: The Downfall of the Dervishes; or The Avenging of Gordon by Bennett Ernest Nathaniel - Sudan History 1821-1881

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FROM THE ATBARA TO WAD HAMED

THE WEEK BEFORE THE BATTLE

Embarkation of Friendlies--The Shabluka Cataract--Our Delay at Rojan Island--First Glimpse of Omdurman--The Evening Ride from Hagir--The Joys of Good Health--Sudanese Wives--Importance of the "Drink Camel"--An Adventurous Greekling--Mr. Villiers' Bicycle--Um Teref Camp--Sudanese Music--The First Dervish--Scorpion v. the "Father of Spiders"--A Cavalry Reconnaissance--A Rainy Night--Within Twenty-five Miles of Omdurman--Deserted Villages--A Disappointing Capture--Seg-et-Taib--The Water Question--Corpses in the River--The Khalifa's Army in Sight--The Ridge of Kerreri--Sururab--Gunboats at Work--Troublesome Donkeys--Sniping--A Tropical Downpour spoils our Rest--Mr. Villiers and Myself stung by Scorpions--Chasing Hares on the March--Cavalry Scouts on Kerreri--Howitzers in Action--Skirmishing with the Khalifa's Cavalry--Waiting for the Dervish Advance--The Khalifa halts--The Evening before the Battle--The Perils of a Night Attack--False Alarms 105

THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN

GUNBOATS AND GAALIN

AFTER THE BATTLE

The Mahdi's Tomb--A Wounded Man lands under False Pretences--Villiers' Bicycle in Omdurman--Loathsome Streets--The Arsenal--Dervish Ammunition--The "Man-stopping" Bullet--Awful Effects of Modern Rifle Fire--The Gordon Memorial Service--Varieties of Loot--A Tommy's Quaint Mistake--Enrolment of Dervishes under the Khedive's Flag--Charles Neufeld--The Austrian Sisters--Slatin Pasha in Camp--Good-bye to Omdurman--We strike on a Sandbank--Our Sleeping Arrangements--Failure of Attempts to move Gunboat--A Soldier Drowned--A Dead Egyptian--We get off the Bank--Loss of my Luggage--Cross goes to Hospital--Delays on Homeward Journey--Mohammedan Divorce Laws--A Camel dies from the Bite of an Asp--A Good Dinner--From Alexandria to Marseilles--Announcement of Cross's Death--The Future of the Sudan 222

MAP AND PLANS

THE DOWNFALL OF THE DERVISHES

FROM CAIRO TO THE ATBARA

There is no need to dwell upon the trite journey to Alexandria. Such a subject may well be left to the pen of the tourist, who, under the capable management of Dr. Lunn, enjoys at the same time economic and religious satisfaction, and travels at reduced fares to further the reunion of Christendom. The Messageries steamer which conveyed us from Marseilles carried, as is generally the case, scarcely any passengers, except a conglomerate mass of human beings at the foc'sle, and very little freight. Nevertheless, thanks to the enormous subsidy furnished by the French Government, these half-empty steamers invariably afford good accommodation and excellent food. On board our boat were Major Mitford and Lieutenant Winston Churchill. The latter gentleman was going out to be attached to the 21st Lancers, and in the intervals of campaigning conversation and graphic accounts of his recent experiences on the Indian frontier, he supplied us with luminous information as to the principles and practice of Tory Democracy. Another fellow-passenger with whom I was privileged to enjoy a good deal of pleasant conversation was an Egyptian Bey of high official rank. As we neared Alexandria, he told me a great many interesting facts about the bombardment of 1882. He was present during the engagement, and ridiculed the ground which was alleged at the time for the action of our ironclads. Sir Beauchamp Seymour had been ordered from home to "prevent the construction of fresh fortifications at all costs," and when a number of Arabi's levies were seen to be shovelling some spadefuls of sand upon the wretched mounds which stretched towards Ras-el-tin, the concentrated fire of our warships opened upon the whole line of so-called "fortifications." The Egyptian artillerymen did their best, although some of their heaviest guns were not fired from ignorance of their mechanism; nor was the assistance rendered them by a host of men, women, and even children, of much practical utility. My friend told me he saw one of these amateur gunners endeavouring to load a breech-loading Krupp by shoving a shell wrong way about down the mouth of the gun! The shell, of course, stuck fast, and its base projected from the muzzle.

We were altogether very busy in Cairo, and had little time for any side issues. This was a pity, as my companion wished to visit the pyramids, the mosques, and so on, while I personally wanted to see something of the magical practices which still prevail to a considerable extent in Cairo.

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