Gordon suffered from the famine as much as the humblest soldier of the Mahdia, or the poorest inhabitant of the city. He was forced to eat palm dates, even when he was ill and weak. One day, the Greek doctor, Xyodaki, the Mahdia's doctor, came to me and told me that Gordon's continued consumption of dates, which were not of good origin, put him in great danger, and that he needed good food. I would obtain for him, every two or three days, a chicken or two, or an old hen.

He was also suffering from a stomach ailment, and he did not eat much. He said that for twenty-four years he had only eaten a little broth, and he asked for it. He was offered a quail to nourish him, but he refused, saying, "Man does not live by bread alone, nor does my soul desire food while my soldiers are starving. My duty is to them, and God will do as He wills."

The prices of food in the city were so high that a measure of wheat cost thirty riyals, a measure of flour ten riyals, and a measure of butter five riyals. Some of the inhabitants were slaughtering their cattle and hoarding them, fearing punishment. However, many of the city's inhabitants lived in comfort and had stored provisions, which they hid underground. The government was forced to enter their homes and share the grain they found. They would refuse this sharing, making excuses about the size of their families and their need for food.

The order of the troops had also broken down, and many of the troops were sick and weak.