Egerton’s cipher telegram,[72] which I cannot decipher through Stewart having taken the book, is short, but I feel sure is weighty, and I regret deeply I cannot get at its contents, which I think would afford matter for amusing comment.
The Mudir of Dongola sent me a telegram which is on other side.[73] He tells me of the extreme anxietude which pervaded Cairo (when they heard Berber had fallen, and it was rumoured Kartoum had ditto), for the retirement of the Dongola people. “Throw things into the river,” &c., “but come away,” “we are very fond of you,” “useless to stay,” &c., &c. The Mudir laughs over it, I think, and saw the kind instruction, “raise barrier on barrier between Kartoum and its sister beleagured cities and Cairo; let us hear the last of these moving cities and Halomans.” What awful disgust at this resurrection! I made the Mudir a Pasha; he was an old officer of mine. When I came up I ordered him down, as my orders were to organize country with Soudanese employés, not that he was bad. Cairo (how they must wring their hands over it now) remonstrated and asked me to leave him, which I did, and he saved Dongola, and indirectly Kartoum, for had I put a native in he would have gone over to the Mahdi, like Hussein Pasha Khalifa did, and then I really think that the tomb would have been securely sealed, and R. I. P. to all of us. When one thinks that Cairo saved us by interfering with my removal of this man, it must add bitterness to the cup they have to drink! The telegrams about this man’s reinstatement, and my answer, are in Stewart’s journal about the month of March.
I am arranging attack on Berber with four steamers and Krupps, as soon as steamers come from Sennaar.
Spies with letters started for Dongola yesterday.
I hope Stewart will get hold of all copies of telegrams sent to us from Cairo for his journal, and which the Arabs captured (lovely reading!), also that he will find out result of Hewitt’s Mission to King John, and of Baring’s negotiations for opening of “the road from Suakim and Berber,” he spoke about on the 29th of March! which caused hilarity up here, and which led to his angering Cuzzi, who, idiot-like, questioned the sagacity and success of the step, and, getting turned out, paid us both (in all probability) by betraying Berber to the Arabs.
Egerton is a statistician, he evidently is collecting material for some great work. What earthly use is it to us for Egerton “to know exactly our want of provisions,” when he is 1500 miles away! I am vexed at not getting at the pith of his cipher telegram, all I can see is that 7775 (Zubair’s name) is not in it.
I am preparing to clear out of the palace, in toto, leaving the telegraph only, and go into the Mudiriat, so there will be plenty of room for the staff, if they come up, which is even now a question to me.
From Lord Northbrook coming out, I infer that Baring has returned to Cairo, and that my friend Egerton has gone back to the Acropolis. I hope he will say a good word to the King of Hellenes in favour of Leonidas, the Greek Consul here, who has behaved worthy of his ancestor of Thermopylæ, on a small scale.