[137] The arrests of the Mudir, Cadi, Sheikh el Islam, &c., who were supposed to be in communication with the Mahdi.—Ed.
[138] I.e., Chief of Expeditionary Force.—Ed.
[139] Appendix Q.
[140] Appendix Q.
[141] Appendix R.
[142] Eight pages of the diary were cut out.—Ed.
[143] General Gordon has just stated that a letter received from the Greek Consul, dated 17th of August, contained more news than one he received, dated 31st of August, from an officer in Her Majesty’s service. He then goes on to say he sees now (i.e., after reading the Greek Consul’s letter) why he was kept in the dark.—Ed.
[144] Sir Gerald Graham’s despatch.—Ed.
[145] “King John issued an edict that if any of his subjects were found smoking they should lose hand and foot. General Gordon in his notes on Abyssinia in 1879, said: ‘I write in haste, but I will sum up my impression of Abyssinia. The king is rapidly growing mad. He cuts off the noses of those who take snuff, and the lips of those who smoke. The king is hated more than Theodore was. Cruel to a degree, he does not, however, take life. He cuts off the feet and hands of people who offend him. He puts out their eyes by pouring hot tallow into their ears. No one can travel without the king’s order if he is a foreigner. You can buy nothing without his order; no one will shelter you without his order—in fact no more complete despotism could exist.’
✳✳✳✳✳
“The cruelties the king and his people committed were atrocious. Forty Soudan soldiers were mutilated altogether, and sent to Bogos with the message that, if His Highness the Khedive wanted eunuchs he could have these.”—Hill’s Colonel Gordon in Central Africa, pp. 421-423.—Ed.
[146] Mr. F. L. James in his ‘Wild Tribes of the Soudan,’ gives an excellent and interesting account of this mission station, p. 210, seq.
[147] Twaddle.—Ed.
[148] Ismail, the Ex-Khedive, who knew King John well, said to General Gordon, “Never go near him, it is perfectly useless.”— Ed.
[149] Of course General Gordon’s contention throughout is that giving Kassala, Katarif, Galabat and Bogos, to the King of Abyssinia, is in fact precisely the same thing as abandoning those places.—Ed.
[150] Here a page has been cut out by General Gordon himself.—Ed.
[151] Appendix U, a.
[152] Appendix U, c.
[153] U, b.
[154] U, d.
[155] The Austrian Consul.—Ed.
[156] When a Christian becomes a Mahommedan he has to take a Mahommedan name.—Ed.
[157] General Gordon is here evidently thinking of Gessi’s glorious campaign against Suleiman.—Ed.
[158] The Black Watch started from Cairo for Wady Halfa on September 23rd. The Mounted Infantry reached Deel on September 24th, and 150 men under Daubeny got as far as Tangoor on the 26th. The first steam pinnace arrived at Sarras, which is about twenty miles above the second cataract, on September 26th. Lord Wolseley did not reach Wady Halfa until October 5th.—Ed.
[159] The paper referred to is the French extract just given.—Ed.
[160] Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville (received March 5th).
“General Gordon has on several occasions pressed for 200 British troops to be sent to Wady Halfa. I agree with the military authorities in thinking that it would not be desirable to comply with this request.”
Sir Evelyn Baring to Earl Granville (received March 4th).
“General Gordon and Colonel Stewart strongly urge the desirability, from the point of view of the success of their present mission, of opening up the Berber-Suakin route.... I cannot agree with the proposal mentioned in Colonel Stewart’s telegram, that a force of British or Indian cavalry should be sent through for Suakin to Berber.”—Egypt No. 12 (1884). No. 205.—Ed.
[161] Gordon’s intention and desire was to have taken the steamers to the Bahr Gazelle, and to have protected that country against the Mahdi.—Ed.
[162] The fact that the Fellaheen were dragged in chains from their huts, and kept in chains in the streets of Cairo, is well known.—Ed.
