Fredk. Stephenson.
February 8, 1884.
You will have heard, long before this reaches you, all about the sad result of General Baker's operations in the Soudan, of the disgraceful way in which the Egyptians behaved, and the loss of life as well as of his guns. The result is very serious, and the two garrisons of Sinkat and Tokar, whose relief was the object of his expedition, must now be sacrificed, and it is extremely doubtful whether General Gordon will succeed in saving Khartoum and the other garrisons in that ex-
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tensive region. A few days ago I was very sanguine as to the results of both Baker's and Gordon's missions, but now that that of the former has failed I am doubtful about the latter; for those wild tribes will now be so excited by their recent successes that they are hardly likely to be influenced by Gordon, or indeed any other consideration than that of driving out, or more probably massacring, the hated Egyptians. The evacuation of the Soudan will now be effected in all probability under the most distressing circumstances, and as England has forced this measure upon Egypt, she must take her share of the odium which will result from the manner in which this policy has been carried out. I don't mean to blame our Government for compelling Egypt to give up a country which she was utterly incapable of governing, and as England did not wish to entangle herself in assuming authority over such an immense extent of country (having already upon her hands as much as she can manage) we were right probably in adopting this policy. But the way in which this has been carried out is quite another thing. Gordon should have been sent out as soon as this measure was decided upon; he would then have had every chance of succeeding in saving the garrisons and the civil population connected with them, and he might even have come to terms with the Mahdi, or at all events have established some authority or government over the country before abandoning it; whereas now nothing but barbarism, slave trade, and other horrors will reign there unchecked, until some other foreign Power establishes itself there, and makes itself a very unpleasant neighbour to Egypt. I had a letter this morning from General Gordon from Korosko, dated the ist. He was very sanguine about getting to Khartoum all right, and had summoned the neighbouring sheikhs to meet him there. We have since heard of him at Abou Hamed, and he expects to be at Berber on the loth. Between there and Khartoum the telegraph is cut, and the country is up; he says that the Mahdi will never dream of coming north, but will make
for the Bahr el Gazel and there carry on the slave trade.
To Lieutenant-Colonel F. Romilly
Cairo, March 18, 1884.
.... I don't give you accounts of Graham's movements, because you will have seen them in the newspaper long before this reaches you. Our Government in the meanwhile is being led on by public opinion and the force of circumstances — the result of their lamentable former inaction and supineness — into operations far more extensive than they originally intended, and it is difficult to say where they will be eventually landed.
Graham is now moving on in the direction of Sinkat, and how far he will advance in the direction of Berber I cannot say. The opening up of this route would be of course an immense point gained, but to effect this we must be assisted by friendly tribes operating in our direction from Berber and meeting us as far on the road as they can. Under any circumstances — and I understand that a friendly tribe has offered to co-operate from Berber for the distance of 60 miles — the operation will be a very difficult one with our small force, a trying climate, and deficiency of water; the disposal of the sick, which must be looked to, will entail the formation of halting-places on the line of march for their protection.... We are anxious about Gordon; he is hemmed in at Khartoum, but has six months' provisions.— Ever sincerely yours,
Fredk. Stephenson.
To Lady Elizabeth Romilly
Cairo, March 25, 1884.
... To-morrow's operations will, I hope, be the last of the campaign; I doubt, however, there being any more fighting to-morrow.... General Gordon is
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