GORDON AND THE MAHDI. 60 So welldid things proceed that Gordon expressedconfidenceinhis abilityto accomplish thepacification of the Soudan without firing a shot. By February22 he had alreadyembarked a portion of the Egyptian garrison of Khartoum, andhaddespatchedIbrahim Pashainadvance to make the necessary arrangements for their passage to Lower Egypt. His plan was to send away all the Egyptians,retaining a sufficiency of black troops for a o-arrison in Khartoum, the command of which he entrusted to Afresh Bey Shilook, a negro who had won the Legion of Honour while serving under Bazaine in Mexico. He also hoped to provide for the withdrawal ot the garrisons inSenaar. Inaletter thankingColonel de Coetlogonfor whathe had done,when Gordon considered his further services could be dispensed with, he wrote: " My beliefis that there is not the least chance of any dangerbeingincurred by Khartoum, whichIconsider as safe as Cairo. Therefore your services hereinamilitary capacity would be wasted. Iconsider this place was in imminentdanger,not from an external enemy, but from thepeople of the town, who,bullied by the effete government of Hussein Pasha Cheri, becamefavourable to the El Obeid people. Rest assured you leave this place as safe as KensingtonPark."

A little cloud was however soon to gather. At first the moral supportawarded by theBritish Government to Gordon was all that he could have desired. Mr. Gladstone, speaking on February13, said that the Government were resolved to do nothing to interfere with the "great pacific scheme" that Gordon was carrying out. When the Opposition attacked his action in issuing the proclamation authorisingtheholdingof slaves,the Government stoodby him. But thenceforward they waveredin their policyof unconditional support. Gordon, on February 18, telegraphed for the immediatedespatch of his old foe Zebehr Pasha, to take over the government of Khartoum. He pleaded that to withdraw withoutbeing able to appoint a successor in his place would be the signalfor general anarchy throughout the country, and that Zebehr alonehadthe abilityto rulethe Soudan,and would be universally accepted there. But the antislavery outcry was again raised,and this timeproved too strong. The Cabinet was divided, but the majority declared that they wouldnot have Zebehr at any price, in face of the expression ofpublic opinion. The resultof this willbe apparentfurther on.

Ere longit became evident that in spite of Gordon's conciliatorymeasures, the popular enthusiasmmanifested on his arrival inKhartoum wassteadily subsiding. The confidence which he himself had felt in the maintenance COLONEL DE COETLOGO>\ it to be a dreadfulden ofmisery. Twohundred wretches loaded with chains lay there. They were of all ages, boys and old men, somehaving never been tried, some havingbeenproved innocent,but forgottenformore than six months, some arrested on suspicion and detained there forupwards of three years, manymerelyprisoners of war, and one a woman, who had spent fifteen years in the prison for a crime committed when she was a girl. He at once commenced to abolish this bastille. All the prisonerswere ordered to be briefly examined, andif it were thought advisable they were to be set at liberty. Before it was dark scoresof wretches had had their chainsstruck off, and on the followingday Colonel Stewart continuedthe goodwork. In the evening the town was in a blaze of illumination, the bazaar being hung with cloth .and coloured lamps, and the private houses beautifully decorated. There was evena fine display of fireworks by the negro population, who indulged in great rejoicings till midnight. " The people," telegraphed Mr. Power, "are devoted to General Gordon, whose design is to save the garrison and for ever leave the Soudan— as perforce it mustbeleft— to the Soudanese."

of tranquillity speedilygave way to seriousapprehensions, and led to the issue of a proclamation in the following terms:— " From the dateofmy arrivaluntil nowIhave given you sound advice, and everything has been done to ensure tranquillity and put a stop to bloodshed. My advice hasnot beenlistenedto, andIam thereforeforced against my will to send for British troops, who are now on the road, and will arrive in a few days. Ishall severelypunish all who will not change their conduct." A despatchreceivedfromGordon at this epoch urged upon the British Government that "if Egypt is to be quiet,Mahdi must be smashed up. Mahdi is most unpopular, and withcare and time could be smashed. Rememberthat once Khartoum belongs to theMahdi, the task willbefar moredifficult ; yet you will,forsafety of Egypt, execute it. Ifyou decideonsmashingMahdi then send upanother £100,000 and sendup 200 Indian troops to Wady Haifa, and send officer up to Dongolaunder pretence to look out quartersfor troops. Leave Suakim Continuing his reforms, GeneralGordon put a stop to *the custom of levj-ing backsheesh on allpersonsentering the townthrough the one gateleft open, whichhad been put inforceby theminor authorities. He threwopen two more gates, so that the people could enter freely, and further abolished the market dues. Boxes were alsoset up for people to drop petitions or complaints into, and the blame was quickly saddled on any official whose errors were revealed by this means. Hussein Pasha Cheri, the late Yice-Governor, having, six weeks previously, caused an old man, Sheikh Belud, to be bastinadoeduntil the sinews of his feet wereexposed,Gordon telegraphed to Cairo to have £50 stopped from the Pasha's pay,stating at the same timethat if heobjected he was to be sent back to Khartoum for trial.