[163] General Gordon intends H.M. Government to understand by this statement, that, in the position of a Major-General in H.M. service, he would give all his services to the retreating expedition, were he ordered to do so, though such an order would be most unwelcome; but that he would do nothing of the kind until some one replaced him as Governor-General. He is really applying to himself the remarks he made a few pages back: “In military affairs it is different: one is ordered to go here and there, and one obeys (even if one thinks it unwise, having represented it), but in diplomacy there is no such call.”—Ed.
[164] Up to the present we have neither given the Soudan to the Turks nor have we established Zubair as Governor-General, but we have had “a deal of worry and danger,” and the campaign has been “entirely unprofitable and devoid of prestige.”—Ed.
[165] We are at present not only in strict blockade on the land side of Suakin, but absolutely besieged.—Ed.
[166] Barges.—Ed.
[167] Appendix T.
[168] Sir Evelyn Baring to Earl Granville.
Cairo, February 28th, 1884.
“I have the honour to report to your Lordship that, although I did not specially consult General Gordon on the subject of sending British troops to Assouan, he telegraphs to me that if 100 British troops were sent to Assouan or Wady Halfa, they would run no more risk than Nile tourists, and would have the best effect.... I certainly would not risk sending so small a body as 100 men.”—Egypt No. 12, No. 170.—Ed.
[169] The foregoing portion of the Journal is written on tissue copying-paper.—Ed.
[170] This part of the Journal is written on telegraph forms.—Ed.
[171] Captured at Berber by the Arabs.—Ed.
[172] General Gordon asks in an undated telegram, written after the fall of Berber: “Is it right that I should have been sent to Kartoum with only seven followers, after the destruction of Hicks’ army, and no attention paid to me till communications were cut?”—Ed.
[173] Formerly General Gordon’s under secretary and secretary. He was of old and good family, and greatly respected by General Gordon, who said in 1879: “A few men like Berzati Bey would regenerate Egypt, but they are rare.”—Ed.
[174] Two of these horses returned to-day; as I expect the riders threw themselves off and let their horses loose, and that, too, at a distance so great that the Arabs did not see them!!!
[175] I am going to make them pay for twenty-two of the Remingtons, for it appears doubtful if they were captured, inasmuch as to-day they asked me to send the steamer down to look for them. I expect the men simply threw them down and bolted upon the appearance of the Arabs.
[176] See map on opposite page.—Ed.
[177] It was about this date that the recall of Lord Wolseley was generally rumoured at home and abroad. On the 10th of October this rumoured recall was officially contradicted. The ‘Times,’ however, said: “We have every confidence in the veracity and good information of our correspondent, but so incredible did his statement seem at first sight that we have made further inquiries, in order to be quite sure there was no mistake in its transmission.”—Ed.
[178] It is interesting to note how often General Gordon breaks away abruptly from a subject which is irritating him, and deals with one which has a touch of humour in it. He never does this when he is discussing or explaining any particular point; it is only when he is thoroughly annoyed with his subject that he suddenly leaves it.—Ed.
[179] General Gordon was in the habit of passing a great part of the day and of the night on the roof of his palace.—Ed.
[180] Appendix V.
[181] Massowah is only 466 miles from Kartoum, and less than half that distance from Kassala.—Ed.
[182] i.e. In mutiny or a stampede to the Mahdi. “The belly governs the whole world.”—Ed.
[183] Here again General Gordon is really angry, and breaks off with a humorous touch about his black soldiers, so that he may, as it were, hold himself in.—Ed.
[184] Appendix X.
[185] List of Greeks who went in the steamer Abbas, 10 Sept. ‘84.
| Demitrios Kapnoulas. | Demosthen Kapilos. |
| George Kepetzakos. | Demitrios Georgopoulos. |
| Herial Bolanaki. | George Kontis. |
| Alexandre Genacari. | Xenophon Apostolidis. |
| Nasum Abagui. | George Tantzos. |
| Nessim Morinos. | Jean Stergiou. |
| Demitrios Perdicakis. | Nicolas Kouvaras. |
| Michel Nomikos. | Jean Dermitrzakis. |
| Stauros Papadakis. | Michel Chatzi Christodoulou. |
| Jean Prospion. |
[186] Appendix X.
