INSURRECTION OF THE FALSE PROPHET, 1881.

The Mahdi.The next great cause of disturbance in the Sudan was the appearance of the False Prophet.

For many years the creed of Mohammed had been making immense strides in Central Africa, where it seems to have a peculiar fascination for the native races; and high authorities estimate the number of converts to this religion at from eight to twelve millions. The idea of the regeneration of Islam by force of arms had gained a strong hold over the enthusiasm of these new converts, and on the appearance of the False Prophet in August, 1881, thousands flocked to his standard.

The person in question was a Sheikh named Mohammed Ahmed, the son of a carpenter, and a native of Dongola. He was born about the year 1848, and educated in a village near Khartoum, where he studied religion. In 1870 he became a Sheikh, and after a short stay at Kaka, near Kodok, he finally took up his residence on the Island of Aba. Here his influence much increased, he gradually acquired a great reputation for sanctity, and in time assembled a considerable number of dervishes or holy men around him. He augmented his influence by marrying daughters of the leading Sheikhs of the Baggara, and by his power and tact succeeded in merging together the various tribes.

The principles of his teachings were universal equality, universal law and religion, with a community of goods. All who refused to credit his mission were to be destroyed, whether Christian, Mohammedan, or Pagan.

The causes of the rebellion were ascribed to—

1. The venality of the officials, and the oppressive and unjust manner of collecting the taxes.

2. The suppression of the slave trade. Most of the supporters of the Mahdi, more especially the Baggara tribes, owed all their wealth to their traffic in slaves.

3. The military weakness of Egypt. This was not, however, any real cause of rebellion, as the troops in the Sudan would have been sufficient, had they been properly handled.

1881. May.In May 1881 the Mahdi first advanced his claims to being the prophet foretold by Mohammed.

July.In July Rauf Pasha, then Governor of the Sudan, had his attention drawn to these pretensions. The Mahdi was then living at Marabia, near the Island of Aba.

August.In August he publicly proclaimed his mission during the Feast of Ramadan, and small parties of troops were sent to dispose of him, but failed to do so. He first showed himself in force in the neighbourhood of Sennar, and then took refuge in the Shilluk country, finally taking up his position at Jebel Gedir, about 90 miles west of Kaka on the White Nile.

9th December.A force of 350 regulars, under one Rashid Bey, attacked the Mahdi, but were defeated with loss.

The latter, having recruited his force, began early in spring to threaten the province of Kordofan.

1882. 4th March.Rauf Pasha was now recalled, and Abd el Gader appointed in his place. Pending the arrival of the latter, Giegler Pasha was temporarily appointed.

April.In April a concentration of troops was directed on Kaka, and 3,000 men collected there, whereby the garrisons throughout the country were much reduced.

The rebels, taking advantage of this concentration, attacked Sennar, and had many minor successes in that part of the country, until they were dispersed by Giegler Pasha, May.who arrived about the middle of May.

11th May.Abd el Kader reached Khartoum on the 11th May.

14th May.On the 14th the Egyptian troops were successful in an action near El Obeid, the result of which, however, was unimportant.

Towards the end of May Yusef Pasha, Governor of Kodok, was ordered to march with the force from Kaka against the Mahdi, who was in the hills at Gedir. After great delays, Yusef set out with a large disorganised force of several thousand men and swarms of camp-followers; but the rains had begun, and progress was slow.

7th June.On the 7th June, the Egyptian army came face to face with the rebels in a densely wooded country. A zeriba was commenced, and the troops were formed up in hollow square, but the rebels broke in upon them, defeated, and utterly destroyed the whole force.

This crushing defeat placed the Egyptian Government in a critical position, and gave great impetus to the insurrection.

The Mahdi now sent a portion of his army, under Wad el Makashif, across the White Nile by the ford of Abu Zeid, to threaten Sennar. He remained himself for some weeks at Gedir, though detachments of his following were raiding in Kordofan.

24th June.On the 24th June the rebels attacked Bara, but were repulsed with heavy loss.

17th June.On the 17th an attack was made on Um Shanga, in Darfur, but was likewise repulsed; but towards Shakka an Egyptian force of 1,000 men was almost annihilated on the 20th July.

Many minor engagements were fought upon the lines of communication between Kordofan and Dueim, which resulted in favour of the rebels.

August.At the beginning of August the Mahdi, with the bulk of his forces, was at Jebel Gedir; a second army was wasting Kordofan; a third stretched along the White Nile from Dueim to Geziret Aba on the north-east, and from Kaka to Marabia on the east bank.

19th August.The rebels were defeated at Bara, and El Obeid was revictualled.

23rd August.On the 23rd Dueim was attacked, but the rebels were here driven back with a loss of 4,500 men; and Makashif, who was advancing on Khartoum, was also defeated with heavy loss about the same time.

4th, 5th, 6th September.The Mahdi now took the field in person and advanced on El Obeid. On three successive days, he made desperate assaults on the garrison, but on each occasion he 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 great loss of prestige to the Mahdi, who had never heretofore been defeated when personally leading.

24th September.A relief column of about 2,000 men was now sent from Dueim under Ali Bey Satfi, and was directed on Bara. This column had two engagements with the enemy, in the first of which it was successful, but the second time was defeated with a loss of 1,130 men, the survivors making good their retreat to Bara.

By kind permission of][Lekegian, Cairo.

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR RUDOLF VON SLATIN PASHA.

9th, 10th October. 10th November.In October Bara was attacked with great determination on two successive days, but the rebels were driven off with great loss. The Mahdi then blockaded both El Obeid and Bara. About this time an expedition under a Sheikh, sent against Dueim, was defeated, and the leader captured and hung at Khartoum.

At the end of the year El Obeid had a garrison of 3,000 men, and Bara 2,000; both were reported to be well provisioned. Reinforcements were daily arriving at Khartoum.

[153]For subsequent Governors-General, vide [p. 280.]

[154]On a journey from the East Coast.

[155]Dr. Emin Bey.

[156]“Provinces of the Equator,” published by the Egyptian General Staff.

[157]See [p. 184.]

[158]Zubeir Pasha was permitted to return to the Sudan shortly after the fall of Omdurman (1898) and now resides at Geili on the Nile, about 30 miles north of Khartoum.

[159]Edward Schnitzer.

[160]Surrendered to Colonel Parsons at Gedaref (1898), and now living at Omdurman.

[161]This is altogether denied by Zubeir Pasha, and the Conference between him and Gordon in Cairo (1884) goes to show that there are two sides to this story. Slatin Pasha in “Fire and Sword” explains the other side. (F. R. W.)

[162]Archbishop.

[163]Captain of a Red Sea merchant steamer.

By London Stereoscopic Company.

GENERAL GORDON.

(To face page 247.)

CHAPTER IV.

EVENTS ON THE NILE FROM 1882 TO MAY, 1898.

In December, 1882, Colonel Stewart (11th Hussars) arrived at Khartoum with orders to report on the situation. 1883.His valuable report,[164] dated 9th February, 1883, went thoroughly into the question of finance and administration, and recommended drastic reforms, stating that the Egyptians by themselves were totally incapable of governing such a huge tract as the Sudan.

Fall of El Obeid, 17th January, 1883.Almost the first event of 1883 was the fall of El Obeid, on the 17th January. For six months Mohammed Pasha Said had held out, but was eventually obliged by famine to capitulate. The gallant commander was shortly afterwards killed by his captors, and the Mahdi transferred his headquarters to the town.

Meanwhile Abd el Gader Pasha, Governor of Khartoum, was doing his best to suppress the rebellion in the angle between the White and Blue Niles, and on the 24th February he beat the Emir Ahmed el Makashif at Meshra el Dai, and raised the siege of Sennar town for a time. In response to his former appeal to Cairo for reinforcements, troops were being collected, and Hicks Pasha was sent with a crowd of some 10,000, mostly undrilled, Egyptians to his support, arriving in Khartoum, viâ Suakin and Berber, on the 4th March.

Hicks arrives.Abd el Gader was, shortly before Hicks’s arrival, superseded by Ala el Din Pasha.

After a strong reconnaissance in force up the White Nile, during which Battle of Marabia.Makashif was heavily defeated and killed at Marabia on the 29th April, Hicks began preparations for an advance into Kordofan on a large scale. He started in September from Dueim with about 8,200 men, marching on El Obeid viâ Khor Abu Habl, this route having been recommended to him as holding much water. The Mahdi, informed of their approach, collected some 40,000 men and encamped in the forest of Shekan.

Annihilation of Hick’s Expedition, 5th November, 1883.Misled and betrayed by their guides, and suffering terribly from want of water, Hicks’s force advanced into the forest on the 5th November, was set upon by the enemy in overwhelming numbers and annihilated, some 300 only escaping death.

The news of this disaster naturally raised the Mahdi’s influence to the highest pitch, and produced a corresponding depression on the Egyptian side. At Khartoum, which had been virtually in a state of siege since July, there was a panic, but De Coetlogon (left by Hicks with the depot), Power, Herbin, and Hansal (British, French and Austrian Consuls respectively), collected food and outlying garrisons, and strengthened the defences by the end of the year. Sennar was meanwhile again besieged.

The effect of Hicks’s disaster on the Home Government was that it was decided that the Sudan should be abandoned and the garrisons evacuated. 1884. Gordon arrives.General Gordon was the man chosen to carry out this difficult task, and he, accompanied by Colonel Stewart, arrived in Khartoum on the 18th February, just a month after the proclamation in that town of the Government’s intentions.

Gordon was enthusiastically received at Khartoum, and proclaimed, in addition to the foregoing, that the suppression of the slave trade by Egyptian means was now abolished, and that the Sudan was now independent, with himself as Governor-General. A large exodus northward consequently took place.

Gordon quickly came to the conclusion that if the Sudan were evacuated, the only man capable of keeping it in order after the Egyptians had retired would be Zubeir Pasha. His request for him, however, was refused by the Government, so Gordon resolved to hold Khartoum at all costs and crush the enemy if possible.

Meanwhile the flood of Mahdism was spreading northwards, and after a fruitless attempt—owing to the rising of the Robatab tribe—on the part of Captain Kitchener and Lieutenant Rundle to communicate with and assist Hussein Pasha Khalifa, Governor of Berber, Fall of Berber, 20th May, 1884.this town was attacked, and, after a certain amount of resistance, taken by the enemy on the 20th May. Captain Kitchener’s efforts, however, in negotiating with the Bisharin and Ababda in the Korosko-Abu Hamed desert with a view to stopping an advance through this desert were successful, and a reconnaissance on the left bank of the Nile along the Arbaîn route from Assiut to Sagiyet el Abd by Lieut.-Colonel Colvile and Lieut. Stuart-Wortley proved that the water supply along that route was absolutely insufficient for the advance of an enemy in this direction. It was therefore certain that if an advance northwards took place, it could only come by the Nile, and subsequent events have proved the correctness of this supposition.

Halfa and Korosko were fortified about this time, and English troops sent up to Aswan.

