eminent victorians-第58章

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magnificent。　A　vision　of　universal　empire　hovered　before　his　

eyes。　Allah；　whose　servant　he　was；　who　had　led　him　thus　far；　

would　lead　him　onward　still；　to　the　glorious　end。



For　some　months　he　remained　at　El　Obeid；　consolidating　his　

dominion。　In　a　series　of　circular　letters；　he　described　his　

colloquies　with　the　Almighty　and　laid　down　the　rule　of　living　

which　his　followers　were　to　pursue。　The　faithful；　under　pain　of　

severe　punishment；　were　to　return　to　the　ascetic　simplicity　of　

ancient　times。　A　criminal　code　was　drawn　up；　meting　out　

executions；　mutilations；　and　floggings　with　a　barbaric　zeal。　The　

blasphemer　was　to　be　instantly　hanged；　the　adulterer　was　to　be　

scourged　with　whips　of　rhinoceros　hide；　the　thief　was　to　have　his



right　hand　and　his　left　foot　hacked　off　in　the　marketplace。　

No　more　were　marriages　to　be　celebrated　with　pomp　and　feasting；

no　

more　was　the　youthful　warrior　to　swagger　with　flowing　hair；　

henceforth；　the　believer　must　banquet　on　dates　and　milk；　and　his　

head　must　be　kept　shaved。　Minor　transgressions　were　punished　by　

confiscation　of　property　or　by　imprisonment　and　chains。　But　the　

rhinoceros　whip　was　the　favourite　instrument　of　chastisement。　Men



were　flogged　for　drinking　a　glass　of　wine；　they　were　flogged　for　

smoking；　if　they　swore；　they　received　eighty　lashes　for　every　

expletive；　and　after　eighty　lashes　it　was　a　common　thing　to　die。　

Before　long；　flogging　grew　to　be　so　everyday　an　incident　that　the



young　men　made　a　game　of　it；　as　a　test　of　their　endurance　of　

pain。　



With　this　Spartan　ferocity　there　was　mingled　the　glamour　

and　the　mystery　of　the　East。　The　Mahdi　himself；　his　four　

Khalifas；　and　the　principal　Emirs；　masters　of　sudden　riches；　

surrounded　themselves　with　slaves　and　women；　with　trains　of　

horses　and　asses；　with　body　guards　and　glittering　arms。　There　

were　rumours　of　debaucheries　in　high　places　of　the　Mahdi；　

forgetful　of　his　own　ordinances；　revelling　in　the　recesses　of　his



harem；　and　quaffing　date　syrup　mixed　with　ginger　out　of　the　

silver　cups　looted　from　the　church　of　the　Christians。　But　that　

imposing　figure　had　only　to　show　itself　for　the　tongue　of　scandal



to　be　stilled。　The　tall；　broad…shouldered；　majestic　man；　with　the



dark　face　and　black　beard　and　great　eyeswho　could　doubt　that　he



was　the　embodiment　of　a　superhuman　power？　Fascination　dwelt　in　

every　movement；　every　glance。　The　eyes；　painted　with　antimony；　

flashed　extraordinary　fires；　the　exquisite　smile　revealed；　

beneath　the　vigorous　lips；　white　upper　teeth　with　a　V…shaped　

space　between　them　the　certain　sign　of　fortune。　His　turban　was　

folded　with　faultless　art；　his　jibbeh；　speckless；　was　perfumed　

with　sandal…wood；　musk；　and　attar　of　roses。　He　was　at　once　all　

courtesy　and　all　command。　Thousands　followed　him；　thousands　

prostrated　themselves　before　him；　thousands；　when　he　lifted　up　

his　voice　in　solemn　worship；　knew　that　the　heavens　were　opened　

and　that　they　had　come　near　to　God。　Then　all　at　once　the　onbeia



the　elephant's…tusk　trumpetwould　give　out　its　enormous　sound。　

The　nahasthe　brazen　wardrums　would　summon；　with　their　weird　

rolling；　the　whole　host　to　arms。　The　green　flag　and　the　red　flag　

and　the　black　flag　would　rise　over　the　multitude。　The　great　army　

would　move　forward；　coloured；　glistening；　dark；　violent；　proud；　

beautiful。　The　drunkenness；　the　madness　of　religion　would　blaze　

on　every　face；　and　the　Mahdi；　immovable　on　his　charger；　would　let



the　scene　grow　under　his　eyes　in　silence。



El　Obeid　fell　in　January；　1883。　Meanwhile；　events　of　the　deepest　

importance　had　occurred　in　Egypt。　The　rise　of　Arabi　had　

synchronised　with　that　of　the　Mahdi。　Both　movements　were　

nationalist；　both　were　directed　against　alien　rulers　who　had　

shown　themselves　unfit　to　rule。　While　the　Sudanese　were　shaking　

off　the　yoke　of　Egypt；　the　Egyptians　themselves　grew　impatient　of



their　own　masters　the　Turkish　and　Circassian　Pashas　who　filled　

