The Riches of Bahr-el-Ghazal. 345 Tueslia, and I informed Gordon Pasha of the event, so that he might act on his side, he wrote to me as follows : " ' If Suleiman, as you say, is at Tuesha and intends to come to Darfour, I am in greater danger than before. I have not sufficient forces to resist Suleiman and Haroun together, and the consequence would be the loss of Darfour and probably of Kordofan.'

" He sent me in haste to Darra, whence I wrote to him the following words : ' If fate be not against me, and everyone does his duty, I promise to take Suleiman, alive or dead, within a fortnight.'

"Sixteen days after the letter was sent neither Suleiman nor his vassals any longer existed. On receiving news of this, Cxordon said to some high officials who were present : ' Gessi has kept his word. I did not doubt that he would, and was quite easy. I knew him to be the only man capable of such acts.' * It was only just that the Government overwhelmed me with honours, and compensated me for the fatigue and privation I had endured. They would have done much more had I been an Arab or an Englishman. I mention this, not from pride, but to show you that Providence and the fortune of war have been favourable to an Italian.

" I have described the state of things when T was called to assume the command of an army which I had still to create, and to lead against an enemy ten times stronger, inured to war, and drunk with recent victories over the Government troops, Avhile my men had hitherto only encountered savages armed with arrows.

" I was the only Christian among all the Mohammedans whom I led against other Mohammedans, and who at any moment might have revolted and left me at the mercy of the enemy. Notwithstanding * Gordon repeated these words on several other occasions both before and after his resignation. — Ed.