Among what happened, and what was made clear in its place, was the dismissal of Minister Muhammad Sharif Pasha from the presidency and the appointment of Minister Nubar Pasha in his stead, and what occurred of the insistence of the English political leader on the Khedive and Minister Nubar Pasha, and the succession of his demands, until Gordon assumed the general governorship of Sudan and obtained absolute authority over it, and its consequences. He went to Khartoum as we described, and what happened to him and after that will be told to you in its chapter, God Almighty willing.

(In another defeat and a great rout) Gordon could not have expected failure to this extent, after the Foreign Office had acknowledged the kingdom and the sovereignty over the land of Sudan, and after he had addressed the people with what he addressed, such as leaving behind remaining wealth, prohibiting protection for three years, and allowing freedom of trade in slaves, and other expressions of courtesy and leniency. But fate decreed otherwise, and things fell into his hands, and his situation became confused, and his planning failed, and his campaign weakened, and his vision was obscured by what was expected. News reached him at this time of the killing of Graham's army and the death of its senior men. He had believed that his salvation and the salvation of those with him depended on the success of this army and the reinforcement of his men. However, when the English political leader learned of the killing of Baker Pasha's army and the withdrawal of his men, as previously explained, this defeat befell him. He had previously telegraphed that the road between Suakin and Berber had been opened for the benefit of their authority in the future. So he sent an army from their forces, their ranks, and their contingents to achieve the opening of that road. Graham arrived at Suakin at the head of that army in the last ten days of Rabi' al-Thani of the year, which was 1301 AH, with a large amount of war equipment and combat gear. They were informed from Suakin that Torkat and Sar, along with Baker Pasha, the commander of the army that was defeated, had been killed. Their bodies were dismembered. Their burial was completed upon their arrival in Torkat and Torkat. The fort was surrounded by some schools, and cannons were placed on them by Mahmoud Pasha Taher and Baker Pasha. They were assigned to defend them. Graham approached Torkat and saw the strength and fortification of the enemy's position. He called out to his army to advance and attack, but they did not, and they turned and fled. The enemy's bombs struck them, falling upon them like rain, and causing them terrible destruction. Graham rallied them until he convinced them and restored their ranks. He advanced a second time until he was close to the enemy's schools, then they opened their cannons and sent their bombs at the schools. The enemy intensified their fire and rained down a fierce barrage, so much so that the formation of one flank of the army was disrupted, and it was affected by it.