or would
the strains of the hymns of His Excellency be heard any more at eventide
in Khartoum. Blood was to flow in her streets, in her dwellings, in her
very mosque, and on the Kenniseh of the Narsira. A cry arose, "To the
Palace! to the Palace!" A wild and furious band rushed towards it, but
they were resisted by the black troops, who fought desperately. They
knew there was no mercy for them, and that even were their lives spared,
they would be enslaved, and the state of the slave, the perpetual bondage
with hard taskmasters, is worse than death. Slaves are not treated well,
as you think; heavy chains are round their ankles and middle, and they
are lashed for the least offence until blood flows. We had fought for
the Christian Pasha and for the Turks, and we knew that we should receive
no mercy. The house was set on fire: the fight raged and the slaughter
continued till the streets were slippery with blood. The rebels rushed
onward to the Palace. We saw a mass rolling to and fro, but did not see
Gordon Pasha killed. He met his fate, we believe, as he was leaving the
Palace, near the large tree which stands on the esplanade. The Palace is
not a stone's throw, or at any rate a gun shot distance from the Austrian
Consul's house. He was going in that direction, to the magazine on the
Kenniseh, a long way off. We did not hear what became of his body, nor
did we hear that his head was cut off; but we saw the head of the traitor
Farig Pasha, who met with his deserts. We have heard it was the blacks
that ran away; and that the Egyptian soldiers fought well; that is not
true, they were craven. Had it not been for them, in spite of the
treachery of many within the town, the Arabs would not have got in, for
we watched the traitors. And now fearful scenes took place in every
house and building, in the large Market Place, in the small bazaars; men
were slain crying for mercy, but mercy was not in the hearts of those
savage enemies. Women and children were robbed of their jewels of
silver, of their bracelets, necklaces of precious stones, and carried off
to be sold to the Bishareen merchants as slaves. Yes, and white women
too, mother and daughter alike were carried off from their homes of
comfort. Wives and children of Egyptian merchants, formerly rich, owning
ships and mills; these were sold afterwards, some for 340 thaleries or
more, some for 25, according to age and good looks. And the poor black
women already