The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885 Part 81

[127] Major-General Sir Herbert Stewart was born in 1843, and was one of the youngest generals in the service.

One of the earliest appointments made on the organization of the army for the first Egyptian campaign was that of Stewart as Staff officer to General Drury-Lowe, who was to command the cavalry division. He distinguished himself at Tel-el-Kebir, and took part in Drury-Lowe's brilliant ride to Cairo. When the Egyptians sent out a white flag to meet the advancing British force, General (then Colonel) Stewart at the head of a few Lancers and Dragoons, demanded, and received, the surrender of the Egyptians at Abba.s.sieh. He accompanied General Graham to Souakim, and displayed conspicuous soldierly qualities at Tamaai.

[128] A private of the Duke of Cornwall's Regiment found in a donkey's saddle-bag a letter in Arabic from the Governor of Berber to the Governor of the district, and which was as follows:--"I inform you that to-day, after the mid-day prayer, we received a letter from the faithful Khalifa Abdullah Eben Mohammed, in which he tells us that Khartoum was taken on Monday, the 9th Rabi, 1302, on the side of El Haoui, in the following manner:--The Mahdi prayed his dervishes and his troops to advance against the fortifications, and entered Khartoum in a quarter of an hour. They killed the traitor Gordon, and captured the steamers and boats. G.o.d has made him glorious. Be grateful and thank and praise G.o.d for His unspeakable mercy. I announce it to you. Tell your troops."

Dated the 13th Rabi.

[129] There is an Arab proverb which here seems not inapplicable, "Being worsted by his mother-in-law, he rounded on his wife," said of one who, having been beaten by a person stronger than himself, takes his revenge upon a weaker individual.

[130] It is said that the Mudir of Dongola being asked at this time if there was any prospect of good camels being obtained, answered that "he did not see why not, as the English had already bought up all the bad ones."

[131] Lord Wolseley's reply did not appear in the Blue Book.

[132] The troops at Korti about this time received a visit from some emissaries of the Mahdi, who interviewed General Dormer and pointed out the wonderful things which their leader could do. He could, they said, even interfere with the forces of nature, and drying up rivers and causing floods were only some of the trifling miracles which he was capable of bringing about. The General, who wore a gla.s.s eye, promptly took it out, spun it into the air, and replaced it. "Can the Mahdi do that?" he asked, at the same time winking with the restored eye. The astonished Dervishes made no reply, but quietly "salaamed" and retired, as if unwilling to continue longer in the society of one so evidently in league with evil spirits.

[133] According to the account of an eye-witness the Horse Artillery was stationed at one period at a point where the underwood grew so thickly that the gunners could not see seventy yards away from the guns.

[134] Much of the narrative which follows is taken from "The Battle of Tofrek," by William Galloway (1887).

[135] The salient for the guns was so far advanced that the remaining Gardner guns had been brought up ready to be placed in position. The other half battalion of the Berkshires remained outside in its original position, the men engaged in having their dinners.

[136] Osman wrote to the Mahdi that "G.o.d struck fear into the hearts of the English, and they went away."

[137] A return of the approximate cost, as nearly as can be ascertained, of the military expeditions, has been issued. The extra cost of the first expedition to Souakim, in 1884, was 352,352; the extra cost of the second expedition, in 1885, was 2,127,762; and the cost of the Souakim-Berber railway, including pipe line and water supply, was 865,369; making a total of 3,345,483. This is the cost incurred over and above the normal charge for the maintenance of the troops concerned.

[138] Lord Wolseley was created a Viscount for his services with the Expedition.

[139] For much of the information contained in the present chapter the author is indebted to the excellent work "Mahdism and the Egyptian Soudan," already referred to.

[140] Frequently spelt "Delligo."

[141] Ginnis and Kosheh are two villages on the east bank of the Nile, and are only separated by a short distance.

[142] Osman was reported as slain on the 23rd September, 1885, when the Dervishes were routed by the Abyssinians at Kufeit. So far from this being the case, he shortly after marched into Ka.s.sala, in triumph.

[143] Much of the narrative of the fight which follows is derived from "Mahdism and the Egyptian Soudan."

[144] Grenfell's fighting force amounted to over 5,000 men.

[145] The Author is indebted to "Mahdism and the Egyptian Soudan" for the greater part of these details.

[146] Matuka is situated on the west bank of the Nile, five and a half miles south of Khor Mussa.

[147] Alongside the camel was found the one-year-old child of the dead chief. The infant was duly cared for, and is now an intelligent and well educated boy in Cairo.

[148] This engagement, which took place at Tokar, for some unknown reason is referred to by some writers as the battle of Afafit.

[149] Egypt's contribution to the expenses of the Army of Occupation at this period amounted to 200,000 per annum.

[150] The new coins, although "made in Germany," had impressed on them in Arabic characters the words "struck in Cairo," with the year of the Sultan's reign in which they were made superadded.

[151] An instance of this occurred to the Author personally. On asking a native landowner if, under the new regime, his taxes were not lighter, and were not collected at a more convenient season than formerly, he replied in the affirmative. Interrogated further if his water supply was not more regular, and the increase of his crops was not also greater than before, he answered with an emphatic "Yes." When, however, the question was put to him, "To whom do you attribute these changes for the better?" the man simply replied, "'Tis the will of Allah."

