 
 corporeal, sensual, and they believe it, 
 literally, to be just as he described it The 
 political aspect of the Mahdi's death at 
 such a moment will of course come under 
 discussion ; but we may be certain that by 
 far the most engrossing subject of argument 
 in the Soudan will be the pretensions of 
 the dead leaden His followers must be
 
 480 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 utterly bewildered by the blow, the der- 
 vishes staggered by its force. It was the 
 very last thing they expected, and the col- 
 lapse must be almost comical in its com- 
 pleteness. Without a Mahdi where are 
 they? There is another, it is true, some- 
 where in the field. Indeed, if report be 
 correct, there are several. And unless the 
 dervishes take up with another claimant 
 they must relapse into their former ob- 
 scurity. As lieutenants of the Messiah, 
 they were personages of importance; but 
 the last example has died of small-pox, like 
 an ordinary man, and their position is most 
 awkward, not to say absurd. As for the 
 hero himself, if he really was Mahomet's 
 commissioner, it is delightful to think of 
 him, after the Moslem's material fashion, 
 sitting at his pavilion door and sulking. 
 His disappointment is indeed almost enough 
 to make him grumble at Paradise. He 
 will say in ' the Garden ' that his wine is 
 
 ' corked,' his victuals from the Tuba tree 
 'gone off;' he will order the birds of the 
 Sixth Sphere to stop singing, as they bore 
 him ; he will object to the smell of musk, 
 and it may even be, scold the houris. Poor 
 Mahdi ! It is easy to think lightly of him 
 now that he is gone. Yet he did brave 
 deeds for the faith, and made stern work 
 for the stoutest soldiers of Her Majesty ; 
 so that, blended with a sense of the ex- 
 treme convenience of his demise, and with 
 congratulations to Lord Salisbury upon his 
 splendid political luck, a tear is neverthe- 
 less due from the Muse of History for 
 Gordon's arch-enemy, the Mahdi Moham- 
 med Ahmed." 
 
 There was almost a touch of the "irony of 
 fate " in this exit of the Mahdi from the 
 scene. It was not only the end of the 
 Mahdi, but the last chapter of our Soudan 
 campaign, altogether a remarkable chapter 
 in our annals. 
 
 CHAPTER C. 
 
 EGYPTIAN JNCIDENTS p. CAMEL JOURNEY. 
 
 ; 
 
 N the preceding chapters of 
 this work we have pursued 
 almost entirely what we may 
 call the historical method, 
 that is, we have narrated the 
 chief expeditions in Egypt in which the 
 English were sharers, and we have given 
 biographies of the chief Englishmen engaged 
 in the expeditions. We purpose, in the few 
 chapters that remain open to us, to throw a 
 kind of side-light on English life in Egypt 
 by giving various narratives of personal ad- 
 venture, and other papers of an interesting 
 and instructive character. 
 
 The first is from our trustworthy friend 
 the war correspondent, and tells of his 
 adventures on the way from Dongola to 
 Wady Haifa by camel. Writing from 
 
 Sarras, and referring to the Khartoum 
 Relief Expedition, he says : " The newspaper 
 correspondent during this campaign has 
 more serious difficulties than usual to con- 
 tend against. His telegrams are doubly 
 countersigned, first at the front, and again 
 at head-quarters, where they are delayed 
 en route for further inspection. A rigid 
 order has been issued that on no account 
 is he to be allowed aboard Government 
 boats. He must make his way along the 
 banks of the Nile by camel, and as the 
 distances between the various points of 
 interest are immense, and as only one 
 representative of each journal is permitted 
 to pass Wady Haifa, he is much puzzled 
 from day to day, or rather, from week to 
 week, where to place himself. I had hoped
 
 JVO CORRESPONDENTS NEED APPLY! 
 
 481 
 
 myself to have gone on with the Nassif-el- 
 Khier to Merawi, and although her Com- 
 mandant kindly offered me a passage, 
 Colonel Sir Herbert Stewart at Dongola 
 was obliged to enforce the order which 
 forbids English journalists, whether there is 
 room for them or not, to put foot on any of 
 the vessels belonging to their country now 
 navigating the Nile. The Mudir of Don- 
 gola, an Egyptian clerk, or an officer's 
 native servant might be allowed a passage, 
 but the representative of an English news- 
 paper on no account whatever. As matters 
 stand, should an unfortunate correspon- 
 dent be chased to the bank by a crowd of 
 
 howling Arabs, the officer in command ot 
 any Government craft, if he did his duty, 
 would be obliged to refuse him refuge, 
 saying civilly, no doubt, but firmly, 'No 
 correspondents allowed on Government 
 boats.' We are thus, in a manner, branded 
 officially as outcasts, although we come 
 neither asking nor receiving medals or 
 honours, but seeking simply, while willing 
 to share the dangers and hardships of the 
 troops, to do our duty. 
 
 Not being allowed to go on with the 
 Nassif-el-Khier, I determined to return to 
 Wady Haifa, to accompany the first batch 
 of Nile boats on their voyage up the Batn- 
 
 AN OASIS IN THE DESERT. 
 
 el-Hajar. The distance by road from 
 Wady Haifa to Dongola is two hundred 
 and forty-five miles, which, on good trotting 
 camels, if no baggage is carried, might be 
 traversed in five or six days. For some 
 time previously, in Dongola, we had all 
 been busy supplying ourselves with camels. 
 From eight pounds each, the market price 
 of a good animal had risen to fifteen pounds 
 and twenty-five pounds. As many English- 
 men during the present expedition are 
 beginning to learn, the camel is not a 
 pleasant beast to ride. The novice for the 
 first time on a camel's back experiences a 
 general feeling of insecurity. In the event 
 of a mishap, the distance to be traversed 
 
 before the ground is reached, is felt to be 
 great ; and then, for some time at least, the 
 conviction is firmly entertained that should 
 the camel trot round to the left while the 
 rider intended him to go to the right, it 
 would not be possible for the latter to 
 adapt his movements to those of the former 
 in time to prevent a catastrophe. After a 
 time this feeling wears away, more or less ; 
 but I have found no Englishman as yet 
 who, when asked if he liked camel riding, 
 replied in the affirmative. A question of 
 frequent discussion is the kind of saddle to 
 be adopted. The Camel Corps are accom- 
 modated with saddles, on which the men 
 sit astride as on horseback, and on these 
 
 i i
 
 482 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 they soon feel as much at home as is 
 possible on a camel's back. But, un- 
 doubtedly, the best form of saddle, both 
 for man and camel for a long journey, is 
 the Soudan native pattern, on which the 
 rider seats himself like a lady equestrian, 
 with rugs and blankets laid on the top, and 
 a prop behind to lean against. A long 
 journey on these may be accompanied 
 with comparatively little fatigue provided 
 always that the camel is an easy one to 
 ride. Camels vary very much in that re- 
 spect. The jolt of a rough camel is perhaps 
 the most unpleasant motion that a human 
 being can be subjected to, while a smooth- 
 going one will carry his rider at a gentle 
 jog for hours, as easily for the rider almost 
 as if he were seated in an arm-chair. As 
 may be understood, the vast majority of 
 camels supplied to the troops belong to the 
 former category and very rarely to the 
 latter. The other day I heard a gentleman, 
 who had ridden his animal for the first 
 time, inquire how many feet at each jog an 
 ordinary camel threw his rider into the air. 
 He wished to gauge whether his own was 
 an extraordinary one or not. A Blue- 
 jacket at Wady Haifa admired a camel he 
 rode exceedingly, because being pitched up 
 out of his saddle incessantly, and caught 
 dexterously as he descended, 'the camel 
 had only missed him twice during the after- 
 noon.' 
 
 After the usual delays and obstacles to 
 making a start which the traveller in the 
 East has always to overcome on beginning 
 a journey, I left Dongola behind in the 
 early morning, having on the previous 
 evening encamped outside the walls. My 
 camels were induced to leave the town with 
 difficulty. They seemed to understand 
 thoroughly that it was no mere afternoon 
 ride upon which they were bound, and 
 made their protests accordingly. These 
 they did by sitting down every few yards 
 and remaining on the ground until flogged 
 up again. A camel is always in a state of 
 extreme mental depression. He whines 
 and groans incessantly, and never, ap- 
 
 parently, like other animals, makes friends 
 with his master. My own beast trots along 
 all day with an air of hopeless misery which 
 nothing I can do seems to alleviate. Only 
 the courbash has any effect upon him. The 
 courbash is as necessary an accessory to- 
 comfortable camel riding as, according to 
 Ismael Pasha, it was to successful govern- 
 ment in Egypt. The hide of the Nile 
 hippopotamus, tanned and oiled and cut into 
 long strips, forms a whip that, as elastic as 
 gutta-percha, is yet much harder than that 
 material ; and it twines round the body of 
 its victim with electric effect. Probably 
 there is no more excruciating pain than the 
 cut of a courbash, and it switches through 
 the air with a ping like a rifle bullet a 
 sound by itself generally sufficient to induce 
 the most obstinate camel or fellah 
 promptly to obey orders, and so my two- 
 guides, my servant, and myself jog north- 
 wards again at five miles an hour in that 
 dead silence peculiar to camel travelling. 
 By the margin of the desert we rode where 
 it encroaches on the strip of cultivated land 
 that follows the Nile from its source almost 
 to the sea. Overhead, the sun glared 
 fiercely, and on every side a misty mirage 
 distorted the horizon. From the first 
 moment of starting until the end of the 
 day's march our four camels stretched out 
 in front their long necks, peering, anxiously 
 for the halting-place, and groaning with 
 disappointment as each clump of palm- 
 trees was passed, and we still pushed on.. 
 For the night we stopped at a small hamlet 
 of half a dozen huts, the inhabitants of 
 which brought us, by way of hospitality, a 
 chicken in the last stages of starvation, 
 some dates, an egg or two, and a gourd of 
 milk. Foolishly we rewarded them with 
 liberal baksheesh, and, as a result, were 
 pestered for more throughout our stay. 
 It is not pleasant to discover that you have 
 started some forty miles on a five days' 
 journey and neglected to bring cooking 
 utensils of any kind ; but such was our fate 
 on the evening in question. It would not 
 do, however, to turn back, so we were fain,
 
 IRRIGATING WHEELS. 
 
