tter got up to go, Klootz translated this sentence
to the Khalifa Abdullah, who was delighted with this flattering remark.
Cuzzi's Italian letter was concealed by Klootz, who afterwards brought
it to me. In this letter Cuzzi briefly informed General Gordon that he
was forwarding the letters; that he had sent a messenger to Sawakin to
come to an understanding with General Graham, and that the rebels at Abu
Hamed had seized a number of the Government boats. He added that Gordon
should have no anxiety about Berber, as long as Hussein Pasha Khalifa
was Mudir. But in this matter he proved to have been completely
deceived.

The general import of all these letters convinced the Mahdi that the
English were in earnest. He therefore decided to take no action for a
time, and to remove the camp to the foot of the mountain, where it was
his intention to await their advance.

But soon after came the news that Berber had fallen, and that General
Graham had returned to Sawakin, and this decided the Mahdi to advance on
Khartum.

The Nubas now began to give some difficulty. No sooner had the Dervishes
abandoned their camp at the foot of the mountain, than the Nubas
rendered all roads in the vicinity of Rahad, and for a considerable
distance, unsafe. Slaves going out to gather wood or straw were suddenly
swooped down upon by these bold mountaineers, who killed or captured
them. In this way they revenged the cruelties which they had suffered.
The Mahdi was quite unable to subdue these blacks, and his failure to do
so was a great blow to his pride.

I may here remark that at this period of the Mahdieh religion, violation
of moral laws was very severely punished. One of the Mahdi's bodyguard
caught _in flagrante_ in the practice of a species of immorality by no
means uncommon in Eastern countries, both culprits were led out in
chains and beheaded in the presence of the assembled multitudes.

Before following the Mahdi on his march to Khartum, it is advisable here
to take a brief review of the events which had occurred in Khartum,
Berber, and the Gezireh.

The catastrophe which had overtaken General Hicks's force filled the
inhabitants of Khartum with indescribable dismay. Several of them
returned to Egypt, and the members of the Austrian Mission, with their
blacks, quitted Khartum on the 11th of December, 1883. Fortunate were
those who seized this chance of escape before the roads became blocked!

General Gordon's arrival in Khartum