Action at Debba.In June Heddai, victor of Berber, advanced down-stream in the direction of the Dongola province, but was beaten at Debba (5th July, 1884) by a force of Bashi Bazuks, and again at Tani. Mustafa Pasha Yawer, Mudir of Dongola, gave rise to some anxiety by his doubtful and temporising action with regard to the enemy, but these successes appear to have decided his line of action.

Battle at Korti, 11th September, 1884.On 1st September he advanced with 400 men against Heddai, who had been reinforced by Mohammed Mahmud to the total number of 3,000, and in a smart action close to Korti totally defeated the Emirs, killing them both. Captain Kitchener, who had been sent to report on the Mudir, now pushed on, and entered into negotiations with the great Kababish tribe and their Sheikh Saleh for assistance in the forthcoming Nile expedition, which had just been decided on for the relief of Gordon.

Gordon relief expedition.This expedition was put in hand in the beginning of August, and the command of it given to Lord Wolseley. It was composed of nine battalions,[165] a camel corps of four “regiments,”[166] and the 19th Hussars, besides light Artillery and other details. The major portion was despatched up the Nile in whaleboats, and it concentrated eventually in December at Korti.

Fighting round Khartoum.During the advance of the expedition, Gordon employed every means to keep the enemy at a distance. On the 29th and 31st August his “fighting Pasha,” Mohammed Ali Pasha, defeated Emir Abd el Gader at Gereif and Sheikh el Obeid at Halfaya respectively, but five days afterwards was heavily defeated and killed by the latter at Um Dibban, whither he had followed him after a third victory at El Eilafun.

Murder of Colonel Stewart, &c.This defeat was a heavy blow to Khartoum, and on the 10th September Gordon sent Stewart, Power, Herbin, and some Greeks downstream on the “Abbas” steamer to give an account of the state of affairs to the authorities. These officers were decoyed ashore and murdered on the 18th near Hebba, at the head of the 4th Cataract.

On the 29th September Gordon sent three steamers down to Shendi to meet the British expedition, and these[167] remained on the river under the command of Nushi Pasha, fighting and reconnoitring, until the 21st January, when the British desert column met them near Metemma.

After the defeat near El Eilafun, the Mahdi summoned all the tribes to the attack of Khartoum, and this city was closely invested. Omdurman, held by Faragalla Pasha, was repeatedly attacked, and was obliged by famine, on the fifth day of the new year, to surrender.

The garrison of Khartoum was now getting weaker and weaker through famine, and though Gordon despatched cheery messages to say he “could hold out for years,” he knew it would be all over with Khartoum if the expedition did not arrive in time.

River column.On the 28th December a river column of four battalions,[168] one squadron, and details was sent upstream from Korti, under Major-General Earle, with the object of reaching Abu Hamed, communicating thence (for supplies) with Korosko (Major Rundle), and pushing on to seize Berber.

Desert column.On the 30th December a desert column, chiefly composed of Camel Corps, total about 1,100 fighting men, left Korti to occupy Jakdul Wells, over halfway to Metemma. This done, Sir Herbert Stewart (in command) sent back for more troops and supplies, and the column, increased to about 1,800 fighting men, 1885.left Jakdul on the 14th January, 1885. Battle of Abu Klea, 17th January, 1885.On the 17th a force of about 11,000 of the enemy, under Abu Safia (or Abd el Mejid?) was encountered and heavily defeated near Abu Klea (Tleh) Wells, and the column pushed on to the Nile, which it reached, after another stiff fight near Abu Kru (Khrug), on the evening of the 19th. On this day Sir H. Stewart was mortally wounded.

On the 21st a reconnaissance in force of Metemma was carried out. Gordon’s four steamers arrived during the action, and Colonel Sir C. Wilson being now in command, after proceeding next day on a reconnaissance towards Shendi, left Gubat on the morning of the 24th with two steamers for Khartoum.

Fall of Khartoum, and death of Gordon.On arriving there at noon on the 28th, Khartoum was found to have fallen two and a quarter days previously, the town having been taken by assault, and Gordon having been killed, just before dawn on the 26th. The two steamers were both wrecked in the Sixth Cataract on the way back, and Sir C. Wilson and his party were only extricated by Lord C. Beresford (on a third steamer) after a hard fight with a shore battery[169] near the tail of the cataract.

The desert column, now under Sir R. Buller, short in transport and in numbers, retired to Abu Klea (Tleh), at which point they beat off the pursuing enemy (16th February), and eventually reached Korti during March.

The river column had meanwhile ascended the 4th Cataract with extreme difficulty, and met the enemy near Kirbekan. Battle of Kirbekan, 10th March.Here a decisive action was fought (10th March), in which the Mahdists were thoroughly beaten, but General Earle was killed. The command devolved on Brigadier-General H. Brackenbury, and the column reached Huella (or Khulla), within 30 miles of Abu Hamed, on the 23rd February, having destroyed the village of Stewart’s murderers on the way.

By kind permission of][Werner, Dublin.

FIELD MARSHAL VISCOUNT WOLSELEY.

Here orders were received to turn back, and the column retired, reaching Merowe on the 5th March.

When the news of the fall of Khartoum reached England, it was first determined to operate on the Sudan from the Suakin side, and a British expedition was sent there, together with a force of navvies, to construct a railway to Berber (v. [p. 257]). Preparations were also begun for another Nile campaign in the autumn, and the troops of the late expedition were encamped for the summer along the river.

Retirement of expedition, June, 1885.After some months the Government decided to proceed no further with the Sudan operations, and the whole force was withdrawn, leaving the country unoccupied south of Kosha. A temporary native Government was established at Dongola, but it proved of no value, and fell to pieces on the advance of the enemy.

The Mahdists pushed gradually forward, and by the end of November came into touch with our frontier field force, now composed of 1,700 British and 1,500 Egyptian troops. A harassing month of skirmishes ensued, which was put an end to by the Battle of Ginnis, 30th December, 1885.decisive victory of our troops, under Sir F. Stephenson, at Ginnis, on the 30th December. Abdel Mejid was wounded, and the enemy’s losses amounted to 800 out of 6,000.

TYPES OE SUDANESE SOLDIERS—THE RAW MATERIAL.

Death of the Mahdi.Meanwhile the Mahdi had died of typhus fever on the 22nd June. On proclaiming himself Mahdi he had nominated four Khalifas to succeed him in order, and had also sketched out a broad plan for the invasion of Egypt.

The Khalifas.The first of the Khalifas, Abdalla Ibn el Sayid Hamadalla el Taaishi, a Baggara of the Taaisha tribe (as his name implies), succeeded the Mahdi, and consolidated his position by tyranny, cunning, and crime.

TYPES OF SUDANESE SOLDIERS—THE FINISHED ARTICLE.

The second Khalifa, Ali wad Helu, was a Sheikh of the Degheim and Kenana Arabs.[170] He was fanatical and religious, but his quarrels with Abdalla did not dispose him in his favour.

The third Khalifaship, which was offered to and refused by the Sheikh el Senussi, was filled[171] by one Adam wad el Wazir, but appears to have lapsed. The fourth Khalifa was Mohammed el Sherif, son-in-law of the Mahdi. His men having been mostly killed under Wad el Nejumi, at Toski (1889), he was thereafter often imprisoned by Abdalla, and was of comparatively small account. He was, however, considered to be, strictly speaking, next in succession to Abdulla.

1886.During 1886 the frontier of Egypt was withdrawn to Wadi Halfa, and the enemy, checked but not daunted by the fight at Ginnis, worried and raided, and tore up the railway to their hearts’ content. Numerous small skirmishes occurred, but no serious fighting was destined to take place for another three years.

Although the Khalifa was anxious to carry out at once his plans for the invasion of Egypt, he was prevented by three causes: firstly, a revolt in Darfur and Kordofan (v. [p. 255]); secondly, attacks by the Abyssinians (v. [p. 258]); thirdly, attacks by the Kababish.

1887. Action at Sarras.During 1887 the only fighting of importance on the Nile was Colonel Chermside’s action of the 28th April, in which Nur el Kauzi and 200 Arabs were killed at Sarras. A misfortune, however, occurred in the defeat and death, at Matassi Wells, of Sheikh Saleh and many of his Kababish, who had repeatedly, by harassing their left flank, prevented Mahdist reinforcements from coming down the river. This great tribe was now split up and hunted down by the enemy until it had been greatly reduced in numbers.

About this time Charles Neufeld, a German merchant, was captured in the western desert and sent to Omdurman.

KHALIFA’S HOUSE, OMDURMAN.

1888.The small English force was now (1st April, 1888) withdrawn from the frontier, and the task of defending it devolved entirely on the Egyptian Army. A glance at the history and constitution of the latter will not be out of place here.

The Egyptian army.After the defeat of Arabi and his army in 1882, Sir Evelyn Wood, aided by a small but competent staff of officers, began the formation of a new Egyptian Army. By January, 1883, it consisted of 8 Egyptian battalions (forming 2 brigades, the first under British and the second under native officers), 1 regiment of cavalry, and 4 batteries of artillery.

The IXth Sudanese battalion was raised at Suakin in May, 1884, and in March, 1885, Sir Francis Grenfell became Sirdar.[172] The remaining battalions were raised as follows:—

Besides the above, there were in 1898 10 squadrons of cavalry, 5 batteries artillery, 8 companies of camel corps, 3 companies garrison artillery, &c., besides 13 gunboats. The army has now been reduced.

Invasion by Wad el Nejumi.At the end of 1888 the Khalifa made great preparations for the invasion, and a large force was collected under Wad el Nejumi.

1889.By the end of May, 1889, Nejumi had reached Sagiet el Abd with some 4,000 fighting men and 7,000 camp followers, the Egyptian frontier force being then about 6,000 men.

Battle of Argîn, 2nd July, 1889.On the 2nd July, Colonel Wodehouse, O.C.F.F.F., engaged the enemy at Argîn,[173] and, although with much inferior numbers, advanced with determination to the attack, and inflicted a loss of 1,400.

Battle of Toski, 3rd August, 1889.A British brigade was now being sent upstream, but General Grenfell (the Sirdar), who had previously concentrated his Egyptian forces at Toski, found Nejumi on the 3rd August attempting to cross his front, and was therefore obliged to attack him without waiting for the British, whose advance parties had reached Korosko.[174] He stopped him at Toski,[175] on the 3rd August, and with 2 Egyptian and 4 Sudanese battalions (besides cavalry and artillery) routed him completely. Wad el Nejumi was killed, and his forces were practically destroyed. Thus ended the Mahdi’s dream of the conquest of the world.

1890.The victory of Toski had the effect of crushing for several years any important movement northwards on the part of the Dervishes, and the recapture of Tokar in February, 1891 (vide [p. 258]), caused the Khalifa still more to draw in his horns.

1891.The Shilluks were meanwhile giving the Dervishes considerable trouble in the neighbourhood of Kodok, and in 1891 Zeki Tumal was sent against them. Two steamers had stuck in the sudd in the winter of 1888, and had been taken by the Shilluks; desperate efforts were now made by the Dervishes to effect their recapture (vide [p. 260]).

