GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 115 ever,that he meant tohold out for another twelve years, whereupon the Mahdi retired without fighting toEl GozElmek, one day south ofKhartoum,and gave out thathe did not intend to fight for another couple of months. In consequence of this, said the messenger, many of his followers had left him. Another informant, an El Obeid merchant, declared that the Mahdi had about this same time built a sanctuary where he retired to pray. He occasionally invitedhis chief people in, and delivered an address, which was followed by various pretended miracles, such as causing a coffee tray to move at hiscommand, or producing fire by thrusting his lance into the ground.

That the proximity of the False Prophet to Khartoum acted as an incentive to treacheiy within the walls is made evident by a second letter from Herr Hansal bearing ONE OF GORDON'S NOTES IN CIRCULATIONAT KHARTOUM.

part of the month the Mahdi had been at Shatt, four hours' distance from Duem, whichis a hundred miles or so south ofKhartoum. Among hisretinue were all the Christian prisoners, thirteen Europeans, twelve Greeks, and eleven Levantines,who had entered, as dervishes, into the Mahdi's military service. It appears that on September 9 two deputies of the False Prophet arrived at the ramparts of Khartoum and demanded entrance, as they hadletters to deliver from the Mahdi to Gordon Pasha, and from the Sisters of the Mission to Herr Hansal. As entrance into the town was refused them, they handed the papers to the sentinels, and then repaired to the hostile camp, not far off. It seems that on September 14 Gordon's men had had another fight with the rebelsin the directionof Senaar and were defeated with heavyloss, their square being repeatedly broken. We know but little of what occurred in or aroundKhartoum for the next fortnight, when a report spread throughout the city that an army of relief was approaching from Dongola. There had been so many false rumours from outside that at first the news wasnot believed,but onSeptember 29 Herr Hansal wrote in the followinghopeful strain :— date October 25, in which he clearly foreshadowed the ultimate fate of the city and its heroic defenders. He said:— "Ithas long beenanopen secret that conspiracies are constantly going onwith thechiefs of the Mahdi. The most prominent notabilities of the town, the Sheikh-ul-Islam, theKadi, the Mufti, the Mudir, the secretaryof Arabi Pasha,livinginexile here, and others, areimplicated in theplot,the leadersin which, Hassan Ibrahim l'ashaand SaidPa;ha, werebeheaded some time ago. A military sentinel with fixedbayonet walks up and down now before their lodgings, but one wUl scarcely have the courage atthis moment to sentence them to the punishment for high treason. The sanctimonious creatures feign the greatest humility towards the authorities, whom in secret they despise and curse. Should it be possible to establish here a settled government, Said Mahommed Achmed would have to be sent out of the world. The name of the Mahdi electrifies the natives,and will curb them as long as he lives. After his death the Eastern Soudan will perish in a chaos unless a civilized Power interferes. The town is blockaded on all sides bythe enemy, who seem desirous to take itbefore the English arrive. They may succeed if they make a violent assault, for our troops are diminished by losses, and five steamers are absent at Berber. If the English army does not advance more rapidly, it will arrive too late."

In a postscript to this letter the Austrian Consul wrote:— "From the camp of the insurgents military captives are departing (escaping ?) almost daily, chiefly Egyptians, singly or in groups, some in full uniform. They describe in gloomycolours the condition of things among the rebels. The combatants receive no wagesandno corn. They live exclusively onfleshmeat,and epidemics, especially of dysentery, prevail, and there areno physicians. The greatest part of the Mahdi's following consists of women, children, and slaves. The combatants are no more than 7,000 or 8,000 in number. In their blind hatred of the foreigner they overlook the complete ruin of their own people and country. All who live in the Soudan must accommodate themselves in food,clothing, and religion— inshort, in everything— to the old traditional manners and customs. The foreign and modern has nohome there. The Mahdias areformer has already laid down his dogmasin anew book, a sort of Koran or Gospel. Here we are therefore theProtestants."

"What a joyful Sundaythis has been to-day! The inmates of the town were filled with delight when the salute of artillery from the forts announced the approach of the English auxiliaries. Three express messengers brought to General Gordon aletter of Lord Wolseley, fromDebbeh, dated August SO, advising him of the advanceof nine regiments of English and Indians, under five generals, on Berber and Khartoum, besides twenty ironclad gunboats. One rayof hope for our deliverance still beams then for us. Long live England ! Now at least thelivesof somany thousands will be saved, even though their goods and chattels maybe lost. It is hoped that we shall or must emigrate soon after the arrival of the English. Itis not yet known whether they will take permanent possessionof the land, or only effect a generalretreat, and abandon the country toits fate."

In apostscript Herr Hansal remarked :— Such, then, was the situation in and around the beleaguered city when the Commander-in-Chief of the British expedition at last thought fit to drawnearer to Khartoum, proceeding to Dongola, where he arrived on November 3, on board the Nassif-el-Kheir, and was received by Sir HerbertStewartand theMudir,attended by their staffs. Eightymen of the Royal Sussex formed aguard of honour, while the approach to the Mudirieh was lined by native troops, who in expectationof Lord Wolseley's arrival, had been making every effort to become proficient in their drill. After an exchange of courtesies with the Mudir,the Commander-in-Chief proceededto his head-quarters;but at sunset on tho follow-"Themost terrific famineimaginable is imminent. The approaching English armyhas, indeed, scared awayall fear of the fanatic barbarians, but hunger will very shortly compel us to relinquish the country,in which anexistence suited to mankind has become quite impossible. Not in vain do we pray to God, 'Defend us from war, dearth, and famine.'"

It would seem that it was not until some time in October that the Mahdi arrived in person before Khartoum. He came (so native messengers subsequently reported at Dongola), with a large force to Omdurman, and summoned General Gordon to surrender. The valiant governor of the beleaguered city replied, how-