September 14.—Yesterday evening the Arabs fired four cannon shots towards lines on south front, but they did not reach the fortifications.
Halfeyeh[40] reports the assembly of the Arabs, with a view to attacking that place. A party has gone out to see what truth there is in this report.
Four other men came in from the Arabs to-day; they had little to say, beyond that the Arabs meant to maintain a blockade, and not to attack directly.
The Arabs killed four soldiers who tried to escape, but those who came in say this will not stop their coming.
A man I sent out to Waled Mocashee, who fought with Waled a Goun (vide Stewart’s journal), was caught with my letters by Arabs, and was on the eve of being hung, when my letter arrived, in which I remonstrated with the Arabs for ill-treating my messengers, on which they pardoned him, and let him go. This man says the Greek, who came into the lines yesterday, was sent off to Kordofan on his return to the Arab camp. The Arabs would have been quite justified in executing the man above alluded to, for he was a genuine spy; my remonstrance to them was with respect to their treatment of direct messengers I sent to them; there is considerable doubt that even Waled Mocashee ever did fight with Waled a Goun.
In my letter to Sheikh Abdel Kader, I proposed to him to come in and see me; the Arab chiefs asked him to go, but he would not; it is well known we have refused to give in.
If it is possible to get rid of the bitter feelings existing between the two great sections of the Soudan people,[41] it will go a great way to pacify the country; by degrees this may be done.
Meat has fallen from 10s. per lb. to 2s. per lb.
The steamer Towfikia, which went up the Blue Nile to Giraffe, fell on the Arabs, and drove them off from collecting grass and wood (one is thankful for small mercies in these times).