 483 
 
 to content ourselves with some cold bully 
 beef and the eggs aforesaid. Tea of fair 
 quality we brewed in the empty beef tin, 
 and so went to sleep side by side with our 
 camels, with a new moon overhead, by the 
 dim light of which the villagers sat round 
 curiously watching us in our bivouac. 
 
 Not very far off, unfortunately, was the 
 usual village water irrigating wheel, which, 
 during high Nile period, relays of bul- 
 locks turn night and day. A sound not 
 conducive to continued slumber is the 
 creaking of these cumbersome wooden con- 
 trivances for lifting Nile water on to the 
 land. Excepting the desolate reaches of 
 the Batn-el-Hajar there is not a mile of the 
 long road between Assouan and Dongola, 
 and probably on to Khartoum and Sennaar 
 as well, on which the sound of these 
 machines may not at present be heard ; and 
 I would recommend all who can, during the 
 coming advance, to give them, when they 
 pitch their camp for the night, as wide a 
 berth as possible. A large number of that 
 most useful class of servants known in 
 Lower Egypt as Berberines come from this 
 portion of Nubia. Just before going to 
 sleep I was astounded by one of the half- 
 naked villagers greeting me with ' Good 
 evening, sar.' He had served on- board a 
 P. and O. steamer as an officer's servant 
 for nearly six years, and had visited Bom- 
 bay, Singapore, and China, yet here we 
 found him, with the savings accumulated 
 during that period, once more among the 
 sordid surroundings of his youth ; so strong 
 is the love of home planted even in the 
 semi-civilized Nubian's breast. From this 
 individual I obtained much interesting in- 
 formation. According to him the wealthier 
 classes of the population and he himself, 
 in his native village, is considered a 
 capitalist view the threatened approach of 
 the Mahdi with dread. The radical theories 
 as to distribution of property and so on 
 preached by the Mahdi, are no more 
 fancied by men of substance in Nubia than 
 they are elsewhere. 
 
 Early in the morning throughout my 
 
 journey, away on the other side of the Nile, 
 a red gleam in the sky betokens the ap- 
 proach of dawn. I am awakened by the 
 early prayers of my two guides. Kneeling 
 on mats on the ground, and with heads 
 turned towards Mecca, they alternately cry 
 out with loud voices, and alternately mut- 
 ter their petitions for a successful day's 
 journey. The most praying country in the 
 world is this Soudan. Quite independent 
 of the Mahdi's movement, the people every- 
 where are filled with religious fervour, which, 
 it is easy to understand, with little effort 
 may be turned into fanaticism. In his 
 rigorous observance of the laws of the 
 Koran lies in great part the secret of the 
 Mudir's power; and Osman Digna, at 
 Souakin, by dressing like a fakir, in a single 
 dirty cotton cloth, and covering himself 
 with dust, and praying continuously, in- 
 duced the Hadendowas to follow him first 
 to victory, and then to their death. In 
 Souakin itself, the moolah in the little 
 mosque began to call the people there to 
 prayers at four o'clock every morning. At 
 first the sonorous tones of his deep voice, 
 rising and falling in musical cadence, was 
 pronounced interesting in a high degree ; 
 later on we described it as bellowing and a 
 nuisance of the first order. 
 
 Very cold towards early morning is the 
 Soudan climate ; and in that respect it 
 resembles Afghanistan, where, owing to 
 the extremes of heat during the day and 
 cold at night, the soldiers sickened in 
 large numbers of diarrhoea and dysentery, 
 ailments which have already put in an ap- 
 pearance beween Wady Haifa and Dongola. 
 Two blankets to each man are being issued, 
 and already these are found barely suffi- 
 cient to prevent chills, with all their evil 
 consequences. Four hours every morning, 
 and four hours every evening, we travelled, 
 thus placing behind us each day, and with 
 comparative ease, over forty miles. The 
 second day the camel of one of my guides 
 broke down, and we were obliged, albeit 
 with heavy hearts, to sacrifice sundry little 
 comforts which had been provided for the
 
 4 8 4 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 journey. The trotting camel must carry 
 nothing but his rider and a day's food. 
 Our Mounted Infantry are far too heavily 
 weighted. To the fact that three tins of 
 bully beef and a spare suit of underclothing 
 had been entrusted to him in addition, the 
 guide attributed the collapse of his animal. 
 But, once having started, let nothing ever 
 stop you on a journey in Eastern climes. 
 Consent to even a day's delay, and you 
 may be unable to advance again for a 
 week. So, sternly refusing to halt while he 
 endeavoured to procure another camel, I 
 proceeded with one guide, leaving behind 
 the other, and trusting to replace the stores 
 he carried, with eggs and chickens from the 
 wayside villages. Every morning we break- 
 fasted on our camels' backs as they jogged 
 over the sand, half a dozen eggs each and 
 some dates forming our repast ; but let me 
 hasten to explain that a Nubian egg is a 
 very different article from that deposited 
 by an English hen. An average wood 
 pigeon, if fed well for a week and put on 
 her mettle, would probably surpass in the 
 size of her produce the best egg-laying bird 
 in the Soudan. 
 
 There are three routes by road between 
 Dongola and Wady Haifa. The one on 
 the left band of the river is the best, and 
 that on the right the worst at least, 
 according to native authorities, although 
 the latter has hitherto been adopted by the 
 military. I crossed the river when half 
 way, at the village of Koke, and would 
 recommend any who may be riding up to 
 Dongola after me to do the same. With 
 the exception of the Mahass Desert, thirty- 
 five miles long, and another stretch of 
 thirty miles between Ambigol and Sarras, 
 villages will be encountered throughout on 
 this road, at which supplies are readily 
 obtainable. 
 
 The following is an itinerary of the 
 route : 
 
 First march. From Dongola to Haffir, 
 six hours, about thirty miles. The road is 
 good all the way, with frequent villages. 
 In Haffir travellers may put up. 
 
 Second march. To Fakr Bender, about 
 thirty miles. Fairly good road. One or 
 two bad places for camels close to Fakr 
 Bender, which consists merely of a few huts 
 with no supplies available. 
 
 Third march. Across the Mahass Desert 
 to Koke, thirty-five miles. Good road, but 
 with no water, as a bend of the Nile is 
 avoided. At Koke there are several vil- 
 lages with food in plenty for man and 
 camel. I found here also a hospitable 
 moolah, who cooked me an excellent 
 dinner. At Koke the river is crossed in 
 native nuggars, an easy operation, which 
 the camels seem to thoroughly understand. 
 
 Fourth march. To Koke, about thirty 
 miles. Here is the tomb of Sheik Mogh- 
 rani, the father of the holy sheik who 
 assisted us in Souakin in our negotiations 
 with the tribes. His brother lives close 
 by, and is very hospitable to Englishmen 
 supplying them with a room and beds. 
 
 Fifth march. Koke to Dal, about thirty- 
 two miles. Road good. At Dal there is a 
 large commissariat station, and rations are 
 issued. 
 
 Sixth march. Commencement of the 
 Batn-el-Hagar. From Dal to Ambigol, 
 about forty-three miles. Road very bad. 
 
 Seventh march. From Ambigol to Sarras. 
 Twenty-eight miles across the desert and 
 over rocky ground. 
 
 Throughout, the inhabitants will be found 
 most friendly, although I suspect that by 
 the time the Camel Corps traverse the 
 road, their stock of fowls and eggs will be 
 exhausted. Still sheep may be purchased 
 at moderate prices. During the journey I 
 was much struck with the ignorance of the 
 people as to the objects which we English 
 have in view in entering their country. At 
 Dongola itself, as I have already explained, 
 the inhabitants consider that we have been 
 sent to assist the Mudir in reconquering 
 the Soudan; but elsewhere the people 
 think we have come to annex their country, 
 as they believe we have already done Lower 
 Egypt. In Lower Egypt itself the wildest 
 stories are circulated and believed in the
 
 NEED FOR PROCLAMATIONS. 
 
 485 
 
 villages ; and although Englishmen indi- 
 vidually, of all the foreigners who mix 
 among the people, are most popular with 
 them, our interference with their Govern- 
 ment is strongly disapproved of. They 
 believe, for instance, that the main object 
 we have in view is the recovery of vast 
 sums lent to Ismail Pasha, and every tax 
 and every act of oppression is put down to 
 us, who are supposed to have taken since 
 Tel-el-Kebir fabulous sums away from the 
 
 country. Of our good intentions, of our 
 efforts to abolish the courbash, and of our 
 offer to advance money for their relief, they 
 know nothing ; the fact being that we take 
 no trouble to tell the people what we are 
 doing on their behalf. The misrepresenta- 
 tions to which I refer are chiefly of French 
 origin, but we do little to counteract them, 
 although a few Arabic proclamations, judi- 
 ciously worded and posted in all the bazaars 
 from time to time, would have a most 
 
 A COUNTRY REPAST. 
 
 excellent effect. In Tonquin the French 
 made use of these perhaps too freely. 
 Nearly every day there was a fresh pro- 
 clamation, so that the population at last 
 disregarded these documents; at first, 
 however, they were not only eagerly read, 
 but believed in implicitly. Something 
 of the kind is much wanted now in the 
 Soudan. Lord Wolseley, I believe, has 
 gone to Dongola to send messages to the 
 Mahdi and to the different sheiks. But 
 
 those, I suppose, as at Souakin, will be 
 kept a dead secret until the Blue-books are 
 issued, and so the tribes will never really 
 hear of them. Osman Digna simply buried 
 the letters that were addressed to his fol- 
 lowers, telling them it was not good for 
 them to hear what we Christians had writ- 
 ten. Bat print a number of proclamations, 
 circulate them industriously, and their con- 
 tents will soon become the subject of pop- 
 ular rumour."
 
 486 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 CHAPTER CI. 
 
 EGYPTIAN JNCIDENTS TRAVELLING NEAR KHARTOUM. 
 