[187] See Mahdi’s remarks upon this in Appendix U.
[188] It is impossible to read this without a feeling of admiration for the thorough way in which General Gordon examined into the minutest details of everything himself. Every precaution human foresight could conceive he took to ensure the safety of the Abbas and her crew; having done this, her fate was in higher hands than his.—Ed.
[189] Compare General Gordon’s account with the account given by the Mudir of Dongola:—“A certain Faki Walad Ahmet, who appears trustworthy, has arrived here, stating that he has heard that after General Gordon’s return to Kartoum a steamer, with forty men on board, partly Europeans and partly Egyptians, besides five negroes and three servants, arrived at Salamat, where she ran aground, but did not founder. The population, aware of the fate of Berber, and being much alarmed, several persons from the steamer went ashore in order to reassure the natives, declaring that they had not come to make war, but to purchase camels in order to cross the desert to Merawi. The Sheikhs Soliman and Abu Noman, and the uncle of Faki Osman, agreed to see to their conveyance, and provided a guide, who was to conduct the party. Those on board were so pleased with this attention that they presented one of the Sheikhs with a gold sword, the uncle with a silver sword, and the guide with a rich dress, whereupon the Sheikhs requested them to leave the steamer and accept their hospitality until preparations had been completed for crossing the desert. The invitation was accepted, and the party entered a house, where they were all massacred. The Sheikhs afterwards returned to the steamer and killed most of them on board. Of forty persons only fourteen were spared, and these were taken prisoners.” The Sub-Mudir, not knowing if there were any Europeans among the survivors, had sent messengers for further intelligence.—Ed.
[190] i.e., details of the fighting strength of the Abbas.—Ed.
[191] Who came in.
[192] i.e., collected them from the different offices and officials in Kartoum. They have not been given over by the Government.— Ed.
Note.—On the opposite page is an extract from Lord Lytton’s speech, cut from one of the papers: “Ask General Gordon, if he ever comes safely home to us, what he and his still unrescued garrison have learned to think of the high sense of national honour, the chivalrous courage, the unflinching good faith of Mr. Gladstone and his Radical Cabinet.” (Three cheers were given for Gordon.)—Ed.
[193] Appendix Y.
[194] That is to say, the men were depressed by the apparent remoteness of their chance of escape.—Ed.
[195] Egypt, ‘84, No. 22.
[196] On the page opposite the one which contains this paragraph General Gordon has pasted cuttings from the paper to which he alludes. One of these cuttings says, “An official telegram received here from Wady Halfa states that, owing to the unprecedented lowness of the Nile, no confidence is felt in the practicability of hauling boats over the cataracts till the end of September.” General Gordon’s comment written against this is, “It was not a low Nile—it was an average Nile, only you were too late.”— Ed.
[197] See ‘Ismailia,’ vol. i., p. 31.—Ed.
[198] General Gordon has already fully explained wherein the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Government towards the Soudan lies.—Ed.
[199] Colonel Harrison, C.B., C.M.G., R.E.—Ed.
[200] At this point General Gordon refers to the newspaper cuttings he has made and pasted in on the opposite page. The first reference is a comment on a telegram in the Standard, dated Suakin, August 30th, which runs as follows: “The Jaffariyeh overtook not far to the south of Suakin the three dhows recently captured by the rebels. The latter on being overtaken ran the boats aground, and escaped inland. The crew of the Jaffariyeh subsequently burned the dhows.” The italics are General Gordon’s. (b) refers to a further telegram headed “Rebellion in Arabia,” and dated Constantinople, Sunday night: “Fighting still going on in the Hedjaz between the Ottoman troops and the Arab tribes which have revolted against the authority of the Sultan’s Government. Matters must be considered somewhat serious by the Porte, for the Government have decided to despatch to the seat of disturbance further reinforcements of Imperial troops to the extent of some two thousand, &c.” In an account in a London paper of the departure of Lords Northbrook and Wolseley, General Gordon has marked certain penny-a-line passages, and in all cases where “Gordon Relief Expedition” occurs, he has drawn his pen through this and all expressions indicating that the Expeditionary Force comes to his relief.—Ed.
