Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-11-07

The cable with great regularity an
nounces one day that khartoum has fallen
and the next day that it hasn't and while
the matter has only q minor interest to
Americans in the pendency of Il Presiden-
tial campaign, yet it is both intrinsically
and comparatively of Importance. The
trouble in the Soudan dates back to the
summer of 1851, when the Mahdi Ghe
false prophet proclaimed war and called
his followers to arms. He defeated, in
succession, three armies sent against him,
and in 1883 cut to pieces Hicks Pashas
army of ten thousand men. In the
meantime Osman Digna, the Mahdi's
Lieutenant, had been making trou-
bic on the shores of the Red Sea
and Arab had been fomenting his
instruction. Finally the Mahdi's growth
in power began to threaten Egypt itself.
The British government was unwilling To
run the risk and undergo the expense Of
sending an army into the Soudan and it
accordingly summoned the services of
Gen. Gordon, whose extraordinary and
most romantic career is too familiar to re
quire mention. Gen. Gordon was thor
oughly familiar with the general condition
of things, having ruled the Soudan for
five years, lS74-79 The English govern
ment proclaimed that as the Soudan was
financial burden to Egypt, it should be
abandoned; and to Gordon was entrusted
! the mission of withdrawing the Egyptian
garrisons from fortified towns of the Sou
! dan, then beleagured by the armies of the
Prophet. He was also charged to paCfy
the country, if possible, by restoring the
deposed Sultans of its separate districts.
| For this purpose he was given 100000 in
money and promise of 100000 more. Ar
rived at Khartoum, his first act was to
make Il bonfire of the whips and bastinado
rods and the government ledgers, which
contained the record of long unpaid taxes,
/ His next act was to issue IA proclamation
re-establshinc domestic slavery, Then
he tried to bride the Mahdi with the Emf
rate Of Kordofan. This the prophet refus-
ed, and soon his armies were surrounding
khartoum. This city, the capital of the
Soudan and the chief trade emporium of
the whole country, is built on plain on
the west side of the Blue Nile, and about a
mile above its junction with the White
Nile. The Notifications are outside of the
town, and consist of line of earthworks,
with the additional protection of a ditch on
the left bank of the Nile. Gen. Gordon
has under his command several armed
steamers, and it is by means of these that
he obtains fresh supplies, though large
quantities of food and munitions were al
ready stored in Khartoum on his arrival.
The population of Khartoum, some 60, 900
comprises many Greeks, Copts, Turks,
Albanians, Jews, Arabs, Negroes and
, Fellahs, besides a large number of slaves,
: principally negroes
[ The government relief expedition up the
, Nile under the command of Lord Wolse-
ley, having been decided upon, one thou
sand rowing boats were ordered, thou
sands of camels for the transport of bag
T gage were hired some five hundred Cana
dian boatmen were engaged to pilot the
boats up the fierce rapids of the Nile and
, Lord Wolseley left for the seat of wal
, to personally supervise the operations
| The first cataract on the river is at Assou-
, an 800 miles above Cairo 1910 miles above
that point mt Wady Halfa occurs the sec
% ond and most difficult catract, Wady
Halfa was to be the base of operations
and some six thousand soldiers were to
converge together at that point for the
ascent of the river. 1t is ut this point that
the troops are now, so that III reality the
! the eXpeditionary force has not yet been
begun. Three hundred and siXty-eight
miles above Wady Halfa is old Dongola,
and 1t was expected that at least three
: weeks would be consumed in ascending
the river to this point, as the current is
} very swift, 1t had been decided to take