 AY ISLAND, not far from 
 Wady Haifa, is the first 
 spot where there is any ex- 
 tent of cultivated ground. 
 Here palm-trees abound, 
 and plenty of milk is offered for sale to the 
 traveller, which will probably be brought 
 to the boats in baskets of palm leaves, so 
 closely woven as to be watertight. Empty 
 wine-bottles are much appreciated here, 
 and as a staple of barter, are preferred to 
 piastres. The plan of placing by a cow, 
 whose calf has been taken away or died, a 
 
 * tulchan,' or sham calf, is always followed 
 here, and the affection with which the be- 
 reaved mother licks the ill-shapen model, 
 and her continued supply of milk, proved 
 the wisdom of the plan. Meat is, however, 
 scarce, and the small boats of the crocodile 
 punter formed of a few rough pieces of 
 
 * ambach,' or] ' Dom palm,' fixed together 
 with strips of hide and caulked, are fre- 
 quently seen on the river. The meat of 
 this reptile, with its horrible musky smell 
 and flavour, is eaten eagerly by the Nubians, 
 and is credited with wonderful strengthen- 
 ing qualities ; the skin, too, is valued for 
 fishing beams or masts together, but the 
 all-precious morsels are the musk glands 
 from the throat and tail ; these are care- 
 fully dried, and after being set in a small 
 casket, are hung around the neck of the 
 harem favourite. There is a good deal 
 of fish in the pools between and above the 
 rapids, some of large size. None are par- 
 ticularly palatable, and those only with 
 scales are wholesome; the large, soft- 
 skinned Nile turtle is not uncommon. At 
 Agoulai, near the ruins of the Temple of 
 Soleb, is a slight rapid. At Koye, one 
 hundred and sixty miles from Wady Haifa, 
 the camel route of the left bank cuts across 
 
 the Mahass Desert to Fakir Bender. The 
 distance by land is thirty-two miles, as 
 against seventy by river ; the track is fairly 
 good, but without water. The river here 
 makes two bends, about thirty-five miles in 
 all, on which towing must be provided for. 
 On the loop in question, near Delligo, are 
 the rapids of Kaibar, which are about half 
 a mile long, with a total fall of five feet. 
 Six miles above ' Fakir Bender ' begin the 
 rapids of Hanmik, commonly called the 
 Third Cataract Their character is very 
 similar to those in the ' Batn-el-Hajar,' 
 they are about eight miles in length, over 
 part of which portage will be most difficult 
 These rapids surmounted, the chief diffi- 
 culties of the Nile route are over, and as 
 the boat sails rapidly to the village of Han- 
 mik, the natives on the banks shout their 
 congratulations to those who have survived 
 their perils. The puggaree, or turban of 
 the traveller, is claimed by the Reis as his 
 guerdon ; and a couple of sheep, bought at 
 Hanmik, make the boatmen happy, the 
 feast being probably supplemented by 
 large bowls of ' Boosa,' native beer, and a 
 bottle of something stronger, provided by 
 the traveller from his store, or purchased 
 from one of the itinerant Greek merchants. 
 Above Hanmik there is much alluvial soil, 
 more especially on the left bank, which 
 extends as far as Candala. Just opposite 
 to Old Dongola, a distance of nearly one 
 hundred miles, there is also plenty of cul- 
 tivable land in one of the ' Bahr Bela Mas ' 
 described above. This depression, called 
 Wady el Kab, runs nearly due south for 
 over one hundred miles. Some cultivation 
 is carried on in the wady with wells, and 
 alongside the river by means of ' Sakyeahs ' 
 and ' Shadoufs ; ' but with the help of a 
 few irrigation pumps, worked by windmills,
 
 THE RIVER AND LAND ROUTES. 
 
 487 
 
 a large extent of fertile land could be 
 utilised. The river from Hanmik to New 
 Dongola, or Oordeh, is very favourable ; 
 as, indeed, it is for the ensuing hundred 
 miles to Dabbeh, whence to Ambukol 
 towing is at times necessary, owing to the 
 westerly direction of the stream. Oordeh 
 is the capital of the district of Dongola. 
 The town is pleasantly situated amongst 
 gardens, in which much fruit is grown. 
 With a population of between two and 
 three thousand, it boasts of a ' Mudiriah,' 
 or Government house, a telegraph station, 
 and a post-office. There are, moreover, 
 two bazaars here, where the merchants do 
 a good trade in hides, grain, senna, ivory, 
 ebony, and other products of the Soudan, 
 the goods being, as a rule, discharged from 
 the boats in which they have been brought 
 from Meroe, Ambukol, or Dabbeh, and 
 sent on by camels to Wady Haifa. The 
 route usually adopted is that on the left or 
 west bank of the river, the length to Wady 
 Haifa being about two hundred and fifty 
 miles, the time occupied in actual travelling 
 about ninety hours. With the exception 
 of that portion that traverses the Mahass 
 Desert, there would be no difficulty in es- 
 tablishing camps at ten miles or so apart, 
 close to the river, so that there would be 
 an ample supply of water. In the Mahass 
 Desert, moreover, two stations might be 
 made ten miles from Koyeh and Fakir 
 Bender respectively, with cisterns and stores j 
 to be continually replenished by a service 
 of camels. There is another camel route 
 along the right side of the river, but this 
 involves transshipment at Koye, or a con- 
 siderable detour. The third route is little 
 known ; it is also on the right or east side, 
 and goes nearly straight from a point on 
 the river opposite New Dongola to Wady 
 Haifa, and is said to be fairly supplied with 
 wells. It was by this route that in 1876 
 the late Ismail Pasha Eyoub over-reached 
 Zebehr Pasha, who was travelling by Berber 
 and Korosko, and got first into Cairo. 
 
 The route along the left or west bank is 
 -decidedly the best, and has at former times 
 
 been largely used, as is evidenced by the 
 remains of numerous 'Mahattas,' or sta- 
 tions, along it. The road is good, except 
 between Dal and Okmeh, where for five 
 hours it is very sandy, and between Okmeh 
 and Melkanaza, where for five hours also it 
 is bad, the length between Dal and Mel- 
 kanaza being twenty-five miles. Comparing 
 the relative merits and demerits of the 
 river and land routes between Amka, or 
 Sarras and Oordeh, it may safely be 
 affirmed that no one who has tried the 
 river would ever so travel again, were any 
 other means available. As before men- 
 tioned, a Nubian camel will carry two 
 hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds, 
 but for the traveller himself a donkey, 
 when, as is the case here, water is procur- 
 able along the route, is the pleasantest 
 mount. From Oordeh to Ambukol, as 
 before stated, no difficulties present them- 
 selves by water. It may be mentioned, 
 however, that the midges, here called 
 ' Nemittas,' are intolerable in the warmer 
 months on this piece of river^ At daybreak 
 they rise in myriads from the water, dulling 
 the sun and sky, and nearly madden the 
 unprotected traveller until sundown brings 
 him relief. The natives protect themselves 
 by carrying smouldering firebrands, the 
 smoke of which keeps these insect pests 
 away. For the traveller by boat the only 
 plan is to wrap face and hands in muslin, 
 or, creeping into the decked portion of the 
 * nuggar,' to close the opening in front with 
 a sail, and burn wet wood or straw, until 
 a fairly choking atmosphere is attained. 
 Handak, Old Dongola, and Dabbeh, at 
 forty, seventy, and ninety miles from New 
 Dongola, are the best places for obtaining 
 supplies on this portion of the river. 
 
 Ambukol is the starting-place for the 
 march across the Desert or Wilderness of 
 the Bayuda Sahrat Bayuda the length 
 being about one hundred and seventy-five 
 miles. This route strikes the Nile at Me- 
 temmch, opposite Shendy, a town about 
 half-way between Berber and Khartoum. 
 By this short cut a distance of two hundred
 
 488 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 and twenty miles is saved, and, in addition, 
 the difficulties of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth 
 Cataracts are avoided ; whilst the Bayuda 
 Desert affords an ample supply of water 
 and firewood, with a considerable amount 
 of cattle and forage. Ambukol is at present 
 but a small place with about one thousand 
 inhabitants, but judging from the ruins of 
 a masonry pier and other buildings, it has 
 been a place of some importance. Four 
 miles above Ambukol a large 'wady' 
 (valley or stream course) debouches on 
 the Nile, taking its rise in the Gebel Gilif 
 range, some seventy miles from the river. 
 It is called by different names in different 
 portions of its course, but in order to avoid 
 confusion, it is here termed throughout the 
 Wady 'Aboo Geer,' as it is known for 
 many miles. Water is obtainable from 
 shallow wells along its entire course, and 
 its bed, as in most of the lower ground in 
 the Bayuda Desert, is thickly covered 
 with vegetation. This principally consists 
 of Sammarah bushes (a spreading thorny 
 acacia), occasional ' Sunt ' trees (Acacia 
 Arabicd), twenty to twenty-five feet high ; 
 the milk plant (Asdepia Gigantea) ; the 
 'Merkh,' a green shrub ; the 'Thundub,' a 
 bush about fifteen feet high ; ' Sereh ' and 
 ' Hegleek trees,' twenty to twenty-five feet 
 high, often with a diameter of trunk at five 
 feet from the ground of twelve to fifteen 
 inches ; the ' Mokert ' (Sattadora Persica\ 
 and even occasionally the Dom palm 
 (Hypcene Thebaica), of which the latter, the 
 ' Esker,' or milk plant, and the ' Merkh ' 
 are indicative of water near the surface. 
 Best suited for firewood are the ' Sunt,' the 
 'Sammarah,' the 'Thundub,' and the ' Heg- 
 leek,' the wood of the last-named being 
 used as the base on which the natives, by 
 twirling a dry piece of ' Sammarah ' root, 
 procure fire. Sheep, of which large flocks 
 are owned by the ' Hassaneeya,' ' Umeah,' 
 and other wandering Bedawee tribes in the 
 ' Bayuda,' find even during the dry season 
 a sufficiency of food in the grassy plains 
 near Gebel Gilif, whilst the fresher shoots 
 of the Merkh and Thundub, and the juicy 
 
 leaves of the Esher provide sustenance for 
 the goats. It is stated by one of the en- 
 gineers who surveyed the Soudan railway 
 that during a couple of months passed by 
 him in this desert he lived almost entirely 
 on the food there procurable, finding it 
 much more wholesome than the tinned 
 meats he had brought with him. 
 
