Letter from Major Kitchener to General Gordon.
Debbeh, 14th October, 1884.
My dear General Gordon,
Please inform me by this present messenger, who is paid to return, who were on board the steamer that came down from Kartoum. I am sorry to say, whoever they were, they have fallen into the hands of Suleiman Wady Goun, Sheikh of the Minassir, and have, I am afraid, been killed. Lord Wolseley is now at Wady Halfa, and it is expected this expedition will definitely start from Dongola on or about the 1st November. Special boats are coming out from England for the passage up the Nile.
There are a considerable number of troops now at Dongola. I am instructed by Sir Evelyn Baring to send you the following telegram from the Austrian Consul-General:—
“Caire, 1er Oct.—Je vous remercie, de tout cœur, des nouvelles que vous avez bien voulu me donner. J’ai fait des démarches pour faciliter le voyage de notre consul de Berbér jusqu’au Caire, mais on m’assure que les chemins de Berber à Debbeh ne sont pas libres; en tous cas, je vous recommande chaudement la sécurité personnelle de notre consul et des sujets Austro-Hongrois et Allemands. Je serai très heureux d’avoir des nouvelles directes de Monsieur Hansall.”
I also enclose two letters that have arrived here for you.
I hope you have received some of my previous letters; I have received none from you in reply.
Enclosure in Appendix X.
General,
I hope you will excuse me such an intermezzo.
Notwithstanding they abandoned you, and they did not at all follow your instructions, I hope you will be victorious, and your name engraved in the history of the world.
I am, dear General,
Your most obedient servant,
Th. Roth.
To his Excellency General Gordon, Kartoum.
Berlin, 4th May, 1884.
Dear Sir,
I had the honour to write you on the 10th of April, &c.
Meantime I permitted me to do the following:
On the 22nd of April I wired to Earl Granville: “For Heaven’s sake, help Gordon, Kartoum.”
And confirmed this despatch with the following letter:—
To the Right Honourable Lord Granville, London.
Berlin, 22nd April, 1884.
“My Lord,
“I have the honour to confirm my telegram of this afternoon: ‘For Heaven’s sake, help Gordon, Kartoum.’
“Your Lordship may be kind enough to excuse such a telegram.
“As I am an admirer of Gordon, and as he had the kindness to do his best to become liberated my brother Gottfried Roth, who is said prisoner of the Mahdi, and to whom your Lordship congratulated when he captured at Sint a band of slaveholders with several hundred slaves some years ago, I considered it a duty to do something too for Gordon. And so the idea to wire to your Lordship, who perhaps may be able in consequence of your powerful position to let have Gordon what he wants.
“I have the honour, &c., &c.”
I had the pleasure to receive the following letter from the Secretary of State, Sir J. Pauncefote:—
Foreign Office, 29th April, 1884.
“Sir,
“I am directed by Earl Granville to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram and letter of the 22nd instant, urging that assistance may be given to General Gordon at Kartoum.
“I am, Sir,
“Your most obedient humble servant,
(Signed) “J. Pauncefote.”
Roth did not get much change out of his Lordship!!
(C. G. Gordon.)
APPENDIX X[358].
Arabic Cypher Telegram.
Above message from Lord Wolseley, dated 20 September, forwarded by messenger for second time, 15/10/84, from Debbeh.
H. H. KITCHENER,
D.A.A.G.
This is the only paper received.
C. G. G.