eminent victorians-第64章

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the　Red　Sea　port　of　Suakin；　which　were　to　have　a　decisive　effect

upon　the　prospects　of　Khartoum。　General　Baker；　the　brother　of　Sir

Samuel　Baker；　attempting　to　relieve　the　beleaguered　garrisons　of

Sinkat　and　Tokar；　had　rashly　attacked　the　forces　of　Osman　Digna；

had　been　defeated；　and　obliged　to　retire。　Sinkat　and　Tokar　had

then　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　Mahdi's　general。　There　was　a

great　outcry　in　England；　and　a　wave　of　warlike　feeling　passed

over　the　country。　Lord　Wolseley　at　once　drew　up　a　memorandum

advocating　the　annexation　of　the　Sudan。　In　the　House　of　Commons

even　Liberals　began　to　demand　vengeance　and　military　action；

whereupon　the　Government　dispatched　Sir　Gerald　Graham　with　a

considerable　British　force　to　Suakin。　Sir　Gerald　Graham　advanced；

and　in　the　battles　of　El　Teb　and　Tamai　inflicted　two　bloody

defeats　upon　the　Mahdi's　forces。　It　almost　seemed　as　if　the

Government　was　now　committed　to　a　policy　of　interference　and

conquest；　as　if　the　imperialist　section　of　the　Cabinet　were　at

last　to　have　their　way。　The　dispatch　of　Sir　Gerald　Graham

coincided　with　Gordon's　sudden　demand　for　British　and　Indian

troops　with　which　to　'smash　up　the　Mahdi'。　The　business；　he

assured　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　in　a　stream　of　telegrams；　could　very

