[159] The paper referred to is the French extract just given.—Ed.
[160] Sir E. Baring to Earl Granville (received March 5th).
“General Gordon has on several occasions pressed for 200 British troops to be sent to Wady Halfa. I agree with the military authorities in thinking that it would not be desirable to comply with this request.”
Sir Evelyn Baring to Earl Granville (received March 4th).
“General Gordon and Colonel Stewart strongly urge the desirability, from the point of view of the success of their present mission, of opening up the Berber-Suakin route.... I cannot agree with the proposal mentioned in Colonel Stewart’s telegram, that a force of British or Indian cavalry should be sent through for Suakin to Berber.”—Egypt No. 12 (1884). No. 205.—Ed.
[161] Gordon’s intention and desire was to have taken the steamers to the Bahr Gazelle, and to have protected that country against the Mahdi.—Ed.
[162] The fact that the Fellaheen were dragged in chains from their huts, and kept in chains in the streets of Cairo, is well known.—Ed.
[163] General Gordon intends H.M. Government to understand by this statement, that, in the position of a Major-General in H.M. service, he would give all his services to the retreating expedition, were he ordered to do so, though such an order would be most unwelcome; but that he would do nothing of the kind until some one replaced him as Governor-General. He is really applying to himself the remarks he made a few pages back: “In military affairs it is different: one is ordered to go here and there, and one obeys (even if one thinks it unwise, having represented it), but in diplomacy there is no such call.”—Ed.
[164] Up to the present we have neither given the Soudan to the Turks nor have we established Zubair as Governor-General, but we have had “a deal of worry and danger,” and the campaign has been “entirely unprofitable and devoid of prestige.”—Ed.