with　their　incompetence　all　the　high　offices　of　state。　The　army　

led　by　Ahmed　Arabi；　a　Colonel　of　fellah　origin；　mutinied；　the　

Khedive　gave　way；　and　it　seemed　as　if　a　new　order　were　about　to　

be　established。　A　new　order　was　indeed　upon　the　point　of　

appearing：　but　it　was　of　a　kind　undreamt　of　in　Arabi's　

philosophy。　At　the　critical　moment；　the　English　Government　

intervened。　An　English　fleet　bombarded　Alexandria；　an　English　

army　landed　under　Lord　Wolseley；　and　defeated　Arabi　and　his　

supporters　at　Tel…el…kebir。　The　rule　of　the　Pashas　was　nominally　

restored；　but　henceforth；　in　effect；　the　English　were　masters　of　

Egypt。　　



Nevertheless；　the　English　themselves　were　slow　to　recognise　this　

fact：　their　Government　had　intervened　unwillingly；　the　occupation



of　the　country　was　a　merely　temporary　measure；　their　army　was　to　

be　withdrawn　as　soon　as　a　tolerable　administration　had　been　set　

up。　But　a　tolerable　administration；　presided　over　by　the　Pashas；　

seemed　long　in　coming；　and　the　English　army　remained。　In　the　

meantime；　the　Mahdi　had　entered　El　Obeid；　and　his　dominion　was　

rapidly　spreading　over　the　greater　part　of　the　Sudan。



Then　a　terrible　catastrophe　took　place。　The　Pashas；　happy　once　

more　in　Cairo；　pulling　the　old　strings　and　growing　fat　over　the　

old　flesh…pots；　decided　to　give　the　world　an　unmistakable　proof　

of　their　renewed　vigour。　They　would　tolerate　the　insurrection　in　

the　Sudan　no　longer；　they　would　destroy　the　Mahdi；　reduce　his　

followers　to　submission；　and　re…establish　their　own　beneficent　

rule　over　the　whole　country。　To　this　end　they　collected　together　

an　army　of　10；000　men；　and　placed　it　under　the　command　of　Colonel



Hicks；　a　retired　English　officer。　He　was　ordered　to　advance　and　

suppress　the　rebellion。　In　these　proceedings　the　English　

Government　refused　to　take　any　part。　Unable；　or　unwilling；　to　

realise　that；　so　long　as　there　was　an　English　army　in　Egypt　they　

could　not　avoid　the　responsibilities　of　supreme　power；　they　

declared　that　the　domestic　policy　of　the　Egyptian　administration　

was　no　concern　of　theirs。　It　was　a　fatal　erroran　error　which　

they　themselves；　before　many　weeks　were　over；　were　to　be　forced　

by　the　hard　logic　of　events　to　admit。　The　Pashas；　left　to　their　

own　devices；　mismanaged　the　Hicks　expedition　to　their　hearts'　

content。　The　miserable　troops；　swept　together　from　the　relics　of　

Arabi's　disbanded　army；　were　dispatched　to　Khartoum　in　chains。　



After　a　month's　drilling；　they　were　pronounced　to　be　fit　to

attack　

the　fanatics　of　the　Sudan。　Colonel　Hicks　was　a　brave　man；　urged　

on　by　the　authorities　in　Cairo；　he　shut　his　eyes　to　the　danger　

ahead　of　him；　and　marched　out　from　Khartoum　in　the　direction　of　

El　Obeid　at　the　beginning　of　September；　1883。　Abandoning　his　

communications；　he　was　soon　deep　in　the　desolate　wastes　of　

Kordofan。　As　he　advanced；　his　difficulties　increased；　the　guides　

were　treacherous；　the　troops　grew　exhausted；　the　supply　of　water　

gave　out。　He　pressed　on；　and　at　last；　on　November　5th；　not　far　

from　El　Obeid；　the　harassed；　fainting；　almost　desperate　army　

plunged　into　a　vast　forest　of　gumtrees　and　mimosa　scrub。　There　

was　a　sudden；　appalling　yell；　the　Mahdi；　with　40；000　of　his　

finest　men；　sprang　from　their　ambush。　The　Egyptians　were　

surrounded；　and　immediately　overpowered。　It　was　not　a　defeat；　

but　an　annihilation。　Hicks　and　his　European　staff　were　

slaughtered；　the　whole　army　was　slaughtered；　300　wounded　wretches



crept　away　into　the　forest。



The　consequences　of　this　event　were　felt　in　every　part　of　the　

Sudan。　To　the　westward；　in　Darfur；　the　Governor；　Slatin　Pasha；　

after　a　prolonged　and　valiant　resistance；　was　forced　to　

surrender；　and　the　whole　province　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　

rebels。　Southwards；　in　the　Bahr…el…Ghazal；　Lupton　Bey　was　shut　up



in　a　remote　stronghold；　while　the　country　was　overrun。　The　

Mahdi's　triumphs　were　beginning　to　penetrate　even　into　the　

tropical　regions　of　Equatoria；