DESCRIPTION OF THE JOURNAL.
[Lieut.-Colonel Stewart kept a complete journal of events that occurred at Kartoum from the 1st March to the 9th September, upon the night of which day he left.]
General Gordon, who had assisted in great measure in the preparation of this Journal, describes it as a perfect gem.
It was in duplicate, and was captured when Colonel Stewart was murdered; and, according to Slatin Bey’s account (who at the time was with the Mahdi), is now in his (the Mahdi’s) possession.
General Gordon’s Diaries are in six parts.
The First is from the 10th of September to the 23rd of September, and contains 78 pages.
The Second is from the 23rd of September to the 30th of September, and contains 41 pages.
The Third is from the 1st to the 12th of October, and contains 85 pages.
The Fourth is from the 12th to the 20th of October, and contains 32 pages.
The Fifth is from the 20th of October to the 5th of November, and contains 93 pages.
The Sixth is from the 5th of November to the 14th of December, and contains 104 pages.
The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Diaries are addressed to Lieut.-Colonel Stewart, C.M.G., or the Chief of the Staff. The Fifth is addressed to the Chief of the Staff of the Expeditionary Force for the relief of the garrison, and the Sixth is addressed in the same way.
The First and Second Diaries were sent on the 30th of September by steamer for Berber viâ Shendy.
The Third was sent by the steamer Towfikia on the 12th of October to Metemma.
The Fourth was sent to Shendy in a steamer on the 21st of October.
The Fifth left in the steamer Bordeen on the 5th of November for Metemma;
And the Sixth also left in the steamer Bordeen on the 15th of December.
Each Diary has the same remarks—sometimes repeated three times, on the outside of the Journal, to the effect that “it should be pruned down prior to publication.”
The Journals or Diaries were handed over to Sir Charles Wilson on the 22nd of January, at Metemma, by the officer commanding General Gordon’s steamers.
The Journals were, in my opinion, properly considered by the Government as official documents (see letter accompanying the last Journal), and were handed over to me with the remark that, “So far as Her Majesty’s Government had a desire in the matter, it was for the publication of the whole Diary; but they did not wish to interfere with my discretion.”
The note at the end of the first Journal evidently implies that when the Government have done with the Journals, then Miss Gordon is to have them.
The publication being, therefore, in my hands, I have arranged with Messrs. Kegan Paul, Trench & Co. for their issue in a very nearly entire state, only some six or seven pages being omitted, which contain, in my opinion, no matter of public interest; while, with regard to names, those who are well acquainted with the affairs of Egypt can fill up the blanks without difficulty.
It is to be hoped that strenuous endeavours may be made in order to obtain Colonel Stewart’s Journal, together with those of General Gordon from the 15th of December to the day upon which Kartoum fell, as well as that of the Doctor promised to the Times.
The Cairo telegrams alluded to in the Diaries have not been handed over to me.
H. W. Gordon.