 The readiest route from Ambukol strikes 
 for the desert close to the village, whence 
 an easy slope two miles in length rises to 
 the desert plateau, about fifty feet higher 
 than the Nile bank ; a level shingly plain 
 is then traversed for about three miles, 
 when the Wady Aboo Geer is struck, lead- 
 ing right to the Gebel Gilif, with an ascent 
 of about ten feet per mile. The route now 
 skirts the hill Gebel Aboo Shenkawe, near 
 to the salt-diggings, and passing a clump 
 of hills Dubbayat-el-Khebir (the Great 
 Hyena) joins another route from the Nile 
 near the point where the Wady Mofok- 
 kakart debouches into the Wady Aboo 
 Geer, some thirty miles from Ambukol. 
 This other camel track, after leaving Am- 
 bukol, follows the Nile Valley to near Korti, 
 a distance of about four miles, whence, 
 turning sharply to the right by the Wadies 
 Ummarrah and Tel-Monfuch, and crossing 
 the ridge of Nasaib-el-Ruchan at a point 
 three hundred feet above Ambukol, it 
 descends over rather broken ground to the 
 Wady Aboo Geer, whence there is but one 
 route. At about thirty- seven miles from 
 Ambukol the first existing wells are met 
 with ; these are merely holes dug in the 
 sand and deepened as the subterranean 
 waters fall, until either the sides cave in or 
 the whole excavation is obliterated by the 
 rush of water down the wady during the 
 rainy season. The water is drawn from 
 these and all similar wells in the Bayuda 
 by means of rude skin bags ; it is then 
 poured into small earth cisterns made on 
 the surface, at which the camels, sheep, 
 etc., are watered, and is so pure that when 
 watering camels a small amount of salt, 
 which is fairly plentiful, is frequently mixed 
 with it; this class of well is rarely more
 
 VOLCANIC ROCKS. 
 
 489 
 
 than twenty to twenty-five feet deep. Near 
 this point, at thirty-eight miles from Am- 
 bukol, the wady, which has hitherto been 
 flat and sandy, with very gently sloping 
 sides, becomes much broken, small meta- 
 morphic ridges, hills, and lava-like mounds 
 close in, showing that the belt of meta- 
 morphic rock intervening between the lower 
 Nubian sandstone and the extensive granite 
 rocks is being traversed. The hills assume 
 curious forms ; some, of black basalt, are 
 almost perfectly conical, whilst the rock of 
 which they are composed is so magnetic as 
 seriously to interfere with the action of the 
 compass in their vicinity ; the tops of others 
 are composed of small five or six-sided 
 
 columns, so regular as to resemble artificial 
 paving ; others, again, consist of alternate 
 layers of sandstone and lava, and resemble 
 giant fortifications and buildings; whilst 
 all around are strewn globular volcanic 
 bombs of every possible form, hard as glass 
 on the exterior, and when broken found to 
 be filled with sand of different colours. 
 Here, again, are long streams of rock re- 
 sembling lava which, in cooling, has con- 
 tracted and divided into regular joints, so 
 that the fossil vertebrae of some enormous 
 beast are closely simulated ; whilst, as 
 though carelessly thrown about, here and 
 there are seen the trunks of fossil trees, 
 some of which are as much as thirty to 
 
 A BEND IN THE RIVER. 
 
 forty feet long. About fifty-five miles from 
 Ambukol are the wells of El-Howeiyat, of 
 similar character to those described above ; 
 the plain of El-Rechewa is then left on the 
 right, and, quitting the Wady Aboo Geer, 
 which turns towards the hills abruptly to 
 the left, the route crosses a curious plain 
 three to four miles wide, called El-Mesa- 
 leema. This plain is surrounded by low 
 hills, and is without vegetation. It is very 
 level, and is intersected by veins of moun- 
 tain limestone much resembling marble, 
 and here are to be found fossil remains of 
 the Saurian type. 
 
 Leaving El-Mcsaleema through a gap in 
 the hills, the route enters on the plain lying 
 
 at the southern foot of the Gebel-el-Gilif, 
 passing over frequent watercourses, which 
 in the rains serve to carry off the water 
 from the mountains. These streams issue 
 from wild gorges, and are said to drain 
 extensive plains twenty or thirty miles 
 distant, a statement corroborated by the 
 quantity of dry brushwood and small timber 
 strewn about, and which has evidently been 
 water-carried for a considerable distance. 
 After issuing from these gorges, the streams 
 run over a sharply sloping talus of boulders 
 and debris that they have brought down, 
 and over which they spread in numberless 
 irregular channels reuniting at the foot ; 
 they then follow well-defined sandy chan-
 
 490 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 nels from one to three miles long, whose 
 permanent character is proved by their 
 tree-fringed banks; after this they again 
 break up into a number of small diverging 
 channels, losing themselves in a grass-clad 
 plain to the south, fairly covered with trees 
 and brushwood and about eight miles 
 across. This plain is said to have water 
 on it during the rains to a depth of three 
 to four feet, but to be dry at other seasons. 
 Water may be procured in any of these 
 sandy channels by digging holes as de- 
 scribed above, and at Aboo Haifa, about 
 ninety miles from Ambukol, are large wells 
 of this class, at which numbers of camels 
 and flocks are daily watered. 
 
 It is stated that at Christmas, 1871, a 
 party of surveyors persuaded, with diffi- 
 culty, a sheik of the Hasaneeya to guide 
 them up one of these mountain gorges, 
 which are extremely wild, often only wide 
 enough at the bottom to admit of one 
 camel passing at a time, and with steeply 
 precipitous sides. After passing many 
 small pools of water still standing in basins 
 worn out of the granite bed, the gorge, at 
 a distance of two or three miles from the 
 entrance, widened out into a valley about 
 half a mile across here was a small lake, 
 the edges fringed with bulrushes and Dom 
 palms, whilst the character of the native 
 huts, the vegetation, birds, and conies 
 clearly proved the permanent character of 
 the lake. They heard that many similar 
 lakes exist in the recesses of Gebel Gilif, 
 but the Arabs were extremely reticent on 
 the point. As an evidence of the per- 
 manence and class of the water they men- 
 tioned that the sheik was mounted on a 
 good horse of the bay Arab type, a rare 
 sight in the desert. At about ninety-five 
 miles from Ambukol the Gebel Gilif range 
 changes its character ; the precipitous face 
 breaks up into outlying spurs and inter- 
 mediate plains. In one of the spurs, about 
 two miles to the north of the route, and 
 one hundred miles from Ambukol, are 
 situate the wells of Gakdul. The water 
 
 is sweet, but the lower pools are much 
 contaminated by the flocks constantly using 
 them, and the sight of myriads of flying 
 beetles issuing from the water at dusk is 
 not inviting. The upper pools are, how- 
 ever, much cleaner. With Gebel Gilif, the 
 granitic rock is left, and the route traverses 
 the Upper Nubian sandstone, metamorphic 
 and simple, to the river at Metemmeh. 
 Between the hundred and fifteenth and 
 hundred and twenty-fifth mile the route 
 crosses a belt of drift-sand hills travelling 
 from east to west. At one hundred and 
 fifty-two miles from Ambukol are the wells 
 of Abu Klea, artificial pits of similar 
 character to those at El Faur ; the water 
 is good, and rarely fails. They require, ot 
 course, frequent clearing out At Sheboeat, 
 near the hundred and sixty-eighth mile, is 
 a large permanent well, about twelve feet 
 in diameter, sunk to a depth of some fifty 
 feet through sandstone rock to a bed of 
 water-bearing gravel. The water is brack- 
 ish, but the supply perennial. At a hundred 
 and seventy-three miles from Ambukol, 
 Metemmeh, or Mattammeh, is reached, the 
 town being about one mile from the river, 
 and the intervening plain subject to floods 
 at high Nile. The population is about two 
 thousand five hundred, and they derive 
 their supply of water from wells sunk 
 to the water-bearing strata, into which the 
 river percolates. Immediately opposite to 
 Metemmeh, on the right bank of the river, 
 is Shendy, whence the route for Abyssinia 
 leaves. From Metemmeh to Khartoum, 
 about a hundred and fifteen miles, the 
 navigation of the Nile is uninterrupted for 
 the greater part of the year. For two or 
 three months, however, at the period of 
 dead low Nile, the Sixth Cataract is to a 
 certain extent an obstruction. Across the 
 Bayuda, as between Sarras and New Don- 
 gola, stations could be made every ten 
 miles, with ample supply of water, fuel, and 
 forage, whilst at the same time the railway 
 might be laid across this comparatively 
 level country at a very speedy rate."
 
 UP THE NILE IN A NUGGAR. 
 
 491 
 
 CHAPTER CII. 
 
 EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS UP THE NILE IN A NUGGAR. 
 
 HILST such are the diffi- 
 culties of travel near Khar- 
 toum, they are not less 
 further towards the mouth 
 of the river. We have al- 
 ready, in our illustrations, shown some of 
 our boats laboriously toiling up the Nile. 
 Here is now an account from an eye-wit- 
 ness, who, writing in December, 1884, says: 
 "Two months ago I made my first trip 
 from Sarras to Dongola, taking by pre- 
 ference passage up the Nile in a nuggar. 
 Since then I have ceased to run the least 
 risk of taking to the water route from 
 choice. At that time the river had fallen 
 many feet below the average annual flood 
 mark, yet we covered the distance in a 
 little over ten days, for the Nile then ran 
 for the greater part of the way in unbroken 
 volume, the thick, muddy water swelling 
 from bank to bank. To-day apparently it is 
 no longer the same river. The whole aspect 
 of its borders is so changed that you cannot 
 recognise the former landmarks, the rocks, 
 sandbanks, and ghizerehs (fertile islands), 
 as the same. If rocks and islets might 
 then have been told by hundreds, now they 
 must be numbered by tens of thousands, 
 whilst cataracts and rapids have also multi- 
 plied daily. A faint conception of what 
 the Nile is like and the difficulties it inter- 
 poses to navigation at this season may be 
 got by imagining a north-country trout- 
 stream, with its cascades, runs, shallows, 
 pools, rocks, sand and gravel banks, but all 
 on a vaster scale, up which boat-loads of 
 townspeople attempt to sail, row, haul, and 
 carry deeply-ladened boats. Whatever ideas 
 they might have had before starting of 
 going picnicking in that fashion would 
 soon be dispelled. Late as the season was 
 when I set out on the nuggar, we had only 
 
