GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 102 suppressing this rebellion, the serious consequences of which are the reverse of victorious for you, and the neglect thereforewillnot do. " In two days' time Colonel Stewart, the Vice-Governor-General, and the two Consuls, will start from here to Berber, and thence to Dongola The reasonwhyIhavenow sent Colonel Stewart is because youhavebeen silent all thiswhile and haveneglectedus, andlost time Without doingany good. If troops were sent as soon as they reach Be-ber this rebellion will cease, aud the inhabitants will return to their former occupations. Itis thereforehoped that you willlisten to all that is told you by Stewartand the Consuls,andlookatit seriously, and send troops, as wehaveasked, without any delay.'

knowledged that he fought most desperately for his life, killing one of hisassailants and woundinga second one withhis revolver. Among theprizes which fell into the hands of the rebels onthisoccasion,wasColonel Stewart's journal of all the events which had takenplace inKhartoum from March 1 to September 10. Gordon subsequently wrote that this journal was a gem illustrated withall the Mahdi's communications in Arabic.

Onelooksin vainin the General's publishedlettersand despatches, for any confirmation of the recent statements that there was aseriousdifference ofopinionbetweenhimself and Colonel Stewartas to the defence of Khartoum. Colonel Stewart was at one time reported to have "repeatedly and strongly urged that by remaining in Khartoum, they could do no good whatever,but might causemuch bloodshed;" andGeneral Gordon onhis side By the departure and death of Colonel Stewart and Mr.Frank Power, the gallantdefender ofKhartoum was MR. FRANK POWER.

left alone, withouta single compatriot toassisthimin the arduous task of keepingthe rebels at bay. It therefore became important to move up to the relief of the beleagured city withall possible despatch. The Mudir of Dongolahadcertainly wron another victory overa strongrebelforce, on Sept. 18 in the vicinity of Korti,killing severalof theFalseProphet'sAmeers, capturinganumber ofprisoners andpursuing the fugitives as far as Assli,but if this success prevented a rebel advance northwards it bynomeans raisedthe siegeofKhartoum, whichwasstill closely invested, despite Gordon's successes at the end of August.

Prior to the arrival of the sad tidings of Colonel Stewart'sdeath,andbeforeLord Wolseley hadleft Cairo, Generals Earle and Sir Herbert Stewart had already reached Wady Haifa. Thelatterwithhis staffat onceset out onponies for Dongola to take up the command, and the party arrivedat their destination onSept. 30, at the same timeas two hundredandfifty men of the mounted infantry, who made the journeyup the Nile fromSarrasinnuggars or native barges. These men found the Tangour cataract, some fifty miles from their startingpoint, the most difficult to traverse,as itwasimpassable without towing, which was all but impracticable from the banks. On the way, the expeditionfound the palms and furze ablazefor a distance ofhalf amile onthe leftbank of the Nile; and one of the nuggars, conveying some forty men nearing the shore, the sail at once caught fire, to the great alarm of the crew. However the mast was speedily cut down, and forty-seven cases of ammunition were thrown overboard. No one was injured,.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL STEWART (Fromarhotograpli by A.Bassano.)

was saidto have commented upon ColonelStewart's acts in anunfriendly manner in his diaries. Thanks to Sir Henry Gordon, we know, however, that the gallant defender ofKhartoum spoke highlyof his coadjutor, as a brave, just, and upright gentleman, and frequently expressed anxietyconcerninghissafety. Itiscertain,moreover, that Colonel Stewart took a leading part in the operations, both offensive and defensive, and that his departure had no connection whatever with a policy of abandonment. He in fact left Khartoum to hasten the British advance in hopes of crushing the rebellion. Gordon statesinhis despatch of Sept.9, that he sends Colonel Stewartand the two consuls to " communicate concerning the Soudan," and that hedetaches twolarge steamers to convey them to Berber, so as to engage the enemy, and keep the way clear. And he adds:— ■ "How many times have w-e written asking for reinforcements,calling your serious attention to the Soudan ! No answer at all has come to us as to whathas been decidedin thematter, and the heartsof men have become weary of this delay. While you are eating, drinking, and resting on good beds, we and those with us— both soldiers and servants— are watching by night and day endeavouring to quell the movement of this false Mahdi. Us course you take no interest in