[201] Suakin was at this time besieged on the land side.—Ed.
[202] The lines extended from the Blue to the White Nile, i.e. from Bourré to the Mogrim Fort.—Ed.
[203] General Gordon had great admiration and affection for the Black Regulars.—Ed.
[204] Baring to Lord Granville, March 6th, 1884.
“With reference to General Graham’s message communicated to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for War relative to the opening out of the Berber-Suakin route, I wish to say that I do not recommend any English troops being sent to Berber.”—Egypt, No. 12, 1884, No. 214.
[205] i.e. to be removed from my position as Governor-General.—Ed.
[206] “In fact, things are not serious, although they may become so if delay occurs in sending Zebehr (Zubair). My weakness is that of being foreign and Christian and peaceful; and it is only by sending Zebehr that prejudice can be removed.”—General Gordon to Sir E. Baring, Kartoum, March 4th, 1884. Egypt, No. 12. Enclosure 5, in No. 202.
[207] See accounts of slave hunting in the Bahr Gazelle, App. U, b.
[208] I.e. driving the cows down with the view to their exploding the mines.—Ed.
[209] The steamers General Gordon sent to Metemma to assist the relieving force.—Ed.
[210]
Sir E. Baring to Lord Granville.
“Cairo, March 13th, 1884.
“I have instructed him (General Gordon) to hold on at Kartoum, until I can communicate further with Her Majesty’s Government, and have told him that he should on no account proceed to the Bahr Gazelle and Equatorial Provinces.”—Egypt, 1884, Nos. 12-242.—Ed.
[211] The English Government has, in the most liberal manner, stated it will meet any bills that General Gordon may have drawn upon it on his private account, and of which General Gordon has given a list. The Egyptian Government has acted in a similar manner with regard to moneys spent by General Gordon at Kartoum.—Ed.
[212] i.e. the Viziers.—Ed.
[213] Whenever General Gordon deals with this subject, he shows how thoroughly angry he is, and his anger increases as he proceeds. Hence the frequent reiterations of his resolve not to leave.—Ed.
[214] Briefly summarised, what General Gordon says is: “If the expeditionary force has come for me alone, I will not return with it: it may go back, while I will remain here as Governor-General, and make the best use I can of the war material which belongs to me while I hold that position. If I am removed from that position by a Firman from the Khedive, I will still remain here, in a private capacity, and devote my life and energy to those people who have devoted their lives to me.”—Ed.
[215] Not received from the Government.
[216] Appendix Y.
[217] The Firman of Towfik respecting the troops withdrawing, which Gordon received 24th January, 1884, and which he did not promulgate.—Ed.
[218] It is important there should be no misconstruction placed on these words. Had General Gordon thought their death would benefit the Soudan, he would never have said when he urged their going down, “If you go, you do me a great service, i.e. do the Soudan a great service.” When he said, “I dare not, with my views, say their death is an evil,” he merely meant, “I dare not say that two brave, just, upright men are not happier in the future life than in the present one.”—Ed.
[219] General Gordon means, in my opinion, “Fairly just in his political views.” Herbin was the Editor of the Bosphore Égyptien.—Ed.
[220] This refers to a telegram sent by Colonel Coetlogon to Colonel Fraser Floyer, at Wady Halfa, at the above date, which runs: “No fresh news. Anxiously awaiting reinforcements.” Underneath this General Gordon has written: “If Coetlogon had only been then informed that there was no intention to send reinforcements (further than nine persons) for (nearly) a year!”—Ed.