 J 
 
 to be towed through the Semneh Cataract, 
 for, by taking advantage of eddies, the 
 skipper sailed through the gates at Ambigol, 
 Tangur, Dal, and others. No unloading of 
 cargo was necessary even, for the wide- 
 spreading lateen sail forced the nuggar 
 along. Over 200 such boats as the one 
 referred to, each capable of conveying fifty 
 men and necessary stores, could, I am told, 
 have been started and mustered at Wady 
 Haifa in August last. Crediting the state- 
 ments that the English-built whalers were 
 to convey the Nile Valley expeditionary 
 force all the way to Khartoum, I naturally 
 arranged to have a small boat, in addition 
 to my dahabeah, forwarded up the Nile to 
 use as a despatch boat The farthest point 
 to which anybody would transport it for me 
 was Wady Haifa, so it remained for me to 
 return to that place by camel, and take 
 personal charge of it for conveyance to the 
 front. My wish and instructions were for 
 a racing gig without outriggers to be sent, 
 but the Fates and ' the other fellows ' 
 whom you have to trust when you cannot 
 do a thing yourself forwarded, through 
 John Cook's agents, a podgy heavily-built 
 dingy. My hope had been to have carried 
 the boat to the placid waters beyond Dal, 
 or perchance to Dongola itself, on a camel's 
 back. One look at the 6oolb. of oak, elm, 
 and pine planking dispelled that illusion. 
 By rare luck the Haifa cataracts had not to 
 be faced, as I succeeded in getting the 
 dingy conveyed by train to Sarras. Having 
 sent my horse and camel back by the 
 road they came, I determined to proceed 
 at leisure from Sarras to Dongola in the 
 dingy on my second voyage up the Nile. 
 My boat was provided with a lateen, small 
 lateen sail, boat-hook, rudder, and four 
 heavy ash oars. The crew comprised two
 
 492 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Greeks and myself. One of the Greeks 
 knew something about a boat ; the other, 
 who said he was a sailor, of course knew 
 nothing whatever, and was even unable to 
 pull an oar. He was a source of dread to 
 me from the moment we started, and I 
 determined to shunt him the first moment 
 another man could be engaged. That was 
 no easy affair, for the Government had 
 impressed all the river-side population at 
 Haifa and Sarras, as well as at the other 
 cataracts and places where porterage work 
 had to be done. It was Hobson's choice, 
 so I set sail with my No. 2 Greek aboard. 
 
 When Tom Sayers was told about the 
 size and strength of Heenan, and an effort 
 was made to dissuade him from the prize- 
 fight which followed, he only smiled, so 
 runs the legend, and said, ' The bigger the 
 better. 5 With equal confidence and in the 
 same way, but with far less experience of 
 the task before them, ' our military authori- 
 ties,' and one or two naval ones, being 
 frequently reminded, two or three months 
 ago, that the Nile was rapidly falling, 
 laughed, and replied, 'The lower the 
 better ; all the easier to go up it.' Alas ! 
 Never did past or present experience of 
 that river more flatly contradict such an 
 assertion. From the date when the Royal 
 Sussex^Regiment went from Sarras to Don- 
 gola in nuggars in twelve days, down to the 
 moment of writing, with the whalers taking 
 over thirty days, the lower the Nile the 
 more difficult and tedious becomes its 
 navigation for all kinds of craft. The case 
 was put forcibly by a voyager, who re- 
 marked : ' If this 'ere river keeps falling 
 for a week or two more, and Lord Wol- 
 seley wants us to get the boats through to 
 Khartoum, the quickest way will be to 
 carry the things there.' The great series 
 of cataracts between Wady Haifa and 
 Gemai are like all the rest, fast getting no 
 better. Seen from the river-bank, the Nile 
 at that place rushes and tumbles through 
 a labyrinth of rock-bound channels. How 
 Lord Charles Beresford and the officers 
 associated with him now manage, by tow- 
 
 ing and porterage combined, to get as 
 many as forty boats daily through the 
 fifteen miles of rock-work to Gemai is truly 
 surprising. It actually takes between two 
 and three days to pass a boat across from 
 Haifa to Gemai, but the forty boats repre- 
 sent the best daily delivery. The labour 
 of carrying and hauling is done by Don- 
 galese. At Gemai the soldiers are for the 
 first time assigned to boats, which are, 
 however, then unloaded. From there to 
 Sarras is a journey along open water of 
 eighteen miles, which generally occupies 
 nearly two days, the men in that time get- 
 ting initiated in rowing and navigating the 
 whalers. At Gemai, on Nov. 24th, there 
 were close upon a hundred whale boats 
 waiting in readiness for troops. The re- 
 pairs they required through damages sus- 
 tained in transit had been effected, for 
 already patches of tin, lead, and pitch were 
 conspicuous on many boats. The head- 
 quarters of the Black Watch, with several 
 companies belonging to other regiments, 
 were then at Wady Haifa (Nov. 25th). 
 Officers and men were all anxious to get 
 to the front and finish the campaign before 
 March and the hot weather came. Un- 
 fortunately no voyageurs were available to 
 pilot the whalers. The majority of these 
 experts were at the moment employed con- 
 veying stores and troops to the front, whilst 
 some of them were stationed to assist at 
 the passage of the more dangerous cata- 
 racts. The troops had therefore to wait 
 several days for the return of voyageurs, 
 and between Ambigol and Dal, on my way 
 up the river, about forty empty whalers, 
 with Canadians and Indians aboard, re- 
 turned to Gemai. The men rowed the 
 boats down, 'shooting' the rapids and 
 cataracts in fine style. It was exciting 
 enough to watch the whalers with the re- 
 turning voyageurs jump and bound over 
 the gates at Ambigol and Akasheh at rail- 
 road speed. How much more sensational 
 it must have been to have sat in the boats 
 at the time, with nothing but thin planking 
 between you and granite rocks, I can only
 
 DIFFICULTIES OF NAVIGATION. 
 
 493 
 
 guess, assisted thereat by a few minor ex- 
 periences of my own in going over cata- 
 racts at Tangur. 
 
 A portion of the Camel Corps, about the 
 same date as the infantry, also had perforce 
 to lag behind. On Nov. 24th two sections 
 of the Heavy Camelry proceeded by train 
 to Sarras, intending to start next day with 
 the 1 9th Hussars. The same night the 
 Heavies were stopped by telegram, and 
 told to turn over their camels to the Trans- 
 port Service. This they did, returning to 
 Haifa next day. An order of that sort led 
 to the circulation of scores of 'shaves,' 
 among others that Gordon was a prisoner, 
 that Wolseley had squared the Mahdi, that 
 the Mahdi had written to say that he would 
 let Gordon out, that the Mahdi was dead, 
 and so on. The truth was, Lord Wolseley's 
 trip had shown him the real nature of the 
 whalers' difficulties, and that increased 
 camel transport must be provided. Orders 
 were therefore issued for the employment 
 of 900 camels as baggage animals to convey 
 stores beyond Sarkamatto and for porterage 
 at Kaibur and Hanneck cataracts. By this 
 means it was hoped the whalers would be 
 lightened, at any rate as far as Sarkamatto, 
 the top of Dal cataracts, carrying instead 
 of 100 days' Nile boat stores but half that 
 quantity, until they reached more open 
 water. A whaler with its full complement 
 of men and stores has a dead weight of 
 about three tons to float Loaded, as they 
 are, to the paint streak, they draw quite 
 eighteen inches of water, so that Tommy 
 Atkins has no light labour imposed on him 
 to haul and row such craft to Khartoum. 
 The Nile at Wady Haifa is reputed to be 
 420 feet above the sea level. At Khartoum 
 it is 1,240 feet higher than the Mediter- 
 ranean, and at Dongola between 700 feet 
 and 800 feet above the sea. If what one 
 hears is true, that the cost of each whaler 
 by the time it arrives at Wady Haifa is 
 ^200, then the British public will have a 
 fine bill to pay. Taking it even at ^i 50 
 each and it is not less, all included the 
 amount will be considerable. 
 
 The i gth Hussars, under the command 
 of Colonel Barrow, who was so dangerously 
 wounded at El Teb, left Sarras on the 
 morning of Nov. 25th to march by easy 
 stages to Dongola. They were mounted 
 on Egyptian cavalry horses, the fellaheen 
 soldiery for the second time, when fighting 
 was to done, having been compelled to 
 turn over their ' mounts ' to our men. The 
 1 9th 'mount' under 400 men, but all of 
 them look fit and well. At Sarras there 
 was a large accumulation of stores of all 
 kinds, which had been brought by train 
 from Wady Haifa. The railway, which in 
 September was in such a tumble-down con- 
 dition, has been rehabilitated by the Royal 
 Engineers, and three or four trains a day 
 are now running between the two terminal 
 stations. As at Gemai, so at Sarras, I 
 noticed there was one of Her Majesty's ship 
 dockyards for repairing and equipping the 
 whalers. Putting a few stores on board my 
 dingy, with a fair wind, at n a.m. on 
 Nov. 25th I started for Dongola. From 
 Sarras to Semneh twelve miles by the 
 river had aforetime taken us two days and 
 a half in the nuggar. The rapids and whirl- 
 pools were, if anything, worse, and certainly 
 more numerous ; but, by hugging the banks 
 where possible, I got the dingy along, 
 reaching that cataract in the afternoon. 
 On the river banks and on the islands were 
 strewn the hulls of wrecked Government 
 nuggars, with here and there whalers which, 
 like beacons, told the whereabouts of dan- 
 gerous rocks and channels. Near Semneh 
 I passed Captain Scott Stevenson's com- 
 pany of the Black Watch, in their whalers. 
 These men had hauled, sailed, and rowed 
 whale boats from Philae to Wady Haifa in 
 something under ten days. Here they 
 were, scarce ten miles from Sarras, which 
 place they left on Nov. 24th, working and 
 striving with Highland fervour to beat 
 every whaler that preceded or should 
 follow them. It was the heavily-loaded 
 boats that made the progress so slow. 
 
