144 EGYPT AND THE SOUDAN.

one which carried away her rudder. Plenty of supplies came in to-day."

On the 2 2d: "The court-martial found the pashas guilty to-day. They were shot this afternoon I am well supplied.

Thirty-eight camels came in to-day." The reverse and the loss of arms and ammunition, occasioned by the treachery of the pashas, was of serious significance, but it did not affect the townsfolk, who remained staunch to Gordon, including those whom he had armed. One man came forward and offered to lend him a thousand guineas without interest, a very welcome aid, for the treasury was nearly exhausted, — another armed and paid 200 blacks for the service of the governor-general.

Meantime camels were coming in with provisions, though it was said that the rebels were badly off for food at Halfiyeh, and that some of them were deserting; while the vast number of rebel peasantry who were under arms for so long a time, and who had consequently left their crops under the burning sun without irrigation, were likely to suffer dreadfully in the future. Gordon declared still that the many were forced into rebellion for fear of the few, and owing to the inability of the armed force at Khartum to protect them. He offered a reward for the capture of the Sheikh-el-Obeid, and seized all the private horses of the town as a precautionary measure, for the tribes on the White Nile were wavering. On the 2 2d of March, almost immediately after the conviction of the treacherous pashas, there arrived at Khartum two emissaries from the Mahdi bringing an answer to Gordon's letter. It was evident that if the Mahdi had at first appeared to be pleased with the appointment and the present sent him by Gordon, he had altered his opinion, and was now so assured of his own position that he could announce his intention of coming to take Khartum.

The friendly sheikhs whom Colonel Stewart had met on his journey on the White Nile had said that the Mahdi had sent orders to Faki Ibrahim, who had the command of 4000 men on that river, not to fight or provoke hostilities, and that similar orders had been sent to Sheikh Baseer, who was in arms on the Blue Nile, forbidding him to attack Sennar or to advance on Khartum,