[221] Major Kitchener did not know it himself
[222] A soldier previously mentioned, who was thought to have deserted.—Ed.
[223] This recovery of biscuit enabled General Gordon to hold Kartoum until the gates were treacherously opened to the enemy.—Ed.
[224] Vide General Graham’s despatch in re Black Watch.—Ed.
[225] Fort Mogrim.—Ed.
[226] I expect that this story of Ismailia being again struck twice is a fib!
[227] i.e. 1,200 yards.—Ed.
[228] Goba is rather more than a mile from the Palace of Kartoum.—Ed.
[229] i.e. to escape the guns of the North Fort.—Ed.
[230] i.e. mounted Arabs.—Ed.
[231] i.e. it would have been possible had the force started earlier.—Ed.
[232] i.e. a bedstead.—Ed.
[233] Not because General Gordon held Zubair in esteem, but as a record of how often he had asked for his presence, and of how closely his absence was connected with the welfare of the Soudan.—Ed.
[234] “The Committee are unanimous in the feeling that countenance in any shape for such an individual (i.e. Zubair) would be a degradation to England and a scandal to Europe.”—Mr. Sturge to Earl Granville, British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, March 10th, 1884.—Ed.
[235] i.e. Zubair would have been able to obtain it for me.—Ed.
[236] “You will bear in mind the main end to be pursued is the evacuation of the Soudan.
“In undertaking this 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.”—Sir E. Baring to Major-General Gordon, Inclosure in Egypt No 6.—Ed.
[237] General Gordon has here drawn his pen through some dozen lines of his journal.—Ed.
[238] Patriotism does not consist in obedience to an existing Government, but in love of one’s country, and in devotion to its public interest and welfare.—Ed.
[239] i.e. Her Majesty’s Government declined to send troops to the Soudan, yet ordered Egypt to evacuate it, and would not permit Turkish troops to assist her.—Ed.
[240] Showing how thoroughly they trusted General Gordon.—Ed.
[241] See Appendix upon the insurrection of the False Prophet.—Ed.
[242] These have not been handed over by the Government.—Ed.
[243] If they deserted.—Ed.
[244] Here succeed some dozen lines through which General Gordon has drawn his pen. Underneath is written “Abuse of Baring & Co.”—Ed.
[245] Sir E. Baring, in writing to General Gordon on the instructions of H. M. Government conveyed to him, says: “You will bear in mind the main end to be pursued is the evacuation of the Soudan.”—Enclosure, in Egypt No. 6. Sir E. Baring does not say, “the evacuation of Kartoum and the abandonment of all the other garrisons in the Soudan.”—Ed.
[246] That is to say, the expeditionary force was 185 miles further from Kartoum than General Gordon expected it to be.—Ed.
[247] General Gordon marks on back of this telegram, which is one of three, “Telegraph of which Colonel Stewart has the key.”
[248] Appendix Y.
[249] The one alluded to in former paragraph.
[250] See last page.
[251] This account of Major Kitchener is in a letter from General Baker. General Gordon has cut out the portion of the original letter, and has pasted it in the body of his journal.—Ed.
[252] i.e. coming up on a camel.—Ed.
[253] There is some significance in this. The Mahdi in all probability knew General Gordon had recommended Turkish troops being dispatched to the Soudan, and felt he could not hold the country against them, if they came.—Ed.
[254] They were two of the sixteen General Gordon imprisoned for conspiring with the Mahdi.—Ed.
[255] i.e. the way in which this battery was directed towards that part of the Palace which the Arabs knew General Gordon inhabited.—Ed.
[256] That is to say, either those who are being robbed and cheated will in their own interest be forced to give up the town to the enemy, or the robbers and cheats will be bought over by the Mahdi.—Ed.
