eminent victorians-第43章

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realise　that；　so　long　as　there　was　an　English　army　in　Egypt　they　

could　not　avoid　the　responsibilities　of　supreme　power；　they　

declared　that　the　domestic　policy　of　the　Egyptian　administration　

was　no　concern　of　theirs。　It　was　a　fatal　erroran　error　which　

they　themselves；　before　many　weeks　were　over；　were　to　be　forced　

by　the　hard　logic　of　events　to　admit。　The　Pashas；　left　to　their　

own　devices；　mismanaged　the　Hicks　expedition　to　their　hearts'　

content。　The　miserable　troops；　swept　together　from　the　relics　of　

Arabi's　disbanded　army；　were　dispatched　to　Khartoum　in　chains。　



After　a　month's　drilling；　they　were　pronounced　to　be　fit　to

attack　

the　fanatics　of　the　Sudan。　Colonel　Hicks　was　a　brave　man；　urged　

on　by　the　authorities　in　Cairo；　he　shut　his　eyes　to　the　danger　

ahead　of　him；　and　marched　out　from　Khartoum　in　the　direction　of　

El　Obeid　at　the　beginning　of　September；　1883。　Abandoning　his　

communications；　he　was　soon　deep　in　the　desolate　wastes　of　

Kordofan。　As　he　advanced；　his　difficulties　increased；　the　guides　

were　treacherous；　the　troops　grew　exhausted；　the　supply　of　water　

gave　out。　He　pressed　on；　and　at　last；　on　November　5th；　not　far　

from　El　Obeid；　the　harassed；　fainting；　almost　desperate　army　

plunged　into　a　vast　forest　of　gumtrees　and　mimosa　scrub。　There　

was　a　sudden；　appalling　yell；　the　Mahdi；　with　40；000　of　his　

finest　men；　sprang　from　their　ambush。　The　Egyptians　were　

surrounded；　and　immediately　overpowered。　It　was　not　a　defeat；　

but　an　annihilation。　Hicks　and　his　European　staff　were　

slaughtered；　the　whole　army　was　slaughtered；　300　wounded　wretches



crept　away　into　the　forest。



The　consequences　of　this　event　were　felt　in　every　part　of　the　

Sudan。　To　the　westward；　in　Darfur；　the　Governor；　Slatin　Pasha；　

after　a　prolonged　and　valiant　resistance；　was　forced　to　

surrender；　and　the　whole　province　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　

rebels。　Southwards；　in　the　Bahr…el…Ghazal；　Lupton　Bey　was　shut　up



in　a　remote　stronghold；　while　the　country　was　overrun。　The　

Mahdi's　triumphs　were　beginning　to　penetrate　even　into　the　

tropical　regions　of　Equatoria；　the　tribes　were　rising；　and　Emir　

Pasha　was　preparing　to　retreat　towards　the　Great　Lakes。　On　the　

cast；　Osman　Digna　pushed　the　insurrection　right　up　to　the　shores　

of　the　Red　Sea　and　laid　siege　to　Suakin。　Before　the　year　was　

over；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　isolated　and　surrounded　

garrisons；　the　Mahdi　was　absolute　lord　of　a　territory　equal　to　

the　combined　area　of　Spain；　France；　and　Germany；　and　his　

victorious　armies　were　rapidly　closing　round　Khartoum。



When　the　news　of　the　Hicks　disaster　reached　Cairo；　the　Pashas　

calmly　announced　that　they　would　collect　another　army　of　10；000　

men；　and　again　attack　the　Mahdi；　but　the　English　Government　

understood　at　last　the　gravity　of　the　case。　They　saw　that　a　

crisis　was　upon　them；　and　that　they　could　no　longer　escape　the　

implications　of　their　position　in　Egypt。　What　were　they　to　do？　

Were　they　to　allow　the　Egyptians　to　become　more　and　more　deeply　

involved　in　a　ruinous；　perhaps　ultimately　a　fatal；　war　with　the　

Mahdi？　And；　if　not；　what　steps　were　they　to　take？　



A　small　minority　of　the　party　then　in　power　in　England　the

Liberal　

Party　were　anxious　to　withdraw　from　Egypt　altogether　and　at

once。　

On　the　other　hand；　another　and　a　more　influential　minority；　with　

representatives　in　the　Cabinet；　were　in　favour　of　a　more　active　

intervention　in　Egyptian　affairs　of　the　deliberate　use　of　the　

power　of　England　to　give　to　Egypt　internal　stability　and　external



security；　they　were　ready；　if　necessary；　to　take　the　field　

against　the　Mahdi　with　English　troops。　But　the　great　bulk　of　the　

party；　and　the　Cabinet；　with　Mr。　Gladstone　at　their　head；　

preferred　a　middle　course。　Realising　the　impracticality　of　an　

immediate　withdrawal；　they　were　nevertheless　determined　to　remain



in　Egypt　not　a　moment　longer　than　was　necessary；　and；　in　the　

meantime；　to　interfere　as　little　as　possible　in　Egyptian　affairs。

　

