I have placed two of the castled santels at the end of the lines on the White Nile, the other two are at Bourré. The Bordeen steamer is back from Shoboloha; she captured fifteen cows and four slaves. She was fired on from the left bank of the Nile.
Armed the men of the band and made them body guard of Ferratch Pasha.
In future, for the defence of Kartoum, strong forts ought to be built at Shoboloha, on both sides of the defile.
The Bordeen telegraphed from Halfeyeh “important spy captured.” I answered, “what did important spy say?” I was answered, “Important spy said that the English had sent out three men to see about roads to Kartoum.” This was two and a half hours’ work to get this information. It is enough to drive one wild (a very small mouse for such a mountain). Couriers were sent on horses to and fro for this information. I am going to sit on the captain of the Bordeen to-morrow. These people, if they have a grain of information which they (not I) think important, make a perfect Mont Blanc of it, so as to get promotion. What on earth of importance is it to us whether the British general has sent 150 spies to look after roads.
The captain of the Bordeen gave the names of the spies sent out by the British general obtained from this “important spy,” thinking, of course, I should be delighted. These things render one perfectly furious, for, at least, twenty people were kept at work for absolutely nothing; and like a born idiot, there was I, on tiptoe of excitement, waiting information of the “important spy,” to end with the news that “three men had been sent out by the British general.” Had “this important spy” said the British general had started, it would have been another thing, but that is in the future, and I do not blame the British general for not rushing headlong into these deserts.
October 11.—A sergeant-major came in at Omdurman to-day, he left the Mahdi three days ago. The Mahdi was then one day’s march from Omdurman, at the place Stewart met the chiefs when he went up the Nile in March. The Mahdi will be at the camp Faki Mustapha to-night or to-morrow. He has from 2000 to 3000 regulars with him, whom he captured here and there. Three Krupp guns and four mountain guns, but has a lot more mountain guns en route from Kordofan. With the Mahdi are Hussein Pasha Khalifa, Saleh Pasha, Slatin, and all the Greeks, priests, and nuns, who have become Muslim. A priest and a nun who refused to become Muslim, he left in Obeyed. Nuchranza is with him. He has a mixed multitude with him, who are not over zealous, for he has discontented the people by his exactions. They have plenty of meat, but not much grain. The Frenchman spoken of (and supposed to be Renan by me) has gone away from the Mahdi. Fighting is going on in Kordofan in the Gebel Nubar. Report is rife of the English being at Debbeh. The Mahdi intends bombarding Kartoum from the other side, and trying to demolish the Fort Omdurman. The money captured at Berber has not yet left Berber.
Another soldier came in from Waled a Goun’s camp; he says the regulars are all in chains.
The Arabs are making a fort 2000 yards off the south front. They fired eight rounds from a Krupp, which entered the town but did no harm.
Four shells entered the town yesterday—one slightly wounded five black sluts, one struck a house belonging to the family of the Mahdi.
Small steamer’s trial trip took place to-day—a great success; she snorts terribly.