One hundred years ago
The news of the week from Egypt is bad. General Gordon, with four steam- ers, carried out his threat of burning Berber, shelling the place till its defen- ders ran away. He did not, however, apparently occupy the town, but re- turned with three steamers to Khar- toum. Colonel Stewart, with the fourth steamer, ran on towards Dongola to reopen communications with Cairo; but his steamer stuck on a rock and could not be got off. A neighbouring sheikh offered to escort Colonel Stewart and his party across the desert; but, on their landing, murdered them all. The event, if it has really occurred, is, in a political sense, not important, as it only shows that the riverine sheikhs are hostile, which is natural, as they suffer most from the Egyptians; but, in a personal sense, the loss is great. Colonel Stewart was an admirable officer, who had had a strange career. He has been practically merged for years in General Gordon, under whom he formerly governed Khartoum, and with whom he was associated in his recent expedition. His good and strenuous work was, there- fore, scarcely known to his countrymen. The melancholy news has induced Lord Wolseley to urge forward all prepara- tions, and the advance guard should by the end of next week be passing Dongo- la. The remainder of the expedition, with all the boats, is slowly accumulat- ing at Wady Haifa; but the railway has insufficient plant for the new duties required of it. The men of the Camel Corps are arriving in detachments, and take kindly to their camels, which they are forbidden to swear at. General Wolseley is much laughed at for that order, as if, say the critics, the beasts understood; but General Wolseley has talked to a camel in his time, and the .critics have not. Let them swear at a good pointer in Arabic, and see what will happen.
Spectator, 11 October 1884
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