In August, 1891, the Nuers were used as allies by the Dervishes, and succeeded in killing the Mek of the Shilluks. Soon afterwards, however, the Nuers turned against their allies and expelled them from the country south of Kodok, whilst the Shilluks inflicted a severe defeat on their enemy near Kodok, in December, 1891, and again in January, 1893. The war was waged with indecisive results till 1894, when the Dervishes finally crushed the Shilluks and murdered their King’s wife. After that the Dervishes merely kept a small tax-collecting outpost at Kodok, and the riverain tribes remained fairly quiet.

During 1891 the Khalifa, alarmed at a rumour of an Egyptian advance, pretended to be desirous for peace, but in December of that year he showed his true hand. He had long been aiming at making the Khalifate a hereditary succession, and finding an excuse for quarrelling with the Khalifa Sherif, he threw him into prison and loaded him with chains.[176] He would, no doubt, have liked to do the same with the remaining Khalifa, Ali Wad Helu, but the latter Sheikh had too powerful a following of Degheim and Kenana, and Abdalla desisted. At the same time, however, he effected a clean sweep of all disaffected Emirs, and by executing some and exiling the majority he succeeded in consolidating his own dominion. His nearest relations were his brother, Yagub, and his son, Osman Sheikh el Din; of these two he intended his son to succeed him.

1892.In 1892 raids recommenced on the frontier, and in December a serious raid was only stopped by a fierce fight at Ambugol, in which Captain Pyne was killed, together with 26 of his men.

1893.In July, 1893, another big raid was made by Osman Azrak on the oasis of Beris, and 11 natives were taken prisoners. As the Kharga, Beris, and Dakhla oases were thus threatened, posts were established at these places. In November the Dervishes raided Murrat Wells, and killed Saleh Bey, Sheikh of a section of the Ababda.

1894.In 1894 little occurred of importance on the Nile, though the year was memorable for the capture of Kassala by the Italians (vide [p. 259]).

1895.In the beginning of 1895 Sheb oasis was attacked, but the raiders were repulsed, and at the end of the year an attack was made on Adendan, a village north of Halfa. These raids, however, were soon to be avenged, for in March, 1896.1896, it was determined to retake Dongola, and the Egyptian Army was concentrated along the frontier by the end of that month. This decision was mainly taken with a view to assisting the Italians, who had been heavily defeated at Adua (1st March, 1896) by the Abyssinians, and whose right flank was threatened by the Dervishes.

Escapes from Omdurman.Reference must here be made to the successful escapes of three Europeans from Omdurman: Father Ohrwalder in December, 1891; Father Rossignoli in October, 1894; and Slatin Bey in February, 1895. These gave most valuable accounts of affairs at Omdurman, and besides corroborating information already gained, the latter, in particular, threw a vivid light on the state of the Dervish power.

Egyptian advance.On 20th March (1896) an advanced Sudanese brigade occupied Akasha, and on the 1st May a cavalry skirmish with the enemy took place near this spot. The railway was quickly pushed on across the Batn el Hagar, Battle of Firket, 7th June, 1896.and on the 7th June the Sirdar surprised and almost annihilated the Dervish garrison at Firket, pushing his cavalry on to Suarda. Cholera.Cholera now travelled up the river from Cairo, and for 10 days caused considerable casualties. The railway meanwhile reached Kosha on the 4th August, and the Egyptian forces, reinforced by a British battalion,[177] Occupation of Dongola, 23rd September, 1896.pushed on to the Dongola Province. At Hafir the enemy were in force, but (19th September) were driven out by gunboats and artillery, and on the 23rd of the same month the army marched into Dongola, the enemy, under Wad Bishara, refusing to meet them in the open, and bolting southwards in a disorganised rabble. The retreat was quickly turned into a rout by the pursuing troops, and the river was occupied up to Merowe.

1897.The railway to Kerma was completed on the 4th May (1897), and prior to its completion the construction of a new railway from Halfa to Abu Hamed was commenced across the Korosko Desert. Capture of Abu Hamed, 7th August, 1897.Abu Hamed was taken after a sharp fight on the 7th August by a flying column[178] under Major General Hunter, and Berber was occupied by friendlies on the last day of that month, the Dervishes evacuating it at our approach. Occupation of Berber, 6th September, 1897.The occupation was quickly confirmed by the regular troops (6th September), and four gun-boats were dragged, under circumstances of exceptional difficulty, up the 4th Cataract (August).

CAPTURED DERVISH EMIRS.

The army was then placed in occupation of the river from the Atbara to Dongola, but, in consequence of the intention of the enemy to recapture Berber, it was concentrated about this place in 1898.January, 1898. The railway meanwhile reached Abu Hamed on the 4th November, 1897, and was pushed forward along the right bank towards Berber.

In March a British brigade[179] was despatched to reinforce the Egyptian troops, and the army moved up the Atbara to intercept Mahmud, who, with Osman Digna and a large force, was making for Berber.

Battle of the Atbara, 8th April, 1898.The resulting battle of the Atbara (8th April) caused the total destruction of Mahmud’s force[180] and the capture of its commander. During the spring and summer further preparations were made for the final destruction, with the help of two British Brigades, of the Khalifa’s power.

[164]Foreign Office Bluebook, Egypt, No. 11, 1883.

[165]1st battalions R.I., Sussex, S. Stafford, Black Watch, West Kent, Gordon Highlanders, Cameron Highlanders; 2nd battalions D.C.L.I. and Essex.

[166]Drawn from Heavy Cavalry, Light Cavalry, Brigade of Guards, and Mounted Infantry.

[167]The “Tel Howeiya,” “Bordein,” “Mansura,” and, subsequently, the “Safieh.”

[168]S. Stafford, Black Watch, D.C.L.I. Gordons.

[169]One of whose shots burst the boiler of the steamer.

[170]Originally from Sennar; horse-breeding tribes.

[171]The third Khalifa was never actually appointed and the Khalifaship always remained vacant (Slatin Pasha).

[172]Sir H. Kitchener succeeded as Sirdar in the spring of 1892.

[173]Three miles north of Wadi Halfa, on the left bank.

[174]One squadron of the 20th Hussars was the only British force present.

[175]Twenty miles north of Abu Simbel.

[176]The Khalifa Sherif was not released till July, 1895 (vide also [p. 268]).

[177]North Staffords.

[178]No. 2 Battery Field Artillery, 3rd Egyptian battalion, IXth, Xth and XIth Sudanese battalions.

[179]1st battalions Warwickshire and Lincoln Regiments, and Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders.

[180]The Dervishes were estimated to have lost over 3,000 killed. Our losses were—British, 3 officers and 22 men killed, 10 officers and 82 men wounded; Egyptian—57 men killed, and 5 British officers, 16 Native officers, and 365 men wounded. Total, 560 casualties.

CHAPTER V.

THE REMAINDER OF THE SUDAN FROM 1882 TO MAY, 1898.

(a.) DARFUR, KORDOFAN, AND DAR FERTIT.

The flame of the Mahdi’s rebellion quickly reached Darfur in 1882, and the prophet lost no time in attacking the Government posts, which were at that time, it will be remembered, under Slatin Bey. Madibbo, the insurgent Sheikh of the Rizeigat, attacked and occupied Shakka in July, but on following up his success was met by Slatin at Injeleila, near Dara, and was twice heavily beaten by him. Slatin then retired to El Fasher to concentrate, and succeeded in repulsing the enemy from Um Shanga.

Early in 1883 a message was sent to Slatin from Khartoum, ordering him to nominate a local Sultan as King of Darfur, and to retire on Dongola viâ Kaja. The tide of Mahdism gradually flooded Darfur, in spite of Slatin’s gallant efforts to stem it. He fought 27 battles in various parts of his province, but his own troops by degrees fell away from him, themselves infected with the new faith. After certain proof had been adduced of the disaster to Hicks’s expedition, the last remnant of loyalty flickered out from Slatin’s troops, Surrender of Slatin.and the Bey found himself obliged to surrender at Dara in December. He was sent to El Obeid, under the name of the Abd el Gader, and thence to Omdurman, where he remained a prisoner until his escape in 1895.

Zogal made Emir.Zogal,[181] formerly Mudir of Dara, was now appointed Dervish Emir of the province. His first act was to take El Fasher, a garrison of 1,000 men and 10 guns, still holding out under Said Bey Guma, and, this accomplished[182] (15th January, 1884), he devoted his time to reducing Jebel Marra, where the loyal hill population gave him considerable trouble.

On the death of the Mahdi in June, 1885, Madibbo and his Rizeigat revolted against the authority of the Khalifa. Karamalla, Emir of Bahr el Ghazal, thereupon advanced against him and defeated him. Madibbo fled to the Beni Helba Arabs, who protected him, but he was eventually caught, taken to El Obeid, and executed.

Zogal had several times been suspected of too great independence, and he was often summoned to Omdurman. At first he refused, but in the end he went, and was imprisoned on his arrival, being liberated shortly afterwards. He did not return to Darfur until after the defeat of the Khalifa at Omdurman.

Yusef, Emir of Darfur.Sultan Yusef succeeded him as Emir of Darfur, but on Karamalla and Katambura (Waterbuck), the latter being Karamalla’s trusted General, raiding from Bahr el Ghazal into Darfur territory, Yusef protested strongly, and the quarrel developed rapidly into war.

1887.In May, 1887, Zayid, the temporary ruler of Jebel Marra and former slave of Sultan Mohammed Fadl, came to Yusef’s assistance, and beat Katambura, with great slaughter, near El Taweisha. Karamalla then withdrew to Injeleila, entrenched himself there, and sent to Omdurman for reinforcements. Osman wad Adam (Ganu), sent to his assistance with a large force, reached Shakka, encountered the Darfurians near Dara, and forced them back (26th December). A second battle was even more disastrous, for Osman Ganu routed Zayid completely and entered El Fasher. Death of Yusef and Zayid.The two Sultans fled to the hills, but were shortly killed. Hereupon the brothers of Yusef appealed to the Sultan of Wadai for help against Osman. The Sultan applied to the Senussi for advice; but the Sheikh refused to interest himself in the matter unless he were attacked by the Mahdists, so the Sultan of Wadai declined. 1888. Abu Gemmeiza.The Darfur chiefs, however, found a ready ally in the shape of Abu Gemmeiza, Sheikh of the Masalat tribe, and the rising against the Mahdists began to swell in numbers. Wild rumours spread over the Sudan of the advent to power of a great Anti-Mahdi, but although the latter destroyed nearly half of Osman Adam’s force (October, 1888) at Kebkebia, his forces were themselves destroyed in a fierce battle fought close to El Fasher on the 1889.22nd February, 1889. Abu Gemmeiza died next day, and the movement, which had at one time threatened to assume immense proportions expired by itself. Thus for some time to come the Dervish power was again supreme in Darfur.

During these years Kordofan had been, more from necessity than from choice, passively Mahdist, and submitted peacefully to the Dervish yoke.