[257] “It is rather amusing to see the personality of this Arab battery:” p. 42.—Ed.
[258] General Gordon here declines to fight the Khedive’s ministerial battles.—Ed.
[259] i.e. General Gordon.—Ed.
[260] Title of the Book, ‘The Dissipation of Gloom from all (Mohammedan) Peoples.’
[261] The Moslems say that the Koran was sent down, every word of it, by the Angel Gabriel to Mahomed.
[262] This verse is considered to be the completion of God’s final Revelation through Mahomed.
[263] The Hadiths—the authorised traditional sayings of Mahomed and those brought down by Gabriel.
[264] In Arabic writing quotation marks are not used, but, at the end of the quotation, they append the words, “End of his words.”
[265] Saadat—“Felicity”—is used as title of honour, and cannot, of course, be properly used for one who is a Kāfir and under Divine wrath.
[266] “Peace be on him” (on whom be peace), the usual formula of salutation to a true believer if alive, and used of prophets when their names are mentioned.
[267] Prince of the Faith—literally, axis or pole.
[268] The argument here rests upon the duty of avoiding force in dealing with brother Moslems, and of using persuasion only.
[269] The argument here is that true believers are sometimes killed, though in the right, as the Israelites were by Nebuchadnezzar.
[270] “Yellow-haired Greeks”—the ancient phrase here applied as “Children of the Yellow (race),” the yellow-haired Russians being meant.
[271] The intention of the writer seems to be to convey reproach of the Government authorities in Cairo, who were responsible for the fate of the army and his own desperate condition. But he seems unwilling to utter a word inconsistent with Moslem resignation or the loyalty of a soldier, though the detachment to which he belonged had been exposed to destruction.
[272] The latest accounts from the Soudan state that Ibn en Najoomi has quarrelled with Mahomed el Khair on account of his peculations.
[273] Query—Does this refer to a veil such as dervishes wear, which was sent to a renegade by the Mahdi?
[274] Reference is here made to the earthquake mentioned in a former letter, as being prepared by Gordon.
[275] Evidently a wrong enclosure had been put in by General Gordon.
[276] Slatin’s new name.
[277] This document came down with the fourth Journal. It was compiled in the Intelligence Branch, Quartermaster-General’s Department of the War Office.
[278] Powerful nomad tribes inhabiting the country west of the White Nile, and south east of Kordofan and Darfur.
[279] A body corresponding to the Divines in Christendom, who are appealed to by the Sultan respecting the right application of precepts of the Moslem faith, and their decision is known as a fetua.
[280] This opinion hardly agrees with that of a military correspondent of the Times, who, writing from Kartoum, on the 24th July, 1883, states that to preserve tranquillity at ordinary times, 9,000 troops, exclusive of the garrison of Kartoum, would be necessary, even supposing the provinces of Kordofan and Darfur to be abandoned, as has been recommended by several high authorities. He suggests that the 9,000 troops should be distributed as follows—viz., 4,000 between Kartoum and Jebel Ain, on both sides of the White Nile, 1,000 at Fashoda to keep the Denka tribes and Shilluks in order, and 4,000 on the Blue Nile, between Kartoum and Karkoj.
[281] South of Kordofan. This district is principally inhabited by negro tribes, with a king of their own, nominally subject to Kordofan.
[282] About 150 miles north-west of Kaka on the White Nile.
[283] A tribe above Korti, on the left bank of the Nile.
[284] An Italian of great force of character. He joined Colonel Gordon’s Staff in the summer of 1874, and subsequently became Governor of the Bahr-el-Ghazāl province.
[285] A district on the Abyssinian frontier near the sources of the Atbara.
[286] Sometimes called Suk-abu-Sin.
[287] Above Sennaar on the Blue Nile.
[288] A negro tribe, numbering nearly a million souls, inhabiting the banks of the White Nile for 200 miles northwards from the mouth of the Ghazal river.
