Grave doubts have been thrown from many sides upon the
story of the capture of Stanley and Emin Pasha. It is asked how it happened that the news of so grave an event did not fly southwards as well as northwards, and why the Mahdi did not forward letters from his prisoners. It is asserted that the letter from the Khedive to Emin Pasha given to Stanley, and forwarded to General Grenfell, is only a copy, given by Stanley to a native messenger to carry in advance of his own party, and it is supposed that this messenger was taken. It is further alleged that Stanley had no cartridges with him of 1869, such as Osman Digna produced, and it is suggested that this wily chief thought he might avert attack by alleging that the Mahdi had such hostages in his hand. As this hope has been disappointed, we shall probably hear the truth soon, or, at least, that approximation to the truth which is all we ever attain to in African affairs. Our total failure to obtain intelligence from the interior is thoroughly dis- creditable to our business capacity.