1891.In 1891 Kordofan and Darfur became again disturbed, and various ineffectual risings took place. Sultan Abbas succeeded in turning the Dervishes out of the Jebel Marra district, and governed in his brother Yusef’s stead; but the Khalifa appears about this time to have considered Darfur as too far off for active interference, and seems to have acquiesced in this state of things.

1892.In April, 1892, some Degheim and Kenana Arabs in Kordofan became dissatisfied with Abdalla’s rule and deserted, but the Khalifa took no notice, finding probably that dealing with the men of a prospective successor, Ali wad Helu, was too delicate a matter in which to take a strong line.

1893.A year afterwards a certain western Saint of Sokoto, Abu Naal, Muzil el Muhan, collected many followers, and for a time was considered as directly threatening the Khalifa’s power. His advance, however, was chiefly confined to the despatch of abusive letters, and the movement died out by itself by the end of 1893.

After that date Kordofan and Darfur remained uneasy under the Khalifa’s hand, and Mahmud, later defeated and captured at the Atbara, was for several years engaged with much success in suppressing insurrections in Kordofan. By 1898, however, the only Dervish garrisons in Kordofan were at El Obeid and Bara, whilst Darfur had, with the exception of a small and hemmed-in garrison at El Fasher, been evacuated by the Mahdists. The people of both these provinces were heartily sick of Dervish misrule, and it was believed that they would welcome with joy a change of masters.

Summary of the History of Dar Fertit.

Dar Fertit is a large tract of country to the south of Darfur and separated from that country by a strip of desert; it formerly contained many sultans, sometimes one of these reigning over several others.

These sultans were independent, but paid tribute in slaves and ivory to the Darfur sultans; failing which the Darfurians used to make raids into the country. The Fertitawis sometimes repulsed these raids, and sometimes not.

Zubeir Pasha went to the Bahr El Ghazal as a trader about 1869, and gradually seized all the zeribas, and made himself absolute ruler of the country, including Dar Fertit and Hofrat El Nahas district, which ceased to pay tribute to Darfur.

The Government then sent Bellal to take over Dar Fertit from Zubeir. Zubeir, however, fought and repulsed him. Bellal himself was captured and died in Zubeir’s zeriba (see [p. 235]). Zubeir, by making valuable presents to those in authority, and by showing that Bellal was entirely to blame for what had occurred, succeeded in having the matter reported to Khartoum in its most favourable aspect, with the result that he obtained full pardon and was made Governor of Bahr El Ghazal.

After three years, Zubeir advanced against Shakka, and took it; this was one of the four divisions of Darfur (which were Fasher, Dara, Kebkebia, and Shakka).

After this Zubeir wrote to the Government, asking for someone to go to take over the country. They sent Bimbashi Mustafa Bey Abu Kheiran with troops, and on their arrival they, acting with Zubeir, conquered the other three provinces of Darfur. The Egyptian troops commanded by Ismail Pasha Ayub arrived shortly after, and with these was sent Hussein Pasha Hilmi as Governor-General of Darfur and Dar Fertit, the latter being garrisoned by irregulars under Suleiman Zubeir.

At the same time Bahr El Ghazal was put under Ibrahim Bey Fauzi.

Hussein Pasha Hilmi was succeeded by Messadaglia Bey, and he in turn by Slatin Bey.

Hofrat El Nahas was detached from Dar Fertit, and with Kebkebia, Kejma and Kulkul were put under El Nur Bey Angara,[183] subject to the Governor-General of Darfur (i.e., Slatin Bey), and the remainder of Dar Fertit, including Faroge, Telgona and Ringi, under Lupton Bey till the time of the Mahdi.

During the Mahdia Karamalla Kirkesawi was made Emir of the Bahr El Ghazal; he took Dar Fertit and brought Lupton Bey, who had succeeded Ibrahim Bey Fauzi, to Khartoum, the Emir Mohd. Zogal taking over Darfur.

After Karamalla’s visit to Dar Fertit, the country ceased to pay any tribute to the Mahdi. It was left unvisited till its re-occupation by the Anglo-Egyptian Government, when flags were sent to, and accepted by, some of the more important sultans.

(b.) THE EASTERN SUDAN.

1883.The Mahdist rising in the Eastern Sudan began towards the middle of 1883, when Osman Digna collected the powerful Hadendoa and other tribes and invested Suakin. The outlying Egyptian garrisons in these parts included Sinkat, Tokar, Kassala, Gira, Gedaref, Gallabat, and one or two smaller posts in Northern Abyssinia, and by the end of the year they were mostly besieged by the enemy.

Suakin reverses.In October, 1883, a reinforcing party for Sinkat was cut off by the enemy, and on the 4th November a party intended for Tokar met with the same fate, Commander L. Moncrieff, R.N., being among the killed. Reinforcements from Cairo—2,620 men, mostly constabulary—were despatched under Colonel Valentine Baker, but before he reached Suakin another disaster occurred on the 2nd December, by which nearly 700 men were cut to pieces near Tamanib. Baker started in January, 1884, to relieve Tokar, but on arriving at El Teb, 4th February, 1884.El Teb his force of 3,700 men was attacked by 1,200 Arabs. His troops behaved like sheep; they were seized with a panic, made no resistance, and were butchered to the number of 2,300, Baker and most of his English officers escaping with the utmost difficulty. 3,000 rifles and four Krupp guns fell into the enemy’s hands (4th February).

Fall of Sinkat.On the 8th February Tewfik, commander of Sinkat, spiked his guns and fought his way out, but he and the whole of his gallant garrison were cut to pieces.

British expedition, El Teb, 29th February, 1884.General Graham was thereupon sent with a small British expedition of 4,000 to relieve Tokar, and having gained a brilliant victory at El Teb (29th February), succeeded in his task, and sent 600 of the Suakin Egyptian garrison back to Cairo. Tamai, 13th March, 1884.On the 13th March Graham advanced again, and, beating the enemy thoroughly at Tamai, swept them back into the hills. The idea was then mooted of a dash across to Berber, but it was eventually dropped, and Graham’s troops retired, Major Chermside being appointed Governor-General at Suakin.

Fall of Gedaref.In April the garrison of Gedaref made terms with the enemy and surrendered.

Abyssinian Mission.In order to evacuate Kassala and Amadib, the help of King John of Abyssinia was now called in, and in June Admiral Sir W. Hewett, R.N., and Mason Bey, visited him and concluded a treaty to this effect, by which he was to have Bogos and Keren if he succeeded in his task. Later on he agreed also to relieve Gira and Gallabat.

Kassala had been besieged since November, 1883, and was beginning to feel hard pressed. Its garrison consisted of 1,600 regulars and 2,300 irregulars, including a force of Bashi-Bazuks, under the command of Ahmed Bey Iffat; the Beni Amer and Hamran tribes in the neighbourhood were also loyal.

In August Mason Bey, now Governor of Massaua, ordered Ahmed Bey Iffat to retire; but this was found to be impossible, as more than half the garrison was composed of natives of the district. John now proposed to relieve Kassala, but he was told that the case of Gallabat was more urgent; he therefore began his preparations, and Bogos was handed over to him on the 12th September.

Evacuation of Berbera, Zeila, and Harrar. 1885.During this latter month Great Britain took over Berbera and Zeila from Egypt, and in November Harrar was handed over to the natives and the evacuation began. 6,500 of the garrison were sent down to the coast without incident, and, under the auspices of Majors Hunter and Heath, a new government was established under the native Emir Abdullahi Mohammed Abd El Shakur.

[Harrar, it may be noted here, remained under its Emir till the beginning of 1887, when Abdullahi was decisively defeated at Chalanko by Menelik, and the town occupied by the Abyssinians.]

Second British expedition, 1885.On the fall of Khartoum becoming known another British expedition, assisted by Indian and Australian troops, was despatched to Suakin under the command of General Graham. Its objects were to crush Osman Digna, to occupy the Hadendoa country, to make a railway towards Berber (at all events as far as Ariab), and to prepare for the opening of the Suakin-Berber road when the Nile Column had captured Berber.

The expedition, numbering 13,000 men, arrived at Suakin on and about the 12th March, and remained for a couple of months. Tofrek, 22nd March, 1885.During this time it fought several actions, at Hashin (20th March), Tofrek (McNeill’s zeriba, 22nd March), and Tamai (3rd April), but none of these were decisive. The railway was carried as far as Otao, but on the retirement of the expedition (17th May) it was abandoned.

At the end of November, 1884, the garrison of Gallabat joined hands with the Abyssinians, and decisively beat the Mahdists. Relief of Gallabat, Amadib, Gira, and Senhit.They were definitely relieved in February, 1885, and retired to Massaua viâ Abyssinia. Amadib and Gira were also relieved, in April and July, 1885, respectively, and the garrison at Senhit[184] handed over their post to Abyssinia on the 19th April.

Colonel Chermside now wrote pressing letters to John, urging him to relieve Kassala at once, and promising 10,000 rifles in the event of his success; Ras Alula, John’s most valiant general, therefore began to move in September. Fall of Kassala, 30th July, 1885.Meanwhile, however, the gallant garrison had been starved into submission, and the town fell on the 30th July.

Osman Digna came towards Kassala in August, but the Abyssinians and Beni Amer attacked him with great determination at Kufit, 23rd September, 1885.Kufit (23rd September) and utterly routed him, killing 3,000 of his men.

Egypt had on the 6th February handed over Massaua to the Italians, at which the Abyssinians, deeming it an infraction of the Hewett treaty, were seriously annoyed. In consequence Ras Alula refused, after the fight at Kufit, to resume operations against the Mahdists, and retired.

1886.In the beginning of 1886 Osman Digna once more tried to stir up strife in the neighbourhood of Suakin. The tribes, however, did not greet him cordially, and the attitude of the Amarar, Ashraf, and Habab was doubtful. As the year wore on, the Amarar fought against Digna, shut him up in Tamai, and beat him there (6th September). As the Beni Amer, Bisharin, etc., were showing signs of coming in, Osman Digna escaped, and took refuge in the rich delta of Tokar. Here he remained quiet for another year.

1887.In June, 1887, the Abyssinians under Ras Adal advanced into Gallabat, and beat the Dervishes under Wad Arbab, killing the latter. On reinforcements being sent by the Khalifa, under Yunes el Degheim, Ras Adal announced his intention of invading the Sudan with a large army. Abdalla responded by sending 87,000 men, under Abu Anga and Zeki Tumal, against Adal, Battle of Debra Sin.and a great battle was fought in August, 1887, at Debra Sin, 30 miles from Gondar. The Abyssinian army was completely routed, and the Dervishes entered and sacked Gondar. A slight side-issue arose for the moment in the shape of one Nebi Isa, a prophet, who arose at Gallabat in Abu Anga’s rear, but although many Dervishes, including Yunes, believed in him, as opposed to the Khalifa, Abu Anga quickly put a stop to the rising by capturing and hanging the prophet. Other risings occurred on the Blue Nile, among the Rufaa and other tribes, but they were soon suppressed.