[289] A powerful Arab tribe, living in the country between the Atbara and Kartoum.
[290] Capital of Kordofan.
[291] A large town in the south of Darfur.
[292] A district south of Kordofan.
[293] A district called by the Abysrians Bogos, on the road between Kassala and Massowah.
[294] A pretty town, with a good supply of water, and surrounded by excellent gardens.
[295] One ardeb = 5⅗ bushels.
[296] A kind of maize.
[297] The information concerning the events of the rebellion up to the arrival of Lieut.-Colonel Stewart at Kartoum, is derived almost entirely from native sources, and it is consequently impossible to put much reliance on the statements as to the extent of the losses in the various engagements. It is even difficult to ascertain the correct dates of the principal events. Some accounts state that the assaults on El Obeyed took place on the 4th, 5th and 6th September.
[298] South of the country of the Baggara Arabs, and west of Bahr el-Ghazel.
[299] Bara is due north of Obeyed.
[300] The Fakirs are learned pious men. The Dervishes are their satellites.
[301] The junction between the 1st Battalion and Abdel Kader’s force was to have taken place on the 15th January, but, for some reason or other, it did not take place till Abdel Kader’s arrival at Kawa on the 1st February.
[302] An Arab tribe inhabiting the country between Sennaar and Fazokl.
[303] Sometimes written El Gerazeh or Qurassa. A village on the right bank of the White Nile.
[304] Deputy Governor.
[305] Major.
[306] Lieutenant-Colonel.
[307] Sometimes written Goz Abou Goumeh.
[308] On the left bank of the Nile near Old Dongola.
[309] One ardeb = 5⅗ bushels.
[310] Number not stated.
[311] Late Bombay Staff Corps.
[312] Late 11th Foot.
[313] Late 70th Foot.
[314] Late Captain of Baker’s Horse in South Africa.
[315] Late Guards, and subsequently 15th Foot.
[316] Late Duke of Cambridge’s Own Middlesex Regiment.
[317] Late the Buffs, East Kent Regiment.
[318] Two of the battalions were those of the 2nd Regiment, which had been ordered by Abdel Kader Pasha to operate against the rebels at Abu-Djuma, but they had done absolutely nothing. It is not known to what regiments the other battalions belonged, and whether they had all been sent up from Kartoum, or if part of the 1st Regiment had been withdrawn from Sennaar. Owing to the hostility of the Hassanieh Arabs it had been necessary to reinforce the garrison of Duem by a battalion, and 2000 troops remained in reserve at the camp of Omdurman.
[319] The column had then marched about five miles, and was close to the village of Marabiyeh.
[320] The troops both marched and fought, formed up in square, with camels and baggage in the centre, and a few mounted Bashi Bazouks and men on dromedaries in front to feel the way. In this formation the army could hardly accomplish eight miles a day, six being the usual march, and it could, consequently, only strike a blow when and where the enemy pleased.
[321] The Nordenfeldts were placed at the angles of the square, and the guns in the faces. Owing to obstacles thrown in the way by Suleiman Pasha, who was nominally in chief command, General Hicks had great difficulty in getting any of them to open fire.
[322] At the battle of Marabiyeh, as the engagement of the 29th April is called, the Egyptians were formed in four ranks, but the front rank was never made to lie down, and the fourth or rear rank, not being able to reach over three men’s shoulders, fired their rifles up into the air.
[323] Of the English officers, Colonels Colborne and de Coetlogan had marched with the army from Kawa, Colonel Farquhar, Captains Massey and Evans, and Dr. Rosenberg had accompanied General Hicks on his reconnaissance up the river.
The others were not present at the battle of Marabiyeh. Major Martin and Captain Walker had been invalided home, and Major Warner was with Hussein Pasha on the Blue Nile.
[324] Sixteen miles below Dueim.
[325] Bara is nearer the Nile than El Obeyed, and in a fertile country, from which General Hicks hoped to be able to procure some supplies.