The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
ILL.

1t is pointed out. however. by Mr.. Trail that
the Gladstone Government could not pretend
that they had been left long in ignorance of
their new obligations. 1t was on Jan. 90, 1884,
that Gen. Gordon left Cairo for Khartoum, and
it was little more than a fortnight later that he
arrived after a picturesque camel ride across
the desert from Korosko to Abu Hamid at Ber-
Der. Another week saw him at the end Of his
journey. He reached Khartoum on Feb. lS,
1884, and, before he had been there eight days,
his eye had penetrated to the very heart Of tho
situation. He had discovered that a new power
of n most formidable kind had arisen in tho
land over which he had once ruled, and that it
was no longer possible for him to ~conjure with
his name. Accordingly, on Feb. 90, 1884. he
wrote to Sir Evelyn Barring: " II Egypt is to DO
quiet, the Mahdi must be smashed up. Remem-
Der tn Vt once Khartoum belongs to the Mahdi,
the task will be far more difficult. / repeat that
evacuation is possible, but you will feel the
effects of 1t in Egypt, and will be forced to
enter into a far more serious affair in order to
guard Egypt Again. two months later. he
wrote: II shall leave you the indelible disgrace
Of abandoning the garrisons OF SEMINAR, Rassa-
la, Berber, and DonRo!a. with the certainty that
you will be eventually forced to smash UP the
Mahdi under great difficulties, II you would OBJ
tain peace in Egypt" On the very day, indeed.
on which Gordon arrived in Khartoum, he took
a step which testified to the rapidity of his
awakening. He made a formal request of the
Cairo Government that Zebehr Pasha, a man in.
famous as the largest dealer engaged in the
Soudanese slave traffic. and tragically associated
with Gordon's past history. as the father OF the
rebel Suleiman, whom Gordon. when Governor
General of tho Soudan. had caused to be ex-
ecuted five years before. might be released from
the virtual Imprisonment In which he was then
held Mt Cairo and anuf tn tho Co,lo. a.. ...-
the position OF authority which no had lost,
together with his liberty. by an unwise
visit to the Egyptian capital in 1876. On tho
very day OF Gordon's departure from Cairo, he
and Zebehr had had an interview arranged for
them by Sir Evelyn Barring at the ~latter's
house, and the report of this conference, as puo.
lished In the Blue Book. shows that Zebehr
cherished animosity against Gordon on account
not only of the execution OF his son, but of tho
coniscation OF his own property. as q consc-
quenco OF his proved completely In s uleiman's
revolt. IL Is not surprising that, In these cir
cumstances, the Gladstone Government found
Gordon's request startling, and they may DO
excused for some hesitation to associate with
their emissary. even at his own suggestion. a
man whom it WAS reasonable to regard as his
bitterest enemy. Barring himself. in the de-
spatch transmitting Gordon's application, do.
clared that he would be altogether opposed To
having Gen. Gordon and Zebehr Pasha at Khar-
toum together. He proposed that. as soon as
the former had arranged for the withdrawal of
ha garrison and the rest OF the Egyptian
residents, he should leave Khartoum, and the
latter might. shortly afterward, start from
c iro. Ono of my chief reasons" he
added, for allowing the interview bo-
tween tho two men to take place was
that ! wished to satisfy myself to some extent
OF the sentiment entertained by Zebehr Pasha
toward Gen. Gordon. / would not on any &c
count run the risk Of putting Gen. Gordon in his