1888.At the end of the year Osman Digna advanced again and besieged Suakin. He was, however, beaten in detail, Action of Handub.and fell back on Handub. The latter place was attacked by Colonel Kitchener with some irregulars on the 17th January, 1888, but the attack did not succeed, and Colonel Kitchener received a serious wound in the face.

Fighting continued at intervals during the whole year round Suakin. Abu Girga[185] arrived, but retired again. At last reinforcements were sent from Cairo, including a British contingent,[186] and Sir Francis Grenfell took command. Gemmeiza, 20th December, 1888.A decisive action ensued just outside the walls of Suakin (battle of Gemmeiza, 20th December, 1888), in which the enemy were completely defeated. In the following year a certain amount of local fighting went on near the town, but the tribes were becoming exhausted, and Osman was losing some of his influence.

King John of Abyssinia was meanwhile vowing vengeance for the defeat at Debra Sin, and in April of 1888 a sham Abyssinian deputation visited Omdurman, nominally to bring the submission of Ras Adal, but in reality to spy out the land. Abu Anga advanced again, and was at first successful, but in July Ras Adal smote him hip and thigh, and the Dervish general[187] died in the following January, whilst Ras Adal became King of Gojjam, under the name of Tekla Haimánot. King John was now determined to capture Gallabat and advance on Omdurman; he therefore left Gondar at the end of February, and advanced against Matemma, the capital of Gallabat. Zeki Tumal had fortified this town, and held it with 60,000 men; Battle of Matemma, 9th March, 1889.but the Abyssinians surrounded and overwhelmed them (9th March). During the last stage of the fight, however, Death of John.King John was killed by a stray bullet, whereupon his army retired at once. The Dervishes harassed their retreat and captured the body of their monarch, so to all intents the result amounted to a serious Abyssinian reverse. The Abyssinians are said to have numbered 87,000 men, and outnumbered the Dervishes, vide [p. 108.]

Accession of Menelik.On hearing of this, John’s rival, Menelik of Shoa, seized the throne and proclaimed himself Negus Nagasti, shortly afterwards making a treaty of friendship with the Italians.

1890. 1891.During 1890 Handub was still occupied by the enemy, but in the first days of 1891 Colonel Holled Smith, then Governor, attacked and occupied it during the absence of Osman Digna (27th January). He then followed up his advantage by seizing Trinkitat and Teb, and on the 19th February, after a sharp fight with the enemy at Tokar, Reoccupation of Tokar, 19th February, 1891.he occupied the ruins of that town and the village of Afafit, and drove Osman Digna back to Temerin.

This action and its results were a heavy and, as it proved, a final blow to the Dervish power in the direction of Suakin. Trade was reopened between Suakin and Berber in the summer of 1891, and although Osman Digna threatened reprisals, the tribes were getting tired of Mahdist rule, and refused to respond to his overtures. 1892.Raids occurred on a small scale near Tokar and Sinkat during 1892 and 1893, but led to no definite action.

Italians on the scene.Meanwhile the Italians had been steadily increasing their sphere of operations from Massaua, and by a protocol of the 15th April, 1891, had defined the northern frontier of their new colony of Eritrea as starting from Ras Kasar on the Red Sea coast, and thence proceeding in a south-westerly direction to the Atbara, passing east of Kassala. A further proviso enabled the Italians to take and occupy Kassala (if they could), with a small section of Egyptian territory, on condition that they were to hand it over to Egypt if required.

1893.During 1893 the Dervishes, alarmed at the growth of the Italian power, determined to invade Eritrea, and a strong force proceeded eastwards from Kassala (then under the command of Musaid Keidom,[188] who had superseded Abu Girga in 1891) with that object. Battle of Agordat, 21st December, 1893.The Dervish force of about 12,000, under Ahmed Ali, arrived at Kassala in November, and pushed forward towards Agordat, an Italian post more than half-way to Massaua. Here Colonel Arimondi, with a native force of only a little over 2,000 men, with 42 officers, met them and inflicted a severe defeat on them (21st December, 1893), killing Ahmed Ali and routing the force completely.

1894. Capture of Kassala, 17th July, 1894. 1895. 1896.In the following July, Colonel Baratieri, with 2,510 men, made a fine forced march from Agordat, and surprised and took Kassala on the 17th of that month. He thereupon commenced fortifying it, and the town was successfully held by the Italians for nearly two and a half years. The Khalifa was furious, and ordered Ahmed Fedil and Osman Digna to retake it. Nothing, however, was done till the 18th March, 1896, when the Dervishes, in consequence of the severe defeat of the Italians by the Abyssinians at Adua on the 1st of that month, attacked Sabderat, and were repulsed. Subsequently, on the 2nd and 3rd April, Mokram and Tukruf, April, 1896.they fought two severely contested actions at Mokram and Tukruf, just outside Kassala, but on both occasions they were decisively beaten by the Italians under Colonel Stevani, and were forced to retreat.

Indian brigade, 1896.The only event of importance that took place at Suakin in 1896 was the arrival of an Indian brigade in May, to replace the Egyptian garrison called to the Nile, and to act as a menace to the Khalifa from the Eastern Sudan. No opportunity for fighting occurred, and the Indians left for home in December.

1897.In consequence of the occupation of Berber in September, 1897, the Suakin-Berber road was once more opened for trade and transport, and the 4th Egyptian Battalion passed over it in security in the last days of the year.

Kassala reoccupied by Egypt. 1898.On the 25th December, 1897, the town of Kassala was taken over by Egypt, and garrisoned by the 16th Battalion, &c., under Colonel Parsons. The Sheikh Said Ali El Morghani was brought from Suakin to the holy place of his ancestors, the Khatmia, just outside Kassala, and this act had the result of still further alienating Dervish influence from the neighbourhood. Successful actions were also fought by the friendlies at Asubri, Goz Regeb, El Fasher, and El Sofeiya. The garrison of Kassala rendered valuable assistance by capturing the Dervish outpost at Abu Deleig and in destroying the remnants of the fugitives from the battle of the Atbara in April, and Osman Digna himself only just escaped capture by a force of friendlies under the late Major Benson. Ahmed Fedil, at Gedaref, in order to cover the retreat of these fugitives, despatched a force to the Atbara which did not, however, proceed further north than Mogatta.

(c.) BAHR EL GHAZAL AND EQUATORIA.

1882.In the Bahr El Ghazal the first outbreak in favour of Mahdism occurred at Liffi, on the 18th August, 1882. The people had been long suffering under the cruelty and injustice of their “Danagla” rulers sent from Khartoum, and part of the Dinka tribe rose steadily under Sheikh Jango to upset the Egyptian Government. Lupton Bey, however, was equal to the occasion, and, advancing from Deim Zubeir (Deim Suleiman), towards the end of 1882, Lupton defeats the Dinkas.he defeated Jango with considerable slaughter at Telgona.

1883.Jango returned with some of the Emir Madibbo’s men early in 1883, but was beaten again near Liffi. In September, however, he attacked Rufai Agha, Lupton’s captain, at Dembo, and massacred him and all his men. The Dinkas then revolted en masse, and blocked the road to Meshra El Rek and the north, and Lupton, short of ammunition, retired to Deim Zubeir. The last communication from Khartoum was brought by a steamer, which arrived thence at El Rek on the 15th August, and Lupton was thenceforth isolated.

Surrender of Lupton, 1884.On Karamalla’s[189] appointment as Emir of Bahr El Ghazal, he summoned Lupton to surrender, and this the latter, after gallantly fighting for 18 months, was obliged, by the defection of his troops, to do (21st April, 1884). He was christened Emir Abdalla, and sent to Omdurman, where he died on the 17th July, 1888.

Thus the last vestige of Egyptian authority disappeared in the Bahr El Ghazal.

Emin and his province.The Equatorial province, meanwhile, which extended from the Albert Nyanza to Lado (its capital), and included (since 1881) the provinces of Bor and Rohl and the northern part of Unyoro, was under the charge of Emin Bey (Edward Schnitzer, born 1840), who had been placed there by Gordon in 1879. His forces in 1882 consisted of two battalions (about 1,300) of Egyptian and Sudanese troops, and 3,000 irregulars, distributed amongst 40 to 50 stations. This province was, by the end of 1882, practically the only Egyptian territory south of Khartoum which was not in sympathy with the Mahdi.

Karamalla, in May (27th), 1884, summoned Emin to surrender. The latter, whose men were greatly scattered and, by this time, considerably disaffected, agreed to send a deputation to surrender, but meanwhile held out at Lado and Amadi, hoping for reinforcements. 1885.Amadi fell in March, 1885, and on the 18th April Karamalla arrived within three days of Lado, and informed Emin of the fall of Khartoum. Emin thereupon determined to retire south to Wadelai, giving up the more northerly posts.

Karamalla shortly afterwards was obliged to fall back, owing to disturbances in the Bahr El Ghazal caused by several Emirs refusing to recognise the Khalifa Abdalla as successor of the Mahdi, and Emin retired to Wadelai to open friendly relations with Kabarega, King of Unyoro. Meanwhile Lado and Rejaf were attacked by negro tribes in the district, but held out.

1886.On the 26th February, 1886, Emin received, through the assistance of Kabarega, letters from Cairo, viâ Zanzibar, in which he was informed by Nubar Pasha (dated 2nd November, 1885) that the Sudan was abandoned, and he “might take any steps he liked should he decide to leave the country.” Dr. Junker, who had been, off and on, with Emin since January, 1884, started for Zanzibar, viâ Uganda, in January, 1886, and his representations in Europe had the effect of starting the Emin Relief Expedition.

1887.During 1886 and 1887 a mutinous spirit had been brewing amongst Emin’s troops, who wished to retire northwards instead of southwards. Stanley’s relief expedition.On the 15th December, 1887, the advanced guard of Stanley’s expedition arrived at the Albert Nyanza, but, not hearing any news of Emin, went back for their boat, which had been left at Kilonga Longa’s. Kabarega now, to whom Emin had sent Casati[190] to keep open communications with Zanzibar, on hearing that Stanley had fought and defeated the Mazamboni, his allies, changed his friendly attitude to Emin, thinking that the latter had sent for Stanley to invade his (Kabarega’s) country. He therefore treated Casati outrageously, and expelled him with the greatest ignominy.

1888.Stanley and Emin eventually met at Nsabé (Kavalli’s) on 29th April, 1888, and thereupon reports of a great invading White Pasha spread to Omdurman, with the result that the Khalifa in July sent up thence three steamers, six barges, and 4,000 troops to annihilate him. Stanley went back again on 24th May to pick up his rear guard, leaving Mounteney Jephson and a small escort with Emin, to escort him round his province, and settle whether he should retire or not. The Khedive’s “orders,” which Stanley brought with him, were to the effect that Emin and his men might come back with Stanley, or stay on at their own risk.

