e object of the
Expedition have been attained without regard for the national honour,
and without the discovery of that policy, the want of which was the
only cause of the calamities associated with the Soudan.

After the 14th of December there is no trustworthy, or at least,
complete evidence, as to what took place in Khartoum. A copy of one of
the defiant messages Gordon used to circulate for the special purpose
of letting them fall into the hands of the Mahdi was dated 29th of
that month, and ran to the effect, "Can hold Khartoum for years."
There was also the final message to the Sovereigns of the Powers,
undated, and probably written, if at all, by Gordon, during the final
agony of the last few weeks, perhaps when Omdurman had fallen. It was
worded as follows:--

"After salutations, I would at once, calling to mind what I have
gone through, inform their Majesties, the Sovereigns, of the
action of Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire, who appointed me
as Governor-General of the Soudan for the purpose of appeasing
the rebellion in that country.

"During the twelve months that I have been here, these two
Powers, the one remarkable for her wealth, and the other for her
military force, have remained unaffected by my situation--perhaps
relying too much on the news sent by Hussein Pasha Khalifa, who
surrendered of his own accord.

"Although I, personally, am too insignificant to be taken into
account, the Powers were bound, nevertheless, to fulfil the
engagement upon which my appointment was based, so as to shield
the honour of the Governments.

"What I have gone through I cannot describe. The Almighty God
will help me."

Although this copy was not in Gordon's own writing, it was brought
down by one of his clerks, who escaped from Khartoum, and he declared
that the original had been sent in a cartridge case to Dongola. The
style is certainly the style of Gordon, and there was no one in the
Soudan who could imitate it. It seems safe, as Sir Henry Gordon did,
to accept it as the farewell message of his brother.

Until fresh evidence comes to light, that of Slatin Pasha, then a
chained captive in the Mahdi's camp, is alone entitled to the
slightest credence, and it is extremely graphic. We can well believe
that up to the last moment Gordon continued to send out
messages--false, to deceive the Mahdi, and true to impress Lord
Wolseley. Th