October 28.—The man who came from Sennaar says the Mahdi has ordered all the Arabs to congregate at Kartoum from all parts. Sheikh el Obeyed has made a station close to Giraffe, on right bank of Blue Nile. They have two boats plying across the river, taking corn from Sheikh el Obeyed to Waled a Goun. Arabs had a reconnoitring party in the ruins of Omdurman village this morning.
One lieutenant, one sergeant-major, four soldiers, and one boatman came in this morning from the Arabs at Omdurman. Rumour says the steamers have been looting Shendy (I hope that it will be remembered none of the Egyptian soldiers, officers, or Pashas are to come up here again). The boatman left Berber six days ago. He says the Arabs at Berber have sent the captured money, &c., of Berber into the desert; that Seyd Mahomet Osman, with a mixed force, were two days’ march from El Damer; that the five steamers have brought Shendy, &c., into subjection; that the road from here to Shendy is free of Arabs, who have gone into the desert; that only in a certain district near, but higher up than Shoboloha, there are marauding Arabs, but no great number; that the Abbas passed down safely; that the two boats which had wood in them alone were captured, being abandoned on being emptied; that at Dar Djumna a sheikh pretended to be friendly, and tried to capture the steamer, which fired on the Arabs, and killed a lot; that three spies from Seyd Mahomet Osman were captured trying to communicate with Dongola, and were executed; that a man went with a camel from Berber to Dar Djumna, and came back in one day; that the expeditionary force is at Dar Djumna. The officer reports the Mahdi most undecided, one hour disarming the regulars, and at another hour arming them; the Arabs deserting, and others joining the Mahdi day after day.
A mine was exploded by a man on the North side, and I hear he is dangerously wounded, if not dead. On questioning the boatman again he explained the Dar Djumna is not the cataract, but is a place (near the cataract, just below Berber) one-and-a-half days from Berber. They, the expeditionary force, had eight steamers (one, the old screw boat of Dongola, I had towed up from Wady Halfa in 1878). The man said the Abbas went on to Dongola (why was it not sent up with the others?). I have given half month’s pay to all ranks below sergeant-major. I only owe them now half month’s pay.
If the General of the expeditionary force has sent up a force, by Nile to Berber, to take Berber, and then if he marches across with bulk of force from Merowé, in my humble opinion he has done the right thing.
If Berber had not been taken it would have been a picnic. Baring!! Baring!![168]
The force going up Nile from Merowé to Berber would have pretty well quieted the banks of the Nile, for the triangle contained by Merowé, Abou Hamed, and Berber, so that the bulk of the force, moving from Merowé to the captured Berber, would only be exposed to attacks from the south flank, where there are few people. My experience is that whenever you can possibly do so, never expose yourself to be attacked on all points of the compass; at any rate secure yourself on one flank. The force advancing up the Nile were protected on one flank, the Nile; that going across from Merowé to Berber, will be protected on the north flank by the subjugated triangle. Arabs this evening appear not to intend to come to Halfeyeh. They have a station at Giraffe, and another at Kokoo, which is nearly opposite Giraffe, on right bank of Blue Nile. (End of this blotting paper!)[169]
Ferratch Pasha tried again in a roundabout way to get the £150 a month, forage (i.e. Dhoora) for four horses, and rations for ten men; he utterly failed, and had to content himself with £100 a month: they are a mean lot. (Do not let any of those Egyptians in the steamers come back here is my earnest prayer.) (Floyer will be furious at this misuse of telegraph forms.)[170] I am truly delighted that the Abbas did not leave the Greeks behind, and only abandoned the boats carrying wood. I hope in fourteen days to have another sister steamer to Abbas and Husseinyeh completed. I have told them to rivet her only six inches above water line, and to put holdfast rivets for the upper portion which is above water, and which does not require to be watertight.
They say that the Fascher[171] steamer had a gun on her; she went aground near Abou Shourim (the Father of the Truth), and got delayed in her pursuit of the Abbas. The man wounded by the mine is wounded in the head, chest, and legs; there is not much hope of his recovery.