The garrisons in the south said they would go with Emin, but the troops at Labore mutinied, and a general revolt broke out, headed by Fadl el Mula, Governor of Fabbo; thus, on arriving at Dufile, Emin and Jephson were practically made prisoners (18th August, 1888). Arrival of Dervishes.On the 15th October news arrived that the above-mentioned Mahdists, in barges, were at hand, and two days afterwards three messengers arrived from Omar Saleh, the Mahdist commander, to summon Emin to surrender. The mutineers now released Emin, and decided to fight, and during November and December continuous fighting went on between Lado and Dufile. Fall of Rejaf.Rejaf was taken by the Dervishes on 15th November, and much loot, several prisoners and captured despatches, ammunition, tarbushes, and flags, were sent by Omar to Omdurman, whence a portion was forwarded through Osman Digna to General Grenfell at Suakin. This gave rise to all sorts of surmises in Egypt as to the fate of Emin and Stanley.

During December, Emin’s mutinous troops kept the Dervishes at bay between Wadelai and Rejaf, and eventually severely defeated them, driving them back to Rejaf. They did not, however, follow up their victory, and, under the leadership of Fadl el Mula Bey, remained in and about Wadelai, whilst the Dervishes strengthened their post at Rejaf.

1889.Meanwhile Emin and Jephson had retired to Tunguru on the Albert Nyanza, and on 18th January, 1889, Stanley arrived at the lake for the third time with the remains of the expedition, and was joined by Emin and Jephson in the beginning of February. Selim Bey, now commander of a portion of Emin’s rebel troops at Wadelai, on being summoned by Emin, left Wadelai with 14 Egyptian officers for Tunguru, and on arrival expressed his contrition for the mutiny. Emin returns to the coast.A council held on the 18th determined that the evacuation should take place on the 10th April, and although Selim Bey, who had returned to Wadelai, where Fadl el Mula Bey was in command, wrote to say all would return with Emin to Egypt, they did not arrive in time, and although every opportunity was given them of overtaking the expedition, no one appeared. The expedition, numbering about 600 men in all, and 900 women and children, eventually arrived in Zanzibar at the end of the year 1889.

The Emir Karamalla, after retiring from before Lado and Emin in 1885, to quash disaffections amongst his own Emirs against the Khalifa’s succession, appears to have become disaffected himself. So the Khalifa, seeing the danger of trying to hold a huge province with insufficient forces, and fearing that Karamalla, being a Dongolawi, might revolt altogether, Bahr el Ghazal evacuated by Dervishes.ordered the latter to evacuate the province and retire to Shakka, and eventually to Omdurman. Thus the land returned to the semi-barbarous state it was in before the Egyptian occupation, and had peace from the Dervishes for some years, for the Mahdist operations were chiefly confined to the neighbourhood of the Nile, and had little effect in the direction of the Bahr El Arab and interior of the Bahr El Ghazal country.

1890. Shilluk war.In 1890 a rebellion against the Mahdists sprang up among the Shilluks, in the neighbourhood of Kodok and the Emir of Gallabat, Zeki Tumal, was sent thither to quell it, with a force chiefly consisting of the Gallabat men who had fought so well against the Abyssinians in the spring of 1889. 1891.During the whole of 1891 the war continued with varying fortunes, the Dervishes on more than one occasion being heavily defeated, and the communications between Omdurman and Bahr El Jebel being completely interrupted, much to the anxiety of the Khalifa. Alarmist reports continued to arrive in Omdurman during 1891 to the effect that Emin Pasha was at Dufile, advancing northwards with a large body of Germans, and reinforcements were sent to help Zeki and fight against the white invaders.[191]

1892.Eventually Zeki got the upper hand of the Shilluks in the beginning of 1892, but the Dervish supremacy did not last long. In the summer of that year it was reported at Omdurman that the Italians were advancing westwards from Massaua. Fate of Zeki Tumal.Zeki Tumal was therefore recalled with his army, and was thus obliged to evacuate Kodok, leaving only a very small guard for the purpose of collecting taxes.

He was then sent back to Gedaref and Gallabat, to make headway against the Italians, but on reporting that it was impossible to invade Eritrea, as the Khalifa wished him to do, he was again recalled to Omdurman, treacherously seized, thrown into prison, and ultimately starved to death.

During 1892 reports reached Omdurman from the south of an European advance on Equatoria from the Zanzibar direction. At this period there was a small Dervish garrison at Rejaf under Omar Saleh, and orders were sent to him to withdraw to Bor. This was effected, but the climate of Bor was so unhealthy, and the natives so difficult to manage, that Abu Girga October, 1892.Abu Girga,[192] a powerful Emir, whom the Khalifa was anxious to get rid of, was sent south in October with 250 men, with orders to send Omar Saleh to Omdurman. Abu Girga, who had got wind of the Khalifa’s intentions, took the first opportunity of fighting the other Baggara Emirs who were with him, and absconding at Kodok.

For several months he was supposed to have deserted the Khalifa and joined a serious movement in Kordofan which was led by a western saint, one Muzil el Muhan, and which aimed at the destruction of the Khalifa. The latter, by the way, had been much disturbed by this insurrection, and sent his cousin, Ibrahim Khalil, with 4,000, men to suppress it; but the movement died out by itself.

1893.Abu Girga eventually arrived at Rejaf in July, 1893. Probably fearing the Khalifa’s wrath, and finding the station in a flourishing condition, he sent the Khalifa a present of ivory as a peace offering; this arrived in August, 1893. Not even a rumour of any fighting having taken place at either Rejaf or Lado, least of all with any whites, seems to have reached Omdurman about this time.

On Omar Saleh arriving at Omdurman he assured the Khalifa that the district was not in danger, and that no Europeans had arrived there. The Khalifa thereupon despatched his relative Arabi Wad Dafaalla.Arabi Wad Dafaalla[193] to take command, to transfer the garrison from Bor back to Rejaf, and to place Abu Girga in chains (presumably for his misconduct at Kodok).

It is more than likely that the above-mentioned rumours at Omdurman of a large Christian force in Equatoria referred to Van Kerckhoven’s Congo expedition, which had at that time (November, 1892) barely crossed the great watershed; but rumour, especially in the Sudan, is not to be trusted implicitly.

Arabi Wad Dafaalla arrived in the autumn of 1893 from Omdurman, with 1,500 men, to supersede Abu Girga, the latter having another 1,500 at Rejaf. Arabi on his arrival wrote to Fadl el Mula Bey, now in command of some of Emin’s former men, Dervishes and Congolese.inviting him to seize Baert[194] and his officers and to bring them to him, but Fadl had had enough of the Dervishes, and declined; 400, however, of Baert’s 900 natives heard of this and deserted en masse to the Dervishes, and some of whom, under Abu Girga, were penetrating in a W.S.W. direction, and had arrived in the Makaraka country. Fadl el Mula then took service with Baert.

Baert does not appear to have actually come to blows with the Dervishes here, but with his thoughts intent on establishing Congolese posts on the Upper Nile, and even on the Albert Nyanza, at Kavalli’s, he despatched four companies of Sudanese (400 men) under Fadl el Mula, to proceed to the Nile and there establish posts in the interest of the Congo Free State. The exact route of this party is not known; they appear to have gone first towards the Nile, in the direction of Rejaf, but hearing the Dervishes had re-occupied that spot and were close at hand in force, they retreated to Makaraka and Wandi. Fight at Wandi.Here they were overtaken and had a severe fight with the Dervishes, losing Fadl el Mula (killed—some say taken prisoner and executed) and about half their number, together with a large quantity of material of all sorts. 1894.After this defeat, which took place in January, 1894, the remaining 200 struck out for the Nile, and reached it about Muggi and Labore, but finding little food, drifted towards Wadelai, and arrived there early in February.

To refer now to Uganda for a moment.

Colonel Colvile was appointed Chief Commissioner in 1893, and arrived there on the 16th November of that year. Defeat of Kabarega.One of his first acts was to declare war against Kabarega, King of Unyoro, who had for some time been perpetually harassing Uganda, and on the second day of 1894 he occupied his capital. On the 2nd February Major “Roddy” Owen was despatched with a small party by boat to Wadelai, and on the 4th he arrived there, meeting at first with a hostile reception from the banks. He landed, however, hoisted the British flag, enlisted 50 natives (Luri) to protect it, Owen at Wadelai.and learnt from the natives that no white man had reached the place since Emin Pasha left it in 1888. The garrison had gone, he was informed, in April, 1893, to join the Dervishes. Hearing next day reports that a large body of “Dervishes” was approaching from the north, he retired, and arrived at Kibiro on the 11th.

From subsequent events it appears that these “Dervishes” were none other than the remaining 200 of Fadl el Mula Bey’s men, and had Owen remained another day he would have been able, no doubt, to bring them back with him into British territory.

As it was this event was only postponed for a short time, for Captain Thruston, who was sent to reconnoitre the western shores of the Albert Nyanza in March, found on the 23rd of that month the two Sudanese companies at Mahaji Soghair; to this spot they had drifted from Wadelai, not finding enough supplies at the latter place.

They were straightway enlisted by Thruston, and eventually brought back under the British flag to Uganda.

Events in the Bahr el Ghazal up to February, 1894.We must now take a glance at the Bahr el Ghazal, and endeavour to bring the history of that province, for the present, up to the beginning of 1894.

1886.The state of things in the Bahr el Ghazal since 1886 had been, on the whole, peaceable. On the death of Osman Ganu, Dervish commandant of Shakka, 1888. Abu Mariam.about 1888, the Emir Abu Mariam had succeeded him, and for three or four years little fighting had taken place. The country had relapsed into its original barbarous state of small native independent tribes, and Dervish influence, although nominally extending over the whole province, did not make itself felt in the direction of aggression.

Nothing worthy of record occurred until La Kéthulle appeared on the scene from the south. This officer had been ordered by Van Kerckhoven in 1891.1891 to proceed to Rafai’s, make friendly treaties with him, and obtain his assistance in furthering Van Kerckhoven’s expedition. He left Bomokandi in February, 1892.1892, and reached Rafai’s early in April. Here he was received in a most friendly manner, and made a treaty with Rafai on the 7th April. During the remainder of the year he established Congo posts up to the 7th parallel of north latitude, such as Alewali and Bandassi. Rafai assisted him to the best of his ability, and from December, 1892, to April, 1893.1893, accompanied him on an exploring tour viâ Yangu, Baraka, and the Upper Bali to Sango and back. La Kéthulle then returned to Yakoma, where a large expedition for the North was being organised by the Belgians, under Captain Nilis.

During this summer (1893), in consequence of some inter-tribal fighting, Abu Mariam advanced against the Dinka or Jangé tribe. Dinkas beat Dervishes.A battle took place, in which Abu Mariam was killed and his force destroyed, whereupon the fugitive Dervishes took refuge in Shakka, leaving many of their rifles in the hands of the Dinkas. On hearing of this the Belgian Governor of Zemio (Le Marinel) sent to Faki Ahmed and Ajerra, chiefs in Dar Fertit, and unwilling allies of the Dervishes, asking them to make common cause with the Dinkas against the Mahdists. At the same time he despatched an ally of Zemio’s, one Baudué, who appears to have been starting an expedition in the direction of Deim Bakr “to conquer the Bahr el Ghazal” on his own account, to help, and reinforced him by sending 2,000 men to Mbanga.

