The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-05
LOSS OF THE SOUDAN
How the Mahdi's Empire Was
Founded in 1884.
THE DEATH OF CHINESE GORDON
En0iand's Mistake I'm Not Fighting to
. Finish With the Dervishes
From the start.



extending as far southwark as the great
lakes. far from constituting any drain
upon the Egyptian excheGuer. we're. On
the contrary, a source Of considerable
revenue khartoum. the capital ard head
quarters OF the governor general. had de-
veioped into a large and prosperous city.
the seat o. Roman Catholic archbishop
nc. crowded with white traders and fire.
cueltiy visited by European tourists Il
was connected with Cairo by telegraph.
there was a regular service o. postal
steamers On the Nile and the eminent En-
giish engineer. Sir John Fowler. had in
accordance with the instructions OF khe-
dive fsmasl. surveyed and even begun the
railroad that was 20 extend from Cairo 70
Khartoun- The insurrection in Issz, how
ever. had the effect of disorganizing in a
great measure the government OF the
Soudan- Il made necessary the withdrawal
or those Egyptian troops whose presence
was indispensable for holding the Arab
tribes OF the Soadan In proper subsection,
and interfered with the dispatch OF sup
plies from Cairo. When the fanaiicai
Soudanese we're told that the followers Of
the Prophet in Egypt had shaken OF the
yoke OF the Khedive. had driven OUT the
unbelievers and had not only Cancelled all
debts. but had also arranged 10 pay no
more taxes, 70 was only natural that
an efYsrvescence should have taken place
among the Arab tribes. which The advent
o. the Dervish known as the Aahdi served
10 fan into a small instruction This.
however. might easily have been duslled
az the outset, had the task been. entrusted
to Egyptian or European generals ac-
cushioned to Soudanese methods and war
fare, such as, for instance, Abd-el-kadr
pasha, who was wont 20 adorn the trees
and bushes by which the enemy had to
pass with strips OF cloth and paper in
scribed with verses OF the Koran warning
the insurgents that disaster was in store
for them. The Soudanese, who are ter
rihly ssperstitious, went INTO the fisht
after this in a half-hearted manner, con-
WINGED in advances not Only u their defeat,
hu; also OF their loss Of paradise. ard
many a battle was won by the Egyptians
in this way. But no such capable aad ex-
perienced commander being sent. the ask
Of surprising the revolt was entrusted TO
a retired English officer, Hicks Pasha,
who was sneered at by the British regu-
lars at Cairo as an adventurer. and who
found no one willing 20 serve on his staf
but a number OF foreign and English
ne'er-do-we wells. who had not reached
Khartoum before the force became de-
nloraiized by the Quarreis OF its odicers.
The result was a crushing defeat Of the
expedition by the insurgents, the officers
being massacred almost TO a man
n6 sOuuan ADuuuoue,0s
As soon as the news OF this defeat be-
came known at Cairo, IL was at once ap-
parent that immediate steps must be
taken to repair the disaster by means OF
the dispatch Of another Egyptian force
large enough TO arrest the rapid spread OF
the revolt Sir Evelyn Barring. however,
approaching the fact that this would en-
tail a sufficiently heavy expense to the
Egyptian treasury to impera the payment
Na1 . .
projected military operations. and on be-
ing told that unless the troops were sent
the Soudan would be lost to Egypt, order
ed the abandonment OF the Soudan.
Unfortunately, Mr.. Gladstone was in
power at the time in England. and as
with him considerations OF national
finance have invariably outweighed all
others, and he dreaded the prospect OF
being compelled to accord financial as
sistance 10 Egypt. he naturally endorsed
Sir Evelyn Baring's views. 1t was in
vain that everybody acquainted with
Egyptian affairs and with Egyptian his
tory protested against the abandonment
OF the Soudan. Old Cherif Pasha. who was
prime minister, and Riaz Pasha. who
was minister OF the interior. both preferred
TO resign rather than to sanction so dis
astrous policy, and the Khedive is re-
ported 10 have gone down on his knees to
Sir Evelyn, entreating him to give way
in the matter. II was all in vain. and
orders we're az once given for the eyacu-
alton OF provinces covering an area Of
over a million square miles and inhabited
by popula ton OF u, po.ooo-provinces so
thriving and prosperous that the exports
from the least important province. Kor-
dofan. TO lower Egypt amounted 10 nearly
SO 0ne. go a year.
The task OF evacuation was one OF
great difficulty and peril. OF course. from
the moment It became known in the Sou
dan that the provinces were about to be
abandoned by the Egyptian government,
the entire population from motives OF
policy joined the insurgents, endeavoring
by manifestations OF hostility TO the
Egyptians and Europeans at khartoum
to win the favor OF those who were des-
tined to become their masters. There was
only one man fitted to undertake the task,
the man who knew the country better than
any other white man living. namely. Gen.
Gordon: and, although he bitterly con-
demned Bsring's policy as destroying the
results OF ali his long years OF labor to
develop and civll.ze the Soudan, and al
though at first he declined 10 be a party
TO the evacuation. yet, when - was point
ed out TO him that he alone could save the
lives and rescue the white people, and es-
pecially the women and children still at
Khartoum. he gave way and left Caro-
for the South In January, 1884
Gordon'- Work.
Gordon accomplished his task The
major part Of the women and children al
Khartoum were sent down the Nile IN
safety; but when he prepared TO start him.
self with the nuns. the priests and the few
white traders and officials who had stay
ed behind with him to assist him In his
mission, he found the way blocked and
The city besieged by the insur-ent forces.
He sent several messages TO Cairo ny
means OF native carriers. appealing for
rescue and relief. NOT so much for himself
as FOR those whom hs had persuaded TO re-
main with him 10 the last, and 10 whom
he fel, that he owed duty.
He added that IL troops could not
Re sent. at any rate the Soudansse chief
Zehehr. known as the Lion OF the Sou
dan" who was detained in ss-ni-cap-
tivity al Cairo. In spite OF a safe conduct
that had been accorded 20 him. might he
dispatched TO negotiate with the Mahdi
for his relief Instead Of his request be-
ing granted Zsbehr was seized one night
without any apparent reason Sn1 SHIPPED
OF on board a British man-of-war to
Gibraltar where he ~ss detained in cap
;ivity for two years without any form OF
trial. before being SCI a: liberty; ani
the British government RETAINED from
se73.nS any expedition 10 Gordans re-