“Your letters of 13/7/84 and 20/7/84 have been received, and their contents telegraphed on. The last news here is the 35th Regiment has been ordered to advance from Halfa to Dongola at once. General Earle commands expedition, Buller C. of S., Dormer and Freemantle brigades. All coming up. Lord Wolseley leaves London directly to take over supreme command. All well here. Mudir working well. No danger. Sir E. Wood is at Halfa sending on troops.
“H. H. Kitchener.
“Debbeh, 29th August, 1884.”
[73] Telegram Mudir of Dongola, saying Cairo Government had shown pressing benevolence for him to evacuate and thus rivet the “tombstone” over Kartoum.—Ed.
[74] The two black Pashas condemned to death by court-martial for treachery on March 20th.
[75] I.e., the future of the Soudan.—Ed.
[76] I.e., 4th Cataract.—Ed.
[77] I.e., p. 52.—Ed.
[78] “In Colonel Coetlogon’s opinion the rebels will retire south on the approach of the British, and await events. General Gordon would certainly refuse to go unless the population and garrison were guaranteed safe departure. The population and garrisons of Kartoum and Sennaar amount to about 40,000 to 50,000 souls, and it would take two years to remove them. As the places become evacuated the rebels would enter and become hostile in front and in the rear.”—Times, 13 Sept., 1884.—Ed.
[79] General Gordon proposed to the Government to give to the King of the Belgians the Bahr Gazelle and Equatorial provinces, and from the first time he suggested the appointment of Zubair, he had determined to defend those provinces from all slave raids.—Ed.