[90] A telegram from Mudir of Dongola says that “on the 24th July, the Emir Abou Kanga and his army, who had come from Kordofan, were slaughtered, and that before the messenger quitted Kartoum another fight occurred, in which the son of Sheikh Sid and his followers were killed on the 30th August, and the siege raised. This is confirmed by a letter sent to me by Cassim-el-Mousse Bey, stating that he and his soldiers were at Halfeyeh, and that the Shaggyeh tribe and people had come in and tendered their submission.—Egypt, No. 35, 1884, No. 133.—Ed.
[91] An oke equals 3½ lbs. troy.—Ed.
[92] The position of the garrisons in Darfour, the Bahr-el-Gazelle and Equatorial provinces renders it impossible that you should take any action which would facilitate their retreat without extending your operations far beyond the sphere which Her Majesty’s Government is prepared to sanction.
As regards the Sennaar garrison, Her Majesty’s Government is not prepared to sanction the dispatch of an expedition of British troops up the Blue Nile in order to insure its retreat.
From the last telegrams received from General Gordon, there is reason to hope that he has already taken steps to withdraw the Egyptian portion of the Sennaar garrison.
You will use your best endeavours to insure the safe retreat of the Egyptian troops which constitute the Kartoum garrison, and of such of the civil employés of Kartoum, together with their families, as may wish to return to Egypt.
As regards the future government of the Soudan, and especially of Kartoum, Her Majesty’s Government would be glad to see a Government at Khartoum which, so far as all matters connected with the internal administration of the country are concerned, would be wholly independent of Egypt.—Lord Wolseley’s Instructions, Egypt, No. 35, 1884, No. 157.—Ed.
[93] “I am strongly against any permanent retention of the Soudan, but I think we ought to leave it with decency, and give the respectable people a man to lead them, around whom they can rally, and we ought to support that man by money and by opening road to Berber. Pray do not consider me in any way to advocate retention of Soudan; I am quite averse to it, but you must see that you could not recall me nor could I possibly obey until the Cairo employés get out from all the places. I have named men to different places, thus involving them with Mahdi; how could I look the world in the face if I abandoned them and fled? As a gentleman, could you advise this course? It may have been a mistake to send me up, but having been done I have no option but to see evacuation through, for even if I was mean enough to escape I have no power to do so. You can easily understand this; would you do so? If you were the people of Khartoum, you would, like they would, make terms with Mahdi by making me backsheesh Mahdi.”—Gen. Gordon to Sir E. Baring, Kartoum, March 3, 1884; Egypt, No. 12, 1884; No. 231. This telegram, forwarded by Sir E. Baring to Lord Granville, was received by H. M. Ministers on March 11, 1884. On April 3 Mr. Gladstone stated in the House of Commons that “General Gordon was under no orders and under no restraint to stay at Kartoum.”—Ed.
[94] Abdel Kader was then Minister of War. In March 1882, he was appointed to succeed Raouf Pasha as Governor-General of the Soudan, and on the 11th of May he reached Kartoum and assumed his duties. He carried on an active campaign against the Mahdi until March 26th, 1883, when Al-ed-Din Pasha was publicly proclaimed at Kartoum, Governor-General of the Soudan, in his place. In January 1884 Abdel Kader was selected by the Egyptian Government as their envoy to Kartoum. He at first accepted the position and then declined it. Upon this the Egyptian Government requested Her Majesty’s Government to select a well-qualified British officer to go to Kartoum instead of Abdel Kader. General Gordon was the officer selected. Thus, in suggesting Abdel Kader as his successor, General Gordon was suggesting the very man whom he had succeeded.—Ed.
[95] The instructions conveyed to Lord Wolseley by Her Majesty’s Government were to the effect that the primary object of the expedition was to bring away General Gordon and Colonel Stewart from Kartoum. He was moreover enjoined not to advance further southwards than was absolutely necessary in order to attain the primary object of the expedition.—Ed.