They were, however, not required. The Dervishes were too broken to renew the attack on the Dinkas, and no further action appears to have taken place in this direction. Mahmud.Mahmud, chief Emir of Kordofan and the Bahr El Ghazal, was much incensed at Abu Mariam’s defeat, and sent to Darfur for reinforcements; but the chiefs in Darfur refused to assist, or even to come and see him.

1894.By the beginning of 1894 the Congo Expedition for the North was ready, and in February Nilis, with La Kéthulle as second in command, five other whites (Lannoy, Gérard, Libois, Gonse Deschrymacker, and Sergeant Philippart) and a strong party, made a start for the North.

Recapitulating shortly, we see that by the end of February, 1894, the Dervishes based on Rejaf were pressing the remains of the Kerckhoven expedition under Baert on the Congo-Nile watershed, but that in the rest of the Bahr el Ghazal their influence was practically nil, their only post of any importance, and that weakly held, being Shakka, to the north of the Bahr el Arab. The Congo forces had not succeeded in establishing posts on the Nile, whilst between the north-west of the Bahr el Ghazal and Zemio’s country they were busy cementing relations with the natives, who seemed not ill-disposed to receive them. Since the British Government had taken over Uganda on 1st April, 1893, fears had been expressed that the Dervishes would attack the colony from the north; but for this there appears to have been no justification, for the Khalifa had no intention of enlarging his dominions in this direction, and was content to keep Rejaf as a penal settlement and as an outpost against the inroads of the whites.

La Kéthulle.The expedition under La Kéthulle (for Nilis’e name disappears almost at once) penetrated, viâ Sandu, up the Chinko River, Sango, back to Sandu, Bakuma, Kreich, Bandassi country (7° 30′ north lat.), Upper Adda or Bahr el Arab (8° 40′ north lat.), to the important village of Hofrat el Nahas (where there are valuable copper mines), being well received all along the route. At Hofrat el Nahas the natives are said to have offered[195] to take La Kéthulle west along the caravan route to Lake Chad, but he declined, and himself returned along his own route to Rafai, where he arrived on 8th June, 1894, and at once proceeded to Europe.

Re-occupation by Dervishes.The Khalifa, on hearing of the presence of Europeans in the Bahr el Ghazal, and of their having communicated with the Emir of Shakka, sent orders to Mahmud to re-occupy the Bahr el Ghazal, and in consequence a force of 1,800 Sudanese riflemen and 2,000 spearmen, under the Emir Khatim Musa, was despatched from Shakka towards the Belgian posts in the summer of 1894; they were delayed some time by the rains, but eventually pushed forward. The Belgians, whose headquarters were at Liffi, with advanced post at Hofrat el Nahas (?), retired before Khatim Musa, who entered Faroge. Sheikh Hamed, finding himself deserted by the Belgians, sided with the Dervishes, and handed over the treaties; these, together with two letters written by Belgians at Liffi, dated September, 1894, arrived at Omdurman in January, 1895.

The result of the Dervish victory over Fadl el Mula manifested itself at Omdurman in May, 1894, by a steamer from Rejaf bringing back loot in the shape of many tarbushes, two guns, ivory, five red standards with white stripes, and many breech-loading rifles and Congo Free State buttons, together with a report that a great victory had been gained over the “Turks.” This produced at first considerable conjecture in Egypt as to the identity of those who had been defeated.

As regards Abu Girga, he was thrown into prison about the same time by Dafaalla.

The Dervishes had meanwhile been losing ground in the west, and only retained garrisons at El Fasher, El Obeid, Nahud, and Shakka, besides the penal settlement at Rejaf.

During 1894 there were various disturbances and rumours of invasion by white men in general from the south-west, and by Rabeh Zubeir in particular. Although little is known about these western movements in Wadai, etc., it is worth noticing that much information, curiously accurate on the whole, regarding movements of Europeans and their native troops on the Upper Nile, trickled down to Omdurman, and thence to the Egyptian Intelligence Department.

A rumour reached Omdurman in November, 1894, that Rejaf troops were being hard pressed (this must refer to the fights of the “Mahdists” with the Congolese), and eleven barges full of troops were sent as reinforcements. Numerous reports now reached Omdurman that the whites had beaten the Dervishes; this may refer to the victory by the Congolese at Egaru on the 23rd December, 1894. The Rejaf garrison was now estimated at 1,500 riflemen and 3,000 spearmen, with two steamers.

In consequence of the Franco-Congolese treaty of 1894, Major Cunningham and Lieut. Vandeleur were sent from Uganda in the beginning of 1895 to Dufile, where they planted the British flag on the 15th January. A hostile reception was given them at Wadelai in consequence, it is believed, of the alliance of the chief of that place with Kabarega.

1895.On the retreat of the Belgians in the Bahr el Ghazal, Khatim Musa retired towards Shakka, but famine and disease broke out in his camp, and most of his black Jehadia deserted to Zemio. Re-evacuation by Dervishes.The latter thereupon marched against Musa, who had but 800 left out of 4,000, and even these were mostly sick. Khatim Musa retreated towards Mahmud’s force in Kordofan, Abu Khawata, the recently-appointed Emir of Shakka, accompanying him. The Bahr el Ghazal was thus left open to any Europeans who chose to enter (April 1895).

In June a frantic message arrived at Omdurman from Wad Dafaalla, clamouring for reinforcements, as he was threatened by the speedy advance of an European force. He had therefore retired to Shambe.

This panic would seem to have been a false alarm, consequent perhaps on Congolese reinforcements having been sent to Dongu. However, numbers of men were collected and hastily sent upstream from Omdurman under one Hamadnalla, Emir of the Powder Factory at Khartoum. Strengthened by these (4,000 in all), Wad Dafaalla returned to Rejaf, and sent Hamadnalla in the autumn to suppress an attack by the riverain tribes.

1896.During 1896 Dafaalla and his men appear to have been paralysed by the news of the Dongola campaign, and remained quiet.

Nothing further of interest occurred, as far as we know, until the attack and occupation of Rejaf in 1897, by Chaltin.

Chaltin’s column—part of a large force of Congo troops under Baron Dhanis—composed of five white officers, four white non-commissioned officers, 806 trained riflemen, some guns, 250 porters, 50 Azande (Nyam-Nyam) riflemen, and 500 spearmen, under their chiefs Renzi and Bafuka, arrived at Surur at the end of the year, and left it on the 1st January. 1897.On the 14th February they reached the Nile at Beddên, and their scouts came into touch with the Dervishes. Capture of Rejaf by Chaltin.On the 17th they attacked the Dervish position near Rejaf, held by about 2,000 men, and routed them with great loss; later in the day they had another small action, and occupied Rejaf, the Dervishes bolting to the north. Chaltin lost one white officer (Sarolea) killed and a few men, and the enemy lost nine Emirs,[196] 200 dead, three guns, 700 rifles, and a large stock of ammunition and provisions. Rejaf was found to possess a good landing place, and was strengthened by earthworks. Lado no longer existed.

A report from the Congo (June, 1897) stated that there were then 15,000 (!?) Dervishes at Bor, and that they had three European prisoners, of whose identity nothing was certain.[197] Chaltin himself had then about 1,300 men with him, and was mostly at a spot called Loka, on high ground, four days’ march south-west of Rejaf. He reported the soil to be poor, and that there was little prospect of trade. For subsequent events vide [Chap. VII.]

OLD WOMAN OF DAR NUBA.

Marchand expedition. As regards the French Expedition of over 400 men under Marchand and Liotard, which started from the French Congo in 1896, with a view to penetrating into the valley of the upper Nile, it reached the Sueh River, an affluent of the Bahr el Ghazal, in the autumn of 1897, and began launching two 5-ton gunboats. See [next chapter] for results.

1898.The Dervish supremacy in the Bahr el Ghazal and regions bordering on the Upper Nile had now been greatly diminished owing to their severe defeat at Rejaf, and also owing to the necessity of reinforcing their threatened centre about Omdurman.

[181]Killed at Fasher in 1902, in revenge for the way he had treated certain members of the Royal Family of Darfur, when Emir of that province.

[182]By filling up the wells whence the garrison drew water.

[183]Captured by the Dervishes at the taking of Bara, subsequently created an Emir, surrendered at capture of Gedaref, 1898, and now living at Omdurman.

[184]Keren.

[185]Now at El Fasher.

[186]The 20th Hussars; 2nd Battn. King’s Own Scottish Borderers; 1st Battn. Welsh Regiment.

[187]Buried at Gallabat.

[188]Now at Omdurman.

[189]Executed at Fasher by Ali Dinar in 1903.

[190]An Italian officer who had been sent out to assist Gessi Pasha, and remained on to explore.

[191]It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that these rumours were almost entirely devoid of foundation, for Emin, on his return to the interior, never went north of Kavalli’s, having a lively recollection of his troubles (in 1888) on the Upper Nile. He was murdered at Kinena’s, in the Congo Free State, on 26th October, 1892; this crime was owing to the petty jealousy of one Kibonge, who wished to show his rival, Munye Mohara, who had murdered several Belgians (Hodister, etc.), that he too could kill a white man!

[192]Now with Ali Dinar at El Fasher.

[193]Surrendered to Ali Dinar at El Fasher in 1902 and now residing there.

[194]Successor to Van Kerckhoven.

[195]Lt.-Col. Sparkes, who visited Hofrat el Nahas in 1903, states that the inhabitants absolutely deny this visit of La Kéthulle’s.

[196]Abu Girga surrendered and was given a letter of recommendation by Chaltin allowing him to return to his own country in the west. He recently forwarded this letter from Fasher to Khartoum, with a request that he might be permitted to settle in Omdurman.

[197]One was reported to be an Englishman, by name Hackiff, but their identity—if they existed—has never been disclosed.

Photo by Duffus Bros., Johannesburg][per London Stereoscopic Company.

GENERAL VISCOUNT KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM.

(To face p. 265.)

CHAPTER VI.

FROM MAY, 1898, TO THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF THE DERVISH POWER (END OF 1899).

After the battle of the Atbara (8th April, 1898), the Khalifa concentrated his forces at Omdurman, and began making every preparation for resistance. The chief outlying force of Dervishes was one of between 5,000 and 6,000 men at and round Gedaref, under Ahmed Fedil, and these, after moving towards Mahmud, had returned to Gedaref. In addition to these, there were small Dervish garrisons at places up the river; at Bor (Upper White Nile, 1,200); and in Kordofan.

Meanwhile the Anglo-Egyptian preparations went on steadily, and by the 24th August the following troops were moving along the western bank of the 6th Cataract:—

British Troops (under Major-General Gatacre):—

Egyptian Troops (Major-General Hunter):—

Besides Camel Transport, Medical Corps, O.S.C., &c.

