Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-06-14

sailors and soldiers. and say this also to the
eemmAadant At Jaba l am the brother Of
IsmAl. Why should ne treat M thus2 Go.
and peace be with you.
BARGAsH BIN SAFE.
In the FIRST days of January peremtory
orders we're received to abandon the country
and return to Egypt. 1t was then only we
learned Of the catastrophe to the expedi-
ton first under Ahrendrup and subsequently,
under Ratib Pacha in Abyssinis- The fatal
error had been made Of cor & ing the COM
mand to Ratib rather than TO that expert
eneed and gallant American soldier, w. W.
Loring. Had it been done, lsmsil might
stin have been upon the throne OF Egypt
for the failure in Abyssinis and the Indian
Ocean expedition contributed much to COM
plete the ruin of the Khediye. General Cor
don, then governor general Of the Equator
ial provinces, inspired and planned the N-
petition, as may be seen in the following
memorandum addressed me at Lsrdo, my
HEADQUARTERS, ard which / found on my re-
turn from the Man MAN expedition. Ii
is dated Lardo, February, 1875:
Ny DEAR Long: Experience has shown
that communication between Gondocoro aud
Cairo, 2,T09 miles, is very difficult. Steam
ers cannot make more than three trips De-
tween Gondocoro and Khsrtoum per an
mum. Wood is not plentiful, aud will soon
be scarce in vicinity of river. Price OF coal
puts it out of question. A route from Nom
bas BAY Indian Ocean, to advanced Egyp-
tan posts is 200 to 400 miles. Once opened,
a firm hold would be established on the rich
and promising land South Of Gondocoro.
North of Gondoccro as far as khartoum the
country consists of wretched marshes, never
likely from p,rnicious climate 10 be OF any
value. Inhabitants Of the central district
much more intelligent and civilized and
likely to prove valuable subjects to d. b.,
who has already considered the question.
IL would entail small cost, VIZ, a steamer
to Mombss Bay, with small, weilassorted
quantity of stores and 200 black soldiers
taken from bateau destined for those parts,
Zanzibar being near could supply any petty
wants, and I should work toward the sea.
Profound secrecy till complete realization
of project for political reasons should d. d..
approve. Wish the expedition TO be.con-
sidered as belonging to my mdhmoWr (goy-
ernment). / have written Fl. q. warmly
recommending you as the proper officer to
command the expedition.
c. G. GoRDoy.
The King OF the soudan.
Gordon took an u~nconQuerable aversion
to Marno, of the Vienna Society, and pitch
ed into me because / allowed Msrno to &C
company me on the Niam-Nism expedition.
He said to me: "You will regret it, Long;
see if you don't" And l did, for Msrno
broke faith with me and wrote of the expe-
di,ion as if he had been its CHIEF, when in
fact he was my guest, and a very trouble
some one. too.
A few days after my return to Lsrdo
received a line from Gordon at Regab, dated
3-75-S =. ".
Ny DEAR LOXG: Thanks for your letter.
Glad you are back safe and hope you had
not many difficulties. If not too tired come
I'D Yourself. Yours sincerely,
c. G. GORDON.
Iwent 10 Regsb by the river on the night
of the 18th Of March, arriving there at day
dawn Of the 18th. l found Gordon sitting
at the door of his iokei hut, clesningsan
elephant gun, smoking meanwhile a meer-
schaum pipe. On the table was a bottle of
q~uinine and bottle Of Cognsc. Dear old
fellow, said he, risingIto greet me, "how
are you? Had a tough time? How are the
man.eattIs2 Now take a drink, do, and
dent forget the u%uiaiue. What do you think
Of my last proposition? All right, we viii
nix up the details. | have written Fl h
telegraph him when you get to Khartoum.'
| left him on the Dist and at khartoum re-
ceiyed from Ismail Pacha the following de-
spstch:
CAISo, 9 M0hsrrem.
CcLOyEL LoSG: Received your telegram
about Mombas 10 MISE. Study expedition
with Gordon, then come to Cairo. IL should
be kept profound secret.
(Signed) ISNAIL.
Ii will be seen, therefore, that the expe-
dition was originally Gordon's own iuspirs-
ton. Was it in his mind to delimit on the
the Bsst Coast that Central African empire
over which he was ordained to be the king2
Certainly his own avowals aud the attempt
10 bring over to him the Mahdi with the
tempting offer Of the Emirat OF Kordotan,
coupled with Lord Duferin's proposition to
abandon the Soudan as beyond the circle
of highlands Intervention" are facts which
throw light upon the dramatic return to
Khartoum in February, 1884. 1t was the
first decade of the Gordonian Empire, and
on that day he announced himself the King
Of the Soudan!
CHARLES CHAILLE Lone.