The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-14

was dragged to the palace entrance, where
the head was out off and sent to the
| Mahdi, who caused it to be exposed in
| OmdurJuan. What became of the body is
uncertain. This only is known-that it
was hacked to pieces by the horde of
fanatics against whom the Governor OF
Khartum had made SO gallant stand.
The palace was afterwards used as d
harem BY the Khalifa. and remained
much as Gordon left it until AhduIlahi-
bin-Sayd, fearing the growing influence
of his rivals, invented new superstition,
and mazda Omdurman the sacred city Of
the Mahdi.
Although the thoughts of all were
turned to that corner of the ruined pal
ace, our steps were directed towards the
bank. Facing the river, across broad
avenue with palm trees rises the 'front.'
of the palace wall of plain white stone.
The centre of the facade is pierced by
double row of twelve windows, while each
end projects slightly, and has three win
dows with fan-shaped tops. There, in the
presence of the Sirdar, and representatives
of his victorious army, was performed the
ceremony of hosting the British and
Egyptian flags. Guards of honor from all
the British regiments that had taken part
in the tight were stationed along the front
and the east of the palace. On the lett
were the Warwicks. Lincolns, Seaforths,
and Camerons; at right angles to them,
and extending along the front, were rep
resentatives of the Royal Artillery. the
Grenadier Guards, the Lancashire Fusil-
| iers the Northum berland Fusiliers, and
the title Brigade, together with COM
pany of the Eleventh Sudanese A special
guard of Royal Engineers-Gordon' old
corps-held the post of honor on the right.
The Sirdar and staff took their places
within the line. while the gunboats were
moored close to the bank. Officers and
thoir Il ha1y 81, ,1x1
variation from this dusty yellow being
the gray of the Sirdar, the white and
| elaborate dress CT the German Attache,
and the tartan kits of the Highlanders.
At quarter past ten O'Clock the Sirdar
gave the command and the union jack
and the crescent and the star of Egypt
crept lowly to the top of the flagstaffs, the
bands meanwhile playing the national
airs of both countries, and the artillery
hiring a salute of twenty-on guns. The
| resumption of British authority over the
Sudan having been asserted by the I'M
furling of the flag side by side with that
of Egypt, solemn service was held in
memory Of the man who had striven to
maintain that authority unimpaired.
Cheers for Queen and Khedive had hardly
died away before minute guns doomed
across the river. The dead March"
from "Saul" was played; the Rev. Mr..
Sims, Presbyterian chaplain, read the fif-
qualities that distinguished Gordon are
named; the Rev. A. W. Watson, Angli-
can chaplain, said prayer. and the Rev.
Father Brindle Roman Catholic chaplain.
read special memorial prayer. The
pipers of the Seaforth Highlanders played
a lament and the Sudauese essayed Cor
don's favorite hymn, Abide with Me-"
No more impressive and touching cere-
n1ony has ever been witnessed. There
were In the company men to whom Cor
don was more than name and an emblem
of courage and devotion to duty, men who
thirteen years before had risked their lives
to save him. To these especially the SER
vice appealed with overmastering force.
But they were not alone moved by the
Significance and solemnity of the &C.
casion The British soldier is not oreat-
uresof sentiment, yet it was impossible to
glance along the row of faces. hardened
and burned by the fatigue and heat of
severe campaign, without seeing how
deep and general was the effect. The
scene could not fail to stir the magma
ton as well as the memory. Behind us
rolled the brown waters of the Nile, across
which Gordon had looked in vain for the
coming of the English. Away to the
right flowed the White Nile, whose pres
emit flood d made that weak spo in the
defence of Khartum which FASTENED it's
downfall. The ruins were fefore us. a
heap of bricks and mortar, with few
broken walls, near which lay steam poll
ers, iron girders, and other evidences Of
British occupation. Little time was left
after the ceremony to examine these inter-
estlng remains. The senior officers having
shaken hands with the Sirdar. tine men
filed past the steps where Gordon fell,
and preparation were made for our de-
parture. The swift current carried US
quickly towards Omdurman, past the
spot where the crew of the Borden saw
thirteen years ago the Khedive's flag no
longer floated over Khartum, and that
they had arrived too late. Our thoughts
were less gloomy, for looking back we
saw the union jack floating over the pal
ace.-Correspondence London Standard.