JOURNAL. (continued 2)
Reading edition
I am arranging attack on Berber with four steamers and Krupps, as soon as steamers come from Sennaar.
Spies with letters started for Dongola yesterday.
I hope Stewart will get hold of all copies of telegrams sent to us from Cairo for his journal, and which the Arabs captured (lovely reading!), also that he will find out result of Hewitt’s Mission to King John, and of Baring’s negotiations for opening of “the road from Suakim and Berber,” he spoke about on the 29th of March! which caused hilarity up here, and which led to his angering Cuzzi, who, idiot-like, questioned the sagacity and success of the step, and, getting turned out, paid us both (in all probability) by betraying Berber to the Arabs.
Egerton is a statistician, he evidently is collecting material for some great work. What earthly use is it to us for Egerton “to know exactly our want of provisions,” when he is 1500 miles away! I am vexed at not getting at the pith of his cipher telegram, all I can see is that 7775 (Zubair’s name) is not in it.
I am preparing to clear out of the palace, in toto, leaving the telegraph only, and go into the Mudiriat, so there will be plenty of room for the staff, if they come up, which is even now a question to me.
From Lord Northbrook coming out, I infer that Baring has returned to Cairo, and that my friend Egerton has gone back to the Acropolis. I hope he will say a good word to the King of Hellenes in favour of Leonidas, the Greek Consul here, who has behaved worthy of his ancestor of Thermopylæ, on a small scale.
I have a firm conviction we will not do anything in Egypt that will succeed, unless we fall into accord with France, which would not be difficult to do.
Arabi Pasha’s private secretary, who even Stewart with all his Job-like patience had to give up as a bad job, came to-day to say “he was starving,” so I have given him £10 a month again. How he ever got on with Arabi is a wonder; he and Stewart used to spend hours, hob and nob, translating Arabic letters, and then Stewart found out that the man had just exercised his own imaginations and taken not the least pains to give the sense of these letters’ contents.
The Shaggyeh are breaking my heart with their family quarrels. I shall go to Halfeyeh (D. V.) to-morrow to see after them. They captured five men who had been pardoned, and had gone back to the Arabs, and want me to kill them, which I refuse to do, for who are the rebels? we or the Arabs. I am responsible for the judicial murder of the two Pashas; beyond this I have put no man to death.
I think Colonel Stewart is hard on our men as to their cowardice; they are not heroes, I grant, but they are not, to my mind, entire cowards; “they do not see it,” that is all; but if they are put in a position where there is a chance, a fair chance of success, they will take advantage of it and be plucky. The Chinese are of the same temperament. “No two piecey man can stay one place, supposing you come, I must go.” This is an acknowledged maxim in the East.
A spy came in, and says that Sheikh el Obeyed has news in his camp that Abdel Kader Pasha (what a bother for Sanderson all these Abdel Kaders who he may mix up with the one of Algier) is with troops at Kassala.
Two more mines exploded at Omdurman when they were being taken up to renew the fuses, but did no harm.
I saw the Shaggyeh chief Abdul Hamed to-day. He says that Said and Ibrahim Hassan Pashas[74] were not guilty, and that the Arabs looted their houses when they heard they had been killed by me, which they would not have done had they been really in communication with them. I shall send for their families and give them each £1000, which is all I can do.
The Towfikia went up and had her usual fight with the Arabs.
Report is that a soldier has taken the breech pieces of the two Krupp guns with the Arabs, and has run away, rendering them useless.
If Abdel Kader is at Kassala what on earth are our people about not to tell me, for of course I could help him. We seem to have lost our heads in the Intelligence Department, though it costs enough money.
As for “evacuation,” it is one thing; as for “ratting out,” it is another. I am quite of advice as to No. 1 (as we have not the decision to keep the country), but I will be no party to No. 2 (this “rat” business), 1st, because it is dishonourable; 2nd, because it is not possible (which will have more weight); therefore, if it is going to be No. 2, the troops had better not come beyond Berber till the question of what will be done is settled. So I will end this book.
C. G. Gordon.
23 Sept., 1884.
N.B.—To be copied and read by Colonel Stewart, if he likes, and extracts given Mr. Power (as by promise). Afterwards to be given to Miss Gordon, Southampton, if not wanted by the Foreign Office.
BOOK II.
Upon outside wrapper:
COLONEL STEWART, C.M.G.,
OR
Chief of the Staff, Soudan Expeditionary Force.
Journal Events, Khartoum, 23 to 30 Sept., 1884.
Contains no secrets as far as I am concerned. Official parts those not scratched through. Contains map of Berber; large scale.
Chief of the Staff, Soudan Expeditionary Force.
For Lt.-Col. Stewart, C.M.G. If not with the army, for General Lord Wolseley, G.C.B.
On Book itself:
II.
GENERAL GORDON’S JOURNAL.
From 23 September till 30 September.
C. G. GORDON.
N.B.—Will require pruning down if published.
C. G. GORDON.
23/9/84.
Upon inside:
II.
GENERAL GORDON’S JOURNAL.
From 23 September till——, 1884.
N.B.—Will require pruning down if published.
C. G. GORDON.
23/9/84.