 I also passed a company of the Essex 
 Regiment, out from Sarras one day, and a
 
 494 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 very little farther on whalers which had 
 started five days previously from that place. 
 The voyageurs sometimes sat in the stern, 
 sometimes in the bows, directing the course 
 of the whalers. When in the stern they 
 steered; in the bows they used the pole. 
 All the whalers had their lug-sails set, and 
 although these were drawing well, the 
 soldiers kept toiling at the oars to hurry 
 the boats on. The numerous boxes of 
 stores, pack them as best they could, filled 
 the whalers above the seats, so that the 
 men were cramped for room to bend their 
 backs in rowing, and had to paddle, as it 
 was impossible to get a free swing to 
 pull. When the current was very strong 
 and the broken water rushed or tumbled 
 over ledges of rock, the men landed and 
 hauled the boats by ropes past these 
 obstacles. When the rapids were very bad, 
 two or more boats' crews would unite in 
 hauling the whalers one by one across. 
 Two Canadians or Indians would on these 
 occasions take command, one in the bow, 
 the other in the stern. 'Rock-rangers' 
 and ' galley-slaves ' were the grim terms in 
 which Tommy Atkins spoke of himself and 
 his Nile boating experience. From sunrise 
 to sunset, with scarcely a respite for a 
 noonday meal, the soldiers laboured, now 
 at the oars, and anon clambering over 
 sharp rocks, tugging at the tow-rope. 
 Printed copies of a ' Nile Boat Song,' 
 
 which has a refrain about striking another 
 link from Gordon's chain, were liberally 
 distributed to the men of every boat. On 
 all my journeyings I have never yet had the 
 satisfaction of hearing it sung. It was, I 
 understand, composed by a distinguished 
 officer, and the rhythm of words and tune 
 was assumed to be just the sort of thing 
 to make the men pull together and swing 
 the boats up stream. I am told it is even 
 dangerous to quote two lines of the song, 
 as the men get excited and desperate at 
 the free-and-easy way it makes of the miles 
 that lie between them and Khartoum. 
 They have, in short, reached the stage of 
 the travellers in the snow-bound Pacific 
 train who, when blocked for a week, 
 started concerts. An unfortunate wretch 
 began the ballad, ' O, the snow ! the beauti- 
 ful snow.' He never lived to finish it. So 
 it is hazardous to talk of the ' Nile Boat 
 Song ' on a whaler. 
 
 When done with work for the day, the 
 men light fires ashore, pitch little tents, 
 and, after a meal of soup, tinned beef or 
 mutton, coarse biscuit, coffee or tea, turn in 
 for the night, only to rise next morning, 
 and for many to-morrows, to repeat the 
 routine of duty. Perhaps there are high 
 and weighty reasons why the ' active-service 
 rum-tote' is denied the soldiers in this 
 campaign." Lord Wolseley is known to 
 be against it.
 
 FATHER ZONONrS NARRATIVE. 
 
 495 
 
 CHAPTER CIII. 
 
 EGYPTIAN INCIDENTS FATHER BONONI'S J^ARRATIYE. 
 
 ATHER BONONI,the well- 
 known missionary, was taken 
 prisoner by the Mahdi's 
 forces. He saw a good 
 deal of the pretended pro- 
 phet, and on his release furnished the 
 following interesting account of his ex- 
 periences : 
 
 "The sun had not risen when I, Luigi 
 Bononi, chief of the Latin Mission to 
 Central Africa, with a heart [full of grati- 
 tude to God who had so far preserved me 
 through perils great and terrible, still to 
 serve Him, fled from the foul city that had 
 been so long my prison. Alas ! I left 
 behind and my heart was sore at it my 
 three friends, Guiseppe Orwalder (an Aus- 
 trian subject), Pado Rosignoli (an Italian), 
 Regnatto and Guiseppe Regnalo. Regnatto 
 was a layman who belonged to our mission. 
 Perhaps I may as well state how it was that 
 I came to be at Obeid. 
 
 I was once first parish priest-minister in 
 the diocese of Verona, and in 1873 entered 
 the mission of Central Africa, and went to 
 Khartoum in 1874. I was first missionary 
 in Kordofan, then at Gebel Nuba, and in 
 1876 superior at El Obeid, from 1877-79 
 superior at Gebel Nuba, and from 1879 
 to 1 88 1 general vicar of Bishop Bamel 
 Camboni at Khartoum, and then general 
 superior of the mission in the countries of 
 Nuba. In May, 1882, I was at Gebel 
 Belim, central seat of mission, among the 
 Nubani ; when surrounded by the rebels 
 1 7th September, was made prisoner, 
 as well as all the missionaries and 150 
 soldiers. I was present at the siege of El 
 Obeid, which surrendered i7th January, 
 1883, when all the prisoners and nuns there 
 were made prisoners. When the Mahdi 
 marched upon Khartoum I was with twelve 
 
 European surviving members of the mission. 
 The priest, three nuns, and one catechist 
 died of starvation and bad treatment. I, 
 with a mission composed of Padre Yousef, 
 Orwalder, the layman called Guiseppe 
 Regnalo a mechanic, Gabriel Madiani 
 also a mechanic, and three nuns, estab- 
 lished a church at Gebel Deli, three days' 
 journey from Obeid. We succeeded in 
 making thirty liberated slaves embrace 
 Christianity ; these we trained to different 
 trades or to farming. We carefully tilled a 
 large quantity of land which we had pur- 
 chased, and we were allowed soldiers as a 
 guard. We now established a mission at 
 Obeid ; a priest was at the head, and there 
 were laymen and five sisters. When the 
 Baggara Arabs in the neighbourhood heard 
 of Mohammed Ahmed, that he had come to 
 cast off the yoke of the Turks, they at once 
 made ready to join him ; they got danger- 
 ous too, and made a fierce attack on our 
 mission. We resisted this attack, and beat 
 them back, and they could not prevail 
 against us. The blacks who were with us 
 fought well and assisted us greatly. These 
 were the Nubi from the mountains, abori- 
 gines driven up there by the succeeding 
 waves of Arabs that flooded the country 
 after the crusades. They hied them to the 
 mountains, and have never been completely 
 subjugated. We made Christians of some 
 of these. We were environed from the 2nd 
 of April to the end of September, 1882. 
 
 About this time, it will be remembered, 
 the army, under command of Yousef Pasha 
 Shellali, marching to the relief of Obeid, 
 was annihilated. The soldiers had found 
 the wells on the previous day's march filled 
 up. On arriving at the next wells their 
 thirst was so great that they at once broke 
 from the ranks and rushed to them. The
 
 49<5 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 Arabs were in ambush and slaughtered 
 them all. After this success the Mahdi 
 proceeded to lay siege to Obeid. He first 
 sent an Emir called Mek Omar to attack 
 the mission. This man had orders to put 
 us all to the sword ; not one was to escape 
 alive. He had, however, an insufficient 
 force; so he simply sat down before the 
 place, well knowing that thousands of Arabs 
 were on their way to help him. Day after 
 day their number increased. So we, seeing 
 our case hopeless, resolved to collect our 
 cattle and sheep and whatever we had, and 
 leave the station, and make the best of our 
 way to Fashoda : for it would be impos- 
 sible to get into Obeid, as that town was in 
 a close state of siege. We had fixed to 
 make our move on the i4th of September, 
 1882 ; but man proposes, God disposes ! 
 A man called Khalel Eff, a military officer, 
 informed the rebels of our intentions. We 
 had foolishly entrusted him with our secret. 
 Thereupon El Mek Omar completely sur- 
 rounded us, tightening the cordon around, 
 and sent us a summons to surrender, stating 
 if we did not we should be put to the 
 sword. At this juncture, to our misfortune, 
 the officer commanding the Egyptian 
 troops, and all his men, who were there 
 to protect us, declared for Mohammed 
 Ahmed. Then seizing their rifles and 
 ammunition they passed the zarebas and 
 deliberately went over to the Arabs. Our 
 situation was now desperate hopeless. So 
 we determined to offer to surrender on 
 condition that our lives should be spared, 
 and that we should be allowed to proceed 
 to Egypt unmolested. These terms were 
 granted, and we became prisoners. All 
 our cattle, sheep, farming instruments, 
 books, and clothes were seized. We were 
 bound, and marched off to Mohammed 
 Ahmed, who was then before Obeid. Elias 
 Pasha, with all the notables, all the mer- 
 chants, and, in fact, all the inhabitants of 
 this place, had sided with him. Elias 
 Pasha is a near relation of Zebehr Pasha, 
 the notorious slave-hunter, whom you have 
 now a prisoner at Gibraltar. When these 
 
 people deserted the town the commander, 
 Mohamed Pasha Said, Governor of East- 
 ern Soudan, drew in his lines of defence. 
 Before this Obeid was, like all their towns, 
 defended by an enormously long and 
 straggling trench and zareba nearly two 
 miles in circumference and unable to be 
 held except by an immense force. But 
 now trenches were dug afresh, simply en- 
 closing the Government house and offices, 
 the arsenal, barracks, and mudiriah. Up 
 till now the troops had resisted all the at- 
 tempts of the rebels to storm the place. 
 Whenever they had done so they had been 
 repulsed and scattered with enormous loss, 
 several hundred being shot at each assault, 
 the rebels themselves having spears. It is 
 strange they did not take the rifles of the 
 army they had destroyed (Yousef Pasha's), 
 but these they left lying about on the 
 ground. 
 
 There were seven of us, and we were led, 
 as I before said, before Mohammed Ahmed. 
 He informed us that it would be necessary 
 for us immediately to embrace Islamism. 
 We replied firmly, ' We cannot do this thing, 
 nor forsake our holy religion. God forbids 
 it ; and even were we to do this and become 
 Moslems in garb and outward form, our 
 hearts would remain unchanged.' This bold 
 reply greatly irritated Mohammed Ahmed. 
 He cried, ' Hark ye, accursed infidels ! 
 To-morrow is Friday. I give you time to 
 reflect. If you have not embraced Islamism 
 by the rising of to-morrow's sun, behold 
 you shall be led forth and executed as a 
 punishment for your obstinacy and disobe- 
 dience. So have a care and repent while 
 yet there is time. I have spoken.' We 
 were during the day visited by several der- 
 vishes, who adjured us to embrace Islamism, 
 but we replied, ' We give you, O dervishes, 
 the same answer as we did to your master, 
 We cannot do this thing.' They were very 
 wroth, and spat at us, and brandished their 
 long swords at us. But we trusted in God. 
 The next morning we were led forth from 
 the hut built of dhurra stalks, and where 
 we had been confined. We found the
 
 fATHER BONO NFS NARRATIVE. 
 
