GORDON’S OPERATIONS, 1876-1879.
1876.Gessi navigates Lake Albert Nyanza, 1876.Early in 1876 Gordon made preparations for Gessi to proceed to Lake Albert Nyanza with two lifeboats, while he himself proceeded towards Lake Victoria.
He had now surveyed the river from Khartoum to Dufile, and from Foweira to Mruli. Gessi started in March, and succeeded in circumnavigating the lake in nine days, finding it to be only 140 miles long and 50 miles wide. The natives showed themselves hostile, and the west coast was inaccessible.
In January, Gordon had given up all idea of forming an expedition to meet that proposed from the Juba river; his reasons were that his troops were utterly untrustworthy and unfitted for such a task.
In July a steamer, brought up with much difficulty, was at length put together above the Dufile Falls, and the passage cleared to the Albert Lake.
A treaty was made with M’tesa recognising his independence, and Dr. Emin Effendi,[159] a German by birth, was sent to him as Gordon’s representative.
Gordon leaves for England, October, 1876.In October Gordon left for Khartoum and thence for England, having handed over the government of his province to Colonel Prout. He had during the three years successfully checked the slave trade in the Equatorial provinces, and established the basis of a sound government, if such could be found under Egyptian rule. That he could not entirely suppress the slave trade was due to its huge ramifications, the despicable quality of his troops, and the resistance offered to all his endeavours by the government of the Sudan under Ismail Yagub Pasha.
Gordon returns to Egypt, February, 1877.In February, 1877, Gordon, under pressure, returned to Egypt, and the Khedive made him Governor-General of the Sudan, uniting in one great province the Sudan, the Equatorial provinces, and the Red Sea provinces; thus giving him a district some 1,640 miles in length by an average of 660 in breadth, with three Wakils (deputy governors) for Sudan proper, Darfur, and the Red Sea provinces respectively. The Khedive drew his attention specially to the suppression of the slave trade and the improvement of the communications, and gave him powers to negotiate with Abyssinia in order to end the disputes with King John.
Gordon goes to Abyssinia, 1877.Gordon at once proceeded, viâ Massaua, to the Abyssinian frontier to make a treaty, if possible, with the King. He found that there was no hope of bringing the matter to a satisfactory result till a stop was put to the raids of Walad Mikael. Just now a large portion of Gordon’s troops were withdrawn for service in the Turco-Russian war, and it was useless for him to think of using force against Mikael, while the news of a serious revolt in Darfur required his presence elsewhere. He therefore agreed to supply Walad Mikael with money and provisions, on condition that he gave up his attacks on Abyssinia. King John, taking advantage of this temporary respite, proceeded to attack Menelik, King of Shoa.
Gordon having visited Bogos, Kassala, Gedaref, and Sennar, proceeded to Khartoum; here he spent some time in carrying out reforms, amongst others in giving back to the Ulema their ancient privileges of which they had been deprived by the late Governor, Ismail Yagub Pasha. In May, however, he found himself obliged to start for Darfur.