GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 144 it couldbe seen that it was towing a large barge laden withprovisions. At this sight the troops gave another roundof cheers, and seemed to regard their troubles as ended. The native soldiers, who had beenlanded,now marched with their four guns to join the column attackingMatamah, and for anhour or so the tw-o contingents poundedawayat themud walls. The cannonade seemed to have little effect, however, and Sir Charles Wilson eventually decided to withdraw to Abu Kru. Lord Cochranepleaded hardto be allowed to stonn the houses on the windwardside, set fire to that quarter, and under cover of the smoke drive the rebels out of their earthworks, taking them in flank,but Sir CharlesWilson did not considerthat the result would justify the risk.* SirCharles hadalready beenjoinedbythe commander of the little flotilla, Khasm-el-Moos Bey, who brought with him five volumes of Gordon's diary and various letters. Onone slip of paper which he produced there was written the words" Khartoum all right, could hold out for years. C. E. Gordon,Dec. 29, 1884." The good news conveyed in this brief message spread rapidly through the ranks, and caused the greatest satisfaction, the more so as the statements made by the Egyptian officers accompanyingthe steamers hadbeenless hopeful. According to their account theyhad for some weeksbeen stationed with the steamers at anisland a short distance above Matamah, waiting for the arrival of the British column. They had assisted in getting messages into and out ofKhartoum, where the situation was altogether most gloomy. Gordonhimselfwas well,they said,buthis soldiers were despairing of relief, and it was advisable that some Europeans should proceed with the utmost alacrity to Khartoum,in order to reassure thepopulation and the troops.

These statements were in full contradiction with GeneralGordon's briefnote, butthe latterwas manifestly a blind, for Mr. Burleigh maintains that the gallant defender of Khartoumdeclared in a private letter that the end was coming. Two men whomhe had spared— Faragh Pasha, said by some to be a Soudanese, and by others a Circassian, and Ahmed Gelab Bey, a native of Assouan, the chief men in Khartoum com-COLONEL SIR CHARLES WILSON.

fending theposition at AbuKru. There wasaccordingly no reason why Sir Charles Wilson should not have repaired to Khartoum immediately,or if there was, it can onlyhave beenknown to himself. However,heremained with the column, which,with the exceptionof two companies of Guards,moved down to the river'sbank on the morning of Thursday the 22nd. The new position was considered to be more secure and advantageous,and to increaseits safetyit wasspeedily fortified. Thewounded were removed there, and Sir Herbert Stewart, who for the time being was progressing favourably,was carried onboardthe smallestof the steamers, where it w*as consideredhe wouldbemore comfortablethan on shore.

manding the Egyptian troops— were negotiating with the Mahdi for the surrender of the city and the garrison,andhe was powerless toprevent it. The coming ofthe relief expedition hadbeen too longdelayed. He prayed Godhis countrymen might be in time to save him. He hadbeen warned,and could personally escape, but would not desert "his people,"preferring to await the issue, which was in God's hands. There was little likelihood,he thought, ofhis ever seeinghis friends again in this world, ashe would neverbe takenprisoner.

Sir CharlesWilson wasinpossessionof this information on Wednesday, January 21, and ought undoubtedly to have proceeded to Khartoum without even an hour's delay. At thebattle of Gubat,whenSir HerbertStewart waswounded,Colonel Boscawenhadassumedtheeffective The three other vessels had in the meantime been employed by Sir Charles Wilson on a reconnaissance down the Nile. Detachments of Egyptian troops, the Mounted Infantry, and the Sussex regiment were on board, and a couple of hours were spent in shelling Shendy, which was almost completely destroyed. No troops were landed,but three boats were captured, and then the vessels steamed back to the British position. During their absence the Arabs had gathered on the surrounding heights as if for an attack, a thousand or more of them coming from the direction of Khartoum.

Another large party also sallied forth from Matamah, apparently with the object of storming the British position,butit speedilyretired when the Infantry advanced in a line to meet it. Meanwhile a third portion of the rebel force established itself on a small island in the Nile,exactly opposite the British camp, with the evident intentionof annoying the troops during the nightbya ceaseless rifle-fire. However, as the steamers returned, their small guns were speedily brought into play, the infantry sharpshooters opened a steady fire, and the rebels could soon be seen scuttling off' the island and across the Nile.

command of the troops, and he was quite capableof de-* Mr. Charles Williams, the correspondent of the Daily Chronicle, subsequently alluded to this attempt against Matamah inthe following derisive terms:— "The column marched to the north of Matamah; after an hourit marched to the south-west of it. Since the famous exploitof theKing of France with 20,000 men, never was there such marching up hills and then marching downagain;never was there such an objectlessmovement of troops in close order under fire. After six hours— fiveof themunder fire— after establishing, by the efforts of the Royal Engineers and the picked shots of the Rifle Brigade, an admirable little fort, within 650 yards of the town, and after being reinforced by the men and some of the guns of Gordon's steamers, which most opportunely arrived, we— retired. Then only did the attempt on Matamah come tobe called areconnaissance in force." Friday seems to have been unaccountably dawdled