 497 
 
 Arabs drawn up in line. Behind them 
 was a vast assemblage of horsemen. 
 Thousands of spears and bright swords 
 gleamed and glistened in the rays of the 
 morning sun ; and we looked upon it as it 
 rose and gilded the edges of the few mimosa 
 and rocks scattered about on that vast 
 yellow sandy plain we looked upon it, as 
 we supposed, for the last time. Never again 
 were we to see a sun rise; our race was 
 run ; and we, as thousands had done before 
 
 us, were to die martyrs for the faith of our 
 Lord. We had no fear. We rejoiced that 
 we were thought worthy to die for His 
 sake. 
 
 As we were led along, marching with firm 
 step, the Arabs brandished their long two- 
 edged swords over our heads, cursing us as 
 we passed. And now we reached the spot 
 where Mohammed Ahmed, the so-called 
 Mahdi, was. He was mounted on a magnifi- 
 cent dromedary. He cried aloud to us, ' O 
 
 AN ANGLO-EGYPTIAN TOWN. 
 
 Christians ! are you prepared to embrace 
 Islamism, or to have your heads struck off 
 from your shoulders?' Then we, having 
 our trust in God, made answer, ' O Sheik 
 Mohammed Ahmed ! you have vast powers ; 
 you command this huge assemblage of war- 
 riors, stretching as far as the eye can see. 
 You can order them to do whatsoever seems 
 good in your eyes, and you are obeyed ; 
 and you also have power over us to slay us, 
 for God for some wise purpose has delivered 
 
 usjnto your hands, but you have not power, 
 O Sheik, to make us embrace Islamism. 
 We prefer death to doing this thing.' We 
 one and all made this solemn asseveration. 
 There was silence all along those dusky 
 ranks, and near us stood dervishes with 
 long swords waiting and longing to do the 
 bidding of their master and strike oft our 
 heads. But Mohammed Ahmed gazed up- 
 wards and eastwards for some time and 
 spoke not. He then fixed his eagle eyes 
 
 K K
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 upon us with intensity, and perceiving we 
 were steadfast in the faith, he cried aloud, 
 4 O Nazarenes, may Allah, the most boun- 
 tiful and merciful, put your hearts right and 
 show you the right path ; ' and when he 
 had thus spoken he again cried aloud, ' All 
 ye who are here present, sheiks, and der- 
 vishes, and every man under you bearing 
 arms, put up now your swords in their 
 sheaths, for this is the order I give you. 
 Let these Nazarenes be conducted to my 
 hut in safety I have said it ! ' So we 
 were led off, praising God for having put it 
 into the heart of this fierce man to spare us. 
 We were conducted to a straw hut. He 
 ordered us to sit down, and to partake of 
 food with him ; and he conversed freely 
 and in an animated manner with us, asking 
 us our ideas on many subjects. ' Be as- 
 sured,' he said, ' of my protection. There 
 shall not be a hair of your head injured. I 
 shall now give you in charge of a Syrian of 
 the name of Georgie Stambouli. This man, 
 praise be to Allah, has seen the error of his 
 ways, as no doubt you will shortly, and has 
 embraced Islamism. He will instruct you 
 in all needful doctrine.' It is probably 
 this man who drew up that document, now 
 known to be forged, that was sent in to Sir 
 R. Buller, or at any rate some one forged 
 the signatures, knowing what was in the 
 body of the letter. We were now handed 
 over to him, and he took us to his hut. It 
 was built of dhurra stalk, and inclosed 
 round about. We dwelt here two months, 
 keeping inside always, for we knew that the 
 dervishes sought occasion to slay us. 
 
 Our situation became extremely wretched, 
 for we lay squalid, dirty, and naked. Our 
 privations were great, for the Mahdi took 
 no further care of us. We were in dirt, 
 with hardly enough to eat. One layman 
 sank under this treatment, and died of 
 low fever ; and shortly afterwards two 
 sisters sickened and died. Poor creatures ! 
 they too sank gradually, the iron had 
 entered into their soul. They succumbed 
 under a horrible dread, they were famished 
 and naked, and when it rained they were 
 
 exposed to it. Poor weary souls ! your 
 troubles are over. You have died for the 
 cause as much as any holy martyr of old. 
 I performed the last rites of the Church 
 over them, but even our religious exercises 
 we had to perform in the greatest secrecy. 
 It was hoped that by ill-treatment we should 
 be forced to embrace Islamism, and we 
 would probably have been slain had we 
 been caught at Christian worship. I was 
 horrified at the miserable deaths of these 
 poor wretches, and I resolved to betake 
 myself to the Mahdi, come what might. I 
 entered his presence and demanded that 
 the terms of our surrender should be 
 honourably fulfilled, and that we should 
 be allowed to set off on our journey to the 
 land of Egypt ' I cannot, I regret, accede 
 to your request,' Mohammed Ahmed replied. 
 ' God will not permit it ; but take now 
 these ten thaleries, buy with them whatso- 
 ever you may need. Here also is raiment 
 wherewith you may clothe yourselves. It 
 is not forbidden for you to go to and fro 
 about the market. I have given orders 
 that no man shall molest you ; but you are 
 always, when outside, to wear Moslem gar- 
 ments.' And now the time had arrived 
 when the garrison of Obeid, which had re- 
 sisted all assaults so gallantly, were com- 
 pelled to surrender, being on the verge of 
 starvation. Their sufferings had been 
 terrific. The little corn there was was sold 
 at an enormous price 2,200 dollars an 
 arobb. Eggs, though they were seldom to 
 be got, were sold for a thalerie each. The 
 men had become gaunt-looking, walking 
 skeletons, with their bones showing through 
 their skin. If one was killed or died there 
 was none to bury him. The arms of the 
 survivors were too weak to dig a grave, 
 there the corpses lay rotting. Each day 
 lent new horrors to the scene. Men dug 
 up buried carcases of dogs, donkeys, and 
 camels; others stripped the leather from 
 the angeribs [native bedsteads, on which 
 the mattress is supported by thongs of 
 leather transversely drawn across and at- 
 tached to the woodwork]. These thongs
 
 FATHER BONO NFS NARRATIVE. 
 
 499 
 
 they would soften in water and then eat. 
 The live donkeys were killed and cut up ; 
 even the tail would fetch 20 reals, and the 
 head and entrails much more. Dogs were 
 treated in the same way. Others, too, 
 would shoot the foul carrion crows, vul- 
 tures, and kites that hovered around. 
 
 The grim and ghastly sights to be seen 
 in that beleaguered city were enough to 
 freeze the blood, and the narrative of those 
 days is too horrible to be continued. But 
 the stern old Turk commanding refused to 
 surrender ; while the wretched soldiers were 
 unable to hold their rifles, but prowled 
 about like wolves to find something to eat, 
 unable to make further defence. On the 
 1 8th January, 1883, the rebels walked over 
 the trenches and entered the Mudiriah 
 and other houses. When the dervishes 
 entered the dewan of the Mudiriah, the 
 large hall, they found the commandant 
 Achmet Pasha Said sitting in a high carved 
 armed-chair of stained wood, bolt upright, 
 with his arms folded, gazing at them de- 
 fiantly. They rushed at him and would 
 have slain him, but others insisted that he 
 should be brought before Mohammed 
 Ahmed. ' Back, dogs ; touch me not,' he 
 cried. ' You defile me, base rebels. I will 
 go myself before this arch rebel Mohammed 
 Ahmed. Lead on.' They instinctively drew 
 back, startled at his terrible voice and fierce 
 aspect. One is reminded of the old Roman 
 whom the gaoler was afraid to kill. ' Hold 
 his hands and search him,' ordered Mo- 
 hammed Ahmed the moment he saw him : 
 and he was just in time with this precau- 
 tion. The old man was drawing forth from 
 his breast a revolver, and undoubtedly 
 meant to deal death to his enemy. ' Take 
 the cursed dog of a Turk away,' cried 
 Mohammed Ahmed, 'and sell him for a slave 
 by auction in the bazaar. Away with him.' 
 Then was the commandant led forth and 
 exposed for sale, but no man durst buy 
 him at first. But it happened that an Emir 
 passed by that way, and, out of derision, 
 cried out, ' O auctioneer, I will surely give 
 680 piastres for this man.' So he was 
 
 knocked down to the Emir. Now when 
 this came to the ears of Mohammed Ahmed 
 he sent forth an order that the commandant 
 should be slain with all speed. So some 
 dervishes went from the Mahdi's presence 
 then and there and sought out the com- 
 mandant. They heard he was in the house 
 of the Emir; they went there and ordered 
 that Achmet Pasha should be brought forth. 
 He presented himself to them with unquail- 
 ing look and bold bearing as the dervishes 
 drew their swords. ( You have come to 
 murder me, have you ? Cursed, cowardly 
 dogs, I fear you not. May your fathers' 
 grave be defiled. I curse them, you, and 
 the foul harlots that bore you. I curse 
 your fathers and mothers back to three 
 generations. All your female relations are 
 abandoned women, and may the graves of 
 all your forefathers be defiled. I curse you 
 all, and your vile false prophet Mohammed 
 Ahmed.' They fell upon him pouring forth 
 these maledictions, and he died like a brave 
 man, with the utmost fortitude. I forgot to 
 mention that on the entering of the town 
 by the dervishes this gallant soldier tried 
 to blow up the magazine and destroy him- 
 self and army with the rebels, but the 
 officers prevented him. The dervishes now 
 in their rage for they were cut to the 
 heart by the words of the commandant 
 sought out Ali Bey Sherrif ; him they also 
 slew, with other officers. Now the dervishes 
 returned to Mohammed Ahmed, and told all 
 these things to him. He burst into a flood 
 of tears, threw dust on his head, and up- 
 braided them for thus spilling blood. ' Ye 
 be sanguinary men, O ye dervishes. These 
 deeds do not find favour in my sight' 
 
 During the siege a priest named Giovanni 
 Losi died in Obeid, but two others were 
 captured, and compelled to embrace Is- 
 lamism, and there were five sisters taken at 
 the same time; these were now sent as 
 companions to us, in the hopes that they 
 should follow the example of the men. 
 The sisters refused in the most determined 
 manner to leave their religion. In what a 
 fearful condition these poor women were
 
 500 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 bags of bones. They never left the house. 
 This was the state of things to the 28th 
 March, 1883. 
 