From　a　campaign　in　the　Sudan　conducted　by　an　English　army　they　

were　altogether　averse。　If；　therefore；　the　English　army　was　not　

to　be　used；　and　the　Egyptian　army　was　not　fit　to　be　used　

against　the　Mahdi；　it　followed　that　any　attempt　to　reconquer　the　

Sudan　must　be　abandoned；　the　remaining　Egyptian　troops　must　be　

withdrawn；　and　in　future　military　operations　must　be　limited　to　

those　of　a　strictly　defensive　kind。　Such　was　the　decision　of　the　

English　Government。　Their　determination　was　strengthened　by　two　

considerations：　in　the　first　place；　they　saw　that　the　Mahdi's　

rebellion　was　largely　a　nationalist　movement；　directed　against　an



alien　power；　and；　in　the　second　place；　the　policy　of　withdrawal　

from　the　Sudan　was　the　policy　of　their　own　representative　in　

Egypt；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　who　had　lately　been　appointed　Consul…

General　at　Cairo。　There　was　only　one　serious　obstacle　in　the

way　

the　attitude　of　the　Pashas　at　the　head　of　the　Egyptian　

Government。　The　infatuated　old　men　were　convinced　that　they　would



have　better　luck　next　time；　that　another　army　and　another　Hicks　

would　certainly　destroy　the　Mahdi；　and　that；　even　if　the　Mahdi　

were　again　victorious；　yet　another　army　and　yet　another　Hicks　

would　no　doubt　be　forthcoming；　and　that　THEY　would　do　the　trick；　

or；　failing　that　。。。　but　they　refused　to　consider　eventualities　

any　further。　In　the　face　of　such　opposition；　the　English　

Government；　unwilling　as　they　were　to　interfere；　saw　that　there　

was　no　choice　open　to　them　but　to　exercise　pressure。　They　

therefore　instructed　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　in　the　event　of　the　

Egyptian　Government　refusing　to　withdraw　from　the　Sudan；　to　

insist　upon　the　Khedive's　appointing　other　Ministers　who　would　be



willing　to　do　so。



Meanwhile；　not　only　the　Government；　but　the　public　in　England　

were　beginning　to　realise　the　alarming　nature　of　the　Egyptian　

situation。　It　was　some　time　before　the　details　of　the　Hicks　

expedition　were　fully　known；　but　when　they　were；　andwhen　the

appalling　

character　of　the　disaster　was　understood；　a　thrill　of　horror　ran

through　

the　country。　The　newspapers　became　full　of　articles　on　the　Sudan；

of　

personal　descriptions　of　the　Mahdi；　of　agitated　letters　from

colonels　

and　clergymen　demanding　vengeance；　and　of　serious　discussions　of

future　

policy　in　Egypt。　Then；　at　the　beginning　of　the　new　year；　alarming

messages　

began　to　arrive　from　Khartoum。　Colonel　Coetlogon；　who　was　in

command　of　

the　Egyptian　troops；　reported　a　menacing　concentration　of　the

enemy。　Day　by　day；　

hour　by　hour；　affairs　grew　worse。　The　Egyptians　were　obviously

outnumbered：　

they　could　not　maintain　themselves　in　the　field；　Khartoum　was　in

danger；　at　

any　moment；　its　investment　might　be　complete。　And；　with　Khartoum

once　cut　off　

from　communication　with　Egypt；　what　might　not　happen？



Colonel　Coetlogon　began　to　calculate　how　long　the　city　would　hold



out。　Perhaps　it　could　not　resist　the　Mahdi　for　a　month；　perhaps　

for　more　than　a　month；　but　he　began　to　talk　of　the　necessity　of　a



speedy　retreat。　It　was　clear　that　a　climax　was　approaching；　and　

that　measures　must　be　taken　to　forestall　it　at　once。　Accordingly；



Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　on　receipt　of　final　orders　from　England；　

