“In the name of God, the all merciful, all pitiful! Glory to God, our gracious Lord and our prayers and submission to our master Mohammed and his own.
“This from Mohammed, the Mahdi, Son of Abdallah, to his representative, Kerem Allah, son of the Sheik Mohammed, upon whom may God shine in His goodness and ever protect. Amen!
“Receive from me this greeting and the mercy and blessing of God. I desire you to know that in accordance with the unfailing promises of God and His unchanging goodness, the city of Khartoum was captured with the help of the Living and Eternal on Monday, the ninth Rebi Ahir of the current year, early in the morning. The soldiers of the faithful stormed the entrenchments with faith in God, the Lord of the world, and in a quarter of an hour or less the enemies of God fell into their hands. They were destroyed to the very last one and their defences also. Although they were strong they were shattered at the first attack of the army of God and sought safety by rushing into the villages, but our army followed them and slew them all with sword and lance. The others who had closed their doors in their fright were taken prisoners and killed and only a few of the women and children were spared. But Gordon, the enemy of God, whom we have often admonished and warned to desist and surrender to God, has never consented since he was a rebel and leader before. So he met his fate, reaping what he had sowed, and God sent him to the place of His wrath, and thus the house of the unjust was destroyed, thanks be to God, Lord of the world, who chastises those who deserve it with fire and rewards the just with a home in Paradise. God protect thee from the faithless, Amen, with the sanction of the Highest and Greatest, the Sender of good. Only ten of our own followers died the death of faith in this victory and no others were injured. This is the mercy of God and from him is the victory for which we give Him thanks. And do the same and take my greeting.
Kerem Allah
Representative of the Mahdi in Bahr-el-Ghazal and Hat-el-Estiva
January 28, 1885
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO EMIN
Upon the heels of these dreadful tidings came the news that Amadi had fallen. Singularly enough this lesser calamity made more impression than the terrible event at Khartoum, for the connection with Egypt was now forever broken and all hope of help from the north vanished. But as false reports had come from Kerem Allah so frequently they simply did not believe it, but regarded it rather as an invention intended to induce Emin to surrender. Great differences of opinion existed as to the measures to be adopted. Some were in favor of retreating northward, but Emin regarded the road to the south as the only right one. The force of Kerem Allah was only five miles distant and in one day they could reach Lado and then there would no longer be room for hope.
Captain Casati, an Italian traveller, who was in Lado at this time, as it was too hot at Bahr-el-Ghazal, vigorously opposed Emin’s decision. “I know that the danger is imminent,” he said, “but that is no reason why we should fly.”
“But what else can we do?”
“Defend ourselves. Lado cannot fall in a short time. The enemy cannot long maintain a siege with many people, for the country is destitute of subsistence. He must buy corn at Makraka and that is a long way off.”
“But they are already well provided. The Arabs supply them with everything they need, and we here in Lado, even if we are not overcome by arms, will perish from hunger.”
“That cannot be possible. We have the river behind us. We can get corn from the fertile country of Gondokoro.”
“Yes, but if we go southward we will find corn in the country of the Mahdi, and if we get through to Lut it will be easy for us to establish communication with Unjoro and Uganda.”