 One day a letter was slipped into my 
 hand ; it was from Hicks Pasha, then at 
 Khartoum, and was dated 2ist of April. 
 He stated in it that he was on the point of 
 marching against Obeid with a large army, 
 and told me to be of good cheer, for surely he 
 would deliver us. While I was at Obeid I saw 
 three men being hunted out of the town ; 
 but there seemed to be something unreal in 
 this chase. I have since heard they were 
 the three sham guides of Hicks. This was 
 done for effect ; they were ordered to mis- 
 lead him. Khalifa Abdalla El Taishi now 
 arrived at Obeid. The first thing he did 
 was to have us brought up before him. 
 He then enjoined us to embrace Jslamism. 
 We replied to him as we had to Mohammed 
 Ahmed when the same demand was made. 
 We were sent back to our house, but he 
 sent us an order to deliver up to him the 
 sisters. We replied, ' By your own Moslem 
 law, women are forbidden to visit the 
 houses of strangers.' However, on the 
 ist of April, he sent and took the nuns by 
 force, and a terrible life, if possible, was 
 now to be their lot. They were distributed 
 as slaves among the Emirs ! I and my 
 two companions, men, were treated in the 
 same way. I was sent to the Bert El Wai, 
 Guiseppe Orwalder to the house of the Emir 
 Abdalla, Wad en Noor, and Guiseppe 
 Regnolo to the house of Sherrif Mahmoud. 
 From that day I never saw the sisters, but 
 I know that the treatment they received was 
 horrible, most horrible. They were afflicted 
 and tormented in order that they might be 
 induced to embrace Islamism, but they 
 were steadfast in the faith, neither would 
 they deny their Saviour. Some time after 
 this these wretched women were made to 
 go along on foot almost nude to Rahat. 
 The Mahdi was there, and they were 
 brought before him. Alas ! their frail nature 
 could hold out no longer. Their strength 
 of mind as well as body was gone. Driven 
 to desperation, to avoid greater degradations 
 
 and insults, they affected to embrace Is- 
 lamism. They were then taken as wives 
 by three Greeks who themselves had be- 
 come Mohammedans. The names of their 
 so-called husbands were Demetri Coco- 
 ronbo, Andrea, and Paragioli. These men 
 declare that they only did this to save the 
 women from a worse fate, and that the 
 marriage is really one in name only. I 
 therefore consider them to be deserving of 
 the highest honour, for by so doing they 
 incurred great risk of life. 
 
 On the 2oth of April I was sent myself 
 to Rahat with my two companions, and 
 kept there till the 3oth of August, when we 
 were conducted, back to El Obeid with 
 heavy chains round our necks after the 
 manner of conducting criminals in the 
 country. We were again released, and 
 dwelt in a house of Es Sherrif Mahmoud, 
 full liberty being given to go to and fro 
 about the town, and even in its neighbour- 
 hood. 
 
 And now the day of my deliverance was 
 at hand. Little attention was paid to my 
 ingoings and outgoings. Famine stalked 
 through the town, and it was full of that 
 direst of diseases, small-pox. Men were 
 dying masses of corruption right and left 
 As the Egyptian soldiers had done during 
 the siege the Arabs were doing now 
 actually digging up skeletons of carcases 
 buried years back. There was little corn ; 
 it was sold at 50 reals an ardeb. It was 
 found that many merchants who had fled 
 from Obeid had buried their gum in the 
 ground. This, though it had become rotten, 
 was now dug up and eaten by hundreds. 
 Es . Sherrif Mahmoud, the Mahdi's Emir, 
 had gone to Buka with an army of 2,000 
 men, half of them carrying rifles. His 
 intention was to attack Nowai, the chief of 
 the Howayma and Homran Baggaras the 
 Arabs who had deserted at Omdurman, and 
 raised the standard of revolt against him 
 among the Bedouins in Gebel Kowaleeb. 
 It was the isth of last Regib when he set 
 forth to battle against these men. While 
 he thus threatens the Arabs from the north,
 
 FATHER BONONrS NARRATIVE. 
 
 Abo Anga menaces them from the east, 
 hear that Nowai, hearing of their approach, 
 retreated to Gebel Dinka, in the south ; but 
 some submitted to Mahmoud, while others 
 did the same to Abo Anga. Others, again, 
 fled to their homes. As Abo Anga ad- 
 vanced from Omdurman he collected rein- 
 forcements on the way, and at last, when he 
 had 10,000 he made an attack on Gebel 
 Lamman, one of the Tagala mountains. 
 He laid waste all the country round, and 
 carried off the inhabitants as slaves, besides 
 taking large quantities of grain, cattle, and 
 sheep. He now advanced ' upon Gebel 
 Dair, and drove El Mek Kumbo to the 
 mountains. Thus, as he has possession of 
 the land at the foot of the mountains, the 
 inhabitants are unable to till the land. A 
 guerilla war is carried on there ; every now 
 and then the brave mountaineers sweep 
 down at night and retake their cattle. This 
 they do with great success, and their raids 
 actually extend to near Obeid. On the one 
 hand the mountaineers dare not risk an 
 open battle; on the other, the dervishes 
 dare not ascend the mountains. 
 
 The story about Anga's defeat is utterly 
 untrue. These stories were circulated by 
 the opponents of the Mahdi to encourage 
 the English. The Mahdi's power is not on 
 the wane, a story so briskly, it appeared, 
 circulated for your edification. Utterly 
 broken, indeed ! The so-called Mohammed 
 Ahmed is supreme all through Kordofan, 
 though the cruelties and oppression of his 
 dervishes have made his rule detested ; 
 therefore the unfortunate inhabitants, who 
 have to pay higher taxes than they did to 
 the Egyptian Government, long for its 
 return. By the ist June Abo Anga had 
 arrived from Gebel Tagata, and had taken 
 up a position at Gebel Dair. Terror was 
 struck into the hearts of all the Arabs when 
 the news of your victory at Abu Klea and 
 at Metemmeh arrived. You were looked 
 upon as invincible, and the Arabs flatly re- 
 fused to appear in arms against the British. 
 The whole army had you advanced in- 
 tended flying to the mountains and deserts, 
 
 so you would have walked into Khartoum, 
 or gone wherever you pleased without the 
 least opposition. But every single move- 
 ment of the British, their intentions even, 
 were well known and spied out, and 
 swiftly reported. You were surrounded by 
 spies, they dwelt among you. So it came 
 to pass that your intention of giving up the 
 game was quickly known, and the Arabs 
 took courage who before had been thrown 
 into a perfect panic. * The Inglezi are re- 
 treating, are retreating,' was shouted and 
 passed along all over Kordofan, from sake- 
 yeh wheel to sakeyeh wheel, by camel, by 
 donkey and swift messenger. 
 
 Regarding Olivier Pain, I will tell you. 
 When I was in Obeid August last there 
 entered the town one day a little French- 
 man, about thirty-five years old. His beard 
 was scrubby and carroty ; his complexion a 
 muddy red-clay colour. I was ordered to 
 examine this strange man's papers. I 
 found a passport, with ' Olivier Pain. Pro- 
 fession, homme de lettres,' written on it. 
 His Arabic was very imperfect; but he 
 would invariably try to speak in that 
 tongue. He was dressed & la dervish. He 
 always passed us by without the slightest 
 recognition, and even if saluted he neither 
 returned the compliment nor spoke. When 
 addressed by a European, it he replied at 
 all, it was in bad Arabic. He remained at 
 Obeid ten days, and then went to join Mo- 
 hammed Ahmed at Rahat. He then went 
 to Shat, and reached Onderoo by Duem, 
 passing down by water. Here he sickened, 
 and died of a grievous malady. The der- 
 vishes rule the country with a rod of iron 
 so much for these people fighting for their 
 liberty. Patriots indeed ! The dervishes 
 and the men who fight are a perfect terror 
 to the poor peaceful inhabitants, who only 
 wish to be allowed to till the land, but they 
 are forced to take arms everywhere. If 
 they do not, they are made slaves, their 
 villages pillaged, and their wives and mai- 
 dens carried off for the use of the dervishes 
 and their officers. Often these poor down- 
 trodden villagers are massacred. And this
 
 502 
 
 THE ENGLISH IN EGYPT. 
 
 is what some people in England call ' fight- 
 ing for their country.' There was regular 
 news sent between Khartoum and Obeid. 
 Much of this agrees with the statements of 
 men escaped from Khartoum regarding the 
 massacres at Khartoum. When I fled I 
 escaped by way of Assaf, north of Barra- 
 Rajmar and Safia. I was nineteen days on 
 the road. We struck the Nile at Abou 
 Goss, and after a rest proceeded to Don- 
 gola, arriving at the house of Major Turner, 
 Intelligence Department, where he and 
 Captain Luke White received me most 
 hospitably. It is to the exertions of the 
 first-named gentleman, who arranged with 
 my guide my escape, that I owe my release 
 from my cruel and savage persecutors. The 
 sum of ;ioo, besides an advance of 100 
 dollars, was paid by him, with General 
 Lord Wolseley's sanction." 
 
 Writing at the time, a correspondent 
 says : 
 
 " Father Bononi is a thin spare man of 
 ordinary height, sharp aquiline features, 
 extremely dark from exposure, of about 
 forty years of age. He is of an extremely 
 excitable temperament and very voluble. 
 
 He arrived in rags. Major Turner took 
 the greatest care of him, and afterwards 
 conducted him down to Wady Haifa. He 
 is now on his way to Cairo. 
 
 Great credit is due to Major Turner, of 
 the Intelligence Department, for the skilful 
 manner in which he arranged Bononi's 
 escape. Sir R. Buller considered the sum 
 of ;ioo too much, and would not sanction 
 this on his own responsibility. Lord Wol- 
 seley was telegraphed to, and he sanc- 
 tioned it. The total expense was about 
 ^150. This, as far as is yet known, will 
 not be repaid either by the Latin mission 
 or by the Italian Government, as is erro- 
 neously supposed. The money comes out 
 of the Secret Service Fund. It should be 
 clearly understood that it is the British 
 Government that pays this sum. It is to 
 be observed that Sir C. Wilson, I.D., 
 always declared that it would be impossible 
 to get a messenger to El Obeid. Major 
 Turner, his successor in the office of the 
 Intelligence Department, has managed to 
 show the fallacy of this statement." 
 
 With this narrative we conclude at once 
 our " Egyptian Incidents " and our Volume. 
 
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 IN FIFTY-TWO CHAPTERS. 
 
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