[152] The above figures represent ordinary receipts only.

[153] It is said that Colonel Rundle, Chief of the Staff of the Egyptian army, was aroused to hear the news by stones thrown at his window in the middle of the night, and that no one could be found bold enough to awake and inform the Sirdar, who remained in ignorance until the morning.

[154] In this short campaign the battalion lost no less than sixty-four of their number (including those who died in Cairo soon after their return, princ.i.p.ally from enteric fever).

[155] Reckoning six companies to a battalion, this would make Hunter's force amount to about 2,500 men.

[156] For a great part of the description above given the Author is indebted to Mr. Bennett Burleigh's "Sirdar and Khalifa."

[157] Later on Ed Damer was disestablished, and Fort Atbara, at the northern angle of the two rivers, was subst.i.tuted for it.

[158] This has an important bearing on the choice of routes on the occasion of the despatch of "The Gordon Relief Expedition," dealt with in a previous chapter.

[159] Many of the above details of the engagement are taken from the "Morning Post."

[160] The new frontier was fixed at a spot called Zabderat.

[161] The trains attained a speed of twenty-five miles an hour.

[162] A firm of brewers who had forwarded several hundred barrels of beer to Wady Halfa had them all returned on their hands.

[163] During the stay of the troops, the heat was intense, the thermometer frequently standing at 117 in the shade.

[164] According to a report to the War Department drawn up by Surgeon-Major Carr, out of the entire British force there were only three men whose wounds were caused by spears, all the rest being the result of gunfire. This would tend to show that the amount of hand-to-hand fighting engaged in was inconsiderable.

[165] Later on Mahmoud stated that 4,000 of his hors.e.m.e.n were half a day's journey distant on the occasion of the fight.

[166] Their conversation, which is too long to be reproduced here, after reference to old times, dwelt princ.i.p.ally on the impending advance on Omdurman. Its substance was somewhat as follows:--Slatin: "Hullo, Mahmoud! Got _you_ this time, dear boy!" Mahmoud: "Right you are, Slatin, but just you wait till you come across Abdullah! Then you will see what happens, and he may have you again."

[167] As this is the last occasion on which it will be necessary to refer to Messrs. Cook & Son, it may not be out of place to recall some of the services rendered by that firm in the various operations on the Nile in which British troops partic.i.p.ated. The important part taken by Messrs. Cook in regard to the "Gordon Relief Expedition" in 1884 has been already mentioned in these pages. On that occasion the firm transported Lord Wolseley's entire force from a.s.siout to the Second Cataract. In pursuance of their contract, on this occasion the firm's steamers transported altogether no less than 11,000 British and 7,000 Egyptian troops, 800 whalers, and 130,000 tons of stores and war material. When the melancholy failure of the expedition is contrasted with the admirable manner in which Messrs. Cook performed their contract, one is tempted to regret that the latter was not made to include the rescue of Gordon and the Soudan garrisons. In the disturbances on the Nile frontier in 1885 and 1886, Messrs. Cook's fleet was again occupied in satisfying the military requirements of the British and Egyptian Governments. In the spring of 1896, when the hurried advance to Dongola was made, all of Cook's steamers were once more requisitioned for the purpose of conveying troops, both British and Egyptian, from Belianah to a.s.souan.

Nor were the services of the firm of a military character only. The late Mr. John Mason Cook, the managing partner, was a man of a singularly benevolent character. The founding of the Luxor Hospital for Natives was only one of many charitable works due to his liberality and energy. When the fighting at Tel-el-Kebir was over, he undertook the transport of the wounded to Cairo by water, and later on, when Wolseley's army was decimated with enteric fever, Mr. Cook conveyed the convalescents by special steamers up the Nile, in each case making no charge beyond that of the actual cost of running the vessels.

Probably few men have done better work in the cause of humanity and civilization than the late head of the firm of "Thomas Cook & Son." His influence with the natives, particularly on the Nile, was immense. He was, in fact, regarded as the "King of Upper Egypt." This is ill.u.s.trated by at least two good stories told in Cairo. One relates to a native schoolboy, who, with a view to testing his proficiency, being asked to name the greatest personage in Egypt, replied, "The Khedive." He was then asked to name the second, and promptly answered, "Mr. John Cook."

The other anecdote is that of the provincial governor, who when introduced by Cook's chief dragoman to Lord Cromer, then visiting Upper Egypt, said, "I never heard of Lord Cromer, but I am very happy to know any friend of Mr. Cook."

John Mason Cook died at Walton-on-Thames on the 4th March, 1899, after having enjoyed the unique distinction of being honoured and decorated by the sovereigns of almost every country in Europe but his own.

[168] It subsequently appeared that the actual numbers were between 40,000 and 50,000.

[169] These guns fired 50 lb. sh.e.l.ls with the new explosive called "Lyddite."

[170] The British were armed with the Lee-Metford magazine rifle, and the Egyptians with the Martini-Henry.

[171] The bush defence turned out a mistake, as the men had to stand up to fire over it, and thus exposed themselves to the enemy's bullets, whereas the Egyptian troops were able to lie down under the shelter of their trench.