eminent victorians-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



appearance。　The　Governor…General　was　welcomed　at　every　stage　of

his　journey；　and　on　February　18th　he　made　a　triumphal　entry　into

Khartoum。　The　feeble　garrison；　the　panic…stricken　inhabitants；

hailed　him　as　a　deliverer。　Surely　they　need　fear　no　more；　now

that　the　great　English　Pasha　had　come　among　them。　His　first　acts

seemed　to　show　that　a　new　and　happy　era　had　begun。　Taxes　were

remitted；　the　bonds　of　the　usurers　were　destroyed；　the　victims　of

Egyptian　injustice　were　set　free　from　the　prisons；　the　immemorial

instruments　of　torture　the　stocks　and　the　whips　and　the　branding…

irons　were　broken　to　pieces　in　the　public　square。　A　bolder

measure　had　been　already　taken。　A　proclamation　had　been　issued

sanctioning　slavery　in　the　Sudan。　Gordon；　arguing　that　he　was

powerless　to　do　away　with　the　odious　institution；　which；　as　soon

as　the　withdrawal　was　carried　out；　would　inevitably　become

universal；　had　decided　to　reap　what　benefit　he　could　from　the

public　abandonment　of　an　unpopular　policy。　At　Khartoum　the

announcement　was　received　with　enthusiasm；　but　it　caused

considerable　perturbation　in　England。　The　Christian　hero；　who　had

spent　so　many　years　of　his　life　in　suppressing　slavery；　was　now

suddenly　found　to　be　using　his　high　powers　to　set　it　up　again。

The　Anti…Slavery　Society　made　a　menacing　movement；　but　the

Government　showed　a　bold　front；　and　the　popular　belief　in

Gordon's　infallibility　carried　the　day。



He　himself　was　still　radiant。　Nor；　amid　the　jubilation　and　the

devotion　which　surrounded　him；　did　he　forget　higher　things。　In

all　this　turmoil；　he　told　his　sister；　he　was　'supported'。　He　gave

injunctions　that　his　Egyptian　troops　should　have　regular　morning

and　evening　prayers；　'they　worship　one　God；'　he　said；　'Jehovah。'

And　he　ordered　an　Arabic　text；　'God　rules　the　hearts　of　all　men'；

to　be　put　up　over　the　chair　of　state　in　his　audience　chamber。　As

the　days　went　by；　he　began　to　feel　at　home　again　in　the　huge

palace　which　he　knew　so　well。　The　glare　and　the　heat　of　that

southern　atmosphere；　the　movement　of　the　crowded　city；　the　dark…

faced　populace；　the　soldiers　and　the　suppliants；　the　reawakened

consciousness　of　power；　the　glamour　and　the　mystery　of　the　whole

strange　scenethese　things　seized　upon　him；　engulfed　him；　and

worked　a　new　transformation　on　his　intoxicated　heart。　England；

with　its　complications　and　its　policies；　became　an　empty　vision

to　him；　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　with　his　cautions　and　sagacities；

hardly　more　than　a　tiresome　name。　He　was　Gordon　Pasha；　he　was　the

Governor…General；　he　was　the　ruler　of　the　Sudan。　He　was　among　his

peoplehis　own　people；　and　it　was　to　them　only　that　he　was

responsibleto　them；　and　to　God。　Was　he　to　let　them　fall　without

a　blow　into　the　clutches　of　a　sanguinary　impostor？　Never！　He　was

there　to　prevent　that。　The　distant　governments　might　mutter

something　about　'evacuation'；　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　He

poured　them　into　his　telegrams；　and　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　sat　aghast。

The　man　who　had　left　London　a　month　before；　with　instructions　to

'report　upon　the　best　means　of　effecting　the　evacuation　of　the

Sudan'；　was　now　openly　talking　of　'smashing　up　the　Mahdi'　with

the　aid　of　British　and　Indian　troops。　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　counted

upon　his　fingers　the　various　stages　of　this　extraordinary

development　in　General　Gordon's　opinions。　But　he　might　have　saved

himself　the　trouble；　for；　in　fact；　it　was　less　a　development　than

a　reversion。　Under　the　stress　of　the　excitements　and　the

realities　of　his　situation　at　Khartoum；　the　policy　which　Gordon

was　now　proposing　to　carry　out　had　come　to　tally；　in　every

particular；　with　the　policy　which　he　had　originally　advocated

with　such　vigorous　conviction　in　the　pages　of　the　Pall　Mall

Gazette。



Nor　was　the　adoption　of　that　policy　by　the　English　Government　by

any　means　out　of　the　question。　For；　in　the　meantime；　events　had

been　taking　place　in　the　Eastern　Sudan；　in　the　neighbourhood　of

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　th