Grand Total, about 23,000 men.

The river force consisted of a flotilla of 10 armoured gunboats, including two 40-pounder guns, besides other steamers, boats and barges.

No resistance was encountered up to Kereri.

Battle of Omdurman.On the 2nd September the army, in zeriba at Egeiga, 8 miles from Omdurman, was attacked by the Khalifa in force, but repulsed him with heavy slaughter. The Anglo-Egyptian Army then proceeded towards Omdurman, but was fiercely attacked again, twice on the right rear (Macdonald’s brigade). By our troops wheeling to the right, this final attack was completely repulsed, chiefly through the steadiness of the 1st Egyptian Brigade, and the army continued its march, capturing Omdurman with little or no resistance. The Khalifa fled a few minutes before the Sirdar entered his house. The Anglo-Egyptian loss was as follows:—

British Troops:—
3officers and24men killed.
8„ „125 „ wounded.
Egyptian Troops:—
2„ „27 „ killed.
15„ „286 „ wounded.

The dead bodies of 10,560 Dervishes were counted on the battlefield.

The result of the battle was the practical annihilation of the Khalifa’s army—estimated at over 40,000 men—the consequent extinction of Mahdism in the Sudan, and the submission of nearly the whole country formerly under Egyptian authority.

The British troops were now quickly sent down-stream, and the Sirdar—shortly afterwards elevated to the Peerage under the name of Lord Kitchener of Khartoum—turned his attention to stamping out the remaining Dervishes, to reducing the country to some sort of order, and to exploring up-stream, with a view of meeting the French expedition under Major Marchand, which had been reported as having arrived at Kodok.

THE MAHDI’S TOMB, MORNING AFTER THE BATTLE OF 2ND SEPTEMBER, 1898.

Kodok.On the 10th September the Sirdar left Omdurman for the south with 5 gunboats, 2 Sudanese Battalions (XI and XIII), 100 Camerons, an Egyptian battery, etc., and having destroyed a Dervish force of 700 at Renk on the 15th, found, on the 19th, the French expedition entrenched at Kodok. This gallant little force of about 180 men had, after experiencing enormous difficulties in the swampy region of the Bahr el Ghazal, penetrated, with the help of its steam-launch, the “Faidherbe,” the country between the Nile-Congo watershed and Kodok, and had arrived at this latter point on the 10th July. On the 25th August they had been attacked by a Dervish force in 2 steamers, but had repulsed them, and were awaiting a second attack, when the Egyptian gunboats arrived and probably saved them from annihilation.[198]

The British and Egyptian flags were at once hoisted to the south of the French flag at Kodok, and the XIth Battalion, a gunboat and 4 guns were left at this point under Major Jackson. After much negotiation between France and England, which threatened at one time to lead to serious results between the two Powers, the French position was found to be untenable, and Kodok was eventually evacuated on the 11th December by Marchand and his companions, the latter proceeding to Jibuti, viâ the Sobat and Abyssinia, and eventually reached France in May 1899.

Sobat.The junction of the Sobat and Nile was reached on the 20th September, and a garrison (the XIIIth Battalion) left here under Captain Gamble. The Bahr el Jebel was found entirely closed by sudd, but a gunboat under Major Peake was sent up the Bahr el Ghazal, and hoisted the Egyptian flag a few miles north of Meshra el Rek.Meshra el Rek. Subsequently the Bahr el Zeraf was explored by Major Stanton for a distance of 175 miles, and the Sobat was explored by Majors Gamble, Maxse, Capper, etc., up to the 282nd mile, both these rivers and their tributaries being mapped and their courses laid down provisionally.

Blue Nile.Immediately after the occupation of Omdurman gunboats were sent to patrol the Blue Nile, and a force of 600 men (Xth Battalion) and the R.I.F. Maxim detachment was despatched under Major-General Hunter, on the 19th September, to occupy Sennar, Karkoj, and Roseires, which was done on the 23rd September, 1st October, and 30th September respectively.

Battle of Gedaref. (22.9.98).On the 22nd September, Colonel Parsons, who had left Kassala on the 7th, and crossed the Atbara in flood with a force[199] of about 1,400 men, to occupy Gedaref, came into collision with its garrison of about 3,200 men, a few miles north of the town, and, beating off two desperate attacks, with a loss of 53 killed and 61 wounded out of 1,347, advanced and occupied the place.

Ahmed Fedil himself, who with about half the original garrison had previously left Gedaref in response to a summons from the Khalifa to reinforce him against the main advance on Omdurman, encountered General Hunter and the gunboats on the Blue Nile near Rufaa, and realising that Omdurman must have fallen, resolved to return at once and retake his headquarters at Gedaref, where he arrived at dawn on 28th September with some 4,000 to 5,000 men.

THE LATE EMIR AHMED FEDIL.

After two determined efforts to dislodge the Anglo-Egyptian troops, now safely ensconced in several walled enclosures, he withdrew after heavy loss to the village of Sofi on the Abu Haraz road, barely two miles from our forts. Here he remained for three days quietly collecting cattle and grain from the outskirts of the town and then moved to Asar, 10 miles south of Gedaref.

On receipt of the news at Omdurman of the state of affairs at Gedaref, Lieut.-Colonel Collinson was despatched to Abu Haraz with a force of about 1,100 Camel Corps and Sudanese Infantry with 2 Maxims, and arrived at Gedaref on the 21st October. Two days after the arrival of these reinforcements Ahmed Fedil began his move westwards viâ Beila and Hawata to Roseires, his march being dogged by friendlies under command of the recently surrendered Emir Abu Bakr Mustafa.

Efforts were then directed, through gunboats on the Blue Nile, to prevent him crossing that river with a view to joining the Khalifa, at that time near Sherkeila.

Action near Roseires (26.12.98).These were eventually successful, for Colonel Lewis, hearing from Roseires that the enemy were about to make the attempt to cross close by, marched with a small column (Xth Battalion and Friendlies), on the night of Christmas day, and in spite of the troops suffering much from fever, they, in a severe action on the following day, cut up most of Fedil’s force as they were crossing the river near Dakhila, the leader and a few hundred men only escaping. About 500 Dervishes were killed,[200] whilst 1 British officer was wounded and 24 Egyptian Sudanese were killed and 118 wounded. Most of the remaining Dervishes subsequently surrendered on the White Nile.

Occupation of Gallabat.As the Abyssinians were becoming alarmed in consequence of our advance, and threatened trouble on their north-west frontier, a small body of troops was despatched from Gedaref to Gallabat, under Lieut.-Colonel Collinson, and hoisted the British and Egyptian flags alongside the Abyssinian one already flying on the old fort there (7th December).

Occupation of Fazogli.Fazogli and Famaka were also occupied by a small force under Lieut.-Colonel Nason, on the 22nd January, and friendly overtures were made to the Abyssinians in the neighbourhood, with completely successful results.

On 19th January, 1899, an agreement was signed between Great Britain and Egypt, defining the status of the Sudan, and laying down broad principles for its government (see [p. 283]).

Reconnaissance to Sherkeila.Meanwhile, it having been determined to dislodge the Khalifa if possible from his position near Sherkeila, Col. W. Kitchener started with a force of 2,007 regulars[201] and 1,650 irregulars from Fachi Shoya on the 25th January for that place. On reaching the neighbourhood of Sherkeila, 30th January, 1899, the Dervish force was found to be occupying a strong position, and was estimated at over 6,000 men. After consideration, no attack was made, and the force returned to the river.

Movements of Khalifa.During February reports were received that the Khalifa intended to attack Omdurman, but he made no forward movement, and remained in the neighbourhood of Sherkeila for some months. Many of his men deserted him owing to scarcity of food, and the neighbouring tribes harried him considerably.

Patrols.Several further river-patrols were undertaken during the spring towards the Bahr el Jebel, but the sudd still prevented progress up that river. Another patrol pushed up to the farthest navigable limit of the Baro.

1899. Operations against Khalifa.The Khalifa remained at Sherkeila till the beginning of May, when, finding himself short of food, he moved south, with about 3,000 men, in the direction of Jebel Gedir. During July and August he remained near Jebel Gurun, raiding for food in various directions, and being harassed by the Gowama and other Arab tribes. He reached Jebel Gerada, 6 miles north of Jebel Gedir, towards the end of August, and preparations were made in September for an expedition to capture or dislodge him.

Kaka expedition.Based on Kaka, the advanced guard of the force of 8,000 men reached Fungor, 50 miles inland, but the Khalifa had escaped north on the 16th October, and gave out his intention of marching on Omdurman, viâ Dueim. A flying column in gunboats under Colonel Lewis was quickly organised to follow and head him off from the river; but the enemy did not proceed much farther north than opposite Goz Abu Guma.

Gedid expedition.By the middle of November orders were given for an expedition to attack the Khalifa in the direction of Gedid, and a flying column[202] of 3,700 men, under Colonel Sir R. Wingate, left Fachi Shoya on the 21st November.

On the 22nd contact was established with Ahmed Fedil’s force at Abu Aadel. The column attacked and seized his camp, inflicting an estimated loss of over 400 in killed alone, and capturing all the grain which he was bringing to the Khalifa.

A night march followed to Gedid, and this place, containing water, was reached at 10 A.M. on the 23rd. The Khalifa’s position was located at Um Debreikat, 7 miles to the south-east, and another midnight march brought the column to within two miles of his camp. Battle of Um Debreikat and death of Khalifa, 24.11.99.After repelling a furious attack in the semi-darkness (5 A.M.), our troops drove the enemy back on to their camp, killing large numbers of them, including the Khalifa, Ali Wad Helu, Ahmed Fedil, and many other important Emirs, who, on seeing the day lost, had calmly seated themselves on their sheep-skins and awaited death. 3,000 prisoners, besides 6,000 women and children, were taken, and the Dervish loss by death was estimated at another 600.

The total loss of the Egyptian Column was 4 killed and 29 wounded men. This victory finally stamped out the Dervish dominion in the Sudan.

Khalifa Sherif.Meanwhile, in August, it was discovered that the Khalifa Sherif, who had been permitted to live on parole near Wad Medani, was again preaching Mahdism, and had collected a number of followers. Rebellion and death.The movement was promptly quashed by Captain N. M. Smyth, V.C., who surrounded his village on the 27th August and captured him. He was then tried by court-martial and shot.

Railway.During the year the railway had been steadily progressing; on the 26th August the Atbara bridge was opened, and on the last day of the year the railway reached Khartoum North.

Kordofan.El Obeid was occupied by Colonel Mahon, D.S.O., on the 17th December. It was found to be in ruins. Steps were at once taken for opening up Kordofan, the inhabitants evincing much pleasure at the re-occupation.

Darfur.Ali Dinar, with the sanction of the Government, took over the Sultanate of Darfur, and proceeded to consolidate his position; in this he had a good deal of difficulty, owing to the tribes in the west and south refusing to recognise his authority.

AFTER UM DEBREIKAT: BODY OF THE KHALIFA IN THE FOREGROUND.