presented　an　ultimatum　to　the　Egyptian　Government：　the　Ministry　

must　either　sanction　the　evacuation　of　the　Sudan；　or　it　must　

resign。　The　Ministry　was　obstinate；　and；　on　January　7th；　1884；　

it　resigned；　to　be　replaced　by　a　more　pliable　body　of　Pashas。　On　

the　same　day；　General　Gordon　arrived　at　Southampton。　He　was　over　

fifty；　and　he　was　still；　by　the　world's　measurements；　an　

unimportant　man。　In　spite　of　his　achievements；　in　spite　of　a　

certain　celebrity　for　'Chinese　Gordon'　was　still　occasionally　

spoken　of　he　was　unrecognised　and　almost　unemployed。　



He　had　spent　a　lifetime　in　the　dubious　services　of　foreign

governments；　

punctuated　by　futile　drudgeries　at　home；　and　now；　after　a　long

idleness；　

he　had　been　sent　forto　do　what？to　look　after　the　Congo　for

the　King　

of　the　Belgians。　At　his　age；　even　if　he　survived　the　work　and　the

climate；　

he　could　hardly　look　forward　to　any　subsequent　appointment；　he

would　

return　from　the　Congo；　old　and　worn　out；　to　a　red…brick　villa　and



extinction。　Such　were　General　Gordon's　prospects　on　January　7th；　

1884。　By　January　18th；　his　name　was　on　every　tongue；　he　was　the　

favourite　of　the　nation；　he　had　been　declared　to　be　the　one

living　man　

capable　of　coping　with　the　perils　of　the　hour；　he　had　been　

chosen；　with　unanimous　approval；　to　perform　a　great　task；　and　he　

had　left　England　on　a　mission　which　was　to　bring　him　not　only　a　

boundless　popularity；　but　an　immortal　fame。　The　circumstances　

which　led　to　a　change　so　sudden　and　so　remarkable　are　less　easily



explained　than　might　have　been　wished。　An　ambiguity　hangs　over　

them　an　ambiguity　which　the　discretion　of　eminent　persons　has　

certainly　not　diminished。　But　some　of　the　facts　are　clear　enough。



The　decision　to　withdraw　from　the　Sudan　had　no　sooner　been　taken　

than　it　had　become　evident　that　the　operation　would　be　a　

difficult　and　hazardous　one；　and　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　

send　to　Khartoum　an　emissary　armed　with　special　powers　and　

possessed　of　special　ability；　to　carry　it　out。　Towards　the　end　of



November；　somebody　at　the　War　Officeit　is　not　clear　whohad　

suggested　that　this　emissary　should　be　General　Gordon。　Lord　

Granville；　the　Foreign　Secretary；　had　thereupon　telegraphed　to　

Sir　Evelyn　Baring　asking　whether；　in　his　opinion；　the　presence　of



General　Gordon　would　be　useful　in　Egypt；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　had　

replied　that　the　Egyptian　Government　was　averse　to　this　

proposal；　and　the　matter　had　dropped。　



There　was　no　further　reference　to　Gordon　in　the　official

dispatches　

until　after　his　return　to　England。　Nor；　before　that　date；　was　any



allusion　made　to　him　as　a　possible　unraveller　of　the　Sudan

difficulty；　

in　the　Press。　In　all　the　discussions　which　followed　the　news　of

the　

Hicks　disaster；　his　name　is　only　to　be　found　in　occasional　and　

incidental　references　to　his　work　〃In　the　Sudan〃。　The　〃Pall　Mall　

Gazette〃；　which；　more　than　any　other　newspaper；　interested　itself



in　Egyptian　affairs；　alluded　to　Gordon　once　or　twice　as　a　

geographical　expert；　but；　in　an　enumeration　of　the　leading　

authorities　on　the　Sudan；　left　him　out　of　account　altogether。　Yet



it　was　from　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃　that　the　impulsion　which　

projected　him　into　a　blaze　of　publicity　finally　came。　Mr。　Stead；　

its　enterprising　editor；　went　down　to　Southampton　the　day　after　

Gordon's　arrival　there；　and　obtained　an　interview。　Now　when　he　

was　in　the　mood　after　a　little　b。　and　s。；　especially　no　one

was　

more　capable　than　Gordon；　with　his　facile　speech　and　his　free…

and…easy　manners；　of　furnishing　good　copy　for　a　journalist；　and　

Mr。　Stead　made　the