Gordon, A.D. 1878.

241 Gordon's reasons for undertaking liis present expedition were to help Gessi, to prevent partisans of Zubeir in Kordofan sending aid to the slave dealers, to cut off runaways, and to hinder Zubeir's bands breaking into Darfur and joining Hariin. At the end of March he went to Edowa (Eddaiya), from which station Subahi with 400 men was only four days distant. Many captures of slave caravans now took place, the total number captured since June, 1878, being 63. Shakka was reached on 7th April, where a message was received from Gessi, asking for more troops and ammunition. Gordon now decided that it would be prudent to reinstate the Sultan's family in Darfur, in the person of the son of Sultan Ibrahim, and telegraphed to the Khedive to send him down, as at that time he was kept at Cairo. In December, 1877, Gordon had found, imprisoned at Suakin, an ex- Vizier of Darfur ; he had liberated him and sent him back to the province. Now he appointed him regent until the son of the deceased Sultan arrived from Cairo, and wrote to Harun pointing out the uselessness of his further opposition, and inviting him to come in and assist to establish the new Sultan.

In a letter written at this time he makes the following observation : — " If the liberation of slaves takes place in 1884 [in Egypt proper], and the present system of government goes on, there cannot fail to be a revolt of the whole country. It is rather amusing to think that the people of Cairo are quite oblivious that in 1884 their revenue will fall SUDANESE MAIDEN.

to oue-half , and that the country will need more troops to keep it quiet. Seven-eighths of the population of the Sudan are slaves, and the loss of revenue in 1889 (the date fixed for the liberation of the slaves in Egypt's outlying territories) will be more than two-thirds, if it is ever carried out."

Gordon, leaving Shakka in April, went by Kalaka, Dara, El Fasher, to Kolkol, which he reached on 26th May ; here he relieved the garrison, and returned to El Fasher. At the latter place he heard from Gessi of the capture of Suleiman's stronghold, and was about to start for Khartoum, when learning that a force of Zubeir's men was en route for Darfur, he returned to Taweisha, and, on June 25th, he met Gessi who informed him that the last of the rebel Gordon bands had been crushed. Leaving Gessi to follow up Suleiman, Gordon now left for Khartoum. meets Geesi, ° June 2otu, 1879.

GESSrS CAMPAIGN, 1878.

Before Zubeir had left for Cairo to push his claims to the Governorship of Darfur, he had made his officers swear that P' if, during his absence, he sent them word to conform to the arrangements he had made under a certain tree, then they 2ubeir 1878.