[112] General Gordon’s chief complaint against the Intelligence Department was that they spent no money in bribing natives to try and get messages through to Kartoum; had they done so, many, he held, would have volunteered, and some must have succeeded.—Ed.
[113] General Gordon to Sir E. Baring, March 1st.—“Re policy. I maintain firmly policy of eventual evacuation, but I tell you plainly it is impossible to get Cairo employés out of Kartoum unless the Government helps in the way I told you.”—Inclosure 1 in No. 229, No. 12 in Blue Book No. 12.
Sir Evelyn Baring replies in a telegram dated March 2nd, 1884:—“I have received your eleven telegrams of the last four days on matters of general policy. I am most anxious to help and support you in every way, but find it very difficult to understand exactly what you want. I think your best plan will be to reconsider the whole question carefully and then state to me in one telegram what it is you recommend, &c.”
[114] Earl Granville to Mr. Egerton, April, 23rd, 1884:—“Gordon should be at once informed by several messengers ... that we do not propose to supply him with Turkish or other force for the purpose of undertaking military expeditions, such being beyond the scope of the commission he holds, and at variance with the pacific policy which was the purpose of his mission to the Soudan; that, if with this knowledge, he continues at Kartoum, he should state to us the cause and intention with which he so continues.”—Egypt, No. 12 (1884), No. 36.—Ed.
[115] Supposed remarks of British soldiers crossing the desert upon camels.
[116] Saddles.—Ed.
[117] Allusion to images produced on the retina by an excited or exhausted brain.—Ed.
[118] See Appendix, “The Insurrection of the False Prophet.”
[119] Goba is on the right bank of the Blue Nile, to the north of Tuti Island, and within two miles of Kartoum.—Ed.
[120] See p. 141.