easily　be　done。　It　made　him　sick；　he　said；　to　see　himself　held　in

check　and　the　people　of　the　Sudan　tyrannised　over　by　'a　feeble

lot　of　stinking　Dervishes'。　Let　Zobeir　at　once　be　sent　down　to

him；　and　all　would　be　well。



The　original　Sultans　of　the　country　had　unfortunately　proved

disap…pointing。　Their　place　should　be　taken　by　Zobeir。　After　the

Mahdi　had　been　smashed　up；　Zobeir　should　rule　the　Sudan　as　a

subsidised　vassal　of　England；　on　a　similar　footing　to　that　of　the

Amir　of　Afghanistan。　The　plan　was　perhaps　feasible；　but　it　was

clearly　incompatible　with　the　policy　of　evacuation；　as　it　had

been　hitherto　laid　down　by　the　English　Government。　Should　they

reverse　that　policy？　Should　they　appoint　Zobeir；　reinforce　Sir

Gerald　Graham；　and　smash　up　the　Mahdi？　They　could　not　make　up

their　minds。　So　far　as　Zobeir　was　concerned；　there　were　two

counterbalancing　considerations；　on　the　one　hand；　Evelyn　Baring

now　declared　that　he　was　in　favour　of　the　appointment；　but；　on

the　other　hand；　would　English　public　opinion　consent　to　a　man；

described　by　Gordon　himself　as　'the　greatest　slave…hunter　who

ever　existed'；　being　given　an　English　subsidy　and　the　control　of

the　Sudan？　While　the　Cabinet　was　wavering；　Gordon　took　a　fatal

step。　The　delay　was　intolerable；　and　one　evening；　in　a　rage；　he

revealed　his　desire　for　Zobeir　which　had　hitherto　been　kept　a

profound　official　secret　to　Mr　Power；　the　English　Consul　at

Khartoum；　and　the　special　correspondent　of　〃The　Times。〃　Perhaps

he　calculated　that　the　public　announcement　of　his　wishes　would

oblige　the　Government　to　yield　to　them；　if　so；　he　was　completely

mistaken；　for　the　result　was　the　very　reverse。　The　country；

already　startled　by　the　proclamation　in　favour　of　slavery；　could

not　swallow　Zobeir。　The　Anti…Slavery　Society　set　on　foot　a

violent　agitation；　opinion　in　the　House　of　Commons　suddenly

stiffened；　and　the　Cabinet；　by　a　substantial　majority；　decided

that　Zobeir　should　remain　in　Cairo。　The　imperialist　wave　had

risen　high；　but　it　had　not　risen　high　enough；　and　now　it　was

rapidly　subsiding。　The　Government's　next　action　was　decisive。　Sir

Gerald　Graham　and　his　British　Army　were　withdrawn　from　the　Sudan。



The　critical　fortnight　during　which　these　events　took　place　was

the　first　fortnight　of　March。　By　the　close　of　it；　Gordon's

position　had　undergone　a　rapid　and　terrible　change。　Not　only　did

he　find　himself　deprived；　by　the　decision　of　the　Government；　both

of　the　hope　of　Zobeir's　assistance　and　of　the　prospect　of

smashing　up　the　Mahdi　with　the　aid　of　British　troops；　the

military　movements　in　the　Eastern　Sudan　produced；　at　the　very

same　moment；　a　yet　more　fatal　consequence。　The　adherents　of　the

Mahdi　had　been　maddened；　they　had　not　been　crushed；　by　Sir　Gerald

Graham's　victories。　When；　immediately　afterwards；　the　English

withdrew　to　Suakin；　from　which　they　never　again　emerged；　the

inference　seemed　obvious；　they　had　been　defeated；　and　their　power

was　at　an　end。　The　warlike　tribes　to　the　north　and　the　northeast

of　Khartoum　had　long　been　wavering。　They　now　hesitated　no　longer；

and　joined　the　Mahdi。　From　that　moment　it　was　less　than　a　month

from　Gordon's　arrival　at　Khartoum　the　situation　of　the　town　was

desperate。　The　line　of　communications　was　cut。　Though　it　still

might　be　possible　for　occasional　native　messengers；　or　for　a　few

individuals　on　an　armed　steamer；　to　win　their　way　down　the　river

into　Egypt；　the　removal　of　a　large　number　of　personsthe　loyal

inhabitants　or　the　Egyptian　garrison　was　henceforward　an

impossibility。　The　whole　scheme　of　the　Gordon　mission　had

irremediably　collapsed；　worse　still；　Gordon　himself；　so　far　from

having　effected　the　evacuation　of　the　Sudan；　was　surrounded　by

the　enemy。　'The　question　now　is；'　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　told　Lord

Granville；　on　March　24th；　'how　to　get　General　Gordon　and　Colonel

Stewart　away　from　Khartoum。'



The　actual　condition　of　the　town；　however；　was　not；　from　a

military　point　of　view；　so　serious　as　Colonel　Coetlogon；　in　the

first　moments　of　panic　after　the　Hicks　disaster；　had　supposed。

Gordon　was　of　opinion　that　it　was　capable　of　sustaining　a　siege

of　many　months。　With　his　usual　vigour；　he　had　already　begun　to

prepare　an　elaborate　system　of　earthworks；　mines；　and　wire

entanglements。　There　was　a　five　or　six　months'　supply　of　food；

there　was　a　great　quantity　of　ammunition；　the　garrison　numbered

about　8；000　men。　There　were；　besides；　nine　small　paddle…wheel

steamers；　hitherto　used　for　purposes　of　communication　along　the

Nile；　which；　fitted　with　guns　and　protected　by　metal　plates；　were

of　considerable　military　value。　'We　are　all　right；'　Gordon　told

his　sister　on　March　15th。　'We　shall；　D。　V。；　go　on　for　months。'　So

far；　at　any　rate；　there　was　no　cause　for　despair。　But　the

effervescent　happiness　of　three　weeks　since　had　vanished。　Gloom；

doubt；　disillusionment；　self…questioning；　had　swooped　down　again

upon　their　victim。　'Either　I　must　believe　He　does　all　things　in

mercy　and　love；　or　else　I　disbelieve　His　existence；　there　is　no

half　way　in　the　matter。　What　holes　do　I　not　put　myself　into！　And

for　what？　So　mixed　are　my　ideas。　I　believe　ambition　put　me　here

in　this　ruin。'　Was　not　that　the　explanation　of　it　all？　'Our

Lord's　promise　is　not　for　the　fulfilment　of　earthly　wishes；

therefore；　if　things　come　to　ruin　here　He　is　still　faithful；　and

is　carrying　out　His　great　work　of　divine　wisdom。'　How　could　he

have　forgotten　that？　But　he　would　not　transgress　again。　'I　owe

all　to　God；　and　nothing　to　myself；　for；　humanly　speaking；　I　have

done　very　foolish　things。　However；　if　I　am　humbled；　the　better

for　me。'



News　of　the　changed　circumstances　at　Khartoum　was　not　slow　in

reaching　England；　and　a　feeling　of　anxiety　began　to　spread。　Among

the　first　to　realise　the　gravity　of　the　situation　was　Queen

Victoria。　'It　is　alarming；'　she　telegraphed　to　Lord　Hartington　on

March　25th。　'General　Gordon　is　in　danger；　you　are　bound　to　try　to

save　him。。。　You　have　incurred　a　fearful　responsibility。'　With　an

unerring　instinct；　Her　Majesty　　forestalled　and　expressed　the

popular　sentiment。　During　April；　when　it　had　become　clear　that

the　wire　between　Khartoum　and　Cairo　had　been　severed；　when；　as

time　passed；　no　word　came　northward；　save　vague　rumours　of

disaster；　when　at　last　a　curtain　of　impenetrable　mystery　closed

over　Khartoum；　the　growing　uneasiness　manifested　itself　in

letters　to　the　newspapers；　in　leading　articles；　and　in　a　flood　of

subscriptions　towards　a　relief　fund。　At　the　beginning　of　May；　the

public　alarm　reached　a　climax。　It　now　appeared　to　be　certain；　not

only　that　General　Gordon　was　in　imminent　danger；　but　that　no

steps　had　yet　been　taken　by　the　Government　to　save　him。



On　the　5th；　there　was　a　mee